Loving God Indeed

Imagine an attempt to classify the people in the world by their love for God. Maybe that stretches your imagination a bit with over 6 billion people on earth. Why don’t you try to classify the people in your work-place, business or school into those that would likely say they love God and those that do not share such sentiments? Have you ever wondered how Christianity does not have exclusive preserve to the concept of God or a supreme being with supernatural powers? Most world religions claim there is a god somewhere who desires loyal subjects. The enthusiasts of these religions show their convictions by affirming love for their supreme being.

Love makes people act in certain ways; it determines what they do and draws the boundaries on what they choose not to do. This is more so, when there are negative repercussions for actions not in accordance with the wishes of the loved one. However, despite the fact that most Christians claim love for God, we find people called by this very honorable name doing things which they know He will clearly not approve. Certain complacency seems to have set in with the church in which the grace of God is taken for granted. We frustrate the grace of God!

Rather than utilize the grace which God has given us to fulfill His purpose, many believers are taking this grace for a ride. But this should not be the case as Titus 2: 11, 12 states “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.  It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age”.

Our God loved us enough to take our place and die the death we deserved. Yet, He seems to be the most ignored one from the actions of the people who claim to believe that the death He died was to rescue and restore them. The magnitude of Apostle Paul’s statement in 2 Corinthians 5: 14, 15 sends shivers down my spine—“ For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.”

True love for God is displayed when we willingly let go of our own best formulated plans for his ultimate plan which is ultimately far better than ours. He knows the end from the beginning and can order your steps to that expected end which He has planned for those who love Him. The hope of eternal life which we have should lead us to live purposeful lives here on earth. Sometimes this means giving up comfort, friends or family, but the rewards we get from God are eternal. (See Matthew 10:37-39). I read about the killing of some Christian aid workers in Afghanistan last week, yet the organization they work for plans to stay on in the country to minister. A knowledge that life doesn’t end with the temporary enjoyments which we see around us should motivate godly living based on our reciprocal love for the One who laid His life down for us. I have heard it rightly said that one ought to live only for something that is worth dying for.

Can you imagine the hurt Jesus felt when Peter and the other disciples went back to fishing soon after his death? They toiled all night and did not catch any fish however, as they were working in their own strengths. People who had been chosen to be fishers of men were fishing for measly fish again in despair. Extraordinary miracle workers were back to being ordinary fisher men! Oh what shame! Many of us used to be firebrands at some point especially at the beginning of our walk with Christ; we were drunk with the wine of new love. “I will always love You” was our song… but now, a few years down the line, we have turned cold, we have forgotten the love songs we sang and the promises we made to God. Jesus is however reaching back to you in forgiveness and expectation with the question: “Do you love me more than these?”

- Dr. Ifelayo Peter Ojo

*All scriptures from New International Version of the Bible

Next week we will discuss ‘Trusting God’. This series will continue our discussion of purposeful living in our earth-walk as citizens of the heavenly kingdom here to make a difference. 

Where are you going to?

We have seen or heard of the death of many people, but have we ever really pondered on where the dead end up? It is commonly said that … he/she has gone to be with the Lord, but can we really prove this? Purposeful living in this world is impossible without due consideration of the issue of the after-life. Some people claim to know where they are going to on earth; they have defined purpose based on their jobs, birth place or circumstances. If they were however honest with themselves, leaving God’s will out of their self-defined purpose still leaves them feeling empty. An accomplished life is only achievable after you have answered the question: Where am I going to when I leave this world?

Many people keep saying things like – “if I return back to this world after I’m dead, I would do this and that”. But Hebrews 9:27 (CEV) says “We die only once, and then we are judged.” So, it’s not about whether you are coming back; it’s about where you are going to.  I’m aware some believers are still very uncertain about the answer to this question: “where will you go when you die?” They have the feeling that it could either be here or there. They are not really sure. But one of the blessedness of Christianity is that it dispels the brazenness of uncertainty about what happens to us after death.

So what happens to a born again person after they die? Simply put, his destination is the place of his origination. Just like God told man in Genesis 3:19 that - … for dust thou art; and unto dust shalt thou return, the believer should always be reminded that for God’s thou art and unto Him shalt thou return.

Philippians 3:20-21 (CEV) says “But we are citizens of heaven and are eagerly waiting for our Savior to come from there. Our Lord Jesus Christ has power over everything, and he will make these poor bodies of ours like his own glorious body. Hallelujah, we have a glorious destination! And to give us proof that He will bring us home to be with Him in heaven on the last day, God gave us the Holy Spirit as proof that He owns us. “Christ also brought you the truth, which is the good news about how you can be saved. You put your faith in Christ and were given the promised Holy Spirit to show that you belong to God. The Spirit also makes us sure that we will be given what God has stored up for his people. Then we will be set free, and God will be honored and praised”. Ephesians 1:13, 14 (CEV).

Our destination is not based on our last deed before death, but on God’s seed at Christ’s death. That was the great change that took place when we got born again. We are not like unbelievers who are plagued with uncertainty about eternity. We know where we came from and we are convinced we will return there. I know many believers have chosen not to believe this truth, and would rather hold on to an inferior thought. But if only we would learn from Apostle John; he said in 1John 3:2 (CEV) “My dear friends, we are already God's children, though what we will be hasn't yet been seen. But we do know that when Christ returns, we will be like him, because we will see him as he truly is.” We should not be carried away by the reports of men, no matter the title they carry or the hell/ heaven the claim to have visited. We should stick with the report of God – we will die but once, we will then live forever with God in heaven. “This hope makes us keep ourselves holy, just as Christ is holy.” 1John 3:3 (CEV) 

- tope aladenusi

Why are you here?

If you wake up in the morning and hear your dog barking or your rooster crowing, you don’t get excited and impressed. You don’t run to your neighbour and say - ‘Oh neighbour! Can you imagine this, my dog was barking this morning’. You know that would sound so strange. This is because your dog was wired to bark naturally and anything short of that is abnormal. 

Likewise, when we live holy, healthy and victorious lives, God is not excited because he doesn’t expect anything less from us. The Christian life is a life of an all-round victory and success. Every step we take should exude the grace of God. Our actions should tell stories of the excellences of God. Anything short of this is not the Christian life.

Some of us used to behave very badly before we became born again. At those times, we had this constant feeling that God was fuming because of our terrible attitudes. So as soon as we entered into God’s kingdom and we were told that angels were rejoicing in heaven because we are saved, we got fired up. However, we are not really living the Christian life any longer; we are up today and down tomorrow. We slip into the excellent attributes of God and slip out the next minute. And surprisingly, whenever we manifest God's nature, we think God is jubilating again.

How can He jubilate because you don’t care about the perishing souls around you in general, but today you decided to preach to someone? How can healing the sick and living in good health fire Him up? How can helping the needy make him bask in excitement? How can living a holy life one day in one month make angels to celebrate? How can donating to God’s work last year cause a roar in heaven? Are these not the things we have been wired to do naturally … and constantly? Are they not expressions of the purpose we are to fulfill on earth?

The Bible says in 1 Peter 2:9 -  “But ye are a elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that ye may show forth the excellences of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light”. This is one major purpose why you are here on earth. God is pleased with the believer because of Christ’s work on the cross and we now have to make it our sole purpose to be pleasing to him. You are here to display your identity in Christ. You are here to live the Christian life that will naturally attract others to Christ.  Don’t slip in and out of it and think God is excited for the moments when you get it right; you don’t expect your dog to slip in and out of ‘barking’. Also, don’t get too agitated saying “I do not know my purpose”. Obey the known purposes of God for your life and the things specific to you will be unraveled as time goes on.

