Ps. Adomah Kwasi Solomon is a young minister of the Lord in the Brong Ahafo Region whose conviction is the restoration of the people of the Brong Ahafo. Even though, he is not ethnocentric about his passion and belief. He does push this vision in the light of the preaching of the gospel of Christ. His passion is to raise the next group of people who will take the leadership mantle of Africa.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
THE MINISTRY OF THE PROPHETS
WE ARE IN THE TIME OF THE PROPHETS.FOR MORE DETAIL CONTACT IMPACT INTERNATIONAL YOUTH MINISTRY.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
THE FORCE OF HOLINESS
Holiness is the most preached sermon of our time, but there are no examples to follow. I personally believe that, God is about to raise group of people who will stand for him no matter what is going on in the church. The church of God needs to be cleanse from filth and sin. Sin seems to be ruling among Christians than any other thing. Man has been a slave to sin for many years without a way out. It seems the death of Christ is a waste. No wonder bad names are attached to the church of God so much.
Holiness is relegated to the background of our lives. No body wants to be holy. I hear people say every now and then that, it is not possible for human beings to be perfect. People are going about preaching the message that; we are seeds of Adam, because of that we are sinners. If you ask them they do not have any basis except their own failure to life pure.
But the bible say says we the seeds of the second Adam who is Jesus Christ.
In as much as sin entered the world through one man; Adam, so as righteousness entered the world through one man; the second Adam who is Jesus Christ.
In this message, I want to establish the point that, holiness is the standard of God for every believer. Perfection is in man. Man is the only entity that can live perfect life. This is because; all the creatures of the earth do not have the nature of God. That is why he called on the father of faith to be perfect in his ways of doing things after many years of following God’s voice.
And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram and said unto him, I am the Almighty God, walk before me and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.
Genesis 17:1- 2
I wander what Abram was doing with his life all those years. You may be hundred years in the Lord, if you are not perfect; you are not in right position with God to covenant him. So the standard is that, I AM HOLY SO BE HOLY.
Why did God call on Abram to be perfect? It comes down to emphasis the point that, holiness is the only standard that man must come to before he can enter into covenant with God.
Holiness is a force. This is because; it is the booster of power. Holiness is a force because is the only antidotes to sin and a stop to the devil. Sin kills, destroys and resists the destiny of great men and women. Sin will bring you low more than you intend to end. It will take you far more than you intended to go.
Sin can never be defeated without the force of holiness, just as the force of gravity can not be overcome except aero dynamic force. This is because sin is also a force that compels people to do what they naturally do not want to do. This is the force that was at war with Apostle Paul when he said;
For I know in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would; I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members
Romans 7:18-19, 21-23
There is a law of sin. A law is a force. The law of sin is a force, it has control. Any time you find yourself in a situation where what you don’t want to do is what you do, it is the indication that, the law of sin has some kind of control over your life.
HOW DOES SIN GET CONTROL OVER MAN
Man was naturally made and created. Man was made by the group of angels, and God in the spirit world. Afterwards, man was created by God on earth.
And God said, let us make man in our image after our likeness and let them have dominion… so God created man in his own image.
Genesis 1:26-27
This means that man is spirit; man has a soul and lives in the body. In the creation of man and making of man, he is supposed to own the earth. The earth belongs to man. That is why every thing on earth is only beneficial to humans. There is nothing on earth that spirits can benefit from.
It also means that, it is illegal for spirits to operate on earth without human bodies. That is why when God wanted to bring the world back to himself he had to wrap himself in the body of Christ.
To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto him self, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
2 Corinthians 5:19
God himself needed human body to dwell in before He could settle the issue of sin, so the devil needs human body. Note that; it is illegal for spirits to operate here on earth without human bodies. This is what the devil then does to get human body; he introduces you to sin so that he gains mastership over you.
He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil
1 John 3:8
The penalty here is that, he that sins belong to the devil. So sin is an act of trading yourself to the devil. The Bible says; that person is FOR the devil. The scripture can never be broken. As a result of Adam and Eve’s sin, the devil became the master or the god of this world.
He used legal tactics to gain access to the earth realm when he introduced Adam and Eve to disobey God. One of the sad things is that, whoever introduces you to something does so to gain mastership over you. If I learn carpentry work from some body, the person teaches me to gain mastership over me. And so I call him master. In the same way, the devil introduced man to sin to gain mastership over man in the flesh. The Bible says any one who sin is of the devil because he first sinned. So the devil introduced Adam and Eve to sin hence he became master over them. Right from there, he became the god of this world.
In whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of them which believeth not.
2 Corinthians 4:4
This is the reason why the devil could tell Jesus to bow and serve him so that he gives the whole world to him. He was not lying to Jesus; he was exercising his highest authority to overcome Jesus.
On the other side of the story, if Adam and Eve had not given in to the devil, there wouldn’t have been a single thing written about Satan in human race- he would have been useless and powerless.
This is what happens to every one that sins. The Bible says that, the wages of sin is death, and the soul that sins shall die. The Lord also told Adam and earth that the day that they will eat of the fruit, they shall die. This kind of death is not physical death. In the actual fact, the meaning of death according to the Bible is separation of the spirit from the body. The devil can never destroy you unless he has killed you first.
The thief cometh not; but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy
John 10:10
You could see from the Bible that the devil always kills people before he destroys. He kills people by introducing them to sin so that their spirit component which gives life will be separated from them. When that happens the sin that lead you to sin takes the place of your spirit and puts your life into perpetual darkness and bondage. When the spirit of that sin enters you, it begins to control your body to where it wants it to go. No body can over come or resist this control unless another force which is higher that the force of sin is in him.
SOME EXAMPLES OF SIN AND HOW THEY CONTROL MAN
IMMORALITY
When Israel left Egypt to the Promised Land, the highest number that was killed came by sexual immorality. Paul told us that 23,000 men fell in one day, for fornication.
Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day, three and twenty thousand.
1 Corinthians 10:8
One of the dangerous things about sin of immorality is that; it leads to what we called soul tie. This is because the Bible teaches that any time you have sexual relationship with somebody, you become one flesh with the person. Your soul undergoes a covenant with the soul of the person that you went in for.
For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
Matthew 19:5
Sex is meant for two fleshes to become one flesh. How can a person who is not married be the flesh of a man? That is the mystery of sexual relationship
Jesus said if you look at a woman and lust after her, you have committed fornication with her. And anytime two people have sexual affair, spiritually, they enter into covenant of becoming one flesh. So you can imagine somebody who have had sexual affair with many men or women, and the number of souls he or she has covenanted. This is what we call soul tie. You may break up with the person but you may be connected to the person’s soul hence you are not single.
Faith A. Oyedepo said in one of her books that,
Marriage is a covenant, and sex is the seal of the covenant. The breaking of the hymen by one’s husband is crucial and has a lot of spiritual significance. Covenants are sealed by the shedding of blood, so that they can not easily be broken. On the wedding night, as the marriage is consummated, God expects to see the hymen break and blood flow, to seal the covenant of marriage between husband and wife.
Making marriage work
FINANCIAL PERVERSION
This kind of sin is claiming the second highest number of lives. Three thousand men died, holding on to their gold. Exodus 32:26-28.
Do you remember the story of Gehazi the servant of Elisha? His financial corruption made him carry the leprosy of Naaman. [2 Kings 5:20-22, 25-27]
Financial corruption has caused nations so much. It is also something that the Lord detests. If you are going to be a man or woman that God can use in our time, there is the need for you to be pure when it comes to handling money. No matter the amount be faithful.
One of the commonest ways of seeing this sin is when people take money from others to do some thing and decide to use it for their personal gain.
REBELLION
This is another sin that has claimed the third largest number of souls in the church. Rebellion is when you deliberately react against order, targeted at leadership at all levels in the church of God. Any church or establishment you find yourself in and you have doubts about the leadership, it is not a place where you can be blessed. So check out of the place, before you are cast out. Your thinking ill against any leadership set over you is tearing down your own heritage. And if you have accepted leadership over you in the in your office or school, then stop playing with fire rejecting God’s order in the Church or in the family.
One of the ways rebellion spirit is seen in ones life is when the person operates with independent spirit. When the leaderships say, we are doing this, they also plan something contrary to what the church has plan. The trade mark for such people who rebel is pride. They always feel they are better than others. They feel like doing everything any time, with the ideal that they are the only people who can do it well. It is rebellion.
WHY THE BATTLE AGAINST SIN
The devil strives to keep us in sin for three major reasons.
• He wants to keep you in the outer court perpetually, where you will never have access to revelations.[Hebrews 9:2-4]
• He wants to rob you off divine presence of God. Jesus could do all that he did because he carried the presence of God(God was with Him every where he went- John 3:2)
• He wants to disconnect you eternally from God(Revelation 21:7-8)
HOW TO OVECOME THE POWER OF SIN
You can destroy sin completely from your life. The root of every human calamity is sin. Until the root is destroyed the tree will keep bearing fruits. But to every human question has an absolute answer with Him. When you locate that answer, you step into your freedom. In the race for rightful living, man is the determining factor, not the devil.
• New birth
• Sit down and think
• Exercise yourself
• The word answer
• Go for light
• Listen to your conscience
• The power of choice
• Take Strength in the inner man
• Disconnect/separation
• Engage the blood weapon
I trust that God will give you the power to stand no matter what happens. Do not be available to the devil any more. Put a pass word on your life. I advice that, if there is something bad you are doing today which you will stop tomorrow, stop it NOW. This is the right time to disarm sin and have authority. Do not look at the pressure now and sell your future to any body. Remember that, any time you bow down your head to pray for forgiveness of sin, the sin that is repeated everyday in your prayer is the sin that is taking you to hell. This is the right time to put an end to it.
I love you and I want to help you know Jesus. If you want to accept Jesus Christ as your savior, call now: 0543658152 or 0201145678.In case you can’t call now, you may say this prayer from your heart
Lord Jesus, I accept today that I am a sinner. I have lived in sin for many years. But today I confess to you that, I am no more going to live for my sins again. Please come into my heart and create in me a new heart. I promise to serve you with all my spirit, soul and body. I will love my neighbor as my self forever and ever. AMEN
Holiness is relegated to the background of our lives. No body wants to be holy. I hear people say every now and then that, it is not possible for human beings to be perfect. People are going about preaching the message that; we are seeds of Adam, because of that we are sinners. If you ask them they do not have any basis except their own failure to life pure.
But the bible say says we the seeds of the second Adam who is Jesus Christ.
In as much as sin entered the world through one man; Adam, so as righteousness entered the world through one man; the second Adam who is Jesus Christ.
In this message, I want to establish the point that, holiness is the standard of God for every believer. Perfection is in man. Man is the only entity that can live perfect life. This is because; all the creatures of the earth do not have the nature of God. That is why he called on the father of faith to be perfect in his ways of doing things after many years of following God’s voice.
And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram and said unto him, I am the Almighty God, walk before me and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.
Genesis 17:1- 2
I wander what Abram was doing with his life all those years. You may be hundred years in the Lord, if you are not perfect; you are not in right position with God to covenant him. So the standard is that, I AM HOLY SO BE HOLY.
Why did God call on Abram to be perfect? It comes down to emphasis the point that, holiness is the only standard that man must come to before he can enter into covenant with God.
Holiness is a force. This is because; it is the booster of power. Holiness is a force because is the only antidotes to sin and a stop to the devil. Sin kills, destroys and resists the destiny of great men and women. Sin will bring you low more than you intend to end. It will take you far more than you intended to go.
Sin can never be defeated without the force of holiness, just as the force of gravity can not be overcome except aero dynamic force. This is because sin is also a force that compels people to do what they naturally do not want to do. This is the force that was at war with Apostle Paul when he said;
For I know in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would; I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members
Romans 7:18-19, 21-23
There is a law of sin. A law is a force. The law of sin is a force, it has control. Any time you find yourself in a situation where what you don’t want to do is what you do, it is the indication that, the law of sin has some kind of control over your life.
HOW DOES SIN GET CONTROL OVER MAN
Man was naturally made and created. Man was made by the group of angels, and God in the spirit world. Afterwards, man was created by God on earth.
And God said, let us make man in our image after our likeness and let them have dominion… so God created man in his own image.
Genesis 1:26-27
This means that man is spirit; man has a soul and lives in the body. In the creation of man and making of man, he is supposed to own the earth. The earth belongs to man. That is why every thing on earth is only beneficial to humans. There is nothing on earth that spirits can benefit from.
It also means that, it is illegal for spirits to operate on earth without human bodies. That is why when God wanted to bring the world back to himself he had to wrap himself in the body of Christ.
To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto him self, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
2 Corinthians 5:19
God himself needed human body to dwell in before He could settle the issue of sin, so the devil needs human body. Note that; it is illegal for spirits to operate here on earth without human bodies. This is what the devil then does to get human body; he introduces you to sin so that he gains mastership over you.
He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil
1 John 3:8
The penalty here is that, he that sins belong to the devil. So sin is an act of trading yourself to the devil. The Bible says; that person is FOR the devil. The scripture can never be broken. As a result of Adam and Eve’s sin, the devil became the master or the god of this world.
He used legal tactics to gain access to the earth realm when he introduced Adam and Eve to disobey God. One of the sad things is that, whoever introduces you to something does so to gain mastership over you. If I learn carpentry work from some body, the person teaches me to gain mastership over me. And so I call him master. In the same way, the devil introduced man to sin to gain mastership over man in the flesh. The Bible says any one who sin is of the devil because he first sinned. So the devil introduced Adam and Eve to sin hence he became master over them. Right from there, he became the god of this world.
In whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of them which believeth not.
2 Corinthians 4:4
This is the reason why the devil could tell Jesus to bow and serve him so that he gives the whole world to him. He was not lying to Jesus; he was exercising his highest authority to overcome Jesus.
On the other side of the story, if Adam and Eve had not given in to the devil, there wouldn’t have been a single thing written about Satan in human race- he would have been useless and powerless.
This is what happens to every one that sins. The Bible says that, the wages of sin is death, and the soul that sins shall die. The Lord also told Adam and earth that the day that they will eat of the fruit, they shall die. This kind of death is not physical death. In the actual fact, the meaning of death according to the Bible is separation of the spirit from the body. The devil can never destroy you unless he has killed you first.
The thief cometh not; but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy
John 10:10
You could see from the Bible that the devil always kills people before he destroys. He kills people by introducing them to sin so that their spirit component which gives life will be separated from them. When that happens the sin that lead you to sin takes the place of your spirit and puts your life into perpetual darkness and bondage. When the spirit of that sin enters you, it begins to control your body to where it wants it to go. No body can over come or resist this control unless another force which is higher that the force of sin is in him.
SOME EXAMPLES OF SIN AND HOW THEY CONTROL MAN
IMMORALITY
When Israel left Egypt to the Promised Land, the highest number that was killed came by sexual immorality. Paul told us that 23,000 men fell in one day, for fornication.
Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day, three and twenty thousand.
1 Corinthians 10:8
One of the dangerous things about sin of immorality is that; it leads to what we called soul tie. This is because the Bible teaches that any time you have sexual relationship with somebody, you become one flesh with the person. Your soul undergoes a covenant with the soul of the person that you went in for.
For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
Matthew 19:5
Sex is meant for two fleshes to become one flesh. How can a person who is not married be the flesh of a man? That is the mystery of sexual relationship
Jesus said if you look at a woman and lust after her, you have committed fornication with her. And anytime two people have sexual affair, spiritually, they enter into covenant of becoming one flesh. So you can imagine somebody who have had sexual affair with many men or women, and the number of souls he or she has covenanted. This is what we call soul tie. You may break up with the person but you may be connected to the person’s soul hence you are not single.
Faith A. Oyedepo said in one of her books that,
Marriage is a covenant, and sex is the seal of the covenant. The breaking of the hymen by one’s husband is crucial and has a lot of spiritual significance. Covenants are sealed by the shedding of blood, so that they can not easily be broken. On the wedding night, as the marriage is consummated, God expects to see the hymen break and blood flow, to seal the covenant of marriage between husband and wife.
Making marriage work
FINANCIAL PERVERSION
This kind of sin is claiming the second highest number of lives. Three thousand men died, holding on to their gold. Exodus 32:26-28.
Do you remember the story of Gehazi the servant of Elisha? His financial corruption made him carry the leprosy of Naaman. [2 Kings 5:20-22, 25-27]
Financial corruption has caused nations so much. It is also something that the Lord detests. If you are going to be a man or woman that God can use in our time, there is the need for you to be pure when it comes to handling money. No matter the amount be faithful.
One of the commonest ways of seeing this sin is when people take money from others to do some thing and decide to use it for their personal gain.
REBELLION
This is another sin that has claimed the third largest number of souls in the church. Rebellion is when you deliberately react against order, targeted at leadership at all levels in the church of God. Any church or establishment you find yourself in and you have doubts about the leadership, it is not a place where you can be blessed. So check out of the place, before you are cast out. Your thinking ill against any leadership set over you is tearing down your own heritage. And if you have accepted leadership over you in the in your office or school, then stop playing with fire rejecting God’s order in the Church or in the family.
One of the ways rebellion spirit is seen in ones life is when the person operates with independent spirit. When the leaderships say, we are doing this, they also plan something contrary to what the church has plan. The trade mark for such people who rebel is pride. They always feel they are better than others. They feel like doing everything any time, with the ideal that they are the only people who can do it well. It is rebellion.
WHY THE BATTLE AGAINST SIN
The devil strives to keep us in sin for three major reasons.
• He wants to keep you in the outer court perpetually, where you will never have access to revelations.[Hebrews 9:2-4]
• He wants to rob you off divine presence of God. Jesus could do all that he did because he carried the presence of God(God was with Him every where he went- John 3:2)
• He wants to disconnect you eternally from God(Revelation 21:7-8)
HOW TO OVECOME THE POWER OF SIN
You can destroy sin completely from your life. The root of every human calamity is sin. Until the root is destroyed the tree will keep bearing fruits. But to every human question has an absolute answer with Him. When you locate that answer, you step into your freedom. In the race for rightful living, man is the determining factor, not the devil.
• New birth
• Sit down and think
• Exercise yourself
• The word answer
• Go for light
• Listen to your conscience
• The power of choice
• Take Strength in the inner man
• Disconnect/separation
• Engage the blood weapon
I trust that God will give you the power to stand no matter what happens. Do not be available to the devil any more. Put a pass word on your life. I advice that, if there is something bad you are doing today which you will stop tomorrow, stop it NOW. This is the right time to disarm sin and have authority. Do not look at the pressure now and sell your future to any body. Remember that, any time you bow down your head to pray for forgiveness of sin, the sin that is repeated everyday in your prayer is the sin that is taking you to hell. This is the right time to put an end to it.
I love you and I want to help you know Jesus. If you want to accept Jesus Christ as your savior, call now: 0543658152 or 0201145678.In case you can’t call now, you may say this prayer from your heart
Lord Jesus, I accept today that I am a sinner. I have lived in sin for many years. But today I confess to you that, I am no more going to live for my sins again. Please come into my heart and create in me a new heart. I promise to serve you with all my spirit, soul and body. I will love my neighbor as my self forever and ever. AMEN
Saturday, October 8, 2011
THE FUTURE IS ON SALE: BUY IT
THE FUTURE IS ON SALE: BUY IT
INTRODUCTION
Life is very complex in nature. People who make impact are those who live a sim0ple but principled life. It takes some one with strong conviction and adequate knowledge to make a head way in life. We have lived in a lie for such a long time. As a nation, we can not change our story if the individual who make the nation does not change their way of living and thinking, there is nothing that can work for us if we can not build capacity, character and facility.
In this message, I want to share with you things that will help you build capacity and character for future. This is what I call, THE FUTURE IS ON SALE: BUY IT.
As in introductory thought, I want to ask this question: why do we do what we? Or why are we where we are as individuals, institution or a nation?
I want to help you to answer the first question. That is why do we do what we do?
We do what we do because of
1. Environment
2. Knowledge
3. Belief
4. Values
5. Actions
Now we can attempt to answer the next question; why are we where we are?
There is a reason or a cause for where we are as a group, institution and individuals.
As a continent, statistics shows that four of the poorest nations of the world is in Africa. And West Africa is the poorest region in Africa. Why is it so? Why should a country with precious raw materials be poor? Why should the continent with the most fertile land lack food? Why is it that a continent whose people are doing the most difficult works in the world wide are the poorest? Why? Why? And Why?
Some people believe that we are where we are because of the following:
1. We are where we are because of what we are- heredity, blood patterns, or biology.
2. We are where we are because of where we are- the environment and what it has made us. That is location.
3. The last group also says we are where we are because of how we have been treated- history (our past afflictions)
I personally believe that we are where we are not because of biology, location or history, but we are where we because of what we BELIEF and DO or PRACTICE (choices)
It is one thing to belief and it is another thing to do what we belief. This reminds me of a story that was told of a rope walker and his audience;
He one afternoon attracted so many audience that, he did a lot of his display on his rope. After many displays on the rope, he took a table and carried it to walk on the rope.
The people were amazed and applauded for the man. He took a wheel barrow and used it to walk on the rope from one end to the other end. Every body was surprised and applauded for the man. The rope walker then turned to the cloud and asked them, “Do you belief that I can carry human being at my back and walk on this rope? The audience shouted “YES”. The rope walker then requested “give me one man so that I carry him at my back and walk on this rope” the place was absolutely quiet.
The rope walker asked again, “Do you belief I can do that?” the cloud shouted again YES!
The rope walker asked the audience, if you belief that I can do that, then why are you not ready to give me one man to do the display?
This is the situation of many of us. We have good beliefs, but wrong actions. We can not do what we belief. This is what has kept us where we are as people and a nation at large.
Now let us go to our topic for today: THE FUTURE IS ON SALE: BUY IT
When I talk about future, I am referring to the seconds before present time. It can be viewed in seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months and years.
The smallest unit of future is seconds. Do you know that, “Today was called tomorrow yesterday”. So future is what we walk in everyday of our lives. Unfortunately, many people think that future is a far away- type- of- days- to- come.
Future also means tomorrow. In other words, tomorrow is on sale buy: buy it. There is something you can do to buy your tomorrow before your tomorrow buys you. This is all that I want to share with you so that you can buy your tomorrow instead of your tomorrow buying you.
We will be looking at the fundamental things that govern the buying of future and selling of future so that you can choose from now either you will buy or sale the future.
I want us to read something form the first book of Moses
And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padan-aram, the sister to Laban the Syrian. And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to inquire of the LORD. And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger. And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau. And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them. And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents. And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: but Rebekah loved Jacob.
And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint: And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom. And Jacob said; Sell me this day thy birthright. And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me? And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.
Gen 25:20-26:1
The passage we have just read talks about two characters called, Jacob and Esau and how they will live their lives on earth.
Many people think that Jacob was a cheat and or crook and so he stole his brother’s birth right. On the contrary, God never saw Jacob a cheat or crook. In fact God said that he love Jacob and hate Esau. (Romans 9:13)
This story introduces the reader to four major distinguishing factors that governed these two people’s life.
THE FOUR DISTINGUISHING FACTORS THAT GOVERNED JACOB AND ESAU
1. Prophetic positioning of Jacob and Esau
2. Productive system of Jacob and Esau
3. Purpose and values of Jacob and Esau
4. Impact on their destinies.
Prophetic positioning of Jacob and Esau
Rebecca inquired of the Lord why there was such a struggle in her womb. The answer the Lord gave to her has prophetic undertones.
Prophetically the Lord said;
1. There are two kinds of nations
2. There are two manners of people
3. The younger shall be stronger than the older
4. The older shall serve the younger
You can see that, God never invoked a curse here. This is because the Bible says there is no curse without a cause.
INTRODUCTION
Life is very complex in nature. People who make impact are those who live a sim0ple but principled life. It takes some one with strong conviction and adequate knowledge to make a head way in life. We have lived in a lie for such a long time. As a nation, we can not change our story if the individual who make the nation does not change their way of living and thinking, there is nothing that can work for us if we can not build capacity, character and facility.
In this message, I want to share with you things that will help you build capacity and character for future. This is what I call, THE FUTURE IS ON SALE: BUY IT.
