As blood-bought saints, sons and servants of God Most High God and soldiers of the Cross, it should be settled in your spirit that stewardship is our life calling and resignation is not an option; you cannot resign from stewardship (Roman 14: 12; 4). Therefore, everything that has blessed us with is meant to be used for the glorification of God’s kingdom on earth.  Thus how you handle your money is an accurate index of your spiritual life. The way you spend your money is not your business; it is God’s business.

God expects us to use all the resources He gives us to the best of our God-given abilities to carry out our responsibilities in furthering His kingdom. This simply means, God, money and I must occupy their rightful place in our life. In other words, if you are God’s access manager that have been given responsibilities, then, you are not God and money is not God; only God is God! You are God’s money manager.

Furthermore, it is important you know that stewardship is not a narrow subcategory of Christian life. In other words, stewardship is not something that should be part of what we should be doing. But rather, stewardship is the Christian life. Therefore God’s ownership of “our money”, “our rime”, “our possessions”, “our abilities” and everything else should be central in our thinking. The ownership of God in everything He has given us should be central in our thinking. That is to say, God must be glorified in all that we have and in all that we will have. To God alone be all the glory!

In addition, the primary goal of a steward is to be found faithful (1 Corinthians 4:1, 2). To be found faithful in this context means to be subjected to scrutiny; it means to be subjected to investigation and found blameless. A steward can only prove himself faithful by wisely using the master’s resources to accomplish the task dedicated to him by the master. On the other hand, you are not faithful if you are keeping something for yourself other than what is given to you. You are not faithful when you exercise and use your discretion other than in the way God wants you to do it.

Our faithfulness will be judged in three major areas: (Luke 16: 10-15)

Our faithfulness will be judged in little things. Little things are major factors in determining our promotion or demotion in kingdom operation. God pays a great deal of attention to little things. The major factor in determining your promotion or demotion in kingdom operation is your faithfulness in little things (Luke 12: 27, 28, Matthew 10: 29, 30).

Your faithfulness is also judged in your faithfulness in what belongs to others. God watches you in the way you handle what belongs to others, especially when they are not there. You are sowing seed for your future in the way you handle what belongs to others. God will empower to prosper if you are faithful in other people’s business.

Your promotion is contingent upon your faithfulness in material things, especially money (Ephesian 6: 5-9, Colossian 3: 22-25, 1 Peter 2: 18-23; 3: 8, 9). When all these are done in your life in such a way that prioritize God and honour God, that is when you stop serving mammon.

Models of excellent stewardship

Jacob (Genesis 30: 25-35; 31: 10-13, 36-41).
Joseph (Genesis 41)
David (2 Samuel 5: 12)

Now when we stand before our Master and Maker, it will not matter how many people on earth knew our names, it will not matter how many people called us great or how many considered us fools, it will not matter how many medal or honurs bestowed upon us; what will matter is one thing only: what our Master thinks of us. That is the only thing that will matter at the end. Unfortunately, many of us are worried about what people are saying about us. What matter most is what Jesus our Master says about us concerning our stewardship.

Before we go into the nitty-gritty of this message, we need to set some things straight. Based on the scripture Nehemiah 13, unholy alliance can shut up heaven’s provision in our life. That is to say, there are some things we do that can consequently result in heaven being shut over us. And no matter the prayer we pray or the fasting we fast, nothing will happen because we leave undone the things we should do. Therefore we need to check our life to see whether there are things we are doing that are hindering our greatness. Until Nehemiah located the source of the problem, heaven remained shut over the people of Judah.

Now, it is important you know that the fountain of all greatness is God Almighty; He is a great God and great King. It is in His hand to make great and to give strength to the people (1 Chronicles 29: 12). In other words, when you begin to prioritize God, your greatness will be exceedingly. That must be settled in your spirit. Although the greatness of a believer is a concluded deal based on the finished work of Christ, your perpetuity in greatness in life lies in what you do in the house of God, the way you treat the people of God and every other person around. What you make happen for others, God will make it happen for you, too.

