Benefits of diligence

There is no shortcut to success. Diligence is a necessary virtue when success and divine breakthroughs are issues at stake. When you are not diligent, it is very difficult to prosper. Proverbs 22:29 says: “Sheets thou a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.” Many of us want to prosper even though we spend eight per cent of our time watching television. God is a rewarder of those who diligently serve Him.

If you go to the Lord in prayer reminding Him that He said whatever you ask the Father in the name of Jesus Christ will be done, He will answer you in the positive and remind you there are conditions attached. He will probably refer you to John 15:16: “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.”

God may ask you whether you have satisfied the conditions. Have you been winning souls? Are you following up the souls that were won? Are your fruits abiding? Maybe you are the one that needs to be changed completely. Genesis 32:24 describe how Jacob wrestled with an angel of the Lord. Jacob said he would not let the angel go until he had blessed him. The angel dislocated his thigh. The angel said what Jacob needed was not a blessing but a change. The angel changed his name from Jacob to Israel. Jacob wrestled because he knew that Esau was coming the following morning to fight him. He knew that all the blessings he had were stolen from Esau. The following morning, however instead of Esau cutting off Jacob’s head, he embraced him and the two of them began to weep.

Many a time when there is a recurring problem or a problem that refuses to go away, God may be telling you to change. If you are diligent in fulfilling the conditions for success or divine blessings, you will achieve whatever you are yearning for with ease. Do not think that anything is beyond the realm of achievement just because you could not get it done. Change your attitude or method and everything will fall into line.

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THE HOLY TEMPLE

Your life is a sacred trust bestowed on you by God. Your intellect, assets, money, gifts, talents and opportunities emanate from God - the giver of all good things. Ensure what you are endowed with are not abused and wasted; they constitute a loan, which you must retire at the end of your life. If God were to withdraw all His benefits and gifts from you, you would be empty. Malachi 3:6 tells us: “For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.” The position of God does not change.

You must recognize His help and support. If He was able to help you yesterday, He is able to help you today and He will be available to help you tomorrow. As you continue to recognize His help, you must never lose sight of the fact that everything that is good in you is borrowed. Whatever is borrowed should be treated with special care.

Many of the things that you have are borrowed, including your talents. One day, the One who gave you the talents will make you account for them (Matthew 25:14-29). Our children are borrowed, too. Psalms 127:3 says: “Lo, children are an inheritance of the LORD, and the fruit of the womb is his reward.” Many of us do not care whether we follow the way of the Lord or not. The One who gave us the children will ask us to account for them, one day. What about your money?

In Haggai 2:8, the Bible says: “The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts.” Whatever money you have is a loan from the One who owns silver and gold. One day, He will ask you to account for how you spent the money. In Corinthians 6:19-20, the Bible states that God owns your body. Some of us use our bodies as if we do not know that they were borrowed.

The owner of the body will query you when the time comes. Your body belongs to the Holy Spirit, so you cannot commit adultery and fornication with it and get away free. Your body must be used correctly.

In Ecclesiastes 12:7, the Bible teaches that your spirit belongs to God. You cannot do whatever you like with your spirit. Your soul belongs to the Almighty God and, one day, you shall surely give an account for it.

You do not have the liberty to spend your life and make use of your resources the way you like. Remember, the day of reckoning is at hand. Prepare to meet thy Lord.

God cares about us

God is love. He does not want any of His children to go astray. Whenever He discovers that we are going astray He swiftly acts by placing on our pathway a barrier that will jolt us out of complacency and get us back on to the right path. Our text reveals the divine attitude to sin. Although God loved Israel and established a covenant with them as a peculiar people, He did not fail to deal with them whenever they erred. Any act of violation on the part of those in covenant relationship with God attracts divine displeasure. God did not deny that He made a covenant with Joshua.

However, the covenant was based on the understanding that the children of Israel must remain holy because He is holy. They broke the covenant so it could not stand. However, He said because He does not change, if they would go back to their part of the covenant, He would maintain His. Many a time, when we go to the Lord in prayer, He reminds us of the sins in our lives hindering our miracles.

The word of God says in Proverbs 28:13, “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper, but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy”. When God loves you but you go contrary to His will, He will talk to you. The only time when you can hear His voice is when you are praying. You might be praying for God to prosper you.If you go to the Lord in prayer and ask why you are not prospering, it is possible that He will refer you to Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Many of us want to prosper but we are lazy. God is faithful but we have to fulfill our own part of the deal. Many of us often limit God’s power.