As in introductory thought, I want to ask this question: why do we do what we? Or why are we where we are as individuals, institution or a nation?
I want to help you to answer the first question. That is why do we do what we do?
We do what we do because of
1. Environment
2. Knowledge
3. Belief
4. Values
5. Actions
Now we can attempt to answer the next question; why are we where we are?
There is a reason or a cause for where we are as a group, institution and individuals.
As a continent, statistics shows that four of the poorest nations of the world is in Africa. And West Africa is the poorest region in Africa. Why is it so? Why should a country with precious raw materials be poor? Why should the continent with the most fertile land lack food? Why is it that a continent whose people are doing the most difficult works in the world wide are the poorest? Why? Why? And Why?
Some people believe that we are where we are because of the following:
1. We are where we are because of what we are- heredity, blood patterns, or biology.
2. We are where we are because of where we are- the environment and what it has made us. That is location.
3. The last group also says we are where we are because of how we have been treated- history (our past afflictions)
I personally believe that we are where we are not because of biology, location or history, but we are where we because of what we BELIEF and DO or PRACTICE (choices)
It is one thing to belief and it is another thing to do what we belief. This reminds me of a story that was told of a rope walker and his audience;
He one afternoon attracted so many audience that, he did a lot of his display on his rope. After many displays on the rope, he took a table and carried it to walk on the rope.
The people were amazed and applauded for the man. He took a wheel barrow and used it to walk on the rope from one end to the other end. Every body was surprised and applauded for the man. The rope walker then turned to the cloud and asked them, “Do you belief that I can carry human being at my back and walk on this rope? The audience shouted “YES”. The rope walker then requested “give me one man so that I carry him at my back and walk on this rope” the place was absolutely quiet.
The rope walker asked again, “Do you belief I can do that?” the cloud shouted again YES!
The rope walker asked the audience, if you belief that I can do that, then why are you not ready to give me one man to do the display?
This is the situation of many of us. We have good beliefs, but wrong actions. We can not do what we belief. This is what has kept us where we are as people and a nation at large.
Now let us go to our topic for today: THE FUTURE IS ON SALE: BUY IT
When I talk about future, I am referring to the seconds before present time. It can be viewed in seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months and years.
The smallest unit of future is seconds. Do you know that, “Today was called tomorrow yesterday”. So future is what we walk in everyday of our lives. Unfortunately, many people think that future is a far away- type- of- days- to- come.
Future also means tomorrow. In other words, tomorrow is on sale buy: buy it. There is something you can do to buy your tomorrow before your tomorrow buys you. This is all that I want to share with you so that you can buy your tomorrow instead of your tomorrow buying you.
We will be looking at the fundamental things that govern the buying of future and selling of future so that you can choose from now either you will buy or sale the future.
I want us to read something form the first book of Moses
And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padan-aram, the sister to Laban the Syrian. And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to inquire of the LORD. And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger. And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau. And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them. And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents. And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: but Rebekah loved Jacob.
And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint: And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom. And Jacob said; Sell me this day thy birthright. And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me? And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.
Gen 25:20-26:1
The passage we have just read talks about two characters called, Jacob and Esau and how they will live their lives on earth.
Many people think that Jacob was a cheat and or crook and so he stole his brother’s birth right. On the contrary, God never saw Jacob a cheat or crook. In fact God said that he love Jacob and hate Esau. (Romans 9:13)
This story introduces the reader to four major distinguishing factors that governed these two people’s life.
THE FOUR DISTINGUISHING FACTORS THAT GOVERNED JACOB AND ESAU
1. Prophetic positioning of Jacob and Esau
2. Productive system of Jacob and Esau
3. Purpose and values of Jacob and Esau
4. Impact on their destinies.
Prophetic positioning of Jacob and Esau
Rebecca inquired of the Lord why there was such a struggle in her womb. The answer the Lord gave to her has prophetic undertones.
Prophetically the Lord said;
1. There are two kinds of nations
2. There are two manners of people
3. The younger shall be stronger than the older
4. The older shall serve the younger
You can see that, God never invoked a curse here. This is because the Bible says there is no curse without a cause.
In God We Trust… Everyone Else We Monitor
In God We Trust… Everyone Else We Monitor
Personal Lessons from Post 9/11 Era
By Albert Okran
Last night the nightingale woke me,
Last night, when all was still.
It sang in the golden moonlight,
From out the woodland hill.
- Christian Winther
Ten years ago, I was sitting in my MBA class in GIMPA getting ready for lectures when my friend Coby Asmah walked in. As soon as he settled into his usual seat next to me he turned to me with a bewildered look and said “two planes just crashed into the World Trade Centre.” I turned to him in disbelief and said “How possible?” And that was my introduction to the events on September 11, 2001 or 9/11 as they call it. Over three thousand lives were lost as terrorists seized four planes and sent them plunging into sensitive American installations.
Those incidents in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania were to change the course of history. The eyes of the world were forcibly opened to the reality of our own vulnerability and the destructive potential of person(s) committed to killing the innocent and willing to take their own lives in the process. The war on terror was launched, internal security strengthened across several nations and American installations on foreign soil reinforced to reduce the attendant risk. How does that affect you thousands of miles away in Accra, Sydney, Tokyo, Beijing or California?
“Trust is like a vase.. once it's broken, though you can fix it the vase will never be same again.”
In reality, you might be paying for it in ways you may never have considered. In his book, The Speed of Trust, Stephen M. R. Covey establishes a correlation between trust, speed and cost. He suggests that trust is positively related to speed and inversely related to the cost of getting things done. As a result, where trust is high, things get done faster and at a lower cost. On the other hand, in low trust situations, things proceed slowly with all manner of checks and naturally higher costs. He contrasts air travel before and after September 11 to buttress his point. Today, travellers require longer periods to go through all the immigration and security checks. You may therefore need to check in at least three hours prior to an international flight instead of an hour as was the case previously. Today, when you approach a security point, foreign mission or airport dressed in a particular way you can almost guarantee that you will be given "special treatment." Interestingly, in addition to the time wasting, there are extra costs borne by the traveller as a result of these changes.
Can anyone blame governments and nations for being extra careful? Obviously not!!! Since 9/11, similar incidents in Madrid, London, Dar es Salaam, Nairobi and a number of unsuccessful attempts or plots give cause for concern. There is a Ghanaian proverb that literally translates as “The person who has been bitten by a snake gets terrified at the sight of a millipede.” While some measures may seem highhanded and stiff, families of victims of 9/11 might probably have wished there had been even more in place. The words “NEVER AGAIN!!!” became the universal mantra after the attacks.
Have you experienced your own personal 9/11? Have you had your business ‘terrorised’ by trusted employees while you were looking the other way? Has your faith been shattered by someone you trusted who took away everything you had toiled so long for? Have you invested in a home and other assets with your spouse only to lose it all in a divorce? Have you learnt any lessons? Are there measures in place to prevent a recurrence? Are the ‘terrorists’ who raped organisations still prowling around unobserved and ready to pounce again?
Careful monitoring is an integral aspect of responsible leadership at all levels. Management expert Brian Tracy says “Inspect what you expect.” In a discussion on ‘Effective Supervision’ with one of my mentors, Rev. Agnes Philips, she used the phrase “In God we trust… Everyone else we monitor.” The import of that thought-provoking statement has since remained with me.
When we act naively and fail to safeguard our businesses, assets or relationships, we behave like the nightingale and run the risk of losing everything God has blessed us with. In our book, The Lord, Madiba and The Eagle, Comfort & I describe nightingales as beautiful birds that are also naïve and gullible. They typically sit on a perch and sing until a hunter strikes them down. “Nightingales” in business take things at face value. They trust easily and enter into transactions without duly signed agreements. A nightingale will hurriedly enter a relationship without thoroughly checking on their partner’s background. Nightingales do not consider a broad range of factors in making important decisions and easily come unstuck. Sadly, even after being defrauded, people with a nightingale mentality keep repeating the same mistakes.
You may have suffered setbacks in one area of your life or another. The pain of the past might still be fresh in your heart. However, the most important key is to learn the lessons and avoid a recurrence in future. As we remember 9/11 a decade after, it offers a unique opportunity to evaluate the “security installations” of our lives and their compliance with the complicated challenges of the present. It’s time to say “NEVER AGAIN!!!”
Personal Lessons from Post 9/11 Era
By Albert Okran
Last night the nightingale woke me,
Last night, when all was still.
It sang in the golden moonlight,
From out the woodland hill.
- Christian Winther
Ten years ago, I was sitting in my MBA class in GIMPA getting ready for lectures when my friend Coby Asmah walked in. As soon as he settled into his usual seat next to me he turned to me with a bewildered look and said “two planes just crashed into the World Trade Centre.” I turned to him in disbelief and said “How possible?” And that was my introduction to the events on September 11, 2001 or 9/11 as they call it. Over three thousand lives were lost as terrorists seized four planes and sent them plunging into sensitive American installations.
Those incidents in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania were to change the course of history. The eyes of the world were forcibly opened to the reality of our own vulnerability and the destructive potential of person(s) committed to killing the innocent and willing to take their own lives in the process. The war on terror was launched, internal security strengthened across several nations and American installations on foreign soil reinforced to reduce the attendant risk. How does that affect you thousands of miles away in Accra, Sydney, Tokyo, Beijing or California?
“Trust is like a vase.. once it's broken, though you can fix it the vase will never be same again.”
In reality, you might be paying for it in ways you may never have considered. In his book, The Speed of Trust, Stephen M. R. Covey establishes a correlation between trust, speed and cost. He suggests that trust is positively related to speed and inversely related to the cost of getting things done. As a result, where trust is high, things get done faster and at a lower cost. On the other hand, in low trust situations, things proceed slowly with all manner of checks and naturally higher costs. He contrasts air travel before and after September 11 to buttress his point. Today, travellers require longer periods to go through all the immigration and security checks. You may therefore need to check in at least three hours prior to an international flight instead of an hour as was the case previously. Today, when you approach a security point, foreign mission or airport dressed in a particular way you can almost guarantee that you will be given "special treatment." Interestingly, in addition to the time wasting, there are extra costs borne by the traveller as a result of these changes.
Can anyone blame governments and nations for being extra careful? Obviously not!!! Since 9/11, similar incidents in Madrid, London, Dar es Salaam, Nairobi and a number of unsuccessful attempts or plots give cause for concern. There is a Ghanaian proverb that literally translates as “The person who has been bitten by a snake gets terrified at the sight of a millipede.” While some measures may seem highhanded and stiff, families of victims of 9/11 might probably have wished there had been even more in place. The words “NEVER AGAIN!!!” became the universal mantra after the attacks.
Have you experienced your own personal 9/11? Have you had your business ‘terrorised’ by trusted employees while you were looking the other way? Has your faith been shattered by someone you trusted who took away everything you had toiled so long for? Have you invested in a home and other assets with your spouse only to lose it all in a divorce? Have you learnt any lessons? Are there measures in place to prevent a recurrence? Are the ‘terrorists’ who raped organisations still prowling around unobserved and ready to pounce again?
Careful monitoring is an integral aspect of responsible leadership at all levels. Management expert Brian Tracy says “Inspect what you expect.” In a discussion on ‘Effective Supervision’ with one of my mentors, Rev. Agnes Philips, she used the phrase “In God we trust… Everyone else we monitor.” The import of that thought-provoking statement has since remained with me.
When we act naively and fail to safeguard our businesses, assets or relationships, we behave like the nightingale and run the risk of losing everything God has blessed us with. In our book, The Lord, Madiba and The Eagle, Comfort & I describe nightingales as beautiful birds that are also naïve and gullible. They typically sit on a perch and sing until a hunter strikes them down. “Nightingales” in business take things at face value. They trust easily and enter into transactions without duly signed agreements. A nightingale will hurriedly enter a relationship without thoroughly checking on their partner’s background. Nightingales do not consider a broad range of factors in making important decisions and easily come unstuck. Sadly, even after being defrauded, people with a nightingale mentality keep repeating the same mistakes.
You may have suffered setbacks in one area of your life or another. The pain of the past might still be fresh in your heart. However, the most important key is to learn the lessons and avoid a recurrence in future. As we remember 9/11 a decade after, it offers a unique opportunity to evaluate the “security installations” of our lives and their compliance with the complicated challenges of the present. It’s time to say “NEVER AGAIN!!!”
Ten People No One Can Help
A pastor decided to go against the ethics of his profession by indirectly castigating a particular member of his church with his entire sermon. He went on and on about people who would not submit to authority, people who thought they knew when they really did not know and people whose financial success had gotten to their heads and made them unresponsive to spiritual things. All through the sermon he kept looking in the direction of the man, who listened with rapt attention. After the service, the man walked straight to the pastor with a wry smile and said, “Congratulations Pastor. That was an absolutely brilliant sermon. It’s a pity that those who should have heard this didn’t come today.”
Since I posted my thoughts on “Why I Left church So Angry” on this blog, I have had an incredible flurry of responses from all over the world. Reactions have largely been admissions of mediocrity or anger at the status quo. A number of people felt that their own thoughts on the need for excellence in everything African had been captured. What seemed largely missing was that personal ownership and sense of responsibility manifested by a stated commitment to demonstrate the high standards, leadership and values that we all seemed to expect.
While it is easy to blame governments, colonial masters, our forefathers or the world order for any undesirable situation, the higher calling is to take charge of that change and to make a difference starting from our own small corner. The late Michael Jackson captures this best in his song “Man in the Mirror” when he sang:
I’m starting with the man in the mirror.
I’m asking him to change his ways.
No other message could have been any clearer.
If you wanna make the world a better place,
Take a look at yourself and then make a change.
The socio-economic transformation of our continent or the “African Spring” must begin from our homes, workplaces, neighbourhood, our churches or wherever we find ourselves. Interestingly, while a number of young people are responding to calls for a culture of entrepreneurship and excellence as the way forward for Africa, others are making little or no effort. As a conference speaker, I sometimes leave an event highly charged at the sight of many young executives and entrepreneurs determined to make a difference only to drive past another group of young people crowded outside a night club and engaging in all manner of vices in the full glare of the public. I sometimes pause and ask myself if there is anything I can do to help them. I have tried in some instances to engage such people with ‘interesting’ results.
A leader cannot help everyone. A pastor cannot change everyone in their congregation. A manager simply cannot keep everyone in their company. I have come to the humble conclusion that I cannot help everyone. I have therefore compiled my own list ‘unhelpable’ people. This may help you understand why you have had little success in helping some people. Even more importantly, it should help take a closer look at yourself and if you find these behaviours in your own life, to initiate immediate change. Here is my list of the ten kinds of people no one can help.
10 ‘UNHELPABLE’ PEOPLE
1. Someone Who Insists He Or She Has No Problem. A lady once raised an objection when I called her up for a confidential assessment of the suitability of a young man who had applied to work for us a driver. She intimated that even though he was generally well-dressed and well-behaved, he had a permanently offensive body odour. Several attempts by different workmates to help had failed because he always argued that there was nothing wrong with him. Some people simply see nothing wrong with anything they ever do and, like the story of the emperor who walked through town naked, everyone else could be aware of your problem but no one would tell you because their views might be unwelcome.
2. Someone Who Sees You As The Problem. Equally frustrating to deal with is the one who believes that you are their problem. What do you do as a manager when your subordinate refuses to learn from his mistakes and instead blames his failure to progress on the fact that you are occupying the position he is aspiring to. When someone sees you as the unlawful occupant of their position, even your gifts or generosity could be seen as a return of what should have been theirs in the first place. It is therefore not appreciated. No one can help a person who believes that other people are responsible for all their own mistakes. You can choose to blame your situation on the government, your employer, your parents or even the world at large. The truth is, you are where you are today because of the choices you made yesterday. And something you are doing or ignoring today is creating your future for you.
3. Someone Who Wants Results, But Not The Process. We live in a fast-paced generation that believes in instant results as evidenced by fast food joints, fast-track courts, microwave ovens, quick marriages and equally quick divorces to boot. Bob Marley once sang that “everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die.” Everyone wants to prosper and get to the top but how many are willing to pay the price for success? Success is achieved through time and patient application. There is a time for everything and in life, you sow, you cultivate and then you reap. Greatness does not come overnight. No one can help a person who wants to be rich, famous or powerful in a hurry and is therefore far more interested in the car you drive than how you got there. It is this unbridled pursuit of fame, fortune and the pleasures of life that pushes many into internet fraud, crime and all manner of socioeconomic vices.
4. A Person One Who Doesn’t Value Integrity. A young man recently called into my radio show, Springboard the Virtual University, and argued that living without principles was driven by individualism, which is a natural offshoot of capitalism. His conclusion was that we should learn to accept it. My reaction was that if we accepted the unbridled pursuit of speed without principles, a person going to the airport would ‘justifiably’ jump all red lights. Employers would and employers would openly swindle each other and accept it as normal. No relationship or contract would then be worth the vows or paper on which they were sealed. Some people love corruption and shortcuts and would seek the back door even if the front door is wide open. In the words of Warren Buffet, "In looking for people to hire, you look for three qualities: integrity, intelligence, and energy. And if they don't have the first, the other two will kill you.” A person who lacks integrity cannot be helped to find favour, promotion and longevity in business.
5. Someone Who Is Unwilling to “Score.” In the late 1970s, Ghana’s premier club Hearts of Oak had a really formidable side including five attack-minded players who could hold their own anywhere on the planet. In 1977, they played exceptionally well throughout the continental championship. However, in the final against Hafia Club of Guinea something interesting happened. The Hearts players uncharacteristically missed a number of sitting chances. They played all the good football in their own half of the pitch but whenever anyone found himself in a scoring position he either shot over the bar or passed the ball backwards. It was later rumoured that the team had allegedly consulted an oracle in the build up to the match that had predicted a win but cautioned that the player who scored the first goal would die. The truth or otherwise of this assertion was never verified. However, since no one wanted to die, the players refused to score and the team lost. You cannot help someone who is unwilling to score or to succeed at anything. If a person is unwilling to work, you can get them a job but they will get themselves fired or soon find an excuse to drop out. This is a very common occurrence. You can kit a player, train him, field him and pass the ball to him but you can never score for him.
6. Someone Who Does Not Listen or Observe. Some people are specialists ‘conversing’ without listening. They love to repeatedly hear their own voice. Without realising it, such people consistently interrupt every meaningful discussion in their hurry to make a point. People like that talk more than their mentors when they meet. They therefore miss out on important lessons and end up repeating the same things they could have learnt by listening. It is said that it is not for nothing that God gave us two ears and one mouth: that we might listen more and talk less. Similarly, many are not observant and fail to pick obvious lessons from trends occurring all around them. Not every lesson in life is directly taught. Some are meant to be gleaned from observing occurrences around us. No one can help a person who sees his neighbour destroyed and learn nothing from it.
7. Someone who keeps a catalogue of offences. One of the most common laws in relationships is that those who are closest are those likeliest to offend you. The most enduring associations therefore thrive on forgiveness and tolerance. At home, school, work or wherever, relationships involving people who are easily able to forgive and move on last longer. However some people are experts at archiving and compartmentalising a detailed and regularly-updated catalogue of offences committed against them. You cannot help such people even if you wanted to. Offences are best discarded quickly and are poisonous to the keeper when stored overnight.
8. Someone Who Rejects Authority Levels And Structures. While we are all equal before God, He still gives us various levels of talents and corresponding responsibilities. There will always be a boss and followers or manager and staff. Some people cannot submit to any authority in life. They deliberately reject and try to undermine system of governance. When you fail to recognise a system of authority, you deny yourself the chance to participate in it. People who think anything goes and refuse to work with structures cannot be helped in life.
9. Someone who lacks Self Control or Self-Discipline. One of the most pathetic people to try and help is someone who lacks personal leadership or self-discipline. There are several rags to riches stories of sporting or entertainment personalities who rose from deprivation and battled all odds to the top only to capitulate to drugs, sexual sin or violent misconduct. Pythagoras says “No man is free who cannot command himself.” Self-discipline is the foundation of personal leadership, which is itself the springboard to progress. No matter how much you wish to help, a person without control over their appetites will run into trouble again. Henry IV made this point when he said, “Great eaters and great sleepers are incapable of doing anything great.”
10. A Negative And Ungrateful Person. Some people are serially negative: suspicious, critical, sceptical and hardly able to see anything good in life. They are experts at seeing the dark spot in every bright situation. They receive every compliment with a pinch of salt and are always on the lookout for hidden motives in the people they deal with. Your efforts at helping could be easily misconstrued and conflict could easily be ignited at the slightest contact. No one can help someone who is totally blind to anything positive and yet highly imaginative about the negatives. Such people are forgetful, discontented and always ingratitude. The three travel together and can easily destroy your chances in life. Forgetful people are thankful to you one day and mad at you the very next. The ungrateful person behaves as if everything that happens in his life occurs automatically. They fail to see the role God or others play in their lives. As a result, do not appreciate the blessings that come their way and end up despising or cutting them short. People like that are often left alone by those who could have helped them.
Having read all ten, it would be a perfect time to pause to look at the man or woman in the mirror. If one or more of these attitudes or behaviours are present in your life, you could be cutting short your supply of help. Do something about that today.
Since I posted my thoughts on “Why I Left church So Angry” on this blog, I have had an incredible flurry of responses from all over the world. Reactions have largely been admissions of mediocrity or anger at the status quo. A number of people felt that their own thoughts on the need for excellence in everything African had been captured. What seemed largely missing was that personal ownership and sense of responsibility manifested by a stated commitment to demonstrate the high standards, leadership and values that we all seemed to expect.
While it is easy to blame governments, colonial masters, our forefathers or the world order for any undesirable situation, the higher calling is to take charge of that change and to make a difference starting from our own small corner. The late Michael Jackson captures this best in his song “Man in the Mirror” when he sang:
I’m starting with the man in the mirror.
I’m asking him to change his ways.
No other message could have been any clearer.
If you wanna make the world a better place,
Take a look at yourself and then make a change.
The socio-economic transformation of our continent or the “African Spring” must begin from our homes, workplaces, neighbourhood, our churches or wherever we find ourselves. Interestingly, while a number of young people are responding to calls for a culture of entrepreneurship and excellence as the way forward for Africa, others are making little or no effort. As a conference speaker, I sometimes leave an event highly charged at the sight of many young executives and entrepreneurs determined to make a difference only to drive past another group of young people crowded outside a night club and engaging in all manner of vices in the full glare of the public. I sometimes pause and ask myself if there is anything I can do to help them. I have tried in some instances to engage such people with ‘interesting’ results.
A leader cannot help everyone. A pastor cannot change everyone in their congregation. A manager simply cannot keep everyone in their company. I have come to the humble conclusion that I cannot help everyone. I have therefore compiled my own list ‘unhelpable’ people. This may help you understand why you have had little success in helping some people. Even more importantly, it should help take a closer look at yourself and if you find these behaviours in your own life, to initiate immediate change. Here is my list of the ten kinds of people no one can help.
10 ‘UNHELPABLE’ PEOPLE
1. Someone Who Insists He Or She Has No Problem. A lady once raised an objection when I called her up for a confidential assessment of the suitability of a young man who had applied to work for us a driver. She intimated that even though he was generally well-dressed and well-behaved, he had a permanently offensive body odour. Several attempts by different workmates to help had failed because he always argued that there was nothing wrong with him. Some people simply see nothing wrong with anything they ever do and, like the story of the emperor who walked through town naked, everyone else could be aware of your problem but no one would tell you because their views might be unwelcome.
2. Someone Who Sees You As The Problem. Equally frustrating to deal with is the one who believes that you are their problem. What do you do as a manager when your subordinate refuses to learn from his mistakes and instead blames his failure to progress on the fact that you are occupying the position he is aspiring to. When someone sees you as the unlawful occupant of their position, even your gifts or generosity could be seen as a return of what should have been theirs in the first place. It is therefore not appreciated. No one can help a person who believes that other people are responsible for all their own mistakes. You can choose to blame your situation on the government, your employer, your parents or even the world at large. The truth is, you are where you are today because of the choices you made yesterday. And something you are doing or ignoring today is creating your future for you.
