Abraham’s mentality of giving

Believe me, life changing moments and encounters are moments of obedience; Moments when we act in obedience rather than trying to rationalise things. Every increase is seed based, but spontaneous increase has in addition to the seed instant obedience to a direct instruction from God. Most times when we ought to give, we wrestle with the spirit, we think of a million and one reasons why we ought not to sow now. Giving won’t be easy unless you have an understanding. I am inspired by Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac, but I am much more inspired by the reason he gave Isaac.

Heb 11:17-19 ‘by faith Abraham when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence he received him in a figure’.

1. He had God’s word that in Isaac shall his seed be called and he knew he could stake his life on the immutability of God’s word.
2. He understood he did not have Isaac until God gave him and from the deadness of their bodies.
3. That same God was able to bring him back to life again from the dead from whence he was received in the first place.

Glory to God! It’s easy to give when you have Abraham’s kind of reasoning. Whenever you have difficulty giving, reason like father Abraham. Know that God for whom it is impossible to lie has given his assurance that it’s more blessed to give. We also have the assurance that our seeds will be multiplied back to us. Be quick to give because what ever you have was given by God in the first place, if he did not give it you won’t have it. If he gave you then you can give back at his word.

And finally there is plenty where what you are giving out came from. Giving only qualifies you for more of what you give out.

Stop the complicated reasoning, just give.

- emmanuel aladenusi

Take advantage of grace

Years ago, making a journey was extremely stressful. If you went on foot, horse or train you were sure to spend hours, days, months or even years depending on the distance. However today, people travel in hours across continents by taking advantage of technology. People communicate and transact across continents from the confines of their homes by taking advantage of various communication options.

Now, God has given us grace to make things easier, to simplify cumbersome tasks and produce multiple and excellent results and we ought to take advantage of it. Every believer must do this. “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh”. Though we are on earth and in contact with physical tools, we do not rely on their use, but we take advantage of Gods divine influence to achieve excellence. Grace!

It’s easier when you are GRACED.

Struggling and striving wont help outside of grace. Paul said “whereunto I labor, striving according to his working which worketh in me mightily” he worked according to grace. He worked in grace.

If you make a thousand bucks by your efforts, imagine what you will make if you take advantage of the grace that is given you in Christ Jesus. Allow yourself to be helped of God.

I refuse to struggle. Struggling is warring according to the flesh. “And Isaac sowed in gerar and received in that same year a hundred fold”. Grace. He was helped of God. To prosper according to scriptures you must take advantage of grace. Graced increase cannot be explained. When we plug into grace we can say like Paul “by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain, but I labored more abundantly then they all”. Take advantage of grace. Don’t wait for customers to come, call them forth from the four wings. Don’t wait till you are due for promotion; be promoted now because you are favored. Let angels influence events in your favor. Take advantage of grace in all its ramifications. Let none be in vain. Allow yourself to be helped of God in your finances. With grace a dollar accomplishes as much as a thousand. With grace little effort produces great results. Don’t keep winding that generating set, use the button.

Don’t be passive in grace. “How much more those that have received (lambano) abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life...” “Received” here means to grab, to make yours, to take advantage of. Don’t let things ride its natural course. Dictate the supernatural direction. Take advantage of Grace.

-emmanuel aladenusi

Resources and Responsibility

Someone once said that “no one would have remembered the Good Samaritan if he had no money”. He made history because he had the resources to carry out his good intentions.

As Christians, our responsibility is enormous and we require matching resources to actualize them. The bible puts it this way “….that you always having ALL SUFFICIENCY IN ALL THINGS MAY ABOUND TO EVERY GOOD WORK” The Greek translated abound means super abound, superfluous and having enough and to spare. Beloved we have been prepared for good works and we require all sufficiency in all things to meet this responsibility. Therefore it is laid on us by necessity to “work out” resources to carry out our responsibility.

This is not the time to plan small or be financially passive. Look all around and see the poor, hear their cry and feel their pains. They require just a little to live a better life. YOU CAN’T AFFORD TO HAVE JUST ENOUGH. You require all sufficiency in all things. It is our responsibility to desire and work out the resources to meet our responsibility. Refuse to plan for your self alone. Go higher than your household. Men are waiting for us, they depend on us, destinies are tied to us. Friends I tell you, many will listen more attentively to our gospel if the pains of hunger subside and will listen longer if they are fed again. That’s why we must strive for all sufficiency. Rockefeller and others of matching minds generated resources to give them away.

Don’t let lack of resources make mockery of your ministry and the ministry. Jesus made divine provisions available to carry out his responsibility. He got a colt and multiplied bread and fishes. He fed men that came to hear him. Paul worked with his hands that he might burden no one and have resources to preach the gospel without cost. Job had a heart for the poor and resource to carry out his heart.

We have not done well if we celebrated the last festivities alone (you and your family). We have a mandate to remember the poor amongst us. Are you pained when you see a need and you can’t meet it? One child cries, another dies and another is amputated or loses vital education just because we lack resources to carry out our responsibility, to abound to every good work! If you feel guilty when you are moved in pity and can do nothing because you lack resources, you must give heed and change that. If it pains you to see whole generations perish and live in spiritual darkness because we lack resources to “send” missionaries you also must work out your all sufficiency.

And like brother James puts it “If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,

And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?” we need resources to meet our responsibilities and our resources must flow in that direction.

Pay attention. The cry of my heart is that we all have all sufficient resources to meet the needs and responsibility divinely assigned to us.

- emmanuel aladenusi

Stay on top of economic recession

The economic picture out there is pretty depressing. I’ve recently had time to take a look at the global economy and I had to stop because what I read was driving faith from me.

Economic conditions are terrible. From stock market/exchanges recording daily unprecedented losses to major firms going bankrupt it couldn’t be worse. Major firms and employers of labour are either closing up or declaring large job cuts. Estimates put job losses in the US at about 1.2million between January and October 2008. the UK isn’t doing better as major companies have announced job cuts recently. From the IT industry to pharmaceutical, banking and motor car companies the picture is not good.

Government of nations are struggling to deal with the problem but they are clearly overwhelmed. Britain announced a cut in interest rate in Feb to about 5.25% in a desperate bid to stimulate economic activities. They recently (November 2008) reduced it to a further 3% and friends the economy has still refused to respond. Even as the world celebrates Obama, he makes bold to declare that they are facing the greatest economic crunch of their time.

I have over the last month’s watched whole portfolio most especially stocks lose so much value. Stocks worth millions have been reduced to a few thousand in the last couple of months.

How do we as Christians respond to all this? Do we get scared and careful too? Do we loose faith and refuse to invest? Do we become stingy and begin to hoard some against the unknown day? Friends this is our testimony as Christians whose supply is not controlled by world/global economies but according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus:

Phil 4:11-13 …….for I have learned how to be content (satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or disquieted) in whatever state I am.  I know how to be abased and live humbly in straitened circumstances, and I know also how to enjoy plenty and live in abundance. I have learned in any and all circumstances the secret of facing every situation, whether well-fed or going hungry, having a sufficiency and enough to spare or going without and being in want.  I have strength for all things in Christ who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency]. Hallelujah.

