The Key and its mystery (1)

Ever wondered what happens when you stand before a door you'd thought would open, but never opened, however hard you tried? You get Frustrated! What could be the cause? You probably had the wrong key - meant to open another door; or you had no key at all which resulted into struggling with the door to force it open, yet, the door remains locked.

This experience is likened to most Christians today; some have the key but use it wrongly, so they live struggling; while some do not have the key but they keep pushing, fighting, crying, pleading and trying with all their might to push the door open, all to no avail. It's that time when you have to search for that key that you need to give you access to your place of rest and how to apply it to the right door in order to open. But how? You ask.

I'll tell you one thing I've realized about keys and doors and it has always worked for me. When I use the appropriate key to open my room door, I gain access into my room, not because I opened my door but the key actually did the opening, while I initiated the opening by applying the key into the key hole; so also gaining access to your place of rest (destiny). Trying to figure out how it will be done shouldn’t zap you of the energy needed to apply the basic principles.

.......and immediately, all the doors were open. Acts 16:26.

Paul and Silas knew so much about this mystery, that closed doors began to open of their "own accord". They had the key and they knew how to apply the key even when the door did not seem like one that could open.

Peter enjoyed the result of the rightful application of the key in the face of hopelessness.

They came to the iron gate that leads to the city; which opened to them of his own accord......Acts 12:10.

The battle of the throne has never been an easy one but only a few get to ascend their throne and reign on it, because they have the secret, they know the mystery behind the key! The reason why those that have the key fail in using it or fail in proper application of the key is because they spend more time trying to figure out how it will work. In the Kingdom, between a principle and the one who abides by the principle, lies the freedom to any form of captivity; if you play by the rules, you’re bound to win.

The secret behind the key lies in the POWER at work in the one who has the key; the manifestation of glory lies in the rightful APPLICATION of the key (total obedience). When the key is released to you, all you need do is apply it where necessary, how the change will be effected isn't your business. Why worry about another party's responsibility when you're yet to carry out yours?

The disciples returned with rejoicing after applying the key....

And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject to us through your name. And he said to them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.Luke 10:17-20;

How it happened? They couldn't tell, all they knew was to apply the key given to them (the name of Jesus) and they saw results - demons bowing out! If you’ll apply the right key from this day, you’ll not only see positive results but you’ll rule and reign.

Next topic - The Key and its mystery (2)

Stick with the donut (Ignore the hole)

There’s a popular saying that “the pessimist sees the hole, while the optimist sees the donut”. Life in itself is mixed with the good and the bad, right and wrong, success and failure, ups and downs; but the one who truly sticks with the right in the midst of wrongs; stays above when down; thinks only success after several failures; smiles in the midst of the storm; etc, definitely comes out as gold.

Through the year, there were shocking news of the loss of loved ones, painful! I know, (think about the new ones that were born, maybe not into your family); there were alerts of failed deals that almost sent you to an early grave, disappointing! I know, too; (maybe so much money was involved, but think about your life that was spared – there’s hope to make even more gains from many more deals); I also know that there were situations that went out of control and properties were lost, marriages failed, children left their homes to “God knows where”, jobs were lost, you weren’t favored at that appointment you thought would change your life for good; failed relationship, quite weakening (tell me about it); hard as you try nothing seems to be going through for you, etc. All these and many more makes it even more difficult for you to see light anywhere (if at all there's light).

Most of the greatest lessons I learnt in life weren’t learnt on my bed, nor in the midst of plenty, nor on a platter of gold, nor within my comfort zone; they were learnt through my pain, I matured through my failures, through my tests, through my disobedience, through my imperfections, through the difficulties, through the loss of loved ones, through my disappointments, through my pursuit of vanity, through well packaged lies and deceit that comes with friendships that never really existed from the beginning, but guess what? I’m glad they all happened to me, I’m glad I went through them in tears and pain;  birthing joy and maturity.

The message I’ve come with is that of hope, fruitfulness and contentment. I hear you ask, but how can I keep hope alive when I’ve been through these mess? How can I be fruitful when I do not even have a seed (plan) to birth fruits as all other plans have failed? How can I be contented when there’s nothing to show, nor even hold on to? Just so you know, because the donut is made with a hole doesn’t make it less of a donut; it’s all part of the bakers plan to make it stand out from other snacks; So also, whatever you’re going through or have gone through was part of the plan to make you into that man or woman God intended you to be. 

The problem is never God, the reason you are not seeing the results that you should be producing isn't because God is slow, nor unable to provide for you, nor unable to prevent these calamities from befalling you; this is where the problem lies; you have followed and pursued the desires of your heart, so God gave you what you requested at the detriment of his will for your life which will automatically come to play when you finally realize yourself. Remember that the people of Israel asked God for a king forgetting that God was already king over their lives (1 Samuel 12:12-13), He granted their requests, but at the time His will was to come to play, their chosen King was replaced with God's chosen King, the man after His own heart who will do His will (1 Samuel 13:14), (Acts 15:20-22). How many are willing to return to their maker and have Him remold and redirect them on a better course? (Jeremiah 18:1-6).

Isaiah 30:18 
So the Lord must wait for you to come to Him so he can show you his love and compassion. For the Lord os a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for his help.

I know a Father that stays faithful and takes our faults; a father who is ever ready to redirect us should we miss our paths in life; a father filled with unconditional love and mercy, waiting for us to run into His open arms when we realize that we've made mistakes that seem impossible to be corrected - like the prodigal son. God is waiting for you to quit looking at all the holes and emptiness you've been struggling with, He's waiting for you to finish with all the lies and deceit you've been feeding on through the worldly wisdom from the devil; God awaits your return that He may launch you into His great riches and the abundant life that was predestined for you before time began. This life is a life filled with His presence - the Holy Spirit directed life. Stop asking God for the things you need and start asking Him for the things He has for you because your needs and wants are wrapped in His will for you. 

As you step into the New Year, take some time apart and ask God to come into your life, take away your will and give you His will; When you will aligns with God's will, you'll find perfect peace, the kind of peace that money cannot buy, the kind of peace that places you above any situation.