3. Someone Who Wants Results, But Not The Process. We live in a fast-paced generation that believes in instant results as evidenced by fast food joints, fast-track courts, microwave ovens, quick marriages and equally quick divorces to boot. Bob Marley once sang that “everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die.” Everyone wants to prosper and get to the top but how many are willing to pay the price for success? Success is achieved through time and patient application. There is a time for everything and in life, you sow, you cultivate and then you reap. Greatness does not come overnight. No one can help a person who wants to be rich, famous or powerful in a hurry and is therefore far more interested in the car you drive than how you got there. It is this unbridled pursuit of fame, fortune and the pleasures of life that pushes many into internet fraud, crime and all manner of socioeconomic vices.
4. A Person One Who Doesn’t Value Integrity. A young man recently called into my radio show, Springboard the Virtual University, and argued that living without principles was driven by individualism, which is a natural offshoot of capitalism. His conclusion was that we should learn to accept it. My reaction was that if we accepted the unbridled pursuit of speed without principles, a person going to the airport would ‘justifiably’ jump all red lights. Employers would and employers would openly swindle each other and accept it as normal. No relationship or contract would then be worth the vows or paper on which they were sealed. Some people love corruption and shortcuts and would seek the back door even if the front door is wide open. In the words of Warren Buffet, "In looking for people to hire, you look for three qualities: integrity, intelligence, and energy. And if they don't have the first, the other two will kill you.” A person who lacks integrity cannot be helped to find favour, promotion and longevity in business.
5. Someone Who Is Unwilling to “Score.” In the late 1970s, Ghana’s premier club Hearts of Oak had a really formidable side including five attack-minded players who could hold their own anywhere on the planet. In 1977, they played exceptionally well throughout the continental championship. However, in the final against Hafia Club of Guinea something interesting happened. The Hearts players uncharacteristically missed a number of sitting chances. They played all the good football in their own half of the pitch but whenever anyone found himself in a scoring position he either shot over the bar or passed the ball backwards. It was later rumoured that the team had allegedly consulted an oracle in the build up to the match that had predicted a win but cautioned that the player who scored the first goal would die. The truth or otherwise of this assertion was never verified. However, since no one wanted to die, the players refused to score and the team lost. You cannot help someone who is unwilling to score or to succeed at anything. If a person is unwilling to work, you can get them a job but they will get themselves fired or soon find an excuse to drop out. This is a very common occurrence. You can kit a player, train him, field him and pass the ball to him but you can never score for him.
6. Someone Who Does Not Listen or Observe. Some people are specialists ‘conversing’ without listening. They love to repeatedly hear their own voice. Without realising it, such people consistently interrupt every meaningful discussion in their hurry to make a point. People like that talk more than their mentors when they meet. They therefore miss out on important lessons and end up repeating the same things they could have learnt by listening. It is said that it is not for nothing that God gave us two ears and one mouth: that we might listen more and talk less. Similarly, many are not observant and fail to pick obvious lessons from trends occurring all around them. Not every lesson in life is directly taught. Some are meant to be gleaned from observing occurrences around us. No one can help a person who sees his neighbour destroyed and learn nothing from it.
7. Someone who keeps a catalogue of offences. One of the most common laws in relationships is that those who are closest are those likeliest to offend you. The most enduring associations therefore thrive on forgiveness and tolerance. At home, school, work or wherever, relationships involving people who are easily able to forgive and move on last longer. However some people are experts at archiving and compartmentalising a detailed and regularly-updated catalogue of offences committed against them. You cannot help such people even if you wanted to. Offences are best discarded quickly and are poisonous to the keeper when stored overnight.
8. Someone Who Rejects Authority Levels And Structures. While we are all equal before God, He still gives us various levels of talents and corresponding responsibilities. There will always be a boss and followers or manager and staff. Some people cannot submit to any authority in life. They deliberately reject and try to undermine system of governance. When you fail to recognise a system of authority, you deny yourself the chance to participate in it. People who think anything goes and refuse to work with structures cannot be helped in life.
9. Someone who lacks Self Control or Self-Discipline. One of the most pathetic people to try and help is someone who lacks personal leadership or self-discipline. There are several rags to riches stories of sporting or entertainment personalities who rose from deprivation and battled all odds to the top only to capitulate to drugs, sexual sin or violent misconduct. Pythagoras says “No man is free who cannot command himself.” Self-discipline is the foundation of personal leadership, which is itself the springboard to progress. No matter how much you wish to help, a person without control over their appetites will run into trouble again. Henry IV made this point when he said, “Great eaters and great sleepers are incapable of doing anything great.”
10. A Negative And Ungrateful Person. Some people are serially negative: suspicious, critical, sceptical and hardly able to see anything good in life. They are experts at seeing the dark spot in every bright situation. They receive every compliment with a pinch of salt and are always on the lookout for hidden motives in the people they deal with. Your efforts at helping could be easily misconstrued and conflict could easily be ignited at the slightest contact. No one can help someone who is totally blind to anything positive and yet highly imaginative about the negatives. Such people are forgetful, discontented and always ingratitude. The three travel together and can easily destroy your chances in life. Forgetful people are thankful to you one day and mad at you the very next. The ungrateful person behaves as if everything that happens in his life occurs automatically. They fail to see the role God or others play in their lives. As a result, do not appreciate the blessings that come their way and end up despising or cutting them short. People like that are often left alone by those who could have helped them.
Having read all ten, it would be a perfect time to pause to look at the man or woman in the mirror. If one or more of these attitudes or behaviours are present in your life, you could be cutting short your supply of help. Do something about that today.
10 Attributes of the World’s Best Public Speakers
10 Attributes of the World’s Best Public Speakers
If public speaking is so essential for leadership success, what are the critical success factors? Here are ten attributes of the world’s best speakers. I have chosen to explain each one with a famous quote on public speaking:
1. Ability to Speak without Fear. “According to most studies, people’s number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you’re better off in the casket than doing the eulogy.” ~ Jerry Seinfeld (American comedian).
2. Effective Delivery. “There are always three speeches, for every one you actually gave. The one you practiced, the one you gave, and the one you wish you gave.” ~ Dale Carnegie (Author of “How to Win Friends and Influence People”)
3. Brevity. “Be sincere; be brief; be seated.” ~ Franklin D. Roosevelt (32nd President of the United States)
4. Ability to Connect. “Speech is power: speech is to persuade, to convert, to compel. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882, Philosopher and Poet).
5. Command of Their Subject. “Grasp the subject, the words will follow. ~ Cato The Elder (234 BC-149 BC, Roman statesman)
6. A sense of Timing. “Make sure you have finished speaking before your audience has finished listening.” ~ Dorothy Sarnoff (1914-2008, American operatic soprano, musical theatre actress, and self-help guru).
7. Passion. “Be still when you have nothing to say; when genuine passion moves you, say what you’ve got to say, and say it hot.” ~ D.H. Lawrence (1885-1930, English author and literary critic).
8. Constant Preparedness. “It usually takes more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech.” ~ Mark Twain (1835-1910, Author and humorist)
9. Emotional Maturity. “Speak when you are angry—and you will make the best speech you’ll ever regret.” ~ Laurence J. Peter (1919-1990, Formulator of the Peter Principle).
10. That rare ability to actively engage people without really saying anything. "Public speaking is the art of diluting a two-minute idea with a two-hour vocabulary."— Evan Esar
I hope you have enjoyed this. Have you identified any areas where you could improve as a public speaker? Get to work today. And may your next speech be better than the last one.
If public speaking is so essential for leadership success, what are the critical success factors? Here are ten attributes of the world’s best speakers. I have chosen to explain each one with a famous quote on public speaking:
1. Ability to Speak without Fear. “According to most studies, people’s number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you’re better off in the casket than doing the eulogy.” ~ Jerry Seinfeld (American comedian).
2. Effective Delivery. “There are always three speeches, for every one you actually gave. The one you practiced, the one you gave, and the one you wish you gave.” ~ Dale Carnegie (Author of “How to Win Friends and Influence People”)
3. Brevity. “Be sincere; be brief; be seated.” ~ Franklin D. Roosevelt (32nd President of the United States)
4. Ability to Connect. “Speech is power: speech is to persuade, to convert, to compel. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882, Philosopher and Poet).
5. Command of Their Subject. “Grasp the subject, the words will follow. ~ Cato The Elder (234 BC-149 BC, Roman statesman)
6. A sense of Timing. “Make sure you have finished speaking before your audience has finished listening.” ~ Dorothy Sarnoff (1914-2008, American operatic soprano, musical theatre actress, and self-help guru).
7. Passion. “Be still when you have nothing to say; when genuine passion moves you, say what you’ve got to say, and say it hot.” ~ D.H. Lawrence (1885-1930, English author and literary critic).
8. Constant Preparedness. “It usually takes more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech.” ~ Mark Twain (1835-1910, Author and humorist)
9. Emotional Maturity. “Speak when you are angry—and you will make the best speech you’ll ever regret.” ~ Laurence J. Peter (1919-1990, Formulator of the Peter Principle).
10. That rare ability to actively engage people without really saying anything. "Public speaking is the art of diluting a two-minute idea with a two-hour vocabulary."— Evan Esar
I hope you have enjoyed this. Have you identified any areas where you could improve as a public speaker? Get to work today. And may your next speech be better than the last one.
BIBLE STUDIES OUTLINE
EXPLORING THE SPIRITUAL GIFTS
MEMORY VERSE:
Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.
And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
1Corinthians 12:4-6
INTRODUCTION
The body of Christ has access to unlimited source of divine power and authority. The purpose of the power is that, the church must triumph over the works of the enemy.
This enemy is spirit; we can not see him with our physical senses unless there is a divine endowment to sense or perceive his art spiritually. This has therefore brought about the spiritual gifting.
They are spiritual because you can not see it with your physical senses.
According to the memory verses, we are told that there are Diversities of gifts that the Holy Spirit gives; there are Differences of administration but the same Lord Jesus; and there are Diversities of operations but the same God.
We can therefore conclude from this text that, there are three categories of spiritual gifting.
There are many charismatic gifts mentioned in the Bible. We will be taken into consideration the first categories which is called the nine manifestations in
1 Corinthians 12.
THE THREE CATEGORIES OF SPIRITUAL GIFTINGS
1. Diversities of gifts- Gifts of the Holy Spirit
2. Differences of administrations- Gifts of Jesus Christ
3. Diversities of operations- Gifts of God
LESSON ONE
DIVERSITIES OF GIFTS
Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. Corinthians 12: 4
The word diversities has the root word in Greek rendition is diaresis (dee-ah’ee- res- is) which means a distinction or (concretely) variety.
What it means is that, there are varieties of the gifts. The same spirit is also a phrase which means that it is the same spirit of God. The Holy Spirit gives gifts to church but not fruits. These gifts are deposited in our spirits to empower us to live a victorious kingdom life.
The diversities of gifts are listed in the text below;
For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
1 Corinthians 12:8
In summary, the gifts of the Holy Spirit are categorized as;
1. Gifts of speech- Gifts of inspiration
2. Gifts of revelations- The mind gifts
3. Gifts of power- Working gift or gift of ability
THE GIFTS OF SPEECH
These are gifts that manifest through speech. There are three of such gifts of the Holy Spirit.
a. Tongues
b. Interpretation of tongues
c. Prophecy
SECTION ONE
THE GIFT OF TONGUES
The Biblical description of gift of tongues is divers kinds of tongues. The Greek word for tongues is glossa (gloce’-sah) which means uncertain affinity; the tongue; by implication a language (specifically one naturally un-acquired). This is a supernatural utterance in other languages which are not known to the speaker.
THE FUNCTIONS OF THE GIFT OF TONGUES
There are two functions of gift of tongues.
• It is used as “devotional tongues,” the purpose of which is to edify the person who uses it.
• It is also used in conjunction with the companion gift of interpretation of tongues, is for edifying of the whole Church, as well as the individual’s understanding.
1. This gift is given to a believer at new birth as a heavenly language- Mat 16:17
2. This gift manifests after you are filled with Holy Ghost- Acts 2:4
3. The Holy Spirit gives you what to say or utterances- Acts 2:4
4. You speak without understanding. That is you don’t understand what you say-1 Corinthians 14:14
5. You make yourself great when you speak in tongues. 1 Corinthians 14:3
HOW TO RECEIVE THE GIFT OF TONGUES
1. You must be in a waiting mode- be expectant of the manifestation of the gift of speaking in tongues
2. Develop a personal relationship with the Holy Spirit.
3. Wait for the sign or emblem of the Holy spirit- Acts 1:4
4. When you receive it, you will experience that your tongue has either become too light or too heavy in your mouth and articulation.
5. In such a condition, you just open your mouth in an attempt to speak. The Holy Spirit shall put words in your mouth to articulate. Initially, it comes in short phrases.
6. Use the gift to pray consistently in your personal prayer time and general assembly prayer time.
CAUTIONS
1. We do not copy the gift of tongues from others.
2. 2. Do not use it to pray or preach alone without interpretation when you are prayer for somebody- when you are leading the congregation or ministering, limit the use of it.
3. Do not stop using it after you receive it. If you do that, the gift will become vacant.
1 Timothy 1:6
SECTION TWO
INTERPRETATION OF TONGUES
Interpretation in the Greek is hermeneia
(her- may- ni’- ah) which means to translate. This is simply supernatural ability to translate tongues into the native tongue what is uttered in other languages not known by the one who interprets by the spirit. The interpretation is just supernatural as the utterance.
1. Interpretation of tongues is higher than tongues speaking since it benefits the entire church. 1 Corinthians 14:5
2. The church is edified by the gift of interpretation of tongues. 1 Corinthians 14:5It reveals hidden secretes of the heart of the congregation.
3. It is sometimes personal but does not normally use specific names. Interpretation of tongues is used to remind the church of what is going wrong in the body of Christ.
HOW TO OPERATE THE GIFT OF INTERPRETATION OF TONGUES
While you are worshipping God in a gathering of believers, keep your mind and spirit open to the Holy Spirit. Frequently, you will sense beforehand that someone is going to speak in tongues and that God is giving you the translation in a language you understand and speak.
When the person speaks in tongues, wait quietly until it is concluded. When you begin to speak, you may only have the first sentence of the interpretation and a brief idea of what is to follow. Like all other gifts of the spirit, this one operates by faith too.
As you commence to give forth what the Spirit is giving you, speak in a normal, clear, audible voice.
CAUTIONS
1. Take care not to speak beyond the proportion of your faith- Romans 12:6
2. Avoid letting any personal thoughts, feelings or ideals creep into the interpretation. Let your own thoughts be in neutral, and your mind be a clear channel for the Holy Spirit to flow through.
3. Do not seek to interpret the interpretation that the Holy Spirit gave to you. Leave that to the people to allow the Holy Spirit to apply the exhortation or comfort given to themselves.
4. After you have delivered the interpretation, keep quiet while the utterance is judged by those who are present especially those who are regularly used in vocal gift, they should try to evaluate whether the words are truly fro God- 1 Corinthians 14:29
SECTION THREE
THE GIFT OF PROPHECY
The word prophecy in the Greek is prophrteia (prof-ay-ti’-ah) which is translated as “to utter inspired words”.
Prophecy is supernatural utterance in the native tongue. It is the miracle of divine utterance, not conceived by human thought or reasoning- Acts 3:21, Acts 11:28, 2 Peter 1:21, 1 Corinthians 14; 23-32.
WHAT THE GIFT OF PROPHECY IS NOT
1. The gift of prophecy is not for personal guidance. If we are in need of personal guidance,, we should ask Jesus himself for it (James 1:5) and studying the word of God. If a prophetic utterance comes to us with instructions for the future, it should only be to confirm what God has already shown us.
2. The gift of prophecy is not the office of a seer. That is, the gift of prophecy is not foretelling the future. It is for forth-telling rather than foretelling. It does not predict future events- 1 Corinthians 14:3
3. The gift of prophecy should not be confused with preaching. The reason is that, the gift of prophecy is not as the result of careful study; it is usually an unpremeditated, spontaneous speaking forth by the spirit.
WHAT THE GIFT OF PROPHECY IS
1. It is for speaking supernaturally to men- 1 Corinthians 14:3. It carries the mind of God to the Church. The prophet is speaking on behalf of God to the Church or believers for three purposes:
a. Edification of the church
b. Exhortation of the body of Christ
c. Comforting the believers
Therefore any prophetic word that does not come from God or may not be classified as a gift of prophecy.
2. The gift of prophecy convinces the unlearned believer so that he/ she may learn-
1 Corinthians 14:15, 16. The unlearned believer is anyone who does not know the word of God. Through the gift of prophecy; they are encouraged to study into the word of God or learning of spiritual truths through the anointing of the Holy Spirit. The unlearned believer may be convincing of the following through the operation of the gift of prophecy;
a. Convinced of all things
b. Be judged of all things
c. The secrets of his will be made manifest
d. Fall before God in humility
e. Acknowledge that God is truly among you
CAUTIONS
1. Those who prophesy can make mistakes, so the prophecy must be judged or examined- 1 Corinthians 14: 29
2. Prophecy should never contradict the written word of God. Therefore every prophetic utterance must be tested with the word of God.
3. It should always exalt Jesus Christ, and never denigrate Him
4. It should edify, exhort and comfort the believers.
5. It should witness with the majority of believers present.
6. It should not break the spirit of the meeting, though it may change the course of it.
7. It should come to pass if there is a predictive part of it.
HOW TO OPERATE THE GIFT OF PROPHECY
1. Do not be under strain. Quietly wait upon the Lord in your spirit.
2. Keep your mind open to his voice.
3. When you feel the prompting of the spirit within your spirit, commit yourself to God afresh as a channel for Him to flow through. Remember that the Gift operates by faith.
4. Trust the Lord enough to speak out what God gives you.
5. Keep it simple.
6. While you are speaking, be waiting upon Him quietly for the remaining message. Do not prophesy beyond the proportion of your faith- Romans 12:6
7. Stop when you do not have anything from the spirit to speak again.
FOR THE FULL COURSE, REGISTER WITH US SO THAT WE CAN SEND YOU THE CONTINUATION.
Write to us:
Impact International youth Ministry
Box 30
Berekum. B/A
E-mail: impactinternationalyouthministry@yahoo.com
Tel: 0201145678/0245095103/0208398567
MEMORY VERSE:
Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.
And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
1Corinthians 12:4-6
INTRODUCTION
The body of Christ has access to unlimited source of divine power and authority. The purpose of the power is that, the church must triumph over the works of the enemy.
This enemy is spirit; we can not see him with our physical senses unless there is a divine endowment to sense or perceive his art spiritually. This has therefore brought about the spiritual gifting.
They are spiritual because you can not see it with your physical senses.
According to the memory verses, we are told that there are Diversities of gifts that the Holy Spirit gives; there are Differences of administration but the same Lord Jesus; and there are Diversities of operations but the same God.
We can therefore conclude from this text that, there are three categories of spiritual gifting.
There are many charismatic gifts mentioned in the Bible. We will be taken into consideration the first categories which is called the nine manifestations in
1 Corinthians 12.
THE THREE CATEGORIES OF SPIRITUAL GIFTINGS
1. Diversities of gifts- Gifts of the Holy Spirit
2. Differences of administrations- Gifts of Jesus Christ
3. Diversities of operations- Gifts of God
LESSON ONE
DIVERSITIES OF GIFTS
Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. Corinthians 12: 4
The word diversities has the root word in Greek rendition is diaresis (dee-ah’ee- res- is) which means a distinction or (concretely) variety.
What it means is that, there are varieties of the gifts. The same spirit is also a phrase which means that it is the same spirit of God. The Holy Spirit gives gifts to church but not fruits. These gifts are deposited in our spirits to empower us to live a victorious kingdom life.
The diversities of gifts are listed in the text below;
For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
1 Corinthians 12:8
In summary, the gifts of the Holy Spirit are categorized as;
1. Gifts of speech- Gifts of inspiration
2. Gifts of revelations- The mind gifts
3. Gifts of power- Working gift or gift of ability
THE GIFTS OF SPEECH
These are gifts that manifest through speech. There are three of such gifts of the Holy Spirit.
a. Tongues
b. Interpretation of tongues
c. Prophecy
SECTION ONE
THE GIFT OF TONGUES
The Biblical description of gift of tongues is divers kinds of tongues. The Greek word for tongues is glossa (gloce’-sah) which means uncertain affinity; the tongue; by implication a language (specifically one naturally un-acquired). This is a supernatural utterance in other languages which are not known to the speaker.
THE FUNCTIONS OF THE GIFT OF TONGUES
There are two functions of gift of tongues.
• It is used as “devotional tongues,” the purpose of which is to edify the person who uses it.
• It is also used in conjunction with the companion gift of interpretation of tongues, is for edifying of the whole Church, as well as the individual’s understanding.
1. This gift is given to a believer at new birth as a heavenly language- Mat 16:17
2. This gift manifests after you are filled with Holy Ghost- Acts 2:4
3. The Holy Spirit gives you what to say or utterances- Acts 2:4
4. You speak without understanding. That is you don’t understand what you say-1 Corinthians 14:14
5. You make yourself great when you speak in tongues. 1 Corinthians 14:3
HOW TO RECEIVE THE GIFT OF TONGUES
1. You must be in a waiting mode- be expectant of the manifestation of the gift of speaking in tongues
2. Develop a personal relationship with the Holy Spirit.
3. Wait for the sign or emblem of the Holy spirit- Acts 1:4
4. When you receive it, you will experience that your tongue has either become too light or too heavy in your mouth and articulation.
5. In such a condition, you just open your mouth in an attempt to speak. The Holy Spirit shall put words in your mouth to articulate. Initially, it comes in short phrases.
6. Use the gift to pray consistently in your personal prayer time and general assembly prayer time.
CAUTIONS
1. We do not copy the gift of tongues from others.
2. 2. Do not use it to pray or preach alone without interpretation when you are prayer for somebody- when you are leading the congregation or ministering, limit the use of it.
3. Do not stop using it after you receive it. If you do that, the gift will become vacant.
1 Timothy 1:6
SECTION TWO
INTERPRETATION OF TONGUES
Interpretation in the Greek is hermeneia
(her- may- ni’- ah) which means to translate. This is simply supernatural ability to translate tongues into the native tongue what is uttered in other languages not known by the one who interprets by the spirit. The interpretation is just supernatural as the utterance.
1. Interpretation of tongues is higher than tongues speaking since it benefits the entire church. 1 Corinthians 14:5
2. The church is edified by the gift of interpretation of tongues. 1 Corinthians 14:5It reveals hidden secretes of the heart of the congregation.
3. It is sometimes personal but does not normally use specific names. Interpretation of tongues is used to remind the church of what is going wrong in the body of Christ.
HOW TO OPERATE THE GIFT OF INTERPRETATION OF TONGUES
While you are worshipping God in a gathering of believers, keep your mind and spirit open to the Holy Spirit. Frequently, you will sense beforehand that someone is going to speak in tongues and that God is giving you the translation in a language you understand and speak.
When the person speaks in tongues, wait quietly until it is concluded. When you begin to speak, you may only have the first sentence of the interpretation and a brief idea of what is to follow. Like all other gifts of the spirit, this one operates by faith too.
As you commence to give forth what the Spirit is giving you, speak in a normal, clear, audible voice.
CAUTIONS
1. Take care not to speak beyond the proportion of your faith- Romans 12:6
2. Avoid letting any personal thoughts, feelings or ideals creep into the interpretation. Let your own thoughts be in neutral, and your mind be a clear channel for the Holy Spirit to flow through.
3. Do not seek to interpret the interpretation that the Holy Spirit gave to you. Leave that to the people to allow the Holy Spirit to apply the exhortation or comfort given to themselves.
4. After you have delivered the interpretation, keep quiet while the utterance is judged by those who are present especially those who are regularly used in vocal gift, they should try to evaluate whether the words are truly fro God- 1 Corinthians 14:29
SECTION THREE
THE GIFT OF PROPHECY
The word prophecy in the Greek is prophrteia (prof-ay-ti’-ah) which is translated as “to utter inspired words”.
Prophecy is supernatural utterance in the native tongue. It is the miracle of divine utterance, not conceived by human thought or reasoning- Acts 3:21, Acts 11:28, 2 Peter 1:21, 1 Corinthians 14; 23-32.
