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Living in abundance without living a productive life is nothing but magic. In this kingdom, you may expect miracles but don’t wait for magic.
Your gain in life depends on your sales.
If you have nothing you are releasing, you will have nothing you are realizing.
From this point, let me tell you that to be productive you have to understand that you can be productive.
Genesis 1:28 says Be Fruitful!
If there is no ability to be fruitful in man, God will not issue that command. You must therefore accept personal responsibility to utilize your potential and be productive.
The first lesson God taught Adam was responsibility:
1)      God brought all animals and said name them.
2)      He put him in a garden and said dress it.
3)      Then He gave him, a woman and said take care.
Adam’s life would have been a waste without responsibility; he would have decayed out of idleness.
Friends your life should not get rotten away: accept responsibilities.
Accept Responsibility for Self – Discovery:
Ask yourself what can I do? What is inside me? Convince yourself that you are not empty. Discover yourself.
Without discovery there is not distinction. That widow in II Kings was asked an important question. II Kings 4: 1- 2
What is in your house, what is in your tabernacle, what are you carrying?
The key to your plenty is hidden in your potential.
 Inside your house, there is something to market.
In Matthew 25:14: the parable of the talent, everyone has his portion. Convince yourself that you have what it takes to enter permanent abundance without stealing and accept the responsibility of discovering it.
Every seed that is put into the soil accept responsibility of shooting forth and once its shooting forth, no matter how hard the ground is, it gives way!
Accept Responsibility for Self Development Matthew 25:14-17
The servants were given the goods by the man, they used their own initiative to trade. You have something in you that must grow. You  must feed it by acquiring the knowledge and the skill.
If you need to undergo apprenticeship do it. One of the enemies of productivity is inferiority complex. And this is destroyed if you develop yourself.
Accept Responsibility for Impact
You can be encouraged to be productive, but it is you that must take the step.
You must take practical steps or you won’t see presentable results.
There is no impact without attempts. There is no effect without efforts
You can’t make a mark without being on your mark/ Begin to try things. Don’t fold your hands.
Don’t be slothful
Slothfulness means sleepy approach to issues of life . It does not mean lack of strength, it means lack of steps.
According to Proverb 19:15  Slothfulness does not look like a big affliction, it comes and destroys silently.
Proverb 6:10-11: it’s a little, a little, a little, then suddenly poverty and lack comes in.
Slothful people will end in regret, they will beg in harvest because they didn’t wake up to labour.
Vital signs of Slothfulness
1)     Assumption: The slothful always assume that one day some good things will come.
2)     Believe in luck:    Those who celebrate luck must accept lack
3)     Lack of self – value: The slothful always feel inadequate, either because of money or connection. The little he can do he won’t do. Self-value determines public value.
4)     Love of relaxation and rest: Proverbs 20:13 … love not sleep. Sleep is a rehearsal of death. The closest thing to death is sleep. So when you give yourself to too much sleep you are practicing death.
The only place where the body will rest completely is in the grave.
That’s why they put RIP. Please stay away.
When you sleep, everything slips out of your hand. Can a dead man hold money? When you sleep, can you see anything passing?
5)     Excuses. Prov. 22: 13, 20:4
6)     Procrastination
        You are created to be fruitful. Fruitfulness is your inheritance

El-kannah ……………… means acquired God
Peninnah ……………… Costly pearl
Hannah ……………… Grace, gracious, favour

Ideally the name of Hannah comes first but because of the circumstances the writer put her name in the 2^nd position.
The order was changed because of what she did not have. They forgot that, weeping may endure for night but joy cometh in the morning. Look:
… Life is not about what you do not have now, its about God that you have
.
… Life is not about your height, its about the Most High God.
… Life is not all about the colour of your skin, its all about your skull and  your skill.
Even her husband believes she is fruitless and barren.(In I Sam 1:8 he said … Am I not better than 10 sons).
You see, I want you to disregard people’s opinion. The cheapest thing in life is not one type of cloth or shoes, it is opinion. WHY?
Everybody has it but one interesting thing is that its not binding on you, until you agree with it. The Civil war going on in Hannah family was terrible.
Penninah was taunting her. … Hannah can’t rebuke any of the kids.
… Madam Grace whose life is not gracious.
Even in Church she had problems.
… Her name was on everybody’s lips. Don’t you know her that short woman who has no kids?
… That fat girl always going out for altar call.
… Hannah, the barren woman. They were calling her the name God didn’t give to her.
Any name God has not given you is cancelled in JESUS NAME.
V 12:
Even in the church they were marking her mouth. Don’t worry about people marking your month in the church, let them say anything they like, this is not your end. Your story has just begun.This is just the beginning!

Thank God Hannah did not agree with people’s opinion. She continued going to the temple.
… She was never tired.
… Even the pastor misunderstood her. But she didn’t run away.
She new that the fact she didn’t have today does not mean she will never have.

Look at David
The conclusion and the opinion were not relevant, not important. He was abandoned and forgotten. When everybody was made to appear he was forgotten.
7 children were ‘interviewed’ and the seven were rejected. Every one striving for your position in destiny will be rejected.
Then they said okay No 8 is in the bush. David was the last but he is in No 8. Every number eight is a new beginning, every no 8 is number 1.
Back to Hannah:
Then a day came when God answered by fire. Sorry, God can answer by anything, it may be by water, or by rain, by storm or by war or rumor of war.
THEN ELI DECLARE: THE GOD OF ISRAEL GRANT THEE THY PETITION.
I DECLARE… THE GOD OF THIS COMMISSION THAT MAKES MEN TO SMILE WILL ANSWER YOUR PRAYER.
In verse 11
She gave before she was attended to.There are two types of giving when it comes to receiving your miracle:
Pre miracle giving ……………… Miracle seed or sacrifice
Post miracle giving ………………Vow

What are you believing God for, it is your Turn!

