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

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

 *TYPES OF PARENTING* 

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

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

✓Authoritarian or Disciplinarian

✓Permissive or Indulgent

✓Uninvolved

✓Authoritative

 *Authoritarian Parenting* 

Authoritarian parents are often thought of as disciplinarians. 

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

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

• Parents with this style are typically less nurturing.

• Expectations are high with limited flexibility.

 *Permissive Parenting* 

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

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

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

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

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

 *Uninvolved Parenting* 

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

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

> Communication is limited.

> This group of parents offers little nurturing.

> There are few or no expectations of children.

 *Authoritative Parenting* 

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

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

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

Authoritative parents are nurturing.

√ Expectations and goals are high but stated clearly. 

√ Children may have input into goals.

 *Effect of this types of parenting on kids* 

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

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

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

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

TO BE CONTINUED

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

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

INTRODUCTION

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

TO BE CONTINUED

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THE PURPOSEFUL MIND PART 3

 THE PURPOSEFUL MIND  PART 3

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

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

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

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

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

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

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THE PURPOSEFUL MIND - PART 2

 THE PURPOSEFUL MIND – PART 2

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

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

An illustration is here below:

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

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

TO BE CONTINUED.

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THE PURPOSEFUL MIND PART 1

 THE PURPOSEFUL MIND;Part 1

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jonah 1:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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UNDERSTANDING THE FATHER'S WILL PART 2

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

Numbers 16:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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THE FATHER'S WILL-AGAINST HIS WILL PART 1

 THE FATHER’S WILL- AGAINST HIS WILL [PART 1]

Numbers 16:

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

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

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

WHERE DO YOU STAND?  HOW DO YOU STAND?  ON WHAT DO YOU STAND?

To stand against God’s will is to bring destruction upon one’s self. The Word of God and whatever HE has commanded must we abide with. Defending what isn’t God’s way can only bring one into sudden destruction as it brought upon the men of Israel as we see from the pilot scripture Numbers 16:1-35-Kohar, Dathan, Abiram and all their hosts together. Here, we see our God is no respecter of persons. No matter your level, you come against His will, you come against His word; He comes against you. The bible recorded that these were in fact no ordinary men but famous men, renowned among the congregation. The Bible in Psalms 138:2b says “for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name”. Who are we now to stand against or live outside His commandment.

 

Isaiah 14:24 says “The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand”. This is to tell us that no matter what HE has said and the way He will go about it, we have no place in standing against His will. Whoever will stand against HIS will, He will clear of the road. (Numbers 23:26 “But Balaam answered and said unto Balak, Told not I thee, saying, All that the LORD speaketh, that I MUST do?”.

The children of Eli did wickedly against the will of God in 1Samuel 2; all He had commanded that they will not do, did they and HE brought a quick end to them (1Samuel 4). You do not stand for God; HE will also stand against you. The same way He does for the stranger in the land, HE will do likewise to the renowned men (Numbers 9:14); as long as all you do is stand in rejection of His will concerning you, then you stand to fall short of all things regardless of your person. When we talk about the place of God’s will, we are all the same. It doesn’t matter how learned or how unlearned; how rich or how poor; how affluent or how wretched; we all come under the same Authority in the jurisdiction of the Father’s will (Romans 3:29, Galatians 3:28)- HE is the LORD of all.

If He has declared a thing, all we need to do is stand with HIM on it, no matter how of our own reasoning, we think it crazy or impossible; we’ve got no choice but to stand with Him. Isaiah 55:8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD”. Let us always remember His ways are not ours and His thoughts are also never as our thoughts are.

Kohar and the other men of Israel together with him had no understanding of God’s will. To hear about something differs clearly from you knowing that thing. From the scriptures we see in Exodus 24; that whatever Moses heard from God, he revealed always to them (the Israelites); but Hearing differs from Knowing. The Bible says in Hebrews 4:2paraphrased: “the word could not profit them, because it did not mix with faith in them that heard it”. It’s not that it did not profit because we heard not; though we have heard but still we are as them that know not. These men knew not the will of God so they sought to rebellion; they knew not about His ways, so they resorted to rebel against it. And we see what became of them in the end (Numbers 16:31-32). 

Most times when we rebel against something; it is not that we have no knowledge of those things or haven’t heard about their significance, but certainly we are lost in how they will unfold, we are lost in the how those things would happen. Instead of now giving to the thoughts as of how, why not let HE who has said that word handle it the way HE will want it.

