PERSONAL LEADERSHIP PART 2

 PERSONAL LEADERSHIP - PART 2

Earlier this week, we started out on looking at the concept of Personal Leadership. We discovered that Personal leadership is the foundation on which all other Leadership forms are built. You should be able to lead yourself personally, before you can lead others. Today, we will look at some traits a successful personal leadership personnel should have and ways to lead oneself personally

💝 Knowledge and relationship with God - We have touched on this in the introductory statement but just to build on the aforementioned. No leader can build a lasting relationship stature just based on a derivative of the true model (God). God is the paragon to which we draw knowledge from, and a relationship with God helps us know which parts of our lives are dormant and needs to be nurtured. Psalm 24:1 says "The earth is the lord and its fullness thereof..." so all authority comes from God. And then we see how to effectively manage earthly resources and to effectively manage humans from God's authority.

💝 Developing your physical and emotional health - Good physical health is of great importance to leaders, as we all require physical strength and stamina to carry out the tasks of leadership. From 1 Samuel 18:11. We can see the dangers of not having memorial intelligence as a leader, we could see how saul tried to pin David down as he was serving in his house. And even when he tried to kill his own son in 1 Samuel 20:33. Rehoboam(Solomon's son), another example, lost his reign over Israel because of poor emotional intelligence (2 Kings 12). The importance of emotional intelligence in Personal leadership cannot be overemphasized.

According to Daniel goleman (1999), emotional intelligence refers to "the capacity for recognizing our own feelings and those of others, for motivating ourselves, and for managing emotions well in ourselves and in our relationships".

There are different kind of people we will meet and we cannot control what they will do to us, we can only control the way we will react to their actions towards us, that is why emotional intelligence is very powerful and needs to be harnessed. As Christians, the Holy Spirit makes it easier when we engage him.

💝 Developing Character and competence - Personal leadership is a smarter kind of personal growth and path of personal excellence.

Jay writes "As a leader, you must learn to lead yourself to stay effective. When you practice personal leadership, you use every ounce of your potential with inspiration instead of perspiration, synergy instead of sacrifice, wisdom instead of work".

Leadership is an inside-out concept. It flows from character to conduct. The bible in Proverbs 23:7 says "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he..." therefore it is a direct representation of who he is. Matthew 12:34 also says that "Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks..." God tells Samuel When he was to appoint David as the new leader that "...man looks at the outward, but God the inward..." (1 Sam 16). Two key attributes that the lord looks for in the hearts of leaders, are humility and the fear of God.

Humility enables the leader to serve and be teachable in varying circumstances while the fear of God makes him to obey God's commandments and exhibit integrity that enables building of trust in relationships.

I therefore end on this verse of the scriptures Proverbs 4:18(TPT) ;  But the lovers of God walk on the highway of light, and their way shines brighter and brighter until they bring forth the perfect day.

It gets better!!!

THE IMPACT TEAM

Building men and women of Excellence...

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PERSONAL LEADERSHIP PART 1

PERSONAL LEADERSHIP PART 1

What is Personal Leadership?

Ultimately, personal leadership means knowing thyself. And a perfect way to know ourselves is to know our creator, which is God. Every Journey of leadership is hinged on knowing oneself absolutely.

This aspect of leadership is often the most underrated, yet has been a deciding factor in the demise or success of a leader. As always our paragon remains Jesus Christ and everything we need for a successful personal leadership is hinged on the two greatest commandments in Matthew 22:37-40. "And you shall love the lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. This is the first commandment and the second is like it, you shall love your neighbour as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these"

Our attention for this week is the statement "You shall love your neighbour *AS YOURSELF* " that is, it is only to the measure that you love yourself that you can be able to love another person(our neighbours). Likewise it is also in LEADERSHIP. For one cannot lead others efficiently and effectively if he doesn't know how to lead himself efficiently and effectively.

Joel Farcht defines personal leadership as follows " Personal leadership is the self confident ability to crystallize your thinking and establish an exact direction for your own life, to commit yourself to moving in that direction, and then to take determined action to acquire, accomplish, or become whatever you identify as the ultimate goal in your life"

Therefore, it all boils down to you and the choices you decide to make.

God asked us to have dominion over physical things, not our fellow humans. Our action to our fellow humans is service. We can also find that leadership  starts from the heart. A leader who does not know or have a relationship with God, will eventually fail.

