NEHEMIAH'S LEADERSHIP -PART 3

 NEHEMIAH’S LEADERSHIP - PART 3

It’s been a wonderful ride with Leadership so far. Having learnt about the nature of Nehemiah’s Leadership; we need to look more into this and understand well these truths and put them to work. Until our understanding becomes more fruitful, there is little results that can be yielded for us. Therefore, a desperate effort is needed in the place of full understanding; a willingness to not let go of knowledge and walk fully in it. Earlier in our previous publications, we see the nature of Leadership and that deposited in just one man-this tells us that we do not need only some of these truths but all of it; if we can work with them all, and with God on our side then we can be sure of success in our various Leadership calling. Yes, God was the first leader of all times; HE dwelt among men and led (Jesus Christ) and HE still leads even now (The Holy Spirit). We must place a significant value on HIS leading as leaders to lead well. 

We have looked at these traits needed for successful leadership- KNOWLEDGE OF PURPOSE, CONVICTION, VISION, PASSION. But, today we will look into some other truths:

INSPIRATION

In Leadership, Inspiration is that point where the leader connects with other fellow individuals. It’s that point where others are driven together with you in that vision, in that goal.  A leader’s passion is like a flame; it ignites new possibilities in the minds and heart of other people, causing them to think in new ways and revealing the conviction and vision within them. A leader’s act towards inspiration goes a long way in shaping the minds of his followers and in shaping the outcome of his leadership. We see Nehemiah in Nehemiah 2:17-18; His life was inspiring enough; the people around him were inspired through his works. For every leader, the ability to inspire others around you speaks well of your leadership.  Nehemiah’s passion inspired others to embrace his vision. The officials that the king gave Nehemiah to help him did not know what Nehemiah was planning when he told them the plan, yet they embraced it. Nehemiah 2:18 “Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king’s words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build, So, they strengthened their hands for this good work”. He awakened a sense of Purpose in others that they were just ready to follow him willingly; this should be every leader’s nature. As a Leader, we do not need strong force at all times; just inspire your subordinates and they will follow willingly. Inspiration in itself is a force; it is the opposite of intimidation and also the absence of manipulation.

INFLUENCE 

Influence is the ability to motivate other people to take actions and effect change. Leadership is Influence. Your ability to effect a certain response, approach or way of life in your followers will only lead to timely and successful realization of common goals. No leader exists as a leader without his followers. The way you relate with them has a lot of potential to either influence them wrongly or rightly. Successful leaders are not made without Successful followers; and all these depend on how well you have effected Success in them. We all have exercised influence in one way or the other, (either as leaders or even as followers) whether positive or negative. Leaders who exercise positive influence don’t try to prove themselves to others, they just reveal their purpose to others. As they get inspired, they are much influenced to take actions to help him fulfill his vision. Nehemiah 2:18 says it all; the affirmative response of the people LET US RISE UP AND BUILD. As Leaders, we must be able to make use of these tools successfully if we really want to lead successfully.  Nehemiah never directly asked them to start building, he only influenced them. What influence do you have on your followers; How well do you inspire them? These are all questions we need answered as Leaders who want to be successful in our calling; and not just successful, who want to breed success in those that are under him. This should be every leader’s goal and every man’s dream. That in all we do, we just strive to work well, as by leaders and even as followers. Everyone is important and if change or any transformation must take place, it must involve us all.

Nehemiah that was a cupbearer in the king's palace later became the Governor of his people. That is a huge transformation.Leadership is responsibility.As a leader you have to take responsibility unless you will end up a liability with your purpose.

Thank you for reading through and have a blessed weekend ahead.

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NEHEMIAH'S LEADERSHIP PART 2

 NEHEMIAH’S LEADERSHIP PART 2

Earlier this week, we talked about an ideal leadership; one that has to do with the capacity to influence through inspiration, motivated by a passion, generated by a vision, produced by a conviction, and ignited by a purpose. We have seen the Knowledge of Purpose and Conviction; today, we will study some other attributes shown to us from the life of Nehemiah. 

