3WaysToSelfPreserve (1) UnderstandYourParameters

“He must increase that I may decrease” John said. (Copy and tweet).  What sort of mission statement is that? This saying was to culminate his life works. The baptism of Jesus in Jordan by John was the end of John’s ministry as dictated by the Spirit. John was an individual who understood the parameters in which he was called to operate and did so. Could it be that many have gone over their parameters and are suffering as a result? Knowing when to and not to is a sign that you understand your strengths, abilities and weaknesses. Is the job, career path, relationship, belief and even your lifestyle within the parameters God has called you to?

The challenge for most people is to accept that not everything is within their parameters even though they might have what it takes. (Copy and tweet). Everyone desire to live long yet how many truly do so? We encumber our lives with things that really don’t matter to us so much that by the time we are aware, it’s too late. God created each one with an ability that must be allowed to shine through the process of time. (Copy and tweet). Any smart person who desires longevity both in expression of gifts, abilities or talents and even in life understands their parameters. They also understand the various gifts and calling on others and are prepared to let them take the centre stage when the time demands. Too many of us want to be everything whilst watching our other gifts go waste. You can’t be everything!How are you going to stand for something if you’re everything?

What are your strengths and weaknesses? What are you good at? What are others better at than you?  Over the years everything I have learnt has this standing out- you can’t always insist on your rights. Whenever a person always fights to keep their rights, they become a prisoner to the dictates of their opponents. (Copy and tweet).  You’ll exert so much effort to get your insistence accepted and by the time you realise, not much would have been achieved. Your parameters define your character and attitude. It’s what defines your doings. Within the confines of your character and attitude, lies your uniqueness that determines the way you act towards others. Staying within the confines of your parameters also teaches you how to empathize with the weaknesses of others whilst adulating their strengths. (Copy and tweet). If you desire to be relevant for a long time to come, watch how you manage your parameters.

Jesus displayed the knowledge of his parameters when he sent the disciples in two to cast out devils, heal disease, raise the dead and a host of other things. He had all power because God had anointed him for such a feat. So how come he let others shine? Simply because he understood the power of self-preservation. If you stay within your parameters, there is a godly chance that you will live longer for as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. (Copy and tweet).  Countless who allowed the spirit of God to teach them how to stay within their parameters enjoyed the provision, protection and prosperity of God. 

Think Aloud :-

a. What are your parameters

b. Do you sometimes go over?

Yours 

Joe Akuoko II

#3ThingsToDominateInYourLife - (3) #TheFlesh

Your quest to operate in dominance I believe should begin with you taking charge of the flesh. What is the flesh you might ask? The flesh represents the fallen nature of man that fights against the renewed nature of a person in Christ. (Copy and tweet). It's also the sum total of the expression of the mind, emotions and the soul of a person that is not in concert with the word of God and they do nothing to aid you in your walk with Christ.

Success or failure first begins with a person! (Copy and tweet). The demands of the flesh are so real. Sometimes its push and pull makes it quite daunting and difficult to live except through the grace of God. My nearest experience was trying to help someone caught in an addiction to break free. Funny enough during those days I wasn’t well equip but the lesson learnt has forever stayed with me. When the flesh commands its demand, the human being without the saving grace of Christ is left with no choice but that of obedience. (Copy and tweet).  This sort of enslavement is demeaning and devaluing! The whole purpose of Christ and his death was to release power to man for dominance especially over the flesh. Man is a spirit being and at the same time soulish entity. Interestingly we function well when connected to the spirit. (Copy and tweet).

It’s out of this fallen nature or the flesh (not physical flesh) that the destructive tendencies of drunkenness, drug abuse, sexual depravity, murder and its ilk emanate. (Copy and tweet) The more you study the bible the more you understand everything God warns us about is for our own good. Know also that there is an eternal war between the demands of the flesh and that of the Spirit and unfortunately man is the victim. If your flesh controls you too much, it means your Spirit has been weakened and your connection to righteousness is being weakened whilst that to sin is strengthened.  (Copy and tweet). As long as you are plugged into the demands of the flesh, the contamination begins and leaves you dry without any hope except you taking charge through Christ.

The power of the flesh does only one thing- to hold you ransom to evil. Even when you have the desire to do that which is right, your abilities are poisoned and taken prisoner by that of the dictates of the flesh. Paul bemoans the state of the individual who is under the dominance of the flesh in Romans chapter 7. He paints a picture of an individual who desires to live right but find himself doing the evil thereof because of the pull of the flesh. The situation becomes grave to the point Paul calls it being wretched.  