Furthermore, when God wants to make a man great, the person becomes great as far as God is concerned. However, there is man’s responsibility in the covenant of greatness. Your greatness does not come to reality except you play your part in the covenant. When God called Abram to get out from his father’s house, it was an invitation to greatness. Abram’s responsibility to that covenant of greatness is prompt obedience to God’s command: “…Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you…” (Genesis 12: 1-3). It suggests that when God is about to lead you on the pathway to greatness He will separate you from every other thing that is capable of tying down in an inglorious position. It takes a total separation from everything that can tie you down and be separated to God, so that you can begin to walk on the pathway of greatness (Genesis 15:1-6). Separation unto God is an indispensable quality you can’t afford to lose if you desire to tread the pathway of greatness with God. Once God has determined to make you great, His word will not return to Him void, nothing can stop you from being great, except you yourself. As a matter of fact, hell cannot do anything against your greatness. You are the one that can rub yourself of greatness by walking contrary to God’s command (Genesis 17:1-19).

Having said that, what was the condition attached in order for the covenant of God with Abraham to come to pass? The scripture says Abraham commanded his household to walk in the ways of God. In other words, part of your responsibility in the covenant of greatness is your ability to command your house to live in total obedience to God’s commands. You must command your household to keep the way of the Lord if you want to be great and perpetuate greatness in your household. Becoming great is not automatic; your home must become a centre piece for the world to follow. The standard of God must be raised high in your home for your household to live by. You must rule your house with gravity. The reason this is very important is that when you live right in God’s ways, you make life better for the generations after you. That is why you have to pay the price. That is why you have to be a pathfinder by creating pathway in the spirit, so that other can have open-heaven over them and line up with God in such a way that all that God has promised will come to pass (Genesis 18:17-19).

In addition, it is important you know that because Abraham had laid the foundation of a life style of obedience, every other person that was connected to him consequently benefited from that covenant of greatness. Thus those who were connected to him and lived the same life style of total obedience to God and commitment to His service became legends of greatness. The likes of Moses, Joshua and Mordecai were legends of greatness (Exodus 11: 3, Joshua 4: 14, Esther 10). Just as God fulfilled the covenant of His greatness in Abraham, He also fulfilled it in the lives of those who are beneficiaries of that covenant (Genesis 24: 34-36; 21: 22-26; 26: 1-5, 23-29). It takes great blessing to produce great people. And those whom God has made great He also gives them the power to negotiate the destiny of nations with Him. If you become great, you can negotiate with God. That was what gave Moses the strength to negotiate with God; that was what gave strength to Joshua to command the sun and the moon to stand still. When you become great, God wants to listen to you. That is the kind of favour greatness can bring to those whose life style is in alignment with God’s commands.

The underlying message here is that, among other qualities, obedience to God’s command and service to His work are key ingredients of pathway to greatness. The covenant of greatness is perpetuated on the basis of total obedience to God and service to His kingdom (Leviticus 26: 3-13). Abraham lived an obedience life and God made him great in all capacities according to the promise. Moses trod the same path of obedience and he was a great man of valour before kings. Joshua was a servant of Moses; he became servant of the Lord. He did not assume authority but waited on God to be called by Him. SERVICE IS NOT STEPPING STONE TO GREATNESS; SERVICE IS GREATNESS. He who will be servant will be great. But those who want to be served but don’t want to serve will never be great (Matthew 20: 26, 27; 23: 11, 12, Mark 10: 43, 44).

Our Lord Jesus Christ is great. And if you are joined with the Lord who is great, you cannot be otherwise but be great also (Luke 1: 13, 14; 30-32). Unfortunately, of all people that will be great, there is only one exception—ingrate will never be great. If you are not grateful and thankful for those goodnesses of God you call little things, you cannot be thankful when God makes you great. The ingrate can never be great.

Above all, you must know that the reason God makes you great is that you can bring blessing and succor to others. God makes you great so that other can become great through you.

“Known to God from eternity are all His works.” (Act 15: 18)

As believers, you need to know that nothing happens to you by accident; it is either permitted or directed by God. However, this does not in any way mean that God is responsible for every calamity we go through. Some of them are by-product of our own deeds. In spite of that, God stills turn blunders into miracles. If you know how to release it into God’s hands.

Also, it is very important you know that you are not created by accident, no matter the negative circumstances that may surround your birth. You have been in God’s mind before time began. Unfortunately, many people think that when they are praying that is the time they are getting God to know what they are going through. The truth is, if you have the capacity to inform God, then, you become God. Therefore, that is nothing strange to God about your life. God is omnipotent, omnipresence and omniscient; all-seeing, all-knowing and all-powerful God. He knew everything about you before you were conceived in the womb. You are not a by-product of an afterthought.