CURSE AND ITS EFFECTS

A curse can be likened to a very heavy burden. Anyone who carried such a burden will find life burdensome, wearisome and tough. Do you know that it is possible to come under a religious curse? Pastors can curse, but I am sure that a godly Pastor will not curse you. However, if you are in the Church to hinder the growth of others, if you do not repent, you are already cursed. Definitely, it shall not e well with anyone who would not allow the children of God to reach their goals. This is, in fact, their duty and they are happy doing it. John 10:10 says, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” You should not be surprised to see a witch curse. What are the effects of a curse? The effect of a curse is damnation. When someone places a curse on you, you are in trouble. There is a story in Mark 11, of where Jesus was going on a journey and saw a fig tree with leaves. He wants near the tree expecting to find fruits on the tree. When He found out that there were no fruits on the tree, He cursed the fig tree. He decided that no man should henceforth eat from the tree. The following morning, something had happened to the tree, as recorded in Mark 11:20 “And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.”
A curse normally goes to the roots. It begins to eat away the roots. It destroys the roots and a lot of damage is done before anything becomes noticeable. There are several signs to show when someone is under a curse. For example, barrenness is a curse. The plan of God is that everybody should increase and multiply. Inability to conceive may be linked to a curse. Spiritual barrens can also be traced to a curse. Examine yourself. Deal with all kinds of curses. Do not rest until you are completely

"Underneath are the everlasting arms."

      "Underneath are the everlasting arms."                -- Deuteronomy 33 :27 God-the eternal God-is himself our support at all times, and especially when we are sinking in deep trouble. There are seasons when the Christian sinks very low in humiliation. Under a deep sense of his great sinfulness, he is humbled before God till he scarcely knows how to pray, because he appears, in his own sight, so worthless. Well, child of God, remember that when thou art at thy worst and lowest, yet "underneath" thee "are everlasting arms." Sin may drag thee ever so low, but Christ's great atonement is still under all. You may have descended into the deeps, but you cannot have fallen so low as "the uttermost"; and to the uttermost he saves. Again, the Christian sometimes sinks very deeply in sore trial from without. Every earthly prop is cut away. What then? Still underneath him are "the everlasting arms." He cannot fall so deep in distress and affliction but what the covenant grace of an ever-faithful God will still encircle him. The Christian may be sinking under trouble from within through fierce conflict, but even then he cannot be brought so low as to be beyond the reach of the "everlasting arms"- they are underneath him; and, while thus sustained, all Satan's efforts to harm him avail nothing. This assurance of support is a comfort to any weary but earnest worker in the service of God. It implies a promise of strength for each day, grace for each need, and power for each duty. And, further, when death comes, the promise shall still hold good. When we stand in the midst of Jordan, we shall be able to say with David, "I will fear no evil, for thou art with me." We shall descend into the grave, but we shall go no lower, for the eternal arms prevent our further fall. All through life, and at its close, we shall be upheld by the "everlasting arms"-arms that neither flag nor lose their strength, for "the everlasting God fainteth not, neither is weary."

christian impression

  If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort form his love, if any fellowship with the spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.    -- Philippians 2 :1-5       THOUGHT: Many people, even Christians, live only to make a good impression on others or to please themselves. But "selfish ambition or vain conceit" brings discord. Paul therefore, stressed spiritual unity, asking the Philippians to love one another and to be one in spirit and purpose. When we work together, caring for the problems of others as if they were our problems, we demonstrate Christ's example of putting others first and we experience unity. Don't be so concerned about making a good impression on meeting your own needs that you strain relationships in God's family. Selfish ambition can ruin a church, but genuine humility can build it. Being humble involves having a true perspective about ourselves ( See Romans 12 :3). It does not mean that we should put ourselves down. Before God, we are sinners, saved only by God's kingdom. We are to lay aside selfishness and treat others with respect and common courtesy. Considering others' interests as more important than our own links us with Christ, who was the true example of humility. PRAYER:  Shepherd of my soul, thank you for the ups and downs, the joy and blessings in the month of January. We are also thanking you for this wonderful month of February, Thanks for the wonderful word that you 've sent to us in this month. You will work in us to be like-minded this month in the name of Jesus. Your thought will be our though, your pursuit will be our pursuit, you goal our goal in this month. You will help us to deal with people the way you will deal with them. We shall walk and please you in the name of Jesus. This month shall be fruitful to us in the name of Jesus. You will use us to affect others positively in Jesus mighty name of Jesus I prayed Amen.