That means we are not disquieted by the state of the economy, but we posses the peace of one who knows that his providence is of God. We know how to conduct ourselves during economic downturns in other to extract the good in those situations.

Yes!!! Good in economic recessions. Friends, all things work together (are orchestrated together) for our good. There might be cast downs all around but we are still being lifted. Therefore take advantage of the recession.

Friends in these situations don’t hold back. Keep on investing rightly. Eccl 11 4, 6(paraphrased) ‘…… he that observes, studies or is moved by economic conditions will not invest. So in the morning sow thy seed (when it is good) and IN THE EVENING WITHOLD NOT THY HAND (when it is bad and unclear and the natural inclination is to hold back).

Glory to God! Even as the world goes through difficult times, don’t withhold your hand. Because God’s faithfulness ensures we always have to sow and to eat (he ministers both seed and bread and multiplies our SEED SOWN….2Cor9:10) keep giving, and keep investing. Don’t observe the wind. Observe the Spirit. You’ll come out on top.

- emmanuel aladenusi

Watch the banks

I tell you, wisdom is better than strength. It is one thing to make money and another to know how to keep it. A very big difference between the rich and the poor is in their money flows. A rich man watches his inflow very carefully and watches his outflow even more. Most poor people are careless about their money outflows. They are more concerned about making money and pay little attention to what happens to the money they have made. You must not pour water into a basket and you must be concerned if your water jar has a leak in it. That’s why you must watch the banks.

In the last decade of economic downturn and depression banks have kept on year after year declaring what many describe as 'JUMBO' and 'MEGA' profits. You just can’t stop them; everything seems to be working for them. The good news is that you contribute a lot to their MEGA profits. Friends, wisdom is the principal thing and I challenge you, most especially business men and women to learn how the banks operate. The banks are richer because many lack understanding of its operations. I see business people pay avoidable charges and interest every day. I see the low income earners pay a good percentage of their meager income back to banks just because they can’t take the pains to understand how an account operates and should be operated.

Banks operates within the ambits of the law and will normally only take charges permitted by law. So you must take the pains to understand why and when they charge what they charge. You must understand the difference between various kinds of accounts. A good understanding of a savings account and a current account will save you a fortune. Further understanding of different money transfer options will save you another.

Stop paying charges three ways. Why pay money into one charged account and transfer it into another charged account before making a transfer to your client. Why have a fixed deposit of 1million earning interest at 10% and simultaneously be servicing a loan of 1million at an interest rate of 22%. Why leave an overdrawn position on your account and allow interest to accumulate when you could easily have paid it off? Why feel lazy to offset that overdraft just because you can’t get to the bank. Why keep cash in your house for weeks when it could earn you something in your own account. Why take a cheque from your client for cash to be transferred immediately to another client and still pass it through your current account. Are you really sure that allowing the bank to finance that asset acquisition for 6months is really a wise choice? Is the perceived comfort of “easy repayment” not costing you a fortune? What loan options are available to you?

If you use the banks for one reason/purpose or the other, take time to understand how they operate. You will be wise if you did.

God bless you.

emmanuel aladenusi

Making Financial Decisions with Opportunity Cost

Life is full of choices. We make them every second. Conscious choices and unconscious ones. Good or bad, those choices affect and reflect our lives. Every choice we make is multidimensional. That means it affects us in more than one way. The choice we make affects us and those we did not make also affects us positively or negatively. However, considering the choice we are not making is very important in establishing a right decision.

There is always an “alternative forgone” whenever a decision is made. It is called “opportunity cost”. Opportunity cost is important in making financial decisions. One good way of making sound financial decisions and creating long term wealth is to always consider the alternative we forgo when we spend money or borrow money. The virtuous woman of Proverbs 31 is said to “…consider a field and buys it”. She weighs her options, various alternatives before she makes a decision. I like that.

Let’s take two scenarios to illustrate. First, when we spend money and Secondly, when we loan money. If you decide to spend just one minute less on phone calls every day and we assume the monetary value of that one minute is 1(currency). You forgo one minute and you gain 1(yen, dollar, naira etc). If you do that daily and invest it for 30years at an average of 10%, you will be worth over 1.5million. Wow! For each “just a minute please” you spend on the phone you forgo 1.5million in thirty years. Imagine if you decide to reduce your call expenses by 1/4 –you might be worth 10million in 10years. So considering the opportunity cost of making a call might make all the difference in your life.

Also if you decide to loan money to buy a car today, you get comfort, mobility, prestige and so on. But what do you forgo: You forgo the compounded interest on the principal, the compounded interest on the interest you pay the bank and also the compounded interest on the interest both principal and interest would have earned. So while you lose all these at the end of the loan period you have nothing but a seriously depreciated vehicle. Two zero in my opinion. Considering the opportunity cost, the alternative you forgo sure makes a difference.

Please don’t lose the message; it is not meant to stop you from making relevant calls or buying new cars. It’s just a reminder that before we make any financial decision, we should ask ourselves “WHAT IS THE OPPORTUNITY COST”.

- emmanuel aladenusi

Treasures That Fail Not - 2

When I was growing up, I was made to believe that it was God that provided money for people. And that you had to pray hard enough so that he will decide to bless you. So men prayed earnestly for years. Prayers like “open the windows of heaven” and songs of ‘showers of blessing” were very regular in church. When I however grew up and was taught of God I was surprised to realize I was already blessed and all I had to do was appropriate and “lay up treasures” by my seeds of faith and wait for the showers/harvest that was sure to follow. The scriptures cannot be broken. If you must receive you must give. If you want treasures that will endure and surpass every season you must lay it up.

So this is how we lay up our treasures

1. GIVE TO THE CAUSE OF THE GOSPEL: our number one task on earth is to be ministers of reconciliation, to take the gospel to the uttermost part of the world. That cause is capital intensive. But a wise man will give to the gospel and receive a hundred fold blessing in return. Whether it’s in offerings, support to missionaries etc you must just ensure your money goes directly into the propagation of the gospel. When you give to support the gospel in whatever form you are paying directly into your heavenly purse and that purse does not fail or wax old. To crown it all up the interest it pays cannot be mathematically explained.

Verily I say unto you, there is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for God’s sake, and the gospel's, But he shall receive a hundred fold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.

