ASSOCIATION 1.1

“Do not be deceived, evil communication corrupts good manners.

                                                                                                        1 Corinthians 15:33

Psychology defines association as the connection between two events that results in learning. (Copy and tweet). This means a person who is by default associated to something will eventually learn from it. Association is a natural phenomenon that begins without anybody’s involvement. (Copy and tweet). Man is associates on three levels - to the spirit, physical and the synthetic of this world. These all impact us in one way or the other. Your ability to thrive is dependent on how well you are able to manipulate all the three levels to your advantage. (Copy and tweet).

Everyone who belongs to any association adheres to the rules and regulations of that union. You can’t be a member from a distance. (Copy and tweet).  A typical example is that of being a supporter of any major football team. You don’t support by word of mouth but through paying membership dues and being present at football matches. Association is everything in our world! Though vision is given individually, its pursuit and subsequent achievement stems from the people you associated with. (Copy and tweet).  

Association denotes character and success. You cannot align yourself to fools and expect not be like the foolish and vice versa. (Copy and tweet). However one might define it, your association will determine how far you get and turn out in life. (Copy and tweet). There are two types of association we all find ourselves in - negative and positive associations in a general sense.

David had the privilege of being associated to Nathan the Prophet and was guided in all issues of the nation. Often the Bible will say "and David inquired of the Lord" with regards to issues pertaining to the well-being of the nation and himself. This could have meant David praying directly or consulting the Prophet for answers. This is a typical representation of a positive association. The bible records how ordinary men and women who associated themselves became great under the leadership of David. (Copy and tweet). People who were earlier called distressed, indebted and discontented were later known as David’s Mighty men. (Copy and tweet). This is a great example of a positive association.

Can you imagine if Saul had not chased David? All these would-be great men would never have become what the Lord had intended them to be. (Copy and tweet). To me this is one of the greatest success story every written or told. Their greatness was in their alignment to David. Am not sure how you see this story, but I believe it should push you to question who you associate with. These men had a positive association and were never the same. Do the people you align yourself to have what it takes to help your gifts, talents, skills and abilities? (Copy and tweet). If not then I guess you are in the right wrong company.

Talk About it-

A. What does association mean to you?
B. Can you share how both a positive and negative association did to you? 

In His Service

J. Akuoko II

God’s "SetUps" (2)

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose”. - Romans 8:28

We are tested and stretched by the words we confess. (Copy and tweet). I wonder why we think the word will never come and try us. I have witnessed a God who takes delight in building bulwarks around someone He is taking through a stretching. (Copy and tweet). Whether sad or not, you will never escape the “set ups” of God for your life. David makes an assertion which is so true in Psalm 139:7-10 with respects to God’s “set ups”. One cannot but remain quiet and wait patiently for the day God will declare them free from His “set ups”. (Copy and tweet).

Abraham walked with God in integrity yet it didn’t stop God from setting him up first and his descendants later in the Egypt. (Copy and tweet). They were an innocent bunch who got caught up in the plans of God. Sometimes I wonder! They didn’t do anything for their years of slavery to be earmarked. Yes they endured four hundred years of slavery but when God got ready, they came out with substance. (Copy and tweet). Imagine all the pain, the poverty, imprisonment and torture they endured but came out with enough substance.

Interestingly everyone who had the privilege of being set up by God never came out the same. They started so badly that if you were told they will be victorious it would’ve been absurd and difficult to believe. (Copy and tweet).  Yet the set-up of God is strange! How can the poverty of Christ make me rich? How can a giant demand that a man be given him to fight yet God sends a shepherd boy? (Copy and tweet). How can a King be born in a manger? The list can go but one thing is true, God knows what He does and truly speaking He does it best. The Christian walk is laced with what I call the “unknowns” and the “inexplicable” in the immediate but which makes sense at the end. (Copy and tweet).