God has an assignment that He wants to accomplish; He predestined you to be the one to do it, though you don’t have all that it takes to do the assignment. Although the circumstances of your life are not together, God who foreknew you because of the assignment He had for you predestined you to do the work. God who foreknew you has put everything you need in you in order to fulfill the predestined assignment. God predestined you, He called you, He justified and glorified. Thus your destiny.

In addition, you need to know that God has a will, a plan and a purpose for your life personally just as He has a broad will, a broad plan and a broad purpose for all of mankind. Because of this, He has specifically designed you and equipped you to fulfill a portion of that broader will, broader plan and broader purpose. In other words, God has a master plan that involves everybody. But out of that master plan, He takes a portion for you. That portion is God’s will for your life, His plan for your life and His purpose for your life. Therefore, He designed you in a specific manner so that you can fit into the assignment. God uniquely created you, formed and shaped you for a purpose that only you can fulfill in the midst of mankind. Therefore, you are not an accident or afterthought on planet earth. You are not created merely to live a certain numbers of years and months and then die. You are here to accomplish a job that God assigned to you from eternity past. Except you are careless and live carelessly, no man of destiny die before He fulfills that destiny.

Your heavenly Father has already embedded in you all of the raw material (gifts and talents) you need to complete the work that He has assigned, prepared and provided for you to do. Your job is to discover them, develop them and deploy them for that purpose, so that you can fulfill your God-given assignment.

You need to know that nobody can be who you are; nobody can replace you and nobody else on this earth is capable of fulfilling the Father’s plan for you. In other words, nobody can fulfill the work God has gifted you to do. You must be and you must do what God made you to be. However, this does not mean you are the only one that can do all the works by yourself; it simply means that you must rise and fulfill what God has called you to do which is your primary assignment.

However, in order to fulfill your God-given assignment, you must establish firm commitments in various areas of your life in order to pursue and begin to reach your God-given potential; evidence of desire must be pursued. It does not unfold accidentally or automatically. Therefore, it is important that seek God’s specific help in those specific areas of your life.

Let be settle in your spirit that your upbringing, your background, your career, your gender, your age and your social status is not a barrier to God in order to move through you. In other words, your circumstances are not bigger than God’s grace. That was what Daniel understood and it helped him to go through the hard times he faced in Babylon. The God that was with Daniel in Babylon, the God that was with Joseph in Egypt is the same God today. You must allow the God of grace to manifest Himself in you and through you, regardless of your circumstance and situation because you are not an accident. God created you for a purpose and it is that purpose that must be your priority is life. The will of God for you is to fulfill that purpose.

It is unfortunate that many people look for temporary solutions to their perceived permanent problems. People get involved in all kinds of inconceivable things with a view to finding temporary solutions to their supposed permanent problems. Conversely, there are people who look for permanent solution to temporary problems—suicide. If you are going through one seemingly insurmountable problem or the other, it is of paramount important that you arm yourself with this irrefutable truth: every problem has a shelf life. That is to say, there is no problem besetting humanity that is permanent—every problem has an expiry date. No problem is permanent!

One of the principles that you must put in your mind, in your heart, and be must be on your finger tips that would serve as a point of contact to every situation and circumstance or people you meet in life is this: every battle and every victory has two sides. In times of battles and trouble, sometimes it is not something that you did that brought it to your way—it is a wager between God and the arch-enemy(Satan)—it can God-directed and it can be self-inflicted. See Job 1-3. In like manner, there are two sides for every victory—there is a God-side of every victory and there is a man-side of every victory. It is when you do not know what to do about your problem that you are overwhelmed. As a matter of fact, the real problem in your life is not the one you are facing or crying about; the real problem is not knowing what to do about the problem. In other words, the moment you do not know what to do about the problem, that is the real problem, not the problem itself. That is what pushes people into temporary and permanent solution.

You need to let it sink in and settle in your heart that God never changes—He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Therefore it is important for you to know that your problem is not bigger than God (Hebrews 13:8). In other words, He can still do what He has done in the past. If He did one great miracle for one, He can do it for all. If God healed in a particular way, if you study what He has done, He can do it for you too (Romans 15:4).
The seemingly terminal sickness of king Hezekiah was used as a case study of how to live above your problem. When Hezekiah received the dispirited message from the foremost prophet, he wept bitterly unto God—godly people also cry. It shows that there is no immunity when it comes to trials and troubles. It is the response of godly people to problems that makes the difference. Hence Hezekiah responded positively to his problem which triggered the divine intervention: Hezekiah turned to the wall. This implies that he turned his back to the problem and everything that man could give, while his face was turned to the Rock of Ages—the only One who can walk through the wall. Unfortunately, many of us have done what Hezekiah did, but while we turn to God we are looking around for human solutions. As long as you are leaning on men, the arms of men will fail you. Therefore, in order for you to be able to live above every circumstance and situation, you must get to the place where you turn to the wall.