Text: 1 Corinthians 10:13, Hebrews 2:18
Everyone is tempted. But there are some factors that make some people more prone to temptations than others;
1. Idleness: A vacant mind invites dangerous inmates, as a deserted house tempts wandering outcasts to enter and take up their abode in its desolate apartments. Although temptations come to all at
different times, idle people have more temptations than industrious people. It is said that ‘some temptations come to the industrious but all temptations attack the idle’. Another saying goes thus: ‘He that labours is tempted by one devil; he that is idle, by a thousand’.
2. Exaggerated desire for some personal needs (James1:14, ,Genesis 30:1)
Some inordinate affection may be used of the d
evil to bring some temptation. Uncontrolled desire to have children by all means or the search for healing, no matter where, can become a source of irresistible temptation.
3. Careless and mindless pursuit of riches1 Timothy 6:9,10
 The scriptures says  “they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare”  The love of money and the mad rush to acquire property are poisonous baits of temptation that destroy many.
4. Impatience to have a life partner Judges 14:3
If you have waited thus far for the best in Marriage, you should wait until your testimonies arrive. You can be tempted to accept whosoever comes: born again or not if impatience sets in
5. Unchecked tendency to please men and be like the world 1Samuel 8:5
We are not to walk as gentiles. If you want to please them and do things like them you will be tempted to compromise your Christian standard
6. Pressure and unreasonable influence of intimate relatives and friends Job 2:9.The wife of Job tempted him to curse God!You must not give in to pressures from spouse,parents,friends or relatives.They may advice you to go to herbalists(note that some herbalist carry Bible nowadays!) for help;don’t listen to them
7. Discouragement Jeremiah 20:7-9
8. Lust of the flesh: (Numbers 11:4-6) Make no mistake about it, the conflict with your flesh is one of the most hostile wars you will fight as a Believer. As long as you live in the earth realm, you will have to battle with your body daily. Left unchecked, your flesh will run buck wild! Examples are the desire to watch pornography, commit adultery, become lazy, overeat, appetite for alcohol, cigarettes etc

 Destiny is like pregnancy. The joy is not in getting pregnant, rather the rejoicing is in giving birth. Just like there are people who get pregnant but are never able to deliver successfully, there are a lot of people with glorious destiny without the ability to give birth.
Isaiah 37:3b  

…for the children are come to birth and there is no strength to bring forth.

To enter into your glorious destiny you need strength to bring forth. There are fivefold strength I will like to emphasize

1.Physical Strength:
Destiny is not for the sickly and the sleepy. You must be physically strong. By all means you must endeavor to stay healthy. Destiny is a marathon race, you need stamina to run.

How To Secure Physical Strength
1.Believe God for divine health
2.Find time to relax and rest whenever your body need sit
3.Eat good food…which may not necessarily be expensive
4.Venienti Occurrite Morbo.Attack the first symptom of disease,don’t wait until you are down
5.Maintain personal hygiene
6.Drink enough fluid and eat sufficient fruit

2.Mental Strength:
Ideas which are the vehicles of destiny are bye products of mental exertion and heaven imputed thoughts. It means you can’t secure an idea without thinking! Do you intend to enter destiny then think…meditate…use your brain. Develop your mental prowess. Even the scripture says “come, let us reason together”. Every colorful destiny you see today is a product of intensive reasoning, genuine thinking and deep meditation.

Luke 14:28
For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish
The deeper your thoughts ,the higher your tower in life. If you don’t sit to think, you won’t be able to stand where it matters. It’s when you think better that you achieve better. The two major ways to develop your mental power are by studying and reading.
Yeah, Study. If you don’t study, you will appear stupid. It is by studying that you can stretch your mental muscles and increase its capacity

3.Spiritual Strength:Destiny is not funfair, it is warfare. Remember we are not fighting against flesh and blood! There are powers of darkness, spiritual wickedness. territorial demons who will like to see you fail. It is through your spiritual strength that you can resist them.

How Do You Gain Spiritual Strength
1. Continuous and regular prayers
2. Knowledge.You need to know you status as a child of God, Know your God(…they who do know their God shall be strong and do exploits) and know the devices of the devil
3. Holy Living
4.Quietness. Spiritual power is lost when you talk too much…and you know, in multitudes of word s there wanteth no sin

4.Emotional Strength:
”If thou faint in the day of adversity thy strength is small”  You need ability to stay calm and composed under pressure and provocation. On the path of destiny there will be times of trial, troubles and tests. You need high emotional stability to stand. Thank God for Jephtaph, he was sent out of his father’s house yet he did not cry or attempt to commit suicide. Joseph also was one man with high emotional strength…or how do you explain his exploits right inside the prison. Somebody else would have been moody, downcast and discouraged. Not Joseph, he was busy attending to the needs of other prisoners! To build up your emotions you need to: think positively, have confidence in yourself, your God and your future, affirm regularly what you will do to your Goliath without fear, rejoice without restraint and speak positively

5.Social Strength
Destiny cannot be fulfilled alone. You will need the input of others…therefore you must know how to relate with people, how to say no to bad friends, how to communicate and win the admiration of others and how to network effectively.