The challenge is for the believer to completely surrender totally to God and allow for the process to continue. Unfortunately even the staunchest believer often falters because it’s not the easiest place to be. (Copy and tweet) What did Job do….he was just afraid? Don’t we all walk in fear yet we never get attacked like Job. He inspite of his complains still trusted God will see him through. At one time we hear him say “though God slays him yet shall he trust him”. What did Abraham do….except out of frustration go ahead of God to manufacture his miracle which backfired. (Copy and tweet). Yet He kept on walking with God and it was imputed onto him as righteousness.

At some point, God will set you up. I see it more or less like the statements of Jesus- “if you love me, obey my commandments”. This is not as easy as it’s been quoted. (Copy and tweet). Loving Jesus might be easy yet obeying is where there is a catch for most of us. You cannot be called faithful until you’ve been stretched. (Copy and tweet). Faithfulness is a journey not something in the instant. 

When you realise its God who is setting you, it’s because He desires to prove you….may be your loyalty, faithfulness etc. (Copy and tweet).  People who are faithful are always given more to possess and are allowed to share in their master’s joy. Get ready, God is about to set you up!!

Talk About it-

A. Why do you think God sets His people up?
B. Have you experience God's Setup in your life? 

In His Service

J. Akuoko II

God’s "SetUps" (1)

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose”. - Romans 8:28

Does God really set His children up? What about "ALL" things working together for the good of them that love God and are the called according to the purpose of God? Does the scripture have any relevance to what God does? Believers easily rattle the above scripture yet you only need to endure the challenges of life to truly come to terms with what it really means.(Copy and tweet). The only time any scripture becomes significant is when its applied to a person's life. Popular opinion is simply not the opinion of God. If God desires that you go through the valley, it’s only through the valley that you will go. (Copy and tweet).

Earlier on in ministry, it was easy to pray for people going through a particular situation with an assurance for a way out. The desire was for a quick relief out of the problem. Yet after a while nothing seemed to happen. Many became despondent and angry because God seemed not to be quick in delivering them. (Copy and tweet). We the labourers in God’s vineyard lacked an understanding regarding the “set ups” used by God in strengthening His children. We kept reassuring people of a way out howbeit in the immediate. Many left without seeing the manifestation of the promise of an immediate release. Was it part of God's set ups?

Now the scales have fallen off my eyes, I know a truth - God has His “set ups" and He alone understands why He does these things. (Copy and tweet). I remind myself of the answer the Shunamite woman gave the Prophet Elisha even when her son had died- Is all well asks the Prophet? Yes, it is well said the woman even when her only son had died? Even the good, the bad and the ugly are all part of God's plans for a person so they can say it is well even when it isn't. (Copy and tweet).

Two extremities could be deduced when a person is facing the challenges of life - on the one hand could be God’s own set up which only produces good at the end of the day. (Copy and tweet). Whilst on the other side, the deception of the enemy will be at work. The tendency to keep fighting even when the fight is over is rife especially when all you know is to fight. (Copy and tweet).  Sometimes we get so used to the situation instead of the solution so much so that we forget there is always an end to a situation. (Copy and tweet). This is the deception of the devil to keep believers fighting when they are meant to quit and begin possessing.

I know you might have experienced some sort of “keep fighting” even when it’s over.  When the Israelites got to the promise land, the strategy was to worship and not to fight physically. (Copy and tweet). This is what brought down the walls of Jericho. (Copy and tweet). God had moved in strategy and thank God they had a leader who understood God's "SetUp". 

God's "setup" will be initiated in a believers life whether if they are ready or not. Its part of God's strategy to churn out the power of faith and total reliance on His word in a person's journey of faith. (Copy and tweet). Get ready for God's "setup".