TO BE CONTINUED

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UNDERSTANDING THE PECULIARITIES OF SECULAR AND SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP- PART 3

 *UNDERSTANDING THE PECULIARITIES OF SECULAR AND SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP- PART 3*

The mind is one of the greatest assets God has given to man. Our mind is so strong and powerful, it can help us overcome incredible  obstacles  and position us to become what we envision.  A leader with a right mind comes out strong for himself and his followers. The mind plays a rather highly important role in our successful outcome as leaders. Look at a leader with success all round...he is a person of a positive mind. Negativity doesn't rule the game of the mind. Now I see, why it is called mind-set. To ever achieve anything, the stance and the position you set your mind is key.

The leader within every man comes alive when he discovers his purpose and potential, and then sets out to achieve it. In the realm of Purpose, there are some purpose we are created with, and some purpose we acquire for ourselves: Natural purpose which is our Divine purpose and; Earthly purpose. The Natural purpose(Purpose Divine) which comes from God is incorruptible while the earthly purpose is corruptible.  This earthly purpose can either be good or bad and it is this choice that determines our destiny. Whatever choices you make on the platform of earthly purpose goes a long way in determining our person. I want us to understand that God has power both over our natural purpose and earthly purpose but there is a place of choice in the latter. You can choose God to either be in charge or you choose the devil. This is where secular leaders or leadership come in. Its a leadership system of this world and you can either live good choices in it or walk in all bad choices. It depends on what you allow control you. The control room is a delicate place in any manufacturing industry or any organization. Once it is bad, the whole system flops. As a leader, you cannot allow your control system be void of the right things; wrong connection produces wrong results and this spells trouble for both you and your followers. As leaders, let us place value on our control system; as a leader, once this is sorted out and with the help of Divinity, GOD himself, all other things will fall in place. Even of a fact, most of the solid principles in Secular leadership are morally inclined and enforced by certain Spiritual virtues. Secular and Spiritual  are two intertwined levels and categories of Leadership.

Whatever Leadership positions or offices we may find ourselves, we must first find answers to all these questions; find out what your control system is, do you have a positive mind for yourself first, then also for the people you are leading. 

Whatever category of people you're required to lead, it is also important to be close enough to relate to them, not just with them and far enough ahead to motivate them. Certain virtues that have made even great leaders who they are today should be abided with and followed dutifully: Clarity of Purpose, Vision, Courage, Integrity, Consistency and most importantly Perseverance.

If a team will be successful, it's in the hands of the leader that is Successful; and if a team will be unsuccessful, it also lies in an Unsuccessful leader.

As John Maxwell has rightly said "A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way".

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UNDERSTANDING THE PECULIARITIES OF SECULAR AND SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP- PART 2

UNDERSTANDING THE PECULIARITIES OF SECULAR AND SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP- PART 2

Earlier in this week's publication, we were made to understand that there are so many ways of categorizing leaders and all these are mostly  based on the people they are leading. The Bible talks about  two divides in the book of 2Peter 1:3 and that is Life and Godliness and in contemporary terms, this refers to Secular and Spiritual.

Leadership doesn't exist apart from the leader. Let's examine the peculiarities of these two types of leadership.

Spiritual leadership anchor's on influencing people from within and replicating the pattern and ways of life that is controlled by the renewal or awakening of the spirit man. It is ultimately predicted on the life, teachings and practice of Jesus. It aims  to bring people into a closer relationship with the Lord Jesus. The personality of spiritual leader influences others because it penetrates, saturates and empowers by the Holy Spirit. As the leader gives control of his life to the spirit of God then the spirit's power through him to others. A spiritual leader receives his vision from God, so because of this he must submit to the leading of the Holy Spirit .. Oswald Sander define leadership as the capacity to rally men and woman to a common purpose and the the character which inspire confidence. The fundamental asset a spiritual leader can have access to is divine direction,he must be submitted to the guidance of the Holy Spirit to fulfill God's plan. A spiritual leader does not own the vision,God does,he is just a steward for  God's purpose.

Bill Lawrence said Leadership is the act of influencing and  serving others out of Christ’s interests in their lives so they accomplish God’s purposes for and through them.

Secular leadership is simply the style based on the philosophy and wisdom of man. The word ‘secular’ is derived from the Latin "saeculum", which is one of the Latin words for world. It refers to our existence as material beings in the material cosmos.

