110% charting your ways to greater achievements
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110% charting your ways to greater achievementsTRANSCRIPT
Copyright c 2009 by Apostle Dr. Mark Omonze
110%:Charting Your
Way To GreatnessBy
Apostle Mark Omonze
ISBN: 975-36526-0-5
Unless otherwise indicated all scriptures from the king James
version of the Bible.
GW - God’s Word Translation
NKJV - New King James Version
NIV - New International Version
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Published by
Apostle Mark Omonze
i
Foreword
Mark Omonze, in this book pours out his heartand through this book teaches a very clearbibical prinicple in a fresh new way, it echoes of
the times of Jesus and the words of Jesus as he walked theearth.
The promise of greatness to some of us in this world seemslike a distant concept but Dr. Mark Omonze in this bookhelps us to understand a pathway to greatness. Theconcept of going the extra mile is beautifully unfolded inthis book not only as our response to Christ's commandbut also as the true avenue to true greatness. Jesus said it ifyou want to be great you need to learn to be a servant of all.
Mark challenges us to really go the extra mile not just forthe reward but for the blessing of obedience. He alsointroduces us to the concept of “
.” How I pray that as you read this book therewould stir in you a fresh desire to go the extra mile in yourpursuit of greatness and offer a kingly and timely servicefor the King of Kings.
Josh Publications
It is not enough torender quality service you must render timelyservice
Olusola Osinoiki
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Introduction
This book is about helping mankind to fulfil the inborndesire in all of us for greatness, fulfilment andprosperity.
True greatness, fulfilment and properity can never be achievedapart from performing the the will of God and doing the worksfor which we are created. We are created to impact our worldpositively by becoming a blessing to our fellowman. This wasthe covenant God made with Abraham in the book of genesischapter 12. This is the foundation for the blessing of God andthe promise of greatness.
Though many of us try to fulfil the will of God for our liveswe encounter many frustrations along the way that createnegative attitudes that hinder us in the way. this book is aboutdealing with those attitudes and creating winning attitudes
We are all created by God to fulfill a significant purpose inthis life , we are also created to enjoy all the good things thatlife has to offer. It is no big revelation that only a few peopleget to fulfil their purpose and only a few get to enjoy the goodthings in life . The way it is seen is that God has favoured somepeople above others. What we don't quickly see is that thosethat appear to be blessed by God did not get to the position ofblessing by accident. As Peter said on the book of acts 10:34-35.
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"In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. 35 But inevery nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness isaccepted by Him. NKJV
We see then that a man's relationship with God and his worksin righteousness is what takes him to that place of blessingThis book is about getting to that place of fulfiling our destiny.It is about understanding the pathway to a rewarding life bothhere and hereafter.
Who we become and what we achieve or how great webecome is about how we well we run the race not about giftedwe are . God wants to reward our every effort but not all worksare rewarded , Cain's work was not rewarded but Abel's workwas. Knowing how to work and be rewared is why I havewritten this book.no matter your age gender and currentbeliefs this book will be an immense blessing to you. All theprinciples and concepts in this book apply in all areas ofliving; spiritual ,psychological, social and material .
I pray that God will inspire in you the knowledge of your ownpath to greatness and fulfilment . have a blessed reading.
- Mark Omonze
iv
v
DEDICATION
My wife - Antonia and all my friends, family,sons, daughters and partners in ministry.
Foreward
Introduction
The Extra Mile Principle
Time Is More Than Money
From Purpose To Practice
Drive and Passion
Migration Principle
You Don’t Have to Do It But Do it Anyway
We Need Christ, We Need God
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Table OfCONTENT
vi
1 - 14
15 - 21
22 - 36
37 - 44
45 - 54
55 - 60
61 - 66
ii
iii
Chapter One
The Extra
Mile Principle
Matt 5:41
.KJV
And whosoever shall compel thee to go amile, go with him twain
These are the words of the master Himself, the greatestachiever of all time, the one who has never failed. The onewhom even death could not stop the one whose works stillabide even after two thousand years. Christ Jesus ourLord.
