FOLLOWING THE CLOUD Series Part III

Just like I said in the part two of this discourse, I shall use the storyline of the Israelites' movement from Egypt to the Promised Land to illustrate the importance of having a destination, following guidelines and instructions to be able to make the most of life's opportunities and as well reach our destination in good shape and good time. I started this discourse as a result of a trend I noticed on social media whereby renowned and respected thought leaders were a kind of questioning what I would call principles relating to how some church ministries and ministers of the Gospel have been operating of recent. These said principles, I believe has helped/brought them thus far they have been. But as it is often the case, man tend to forget history which is why history will often repeat itself. As the journey of life begins to get busy and rowdy, lots of human philosophies begin to crop up. Out of confusion and the quest to attain a supposedly more exciting life, some men begin to counter the very principles that have brought them thus far. Questioning things like going for soul wining as a way of seeking God's kingdom first, tithing our increases, giving of special offerings otherwise called sacrifices and the likes of that, with the opinion that it means working for our salvation which ought to be free is uncalled for because God is no author of confusion. If following the cloud of God's presence has been our practice, it would be difficult for us to begin to deny and challenge the very principles of life that have brought us thus far. Relating my discourse to the Israelites' kind of journey through the wilderness as recorded in the Bible book of Numbers chapter 9 verse 15 to 23 from which the theme of my discourse, Following The Cloud, is coined; 1. Every man has a starting point in life and is headed somewhere, just like the Israelites leaving Egypt to the Promised Land. 2. The Hebrews (Israelites) were led under Moses to follow the cloud of God's presence in their journey. 3. Kicking against the leading of the cloud is choosing to live longer in the wilderness, with little hope of ever reaching the Promised Land. 4. Moses as God's chosen leader is to help guide the people in following the cloud of God's presence. Challenging him means risking ever reaching the Promised Land, just like some of the Hebrews never reached the Land of Promise. God taught me many years ago that whenever I see a "David", which meant a man anointed or chosen by God, never oppose him, rather, cooperate with him in every way possible. Challenging the teachings of the man God has set over you is like imitating those men who opposed the leading of Moses and as a result wasted away in the wilderness. It is wiser to be who God has called us to be, either a barber, a nurse, a builder, a teacher/lecturer, an engineer, a solicitor, a farmer (feeder of nations), a writer or whatever the case may be; following the cloud of God's presence, however it leads per time. I preach. I teach. I learn. THE END.

FOLLOWING THE CLOUD Series Part II

When an aircraft takes off from an airport, the pilot flying it must ensure he stays in contact with the men in the control tower at the airport for him to be able to navigate the aircraft safely to its destination. Failure to maintain communication with the nearest control tower at each point of the journey will only result in disaster. In the same vane, a driver embarking on a journey must first of all have a destination or else he will keep driving around town with no arrival because he has no idea of where he is going. A wise man once thought and said, "If you don't know where you are going, anywhere may look like it." It is expedient for anyone embarking on a serious journey to have a clear picture or idea of his destination and this demands a clear step by step movement. In the business of daily living, I want to first recognise the fact that human beings have a divine origin because we were all created by God. God is our maker and manufacturer. And like every other manufacturer God is in a better position to give guidelines and instructions on how His product should be used. Challenging proven principles of life such as the idea some ministries have in the area of soul winning, tithing, giving of special offerings in the church and the likes of that is tantamount to questioning the manufacturer's guidelines and instructions. Failure to follow the manufacturer's guidelines and instructions on how to use his product is like a pilot refusing to follow instructions from the control tower and the only possible result of that is a crash. In subsequent sections of this discourse I shall use the storyline of the Israelites' movement from Egypt to the Promised Land to illustrate the importance of having a destination, following guidelines and instructions to be able to make the most of life's opportunities and as well reach our destination in good shape and good time. ... To be continued. I preach. I teach. I learn.

