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.