Successful personal leadership development starts from and ends with knowing, obeying and following God.

TO BE CONTINUED...

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THE PURPOSE OF MAN PART 2

THE PURPOSE OF MAN PART 2

Earlier this week, we began a series on The Purpose of Man. We were made to understand that just as the Lord created the heavens and the earth, the satellite bodies, the sun and the moon, and He gave each of them work to do or purpose to fulfil; in such manner, He has given man Purpose to fulfil also. We will be going further into the discourse.

In Genesis 1:26, we see a manufacturer after having described his product, He went right into the purpose of the product. The manufacturer here is God and the product is man. The Bible says in Genesis 1:26 "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and LET THEM HAVE DOMINION over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, AND OVER ALL THE EARTH, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth". The first act was an act of creation and the second was to give the creation a purpose.

"Let them have Dominion! yes that is it". That's the answer. DOMINION! That's what you and I and all mankind were created for. So God after creating everything He needed to create i.e fish, water, animals, trees etc; He said now, I need someone who can manage these things someone who can control these things I have created. And then he created Man and gave him dominion over all his creation. This is man's Purpose.

In the above verse is tucked something that most people tend to overlook. It says "AND OVER ALL THE EARTH". That earth there means the cosmos. That is everything pertaining to the earth. The things on the earth, the territories of the Earth, the systems of the earth and so on. What we are saying invariably is that every man on earth was created to dominate in a particular sphere of life

You should note that Adam the first man created was tasked with the responsibility of taking care of, managing and governing the affairs of the garden of Eden. The late Myles Munroe said the primary Purpose God created man was for management Gen1:8,15. You see Adam was not created to take care of the whole Earth. He was apportioned a part of the Earth which was Eden. He was given authority over that territory. As we also are, we were not created to do everything. You were not created to be everywhere. As a matter of fact, no man can do everything. God is the only one with that power. God created you with specific abilities and potentials which are perfectly tailored to help you gain dominion over a particular sphere of life that is your Eden. 

Your ability to find this sphere where you are meant to dominate will go a long way in determining if you will be able to fulfill your God-given purpose and invariably your destiny or not. Now your own Eden might be the music industry. God has given you a sonorous voice. People stand enthralled when you sing; their hearts are moved just listening to the lyrics of your songs. This clearly shows that you have been called to exercise Kingdom Dominion in the music industry. And so it is for other spheres of Life; Sports, Politics, Educational systems, Entertainment world, Financial industry, The Military, The Media, Fashion industry etc. God has created people and engraced them with potentials to exercise Kingdom Dominion in every facet of Life. Find your Eden. Be known for something. Don't be a "jack of all trades, master of none" type of person. Every great man or woman is known for something. There has to be a particular area you are very good at; that's your shining spot. Every outstanding man today is known for a particular thing; be it Steve Jobs or Warren Buffett, Mark Zuckerberg or Muhammad Ali, Don Moen or Reinhard Bonnke, Nelson Mandela or Mother Theresa. These men and women found out their Eden and decided to chase after fulfilling what Purpose was for them, hence they became great.

When You know your purpose, you will find your true meaning.

In your purpose, you discover yourself.

In your purpose, you find rest for your soul.

When you come to terms with this truth, you will be able to answer these five questions of Life:

Where am I from? (your origin)

Who am I? (your Identity)

Why am I here? (your purpose)

What can I do? (your potential)

Where am I going? (your destiny) 

In these lie the true meaning of life.

Shalom 💕.

Thank you. 

The Impact Team

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THE PURPOSE OF MAN - PART 1

 THE PURPOSE OF MAN - PART 1

Man has never been satisfied. There has always been this longing, this desire and this insatiable hunger in his soul. He has always asked that question whose answer has proven elusive. The question "WHY?"

Why am I here? what is the essence of life? There certainly is more to just living for 50 or 70 years and marrying, giving birth to children, eating and sleeping. In short it has been a search for the true meaning and purpose of life

In a bid to solve this million-dollar question, man has resorted to religion, he has resorted to mystics and medieval traditions and animism. What is the result? further confusion. You must have heard phrases like "connect to the universe or reach out to your inside". All bunch of intelligent nonsense that leaves the devotee much more confused than before .