Secular leadership is the pattern that guides the majority of leaders in the world today and is expressed in most areas like work, community and even  family secular leadership is as the results of the leadership seed God planted to Adam before the fall,to every living being there is a leadership seed ,who will submit our soul to determine the growth of the seed. If we submit our soul to the things of the world then we will operate according to the dictate of the world and if we submit our souls to the things of the living word,the we will operate according to the dictate of the living word. Half of the harm that is done in this world,is due to people who want to feel important in the world. Secular leaders are boss  of the people because they tend to rule by instincts and not by the spirit.

When the first man, Adam fell, the Spirit of perfection left him, He was no longer perfect but good or bad, so  before Christ's appearance here on earth, human beings were either good or bad. Men in their natural state after the fall became either good or bad. Secular leadership does not means evil leadership. It's just the world kind of leadership. Secular leadership can be good or bad but spiritual leadership in this Kingdom is perfect because it is the God kind, the Faith kind and the Love kind.

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UNDERSTANDING THE PECULIARITIES OF SECULAR AND SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP. PART 1

 UNDERSTANDING THE PECULIARITIES OF SECULAR AND SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP. Part 1

There is a leadership seed in every man, God planted it first in Adam when he said "have Dominion. Wherever you go, no matter how small the community or group might seem you will always find men who have dedicated themselves to helping others and coordinating the activities of those around them.leadership is a trait we exhibit even without knowing what it fully means. It is a natural instinct in man, we have the  drive to take charge, to influence and make impact.

Leaders are pacesetters in groups,  communities, organization and various institution.Leadership itself  can be hard to define and it means different things to different people. 

From the various definitions over the years  I've discovered  it is mainly an intersection of  influence, purpose, service, inspiration, motivation, illumination, transformation and exchange of vision and values between leaders and followers.

Myles Munroe author of 70 bestselling books said it took him forty years to come up with his own definition.

He defined  leadership has the capacity to influence others through inspiration, motivated by passion, generated by vision, produced by a conviction, ignited by a purpose

That definition sums up the core characteristics of a genuine leader. You see, leadership is abstract if  you don't know where you're going, purpose discovery is very important so you won't end up running around in circles. Know your place,find your niche and become competent and valuable in that area.

There are various types of leadership classifications, one of the largely accepted models is the one I call TRIMM. Which groups leaders into:

Transformational leaders. They transorm followers into leaders and leaders into change agents.

Relational leaders: They adopt a friendship leadership style and win the hearts of men.

Inspirational leaders: An inspirational leader inspires managerial and relational leaders to become motivational leaders. 

Motivational leaders. They have developed the capacity to influence others through their words and display of courage.

Manegerial leaders. They are the ones with title. They have the least influence. People mainly follow them because they have to. They coordinate a small area in an organization.

There are so many ways of categorizing leaders and it is mostly  based on the people they are leading. The bible talks about  two divides in the book of 2peter 1:3 and that is Life and Godliness and in contemporary times that refers to Secular and Spiritual.

Thank you for reading and please you can make use of the comment box.

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THE ROLE OF THE CHURCH IN FOSTERING SUSTAINABLE EDUCATION PART 3

 THE ROLE OF THE CHURCH IN FOSTERING SUSTAINABLE EDUCATION PART 3

The Roleof the Church in Fostering Sustainable Education 

Given the knowledge on the purpose of education, it has become important to establish the role of Christian churches in the provision and fostering of sustainable education in a country as a supplement to the efforts of government, parents and local communities.

 *The major role of church in fostering sustainable education is establishment of schools;* 

Christ’s faithful are to consider schools as of great importance since they are the principal means of helping parents to fulfill their role in education."The school has been defined as a place for integral formation by means of a systematic assimilation of culture.” On elaboration the school should not be merely a place where values which are being actively lived are presented but also be a community whose values are being transmitted through the interpersonal and sincererelationship of its members and through individual and cooperative adherence to the outlook on life that permeates the school.

Also churches have made different contributions towards fostering sustainable education in countries through their schools. The role of the church in early childhood education includes, but not restricted to employing teachers and support staff. The overall supervision of administration composed of a committee of church members under a pastor which managed the school accounts; provided physical facilities including buildings, furniture and repairs; promotedspiritual well-being of the teachers and pupils; and sponsored children who were disadvantaged through payment of fees, buying uniforms and provision of meals.