2. GIVE TO THE POOR: the ministry to the poor is very important and very good investment ground. Understand from today that it is very wrong not to have a budget for the poor. “And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and stranger: I am the LORD your God” (Lev 19:10 KJV). Always leave something for the poor. Job’s treasures failed not because he understood this well. Job 29:12-20 revealed that he was blessed, his roots spread out by the waters, his GLORY WAS FRESH and his bow was renewed because he gave to the poor. So if you haven’t found a safe investment yet, I recommend one to you. The poor will always be with us so we have every opportunity to lay up treasures for ourselves. Remember Jesus told the man in Mk.10:21 to sell whatever he had and give to the poor AND HE SHALL HAVE TREASURES IN HEAVEN. Why not put a smile on the face of a poor one today. They don’t need much. They only need the little you take for granted and the many things you no longer have need for.

3. GIVE TO MINISTERS OF GOD: there is such a thing as a prophet’s reward. (Mat 10:41). When the disciples were sent out to preach the gospel in Matthew 10, they were told not to take anything along. Men were expected to bless them and in return they were to leave prosperity behind. “And when ye come into a house, salute it. And if the house be worthy, let your peace (prosperity) come upon it: but if it be not, worthy, let your peace (prosperity) return to you.’ (Mat 10:12-13 KJV)When you give to ministers you receive their blessings. Friends it is a little thing for someone who ministers things of eternal value to you to partake of your carnal possessions. “Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel” (1Co 9:14 KJV) There is a portion that should always be set aside for the ministers. And those that labor in the teaching of God’s word deserve a double portion. When the flock of God is fed, ministers must eat of the milk the flock produces.

ENJOY.

- emmanuel aladenusi

Treasures That Fail Not

In recent weeks I have been continuously flooded with calls and enquiries about money. Various groups have requested to be taught how to either get money or access loans. To them the most important thing was just to get money. The truth however remains that even though we always prioritize money, spiritual understanding and wisdom is key to abundance and they must be taught FIRST.

In Luke 12. Jesus was surrounded by two groups. His disciples on one side and an innumerable multitude on the other. He however turned to His disciples FIRST OF ALL and began to teach spiritual lessons. The crowd had patience for sometime before a man interrupted. (Luke 12:13) “And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me”. Let’s draw 3 lessons from this man:

1. THE NATURE OF THE HUMAN HEART. It has always amazed me that Jesus was talking deep spiritual truths to his disciples and was even just saying that “the HOLYGHOST shall teach………..” but that was of no importance to the man. What he wanted was a way to acquire wealth and not all the “spirit talk”. That’s true of many today. We are bored by spiritual truths and excited by money talks.

2. THE LESSON FOR THE MULTITUDE. Jesus however corrected that; i. Beware! Your life quality is not a function of what you have and what you have physically does not qualify or disqualify you. ii a man that is not FIRST RICH TOWARDS GOD is foolish.

3. THE LESSON FOR THE DISCIPLES. And Jesus turned back and addressed his disciples saying “I warn you not to think and act like this. Your life is much more than money! Money!

Money! I take care of things that are by far inferior to you. How much more you. I understand perfectly well that you need money to acquire those things the multitude worry about constantly. But Fear not, it is the Fathers GOOD pleasure to give you those things. BUT THE KEY IS HAVING TREASURES IN HEAVEN THAT FAILETH NOT.

Treasures that fail not. Eternal and continuous flow of resources. How do you get that?

You lay it up. 1 Tim. 6:19 “laying up in store for themselves a good foundation for the time to come that they might lay hold of eternal (continuous) life”. Luke 12:33. “…Provide For Yourselves bags which wax not old…treasures in the heavens that faileth not” You don’t stumble on wealth, you don’t go about looking or asking for it, you lay it up for yourself. And you must lay it up in heaven. How do you lay up treasures in heaven?

To be continued …

- emmanuel aladenusi

Amazing Returns on Investments

Our lives move in the direction of our most dominant thoughts. So if you have been a reader/hearer and doer of the principles of investments and money management, I am sure you must have been alarmed by the many options. You will notice some Investments that give steady but somewhat slow returns and others that promise mouth watering returns.

While it is expedient that money be put into where it produces more, it is necessary to warn against letting greed propel your investment or business decisions. Promises of mouth watering returns might leave you bitter. If an investment/business sounds too good to be true it is probably too good to be true.

Many investments/businesses give amazing returns in the long run. But if that is what is promised in the very short term you might have to reconsider. Quick rich schemes have left many households troubled and in trouble. Pro 15:27 He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house”.

The time tested way to enduring wealth is as recorded in scriptures: “Heb 6:12 that ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through¹ faith and patience inherit the promises.

Through faith and fortitude!

Various media are filled with various options that promises fast returns - “Make 100,000 daily from your home ... no initial amount required”, and many that sound like it.

Don’t get carried away. Don’t try to double that gratuity in 3 months. You might be putting your house in trouble. Plants have various gestation/growth periods. But those that take longer to grow endure longer. If it comes quickly it will leave as quickly as it came. If it doesn’t require a seed then it cannot produce any fruits. If it is not planted there can be no harvest.

Be imitators of them who through faith and patience become.

Love.

- emmanuel aladenusi

End Time Business Empire (Prophesy)

Life is becoming increasingly ever more competitive and dynamic. The different ventures open to men to trade has increased alarmingly. There was a time when you were either a farmer or hunter. Choosing a business then will be a simple choice.

Today, things are different. Businesses of different forms and concepts spring up daily. The different investment options open to us is definitely mind boggling. Population increase has also had its impact. More and more people are struggling to make it on limited ground and opportunity. Millions strive to make millions from the same business. The result is a fierce competition and one that is keenly contested.

People have therefore resulted to different means to make profit or make the most profit. They try to kill competition using various means from outright murder to industrial espionage and blackmail. However some take profit through superior understanding of the business and employing a blessed approach.

You belong to this class. We make profit and succeed because “the lord our God teaches us to profit and leads us in the way we should go”. Is 48:17. Hallelujah.

Child of God, understand that we don’t compete with the world and we don’t struggle with it either. We dominate by reason of greater insight and superior leading.

End time business empires will be built by Christians; Christians who have been taught by God to profit. They will make amazing business decisions and men will wonder with what wisdom they acted. They will take full advantage of the mind of Christ they possess. They won’t require charts or graphs of any kind to make decisions. They will know the outcomes before they begin.

That’s the class we belong to. Let God teach you to profit. Listen to Him before you decide, hear His voice and change that business.

Learn from Peter’s experience. Years of experience and wisdom of this age won’t give you the edge. It won’t turn the business around. But one word from the master will give you a catch of a life time. You have toiled all night, done all you know but you can’t break even, don’t give up. Listen for his command.  Dust up that business plan; take a look at your business again-but this time do so through the eyes of the spirit.

- emmanuel aladenusi

Diligence and Wealth

Each time I travel through villages or poor communities I notice so many things. Chief amongst them is the fact that you find many people especially young ones sitting under trees or various shades either doing nothing or playing games when they ought to be going about various businesses.