You wouldn't be surprised to see people with eyes closed, legs crossed and arms folded practicing meditation, yoga stretches and some even take long vacation in thick forests in a bid to dig down into the innermost recess of their souls just to find the answer to the true essence of Life. No wonder the Bible in Ecclesiastes 10:15 says "The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city."

But it wouldn't surprise you to know that what we are looking for in Sokoto (a northern state in Nigeria) is actually in the pocket of our sokoto (Yoruba word for men's trousers). It all started in the beginning when God created man. Gen 1:1 tells us that "in the beginning God created the heaven and the Earth". So when we look at our vast universe, we know that it was all created by God. But what we should also know is that our God is a God of purpose. He doesn't do things just for fun, and his word shows us that everything he created was created for and with purpose.

Take for instance, the sun and the moon, the Bible clearly states that the sun was created to provide light during the day while the moon was created to provide light during the night (Gen 1:16) They were created for a purpose. Consider the stars also, most people have spent hours just staring at the stars and admiring their beauty and splendor. But they were not just created for aesthetic purposes alone Gen 1:14 tells us that they were created for signs, seasons, days and years. You know some sailors in ancient times even use the stars to navigate and find their way home. They were created for a purpose. 

What about the animals, the fishes, birds,the insects, the grasses, the trees, the microscopic organisms, even the air all for a purpose. I think if we were to start listing their purposes we will all be here all day. They all have a specific purpose and function.

Now wouldn't it be strange if God who in HIS eternal wisdom created these things with definite purpose and functions, then decides to create Man and says "well let them just live, you know eat, drink, sleep, probably die at a good old age and then we will see what happens". I am sure that doesn't sound like the God we have been introduced to from Gen1:1 – 25

If He (ELOHIM) could create all other creatures both animate and inanimate with definite purpose then it is logical to say that He created man with a purpose as well. You are not created to only survive and then die, but you are created to serve a purpose and live.What this means is that anyone that serves purpose always lives, though may be dead. Take for example; our saviour Jesus Christ, Paul the apostle, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela etc they all served purpose and still live though are dead. Their works still live on and will still continue to speak generations to come. This is what happens when a man seeks out his Purpose. 

Then comes the zillion dollar question

What then is the purpose for man's creation?

As it was said earlier, "what we go to look for in Sokoto is in the pocket of our sokoto".

Gen 1:26 is the first instance of man being mentioned in the Bible. Here we see the Triune God saying "let us make man in our own image after our likeness". This was the only instance when something or someone rather was created in God's image. This will boost your self-esteem. Meaning you and God look alike! Like you resemble God! Isn't that wonderful. This God that made all you can see today and He calls you his carbon copy. Hence, when someone tells you "you look ugly" or "you look like an ape or monkey", you don't have to feel bad or sad because if he knew the scriptures, he would not have said that. The Bible says in Psalms 139:14  "I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works". You are fearfully and wonderfully made. Hallelujah!!!

TO BE CONTINUED...

The Impact Team

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THE CHRISTIAN GIVER

 THE CHRISTIAN GIVER PART 5

Happy weekend to you all. Today, we will continue on our series "The Christian Giver". I believe we have all been blessed so greatly. We must know that sound knowledge and understanding of a thing whether a principle or a way of life is necessary to reap outstanding results in it. We will further consider the biblical proofs of Christian Giving today and look at some enemies to our giving.

Biblical proofs of Giving

5. Abraham and the High priest Melchizedek (Genesis 14, Hebrews 7:1-3)

For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; 2 To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace. 

In this scripture, we see as the man Abraham gave unto the High priest of God who in turn blessed Him. Abraham recognized the place of giving not only to God but also unto His prophets, hence he did and received the profits.

Matthew 10:41; He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward.

6. King Solomon gave unto the Lord 1Kings 3:1-13

From the Bible, one of the men who walked with God in the place of Giving was King Solomon and for this He became one of the greatest kings in history.

The Bible records in 1 Kings 3 that Solomon offered unto the Lord a thousand burnt offerings. When we look at the life of Solomon, we see a man sold out to giving. Why could He do this? In verse 3 of the scripture; "and Solomon loved the LORD". Here, we see how it was possible for Him to give an acceptable sacrifice unto God because it was done in love. In the latter part of the scripture, we see how God gave him a blank cheque and how He got more than He asked. When we give as a lifestyle, we are bound to enjoy blessings as a way of life.