FOLLOWING THE CLOUD Series Part I

Following the cloud is a phrase God put on my mind some years back when He began to teach me the importance of following divine guidance in the business of daily living. The phrase simply refers to following God as He leads per time as exemplified by the Israelites when they moved from Egypt to the land of promise. A brief account of that Israelite experience is captured in the Bible book of Numbers 9:15-23. I began to learn that true success is not measured by possession and popularity. I understood it is measured by the level of attainment of God's original purposes and plans for a man's life. I as well understood that following God's guidance per time is the surest way to attain the true success I so much desired. Everyone maybe alive and living but very many are simply existing, with no meaningful purpose or intent to their lives. Having discovered the importance of following the cloud (i.e following God's periodic leadings), I have chosen to stay in touch with the "control tower" like a pilot flying a plane and like a driver on a journey my mind is fixed on my destination so that I will know when I reach there ... To be continued.

THE LOVE HE THOUGHT HE HAD FOR HER

That awkward moment he realized that all the love he thought he had for her was a mischievous self-delusion because all he was doing was show-casing to his guy-friends the psychedelic-beautiful-property he was about to acquire as a wife.

               Now he is back from his blissful trip of ignorance and suddenly realizes that all she has to show is her master’s degree in cosmetology and fashion parade. She has little or no culinary skill neither did she attend her motherhood 101 classes.

                Having realized all of these I wonder what he is going to do about her. Nevertheless, my sincere question has been: what generation of homosapiens will these duo produce? 

31 STATEMENTS BY NAPOLEON HILL?

31 BLOODY WAYS TO FAIL

Napoleon Hill was an American author who was one of the earliest producers 

of the modern kind of personal-success literature. He is widely considered to be one of the great writers on success. He has something to say about 

31 WAYS TO FAIL. Consider them carefully and see if you can learn anything from them:

1. Unfavourable hereditary background

2. Lack of a well-defined purpose in life

3. Lack of ambition to aim above mediocrity

4. Insufficient education

5. Lack of self-discipline

6. Ill health

7. Unfavourable environmental influences during childhood

8. Procrastination

9. Lack of persistence

10. Negative personality

11. Lack of controlled sexual urge

12. Uncontrolled desire for something for nothing

13. Lack of a well defined power of decision

14. One or more of the six basic fears

15. Wrong selection of a mate in marriage

16. Over caution

17. Wrong selection of associates in business

18. Superstition and prejudice

19. Wrong selection of a vocation

20. Lack of concentration of effort

21. The habit of indiscriminate spending

22. Lack of enthusiasm

23. Intolerance

24. Intemperance

25. Inability to co-operate with others

26. Possession of power that was not acquired through self-effort

27. Intentional dishonesty

28. Egotism and vanity

29. Guessing instead of thinking

30. Lack of capital

31. Others (which you know better)

      

 

THE LOVE SHE THOUGHT SHE HAD FOR HIM

           
  That awkward moment she realized that all the love she thought she had for him was a mirage of a very sunny day. It was induced by his constant supply of all she could ever think of asking him. He is wealthy enough to even take her for a month’s holiday in Burj Khalifa.
          Now she suddenly wakes up from her dream in Eldorado and begins to notice he can’t speak good English and so can’t fit into her social class because all he has is a basic school certificate. She begins to avoid him and ignore his calls and wrongly-composed text messages. All these because the dough no longer flows like before when government policies were still favouring his international oil business.
          Having realized all these, what will she do about he? I pray it favours the next generation of homosapiens.


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MY 2014 THANKSGIVING CALENDAR

The Psalmist in Psalm 103:1-2 made a very important statement, “Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:”

The year 2014 was indeed a most exciting and interesting one, full of experiences and lessons worth thanking God for. And just like the song writer wrote, I have decided to count my blessings, naming them one by one so that I can be careful to return all the glory to God Almighty.

The month of January was a very refreshing month of spiritual exercise, a time of preparations for the rest of the year. I really thank God for the month because after being refreshed during the month, I was invited for an interview at a renowned international school in Lagos. I won’t cease to thank God for the experience I garnered from it.

When February dawned, it was indeed a new day and a new month as my expectations were satiated. My younger brother who had long awaited his admission got his offer and it was his course of choice. This is in addition to admission offers to two younger siblings of mine. They were indeed God’s doings and still thank God for those three miracle admissions offered my younger ones into the university. Meanwhile, the month kept rolling, I had to take a positive step of applying for Basic Certificate Course (BCC) in the Word Of Faith Bible Institute (WOFBI) so as to advance my level of operation as a person. It was indeed a great time of impartation and spiritual awakening. To God alone be all the glory for the numerous encounters I had with His Word.

