Saturday, March 8, 2014
Sunday, March 2, 2014
Saturday, March 1, 2014
A WORD OF HOPE FOR REV. DAVID YONGI CHO
The irony of being a minister of the gospel is that the same people that you have invested every ounce of your time and energy to cater for spiritually will often times be at the forefront of those who will call you names of every kind, when you either slip on your faith walk or someone close to you commits a blunder that affects you either directly or indirectly.
I call it an irony because you have spent all your time encouraging the sinner to repentance, praying and wishing that the sick will be healed, fasting and praying that the poor will be empowered with financial surplus and bringing a word of hope to the hopeless in a hopeless world. Yet, when you fall into any of those categories yourself, the same people you have stood up for will be the ones to tell your story everywhere.
They will suddenly sit on the seat of Moses over your life, they will pass the most horrendous verdicts on you, they will deny ever receiving any form of help or assistance from you. And If you ever reminded them of how you agonized and prayed for them when they called on you at late hours, they will look you squarely in the face, smile with a dint of human meanness and tell you off like this: "Mr Pastor, go pray for yourself !!!"
And when they gather amongst their friends and co-travellers in the bus of mockery, they voice out their full verbal arsenals like this:
"What is really wrong with that pastor? Why can't he go get a job?"
And when you remind him that pastoring is the job of a Pastor, he looks at you with that-kind-of-look that says, "really? Is it a job?"
Paul the apostle, understood this attitude of people and decided to keep a second job by the side, so that he would not be subjected to unnecessary ridicule and frustrations by the same people he served day and night.
But some other ministers have also adopted an attitude of, "If I am doing the Lord's work, then the Lord must pay me using people known and unknown to me". Now, ministers in this category sometimes adopt very debatable and unconventional approaches in raising fund out of sheer desperation. Some of them have also engaged in heinous activities that can only find due mention in the archives of satanic manuscripts. And some have, having realized the mean part of the people around them, simply chose to run the church as a personal enterprise, filling and fitting key financial positions with their immediate family members and never ever subjecting the accounts of the church to anyone other than themselves.
Well, in civilized countries, where checks and balances are always in place, pastors who operated like that have had cause to sing to the police and sometimes even warm up the benches in little, dingy jail houses. But in some other places, especially, in some African countries, pastors account to no one, except when they want to do it on purpose for selfish gains.
It is because of these scenarios that sleep evaded my eyes, when I read about the conviction of the Pastor emeritus of the Yoido Full Gospel Church in Seoul, South Korea, Dr David Yongi Cho. As a matter of fact, my heart cried all night for him. But as I lamented in my heart, I soon found some solace in the fact that he actually did not embezzle those funds like a thief who is really out to steal, would do. He only fell for the wrong advise of his first son who had always been the black sheep of the family, and one of his elders who advised him to sign a document that enabled his son to buy some stocks at four times the going rate, at a whooping cost of 12.5 million dollars.
The judge found him guilty with his first son and sentenced both of them to 3 years imprisonment and gave him the option of not going to jail at 78 years but with a personal fine of 4.6 million dollars. And that was also because, every record showed that he never personally benefited from the deal in question, but was negligent in his duties as a leader of many years of pastoral experience.
Ironically, some of his elders granted a press conference to narrate this event to the public with glee and glamor, forgetting all that God had used the man to do in their lives, forgetting that such errors could occur when you are dealing with people you seem to trust, and choosing to make mince-meat of his pastoral career that had positively influenced not just his more than one million members, but also the mighty fortress called the body of Christ, which is also known as the Church of the living Jesus.
But while others gloat at the misery of this man, I choose to thank God for his life, while others recant his sorrows with excitement, I choose to ask the many more that will remember how his world-renowned book titled, "The fourth dimension" helped to open us up into the activities of the faith realm and prayer, to sing a new song of hope.