Missions and churches had also been involved in the establishment of primary, secondary (including modern and high or grammar), teacher training, vocational and theological schools. It is also, a well-known fact that the quality of education produced by these schools when the missions and churches were running them was high, academically and morally. The graduates of the schools were disciplined, hardworking and brilliant. The high quality that the missions and churches gave education then is what is spurring the state governments to return the schools to the churches and even allowing private universities. The Christian churches had been in the vanguard of establishing these private higher institutions in a country .The Church feels responsible to contribute concretely towards the progress of the society within which it finds herself; for example the church in the face of incessant strikes by government owned institution, is capable of providing a stable, qualitative and accessible education in order to discourage citizens from traveling abroad seeking for quality education. It is not enough to establish schools that ordinary church members cannot afford to send their wards; hence making the purpose for which the schools were established elusive. Most churches have been criticized of high cost of education but note: *Education anywhere in the world is costly especially private university education.* 

This article has successfully conceptualize the role of the church on Education in a country especially in fostering sustainable education. The church will contribute so much to the educational and social development of a country both in terms of human development and physical transformation.

The implication of these roles of  the church in education is that as a kingdom of priests, the Church is to demonstrate to the county at large what God expects; the Church is to be exemplary. In other words, Christians are to be the light of the world; they are to be the salt of the earth. (Matthew 5: 13, 14 ) *13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt  loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is  then good for nothing but to be thrown out and  trampled underfoot by men".  14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden."*

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THE ROLE OF THE CHURCH IN FOSTERING SUSTAINABLE EDUCATION PART 2

 THE ROLE OF THE CHURCH IN FOSTERING SUSTAINABLE EDUCATION PART 2

THE PURPOSE OF EDUCATION 

Knowing the purpose of Education is key and important to fostering its sustainability because when the purpose of things is not known, abuse is inevitable.

The following are the purpose of Education are:

1. The purpose of education is to aid man to attain the purpose of existence and the purpose of man’s existence with God.

2. The purpose of education is to help children and young people to develop harmoniously their physical, moral and intellectual qualities. They should be trained to acquire gradually a more perfect sense of responsibility in the proper development of their own lives by constant effort in the pursuit of liberty, overcoming obstacles with unwavering courage and perseverance."there is no true education which is not totally directed to the last end since the whole"

3. The purpose of education is to shape man in this mortal life that he will be able to reach the last end for which his Creator has destined him.” 

Education no doubt, is a means of perfecting the individual for life, perfecting society and leading the individual to God. Therefore, religion should be the core and the center of the education of the child. In other words, since the Church is the custodian of theological truths and the moral values which follow from them and which is the purpose of education to inculcate in man, it follows tha the teaching of the Church should constitute the basis of any education of the child. Core to the purpose of education is the acquisition of skills necessary for man to effectively exploit and explore his environment.

 *The purpose of religion in education* is not just to make converts. Rather, it is intended to make good citizens of learners. Religious education will make learners to grow up to behave in accordance with the norms of society.In this case if children were deprived of knowledge of their 

faith, they would be hindered in their moral development and would be lead astray in their spiritual development.

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THE ROLE OF THE CHURCH IN FOSTERING SUSTAINABLE EDUCATION PART 1

 THE ROLE OF THE CHURCH IN FOSTERING SUSTAINABLE EDUCATION Part1

When people talk about Education, especially in relation to western education, they almost invariably refer to  learning which takes place in school resulting in the acquisition of knowledge and skills, passing examinations and obtaining certificates.Education is, however, much more than the acquisition of knowledge, skills and certificates. In Christian education; education is defined as the sacred task of forming the character of the child and aiding him/her to attain the purpose of existence. It is stated in CAN.795 of the Code of Canon Law that “education must pay respect to the development of the whole person so that all may attain their eternal destiny and at the same time promote the common good of society. Children and young persons are therefore to be cared for in such a way that their physical, moral and intellectual talents may be developed in a pleasant manner so that they may attain a greater sense of responsibility and a right use of freedom and be formed to take an active part in social life.”

"THE CHURCH” in this article is defined in two perspectives, one as an institution and two as an organism. The Church as an institution has been described as a “formal organization that sets out to accomplish a specific purpose”. It is an agent which can do things; and can say things because it has its own voice. The Church as an institution has its own purposes and plans, its own structure and officers, and its own mission. It has its own proper sphere. In many ways it parallels other institutions, like governments or schools.It is from this perspective that we understands the term ‘Church’ to mean an organised people of God, a spiritual and moral force to be reckoned with.The Church as an organism refers to “the church as the body of believers, the communion of believers”. Also a church is a local assembly of believers as well as the redeemed of all ages who follow Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord; it is a community of Christians who believe in and follow Christ without reference to locality or limits.