Jesus is our example…
a. He was able to remain physically healthy throughout his sojourn…or did you hear that he was admitted in the hospital for treatment? He knew how to retreat into the wilderness whenever he needed to rest.
b. His mental alertness could not be questioned. Remember the time when the Pharisees wanted to corner him: a woman caught in adultery was brought to him, if he set the woman free they will accuse him of working against the law, if he told them to kill her they will fault his love for sinners.Jesus simply bend down to think and later said he that is without sin should cast the first stone! That’s wisdom
c. Spiritually he was anointed without measure
d. Emotionally, he was not easily moved: Inside the storm he was sleeping!
e. Socially Jesus broke all manner of barriers with his interpersonal skills. He related with the woman of Samaria and was able to befriend Zacchaeus. Even kids cannot but swarm all around him. No wonder he finished his course and ran his race. May the almighty God grant you strength to deliver that great destiny you are pregnant with, in Jesus name

If you come to the world and die as a non achiever, it would have been  better if you had not come. If you are a believer, your world is waiting for your manifestation. (Romans 8:19).
Ecclesiastes 6:3-4.  It is possible to live long and not live well
Many children is not many goodies. If you exist and have no name in your generation, a miscarried foetus is better than you.
OH LORD, GIVE ME A NAME,I MUST NOT DIE IN SHAME!!!
Text:Psalm 37: 18-19, 21
The righteous shall be satisfied in famine: – not with empty pocket.
The righteous giveth: – How can he give what he does not have?
That bring us to the issue of money. Money is important, hunger is bad (Proverbs 27:7)
There are 2,350 verses on money and possession in the Bible. God has more to reveal on money than on angels & demons.

7 Skills of Money

1.     Value it
What you don’t value, you don’t attract.To value, means to take good care of, ask questions about. It should not just go to anywhere, anyhow, you must calculate it.
John 13:29 – Jesus had one person to handle money affairs.
If you don’t value money, you can’t appreciate it. And whatever you don’t appreciate will dissociate from you.
N10,000.00 to some has no value. But with that you can start – a publishing house, mini bookshop or some sorts of buying and selling!

2.      Control it
When you value something you don’t allow it to waste. You control your money basically by having a storehouse – an account.
Not under your pillow or mattress. To control your money means you control your spending.
Avoid purchases you never plan. If you want to go to the market, write what you want to buy! Avoid impulsive purchases. Don’t take your children along or a covetous helper!
Luke 15:13-14
        He didn’t control his spending, he entered into want.

3.      Make it:
         Traditionally there are four types of income:
a)       Earned Income:  Salaries, allowances, profit.   Exodus 2:9
b)      Passive Income:   Properties for rentage, royalties, etc.Matthew 25: 14-17
c)       Portfolio Income:  Shares, Fixed deposit, Mutual funds etc. Mark 4:26-29
d)      Divine Income:  I Kings 3:3–5, 10:4,10
Concerning earned income, you must beware of Salaries – salaries are not forever.
Rf  Genesis 31:5–7, Genesis 30 :32
You must learn from Jacob and be your own boss.
When money is to be generated: 3 raw materials are needed
i.        Information. Ecclesiastes 10:15
ii.        Ideas – Tithes open up windows of heaven so great ideas could come to you
iii.        Action    Matthew 17:27 – Go to the sea (stop sleeping, act).

4.     Save it:
         After making money, the next thing is not spending money
The money that comes to you is not the issue, the amount you keep is what matters.
Joseph said after the 7 years of plenty, there shall arise 7 years of famine.
Genesis 41:29-31
To cancel the famine, they are to open store houses – so the land will not perish.
Saving may be very difficult, but people have fashioned some forced method of savings. E.g. Local Cooperative Banking System, Target Savings (Pay slip deduction) Daily contribution, Personal Savings / Private Contribution System
Importance of Savings (Prov 21:20)
a)   Money base for investment
b)   Development of self-control in other areas
c)   It imparts prosperity consciousness
d)   Money magnetizes more money.
You don’t become rich to save, you save to become rich.

5.      Invest It:
When you work for money, you survive – when your money work for you, you lives!
Rf Genesis 26:12/Genesis 26:2–3,12,14
While Isaac was sowing, others were eating.
When Isaac was reaping, others were weeping.
Isaac first entered into arable farming before diversifying into Livestock to get multiple streams of income.

6.      Shied It
        You must protect your money, your investment, your business
i   Don’t make your relatives your staff member. In business you should be able to hire and fire.
ii.       Avoid Financial Diarrhea. Don’t spend all your money.

• Never try to show off socially when you are still struggling.
• Don’t rent bigger house because your income increased.
• Don’t use excessive money to organize party.
• Don’t spend your savings during festivals.

Lets talk about Debt
Borrowing is a two edged sword. It can raise you, it can crush you. Debt is like a loaded gun, it can help you, it can kill you.
There is bad debt, there is good debt. Good debt makes you rich and bad debt makes you poor.
Is borrowing a sin – No. But what of Romans 13:8 ? It means borrowing with no intention to pay
1.      The axe head was borrowed by sons of the prophet. II Kings 6:5. It is a good debt, because it’s to be used for construction.
2.      II Kings4:3, Elisha told the widow to borrow vessel for the miraculous.
3.      Jesus borrowed the guest chamber for the Passover. Luke 22:11
Why people go into avoidable debts:
i.        Greed and covetousness. Proverbs 15:2,7(NIV)
ii.       Wrong concept of asset/liabilities
asset is now defined as anything that bring money to your pocket
liability is anything that take money out of your pocket
iii.      Inability to recognize debt traps

• Work place credit traps
• Loan from shylock money lenders
• Corner shop
• Office loan – for liabilities.