When God told Hezekiah through the prophet that he would not live but die, it was a word of warning, not a permanent word. Because if God had wanted Hezekiah dead, He would not need to send a word. But He sent a word so that he could turn to the wall (God). However, the true word is ‘you will not die but live and declare the works of God’ (Palms 118:15-18). But you need chastisement to get to the place where you can represent God in every situation and all circumstances. Thus certain things happen in your life so that you can get to the place where God is God all by Himself and He is real to you. The side of God is to send you the word so that you can heed the warning while your side is to turn to God (wall) but turn your back to man’s solution. However, when you turn to the wall, what you are saying to God matters a lot—you should not magnify the problem, but rather magnify God in your prayer and singing. Murmuring is nothing but the language of slaves. Learn how to turn to God in trouble with a grateful heart. That was the secret of Hezekiah. This is the key to living above your problems (Isaiah 38:18, 19).

Summary
The principles that would enable you to live above your problems are listed below:

• You must walk in the consciousness that every problem has a shelf life—no problem is permanent.
• You must know that God is bigger than your problem—learn to glory God in all circumstances, not your problem.
• Never trust in the arm of flesh because it will fail you in times of trouble.
• Learn how to turn to God in praise and prayer, not to human solutions.
• And most importantly, keep yourself pure from contamination of the spirit and of the flesh—sin is the number one hindrance to prayer.

He also chose David His servant,

And took him from the sheepfolds;

From following the ewes that had young He brought him,

To shepherd Jacob His people,

And Israel His inheritance.

So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart,

And guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.

Psalm 78: 70-72

The focus of this article is to emphasize the importance of integrity in business. As I write this piece, I am asking myself some serious questions. Is my word my bond? Have I been keeping my promises to people? Can my clients attest to my integrity? Have I cheated someone that worked for me or with me lately? Can I be trusted to play my part in a business transaction?

Many friends have become enemies. Many brethren just manage to greet themselves as they remember past wounds and hurts. Lack of integrity destroys friendship and trust.

A friend of mine once told me how she was able to constantly get the needed funds for her business either from friends or from financial institutions: she never defaults. She keeps her promise without telling stories. There were times that business was bad; there were days she lost money. But she always made sure that she kept her promise to the other party. One of her colleagues in business had given her money to use for her business on a number of occasions without her asking, not only because he had no immediate use for the money, but because he was confident that he would get the money back on the agreed date. Talk of integrity! Being a person of integrity costs much, but the benefit far outweighs the cost.

Protect yourself

I’ve heard of cases where brethren defrauded each other in business. I have been cheated on a number of times in the past when I completed a job and the other party refused to pay. I learnt how to protect myself from God’s word. Let’s look at Abraham’s example in Genesis 23. Sarah died and Abraham needed a piece of property—a field and a cave—from the sons of Heth to bury her. Ephron the Hittite said, “I give you the field and the cave that is in it; I give it to you in the presence of the sons of my people. I give it to you. Bury your dead!” (Genesis 23:11).But Abraham insisted that he would pay the full price for the property.

What if the sons of Ephron rise up tomorrow, demanding for their property? Abraham must have considered all the possible outcomes in the future. He paid the full price for the property at the current exchange rate in the presence of the people. It is better to document than to lament.

About three years ago, I met a young man at a business seminar. I was instantly impressed by his intelligence and array of business ideas. The guy is a think tank! He made a business proposition where I would provide the technology to implement his ideas. My initial excitement gradually began to wane when I recalled that we just met. I kept asking myself, “Can he be trusted?” As if he knew what was going on in my mind, he said something that struck me. “We don’t have to trust each to do this business; we only need to put a proper legal and business framework in place to guide our relationship. Get your lawyer and I’ll get mine, then we shall all sit down and talk!”

Samuel Johnson said, “Integrity without knowledge is weak and useless, and knowledge without integrity is dangerous and dreadful.”