To be *CONTINUED*

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THE SALT AND THE LIGHT PART 3

    THE SALT AND THE LIGHT PART 3: 

OUR USEFULNESS AS A SALT AND A LIGHT

We have been ordained to live as light and salt in our present world. One of the manifold ministries God has given unto his children is to indeed be vessels of light and carriers of His Grace upon the earth. The bible in Isaiah 60:3 says “and the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising”. 1Peter 2:9 paraphrased says “that ye should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light”. This is to tell us that if our lives do not show any of these, then as believers, we are not really living up to God’s standards.  One thing I have come to realize is that if we do not understand the usefulness of a thing, then we run a very high chance of losing it. 

What then is our usefulness as a salt and light in this present generation?

✓WE ARE CARRIERS OF GRACE: We are saved by His Grace and not only that we are meant to be vessels to bring others into this light. By this, His word says “Go ye into the world, preach the gospel”. We have the truth; but not only should we possess this truth, we must also disseminate to all around us. 1Timothy 2:4 says “who will have all men saved and come unto the knowledge of his truth”. The bible in Ephesians 2:8 paraphrased says “for by grace, are we saved...” We are therefore meant to spread the words of His Grace as light bearers.

 ✓WE ARE CARRIERS OF HIS WORKS: The bible says in John 14:12 “the works that I do shall he do also and greater works because I go unto my Father”. If Christ lived by doing these works, then we also should carry out his works. Christ showed his light nature by his works, so we also should show forth these works.  Philippians 2:13 says “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure”.

✓WE ARE VESSELS OF HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS IN A SINFUL WORLD: Though we live in a world filled with all manners of darkness; as salt and light, we are to show forth these attributes in our dealings with others. We are to bring the men of this world back to the right path in Christ. Psalm 92:15 says “our God is upright and there is no unrighteousness in HIM”. So, as his children, we show forth the light that we are by living this godly life and portraying good examples to others around. 

✓WE ARE AGENTS OF CHANGE: The bible speaks of an end time army of change in Joel 2. We as the salt and light of the world should carry this nature into every sector and every field of life. In all we do, we are agents to bring about desired Godly change in our environment. Even when there is utter darkness, we are to show forth his light.

✓WE ADD VIRTUE TO OUR WORLD: The world today is losing virtue but we as Kingdom citizens should emerge and take the stand. As salt in this unsalted generation and as light in this dark world, we need to unleash the heavenly jewels that have been placed inside us. We are to show forth the potentials embedded in us, Romans 8:19 says “For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestations of the sons of God”. Let us manifest.

✓WE ARE TO SHOW FORTH GOD’S LOVE: The bible says in Romans 5:8 “For God commendeth his love towards us that while we were yet sinners Christ came and died for us”. This love that has been bestowed on us should not be kept for ourselves alone. Let all around enjoy this love of God, shed abroad in our hearts (Romans 5:5). If Christ is love and also light, then we as his light should show his love (1 John 2:9-10). 

Above all, as the light and salt of the world, we have to show our uniqueness, be exceptional and shine forth. No matter what others say or do, we have a mandate from God himself. Ephesians 2:10 says “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath ordained that we should walk in them.

Thank you for reading our posts,we really appreciate you 🙏🙏🙏...Do have a blessed weekend ahead Fam 🥰.

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THE SALT AND THE LIGHT PART 2

        THE SALT AND THE LIGHT PART 2

Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Earlier in this week’s publication, we saw what it means to be a salt and a light as the bible calls us in Matthew 5:13-14.  But today we will look at the necessary requirements to being the salt and the light of this world. We understand from scriptures that Christ himself is light hence we are to shine forth also as light. 1 John 1:5paraphrased; God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 

How then can we function as the Light He has called us to be? 

To function or operate as salt or light in this world, we must first check the life of Jesus Christ. Christ still remains the greatest example of a light bearer even till today and will be forever. Thus, except we locate this source and what makes Christ the salt and light of the world; functioning as the salt and light of the earth will just be a mere mirage. Our first access is to first know His person. Salt and Light is not just in its entity but in the value that you add, not just to yourself but also others around you. This value is what makes you a salt in an unsalted generation and a light in a world full of darkness. Christ was indeed a vessel of value; He was always adding unto people wherever He went to. This is why He was being regarded as the Light. The bible says in John 1:4-In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 

Matthew 4:23 gives us an account of this light- “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people”. He was Light through his deeds. This is why the pilot verse Matthew 5:16 says “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works”. It is in the works that you show forth, the fruits that you bear. 