- tope aladenusi

How do you identify your purpose – Part 3?

I recently interviewed someone for the position of a driver. Below is an excerpt of our conversation.

Me: Why did you leave the company where you worked before?

Driver: They don’t usually take care of their staff.

Me: So how do you define “take care”?

Driver: Hmm ... For example, in my friend’s company, they usually give him a bag of rice during Christmas period. But that company never gave us anything.

Me: Okay, was it written in your employment letter that you will be given rice at Christmas?

Driver: No

Me: Then why were you expecting what was not in your terms of contract?

The truth is that, I knew the answer to my questions even as I was asking him. He was suffering from entitlement mentality or go-getters mentality. Many of us reading this may have already began to throw stones at this driver, but I know that if we look closely at our lives, we would realise that we do something similar in varying magnitudes.

I have heard more believers complain that someone (Uncle, Relative, Friend, Pastor, Boss, etc.) did not help them than I have heard from even unbelievers. Many of us are go-getters; we spend more time counting the blessings others did not give to us rather than counting the blessings we gave. Our thoughts are more engrossed with how we will get from others. And it is a pity that believers with such mentality may find it difficult walking in God’s purpose for their lives. Why?

The epicentre of God’s plan for your life is centred on how you will donate to this world. As a believer, you were qualified for heaven the very moment you accepted the salvation of Jesus Christ, but God left you here so you would give something unique to this world. When you are more concerned about what you will get from this world, you are moving in the opposite direction from God. It becomes more difficult to pick the signals He is beaming at you because your mind is saying “get, get, get” and most times He is saying “give, give, give”.

If Jesus had the “get get” mentality, he would have grabbed the ‘opportunity’ to become a king, but he preferred the rugged cross over the royal chair because he was thinking of how he would give salvation. If Apostle Paul had the go-getters mentality, he would have given up when he was thrown into prison as there would be no opportunity to “get” again. But while he was in prison, the givers mentality made him fulfil purpose by preaching the gospel and writing some of the New Testament books we read today. If you see this life to be all about getting, I tell you it will be difficult to discover and walk in the unknown purposes of God for your life.

No wonder Jesus kept saying ... You are the light of the world; you are the salt of the earth. In other words, you are a giver to the world. But it is unfortunate that many of us are crying that the world’s light is not shinning on us. When you start seeing yourself as a giver and a solution to the world’s problems, you are positioning yourself to walk in God’s purpose for your life; you are obeying the known will of God and that will usher you into a discovery of the unknown details.

Am I saying you should not receive your entitlements or encourage others to cheat you? No! But I’ll like you to know that the reason why you are in your family, church, workplace, ministry, community and the world at large is because there is something God wants you to donate there. So rather than singing “pass me not o gentle giver”, start singing – “I will pass not until I have given what He wants me to give ...” Once you start thinking like this, you are taking another good step to easily decipher all the unknown things God wants to do through you.

- tope aladenusi

How do you identify your purpose – Part 2?

Identifying God’s will for our lives is one of the easiest things for Christians to do. But we must be ready to believe and obey God’s principles, however how simple they may appear.

I usually say to myself that ... When I get to heaven, I should not be surprised if God tells me that more than 90% of what He would have me do have already been written in the Bible. I may not be very correct with my estimate, but the truth is that a ‘sizeable portion’ of God’s will for our lives have been documented in the Bible.

Therefore, you can view God’s purpose from two perspectives – the known and the unknown. The known consists of His principles / will as revealed in the Bible, as well as things He has revealed to you personally. The unknown consists of things that are mostly peculiar to you that God has not yet revealed. If we are not faithful in obeying the “known”, why should we expect to discover the “unknown”? Do we want to discover it just for the sake of knowing? Many times, the unknown is discovered while we are attempting to do the known.

Act 16:7  After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.

Act 16:8  And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas.

Act 16:9  And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.

Act 16:10  And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.

Paul and his companions were attempting to obey God by planning to go and preach in Bithynia. They knew that God wanted them to preach, what they were not sure of was where. But while they were attempting to go to Bithynia, the revelation of Macedonia as God’s will for them came.

Obeying God’s will for the New Creation as documented in the Bible ushers us to discover the unknown purpose of God for our lives. If Joseph was disobeying the will of God with respect to sex, he would probably have been rollicking and frolicking with Portiphar’s wife when the opening for the post of Prime Minister of Egypt showed up. If Timothy was a reigning thug during his youth, we may be wondering how he discovered God’s purpose for his youthful age by being the Bishop of several churches? If we do not obey the will of God for our lives that is already written in black and white, what assurance do we have that we will even obey the ones that we claim to “hear” or “perceive”?

It is also important for us to obey the will of God already revealed to us personally. When Paul had an encounter with Jesus on his way to Damascus, the Lord told him: “Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do” Acts 9:6. He obeyed and this led to him getting saved and receiving his sight. If Paul had not become a believer and started obeying God in Acts 9, it is arguable the Holy Ghost would not have said in Acts 13, "Separate unto me Barnabas and Saul, for the work whereunto I have sent them...". 

Have you been praying on the mountain for several months asking God for your purpose in life? Please come down and start obeying Him. You don’t discover it by prayer alone. To obey is better than the sacrifices of futile prayers, church politics, religious activities and worldly proclivities. Continue obeying the will of God you already know, and at the right time, you will be able to identify the ones that are still unknown.

- tope aladenusi

How do you identify your purpose?

Why are you here? That’s one question anyone that must achieve the God kind of success must answer. God has a specific purpose for sending you to the earth and it is your responsibility to identify it and fulfil it. Many believers agree with this, but they keep asking the question: How do I identify my purpose? How do I know what role I’m to play on earth?

The first point I will like to share is – get into the game. You may be wondering what game I’m referring to; Is it football, tennis, basketball or what? Although the game is not any of these, we can draw some lessons from the game of football. I used to be a defensive midfielder in a local football club that was in my neighbourhood during my teenage years. But to be sincere, I did not desire to play this defensive midfield position. I loved the ecstasy of scoring goals and kept assuming I was a good striker, and deserved the No. 9 shirt. But anywhere I have ever played, the coaches had a way of sending me back to my rightful midfield place.

How did the best players in the world finally settle for the field positions they currently play? They got into the field and kept on playing. They did not discover it by sitting at home and analyzing football. They were in the game. Which ‘game’ do you need to get into to discover your role in life?

You need to (be born again and) start living the kingdom life! You have to stop sitting on the fence and start exercising on the field. Believe that Jesus Christ paid the price for your redemption by dying on the cross and live like you truly believe it. I like the way Billy Graham puts it “when we live apart from God, our lives get out of tune”. You need to be in tune.

Jesus Christ gave us the password - “seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33. Getting into God’s kingdom and living by the kingdom principles puts you in a position to identify your purpose. Just like you do not get into the football field and try to play by the rules of basketball, it is important you live by the rules of the kingdom. (Galatians 6:15-16)

Are you currently living your life based on the standard of God’s word?

We will continue next week.

- tope aladenusi

Describing yourself in a job interview …

If you attend a job interview and was told to describe yourself, what would you say? I remember attending some interviews in the past and such questions gave me an opportunity to “sell” myself.

But I’m thrilled by the unprecedented way some people constantly described themselves in the Bible.

 “The Jewish authorities in Jerusalem sent some priests and Levites to John (the Baptist) to ask him, "Who are you?" …  What do you say about yourself? John answered by quoting the prophet Isaiah: "I am 'the voice of someone shouting in the desert: Make a straight path for the Lord to travel! " John 1:19, 22-23 (GNB)

John described himself by telling the people his purpose in life.