VISION

A leader’s conviction prompts him to develop a vision for a preferred future that will enable him to pursue his purpose in a practical way. Purpose answer the question who you are while vision answer the question where are you going. Vision is seeing your purpose so clearly in your mind’s eye that it already becomes a reality to you. It is what keeps you going; that drive needed to carry out Purpose. Vision is also Purpose in picture. The vision of Nehemiah came alive when he replied the king that he should send him to the city of Judah, to repair the broken walls of Jerusalem. Vision is the ability to see the work to be done and the ability to see the end from the beginning (Nehemiah 2 vs 5). When you have Purpose driven by vision, it becomes not easy to lose eyes on the prize. Proverbs 29:18 “Where there is no vision; the people perish…” even Purpose perish.

PASSION

Those who have discovered their purpose, formulated deep conviction and captured their vision in their mind’s eyes will have a natural enthusiasm and energy. This enthusiasm and energy can be maintained by something called Passion. Passion is the continued state of “being acted upon”. What makes a Leader to pursue his vision till the end is Passion; this undying love, the zeal just to drive home Purpose until it becomes even more than a reality. Vision will always attract external forces; it will always attract obstacles, hindrances, hurdles to cross, temptations that just want to tip you off but it takes Passion to overcome these external forces like Samballat and Tobiah (Nehemiah 2:10, 4:1-3). These were men who stood against Nehemiah’s purpose in Jerusalem. At every point in time, there will be men like these, situations like this but what keeps us going is that strength we derive in Passion; that “will” just to continue till the results at that end, as Nehemiah did. He carried out his task and fulfilled it because he was not only battling with Purpose, he was not only cruising with Purpose; it was Purpose with a Vision and also Passion in sight. The understanding of his vision gave unto him the passion to carry out his purpose. Let us also remember at all times; a threat to passion is a threat to purpose and definitely a threat to vision.

TO BE CONTINUED.

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NEHEMIAH'S LEADERSHIP PART 1

 NEHEMIAH’S LEADERSHIP - PART 1

A great man once said, it took him forty years of learning Leadership for him to come up with his own definition for Leadership and I also find it to be the most useful for helping people grasp the nature of a true leader. According to Him, Leadership is the capacity to influence through inspiration, motivated by a passion, generated by a vision, produced by a conviction, and ignited by a purpose. On this note, I will like to relate this leadership definition to one of the greatest leaders in the Bible days. This was a man who showed all the traits of a true leader: NEHEMIAH.

Nehemiah was one of the men the Bible calls visionaries. We see this in chapter 1 of the book, Nehemiah-a praying visionary, a working visionary. For a true visionary, He always desires to prosper in that thing given unto him. He is always zealous for the purpose He drives. Let’s look at some of these traits possessed by Him.

THE KNOWLEDGE OF PURPOSE

Let us study the start-up of life of Nehemiah in order to understand carefully this element of Purpose. Nehemiah was the son of Hakaliah, and at that time he was working in Shushan the palace with the king as his cup bearer. Here he was when one of his brethren called Hanani together with some other men came from Judah; he questioned them about the Jewish remnant that had survived the exiles, for which he got a reply from Hanani. This question birthed the purpose for Nehemiah. Through his quest for answers, he was able to discover his purpose. We have to learn that there needs to be a desire for us to find our purpose. It was this desire Nehemiah had that led him to the purpose for his life. No man can truly claim to live without finding the definition to purpose, and certainly you cannot lead without a definition to purpose. Purpose is the reason for being alive, Purpose is the reason God created us on this planet Earth. Every leader recognizes that he has a special purpose and he is to serve it in the area of his gifting. Purpose is the problem you are created to solve. The problem Nehemiah discovered was the wall of Jerusalem that was broken down and its gates been burnt in fire (Nehemiah 1:3), and those that survived the exile being in great trouble and disgrace. This drove him right to his purpose. One of the ways we can discover our Purpose is by encouraging the gift we can contribute to the world and the problem we were born to serve.

