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!

20 DEFINITIONS YOU HAVE TO CHECK OUT (part 3)

Oh! Oh! Oh! Are you feeling this? Words are powerful and the meaning you attach to them defines you. I mean, you define words and in turn, they come to define you! Let these definitions help you, motivate you, encourage you or anger you, if need be. But please do not be indifferent.

Just check out these last set of definitions: having an education is not about going to school; worldliness is not rocket science, John Wesley cuts it to the bare bones for us. Enjoy and be blessed by these. You will succeed!

14. EDUCATION is that which we remember when we have forgotten all we learnt! – Unknown

15. COOPERATION is spelled with two letters: WE. – G. M. Verity

16. WORLDLINESS is that which cools my affection towards God. – John Wesley

17. COURAGE is fear that has said its prayers! – Karle Wilson Baker

18. THE WILL OF GOD is saying and doing the right thing in the right place with the right people at the right time and in the right sequence under the right leadership using the right method with the right attitude of heart. – Loren Cunningham

19. A GOOD MARRIAGE is a union of two forgivers. – Ruth Bell Graham

20. Okay now, add yours. I’m waiting.

LET’S DEFINE MEDIOCRITY

What is mediocrity? Have you bothered to ask yourself before? These are my thoughts:

1. Mediocrity is having wishes but no concrete plans.
2. Mediocrity is having plans but no priorities.
3. Mediocrity is being past-possessed and not forward-focused.
4. Mediocrity is reckoning to the past when you should be reaching to your potential.
5. Mediocrity is seeing the opportunity as an obstacle rather than seeing the opportunity in the obstacle.
6. Mediocrity is having acquaintances but no friends.
7. Mediocrity is giving condemnation where you should be giving commendations.
8. Mediocrity is when you emphasize your title against your responsibility.
9. Mediocrity is looking so much like someone else that nobody looks like you!
10. Mediocrity is thinking of nothing to give yet you’re thinking of something to get!
11. Mediocrity is giving excuses when you should be making advances.
12. Mediocrity is planning so much for the wedding day that you overlook planning for the marriage!
13. A mediocre philosophy is “A verse of the Bible a day keeps the devil away!”
14. Mediocrity is seeing the devil at work so much that you’re oblivious of the angels on guard waiting to be deployed.
15. Mediocrity is working when you should be praying and praying when you should be working.
16. Mediocrity is playing when you should pray and praying when you should be playing.
17. A mediocre will look back in regret where he should have looked forward and prepared.

You have more? Let me hear it. Mediocrity, no more, not me! YOU WILL SUCCEED!

THE BATTLE OF POSTERITY

The pursuit of destiny is real warfare. And a council of hell is sitting right now to make sure you lose the battle. But you will win!

Don’t trade away your birthright. Don’t cheapen your destiny. “Sell me this day your birthright” (Genesis 25:31) is the demand of the battle of posterity. It is a conflict of choices. A test of the strength of your will:

Today versus Tomorrow
Now versus Later
The Present versus the Future
The Urgent versus the Important
The Immediate versus the Ultimate
The Temporal versus the Lasting.

“Sell me this day your birthright!”

Your destiny might not have matured but I challenge you, don’t sell it! Do not trade away your future on the altar of present enjoyment.

Esau had to choose between his hunger and his heritage.
Samson – between Delilah and delivering the Hebrews.
Moses – between Egypt’s treasures and Christ’s reproach.
Joseph – between Potiphar’s wife and a prominent place in Egypt.
Their eventual decisions tilted the battle in their favor or disfavor.

The battle of posterity is a war between TODAY and TOMORROW; between the PRESENT and the FUTURE. When losers fight it, they sacrifice the NOW on the altar of the LATER. They choose the TEMPORAL instead of the LASTING. They respond to the URGENT in the face of the IMPORTANT. They mistake enjoying the IMMEDIATE for the apprehension of the ULTIMATE.

Esau abandoned his birthright for a mess of pottage. Samson wasted his destiny on the laps of harlotry! You will not lose out!

The battle is in your choices. Anything that sacrifices your future on the platform of the now is against your ultimate good. Fight it!

Today is the most important day of your life. Your choice today decides your destiny tomorrow. Today is the cash deposit which you withdraw in tomorrow’s bank account.

There is a future for you. Don’t use today to deny yourself of tomorrow. Esau lost out in the battle of posterity. Will you too?

12 DAILY REMINDERS FOR 2012

Today, and every day, please be reminded of:
1. The Value of TIME
2. The Success of PERSEVERANCE
3. The Pleasure of WORKING
4. The Dignity of SIMPLICITY
5. The Worth of CHARACTER
6. The Power of KINDNESS
7. The Influence of EXAMPLE
8. The Obligation of DUTY
9. The Wisdom of ECONOMY
10. The Virtue of PATIENCE
11. The Improvement of TALENT
12. The Joy of ORIGINATING

YOU WILL SUCCEED!