Unwrapping my peace (Hidden in His time)

My alarm went off at 5.30 am that Wednesday and I’d tiredly hit the snooze button (perhaps, turned the alarm off); for all I could remember, I was awake at 7.43 am. Unbelievable! I’d whispered few words to God, dashed into the bathroom, gotten dressed for work and hit the road. To my greatest surprise, all the traffic lights that would usually take about 15 minutes to get through before getting on the highway took less than five minutes that morning. “I had to make it to work by 8.30am so I could settle in before 9am”, I’d thought to myself. Getting on the highway, I was a nervous wreck on sighting from a distance what looked like traffic, as I approached the scene it was only a vehicle that had a flat tyre and the driver waved other cars to drive with caution so he could move to the end of the road. Getting to the parking garage, it was 8.29am and I’d walked into the office at 8.30am. I made it to work at the right time! Usually, I would get up at 5.30 am and get out of the house at 7am to avoid traffic but sometimes I would be in traffic for more than 40 minutes while I struggled to keep awake and make it to work at 8.30 am. What mystery!

As everyone has a special purpose and a well designed destination to reach, one thing is paramount, God’s perfect timing. Just as it was possible for me to make it to work at just the same time I would usually get to work if I left the house early, so it is with God’s perfect timing. Whenever you seek to attain a particular thing before God’s ordained time, you find it very difficult to achieve it; whenever you embark on a journey before God’s time, you cannot escape difficulties along the journey. That is why there are too many people locked up in the mess of their quick decisions. I know that we are in a free world where anyone can choose to do what they want to do and when they’ll do it, but for anyone that wants to escape the pain and destruction that comes with self purposed lifestyle, it is expedient that you wait for God’s timing.

Ecclesiastes 3:11A - He has made everything beautiful in his time……

Waiting for God’s time may not be the sweetest thing anyone can do, but the results will certainly prove to you that the wait was worth it. Several times, you might have found yourself asking why you are not getting what others are getting even if you know that you’re perfect to have the same thing or even more qualified to have it, but it isn’t coming through for you when you really want it; that’s simply because your time to have it isn’t fully ripe. You may want to ask; can I meander my way around and still get it? Sure. Why not? But I promise you that you’ll struggle to keep that which was never meant to get to you at the time you received it because God was not in the plan, you were!

Some of the horrible results you get when you’re not following God’s leading or guidance are disappointments, failures, shame, betrayals, deceits, road blocks, depression, missed targets and the ilk. One of the fruits of the Holy Spirit is patience (Galatians 5:22), but most Christians lack this virtue and that’s why you find them living frustrated lives. Having taken time to look into this perfect timing with God, I realized one thing; SECURITY.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.

Walking in God’s time will give you more success than anyone around you ever achieved because God will equip you to attain that level of success that you may sustain it with His wisdom. For example, some people couldn’t go to school when their mates were attending college or some sort of school, not because they didn’t have the money nor weren't smart but because they were waiting for God’s time to have things work out for them and at the time they gained admission to attend college, they came out with the best grades and landed good jobs faster than those that graduated before them. That’s what God’s time can do for you. One could have been married just because she felt at 25 any lady who isn’t married may never find a good husband, but guess what? So many people end up pushing it through with their husbands after they pick a life partner according to their biological clock, or husbands pushing it through with their wives because they did not allow God mature them before taking that huge step, instead, they created it themselves and now they wished they waited a little longer to either be with the right person or mature intellectually, morally, materially, etc to manage their homes. What about those that had the privilege to make some money to start up a business that would have opened other businesses had they allowed God to direct them according to His plan? Some ended up with fraudsters; some squandered the money while some invested their money in wrong places.

It takes a spirit led man or woman to walk in God’s perfect time and the results are quite distinct. The Psalmist said; my times are in your hand: deliver me from the hand of my enemies, and from them that persecute me. (Psalm 31:15). Because the one who created you has the master plan of your life, it is important that you yield yourself to His leading, however painful and lowly it may appear that you may not be trapped in the pit of frustration, rejection and defeat. Friends and family may mock and look down on you, colleagues will call you insane, neighbor may call you abnormal, it’s part of God’s plan to reveal His glory through you, just wait on God.

Some of the ways to wait without panicking is to have God tell you what to do while you wait; stay focused doing His will and allow Him work out His good pleasure in you while you wait on Him to fulfill His promises in your life. Trust me, there will be distracting events that may appear to push you out of God’s will, just be still before God, just call Him Abba father for he hears you. I’ve never seen anyone that missed parts waiting on God for their time, instead they bore fruits (bountiful harvests) at the right time, they stayed green in winter and prospered in ALL they did, (Psalm 1:3). Men’s calendar says you’re late but God’s calendar says you’re right on time because you have things work out for you while others are struggling with it. Lamentation 3:25-26 The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him.26 It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.

Struggling becomes history in your life when you locate God's will for your life, start walking in it and remain in it with all your heart. Just because you started it wrongly doesn't mean God cannot intervene when you go to Him, He always has a plan "B". I love God so much that whenever I miss my steps with Him, He waits for me to return to Him that he may redirect me and give me an expected end. (Isaiah 30:18) And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him. Everything the Lord does, He does for His name sake, not because of anything you have done. So return to Him for direction.

Dear Lord, I accept that I've missed my steps and fallen out of your will for my life, I ask that you forgive me and bring me back into your perfect will for my life. I've brought upon myself struggles that i could have avoided, but i believe in your unfailing love, I run into your open arms that you may give me peace through divine guidance, In Jesus Name.

The Truancy of a Woman

Sometime In September 2011, I was opportune to attend a marriage seminar and on the flyer it read, “If you fail in marriage, no other success appears to matter”. Just then, a question popped up in my mind; How can I as a woman contribute to making my family what God wants it to be and how can I work along with my husband to make my marriage successful? This question made me come up with the topic, “Truancy of a Woman”. What then is the main purpose of a woman on earth and in a man’s life?

Looking back at creation, Gen 2:18, 21-22, Then the LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him." 21 So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. While the man slept, the Lord God took out one of the man’s ribs[a] and closed up the opening. 22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib, and he brought her to the man. Going by this revelation, a woman is first of all, a companion – the ability to keep her husband* company and not make him feel alone (nagging him will make him feel alone even with your presence); a woman fills up the gap where the man cannot – the ability to take care of their home (Proverbs 31) when the husband is away, when he’s thinking of his God given vision and how to answer to God when He needs him (that is, a helper, helping him with the things he cannot do while busy with his vision and working out ways to provide for his family); a woman fits into the lifestyle of her husband – making them equal (one), that is, his vision is her vision, his direction is her direction, his dream is her dream, his thoughts are her thoughts, they agree on one thing and carry it out, they are equally yoked. To sum it up, the woman has the inner strength to complete the man. God takes time to work on the woman to fulfill His purpose in the life of the man whom He has already worked on.