Talk About it-

A. Why do you think God sets His people up?
B. Have you experience God's Setup in your life? 

In His Service

J. Akuoko II

4PowersABelieverHas - (4.2) ThePowerOfPrayer (Part 2)

Pray without ceasing. ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Why are we instructed to pray unceasingly?  The devil is constantly at work seeking who todestroy. Woe onto that sleepy and lazy Christian, the devil will attack withoutanyone to deliver. (Copy and tweet). When the Publican and the Pharisee went topray, God had no problem with each other’s prayer until the Pharisee beganjudging the publican. We have to approach the art of prayer without anyprejudice or guilt. Carrying a conscience of judgement when we've all been saved by grace is futile if you desire you prayers heard. (Copy and tweet).

Any time you refuse to pray it’s not guilt thatyou feel its hunger spiritually. If you desire to have fresh manna every day,prayer is the only way to interpret the manna you receive out of God's word.Jesus started with prayer in the desert and ended with the prayer on the cross.(Copy and tweet). You can't but prayand pray until you can't pray anymore. Nothing of worth comes through withoutmuch push. As soon as Zion travailed shebrought forth. Selah (Copy and tweet).

One great man made this emphatic statement that “he is notimpressed by people who don’t pray".Boldly said, it connotes so much about thepower of prayer. How can you have words of encouragement, comfort, power andhealing to give others, when you haven’t received anything from God? (Copy and tweet). This isthe reason why, be you a preacher or a church member, you need the mind ofChrist when it comes to prayer. (Copy and tweet).

God's power is ready and available. The onlything left is a vessel willing to avail themselves. (Copy and tweet). If anybody should tell you praying is easy, then I would say to theindividual that they don’t actually pray but just say a few words. It is theviolent who take it by force!(Copy and tweet).

#Caution- A man who doesn't pray is setting his house for a great fall.
#Caution- A woman who doesn't pray is gradually gnawing her family's foundation.

Talk About it-

A. Why do you think we ought to pray?
B. How do you think believers should pray? 

In His Service

J. Akuoko II

4PowersABelieverHas - (4.1) ThePowerOfPrayer (Part 1)

Pray without ceasing. ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:17

The art of prayer is one that every believer should endeavour to master. Prayer is a two way communication between man and his creator. (Copy and tweet). It also allows for one to constantly reach out to God during times that are good, bad and ugly. (Copy and tweet).

Having ministered for some time now, I am quite used to hearing prayers that are mostly need oriented. However, I do believe prayer transcends beyond a person’s needs. (Copy and tweet). It also solidifies the value of the relationship they have with God. It is this relationship that guarantees a person success in whatever they do. Your skills, talents, opportunities might get you whatever you desire, but it is God that grants the power, peace and the prosperity that comes with it. (Copy and tweet).

Luke the writer recorded over ten times the prayer lifestyle of Jesus in his book. I am not surprised at all as his book is full of the healing God performed through Jesus. I believe he wanted us to understand the sole method by which Jesus operated in the anointing was through prayer. (Copy and tweet). The ever-increasing prayer and connection between himself and God was the hit that produced the power for divine manifestation. Selah!(Copy and tweet). When one relates to God through prayer, the reward has often been the enormity of the out pour of the anointing by God on such a person.

The efficacy of prayer is much seen when it is based on the word of God. Just praying without the backing of the word to me seems empty. Without a continuous and a sustaining prayer lifestyle, the events of life will break you. (Copy and tweet). Your greatness as a person is encapsulated in the process of prayer. The power to command and possess is given to any prayerful person. I believe the very day Adam refused to commune (pray) to and with God, the devil gained access into his domain. To be a casual prayer person is very dangerous. (Copy and tweet). The devil will seek to destroy you with swiftness so you don’t reawaken that power again.

I don’t believe prayer has any method. For me, prayer is prayer, but it is most effective when done in the name of Jesus. (Copy and tweet). You can pray when at work, eating, bathing, at any place as long as the name of Jesus is involved. The enemy wants you to believe that there are special people chosen for this purpose. It could be true, but if Jesus prayed, then you too can pray. (Copy and tweet).