Then came March, the month in which our prophetic focus in church was ‘The Wise Shall Inherit Glory’. I was indeed expecting nothing other than glory. It was a month of exposures for me. I moved from writing an oil and gas job test to series of interviews in one of the major telecom companies. They were all exciting and great experiences. I give God all the glory.

It was now April, our month of signs and wonders. And like our spiritual focus was, I expected nothing less than signs and wonders. So in the course of the month I got a third interview in the telecom company which was also inspiring. Besides, opportunity to handle a Foundation Bible Class came along and I was happy to have such a privilege to serve in God’s house. Things kept changing for good and God’s faithfulness remained constant. Various opportunities to be a blessing came along in the month and I made move to maximize them. I still return all glory to God Almighty for the grace to be a blessing to people.

Signs and wonders remained the order of the day till May came.  It was indeed a month of opportunities and I registered for Leadership Certificate Course (LCC) in WOFBI. I was really nurtured by the teachings from God’s Word as it relates to leaders. While on the course I met a friend who has been an inspiration and a blessing. I really thank God for my LCC programme.

June was indeed a dramatic month. I was drawn to begin a technical training on phone unlocking with miracle provisions made. However, I now understand that God had better plans for me. So I thank Him for not letting me go off track. I then made diverse moves to change my position and as well enjoyed unprecedented blessings. I give God all the glory.

It was now July, the month of my birth and it started on a very bright note. Before the middle of the month I was already into a System Networking training in which I began to acquire practical skills I had long desired to obtain. I thank God for the opportunity to acquire such knowledge virtually free of charge which on a normal day costs large sums. The month was indeed full of revelations and there was an opportunity to minister in a school’s graduation ceremony too. I thank God also for my being part of the International Youth Alive Convention which held in Canaanland, Ota. That Convention really helped channel my life.

On the 1^st of August, I got an invite for an interview in an application development firm. That also added to my experience in the corporate world. Meanwhile, as the month progressed, God kept changing my level. Ideas were flowing in and I began to explore opportunities of taking an electronics company I was attached with to the next level of online representation. As that went on, I was invited for an interview in an education facilitating company. I give God all the glory for the offers and the wisdom to make proper decisions.

When it was September, I began to learn about discovering God’s plan for me in His Book. As the month went on, I contracted a private class with a family while my networking training was on top gear. Besides, I kept seeking for greater career opportunities. This led to my coming in contact with a recruiting firm that exposed me to another level of career pursuit. I give God alone all the glory.

Now it was October, a month of exploits. An academic career opened up for me with an offer I didn’t even apply for. It was a teaching offer and I gladly took it up to maximize my potential. As the month progressed too, I had the opportunity to join my networking team for an installation at a commercial bank in town. Besides, God kept furnishing me with provisions and I was able to meet the demands of my rent and as well as the things I needed to get for myself.

In the month of November, Exceeding Grace was all around me. Opportunities to be part of the advancement of God’s Kingdom came up. I got an offer to handle tutorials in a school without applying for it. It was indeed a month of opportunities and advancement. I give God all the glory.

Then came December, and the opportunity to be part of advancing God’s Kingdom kept coming. I was able to participate in outreaches and rallies, announcing the Kingdom of God. I kept learning and enjoyed responsibilities in my work place. When Shiloh 2014 came, I was able to be on Shiloh ground and even took someone along with me. It was quite an experience for me because I was able to participate fully. When I returned from Shiloh, work continued and I was able to round off the term’s work on a successful note. Meanwhile, another offer to handle a tutorial came up for which I have to make time and preparations. And just while I was already taking stock of the year’s testimonies to God’s glory, I got an invitation for an interview which is in line with my chosen academic career.

I indeed thank God for the series of testimonies He gave me all through 2014, both mentioned and those not mentioned. He has indeed not left me without a proof of His presence. To Him alone be all the glory.

Publisher: Azubuike Lotachukwu Livingstone