ENEMIES OF OUR GIVING

Now that we have understood what it takes to live a Giving life and we have looked at Biblical examples of Giving. Let's now look into what things that hinder our giving. We should know by now that not every gift is acceptable by God. Cain gave an offering in Genesis 4 but God had no respect to His offering. 

Philippians 4:18; But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God.

There is a way we give that causes the Heavens to turn in our direction and there is a way that shuts heavens over us.

1. Lack of understanding and knowledge:

The scripture says in Hosea 4:6 "My people perish for lack of knowledge". A wise man also once said that if the understanding of a thing is not known, the abuse is inevitable". If we all can have a deep understanding of Giving, then giving to God will not be something that is too difficult for us to do. We need to understand what giving is and why we are encouraged to give to God and also to His people.

2. Sin:

Proverbs 15:8; The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: but the prayer of the upright is his delight". The sacrifice of a sinner is an abomination before God. God will not accept the sacrifice of a sinner and that is why we must be willing and ready to love God wholeheartedly and live a life that is pleasing to him. See Acts 5 :1-11; the story of Ananias and Sapphira.

3. Stinginess:

A lot of christians are stingy, they care too much about themselves that they don't even remember God or others. They find it hard to release that which they have, the same with Ananias and Sapphira his wife. When you squeeze or hold tight your hands, nothing can come in return but when you open your hands then you will receive something as well. Give and it shall be given unto you, this is what the Bible says.

4. Pride:

Many of us do not give to God or to others in need of help because we feel that where we are is by our power or might. Some christians believe that being successful is because they are hardworking and disciplined so they expect others to do the same. May I tell you that there are lots of people out there that are more hardworking and disciplined than you are. We must understand that if God did not build the house, the labourers labour in vain. It is God that crowns your labour with success.

It takes humility to give to God and others. Know that God will always look down on the proud but engrace the humble.

TO BE CONTINUED...

THE IMPACT TEAM

Building men and women of quality Excellence...

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THE CHRISTIAN GIVER

 THE CHRISTIAN GIVER - PART 4

It is the last day of the week and the fourth message of the series. We thank God for thus far has He brought us. Amen. Furthermore on the topic, "Christian Giving"; today, we will go more into studying biblical proofs of Giving. We must understand that in the kingdom of God, we have principles which men who have seen and walked with God followed during their time and we cannot but look into their lives to gain knowledge. Hebrews 12:1 "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us".

But before we look into this, let us conclude on the mysteries of Giving.

THE MYSTERIES OF GIVING

8. Giving guarantees true peace from God:

If there is any way to enjoy peace financially, then it is through giving. We saw in Job chapter 1, that the man Job was the greatest in all of the East; but the secret of Job was not that he was a good business man or that he possessed good investments. Job 29:1-25; a life sold out to service unto others was the secret of the man Job. He gave both unto God and to humanity, hence he never lacked.

Matthew 6:33 "But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you". One way by which we seek the kingdom of God is through possessing a heart of giving. This formula works anywhere and everywhere. Consider the man, King Solomon (1Kings 3). Those other things men are dying to get includes Peace, whether financially, over your health, over your family. It's peace all-round.

9.Giving is from where you are:

This is not understood by many. This is a very important mystery in Giving. God is not asking you to bring that which is not within your reach nor in your hands. God will not ask you what He has not first provided you with. He provided Abraham with Isaac, He asked him to offer. He provided the ram also and asked for it.  In Genesis 4, we saw there that both Abel.and Cain brought out of their animals and crops respectively, an offering unto the Lord. The Bible makes us understand that it is God who gives bread unto the water and seeds to the sower (2 Corinthians 9:10). This is the God we serve, and He has not changed. His words then still hold. He wants us to give to Him as He has given unto us. 

One other thing is this, you are not to give based on your belief of where you are going to. So many say words like when I have this, I will give it. But what God wants from you, is what you have now. You may be wondering I have nothing now, look carefully around. There is something. He is not a task master, He doesn't ask what He will not have first given unto you. Our problem which is not really a problem if we know, is that we do not look around us for these things. Is it someone who cannot acknowledge the good hands of the Lord as evident in his life that will be able to look around to see what God is asking Him to offer.

However, we must know; now that you understand that Giving is right where you are. It does not mean you should bring to God that which costs you nothing or is insignificant. King David in 2 Samuel 24:24 paraphrased "And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the Lord my God of that which doth cost me nothing". If it must be given unto God, then it must be worthy of Him to whom it is given.