And that is because a man that has retired and stepped aside as a pastor since 2008 should be allowed to enjoy his retirement, he should be allowed to think of the days of his youth with joy, he should be made to reminisce with gratifying gait when he recalls how he languished in hunger, in fastings, in pestilence, in depravity and in utter shame when he announced to his people shortly after the Korean War that God is a good God, who will not only save them, but also heal them and prosper them as they follow his ways.
Friends, that is the Yongi Cho we knew years ago, and that is still the Yongi Cho that I see even in this melodrama of palpable-negligence.
And that is why I choose not to call him names but to magnify the womb that bare him, I choose not to castigate him but to recognize his humanity and it's attendant frailties. I choose not to doubt his theology of old, knowing that they were the words of God in print.
So, my dear Pastor Cho, I will never forget all that I learnt from your teachings when I struggled to plant a church years ago in one little town in Nigeria, I will never act like you are not a man of God, simply because you chose to trust the voice of a son! and that is because we all loose our guards when we talk with family and close friends, I will never call you ugly names, because I know that you are still the king's kid even at 78!
And that is why I pray for you like this: " May the God of glory restore your joy sir, replenish your love for him, reload you with agape-love for your son, and enable you to exhibit the same agape for your elders who chose to call you names, instead of bringing you a word of hope, which is what you would have done for them, if they were in your shoes, in Jesus name…Amen"…And may God uplift the body of Christ at this time, in Jesus name…Amen!
Iyke Nwambie
Dr Iyke Nwambie blogs at the advancement strategies blog, aka www.iykenwambie.com and www.leadershipplatform.org
YOU WILL MARCH FORWARD IN THE MONTH OF MARCH WITH GIANT STRIDES!
Stagnation is a tool which the enemy launches against God's people. He uses it to frustrate their pace, to demoralize their joy, to make them wear a look of frown, trepidation and confusion…but, divine acceleration is a strategy of God that causes us to gain speed, to gain momentum, and to even outrun the king's chariot like Elijah did when the hand of the Lord empowered him with speed.
That is why we are told in Proverbs chapter four verse eighteen that a man who walks in the wisdom of God, will be like the shining light that shines more and more unto the perfect day. In other words, he will shift from crawling to walking, then from walking to running, and from running to flying…Hallelujah!
And that is why I stand upon my prophetic watch to declare to you, that in this month of March, you will march forward with the strides of a giant, you will step on obstacles like ant, you will crush oppositions like when a sledge hammer strikes a perching fly…Yea, you will come back with a testimony in that venture, in Jesus name…Amen!
Friday, February 28, 2014
AVOID CONTENTIOUS PEOPLE, IF YOU CAN! By Iyke Nwambie
Arguments arise when you choose not to see it from the other person's point of view, and the other person also decides to do the same.
But what if you decided to postpone the chat, what if you decided in advance that you will stay in charge of your mood? What if you decided in advance that the Holy Spirit would guide your thoughts and words and views?
I sincerely believe that it will make a positive difference in what the outcome of your chat would be. Yes, it will turn flaming moods into flowing joys, it will turn growing tempers into glowing tempers;
and your voice will be appreciated, not just heard…For no one, I repeat, no one wins an argument at the end of the day.
So, stay clear of it, avoid contentious people and issues if you can, because you will be better off for it, for the most part.
Your friend,
Iyke Nwambie
Dr Iyke Nwambie blogs at www.iykenwambie.com , www.leadershipplatform.org and www.aworldofmotivation.blogspot.com
ARE YOU PART OF THE ONE MILLION PEOPLE THAT THE LORD IS TALKING ABOUT?
When I felt led of God years back to write a book, I must confess that I resisted it for so long.
I resisted it not because I did not love the Lord, or willing to obey the Lord, but because I thought that I was the most incompetent and least qualified of all mortals to so do.
But thank God for the patience of the Lord!