When I first encountered this verse of scripture, I did notat the time realize that I was reading one of the mostpowerful success principles in existence. To understandthe above scripture better you need to see the verses that
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follow.
Matt 5:42-4742 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him thatwould borrow of thee turn not thou away.
43.(this is
normal human behavior)
44 , Love your enemies, blessthem that curse you, do good to them that hate you,and pray for them which despitefully use you, andpersecute you;(in other words do the unexpected)
45 That ye may be the children of your Fatherwhich is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise onthe evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on thejust and on the unjust.
(You don't get anything for being normal)
47
?(you cannot be special by doing what others do)KJV (emphasis and words in brackets mine)
Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shaltlove thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy
But I say unto you
46 For if ye love them which love you,do not even the publicans the
same?
And if ye salute your brethren only,do not even the publicans
so
whatreward have ye?
what do yemore than others?
2
It is easy to see that the Lord is working on getting us tomove out of the ordinary lifestyle that everyone is used to.It is easy for any normal human to love and to do good tothose we perceive to be good to us ; even the evil mindedcan do that but it takes a really strong person, anextraordinary person to care about someone who hascheated or tried to hurt them in time past. Two questionsimmediately strike my mind when I look in this scripturepassage; “what reward have you”? and “what do ye morethan others” ? It would seem to me that true rewards inlife accrue to people who do more than what others woulddo normally .Think on the questions for a minute……
….what do ye more than others?…..what do ye more than others?What are you doing that stretches beyond the effort othersare putting in?What are you doing that no one else is doing?What makes you so special?
……….What reward have ye?……….What reward have ye?
What is your current achievement?What has been the result of your effort?What have you gained from your actions?
3
Its amazing how much people complain about not gettingmuch attention, appreciation, reward , recognition evenlove. When their input at work, in relationships and atspiritual worship; leaves much to be desired. A lot ofpeople like to reap where they did sow and even whenthey did sow; they sowed so little compared to theirexpected harvest.
This passage of scripture teaches a very simple lesson Ifyou want extra give extra. No matter what area of life youcan think of from your spiritual life to social life, toeconomic life. This understanding led me to coin what icall the extra mile principle.
.
.
No one stands out by doing just what other people arealready doing; no one goes far by keeping to theacceptable limits of man. Great inventors andaccomplished men and women are those who realize thatthere is always more that can be done. They are the oneswho believe that there is no limit, not even the sky. Whatyou need to ask yourself is what am I doing more thanothers? If I am only doing what other people are doing do Ihave a right to expect more from life than what everyone
The extra mile principle is simply states that To beextraordinary in life, you must go, give and performbeyond the normal expectations of life, people andyourself
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else gets? It is not too hard to see that those who makeimpact on this world are those who work harder andsmarter than others are used to working.
There is a mental trap that holds over 80% of mankind inbondage. I call it survival mentality. Survival mentalitysimply is that part of our thought process that makes usstruggle for mere existence. It is that part of us that thatjust wants to get through another day. Survival mentalityis good in that it helps us hold on and helps us to keep onliving but it does not propel us to do more than justsurvive. Survival mentality is what makes a man hold onto a job for so many years with a meager salary or a job hedoes not love because he is too afraid to lose his littlemeans of sustenance . Then he finds out when he is too oldand retired that he could have had a better life if he had justfought harder, taken calculated risks and moved forexcellence. This is the reason why many hold onto arelationship that is unfulfilling just because they fearloneliness. It is the reason why many would not answerthe call of God into the ministry because they have noconfidence in God's ability to provide for them.