Talk About it-

A. Why do you think we ought to pray?
B. How do you think believers should pray? 

In His Service

J. Akuoko II

4PowersABelieverHas - (3) ThePowerOfRighteousness

……He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’ sake.~ Psalm 23:3

The question many ask is how can one be righteous before God? Righteousness is initiated by God in a person’s life. (Copy and tweet). He is the only one who leads us in the paths of righteousness for His name sake. There are two things I can deduce here- Firstly, God is interested in protecting His name invested in a person’s life. Secondly, He started this journey and knows how best to carry a person through this life in order to make them right before Him. (Copy and tweet).

My difficulty with ritualistic Christianity is that it’s empty, powerless and never fulfilling. (Copy and tweet).  It’s synonymous to the other religions where adherents are made to believe that their wholeness comes through the performance of certain rituals. God is the only one who teaches a person how they can be right with Him. (Copy and tweet).  

I believe a person’s ability to walk righteously with God is seen in their understanding of the instructions of the relationship. (Copy and tweet). Until a person maintains their relationship to the source of their strength, they will lose out. (Copy and tweet).  There is more power in righteousness! A person can pray for the anointing and for the performance of miracles, but if they don’t live righteously, they should forget it.

It’s a journey which requires everything of the individual. I have seen God do more through me these times than ever when I began to desire a deeper  walk with him. You might be thinking can a person serve God and not have a deeper walk? Yes and a big yes! Many walk with the maxim that to the pure all things are pure yet live a contrary life to what the bible teaches. (Copy and tweet). In these times when many have the notion that correcting someone might offend them, which is different from judging, the desire to live right has been compromised. (Copy and tweet). This I believe has accounted for the loss of God’s power in individual lives.

You will only see the fullness of God’s power when He leads you in the paths of righteousness. (Copy and tweet).  This is like quid pro quo - God initiates the process and man allows himself to be consumed by it. God knows at some point you will falter, but still finds a way to make His power available so you can cross the finish line. (Copy and tweet). When you look onto Jesus who initiated the faith you possess and don’t allow anything to distract you , you can receive all of God's power that comes out of walking righteously with Him. (Copy and tweet).

Talk About it-

A. What does righteousness mean to you?
B. How do you think one can apply the power of righteousness in their lives? 

In His Service

J. Akuoko II

#4PowersABelieverHas - (2.2) ThePowerOfFaith (Part 2)

Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Hebrews 11:6

The power of faith is seen much in its enduring state. The most difficult stage a person can ever get to is the waiting period. (Copy and tweet). The anticipation of a turnaround can be very daunting when waiting on God.  Yet it’s during this time that a person should learn to activate the power of the faith they have. (Copy and tweet). The best out of the exercise of faith is received when an individual endures the testing period of the word of God. (Copy and tweet). 

There is so much power to be gotten out of faith and one has to go through the process before arriving at that place. The churning of milk produces butter. (Copy and tweet). The milk has to go through an unfamiliar process for its chemical composition to change. The power to become butter is not seen when the milk is in its natural state yet when it is placed in a barrel and turned over severally at a particular speed and temperature, change happens. It is only at this stage, that the milk is gradually forced to accept the changes its owners’ desires of it – to become butter. Selah!

We all desire that God will bring the best out of us. This will only happen when we are prepared to be taken through the spiritual "churning" process.  (Copy and tweet). The word of God is a double edged sword which cuts deep into the recesses of man. He uses this process to divide that which He desires in us from that which we have brought onto ourselves. (Copy and tweet). It is at this stage that a person has to make a choice -either to yield or keep fighting the spiritual incision of God. 

We love the addition that comes from the word of God but not the cutting away by the sword of the word of God! The enduring power to be gotten from faith is released when a person has gone through their spiritual incision. (Copy and tweet).

Talk About it-

A. Why do you think most people fail to apply the power of the faith?
B. What does faith mean to you personally and how have you applied it in your life? 

In His Service

J. Akuoko II