Rise to a New Level

“ARISE (from the depression and prostration in which circumstances have kept you – rise to a new life)! Shine (be radiant with the glory of the Lord), for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you! ”

- (Isaiah 60:1, AMPC)

It is God’s desire that His children are victors and not victims of circumstances, hence the clarion call to arise from a depression and prostration mode to a new and higher life. Below are some truths to help us RISE viz:

Rise to a new life: Our opening scripture above is a commandment to arise and not a suggestion. Jesus, in His ministry while on earth was always issuing commands to unlikely and helpless people to do the seemingly impossible. He issued commands such as, “Talitha cumi (little girl I say to you arise), “Rise, take up your bed and walk”, “Go show yourselves to the priests”, “Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.” It is quite amazing that Jesus was issuing commands to the sick, lame, blind, dead, etc. Off course, we know His words were backed up with power to accomplish but the recipients of the miracles still had to obey the instructions. God is asking us to arise from unpleasantness and limitations because we have been empowered to do so.

Imagine yourself rising: Imagination is seeing with the mind what the physical eyes do not see. It is a Biblical and scriptural concept. God speaks to His children in images and similitudes. Positive imagination is gaining control of one’s mind and thought processes and channeling same for productive and fruitful causes. Imagination rightly done is positive meditation. The technology of old cameras was such that an image is captured through the shutter of the camera, stored up as negatives which is processed and printed as a photograph. Our minds store up information, and what is stored as negatives in the inner recesses of the mind will eventually play out in real life. The Bible enjoins us to see ourselves as dead to sin but alive to Jesus (Romans 6:11). To rise to new levels, the pictures and images we entertain in our minds are critical.

Shine your light: Believers in Christ are lighthouses and light carriers. A lighthouse is a tower structure with a powerful light that serves as signal or guide to sailors and mariners. It is located in strategic places in the sea to usually warn sailors of dangerous rocks or shallows, and also help ocean vessels safely in and out of the harbor. The Christian in this dark world is a guide and a lighthouse to the world. We shine our light by manifesting the goodness of the Lord to a dark world in order to have them turn to the Almighty in genuine repentance. We do so by daily mortifying the deeds of the flesh, dying to the Adamic nature in order to manifest the nature of Christ. As we shine, we radiate the glory of the Lord which dispels and dominate darkness. We rise higher when we dominate over darkness.

Expect to rise: While imagination has to do with mentality, expectation has to do with action. The Bible tells us of how a lame man by the temple gate called Beautiful rose from his lameness. He looked at Peter and John (Apostles who were going to pray) eagerly expecting to receive money from them. Apostle Peter redirected his expectation to Jesus and His resurrection power. The guy was subsequently healed. The principle of expectation commits God to act. It is ok to pray but prayer without eager expectation is faith without corresponding action. Expectation delivers manifestation. The expectation of a righteous person in the Lord will not be disappointed. To rise to new levels, we must rise in expectation.

CONCLUSION: The power to rise from weakness to strength, obscurity to limelight, sickness to health, poverty to prosperity, purposelessness to purposeful living, darkness to light, and sin to righteousness is available to us. Begin to harness the power of the Word and the Holy Spirit in a greater dimension and see yourself rise to new levels.

Have a blessed new month!

Divine Rest

“But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side; there is neither adversary nor evil occurrence.”

- (1 Kings 5:4)

The above statement was made by King Solomon in a letter he wrote to Hiram, the King of Tyre. The Christian call is also a call to rest; Jesus said emphatically that all those who labor and are heavy laden should come to Him, and He will give them rest (Matthew 11:28). A vibrant walk with the Lord will grant us rest even in turbulent times. Below are some points to consider via the acronym REST viz:

Repent (from dead works): In Hebrews 6, verse 1 the Bible mentioned repentance from dead works. Dead works are activities that sap our spiritual life, they are activities we engage in that do not have eternal value, and do not produce fruits be it fruits of righteousness, accomplishments, etc. One of such dead works we are to repent from is WORRY. Worry is an antonym of rest, it is borrowing tomorrow’s trouble and bringing it to the present. Worry that persists will put one in anxiety and fear mode which makes the body produce toxins which can be injurious to the physical body. Worry will not allow for clear thinking nor proper evaluation of situations and circumstances. Worry is a roller coaster of emotions in the mind, it is being double minded, and it depicts a lack of faith in God. Worry has nothing good to produce.