WHAT THE GIFT OF PROPHECY IS NOT
1. The gift of prophecy is not for personal guidance. If we are in need of personal guidance,, we should ask Jesus himself for it (James 1:5) and studying the word of God. If a prophetic utterance comes to us with instructions for the future, it should only be to confirm what God has already shown us.
2. The gift of prophecy is not the office of a seer. That is, the gift of prophecy is not foretelling the future. It is for forth-telling rather than foretelling. It does not predict future events- 1 Corinthians 14:3
3. The gift of prophecy should not be confused with preaching. The reason is that, the gift of prophecy is not as the result of careful study; it is usually an unpremeditated, spontaneous speaking forth by the spirit.
WHAT THE GIFT OF PROPHECY IS
1. It is for speaking supernaturally to men- 1 Corinthians 14:3. It carries the mind of God to the Church. The prophet is speaking on behalf of God to the Church or believers for three purposes:
a. Edification of the church
b. Exhortation of the body of Christ
c. Comforting the believers
Therefore any prophetic word that does not come from God or may not be classified as a gift of prophecy.
2. The gift of prophecy convinces the unlearned believer so that he/ she may learn-
1 Corinthians 14:15, 16. The unlearned believer is anyone who does not know the word of God. Through the gift of prophecy; they are encouraged to study into the word of God or learning of spiritual truths through the anointing of the Holy Spirit. The unlearned believer may be convincing of the following through the operation of the gift of prophecy;
a. Convinced of all things
b. Be judged of all things
c. The secrets of his will be made manifest
d. Fall before God in humility
e. Acknowledge that God is truly among you
CAUTIONS
1. Those who prophesy can make mistakes, so the prophecy must be judged or examined- 1 Corinthians 14: 29
2. Prophecy should never contradict the written word of God. Therefore every prophetic utterance must be tested with the word of God.
3. It should always exalt Jesus Christ, and never denigrate Him
4. It should edify, exhort and comfort the believers.
5. It should witness with the majority of believers present.
6. It should not break the spirit of the meeting, though it may change the course of it.
7. It should come to pass if there is a predictive part of it.
HOW TO OPERATE THE GIFT OF PROPHECY
1. Do not be under strain. Quietly wait upon the Lord in your spirit.
2. Keep your mind open to his voice.
3. When you feel the prompting of the spirit within your spirit, commit yourself to God afresh as a channel for Him to flow through. Remember that the Gift operates by faith.
4. Trust the Lord enough to speak out what God gives you.
5. Keep it simple.
6. While you are speaking, be waiting upon Him quietly for the remaining message. Do not prophesy beyond the proportion of your faith- Romans 12:6
7. Stop when you do not have anything from the spirit to speak again.
FOR THE FULL COURSE, REGISTER WITH US SO THAT WE CAN SEND YOU THE CONTINUATION.
Write to us:
Impact International youth Ministry
Box 30
Berekum. B/A
E-mail: impactinternationalyouthministry@yahoo.com
Tel: 0201145678/0245095103/0208398567
Friday, October 7, 2011
UNDERSTANDING THE POWER OF COVENANT
INTRODUCTION
Be ye mindful always of this covenant; the word which he commanded to a thousand generations; even of the covenant which he made with Abraham and of his oath unto Isaac.
1 chronicles 16:15 – 16
Psalm 89:34 – 40
The Lord God of heaven deals with man; you and I on the basis of the covenant. Outside the covenant platform, God is not under obligation to do anything for humanity.
You may be saying but Pastor, God is mercy, love and compassionate to every generation? It is true. However, the underlying platforms on which he show mercy COVENANT PLATFORM.
On the covenant platform of his son Jesus, we are saved, we are the children of God, and we are the apple of his heart.
On the covenant platform of Abraham, we are entitle to financial prosperity etc
Without the covenant platform, God can not forgive the sinner. Covenant means a lot to God so he said, we should be mindful always of his covenant.
WHAT IS COVENANT?
Covenant form the Hebrew word “Berith” which means “to cut” or “to divide”. This definition because of custom of ratifying and confirming a covenant by killing animals, cutting them into two (2) and having the parties to the covenant walk between the divided parts.
· Covenant then is a mutual understanding or undertaking between two or more parties; each binding himself to fulfill obligations.
· Covenant is an agreement between two or more persons or parties to do or refrain from doing some act.
· Covenant is alliance, of friendship, a pledge an obligation etc
· Covenant is a contract, which is accompanied by signs, sacrifices and a solemn oath, which seals the relationship with promises of blessing for obedience and curses for disobedience.
The bible you carry in your hand is called NEW AND OLD TESTAMENT. This means OLD COVENANT and NEW COVENANT
If the whole bible is referred to as covenant book, then anytime you read the bible, you are learning something about covenant.
A CALL TO BE MINDFUL (mind – full of) COVENANT
God is calling on the church to be conscious of the covenant that exist between him and us (the church)
Ref: psalm 74:20; psalm 119: 6, 117, Deuteronomy 8:18
WHY DO I NEED A COVENANT WALK?
There are three (3) basic reasons why you need a covenant walk with God;
1. So that God can have legal access in my life and circumstances. When there is no covenant, God has no connection. One of the things you get to understand over and over is that God dos not have control over the affairs of man except the one who surrenders to him. John Wesley said that “it seems God is limited by our prayer life – that he can do nothing for humanity unless someone asks him”. In 1949, news paper writer said that “why this is, I do not know” he was referring to the disasters, wars, rapes, accidents, etc. when Kenneth Hagin read this statement he also said, “I didn’t know either”.
In his book the act of prayer, k. Hagin said that “though some people have built up “spiritual air castles that God is running everything in this world, he is not.
During the Vietnam War, a nationally syndicated newspaper columnist began one column by stating that he not a Christian. He said that he was not an atheist, because the atheist says there is no God. “I suppose you will classify me an agnostic” he wrote. “The agnostic says there may be a God, but if there is I don’t know it. Actually, I am prone to believe that there is a Supreme Being. I do not believe that everything here just happened. I believe there is a creator somewhere.
But I have never read the bible. I do not attend church. One reason I don’t is that what the Christians says about God doesn’t agree with what I think a creator should be, or with what I can see of him in nature.
“Even ministers say, God has everything under control, he is running everything” well if he is, he sure has things in a mess. People are killing each other. Little children are dying, little children are hungry, women are hungry, and there are wars everywhere. “If God has everything in control, do you mean God is running those wars?”
Covenant practice is not for the weak, it is for the strong and those who mean business; the strong take it by force, the kingdom of God. Covenant practice is needed most when there is no strength to do it.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
THE PRINCIPLES OF LEADERSHIP
INTRODUCTION
Leadership is the capacity to influence others through inspiration motivated by a passion, generated by a vision produced by a conviction, and ignited by a purpose.
Leadership has become a subject every one is crying for. People’s need for good leadership is desperate that, they are perishing without some one to guide them.
I once had a talk with a woman, Adom Lila about how she defines a leader. Among the many things she said, I appreciated much a poem she recited about the subject “who is a leader” the below is the poem:
Be a leader not a boss.
The leader inspires his men with encouraging words. The boss drives his men
The leader depends on good will and courage.
The boss depends on authority.
The leader radiates love and self-respect.
The boss evokes fear.
The leader says “WE”.
The boss says “I”
I agree with her with her wonderful way of defining a leader. Unfortunately, we have many bosses instead of leaders. I believe one of the major reasons why many are failing is poor leadership skills.
It is one thing to be a good manager or boss and it is another thing to be a leader. According to my pastor, Johnny T. Darko, “A leader is the one who plays the role of change without necessary assuming position… It takes some one to become somebody. Before you can become a head teacher (somebody), you have to be a class teacher (some one) first”. In other words to become a great leader you must first be a leader of your self.
The problem of our time in leadership is that, many people know how to lead others but cannot lead themselves for an hour. To be a good leader the Lord can approve of, there is the need for you to lead yourself- this is all that self-leading is about.
On this note I want you to pause and ask your self “How am I leading myself after leading my followers?” you must understand that, leaders are different from managers in the sense that, leaders are the visionaries whiles managers are the implementers of the leader’s visions with the resources available.
SOME COMMON DEFINITIONS OF LEADERSHIP
Leadership is all about influence, the ability of one person to influence others (J. Oswald sanders)
Prof. Stephen Addei (Rector, GIMPA) said, “Leadership is cost but every thing is effect.”
According to Lord Montgomery, “leadership is the capacity and the will to rally men and women to a common purpose and character which inspire confidence”
Dr. John R. Molts, a renowned educationalist was asked whom he thought a leader is, he answered briefly but powerfully as “A man who knows the road, who can keep ahead and who can pull others after him”
Another scholar said, “A leader is the one who has the authority to guide others towards the attainment of the aspirations of the group.”
Mr. Oheneba Ansu-Gyeabour Isaac (CEO, Central Financial consult) in one of his addresses said that,
There is nothing elusive as leadership. All the money in the world can make you rich and all the power in the world can make you strong but none of these can make a leader.
You can inherit a fortune but not leadership. The number one need of the world today is not money, social programs, or even new governments. It is quality, moral disciplined, principle-centered leadership.
We need true leadership in schools , governments business, civic institutions, youth communities, religious organizations, homes and all wards of life- including disciplines like law, medicine, science, sports, and media. Yet the search for genuine leadership is becoming more difficult.
Many of those whom we idolized in our society have disappointed us as their fragile formerly hidden inconsistencies have been exposed. Just the mention of Tyco, Martha Stewart, Richard Nixon, Bill Clinton, Hon. Amoateng and some pastors tell the story of our culture of defective leadership. Moral defects, abuse of power and trust, misuse of resource, corruption and hypocrisy have become associated with leadership today perhaps more than at any other time in history.
Morality, ethics, principles, conventions, standards, faithfulness, transparency, trustworthiness, and honesty are the rare commodities in the field of contemporary leadership. Why is true leadership so difficult to find?
Each of us was created to rule, govern, control, master, manage, and lead his environment. You are in essence a leader, no matter who you are, regardless of whether you manifest it or not. It does not matter who you are. The self discovery of your inherent leadership potential, understanding of who you are and what you are meant to be, are the keys to fulfilling your purpose for existence as a leader.
Leadership is the capacity to influence others through inspiration motivated by a passion, generated by a vision produced by a conviction, and ignited by a purpose.
In my book the ultimate leader, I said that, “There are many forms and types of leadership but how good a leader is, does not depend on how obedient he is to a type or a form of leadership”
In democratic countries for instance, the citizens of the country praise the leaders who practice the rules of engagement pertaining the operation of democracy. However, it is one thing to be a leader and it is another thing to conform to the pattern of leadership.
The strength of a leader is measured by the positive change he causes but not the amount of forms of leaderships he copies.
Leaders are ordinary people who accept or are placed in extraordinary circumstances that bring forth their latent potential, producing a character that inspires confidence and trust within others. Many of the great leaders in history were victims of circumstances.
They did not intend to be leaders but the demand of life ignited sleeping giant within them. I have great examples of leaders from the ancient and contemporary times. Each of these great leaders first discovered a purpose for their lives that became a passion. It was this passion that made people believed in their course.
Among these leaders are, Moses, Jesus, Martin Luther King Jnr, Nelson Mandela and Flt Lt Jerry John Rawlings.
MOSES
The Hebrew leader and deliverer, Moses, was given clear sense of purpose. His purpose was to free the Jews from slavery in Egypt, and leading them to the Promised Land. After being hesitant initially, he believed in his purpose and became so passionate about it, and even had to risk his own life to appear before the same king who wanted him dead.
That is how a leadership with purpose behaves. Moses believed in his purpose so deeply that the Jews also began to believe that their freedom was possible
JESUS
The savior of the word, the son of God who came to save mankind from where man had fallen apart and was wondering saw the purpose of the father to bring back the whole world to a perfect rest.
He carried himself in the conduct of the calling that was upon him. Even though he was God, but he did not glory in being God but laid down his life to save man. This purpose was so clear in his spirit that, he allowed himself to go through any thing that pleased God for him to suffer. In the moment of death where he had the right or power not to die, he said,
“O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.”
[Mat 26:39-42]
May we have leaders who wish not to do anything except that which pleases the Lord according to His calling for our lives in the name of Jesus!
MARTIN LUTHER KING JNR
The famous speech ‘I have a dream’ encapsulates the purpose, passion, and inspiration of Dr. Martin Luther king Jnr. A leader and symbol of American black struggle for civil rights. He helped to change both laws and hearts in America, leading to greater equality and freedom in the country. Here is the famous speech
‘I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live up the true meaning of its creed: we hold these truth to be self evident; that all men are created equal’
‘I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character’
Today this great leader if was alive would be the happiest man seeing a two successive black secretary of state and today the first black president in the white house as the 44th president of America is a reality. I mean Senator Obama. This was the dream of martin Luther king Jnr.
NELSON MANDELA
Nelson Mandela’s life purpose was the elimination of the policy of apartheid and the establishment of racial equality in South Africa. He desired a formation of a free and a democratic society of all people, black and white.
His passion for this made him fight for the cause, which led him to life imprison sentence. At his trial, he explained his vision for his country,
‘I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of the democratic and free society where all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal that I hope to live for and to achieve. But need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die for’
Archbishop Duncan Williams said that, “your dream is not worth believing if you can not die for it’
FLT. LT. JEREMIAH JOHN RAWLINGS
In his days, he had a call to end all premature government and take out all imposters who have brought instability to the country over the years. He was at a point caught, put in prison and for execution if found guilty of an attempted coup, to which there was no hope of escape.
Later he was lucky to have some friends releasing him after a successful coup 1979. He chaired the AFRC to conduct one of the best elections in the history of Ghana. Latter he came back to chair the PNDC which he led the country for about 20 years. Though others may have their observations, he championed the stability that we have in the country today.
He was and is the first African black president who has ever handed over power peacefully to an opposition leader after a genuine lost of an election in 2000.
My major sources have been the Bible and the analysis of men and women who have successfully exerted a special influence of beneficial permanence on the many whom they have led toward goals of fulfilled needs.
The ultimate example of leadership is Jesus.
His group consisted of twelve including the one who doubted, one who denied knowing Him, and the one who betrayed Him to murderers. Yet, with this small group, he changed the world.
May this book, while making clear, the essential principles of leadership, help to loll bare the practice of leadership! I hope it will encourage those who should be leading to overcome the fear of risk.
Look over the table of contents and read the book in relax pace. After that, I suggest you study it, principle by principle determine which principle you need to master. Underline what you consider important to you.
Leadership is awesome responsibility. Develop these principles of leadership and you will see your effectiveness soar.
As many writers have done, I have struggle with the shortcoming of the English language that requires a choice of “he” or “she” when referring to a word such as leader that has no gender. Leaders can of course be male or female.
For expediency’s sake, I have taken the traditional approach and I used “he” “his” and “him” to refer to all people. I trust this will not be an obstacle to women leaders reading this book.
THE SEVEN PRINCIPLES OF LEADERSHIP
If you are going to be the leader whose leadership style is going to be some thing to write home about, there is the need for you to check-up or observe these seven principles:
2. Understand yourself- discover yourself
3. Magnetism
4. Association or cooperation
5. Discipline
6. Giving or sacrifice.
I wish you a nice journey as you step into the future of leadership. Count yourself blessed if you are a leader today because you have the power to change your world now.
CHAPTER ONE
PRINCIPLE #1
DEFINE YOUR NON- NEGOTIABLE
Life is such that it brings you to a stage where you see all other things in life as not important the moment you have a passion to bring a change. Especially if you are a youth, the possibility for you to believe or think that you can sacrifice certain standards in life at the expense of leadership responsibilities is very high. If no one has told you that it is a dangerous way to ply on, I use this medium to tell you that DON’T TAKE that path it KILLED MANY. You see, God has programmed many things .you can do nothing about it. So the moment one begins to ebb them, the person begins to decline. Moreover, the truth of the matter is that, you can be a great leader if you do not sacrifice them far better than if you decide to sacrifice them.
THE FIVE NON- NEGOTIABLE
1. Marriage
2. Godly friendship and fellowship
3. Family especially children
4. Integrity
5. Eternity
MARRIAGE
Effective leadership will always bring you to a stage where you are separated from the people you are serving so much that you will need a companion
Adomak Kwasi Solomon
Never sacrifice your marriage because of your leadership ambition. I have seen many people who believe that women are the cause of sin and human problem. I use to believe that a woman in my life is going to be a kind of restriction in my life until I got married that I knew it would have the greatest problem on my side if I had not married.
A woman in my life has brought me to the stage where I see into the future clearly I have never experience before when I was single. Effective leadership will always bring you to a stage where you are separated from the people you are serving so much that you will need a companion.
That is why God said it is not good for man to live alone; therefore, I will make for him a suitable helper. The one-dollar question is that, who are you to call what God calls bad good?
This is the problem of our generation. Competition has invaded the leaders so much that they neglect things that make man a man. Nevertheless, if you are going to lead effectively, you must not negotiate your marriage. Remember that you need your wife and children more than you need any one in your leadership.
I know some people who say that they cannot trust a woman with their lives but have friends they trust. So, what those friends do for them that a spouse cannot do for them? It is true that some of the people are bad. It is true that you once shown love but somebody took advantage of your love for him. However, you do not have to allow that situation to control you so much, that you cannot see good people any more. It is complete imprisonment of your life and mind.
GODLY FRIENDSHIP AND FELLOWSHIP
Sin always tends to make us blind to our own faults. We need a friend to stop us from deceiving ourselves that what we are doing is not so bad after all
Finishing Strong
When I say godly friendship, I am referring to the company or association with others because you want to learn from one another. Godly friendship is about relating to people who challenge you to put in your best for the things of God. If there is/are such a person or persons in your life, you should never throw them away.
One of the areas the devil is getting us trapped is the area of conflict among friends. It will interest you to know that majority of people has become enemies to people they started life with. All because they think, they are better than they are or they have the feeling that they don not need them more.
Meanwhile no one is an island of himself. I have seen many people whom quite the company of godly friends and their stories are nothing to tell. On this note, I would like to say that, always preserve godly people around your life rather than quitting from them. If there is a place, you go which challenges you to get things done nicely, never despise such fellowship.
I have followed God since my infancy. The fact that I lead many youths in the church I attended, it never helped me to know how to grow my self and the leadership skills God has given to me. Nevertheless, when I met people like Rev. Eastwood Anaba, Oheneba Ansu- Gyeabour (C.E.O. Central financial Consult), Ps. Thomas Newman (C.E.O Peak Financial Consult) and some fellowship members (Impact Int. Youth Min) the story changed.
It was after my encounter with them that I learnt how to carry myself on stage and others. Since then my perspective about life and ministry work changed for the best.
I want to take this opportunity to say a big God bless you to Ps. Johnny Darko for his impact made in my life. I am grateful.
It does not mean you can only associate with people you know or know you alone. I am associating without their awareness with many people.
One of such influential people in my life is Mr. Oheneba Ansu-Gyeabour Isaac (CEO, Central Financial Consult). I get a lot of inspiration from his life and his ministry.
Never sacrifice godly friendship. Stay close- to a friend who loves you enough to tell you when you are screwing up. Stay close to friends who will never violet confidence. We all need these friends.
The hot word right now in Christian circles is ‘accountability’. Moreover, it ought to be hot. Accountability is good when we experience it within biblical parameters.
One of the primary ways the enemy keeps a person from finishing strong is isolation. Instead of being close to anyone, you become distant. Instead of being gut- level honest, you begin to shade the truth. Instead of following Christ, you begin to act as if you are following Christ. That is what happens when a person gets isolated and tries to go one- on- one with Satan.
Dr. James Houston observed that, ‘sin always tends to make us blind to our own faults. We need a friend to stop us from deceiving ourselves that what we are doing is not so bad after all’. We need a friend to help us overcome our low self- image, inflated deceitful nature, our dangerous fantasies and so much else.
Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. However, exhort one another daily, while it is called to day: lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
[Heb 3:12-13]
It implies that, if you do not have encouragement- even daily encouragement, sin can easily deceive you. You could get hard and begin to turn away from the Lord. This kind of friendship is not a luxury it is a necessity.
I personally feel like you should go to any one you related to very well that helped you to make it to this level and show appreciation. If you are no more friends, go back and reconcile with him. Amen.
FAMILY: CHILDREN
But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel
Holy Bible
Family is the smallest unit of a society.
Family is the group of people who relate to each other by blood, marriage, adoption, by living in the same home etc.
When I say family, I am referring to the nuclear family of a leader. That is, your spouse and children. If you are going to be an influence and effective leader in this generation, you must be a responsible person to your family. You can never rise to the top if you do not go with your family.
One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?). Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. But if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel is.
[1Tm 3:4-5, 12&5:8]
The potency of a leader is directly linked with his ability to manage his own family. It will interest you to know that when the father in heaven had given up of the son on the cross, the mother on earth stood by him.
And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? Which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth Elias… There were also women looking on afar off: among who was Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome;
[Mk 15:30- 40]
Leadership will always bring you to a point where you need only your family to survive so never sacrifice your family. The test of your leadership is the quality family you build.
It is easier to develop self-leadership skills by assuming responsibilities in families more than any organization can employ you to lead.
There is a belief that, people who are from stable families are more stable than those from broken families are. (In every rule, there is an exception)
Rev. Eastwood Anaba in one of his books said that,
‘A poster must be skillful in raising children. He should not just have children, but healthy, confident and spiritual children. The pastor should allow his children to grow up normally. Do no make life mislabel for them by denying them because of the church. Too many dos and don’ts could make them rebel. Do not provoke your children to wrath. Have fun with your children, give difficult children loads of attention and avoid having obvious favorites among your children….’
[The Pastor and His love]
Give your family some love and your leadership skills will take a new form. If you are not married, you must treat your parental home as one.
The qualification for public ministry is a person’s proven leadership abilities with his own family.
One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
[1Tm 3:4-6]
The qualification for leadership is not giftedness, but proven character. A gifted man is not necessarily a mature man. In his book, Finishing Strong, he said, ‘we can be intimidated by stupid expectations from the church, and we can be intimidated by stupid expectations at our jobs- life is too short. Those kids will be gone before you know it. Your opportunity to mold and shape their lives will be gone forever.
Do not let the enemy sucker you into working excessive hours to give your kids more things. They need you. Moreover, they want you. The more time that you can spend with them, the more they are going to want to be like you and know the heavenly father who made you such a great dad’
D. L. Moody said that, ‘I believe the family was established long before the church, and that my duty is to my family first. I am not to neglect my family.
But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel
[1Tm:5:8]
Never neglect your family!
Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?
[1Co:9:5]
In conclusion, I would like to say that, never seek providence at the expense of your family.
INTEGRITY
The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them.
[Proverb 11:3]
No matter how high you rise in life, never sacrifice your integrity. Your integrity is a guide to your greatness.
The word integrity is derived from the word “integer” which means the state of being “entire”. Integrity therefore means the state of being entire, complete, and undivided. Generally, it is used in reference to being in an incorruptible state.
In his book “The Pastor and His Love”, Rev. Eastwood Anaba said, “Integrity is where our entire life is governed by our convictions and beliefs. Soundness and honesty are implied in the use of the word integrity”.
Integrity is defined as the unification of a person’s private and public life. In the book of Mathew says that;
Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, it is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, it is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
[Mathew 4:1- 10]
Jesus refused to change the stone into bread. Integrity does not bend the rules in times of pressure. Integrity does not change the rules to satisfy its lust.
John C. Maxwell the author of the “Wining Altitude” in his book “DEVELOPING THE LEADER WITHIN YOU” developed great exposition about integrity. Permit me to quote some parts of it to support this subject.
Integrity as the No. 1 quality of an ultimate leader exposes and disposes the disloyal people who have mingled with the loyal ones.
The person with integrity has no divided loyalties. They are those who can be identified by their single mindedness. People with integrity have nothing to hide and nothing to fear. Their lives are open books.
V. Gilbert Beers says a person of integrity is the one who have establish a system of values against all of his life is judged.
We are all faced with conflicting desires, no one, no matter how spiritual, can avoid this battle. Integrity is the factor that will determine which one will prevail. Integrity does not allow our lips to defile our hearts.