What Is Prayer: Psalm 54:2
Prayer is spending time with God as you express your heart to Him. It is not a one way activity. When we speak to God in prayer, He listens. God speaks to our hearts and we listen to that still small voice.
Prayer is seeking and finding, searching with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13
God listens when we pray, so we need to pay attention to what we are praying. (Matthew 6:7)That is why we must understand the types of prayers we can pray

1. Thanksgiving (1 Thes. 5:18)
   When we pray we need to give thanks to God for all things in our life. Being thankful is being grateful for God’s protection, His provision, His blessings, and most of all for His Son. Sometimes things aren’t going well in our lives and frankly we don’t feel like praying let alone giving thanks, but we are commanded to give thanks in all circumstances.
2. Petition
   The prayer of petition is when we ask God for the things we need, or think we need, in our life.  Petitions are usually self oriented … give us our daily bread, give us the things we need to survive:  a roof over our heads, employment etc.  When we pray a prayer of petition we are presenting our personal needs to our Heavenly Father, trusting Him to provide.
3. Intercession
   Intercessory prayer is when we pray for the needs of someone else.  It is love on its knees in prayer, for others.
4. Prevailing
   This type of prayer is fervent, insistent and consistent until a breakthrough takes place.  This can be a prayer for ourselves, our families, or for someone else. Example Believing for emotional or physical healing.
5. Consecration
   When we pray a prayer of consecration, we are committing and dedicating of our life to God’s use.  To some this is a scary prayer because they are turning over their own personal will to that of the Lord. Jesus prayed a prayer of consecration  in Luke 22:42

6.Agreement
The Biblical principle that governs this type of prayer underscores the power of unity and harmony among Christians Matthew 18:19,20
When we pray the prayer of agreement, we cannot be casual in choosing a prayer partner.  We need to pray with someone whose basic viewpoints are the same as ours and who agrees with us on spiritual matters.
 7. Warfare Ephesians 6:12
A prayer of warfare battles against the spiritual forces of evil.  We should pray for alertness and insight into Satan’s tactics in our lives and in the lives of others.
A prayer of warfare also involves binding,loosing and using of Christs authority with all boldness.over It is before witnessing, teaching, or during periods demonic attack
While there are different types of prayer, there should also be different parts to your prayer.
A  -  Adoration
C  -  Confession
T  -  Thanksgiving
S  -  Supplication
Adoration means worship. Daniel 4:34-35
Begin your time of prayer by adoring and praising God.  Praise Him for who He is and for all that He has done for you.  God delights in your praises!
Confession is agreeing with God about the things that you have done wrong.  When you have done something that is not pleasing to God, tell Him what you have said, done or thought and ask Him to forgive you for these things, and then believe that He will.  1 John 1:9
Thanksgiving means being thankful to God.  Thank Him for His love, His protection, and His provision for you and your family Philippians 4:6.
Supplication should be the last part of your prayer.  This is praying for your needs and for the needs of others.  Remember to pray for your family, your friends, your pastor, government leaders, missionaries, etc. Ask God for His guidance and wisdom, and ask Him to show you ways and opportunities to serve Him.
Keep in mind that the ACTS model serves as a guide to help you, not a rigid formula to follow.
There are additional steps that will help.
Carve out a specific time to pray each day.
Pick a quiet place where you can be alone with God.
You will also find a special blessing if you begin your time by reading the Bible
Prayer needs to be personal.  We need to pray for ourselves and for others by name.