The flesh will leave you wretched and broken as all it does is to keep you in sin. (Copy and tweet). God cannot do much with a person who in spite of the death of Jesus is caught in the grips of the flesh. You cannot be friends with the deeds of the flesh…it’s no one’s friend.  If there is anything you need the power of God to help you deal with, let it be to fight off the demands of the flesh. 

To dominate your flesh here are some tips:-

1. Prayerfully identify what your weakness is. (Everyone has a weakness and it’s through it that the flesh gains an opportunity to cause one to sin) (Genesis 4:7)

2. Attack that weakness with every available resource of the word, fasting and prayer. (Hebrews 4:12)

3. Learn to walk in the spirit and you will not fulfil the deeds of the flesh. You learn to walk in the Spirit by:-

a. Constantly study the word of God (2 Timothy 2:15)

b. Commune with the Holy Spirit to know the will of God for your life. (Ephesians 1:11)

c. Constantly be part of the gathering of believers. What you constantly hear is something you will eventually become.  (Hebrews 10:25).

Yours, 

Joe Akuoko II

#3ThingsToDominateInYourLife - (2) #Ignorance

Ignorance is dangerous and menacingly an enemy you cannot ignore. We are dealing with an enemy whose foremost attack is against the knowledge a person possesses. He tried the same on Jesus but failed miserably. Jesus only won that initial fight through the knowledge he possessed. He used the “it is written” method. (Copy and tweet). He fought the devil with what he had studied and I believe it’s about time we do the same. Knowledge was at play in the temptation of Jesus by the devil. The devil’s quest to test the ignorance level of Jesus if at all there was any failed miserably.

The greatest weapon being used by the enemy to keep believers at bay is ignorance. The bible is the knowledge of God concerning man’s life on earth. Whatever one desires the answer can be found in the bible yet many never bother to find out. Anytime ignorance is at play, captivity and death is what ensues. (Copy and tweet) Ignorance isn’t bliss, it’s destructive! It’s as powerful as knowledge howbeit in the negative sense.

If there is anything you ought to do in order to secure your identity, it will be to know what God’s word says about who you are. You are only going to able to apply faith based on what you know. What you don’t know only leaves you a wanderer in this race of life. (Copy and tweet)

Joshua took over from Moses and I guess like everyone, the thoughts of not leading like him etched on his mind.  Aside the promise of him dividing the inheritance and being admonished to be strong and courageous, God warned him of ignorance. He was told the only way he will fail and do so miserably was to stay ignorant. God told him specifically in these words – “this book of the law shall not depart from thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shall make thy way prosperous, and then thou shall have good success”. (Joshua 1:8)(11). If he followed God's instructions,  Joshua was set to be victorious in all that he did.

Ignorance is prevalent and so is knowledge!(Copy and tweet). Every offshoot of ignorance is pain, anguish, poverty, envy, jealousy etc. A life that lacks the requisite knowledge is one that is bound to be thrust into eternal pain. 

Three men were chosen by a King to head an enterprise. Each was given an amount of money they could handle according to their several ability. No king ever chooses without first imparting the knowledge needed for success. They were given the necessary training with the Kings knowledge and were let loose to make profit for their master. Two excelled with the knowledge whilst one deliberately chose to stay in his ignorance. (Copy and tweet). The two who applied the knowledge received were promoted to possess more whilst he who intentionally chose not to apply the knowledge was sent to eternal damnation and gnashing of teeth. (Copy and tweet) Fight ignorance where ever you find it. Above all fight and dominate any sense or iota of ignorance that is stagnating your upward mobility. (Copy and tweet).

To deal with ignorance, here are a few tips:

1. Know what you need in terms of knowledge and go for it. Apply these three levels of the acquisition if knowledge:

a. Studying (2 Timothy 2:15

b. Buying knowledge (Proverbs 23:23)

c. Meditate for revelational knowledge (Joshua 1:8)

2.Be brutal with anything that wants to hold you ignorant.

3. Finally, feed your mind with the right things. (Philippians 4:8)

Talk About These:

A. Why do you think ignorance is so much prevalent?
B. What other ways can one fight ignorance?

Yours,

Joe Akuoko II

#3ThingsToDominateInYourLife - (1) #Choices

Many seek to dominate things from finance, success,athletics yet we easily forget the foremost thing to dominate in your life is choices. I say this because behind any success or failure in a person's life is the choice they made. Choices are powerful! One great financier of our times in detailing financial decisions a younger person should be careful in making, made an interesting observation which is very true. Amongst his suggestions, he said the company a person will start working for, starting salary, investment, partner to marry and others are paramount to how they turn out in the future. The essence of what he said was that choices make a person. (Copy and tweet)

At any given opportunity, everyone will be presented with choices for several things. Your ability to choose right impacts the rest of your days on earth. (Copy and tweet). When the wrong choice is made, understand that chaos, confusion, bitterness etc will be something you will battle with for the rest of your days. They say what makes a man are the books he reads and the company he keeps....and all these stem out of the choices he makes.