I agree with the Socrates point of view on the issue of integrity, as “the first
key to greatness is to be in reality
with what we appear to be”
I conducted a small research about the leader’s integrity and its effect on his influence. It was found out that if what one says is the same as what one does, the outcome is always the same.
Refer to the appendixes for the table.
However, if what one says is different from what one does, the result is always not the same. The table below is some of the result or outcomes of the research conducted.
This proves the superiority of a consistent leader. I am not talking about primitiveness but a leader whose words are his walks.
You cannot negotiate your integrity for any thing and think you can make any meaningful leadership. The more your followers see and hear your consistent in words and in action the greater their consistency and loyalty.
Billy graham said that, ‘integrity is the glue that holds our way of life together. We must constantly strive to keep our integrity intact. When wealth is lost, something is lost, and when character is lost, all is lost
LANGUAGE OF INTEGRITY
The man of integrity has a language. Moreover, I call that ‘the language of integrity’. Study any man of integrity and you will see that they all speak these four languages below;
· I will live what I teach: deciding what to do is not important as deciding what to be. We mostly ask children what you are going to do when you grow. Nevertheless, the most important question is what are you going to be when you grow?
· I will do what I say: I promise something to subordinate, colleague, or superior, I want to keep my word. Treat your promises as prophecies.
· I will be honest with others: if those who work with me ever catches me misrepresenting the facts or covering up a problem, I will instantly lose credibility.
· I will put what is best for others ahead of what is best for me: this means people will be my focus.
THE TEST OF INTEGRITY OF A LEADER
Integrity of people can be measured the best when the person is observed very well. This is because integrity is measurable. I have found out that the person who passes these three test of integrity survive in all generations:
1. Sex
2. matters
3. Money matters
4. Power matters
SEX MATTERS
I realized that when ever the opposite sex gets so close there is what we call infatuation that occurs between the two parties. In such a state falling becomes so easy
To pass this test of integrity, you must respect the boundaries and privacy of the opposite sex. Avoid being with the opposite sex alone when ever it is possible. Keep others around you when you have to be with the opposite sex alone.
Insist on decent dressing by the opposite sex who works with you. Avoid suggestive gestures and moves when you deal with others, even when they are of the same sex. Do not visit or call the opposite sex at odd hours.
I know some people will not see the need not to visit the opposite sex alone with the ideal that they are strong and they cannot fall. I have personally thought like that before until I fell with a person I was helping to know God.
I realized that when ever the opposite sex gets so close there is what we call infatuation that occurs between the two parties. In such a state falling becomes so easy. Most of the time after the two has fallen; they come back to their senses. In a more serious way, the women mostly become broken- hearted.
Rev. Eastwood Anaba said that, in the quest of integrity, what we must aim at achieving is to avoid giving people false impression that an immoral act is taking place. To be innocent before God is not enough, we must live beyond reproach.
The elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity. Honour widows that are widows indeed. But if any widow have children or nephews, let them learn first to shew piety at home, and to requite their parents: for that is good and acceptable before God. Now she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, trusteth in God, and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day.
But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth. And these things give in charge, that they may be blameless. But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel. Let not a widow be taken into the number under threescore years old, having been the wife of one man, Well reported of for good works; if she have brought up children, if she have lodged strangers, if she have washed the saints' feet, if she have relieved the afflicted, if she have diligently followed every good work.But the younger widows refuse: for when they have begun to wax wanton against Christ, they will marry; Having damnation, because they have cast off their first faith. And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not. I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully. For some are already turned aside after Satan.
[1Timothy 5:1-15]
Our generation is dominant with satanic women and men in cities and towns so much that, they have penetrated the church. They aim at leaders especially the Christian leaders. I remember a woman once told me that, ‘Papa, I started chasing men when I was six years old. Through out my life in the world, I never befriended one man at a time.
The least men I lived with as my sexual partners were three’. There are people especially women who are born of real human beings, but are under the bondage of the devil for dominating the church and the society through fornication. This woman told me that, ‘it was her joy to have sexual intercourse with Christians especially those who are pastors’. Even though she did not know why she was behaving like that, it was that which brought her satisfaction.
These things are happening, women offering up themselves as well as men pursuing women. However, a man of integrity will never give in to their seductions.
And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her. Behold, this have I found, saith the preacher, counting one by one, to find out the account: Which yet my soul seeketh, but I find not: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found. Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions. [Eccl 7:26-29]
Never be loose in the matters of sex if you want to be an effective leader.
POWER MATTERS
It is not power that makes a leader great but ones ability to manage the power available to him. Many people want power before they know they are leaders.
This reminds me of when I was in training college final year, because I was vibrant in the church activities on campus, many of my friends did not understand why I did not contest for the position of college chaplain. But I believe the best way to lead is to lead from the back. I always try to avoid any leadership that will make me power conscious.
If you are going to be a man of integrity, you must pass the test of power consciousness.
Power matters are the issues that are related to positions, ranks and offices in the church. In some circles, we call these matters ‘church politics’ as a leader you should not compromise in matters regarding power. Do not covet positions, which have not been given to you by God.
Be loyal to any authority God has placed over you. Do not under mind others as you exercise authority over them. Do not use your position to change the operational rules of the system without due procedure.
Do not be quick to remove people from their positions simply because they disagree with you on irrelevant issues.
I want to take this opportunity to share with you a story of one of the God’s generals in the 15th century. Before I do that, I want to say that I do not mean to discuss his life but to bring out a lesson I think we can learn from his ministry. I respect his ministry.
This man of God is called, Alexander John Dowie.
THE EXAMPLE OF THE HEALING APOSTLE ALEXANDER JOHN DOWIE
Alexander John Dowie was born on May 25, 1847 in Edinburgh, Scotland. Born in poverty, one would have to see through the eyes of faith to ever believe what was to come in the future of this small child.
At the age of six, he read the Bible through from cover to cover. At a tender age,
He received his calling into ministry work but he did not yet know how to answer.
Finally, at the age of 21, Dowie made an absolute decision to follow the call of God. He had an incredible hunger and taste for the word of God. He read the bible constantly. This established him far his superiors in the substance and accuracy.
Though he was a pastor for many years, he had not received the highest call of heaven to heal the sick until one day when death broke out of the regions of Newton particularly the outskirt of Sydney.
He developed a passion for the many people who were dying every day and started praying for them. It was told the medical doctors of his time were applying try and error method on the patients that provoked Dowie to seek divine intervention on their behalf. The amazement of it was that, many people started receiving their healing after he laid hands on them.
Many are the mighty things God use Dowie to do. Dowie was an apostle who did not have full understanding of that office. The anointing he carried pierced the religious theocracies of his days but there where many who did not understand him, including himself.
As a result, he misunderstood the several administrations that came with the passion of his office. One of his passions was in the area of politics. Seeing his potential and knowing his stand, The Temperance Society asked him to run for parliament, which he did.
Unfortunately, for him he suffered a sound defeat in the elections. All because, there were news local papers that had been so damaged by his ministry wage an all –out attack against him.
After the election, Dowie had wounded his church, and disgraced his ministry. While campaigning for office, he also neglected his commandment to preach divine healing.
He simply steered away from his calling to pursue a personal goal, thinking he could reach a great mass of people. In addition, as the result, the rest of his time in Australia was spent in darkness and futility.
Thank God, he finally repented and returned to the message of divine healing, with great physical and spiritual blessing coming to him as a result. However, he was not able to cover his selfish ambition for power. He went ahead, and established the city of Zion, Illinois, where he became the general overseer of the Zion city for many years.
The people who lived in Zion (his followers) latter gave up on him for his power drunk actions. This made him unpopular and he decided to leave the city for recovery from stroke which is believed that came on him when he was condemning Woodworth Etter (Mama Etter) on one of stages and after he appointed himself as the ‘First Apostle as a renewed, end time church’.
Alexander John Dowie fought the idea of his followers for him to step down with all his strength but never succeeded in regaining his position. He was allowed to live his last days inside of Shiloh House, his home for many years, and slipped into eternity on March 9, 1907.
How could such a great leader end in such a sad way? I believe the answer lies in a basic misunderstanding of spiritual principle such as power matters.
Dowie was great and gifted leader of his time. Nevertheless, he could not pass the test of integrity in the area of power.
Now sit down and check areas your passion is driving you to and find out those who are traceable to selfish ambition of yours that is why you are dying for and repent now!
ETERNITY
No matter your accomplishment, never sacrifice your eternity- the only hope after death. If you will have to die for not compromising, die.
Many people lead their lives as if life on earth is the only life that exists, forgetting that life on earth is temporal.
When I was a babe Christian, I use to ask my self this question: if God is the one who created heavens and the earth, where was he standing when he was creating the earth and the heaven? I use to think it was a difficult question until I came to comprehend the fact that the earth is a product of the spiritual world where God lives. This has given me the knowledge about life after death.
Life on this earth will end for one to get assess to the spirit world prepared for sinners and righteous people. I have found out that as one tries to live for life after death, he becomes an influential person naturally.
This also talks about the fact that, you can make all the names and fames, but make sure you do not miss heaven.
No matter whom you are and what you are there is equal destiny that awaits us all. That is death. I see the old dies, the young dies, and the toddler dies, the poor dies, the rich dies, the godly dies, and the ungodly dies.
For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them.All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath. This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also, the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that, they go to the dead. For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: FOR A LIVING DOG IS BETTER THAN A DEAD LION. For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. ALSO THEIR LOVE, AND THEIR HATRED, AND THEIR ENVY, IS NOW PERISHED; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.
[Eccl 9:1-6 ]
This implies that no matter your ability to lead, you will one day leave this earth. This physical death ends your work on earth but starts your accountability to God. That is why Apostle Paul said that death is appointed unto all of us but after that, judgment follows.
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.
[He 9:27] Because of this, we cannot lead on earth at the expense of eternity. A great leader is not the one who receive human applauds at doing something for humanity but the one the Lord says well done you faithful and just servant go to your fathers rest. It was not the one who received five talents the master said to him that he had been faithful over little things. The master also addressed the amount of talent that was given to the servant who also received ten talents. This implies that, to the master, all the talents were too small but he wanted to test the level of the servants’ faithfulness in serving him.
His lord said unto him, well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord
[Mat 25:21]
To gain eternity along side with your leadership calling, you are not expected to do great things before heavens will say you are faithful but it is your faithfulness in little things the Lord expects you to do that will justify you.
The master recognized both faithful servants as just in little. A leader who wants to gain eternity after all said and done will never place his personal wants before the people he leads. A man who wants to gain eternity will never gain powers that are not of God. One thing is always common and identifiable on him he does not want to do any thing for fame. They are always humble.
I remember I read a book entitled “24-HOUR INTERVIEW OF HELL” from that day my perspective about eternity has changed. I mean I do not joke with eternity again. I found out those pastors, governors children, students, house girls and all kinds of races who lost eternity to hell because of unfaithfulness in little things.
I remember one minister who died and went to hell all because he squandered his church’s money to organize his daughters wedding for her and embezzled from the church account to cover a project expenses. He never confessed it.
One governor of Nigeria whose name was not mentioned for security reasons was seen in hell fire because he used the government’s fund that was giving to him to fish a community project for his personal project.
I do not believe that, the next person could be you this is why I personally wrote this book for you. In the Bible days the same incident happened
There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us that would come from thence. Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, they have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
[Luke 16:18 -31]
As I read this test one mid -night, many issues ran through my mind. Why can a man who is dead and berried do all the activities I have underlined in the test above? I also asked my self how possible can a man who was buried could still own all his organs that made him human being whiles he was on earth.
You should take note of the things that was mentioned in the passage. A rich man who lost eternity to hell and the kind of things he was requesting. He was requesting water to drink; he was requesting a preacher for his family on earth.
This should tell you something about your life after death if you do not make it to heaven. Some think in hell or heaven we are going to be like shadows walking in a lifeless place.
The answer is no. We are going to hell with anything that make us human but in a new body. Eternity is only continuation of life on this earth either in heaven or in hell. Those who will make it to heaven, there are many promises for them. Likewise, there are portions for those who will miss heaven to hell too.
And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, it is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have the
[Revelation 21:5-8]
Do not forget that, the poor man saw; Lazarus in heaven. Meaning he went there with his eyes. He was thirsty, meaning he went there with his tongue and taste. He spoke with Father Abraham, meaning he went there with his speech organs. He requested preachers for his brothers and sisters on earth, meaning he went there with his reasoning ability.
You are not an exception. You are either going to heaven or hell with your whole being. Look the rich man was able to see Lazarus. You will be able to recognize any body you know on this earth. If you see your church members, you ever deceive, you will see them and they will see you.
I take this opportunity to tell you that if you know you are applauded for by the people but you are going to hell, please stop reading this book and start asking for forgiveness of your sins from God he is ever ready to forgive you in spite of how deep you have fallen.
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
[1John:1:8- 10]
This is where the faithfulness of God is seen. His willingness to forgive you and accept you no matter the sin you have committed. Count on him and he will never say no to you.
I can also see in my spirit that, you are reading this book but you have fallen in your walk with God, it is never too late. Stop blaming yourself. God does not take interest in your sins as your repentance.
The more you keep to your past sins, thinking that you have fallen and because of that you can’t serve God again, it means the spirit of pride is dominating your life so much that you see your self as better than those who need the blood of Jesus to be saved.
I want to conclude by saying that, no matter your accomplishment, never sacrifice your eternity; the only hope after death. If you will have to die for not compromising, die. That will make a great leader of you than “bowing down” to the god of this word.
But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself…
[Dan 1:8- 28]
If standing for what is right is against the highest authority, never compromise stand. In that, the Lord will come to your aid. You must understand that the defense of what you stand for is the attack of what one also believes.
CHAPTER TWO
PRINCIPLE #2
UNDERSTAND YOUR SELF
When we are foolish, we want to conquer the world. When we are wise, we want to conquer ourselves.
D.L.Moody
Great leaders are those who know their strengths and weaknesses. Every body is operating within two influences: the influence of outer issues and the influence of inner issues. My personal observation is that, more potential leaders fail because of inner issues than outer ones.
Frederick the great of Prussia was walking on the outskirt of Berlin when he encountered a very old man proceeding in the opposite direction. “Who are you?” asked Fredrick. “I am a king, replied the old man” “a king,” “laughed Fredrick” “over what kingdom do you reign?”
“Over my self” was the proud reply. “Reigning” over self is the stage many people are not ready to accept. That is why they are so much unpredictable. I found out that the moment a person discovers him self, his struggles in life end.
In his book, ‘From Discovery to Recovery’ Michael Kola Ewuosho said that, ‘the key to greatness is discovery. Several great names well known for their great achievements and contributions to science, history, and faith did not create any thing new but simply discovered what God had already placed there; from Michael Faraday who discovered electricity and Christopher Columbus who discovered the united states of America to others in the contemporary world’.
If you know who you are, you will never struggle. A man who has discovered himself knows what to stand for and what not to stand for.
I found out that the increase in the rate of divorce is as the result of people’s in ability to discover their selves before they marry. I remember I stated in my fourth book “The Marriage Counselor” that,
‘There is the need for you to know yourself before you decide to choose a life partner. You must know yourself very well. Knowing yourself will help you to understand yourself and the kind of person you can work in partnership. In other to know yourself, you have to identify your strengths and weaknesses. Every one has a weakness and strength. Your weaknesses are the things that disfavor you. It may be your financial strength, level of education (formal and informal), religious background, family background etc. You must understand that any sinful behavior cannot be called a weakness but a bad behavior period. Therefore, do not get me wrong if I say know your weaknesses. In addition, your strengths are things that you have to your advantage. It may be your financial background, level of spirituality, level of education, good family, and your gifting, etc
As you take an inventory of these, you will realize many things in your life that will be a guide to your choice making. I always tell people that until you discover yourself, do not attempt to choose a life partner.
When you take these inventories, you will realize that there are many men and women in the world but it is not everyone you can marry. I have seen many people trying to arrange marriage with people that is not practically possible and the stress they go through to do that. It is revealed that majority of such marriages end up in troubles. That is why you should be of yourself first before you think about choosing.’
Dr. Myles Munroe said that, ‘until you have a clear picture of your identity, it will be very difficult for you to be successful in life’.
Self-discovery is of two folds. That is, discovering your self spiritually and physically .Many people in the secular world have discovered themselves physically but have not discovered themselves spiritually. That is why they are most of the time into occultism and idol worshipping. They have made it in the natural plane but they do not know who they are in the spiritual world. An example of such people was Jacob.
And he rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two womenservants, and his eleven sons, and passed over the ford Jabbok. And he took them, and sent them over the brook, and sent over that he had. And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. And he said, let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face and my life is preserved.
As you read this test, there is one thing that is obvious about Jacob. He has made it financially and socially. He is such a great man with many achievements. It did not do him any harm to give the following to his brother to make peace with him:
And he lodged there that same night; and took of that which came to his hand a present for Esau his brother Two hundred she goats, and twenty he goats, two hundred ewes, and twenty rams, Thirty milch camels with their colts, forty kine, and ten bulls, twenty she asses, and ten foals. And he delivered them into the hand of his servants, every drove by themselves; and said unto his servants, Pass over before me, and put a space between drove and drove.
[Gen 32:14-16]
What a great man. I wander what he was doing with all these property. The sad thing is that he did not know who he really was. Therefore, the angel of the Lord asked him, what is your name?
Many people are ministers of the state but they do not know their identity to God. Even though, Jacob owned all these things I have listed, but little did he know that, a great nation was within him.
I want to take this opportunity to ask you the same question the angel asked Jacob. What is your name? An attempt to answer this question will bring you to the point where you will begin to know yourself.
You may not get it right the first time you try to answer the question
And he said unto him, what is thy name? And he said, Jacob.
You might have fought for an identity that is not your true self. He said I am Jacob not knowing he was Israel.
You may be saying I am a medical doctor, a pastor, a president, a carpenter, an executive, a teacher, a nurse and what have you. It is good you have strived so much to such esteem but what is the Lord saying you are? That is what matters. There is nothing painful as succeeding in a wrong assignment.
I want us to take an adventure to discover our selves spiritually.
DISCOVERING YOUR SELF SPIRITUALLY
Until you have a clear picture of your identity, it will be very difficult for you to be successful in life’.
Dr. Myles Muroen
Spiritually, discovery is called revelation. Whenever you receive a revelation about your life, you begin to accelerate at a speed you have never.
To discover yourself spiritually, you must understand the origin of man- why man was created. There are scholars who are preaching the theory that man is a product of a revolution of an animal denying the reality of the word of God.
Lets get to the word of God to find out who man is, why the Lord created man and how the Lord created man.
When you read the book of the beginning, it teaches you the origin of man and the entire word we live in. any machine, factory product, and whatever product you can see came out of a raw material. For example, the cars we see were manufactured from the raw materials such as; iron, plastic and others. Therefore, no matter how beautiful and expensive such cars are, one can tell what was used to manufacture it. Then I ask you Mr. Scientists, what was used to produce the raw materials, which you use to produce the things you have to your credit.
The bible says,
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.… He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
[John 1:1-10]
The bible says all things were made out of the word of God including the raw materials.
So man was made with the word of God. You have to understand that every thing on earth is a product of the spiritual world. To proof this point let us read Genesis 1
I used to see creation as a stage work. I thought when God gave the commands, they just elected on the ground until I read the chapter two of the book of Genesis.
Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens,
And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground. But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground. And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul
[Genesis 2:1-7]
I realized from the account of the earth that when God made them they had not manifested in the earthly realm. Why? This is because there was no man to tilt the land, there was no rain, and so God had to form man out of the dust of the earth to possess the land. This is meticulous. Not all that God had commanded were on earth because I was not created.
This also brings us to the question that, where then was the things God had created. They were in the spirit world.
The scripture we read above shows that God created the earth and all that we see in the world yet they were not there until the Lord formed man. Who then is man that his absence was able to suspend the whole creation from coming to manifestation?
For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
Romans 8:19
That is why I would like you to discover your self as to who God says you are.
You have to understand that, man was made and man was created according to the word of God.
And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.: And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
[Gen1:26-28]
There are many schools of thoughts over creation of man. Some scholars believe that human beings are descendants of animals. Examples of those theorists are, Lamarck and Charles Darwin. Their conflicting ideals centre on the fact that living organisms after living for a long time develop a particular character that becomes a trait that is passed on to the next generation. However, the area the organism did not develop is missed out from the next generation. This explains why they say human beings are descendents of chimpanzees. Because their tails were not much used, their younger generations lost it as a trait. Isn’t this startling? People lessen themselves to the standard of animals all because they wanted to make names and gain errand.
According to Darwin’s theory of evolution, individuals who lack advantageous characteristics do not survive long enough to breed. Thus, over many years their numbers will decrease, while those individuals with advantageous characteristics will breed. This will lead to an increase in the number of these individuals. The development of a number variation over many generations will gradually lead to the formation of new species.
Lamarck also put forward his theory of evolution mainly on inheritance of traits. He said that evolution was the result of minor changes, which individuals acquired during their lifetime. These changes were then passed on to their offspring, giving rise to new species.
I am not trying to be scholastic but I want to emphasize the point that, human beings are made in special way.
The book of origin tells us that man was made and man was created.
The word CREATED and MADE is used here but both have distinct meanings.
CREATE is derived from the Hebrew word ‘BARA’ which means ‘to bring into being.’ In other words, man did not exist before that time; he brought them into being.
MADE on the hand, is derived from the Hebrew word ‘ASAH’. To make out of previously existing materials or thing.
“And God said let us MAKE man in our image, after our likeness…
[Genesis 1:26]”
MAKE here is referring to shaping, fashioning, and making - from previously existing materials.
In verse 27 the Bible tells us, “So God CREATED man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them”
In Genesis 2:7, we see that God FORMED man from the dust of the ground. He did not CREATE man from dust; He did not bring man into being from the dust. Rather God created man in his own image. It was after bringing man into being that he formed man out of the dust.
It is amazing to know that when God created the world and anything that is in it, it was not a reality, it had not manifested on earth because man was not created. [Gen 2: 4-5]
This is what you should know about yourself. “You are wonderfully and fearfully made.”
The day you discover this mystery about yourself, you can step out boldly to the front line. Leaders do this one thing: spiritual discovery of their life. This is the secret of great leaders. That is why people who posses much power over others are highly spiritual.
DISCOVERING YOURSELF PHYSICALLY
Great leaders are people who know their strengths and weaknesses. A story was told that formal president Bill Clinton, Martin Luther King Jnr., and great men of history were struggling with issues of womanizing, anger, fear and diseases, yet they were able to turn their weaknesses to their strengths.
I found out that, self-discovery is the function of,
1. Temperament
2. Talents and gifting
3. Weaknesses and strength
4. Exposure and
5. Identification of your strengths and weaknesses
However, for the sake of this study, I will like to treat temperament discovery.
TEMPERAMENT
Until you know yourself, you can never find answers to questions like; why is it that I cannot control myself. I know what is right and what is wrong but I just do not seem to be able to do what is right.
Tim Lahaye
There is nothing more fascinating about people than their inherited temperament that provides each human being with the distinguishing qualities that make each as individually as unique as the differing designs God has given to snowflakes.
Temperament is the unseen force underling human action, a force that can destroy a normal and productive human being unless it is disciplined and directed.
Temperament is the distinguishing qualities that make each individual unique.
Until you know yourself, you can never find answers to questions like; why cannot I control myself. I know what is right and what is wrong but I just do not seem to be able to do what is right. Why? Four main temperaments control behavior of people. However, all people are combination of this temperament, but usually one or two dominate in one’s personality. If you are going to identify yourself well, there is the need for you to know the kind of temperament you have.
FOUR TYPES OF TEMPERAMENT
The four temperaments are sanguine, Choleric, melancholy and Phlegmatic.
SANGUINE
A sanguine enters a room mouth first
Ken Poure
Sanguine types of people are those who are extroverts- friendly; enjoy people, experience- oriented. They make good salesperson, actors, and politicians. They are warm, buoyant, lively, and fun-loving temperament. He is receptive by nature, and external impressions easily find their way to his heart, where they readily cause an outburst of response.
