THE LIFESTYLE OF FAITH - PART 1

THE LIFESTYLE OF FAITH - PART 1

Hebrews 11:1 “Now Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”.

Matthew 8:10 “When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, ands said unto them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel”.

Hallelujah! We thank God for another new week. It shall indeed be a most inspiring week for us all. Amen. 

We have all heard of the word Faith from the scriptures, both the old and new testament. The Word Faith is mentioned over 400 times in the NLT version and over 300 times in the King James version of the Bible, to tell of how important this word is unto us. But this does not matter if we have no understanding of what Faith really is. We understand that Faith is a force of distinction. We see this in Hebrews 11 from the lives of saints and biblical patriarchs who have gone before us. Verse 33-34 talks about this more clearly “who through Faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouth of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword...” However, we must know that the understanding of any subject matter is what makes us outstanding in it. Take away the place of understanding from the life of a man, and He is left standing alone to be destroyed. Proverbs 21:15 “The man that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead”. Hosea 4:6 stresses this further; “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge…”. We see here, these are His people-you and I. This tells or shows unto us the value God has placed on knowledge; the importance He has ascribed unto the place of understanding. He says in His word “because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee”. God Forbid! Therefore, it is very important that we give much attention to the place of Understanding. 

This week we will be considering the Faith of our Fathers- the Faith that made the likes of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, Jehoshaphat, Samson, Gideon, David and so on. We will see from the perspective of the Bible-Based Faith i.e. Faith given to us from the word of God. Romans 10:17 says ‘So then Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God”. There is no other approach to this dimension of Faith but through the constant study of God’s word. We see this in the life of Abraham. The Bible makes us to understand that through Faith He laid hold on the promises (Romans 4: 3,22); but how did He exercise this faith? He did it in the understanding of the Word of God. Verse 20-21 “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”. We must understand by now that God’s words are His promises. He says what HE promises and He promises what HE says. Thus, Faith or Bible-Based Faith is gotten on the platform of us receiving the Word. The Bible in Luke 1:45 “Blessed is she that believeth for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her of the Lord”. To believe is to have Faith. As such, if we must see prophecies come to fulfillment in our lives as believers, then we must have Faith. 

The anchor verse in Hebrews tells us what Faith really is. Faith is the substantial evidence of things we hope for and the things which are not yet seen. Biblically, we can say Faith is the opposite of you seeing. The Bible in 2Corinthians 5:7 “for we walk by Faith, not by sight”. Your immediate condition does not look like it, but you are trusting in the Lord. It does not look like the answers are in view, but you have no doubt that they will come. This is all Faith-that ticket of Assurance. Faith does not look at your capacity to perform; it focuses more on the efficacy of God to perform. It goes beyond what our imaginations as man may be; it just goes on trusting in the One who has spoken the Word. Now we see, we cannot separate Faith from God’s words. Did Abraham not hear that he will be the Father of many generations or in him shall all the families of the earth be blessed? but He never became that prophecy until much later. The Bible makes us understand that for him, it was a hopeless situation (Romans 4:19 “he considered not his own body now dead neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb”), still he continued trusting in the Lord; hoping in Him who is able to do all things He has said. Even when he was still told; now sacrifice this son whom you have waited so long to have, yet He did according to God’s word. What more is Faith? Believing when situations around you convince you otherwise. “Faith is putting God’s word to work, believing God is not a man. He says what He means and He means what He says”.

T0 BE CONTINUED…

THE MEN THAT LEAD

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STUDENT - LEADERSHIP PART 3

       STUDENT - LEADERSHIP PART 3

ATTRIBUTES OF STUDENT-LEADERSHIP

1. Inherent qualities to lead: When a student is to be given a leadership position, as we have seen in our previous sessions; it is either due to the fact that certain qualities have been seen to be possessed by such individuals or that person shows capacity to perform if handed such vital positions. Not every Tom, Dick and Harry get to assume royal positions in our palace of school leadership (i.e. prefectship), buy for the very few that are chosen, certain defining nature are seen in them, some of which include Ability to lead, Good character, Ability to instil Discipline, Commitment, Trustworthy, Diligent, Ability to inspire others, Perseverance, Moderation, Time-Management skill and most importantly Good Overall Performance (both Academic and Non-academic). These are some of the qualities looked for in these leaders among many others. It is however important to note that as some of these things can be inherent in an individual, others need to be acquired over time. Therefore, there is always a potential seen in a leader especially at the student's level before he or she is made such.

2. Power and Authority: Much important to be discussed is the power and authority that comes with Student leadership. Well, it comes with all forms of leadership, but we have so far been talking on Leading as a Student. When a student receives a leadership position, there is always a power or authority that comes with it. Therefore, he or she has to be careful as misuse of such power can be fatal; fatal not for the leader alone but the people he is leading also. Thus, in addition to the power and authority given, such a person is expected to have or learn how to carefully control and manage such Authority. It is in the place of the power controlling such individuals that they tend to misbehave, not necessarily because they want to but they just cannot since their will has been taken over by the Power and Authority controlling them. A student leader must know that there is a difference between the position making the leader, and the leader making the position. He must however understand that he was not given that position of authority to become a leader, but he was first a leader before the position was given. This will help shape him right and not allow himself to be tossed here and there by such things as misuse of Power.According to Abraham Lincoln, "if you want to test a man's CHARACTER, give Him POWER". The position does not make a leader, the leader makes the position. When position makes the leader, he starts leading by default.

3. Opportunity To Grow: Every student leader must understand that he was given the position not just because he had the potential to lead, but also to grow and always strive for this growth even in his potentials. I earlier talked about acquired qualities. Such qualities are even developed while he goes off doing his assigned duties. Thus, the leadership position is also a position to develop one's self. Are there certain areas you were lacking or certain stuff you know just little; it's a place to expand and widen your horizon of knowledge - learn, unlearn and relearn. The word "Potential" itself simply means dormant ability. And as such it is important that it is grown into the active state. One very improve requirements for a  student leader is your Ability to Grow personally. There is a quote that says "To whom much is given, much shall be required". This position is for him to grow. The leaders who do the greatest harm or failed are those that think they have arrived, once they are given the position. They just stop growing in character and capacity and this wreaks havoc for such leadership.