Biblical Proofs of the Christian Giving

1.The widow of Zarephat gave to the prophet (1kings 17:7-16).

There is something we need to take note of in this story, Elijah went to the woman based on the instructions from God, this implies that God recognized this woman as a giver. There were lots of widow in Zarephat during that period but then that particular woman was singled out among others, God had the insurance that she would feed the man of God and He could boldly say unto the prophet "Arise and get there to Zarephat". When Elijah got to her place, he told her what he wanted, the woman explained the issue but then she still chose to give to a prophet she has never met and you know what happened, she became blessed. We see this woman did not have plenty but out of what was considered little, she gave unto the Lord. The Bible recorded that all through the famine season, she kept on having enough.When you do God's own first, he will attend to all your needs

2. Job gave to the needy (Job 29:12)

Right from verse 1, we saw how Job was a giving son of God. We were made to understand that he would even offer offerings for his sons and daughters unto God. The Bible tells us that He was the greatest man in the East. This was possible because he had access to the secrets of security Heaven's attention on his finances. 

3. The wife of Nabal Abigail gave to David. (1 Samuel 25).

Abigail was able to save her household from destruction through giving, and we saw how she was honoured for this. She became one of King David's wife after the death of her husband, Nabal. This she attained through giving. Nabal and his household were to be destroyed because he declined to offer anything to David but we see as the Giving nature of Abigail saved lives.

4. Abel and Cain (Genesis 4)

The story of Abel and Cain were in fact the first in the course of Giving. In this scripture, we see how through Giving, one was accepted by God and God had no respect to the other's; this brought strife and envy on one which led him to kill the other brother and inherit a curse upon his head. Hence, we see, it is not just "giving" that matters but Giving what is appropriate; Giving the right thing and in the right way.

TO BE CONTINUED...

THE IMPACT TEAM

Building men and women of quality Excellence...

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THE CHRISTIAN GIVER

 THE CHRISTIAN GIVER - PART 3

Together, we have been considering since the beginning of the week, a message on Christians as givers. I believe we have so much being blessed. If you have not been following the series, pls you can read previous articles on our blog site and Facebook page. God bless you.

In the third part of this week's message, we shall be rounding off the mysteries and benefits in Giving. 

THE MYSTERIES OF GIVING

5. Giving as a Covenant:

From God's word, we understand that Giving is in fact a covenant practice. Through Abraham's giving, he entered into the covenant of trans-generational blessings. Genesis 22:16-17; "And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son 17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies". Also, through Noah's offering, God entered into a covenant that He will for no reason destroy the earth with flood (Genesis 8:20-22). 

Also, in the book of 1Kings 3, we see how king Solomon entered into a covenant of prosperity. And the Bible recorded that there was none like king Solomon among the kings. This only came about because of his offering in verse 3 and 4. 1Kings 3:3-4 "And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statues of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places. 4 And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great high place: a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar". God came down unto him by reason of his giving and made a covenant with him. 

When we give as God desires, we enter into a covenant. As we know our God is a covenant keeping God; as long as you are faithfully doing your part, God is committed to doing His own part. Psalm 89:34 "My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips".

6. Giving as a mystery:

Giving as seen in the scriptures is one of many mysteries Christ unveiled to us through his ministry here on Earth. How can one explain the scripture in Proverbs 11:24; "There is he that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is he that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty". 

Mysteries are the acts and ways of God that can not be understood by the natural man

In that verse above; as a certain one was scattering, he was yet increasing while as another was holding much to himself, he continued in lack and want. Looking from the carnal man's point of view, you will naturally expect He who holds to himself to have much more at the end but that is not the case here. It is he who lendeth out, he who gives that gets the increase. It is not surprising how our Fathers of old in the scriptures received the blessings of God. Abraham was a giver, so was Isaac his son. Job was a die-hard giver, hence the blessings on their lives. 

This is though a mystery but as children of God, God reveals them to us. For him who scatters, something leaves him whether to another person or to any other thing in particular and he has an empty hand or more room to receive more blessings but to him who withholds much, he continues to accumulate to the extent that he is not able to receive and then all he has starts to drop out of his hands. When we understand that the principle of giving does not answer to your knowledge of Mathematics, this will also help us know that you cannot expect to see continually the blessings of God if you keep taking all to yourself unlike what science will tell you. In the same vein, God is the one who is to bless your seeds; so when it appears that the fruits are delayed, it is not a time to give up the race but to continue with the seeds because at the end, though it may tarry, it will yet speak.