Though God is the author of increase, man has his role to play. Here are various strategies that could generate church increase according to the sovereign will of God.( 1 Corinthians 3:6)
1.       Friends’ Day – Organize special Sunday for members and their friends, colleagues and acquaintances. Make adequate arrangement to welcome visitors and make them comfortable.
Record names, phone number and prepare to call or visit them.
2.       Concentrate on your Church children department. If you have a special place for them, let it be decorated with bright colours, toys etc. Those kids cold help in keeping their parents in the church.
3.       Organize a “calling program” to follow up first time guests. A set of people could be trained and equipped for “hello, we’re glad you visited us” calls.
4.       Senior Adult Program: you can design an outreach program for people over 60years of age.
5.       Congregational Card Invitation: print business card size cards that include a brief invitation to the services of your congregation and a description of the location. Provide 50cards each for the adults and encourage them to carry them in their wallets for distribution to co-workers and neighbours.
6.       Train and equip ushers and greeters regularly to empower them to be able to function adequately and make visitor feel welcomed.
7.       Team visit another church: send teams of 3 people each to visit the worship services of growing churches. Sense what it looks like to be a visitor, then let them come back and share implementable ideas.
8.       Multiple worship services:  when you add another Sunday worship service, you will give room for people to varied schedules to come in.
9.       More training:  train your leaders and willing members more and more.
It is called capacity building and it will generate good church health and growth.
10.     Hold times of retreat:  sometimes speedy / accelerated development can be experienced in just days. A lot of people love getting away. Sometimes into a solitary place for a time out with God
11.     Organize congregational evangelism training: a lot of people do not know how to effectively share their faith. Your job will be to teach them how to do it practically. Annual congregational training is not out of place.
12.     Form a rapid response team:  rapid response to the needs of the congregation gives a satisfactory feeling and sense of belonging. If a rapid response team led by a responsible high ranking church officialn with strong spriritual standing is in place, a lot of people will not leave the church because of lack of care.
13.     Form, encourage and empower church drama team:  a lot of people are  captured and educated by what they can see.
14.     Newcomer party: those joining the church afresh could be hosted on regular basis – every 3 months. It should involve the Senior Pastor and some members who can now begin to network effectively with the new members. The party is to end with refreshment and informal interaction.
15.     Appoint care givers over specific unit in the church.
16.     “Adopt a highway program. The church can select a particular raod around the  around the church premises and be involved in regular cleaning. Every one will soon know about that church.
17.     Ballon launch: fill balloons caring information about the church with helium and launch them into the neighbourhood.
18.     Bus Ministry:  evangelise a neighbourhood and offer to take to regularly to the church with the bus.
19.     Sponsor a movie night for children and invite them thereafter to Sunday service. It should be a “G” rated film.
20.     Newspaper reading center:  it keeps the neighbourhood informed and minister to those who cannot buy newspaper for financial reasons.
21.     Offer prayer booth or prayer request collection centre around the town. It may carry the banner “how can we prayer for you”
22.     Donate road signposts – inscribe the name of the donor (your church) under the signpost. It establish your presence and spread your name and influence.
23.     Marriage vow renewal
24.     Free car wash:  use a Saturday morning to offer a free car wash in a location close to the church. Do it whole heartedly and don’t collect money. While the owners are waiting you can share literature materials among them and befriend them – collecting their phone numbers and contact address.
25.     Neighborhood victory match (prayer walking).
26.     Promote a different ministry each month:  your church is one large group that is composed of several smaller ministries. Such group include children, youth, women, prayer groups, married and singles. Each of these groups could be promoted on monthly basis with special programs.
27.     Pursue the goal of making every member a minister: church attendance will take an upward surge if you are able to push 50% of the congregants to the work of the ministry. Research has revealed that most Chrstians who are more than 7years in Christ, yet without doing something for God, will start going down spiritually
28.     Promoting small group fellowship small group fellowship led by church members not pastors is one of the easiest way to create a strong relationship among members. It help close the backdoor of the church, serve as evangelistic outreach point ( if well managed), worship and prayer center, small group fellowship are literal cells and when cells multiply the whole body grows. (Matt 18:20)
29.     Creating an interdenominational atmosphere with a periodic special programme.
30.     Effective conflict management: the number one reason why people stop to going to any given church is conflict and gossip. To grow and continue to grow as a church therefore, the leadership must be able to manage conflict adequately.
There are many methods of conflicts management, the pastor need wisdom to know which method to apply per time.
ü    Collaborating, win / win
ü    Compromising win some / lose some
ü    Accommodating lose / win
ü    Competing win / lose
ü    Avoiding no winner / no loser.
It must be noted that conflict is part of the church ministry – we should therefore not be surprised when it arises in our midst (I Cor 1:10,11, James 4:2). The truth however is that it can be minimized while major conflicts can be prevented.
PREVENTING CHURCH CONFLICTS
ü Teach love and show it to the people. I Cor 13:4-5, Prov 10:12
ü Saturating the people with God’s word that could destroy selfish desire and silence the “old man”
ü Avoid direct passing of verdict in the presence of the two parties. Paul pleaded with two fighting parties to agree, without giving a verdict. Phil 4:2
ü Keep the people occupied and the congregation busy seeking to know God the more. Idleness is a fertile ground for conflict.
ü Refuse to listen to gossip (Eph 4:27, Prov 26:20, Prov 17:14, Jude 1:19, Titus 3:10-11)

• The fastest way to prevent or stop conflict is to stop the gossipers. Those who gossip to leaders cannot be trusted, they will also gossip about the leaders.
• Listening to gossip is like accepting stolen property and it makes you just as guilty of the crime

ü Discharging potential troublemakers wisely. I Cor 11:19
ü Never try to forcefully keep those who WANT to leave. It can cause disunity, unanswered prayers, church paralysis and CHURCH SPLIT.

THE 3 CONFLICTS IN THE CHURCH
ü Administrative conflict (Acts 6): when the number of disciples increased, there arose a conflict between the Hebrews and the Hellenists, concerning food distribution.

• This was solved by delegation and prayers.

ü Theological conflict:  In Act 15, some Jewish Christians said gentile Christians must be circumcised in order to be saved. This became a very big issue until the elders met and issued a final statement on the issue.
Theological conflict cannot be covered for long.
ü Personal Conflict: Acts 15: 36-41: This is the most challenging of all types of conflict – majorly because of personality differences and character traits.
The only antidote is the pursuit of genuine spiritual growth among the parties involved. If not the parties may not be able to work effectively for the furtherance of the gospel and should be separated.
31.     Recognize, admonish and encourage those who want to leave.
There are some signs you can use to recognize those leaving the church.

• They start to complain to friends, family and staff about.
• They begin to absent themselves from church – related get togethers and services.
• They visit other churches
• They drop out of their units.
• Their relationship with people who are very committed to church becomes strained.
• They stop tithing. They stop jotting down sermons, finding it difficult to be blessed.
• They stop serving totally in the church.
• They begin to tell some people “we are thinking of leaving the church”
• They begin to criticize everyone.
• They look for any slight offence that will be the straw before they quit the church.

As you begin to notice some of these signs, you can call them, pray with and for them.
32.     Make the church to be more friendly.
7 steps to a friendlier congregation.

• Tutor the people with skill that is needed to be friendly. Simple things, eye contact, a handshake, a smile, remembering the name of the guest, phone call after the service.
•  Teach a Sunday class on being a friend to new people. Allow Christ love to permeate through the people.
•  Establish the 5 minutes rule. Train the people that they only talk with the people they do not know in the first 5minutes after service.
•  Bring a secret guest – who will help evaluate the worship service, the beauty and the receptivity of the church.
•  Let the members know the distinction between about “becoming friends” and “being friendly”
•  Interview new members and asked them why they stayed – improve on all the points they raised.

Welcome your newcomers in such a way they won’t be embarrassed

All through the scriptures are concrete evidences that there are enemies every believer must fight and overcome.
2 Tim 4:7 – You don’t fight if there are no one to fight.
Eph 6:11  – Only a mad man will be wearing battle dress in times of peace.
Eph 6:12  – Every believer is in a wrestling (hand to hand) match.