4. Opportunity to "serve" not to be served: Each student leader must have an understanding that he or she is not there to rule or to enforce a sense of autocracy, but he is there to serve the needs of others. This mentality should just be in every leader, not just for students alone, but in every place the concept of Leadership is paramount. You lead as a Leader by making sure you are serving your followers. You are always concerned about their well being; you do not see it as your reign but as "our" reign. This will help you when you intend to make certain decisions that will affect the people under you. Let's have it in our mind that a leader is only successful when his followers are.

Thank you for reading through. We look forward to hearing your comments and also you following our page for more to come....

God bless you. Have a great weekend.

THE MEN THAT LEAD

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STUDENT-LEADERSHIP PART 2

 STUDENT - LEADERSHIP PART 2

We must have understood by now that the first level in the school of Leadership is the Positional level. This is the level where every leader starts from. The Student-Leadership is the first stage at this level. Today, we see what is needed for a student to engage the True nature of Leadership and also develop into the full potential of True Leadership. 

Every student must understand that we are not just leaders of tomorrow, as the wrong notion that has gone before us made us believe but we are the leaders of both “today” and “tomorrow”. When we look at it from the angle of the wrong notion that has gone before us; this has affected so many of our young and growing generation in their reasoning, assuming responsibilities for the decisions they take now and has also buried in them that Leadership potential making it difficult for them to nurture and groom. 

One avenue that I consider a very good one in the nurturing of needed skills for a leader is the school environment, but in a situation where those potentials are not tapped into early because of this confusional statement or where they are also being milked; it becomes quite difficult. This is a place where you see those that have gone ahead of you in class, position and authority, Learn to be like the good eggs, Learn how not to be like the bad ones and Unlearn certain things you have fore-known which may not be right. It is generally a platform to learn, unlearn and relearn. Certain skills like Perseverance, Moderation, Endurance, Continuity, Time management and others, which would aid us in our pursuits can be picked up as early at this stage. However, I want us to understand that  this falls into two categories; you can either learn to be good or learn to be bad. This is why I earlier used the example of “good eggs” and “bad eggs”. Your ability to also recognize what these are is very vital. And this is where certain entities come into play – the home i.e. the family, your school teachers, peer groups and all. 

Why is Student Leadership a form of Positional leadership? This is because at this level, there are positions we are assigned with, and with these positions, you can either learn if you are cut out for the job of being a leader or if you will be able to maximally and effectively function. For a  leader to stand upright at any level and especially the student-level, he needs two very important pillars to build on - CAPACITY and CHARACTER. These are vital virtues that any Leader must possess; they are powerful pillars on which we build our Leadership fortress. And what better stage to start with their development than this primary stage. To effectively play the role of a leader as a student, you must be equipped with such things as having the capacity to take up such positions and the Character to sustain the position.

Looking at the school setting, before one is given any position, the school authority must have seen the capacity to perform which is a leadership potential, and the onus is on us to nurture it; but it's quite unfortunate that not all the student leaders in the primary and secondary school have this mentality of nurturing their leadership potential. Why? because most were given unconsciously and leadership is consciously and intentionally built.

It will however be nice if the subject of Leadership can be taught as early and also introduced into the school's curriculum, so that these students can be well nurtured and highly trained.

TO BE CONTINUED…

The Men That Lead

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STUDENT-LEADERSHIP PART 1

      STUDENT-LEADERSHIP PART 1

Leadership is not ruler-ship; neither is it dictator-ship. Yes, it comes with power and authority to rule and dictate, but this does not necessarily mean that’s all we do as leaders or as successful leaders. We must understand that as leaders we are only successful if our followers are successful. This is when we can say we have led as we ought to. This concept of Leadership cuts across various walks of life; we have the political, religious leadership, organizations and firms, markets, even those that exist in the student body. And the truth here is: at these different levels, similar things happen, similar events unfold. One may say “at least I am just a leader in this little firm and can do whatever it is I like; I am not one of our political leaders who steal government funds”. My friends, it’s all a lie. If you are a Leader with a mentality like this in the very little you have been given to control, this is what you will also be when you are handed such opportunities. Our Leaders in the political sector of our great country did not just start out as heads of our nation; it all began with a story or the other - a Leadership story, maybe when they were students, in their communities, religious groups, foundations and all. The proof of their effectiveness back then is what we see as their actions in the political sector today. Hence it is important that we look at this otherwise “not-regarded” concept of Student-Leadership. 

Leadership as we will come to know can be regarded as a SCHOOL. The first level in this school of leadership is the positional level. This is the level where every leader starts from. Every true leader has passed through certain stages before they become who they are. Thus, we will be dealing with Student's leadership, the first stage of leadership. How a student can develop into a true leader?We must have an understanding by now that while men are born, leaders are made. Though we all can possess potentials that make us right for a leadership position, but they need to be cultivated in order for us to emerge. Therefore, it is right to say that Leadership or Leadership skills are developed, acquired or nurtured over time. This also has much to do with taking up leadership roles as students whether primary, secondary or tertiary levels. We understand from scriptures that the power to lead and dominate has been given to every man from the beginning. God blessed us with this great potential and showed us how to nurture it so we can produce the “goodly” fruits he expects from us. 

In this school of leadership, you graduate from one level to another level; and as important a school as it is, if you fail a particular level, it is important that you attend again. But if you do not; all you will achieve or become at the end is the opposite of True Leadership, because you have not learnt your A, B, C’s well.

To be continued.