You can't afford to wait for time to elude you before youbegin to reach out for your dreams. You see 80% of
1.1 Why some never give beyond the expected.
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mankind fights for survival 15% look for a better life and5% fight for excellence. Let me put it this way 80% justwork for enough to survive and feed their family, 15%work to have some more of the leisure's of life, 5% work tohave all things that life has to offer. At the end of the daythe 5% rule the 15%, who in turn control the 80% who endup making sure that the 5% enjoy all the luxuries of lifewhile the 80% keep slaving for crumbs.
You must never strive to have just enough. To do thiswould be to be short sighted and selfish and disasterous. Itmeans you have not taken into account the need to affectthe world you live in, nor the possible eventualities andemergencies of life with all of its unexpected demands onyou.
One can never have enough knowledge, skills, money,friends, happiness, resources e.t.c. A man that has gottenenough is a man that has stopped making progress. Youcannot afford to be that person. Therefore do not work justfor working sake work to improve your standard of livingand if what you do today does not improve who you areand how you live then go work at something that will. Seta standard for yourself and be willing to work your wayfrom the bottom to the top.
1.2 You must seek excellence
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There are two types of people in this world; those whoaccept whatever life offers them and those who demandfrom life whatever they want and insist on getting justthat. The first set of people is mediocres. They are alwaysvictims of circumstances. You recognize them from theway they talk and they put the blame for where they are inlife on everything and everyone but themselves. Whenthey pass their exams they lay claim to the success whenthey fail they say the lecturer failed them. They blametheir background for their poverty and the government foreverything else. They forget that given the sameconditions, there are others who strive for the top andsucceed.
The second set of people do not succumb tocircumstances but rather work to change their lot;exercising their faith and applying all at their disposal tobecoming the agents of change in their lives. Twoexamples of this contrast would be Adam who hadeverything but lost it because he passed the responsibilityof his failure on to his wife and God (Genesis 3; 1-17).King David who rose from nothing to become kingbecause he refused to succumb to the normal fears of menand took charge of his destiny by fighting for greatness (1Samuel 17;26-58). It is never a good thing to “leave thingsas they are”.You must realize that it can always get better
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Phil 3:13-14Brothers,
But one thing I do: Forgettingwhat is behind and straining toward what is ahead,14
in ChristJesus. NIV (emphasis mine)
I do not consider myself yet to havetaken hold of it.
I press on toward the goal to win the prize forwhich God has called me heavenward
It is good to be content in life. Contentment is a frame ofmind that keeps you calm in your pursuit of success but itis not a ticket to easy town. Contentment is making thebest of every situation.
To be a great achiever you must go beyond the realm ofcontentment; that is why you will see that great men (bythis I mean male and female) never seem satisfied withwhat they have got or what they have done. You must bemotivated to strive for more; to make an unusual mark inyour generation
To excel in life you must first exceed all expectations.This is the extra mile principle this is giving a 110%. Youmust exceed everyone's expectations; you must exceedeven your own expectations. You must keep pushing andpressing for greater things and greater heights. You mustpush yourself beyond known limits. To do this you mustobserve the following laws:
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THE LAW OF DILIGENCE
Prov 10:4He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand:but KJV
Prov 12:24: but the
slothful shall be under tribute.KJV
Prov 22:29
; he shall not stand before meanmen. KJV(emphasis mine)
the hand of the diligent maketh rich.
The hand of the diligent shall bear rule
Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shallstand before kings
Diligence simply means persistent effort at a given task. Itmeans putting forth all you have and pressing to theaccomplishment of a given task. Some would call it “hardwork” but I prefer the term “good work.”
It is not a good idea for you to persist in a work that is notfruitful. Some people “work hard” all their life and nevergo beyond a certain level of achievement. The diligent notonly works, he researches his work because the termdiligence also means carefulness and attentiveness toobserve the rule of contract or expectation of law. Somepeople work without paying attention to the details of
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what is going on in their environment whether it is cleanor not whether the people they have to work with arehappy or frustrated.
This vital key of paying attention to detail was the majorstep in the success story of Joseph ;he paid close attentionto the needs of the people around him and found a way tomeet those needs I also believe that his attention to detailshelped him in the effective running of Potipher’shousehold . The diligent man or woman as a rule mustalways be attentive to details Diligence is the way toriches and reigning. This is the way to make it to the top.