Today, what I see is the “modern woman” recreated by a “modernized world” that is fast passing away; every woman wants to be a career woman and take up the position of the man in her home. Does it mean it’s a crime to be the working class woman? No! It only means that it’s absolutely wrong and unwise to place your career above your relationship with God and your family because you’ll be heading to the land of no happiness, no matter how successful you become. Anything or any blessing that is not rooted in God or controlled by God never lasts; again, whatever you exalt above the plan and will of God will never yield profitable results.

Homes are tearing apart, men are looking outside their homes to find solace in other women’s bosoms (of course, less warming and less comforting than their wives’), because the “career minded” wives are too busy to carry out their responsibilities as companions and helpers. It is very true that the woman should support her husband, but it is a more supported fact that the pursuit of wealth and finances should not supersede the pursuit of peace and harmony in her family. She should learn to balance.

I was opportune to watch a program that aired some years back on teenage boys and girls that found themselves on the streets with some drug dealers and pimps; they were so lost in their dirty dealings that they’d forgotten who their parents were; if they remembered their parents they never saw their importance. During the transformation period, they were asked what led them into those dirty lifestyles, 98% of them mentioned that their mothers were too busy to care for them, some said they never really had the relationship they’d craved for with their parents, especially* their mothers, while they cried alongside their parents, some of the women cried tirelessly because they came to the realization that they would have stopped these kids from being noted for promiscuity, had they paid less attention to their careers and pursuit of vanity and paid more attention to the needs of their families. Some of them resorted to quitting their jobs and making their families what they should be.

Young boys and girls are wasting away in jails, children with great future are dying to be nurtured and directed through the right path, young ladies are looking to have rich relationships with their mothers so they could tell them everything those wolves and devourers out there are saying to them, young men are seeking the attention of their mothers to tell them more about women before falling into the hands of the wrong ones; husbands are craving the closeness they once shared with their wives at the very beginning of their relationship, husbands are looking for the warm breast of their wives that suddenly turned cold because of the pursuit of money and career, men are looking for the wives they married, but their wives have become too “modernized” to be there for their families. The modern day woman is busy hopping from one job to the other, attending parties where not invited, soliciting contracts with her body  meant for her husband, thereby exhibiting low self-worth; some are desperately seeking high positions in the society. I tell you what? Your success is not admired if your home is not peaceful. Stop the relentless pursuit of power and start the relentless pursuit of peace and progress in your homes! Stop hopping from one job to the other and start hopping from one room to the other in your home, checking up on your husband and children (Proverbs 31:27)! Stop looking for friends here are there and start making friends with your husband and children (Proverbs 31:28-29)!

Have you ever wondered why the woman is looked at whenever a family is in chaos and the children are found in the most dangerous places, doing terrible things, like robbery, prostitution, drug trafficking, breaking other people's homes, smoking and drinking, etc? Women, I mean every woman was created with the ability to calm, comfort and make the family especially the man, feel very secure (Genesis 2:23&25), she has the ability to do what the man CANNOT do all by himself, but the woman is able to do these things through the help of God. It is a known fact that the power to make or break a man lies with the woman, that is why a wealthy bachelor becomes drained of his wealth when the wrong or immature woman steps into his life, the “not-so-wealthy” man becomes automatically wealthy when the right women steps into his life (Proverbs 31:11 &12) – now, wealth doesn’t only entail money, house and cars – wealth here covers everything, spiritually, mentally, financially, physically, anything you can think of that is good. Above all, every woman is endued with godly wisdom to run a home alongside her husband, but the problem with this is that the wisdom is beclouded by impure thoughts and ungodly activities because they lack the word of God (John 17:17) in them, as such, most women wallow in their earthly, unspiritual and demonic wisdom, leaving their husbands and children in the arms of the devourers of destiny, (James 3:15&16).

The virtuous woman knows to prioritize her essence – her God, her family and her career. Proverbs 31, revealed that the virtuous woman fears God, cares for her family, submits to her husband, stays busy with her hands (minding her business), when her husband is out; cares for her children and above all, walks in godly wisdom to keep her home in perfect order, WITH God and for her husband. You can still be that woman God intended you to be, only retrace your steps and surrender your entire life to God. That way, peace, stability and fruitfulness will be restored to your life and family.

God’s School of Hard Knocks

School, according to Wikipedia is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. In my own words, it is a place where teachers train and mature students to become whatever they’ve chosen to be.  The teachers educate the students to become like them, to develop like they have, to know what they know and also to teach the younger generations what they have learnt, that is, impact the lives of future leaders. Like the teacher and the student, God is the teacher and we are His students, but the difference between these two trainings (Man’s training and God’s training), is man trains us to be what we want to become because we have chosen to be trained but God sends us to His own school to help us become what He has chosen us to be. In God’s school, He calls the shot!

You may be wondering, what does she mean by God’s school? God’s school, simply put is the WILDERNESS.

I call it the School of hard knocks because it is the most difficult and driest place anyone can be. The Wilderness is a dry and scary place filled with deadly demons and animals, threatening health issues, such as mental disorder, body weakness, etc; a place where you feel lost and lonely, hungry, thirsty, hopeless, unproductive, above all, death may result if not careful; it’s a place where you’ll walk through fire, go through the deepest sea with the tides up against you and a place where you pass through the toughest situations. Why then, would God choose anyone to be in this place?

Revelation 12:1-6; the key verse here is (v 6); And the woman fled into the wilderness, where God had prepared a place to care for her for 1,260 days.