CONVICTION

Conviction is the belief in one’s significance and the deep-held belief i.e. your upheld belief, based on a commitment to one’s Purpose. Conviction is that firmly held belief. It’s that thing that gives you a sense of direction in life. Conviction is the result of Nehemiah’s discovery of Purpose. Purpose just doesn’t stop there. It grows to become a Conviction. It grows to become the reason for our existence, the depth of the knowledge we pursue, that strong instinct inside of us. Nehemiah developed a conviction about what he should be doing with his life and this conviction made him take the steps he took. We see after He had gained Purpose, he began walking in the light of that Purpose. Walking in the light of your Purpose is Conviction. From the scriptures (Nehemiah 1:4-11), we see Nehemiah began to pray, just trying to seek God’s face on what had been revealed to Him. He took steps, and according to the Bible, He took not just steps but bold and giant steps. You cannot truly identify with Purpose and not be desperately torn in that direction. It just becomes the reason you do the things you do, the reason you stand for the things you stand for. Nehemiah’s conviction made him go before the king-an ordinary cup bearer (Nehemiah 2:2). He stood before the king and never for once shook from Purpose, because He had a clear definition already. This is Conviction. Having a conviction is what enables a leader to remain stable and trustworthy even in the midst of difficulties or temptation. If as a leader, you sacrifice your belief system in order to please others; then you are not a leader, you are only a Compromiser.

TO BE CONTINUED…

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THE INFLUENCE OF PARENTING STYLE ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND CAREER PATH : PART 3

 THE INFLUENCE OF PARENTING STYLE ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND CAREER PATH : PART 3

Roles Of Parents In Academic Success.

There are so many roles to be played by parents in the success of a child academically, below are few;

 *The Parent-Child Relationship* 

A successful school experience begins at home, with the relationship between the parent and child. This process involves developing good habits at home that your child will easily adapt to during the school year. It also incorporates nurturing a comfortable, trusting relationship with your child that will make him more willing to come to you when problems and challenges in the school environment do occur. 

 *Good Habits* 

Good home habits will limit distractions and put schoolwork at the forefront throughout the academic year. First, instill a love of reading in your child, by keeping plenty of interesting books at home and reading together on a regular basis. Let your child see you sit down with a good book frequently and take trips to the library where you can explore the many interesting subjects together.

 *Building Relationship* 

It is important to establish open lines of communication with your child, so he feels like he can come to you when troubles at school start. Talking and listening is something to do together on a daily basis, even if it’s just to rehash details of the day. Ask your child about what happened at school, and include open-ended questions like, “What was your favorite thing that happened today?” to get the communication wheels turning.

 *The Parent-Teacher Relationship* 

It is important for parents to get to know their children’s teachers, creating an open line of communication between the parent and school throughout the school year. Getting to know your child teacher is an important component of tuning into where your child is academically and identifying potential problems and obstacles in their earliest stages. Make time to introduce yourself to your child’s teacher right at the beginning of the school year, and convey your interest in helping your child succeed academically.

 *Establish a Routine and Set Rules about Homework Time* 

Children tend to get on homework without grumbling much better if they know when and where homework is supposed to be completed. Simple rules like no television before homework is completed sets priorities and prevents distractions. A routine also teaches the child good study habit that will carry with him throughout his academic career.

 *Check Homework to be Sure it Gets Done* 

Once a child is finished with his homework, look it over to be sure it is complete and correct. If your child is struggling in a particular subject and you don’t feel equipped to help him, find a tutor or another family member who can walk him through the work. When the homework is completed, don’t forget to praise him for a job well done!

 *Teach the Student Self Control* 

When children learn to take control of their desire for immediate gratification, they learn the rewards of their efforts can be far-reaching.

 *Encourage Independence*

 Understand student  usually need to learn to focus on a task and stick with it until completion – without nagging from a parent or teacher. However, this is not an easy lesson for these children to learn, and it takes plenty of time and patience before the concept catches on.

 *Teach Personal Responsibility* 

Students who do not tend to pull their own weight need to learn that their success or failure rests on them alone – not on their teachers or parents. When students learn that they hold the key to their destiny, they become more motivated to succeed academically.

Thank you for following  through,Have a nice weekend ahead..