just as you received him

VERSE:   Just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.    -- Colossians 2 :6-7      
THOUGHT:   Some things you don't change, swap, or update. In an age when computer processors make major leaps every few months and software companies release new upgrades every year, we get programmed into looking for the new and improved version of everything. The simple but profound truth is that Jesus is Lord. No update needed. No rival worthy. No change necessary. In fact, if we stray from this as the basis of our life, we put all we hold dear at risk. But if we continue, if we grow, if we root ourselves in this truth and make it the undergirding reality of our lives, then our future is secure and our victory assured!
PRAYER:   Holy God, I thank you for the simple, challenging and enduring truth of Jesus' Lordship. Through you Spirit, I pray that you will conform my life to more closely reflect his lordship in my work, my family, and daily influence. In the name of the Lord Jesus I pray. Amen.

GOD"S VOICE

"God's voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding. He says to the snow, 'Fall on the earth,' and to the rain shower, 'Be a mighty downpour.'"    -- Job 37 :5-6       THOUGHT:   Isn't that a beautiful phrase! " God's voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding." He will do great and marvelous things in your life.Believe this. Rather than spending a lot of time talking or thinking about how marvelous God is, let's praise him in prayer. PRAYER:   Holy, Righteous, and Eternal God! You alone are truly and fully holy. I cannot but comprehend the distant outskirts of your ways, but I love you. You are so far beyond me on my best days, I can' t quite understand why you would pay such a cost to redeem someone like me. But, Dear God, I thank you and praise you from the bottom of my heart. In Jesus' name. Amen.

SPIRITUALITY AND YOU

' this people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me' mat 15: 8

Spirituality is an goods thing, not an outward show. Those who dramatize holiness are hardly ever so. Some people equate holiness with such trivial things as the way one dresses, walks, talks and greets. While it is true that spirituality leads to transformation of life, it is principally an inner phenomenon. It begins no the inside and then radiates to the outside rather than the cosmetic approach we often see being displayed.
To be a godly person, a holy person or a deep spiritual person is not something one advertises by oneself. If you are; people will see it on you because it is glaring. Do you remember that it took a kiss from Judas iscariot to reveal Jesus christ to his captors? That tells you that jesus christ must have been dressing like every other disciple and there was nothing about his attire that gave him out or made him look special.
Church is one good place these days where you see many hypocrites. Everyone pretends to be spiritual and holy. Even, the teachings from many pulpits encourage it. You will be totally disappointed if you have cause to work, live or relate closely with many big names looked upon as highly spiritual or holy.
Spirituality is not cosmetic; it is an inner transformation. It is rooted on the inside, transforming to the outside. It is demonstrated through one's attitude, character and morals. It manifests itself in pure love and selfless service to other people. It is the display of a Godly character.
Do not be puffed up. Those that are godly, holy and anointed hardly flaunt it. Humility is a major characteristics of spirituality. Every godly person is supposed to be humble but to be humble but unfortunately, the opposite is what we see everywhere today in our society and churches.
It is not beyond you. To be godly, holy and anointed is within reach for no one is specially created by God to be more spiritual than others, we all have equal access to him. Ezekiel 34 http://gan.doubleclick.net/gan_click?lid=41000000033653870&pubid=21000000000331353

'and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free'...Jn 8:32
Information gathering is the number one assignment in the school of success, but managing the information to mid-wife the breakthrough is another thing. Information comes from men, management comes from you while revelation comes from God. Those are the ingredients every one of us need to secure a breakthrough. Everybody that made it, those are the factors that worked for them.
Information can be got from anyone in any field and from books, media, conferences and seminars. From people as you listen to them teach or preach and even from songs. Today, the internet is a veritable source of information as you browse through the websites. All you need to be a good reader, ardent listener and a committed researcher.
You must manage information very well. Though it is not every info you get that will be useful, some will be wrong or outrightly falsehood. You know that he you act no wrong info, the outcome will be regrettable. It can lead to losses, litigation, embarrassment and such other negative consequences.
Even when the information is right , it may not be relevant to your purpose. So, you need to sift information and make use of the relevant ones for your course.
Revelation is the illumination that comes from God into our mind as to taking the right steps at the right time to achieve the desired purpose. The truth is, most of the great inventions that men had thus making significant and historic changes in life were stumbled on. God can reveal to you, in a flash, the result of the research that will take years to get. There is a point where champions or winners cannot explain how they finally came about their breakthrough other than to say, God did it. Stay blessed!