In his book temperament and the Christian Faith, Dr. Hallesby said,
His naïve, spontaneous, genial nature opens door and hearts to him” he has endless repertoire of interesting stories that he tells dramatically, making him a favorite with children as well as adults and usually gaining him admission at the best parties or social gatherings.
Sanguine are never moderate about anything. They should choose careers that allow them extensive exposure to people. I think their chief contribution to life lies in making other people happy.
CHOLERIC
He is self- sufficient and very opinionated, finding it easy to make decisions for him self as well as for others.
Choleric type of person is hard- nosed, person- hot, strong- willed, self- sufficient and independent. Lacks compassion and is not sympathetic with the fine arts. He is self- sufficient and very opinionated, finding it easy to make decisions for him self as well as for others. He is not frightened by adversities; in fact, they tend to encourage him. He does not sympathize easily with others, nor does he naturally shows or express compassion.
Love is not usually high on his priority list. He is not given to analysis but to quick, almost intuitive appraisal: that is he steps into the river before he thinks about how long the river may be. They eat very fast. He makes good leaders but usually is domineering (authoritarian, autocratic, imperious) and opportunist who use people.
PHLEGMATICS
The phlegmatic type of people is those who are naturally soft. Due to that, they are different from other group of temperament. They are very diplomatic when it comes to cooperation with others. They are calm, easy going, precise, well balanced and very systematic.
They have the ability to see something humorous in others and the things they do. They have a retentive mind and are often quite capable of being good imitators.
Phlegmatic tend to be spectators in life, and they try not to be more involved with the activities of others.
I found out that phlegmatic are good schoolteachers and engineers since they have excellent mechanical aptitude, making good mechanics, tool-and-die specialists, artisans, carpenters, electricians, plasterers, glassblowers, and watch and camera repairers.
They usually do not take risk. They often stay with one company for their entire working career.
MELANCHOLY
Melancholy is the “black” or “dark” temperament.
Melancholy is the introvert type of person. They are gifted artists with possible genius traits. Some these traits are; analytical, self-sacrificing, perfectionist and appreciative.
Due to these traits, melancholies are highly emotional and introspective.
In his book ‘Spirit Controlled Temperament’ Tim Lahaye stated that,
By nature, melancholy is prone to be an introvert, but since his feelings predominate, he is given over to a variety of moods. Some times his mood will lift him to heights of ecstasy that cause him to act more extrovertish. However, at other times, he will be gloomy and depressed; during these periods, he is withdrawn and can be quite antagonistic.
He is a faithful friend. However, he does not make friends easily. He does not push himself to meet people but lets people come to him.
He is perhaps the most dependable of all the temperaments, for his perfectionist tendencies do not permit him to be a shirker or let others down. He not only likes others, but he also has a strong desire to be loved by them.
Melancholy reticent to initiate some new project or in conflict with those who wish to.
Melancholies usually find their greatest meaning in life through personal sacrifice.
Studies have shown that there are blends of these characters. Other people’s temperaments are developed from the normal due to the kind of training they have gone through. For instance, if a sanguine stays with a melancholy, some character traits will be impacted to the sanguine, which is very odd from his normal character. Whatever be the case, if you are going to lead yourself very well, there is the need for you to discover yourself in this area.
CHARPTER THREE
PRINCIPLE # 3
MAGNETISM
Supernatural magnetism is the ability of a leader to CONNECT with the followers as a whole and individually, ATTRACTION, EFFECT, INFLUENCE AND WARTH are the words that came to mind when I think about magnetism
Rev Eastwood Anaba
Magnetism is what I called “the leaders weight”. According to Longman Dictionary of contemporary English, magnetism is the quality of strong personal charm, the power to attract. Leaders who drive people are likely to loose all their followers after a period, but if you have the power- the weight to attract the people, they will follow you forever. Rev. Eastwood Anaba, senior pastor, F.G.C said, “Everyman of God (leader) should be attracting people not to be driving people… he should not intimidate the followers (people) if you do that, the people will not come to you until you invite them, though it is sometimes difficult to connect with the people as a whole and individually”.
Magnetism is what you live (not what you do) that draws or attract people to you so much that they feel secured when you are with them and when they are with you.
Leader’s magnetism is about attraction. (I.e. To have an effect on the person) with this, you have to go an extra mill. Your influence as a leader is worth when it triggers the gift of others to manifest effectively. Do not let people shiver when they are coming near to you. Many people think that, when people are afraid to approach them, it means they are great. However, greatness is not in how drawn away a person is but how available a person is.
One can tell the amount of magnetism he has in his life. If you want to know, there is the need for you to consider the following:
ACID TEST OF LEADER’S MAGNETISM
Supernatural magnetism is the ability of a leader to CONNECT with the followers as a whole and individually, ATTRACTION, EFFECT, INFLUENCE AND WARTH are the words that came to mind when I think about magnetism.
One can tell if he has strong magnetism when the following reactions are witnessed in his leadership;
The leader must have drawing force. He must be able to attract people and keep them with Him.
People will approach you easily when they want to say hello to you- TEST OF EFFECT
Leadership is all about being there for your people. When your people feel free to approach you to express their concern for you, it is a sign of great magnetism. Your people should not struggle to come to you. Some times the protocol around drive the people away from us so much that we end up loosing magnetism. A leader is connected to his people when the people see him as part of their family. We always want to find out how the people in the family are falling. If you people treat you that way, it is a sign of magnetism. Do not discourage them from doing so.
They ask for your help easily when they are in trouble-TEST OF WARMTH
Some times people see leadership as a burdensome task when the people always ask for their help when they are in trouble. The number two way of testing your magnetism is when the people are able to seek your assistance easily. Human beings are such that, we always want to see people who are there for us. We want to go to people we can trust when trouble comes. Most of the time, such people are the leaders we have. For this, you have to be some one they can trust. There are people they are not trusted in times of trouble. When you need them, they are not there for you. Some of them too will be there for you, however whatever they do for you become the other of the day. A leader who wants to achieve magnetism must not do that.
Members share their personal needs with you without fear-THE TEST OF TRUST
If you are such a person your followers share their personal needs such as, marital problems, spiritual confrontations, doubts, weaknesses and others they want it to be private, then it is a sign of good magnetism. If the people will be able to share such privacies with you, you must be trusted first.
If the people discuss some of the things they are facing privately, and they do not hear it out side, they develop strong trust and affirmation in your leadership skills. This will attract them to you all the time. You must therefore be careful not to share or exposes people’s privacy to others. Let whatever people share with you be between you and the person.
People maintain eye contact when talking with you- TEST OF CONNECTIVITY
As a leader and a teacher by profession, I study people who interact with me carefully. I found out that, people who are so close to me mostly look into my eyes when I am addressing them. The leader, who connects to his people through eye contact, has great magnetism. The eye contact is a sign of attention.
In the book, “How to Speak in Public” Eugene Ehrlich and Gene R. Hawes wrote that:
Except for your voice, your eyes are the most important tools you use in speaking.
And this is true in whatever way you communicate to people
· People trust you
· People care about what you say
People believe you…IF THEY CAN SEE YOUR EYES LOOKING DIRECTLY AT THEM. This is known as eye contact.
The people will visit your house or make phone calls- THE TEST OF EFFECT
The effect of a leader’s magnetism is seen in how long his people want to be around them. When you followers visit you and call you it is a sign of how attracted they are to you. In others, do not discourage the phone calls of your people. When you are attracted to the people, they will always be at where you are. They will always want to hear from you.
If you are a leader and your people do not call you when they are traveling, in problem, cerebrating, not coming to meeting, it means your magnetism is too low.
However, you should draw the borderline. Tell them when they should visit especially after working hours. If not that, their visit will be another hindrance in your personal commitments to the lord, your family and yourself.
People bless you financially or materially- TEST OF APPRECIATION
One of the ways we appreciate the work of a leader is giving in support of his vision. When they people give out of their free will, it is a sign of how drawn they are to you as a leader. If you lead effectively, the reward you receive is gifts. Apostle Paul wrote that, he received back material substances when he ministered spiritual things to the people.
When you call out for an amount of money at meetings, it tells you the magnetism you have in you.
The blessing from the people should not be people from your group alone. One man of God said that, if you do ministry well, and relate to the people well, you would never be broke.
You can never do God somewhat good and receive human kind of reward.
Your presence on the stage liberates people- TEST OF CONVICTION
The last thing you can do to test if you have magnetism is the impact of your presence and you mode when you appear before your people.
On 10 April 2009, some thing happened to Rev. Eastwood Anaba that has challenged my life so much. We were at Bolgatanga when the news of an accident reached us. It was reported that six people lost their lives out of the accident.
All the six people were very closed and influential people to him. To my side, fear gripped me so much since one of the victims was the pastor who preached during my wedding. His name was Ps. Alexander Kusi. ( May his soul rest in peace)
Two of them were Rev. Eastwood’s biological children. The other two were choir leaders in the church. Therefore, all of us were afraid. Why should people of be involved in things like this. We ask our selves how in the man of God going to continue with the convention? Since he was the main speaker of the conference, the media was curious to know what he would do and say.
To my surprise, in the evening when the man of God mounted the stage, I could see the joy, peace and relaxation as if nothing has hit his house. He then said, “ladies and gentlemen, many parents in this church lost their children but it could not prevent us from speaking the word the Lord has put in our mouth why then should we stop preaching the word of God because of souls God has given them to go and rest.”
He was sure of that fact that, “It is God who is the greatest”. He said he is not a professional preacher, but a called preacher, he does not role-play but waits until the spirit of God puts his words into his mouth. The joy was there, the shouting was more than before.
On of a sudden strange joy came into the room, every body felt the spirit of God so much, we began to praise God for their lives. I remember my wife said, “Papa, when I heard of the death, fear gripped me. But when Rev. Eastwood started preaching all the fears left me and Joy came into my heart”.
When you show confidence in the word you preach, it attracts the people around you. Do not preach virtues and practice vices.
That is how the magnetism of a leader is seen- His presence on stage, comforts his people. People do not feel uneasy to sit under him. You do this by:
· The way you relax on the pulpit. Do not appear on the pulpit whiles you are tense and angry.
· Every service you go into must be rehearsed in your heart and in you house.
One may ask, how can I achieve magnetism? It is not too late with you. The following guides can be of help for a start. Never think it is too late to start.
Hennery Ford once asked his gardener how yoke tree grows, the gardener said, sir, it takes many years to become a tree. Hennery said, “If that is the case, sow it now!” Start now to put into practice these suggestions.
HOW TO ACHIEVE MAGNETISM
There are many things one can do to achieve magnetism. The area I would like to focus on is the area of dressing. It is not because It is not because it is important than any of the factors that is why I want to give it a priority. It is rather because many people do not talk about it. So let me take you through some of the good things you should know to attract your people in your way of dressing.
A LEADER AND HIS DRESSING ETHICS
First impression really counts. Dress to look the part you intern to play in life, but take care you do not over do it…. Cloth3es do not make man, but no one can deny the fact that good clothes go a long way to give him a favorable start”
Napoleon Hill
According to the Longman dictionary, personality is the state of existing as a person, unusual, strong, exciting character.
Therefore, personality has nothing to do with body size and height. The cloth you wear, the thoughts you think, the character you have developed by those thoughts, all constitute part of your personality.
One great philosopher, Napoleon Hill, in his book “The Law of success” said that, “first impression really counts. Dress to look the part you intern to play in life, but take care you do not over do it…. Cloth3es do not make man, but no one can deny the fact that good clothes go a long way to give him a favorable start”
Successful people have discovered ways and means of wearing clothes for occasions
The sad thing is that the secular education we spend millions of cedis for, have no component of training us for life. It is pity to see a degree holder who does not know how to dress ethically.
Wearing of clothes for fashion purposes is not the ultimate but the identity is that which matters most. Mean while people focus on the fashion aspect of a cloth and neglect the massage it sends to people. The common slogan of such folks is that “the art of worship is in the heart”. I remember a woman once told me so and I asked her to give me one way of worshipping God in our hearts. The sad news is that she could not tell me. Many people find very nice ways of remaining ignorant of things they do wrongly.
Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.
[1Pe:3:3-4]
To cut a long story short, let us look at the four techniques of dressing to look the part you intend to play in life.
FOUR TECHNIQUES OF SELECTING YOUR WARDROBE
If you want to select your wardrobe properly, you need to consider the following factors:
1. The harmony of colors
2. How to iron clothes
3. Harmony of body size or shape
4. Dressing Peripherals
THE HARMONY OF COLORS
Color is the reflection of light from an object. It is believed that in the seventeenth century, Sir Isaac Newton found that, light is color.
Colours in general can be grouped into primary, secondary and tertiary. If you know how to combine colours, the beauty of your dressing can be the best.
Primary colours: They are colours which cannot be made by mixing other colours.(Red, Yellow and Blue),thus primary colours of light.
Secondary colors: They are obtained by mixing two primary colors together. (Orange, Green and Violet)
Tertiary colors: They are obtained by mixing two secondary colors together.
In dressing, we match; the analogous (colors, which lie side by side on the colour wheel); Complementary colors (colors that are directory opposite on the colour wheel) and Harmonious colors (the pleasant arrangement of colors in a work of art).
The picture below shows the arrangement of colors on a 12-color wheel
MEANING OF COLORS/ SYMBOLISMS OF COLORS
Red: anger, death, anxiety, calamity, war, fierceness, heat, aggressiveness, force, dominance and excitement
Blue: love, peace, royalty, tenderness, early dawn, famine and coolness
Yellow: royalty, honor, prosperity, richness, presence of God, rule of God, king, continues life, warmth and controlled fire.
Green: growth, freshness, fertility, vitality, newness and holiness
Violet: royalty and jealousy
Black: mourning, sorrow, sadness, grieve,
White: victory, happiness, purity, Godliness
Brown: decay, earth, rotten.
HOW TO IRON CLOTHES
There are different kinds of clothes in the world. Among them are the well-accepted ones for majority of occasions in the world. For the purpose of our study, I would like us to restrict our selves to the western way of clothing as far as ironing is concerned.
The major factor in ironing is the ironing of lines that are supposes to be in the cloth or not to be.
The pictures below demonstrate the two types of trousers and how their lines are managed in ironing.
The first one is good for those who have big bottoms. Whiles the second one is good for those with small, flat or medium size bottoms.
The interesting thing about the lines is that, they perfect the shape of the user.
Remember if you cannot manage the lines of your trousers how you can know how to manage the lives of others.
Two types of trousers
TIP BITS FOR IRONING
1. When you are ironing your clothes, don’t create lines at where there are no joints lines
2. Do not create lines at the extreme bottom of trousers
3. Do not create lines at the shoulders of long sleeves
4. To avoid burns, always try the iron at the herm of the clothe before you iron. In that case, when the iron burns that end, you will no that it not safe.
5. Do not iron shiny surfaces of clothes
6. To save energy, iron all your clothes at a time.
HARMONY OF BODY SHAPE AND SIZE
There are four types of body shapes. Every body falls within one of these shapes. The four shapes are:
1. Triangular shape
2. Round shape
3. Even shape and
4. Pencil shape
TRIANGULAR SHAPES
People with triangular shapes have small bust and broad waist.
BUST
WAIST
These people harmonize their shapes when they put on loose tops and tight downs. Depending on the occasion, you are honoring.
ROUND SHAPE
People who have round shape are those whose waists are almost the same as their stomachs. It is very difficult to see their waistline.
Bust
Waist It is best when people with this kind of shape use dress that uses tight belts or belt.
Short dresses do not look more attractive on them since it exposes their body.
EVEN SHAPE
The word even here does not mean equal. However, I am referring to people whose bust is proportional to their waist as well as their thighs.
Bust
Waist
People with even shape can put on anything but will look nice on them all because of their shapes.
The only dress that most of the time does not look nice on them is those that fake their real height. For example, when one puts on a dress with vertical lines, they look shorter. When the lines are horizontal, they look tall.
PENCIL SHAPE
As the shape of a sharpened pencil is so some people are. They have a very small lower part. Their legs are smaller as compare to their bust.
This shape is the opposite of the triangular shape.
Bust
Waist
It is recommended that these people wear tight tops and loose downs.
They should avoid tops with waistbands since it over shows their bust.
PERIPHERALS OF DRESSING
I adopted this word from computing. In computing there are additional hardware that can be added to the PC to perform different functions the average PC can not over.
Some of the additional issues in dressing talk about the body scent, mouth odor and how to match shoes, dressing bags, bracelets, rebinds, ear rings, belt etc.
BODY SCENT
There is a particular way everyone’s body smells even immediately after bath. You alone know this scent. Aside this normal body scent, if the people around you can always smell a body odor on you them you have a bad odor.
If you want to know your body’s scent, immediately after a day’s work or sweet, remove the attire you used when you were sweating. Keep it outdoor and take a bath. After the bath, try to smell the scent in the attire. The scent you smell is the exact scent people smell whenever you sweet.
· To control your body odor, you can use lemon at your private parts.
· You must bath at least twice a day
· Add salt to the water you use to both always.
· Wear only cotton fabrics.
· Wash your clothes regularly
· Wipe up sweats immediately
· Shave regularly
· Change you clothes regularly
Apply pomade, roll- on, deodorants and antiperspirant to your armpits
MOUTH ODOUR
Every food you eat leaves some amount of food in between you teeth. These remain rots and give out bad breath. Secondly, when air is kept in a close area for long time, it gives bad scent. These two factors make it very difficult to be free from bad breath.
Scent in general mixes with our minds after few minutes. That is why after using perfume, you do not smell the scent again.
In view of this when there is a scent in your mouth, you cannot tell. That is why many people feel unhappy when you tell them that their mouths smell bad. They do not know about it and so they qualm it.
To know the scent of your mouth, put your index on your tongue and smell it. The scent you smell, is the same scent people smell when you talk.
TIP BITS OF MOUTH ODOUR CONTROL
1. To control this bad breath, you must paste at least twice a day. Paste after eating junk food.
2. Do not close your month for a long time without opening your mouth.
3. Use gum to neutralize the scent of any food you eat. E.g. P.K, or use mouthwash to clean your mouth.
4. Take in water frequently
GENERAL TIP BITS FOR APPEARANCE
1. Generally, one can observe the following rules to develop nice appearance in terms of dressing.
2. In dressing, match the color of belt, shoe, and hang bag.
3. Use black down for any color as top.
4. Do not put on tie with short sleeve shirt except you put suit on it.
5. Your trouser and socks.
6. Clips, bangles, and earrings should not have conflicting colors. Preferably, their colors should be the same.
7. Use black under wears for white clothes
8. The maximum number of colors you should carry on you at a time should not exceed three.
This is because many colors conflict the eyes and cannot see the beauty of many colors.
HAIR DO OR HAIR STYLE
According to the bible, it is the glory of a woman to keep her hair and it is the glory of a man to cut his hair.
Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man has long hair, it is a shame unto him? But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.
[I Corinthians 11:14-15]
This is where the difference comes. This is what makes man entirely different from a woman in hair do.
It is very critical to know that the hairstyle of person gives him or her glory or disgrace. Observation shows that consistency in a hairstyle gives a person nice appearance that is felt by every one.
Therefore, the secret is not in how expensive it is, it is how consistent it is.
Any one who want to have a standard appearance must select at least two hairstyle and utmost three hairstyle if you are show off person.
TIP BITS ON HAIR DO OR HAIRSTYLE
1. If you have broad face, it is nice to grow your hair (for men): it is good to select short hairs (for women)
2. If you have small face, it is good to cut your hair down (for men): it is good to select long hairs (for women)
3. If you have wide face then you are free for every hairstyle.
4. When you select artificial hair select the ones that have similar color as your complexion
SOME SUGGESTED DRESS CODE FOR OCCASIONS
1. When you are going to church, you can put on any thing formal. Example, black trouser with any long sleeve shirt with tie
2. Use dresses that make one sexy for dinner especially when you are going out with your partner.
3. Use traditional dresses for traditional ceremonies such as naming ceremony, thanks giving service, engagement and family gatherings.
4. Use jersey and sports wear for sporting activities.
In conclusion, dress to play the part you intend to play in life.
Aside the dress code factor, one can achieve magnetism when the person;
Work out a sense of confidentiality
I have come to realize that it tempting to hear some ones private life. This is because there is always the feeling to tell people who are closed to us.
Most of the time, the people we trust also have other people they also trust. Therefore, at the end, what you tell one person with the ideal that no one will about it become an open secret. When the people who discussed with you hear it outside, they begin to redraw from you.
Most of the time I test the magnetism of people I want to have everlasting relation with some thing private. (It is not about sinful act going on). Some times the things I tell them are not true. So that if I hear it from any body then, I can tell who told that person.
It is so in achieving magnetism. One has to be very careful in exposing what people discuss with him. Do not uncover the privacy of people who share them with you. When people begin to label you as a lie, they will loose confidence in you. Do not even use it as an example when the person is around or the relatives are around.
To avoid the temptation of exposing people’s privacy, avoid mentioning people’s name when you are sitting examples.
Avoid pride
Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.
Proverb 16:5
Pride has become a treat to the many leaders in the world. When a say pride, I am referring to the situation where one considers himself better than it considers others. Pride is when you over estimate yourself and underestimate others.
Our generation is challenged so much to be humble. People what to believe you after you have boasted and brag about what you can do. You have to flame stories to appear to the ears of the people before they can accept you. Because of pride, people are trying to give themselves all kinds of tittles and positions that are not functional. The truth of the matter is that, God hate pride.
A brother once said,
“Anytime people applaud you and you know deep within that you are not in line with God, whisper to yourself I am still the old servant”-
Gyamera Francis
Pride is the most abhorrent sin to God, and those who are proud are the least conscious of their pride
Dr. Jake L. Arnold said that, the pride of a leader could be tested in the following concept;
1. Test of precedence.
What is the reaction when another is promoted over you or out shines you in service or gifts?
2. Test of sincerity. How well do you take criticism from others? You can give criticism but can you take it?
3. Test of criticism. Does criticism arouse hostility and resentment in you and cause you to resort to self- justification?
The people I have avoided most in life are not those who offended me. They are those I found out that they were proud. This is because pride is contagious. When you are carried away by your achievements and pride takes over you, you begin to despise people who have toiled with you. You begin to see yourself as the only factor. When it gets to that level, the people who are around redraw from you.
Be ready to share
Be ready to share your time, your money, and your life. The success of a leader should not be outstanding among his followers. What you achieve must be distributed to promote the people you lead so that your life will have a reflection on them. The Wiseman in his book said that, the giver has many friends.
Wealth makes many friends; but the poor is separated from his neighbor.
Proverb 19:4
Friendship is the key to magnetism. That is why Jesus at a point in time called his followers friends. If you share your achievements, it attracts the people to you. Some thing happened at my church, which I think that other pastors can start practicing.
It was a Sunday morning when my pastor was preaching that he was touched by the Holy Spirit to give out his shirts, ties and other personal belongings as well as monies to people. Instantly, he gave out his tie, shoes and his shirt.
He continued to locate individuals in the church who needed money to start up small-scale business he gave out all his shirts, ties, and money to the church members. He did not do with preference. Within such period the number of church members started growing, that thing started influence the church members that they started given gifts to individuals up to date.
After some months, one of his friends who were not a church member gave him 20 pieces of new shirts as a gift. Praise the Lord!
You should not be richer than your group if your source of income is through your group.
Maintain a Constance smile
When you put on smile face, it works like a magic. It inspires your people so much that they always want to be around you. Never allow your emotions to take over your facial appearance
There are different forms of communication. On of the form is a gesture. Out of the ways of using signs to communicate, the facial expression is so powerful that it is easy to read the minds of others when you look at their faces. I remember what happened to me one morning. As class teacher, I had fasted for three days.
The third day was Monday so I reported at school for duty. When I entered the class, all the class became quite they stirred at me strongly. Then one of the pupils came to be and ask, “Sir, are you sick?” I said no. she then said, “Sir you don’t look o.k.” a class three pupil could read from my face that there was something wrong with me.
When you put on smile face, it works like a magic. It inspires your people so much that they always want to be around you. Never allow your emotions to take over your facial appearance.
