Giving is a way of life. A lifestyle that is based on a foundational principle that God gave to the Israelites and which Jesus taught and lived here on earth. Giving is not a an experimental spiritual exercise or the evidence of the a higher form of spirituality, it is the most direct characteristic of a citizen of the kingdom of God who is aware of the principles of this kingdom and has the faith to live them. The principle of sowing and reaping has been taught, explained, presented, edited and demonstrated by almost all the various forms of religions, cults and movements in the world. Some call it karma, others call it investment and some still call it the universal law, regardless of whatever name it is called, the principle remains the same: whatsoever you sow, you shall reap. This foundational principle is woven into the very fabric of nature and man. Every living thing and system operates on the principle of sowing and reaping, giving and receiving, putting in and getting back. This is most significant in the plant world. Trees give out oxygen and take in carbon dioxide. They take in nutrients and give out food. As soon as the tree stops doing these things, it dies. This is the same for animals and human beings. We take in oxygen from the plants and produce carbon dioxide for the plants. When one stops giving out carbon dioxide or stops taking in oxygen, death eventually occurs. This then is the representation of the principle of giving and taking, an abrogation of which results in decay and death. The spiritual version of this principle is even more interesting. God gave his only begotten son to the world and through His death, He got back many children who are being perfected into the image of Christ. Jesus gave his life and won back humanity from the bondages of sin. You and I give our life to Jesus and He gives us eternal life. This is also the principle of giving and receiving. In every case, there is the giving and then the receiving.
This principle is most significant in material and financial matters; unfortunately it is also the area where the children of the kingdom are most ignorant. The bible is explicit in Malachi 3:10.
This is God calling His children to exercise this principle. Unfortunately most people do not hear this invitation, and even amongst those who hear, many are unwilling or are too faithless to exercise it. Giving is sowing a seed. A seed which will eventually grow, produce leaves, bud and produce fruit. It takes time to produce fruit, but produce, it will. Money is seed. Time is seed. Service is seed. So is love, patience, hard work, perseverance and so many other things. A form of this principle is Tithing.
Tithing is an obligation, a responsibility, a giving back to God, what He already owns. God is asking us to give back to him what belongs to him, one tenth of our increase. He wants us to sow a seed in his super fertile vineyard where we can be guaranteed a most bountiful harvest. Many people however, want this harvest but are unwilling to sow any seed. We respect the physical principles of sowing before reaping as far as agriculture is concerned but confidently ignore its spiritual existence in giving and tithing. Why is this? Why are the children of the kingdom wallowing in poverty and lack whiles people of the world are becoming rich? Simple! They understand the principle and are benefiting from it. That is what a principle is about. It applies everywhere, regardless of who and where. So why should we whose father is the originator of this principle not benefit from it? Why should we not sow and reap bountifully. Why should we not tithe and have the windows of heaven open for us?
God is calling us back to possession. He is inviting us back to exercise this foundational principle. The Bible says,” give and it shall be given back to you, pressed down, shaken together, running over, shall men pour into your bosom”. Some people are not being blessed because they do not know how to exercise this principle. God blesses us so that we can become a blessing for others. However most people become selfish with these blessings and obviously they cut off the source. Remember without sowing, there cannot be reaping. It is as simple as that.
Finally let us remember that He who gives seed to the sower and bread for food, will supply and multiply the seed that you sow and He will increase the fruits of your righteousness.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Respect Time
Time is defined life .Since our lives are basically measured in the amount if time we have spent on this earth, wasting time means wasting life. Many people make the mistake of thinking they can manage time. We cannot manage time. Time cannot be stopped, slowed down or saved. The best we can do is to manage ourselves in our use of time. This is where prioritization becomes indispensable. Being in the university is can be exciting and intimidating at the same time. The sudden availability of freedom and excitement as opposed to the restrictions of high school can be extremely overwhelming for any university student. The new rules requires you to mature as quickly as possible and as painlessly as manageable. Designing a priority list for activities and defining prime and optimum moments to maximize opportunities is critically essential. Here i advice a four set activity categorization. Let’s label them A, B, C, and D.
Category A
Activities that cannot be postponed, avoided, delegated or delayed. Although there is by no means a specific list of category A activities, they however should be activities that has a direct critical bearing on your studies, health and success. These should be activities that have severe consequences if delayed, postponed or avoided. E.g. completing an assignment with a deadline, studying for a quiz etc. Do not do any other thing as long there are category A activities to be done. This requires a lot of discipline and focus but produces great results as far as prudent use of time is concerned.
Category B
These are activities that can be delayed or postponed. These are also important activities that have serious impacts on your productivity but are not time sensitive and or have enough time accommodation before any deadline.