Jesus once asked his disciples - "who do you say I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah …” - Mat 16:16. Jesus gave Peter a thumbs-up because he was spot on. Peter’s response was resonating Jesus’ purpose and unique identity.

The man that wrote majority of the New Testament books introduced most of the books by shedding light on his unique identity. For instance, in Romans 1:1 he wrote: “Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle …”. Apostle Peter also threaded this same path.

What am I trying to say? Is it that you are to illustrate your life’s purpose and unique identity when asked to describe yourself in job interview? No! That’s not the point! You know the aspects of your personality and experiences the interviewers are particularly interested in and you may go ahead to tell them. However, I’m trying to draw your attention to the point that in the last couple of weeks, we have been discussing our collective identity as believers. From discussions on being righteous, delivered and sanctified to being saints and God’s representatives on earth, we have delved into things that are common to all believers.

Nevertheless, there is something unique about you. In the midst of our collective identity, you have a distinctive identity on earth. Your assignment is unique and you should be able to describe it eloquently and succinctly like Paul and Peter, if asked in a job interview.

Well, this job interview may not happen till the end of the age when it will be an exit interview—Did you fulfill my purpose for your life? That will be God interviewing you. More on that next week …

- tope aladenusi

The ambassador’s lifestyle

The bible says in 2Corinthians 5:17, 20 - “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature … Now then we are ambassadors for Christ …”

We (believers) are Christ’s ambassadors! I like the way Philippians 3:20 (BBE) buttresses this point – “For our country is in heaven …” We don’t belong here. We are only here on a temporary basis and soon, we will return to our country – heaven. Are you really living the lifestyle of an ambassador?

Some dictionaries define “ambassador” as an important official who represent his or her government in a foreign country. An understanding of how the average ambassador in the world behaves may shed more light in areas where we need to up our game:

·             An ambassador is not in another country on his / her own accord. You are on an assignment and you should be working with your home country (heaven) to achieve that.

·             Ambassadors are officially protected from harm by what is known as diplomatic immunity. The host government cannot detain or arrest ambassadors. Are you enjoying your diplomatic immunity in this world? Are you ignorantly allowing the god of this world to tamper with your immunity? If you claim to be molested, oppressed by people, witches, wizards and the devil, do you know who you really are?

·             Ambassadors reflect the life (and lifestyle) of their home country, even in a foreign land. You don’t expect the US ambassador to Nigeria to live in one of the slums in Lagos. They live in very nice places. Does your prosperity reflect that of your country?

·             An ambassador is usually appointed for a specific length of time. Your tenure as Christ’s representative is gradually being exhausted. Are you making the best use of the time?

·             An ambassador's main function is to advance the interests of his country in a foreign land. Are you focusing on pursuing your personal interests or the interest of your country? Are your prayer points overwhelmed with your interests or the interests of heaven?

·             Ambassadors are sent to countries with which diplomatic relations are maintained. The diplomatic relation your country has with this world is for a major strategic purpose – to reconcile men unto God. Is that your focus in life?

·             Ambassadors are spokespersons for their foreign offices. Have you been speaking on behalf of heaven recently?

We could go on and on. But at this point, I ask you this:  Are you an ambassador for Christ in words alone, or in deed and truth?

- tope aladenusi

What you must know about your saintly medal …

I’m always delighted to read these words written by Rick Warren – “God is much more interested in who you are than what you do. We are human beings, not human doings.”

We all know that God cares about what we do and how we conduct ourselves, but we must not forget that his first emphasis is always on who we are. He is first interested in our ‘being’ before our ‘doing’.

I understand the world sees things differently. For instance, they expect you to go to medical school before you become a doctor. But if you were dealing with God, he first makes you a medical doctor, and then he sends you to medical school. The world may expect you to complete your university degree and Law school in order to be a practicing lawyer. For God, he makes you a Lawyer in an instant, and gives you the instruction to go and practice.

Many believers are swift to go the way of the world. For instance, before they regard you as a saint, you must have gone through the Ups and Downs of Life, and it should be visible to all that you consistently lived without sin. But for God, he makes you a saint the instant you become born again, and then he gives you the manual on how to express your saintly nature. He is more concerned about your being. He transforms your being and knows that your doings will be affected by your being.

He said in Ezekiel 36:26-27 (GW) “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you … I will put my Spirit in you. I will enable you to live by my laws, and you will obey my rules.”

First, a new heart, a new spirit, a saintly nature … and then, you will obey my rules. You get the certificate before you commence the school. You get the ‘saint medal’ before you start running the saintly race.

The Corinthians had notorious tendencies when they started the saintly race. But Paul reminded them of their being, and urged them to make their doing reflect their being. 1Cor 1:2 & 1Cor 6:20 (BBE) “To the church of God which is in Corinth, to those who have been made holy in Christ Jesus, saints by the selection of God … for a payment has been made for you: let God be honoured in your body.”

If you are born again, you are a saint according to God’s selection; but God desires that you also be a saint according to daily disposition. You have the ‘saint medal’ already, start seeing yourself this way and continue displaying your ‘medal’ wherever you go.

- tope aladenusi

Can evil spirits return into a believer?

One striking difference between people who lived in the Old Testament times and believers of today (that existed after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ) is the relationship and operation of the Holy Spirit in their lives.  In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit did not dwell inside any being. He only manifested at some points and later departed. Sometimes he had some symbolic representations. For instance, when Samson’s hair was scrapped off, the Holy Spirit departed from him. But Jesus came with a new order.

He told his disciples in John 14:16 “I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever”. The promise of Jesus Christ to us is that the Comforter (Holy Spirit) will abide with us forever. And since all believers have the Holy Spirit dwelling in them (Romans 8:9), they also have that supernatural advantage which comes with the indwelling of God’s Spirit forever. There are magnificent implications of this singular (yet powerful) fact, but it is quite unfortunate that many believers undermine them.

Ephesians 4:30 (GNB) says “And do not make God's Holy Spirit sad; for the Spirit is God's mark of ownership on you”. One of the key evidences that God has already purchased you with the blood of Jesus Christ is that his seal of ownership is on you, and that seal (Holy Spirit) will remain on you forever 2Corinthians 1:22 tells us -- it is God who has sealed us with His Spirit irrevocably! You don’t have anywhere to run to and the devil or any evil spirit cannot dwell in you again. I once told a friend this and he referred me to Matthew 12:43-45 (CEV):

“When an evil spirit leaves a person, it travels through the desert, looking for a place to rest. But when the demon doesn't find a place, it says, "I will go back to the home I left." When it gets there and finds the place empty, clean, and fixed up, it goes off and finds seven other evil spirits even worse than itself. They all come and make their home there, and the person ends up in worse shape than before.”
 
My friend tried to explain that when a believer sins, the Holy Spirit can leave him and evil spirit can return to that person. But that’s a lie! John 14:16 tells us that the Holy Spirit will abide with us forever. God does not give up His ownership nor can He hand us over to the devil just like that even though we did what we were not supposed to do. I John 2:1 reminds us that our advocate – Jesus will stand in for us if we sin. And because the Holy Spirit dwells in us, we can never be found in an “empty” state where there will be room for an evil one to return into us.

Some believers even think evil spirits can dwell side by side with the Holy Spirit inside us. But the bible says in 2Corinthians 6:14 GNB “…How can light and darkness live together?” So beloved, don’t believe those who say believers can have spirit husbands / wives. Don’t accept the idea that the evil one can dwell within you. Believe the report of the Lord and act accordingly. Jesus Christ already paid the price by his death and resurrection and henceforth, the Holy Spirit dwells in us forever!