For instead of getting angry at me, he began to deal with me on a day-to-day basis, asking me to remember how he had used his words written by so-and-so author to teach me of his ways at sundry and perplexing times, how he had visited me when I asked for his divine enabling and placed his 'two oily hands of empowerment on my head' to anoint me with the unction to function in this assignment of declaring the word of faith which works by love.
Then he said, "How can you do it without publishing my words, son?"
Then carefully but steadily, I took that step of faith, and God has used some of of our books to turn lives around in ways that I could never imagine.
And just as I was going to start resting, he came again to say,
"I have chosen at least 1 million hands that will download the flagship e-book titled: 'GOD WILL ENLARGE YOUR COAST: Hope in the midst of hopelessness this year! So, Go ahead and give them the opportunity as I turn their lives around for the better and to the amazement of all"
Dear friend, I believe that you are part of that 1 million people out there and that is why I am asking you… to take a step of faith today, because the God of heaven has hidden one word or phrase that will launch you forward forever in that anointed material… So, step out in faith and obey the Lord as you download the book now using the link below and see what God will do in your own life beginning from today!
Iyke Nwambie # BuyTheTruthAndSellItNot
THE LANGUAGE OF FAITH ~BY IYKE NWAMBIE
As kingdom citizens, we must learn how to talk the language of the kingdom, we must adopt the vocabulary of zion, we must double dare to learn how to speak like the faith- child of a faith-God. For the scripture declares that the just shall live by his faith (Hebrews 10:38). And what does that mean? you ask. It simply means that the one that has been justified by the blood of Jesus must live from the inside to the outside, he must live from within to without, he must live from the spirit-realm to the physical-realm, he must live by the word of God, planted in his spirit…For when bills pile up, you must not dignify them by complaints, when oppositions mount you must not dignify them by crying, when nasty opinions are expressed concerning you, you must not dignify them by being depressed, when character issues challenge your testimony, you must not dignify them by wallowing in them…For life is a battle and we win by faith, and faith has a language. That language says, “let the weak say I am strong (Joel 3:10).” That is why King David, who began to face every kind of battle from the his childhood, from animals in the forest, from King Saul, from his son Absalom, from neighboring cities etc still warned us that somethings must not be told in Gath and somethings must not be mentioned in Ashkelon so that the Philistines will not rejoice at our expense. And that is why even with all those things going on around him, he still found time to say, “…Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life…(Psalm 23:6)” Hallelujah!!! So, open your mouth in the face of apparent defeat and say quietly to yourself over and over again, that …surely, goodness and mercy is following me all the days of my life, in Jesus name, Amen…”Let us pray:
PRAYER;
Dear Father,
We pray that even in the face of challenges and oppositions…surely, goodness and mercy are still following us according to your word, in Jesus name…Amen!
Thursday, February 27, 2014
MEN OF PURPOSE DO NOT BRAG WITH ANGER ~BY IYKE NWAMBIE
"Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools. (Ecclesiastes 7:9)"
Anger is a disease of the mind!
Yes, it is a mental disease that causes the thoughts of a gentleman to weigh a few 'mental-pounds' more than he can bear, it makes his words to stink even worse than rotten eggs, it propels him to act in a way that sickens even his own soul, and eventually turns him into a big embarrassment amongst the nobles in his life.
When an angry man stands up to speak, he believes that his voice must be the loudest microphone in town! so, he yells, he pants, he fidgets, he points his finger at his wife like he was talking to a chimpanzee, he describes his children like they were the next worthless rats from the zoological garden, he tells his boss off as if his job had never mattered to him, he shouts at a business partner in the midst of a serious business proposal without thinking of the implications, he wants everybody to hear him out without listening to the voice of reason and decency within him.
Indeed, anger is a malady of the soul.
For if it were not a malady, a man should at least know what to say when provoked, he should at least know what not to say, when he is irritated.