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THE INFLUENCE OF PARENTING STYLE ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND CAREER PATH - PART 2

 THE INFLUENCE OF PARENTING STYLE ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND CAREER PATH - PART 2

 *TYPES OF PARENTING* 

Parenting style refers to the combination of strategies that you use to raise your children. In one way or the other parenting style tend to have an impact on children academic development and career path.

In this article we will consider 4 Major parenting style and their characteristics.

✓Authoritarian or Disciplinarian

✓Permissive or Indulgent

✓Uninvolved

✓Authoritative

 *Authoritarian Parenting* 

Authoritarian parents are often thought of as disciplinarians. 

• They use a strict discipline style with little negotiation possible. Punishment is common.

• Communication is mostly one way: from parent to child. Rules usually are not explained.

• Parents with this style are typically less nurturing.

• Expectations are high with limited flexibility.

 *Permissive Parenting* 

Permissive or Indulgent parents mostly let their children do what they want, and offer limited guidance or direction. They are more like friends than parents.

+ Their discipline style is the opposite of strict. They have limited or no rules and mostly let children figure problems out on their own.

+ Communication is open but these parents let children decide for themselves rather than giving.

+ Parents in this category tend to be warm and nurturing.

+ Expectations are typically minimal or not set by these parents.

 *Uninvolved Parenting* 

Uninvolved parents give children a lot of freedom and generally stay out of their way. Some parents may make a conscious decision to parent in this way, while others are less interested in parenting or unsure of what to do.

> No particular discipline style is utilized. An uninvolved parent lets a child mostly do what he wants, probably out of a lack of information or caring.

> Communication is limited.

> This group of parents offers little nurturing.

> There are few or no expectations of children.

 *Authoritative Parenting* 

Authoritative parents are reasonable and nurturing, and set high, clear expectations. Children with parents who demonstrate this style tend to be self-disciplined and think for themselves. This style is thought to be most beneficial to children.

√ Disciplinary rules are clear and the reasons behind them are explained.

√ Communication is frequent and appropriate to the child’s level of understanding.

Authoritative parents are nurturing.

√ Expectations and goals are high but stated clearly. 

√ Children may have input into goals.

 *Effect of this types of parenting on kids* 

1) Children of authoritarian parents are at a higher risk of developing self-esteem problems because their opinions aren't valued.

2) Researchers have found kids who have authoritative parents are most likely to become responsible adults who feel comfortable expressing their opinions.

3) Kids who grow up with permissive parents are more likely to struggle academically.

4) Children with uninvolved parents are likely to struggle with self esteem issues

TO BE CONTINUED

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THE INFLUENCE OF PARENTING STYLE ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT and CAREER PATH 1

 THE INFLUENCE OF PARENTING STYLE ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT and CAREER PATHP PART 1

INTRODUCTION

One of the most important determinant aspects of children’s outcome is parenting. The baby who is born doesn’t have any knowledge about the world so the family can be considered as a first teacher.

Family is the fundamental and important structure of the society that has an important role in one’s life and in the society. The importance of the family as a social structure is something unmistakable.The influence of the family on the child and its roles in the creativity, cultural, social, and moral aspects are very great and important.

Correct and balanced relationship between parents and their children is one of the factors influencing both their physical and mental health.Has a matter of fact  interaction between children and parents and how parents communicate with children are considered to be the most important and fundamental factors among the various factors that affect children’s fostering and healthy character

The relationship of parents with children or parenting style serves multiple purposes. Moral and psychological training, identification, growth and development of children’s talents, skills, familiarizing with the rules and norms of the society from the perspective of parents are among these purposes.Considering the two basic functions for the family, i.e. socialization and prosperity of the child’s personality.” So it seems that parents’ parenting styles are likely to affect children’s personality traits.

Parenting styles can be defined as a set or a system of behaviors that describes the parent and child interactions over a wide range of situations and creates an effective interaction atmosphere. Parenting style is a determining and effective factor that plays an important role in children’s psychopathology and growth.

Educational achievement means the fulfillment of expected level of education, and an education organization approaches its predetermined goals. Educational achievement means increase of learning, increase of the level of good scores and admission of students in the courses and educational grades .