- tope aladenusi

Are Christians really free from ancestral curses?

Early this month, someone sent this very important mail to me regarding deliverance:

“Hi Tope. I have this question weighing on my mind; when a sinner who is under a covenant with some black or (occult) powers (blood covenant) becomes born again (perhaps it is something his father or forefathers did way before he was born and, he is unaware of the covenant). Will the covenant be broken automatically, once he becomes born again, or, does he have to go for deliverance to break this covenant?”

A lot of Christians are faced with similar situations and I desire that they read this piece. First, the major reason we are faced with such dilemmas is because we were not taught or we do not really understand the implication of being born again. Most believers still think that to be born again means to change your attitude, or as it is commonly said, “the bad things you used to do, you do them no more”. However, that has a totally different meaning from this.

I like the way the question was framed: when a sinner … becomes born again? Last week, I emphasized that before you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, the devil was the Commander-in-Chief of your life. Because of the sin of Adam, man was separated from God and since man is primarily a spirit, the devil could possess his spirit. But what happened when we got born again?

John 3:5 (KJV) “Jesus answered … Except a man be born … of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”

2Co 5:17 (MSG) “… anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons!”

Rom 6:6 (GNB) “And we know that our old being has been put to death with Christ on his cross …”

To be born again means to be born of the Spirit of God. A new being was created in us when we got born again. But before that new being was born, something happened. The old being that was easily possessed by the devil was destroyed. As a matter of fact, every time a person gets born again, we should be conscious of the fact that someone just died. Furthermore, a new being (spirit) that previously never existed was born inside that person.

So what if a sinner practiced occultism / witchcraft before and now he is saved? Simple, the person that practiced occultism is now dead; crucified with Christ on the cross. That is what the substitutionary work of Jesus Christ means. In the mind of God, when Jesus went to the cross, we were in him and died with him. That’s why you will see the phrase “in Him” or “in Christ” over 130 times in the New Testament. We may not notice any instant change physically or even in attitude, but let every man be a liar and let the Word of God be true; that new man is born again and will be shocked if you associate him with occultism. It would be like accusing a day-old child of being occultic last year; everyone would think you were out of your mind. The curses (ancestral or not) were automatically broken when you got born again because the person that had their physical lineage and partook in the curse is dead! We now have a new lineage from God (I Peter 1:23). Does a dead man require deliverance from occultism? No wonder the bible says – “So if the Son sets you free, you will be absolutely free.” John 8:36 (GW).

You may say - But some Christians behave as though they are possessed? Why do some still act like occultists even after they are saved? What about people who say a Christian can have a spirit husband, spirit wife or spirit whatever? Is it possible for an evil spirit to return to a believer if he/ she commits a sin?

We will discuss this and many more in our subsequent messages.

- tope aladenusi

Do Christians need deliverance?

One of the greatest mistakes the devil repeatedly makes from generation to generation is that he does not terminate the lives of many Christians while they are unbelievers. Let’s face it; before you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, the devil was the Commander-in-Chief of your life. You were totally under his spell. Ephesians 2:2 (CEV)   puts it this way - “You followed the ways of this world and obeyed the devil. He rules the world, and his spirit has power over everyone who doesn't obey God”.

Perhaps you didn’t feel it then, but that’s the truth. His remote control was fully operational in you. He could hit a “lie” button and the next minute you would be framing a very constructive lie. He could press the “lust” button and you would have no other option than to lust. At the extreme, he could press the “nightmare” and then the “die” button, like we do when we ‘fight’ Mortal Kombat on our computer games, and in a heartbeat, you would be ‘dead and gone’. But thank God it is already too late for the devil to have such power over your life as a believer.

Colossians 1:13 (KJVA) “Who (God) hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son”. This is one common trait of every believer. We (believers) have been delivered from the devil and his cohorts, even though many of us do not accept it. I will never forget a prayer meeting I attended about 11 years ago. The pastor leading the prayer session would read a verse from the bible and give us a “prayer point” in line with that verse. Then, he read Colossians 1:13 and said – “brethren, we will pray right now that God should deliver us from every power of darkness”. Whoa! I was angry at this grievous blunder, but that seemed to be the least I could express. When I looked at the zeal with which most believers in that congregation were praying about this, I could not help but weep. How come we had just read that God had delivered (past tense!) us and we are praying that he should deliver us from the power of darkness? Were we calling God a liar or, did ‘deliver’ and ‘delivered’ mean the same thing to us?

I understand some of us have issues with deliverance and I will attempt to discuss more about it in our subsequent messages. For instance, how much power can witches / wizards exercise over you? What if you practiced occultism before you got saved? Can the believer be possessed by the devil or his cohorts? Should Christians seek deliverance, and if yes, what type?

But before then, I want you to take note of one more thing. Colossians 1:13 does not give us the impression that we were delivered and left alone to sit on the fence, No! We were immediately transferred into the Kingdom of Christ. Even though your physical location remained the same when you got born again, you immediately switched locations in the realm of the Spirit. You now dwell in God’s kingdom. Think about it and its possible implications!

To be continued …

- tope aladenusi

Expressing God’s power

Christians are the most powerful beings on earth. The same power that raised Christ from the dead dwells in every believer. In our previous message in this series, I emphasized that God’s power is not given in measure. You either have all of it or none of it. Today, I’d like to highlight one reason why many of us are not expressing God’s power.

Romans 8:11 GNB says “ If the Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from death, lives in you, then he who raised Christ from death will also give life to your mortal bodies by the presence of his Spirit in you.”

This verse of scripture never ceases to amaze me and I’ll tell you why. The normal human mind would expect that giving life to our mortal body is a “lesser miracle” to raising Jesus from the dead. Therefore, we expect God to release just a small “amount of power” or “spirit” for this so called lesser miracle. But the bible says “the same Spirit” will perform both miracles.

That’s one big mistake we make that deters us from expressing God’s power. When we see a bigger problem, we think we need a bigger power from heaven to confront it. But that’s a lie! Therefore, if you have ever experienced a miracle in your life, then you can also experience any kind of miracle.

The same power that heals headache also heals HIV/AIDS. The same power that settles a minor couple’s dispute can restore a broken relationship. The same gospel that saves a life can deliver a million Souls. The same power that gave you $100 can help you to raise $100 million. It’s like using an ATM machine; it’s the same PIN that you used to withdraw a thousand bucks that you use when you want to withdraw five thousand bucks. You don’t run to your bank and ask for a longer PIN because you want to withdraw more money. No! So, stop limiting what God can do through you!

I remember about six years ago, I was involved in a ghastly motor accident and our vehicle somersaulted and I found myself in a bushy dish. The accident was so terrible that some passengers lost their lives instantly. My body was covered with bruises and my clothes were shredded. About 5 hours after the accident, I could not even move my hands or legs. Wow! I thought “What do I do?” I had a speaking engagement in 2 days time. “Would I send a message to them that the man of God was incapacitated?” Was there ever a time in Jesus ministry when people were waiting for him to come and preach and, news came that he could not stand up? How would that sound? As I was ruminating over this, I just remembered … that same power.

And then I prayed to God … believing ‘that same power’ that delivered me from the accident could heal me from every bruise and pain. I wanted to keep up with my speaking appointment.” Beloved, within 6 hours, all the pain was gone and all the bruises dried up. I was able to embark on a 10-hour journey to preach the gospel. That same power did it!

