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This is so true!

I WAS WRONG!

The family is on my mind again. Since I read Jim Bakker’s book by the title above several years back, my priorities took shape. I don’t know about you but I do not want to do ministry at the expense of my family. My goal is still to be the best husband my wife could have ever had and to be the world’s best dad to my kids. I want to represent God well to my children. I don’t want them turning their backs on God and ministry because their dad committed adultery – loving God’s wife (the church) at the expense of loving his own wife and family!

Let’s prioritize family. Do not neglect your relationship with God and with your family. Love your spouse and children if you have them. Spend quality time with them. It pays you both in the short and long run.

Read here the submission of Jim Bakker. It’s been said that to know the road, you should ask someone coming back. Selah!

“In the midst of the swirl of activity, I lost touch with my family, and especially with Jamie. I was not there when he needed me. I confused the work of God for God Himself.

I was wrong.

I am now convinced that God must come first in our lives, then our family, and then the work that we are doing for God. If our family crumbles while we are trying to serve God, we have missed our primary ministry.” (Jim Bakker, I Was Wrong)

Think about this and make amends where you need to. I pray you will not make the same mistake. YOU WILL SUCCEED!

WORDS TO LIVE BY

Philippians 3:8, 10 (Amplified Bible)
Yes, furthermore, I count everything as loss compared to the possession of the priceless privilege – the overwhelming preciousness, the surpassing worth and supreme advantage of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, and of progressively becoming more deeply and intimately acquainted with him, of perceiving and recognizing and understanding him more fully and clearly. For his sake I lost everything and consider it all to be mere rubbish (refuse, dregs), in order that I may win (gain) Christ, the Anointed One.

(For my determined purpose is) that I may know Him – that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding (the wonders of His person) more strongly and more clearly. And that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection (which it exerts over believers); and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed (in spirit into his likeness even) to his death…”

HOW DO YOU DEFINE A FRIEND? (5)

A True Friend Stands By You in Your Hour of Need

“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” (Proverbs 17:17)

“A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” (Proverbs 18:24)

The Greek philosopher, Aristotle said, “In poverty and other misfortunes of life, true friends are a sure refuge. The young they keep out of mischief; to the old they are a comfort and aid in their weakness, and those in the prime of life they incite to noble deeds.”

The opposite is also true. “False friends are like our shadows, keeping close to us while we walk in the sunshine but leaving us when we cross into the shade. Real friends stick with us when trouble comes.” (John C. Maxwell)

The test of a true friend is this: She is still there standing by you when others have fled! He is there telling you the truth when others are busy flattering and deceiving you. You must have heard it said, “In prosperity our friends know us; in adversity we know our friends.” A friend in need is a friend indeed.

Thanks for staying with me, if you have been blessed by this, you could check out the other parts of the series. YOU WILL SUCCEED!

HOW DO YOU DEFINE A FRIEND? (4)

A TRUE FRIEND ENCOURAGES YOUR GOD-GIVEN DREAM

Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ. From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!” But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” (Matthew 16:16-23)

How can someone in five short verses go from being ‘most blessed’ to being called ‘satan’; from trusted associate to worst adversary? Jesus showed here that: Anyone who makes you deviate from your purpose in God is no longer a friend, he has become an enemy!

Mark Twain said, “Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.” If you belittle what I hold in high esteem, you’re not my friend.

If you blur my focus on my assignment; you’re not my friend.

If you make me lose sight of my dream, I refuse you to be my friend.

If you make me doubt my destiny, you’re not my friend.

If you cast aspersion on or despise my dream, I refuse you to be my friend. I agree with pastor and leadership coach, Dan Reiland that, “A genuine friend encourages and challenges us to live out our best thoughts, honor our purest motives, and achieve our significant dreams.” YOU WILL SUCCEED!

HOW DO YOU DEFINE A FRIEND? (3)

SOMEONE WHO DOES NOT VALUE WHAT YOU VALUE IS ANYTHING ELSE BUT A FRIEND
“Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?” (Amos 3:3)

Anyone who does not believe in what you believe in cannot be your friend.