Who fled into the wilderness and why? Reading from verse 1, the woman described there by John was a woman of destiny, a woman adorned with beauty and grace. However, she was pregnant with destiny, she was pregnant with God’s purpose for her life, she was carrying a child in her womb (destiny) that would rule the nations, a child that would wow great men and mighty warriors, a child that would bring God glory. But then, there was another shocking revelation, the dragon, that is the enemy, (knowing that the woman wasn’t spiritually mature and too weak to train the child the way he ought to be trained), waited to devour the child as soon as she bore him. But God……..but God…….BUT GOD had positioned his angels to bring Him the child while the woman went away on training in His school of hard knocks – wilderness.

God’s plans are to bring us the expected end (Jeremiah 29:11), but he has to break you, remold you, fill you to be able to use you for His purpose and one of the ways He does that is take you through school, where everyone- friends and relatives forsake you, where things fall apart, where you’ll face disappointments from most trusted people, that you have only God to turn to. God will allow you go through series of tests, demons to torment you, push you, toss you around and even threaten you but He’ll be there to uphold you.

In the wilderness, there are times that you feel so lost and alone, there are times that you’ll feel helpless – you look to the left, to the right and all around you, you’ll find no one to help you. That’s the plan! God needs your attention and wants you to turn and trust Him completely. That’s when you feed on His Word, you listen and obey each command (Psalm 119:71), you make Him your priority and you develop an intimate relationship with Him. This school is where you’ll learn all that he intends for you to learn for a specific period of time. All these and more you’ll face but He said He’ll be with you (Isaiah 43:2), just like he sent the woman adorned with glory in Revelations 12:1 into the wilderness and it is recorded that, there, God would CARE for her for a specific period of time (1260 days).

Only specific people are chosen to pass through this school; many have been called by God but only a few have been chosen; the chosen few pass through this school. Like the woman in Revelation 12:1-6, people with great destinies, people with a high calling, people with special assignments, peculiar people, and those whom God has marked for distinction (Romans 9: 13-15), are the ones God sends to this school (wilderness) in order to prepare, mature and bring out the best in them. For example, Jesus Christ went through the wilderness before God allowed him carry out his assignment on earth (Luke 4:1-13), John the Baptist carried out his assignment from the wilderness where he only fed on locusts and honey (Matthew 3), the Israelites had to go through the wilderness to their promised land for God to mature and prepare them to possess and retain their inheritance, (Exodus 13:17-18, Deuteronomy 8:2), etc. God may have appointed some other Prophets, Priests, Kings and other great men that made history in the bible, not all of them went through the wilderness, just a chosen few went through it because they had peculiar assignments.

Sincerely speaking, the toughest school anyone born great will ever have to pass through is the Wilderness because it is designed like the furnace; the plan is to bring out the gold (treasure) in you. What would I do while in the Wilderness and waiting for the appointed time to come out? Take the story of Joseph (Genesis 39, 40 & 41), while He was in Potiphar’s house, waiting to ascend the throne, he maintained his INTERGRITY, even if sleeping with Potiphar’s wife would lead him quicker to his throne of rulership in Potiphar’s house. In the wilderness, situations will arise that you’ll feel a deep urge to compromise your walk with God, like Joseph maintain your integrity (Psalm 25 vs. 21), keep watch and pray, yield yourself to God and let Him work in you, soak yourself in His Word (Matthew 4:4). There had been times when my walk with God overwhelmed me and I never really found the words or be able to describe how I felt to anyone, then, I turned to his Word and found the exact Words to calm my “indescribable” feelings – His Word sure does a good job at bringing out your innermost thoughts and fixing them. God might be silent for so long just to know what you’ll do, keep trusting Him (Hebrew 3:19; Romans 4:18-20*).

You can tell you’re in the wilderness when your life becomes pathetic, when you face disappointments from friends, loved ones and relatives, etc; They will make up stories that aren’t true just to attack your faith, they will plot your downfall, they will put you out for the world to ridicule you, yes, they will call you names and give you up for destruction; you’re in the wilderness when you’re faced with oppositions, delays, sickness, dryness, unfruitfulness, trials, failures, loss of job, children, family, house, finance, etc, (the life of Job is a typical example); Barrenness is one of the ways God draws the attention of women that carry great destinies that they may cooperate with Him and birth destiny at the appointed time (1 Samuel 1:5-7, 10 & 11, 21-28).

The reason most people stay longer than God planned for them to be in the wilderness is because they have refused to believe and trust in God, they find it difficult to allow Him lead while they follow, they have refused to obey His commands, they have not stopped grumbling and looking back at where they used to be (numbers 14:1-4); some have compromised their walk with God because of impatience, some have taken shortcuts - serving foreign gods and seeking help from the wrong places. These and many more will keep you wandering in your wilderness until you come to terms with what God wants you to do.

One sure thing about God is that whether He speaks or is silent in the midst of the storm, he has worked out a perfect plan to push you into His plan and purpose for your life, so be still and know that the end will bring you joy (Psalm 46:10, Psalm 131: 1-3). There were times I’d felt like He was not there, there were times I’d felt like transporting myself to heaven so I can ask Him all the questions in my heart, times when I was overwhelmed by situations beyond my control, He speaks to me only when I’m quiet within my soul. Worrying will not take you an inch away from your situation, panicking like I learnt, will land you more problems than you can handle. Like my spiritual father will say to me, “JUST LET GOD HAVE HIS WAY, YOU MAY NOT UNDERSTAND IT ALL”…….Yes, you’ll never know what He’s up to until the perfect picture is revealed. Let Him have His way………….

Dear Lord, forgive me for the times that I’ve struggled to have my way, for the times I chose to do things my way instead of listening to your voice. Holy Spirit help me to align my will with God’s that I may become who He wants me to be.

The Mediocre Mind (Don’t live a lie)

During a relay race back in the days, my partner took off the minute the games master pulled the trigger. She ran speedily that our competitors struggled to catch up with her. Surprisingly, when my partner handed the baton to the next person on my team, she couldn’t run as fast as expected and one of our competitors ran past her, handing the baton over to the next person in her team. Crap! I was mad at my team mate that as soon as I got the baton (knowing that winning or losing depended on how well and fast I ran), with determination and eagerness to get the trophy, I ran so fast that I ran past my competitor who was few inches to the finishing lane.

Just like the relay team, though you have predecessors – those that pass down common traditions, those that expect you to finish like they have finished; they do not determine your end. Making it to the end successfully depends on you.