What area of your life needs the touch of God’s power? Is there any loved one that is in dire need of you to express your nature? Please act using the mindset that it is ‘that same power’. Our generation is in dire need of the power of God, and that’s one reason why God has left you and I here. We have been preserved for greater things. Will you start acting today?

tope aladenusi

The most powerful Christian on earth

Walking in the reality of your identity

One of the greatest problems facing most believers today is that they suffer from an identity crisis. They do not know who they really are. They do not stand for something (the right thing) and so they fall for anything. This has resulted in mismanaged potentials. A cat that does not know its identity will attempt to swim and an eagle that forgets its identity will scratch with the chickens! Are you scratching when you should be flying?

There was a time in my life when I used to wake up every night to pray to God to give me more power and grace to do exploits for him. Sometimes I would be so moved by my prayers that I would begin to cry. I did this for several months with no visible progress in my life. But glory to God, I later understood Ephesians 1:3 and immediately realized that I had been scratching all the while. What do I mean?

Ephesians 1:3 says “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.”

I was scratching because I was telling him to bless me with more power but His word says he has blessed (past tense!) me. I was asking for power and grace, which are spiritual blessings, but His word says as far as spiritual blessings are concerned, then it has already been given to me. And then I wondered … but that man of God used to tell us to pray hard for these spiritual blessings, or I think I have seen it somewhere in the bible. Then these words echoed – whose report will you believe? Wow! I was wallowing in an identity quagmire. But why hadn’t somebody enlightened me all the while? It could be likened to me asking God to make me male, it does not make sense. Did that mean that all those nights of waking up to ask for what was already mine was a waste? Several questions kept running through my mind.

But what I do now, I asked. I shared my experience with a friend and he said – “don’t confuse me, I have been doing this all the while and it has been working for me”. Many Christians make similar statements when their lifestyle is in contrast with God’s word. But if a 2 year old boy cries every time he is hungry, does that make crying for food a good thing, even though it “worked” in the past? Our God may overlook our time of ignorance as babes but he desires we grow up (Acts 17:30). He wants us to stop scratching when we should be flying. He wants us to stop crying when we should be teaching. He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing and that makes us the best set of people living on earth. As we continue in this series, we will discuss how to express these blessings in our daily lives. Till then, keep basking in the euphoria that you have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.

- tope aladenusi

Who are you?

As a young boy, we reared ducks and chickens. Overtime, I realized that the eggs of the ducks were usually bigger than that of the chickens. So one day I said to myself, ‘if I could take some of the duck eggs and replace them with hen eggs during incubation, the hens would hatch bigger chicks (since the duck eggs were bigger)’. So I went ahead with my idea and swapped the hen’s eggs with that of a duck, while hoping my dad wouldn’t detect my experiment.

The eggs were hatched after a few weeks. I was expecting to see some giant chicks but alas, I saw small ducklings. I became confused; I thought to myself – ‘but this hen sat on these eggs all along, how come it hatched ducklings?’ But because I did not want anyone to know that I was experimenting with the poultry, I could not voice out my confusion. However, as I was reading my bible some years later, that experiment came alive to me again and it helped me understand our identity in Christ.

What made the difference in those ducklings’ lives was not the source of the heat that hatched the eggs but the source of the seed that brought them forth. The sperm/egg came from a duck.  Wow! That reminds of I Peter 1:23 “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God...” So how do you think this affects your new life in Christ?

The identity of those ducklings was not misplaced because they were hatched by a hen; I never called them chicks. Their origin affected their identity. No wonder the bible called us gods (Psalm 82:6), because we proceeded from Him. 1Cor. 15:47-48 sheds more light on this: “The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.”

Those ducklings never behaved like chickens; they could swim even though the hen could not dare do that. Likewise, we should make it a priority to ensure that all our lives activity is aligned with our identity. We should be found doing miraculous things unbelievers cannot dare to do. We should also not be found messing around with sin. I John 3:9 (MSG) says “People conceived and brought into life by God don't make a practice of sin. How could they? God's seed is deep within them, making them who they are. It's not in the nature of the God-begotten to practice and parade sin.” Hallelujah!

To be continued …

- tope aladenusi

Enjoying the supernatural advantage

An average believer of today is unable to match his experiences with his wealth of knowledge …

He says he is the healed of God, but he is regularly bruised by sicknesses and diseases

He says the love of God has been shed abroad in his heart, but his marriage is in shambles

He says his Father has got the whole world in his hands, but he finds it difficult to pay his bills

He says he is the righteousness of God in Christ, but wallows in sin

He says the greater one lives in him, yet he is scared of evil oppositions from the devil and his cohorts

He says … so many good things, but he has not been able to upgrade his lifestyle to match up with his words …

Should the blessings of redemption have a concomitant benefit in our lives while we are on earth?

How do we outwardly display our riches in Christ?

We will be discussing this and many more in the 2010 World Outreach Convention (WoC).

You are cordially invited to …

2010, World Outreach Convention (WoC)

Equipping believers to impact their world

Theme: Enjoying the supernatural advantage

Saturday, January 9, 2010

2pm

@Multipurpose Hall, Sarah-Sam Hotels,

115, Ogudu Ojota Road, Ogudu GRA, Lagos

Host: Christ Lifeline - www.christlifeline.org ; +234-1-8726126 ; +234-8082462670

TESTIMONIES FROM WoC 2009

“I felt like I had never known God before and I knew I had to make an important decision about my life. I don’t know which part of the program to single out that made me have such an assertion, from the worship through to the message….everything was just great”. (Bro A - Abuja)

“I came for the convention with so much expectation … And guess what? God did not let me down. Of a truth, I was richly blessed.” (Bro O.A – Lagos)

“I was so blessed by the message. The message was so powerful that I wished it could be preached again in a very big stadium so more people can listen to it.” (Sis T.A –Benin)

“Thanks for being a channel for the blessings that came to me. I needed the message urgently.” (Bro T.O – Kaduna)

“I thank God I came for this convention. I was almost going to miss it but thank God I came. I have been greatly impacted.” Bro C.Y (Abuja)

One contact can give you the desired impact …

… Plan to start 2010 on an excellent pedestal; Attend WoC 2010

Most wanted terrorist now in Christ!

This terrorist guru is well known for his fanatical tendencies and his unreserved resolution to wipe out people not of his religion from the face of the earth. Having successfully murdered over 2.5 million people in his lifetime, as communicated in one of last month’s breaking news; he has groomed other men that are ensnared by his beliefs and who now carry out his every whim. Governments of several countries have declared him wanted and are willing to pay a huge reward – in cash to anyone who can reveal his hiding place. On several occasions, you have seen this guy’s picture on TV and can recognize him when you see him.

Lo and behold, while you were having Holy Communion service with Pastor last Sunday, one of your church’s missionaries walked in with this ‘most wanted guy’ and declared that he is now born-again. Can you imagine the reaction in the church that day? I won’t be surprised if you had tried locating the closest exit route. I may not also be surprised if the pastor ran for his dear life. Believers are quick to admit that “if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation”, but they find it difficult to detach themselves and others from ‘their’ old dead lives. Many of my old friends who knew me before I became born-again still find it difficult to believe that I could experience such remarkable transformation in a short time, and some of them claimed they prayed for me to repent!

If we truly understand redemption, then ‘that’ terrorist that killed 2.5 million people is dead. He doesn’t exist anymore. The man that came to church last Sunday is someone who never existed before (2 Cor. 5:17). How can you charge a “new born” for murder? Colossians 3:3 (MSG) says “Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life--even though invisible to spectators--is with Christ in God.” I agree that the world may find it difficult coming to terms with this and may want to charge that righteous man to court, but you should never think like that.