Enlist as a soldier: The Apostle Paul calls Christians soldiers of Jesus Christ. Many Christians nowadays do not see themselves as one nor carry the mentality of a soldier. Soldiers live regimented, disciplined and regulated lives. They enforce the peace and guard the sovereignty of their nations. For there to be rest some battles will be fought. Solomon enjoyed peace in his time because David his father and predecessor fought many battles ahead of him defeating their enemies. After 9/11 America took the battle to the territories of the perpetrators and collaborators of 9/11. That has resulted to less terrorists’ attacks on the soil of the USA. We are enjoined to disentangle ourselves from civilian matters and strive to please our commanding officer who is Jesus Christ our Lord (2 Timothy 2:3-4). To enjoy divine rest, we must win the battles that daily confront us in our minds.

Stillness: The Bible enjoins us to be still and acknowledge God as God (Psalm 46:10). We are to be equipped and rest in the knowledge of who our God is. We are also supposed to be equipped and rest in the knowledge of who we are in Christ Jesus and how much God values and loves His children. A firm knowledge of this will produce in us a firm assurance that will make us less worrisome and unperturbed. It is true that we handicap the hand of God when we worry and are full of doubts (James 1:6-8), and the reverse is true when we choose to be still and rest in God. Apostle Peter was still and fast asleep in the face of imminent danger when he was about to be killed by King Herod, and God supernatural delivered him. When we are restful in God He acts on our behalf.

Think Scriptures: To truly enjoy divine rest, meditating on the scriptures is a must. The Word of God can rest our souls and minds. Traveling to my home country could be dangerous because of the spate of violence, crime, killings and kidnappings going on there. A recent analysis of the World Economic Forum (WEF) listed my home country as one of the most dangerous countries in the world. It became imperative for me to meditate on Psalm 91 day and night every time I have to travel there. And this exercise always produces inner peace, assurance of God’s protection and calmness in me. Faith in God is not wishful thinking it is Word thinking. We are commanded by God to meditate on the Word every day and night (Joshua 1:8).

CONCLUSION: The Holy Spirt who is the Prince of Peace and often symbolized as a dove, a bird that depicts peace and rest dwells within us. We are to safely rest in the arms of the Almighty like a baby will rest in the arms of his/her mother without a care nor bother. We have the assurance of the scriptures that our challenges will not overwhelm us because our Father is too faithful to fail.

Have a Restful month in Jesus’ name.

The Law Of Process

“You have caused men to ride over our heads, we went through fire and through water, but you brought us out to rich fulfillment”

- (Psalm 66:12, NKJV)

A dictionary meaning of process is a series of actions, motions or operations leading to some result. Some synonyms of process are development, growth and course. In the opening scripture the psalmist was relating how they went through some adversities before they entered a place of abundance. Below are some truths to consider viz:

Process is a law of life and development: For anything to grow and become meaningful it must go through process. From a sperm fertilizing an egg in a woman’s womb resulting in an embryo being formed and developing to a baby, to a manufacturing process in a car plant of different components being put together to produce a car, the law of process is evident literally in every part of human existence. God likes process because it makes human beings to partake in creation and development with Him. A pastor once said that one reason for the failure of Adam (and Eve) was because they were created full blown adults, they didn’t emerge through process. The second Adam (the Lord Jesus Christ) underwent the law of process. Jesus was born to earthly parents and grew, learning obedience through the things He suffered. The first Adam failed because everything was prepared and made ready for him.

Process results in value: Jesus likened the Kingdom of God to a mustard seed which after being sown in the ground develops and becomes a large tree with branches which provides cover and shades for birds (Mark 4:30-32). The mustard seed on its own has little value and usefulness but once it grows to become a tree with branches and fruits it becomes valuable. The fact is that anything in its raw state isn’t too valuable. Countries in the world are majorly categorized into three groups: The developing (low income), the emerging and the developed (high income). The irony is that the developing low-income countries have abundant resources in their raw state. These resources are transported to the developed rich countries where they are processed and refined, and value is added to them. In like manner, the more we subject ourselves to training (process) in any endeavor the more valuable we become in that area.

Process is a cycle which must be completed: Until the earth orbits (or cycles) round the sun in 365 days, the Gregorian calendar of one year isn’t fulfilled. Anytime there is a disruption in the cycle of process something suffers. Someone told the story of how he punctured an egg that was delaying in hatching, and the chick in the egg came out limping. The chick eventually died because one of its legs wasn’t fully formed and couldn’t carry it for long. Because the process of growth was disrupted in the chick, it couldn’t survive. The Bible in James 1:2-4 in the Message Translation says, “You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and show its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you can become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.” We just witness comedian Chris Rock who was slapped on stage at the 2022 Oscar Awards comport himself so well that people initially thought it was a stage acting between him and the slapper (Will Smith). Chris Rock proved to the world after being publicly assaulted that his endurance is fully formed.

CONCLUSION: The law of process is a law of life. It is not so much about our attainments (or acquisitions) but it is more about what we become in the process of our pursuits. It is my prayer that we will daily add value to our lives and then to the larger society as a result. Have a blessed month.