The Men That Lead

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ACCOUNTABILITY IN EDUCATION PART 3

 ACCOUNTABILITY IN EDUCATION PART 3

*Dimensions of Accountability in Education* 

There are the two dimensions of accountability in the education sector. 

(i) Accountability for Achieving Institutional Objectives: An educational system exists to achieve the diverse objectives of education. The school administrator is usually accountable for the quality and clarity of the school’s objectives and priorities. The school administrator is accountable for the quality of the teaching learning process in the school and also expected to ensure that proper assessment procedures take place in the school.

(ii) Accountable to Superior Officers: Regardless of whether the educational administrator is a headmaster, principal, provost, rector or vice-chancellor, he is an employee of the Ministry of education and State school Board officials representing his employers. Employees are accountable to the employers in the following areas; the pupils, the staff, the community, the facilities and the finances, which have been entrusted into their care. 

Furthermore, the school administrators, apart from being accountable to his employers, is also accountable to the parents who have entrusted their children into their care to be trained/educated.

In accounting for the progress of educational system each individual is responsible to someone and for specific activities that facilitate goal achievement. Accountability starts with the classroom teacher. He is accountable for the expected outcome of his job as a teacher. The teacher is directly accountable to the school administrator who may be Headmaster, Principal, Provost, Rector or Vice-chancellor. School administrators are accountable directly to the various statutory organs set up by government to co-ordinate their affairs.

 *Factors hindering Accountability in the Education system.* 

Accountability in education is faced with a number of problems including:

1) vague definition of educational goals, which makes implementation and goal attainment difficult. Inability of the school system to keep up with the innovations dictated by the needs of the changing society. The sub-groups in every society with their varied needs, values, interests, desires, aspirations and cultures which often tend to conflict with one another thereby make the enforcement of accountability in the school system ineffective. 

2) School administrators are unable to command absolute leadership responsiveness from their administrative subordinates and this constitutes a hindrance to the practice of accountability. Education policies have been observed to change with changes in the political leadership. 

3) The inconsistencies in educational policies have been argued to be responsible for lack of accountability and poor service delivery in the system. School supervisors, school heads and the teachers do not receive corresponding incentive to enable them to be totally committed to their jobs. It is difficult for personnel with such mindset to accept a tedious task and render account. 

4) Shortage of Funds could account for the poor performance of administrators of academic institutions. At all levels of institution in Nigeria funds have always been inadequate and consequently there has been gap between the expected level and the actual attainment. Politicization of appointments in the education sector where non professional are appointed as heads of education institutions either due to party, ethnic, regional or religious affiliation constitutes an obstacle to accountability in the education system of Nigeria.

 *Strategies for Improving Accountability in the School System* 

To improve accountability for better goal achievement the following strategies will play a vital role,

1) Regular Supervision is a technique that assists educational administrators to foster the professional growth of workers in the educational system. Supervision enhances the development of appropriate educational goals and facilitates the selection of appropriate teaching procedures and facilities. 

2) Staff Motivation is the energizing force behind all other activities of educational managers. Managers should know how to keep good morals of their workers in order to obtain maximum efficiency and effectiveness from them.

3) Effective communication also helps educational administrators to fulfil their executive functions of planning, organizing, motivating, resolving conflicts and controlling activities which are linked to accountability. This can enhance job satisfaction and create in employees a high sense of belongingness and loyalty to the organization. There is no doubt; effective communication can be an effective parameter for future accountability. Evaluation is a formal process carried out within a school setting to improve on the present level of performance. It is the last phase of management function and helps to monitor the effectiveness of a school system.

4) Proper evaluation of instructional process, school administrative procedure and educational outcomes aids in improving accountability in the education system through quality control system. Operators in the education sector should be availed the opportunity to attend career development and capacity building workshops, seminars and in-service trainings to put them up to date with current events in the education sector, improve their productivity and build in them the required Leaderships skills to assume responsibility.

Thank you and have a great weekend ahead.

The Men That Lead

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ACCOUNTABILITY IN EDUCATION - PART 2

 *ACCOUNTABILITY IN EDUCATION - PART 2*

The Concept of Education Accountability is in diverse perspectives. Ethically, we view Accountability as the readiness or preparedness to give an explanation or justification to relevant stakeholders for one’s judgments, intentions, acts and omissions when appropriately called upon to do so. It is readiness to have one’s actions judged by others and where appropriate, accept responsibility for errors, misjudgements and negligence and recognition for competence, thoroughness, excellence and wisdom.

Accountability in Education is the answerability to one’s actions in the educational system. It is the state of being accountable to the stakeholders in education and accountable for the resources used in education. This implies that Accountability is a measure of the extent to which all available resources in a productive system are used for greater efficiency and productivity. Accountability in Education is concerned with determining what records are to be kept, how such records will be maintained in terms of procedures, methodology and forms to be used in recording, classification and summarization of activities or events, analyzing and interpreting the recorded data, preparing and issuing reports and statements which reflect conditions as of a given time.

Accountability in Education is concerned with keeping records of school activities and using such record to assess or appraise institutional performance in relation to the achievement of predetermined objectives. Accountability in education has got so much attention as a result of the following reasons: 

(1) The school system; which facilitates the objectives of education, is a creation of the society which must maintain checks and balances.

(2) Education is generally funded by society through taxes, which must necessarily exercise some control in all facets of the educational process. The tasks of accounting, auditing and reporting are associated with the business of formal education. 

The concept of Educational Accountability is used to describe

 (a) the nature, sources and amount of revenue inputs, 

(b) the appropriation of revenues to various programmes and 

(c) the actual expenditures in these programmes. 

The above are then related to educational outputs or benefits so that the actions are able to understand the financial implications of educational decisions.

Consequent upon the above, educational managers are accountable to the public. In order to aid the process of Accountability in Education, administrators of the educational system should among others: 

(i) Identify the goals and objectives of the educational system; 

(ii) determine the validity and relevance of such goals and objectives;

 (iii) assess periodically how fully such goals and objectives have been achieved;

 (iv) identify which factors assisted or hampered goal achievement in the system; and

 (v) design strategies to improve performance. 