Saul of Tarsus would excel as a terrorist by all ratings. He had supervised the murder of some people who were not part of his religion and was on a similar mission when he got born-again. However, the new man that emerged - Apostle Paul, once told the Corinthian church in 2 Cor. 7:2 (CEV) “Make a place for us in your hearts! We haven't mistreated or hurt anyone...” But how could he claim he never hurt anyone even though Saul’s atrocities were done openly? Simple! He understood the blueprint in 2Cor 5:16-17 (ALT) – “Therefore, from now on we know no one according to the flesh; … if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation”

Beloved, in the last message of this series, I emphasized that God gave birth to a new spirit within us when we got born-again. Today, I want to remind you to stop referring to the dead man in your life. Stop relating with other believers as though they are still dead. Embrace the new life. Cherish it! Live it! It’s real!

- tope aladenusi

The believer’s origin

Have you ever tried quizzing other believers about their new birth experience or have you been questioned by anyone in this regard? I have done so on many occasions and the responses I got were usually baffling. A typical one goes like this:

Bros, are you born again? Yes! When? Well, I gave my life to Christ in 1997. So how did you “give your life” to Christ? Well, (he starts muttering at this point). So I try to help him out by asking– how do you know you are now born again? He replies – I used to be a very bad guy those days; but right now, the bad things I used to do, I do them no more. If I want to complicate the matter, I would ask him – does that mean that anyone who stopped doing bad things is born again? Such quizzing has helped me kick start a mentoring program with other believers.  If I were to have a similar conversation with you, what would your responses be?

The bible says in 2Corinthians 5:17 (LITV) - “So that if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new!” This verse is common to most believers, but I think it has an uncommon meaning. Most times when believers refer to it, they talk about “the bad things I used to do, I do them no more”. Inasmuch as it is expected that we exhibit good actions as believers, we should not lose sight of the meaning of this verse. The verse does not say if you are in Christ, you have a new operation. Rather, you are a new creation. Our being and configuration was emphasized over our doings and actions. A new nature and life that never existed in the world was created in the believer. Hallelujah!

In Genesis 2:17, we understand that the first man that was created by God (Adam) disobeyed Him and this led to his death. Death as implied in this verse does not mean annihilation (stopped from complete existence) but it means alienation (separated from God). All men that proceeded from Adam were born as aliens from the life of God. But Jesus Christ came and changed the situation. God has given birth to a new life in everyone who has accepted the salvation from Jesus Christ.

But as many as received Him (Jesus Christ), to them He gave authority to become children of God, … who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but were born of God. John 1:12-13

Since God is a spirit and spirit gives birth to spirit (John 3:6), it therefore means that God recreated our spirits when we got born-again. It is thus logical and scriptural (II Peter 1:4, I John 4:17) to conclude that we possess the same nature like the one who gave birth to us – God. Just as we came into this world through birth by our earthly parents, every believer came to being by a spiritual birth from God.

“Your new life is not like your old life. Your old birth came from mortal sperm; your new birth comes from God's living Word. Just think: a life conceived by God himself!”  (I Pet 1:23 - MSG)

The life of the believer originated from God! This knowledge should call for constant celebration. This knowledge requires a new mode of operation in our lives. We came from God and we should always behave like Him.

“Do as God does. After all, you are his dear children.” Ephesians 5:1 (CEV) 

To be continued …

- tope aladenusi

Where did man come from? – Part 2

In our last edition, I mentioned that there are basically three theories today about how man came into existence. We have already examined the evolution theory.

Another idea that has become more and more popular in recent years is that man owes his existence to UFOs (Unidentified Flying Objects from other planets).  The UFOLOGISTS believe that intelligent creatures from another planet had something to do with how human life started on this earth. Some of them say that about 40,000 years ago, super-intelligent creatures from outer space visited our planet. These space men found the apes that were then living on earth, and by genetic engineering they caused mutations in the ape population which led to the production of man.

But some questions the UFOLOGISTS have not been able to answer include: Where did the super-intelligent creatures from outer space come from? Who made them? Did other space creatures help them to evolve?

Although the UFO idea seems silly, they appear to come to terms with the idea that man must be the product of a super intelligence, unlike the evolutionists. However, the only true answer as to where man came from is found in the Bible.

“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness …”  Genesis 1:26 

“And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”  Genesis 2:7

“For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth …” Colossians 1:16 

Beloved, one of the greatest excitements of being born-again is that beyond reading in the Bible that man was created by God, you can actually have a personal experience with your creator. You can talk to him while he also talks to you; you daily interact with him to the point that hearing a statement like “God doesn’t exist” may sound similar to someone saying the computer doesn’t exist; because you are probably staring at one right now and you make use of it from time to time.

I’m sure that was the experience of the early disciples of Jesus Christ, that was why Apostle John started his epistle by saying: “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life” 1John 1:1. 

Have you had a similar experience with God? Perhaps you don’t believe in God at all or you have not really had a one-on-one experience with him, we can share more insights to assist you. Please write us on info@christlifeline.org . It will not be wise to discover at the end of your journey in life that you had raced on the wrong road during your entire lifetime.

- tope aladenusi

Where did man come from?

If you ask some people how they came into existence, they would probably say their parents gave birth to them. But how did our parents, grandparents and great grandparents came to be? Christians who shy away from such critical questions about life are susceptible to wavering in their faith. We have to be really convinced of what we believe and why we believe them.

Today, there are basically three ideas about how man began and only one of these ideas is correct. We will consider one of them today:

§  Evolutionary theory – One very popular idea we were taught during our early days in school is that man evolved from lower animals (such as ape-like creatures) in a slowly changing process that has taken millions of years. But the evolutionists have not reasonably eliminate the ensuing heaps of questions such as letting us know where the first set of ape-like creatures came from. Would it be logical to propound a theory that a bicycle became a motorcycle after millions of years? If the idea seems irrational despite the similarities of the two equipments, why should we misplace the similarity between apes and humans? Is it possible to have such wonderful creatures without an intelligent creator? How can life come from non-life by mere chance? How come we have not seen people flying by now even though we have been evolving for some years now?

Take some time to think about the computer in front of you. Imagine the built-in intelligence it has. The way the computer operates also reflects the intelligence of its creator – man. How come the computers did not come by chance? How come many of the objects invented in the world did not just evolve after many years? Why is it that we can trace man’s invention and innovation to him and not to evolution? If we can do all these to mere objects, is it okay to imagine that an amazing creature like man came to being without an intelligent creator?

What’s the only true answer about the origin of man? What do you believe? Why do you believe it?

To be continued …

- tope aladenusi

4 questions every great person answers correctly

In the early 20^th century, the New York Telephone Company made a detailed study of telephone conversations to find out which word is the most frequently used. The pronoun ‘I’ was used 3,990 times in 500 telephone conversation. I believe we do not need a detailed study to obtain a similar result in our age. Everywhere you go, people use the word “I”. Statements like: I am this or that; I want to bla bla bla, etc. are common to everyone. But the amazing thing is that not many people know what “I” represents. In order words, many just assume who they are; they neither know nor are convinced about their real identity or capability.

This reminds me of Ap0stle Peter’s conversation with Jesus Christ shortly before his crucifixion. “Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples.” Mat 26:34-35 (KJVA)

Three things interest me about this verse: First, it’s obvious Peter did not know much about himself like he thought and bragged. This is one of the major problems several people in the world are facing today. Secondly, all the 12 disciples also had similar issues even though they must have had direct contact with Jesus for some years. Therefore, your length of service in the Church doesn’t guarantee your understanding of “I”. Thirdly, Jesus understood his disciples more than they did and was willing to reveal the “I” to them. I trust God that he will give you a similar revelation in these series of messages which we will be sharing in the next couple of months.