Add knowledge to your integrity. Define the scope of every task or project. Document all business transactions. Protect yourself!

- Sina Kehinde
sina.kehinde@latterrainassembly.org
www.latterrainassembly.org

My sister just finished serving her country and is waiting for a good job. My best friend is waiting for the man who is ‘worth it’. My beautiful lovely friend is waiting for a child. My colleague is waiting for a better job offer. My friend is waiting to launch his album. My adoptive mother is waiting for a husband. My sisters are waiting to get a better house. My other friend is waiting for a financial breakthrough and his friend can’t wait for his business to kick off.

What am I waiting for?
What are you waiting for?

We’re all waiting. In fact, some people have given God a deadline. The logic is that if a lady is not pregnant by the end of March, then nothing nothing for her again this year oh!

So, I ask myself if God is powerless to do these things or if it is something else? Why is it taking so long? Did I do something wrong or did I miss it along the way?
What is it?

Then Pastor Ike comes with a testimony like yesterday’s about a marriage of 19years with no children and now they have 3. The lady is in her 40s oh! Or the other lady who was past 40 but still found her soul mate… testimonies abound.
Theirs is one story amongst many. I have also witnessed such testimonies myself. God manifesting His power and His sovereignty. His thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are definitely not our ways. He uses the foolish things to confound the wise…

So, I believe the determining factor lies with us. Am I willing to wait for God’s will?

And if His will goes against my will, will I accept it and still love Him?

Like they said in the movie Facing the Giants, ‘If God does not give you a child, will you still love Him?’

- Pearl Ijeoma Ezeokeke
pearlezeokeke@yahoo.com

I am not a stranger to this bus stop. I tarried here for so long, I almost became a resident. I had hopes, dreams, desires, you name it. I did all I knew how to do (back then) but each year came an went, with the word for the year remaining a mere slogan, a sticker on my bathroom door and back of my car. I know a friend who displayed all the years’ stickers at the back of his car, it was almost blocking out the view from his rear view mirror. If you want to know what the word for whatever year was, all you needed to do was to find out where he parked his car.

I believed that one fine sunny day, by divine intervention, everything will change and bingo!, my dreams will come true by a breakthrough that will blow my mind. It will be so fantastic that it will be evident to all that this was by the finger of Jehovah. It would be my turn to testify. I wasted fifteen years in this wilderness waiting for God to move while God was waiting for me to move. I got a big kick in the butt December 2001 when I read the book “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” and it finally dawned on me that it was my move. That was my defining moment.

It wasn’t the book that changed my life. I was ready for change after years of listening and dreaming. The wood was ready, free of water and doused in petrol. The book simply struck the match and I caught fire. I am not the only one that has read the book. I have given some the book as a present to some, but nothing noticeable has happened. I am still struggling to finish the book “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill. This book is an all time best seller and has changed millions of lives, but has done nothing to me, so far.

Everyone has his tipping point or Aha! moment, when the blinkers fall from your eyes and you say “Now I know!”. Some people experience it in church, some at work, a seminar, at home, wherever. For many of us, it takes a painful experience to decide enough is enough. There comes a time in everyone’s life when you decide you to gather up your courage, put away your fear, laziness, excuses and go for your dreams. For some, they get to this point in their youth, for others at midlife when they begin to ponder the meaning of life or have lost their way pursuing someone else’s dream. Others get to this point after retirement (they have nothing to lose). Sadly, many get to this realization at their death bed, regretting what might have been if they had dared go for their dream.

You have big role to play in the fulfillment of your goals and dreams. Nothing will happen if you do not move. Belief and faith is not enough, in the absence of action. You simply have to move. We have become notorious for doing everything but step out in faith. Make that move. Start that business you have been talking about, change jobs or career and quit complaining, stop lamenting and go back to school, learn a skill, do something, make a difference. Make today “one of these days” you have been talking about. Tomorrow is a procrastinator’s creed.

The supernatural happens when the super and natural come together. Excuses disempower us, it tells us there is nothing we can do, we are doing just fine. It pulls us to a stop, frozen in inaction. Excuses are cheap – buy one, get one free. More often than not, excuses are a convenient escape route from sound thinking. Thinking is a difficult activity, that is why very few indulge in it, and common sense is not common. The battle is won and lost in the mind. If we cede control of our minds to aimless thoughts, we end up living an aimless life. As a man thinketh, so is he.