There are two groups of enemies we are fighting.
1)                  Spiritual enemies – the devil and his agents. 2 Cor 10:4
2)                  Physical enemies – these are men who have determined to stand on your way. Psalm 124:1-2, Matthew 10: 17-18
Some of these could be carriers of unclean spirit who are unrepentantly determined to see to your downfall, stagnation, death or failure.

1.         You will always have enemies (Matt 10:16)
2.      Anyone who is not happy about your progress is an enemy (Ezra 4 23,24a)
3.         Your enemies can always pretend to be your friend (like Judas); they can also be your family members. (Matt 10:36)
4.         Your enemies will attack at the beginning of anything significant in your life e.g. Jesus, Moses.
5.         Whenever the enemies attack becomes intensive, it is a sign that your level in life is changing. David / Goliath, Joseph / Potiphar’s wife, Jephta / household coup.
6.         You must never fear your enemy. (Psalm 23)
7.         You should never declare publicly the damage done by the enemy. (Prov 29:11)
8.         Your enemy will help you to quickly recognize the Judas of your life; they will force the Judas to reveal himself.  Judas is someone that believes your enemies are correct. Judas play both parts: in your presence, a friend; in their presence, a friend.
9.         Some enemies will help increase your movement.
The promised land would have remained a fantasy instead of a fact if Egypt is comfortable. Joseph was “sold” into destiny.
10.       Enemies you don’t deal with may turn back and deal with you.
God told Saul to destroy Amalekites but he didn’t. The man that killed him was an Amalekite. (2 Sam 1:9-10)
HOW TO DEAL WITH THE ENEMIES
There are different kinds of enemies, it require the wisdom of God to be able to deal
with them appropriately. Here are different ways of dealing with physical and spiritual enemies.

1. Fortify yourself in righteousness . Eccl 10:8
2. Pray for them that God should forgive them while you live your life. Luke 23:34.
3. Render them useless through prayer but do not kill them.Psalm 59:10-13; 69:22-28; 83:13-15.
4. Demand for their destruction. Life for life. Psalm 109:6-20; 137:7:9; 55:15

Potent scriptures to deals with physical or spiritual enemies. I Sam 2:10, Psalm 21, 35, 91, 92, 36, 37, 52, 54, 57, 58, 64, 74, 83. Prov 11:8

Suffering is one of the basic prerequisite of success. Though suffering is relative, it is an indispensable experience for a durable breakthrough.
Proverb 13:11 says
“Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished”
Another  translation says  “a sudden fortune will dwindle away”
I’m sure many of you are quick to cite examples of people who are succeeding without suffering.    Look! If you are succeeding without suffering it means somebody has suffered for you. May be your father, brother, husband or wife.
  2Corinthians4:17
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
For every suffering, there is an accompanying glory. Jesus we all know went down before he was raised up.
He was beaten and humiliated, eating nothing, drinking rubbish, reviled and punished. But today, he has name – respected in heaven, obeyed on earth. That at the mention of that name every knee must bow.
Friends, there is suffering before the smiling you are waiting for.

• David suffered in the bush, in the caves when Saul was busy pursuing him around, before smiling in the palace.
• Jacob didn’t find it easy in the house of Laban, he suffered before God gave him his inheritance.
• Joseph was a spoiled child of an aged father. close it the father and pampered in all areas.

But the law of suffering had its way. He passed through the servitude in Potiphar’s estate before tasting what it is to go the prison. But when God turned back his captivity, it was like a dream! I’m sure you know that David, Jacob and Joseph  later forgot their suffering – in the name of Jesus you will forget your suffering.

• In recent history also, we have records of men and women who passed through the land of suffering, and gloriously moved to the land of Canaan.
• During the 10 years in which Isaac Newton made his greatest discoveries, he found  it very hard to pay 2 shillings a week to the Royal Society of England to keep his membership.
• Chief Obafemi Awolowo of blessed memory though he died as an infidel is an example of how men can rise through the rubbish heaps of life to sit among men that matters. I’m sure you know he was once an houseboy, a sterographer, a poor man by all standards.
• Late Arch Bishop Idahosa, the man who put the name of Nigeria in the world map of Christianity once pushed truck in Benin, while the wife sells plantain. According to him, he was so poor that the poor called him poor!
• Look,  that you are suffering today does not mean you should lose hope. Don’t ! Don’t !!
• I know of a man who once hawk bread on the streets of Ibadan, who today is having a growing Pentecostal fellowship in U.K.
• Thomas Edison, that great thinker and inventor who helped us with the light bulb and many other inventions was once a newsboy on the train.

II Cor 5:21
Our light afflictions of today worketh…
Friends, receive hope! Your suffering today will work out your long awaited success. You are paying the price today, don’t worry you will get the prize. Please take note that by suffering, I’m not referring to punishments received for your disobedience or crime.
The Almighty God will not allow you to suffer in vain!

What should be your attitude during suffering?

1. Don’t lose hope: if you don’t lose hope, you will receive help. Things may not be working as you want today, but you just keep on. Keep on, you help is coming.

The word of God says “for thou shalt not be ashamed neither be thou confounded; for thou shall not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood anymore”.
How do you generate hope:
a.Get closer to God-the hope of all creatures. There is nothing too hard for Him to do. “For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope”. Be saved, forsake sin and begin to follow God, He is able to change your story, He is able to put laughter into your mouth.
Oh thank God for the life of Job throughout his days in the school of suffering, he was hopeful. He said I know my redeemer liveth!
b.Hope in His words
Ps 119:114 Thou art my hiding place and my shield. I hope in thy word.
c.Begin to imagine a great tomorrow. Gen 11:6
“As a man thinketh in his heart so is he”   Imagine yourself getting out of that suffering, imagine a better tomorrow. See yourself succeed .Visualize it in your mind: what you see is what you get.