Traditionally, career success is defined for those who receive good salaries for their jobs or have high positions and positions with more favorable responsibilities, motivation, adequate distinction, and progress. The Employees and managers are expected alike to have a commitment to the organization. It is assumed that if the employees have appropriate jobs which they are loyal to, the management offers them the rewards such as promotion, fringe benefits, job security and more respect and even work authority. Thus, the labor force of the organization will feel dignity .Offering more job and education information and helping each student with self-image during the education can give him the logical principles to make a correct decision. Many people make decisions about their careers by observing the world around and try to match themselves with it. 

This is something contrary to what should be really done. The best career path is a process that begins within (a kind of evolution of self-consciousness). Individuals have to be aware of their skills, talents, abilities, capabilities and unique features because this self-consciousness is a cycle which leads the individual towards a satisfactory job. Choosing a profession proportionate to individual’s interests and abilities is one of the most important stages of life for all people .

TO BE CONTINUED

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THE PURPOSEFUL MIND PART 3

 THE PURPOSEFUL MIND  PART 3

 John 1:33 “And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost”. 

From the anchor scripture, we see John saying that Jesus was sent to the earth to baptize with the Holy Spirit. That is, He had come to restore back what was lost due to mans disobedience in the Garden of Eden. Looking at our earlier articles, we were made to understand that mans mind was under the influence of the Spirit before the fall. We see in Genesis 2:7 paraphrased “...and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. Let us imagine: How was Adam able to name the beasts of the field and every fowl of the air? (Genesis 2:19-20); this can only happen because there was a greater dimension upon man-the Spirit dimension. Thus, man prior to the fall was operating in the realm of the Supernatural; hence, the need for Christ to restore us back to that first realm.

We gain access to this Spirit realm when we become of a new birth, i.e. when we give ourselves to Christ, accepting Him as our Lord and Saviour. We must understand that at new birth, there is a transformation that takes place. Yes, we are now born of the Spirit but it doesnt stop there; our minds and sight need to be changed also. We understand from our previous articles, that after the fall, mans mind became subject to every influence “good or bad” and that our sight became the main connection to our minds; hence there is a need to have them changed as well. This is why the bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:17paraphrased that “as long as we are in Christ Jesus, there is a need to let go of the former things”; the former mindset needs to be replaced with a newer one. And we see it here that Christ is the foundation for this change. Let us note that, until we forget the past; if we are not careful, we may pass away with it. 

When this foundation becomes changed in Christ, there is now a need to build on that foundation; the renewing of the mind with THE WORD. According as the Bible had told us in John 6:63 paraphrased the words I have spoken to you, they are Spirit and Life. Every word documented in the Bible is the Spirit of God; written by inspired men of God. In order for our mind to gain back the influence that it had lost after the fall; it becomes important for it to be constantly renewed by the Spirit through the Word of God. Rom 12:2 says And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable and perfect will of God

Jesus is that truth that we need to meditate on Gods word to know; meditating day and night in order to know this, to be set free and also stay free. The devil did not have to make blind our physical and spiritual eyes to hold our minds captive; all he had to do was steal Gods word from us-to steal from our minds and from our hearts (2Corinthians 4:4 in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them). He came to steal the good news of THE WORD from us. The more of the WORD we meditate, the more our minds are changed and this automatically affects the Spirit man. When our mind is being controlled by the Spirit (Word), we begin to see things the way God sees them, i.e. our eyes no longer control our minds. Then, we begin to live the verse of the Bible that says for we walk by Faith and not by sight.  Let me quickly end with this illustration: There is a story of a man of God who got the news his wife had a miscarriage upon his return from the office; his response was IT CANNOT HAPPEN HERE, CAN I HAVE MY FOOD PLEASE. This can only be that Super than the natural dimension we are talking about. To God be the Glory, she delivered that miscarriage and it was a safe carriage. For a man who walks by sight, he would have just accepted and the enemy would have dealt him a very big blow.