Some years ago, I was invited to preach a similar message in a seminar organized by a campus fellowship. About two years later, I received a testimony from one of the attendees that the message brought about a turning point in his life. I’m trusting God for a similar testimony in your life.

We will be considering four (4) questions that anyone who desires to be great and successful in life must find the right answers to on time. They are:

1.                   Who am I?

2.                   Where did I come from?

3.                   Why am I here?

4.                   Where am I going to?

Don’t be tempted to jump the gun. These questions will give birth to several other questions that will help propel you to fulfillment in life if answered correctly. You can show love to others by inviting them to be a part of this series by subscribing to our mailing list at http://christlifeline.org/mailinglist.php

- tope aladenusi

A Last minute or last meeting miracle?

If you enter a public building or bus and see an inscription that reads: NO PREACHING HERE, what would you do?

To an average believer of this age, there are two possible responses we may expect. First, the inscription makes no difference to him because he has not preached to anyone even in places where preaching was not prohibited. For those who have made it a habit of preaching to unbelievers wherever they are, the inscription may be powerful enough to shut their bowels of mercy. But if any of the early disciples had encountered such an inscription, what would they have done?

The answer is not farfetched. They experienced a similar thing and the verses of scripture below sheds more light on their attitude.

“The chief priest questioned them. He said, "We gave you strict orders not to mention Jesus' name when you teach. Yet, you've filled Jerusalem with your teachings ...  Peter and the other apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than people.” Acts 5:27-29 (GW)

Is this not a sharp contrast with what we are doing today? Beloved, what has happened to us? In a bid to appear as “responsible” citizens or “professional” employees, we are disobeying God’s commandment. And quite regrettable, if after several years we hear that one of our former colleagues or friends who used to be an unbeliever is now dead, we say things like: Well, only God knows what happened in his last minute, he may have given his life to Christ.

Why are we leaving the choice of where unbelievers will spend eternity to fate at their last minute when we could have influenced it with faith during our last meeting with them?

“No preaching here” is not the same as “no chatting here”. Perhaps if we were willing to obey God at all cost, we could have seen other means and opportunities to communicate the gospel. That’s what happened to Peter and other apostles. An Angel had to set them free from prison to enable them continue the good work. It is commonly said that when the mind is willing, there are a thousand ways; but when the mind is unwilling, there are a thousand excuses. Are you willing to obey God’s commandment in Matt. 28:19 (MSG) – Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life? Are you merely wishing for a last minute miracle of salvation for those around you when you could have been an instrument of a life changing miracle at your last meeting with them?

- tope aladenusi

If you complain about your job ...

As a consultant, I have worked in over 7 countries with a variety of Companies specialized in banking & finance, insurance, telecommunications, e-commerce, manufacturing, entertainment and energy. I have noticed one thing that seems common with the employees of almost all these Companies; they complain about their jobs.

Why is this so?

Sometime ago, I discussed this with a couple of colleagues and I appreciated their responses. One of them explained that it was because “the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence”; the other quickly pleaded guilty. She recalled that she had fasted before she got her job and had testified in church when she got it. But recently she noticed, if she was not complaining about her salary, she was grumbling over another colleague's attitude, overwork, boredom or something else.

I have been brooding over this matter since we had the conversation and have identified several reasons that could lead to our constant complaining. Today, I want to share with you the one that sits on top of my list.

Every believer has a unique purpose in this world and our exposure, experiences or education should actually help us fulfill this purpose. There is one major reason for which we are alive and every other thing in our lives should tilt towards that one thing. Your work could serve as a preparation ground for fulfilling your purpose or could even present you with the platform to do so. If you cannot see how what you currently do is placing you in the path of purpose, you will always complain. If you do not have your eyes fixed on purpose while you work, every little thing will annoy you. The Message translation of Hebrews 12:2 says "Study how Jesus did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed, … he could put up with anything along the way: cross, shame, whatever.”

Beloved, where are you headed? Are your eyes fixed on your purpose?

The good and bad news about excuses

Have you noticed something common among people who would probably be referred to as poor, losers, bankrupt or failures? There is always someone or something they think is responsible for their predicament. If it is not because their boss is wicked, then it must be because their spouse is uncaring, their followers are uncooperative or the government is unproductive. They always find it legitimate to put the blame on others and this has always hindered them from advancing with the right pace.

John Maxwell once wrote, “it is easier to move from failure to success than from excuses to success”. Remember Adam in the Garden of Eden. When he ate the forbidden fruit and God questioned him, he gave a nice excuse - “the woman you gave me as a companion, she gave me fruit from the tree, and, yes, I ate it”. As far as he was concerned, God was the initiator and his woman was the perpetrator of his problems. But that did not vindicate him in God’s sight. His excuses only worsened the existing problem.

Things may not be 100% right in your environment. Therefore, if you are looking for someone or something to put the blame on, the good news is that you will definitely find one. But the bad news is that you will shut your mind from solutions and possibilities, and it will be more difficult to move towards success. But you can decide to get rid of excuses, look inward and overcome the obstacles on your way.

- tope aladenusi

Let others flourish …

It appears to me that there are more birds than human beings. In spite of this, I have never seen two birds colliding in the sky.  God has prepared enough space for all of them. Similarly, the earth was designed by God to permit everyone to flourish without necessarily pulling others down. You don’t need to pull others down in order to climb up. You don’t need to destroy others in order to build yourself. You don’t need to talk evil of others in order to appear good. You don’t need to make others poor because you want to be rich.

I have seen many people in organizations attempt to pull others down because they wanted to climb up, and I think they are making a fundamental flaw in life. Judas Iscariot wanted more money, and he thought he could do that by betraying Jesus. He ended up hanging himself on a tree while helping Jesus Christ to fulfill his purpose. That’s why you shouldn’t be disturbed when you see others trying to pull you down. In reality, they are only assisting to push you to the place of purpose. Conversely, you should never be the one trying to pull anyone down.

As you journey through life, I want you to go with the mindset that there is enough room for all. In whatever you do, remember that being a stumbling block to others does not grant you a stepping stone. Flourish … and let others do the same.

- tope aladenusi

A lesson from Harvard

I once enrolled for an online leadership course organized by the Harvard Business School. The course was unlike the e-learning courses I was familiar with. With conventional online courses, the norm is to get some materials to read, listen to or watch before taking assessment tests or examinations. However, this course began with a program that asked me several questions about how I had led people and managed events in the past. The answers I supplied to this program were used to analyse my leadership and management style and conclude whether I am more of a leader than a manager or vice versa. With the results, it went ahead to instruct me on areas I needed to improve on in order to have the right mix of leadership and management.  

I was very delighted with the results I had gotten from the analysis of my responses.  I was fascinated about what “Harvard” was saying about me. I felt confident and reassured that I had what it takes to tackle the leadership challenges currently facing me in the ministry and workplace. But then I paused and thought: If I could believe in the Harvard report so much that I was motivated by it, how should I handle the prophecy of the scripture that is not of any private interpretation? If I could rejoice in what humans tell me based on extensive research, what manner of joy should flood my soul when the One who created me tells me who I am based on his deepest understanding of my real genetic constitution?

What do you see whenever you read your bible? Do you see angels, Israel, Mary, Moses, Paul … or do you see “you”? Do you accept the way God has programmed and rated you or are you befuddled by what is happening around you? 