YOU WILL GET THERE! (Part 1)

There is a place called ‘there’ for your life. It’s your life dream, your yearning, your destination, your place in God – the zenith of your goals. A place called ‘There’!

But let me ask you: Are you faced with an impossible situation? And it seems your dreams wouldn’t be realized? I tell you by the Spirit of God, you will get ‘there’ from here! With men it may look impossible but not with God. “For with God nothing shall be impossible”! (Luke 1:37)

Abraham had a divinely-inspired dream of becoming a father of many nations. Yet at age 99 he was without a child.

Joseph saw a vision of prominence yet he knew only the pit, the slave-market, Potiphar’s house and the prison yard for thirteen years.

They both got ‘there’! It may look like it won’t but believe me; your dream will come to pass.

The greatest frustration of a dreamer is to realize the yawning gap between ‘here’ and ‘there’; between the dream and the present reality. But that is no excuse to recoil from pursuing your divine idea. I’m just about to show you how. YOU CAN AND WILL GET ‘THERE’ FROM HERE!

“Ezekiel was in the valley of dry bones, seemingly faced with a hopeless and an impossible situation.

The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones,

And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry.

And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest.

Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.

Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live:

And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone.

And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them.

Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.

So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.” (Ezekiel 37:1-10)

Don’t lose hope on your dream seed. You will get there! (To be continued)

THOUGHTS TO CHEW ON

Every problem you have can always be traced to a relationship in your life. Every benefit you have too can also be traced to a particular relationship in your life! – Yomi Olufiade

25 THINGS I REFUSE!

1. I refuse to be poor!
2. I refuse to be sick!
3. I refuse to be mediocre!
4. I refuse to be docile!
5. I refuse to be lukewarm!
6. I refuse to be a failure!
7. I refuse to be passive!
8. I refuse to be small!
9. I refuse to go the way of Judas!
10. I refuse to say YES when I mean NO!
11. I refuse to be ignorant!
12. I refuse to be an embarrassment to redemption!
13. I refuse not to speak out in defense of the gospel of Jesus Christ!
14. I refuse to quit!
15. I refuse to concede defeat!
16. I refuse to hate!
17. I refuse to be bitter!
18. I refuse to be sad!
19. I refuse to be lazy!
20. I refuse to complain!
21. I refuse to give place to the devil!
22. I refuse to be carnal!
23. I refuse to compromise my faith.
24. I refuse to sacrifice the immediate for the ultimate.
25. I refuse to be refused!

This is my own Mandatory Refusal!

Want To Change The World? Change Yourself!

THE MAN WHO WANTED TO CHANGE THE WORLD!

I have not been there but it is reported that in the crypts of Westminster Abbey, in England the following words were written on the tomb of an Anglican bishop who lived in the 11th century:

“When I was young and free my imagination had no limits, I dreamed of changing the world. As I grew older and wiser, I discovered the world would not change, so I shortened my sights somewhat and decided to change only my country. But it, too, seemed immovable. As I grew in my twilight years, in one last desperate attempt, I settled for changing only my family, those closest to me, but alas, they would have none of it. And now as I lie on my deathbed, I suddenly realized: If I had only changed myself first, then by example I would have changed my family. From their inspiration and encouragement, I would then have been able to better my country and, who knows, I may even have changed my world.”

If you change your world, the world will change for you. Don’t waste your life trying to change the world, change yourself! (Excerpts from the book, YOU CAN CHANGE YOUR WORLD! By Yomi Olufiade)

THE TOP 10 BLOG POSTS OF 2011

I want to appreciate you for hanging out with me on this platform. It’s been a wonderful time. It’s a joy knowing that you’re reading what I’m writing. For that privilege I’m most grateful.

2011 is almost at a close, and it’s that time of year when most of us reflect on the year gone by. At this blog that means taking stock of blog posts from the year to find out what topics and issues ministered most to you.

My end of the year assessment takes me to revisit the favorite posts of the year. Web analytics have helped me to arrive at this, but I also take into account your feedback and my own sense of what was really relevant.

So, here we go… The Top Ten Blog Posts of the year 2011:

7 Keys for Maximizing 2012
5 Tips for Getting Much More Out of Your Reading
I Married the Pastor’s Wife!
What Really Is Christmas (How to Celebrate Christmas)
15 Sure Things to Do To Fail!
Step Inside That Jordan!
Why I Do What I Do
Cranky Husband Learns an Attitude of Gratitude
20 Questions You Must Answer About 2012
Leaders are Learners

Now, if this blog has blessed you, why not ask your friends to visit and subscribe. I love you and believe in you. YOU WILL SUCCEED!