The Mind is one of the powerful tools God gave man to pursue his Purpose and fulfill his Purpose. What we submit the Mind to is what will determine the outcome of our Purpose. If we submit it to the Spirit then we will live an eternal life, one not corruptible but if we do submit to the flesh (eyes) then we will of it reap corruption.

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THE PURPOSEFUL MIND - PART 2

 THE PURPOSEFUL MIND – PART 2

Earlier, we looked at the place of the mind. The mind being an adjoining bridge between the body and the Spirit; and how after the fall of man, the mind became open to interferences whether good or bad (the Spirit-connection left man). But today, we will look more into understanding the nature of the mind.

Let us understand that the mind that became opened after the fall, is made up of two important parts: the internal being the subconscious mind and the external being the conscious mind. The internal mind also called the SUBconscious mind is that part of the mind that is not consciously perceived; one’s innermost thought. Let’s borrow from this illustration: Have we ever seen an iceberg. It’s almost like we see all of it from the eye point of view but if we see its reflection over the water, we see there is a part we are missing. This just describes the conscious and subconscious state of our mind-the same mind but in two states; that which we see being the conscious and that unseen being the subconscious. Let us note that both the subconscious and conscious aspect of our minds can be influenced, but most times the conscious controls the subconscious. It is what we have learnt to consciously do over the years that just appears to us subconsciously. What the word sub-conscious means is “beneath our consciousness” or “below our consciousness”. So we do not just act these things by ourselves, they just find their way into play. 

An illustration is here below:

If you are asked to wash a plate; you can be consciously doing something, say chatting with someone and subconsciously washing the plate. All you see is that after a while, the plates are washed. This is our “subconscious” in action. But, let us also understand that the subconscious do not just appear, it’s all the work of our consciousness but now due to repetition or familiarity, that action has graduated into the level of we not just thinking before doing it, but appearing unconsciously. Another good example is learning how to ride a bike- a conscious effort at first; you learning the ropes and all, then later you just become a natural at it- your hands know where they ought to be, your legs take shape where they are wanted.

 After the fall of man, God’s spirit left him and his mind both the subconscious and conscious parts was exposed to either the good or the bad. This is why you can hear the word he is a natural at stealing, lying OR he is a natural at keeping his words. After the fall, as we have rightly said, the whole mind became subject to our senses and in turn affected the body-spirit connection. Therefore, once your soul thrives well, your spirit does so and vice versa. Man became unholy after the fall, both spirit and soul (Apostle Paul talked about the renewed mind (Romans 12:2) and also the regenerated spirit (Titus 3:5)). Because of this fragile nature of the mind and Spirit after the fall, there was need for man’s access to instructions in order to nurture his mind and as well as his spirit. Since man was more subject to his senses, he had to now receive the instructions from God through them-see them, hear them, speak them.  In 1Chronicles 16:25, we see ourselves being admonished here “Be ye mindful always of His covenant; the word which He commanded to a thousand generations”.  Our access and obedience to the word is what determines the conscious and the subconscious parts of the mind. You will always move in the direction of your most dominant thought. These commandments are to serve as a meditation unto us. They form the core of our minds. Hence we see the Bible in the book of Joshua 1:8 paraphrased “this book of the law shall not depart from thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate there in day and night”. 

TO BE CONTINUED.

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THE PURPOSEFUL MIND PART 1

 THE PURPOSEFUL MIND;Part 1

Genesis 3:7 “And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons”.

Man is a tripartite being i.e. a spirit, soul and body. Man is a spirit being, with a soul and he lives inside a body. These three components make up the entity we call Man. Today, we will be looking at the Mind of man. The mind is one powerful tool and as powerful as it is, it can be a source of man’s defeat if not wielded well, hence the necessity to understand what the mind is and not just the mind but that which is filled with purpose, the purposeful mind. The soul of man can be likened to the seat of the mind, emotions and the will. From the beginning, the Bible makes us understand in Genesis 1:27 that God created man in His own image and not only that; Genesis 2:7 makes us understand that in man was put the breath of life which translated him into a living soul. God is a spirit and as such if we are created in his likeness, we also are spirit beings. The Bible makes us to understand that “as He is in the heavens, so are we here on earth”. Man operated in the likeness of God at creation because there was the Spirit of God residing on his inside. The Soul is synonymous with the Mind; hence both will be used interchangeably.