Be gracious and do not be critical when they tell you their sins.
As far as what one can do to attract others is concerned, one needs not to be critical on others. As leader, you are there to assist people to get to their dreamland. There are times in our lives we all fall short of some thing. So when some one comes to tell you his wrongs, do not be condemning and judgmental on him. If you do that, next time he is in trouble, he will keep it to himself, which can lead him to destruction.
You try to understand the person’s situation before you will comment on it. Let the understanding be there instead of accusing.
Generally, do not be condemning in your speech. When you do that, people will see you as more rigid person and start running away from you.
I remember when I started preaching on radio “Hour of Impactation” I used to condemn preachers until one day a woman of God call me said son, you cant be critical on pastors this way. If you do that, your listeners will feel like you are too judgmental. Since then, I learnt my lessons. I stopped been hard on others.
Keep your voice at the normal pitch when you are talking.
In terms of your speech, do anything possible to improve upon it. This is because your work is a speaking work. We sympathize with the feelings of shyness and stage fright people have when called to speak before a group, we have found that those speakers who try to speak louder often overcome their embarrassment as a result. By concentrating on raising their voices, they forget their reluctance to speak.
So if you make the effort to speak loudly enough to be heard clearly, your performance will automatically improve.
Be adoptable to the education, exposure and ethics
Bishop T. D. Jakes once said that, “there is a kind of improvement on our lives that nothing can give us except exposure”
When you are exposed to many things in live, your perception about certain issues of life changes. It helps you to take good decisions. If a leader has knowledge about basic things in life, it makes him dynamic. This quality then attracts the people to you. There is a kind of magnetism exposure give to a leader. In life all of us a different from one another due to the way we were brought up. What is accepted in one home is prohibited ones home.
And so we are made to believe in certain things right from our infants. Some of these things are customs, ethics and traditions. If you are a leader, you do not have to be attached to the ethics of your background so much that you cannot accept what is good in man’s home.
I have a friend who comes from a wealthy home. In their house, every body has the freedom to express his mind to anybody. This person has there fore developed the habit of expressing her view to whoever instructs her to do something. What ever you tell her to do; she will ask why you want her to do that. If you are not much exposed about individual differences and ethics, you will end up fighting her everyday. Meanwhile she is very devoted to the things of God.
Many people are like that. If you do not do things right, they will never flow with you. Nevertheless, when you are exposed, you learn how to do things in well acceptable way.
Go to restaurants. Learn how to carry your self at there. Visit places that are more challenging to feel at home. Learn how things are done there. Get close to people who are at the front line, tap into their ways of doing things.
They will all end up making you a unique person.
Remember that you are what you are.
Exposure teaches us manners. Relate to every one at their level.
Visit your people.
Visitation helps close the gab between a leader and the follower. Last year I did a study about church growth in some of the fastest growing churches around the world. In my research, I found out that, the principal thing that made most of the churches grow is visitation and follow-up.
One of the churches I studied was, Yoido Full Gospel Church founded by Dr. Yonggi Cho. Below is some the quotes from some church workers:
Yunhyung Yu said that, “My primary responsibility is to oversee and minister to my cell leaders. I am always checking to see if they are following through and caring for their cell group members. Some of the believers they work with are poor and struggle a great deal. So it is vital that we pray and continued to encourage them with the word of God.
It is to be persistent with the new converts. I remember six believers in our section, each of whom had dropped out of church and a cell group. We began visiting them weekly, encouraging each one in the Christian walk. In every case it was not too long until they began top attend church and their home cell meeting again.
I found out that she was spending about six to seven hours a day visiting and administering in an average of ten homes, including the home of her cell group leaders and their members.
Bishop Dag Heward- Mills said that, “If the church were to do fellow up, and retain the people we won; the church would experience major growth… After spiritual follow up, you must visit them”
This is what visitation can do in the life of a leader. It will draw the people to you like a magic.
However, you must take care in the way you visit. Do not visit the same people all the time. Do not visit at odd hours since it makes the people embarrass.
People should not find it difficult to tell who you are.
Your identity should not be what your people cannot tell easily. The identity of a person is the sum total of his spiritual, mental, and physical constitution, operating together with his environment and opportunities, to fulfill his or her God given assignment
When you people know who you are, they will always come to you for it. I member l was praying and I asked the Lord to show me who I am. The Lord told me that Solomon, “You are what people need you for. You are what others call on you for. He then said when people are sick whom do they called, I said doctors. God then told me that if people always call on me for money, I am a rich man or provider.” From that day onwards, I have not struggle to know who I am
When your people can tell that this is our leader and this is how he does his things, it is the sign that they know you. Jesus said I know my sheep and they hear my voice. Your people must know your voice.
What people say about you should be what the Lord says about you. In that case, your people can trust that you are their leader.
I strongly believe that as you begin to build magnetism, you will excel in leading.
CHAPTER FOUR
ASSOCIATION/CO-OPERATION
You can never accelerate in isolation
Ps. Thomas Newman
Nobody is island of himself. You cannot be isolated and accelerate high. You need someone’s shoulders to stand on to enable you to see far. One of my mentors said that, you can never accelerate in isolation. You need other people to make it in life. It was Moses who received the call of God to lead the Israelites but God foresaw his brother Aaron to be a partner.
Remember that, if you want to go fast, go alone but if you want to go far, go with others.
On of the things I have released in our time is that, we are divided so much that, you can not get two people in leadership who speak the same language. Due to that, we have destroyed ourselves for long.
The bible says two are better than one.
In his book, FINISHING STRONG; Dr James Houston said that,
The hot word in Christian leadership is accountability. And it ought to be hot. One of the primary ways the enemy keeps a guy from finishing strong is isolation. Instead of being close to anyone, you become distant. Instead of being gut- level honest, you begin to shade the truth.
Instead of following Christ, you begin to act as if you are following Christ. That is what happens when a person gets isolated and tries to go one- on- one with the devil.
Sin always tends to make us blind to our own faults. We need a friend to stop us from deceiving ourselves that what we are doing is not so bad after all.
To be a successful leader, you need to have an association with other groups, leaders, fellowship and friends. In business world, association is very common. That is why there are many associations in our communities. As you cooperate with one , you take your life to different level. If you want to go higher, you start by going with others who aim high.
As a leader, you may have your own limitations. Look out for buddy that are into what you are doing or wants to do. In so doing, you need to take care so that you do not end up associating yourself with a wrong group.
There is this old adage that says that, together we stand, divided, we fall. Do not stand-alone.
How to associate with others
1. Look out for people who are in the same or similar interest with you and share your vision as well as your challenges with them. They may be of help to you in one way or the other.
2. Take your group to places that are far from the locality you operate. Connect them to the national level.
3. Take them to international level. It is either your group is operating locally, nationally or internationally. As leader, you should focus on how to take your people to the national level. You can do so by introducing your people to different people in different parts of the world.
4. When you have the opportunity to deal with any one outside your locality, include your people.
5. Extend invitation to leaders in different areas to interact with your people
6. Devote yourself to reading of literatures written by leaders around the world.
7. Correspond with other ministries through internet.
8. Make it your habit to watch video clips of leaders you look- up to. You have to buy them and watch as many as possible each day. Pray through their messages.
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CHAPTER FIVE
SACRIFICE/ GIVING
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice… which is your reasonable service
Romans 12:1
The most important thing for you to know is to recognize that, it is God who has trust you with the leadership skills. If you have this mind in you, you will always aim at pleasing him. Nevertheless, you cannot please God if you do not sacrifice or give out certain things in life. As an ultimate leader, you do not serve to please man but God.
There is no way you can present your self as a living sacrifice and you will not pleased God. Be willing to sacrifice even your own comfort accomplish his mandate for your life. Let your life’s purpose and desire relate to God’s purpose for you. We live in an ocean of things, but few are of virtue and few are of merit. We should not let these “things” clutter our lives and rule us in any way.
If we are to become ultimate leaders, and walk in the power of God in our leadership calling, we should be willing to sacrifice every thing that distracts us. Some things we must sacrifice may be our favorite hobbies or TV programs; it may be even the relatives or friends.
Sacrifice is in two folds; ignoring what you could have enjoyed and promoting the welfare of others at the expense of your personal gaining and leaving others behind for responding to God’s call.
The way God prospers is different the way the world prospers. What the world calls prosperity is how much you have; but in the kingdom of God, prosperity is determined by how much you give. Giving is living. No matter how delicious the food you have eaten may be, there is a maximum number of hours it should stay in your stomach.
After that period, it becomes poisonous to your body. Even if you had dinner with the president of America, and you feel like keeping the food in your stomach as a souvenir, after some time, the food turns acidic, and must leave, your body or you will be danger of ending up in the grave.
The joy of eating is in giving out what you eat at a point in time. That is to say passing out waste. When what is going in is not coming out at all, you become a source of concern, and if something is not quickly done to evacuate your bowels, they might as well start digging your grave.
Great men and woman of history were not talkers alone but they were people who sacrificed their comfort zones and personal belongings.
A story was told of Alexander John Dowie- the Healing Apostle, that when he broke free from his denomination and secured the Royal Theatre in Sydney to an independent ministry, luck of funds halted his work though the crowds were very large. Many of his church members had no financial income.
The only answer Dowie could see was to sell his home and furnishing; put them into the work, and to his smaller residence. After Dowie did this (sacrifice his personal belongings), the work flourished. In the message describing his decision, he said
My beautiful furniture and pictures were gone, but there came in place of them men and women that were brought to the feet of Jesus by the sale of my earthly goods.
A story was told of Dr. David Yonggi Cho when he was told by God to build the largest church in the world. The sacrifice he did before he was able to build it. This is what he had to say about his call to build such a church.
In 1969, when God asked me to move from my second church to build our present sanctuary, l had 10,000 members with a constituency of 12,000 people who attended regularly. I was happy, feeling good and satisfied. I had a good home, a wonderful wife, three sons, a beautiful car and even a chauffeur. I responded, “God I’m going to stay at this church until my black hair turns white.”
But one day while I was praying in my office, the Holy Spirit spoke, “Cho, your time is up here. You must be ready to move.” Oh Lord, “I said, “move? I already pioneered one church, and this is my second pioneer work. Do you want me to pioneer again? Why should I pioneer churches constantly? You are choosing the wrong person. Go to someone else and I started arguing with God.
No one should ever argue with God for He is always right. Eventually God persuaded me, saying, “You go out and build a church which will seat 10,000, a church that will send at least 500 missionaries.” “Father,” I replied, I can’t do that. I’ve always dreamed of building a large church but suddenly I’m scared to death of building a church like that.” But God said no! I’ve told you to go. Now go!
I calculated roughly with a contractor about cost. He told me that we needed two and half-dollars to put up an adjacent apartment complex. So I would have needed five and one half million dollars at that time, in 1969. The contractor asked me how much I had. I told him I had $2,500. He gave me a blank look, shook his head and did not even comment.
Then I went to a meeting of our church’s elders and told them the plan. One elder said, “Pastor, how much money are you going to generate in America? “Not a penny,” I replied. They said, “You are an excellent minister but you’re no businessman. You can’t build a church and apartment house like that” then I called the 600 deacons that I had at that time. I told them that plan, but they immediately began to act like scared rabbits, as if I were levying a high tax on their lives. I became discouraged. Full of fears, I came to the Lord, “Lord, you heard every word the elders and the deacons said. They were all in agreement that it couldn’t be done, so you’ve got to think this over again.”
Then the Holy Spirit spoke clearly and forcefully in my heart, “son, when did I ask you to go and talk with the elders and deacons?” “Am I not supposed to?” I asked. The Holy Spirit answered, “I commanded you to build the church, not to discuss it. That is my command” I got up from my knees and said, yes, if it’s your command, then I will do it.
Through a series of miraculous events, we were able to secure one of the choicest pieces of land on Yoido Island. Then I went to the contractor and made a contract to build both the church and the apartment house complex on credit. I thought to myself, “They will build the church easily. I will trust God and see.”… as I prayed to God to show me what to do, the Holy spirit once asked me that, what do you have? I said nothing. Then the Holy Spirit brought my mind to my house I. I decided to see the house. But my fear was my wife. This is because, in my tradition, when a man builds a house, it belongs to the wife. So I knew very well without my wife’s support I could not sell the house. Them I kept on playing until on evening as I was praying the Lord gave me the assurance that I can sell the house. Miraculously that evening my wife approached me a shy mode as if she was afraid of telling me something she was finding it difficult to do. Then I approached her and asked her, Honey what is wrong with you?, she did not respond, then I asked her again then she said to me I a shy way, “the Lord told me to tell you to see this house but I am afraid you will not agree with me” I jumped and praised the Lord. I sold my house put the money into the project. After some time, we did not have a place to stay so we moved to live in the uncompleted building that was not even up to the roofing level.
Later he said, if there is something I have never regretted to do it is when I sold my house. It was not easy for me initially, but in that, you can see a building that many have been saved in everyday.
This man of God with the largest Church in the world though committed himself to God and lived right. But this big church wouldn’t have been a reality if he had not get it easy initially. He had to go and live in the uncompleted building that was not up to the roofing stage with his family. That is what sacrifice demands if that is the only way out. A true leader will not keep anything as a property if it will have to be given out for the promotion of the people he is leading.
A leader does not keep things for him self but scatter things for others. Before you can receive blessings in the land, you must give to the land.
For God so love the world that he gave His only begotten son, that whom so ever believed in Him should not perished but have everlasting love.
John 3:16
When God loved the world, (the earth and its inhabitants), he needed the world back but the means to getting the world was to give unto the land, through the giving out of his son, Jesus God now owns all of us when he gave unto the earth.
What do you want from your leadership role? And what are you giving to your people as means of sacrifice. The indication of what you love is how passionately you give to that which you love.
John Roger and Peter McWilliams have this to say about sacrifice in their book, “LIFE 101”
You would be far happier if you gave up certain things ... give is an up word. Up is an up word. Put them together, and people get awfully down. I’m not going to give up anything. And sacrifice. That’s even worse than giving up. sacrificing means giving up something really good” the things we think you’d be better off sacrificing are things such as greed, lust, hurt, judgment, demands, spoiledness, envy, jealousy, vindictiveness. Did you think we were going to ask you to give good stuff? Not so. The negative stuff, the cold stuff, the hard stuff- you can sacrifice those, too
Sacrifice is a broad word. It can be explained in many ways based on the perspective of the person. Nevertheless, when I talk about sacrifice, I talk about giving.
What do you say God has called you to do? What are you sacrificing to make the calling possible? What do you say you want to do? And what are you sacrificing? There are many ways and things one expected to sacrifice if you are going to be a true leader. I found out that there are three major things a true leader is always expected to demonstrate the spirit sacrifice or giving.
AREAS ONE CAN DEMONSTRATE SACRIFICE
A true leader will always have to sacrifice the following;
1. Personal gains at the expense of the ministry or organization
2. Reputation
3. Comfort zone
PERSONAL GAINS AT THE EXPENSE OF THE MINISTRY
The greatest man on earth is the man who can take what he has and give it out to the people he is made leader over. He does this with the sole aim of promoting the welfare of his people, not because he wants to play on their fantasies. I have met many people who have shown concern to me in devious ways. Among those people, I could know those who were doing that with the aim of getting me to do what they wanted from me. Nevertheless, the truth of the matter is that, playing on people’s fantasies is an act of manipulation. They tend to complain when they realized that what they wanted me to do was not working. Some of them accuse me that I do not appreciate their effort. However, there is some thing funny about manipulating people- your followers always know what you are doing, that aims at getting them to minister to your selfish ambition. The only thing is that they cannot tell you.
Your sacrifice as a leader should not be what you do not like or what you do not need in your life but it should be what your love. For instance, there is the need for you to sacrifice one of your bedrooms, or shoes, or shirts, cars, allowance or salaries, and some personal benefits for your followers, if that is the major need of the person. Do not keep them for yourself whiles if you give it out it will make a great impart as compare to when you use them.
This is what the people of the old did. They shared among themselves what they had. They were not selfish.
... And all the believers met together constantly and shared every thing they had. They sold their possessions and shared the proceeds with those in need.
Acts 2:44
The Apostles started sacrificing their personal belongings to the church and the leaders. When they did that, it ministered to the needs of the new converts. They grew in giving so much that, they also started giving out their properties to those who had needs. As true leaders, one of the areas we should not neglect is meeting the needs of individual.
Some people say that the church is not a social welfare society. If the church is not responsible for meeting the needs of the people in the society, then which organization is responsible for that? It is irresponsibility on the part of the leaders that people wallow in their needs until the devil deceive them to bow down to money. The Apostles knew this secret. No wonder they started growing in size every day. God was also with them and gave them miracles.
… And the lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.
Acts 2; 47b
It is impossible to have souls added to your ministry if you do not share among them your success. Do not boast of a new car when a church member cannot pay his wards or his school bills.
REPUTATION
You can rise to any height in life. Nevertheless, there is the need for you to know that you cannot gain any reputation except the one God gives to you. You may be the greatest leader in the world, but there is the need for you to put down that ego for the people you are leading to find it easy to flow with you. The reputation of Jesus Christ was equal to God in heaven. He could have lived among men in that capacity on earth, however, he did not and laid it down for the sake of fulfilling the heavenly assignment designed for him.
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but make himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of all of men: and been found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself , and became the obedient unto death, even the death of the cross… received him therefore in the Lord with all gladness; and hold such in reputation; because for the work of Christ he was nigh unto death, not regarding his life, to supply your lack of service towards me.
Philippians 2:5-8
The issue of reputation is a very sensitive area in leadership circles. It will make you look like a child whiles you are an adult.
Some people keep their reputation by turning down the people around them. Most of the time, it is the fear that people will take advantage of them to build their lives. Nevertheless, Jesus said to his disciples one day that whoever wants to keep what he has by so doing shall loose it.
He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there my servant will be also. If any one serves me, him my father will honor.
John 12: 25
When it comes to leadership, we are called upon to follow the ultimate leader- Jesus the son of the living God. He did not make a reputation for himself. This is what we should aim at following. In so doing, the Lord himself will honor us.
The fact that you should not keep people away from you in the quest of sacrificing our reputation, does not mean that we you should not respect the grace of God on your life. It does not mean that you should not value the gift of God over your life. It also does not mean that you should command people to respect you. You well not called to proof how wonderful your family is, or how intelligent you are but to lead the lost souls to God.
A story was told that, a Head pastor of a church and his associate pastor. The associate pastor was so faithful to the Head pastor and had favor before the congregation. Due to the fear of losing reputation, the head pastor suspended the associate pastor with false accusation. The church members get to know the truth and most of them joined the associate pastor’s church. There are many people in the leadership front who have tried to protect their reputation in a wrong way, but after they leave office, the story of their lives is always a sad one.
COMFORT ZONE
Every body has comfort zone- environments you get your satisfaction from. To be an ultimate leader you must forgo or let go that comfort zone, especially those comfort zones that leads you to sin or that takes much of your time. Jesus said to the disciplines that;
Then Jesus said to his disciples, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me.
Matthew 16:24
It is one thing to be called by God, and it is another thing for you to deny yourself in other for you to follow the master who is the reason of our leadership role on earth. Many people are converted but they cannot break away from their comfort zones and as a result, they live to pleased themselves but not God. For example, a leader who has lived all his life in a home where food is not a problem may be tempted to believe that fasting is not important. Another instance is that, when one has to live the comfort area where he is well accepted to start a new ministry to respond to the calling of God. There are many things in our lives that give us pleasure. In our walk with God, he expects us to deny ourselves of such things so long as they can help better the ministry upon our lives.
As I study the end time church, there is what I called shifted attention. The church is becoming the world and the world is becoming the church. Diplomacy and protocolism has evaded the church as well as the leaders of today that, they cannot please God in their walk with him. If you do not take care, you will think diplomacy is the best way of living. Mean while it is not good at all levels, especially when it comes to people who have less exposure. There is the need for you to see life through the eyes of such people. Some people do not even know how to receive a preacher, how to introduce a preacher and other ministerial ethics that makes a leader fell at home. You do not have to avoid such groups. There is the need for you to impart their lives 11such areas so that the body of Christ will be complete. In our quest to sacrifice comfort zones of out lives, we have to take our minds off things that always appeal to our emotions and concentrate on the needs of the people.
It was said of the early missionaries to Ghana that, the first four groups that came were killed on the way. It was their courageous sacrifice that gingered the Presbyterian missionaries to travel from the far end of England to Cape coast now Ghana. Many of them lost their wives, children and personal belongings due to the unfavorable conditions in Africa that was new to them. It was told that malaria killed almost all of them. They did not get it easy but that was what sacrifices demanded of them.
The founder of the Church of Pentecost, James McKeon and the wife, went through all these things to establish the church that has lead many to Christ. It was not easy for them. It was told that, James McKeon and the wife would set fire in the night and play “ampe” by the fireside. By so doing their play attracted many people to gather at where they played. They will then take that as an advantage to preach the word of God to the natives. I wonder the dialect they used to communicate since formal education had not began. At a point in time, mosquito bite made him infected with severe malaria. Nevertheless, he suffered all these to build the church of Pentecost that we are proud of today. He could have decided to live in Ghana when the church prospered, but he handed over the chair to the local people and monitored them for three years. When he realized that the local people were capable of managing the church, he went back to his hometown, England. It was recorded that because of the passion they had for the ministry, they decided not to raise children in the period they stayed in Ghana.
What is it that is your comfort zone? How willing are you to sacrifice them? It is a calling of the Lord for leaders to sacrifice any thing that will be of help to the ministry.
GIVING
Longman Dictionary defines giving as “To hand over something as a present to some body”. One man of God said that churches that do exploits, the people that do exploits are always givers.
A story was told of a woman who lived happily with the husband for so many years. God blessed them with riches and peace.
They were able to build a mansion that worth $200,000 as at 1998. A day before the dedication of the mansion, the husband had a fatal accident and died at the spot. The death of the man affected the wife so much that she became very ill. This woman could not stop mourning the husband after five years. She will go to the tomb of her late husband and present the most expensive floral tribute.
She did this for quite a long time until one day her Doctor told her that she would die due to the nature of the cancer she had being affected because of her mourning.
Haven heard this; she decided to present her last floral tribute to her husband. When she went to the cemetery, the cemetery guide went to her and tried to enquire of her why she had not stopped mourning her husband after that long period of death. The woman narrated her story and her declared death by the doctors to the guide. The guide then looked at her and said, “Madam it is quit unfortunate for what has happened to you; but I think there are children whose parents are dead. If you can put a smile on their faces, it would be very pleasant to your late husband than these floral.
The woman though did not agree initially but went home and decided to give out all that she had to the orphanages, as they received her charity and celebrated, strength came into her again, and she became well.”
There is a kind of strength and relief that we receive when we give to others. If you open your hands to people, you will have great followers than you can imagine. Life is all about lifting the “downs” up and shooting the “ups” higher. Do not forget that the quality of your life is not measured by the amount of things that come to you but the amount of things that leaves your hand to others- what you give out
QUALITIES OF A GIVER
I have observed that it is not every body that is a giver. Many people give but they are not givers. This is because many people are occasional givers and that alone make them believe that they are givers. Let us look at this scenario; if a little child in your house was suffering with his assignment and you help him to solve, that art of teaching does not make you a teacher. You may be better than the child’s teacher at school may.
Nevertheless, since your job is not teaching, you are not a teacher. That is why I always say that the fact that you sinned yesterday does not mean you are a sinner. You have to live to sin before you can be called a sinner. Now back to the subject of a giver. If I go to church and I give, it does not make me a giver until I accept it in my spirit that I live to give. It does not matter how little what is in my hands is. I will always look for somebody’s need to minister to it.
God does not bless any one who gives but he blesses givers. In fact he does not only bless them, he loves them.
Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
2 Corinthians 9:7
For one to blessed by God in giver he must be a giver that gives willingly. It is not because there is pressure on you that is why you give. I personally do not appreciate appeals I struggle so much to receive from people.
Sometimes people who I beg from them delay so much that the time they will give what I requested I needed them no more. Because of that, I do not appreciate those gifts as compare to gives that individuals give out of their will to me. I believe as human as I am if I do not like this kind of giving, how much God. He said I fall in love with people who are cheerful in giving.