Are you suffering from a sickness? God said “that same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead lives in you, and it can give energy to your body”. Are you confused about your future partner? He said “I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord. They are plans for peace and not disaster; plans to give you a future filled with hope”. Are you concerned that your major channel of finance appears to be getting closed? He said – I am the one who opens up a door that no man can shut. Are you still being hunted by your past sins? He said “your sins and wrongdoings will I remember no more”.

If we could just look in the Word again with an eagerness to see and accept what it says about us, then we would be better equipped to face all of life’s challenges.

tope aladenusi

Birthing your unique destiny

“If you know where you are heading in life, you will find a way in the world to get there. If you do not know where you are heading, the world will show you many ways to compound your confusion”.

A young man named Jack lives in Lagos and works in a world class company. Three weeks ago, he was with some friends and they talked about going to get MBAs from schools either in the UK or the US . Their rationale was simple – most of the Nigerian guys who are top shots in their companies today have a degree from a foreign university. This made sense to Jack and he immediately made up his mind that he was going to raise some bucks to go for his MBA program.

However, a week later he was in the midst of some entrepreneurs and big time company owners. They were of the opinion that the richest guys in the world are not those who had gotten the best of degrees. They cited Bill Gates as a key reference and this made a whole lot of sense to Jack. He then decided to use the money he had planned to save for his MBA degree to start his own IT Corporation.

And then a week after that, Jack went for a success seminar where the speaker said that the fulfilled men on earth are those who do what they have flair for. They enjoy doing things that are inclined to their natural ability. Things are not all rosy for them at the inception, but they get the ‘big bucks’ in future because they operate from their creative zone. This also made great sense to Jack and he said to himself – ‘since everyone says I am a good arguer I’ll just go back to the university and study Law; I do not think I am cut out for these IT or MBA stuff’.

This week my good friend Jack attended a ‘missions’ awareness program and he was enthralled by the massive number of people who are yet to hear the gospel for the first time. There was a call for people who would volunteer to be missionaries to the Arab worlds. Of course you can bet that this will also make great sense to Jack.

Beloved, that my good friend Jack may just be you.

Are you leaving the treasure within you to waste because of the pressures from without? Every road will make great sense to you if you do not have a sense of direction from above. Why do you want to achieve that goal? Does it really belong to you or you are just bowing to ‘peer pressure’?

Our God is not a duplicator, he is a creator. He doesn’t want you to become a better version of someone else but to be the best version of yourself. There is something unique that you were born to achieve in this world.

If you always take cues from the outside before you move, then the chances that you will birth that destiny is slim. Learn to stay with God. No one ever moved with God and missed his way. He is already working in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure (Philippians 2:13). Cultivate the habit of genuinely fellowshipping with him regularly. Your unique destination will then become clear to you so that your life will no longer be undulated and undermined by every thing that makes great sense in the world.

- tope aladenusi

Why do you do what you do?

Why do you do the good things you do?

Whether we like it or not, this is a question we will all have to answer one day. It is an unpopular question that probes for the motives behind our actions. The reverse is the case these days. People talk only about the actions (what has been done) – “Oh! He gave a million bucks to charity”; “She has been moving across the Arab nations preaching the gospel for the past 7 years”; “That pastor is so nice, he visits all his members every month”; “that couple is so loving, they are always working together to bless lives”; etc. But God has made his position clear - “… I do not judge as people judge. They look at the outward appearance, but I look at the heart" I Samuel 16:7 (GNB).

Beloved, God will not reward us based on the size of the work we did for him; he will reward us based on the size of the heart with which we worked with him. 1Corinthians 3:13 (GNB) says “And the quality of each person's work will be seen when the Day of Christ exposes it”. I think a good question to ask here is - how does God measure quality?

Every week I try to compose an exhortation and send to subscribers of Christ Lifeline weekly devotional messages. I remember there was a week I did not feel like writing at all and I didn’t want to send any message. But it occurred to me that I have a reputation of posting messages on a weekly basis. I immediately composed a message and sent it. Guess what? I received numerous testimonies from people who were blessed by that message, but I knew afterwards that I was ranking very low in terms of quality. Why? My motivation for writing that week was just to sustain my reputation. I began to see more clearly why some pastors have said that on the Day of Judgment, many will be shocked.

Why do you do the good things you do? Is it to sustain your reputation; retain people’s attention; obtain worldly satisfaction; or to maintain an impression?  Men may give kudos to the outward form, but God will look at the motivation behind the outward form. One key yardstick God will use to judge our works is elucidated in 1 Corinthians 13:3 (BBE) “And if I give all my goods to the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it is of no profit to me”. Hmm! The most arresting outward appearance without a corresponding inward compliance to the rule of Christ’s love is utterly useless.

Apostle Paul understood this principle when he said - “we are ruled by the love of Christ …” 2 Corinthians 5:14 (GNB). Beloved, let’s start checking our motives before we face eternity. Before we commence or continue racing on any “good lane”, let’s ask ourselves – what is my motive? Let the love of Christ be our motivation so that when our work is made manifest in the day of Christ, we will receive a reward.

- tope aladenusi

Keep the end in mind

Once upon a time in Christendom, believers always talked about eternity. They were so engrossed in the truth that they were pilgrims in this world and would one day go to be with the Lord in heaven. At that time, it was common to see messages titled “heaven or hell?” Songs with lyrics like “it’s not an easy road, we are travelling to heaven” were common in our assemblies. Believers looked tattered, battered, and shattered like people who had been bruised in the tussles and struggles of this life. We were always reminded that we lived in the “end times” and the rapture could take place at any moment. This wave got to a crescendo towards year 2000 when it had been predicted that the world would end. But lo and behold, year 2000 came and passed without witnessing the return of Jesus Christ, and events in Christendom took another turn.

With very little or no talk about heaven, many of those who were once labelled as “battered” became ever ready to “gather the riches of the gentiles”. Many of us are now enlightened. We have expounded the word to others and taught them that salvation is a total package – that it did not only secure heaven for us; but it also brought prosperity, health, fulfilment, peace and a lot more good things. I’m not left out in this trend. I remember giving an exhortation in the university and saying things like: “you are not born again to fail again”; “you are not born again to be poor again”. Beloved, it is obvious that things have really changed. That is why it is now rare to hear the idiom “as poor as a church rat”.  It is becoming increasingly difficult to associate poverty with Christianity. However, in a bid to correct the short-sightedness of some early believers, we have probably become even more narrow-minded.

How? We do not like to talk about heaven and hell anymore. When we preach to unbelievers, the major distinction between Christianity and the world that we present to them is that Jesus will also give them plenty wealth, but with peace of mind. No emphasis is usually placed on life after death. Some even say that heaven is now on earth, and there is no need to prepare to go anywhere. Let’s face it – when was the last time you heard or preached a message relating to the rapture or the second coming of Jesus Christ? Are we not only concentrating on how to amass wealth in this life? The bible says “If our hope in Christ is good for this life only and no more, then we deserve more pity than anyone else in all the world (I Corinthians 15:19 GNB).

It is pleasant to know that redemption gave us freely everything we need to have a good life on earth; but it is pitiable if we do not understand that we are strangers in this world and a better life awaits us in heaven. The greater part of our new life will be spent in heaven and we should be wise enough to know not to major in the minors. “Friends, this world is not your home, so don't make yourselves cosy in it. Don't indulge your ego at the expense of your soul” (I Peter 2:11 MSG). Learn to always keep your destination in mind as you pass through this world. Prepare for eternity!

- tope aladenusi