I was recently watching a reality TV show about a group of prominent people. I finally concluded that people behave based on the background from which they were raised. Thus the quality of the choices you'll make stems majorly from the background you were raised. Let's be honest, not everyone had the best upbringing in life. However, the liberty of life is this- at some point you can choose to be whom you’ve always wanted to be. (Copy and tweet).

Excuses pleases no one and makes people uncomfortable. (Copy and tweet). Your non- performance isn’t a leeway for not dominating the choices in your life. God is so good so much that whenever a person needs help, He readily provides it.  Yes might not have had the best childhood, education, sometimes the best parents etc. but none truly matter now that you are a grown up. “When I was a child I thought like a child, but now that I have become man, I put away childish things (1 Corinthians 13:11). It’s about time you accept that your position in life has changed and you are totally in charge. I know a person's background has a lot of influence on their behaviour. The good news is that you can alter the influence for a future that is based on your choices. (Copy and tweet).

Joshua when he was the embers of his life, made a bold statement to the people regarding whom they will choose to serve. Its recorded that he was emphatic in telling the people to choose whom they will serve because he had made up his mind that every one of his family will serve the living God. Choices truly make a person! (Copy and tweet)

3 Ways To Dominate Your Choices:-

1. Understand whoever advises you controls your life. Choose sensible and god-fearing people to seek advice from. (Romans 6:16)

2. Be quick to hear but very slow to make decisions (James 1:19)

3. Always pray to God and be led by the Holy Spirit to (Romans 8:14)

Talk About This:

1. Why do you think people find it difficult in making the right choices?

2. How do you suggest a person can make right and quality choices?

Yours, 

Joe Akuoko II

Marked For Greatness

…“I will give you places to walk among these who stand here. - Zechariah 3:6

God wants to position us strategically in a place where we can receive His blessings. (Copy and tweet). This will enable us to function on a level beyond human understanding. Throughout the bible, God gave some people special favours and privileges that caused them to triumph in almost every situation. These people sought to know the mind of God and acted according to it. Their lives were full of miracles and supernatural doings. Even in their weakest hour, the Lord made a way. (Copy and tweet).

David committed adultery and murder yet the Lord said he was the man after his heart. Moses’ rod became God’s rod and was used to do powerful deeds.  How can a stone thrown from the sling of a shepherd boy give his nation the freedom from their worst enemy? Amazing! How could this happen to ordinary people like you and me? Except these people had had an encounter with the supernatural power of the Almighty God and had been touched by it. These people had a place among the standing! The miracles of God was at their beck and call so to say. They became the custodians of the plans and purposes of God for the entire human race. These people regardless of their flaws had something in common: they believe God to the letter and worked in partnership with the Holy Spirit of God. (Copy and tweet).

In this world there are two classes of people; those who are "existing" and those who are “living”. (Copy and tweet). To exist is to live a life based on the things you have or want and when they are out of your reach, you fold or give up. (Copy and tweet). I knew a man who had the best opportunity of his life time. He took the family’s entire savings and squandered it on business plans that couldn’t be profitable. The last time I encountered him, he had given up on trying again and is existing instead of living. I told him the only way is to come back to the giver of life and not things he wants. Like this fella, most people have resigned and given up on life because of what probably happened to them.

To be alive is to manifest the essence of the God given life in you called Zoe. (Copy and tweet).  Those who are living have got the convincing power of the word in them and are able to brave the storm and deal with the circumstances that come their way. The living are the people with a place among the standing. They pay the price to get to where they are in the Lord and they do not compromise. (Copy and tweet).

Those who have a “standing” in the presence of God are the people who have been found found faithful are granted audience whenever. (Copy and tweet). God trusts these people so much that he governs the entire world with them. He does not do anything except he consults them. Remember the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah? God informed Abraham his friend. God said he couldn’t do anything unless he told his friend Abraham. Remember Noah the Ark builder? God was the one who showed him how to build the ark.