Strategic Prayers

“Your kingdom come Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”

- (Matthew 6:10)

A strategy simply defined is a plan of action. It is a carefully thought-out plan, series of maneuvers employed in order to achieve a result or goal. Strategy is a word commonly used in the military, finance, business, sports, etc. Strategic prayers simply mean how to engage God in order to birth God’s purposes on earth, in individual lives, communities, etc. Below are some examples of strategic prayers:

Purposeful Praying: We pray oftentimes because we want results and God’s intervention. But the end result of prayer is to glorify God. This is very basic, but a lot of people miss it. God is very purposeful, and one critical purpose of His is to expand His kingdom by getting many more people saved and coming to the saving knowledge of Christ. Someone who regularly witness and testifies to other people the workings of God in his/her life will likely get more answers in prayers than someone who doesn’t.

Praying in tongues: Encryption in cybersecurity is simply the process of converting information or data into a code in order to prevent unauthorized access. The information is only readable (or decodable) to authorized personnel who has the password or decryption keys. The Bible says whoever speaks in tongues is speaking mysteries to God, and no one understands him but God (1 Corinthians 14:2). Praying in tongues regularly by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit by passes Satan and his cohorts. It is a divine strategy that delivers great results.

Prayer of Authority: “And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.” (Matthew 16:19, NLT). The church, “ekklesia” are the called-out believers that God has entrusted with the role of birthing His Kingdom here on earth. The colonial masters of old, like the Great Britain, infiltrated their colonies with their culture, thought patterns, conduct, etc. The Great Britain had agents in the colonies who enforced the will of the Queen. For God’s plan, purposes and will to be enforced on earth, His authorized agents (the Ekklesia) are to employ this prayer strategy praying with Christ’s delegated authority.

Organized Prayer: In Matthew 6 Jesus taught His disciples the model prayer. Because we fight a foe who is organized in his operation (Ephesians 6:12) we are enjoined to approach prayer in a certain way. We are to put on the armor of salvation, truth, righteousness, the Word of God, faith, the gospel and praying in the Spirit. We are also to be specific in our requests and to make sure requests are in line with God’s will. Having a prayer journal and being conversant with the different kinds of prayers are also part of being organized and strategic in prayers. Unfortunately, nowadays, many believers are very scattered and disorganized in prayers which is why some prayers go unanswered.

Prayer of enquiry: The Bible tells us the Holy Spirit will reveal God’s deep secrets to believers (1 Corinthians 2:10). The Holy Spirit is a Divine Strategist who knows all things and can guide us into all truths. It is God’s will that we cultivate a dynamic relationship with the Holy Spirit by engaging Him regularly via the prayer of enquiry. The prayer of enquiry requires obedience and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. Once a thing is revealed by the Holy Spirit, faith is automatically birthed in our spirit. The Holy Spirit knows the turns and twists of the journey, and He makes our lives a wonder as we are led by Him.

CONCLUSION: May God’s kingdom be fully established in our lives, families, communities, cities and countries in Jesus’ name. Receive the grace to pray strategically from henceforth in Jesus’

name.

Leveraging For Success

“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another”

- (Proverbs 27:17, NIV)

Success simply put is the achievements of goals. Leverage is the extension of the word lever. The lever is the lift in a jack. When a car is to be lifted, the jack is applied to lift the car off the ground. The small lever is used to lift a big car. Leveraging for success is simply using resources available to give one’s life a lift and achieving one’s life goals. Below are some ways to leverage for success:

Other People’s Successes: Every great and successful person has a secret code(s). There’s always a story behind the glory. The Queen of Sheba traveled from Ethiopia to Jerusalem to stay in King Solomon’s presence for six months just to glean insight and learn from him. She never remained the same afterwards. Delilah kept on pestering Samson to know the secret of his strength. A careful observation and study of a successful person will reveal clues that one can leverage on to create one’s own successes and achievements.

Other People’s Failures: Failure is a great teacher, and a great leverage for success. It’s good to learn from one’s mistakes but always better to learn from other people’s mistakes! King David was the greatest king in Israel because he learned leadership failure from King Saul. One thing he surely learned from Saul was not to hold onto the throne at all costs. King David was quick to abdicate the throne when Absalom his son rose against him. King Saul, just by realizing David was becoming more popular than him in Israel sought to kill him. For David to succeed it was simply not to repeat the mistakes of his predecessor and tormentor mentor.

Other People’s Credibility: Onesimus was the runaway slave of Philemon. He stole from Philemon and ran to Rome. He encountered Apostle Paul in Rome and he (Onesimus) gave his life to Christ. Philemon was Paul’s friend, and Paul requested that Philemon take Onesimus back not as a slave but a fellow brother in Christ. Paul also offered to pay the money stolen back and went ahead to call Onesimus his son. The credibility of Paul was the saving grace of Onesimus. Applicants looking for jobs are always asked to provide referees that will validate them. The better your reference the better the chances of you getting the job. Who you ride with either makes you or mar you. Scripture reference: Philemon 1.