The result is pretty obvious. Poverty everywhere. Why is it that the whole communities are poverty stricken, robbery is is on the increase, few or no professionals for many professions, economic downturns and unsustainable growth in real income? Lack of diligence

Diligence is defined as STEADY EFFORT AND CAREFUL HARDWORK. To have real wealth you must apply steady effort and careful hard work in the affairs of life. Those that are rewarded with kingdom prosperity are those that apply themselves diligently to the task at hand irrespective of the nature of the task.

We live in a world where many are slothful. You cannot afford to be one of them

Rom 12:11 ‘Not slothful in business’. Don’t handle your business or work with a slack hand. Be serious about it. Exert yourself in no small measure.

Pro 22:29 says ‘Seest thou a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men’.

Diligence will differentiate you from the floor and set you on the high table. It does not matter what you are doing, what matters is how you are doing it. The most mundane of tasks when properly done will bring you to the court of the king. Bible says the spider is in king palaces because it ‘taketh hold with her hands”. The spider applies steady effort and careful hard work and it is seen in palaces.

It is not enough to desire wealth; you must work your desire to reality.

Pro 21:25 the desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labor”.

Whatsoever your hand findeth to do, do it well and heartily. If your job does not reward your effort work harder any way. Zig said something I love so much, “if you do what you are not paid for one day you will be paid for what you don’t do”

In church, school or work God expects us to be diligent workers. He expects our CONSISTENT BEST.  Don’t be slothful; do something. Let your hand find something to do. Proverbs 31 tells why many women today are bread winners; they work diligently with their hands at even the most menial tasks. They don’t give up, they keep trying. They perform tasks that most men find demeaning and grow them into a thriving enterprise. While men wait for good jobs women do little jobs diligently and receive great rewards.

Be the student every school will love to have; be the employee that is the pride of his employer and fellow employees alike. Let it be consistently said of you that you apply yourself diligently to every task. The sure reward is wealth and a place with kings and not mere men.

- emmanuel aladenusi

Diversify your Investment

Every day is a brand new day.  What ever happened last year, last month or yesterday is in the past. Yesterdays successes and failures don’t count much. This is the day that God has made. So do good to forget about your financial gains and failures and concentrate on today and tomorrow. A great man succeeds because he does one thing…. “Forgetting those things that are behind, I press forward’.

Press forward. Take knowledgeable decisions about your finances.

It’s important to diversify your investments. By diversification we simply mean you have different portfolio mix. It means you put your money in different places.

Ecc 11:1.         Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.

Ecc 11:2.        Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth.

Ecc 11:4.        He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.

Ecc 11:5.        As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.

Ecc 11:6.        In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.

Learn the following from the above scripture.

1. Investments are basically not for today but for tomorrow. And tomorrow is many days ahead.
2. The time to invest is now. There is no convenient time.  there is profit today no matter the condition/reading of the economy
3. You must divide your investments and give portions of it to different ventures. Because you do not know which shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they all will turn out good... That is diversification and the reason for it.

When I read this scripture years back, God showed me why it is different for a SON that is led by the spirit. While scriptures instructs that we diversify, it also affirms that with the leading of the spirit we can always diversify to take advantage of different rate of returns while avoiding loses for the spirit teaches ALL things. While we invest we must avoid having only one form of investment. We must take advantage of the resultant synergy that comes into play when we are much diversified. It’s always wrong for any person or thing to be alone for there is no one to bring up when one falls.

So as Christians how do we diversify?

‘Trust in the lord with all thy heart and lean not on thine own understanding. In All your ways acknowledge God and he will direct you”

Because we are led, we diversify correctly. We see where others don’t see and go where others are fearful to go. By His grace I am yet to make a personal wrong investment decision so far. I have bought stocks that have not recorded profit in seven years and watch them have alarming increases. Why? I have always bought by the spirit.

Take advantage of that too. Diversify by the spirit.

-emmanuel aladenusi

Investment & the Eight Wonder of the World

I work with a financial institution and I have come to discover that for most people savings with a bank is all they know or are content with when it comes to setting money aside. Most people have their seeds sitting in bank accounts earning not more than 3% per annum. So sad!

Letting money lie idle in the bank is according to the Master the least form of investment. In the parable of the talent, Jesus’ explained that the least the unfaithful servant could have done was to put the money in the bank so that on his return he would have collected it with usury (interest). Notice that is the LEAST.

Money earns much more when put to work.

So here is a simple rule to follow. With our understanding of seeds we know that they multiply when planted. So money invested produces more money. The soil on which you invest matters. You must invest money where you earn far above the rate at which money looses value. So if prices of things are increasing at 10% per annum then you must invest where you get more than that.

What do you do with the proceeds of your investment? Spend it? No!!! Doing that deprives you of exploring the eight wonder of the world. Somebody put it simply. If you have two servants and they give birth to a third, you don’t give out the third. You put all three to work. The three will give birth to two more then you put all five to work. All five will give birth to three more then you out all eight to work. Let all eight go to work and give birth to 4 more then put all twelve to work. With time you will have a house full of servants.

Money is a servant. It grows faster when compounded. By compounding we mean you re-invest the proceeds from the investment. Each time you do this you compound your investment and reduce the time it takes to reach your financial target.

If you invest 20,000 one time and don’t add to it and you reinvest (compound) the proceeds for lets say 47years at 10% above inflation then you will have nearly 2million. Now notice that is a one time investment.

On the other hand if you save 20,000 in a bank and keep adding the same 20,000 yearly at the funny 3% returns it gives you will have less than a million after 47years.

Now if you invest 20,000 and keep adding 20000 yearly for the same period at the same rate you will have over 17million.

That is the power of compound interest and Einstein called it THE EIGHT WONDER OF THE WORLD.

Earn interest on your interest. You have no reason not to leave a fortune for that child. A one time investment for him will make him a millionaire before he even begins work.

Make an investment decision today. Compound your investment and enjoy the eight wonder of the world.

-emmanuel aladenusi

So Sure of Provision

I live in a part of Africa and the world where basic necessities of life like food and clothing are luxuries. Many of us were born into nothing. Our days were continuously marked with the anxiety of where the next meal will come from. We woke up many mornings to no food. We had no idea where the next meal will come from. In my part of the world new cloths were only for festive periods and were celebrated with much happiness.

I know the fear and certainty of having nothing to eat. I know the shame of old and tattered cloths. I know the humiliation of staying outside the school gates because my fees have not been paid.

But more than that I know the certainty of Gods provision.

I know many still live in those same conditions - Parents who are unhappy because they can’t meet the needs of their children; Unhappy marriages whose only problem is that they cannot afford the basics of life; Children who can’t go to school or receive medical attention because the funds are not just available; I mean a whole lot of people if the statistics of those living below $1 per day is anything to go by.

I bring you good news. You can be absolutely sure of Gods provision.  Beloved it is an insult on creation and a greater insult on redemption for us to worry about these things.