2. Never lose your joy. Suffering is not forever. Don’t lose your joy, laugh often. Laughter has a great medicinal value. “Whether the fig tree blossom or not” the writer of Habakkuk says I will rejoice in the Lord my God, I will joy in the Lord of my salvation. Joseph was a good example of a person who suffered ‘joyfully’. He accused his prison mates of losing their joy, because he was never sorrowful.

Beloved you will succeed. But remember, it is a matter of choice. There will be two teams in heaven. – Abraham’s team and Lazarus the beggar’s team.
To which team would you like to belong? The same scriptures which says
the poor shall not cease in the land also declares thou shall lend into nations and thou shall not borrow

Beloved, there is nothing that cannot be done. The impossibilities of yesterday are the possibilities of today.
In 1923, Rober Milken a Nobel Prize winner in Physics said “there is not likelihood man that can ever tap the power of an atomic”. (But today, we are all aware of Nuclear energy and the reality of atomic bomb)
In 1885, Lord Kelvin said “Heavier than air flying machines are impossible”. But we all know aeroplanes now!  Another man, a Bishop also said its impossible for man to fly and that only angels are intended to fly”. Coincidentally, the first flying plane was made by his two sons!
In 1954, there were medical articles that said human body can’t run 1 mile in 4 months. Yet the same year, Roger Banister a young medical student went out and run a mile under 4 minutes.
Therefore, understand that there is nothing that cannot be done. All you need is a strong desire.
Psalm 145:15-16
The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season. Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.
God is a specialist in satisfying desires.
Desire is an unbeatable force. It has well been defined as what you cannot live without. And all through Bible and secular history, we saw the power of desire.

• Moses desired to free the children of Israel from servitude. It made him kill an Egyptian and eventually he ran away. But we all know God made him a deliverer.
• Jacob desired strongly to escape the looming death from the hand of his senior brother Esau, that desire made him hold tenaciously to the  angel and his name was changed for better.
• Jabez had a strong desire for a change of status. The desire propelled him into effective prayer and he received his miracle.
• Henry Ford’s desire was to make automobile available to every family in America. He became one of the most successful businessman in the world.
• Helen Keller’s desire was to learn to speak and she became one of  the world’s outstanding citizens though she was blind.

Friends, what God has placed in you and before you is far more than your
imagination. You have greater ability than you ever dare believe. But it will take strong desire to bring it out.
Let me expatiate on what desire will do:
Luke 19: 1- 3
And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.
And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.
And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature.
And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.
And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for today I must abide at thy house.
And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.

Zacchaeus had a strong desire to see Jesus.

1. Desire imparts speed v3, he RAN. Gehazi desire the clothing materials of Naaman, he received an unction to run and overtake chariots of Naaman
2. Desire overcome obstacles. The crowd wanted to stop him, but a man with  a strong desire cannot be stopped.A wise man once said: If you have your heart fixed on what you want, there is nothing that can be done to stop you  from getting it.
3. Desire commands divine attention.

Luke 19:5
And when Jesus came to the place he looked up and saw him.
When your desire is righteous, God will be forced to listen to you. Actually, there is nothing like fruitful prayers without genuine desires.
How do you generate desire:
1.       Have a goal, a dream. Dream precipitates desires. Thomas Edison dreamt
of lighting the world with lamps and he pursued the dream ceaselessly though he paid the price of 10,000 failures, he gave light to the world.
- Martin Luther Kg Jnr had a dream of seeing apartheid
eradicated in America. The desire generated by that dream was so great that in the face of death he didn’t budge. When he saw Jr Kennedy shot, he even told his wife categorically that his is how I will die – and truly that was how he was shot!
- Paul the apostle had a dream of seeing Israel converted. He said in Rom 9:3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh. KJV
Another translation says   Indeed, I could wish that I myself might be sentence to separation from Christ, if that, will benefit my brethren, my own kinsmen race.
That dream brought out an undefeatable desire in him such that when the Holy Ghost said bonds and afflictions were waiting for him in Jerusalem he did not fear.
He said categorically;
“But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself….he said again in Act 21¹³
I am ready not to be bound only but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the lord Jesus
To generate desire, have what you are pursuing and know it.
2.       Put your goals on paper and keep reading it to yourself. Give yourself a pep talk daily, stay excited
Hab 2:2
Write the vision and make it plain upon the tables, that he may run that readth.
If you read, you will run. Therefore, put something down to read so, as soon as you begin to read it, you receive power to run.
3.      Stay competitive: If you desire to excel in business, develop a healthy spirit of competition to be the top businessman in your area
Finally read  Psalm 145:15-16

Anger is a virtue, if it is directed at the right target. The road to destiny is rough and cumbersome; you must be forceful before you can progress.
John 2 : 13 – 16
And the Jews Passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem and found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves and the chargers of money sitting and when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple and the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers money, and overthrew the table.

Jesus was filled with holy indignation He was angry at sin and the works of the devil because that was what he came to destroy. What stirs up your anger is a pointer to the problem you are here to solve.
Apart from this, anger is a force, a progressive force. When you are angry it becomes easier for you to do what ordinarily you wouldn’t do. Have you ever noticed that anger increases your speed while running? Imagine for a minute. You have just returned from office weary and dejected. You are about to open your door, your key dropped to the ground and a seven years old kid suddenly rushed at key, took it and started running away for no reason. Even if you can’t run, you will run after him fast enough to collect your key!
When David entered into the battle field he heard the boasting of Goliath and became angry.
1Samuel 17 : 48
And it came to pass when the philistine arose and came and drew high to meet David, that David lasted and ran toward the army to meet the philistine.
The anger in his inside increased his speed. Your destiny is still some distance away, you need to run. And to run into your future you must be angry with your present position.