There are two sets of people in the world: First set of people are, those who allow their predecessors, environments, culture and tradition, determine their destinations; they have resigned to the norms of life. Then, the second set of people are, those who determine their destinations regardless of their environment, tradition, culture, etc – They pursue their purpose with determination, making aggressive changes to the pre-existing rules, traditions and norms of life until they reach their glorious destinations.

The word “Mediocre” according to free online dictionary could be defined as, poor to middling in quality, lacking in exceptional quality, ordinary. My own definition of mediocrity, simply put, is hovering around a circle and comfortably settling for same results as long as movement is made. The vast majority have resigned to this average level of living, they have accepted the fate influenced upon them by friends, relatives, tradition, religion and the ilk.

At birth, each man (whether twins or triplets), came out individually which makes you solely responsible for your destiny – fulfilled or unfulfilled.  Just like in a relay race, winning or losing is dependent on each person even though they belong to same team, in other words, failures of your predecessors, limitations of your environment and social norms, should not deter you from fulfilling your own purpose for nobody was made or created to maintain the “status quo”. 

Ephesians 2:10; For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. You were created a MASTERPIECE – An outstanding piece of God’s work, that is, you’re not meant to be like another, you were not created to live anything below outstanding, nor be anything below superior. You are unique and different which makes you one with a unique purpose and you must strive hard to produce expected results.

What then does it take to live above mediocrity? You ask!

Ideally, the first step to effecting change in your life and impacting your generation is to genuinely and passionately detest your present position and the situation of things around you, that way, you’ll choose to die trying to bring about change rather than resigning to status quo. So many strong men and women destined for greatness ended up going back to Egypt (mediocrity) because they never really saw the need for Canaan (change), if they’d have to suffer and struggle to get there. They never really complained in Egypt, they felt comfortable under captivity, they felt comfortable even though they were not fulfilling their purpose, they had free food, houses and whatever they needed, (Numbers 11: 4-6), Then the foreign rabble who were traveling with the Israelites began to crave the good things of Egypt. And the people of Israel also began to complain. “Oh, for some meat!” they exclaimed. 5 “We remember the fish we used to eat for free in Egypt. And we had all the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic we wanted. 6 But now our appetites are gone. All we ever see is this manna!”as a result they cried to return to Egypt each time they were faced with difficulties.

You must know who your source is – no short cut to it and you must also understand that there are treasures in you to be manifested.  If God is not prioritized in your life, you may never realize the treasures in you how much more manifest them.  Without acknowledging Him as the one who has the ability to process the raw treasure in you, then failure and inferiority will be your results.

2 Corinthians 4:7; But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

The NLT version (7B) puts it this way; this makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.

The earthen vessel refers to man, deposited in each man is a treasure that contains several gifts and raw potentials. Man is an earthly, ordinary and carnal being that needs the spirituality, sovereignty and wisdom, of his creator to be able to manifest the hidden treasure in him. The reason you have this treasure in a filthy vessel is, that you may depend on the one who knows the treasure in you to unfold and guide you to manifest it, it cannot be completely manifested without breaking down the filth around it and your total commitment is needed to do this. Until one completely dies to carnality and is transformed into a Spiritual being, knowledge and access to hidden treasures will be denied them.

(1 Corinthians 2:14) But people who aren't spiritual can't receive these truths from God's Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can't understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means.  Carnality hinders the manifestations of spiritual things so everything that connotes carnality must be done away with through the help of the Holy Spirit – remember the great power is from God.

As I watched events unfold in my life and my surrounding, I realized that everyone did the same thing, same way, and ended up in the same place. I call that the “roundabout progress” –moving but not advancing. I knew that things had to be done differently. I needed to acquire more knowledge to aid me through my journey, I needed to tread where they had not trodden and feared to tread, etc. Things have to be done differently with great determination if you must live beyond the standard of living set by your predecessors and vague tradition. Until you relentlessly seek new ideas, forcefully pursue and implement these new ideas, you may never be able to breakdown the walls that hindered and held your predecessors down.

In all these, your belief system plays the center and most important role in living beyond average and maximizing your potentials. (Proverbs 23:7a) For as a man thinketh in his heart so he is…… Great minds think differently, they see beyond the circle, they know they can be whatever they see or imagine and they choose to take the risk involved knowing they are headed for greatness. Some great men and women have chosen to settle for mediocrity because their belief systems have been influenced by average lives, their environments say no to stepping out of the circle because their tradition has placed a limitation that no one has ever broken and everyone must end up the same way. Do away with “cannot” attitude, however difficult it may seem. Great people never take “no” for an answer, they never throw in the towel when they fail, they never shrink in the face of obstacles and disappointments- as a matter of fact they become stronger and draw closer to their source.

The “housefly” mentality has destroyed so many destinies and prevented people that should reign as kings and queens from reaching their royal destinations. What do I call the “housefly” mentality? Put a housefly in a bottle and cover the bottle, it struggles to come out but because the bottle top has limited its escape it chooses to keep struggling for freedom in the closed bottle. When you take off the bottle top, it flies to the height of the bottle top and goes back in, even though the bottle top has been taken off. That is where the work of Salvation comes in. So many men and women destined for greatness do not know how free they are to attain their glorious destinies, because they wallow in darkness and associate with like minds.

The moment you decide to take that giant step, people with lesser courage, and mediocre minds will try to stop you. Saul tried to discourage David from standing up to Goliath – David had looked beyond what others saw and went for it, bringing glory to God, himself and the Israelites, (1 Samuel 17: 32-37). Albert Einstein said "Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds."

Expect violent oppositions from your family, friends, relatives, neighbors, strangers, people in high positions- perhaps you may need them to cross over and above all, evil forces. Expect failures, but you must keep trying- men like Bill Gates inspire me, he never gave up when he dropped out of school. Expect tough trials and temptations, which most times, arise fiercely at the edge of breakthrough. Expect to be dissuaded when you share your ideas with people, they may not hate your idea, but the fact that when you carry them out you’ll be out of the league of small minds.

Play. Fast-Forward. Rewind

I remember vividly growing up, at the age of 14, perhaps, 15 will be closer to the truth, I’d thought to myself some of the reasons people find themselves in difficult situations, experience hardships and even failures. As a child that never really knew the realities of life and the challenges that life could pose on people, I’d thought innocently that I could avoid these difficulties if I just steered clear from fighting, stealing, bad company, ugly behavior, disobedience to my parents, etc. I was paying attention to the big events that brought people shame, hurt, disgrace, disappointments, difficulties and other sad stories. Let me reiterate, they were innocent thoughts.