First it is to be unwavering in belief. You must have astrong belief in an expected outcome of anything youchoose to engage in. you cannot allow anything includingyourself talk you out of an expected result. You mustrealize that even God says all things are possible to himthat believes.
THE LAW OF FAITHFULNESS
Prov 28:20A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but hethat maketh haste to be rich shall not beinnocent.KJV
To be faithful means a lot of things:-
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Mark 9:23 (KJV)Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all thingsare possible to him that believeth.
Things are not impossible for you because everyone say itis so, things become impossible to you when you say it isimpossible. I discovered that there is no barrier that canstop any man that has faith, especially faith in God and theLord Jesus Christ.
When the children of Israel left Egypt they encounteredwhat they thought was a great barrier; the Red sea. Theystopped moving because of their perceived obstacle. ButGod showed them their mistake in stopping. He orderedthem to go forward and when they did, they saw the redsea part before them.
So long as you keep moving forward, all barriers willeventually give way before you in Jesus name. The Lordpromised that the gates of hell shall not prevail againstyou.
The only barrier in front you is you;
when you stand still at the time you
ought to be moving forward.
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Man has broken the sound barrier, the sea barrier, man hasclimbed the highest mountains we have broken theatmospheric barrier and gravity barrier and moved intoouter space. The sky is no longer the limit; barriers arebeing broken every day. Make up your mind to startbreaking barriers today.
Faithfulness also means to be consistently loyal. One ofthe greatest requirements of a good employee is loyaltyand consistency. To work with a man like Donald Trump,one of the largest real estate developers in the world, youwill go through the test of loyalty. If you cannot becommitted to your given task to the point of fighting forits accomplishment to the point of excellence you cannotgo far in his books and in life.
You must be conscientious to achieving results in anyduty you take to. You must be loyal to those with whomyou have friendships or business You must be committedto being the best always.
A lot of people fail exams because they only aim to passthe exam. They give just enough to pass the exam. Theman that gives 110% aims for the highest score so whenhe misses the target, he still lands in the region ofexcellence. You must always aim high and always shootfor the stars.You are meant to be above only.
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Deut. 28:13And the Lord shall make thee the head, and not the
tail; andif that thou hearken unto the
commandments of the Lord thy God, which Icommand thee this day, to observe and to do them:(KJV) (emphasis mine)
Luke 17:1010 So likewise ye,
KJV
thou shalt be above only, and thou shaltnot be beneath;
when ye shall have done all thosethings which are commanded you, say, we areunprofitable servants:
Faithfulness will win you favours and bring you blessingslike the text Prov. 28:20 above says. Faithfulnessgenerates connections in the high places. No one wants todo business with an inconsistent and disloyal person.
Everybody enjoys rewards but not everyone is willing todo what it takes to be rewarded. Great rewards accrue tothose who do beyond what is expected of them. When onedoes his required duty he has no right to expect accolades,but when by taking the initiative one performs beyondexpectations then certainly there is reward
we have done that which was ourduty to do.
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1 Cor 9:17-18If ; if notvoluntarily, I am simply discharging the trustcommitted to me. 18 What then is my reward?NIVemphasis mine
I preach voluntarily, I have a reward
Reward is different from payment .; payment is what youget for doing what you are told , a reward is what you getwhen you perform beyond expectations.Do not be one of those people who only pray when theyare told to who only fast at prescribed times, who onlyread what they are told to read, who tithe 10% and beyondthat give no more.
Take the initiative, go the extra mile in your spiritual life.Go the extra mile in your social life, go the extra mile foryour family and friends, go the extra mile in church, gothe extra mile at work and in business ,go the extra mile inyour studies, go the extra mile always. that is where thetrue reward is. Give 110%
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Chapter Two
Time Is More
Than Money
Gen 4:2-3
NIV(emphasis mine)
…Cain worked the soil. 3 In the course oftime Cain brought some of the fruits of thesoil as an offering to the LORD.