Why is it also best to trust God whom we give unto than the seeds? This is because the seeds themselves can not turn into fruits; God the Father determines this. Hence, patience and obedience in order to reap the fruits is needed on our part. Remember always that God is the one that receives your giving and He is the one to bless that giving. You must continue to give whether the results yield as fast as you expect.

7. Giving as a way to provoke the hands of God:

We must understand that God is Committed to giving us what we desire when we give Him what He desires. Giving opens the heavens for anyone who does it genuinely. Because Giving provokes the hands of God, it therefore facilitates speedy answers to our prayers. We talked about blessings available in Giving. One of these is speedy answers to our prayers. The Bible makes us to know that God loves a cheerful giver (2Corinthians 9:7). Thus, if you give with your heart joyfully and God loves you, is there anything that you will ask Him that He will not do?

There are many instances from scriptures when men provoked the hands of God to bless them through Giving. Abraham in Genesis 22, Isaac in Genesis 26, Noah in Genesis 8, 

Malachi 3:10; God said "prove me now". NLT version says "test me now". The Heavens will always pour out rain upon the grounds of a giver but He who doesn't give shall be cursed (Proverbs 11:25)

TO BE CONTINUED...

THE IMPACT TEAM

Building men and women of quality Excellence...

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THE CHRISTIAN GIVER

 THE CHRISTIAN GIVER - PART 2

Earlier this week, we started out by looking at the life of a Christian as a giver. We have been made to understand that as Christians, we are called to live the life of givers. It is a proof that we belong to God and Jesus Christ is our great teacher on this. He was a perfect example of laying down for the cause of others. Today, we will learn more. (Pls, if you have not seen the previous articles, check both blog site and Facebook for the message. God bless).

THE MYSTERIES OF GIVING

3. Giving procures Divine blessings: 

The Bible in  Proverbs 10:22 "The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it". There is a blessing that a man receives that is without pain and suffering. Such blessings can only come from doing the will of God. This was the order of blessings God gave to our Father Abraham by the reason of his obedience.

Genesis 24:1; "And Abraham was old, and well stricken in age: and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things".

The reason for this is in Genesis 12 from verse 1paraphrased; "when God told Abraham to get out of his country to a place He would show him". And this, Abraham did as instructed. But not until Abraham gave, did he receive the validation of these blessings (Genesis 22). Reading that scripture; Again God appeared unto Abraham after He had given up his only son Isaac and then God placed a seal of Generational blessings upon Him and it still speaks till today.

If we do not obey God's word concerning Giving, then we cannot enjoy all the available blessings. Acts 20:35; "I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive".

Proverbs 11:24; "There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty".

There is a blessing in Giving. We should also know that the level of our giving determines our returns (Luke 6:38, 2Corinthians 9:6) "...he that soweth bountifully shall also reap bountifully". Yes, it is true your giving will result into blessings; but still these blessings will be determined by how much is given.

Proverbs 3:9-10 "Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine".

The scripture didn't just say honour with your substance and all increase; He gave a qualifying attribute to the seed - the first fruits. Giving "any how" or "any way" will result only into any how or any way blessings .

4. Giving not only procures blessings; it also secures the blessings: 

Let's look at the scripture in Genesis 8:22 "Whilst the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest time, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night shall not cease". We must understand that our giving is like sowing a seed. And after a farmer has sown, he is entitled to reap the profits. If such farmer wants to see the desired results, He must not only plant but must again and again go to water the seeds, providing them with optimum conditions for growth. If you want to keep the blessings of God on your life as a person, the way to this is Giving. The only true security for the blessings of God is also Giving. Giving will not only bring about these blessings, but through it, the blessings can be sustained and preserved.

Malachi 3:10-11;

Vs 11 "And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts".

After God had said in verse 10, that He will bring His blessings upon us when we give. He also says in verse 11, He will rebuke the devourer; meaning, any thing that will want to stop your harvest, He will take away. We must understand that when we sow, there are bound to be weeds and other things like harsh weather - all these which are harmful to the seeds sown. But through our giving again and again, God says these things will not be able to devour our blessings.