God is waiting for you to move. The people God sent you to the planet to impact have been waiting. Do not keep them waiting any longer. Pull up your anchor, blast your horn, say goodbye to the habour (your comfort zone) and set sail. It is your move. Bon voyage.

- Usiere Uko
info@financialfreedominspiration.com
www.financialfreedominspiration.com

My heart desire in the Holy Spirit is to expose those things that people ignore that end up terminating their destiny. However, I want to lay emphasis on one major area in this context. That area centres on relationship, either with members of your family or business partners. Moreover, I want to encourage you to refuse to be stupid, to be gullible or to make yourself vulnerable.

Every time you push yourself to be limit, you become vulnerable. And before long, you can become desperate. And, before you know it, the things you thought could never happen to you would happen and you would be so helpless that you would not know what to do next.

Now being vulnerable is not necessary sin. This is so because if you are in a good accountable relationship you must know how to unbutton before such people you have such relationship with. That is not the kind of vulnerability I am talking about.

As we read the scriptures, I will lay emphasis at the place where Jacob bowed seven times to Esau, where his wives and his not-so-called-wives, housemaids and all his children and servants bowed. I will also show you what makes the righteous man to fall before him who is not so righteous — before him whom the father hated before they were born. Nonetheless, I will bring out the wisdom of Jacob in relationship, so that you do not assume that once you have reconciled with the enemy the battle is over — it has just begun. The Bible says pursue peace with all men, without which nobody shall see the Lord. Although the Bible encourages reconciliation with your enemy, it does not say you should be eating in the same bowl with him.

You would be wondering what would make Jacob to be bowing before his brother whom he had seen for over twenty-one years ago. The truth is, if you have conscience that is alive and you still feel guilty of any wrong you have done, it is because you are still in faith. But, the moment you are not in faith, your conscience is seared with a hot iron — you have departed from faith. It suggests that Jacob’s conscience was alive, that the wrongs he did must be paid for. It was his wrongs, the supplanting and the cheating that made him bowed, not respect for his brother. That is the natural reason. But, there is a spiritual reason — impersonation. Stolen blessing has a way of catching up with you. Although Isaac pronounced blessing upon Jacob, it was Jacob that later bowed down to Esau because the blessing originally belonged to Esau.

"…Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. Be master over your brethren, and let your MOTHER’S SONS BOW DOWN TO YOU. Cursed be everyone who cursed you, and blessed be those who bless you" (Genesis 27: 20-29).

It is absolute stupidity to think that there is no price for stolen blessing. When you are greedy for gain and you are ready to do anything to steal what belongs to other people, you are going to trouble your house (Proverbs 15: 27; 20: 17; 25: 26).

In addition, it is absolute naivety to conclude that once your gift is accepted by your adversary and all outstanding matters have been settled, then you can go hand-in-hand with him. This is where many people expose their lives to terminators. Naivety means lacking experience of life, knowledge or good judgement and willing to believe that people always tell you the truth. Gullibility is close to it. To be gullible is to believe or accept what other people tell you; therefore, you are easily tricked. In other words, you can be easily tricked if you are too trusty.

Furthermore, the enmity between Jacob and Esau consequently became a trans-generational hostility (Numbers 20: 14-21). Another scenario in this context is in 1 Samuel 21: 1-7; Psalms 52: 1-4; 137: 1-5; 83: 1-8. Do not become so naïve, simplistic and gullible that everyone likes you.

Now the wisdom you must arm yourself is with is: be careful about those you partner with. The companion of fools will destroy them (Proverbs 13: 20). Do not put your trust in any man; the arm of strength will fail you. Trust only God and lean not on your own understanding (Psalms 4: 5; 146: 3; Jeremiah 39: 18; Proverbs 3: 5). God is able to raise family for you that will be loyal to you outside of your family. It is good to be good to people, but moderation in everything that you do is very crucial.

What is it that determines your relationship? The fear of God and God’s worth. “I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts” (Psalms 119: 63). When you hang around with those who joke and trivialise with the word of God, you are doing yourself a great evil.

May God grant you the wisdom in your relationships, so that you do not dig your grave before your time. May God open your eyes to see that not everybody is your friend. A wise man chooses his friend wisely. May God reveal your own people to you — those who would be partners with you in progress.

The way to prosper on this planet earth in God’s way does not involve struggle. From the day God created heaven and earth there has been separation from the waters above and the waters beneath. The waters above represent the saints of God who bring God praise and worship. All the waters above are citizens of Zion. They have only one loyalty to the King—God. And they salute only one flag—the Kingdom of God. The lights represent Jesus and the believers. While all the waters beneath serve Babylon.