Matt 6:25: Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

Matt 6:26: Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

Matt 6:30: Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

Matt 6:31: Therefore take no thought, saying, what shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

Never doubt that God will come through for you always. God fed the Israelites himself for 40yrs. He made ravens feed Elijah. He fed 5000 people with manna from heaven. God was displaying his utmost commitment to your welfare. Beloved God as our father is directly responsible for us.

God will supply all your needs according to heavens supply. In the midst of that want trust him for your daily bread. When the bills are due look to no one but him, when you are not sure how to make ends meet, trust him to do exceedingly and abundantly above your present need. God woke men many times to bring us food. Many traveled distance just to heed the call of God for my fees. Our every frame is so precious to our Father. If He feeds the birds and cloths the grasses, He will do much more for His children. Glory to God. He made provisions for our every need ages before we were formed. We cannot lack. We cannot be stranded.

Look beyond your basic needs. Plan for plenty.

- emmanuel aladenusi

Know the Expected End

Someone once said that if you fail to plan then you are planning to fail. A game plan is very important in every affair of life. It tells where you are, what you hope to achieve, the resources available at your disposal and the time available for you to play.

When it comes to finances, knowing the expected end is very important. You must determine where you are now and your expected end. Christians live to fulfill PURPOSE.  Purpose is the reason for you. The expected end is the actualization of purpose.

I want to be rich is no cry. No target. How rich do you want to be? How rich? When do you hope to be that rich? Where are you now? What is in your hand now? And what time do you have left? These questions must form the nucleus of a solid investment plan targeted towards bringing you to the expected end.

Hab: 2:2:3 And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.

For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak,

Very importantly “every vision is for an appointed time”. So it must be written down clearly. It must be made plain. Putting words to paper is very crucial. Don’t just assume you have a financial plan. Write it down clearly. This is where I ought to be … want to be.

This is where I am. This is how long I have left. Then these are the steps I will take to achieve this purpose. Doing this releases power. Now notice that Habakkuk says that “he might run that readeth it”. Reading your vision/game plan releases power for the journey ahead. It gives focus and opportunity for redress. If you can’t see your expected end you might never get there. God told Abraham Gen 13:14: And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward:

For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed forever. Hallelujah. Friends look from the place where you are to the place where you want to be. Look father than your today. Plan bigger than your today because you will be given as far as you can see. Why? Because we are not sufficient of ourselves but our sufficiency is of God.

Know the expected end. Write it down. Make it plain. Strength will be released for the journey.

- emmanuel aladenusi

Hearing that brings prosperity

What you hear and how you hear determines where you are and where you will be. The meditations of your heart, your deepest thoughts are clear indications of how much life will bring your way. To be successful in life you must make optimal use of what you hear. I am always blessed each time I read Mark chapter 4 and will always pause at Mark 4:24: “And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given”.

Another version has it this way “take heed what you hear and how you hear……”

The message:

1. Take heed what you hear: Be careful with what you expose yourself to. Be selective in your hearing habits. Don’t entertain just anything. There are things to be heard and things not to hear.

2. With what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you: The words we hear are like an orange fruit. Meditating on them is like squeezing out juice from it. The more we squeeze, the more we extract out. The word profits us to the level of attention we pay to it. Jesus describes the level of profit different people get from hearing the same words as thirty, sixty and a hundred fold. The level of profiting been directly proportional to the level of HEED we have paid to the word.  Heb 2: 1 admonishes us to give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard lest they slip away. Don’t be hasty with Gods words when you hear them. Most especially those concerned with areas you are facing challenges. Meditate on them. The more you meditate, the more it gives to you.

3. Unto you that hear shall more be given: Do we actually hear? Or words just seem as sounds to us. We have actually heard when the words we hear have an impact on our lives. Words are purposeFULL. Jesus is teaching that when we hear, the level of attention we give to what we hear determines what we get from it. Let’s put it in money terms. The rich gets richer because more is given to what they have. The poor gets poorer because what they have is taken away from them. The value and premium you place on things determine the yield they accord you. Life is spiritually programmed to do that. Give 10% heed to the doctrine of wealth. It will return 100% to you. Give 10% of love. Get 100% response. Have nothing to give…get nothing in return. Have more to give…get more in return.

Place yourself only in direct contact with words of prosperity. Meditate on words of prosperity. Think prosperity always and you are sure to be what you think.  Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word. That is the WHAT and HOW we hear. When you hear don’t let it depart (slip) from your heart, meditate on it day and night and you will make your way prosperous and have GOOD SUCCESS.

- emmanuel aladenusi

Let Your Words Steer You To Plenty

One of the greatest principles occurring over and over in scriptures is the power of words.

WORDS! WORDS!! WORDS!!!

Words are double edged. Words we speak and words we hear. Both are very important. Let’s start with words we speak.

Somebody once said that he was great because he was standing on the shoulder of great men. Understanding words is learning the power of the greatest.

Let me ask you. How was the world formed? How is the world sustained? How will the world be destroyed?

“By faith we understand that the things which are seen were made from the things which are not seen”

From where do we understand? From creation. “and God said let there be…….“and God said let there be…….“and God said let there be……….and it was so.

The simplicity of creation displays a very potent tool. All things seen were made from the things not seen by the word. Whatever God wanted he spoke forth FIRST. Everything that came to being was first spoken. Everything! God operates by calling “those things that are not as though they were”. Learn that. Call, speak, say what you want as if it is already. The power of life and death lies in the power of the tongue.

Speaking Gods word to your life creates your future. Speaking words in line with Gods word ensures that future. It really does not matter where you are today. If you consistently speak what and where you want to be tomorrow, you will get there. It doesn’t matter if you feel you believe it or not. God honors His words. He honors the words you speak. He honored the words of Joshua to stop the moon and the sun…..he honored the words of the Israelites and they did not see the Promised Land. As they have said to his ears, so he does. Whichever way you speak, it is honored.

Kenneth Copeland summarizes it this way “YOU ARE THE PROPHET OF YOUR LIFE”. Life responds to what you say. What you say creates what you said. All things act in a way to produce that which has been spoken. Jesus acted and lived in a way to fulfill that which was spoken by the prophets. It gladdens my heart each time I read “that it might be fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet….” in scriptures.

Don’t speak anyhow. Be wiser than the people of this age who chant regularly exploiting this powerful tool of life.

You are liable for the words you speak because they determine your tomorrow. Everything that happened in my life till date I spoke forth at some point in life. Positive and negative. So I know where I will be tomorrow because I speak my tomorrow today.

Watch your words. Use them correctly. Speak your tomorrow today. Don’t be careless with words because they will be honored.

When you wake up speak, when you work or walk speak, when you are faced with a situation speak the outcome you want…..always call what you want the way you want it.

With your words you set on fire the course of life.

Don’t forget.