The following are classifications of accountability in education 

(1) *Product/output Accountability:* This has to do with the evaluation of teaching effectiveness and the extent to which the teacher achieves the expected outcome of teaching and classroom interaction.

 *(2)Input Accountability:* This concerns the evaluation of the extent of adequacy of supervision, monitoring and evaluation of the system’s operations.

(3) *Process accountability:* This has to do with maintaining the pedagogic method required in the instructional process, school administrative procedures and classroom interaction to bring about simplified and effective teaching – learning situation.

(4) *Goal Accountability:* This relates to the evaluation of the selection, definition and the prioritization of the goals and objectives of education.

(5) *Accountability for Means and Enabling Environment:* This refers to the evaluation of the extent to which the general public shows their cooperation in providing the required resources for education as well as creating the right atmosphere for educational pursuit in the state.

To be continued

The Men That Lead

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ACCOUNTABILITY IN EDUCATION

      *ACCOUNTABILITY IN EDUCATION* 

Education all over the world is seen as the corner stone of development. It forms the basis for literacy, skills acquisition, technological advancement as well as the ability to harness the natural resources of the environment for development and this all important sector is faced with myriad of problems in the country. Prominent among the problem areas that brings to light the poor show of the sector are the poor quality of school products, flawed administrative procedures and lack of accountability in the school system, politicized employment and appointment of school heads, improper supervision and defective quality assurance and control mechanism.

Accountability is the obligation to explain, justify, and take responsibility for one's actions. Accountability is the state of being accountable, meaning responsible for something or obligated to answer to someone, such as a person with more authority, like a boss.Every organisation either commercial or otherwise including the school are established and sustained essentially to achieve certain assured objectives. In the education system, one of the vital mechanisms to be put in place towards achieving the goals of the school and ensuring quality service delivery to the society is *accountability* . Accountability etiquette tends to imply that performance is related to the organizational goals. It is therefore a goal-oriental activity viewed from the input perspectives.

In the school system, accountability is usually linked to the management of the scarce resources of education to ensure prudent utilization of available resources for the accomplishment of the stated goals of education. The integration of accountability in the education management processes helps to improve service delivery and control indiscipline in the organization thereby increasing efficiency in the systems. It should be noted that accountability in education is an essential ingredient that is intertwined with the organizational framework.

The absence of adequate teachers, facilities and other resources make the realization of educational goals difficult. The situation could never have been better since, the various parastatals  whose responsibility is to fund education adequately has not been able to cope with the arduous task. Schools are no longer making the desired noticeable impact in achieving the set objectives of education. Individuals are fast losing their blind faith in education as an instrument for achieving social awareness, political astuteness and economic prosperity Parents and other benefactors of education are embittered with the outcome of the schools (especially public owned) to the extent that they now seek substitute for their children’s education even in the face of free education programmes in some areas.

 In the past few years, calls for accountability in the administration and management of schools have become imperative because of the demand for constructive changes in the  education system and the high need for school products that will meet the needs of the society.

In schools, administrators have been observed to neglect the essential task of grooming the future leaders for the hunt of other mundane activities for financial benefits rather than on their administrative functions. Accountability in education has become very imperative considering the fact that the society expects very much from the school system. All operators in the school system have an obligation to live up to their responsibilities by making the education system very responsive, competitive and productive. Educational administrators are both accountable to the entire stakeholders in education as well as accountable for achieving the goal of education using available resources. 

Accountability in education desires an administrator that is proficient to mobilize the necessary actors and factors in the system to achieve the desired goals of education and render account of such stewardship.

TO BE CONTINUED.

The Men That Lead

Building Manhood

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THE SEED OF PURPOSE – PART 3

 THE SEED OF PURPOSE – PART 3

Deuteronomy 30:19 “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore, choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:

Since the beginning of this week’s article, we have considered certain factors that make our seeds of purpose reach their full potential and in turn aid fulfilment of purpose. We looked first at the God factor and also the type of company we keep. Here is another very powerful one as it revolves around the concept Purpose – THE POWER OF CHOICE. Purpose and Choice are two very related concepts and one cannot do without the other. When you discover Purpose; it’s now up to choice for you to really delve into it; also in our search of Purpose, choice is important as it is one of the needed drivers, including zeal and passion. If you do not choose to be great or successful in life, then you cannot be great or successful. So many great authors have said and I quote “Man is a product of the choices he makes, whether good or bad”. No man ever became something in life or achieve on this platform of Purpose without first subscribing to success in their choices, i.e. without first making successful choices. 

What then is the Power of Choice? The Power of choice is the ability to set aside certainties or uncertainties in the pursuit of something better or desirable for one’s cause or goal. Why did I use the word “desirable”? This is because at times, what man may desire may not be “the better” for him. Lot, Gehazi, Achan, Ammon, etc. are examples from the Bible of men whose destinies were either destroyed or nearly destroyed due to the choices they made.  But the same way we have patriarchs who made wrong choices and paid for it, we also have men and women who made the right choices and were fulfilled in their life course – Abraham, Ruth, Moses, Daniel, Paul, the Apostles, and so on. The concept of Choice is a great one; as like the company you keep, it can either cause you to achieve your purpose or ruin purpose for you. Choice is the ability to recognize the “necessary” even in the place of the “available”. The fact that you have a myriad of decisions to make does not mean all of them must be made. “The ability to let-go of certain ones for the important ones is the beauty of well-groomed choices”. Note this word “well- groomed”. It is however possible for us to choose what is not right or best for our life and destiny, hence the reason to nurture ourselves even in the place of the choices we make. Joseph chose not to lay with his master’s wife because he had developed well this power of Choice (Genesis 39). One thing I have come to realize is that these three factors revolve around one another- God, the company and the power of choice. They are all very important and I must say none of them can stand without the other. Let’s use Joseph’s life as a teaching example; it wasn’t just the choice he made, God himself was involved in that choice and certainly he couldn’t have been in the presence of bad friends and company. The Bible in Genesis 39:9 gives us this account: “how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God”. Here, both “choice” and the “God factor” are seen. Now going down the scriptures, we see in verse 11; at that hour, it was only Joseph and Potiphar’s wife that were at home, other servants or men “who could have edged him on as Jonadab did unto Ammon (2Samuel 13)” were not in his company; thus shielding him from making regretful choices. Therefore, it is paramount that we have all three at our disposal.