Getting to this stage as an experienced adult, I realized that some of the problems we encounter in life are as a result of the little events we overlook; they actually eat deep into our lives, causing most people grieve and often times depression- leading to suicide.

PLAY

No doubt, every stage of our lives is in the “play mode”, from the time of birth to the day of our departure from the earth. We live in ignorance; make so many mistakes- while some come out unscathed, others are trapped by their mistakes and they’ll have to live with it for the rest of their lives. It’s funny how life turns out bad for most people because they haven’t really realized that just like a movie, you slot in your disc and hit the “play” button, and as the movie plays out with all the happy, sorrowful, emotional, and romantic scenes, so also our lives, but until you pause and understand why certain events that shouldn’t have been, but have been, you may never live out the rest of your days fulfilled.

Very few people have taken a look at certain events in their lives and have resorted to moving forward and putting things right with their maker- God, but just in case you do not know, there are other negligible attitudes that prevent  you from making corrections, while some see their wrongs, they find it difficult moving ahead.

FAST FORWARD

Certain times when we slot in our movies to watch, we run out of patience either at the beginning, somewhere in the middle or at the end of the movie. I’ve come to discover that every movie scene, (no matter how trivial or how short the scene may appear), is very important to help the viewer understand the complete story and fast-forwarding will only leave loop holes, leading to misinterpretation of the movie and we may eventually get frustrated because of lack of understanding.

One of the reasons most people never make it right and often times get frustrated getting to their destinations is because they lack patience - Yea, I want it quick; Yea, I want it fast; That, I tell you, isn’t in God’s nature. If you must get to your God ordained destination, you need all the patience you can get. A certain young lady who had heard from God concerning His plans for her in life chose to do it her way- the fast way and she had a great fall; which made her a laughing stock amongst those who cheered her while she thought she was living her God ordained purpose. She’d disregarded all warnings to slow it and seek God, to wait on God, to depend on God who’d revealed His plans. Most times, God reveals His plans for you to depend on him and seek Him for directions, but the enemy has a way of making one think that whatever seems similar to God’s plan and is working out fine for you may really be what God intended for you; many have trod this path and it led to destruction. Like the lady who’d determined her destiny, anything that doesn’t cost you a lot or any road that has no obstacles and delays, God is not in it. Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.(Isaiah 28:16)

Anytime you choose to live on a fast lane, there’s an old man- the devil, full of tricks, who once wined and dined with God and knows most of what God knows, he’ll help you live on a fast lane, making you feel that God is behind your success, until he brings destruction upon you because that is his desire for every child of God. The reason most people do drugs is because that want quick and easy money, some sell their bodies because they want quick money, some steal to make quick money and they end up in jail, some end up with STDs, some die in the process, etc - The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it. (Proverbs 10:22). This verse did not say, the blessings of the Lord comes without pain- no! When you’ve passed through the difficulties, you’ll know peace and no sorrow. Any gift that truly comes from God, however hard it may be, gives peace at last. Any gift the devil gives, however easy and cheap it comes, destroys at last.

For sure, those who put their trust in God can never be put to shame. Times when we get so frustrated that things are not turning out the way we’d have them, things are not the way they should be; our frustration ends the day we learn to wait on God with confident patience knowing that He never fails. Despite the pressure mounted on you by your peers, your family and society, wait on the Lord. Your times are in His hands and only when you take steps before your time will you end up frustrated.

REWIND

This is where most people never get to move up because they dwell in their yester years. Like watching a movie, when you keep rewinding and do not allow the movie play to the end, you’ll not only spend longer hours watching a supposed 120 minutes movie or less, here, moving forward is almost impossible. The hurt and mistakes of yesterday have kept great men and women from running their race to the end, they revisit events that shouldn’t have been, because of our impatience, carelessness and ignorance, thereby causing bitterness, anger, frustration, hatred and even insecurity. Hebrews 12:15 - See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.  You may never know how much damage you cause yourself spiritually when you become depressed. I’ve been there, the Israelites did that, and stayed longer than God intended for them-they kept on thinking about going back to Egypt for meat, bread, etc even though they’d be returning to captivity.

What do I do when the urge to rewind comes? At times, the urge is so irresistible that you find yourself grieving from yesterday’s hurt, but be calm about it, pray and tap into the grace that God gives. James 4:5 & 6A - 5 Don't think that there is no truth in the scripture that says, "The spirit that God placed in us is filled with fierce desires." 6 But the grace that God gives is even stronger.

Will the desire to do what weakens your spirit come? Yes! But, God’s grace is enough to keep us going. Never listen to those who go all holy and sanctimonious, saying you must never remember your past as a new convert or if you’re spiritual issues of yesterday should never cross your mind. You are human and these things will come up to remind you where God brought you out from and how far He has taken you, when it becomes a problem is when you crave for the evil deeds of yesterday or your allow bitterness creep in at the remembrance of the disappointments, failures, abuse, deceit and pains of your past. From Hebrews 12:15, we are instructed not to allow the hurt or pain of yesterday cause bitterness or grieve because they pose as great obstacles to moving ahead, they prevent God’s angels from carrying out the special tasks assigned to them in your live.

Be happy, look ahead for better days, and keep watch, for the enemy never stops reminding you of your failures, shame, disappointments, imperfections and inabilities, but thank the Lord for Jesus Christ who has nailed all these to the cross at his death and has given you the freedom to reign on earth.

When you're hurting.....

You know, betrayals and disappointments are common occurences in our daily lives, they hurt deeply that insecurity becomes the only result thereby building a brick wall to a peaceful relationship with others. Often times, we rule out love from our hearts against those that have hurt us deeply because if they had genuine love, they wouldn't have hurt us like they did, they wouldn't have said what they said, they wouldn't have divorced us, they wouldn't have stabbed us in the back, they wouldn't have told on us with the wrong intentions, they wouldn't have taken what rightfullly belonged to us, bla,  bla, bla........... The truth is, people have hurt us one way or the other and we have also hurt other people (maybe* not as much as we've been hurt).  However intense the hurt may be, i'll like you to ponder on this.
The intensity of the pain we feel when people betray us and even disappoint us is also thesame way God feels whenever we fail Him or pretend to genuinely love him.