Another reason Jesus became the light of the world is because he had a strong relationship with the Father of lights, GOD Himself. James 1:17 says “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning”.  The bible also says in Matthew 11:27 paraphrased “No one knows THE FATHER except THE SON”. Thus, apart from showing these virtues in our deeds, we also need to have a relationship with God, the Father of all Lights. We have to enter into the son-ship realm to access this inheritance. The bible in Galatians 4:5-6 says “To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father”. 

Salvation is one of the necessary requirements to activate our salt and light potential in us. Then, you also have to grow in the knowledge of the Son, Christ (have FAITH in Him); and He has also given us an assignment (Mark 16:15 paraphrased Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature). This is where our light and salt potential become displayed and unleashed. Your purpose for life will only be unveiled when you enter into a relationship with the son. The Father has sent you here on earth for a particular assignment-to shine his light. Our discovery of that assignment and working therein causes our light to continue shining until the perfect day.

To be continued.

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THE SALT AND THE LIGHT PART 1

THE SALT AND THE LIGHT PART 1

Matthew 5:13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.     

14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

From the pilot verse, we are made to understand that we are the salt and the light of the earth.  But in order to function and live indeed as salt and the light of the earth, we have to understand what Christ was really saying. Late Myles Munroe once said “if the knowledge of a thing is not known, an abuse is inevitable”. Christ said unto us YE ARE THE SALT AND LIGHT OF THE EARTH; not salt and light of our family or community, but of the earth. This means our lives have the potential to influence the earth. This means we are ordained a game changer, a world changer, a rising giant on this earth. Revelations 5:10 says “And He has made us unto our God kings and priests; and we shall reign on the earth”. 

In order to understand fully well what Christ was saying unto us, let us highlight some questions:

✓ What did Christ see to make him utter that statement? 

✓ What does it mean to be a salt and what does it take a man?

✓ How can we function as Salt and Light?

In Matthew chapter 5, we see from scriptures that HE, Christ was teaching the people when He made that statement YE ARE SALT AND YE ARE LIGHT.  One thing we must understand is that you can only teach well that thing you know or you yourself are.  From scriptures, we know well that Jesus Christ Himself was indeed a salt and light, even He still is today. 1 John 4:7b- “because as He is, so are we in this world”; John 1:4 says “In him was life; and the life was the light of men”.  Let’s look at a natural example; it takes a music star to discover someone that has music potential.  In this same vein, it takes only Light to discover light. There is a salt and light potential in every man, in every believer. We all have the capacity to shine even in the darkest of places and add taste even in the ugliest of all situations. 

Potential is that dormant ability in us yet to be manifested. Therefore, every believer has a potential of salt and light in him; all we need to do is apply it, be whatever it is. Verse 15-16 of Matthew 5 helps us understand this more: “Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick: and it giveth light to all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven”.                                                                                                            This makes us to understand that every living being is created to add value to his generation. Your existence is evidence that this generation needs something that your life contains.The discovery of our purpose in life is what will make us to function as salt and light in this world. But still, we must tread with caution lest we become unsalted. In verse 13b, we understand that the salt can lose its savor and become trampled underfoot. This means a life which does not locate his place or discover his purpose will only lose that place in destiny i.e. he will become valueless and will be trample underfoot by the devil. It is very vital for us to locate our place in destiny.

TO BE CONTINUED

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AN ACT OF SACRIFICE PART 3

 AN ACT OF SACRIFICE PART 3-

THE ENEMIES OF SACRIFICE

Genesis 4:3 And in process of time it came to pass that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.

4 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;

5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell

The Altar of Sacrifice is a delicate one. You can either derive blessings or curses if handled with levity. The seeds you sow can either bear good fruits or yield even worse results. We have earlier been made to understand what the nature of sacrifice is and what makes our sacrifice acceptable in God’s presence. We see Abel in the verses above, he offered a sacrifice acceptable unto God; this means it is possible for us to sow seeds unto rejection. The bible recorded that Cain also offered sacrifice unto the LORD but we know the outcome of his sacrifice as we see in Genesis 4. Unto his sacrifice, God had no respect and the aftermath of his sacrifice spelt doom for him. The bible says Cain was very wrought and we all know the Cain and Abel story but it all fell from a little mistake in Sacrifice. Genesis 4:11-12 says “And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand; When thou tillest the ground, it shall henceforth not yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shall thou be in the earth”. God holds the altar of sacrifice dear to HIS heart and we see this in Exodus 28:43 “And they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons, when they come in unto the tabernacle of the congregation, or when they come near unto the altar to minister in the holy place; that they bear not iniquity and die: it shall be a statute forever unto him and his seed after him”. We see here that the Altar of sacrifice is sacred and this should also be the same way it is handled among ourselves as believers whether we sow unto God or unto other men. 