Even at Creation, we see that God himself gave man the option of choice and this was what led to the wrongful desires man had and the destruction that followed suit (Genesis 2). Glory to God and our Lord Jesus Christ for Redemption.  The Power of choice is one of the many things that make man different from every other creation. From our anchor scripture we understand that the Creator gave man the right to choose between life and death.  LIFE, here is simply living to please or fulfill the Creator’s will on earth while Death simply means living not to fulfill the will of the Father. When you choose life, you simply choose blessing of the Lord while; when you choose death, you simply choose curses. “The choices you made yesterday is what has resulted into where you are today; the choices you make today will also determine where you will be tomorrow”. It is an endless cycle; it goes on and on like that.

As said earlier, the choices you make reflect on whether God is involved or you have with you the right company on those matters. If you choose to serve God which is the foundation of your life, then every choice you make in life will surely fall into right places including the right company to keep. Psalm 92:11paraphrased “…to keep you in all thy ways”. Let’s see Deuteronomy 11:13 “…if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul”. Serving God, though a commandment, still depends on the choices we make. The truth is this; “when we make the right choices and take the necessary steps, it becomes much easy to actualize our dream goals”.

Thank you for reading all through,pls you can make use of the comments box.

The Men That Lead

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THE SEED OF PURPOSE - PART 2

 THE SEED OF PURPOSE - PART 2

Now we have learnt that in the beginning of every creation or manufacturing process, purpose is first established. The same way it is with our God; Genesis 1:2paraphraased “and God saw that the earth was without form, and void; darkness was also upon it”. This led to His creation of light. We also saw in Genesis 1:26 “and God said; let us make man…” then he started stating the reasons for creating man-His intent. According to verse 27; “so God created man in his own image”. All the above passages just point out to the fact that there is always an intent, a reason or a purpose before Creation. We were earlier made to understand that our Purpose is as a seed, which when planted, has the capacity to grow into a giant tree. And we have realized that for our seeds to germinate, there are factors that must be put in place; certain necessary requirements if our seeds must yield lasting fruits. We will be looking at another very important factor if we must see our seeds of purpose yield returns. This factor is THE COMPANY.

One of the many factors that will make Man fulfil his purpose in life is the company he or she keeps. The company is a very vital tool, because it could either make or mar a person’s destiny. Let us see what the Bible says in Proverbs 13:20 “He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed”. So many instances even in the Holy Scripture of associations that destroyed a man’s destiny and those who made great their destiny through these associations. Let us take a look at these few examples of men who became great through their associations – Abraham and Lot, David and Jonathan, Elijah and Elisha, Potiphar and Joseph, etc. The same way we have these great associations, we also have the wrong ones – Ammon and Jonadab, Gehazi and Namaan, Samson and Delilah, Achan and his family, and so on. This makes us understand that the relationships we keep go a long way in determining whether we succeed or not. What then is this Company? The Company any one first keeps are his immediate family - parents, brothers, sisters; then, friends and relatives likewise. These individuals play an important role if we want to fulfil our Purpose. Just like a seed needs a proper environmental condition for it to reach its full potential, these are our needed environment. The list is endless; teachers, mentors, pastors, colleagues and so on. Since these persons can play vital roles in our success or our downfall, it is however up to us to see that their contribution is to the former and not the latter. Of all the above important company we tend to have, we must understand that a much significant one is “our parents”. They are God’s channel or conduit for our Purposeful coming to the Earth. Though they cannot determine your destiny but they can influence it. So, they form a major part in most of the decisions we make. 

A certain vibrant Preacher of the Word, Bishop T.D. Jakes once said and I quote; “if you want to fulfill Purpose in life, there are basically three types of people we are confronted with”. These are:

✓ THE CONFIDANT

✓ THE CONSTITUENT

✓ THE COMRADES

√ THE CONFIDANT: These are people who love you unconditionally. They are into what you are into. They are not afraid to tell you when you are wrong and affirm you when you are right. These set of people are very few to find, because they are the true friends or company God places in your part to complement you towards fulfilling your purpose. Life is all about relationships; “the company you keep determines what accompanies you”. If you have two or three of these people in your life, you are on your journey towards fulfilling your Purpose.

√ THE CONSTITUENT: These are people that are not into you but are into what you are for. You will have a lot of these people as friends and family. As long as you are for what they are for, they will walk and work with you. These people are not for you forever, because your purpose does not matter to them, if they see a better alternative that will further their agenda, they will stop walking with you. You have to understand that these people are not bad people, God brought them also your way to help you accomplish something on your way towards fulfilling your purpose; when they leave you, you should not be heart broken. They will not be in your life forever.

√ THE COMRADES: These are people that are not for you, nor are they for what you are for, they are simply against what you are against. They will team up with you not to fulfill destiny but to fight against what you are against. They will be in your team or in connection with you until the Victory is accomplished. They come into your life for a time, just to help fulfill their purpose of fighting an enemy with you. Once this is done, you do not have need of them, they do not have need of you; they leave like a scaffolding. It’s just like your meeting is just to fight a common cause or achieve a common goal.