That was why, even Moses, a man who was said to be the meekest of men, lost it when he saw the people he had led for years turn to worship another god, just because he had gone to the mount to receive commandments from the real God! He got so angry that he had to smash the tablets of ordinances in his hands.
And that stroke of anger, caused him to go back to repeat the process he had just concluded! Friend, I prophesy, that anger will not be used as tool to keep you in a circle, in Jesus name!
I know of a woman who was in the habit of smashing every item of worth in her home whenever her husband provoked her to anger, just for the purpose of teaching her husband the lesson of his life; but the truth of the matter is that, that same woman always ended up depleting the family purse to replace those items when her anger tantrums simmered down, i also know of a man who would always convert his wife, I mean the very lady he just described as, 'honey' 'sweet-heart' 'sugar-cane' 'apple-pie' 'lollipop' etc, into a punching bag as soon as his anger streak was provoked.
Some men even boast of what they can do when they get angry. You hear them talk like this:
"Don't get me worked up, because when I get angry, i spoil things!"
Some will put it this way:
"Wait until you see me get angry and act out, then you will begin to fear me"
Others will even make it sound less pungent like this:
"Well, I don't spoil anything when I get angry, I only loathe that other person like the very scum of life"
Dear friend, whichever way you look at it, whichever you consider it, whichever way you analyze it, anger is simply and squarely a big minus to the victim. It cheapens him, makes him a laughing stock, causes him to regret his outcomes, makes him to truncate his destiny like Moses, and opens him up to every kind of emotional risk.
That is why the above scripture in Ecclesiastes 7:9 admonishes us that we must not be quick to get angry, that we must bite our words before speaking them out, when under the influence of anger, that we must take a deep breath for like ten seconds before saying the next word when the emotion of anger holds sway, that we must count, 'one to ten backwards' before saying another word, when angry.
For it is not the anger that is the spoiler, it is the thoughts, the words and the acts of anger that creates the mess.
That scripture also lets us know that anger is not found amongst the virtues of life, it does not hold a place of mastery in the grand citadel of learning, it does not beckon on the nobles for a fanfare because it is not counted amongst them!
Where then is anger found? According to that scripture, anger is found in the bosom of fools!
Yes, f-o-o-l-s!
So, the question then is, do you want to be counted amongst the wise or amongst the fools?
The answer to that question should not have been difficult, if anger were not a demon, a spirit, a negative power that tries to magnify your pet standards above other standards.
That is why the serious issues of anger do not bow to mental dynamics, they bow to spiritual authority! They do not respond to psychological adjustments, they run off when the word of God is decreed against them, they do not stop because you wished them off, they cease when authority is taken over them in the name of Jesus!
That is why anger is not just an attitude, it is also a manipulation of the enemy. A manipulation that creates a deeply entrenched attitude that compels the victim to think in a certain way, talk in a certain way and act in a certain way.
But it is my prayer today, that anger will not find a resting place in you, that anger will not be your friend, that anger will not dominate you, that anger will not truncate your destiny and that anger will not make a mockery of your life, in Jesus name. Amen!
So, brace up, cheer up and declare these words from your heart slowly and quietly for five minutes:
"i will allow the joy of the Lord to have
it's perfect work and way in me now!
I will not be a tool in the hand of anger, because
the triplet of joy, love and peace are
now working in me, in Jesus name" Amen!
Friend, may the wonders of God be perfected in you, as you dwell in the domain of joy unspeakable which is full of glory, now and ever!
Cheers and God bless. And also remember to drop me a few lines to know what God is doing in your life. Hallelujah!
Iyke Nwambie
Dr Iyke Nwambie, blogs at, www.iykenwambie.com aka 'the advancement strategies blog'
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LONELINESS AND QUIETNESS ~IYKE NWAMBIE
"Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God. — Psalm 43:5 (NKJV)"
Loneliness is not a virtue to celebrate, it is not a way of life to be emulated, it is not even a style of living that we need to imbibe.