For me, anyone who does not value my ideals; who cheapens what I treasure will never be my friend. If your ‘friend’ does not reinforce your decision to serve God, live holy or encourage your passion, focus or concentration on your assignment; that is a wrong friend.

A man who is now a successful professional speaker said that at the beginning of his career, “My friends didn’t believe I could become a successful speaker. So I did something about it. I went out and found me some new friends!” Anyone who is not headed in your direction will be a distraction. YOU WILL SUCCEED!

For the earlier posts in this series, A True Friend adds Value to You & An Unbeliever Should Not Be A Confidant of a Child of God

PictureSpeak

Here are pictures from our Purpose ‘n’ Life Seminar that held in the city of Abuja on Sunday, April 1: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2940185952848.2120397.1507143736&type=1&l=d6708b6d45

HOW DO YOU DEFINE A FRIEND? (2)

Okay, in the first post in this series (read here), I established that friendship should not be by force, since a true friend is only one who adds value to you. Let’s continue from there.

The second thing I will like to say about true friends here is that AN UNBELIEVER CANNOT (and Should Never) BE A FRIEND/CONFIDANT/ADVISER OF A TRUE CHILD OF GOD. I predicate this on the truth of 2 Corinthians 6:14-18.

“Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people.” Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the LORD Almighty.”

Can you stand to be blessed? “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful;” If you mean to fulfill your destiny, you will not allow an infidel to be your friend. YOU WILL SUCCEED!

HOW DO YOU DEFINE A FRIEND?

Who is your friend? What and Who, is a friend? What is friendship? How do you define a friend? Have you been asked that before? It’s a question I have been trying to proffer an answer to, from God’s Word. Let’s explore in these series of posts, the essence of friendships. And please do let me know what you think. Blessings!

Friends are not just acquaintances. And real friends are more than just school or work mates. No! AGREEMENT is the keyword in friendship. Two people cannot walk together except they are agreed. The axe is laid at the root of every relationship. If it does not produce, get rid of it! Friendship does not have to be by force.

Wrong friends (not necessarily bad ones) will corrupt your destiny. “Do not be deceived: evil company corrupts good habits.” (1 Corinthians 15:33) Amnon was King David’s firstborn son. By descent, he was heir to the throne of Israel. But his destiny crashed through a wrong advice from one of his so-called ‘friends’ – Jonadab the son of Shimeah. The ‘prodigal son’ too had a glorious destiny but not with the wrong company he kept. Beware of the friends you keep for they determine your destiny. He who walks with the wise will be wise!

So how do you define a friend?

A TRUE FRIEND ADDS VALUE TO YOU
“As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.” (Proverbs 27:17 NKJV)

Henry Ford said, “Who is your best friend? I will tell you who your best friend is. Your best friend is the one who brings out the best that is within you.” And I think that is so true.

Every true friend brings an investment of value into your life. They do not lean on you alone; they bring something to the table in the relationship. Someone who does not sharpen your focus on your assignment is not a good friend. Anybody who does not improve your life is neither. Some relationships do not add but subtract from you, which is no friendship but parasitism.

No relationship leaves you neutral; if it’s not adding to you, it is subtracting from you whether you’re aware of it or not. Watch out! Some folks are ‘subtracters’, not ‘adders’. They are ‘dividers’, not ‘multipliers’. They are ‘minuses’, not ‘plusses’. When you discover such people in your life, it’s time to go shopping for some new friends!

YOU WILL SUCCEED!

May Your APRIL Be FULL!

May your APRIL be FULL! FULL of IRRESISTIBLE INFLUENCE. FULL of LIFE, FULL of GRACE. FILLED with the FULLNESS of HIM that FILLS ALL in ALL. May your life count for impact in the kingdom of God this month and the rest of your days. May your light shine so bright that men will bless God for your life and gentiles will come to the brightness of your rising. Happy New Month! Welcome to APRIL 2012!