Therefore, if you want to fulfill your purpose, you must learn and be careful on how to prioritize your association. These personalities will come our way; they are among friends, family, colleagues, etc. It’s our duty to find them, recognize them for what they are and understand their place in us achieving our goals. It is important to note that not all will stick with us; do not be sad when they leave i.e. the constituents and the comrades. You now understand that they are just in your life for a Purpose.

TO BE CONTINUED…

The Men That Lead

Building Manhood

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THE SEED OF PURPOSE - PART 1

          THE SEED OF PURPOSE - PART 1* 

 

_*Genesis 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".*_

_*Genesis 1:27 "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them."*_

Every creator or manufacturer begins with Purpose. He first establishes his intent before beginning the process of production. This intent is purpose; until intent is discovered, there is no maximizing his production. God is the only source of Purpose, and as I like to put it He is the sole author of purpose. We see this from the anchor verses above. Every purpose a man will ever have in life revolves around God Himself. The Bible makes us to understand in Ecclesiastes, that we serve a God of times and seasons; and these reflect on our purpose. Ecclesiastes 3:1 "to every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven". Let us look carefully at this: If God is a God of purpose and He created everything; then this means everything in life has a purpose. Right? Yes, we see this from His word which is the manual for our living. Nature is filled with evidence that He determines the purpose for a thing before He creates it. In other words, God never made anything just for the fun of it. He never created something just to see how good He could make a thing or how satisfied He was going to be. There is a reason for creating the birds of the air, the creatures that creepeth,  the fishes in the sea and certainly there is a reason He has created you and I. No Sculptor ever goes through the rigors of molding the ceramics without understanding why it was being done in the first place. The same way, for every metal a blacksmith tries to  put in the furnace, He has a reason for forging them. Before the creative act ever takes place, God always has in His mind "the why" and "the how" of what He decides to make. 

One of the greatest things God created in the beginning was the Seed. The seed came into existence when God spoke to the ground. He had an understanding that the seeds must be sown for the fruits to be seen. The fruit here is the end result of purpose. Seed here is that purpose. This can also be likened to the creation of Man. They are not in essence too far fetched from each other. There is a seed of purpose in every man. Let us look at the words God spoke to man that brought us to this realm of seeds. Verse 28 of Genesis 1 "and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. As a seed, He gave you and I the mandate to grow, to be fruitful and to multiply, all is fulfilling the terms of purpose. We see from the pilot verse, the seed has the capacity to bear of itself, same with Man. He put the seeds of Purpose in us and expects us  to show the fruits there of. This is why we are to live our lives as seeds that have the potential to rise up to a giant field(tree).

Let us see another reason why Purpose in a man is likened unto a seed. A seed, when sown has the capacity to grow into a large, and great tree; but this now depends on the inherent qualities of the seeds and the environment where it is. The same way with Purpose, every purpose is ladened with abilities to deliver, but what you do with them, determines whether they deliver or not. Like seeds, whatever ground they are sown, determines the yield we expect. There is a need for us to understand that everything was created for a Purpose; because if we fail to understand this, then we can never live up or reach the point where we bloom. Purpose therefore, is the original intent in the mind of the Creator and this was what motivated or birthed our creation (Genesis 1). There is one thing I have learnt about Purpose. The understanding of Purpose brings us motivation, the desire for continuity no matter what and also it brings us towards full realization. It is the "why" that explains the reason for existence; once this is answered, all other things begin to fall in place. 

Another thing noteworthy is that, the same way the seed has to undergo a laid out process before it can grow to what it was destined; this is the same with our Purpose. The seed enters into the soil and from there it becomes a Tree. Our Purpose need to also climb this ladder of processes to become a reality. This however is the place so many persons are; they will say "at least we have discovered purpose but still nothing to show for it". We must now understand that everything takes a process. Our Purpose is not just supposed to materialize like that, but undergo certain "extraction", "construction" and "refinement". So, never make the mistake to assume it was all for nothing. This only robs us of our glorious destiny.

As have been rightly stated, there are factors that determine the seed reaching it's potential; a good soil, a good environmental condition etc.. If you notice, not just the soil or the environment is taken into consideration; but how good they are. This also applies to us as Men. There are factors that determine your ability to reach your own full potential; first being God. Just like the seeds will need to be planted into the ground i.e. the soil; even so, we need to be planted in God to really maximize our Purpose. Remember when God wanted to create man he looked at himself (Genesis 1:26), so we are just Him in flesh. This emphasizes that we need Him if we want to fully understand and achieve Purpose.

The foundation, however as we must know plays a paramount role for one fullfilling God's purpose for his or her life. And God and His Word is that foundation for us.We have to be rooted in God for our Purpose to be actualized. As the soil is important for the fulfilment of the seed, so is God for us. He takes an indispensable position in this. Furthermore, we should note that a seed when planted or sown in a bad soil, no matter the other elements added, won't fulfill it's Purpose i.e grow to it's full capacity. If a man is also not rooted in God, he will not actualize his Purpose. Thus, for every man to fulfill his Purpose, he has to have a working relationship with His maker. Without this relationship, the man will not know and fulfill his Purpose for living.

To be continued.

The Men That Lead

Building Manhood

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THE SEED OF THE WORD - PART 3

THE SEED OF THE WORD – PART 3

Today we come to the concluding part of this great series. But friends, it doesn’t stop here; continuous study is very important if we want to gain mastery of the word we hear or know. The Bible in 2Timothy 2:15 says "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth". To study is to read, read and read again. This is the way we are to approach the Word of God; because as believers we have to constantly be on guard with the Word to win the war against adversities.