Category C
These are activities that can be delegated or outsourced. i.e. activities that you can let someone else or something else ( machines or gadgets) do for you.
Category D
These are activities that should be avoided or ignored because they do not add any value to you or they hinder your progress and waste your time.
After this categorization your daily routine becomes easier to manage. High priority activities or category A and B actions must be tackled and completed before less important activities. A diligent and discipline commitment to this pattern will ensure effective and efficient use of time and improved productivity.
The next thing to do is to identify your Prime time. This is the window of time that best suits you and in which you are most active, sharp and absorbent. Mine is between 5am and 8am and then 4pm and 8pm. These are the times my brain is sharpest and most productive. It might be different for you and even your study partner. This is why it is very dangerous to choose any person or group at all as your study partner or group simply because they are your friends. Assess yourself and identify people who share your primetime before you select study partners. It might be that decision that determines whether you will pass well or not.
The final point is to take advantage of Friday afternoons and evenings. Most people waste their Friday afternoons and evenings because they add it up to their weekends and end up doing nothing and putting pressure on their Sunday evenings. Take advantage of your Friday evenings to finish all your assignments and projects. This will make you enjoy your Saturdays and ease pressure on your Sunday evenings.
In conclusion, time will move on whether you manage yourself to take advantage of it or not. If you want to become successful, you must respect time.
Category A
Activities that cannot be postponed, avoided, delegated or delayed. Although there is by no means a specific list of category A activities, they however should be activities that has a direct critical bearing on your studies, health and success. These should be activities that have severe consequences if delayed, postponed or avoided. E.g. completing an assignment with a deadline, studying for a quiz etc. Do not do any other thing as long there are category A activities to be done. This requires a lot of discipline and focus but produces great results as far as prudent use of time is concerned.
Category B
These are activities that can be delayed or postponed. These are also important activities that have serious impacts on your productivity but are not time sensitive and or have enough time accommodation before any deadline.
Category C
These are activities that can be delegated or outsourced. i.e. activities that you can let someone else or something else ( machines or gadgets) do for you.
Category D
These are activities that should be avoided or ignored because they do not add any value to you or they hinder your progress and waste your time.
After this categorization your daily routine becomes easier to manage. High priority activities or category A and B actions must be tackled and completed before less important activities. A diligent and discipline commitment to this pattern will ensure effective and efficient use of time and improved productivity.
The next thing to do is to identify your Prime time. This is the window of time that best suits you and in which you are most active, sharp and absorbent. Mine is between 5am and 8am and then 4pm and 8pm. These are the times my brain is sharpest and most productive. It might be different for you and even your study partner. This is why it is very dangerous to choose any person or group at all as your study partner or group simply because they are your friends. Assess yourself and identify people who share your primetime before you select study partners. It might be that decision that determines whether you will pass well or not.
The final point is to take advantage of Friday afternoons and evenings. Most people waste their Friday afternoons and evenings because they add it up to their weekends and end up doing nothing and putting pressure on their Sunday evenings. Take advantage of your Friday evenings to finish all your assignments and projects. This will make you enjoy your Saturdays and ease pressure on your Sunday evenings.
In conclusion, time will move on whether you manage yourself to take advantage of it or not. If you want to become successful, you must respect time.
THE SCENT OF WATER
(Job 14:7-9) For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease.
Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground;
Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant.
Many people have pain. It will be senseless to think that there is no pain. Massive and horrific life experiences have marred the very soul of people. It has tattooed their hearts with bitterness and depression. Hope is no longer a valid alternative and love is a myth for them. To many of these people, the pain has become so deep that it has become a constant part of their routine life and has literally transformed their expectations and dimmed their perspectives. To some it is a complete or partial loss of trust in people, to some it is a complete loss of trust in love and care. Many people have been betrayed, disappointed, slandered and hated by people they trusted, loved and respected. Different people respond and deal with these pains differently. Some keep stocking them up and ignore them till they eventually burst out and break them. Others take the hate and avoid it all routine where they categorize the hurt and disappointment and brand anyone remotely related to their object of hate as a potential culprit. These people develop hate in their hearts and become severely prejudiced.
Some others start to blame themselves and find the shame too difficult to bear and start contemplating ending it all. This is the commonest paths taken by those who are abused by people they respected and even loved. The issue of pain has been debated on for a long time and people start asking themselves where God is? Some say, why would a God of love allow pain to remain on earth? That is a very valid question and I am still trying to understand what He is teaching me. But my mission in your life right now is not the reason pain is in your life, but the way pain can leave your life. God loves you. Regardless of whatever conclusion you have come to, or explanation you have given to your pain, He loves you. He grieves for you and groans over your pain. Jesus endured pain so you would find a way back to God and He wants me to tell you, it is never too late.