2 King 2:14
And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the water and said, where is the Lord God of Elijah? And when he also had smitten the waters, they parted thither and thither: and Elisha went over.

Elisha was imprisoned at the other side of Jordan. And that would have been the end of his vision. His double potion would have been of no use. But with anger he said ‘’where s the Lord God of Elijah?
There are some rivers along your way, you must be mad at them before they can part.

WHY MUST BE ANGRY
• Where you are today is not where you should be, God want you to move higher
• If you are not angry at failure you cannot attract success
• The devil is sitting on your destiny you must resist him in anger. He is like a dog, you must be angry at him before he can stop following you.
Friends, treasure in the kingdom is only for the violent. God has a Canaan for you but there are giants there.
You must rise up and fight. Christianity is not dumbness. The way you talk, the way you pray, the way you react, it’s like you are too gentle to make it. Your adversary is roaming about and you are yawning about without conscience! Look, you must match him fury for fury!
Jonah :1:3, 5b
But the Lord sent out a great wind into the sea and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken.
... But Jonah was gone don into the side of the ship. And he lay down and was fast a sleep.

Stop sleeping inside trouble, as if you will live twice on earth! Your life cannot continue like this. All these begging for food and hunting for goods on credit must stop. Your children should not become vagabonds,
Look, why must you continue failing your examinations? Why must your name be missing from the computer sheet? Why should your script get lost in transit? Why should your business be going down daily? Why should your family be falling apart? Why should your children be wayward?
Enough is enough! Quit ye like men and fight. You have a future in Christ; you should not waste your only life.

DIVINE MADNESS
According to Horace anger means short madness.You must be ‘’mad’’ before you can make it. David saw Goliath and lost his right senses. He ran toward that strange creature as if he was ready to commit suicide! Why? Physically speaking David couldn’t pose any threat to Goliath. Goliath should just pick him up and remove his head from his neck.

2Corinthians 5:13
For whether we be beside ourselves it is to God; or whether we be sober, it is for your cause.

Everyone who could be counted as somebody in the scripture was mad.

Characteristic of mad people
•     Madman don’t listen to others
•     They are controlled by another spirit
•     They are insensitive to people comments
If you must get to where you are going in life all these qualities must be in you. You must be careful of counselors. You also need to allow the Holy Spirit to be controlling you. Above all you must toughen your mind against criticism and false accusation remain focused and mind your own business.

WHERE IS YOUR GOD
Friend’s its time to wake up. There will never be another you; you must make the most of your life. Don’t stay on a spot, waiting and wasting. Fight your way into your destiny. Be angry against all mockers of destiny
11 Kings 2: 23 – 25
And he went up from thence into Bethel; and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up thou bald head.
And he turned back and look on them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord and there came forth two she bears out of the wood and tare forty and two children of them.

Out of anger, Elisha killed his Mockers. The mockers of your destiny will not die until you become angry; therefore wake up. Your life should improve. Where you are now is not where you ought to be. God has a better plan for you.
Be angry with failure. Be angry with poverty; be angry with fruitlessness and stagnation. In the Name of Jesus, you will not die unfulfilled. Remember, until you become angry with the present, you have no future.

The secret of victory in this kingdom is the authority bestowed on us.  Satan and demons bows to men who have genuine authority and know it.  In Acts 19:14 – The seven sons of Sceva failed woefully because they had no authority though they used the name of Jesus.
Lk. 10:17 – The seventy disciples came back home with joy because of the authority they have used successfully.
I.     THE AUTHORITY OF CHRIST
1.    Matt. 28:18.  the authority was given by the father.  It was manifest whenever he speaks (Mt. 9:8)
2.    It encompasses the heaven and the earth (Phil. 2:10, Matt. 28:18).  It includes:
(a)      Authority over angels
(b)      Authority over powers and principalities Heb. 4:14,
Eph.2: 23,  Col. 2:15.
 ( c)  Authority over the church and men Jn. 5:22,23   ICor. 11:3.

II.     THE AUTHORITY OF THE BELIEVER
The authority of the believer is rooted in the authority of Christ.
To understand this we must be able to analyze our position in Christ, so Satan and demons will not ride on our ignorance.
·    Jn. 1:16 – The means as believers we are indwelt by the full potential of the life of Christ.
·    We are raised and seated with Christ.  This is our legal position and the devil knows it.  Eph. 1:15-23, 2:4-6.
·    We are; literally the body of Christ, with His spirit dwelling in us.  Christ is in us.  Gal. 2:20, I Jn. 4:4.
Our union with Christ as evident in the points outlined above is the foundation of our authority.

Believers Authority is in 3 fold
1.    Authority over the power of the Enemy Lk.10:19(NIV).  Serpents and scorpions refer to demons and satanic agents.
2. Authority  Over Satan Rom. 16:20 Satan is legally placed beneath the fact of Christ – that is subject to this authority; and Satan is legally beneath our fact too.  Psalm 91:13 – That scripture is not talking of animals but of Satan!
3.    Authority to act in Behalf of Christ Jn. 17:18, II Cor. 5:20 with His authority we preach, lay hands on the sick and cast out devils.
Demons have no final say over our life at the mention of the name of Jesus demons must bow and flee!