Other People’s Money/Resources: Good debt is a leverage to accomplishing one’s financial goals. In advanced countries housing loans and mortgages are given for people to buy homes that appreciate over time. As the mortgages are paid down, and the houses appreciate equity is built. A good source of many Americans’ wealth is from home equity. A report from the US Census Bureau reveals that homeowner’s median wealth were 89 times higher than renters. Because of the equity gained over time in their primary homes, many Americans are quite wealthy today. Good debt is a great lifter of one’s finances. Elisha told the widow of the son of the prophet to go borrow plenty vessels in order to become a successful oil merchant.

Other People’s Anointing/Grace: The Anointing of God is the burden removing, yoke destroying power of God (Isaiah 10:27). The anointing on a man of God can be leveraged for success. Elijah was the vessel God used to lift the widow of Zarephath out of hunger and starvation (1 Kings 17). Elisha was instrumental for the prosperity of the widow of the son of the prophet (2 Kings 4). Paul said he carried special grace to minister to the Gentiles (Ephesians 3:8). In our modern day, there are several vessels that God has endowed with His anointing to lift people and alleviate their burdens. The Bible says believe in God you will be established, believe His prophets and you will prosper (2 Chronicles 20:20).

CONCLUSION: Other ways to leverage for success is using other people’s knowledge, insight, connections, etc. May the Lord send lifters of destinies to you, and may you also become a lifter of destinies in Jesus’ name.

Sowing Into Abundance

“Remember this – a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need, and plenty left over to share with others”

- (2 Corinthians 9:6, 8 NLT)

The word God gave us in our local church this new year 2022 is ABUNDANCE. And for us to experience the abundance (or harvest) God is bringing, it is imperative to revisit seed sowing. God has woven in creation the law of seedtime and harvest (Genesis 8:22). Proper sowing will always bring in a harvest. Below are some points to note

Sow intentionally: The harvest is in the seed, but for the harvest to be realized the seed must be planted. Every farmer is intentional about the seeds they plant. If they want to harvest apples, they plant apple seeds. The seed creates the future. God wanted many children, and He sowed Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son to reap a harvest of children. We sow what we want to reap. We sow what we desire but lack at the present time. Every seed reproduces after its kind. What do you desire in 2022 that you presently lack? Be intentional and sow the requisite seeds for the harvest you intend.

Sow strategically: No farmer scatters seeds on the ground haphazardly. There’s always a plan or course of action when farmers sow. A course of action they take is to plant seeds in rows. They do this to weed and plough in between of the rows for the purpose of aeration and to conserve moisture which helps the seeds planted to grow. Farmers engage different courses of action in order to get a bumper harvest. The Holy Spirit is a Master Strategist. In order to get breakthroughs and bumper harvests this year, He will instruct us to sow seeds that will culminate into great results. I pray we are graced to obey promptly and fully in Jesus’ name.

Sow bountifully: Our text says the one who plants generously will reap generously. The story of the woman with the costly perfume who poured same on Jesus is told in the gospels. The cologne is said to be worth a whole year of a laborers wage! Jesus said of her, “I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed” (Mark 14:9, NLT). This woman through her generous gift (and honor bestowed) on Jesus earned for herself an enviable and commendable destiny.

Sow with expectations and patience: Every farmer plant seeds with expectation. They match their expectation with patience. The Bible tells us to consider farmers who patiently wait for the rains to fall on their farmlands and wait for the first sign of their harvest (James 5:7). Also, the type of seed farmers plant determines how much waiting and patience they must exercise. A farmer who plants corn seeds will wait a few months for harvest, whereas the farmer who plants cocoa seeds will have to wait for years before the harvest. The common denominator amongst the farmers is that they are willing to wait for the harvest. The Bible says though the vision (harvest) tarries, wait for it for it shall surely come and will not tarry. Receive grace for expectation and patience.

Sow continuously: “In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening do not withhold your hand; for you do not know which will prosper, either this or that, or whether both alike will be good.” (Ecclesiastes 11:6, NKJV). Solomon, in this verse is recommending for us to become serial sowers. The result of continuous sowing is back-to-back blessings. The Prophet Amos captures this succinctly in Amos chapter 9, verse 13, “the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him who sows seed”.

CONCLUSION: Some of the necessary seeds to plant this year are thanksgiving, the word of God, service to God and mankind, holy living, love and forgiveness, mercy, prayers and intercession, obedience, money, etc. Receive grace in this year of abundance to do the expedient and the needful. A blessed 2022 to you in Jesus’ name.