- emmanuel aladenusi

How Love will make You Prosperous

Love is the seeds of all seeds. It is the coating that should be on every seed. Love is the manure that fertilizes all seeds and ensures a harvest. Love is the greatest. You become wealthy and prosperous by giving and the greatest giver and motive for giving is love.

To every problem love is the solution. Love satisfies every need. Don’t ignore love. Many do and make a shipwreck of their lives. When a man walks in love he has all his needs met. Love brings to reality biblical prosperity…having more than enough to meet the needs of others and yourself and having peace within and without.

In Romans 13:8 the bible commands us to “owe no man anything but to love one another”. 1Co: 13:2: And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing.

And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not love, it profiteth me nothing.

When you give love and give in love your labor and seeds become profitable.

Now love is the recipe and solution to the crises in your home. You believe money will win your wife’s respect and affection…. you are wrong. Do this instead. Eph: 5:25-27 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

That he might present it to himself a glorious church….” Giving is a proof of the sincerity of love 2Cor 8:8, 1 John 3:16. Love your wife and children, sacrifice time and give to them, listen to her foolishness, help her weaknesses, come down to her level, in love and with love take her to your level. Grow with your children. When you sow the seeds of love in your home your harvest is ensured. All hell cannot stop you from prospering. Nothing can overcome love.  Poverty prevails because you are alone. Win your spouse and children and enjoy the strength of a threefold cord.

Ec: 4:12: And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.  The discord in your home is the reason for your lack. Life and labor is unprofitable because you are not working in love. Spend time together as a family. Pray, smile, gist, correct, plan, give, help one another.

Finally, let us all labor in love ministering (giving, helping, attending) to the needs of the saints. For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which ye have showed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

- emmanuel aladenusi

Recognizing the Seed of Abundance

In our previous articles we emphasized that all life begins from the seed. That seeds are weapons of greatness and Gods faithfulness has ensured we all have seeds.

Most of us however don’t recognize seeds or have limited seeds to just money. Money is a seed but other seeds produce money. Seeds are of various types, everyone sows seeds and your seed is given freely to you as a gift from God. Now your dream, vision, purpose, and future are tied to the planting of one seed. So let us explore different kind of seeds that have produced a harvest of the future many desired.

1.      The seed of kindness. : Gen 18: 1-15

Each time I read the above passage, my spirit is deeply moved. Please read it right now. Have the following background about Abraham.

• He was a very rich man
• He had over 318 trained men in his house
• He had the capacity to chase 4 kings
• He was childless

·         He was almost a 100yrs old

Bible records that one evening he saw 3 strangers (v2)

He ran to meet them- he recognized the opportunity to show kindness. He understood the seed of kindness and recognized those men as good soil to sow his seed.

Now what manner of kindness did Abraham display?

  *He ran to meet them,

  *He bowed with his face touching the ground,

  *He called them sirs,

  *He ordered for the best of everything and to crown it up

  *He served them HIMSELF.

Abraham just had to be blessed. In return for this act of kindness and generosity to strangers and fellow men Abraham received the miracle of 99years. He was blessed with a son. His seed of kindness gave him the harvest of a son.  In showing kindness to people we might entertain strangers unawares.

Friends, show some kindness. Show plenty of kindness. Every child, man and women you meet is good soil to sow the seed of kindness given to you freely by God. Be kind to everyone you meet. That means compassionate and tender hearted. Listen to “ordinary” men like Joseph; interpret their dreams for them…tomorrow they will recommend you before the king. Be kind to a king’s son like David and tomorrow he will tell you when to leave the country. Do something undeserved for someone today. The more of yourself you give to people the more of people and God you receive. You are on your own is not the code of great people. Get interested in people…mourn with those that mourn and rejoice with those that rejoice. Do something personally for someone.

-emmanuel aladenusi

What God taught me concerning wealth - 2

Have you ever wished you were born rich with the silver spoon? I use to wish that. I felt my rich friends had an easier start in life and were exposed to better opportunities and had a certain future. I wished I had that kind of life.

But God made me see things differently and today I am always glad to have been born without the so-called silver spoon. Most great men in all sectors of life were born lowly. Tomorrow’s great men and women will be those with little beginning.

That’s how God operates. 1 Cor 1; 26-27 “for consider your calling brethren that there are not many mighty, not many noble; but God HAS CHOSEN the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and the weak things of the world to shame the strong and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen the things that are not to nullify the things that are”. God gave that passage life to me. Right from the beginning mighty men were born weak, rich men were born poor, wise men considered foolish. Those that became were those that were not. That’s God way, higher than ours. Samuel overlooked David for he was youngest, God made him king. Great kings should be born in the palace; Jesus was born in the manger. He was from Nazareth where no good thing could come out. God showed differently. Moses was taken from the river. Joseph was the youngest and had more troubles, and he became a prime minister in a country where he wasn’t a national.

I am sure you remember Samson, but do you remember his parents. They were lowly people. How about Elijah, Elisah, Job who was the richest man in his time…do you know where they came from? How about Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, Mandela, Ford, …just name them. Where did they start form, where did they come from? How about President Obasanjo?

It’s Gods way. A little one shall become a thousand (Isa. 60.22) and beggars will be taken from the dung hill and made to sit with the best of princes. When men are weak and lowly, Gods strength is made perfect.

Are you poor today, you will be made to confound the rich tomorrow. I tell you it is more certain that the poor child will be wealthy than it is that a rich one will still be wealthy tomorrow.

Despise not the days of little beginning. Glory in it. God moulds great men out of trying situations. Your poor background is not a disadvantage. It is your great advantage. Put your trust in God. Though men will trust in chariots and others in horses let your boast be in the lord for the race is not to the swift and the battle not to the warrior neither bread to the wise nor wealth to the discerning nor favor to men of ability.  God makes the difference. Nothing else. God in you, the hope of Glory.

You can become wealthy from where you are.

-emmanuel aladenusi

What God taught me concerning wealth …

Years back when I was a jobless graduate, God taught me concerning wealth. The revelations were tremendous. I like to share two with you.

MY LIFE DOES NOT DEPEND ON WHAT I AM PAID AND WHAT I AM PAID CANNOT MEET MY NEEDS.

It’s funny the way deceit is sown in cycles. Economists discovered and teach that man’s needs/wants are insatiable and that there have to be a formula for allocating the little/scarce resources between our needs. The economy however suggests to us that there is a level of income you attain where you will be free from want and have just anything you want. Another theory advocates that wants/needs grow to meet up with income.

The question is just how much is enough to satisfy you? For me in my jobless state, fifty thousand bucks monthly was more than enough to satisfy my dreams. Today that’s very insufficient. Rockefeller a famous philanthropist who gave out millions annually to charity was asked, “just how much money is enough” he replied “just a little more”. Whole nations make budgets worth trillions and still record a deficit. Men and women that have amassed millions still can’t sleep for fear of making more money. The most ferocious businessmen are still the richest men. More money did not bring rest. Many of the world richest men and women are broke today.