Weeping may endure for the night, but Joy comes in the morning. The night is not evening and it has nothing to do with pm. Night is the times of despair and pain and depression in your life. Night is the hopelessness and darkness that torments your soul every minute. Night is when you cried and your pillow was soaked. Night is when you didn’t know where your next meal would come from and you were so scared you will die. Night is when you were sick and thought you wouldn’t make it. Night is when that boy or girl left you and your heart was broken into tiny shards and you thought you could never love or trust anyone ever again. Night is when you failed that paper and you were referred. Night is when you were growing and no man had yet come forward to proposed marriage. Night is when your in-laws came to you home, to scandalize and ridicule you because you couldn’t take seed.
Aaahhhh, but Joy comes with the morning, when the light of the Lord will shine into the deepest part of your soul and clean away the tattoos of pain. When the cleansing light of his love will warm up the coldest reaches of your shattered heart and patch it all up again. When he will hold you up and wipe away you tears. Be of good cheer, for you have found favor in the eyes of the lord. He has promised to anoint you with the oil of gladness and clothe you with a garment of praise. Arise shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the lord has risen upon you. Rise on thou captive daughter of Zion. Arise and gird up thy loins, for the king of glory is mighty in thy affairs. Shake loose the chains of depression, break the bondages of disappointment. Lift up thy head or ye mighty gates, be ye lifted up or ye everlasting doors, let the king of glory enter in.
For He who has started a good thing in you, will accomplish it. Be of a cheerful heart, He has heard your cry and has sent you an answer, even as you prayed. After you have done all you can, just stand and be still, He is God.
God bless you.
Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground;
Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant.
Many people have pain. It will be senseless to think that there is no pain. Massive and horrific life experiences have marred the very soul of people. It has tattooed their hearts with bitterness and depression. Hope is no longer a valid alternative and love is a myth for them. To many of these people, the pain has become so deep that it has become a constant part of their routine life and has literally transformed their expectations and dimmed their perspectives. To some it is a complete or partial loss of trust in people, to some it is a complete loss of trust in love and care. Many people have been betrayed, disappointed, slandered and hated by people they trusted, loved and respected. Different people respond and deal with these pains differently. Some keep stocking them up and ignore them till they eventually burst out and break them. Others take the hate and avoid it all routine where they categorize the hurt and disappointment and brand anyone remotely related to their object of hate as a potential culprit. These people develop hate in their hearts and become severely prejudiced.
Some others start to blame themselves and find the shame too difficult to bear and start contemplating ending it all. This is the commonest paths taken by those who are abused by people they respected and even loved. The issue of pain has been debated on for a long time and people start asking themselves where God is? Some say, why would a God of love allow pain to remain on earth? That is a very valid question and I am still trying to understand what He is teaching me. But my mission in your life right now is not the reason pain is in your life, but the way pain can leave your life. God loves you. Regardless of whatever conclusion you have come to, or explanation you have given to your pain, He loves you. He grieves for you and groans over your pain. Jesus endured pain so you would find a way back to God and He wants me to tell you, it is never too late.
Weeping may endure for the night, but Joy comes in the morning. The night is not evening and it has nothing to do with pm. Night is the times of despair and pain and depression in your life. Night is the hopelessness and darkness that torments your soul every minute. Night is when you cried and your pillow was soaked. Night is when you didn’t know where your next meal would come from and you were so scared you will die. Night is when you were sick and thought you wouldn’t make it. Night is when that boy or girl left you and your heart was broken into tiny shards and you thought you could never love or trust anyone ever again. Night is when you failed that paper and you were referred. Night is when you were growing and no man had yet come forward to proposed marriage. Night is when your in-laws came to you home, to scandalize and ridicule you because you couldn’t take seed.
Aaahhhh, but Joy comes with the morning, when the light of the Lord will shine into the deepest part of your soul and clean away the tattoos of pain. When the cleansing light of his love will warm up the coldest reaches of your shattered heart and patch it all up again. When he will hold you up and wipe away you tears. Be of good cheer, for you have found favor in the eyes of the lord. He has promised to anoint you with the oil of gladness and clothe you with a garment of praise. Arise shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the lord has risen upon you. Rise on thou captive daughter of Zion. Arise and gird up thy loins, for the king of glory is mighty in thy affairs. Shake loose the chains of depression, break the bondages of disappointment. Lift up thy head or ye mighty gates, be ye lifted up or ye everlasting doors, let the king of glory enter in.
For He who has started a good thing in you, will accomplish it. Be of a cheerful heart, He has heard your cry and has sent you an answer, even as you prayed. After you have done all you can, just stand and be still, He is God.
God bless you.
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