And that is because, a lonely person is for the most part, a depressed person. And a depressed person, is one who has allowed the devil and his demons to set up a trading center in his or her mind. They haggle about all the negatives of life, they emphasize all the gory details of existence, they dwell in their own debased territory of self-delusion.
There are those who think that loneliness is the past time of the foolish and the ignorant alone. They think that an intellectual genius, like an Albert Einstein will be immured from the cacophony of loneliness. But hear what Albert Einstein, had to say on the subject:
"It is strange to be known so universally and yet to be so lonely"
~Albert Einstein
Friends, loneliness is not what happens just to the sinner alone. Even the saint may experience it if the saint allows it. And that is because loneliness is a feeling that tells you that you are all by yourself in this life, it tells the victim just like it did to the great saint of God, called, Prophet Elijah that there is no point living any longer in this life, because life itself is very boring and worthless. Yes, It almost caused that mighty Prophet of God to throw in the towel if not for the intervention of God.
A lonely person will suddenly begin to focus on just himself or herself alone! he will wonder at why others are smiling; he would think that they are simply being unreal, because his own reality is a different kind of reality. She would get offended at you if you laughed at a simple joke, they would feel irritated even when something good happens to them, simply because they have not learned the skill of enjoying their quietness.
Please understand, that there is a world of difference between quietness and loneliness!
For quietness is a virtue and loneliness is a vice. Quietness is a time you separate yourself from the 'noise of the day', to the 'silence of the quiet-time', so as to commune with your spirit and the Spirit of God, whereas, loneliness is where you dwell in after listening to the voice of the devil for too long.
Yes, a lonely person believes that he or she is alone in this life, that he or she is a victim of life, that he or she is getting a raw deal from life for no just cause, but a quiet person, understands that when he or she is by himself or herself, the greater one, who is the Spirit of God, is also there with him or her (1 John 4:4).
Such a person understands that he must interject his thoughts of loneliness with mentally and spiritually-empowering questions like King David did in the above scripture; like when he began to ask and demand of his soul why his soul was cast-down and disquieted within him?
In other words, you must form the habit of asking yourself the correct question when you experience the wrong feeling. You must stop in your tract to ask this:
"My mind, why are you sad today?"
"My body, why are you feeling tired now?"
"My mind, what do you need to be full of joy now?"
"My situation, why do you think God is dead?"
"My spouse, how will I love you better?"
"My career, what do you need to blossom?"
"My character, what do you need me to do, so that you can be a character of emulation?"
"My mind, what does it take for you to focus on the promises of God for my life?"
Yes, the above questions and several other ones will help to activate your mind in the right path, in the right direction and in the way to go.
And that is why I am praying that just like David, you will not be a victim today to the mental giants that attempt to hold us down. You will not be a bye-word in the school of destiny, you will not be a loner in the journey of life and you will not be a casualty in the market place of life, in Jesus name! Amen! Do have a great week!
And if you want to read more from us, then order this kindle e-book today title, God will enlarge your coast as you click this link---->
WHAT MATTERS IS WHAT YOU HAVE CHOSEN TO BELIEVE ~IYKE NWAMBIE
Remember that you are not ordinary in this world. Remember that you were created by a big God for a big purpose. Remember that you are worth a lot in the sight of that one who made you and put his stamp of approval on you. Remember that men may criticize you, condemn you, cajole you, call you names, and even caricature you, but at the end of the day, what matters is what you choose to believe. What matters is who you choose to hear. What matters is what you endorse with your dominant thoughts.
And that is because every man or woman is entitled to his or her own opinion. An opinion that may not always be correct. But even in their incorrectness you can still choose to empower them by focusing on them.
And that is why I say to you, ignore them, barnish them, and even varnish them with the oil of joy, love and faith today….And I can guarantee you that you will never regret doing so.
Be of good cheer and keep smiling as the face of the Lord shines on you again and again!
Your friend,
Iyke Nwambie
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