A mans worth is not his bank account. A mans dreams is not achieved nor hindered by his net physical worth. What we chase and get monetary wise will never meet our needs. Never! Jesus taught the rich not to trust in UNCERTAIN riches but to put their trust in God who gives us all things richly to enjoy. Money has wings and will surely fly. Praying and working all your life in other to meet your wants/needs will end in frustration.

There is a higher level. At that level God supplies all our needs not according to our income, but according to his infinite riches in glory. At that level God is our own shepherd and is responsible directly for our provision. At that level we cast all our cares upon Him for He cares for us. Earn millions but never forget that God is the supplier of your needs. God in your little is having abundance and without God in your abundance, you have nothing. Hallelujah. Why is that a better level?

Which will you choose? I give you a billion now and that’s all or I give you nothing but allow you access to an account that has enough to supply whatever you need, whenever you need it and wherever you need it all the days of your life. I will choose the regular supply. That means if I am trapped in the desert like Haggai, a well will be dug for me; that means if I am in the cave like Elijah, ravens will be sent to me; that means if I find myself in the wilderness for as long as forty years, manna will come directly from heaven; that means every rock can produce water for me if I get thirsty; that means instead of looking at my oil (salary) like the widow of Zeraphat, I can keep pouring (spending) on His instruction and fill as many jars as I have (meet as many needs as may arise). That means whatever I get is protected and shielded from devourers. That’s my greatest confidence in finances. The understanding that at every point in time my needs have being known and prepared for beforehand by the most high.

It is the blessings of God that makes rich and added no sorrow. Glory! I can do all things. Equal to any task because God supplies my needs directly.

-emmanuel aladenusi

These things affirm constantly

Every thing in life and outside life operates naturally when in its territory. A fish will swim naturally in water; birds fly naturally in the sky and man move naturally on ground.

For a believer wealth is our natural heritage and habitat. I don’t have to prove to be a male…. it is clear for all to see. Even if I am not aware of it, it doesn’t make a difference. I am still male.

Every child of God is RICH. Now ‘every” including you. We are not trying to become rich, we are already rich. But you have no money, no clothes; you have many needs you can’t meet, overdue rents, unpaid fees, fear of where the next meal will come from. Etc? That’s not true.

The truth is that you are so rich. Before Adam was created God prepared everything he will ever need to function in life. They were prepared before hand and handed over to him at creation. Now God created everything abundantly. He also made lots of varieties and God thought of everything.  Though Adam still worked, he was not struggling to succeed or acquire. He was that by creation. He worked to replenish the earth, to have dominion and to subdue it. And in all he did he got results.

Now I want you to always remember that all you will ever need God has provided before you came to be. Nothing just happens with God.

The fall of Adam changed that and the ground and life in general became unresponsive to man. But Christ changed that too. He became poor that we might become rich and gave us richly all things to enjoy; he became our shepherd that we might not want again, He supplies all our needs in direct proportion to his own riches, he made sure whatsoever we do prospers:

Glory to God! We are sure that all things are orchestrated together for our good, we are sure we cannot suffer for the curse of the land and the devil cannot bring any accusation against us for it is God himself that has justified us. We do not suffer any form of lack because we have been brought into glory; for it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. Beloved now are we the sons of God……now God is directly responsible for us. We are not servants; wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, THEN AN HEIR OF GOD THROUGH CHRIST.

We are joint heirs with Christ. So scriptures affirm that all things are yours/ours/mine.

There is a place of rest and we that believe have entered into that rest. The mentality that it is only at death that a man experience rest is untrue. We that believe have entered into God’s rest. A place where we always have ALL SUFFICIENCY IN ALL THINGS.

Beloved we are rich. Richer than the man in the world because we not only are heirs and owners of all things but because we are custodians of the unsearchable riches of Christ;

Change that mindset. Affirm these things constantly. Don’t be like the elder brother of the prodigal son that had all things but enjoyed none. God has given us all things richly to enjoy.

- emmanuel aladenusi

Removing the seed-getting money to invest

Thank God for his word. Thank God because it does not fail. Glory to God because the scriptures cannot be broken.

Like we said we must consciously sow seeds because they hold the key to the future. So what do we do? We must always remove the seed FIRST.

Now you can view the seed in so many ways because really there are varieties of seeds. But let’s broadly have two classes.

There are the First fruits. Ex 23:19 “The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring into the house of the LORD thy God.”  This seed is so important not only for the increase it ensures but because it is an act of:

WORSHIP -  Deut. 26:10: “And now, behold, I have brought the firstfruits of the land, which thou, O LORD, hast given me.  And thou shalt set it before the LORD thy God, and worship before the LORD thy God”

HONOUR - Proverb: 3:9 “Honor the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase” and is a simple way of showing “in all your ways acknowledge Him” financially.  Simply put, set aside seed to be sown into the most fertile soil of ministry. Tope Aladenusi calls it “the investment with steady returns”

There is also the general seed that is kept to be invested in a variety of places. That’s the “Proverb 21:20: There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up.” Friends it is foolishness to spend/eat all we have. There is a portion we withhold. “Proverb:11:24: There is he that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.” Note the withholdeth more than is meet. So a part of all you have and get must be set aside for investment. Most times we don’t because we believe we don’t have enough in the first place, so why set aside something from nothing. Remember, the disciples saw five loaves and two fishes as nothing if five thousand people were to be fed, but Jesus taught them it was something.

God’s grace ensures you have something to invest. He ministereth both bread and seed. There is always a part that is tagged seed/investment in all that comes your way. If we save 10% of all we waste we will be 100% better each month. Do a simple exercise. Buy a small jotter; record ALL your expenses in a month. ALL. No matter how small and negligible it is. At the end of the month put each expense where they belong and see where your seed goes. Do something about it. Now!

-emmanuel aladenusi

Investment – Seed Planting (2)

I read a book by Sam Adeyemi where he said “if you get a hold on the seed principle your future is guaranteed because that is where God invested the future”. That’s a powerful assertion. But is it really true? If it is then we all hold the keys to a lifetime of abundance.

The seed principle is very true. It is the fundamental principle of life and one of the utmost displays of the wisdom of God. Genesis shows us without any doubt that the future was invested in the seed. God makes/produces/creates/births just ONE and plants within that ONE seeds from which he must multiply. I repeat ‘must multiply’. There is no other way of multiplication given under heaven except through seeds and that will remain as long as the earth remains. To be ignorant of this is very fatal.

Look at this “Gen. 1:11: And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so”.

“Gen. 1:20: “And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.”

Gen. 2:7: “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”.

Clearly, plants multiply through seeds, how about humans and animals?

Gen. 3:15: “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” Notice the phrase - “thy seed and her seed”. God was saying in essence that enmity wouldn’t be between the two of you (else it will have died with them) but between their seeds i.e. for all generations. That’s why the serpent still bruises the heels today because the curse was placed on the seed and hence the future. God invested the future in the seed.