Genesis 1:27
So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

Let me reiterate, the intensity of the pain we feel when people betray (to fail or desert us especially in time of need) us, is also the way God hurts when we fail Him. Because we are created in God's image and likeness, everything He is, we are, however He feels, we feel, etc Our hurts are as a result of people failing us, betraying us, deserting us - so also God. God hurts when we do not show him that we love Him by doing what he has commanded us to do, or we keep going back to our wicked and sinful ways; John 14 vs 23 & 24; and when we continually disobey Him, the Holy Spirit grieves.

Ephesian 4:30
And do not bring sorrow to God's Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.

Let me tell you my little secret - When people hurt me (they always will, while some do it on purpose others hurt you without knowing), however painful it gets I just turn to God and say, for the countless times I might have hurt you and grieved the holy Spirit without knowing, please forgive me and also, forgive the one that has hurt me because they've only drawn me closer to you. Guess what? He releases His peace in my heart......(Fulfilling His Word in John 14:27).
 Don't dwell on the the negative things people have said or done to you, instead, turn to God and ask for the special grace to please Him. That way, He'll teach you to walk right with Him, give you the peace that surpasses human understanding and reward you with that which you truly deserve.

HER PILOT – Her Confidence!

As I boarded my flight from Abuja to Lagos, some years back, the thought of losing my life troubled me due to incessant plane crashes locally and internationally. As I took my sit by the aisle and waited for takeoff, the Pilot introduced himself and advised we fastened our seat belts, alerting each one that we’d be at our destination in 70 minutes. 70 minutes! I echoed. Seventy minutes looked like eternity, I said my last prayer should the plane crash; still yet, I couldn’t get over the recent plane crashes. While the flight attendant served refreshments, I took him by his hand and pleaded that he sat beside me till we got to our destination. The young man, a bit puzzled, smiled and calmed me down, stating that he understood my fears and gently added that his job did not permit him such services, but he could help. Right in front of my row, was a young lady who had just graduated from Law school and was taking a trip to Lagos; she was looking out the window and enjoying the flight. The attendant introduced me to her and pleaded with her to make me comfortable, just before the attendant went back to work, he said to me, I’m sure she’ll help you understand that you’re in a safe flight, I repeated to myself, SAFE FLIGHT! How can? No flight has 100% assurance of its safety, I thought to myself. Shortly after I sat beside the lady, there was a fierce turbulence that made me conclude that it was about time to die, surprisingly, the young lady beside me didn’t seem to mind the turbulence as she constantly looked out the window and giggled to herself. I felt somewhat uncomfortable with her exuberant confidence that I stopped her in her tracks and asked her if she didn’t feel the terrific turbulence, she smiled and said, “I have absolutely nothing to worry about, because MY DAD is the Pilot and I fly with him all the time”.  Instantly, I keyed into that, knowing that I could also trust in her confidence, as no Pilot would risk his life and his daughter’s.

That brings me to the questions? How sure is your confidence and in whom is your confidence in? Like the turbulent trip from Abuja to Lagos, life has its challenges and troubles but whomever you trust determines the level of confidence in you. I was listening to a preacher sometime ago and he said, God did not promise a trouble free life, He only promised to be with you through it all. Like my Pastor would say, believers and unbelievers go through the same kind of troubles, but God sustains His own, God gives his beloved the grace to pass through trials, to face the turbulent situations that life brings.

(Isaiah 26:3-4) You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! 4 Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.

One of the lessons I learnt about difficulties and chaos is that as a child of God, moments like that will pass but not without you learning from the situations. Until you learn from it, until you grow in it, you’ll find yourself wallowing in pain and frustration, then again, I’ve come to realize that God teaches you a lot during the turbulent times that you may also minister to others in similar situations but the question is how attentive are you during those times. I’ve been in that situation when a life that seemed to be beautiful and peaceful suddenly became chaotic and very challenging that each day I woke, I expected another disaster. Initially, I would cry, throw questions at God, despised everyone around me, I became depressed and lived in fear. When I regained my sanity after persistent troubles, I laid quietly in bed one evening and then I heard that still small voice; Keep your eyes on the crown and the pain is less, keep your eyes on me and your frustrations are gone. The only question I heard myself ask was, when will all these be over? He answered me, until you’ve learnt all that I intend. The truth is, until the stormy sea is done throwing you to different directions during the course of living, you will not get to the shore refined. You either choose to fix your eyes on the eternal Rock (Isaiah 26:3&4) or you choose to hold on to imaginary objects while the storm uncontrollably drives you to the shore.

I was such a nervous wreck when I was flying to Lagos that I did not know when I told the flight attendant who was minding his job to sit beside me till the plane landed. That’s life for so many people, the moment fear creeps in, you find yourself running to fake gods, drugs, alcohol, sexual pleasures, false gods, human strength, etc  you find yourself seeking solace in the wrong places; thereby, inviting more wrath and sorrows than anticipated comfort. The Israelites found solace in mere idols and invited God’s wrath, they kept themselves from entering into their rest at the time they were meant to because they took their eyes off the author and finisher of their souls.

What is that situation that has kept you on your knees for so long? Keep trusting God, however silent He may seem, however difficult the situation may look, you can never be put to shame (Romans 10:11). Who are those enemies that pursue you relentlessly? Keep trusting God. What storms of life pushed you into seeking solace in drugs, alcohol, sexual pleasures, false gods, human strength, etc? I tell you today, if you can embrace Jesus and reach for His out-stretched arms, He will restore peace to you and get you out of that hopeless situation.

John 14:27

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Like the Pilot’s daughter who’d felt the same turbulence I’d felt but was calm, can we look beyond the situations that arise at one point or another in our lives and press on till we arrive at our destination? If she had so much confidence in her dad whose life is controlled by another, why can’t we have as much confidence, in the one who holds and controls our lives? That is what God expects from us, to be calm and in perfect peace putting our confidence in him when the storms of life carry us to undesirable places.  1 Peter 2:6 ("BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A CHOICE STONE, A PRECIOUS CORNER stone, AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED”).  He’s already miles and miles ahead of you and I. Keep your peace! He’s got it all figured out.