God created a world of abundance for mankind — the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the cattle of the forest and the trees of the field, not to talk of the hidden riches of dark places — gold, silver, oil, diamond, precious jewels and uncountable other mineral resources.

Unfortunately, man enjoyed the abundance of everything for a little while before he fell and Satan took over. Thereafter, the economy of this world became demon-driven — greed and covetousness became the regulators of the world economy.

Now, 2% of the world population controls 98% of planetary resources. But, the last Adam had come and He took back everything that the enemy stole. The prince of this world is judged already. Now is the time for the kings and the priests of God’s kingdom on earth to rise up and execute the judgement that is written and once and for all face the challenge of redistribution of the global resources. This is our kingdom mandate (Revelation 1: 1-8).

We are not here to multiply wives like the kings of the earth. We are not here to pursue material things like the kings of the earth. We are not here to perpetuate injustice like the kings of the earth. Everything Jesus died for, everything He took back from the hand of the enemy is our primary assignment to execute the judgement that is written and to ensure the redistribution of the global resources.

5 Major Unassailable Truths: The Promise of Rest

Hebrews 3, 4

1. Those who have believed enter into rest — they hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm in an unshakable manner to the end
2. Those who did not believe could not enter into rest because of unbelief.
3. The gospel was preached to both parties — those who believed and those who did not believe.
4. Entering into rest and not entering into rest is a matter of choice
5. The works that would guarantee the rest were finished from the foundation of the world.

As a believer, whatever promise that has been made to you, whatever promise that you are trying to play, whatever your destiny is, whatever your assignment is, every tool you would ever need and extra, were all provided before you were born. By means of strength shall no man prevail. Therefore, if you are going to enter into God’s rest, all you need to do is to believe in Him, trust Him and obey Him. Your source determines your resources.

If you are going to execute the judgement that is written, God will take you through process so that He can bring you to the place where He can trust you totally with the resource He will put in your care (Philippians 4: 12-18; 1 Timothy 6: 9-12).

God is the source of all power. Therefore, it is high time you ceased from all your works — anxiety and worry. Let God fill you with all of His so that you can truly represent Him as a conduit pipe through whom the resources of the earth is redistributed.

If we are not better than the early church, then we have failed God. Because the testimony of the early church was that none of them lacked anything good thing. What should be the testimony of the end-time church is that “all of them have more than enough” (Philippians 4: 18). That is the record that is set before us. Although there would be challenges, you must hold fast the confession of your hope and faith unto the end. God created an abundant world for you — do not settle for less than the best. God created excess of everything and gave them the power to continue to multiply and reproduce, no matter the population on the face of the earth.

Prayer Poimt

Ask God to uproot every trace of unbelief from your heart.

Lozol

God is a God of extreme abundance. He created a world of abundance. Therefore, even until the trumpet sound and the whole earth is renovated and the new heaven comes, humanity cannot exhaust the resources of the earth. If everyone becomes a multibillionaire, you cannot deplete the resources of the earth because of the perpetual decree that birthed it. Although there are several poor people on the face of the earth, the Bible says God created the rich and the poor—He did not make them so (Proverbs 22: 2). Therefore, being rich or poor is a function of the individual’s revelation about God.

Furthermore, abundance is God’s second nature (Ephesians 3: 20). There is nothing you can ask of God that is able to dent His account. Absolutely nothing! However, it is according to the power that works in you that determines your level of abundance. It is God that gives you power to make wealth (Deuteronomy 8: 18). In other words, the absence of God’s wealth in your life is the absence of His power in you.

Now recession can be on different levels: it can be personal, it can be household, it can be national, it can be regional and it can be global. If it is personal, you will have other people to run to for help. If it just a family recession, you can run to other family. If it is national or regional, you can abandon your nation and run to other nation. But, when it becomes global, where do you run to? If you think that by running from one nation to another will bring about the solution to your problem or the answer to your predicament, you need to know that help does not come from abroad — it comes from above (Psalms 21: 2; 18: 16).