How To Be Marked For Greatness :-

A. Work to be trusted by God

B. Go all out for God

C. Having optimum Faith is imperative

Yours,

Joe Akuoko II

#HowToBeOutstanding - #Humanity

“Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again”. Luke 8:38

To give to others the proceeds from your gifts is the epitome of being outstanding. (Copy and tweet). We learn this attitude first from God when He gave His only son as a ransom for the sins of the world. When it comes to being generous, people of the world seem to have gotten it right as opposed to that of believers. We are the custodians of the true spirit of giving but many at times find so difficult to release what they have to help others. Your gift was not only given to you for your benefit but for others as well. (Copy and tweet).

You bring so much significance to your gift when others benefit from it. (Copy and tweet). There are several avenues by which you can put your gift to use to enhance the lives of others. The lives of the patriarchs and all the people in the Bible are gifts to help us find answers to challenges we might be facing. Imagine if there wasn’t any history of the patriarchs to be used as a yard stick in our lives? Having the mind to reach out to others with what you have is something everyone should endeavour in their own little way to do. As you sow into the lives of others, it triggers a continuous flow of the blessing of God on your gifts for growth. (Copy and tweet).

You can never underestimate what giving back to society does in the lives of the less privileged. We make a living by what we do but we make a life by what we give. (Copy and tweet).  Someone is waiting on your benevolence to ease a problem they have. Just by mentoring a young person will probably turn them into someone significant. Whoever mentored Martin Luther King Jnr imparted gems of greatness and boldness to him that was unequal to any one of his time.

Never keep what you have to yourself to the detriment of others. Your ability to exercise humanity will churn greatness from an unknown person who might later on do greater works. (Copy and tweet). Jesus chose twelve disciples and gave them everything he had before he left for heaven. In the city of Antioch, they saw the disciples had been with Jesus thus they gave them the name Christians. As you exercise humanity in the lives of others, it will be like casting your bread upon many waters to reap someday. The whole concept of Christianity is to alleviate the struggles people face. When things are right for you, remember where it all began and give it back. (Copy and tweet). 

Talk About It -

A. To Who or Where do you feel you need to exercise humanity?

B.  Why do you think many find it difficult to exercise humanity?

Yours

Joe Akuoko II

#HowToBeOutstanding- #Purity

“I beseech you therefore, brethren by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” Romans 12:1 

Purity is the single most powerful force that drives any blessing of God. (Copy and tweet). You cannot live your life anyhow and expect optimum results from the Lord. Anyhow living simply leads to anyhow blessing…if there is anything like that. The difference between the one that lives in purity and the one who doesn’t is the revelation they possess. (Copy and tweet). Moses before he could handle the rod of miracles which became God’s rod, was tested on his state of purity. He was told to place his hand on his chest. The state of his heart was revealed as his hands turned leprous. At this point it was obvious that he couldn’t handle the rod of God if there wasn’t any purity in his life.  

Many forget that possessing the blessings of God isn’t what really matters but your ability to keep it. (Copy and tweet). You cannot move mountains beyond the limit your purity will take you. When you and God are partners, there wouldn’t be any cause for alarm. (Copy and tweet). You need to get to the point of saying “NO” to certain things that will cause you to compromise on your Christian standards. Opinions of people don’t matter: the standards of God is the ultimate and that is where everyone should endeavour to ascribe to. (Copy and tweet).

Many will be told to depart from the presence of God during the judgment because they lived their lives anyhow. Have you ever questioned why regardless of how much gifted you are, no great results is being seen with your life? The lack of intentional purity might be the answer. All things are lawful onto me but not all are expedient. Once you come to this point, you have to make the decision to live right and pure for yourself and God at best. There is no way round living right, acting right and thinking right as a child of God.  (Copy and tweet).

Living right is something every Christian should endeavour to. Many have the mind you judge them when you point out a fault in their character, relationship etc to them. However, Christians are meant to prove others by their life styles. Until your life style speaks a lot about your relationship with Christ, you don’t have the moral right to speak of others. (Copy and tweet). When in doubt about living right and pure, remind yourself of what the whole of Psalm 24 speaks on. What really gives me the kick is when the Psalmist questions who will ascend onto the hill of God and stand in His holy place. He gives the answer without wavering – he that a clean hands and a pure heart….

To the pure all things are pure….what are your pure things? It’s about time you take living right and pure for God seriously. Nothing you do for God will go unrewarded.  (Copy and tweet). 

Talk About It -

A. Where do you feel you need help with living “PURE” for God?

B.  What steps have you taken  to deal with the “IMPURITIES” in your Christian walk?

Yours

Joe Akuoko II