We have learnt from the beginning of the series that even the enemy, the greatest adversary of the children of God, himself knows this Word. We see in Scriptures; Matthew 4; the devil tried to use the word against Jesus-this is because even he knows the importance of the word as a weapon of warfare, how much more we the saints of God. In that passage, we see him ask Jesus three times from the Word - “is it not written?” Even the devil who is fighting against your breakthrough knows that there is a word concerning your breakthrough, that’s why he is constantly challenging that word. Thus, we also have to challenge him with the same Word of God, of which we have understanding. I want us to understand the devil just knows the Word, he does not quite understand (1Corinthians 2:11), that is why he tries to turn us against this word. But we see how Jesus attacked him, not only because He knew the Word but because he had an understanding of the Word. This is how we should live as believers, because we ourselves are the ones with understanding. For we are light and the word is light, darkness can never comprehend light. NEVER. Mark 4:11 “for unto us it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but unto them that are without, all these things are dome in parables”. That enemy against your success only knows the word, he does not understand. This is our victory over the enemy; we have Understanding. 

We have to take our stand as believers because we know the ministry of the devil. The Bible in John 10:10; the devil (the thief) cometh only to steal, to kill and to destroy. He has come to steal the Word of God from us, to destroy the word and also kill it in us, but we are the ones who need to stand sure of the word that we have believed. 1John 5:4 “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our Faith. You have to overcome the devil anytime any day. God has given unto us this power. Behold, His word says “For I will give you a mouth and a wisdom that no adversary will be able to gainsay nor resist –Luke 21:15”. We have the mouth and the wisdom, all we need to do is speak the Word. And not just to speak the word, it is wisdom to apply the word; it is wisdom to believe the word, having faith in it. 

Now that we have established that the devil comes to steal the word, what must we do to safe guard or protect the word in us until fruition? What must we do to ensure that the seed of the Word bears fruit in us?

1. Believe the WORD: 2 Chronicles 20 emphasizes the need to believe. The bible says in verse 20; “believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established”. The word of God is God himself (John 1), so believe the Word to see it established in your life.

2. See the WORD: In order to get the returns on our seeds sown, we must be sure of the harvest and this we can never be sure of if we are not open to them. Until we see these prophecies fulfilled, there is no working in them. Look at Jeremiah 1:11; God speaking unto him saying; Jeremiah, what “seest” thou? I have come to understand that the blessings of God are as far as our eyes can see (Genesis 13:14-16). The word of God is like a mirror (James 1:22-25); so you have to look into it in order to be whatever it says.

3. Believe in the Prophet sent unto you: The last part of 2Chronicles 20:20 talks about us believing in the one who has been sent to proclaim the word unto us. Until you believe the vessel, you are not permitted to enjoy the content. Until you have trust in the potter, you can never trust the work of his hand. We have to believe in the ministry of the person sent to us for us to partake of the blessings of the Word thereof. (1Kings 17-Elijah and the widow of Zarephath)

4. Act on the WORD: As much as you believe in the Word. You are also to act out this Word. To act the Word is to plant and water its seeds. Let your belief come in your expression. Looking at the scriptures in James 2. We have to show that we have deep understanding of the word that we have heard by doing them. Verse 17-18 of James 2, “Even so Faith, if it hath not works, is dead being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works; shew me thy faith without thy works and I will shew thee my faith by my works”. Faith just doesn’t stop at us believing, we have to work it out.

5. Make Praise a lifestyle: To get bountiful returns for every seed sown, you must water the seeds appropriately. One covenant that I have known and understood that the Word of God thrives well in, is the covenant of Praise. God himself dwelleth in the praises of his people and if God is the Word then the Word dwells in praise and thrives well in praise. We have heard the word of Prosperity; all we need to do is now praise the Word into fulfilment. (Psalm 67:5-7). Praise is God’s word in songs. When you sing His praises, you are only calling Him to perform that which he has said concerning you (2Chronicles 20:16-22)

6. Be Joyful: This is one fundamental requirement to see Heaven’s blessings upon our seeds. The Word has been declared, we need to sow it in Joy. Isaiah 12:3 “Therefore with joy shall I draw water out of the wells of salvation”. To draw water out of the well of the Word, we need to be full of Joy. Joel 1:12 “The vine is dried up, and the fig tree languisheth; the pomegranate tree, the palm tree also, and the apple tree, even all the trees of the field, are withered: because Joy is withered away from the sons of men”.

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THE SEED OF THE WORD - PART 2

 THE SEED OF THE WORD – PART 2

Beginning this week, we were made to understand that the Word is a very vital tool in the hand of any believer. It is the sword of the Spirit; with which we tackle situations of life that may come our way. But today, we will look at the WORD from a much different perspective. It’s only the Word you believe in that can ever work for you. What do I mean? No matter how many Words you hear or how many places you hear these Words; it does not even matter how much anointed the person who speaks or prophecies these Words, if there is unbelief in you as to the Word, it can never work for you. The Bible in Luke 1:45 paraphrased, made us to understand that “blessed is she that believeth, for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her”. It didn’t say blessed is she who “heareth” the word or “seeth” the word; but whosoever believeth this word. When Christ was with us, he taught in the synagogue, healed the sick, raised the dead and we see so many instances from scriptures – “thy faith had made thee whole (Luke 17:19)”; “according to your faith, be it unto you (Matthew 9:28)”. There was no place He mentioned that, “since you have heard these words, you are saved or because you have seen me, you are healed”. There is little the Word can do if we don’t have the drivers of the Word. 

The Word is just like any seed planted on a ground. For your seed to germinate when sown, you first need a fertile ground, you need to water your seed; overall, an optimum condition is required for your seed to yield fruits. The same way with the Word, certain things must be on ground before it can work for us. Even the bible in James 2:25 talks about the ability not to just hear the word but to do these words you have heard. This is where your faith comes in. There is little any one can say to you concerning the Word; if we fail to mix it with faith in us, it will profit us nothing (Hebrews 4:2). Let us look at how the Bible describes Faith: Ephesians 6:16paraphrased “taking the shield of faith wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery dart of the wicked”. The Word is the “sword” of the Spirit and we have also the “shield” of Faith. No soldier goes to war without fully perfecting skills both in offense and defense, unless he is waiting to be defeated. This is the same way we are in this world as soldiers of Christ, we need the sword of the Spirit, i.e. the WORD to strike at the enemy but we also need the shield which is Faith to also ward off the enemy and protect ourselves.