To be a true giver the following qualities must be seen in your life
UNDERSTANDING
You must have the ability to understand people’s situation. You must be able to put yourself in the shoes of others to know what their needs may be. He has to see with their eyes and feel with their feelings. I always ask myself if I were so and so, what would have been my major need in life.
I then try to do such things for those people. There are many instances I blessed some people in my ministry with the idea of understanding their needs, to my surprise, the people confess to me that they needed those things badly. Some of them believed that God revealed to me that they needed such things. The truth of the matter is that, a giver always walks in the spirit of empathy. It is obvious if you understand your followers that, when it is getting to the end of the month, most of the people who are salary workers lack money.
Therefore, a leader who is considerate will not assume that such people are having it smooth. If God blesses you with a gift, try to give to such people in such periods. It will interest you to know that a person who is bankrupt does not need huge money to settle his major needs at such periods.
The little torch of their lives with the little gift will open a great door for you the leader. Every giver understands the needs of people at any point in time. Some people are profuse givers but they do not understand the needs of the people they give to them and so when they give the people do not see the value of their gifts.
I remember there was a time in my life where I was struggling to get my daily meals in school. Some times, I ate once a day. The kind of food I am even ashamed to tell you the kind of food I was eating in those days. I used to have school daughters and sons since I was the S.U president on campus.
These sons and daughters did not understand my needs. They will sometimes buy seasonal cards expressing their appreciation for all I have been doing for them. When I needed food, they were buying cards. I never appreciated those gifts.
I received them but to be frank with you there are few of them I remember I read them. If you give, give with understanding.
GENTLENESS
Those that give are not hash. They have a tender heart. This makes people flow with them so easily. It takes people with the spirit of gentleness to be a giver. if you are not gentle in your interaction with others they find it difficult to accept your gift with a willing heart. People always want to be assured that, whatever you give to them will not be a headline item for news publication.
So when you are not gentle in how you relate to them, they cannot trust you to receive from you. If you are gentle, you will know how to give in good heart. Some people give gifts to people in a way that makes the people they gave those gifts to feel like they are not important. For instance, if you give your torn shirts and faded clothes to people you do not need them, it is not respect to the person.
Actually if your gift despises some one, it cannot be accepted in good faith. God said to the Israelites to present their gifts to the governor of their country if he will be pleased with them before they bring them to him.
You have despised my name by offering defiled sacrifices on my altar. Then you ask, ‘How have we defiled the sacrifices? “You defile them by saying the altar of the Lord deserves no respect. When you give blind animals as sacrifices, isn’t that wrong? And isn’t it wrong to offer animals that are crippled and diseased? Try giving gifts like that to your governor, and see how pleased he is!” says the Lord Almighty.
Malachi 1:7-9
Any time you despise the people you give your gifts to; the Lord becomes annoyed with you. So we must be gentle in doing so. Some women go to the extend of giving their used panties to people. Men should not present under wears and other gifts that women do not want men to have the slightest idea about them as far as they are concerned. Instead of buying them yourself, you can give the money to her to buy them.
If the person is your wife, that one there is nothing wrong with that. You see there is something about giving that makes it a blessing. When you give, you give to the Lord. This is because God has blessed us so much with all kinds of blessings. We want to thank him but we do not see him. So he has made the way we should honor him.
The way is to look for some body that is in need and is a needy and give what you want to give to him to them. In effect if you give a car to somebody, you have given it to God.
... For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothe. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison and you visited me. Then these righteous ones will reply, “Lord when we ever saw you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison, and visited you? And the king will tell them, ‘I assure you, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me.
Matthew 25:35
Whatever you do for me, you have done it for God. This should be the background for the people who give so that they can be gentle in the manner and the king of things they give to individuals. When I give money to my wife, I don not see that I have given it to her but God.
QUICK TO RESPOND TO THE NEEDS OF THE PEOPLE
There is what I called strategic given. This is where you give to people at the right time, right place and to the right person. When it comes to giving, the giver must be quick to respond to the pressing needs of the people. There are situations we were in need so much to run camp meetings. We call on friends and people we love and trust. Few of them were quick to respond to us. Some of them give to us after the program. In such cases the monies that come to us after the program was not most needed as to the time where the program was on going.
SACRIFICIAL LIFESTYLE
The person must be some one who sacrifices for others to enjoy. He does not consider what he will get before he ministers to the needs of his people. His attention is not on him as an individual but on the totality of his people-thinking dairy about what he can give to promote somebody’s life. He does this by giving without partiality and selfish ambition. Sacrifice does not know what is needed and what is not needed.
When God asked Abraham to sacrifice his only son, he did not withhold him from God.
He considered God first. God will always look on you to kill what you love in a way of sacrifice before you can be called the father of all nations.
I remember when I got married, friends gave us gifts. Most of the gifts were material for sowing dresses and shirts. I love them so much. God was kind to us so we were able to sow many of them. As I started putting them on one after the other, the Lord told me that, “I want you to distribute these shirts to your sons and daughters” if I was told to give mine alone it would not have been a problem but God specifically shown me the people I should give to them. Some of them were females. Which means God required I give both my wife and I to the people.
We needed those dresses badly but we gave all of them to the people. I do not know why God instructed me to do that. As I look back, there is no body I gave those gifts to that has left me. All of them have been with me up to date.
Surprisingly, they are people who I am considering long-term relationship with in the ministry work now. This is what sacrifices demands. It demands the very best of what you have. It demands the all you have. It demands the only hope you are proud- of. A man who is a giver is always willing to sacrifice. There are many instances I sacrifice my school for others.
Instead of enrolling in school, I gave out the monies to them to continue their curses before I considered furthering. If you are going to be an effective leader, you must be willing to sacrifice many things to promote the lives of the people God has called you to lead.
THE THREE KEY PRINCIPLES OF GIVING
If you do not know how to do, you will not know what to do. There is how that governs giving.
Give with a willing heart: if you give, do it willingly. Do not give to people because you do not want to be seen by others that you are stingy. Do not give to wine attention and fame. Give out of your will.
For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me.
1 Corinthians 9:17
If you give without it being willing- hearted, it is a failure. God is not hungry; it is you that need to fill your clouds.
Give cheerfully: God receives only offerings that are cheerfully given. If you are not willing- hearted, you cannot be cheerful in your giving.
It is only a willing- hearted and cheerful offering that fills the clouds. Any other kind dries up the cloud. Anything you present to God as if it is a burden, multiplies your burden, so watch out.
I was praying the other day and the Lord told me that, “there is GOD in every GOOD if you take GOD out of GOOD you are left with O which is a sign of surprise. Any good you do without me being the reason of it, will bring you a shock o!”
I call this is kind of principle the SEED- FAITH. They have changed my life. How can they be applied in your life? How do they become A SEED –FATH? These three principles run throughput the Bible in God’s dealings with his people. They are gathered up and they are clarified by Jesus in His life and teachings. The writers of our new testament are abundantly clear on them.
THE FIRST PRINCIPLE OF GIVING: SEE GOD AS YOUR SOURCE
You turn your life to God and start looking directly and personally to Him as THE source of your supply. Although there are many scriptures from genesis to Revelation concerning God as the source of man, but our study is going to be based on Philippians 4:19
My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Work out a
Living in a man- run society and business community, it is easy to get the ideal that man is your source of supply. This is where you miss the truth of God’s Holy word. God often uses man as the means but God himself is THE source. All other sources are instruments only. In looking for your needs to be met, remember it’s not what your source is, but who is your source?
You may think it’s man you are dealing with God as the loving Being Who is THE source of your supply. But looking to Him, you are confident, you are positive; you are expected that He will provide.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SOURCE AND INSTRUMENT
A story was told of a man who was into a plantation of fruits. He made great fortune out of until if failed. When the man was asked what happened, this is what he said:
Well they are all gone, but it wasn’t a storm, it wasn’t insects, it was me. I’ll tell you what I did. As long as the fruit came each fall, I was satisfied to leave the trees alone. They bore fruit and I thought my supply was the fruit. The fruit fed my family. We sold thousand of bushels for money and used the money. The fruit became everything to me. It was my business. I depended upon it. Everything I did I judged according to the way it related to the fruit. Then one year the crop was not so good. The next year it was less that was when I stopped thinking about fruit and started looking to the trees. Before I had paid little attention to the trees. I cut the weeds and did little plowing down each- row. Then I woke up and realized that the peaches and the other fruits were just what they were – fruit of the tree. The supply was the tree. If I took care of the tree the fruit would grow through poor understanding and haphazard care of the trees, I have only these few poor trees left. There is not enough fruit to pick anymore.
When I read this story, which was told by Dr. Oral Robert, immediately I saw how I had been doing the same thing. I had look to results as my source rather than to God who had looked to results as my source rather than to God who had sent them.
When we think that our friends, or our employer, or an employee is the source of our supply, we are dealing with MEANS and not SOURCE
THE SECOND PRINCIPLE OF GIVING: GIVE THAT IT MAY BE GIVEN TO YOU
The life- style of Jesus was giving. The key scripture He gives us for the second principle of SEED- FAITH is
“Give and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.”
Jesus said when we give, it will be given to us, not only will God give to us, but men, whether they know it or no, it will be God- inspired to be generous with us. it is more productive to give than to receive . This is because what we receive is not multiplied, but only what we give!
Being a Christian is the best deal a man ever had. If there were no hell to shun and a heaven to gain the practice of the principles of Christ laid down would still make it the greatest life in the world. Giving is the logical outgrowth of looking to God as your source, of loving him enough to give, and of giving as seed that you may receive. Every time you breathe, breathing is both a giving and receiving.
THE THIRD PRINCIPLE OF GIVING:
EXPECT A MIRACLE ANY TIME YOU GIVE
First, turn your life over to God and look directly to him as THE source of your supply. Second, because you love God and trust in him as your source, you give to him FIRST. Your giving becomes seed for him to help others, and to multiply back in the form of your need. Giving becomes your LIFE- STYLE as it was Jesus
In this SEED- FAITH as a result of your love for God, you can them expect a miracle. This is how faith works. The bible says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evident of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1)” Evidence. You have to base your faith on evidence, in this case, the evidence that God makes available through is with those individuals who come into a knowing with their faith- a knowing that God is the source to whom they look and in him they trust.
CHAPTER SIX
DISCIPLINE
In reading the lives of great men, I found that the first victory they won was over them… self-discipline with all of them came first came first. The Greek words for self- discipline comes from a root word, which is been translated as “to grip” or “take hold of”. This word describes people who are willing to get a grip on their lives and take control of areas that will bring them success or failure. DISCIPLINE
Aristotle was once asked what he thinks of the word discipline. He said , “the ability to test desire by reason … to be resolute and ever in readiness to end natural vent and pain..” he explained that people who are not controlled have strong desires which try to seduce them from the way of reason; but to succeed they must keep those desires under control.
John C. Maxwell defined discipline at a leadership seminar as; “the choice of achieving what you really want by doing things you do not really want to do. After successfully doing this for some time, discipline becomes the choice of achieving what you really want by doing things you now want to do!”
Dr. John N. Chacha, the founder of Team work Ministries Inc. said in his book Becoming A person of excellent that, “excellent demands a discipline life. There are many people with talents, resources and abilities, but unfortunately, they lack one of the most important ingredients of excellence: DISCIPLINE”.
Discipline according to Oxford Mini reference Dictionary it is “orderly or controlled behavior, trained to be orderly.”
The schools were ascribed to be agents of discipline, the police men were ascribe as agents of discipline, the leaders of the country were ascribe as the agents of discipline but they had all failed. With discipline, one will not struggle to stop living wrong. One must allow discipline to rule his life.
Dr. Chacha also said that, “excellence demands a discipline life. Only those who are willing to give up some luxuries or comfort for a season will be the ones to realize their dreams. Talent alone will not produce excellent. Discipline must play a major role. There are many people with talent, resource and abilities, but unfortunately, they lack one of the most important ingredients of excellence: DISCIPLINE. I have seen bright students fail their examinations just because they could not discipline themselves to study. Ministries have fallen into the nest of Satan just because the leaders were undisciplined or had no self- control”
Great athletes are not just born; they are made through rigorous training. They experience pressure, pain, and are pushed to the limits. They know that discipline unlocks potential. If you desire to excel, discipline must become your friend. It will unlock doors you are never dreamed of. It will cause you to go places in nations you never dreamed of Discipline!
All the great leaders have understood their No. 1 responsibility was for their discipline and personal growth. If they could not lead themselves, they could not lead others farther than they have gone themselves, for no one can travel without until he or she has first traveled within. When Edwin Markham was been asked the secret behind his greatness, he contributed it to discipline and presented it this way, “we are blind until we see that in the human plan nothing is worth the making if it does not make the man. Why build these cities glorious if man inbuilt the world unless the builder also grows.”
An ultimate leader is seen in his discipline life style. My pastor, Ps. Johnny Darko, once said that, “take discipline out of a leader’s life and I will show you a defeated leader”. Discipline is possible and one can achieve it when guided.
The Process For Developing Self Discipline
You can make it as an ultimate leader in the area of discipline if you follow these processes;
1. Start with yourself
2. Start early
3. Start small
4. Start now Organize your life.
Start With Your Self
As I stated earlier on that, every body is operating within two influences: the influence of outer issues and the influence of inner issues. My personal observation is that, more potential leaders fail because of inner issues than outer ones. There is an inner sense of controlling oneself. To achieve a disciplined life, you must not look at big things to happen in the ministry before you can believe that discipline is possible.
A reporter once asked the great evangelist, D. L. Moody which people give him the most trouble, he answered immediately, “I’ve had more troubles with D.L Moody than any man alive.” The late Samuel Hofferstein said that, “wherever I go, I go too, and spoil everything.” “And there is the classic Jack Paar line, “looking back, my life seems to be one long obstacle course, with me as the chief obstacle”
If you start dealing with your self, check on your life before you check on other people’s life. This is a sign of discipline. We cannot travel without until we first travel within. When we are foolish, we want to conquer the world. When we are wise, we want to conquer ourselves. If you could kick the person who is responsible for most of your troubles, you would not be able to sit down for weeks (a sign in one’s office)
I want to tell you my own story. It is about how I have worked on my indiscipline attitude in the past. It all began when I married. The Lord started telling me some of the deep things I never knew about my self as far as his calling for my life is concerned. It was so deep that it made me feel like I have disappointed Him.
There are many things the Lord pointed out to me that I could not believe I was a victim. Therefore, the Holy Spirit told me one morning to put my life on a critical examination on daily basis. In response to what the Holy Spirit told me, I decided to have my quite time every night before I go to bed. This is what I did; I will reflect on what ever I did during the day and write them under the headings, GOOD DEED and BAD DEEDS. The below are some of the things I find out was repeatedly in my life:
Extract from my daily
26th September 2008
“By the end of the day these are the things I found wrong with me;
· I insult people in my privacy
· Make some noise with my mouth after eating
· Forgets things so easily
· Uses words that abuses my wife especially when I disagree with her
· Likes talking too much
· Tells little lies”
The good things I found about me are:
· Feed some one who was hungry
· Could wait in prayer
· Leant a tape by Ps. Christ
29th September. 2008
The things I found wrong about me by the end of the day:
· Prayer was too small
· Discussed Mr. A with others
· Lied to Mr. B
· Lied to Mr. C
Good things a found about my self
1. Shown concern to one of the son
2. stayed with Mama till she finished braided her hair
3. Taught my wife good life practices
4. Helped to clear Mr. D’s house ( I had bristles in my palm)studied a page from Highly Effective Marriage book
30th September 2008
Bad things I found about me
1. Slightly shouted at my wife
2. I lied to Bro. A
3. Stole additional exercise books apart from what was given to me. So I had two books additionalDeceived the photographer to belief that I will pay the rest of the money I was owning him
Good things I found about me
1. Made my wife happy
2. Attended the donation program at Senase with the NGO
3. I gave one of the sons food stuffs and clothes
4. I spoke with Mr. E and Mr. F. I learnt from Mr. F that, he is learning a lot from me indirectly. And so I must be very careful of what I do
I became conscious of my impurity. To be frank with you if some one had told me that I was in any of the things I found about me as bad, I would not have believed it. This is how you can start with yourself. Thank God, his spirit convicted me of these things.
Look for the things you are finding it difficult to do. Discipline yourself to overcome that. This is the road to becoming an ultimate leader. Do not discipline people on the same thing you are struggling to over come.
Start Early
Hard work is the accumulation of the easy things you did not do when you should have. If there is anything to get grip of, do it early. It pays much to start early than to starting later.
If you were very observant of the way things are getting out of hands, you would agree with me that, there is no time to waste to pass the test of discipline if we will be ultimate leaders. We cannot mark time again unless we start early. If you want to become an ultimate leader, discipline is not a light thing. Perhaps the most valuable result of all education is the ability to make your self do the things you have to do, when it ought to be done, whether you like it or not; it is the first lesson that ought to be learned and, however early a man’s begins, it is probably the last lesson that he learns thoroughly.
In his book, “Developing the Leader within You”, John C. Maxwell has this to say, “I’m not sure that my parents ever read these preceding words of Thomas Huxley but they certainly practiced them! They modeled discipline and insisted that their children developed that kind of life- style.
Time management, hard work, persistence, honest responsibility, and a positive attitude regardless of the situation, were always expected of us. However, I did not appreciate this training until I went to college. There I saw many students could not get the grip on their lives or their studies.”
“I began to realize that, I had a decided advantage over them because of the disciplines I already had “under my belt” it is true- when you do the things you ought to do when you ought to do them, the day will come when you will do the things you want to do. Hard work is the accumulation of the easy things you did not do when you should have. If there is anything to get grip of, do it early. It pays much to start early than to starting later.
Start Small
Having it all does not mean having it at once. It takes time. Start small and concentrate on today. The slow accumulation of disciplines will one day make big difference.
I personally do not like starting things in big ways. I like starting small and ending big. So it is with developing disciplined character. The Akans of Ghana say that “sε wo firi prεko pכ wo se a, mogya na εba” in other words, if you want to use a day to polish your teeth, you end up breeding blood.
Start with your self-but in little things. This is because what you are becoming tomorrow, you are becoming today. It is very essential to begin developing self- discipline in a small way today in order to be disciplined in a big way tomorrow.
To start developing discipline in your life; you must observe these ten factors or procedures;
How To Start Developing Discipline
1. List five areas in your life that lack discipline
2. Place them in the order of your priority to conquering them
3. Secure resources, such as books and tapes that will give you instruction and motivation to conquering each area.
4. Take them on, one at a time
5. Ask the person who models the trait you want to posses to hold you accountable for it.
6. Spend fifteen minutes each morning to focus your mind on the good habit you want to develop in order to get control of this weak area in your life.
7. Do a five- minute check- up on your self at mid- day.
8. Take five minutes in the evening to evaluate your progress.
9. Allow twenty one days to work on one area before you go to the next weakness
10. Celebrate with the one who holds you accountable as you show continued success. This person can be your wife, partner or you mentor.
Remember that, having it all does not mean having it at once. It takes time. Start small and concentrate on today. The slow accumulation of disciplines will one day make big difference. Ben Franklin said, it is easier to suppress the first desire than to satisfy all that follow it.
Start Now
I will get ready and then perhaps my chance will come”. Too often, the disciplines have not been developed and an opportunity is been missed.
Abraham Lincoln
There is the need for you to act now. Never procrastinate the day you will take a step away from your “BUTS” in life. John, coach of Indiana University’s basket ball team, Bobby Knight led his teams to win the national championship. Shortly afterward, coach Knight was interviewed on television shows 60 minutes.
The commentator asked him; why is it, Bobby, that your basketball team in Indiana are always successful? Is it the will to succeed? “The will to succeed is important” Knight replied, “but I will tell you what is important; it’s the will to prepare. It’s the will to go out there everyday training and building those muscles and sharpening those skills.”
Abraham Lincoln once said, “I will get ready and then perhaps my chance will come”. Too often, the disciplines have not been developed and an opportunity is been missed. Charlie Brown of the “peanuts” comic strip once said that his life was mixed up because he missed all of the rehearsals. Before you can become a “star”, you have to start. Now is the best time.
You may be asking yourself what it is that I should start. Start conducting yourself as you see yourself becoming, start quitting leading double standard life, start quitting deception, start doing what you confess with your mouth.
Organize Your Life
Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that, when you do it, it is not all mix- up.
Christopher Robin
There is no way you can achieve discipline life unless you organize your life. One of the advantages of being disorderly is that, one is constantly making exciting discoveries. That statement by AA Milne is true, but the discoveries are usually too late and consequently, an opportunity is missed. If you as the leader are perceived as being out of control this leads to uncertainty and insecurity among followers. Your life as a totality can never be under control if you do not organize your actions and movements. Christopher Robin, in Winnie the Pooh, gives my favorite definition of organization: “organizing is what you do before you do something, so that, when you do it, it is not all mix- up. Any leader who organizes his life is nothing less than ultimate.” You can master an organized life through these top- ten lists:
How to Organize Your Life
1. Set your priorities
2. Place priorities in your calendar
3. Allow a little time for the unexpected
4. Do projects one at a time
5. Organize your work place (if a pastor, the worship center- church)Working according to your temperament
6. Use your waiting time for light work and growth
7. Develop that which works for you
8. Always have a plan for those minutes between meetings
9. Focus on the result, not the activity.
Whatever you do, do not forget that you can never rise higher beyond yourself.
How Discipline Can Be Identified
Discipline can be identified in a person:
1. By the use of his time
2. By ones hardworking attitude
3. In personal appearance
4. In ones conversation
5. Ones response to the condition in which he is in
The Use of Discipline Persons Time
To affect generations, you are bound by time. The difference between your present stage and your future is time. Time they say is “money”
To manage time effectively, you must understand these situations and their time needed to accomplish them
Generally, all conditions can be described as:
1. Urgent but not important
2. Urgent but important
3. Not urgent but important
4. Not urgent and not important
Hardworking Attitude Of A Discipline Leader
Discipline leader will never procrastinate his work in the name of laziness. They go an extra mill. They research, come out with an identified problem, and tell the whole world this is the way.
In Personal Appearance
They do not treat some days as casual days. They make sure they are always neat.
In Ones Conversation
The bible links the words of ones mouth to the content of his heart. This means that if I listen to you very well I can tell you what is in your heart more than you can tell me.
On this note, one should be very careful in his choice of words. The great asset of a leader is his mouth. If you are still struggling to say please, I am sorry, thank you, I was wrong, it means you are far behind time.
Your conversation is mostly needed when confusion is in your group or house. Never speak as if you have given up.
In Ones Response to His Condition
When you are in trouble how well you do conduct yourself. The real you is only seen when you are under pressure. If you still maintain your integrity in the mist of hatred, confusion and trials, it means you have allowed discipline to rule in your life. When you are broke, what do you do?
You are a great leader if you can still be stable in time of trouble. When people these days gain power, they begin to be indiscipline but a true leader will still be discipline irrespective of how famous he becomes.
CONCLUSION
You must remember that, leadership is not inherited; it is something God has put in every body to do. The reason why many people cannot shine in the area of leadership is that, they have not learned how to lead their own lives.
Try to put to practice any thing you have studied from this book and I know it will be of great help to you.
if you are not born again and you want to give your life to Christ you can call any of these numbers, I am going to pray with you personally.
+233- 54-365-815-2 or +233- 20-114-567-8 or e=mail me at pastoradomakwasisolomon@yahoo.com or impactinternationalyouthministry@yahoo.com
In case you cannot contact us through any of these addresses, you can pray this prayer from your heart and the Lord will hear you.
Lord Jesus, I come to you today. I accept that I am a sinner and I need you to forgive me my sins. Come into my heart, cleanse me from my sins and restore me.
Come and make my heart your home. Write my name in the book of life.
I will follow you with the rest of my life.
Thank you Jesus for saving me. AMEN!
INVITATION
There is a special camp meeting dub KINGDOM LEADERS CONFERENCE we have prepared for special people like you. It takes place every vacation.
For registration and direction, call us. It is free.
If you have prayed this prayer, believe that you are saved. Look for a bible believing Church and join it.
REFERENCES
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