You must be a spirit being for you to access the things of the Spirit. As the scriptures have said “God is spirit and He that must worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth”. But, the mind is that seat of connection; It’s that adjoining bridge-that which connects your Spirit to your body. Romans 12:2 paraphrased says “but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God”. Let us note carefully as this passage contains all three workings of man and tells us that none is without significance. Until your mind is receptive to your spirit, you cannot manifest. Transformation here has to do with the physical manifestation; through the mind which is the soul and; to prove the Spirit-God is Spirit. This is why Paul preached about the constant renewing of the mind. The seat of the mind is the seat of control, hence it’s important that whatever a man manifest stems from what controls his Mind. The bible says “as a man thinketh in his heart so is he”. 

The Mind is the most important entity to God and also to the devil. But after the fall of Man. The spirit of God that took control of the man left him, his mind was still opened and the eyes also was still opened. Gen 3vs7 says "and the eyes of them both were opened". Let me explain this verse, the eye and the mind of man was open before the fall, but it was totally controlled by God’s spirit. So after the fall, God’s spirit left, the mind was still opened and the eyes was still opened. At the concluding part of the chapter, we saw that their mind was alive by making Aprons with fig tree. Man’s mind was never meant to be corrupted or polluted by the things of this world. We see in the scriptures in Genesis 1:31 “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good”. We see with our minds, we don’t see with our physical eyes; we see through them, so therefore the eyes took control of the mind, that is, what we see through the physical eyes controls the mind and the mind interpret it and controls the man. Proverb 23 vs 7 says as the man think so is he. The law of meditation show us that everything we see is in our mind.

The mind is God’s greatest gift to mankind. We reflect God in terms of the mind; the creative power of God also resides in man’s mind. But the question now should be WHAT CONTROLS OUR MIND.

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THE FATHER'S WILL{AGAINST HIS WILL}-PART 3

THE FATHER’S WILL- AGAINST HIS WILL [PART 3]

Jonah 1:

1 Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying

2 Arise, go to Nineveh, the great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.

3 But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.

4 But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken.

15.So they took up Jonah and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging.

Recently, we talked about Understanding The FATHER’s WILL and have looked into quite some awesome examples from the scriptures, mostly centered on following God’s will for our lives; but today, we look from a different perspective; from not following His will; not going the course of the Father for our lives.

We look at the life of a Prophet Jonah; this reiterates to us that in the journey of following the will of God for our lives, anyone can be a victim so it’s not more of the anointing you have but more of how you have understood the will of God for your life and seek to trust Him on that path. The bible says in 1Corinthians 10:12 “Let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed, lest he fall”. 

Jonah, a man of God called like any other; given a plan from God; handed like any architect the design to work on, but wouldn’t follow the directions from the FATHER. If you won’t go by the book thus, anything that affects others outside the book affects you. If you wouldn’t go by the normal design; whether you went more or less, you can breakdown an entire building and wreak much more havoc than if you have stuck with the plan. God is telling us to stick to His plans for our lives to avoid wreaking havoc not just on ourselves but even on the people around us. When such a building is built, its fall will be upon the inhabitants and all around. This was the story of Jonah who found himself running away from the will of God for his life and walking to destruction and according to the bible in Jonah 1:6, he could have caused havoc for the men around also. 

One thing I’ve come to realize is this; when we opt out of God’s plan there is usually something we are opting for, whether we think it less or more, OR we know or do not. Jonah must have thought to himself, there must be something worth more than this plan of which I know not the bearing of; let me look for another option outside this. Little did he know, that there was no hope in running from God’s plan for one’s life. You can either be destroyed; you pay the price or you are given a second chance. Yes, we serve a God of second chances-the same way He gave unto Jonah.