Every time you see the word famine in the Bible is always around the Patriarchs. The first time it happened in the Bible, it was confronting Abraham. The second time you see it, it was confronting Isaac. The by time it happened in the third and the fourth time, it involved both Joseph and Jacob. That suggests that the will of God is not a shield from hardship, difficulties, financial pressure and challenges. That you are in the will of God does not mean those things will not happen. As a matter of fact, those things happen in order to show you that you are in the will of God. Hard times will confront those who are in the will of God, not to talk of those who are not. Nonetheless, arm yourself with this unassailable truth: wherever the will of God leads, the grace of God will sustain you there. On the other hand, if there is no grace to sustain you there, then, you need to find out whether you are actually in the will of God. Because, God is not Pharaoh that would ask you to make bricks without given you straw (Exodus 5: 11-18).

Moreover, it is important you know that shortage is not God’s idea; it is sin that brought about shortage. God is a God of abundance. Your vision in life determines the provision you get. Your source determines your resources. Christ in you in the hope of glory.

Words in Marble

To every famine there are two sides: God’s side and man’s side. Also, in every famine there are two movements: going up and going down. The same famine that will spell catastrophe and doom for some, it is the same famine that would spell promotion and boom for others. Strangely, the catastrophe that brings some down is also the catapult that shoots others up.

Recession is not a new occurrence. Whether it is personal, regional, national or global, it is not new. What is happening now has happened before. However, God’s perspective on famine remains the same. And human’s response or reaction has not changed. There is nothing new under the sun. Though, God says He will do a new thing, He is not talking from the perspective of under the sun, but rather above the sun and it is not new to Him but to man (Isaiah 43: 19; Ecclesiastics 9: 10).

What the economist experts of this world are not willing to admit is that the global meltdown has come because of the excesses of the yester years. The excesses of the yester years have cut up with us. Prices continue to rise while real productions decline. As a result, there is a new terminology beyond global economy meltdown. They coined a term for it: they call it “inflationary recession”. It simply means, prices are increasing while output is declining.

Before, it was believed that you can curb inflation by simply reducing money supply, that is, by moping up the money in circulation. But, when there is recession, what you need to do is to inject more money into circulation. So, you hear something like “bailout”. But, whether you inject money or mop up money, these efforts are no longer credible.

If a nation enters into an inflationary period and begins to control the money in circulation, the economy later on sleeps into recession. What brought about this problem is the lack of physical discipline — greed and covetousness. After the fall of man, the economy of the world became demon-driven and the operators of the system are greedy and covetous people. What is national or global can also become personal, that is, the same lack of indiscipline can be in your life when you begin to spend the money you don’t have to buy the things you don’t need to impress the people you don’t like.

God’s Perspective on Famine

1. God’s perspective on famine is caused either by idolatry or sin of any kind.
2. Blood shed, especially when it involves covenant-breaking (2 Samuel 21: 1-6).
3. When a land sins against God with an unfaithful persistent, He promised to send famine upon that land. When there was idolatry in Samaria and the people of God turned to Baal worship, extreme famine broke out that women began to eat their children (1 Kings 18; 2 Kings 6;). However, as severed as it was, it only took God one night to change the situation.

Relocation by the word of God

Relocation from the place of famine: almost every person will opt for it. It is a response when it is God-directed; it is a reaction when it is your natural logical disposition towards famine.

Relocation by the word of the Lord
It is not wrong to relocate but don’t it at the instance of man’s logic and calculation (Genesis 46: 1-4)

Relocation can be by the word of the Lord and the accurate responses to it is to obey the move. On the other hand, the relocation can be a reaction as people begin to push the panic button and step into disastrous circumstances. The patriarch Abraham reacted to the famine he found in the land; he did not ask the Lord, therefore he went down (Genesis 12: 10; Ruth 1: 1-3). Although God knew that there was famine in the land before He asked Abram to go there, Abram went down to Egypt because the famine was severe. That suggests that every time you allow circumstances to chase you away from the place God has promised you, you are on your way going down. In other words, when you relocate without the word of the Lord, identity crisis, fear and compromise will set in.

The second response that you will find in the Bible is sojourning and sowing in the land of famine by the direction of the Lord (Genesis 26: 12). When you listen to God to sow in the land of your sojourning in times of famine, God will increase you, multiply you abundantly and make you prosperous, regardless of the severity of the famine. What Isaac sowed was the word of God which he obeyed.

The third response is a foreknowledge preparation before famine hits. Joseph was a quintessential in this regard (Genesis 41). When God teaches you and instructs and you obey, you are not looking for breakthrough; you are the breakthrough (Psalms 32: 6-10)