We must understand by now that the Ability of the seed of the word to yield results depend on the Availability of a fertile ground for it to grow. Christ speaking to us the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:3-9) - the same word sent, but could not yield for some while it yielded for others. This explains why a certain number of people may be under the same ministration, but only few will receive the Word.

Matthew 13:3-9:

 “Behold, a sower went forth to sow; And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth; and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: and when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away, And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: But others fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixty fold, some thirty fold. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear”.

This is the same way it is with us when we hear the word; that is why for some people it seems as though the word works only for certain people. But I want us to understand that the Word has capacity to bear fruits at all times, it only depends on our readiness or our alignment to see the fruits of the Word in our lives. The WORD you do not believe will work for you, can never work for you. Looking at that passage from the scriptures and now relating it to our lives: Those that fell by the way side are those who did not have need for the WORD. I want us to understand, “that the WORD being available and accessible does not necessarily mean we all know that we need the word”. For some people especially this category, they believe the Word will always be said, but don’t think it’s ever for them; even when life situations dawn on them, they don’t have the word (eaten up already). Those that fell upon stony places; these are men and women who are not positioned right for the Word. They do not possess the necessary tools to handle the Word. They are the category of men that look at their capacity and not the capacity of the Word to come to pass in their lives. They do not have faith in the Word and as such it doesn’t work for them.

The third category are those who hear the word, but lack the right application of the word. When faced with challenges and tribulations, it becomes so easy to loose grasp of this Word, these are the ones that are of little faith and a shaking faith. At the sight of seemingly big adversaries, the Word is choked out of them. For the last category, these are the men who can be called “the hearers and doers of the word”. They didn’t just hear the word, but they were positioned right for the word, grew the word inside of them, believed the word and also applied the Word. These are the type of people the WORD can work for. Your ability to know the category you fall into and work to be better in your inadequacies is very vital if we want to really see God’s word work in our lives.

 

TO BE CONTINUED…

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THE SEED OF THE WORD - PART 1

*THE SEED OF THE WORD – PART 1*

Matthew 13:

8 “But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold”.

9 “Who hath ears to hear, let him hear”.

We see from scriptures everywhere the weapon of the Word always being used; the seeds of the word sown at all times. Even Christ our living example, the Word himself; all through his life here on earth, He never joked when it comes to the preaching or the hearing of the Word. The Word is our own much valuable tool as believers. Let us see what the Bible says in Ephesians 6:17. Apostle Paul here was admonishing us about the necessary weapons every believer should take hold of as tools for our warfare (Ephesians 6:11-18). We will only be deceiving ourselves if we say there are no battles or wars to be fought, even the natural ones that we see today (Ephesians 6:12 “for we wrestle…”). Therefore, as believers, we will at all times need the weapons of our warfare. One sure weapon that we would be looking at today is the weapon of the Word (the Seed of the Word). According to the scriptures in Ephesians 6:17 “And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God”. Here, we see that the Word of God is the helmet of Salvation. Every other thing revolves around the Word. I have come to identify the Word as the surest tool in the hand of a believer; it will work for you whenever you use it any day anytime.

As believers, we see now that there is no hiding from God’s word. The Bible has stated it crystal clear to us, the Word is the sword. No warrior goes to fight without his spear or his bow, the same way we cannot engage the devil who is our greatest adversary here on this earth without the Word of God. The Word of God is very valuable and highly esteemed (Psalm 138:2b “for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name”). The Word is so important and as believers, if we are not Word driven, then we are going nowhere. The enemy who is fighting us; that enemy responsible for your downfall knows the Word himself (Acts 19:15). Thus, if we do not have the Word working in us, then it’s a lost battle for us even before we start. *The Word of God is a must know and a must have in every believer if we want to break through or experience all round success in life (Joshua 1:8).* The Word is that valid ticket; that drug that never loses its potency. The Bible calls it the “more sure” word of prophecy (2Peter 1:19). You do not know what the Word says concerning your health, you can never be in health; you do not know that the scripture has said “by His stripes ye are healed, then the devil has all right to bamboozle you out of it. This is why we see so many Christians today in the house of God, even workers in the vineyard, but their lives don’t show that they are children of God. HIS Word says we will reign on the earth, but you see them looking all beaten, battered, downtrodden (Ecclesiastes 10:5-7). I then tried to understand- it is actually very simple. If you don’t know these words as they pertain to the situations of your life, then the devil has all rights to use them against you. Let us look at it from the natural realm, you see certain books or movies, the owners or writers will put a copyright ban. The Word of God is our own copyright ban; It is that Authoritative mark that tells the devil off our habitation. But if we do not have the Word in us, then the enemy has all access to torment our destiny. 

I have come to also realize that the difference between a believer doing exploits all round and another experiencing shame and defeat is how much of the Word he or she carries; because the Word is God himself. You cannot carry God and things will not work out well for you. Take a look at our Biblical patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, even to the Apostles; these were all men that knew the Word of God and followed obediently every Word spoken concerning them.  Never let the devil tell you that certain words are “not” for you. I have heard so many people say Prosperity is not in God’s agenda for the church or for His people. I then ask myself, is it the devil that gives prosperity? or when we prosper, are we directly or indirectly the devil himself. The Bible however has made us clearly understand; 3John 1:2 “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health even as thy soul prospereth”. So, Prosperity is in God’s plan for man; Healing, Health and wholeness is in divine agenda for you and I. It’s only when we have not discovered these Words or how they affect our lives and destiny, that we can come to such myopic conclusion. 

For every believer, the amount of Word you carry determines the amount of exploits you achieve. When the Word of God so much drives you i.e. you don’t just hear but you live according to it, it becomes so easier for you to fully maximize the blessings thereof. Deuteronomy 28:1-2 “And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God”.

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