The nature of sacrifice is very paramount to the results that it yields. This nature has to do with the offering, the one who offers and to whom it is offered. Any shortcomings in the three levels will affect the propensity of our seeds to yield fruits. The nature of the offering and the one who offers the offering form a great deal in this bargain. If our sacrifice must be acceptable, then we must do well to run away from certain things:

1.Beware of sins: Sin is one enemy of anything Divine; even the natural laws, once you go against them, then you become liable to the punishments thereof (Genesis 4:13 And Cain said unto the LORD My punishment is greater than I). If we want our sacrifice to be accepted, it must be done holy and without sin. The bible says in Isaiah 59:1-2 “BEHOLD the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that He will not hear”.

2.Beware of hatred: Hatred is one common enemy of our seeds sown. We cannot reap the fruits if we have sown the seeds alongside the weeds. Hatred is a weed to our seed sown. The bible says Cain was very wrought… There was this anger that sprung from him and due to this he made a costly mistake. Love is very vital to see our desires on our seeds sown. The bible says in 1 Corinthians 13:13b “but the greatest of these is charity(love)”.

3. Beware of Doubt: Another great enemy of the seed sown is doubt (unbelief). “Can my seeds germinate at all? Can this person even bless me back?” Never for once make second guesses on the seeds sown. Have Faith in He who is able to bless it and make yield fruits. Though there be delays, trust in the process. As long as there is a seed down, there will be fruits up. Matthew 13:58- “And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief”. The bible also says without FAITH it is impossible to please God. We cannot get anything from a God we cannot please.

4. Absence of Joy: Joy is very vital as it is one way through which we see the heavens open on our seeds. The bible says in 1 Corinthians 9:7b “not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver”. Isaiah 12:3 says “with Joy shall I draw water out of the well of salvation”. Until our seeds are sown in joy, we would never see the results. Let us read up Joel 1:12- what the absence of Joy can do to our seeds sown. 

5. Beware of Murmurings and Complaining: Two brothers of destruction. We see what happened to the children of Israel when they murmured and complained against God (Numbers 21:6). What murmur and complaints do is that they drive God’s anger upon our seeds sown. They become thistles, chaff and rocky ground for the seeds we have sown. Never give in to murmur and complaints.

6.. Nature of our offering: The nature of your offering can either bring about good fruits or produce bad fruits. Good seeds will yield Good fruits while Bad seeds will yield Bad fruits.  Cain brought an unacceptable offering and he reaped an unacceptable result. Galatians 6:7b “God cannot be mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap”.

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AN ACT OF SACRIFICE PART 2

AN ACT OF SACRIFICE PART 2

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Genesis 4:4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and unto his offering:

Earlier in this week’s publication, we are made to understand the concept of Sacrifice and its importance in our daily life. A life given to Sacrifice is one worthy and acceptable unto God. We saw this in the lives of our biblical patriarchs; Abraham was a man given to a life of sacrifice. Job too was a man who lived his life sacrificially. He had the understanding of the secret to a blessed life. Let us see an account of Job in Job 29 paraphrased; “as I was in the days of my youth when the secret of God was upon my tabernacle…”, then he began to make a list-he delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, he was eye to the blind, feet to the lame and so on-all sacrifice. And we see why God blessed him, the Bible says in Job 1; he was the greatest of all the men of the east. All because of a life sold out to God through Sacrifice. We see here Job gave unto other men like himself, and it was counted to him for great blessings. This emphasizes Matthew 25:44-46 paraphrased; when did you see me that you clothe me or when did you see me that you gave me bread, inasmuch as ye have done these to him that is least among you, then you have done it to me. So, this tells us that even God is in support of a life of Sacrifice. 

*What then is the nature of Sacrifice?*

Sacrifice is love: Jesus loved us to the extent that he was ready to give himself for us. Before we can give in to sacrifice, then there must be a place for love in us. Let us bring this to the natural realm, it’s a man’s love for his job that makes him sacrifice time and energy towards it. You love your job so important to give up certain things for it. It’s a student’s love for success that makes him sow his leisure time just to study and come out in flying colours. So at every point in our lives, there is a sacrifice we are paying for the things we love, or the people we love.

Sacrifice is giving: In Sacrifice, there is always something we are giving. We see this in the pilot verse, together with love, there was giving. (John 3:16-For God so loved the world that he gave). You cannot claim to sacrifice without something leaving you to another person or another thing.