FEAR UNDRESSED!!!

The knowledge you have about the spiritual realm will help you hit the right opponent when you war for your physical and spiritual inheritance on earth. I must confess that this process is not the best of exercise but it’s worth the exercise, trust me. For you to deliver whatever you’ve conceived, for you to lay hold of your inheritance on earth, it takes rascality and rascality intimidates “fear”. (Matthew 11:12 - And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force). The extent you want to go in life, believe me,  is how far the enemy is DETERMINED to discourage and distract you, even,  wage war against you by introducing his most powerful weapon, FEAR!

If I’m to define fear from my own perspective, it’s a mirage! Mirage, (simply put), is an appearance that seems real but it’s unreal. When you travel on a very sunny day by road,  look as far as your eyes can take you, you’ll notice that the road looks very wet (calling for extreme caution as you approach that scene), but you’ll  find out that the road isn’t wet, even when you could have sworn  on the appearance you’d seen. That’s how fear works. The devil has a way of magnifying people’s problems, making them seem different and bigger than they are, and the moment you fall for his tactics, you struggle through like a non swimmer who finds himself in an ocean. The best way to fight fear is to stand up to it, face your fears and you’ll see that beneath fear’s garment is a non-existing image.

David was anointed as a king 20 years before he ascended the throne, why? Even though God knew how well he tended to the flocks of sheep and prevented them from been attacked by wilder animals, God wanted to prepare him even better to stand up to fear and so He made David stand up to “his” Goliath, the Philistine army, who had put the people of Israel in fear, the man who would have prevented David from ascending the throne if he hadn’t been brought to nothing by David. (Read, 1 Samuel 17). David faced his mountain to move to the next level because it was at the instance of standing up to Goliath that he was announced. David refused to live in fear like everyone in Israel, David hated that the people of Israel were in fear and he knew that someone had to stand up to that fear to conquer it. God could have taken care of Goliath for David; instead, he equipped David to fight Goliath. David looked fear in the face and said “I KNOW YOU ARE NON-EXISTENT, TODAY, I WILL EXPOSE YOU”.

2 Timothy 1:7 - For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

The Spirit God placed in you and I is not of fear, but of POWER (not weak, not timid, not of cowardice), and it takes the activation of that Spirit for you to see it produce results. The issue of fear has robbed great men and women of the possessions, it has prevented many from taking giant steps that would have brought about radical change, like David.

Let this mind be in you; Everything you fear, everything you fear in an ungodly manner is a foothold for the enemy to penetrate into your life and he’ll not stop manipulating and destroying you until he’s finished with you - ask Job in the Bible. Job 3:25 - What I feared has come upon me; what I dreaded has happened to me. The source of fear- the enemy, knows what you fear the most and what you dread, he then throws arrows at you using those things you fear knowing that they’ll get to you because you’re seen as weak in that aspect and whenever you’re weak, the devil gains entrance through your weakness. I want you to realize who you are in Christ Jesus, the authority you have been given as a child of God (1 John 4:4), and the Spirit that is at work in you; exercise authority over your fears and rebuke the enemy, the enemy loses his grip over whatever area he’s dominated and flees. There may be oppositions in your life today – strongholds of the wicked, threats from men, household oppositions, oppositions from friends, threats and oppositions from rulers and authorities in high places, fear of passing your exams, fear of advancement in life, fear of the unknown, etc; and you’re completely hopeless and weak thinking you’re all alone, no you’re not for ONE WITH GOD IS MAJORITY. It doesn’t matter how many they are, it doesn’t matter how strong they may seem, just say to yourself, I HAVE MORE ARMIES, I HAVE STRONGER ARMIES, I AM NOT ALONE!

2 Kings 6:15-18

So one night the king of Aram sent a great army with many chariots and horses to surround the city. 15When the servant of the man of God got up early the next morning and went outside, there were troops, horses, and chariots everywhere. “Oh, sir, what will we do now?” the young man cried to Elisha. 16“Don’t be afraid!” Elisha told him. “FOR THERE ARE MORE ON OUR SIDE THAN ON THEIRS!” 17Then Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!” The Lord opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire. 18As the Aramean army advanced toward him, Elisha prayed, “O Lord, please make them blind.” So the Lord struck them with blindness as Elisha had asked.

For you to attain any level in life, spiritually and physically, the truth is, you have to face the Goliath in every level and the only reason you cannot advance to the next level is fear, fear of defeat, fear of failure, fear of disappointment, etc. THE FREEDOM TO CHOOSE THE BATTLE TO FIGHT  ISN’T GOD’S PLAN FOR YOU BUT MAKING DECISIONS TO STAND AND FIGHT THE BATTLES THAT WILL BRING YOU TOTAL FREEDOM. Elisha did not see the Horses and chariots of fire in the physical, they were spiritual, yet, he stood his grounds trusting the power at work in him. Just for the fact that his opponents were physical was enough to make him run, it was enough to make him tremble and not use the power at work in him to command blindness on them, but he said, NO! Friend, I need you to see what he saw at the time -he prayed for his servant’s eyes to be opened to see what he saw. What you know about fear will either help you overcome it or make you give in to its emptiness.

What authority do you act on when you face your oppositions and Goliaths? 1 John 4:4 - But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.

 Having the mind that the SPIRIT of the one who stripped the enemy of ALL his powers when he rose from death lives in you, will help you face any challenge and come out victorious. The enemy may seem powerful, but his powers are “disguised” and “persistent” which makes a persistent Christian the best fit for the enemy. Stand up to your fears because you’ve been given the Spirit of boldness and the Spirit that lives in you overcame the world, no matter how long it may take, yes, no matter how long the battle takes, (the enemy wants to know if you will give up), but when he sees that you’re USING a stronger weapon and that you’re backed by a higher authority, he’ll flee.

In all, fear will rule and eventually destroy any man or woman who hasn’t accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and savior and anyone who doesn’t have a personal relationship with God.

I PRAY THAT WE’LL FULLY KNOW THE POWER THAT IS AT WORK IN US AND EFFICIENTLY EXERCISE THE AUTHORITY WE HAVE AS GOD’S CHILDREN AT ANY GIVEN OPPORTUNITY, IN JESUS NAME. AMEN!