Why would he do that? naturally speaking, this man ran away from doing what was right; what was God’s will for his life at the time. First, I want us to understand whatever God will have us do, it’s always the right thing to do; could at first be for HIM then for ourselves. It could have been that God loved Jonah enough to give Him a second chance. Look at the Israelites; they trespassed, perverted God ways so many times but still there was this covenant of Love on their side. This could be the same Jonah enjoyed; or there is someone, something whatsoever who will benefit even much more and this far outweighs us rejecting His will. Thus, for these reasons He will return us back to HIS plan and purpose. Our GOD works in mysterious ways. 

But I want us to understand that not everyone gets this second chance, not even the King, Saul did. Everything in the Kingdom works by HIS Grace; and considering Grace, it all depends on Him. Exodus 33:19paraphrased “I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy upon”. Let us carefully study the book of Jonah well and relate it to our lives; there is something God has ordained for you. Is it in that job you are doing or that thing you are about to embark upon; first seek God’s face on it.

 

There is something Jonah did not do that Jeremiah did; and as believers, we should embrace this: “THE ASKING TO KNOW SPIRIT”.                                                                                                                              Jeremiah 1: 6 says paraphrased; “Then said I, Ah Lord GOD! Behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child”. When God tells us to do anything; not all times does He expect us to act immediately as Jonah did. Stop! Seek to communicate with HIM and wait patiently for HIM to communicate back. The Father-son/ Father-daughter relationship is very vital in the place of fulfilling God’s plans for our lives.

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UNDERSTANDING THE FATHER'S WILL PART 2

 THE FATHER’S WILL- AGAINST HIS WILL [PART 2]

Numbers 16:

2 “And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown:

3 And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD?

32 And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods”. 

Earlier this week, we talked about Understanding THE FATHER’s will; today we will shed more light as we go on this journey. When we are talking about obeying The Father’s will or standing against His will, understanding is very important. When you know the reason for a thing, it becomes so easy to walk in it. Let’s look at this Scriptural example; the life of our Father in the Faith, Abraham. He had an understanding of the will of God concerning His life and destiny, so He had no trouble believing and accepting all that had been said; he had no business standing in the way of rebellion against God’s word. As earlier said in the previous publication, most times when we do not know how things will unfold, we tend to lose eye on possibilities. But, the bible in Romans 4:20-21, talking about Abraham: “He staggered not at the promises of God through unbelief; but was strong in Faith, giving glory to God. And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, He was able to perform”. If we look at his life, at that time when God told him about his covenant and that he should walk in them (Genesis 12); He was not looking it. He had a covenant of God’s blessings, a covenant of prosperity; but all in his life at that time did not look what had been said; He was promised a nation but He didn’t even have a child, still He did not throw away faith in God, still He did not stand against God’s will upon his life through disobedience. The bible says in Romans 4:18: who against hope believed in hope… Hebrews 6:15 says “And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.”

The fact that our lives do not look what has been said is no ticket to doubt He that has said it. Hasn’t his word said in Isaiah 14:24; “Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand”. Numbers 23:19 says “God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good”.  Whatever God has said He will do, that will He do and even more abundantly. The bible makes us to understand in Hebrews 11:8-9 paraphrased: “Abraham after he had been called to receive an inheritance, first obeyed, then went out, not knowing wither he went, but by Faith he sojourned…until He had the promise”.

Many times when we give up on the seeds sown, we are trusting in the seeds and not in the process. You doubt the process. Why? Because you know not how it will come to be. Why not ask the Processor then; HE is in charge of the process and he will unveil everything to you. The bible says in John 16:24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. Even Christ understood the place of asking and not just asking but asking to receive; asking to know. Never to choose to stand against God’s will because you do not know how it will unfold; it will only be foolish to limit God to our own capacity of reason. Joshua 24:15b says “but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. We will trust in HIM; we will believe in HIM.

God has spoken to you; all you need to is believe; He has said that Word; just Trust in the Word. Let’s not be like those renowned men of Israel in Numbers 16; who despised the word and the will of God. We see the destruction that befell them in verse 32 “And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah and all their goods”. No man can win a battle against God, not even when it is against what HE has said.

Isaiah 14:27 For the LORD of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? And his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?

TO BE CONTINUED

THE MEN THAT LEAD

BUILDING MANHOOD

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