Glory to God! It means if we all have seeds then we can all have abundance. Thank God we all have seeds because God made sure every thing created were those “whose seed is in itself”. What ever you want, plant a seed of that kind and wait for the harvest. If you want more of it, simply plant more. Take money for example…every penny you get has got more pennies in it. Don’t underestimate that coin. If you don’t plant it then you have lost many coins. Dr Robert Schuler puts it this way “you can count the number of seeds in an apple but you can’t count the number of apples in a seed”.

The ability of life to multiply is perhaps more than our human understanding can comprehend. But the spirit gives us a witness that what we sow we shall reap in appropriate multiples.

How do I know a prosperous man? By his seed attitude. If you spend all that money without giving to the kingdom, without investing a portion, I know where you will end up. If you don’t give help to people in many ways, I know where you will end up. If you don’t invest time in books, people, ministry, work, etc. I know how little you will have tomorrow.

So sow a seed even though you feel like or not…we work by faith and not by sight. Don’t wait for a convenient time. He that observes the wind will not sow and he that regards the cloud will not reap.

Disregard every circumstance. Act in faith; sow a seed. Be fanatical about it. It holds the key to the future.

-emmanuel aladenusi

Investment - seed planting

Myles Munroe once held a small seed in front of a class and asked them what they saw. Looking carefully they agreed they saw a seed. Myles told them he held in his hands a forest. Why? Because in the seed there was a tree, in that tree many fruits, in those fruits many seeds, in those seeds many trees and hence a forest.

Life operates on the seed principle. Scripture makes us understand that as long as the earth remains seedtime and harvest time will not seize (Gen 8: 33). There must be planting before harvest. Investment is planting a seed to ensure a harvest.

To have plenty you must learn to invest. You must consciously and deliberately set aside a portion of all you get.  You must learn to plant seeds. Every money you have is a seed, all actions a seed, words, the most powerful of seeds. And unless a seed falls to the ground and dies it abideth alone, but if it dies it brings forth a huge harvest.’

Jesus operated on that principle. He was the seed of David. He died and what harvest his death has produced.

Your seed is in your hand. Don’t eat it. Plant it, let it die and bring forth plenty for you. I love this passage … ‘For God is the one who gives seed to the farmer AND THEN bread to eat…’ 2 Corinthians 9:10. God in his faithfulness gives us seeds with every food to ensure we have plenty to scatter and have plenty. Withhold not thy hand. Plant first AND THEN EAT.

That simply is investment …seed planting

-emmanuel aladenusi

Investment? - The most secured place to start from ...

Information/knowledge is power. But in the search for knowledge you will be exposed to so many books, authors, materials, information etc. confusion sets in. Which is correct? Which approach is best? Which do I experiment first? Why so many contradictions? Save your self the hassles. Start from the word.

Thank God we are Christians and therefore custodians of wisdom, for Christ became wisdom for us. Listen friends, all knowledge and wisdom whose foundation is not the word of God might appear to work, but it will fail. “The wisdom of this age (as dynamic as it is) commeth to nothing” 1 Cor 2:6. Don’t get carried away by the wisdom of men. Results you get from their practice are limited and frail.

The Word of God as contained in scriptures still remains supreme. Start from there. Understand that each time you study the word you are “handling the word of life”. I love that. The Word of life. The Word is the creative force of God. By it all things were created, without the Word was nothing made that was made (John 1:3). All things are sustained by the same Word (Heb 1:3). The totality of life is the Word.

It opens us up to unlimited possibilities. There is no limit to what you can create when you handle the word correctly. Ours is an uncertain world from start to finish. Where do I get capital? How do I protect my investment? Suppose I loose all? Thieves?  Stock market crash? Depression?  So many frightening alternatives.

But with the word, all things are certain. All things and situations answers to the Word. “We learn how to abound and how to be abased…we learn the secret of life, How to remain the same under all conditions”. We are not afraid to start small. We’ve learnt not to despise little beginnings. We are not afraid to launch out. we have the spirit of boldness…we are coordinated and not ruffled…we have a sound mind….we are not afraid of where to get start up capital…we’ve learnt to call those things that are not as though they were. We have evidence of unseen realities. With the word, I have the assurance my business will prosper…and I know I can rise again seven times in seven. Glory!

The word is to sure. It cannot fail. It is consistent, not time barred nor does it become obsolete. It is not a respecter of persons, governments, policies of economic upheavals. I have read so many books on investment but none can compare to the wisdom discovered in scriptures.

So friends “I commend you to God and to the Word of his power which is able to build you up and give you (deliver to you) an inheritance among those that are sanctified…to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began but now has been made manifest by the prophetic scriptures…” Rom 16:25-26

-emmanuel aladenusi

The Best Way

I HOPE YOU PONDERED THOSE QUESTIONS? And I hope you got answers too.

Making money is easy. Anybody can make money. I have seen all sorts of people make money. Money however is not an end in itself. It begins many things. It is like an octopus with many tentacles. It is keeping control of the various tentacles that have ruined many.

“Being WISE is as good as being RICH, in fact it is better. WISDOM or MONEY can get you almost anything, but it is important to know that only wisdom can save your life” Eccl. 7:11-12 NLT. Wisdom is the principal thing. Get wisdom, it creates, channels and sustains wealth. Money answers to wisdom.

Go first for wisdom. Study the word. Cease from your consideration of wealth and study the word. Get understanding by books. Take advantage of the spirit within that reveals all things and learn “deep things”.  The word produces all things (John 1:3) and sustains all things (Heb 1:3). So “…blessed is the man whose delight is in the law of God and in it he meditates day and night, he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that bring forth its fruit in season, its leaf also does not grow dry and whatsoever he doeth prospers” Psalm 1:1-3

Wisdom is key. If you find it there will be a future and your hope will not be cut off. It did for me.

The best start, the thirst and search for wisdom.

-emmanuel aladenusi

Questions ... Answers

Today’s adverts reveal a lot about the major pursuit of men.

From the lotto Nigeria advert where a shoemaker dreams of becoming a millionaire and chauffeur driven to the Skye Bank “I wish I could go far in life without stress”. The answer/solution to both questions is MONEY. Why not? “Money answereth all things” … Ecclesiastes 10:19. and “is a defense”. Ecclesiastes 7:12

But are we right in the unrelenting pursuit of money? Is money really the answer to life’s problems? Is it right to wake up every money and exert all that is in me in the pursuit of money? Just how many years of my active life will I spend LOOKING/WORKING for money? If the money problem is settled what will I rather do with my effort and time?

Is there a formula for acquiring wealth? I mean a tested and trusted one? Can I be rich WITHOUT STRESS? What does the Bible have to say? What is the Christian way?

Lots of questions. Ponder them.

Stay with us.

- emmanuel aladenusi