Giving is a vital way to securing the blessings we have received of God.

TO BE CONTINUED...

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THE CHRISTIAN GIVER

 THE CHRISTIAN GIVER

Happy New month Family

Hallelujah...we thank God for all He did for us in the month of April. We are so assured that He will do much more in this new month of May. Amen

This week we shall be considering the life of a Christian as a giver. From scriptures, we understand that as Christians, we are meant to live as Christ (we are Christ-like). Living as Christ means we do everything that He says we should do from His word. It means following after Christ, every detail of His while here on earth. Christ taught us so many principles for us to live a worthy life; His kind of life here on Earth. One of such is the principle of GIVING.

Looking at this scriptural reference in Matthew 25:42-45;  42- For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

From these verses above, we see how Christ wants us to live our lives as it pertains to Giving, whether giving in His house - the church or to others around us. However, today, so many interpretations have been given to the word "Giving"  many of which are not biblical; even in the body of Christ and when we follow after these false principles or teachings, we only rob ourselves of all that Giving procures as blessings for us.

The word of God is given for every man's profiting. 2Timothy 3:16;"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness"

But, if we are to profit by the word we need understanding. Our depth of understanding determines the extent of our profiting; and in the kingdom of God to which we belong, there are many mysteries to be understood. As mysteries, they cannot be understood by just anybody.  

Matthew 13:1; "He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given".

We will be looking at some of these mysteries in this week's teaching.

THE MYSTERIES IN GIVING

1. Giving is the Father's will: 

We must understand that as believers, we have been called to a Life of Giving. God, the creator of all even showed this to us. John 3:16 "For God so loved the word that He gave...". Giving is God's will. Matthew 25: 35-45 Jesus was teaching as His custom often was. He gave the picture of who His sheep are or betterstill the life His sheep should live in the world. So, here we see that Christ wants us as givers. It is his desire that we give to others around us as we do unto Him. Christ laid down his life for us and expects that we also do the same. 

Philippians 4:14-19;

14:"Notwithstanding ye have well done, that ye did communicate with my affliction.15 Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only.16 For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity.17 Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.18 But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God.19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus".

Verse 19 is the verse we all funnily memorise and make our prayer points. But there was a reason for that blessing that came upon the Philippian church and this is in verse 15. In Apostle Paul's message; these people were givers like no other, hence, the reason for the blessings. Verse 18 sheds another light..the latter part says "an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing to God".

We must also understand that there is a "giving" in the way of the Father and there is a "giving" in the way of the world. When we give for our own interests, we are not doing the will of God. By so doing, we cannot enjoy God's blessings because we have not done it the Father's way.

2. Giving as an instruction from God : Apart from being the will of God for us as God's own sons and daughters. He instructs us even today to give, whether we are giving for the advancement of His kingdom or giving to the needy. Luke 6:38 "Give it shall be given unto you, good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same treasure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again".

Jesus was again here giving some life instructions to the multitude that were with him (beginning from verse 20).

We have seen from scriptures many instances where God instructs men to make offerings unto Him. He told Abraham to offer his son (Genesis 22:2) . He told Moses together with the children of Israel to rear an altar. Exodus 20:24 "An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen: in all places where I record my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee".

Cain and Abel gave unto the Lord in Genesis 4. Verse 4 says "And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering". We know about the story of Cain and Abel; but they did not just give. It was in response to an instruction from God. Exodus 22:29; Thou shalt not delay to offer the first of thy ripe fruits, and of thy liquors: the firstborn of thy sons shalt thou give unto me.

God is still much instructing us today from His word concerning giving. One of such mysteries is the mystery of Tithing (giving 10% of your income)

Malachi 3:10 "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of Hosts; if I will not open unto you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it".

We must also note that the instruction for giving may not always come directly from God. If we agree God speaks through men to bless us, then we can as well agree that God can give an instruction for our giving through men also.1Kings 17:7-16 "the story of Elijah and the widow of Zarephat" (You can read the story for better understanding). God had told the prophet Elijah that He had directed someone to attend to him and we saw how the widow did all she was instructed.

Proverbs 4:13 "Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life".

For every instruction wee receive from God, Obedience is needed, both prompt and complete obedience.

TO BE CONTINUED...

THE IMPACT TEAM

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