Sacrifice is understanding and enduring: We need to understand that in Sacrifice, we first need to understand why it is we offer whatever we offer, who we offer it to and also endure the offering. At certain times, it might be so burdensome but you just have to endure it. There is patience also in Sacrifice and many others…

 One thing I have come to realize is that, most times when we are giving to sacrifice, there is a greater good waiting in the corner (Proverbs 11:24-25 There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty. A liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself). Jesus gave himself up for mankind and we see in Revelations 5:12-worthy is the lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and blessing).  Abraham obtained the promises, an inheritance that still speaks even today (Genesis 22:18).

*Sacrifice is sowing into the grounds. And as the seeds are sown, there will always be a reward.*

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AN ACT OF SACRIFICE

                 AN ACT OF SACRIFICE

 

 *John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.*

*Genesis 4:4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and unto his offering:* 

A life sold out genuinely to sacrifice is one that is acceptable as living before God. Living a life as unto God; a life given to sacrifice is a testimony of a life well-lived The things we do, not for ourselves but for others go a long way in confirming divine blessings upon our lives. As men, there should be certain times we do certain things not considering what we plan to reap from it (though there be benefits) but just because it is the right thing to do. The concept of Sacrifice is one that is vital in every man’s life and also humanity.  From the Bible, we see many men of God given to a life of sacrifice, both to God and humanity. This is because they understood the importance of sacrifice. But today we see; some even describe doing things for the benefits of others as foolishness; they term living sacrificially as stupidity. They deem people that live lives of sacrifice as not having any reason to live so they live for others. The bible already talked about these set of people in 1 Corinthians 2:14 paraphrased; it is foolishness to them because they are natural but we as spirit beings have the understanding of these things. I want us to understand that Living for others is one reason why we are existing on this earth. If not, Christ would not have said “Go ye into the word and preach the gospel…”; this is because every life matters. The same Bible also says Love your neighbour, that is to say there are certain times, you just have to do these things not for the love of yourself but for that man or that next person to you. These are some Biblical examples: Abraham (Genesis 12, 22), Noah (Genesis 8:20-22), Abel (Genesis 4), Solomon (1Kings 3), Abimelech (Genesis 20:14).

 *What then is Sacrifice* ? Let us take a look at the book of Creation-Genesis 4:4 “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 see Sacrifice in one fashion here. It is an offering unto somebody, an entity, for a cause, or in this sense unto God. Sacrifice is you laying down something for another. It is placing the needs of others above ourselves. One very explicit definition that I enjoy is this: Sacrifice is an act of giving up something valued for the sake of something else regarded as more important or worthy. We are made to understand here that Sacrifice is an Act, it’s something you nurture yourself, you grow into. We are not born with a life of sacrifice. If that was the case, everyone will be living sacrificially; but it is something we bring ourselves into and at whatever level we are. We also see Sacrifice as Giving. You cannot claim to be involved in an act and there is no form of exchange whatsoever-it’s either you are giving something or you are being given. Also, Sacrifice is something of Value to us. This tells us the nature of our sacrifice; not necessarily something expensive but must cost us something (the widow’s mite). In the latter part of the definition; Sacrifice is giving in Expectation for something. For a sacrifice to really be a sacrifice; there is the offering, the offerer and the one to whom it is offered. And for every offering, there is always a response whether a simple thank you or an expensive favour in return. It is very vital that we also understand; for any man to receive from another, he is to first let go that which he has received. We must understand that at certain points in our lives, there are sacrifices that have to be made in achieving a greater good. From the Holy Book, we are made to understand Abraham was a very faithful servant of God; this he showed in his deeds. As the bible says in John 8:39 “if ye are children of Abraham, you would do the works of your father”. But we see Abraham lived a life of sacrifice. The Bible speaking in Hebrews 11 paraphrased; “by Faith Abraham took upon himself every journey, heeded to every instruction, even wanted to give his only son”. He was all out sacrificing time, energy, resources even up to his son. The question now is Why will a man want to give all that is dear to him. And I came to the realization that we can never separate Sacrifice from faith (belief). Abraham had faith in who he was sacrificing to, so there was no need to doubt at any point when the instruction came. We should always have an understanding that there is a rewarder somewhere, who is able to bless us in that which we have given. A life committed to sacrifice is a life of blessing as we see our father Abraham in Genesis 22, we see God blessed Abraham after he made an offering of his son Isaac. God reenacted his blessings upon his life. We see men like Abel, Noah, Moses, King Solomon, seeking God’s face on the altar of sacrifice. Sacrifice is important in every one’s life and of even more importance to us as believers.

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