Cain worked but it took time for the fruits to appearTime is the most precious commodity at man's disposal.Time determines everything that defines a man life.It takes time to work.It takes time to sell.It takes time to think.It takes time to make money.Every achievement of man is measured against time buttime is not measured against anything.Time is the highest and most precious currency.
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Anyone who has no regard for time cannot be a success.Great men are people who use time wisely. They are timeconscious people; they are people who set tasks to beachieved within the smallest time.
The man that takes ten days to do a ten hour job is aguaranteed failure.He has robbed himself of other precious achievementopportunity by investing too much time on one project.Don't be that man or woman.
No one knows with accuracy how much time we have tolive on the earth. It is important therefore that our timehere is spent making the best possible impact andachievements.
Eccl 3:1
: NIV
No matter what goals you have in life, there is time foreach specific activity. Each activity has its own specially
It is not enough to render quality
service you must render timely
service.
There is a time for everything, and a season forevery activity under heaven
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allotted time. , there isalways time for everything.Agreat man knows how to settime frames for all his activities and all his goals. Youmust learn how to apportion time to certain tasks.Learning to run with time should be a vital part of you.
You must set your priorities in proper order and apportiontime to each priority accordingly. Never spend time oninconsequential things.
Every problem has an amount of time and attention itdeserves.
Great achievers know how to use experts to solveproblems that they can't figure out rather than waste timetrying to solve it on their own. It makes no sense that youspend so much time trying to fix your car yourself whenyou have no clue as to what is wrong with it. When you
Never think you don't have time
Life is full of problems. Problems
consume more of our time than
solutions consume. However learning
to spend more time on solutions than
problems is what great achievers
have learnt to do
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can hire an auto repair mechanic and save yourself thetime and face other tasks.
Every situation you face today someone else has faced italready. Drawing knowledge from the experience ofothers through apprenticeship, study, counsel andfriendships is one of the great investments you can makewith your time.
Time spent learning is never wasted time, however toomuch learning can be bad. If you spend most of your lifein school and never come out to practice, the knowledgeyou acquired becomes wasted.
Sleep is important.You need to take good time to rest yourbody but when there is work to be done make sure you arenot caught asleep on the job. One of the follies in life issomeone who values sleep over work. Sleep can be a veryterrible time- thief.
To be successful you must learn to push yourself as far as
2.1 WATCH WHAT YOU DO WITH YOUR TIME.
Prov 20:13
KJV
Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; openthine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied withbread.
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possible while taking into account the need for adequaterest.As the bible says there is a time for everything.
Sleeping also speaks of being passive, lazy and a lack ofpassion for work. For you to succeed you must have adrive for work and achievement. The best sales personsand negotiators are a people of passion.
Laziness is a curse; it is a mindset of one unwilling towork. It is a robber of time and productivity andencourages excuses for failure.
Rom 12:11
NIV (emphasis mine)
Prov 20:4
KJV
Prov 26:13-16
Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritualfervor serving the Lord
The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold;therefore shall he beg in harvest, and havenothing.
The sluggard says, "There is a lion in the road,afierce lion roaming the streets!"
As a door turns on its hinges,so a sluggard turnson his bed.
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The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he is toolazy to bring it back to his mouth.
The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than sevenmen who answer discreetly.
We were not idle when we were withyou,
we worked night and day,laboring and toiling so that we would not be aburden to any of you.
NIV
2 Thess 3:7-10For you yourselves know how you ought to followour example.
nor did we eat anyone's food without payingfor it. On the contrary,
We did this, not because wedo not have the right to such help, but in order to
2.2 There is no excuse for failure.
Never allow yourself to have “reasons” why you cannotdo something or the other. As you will only be makingexcuses. Excuses are simply lies that give you an escaperoute from responsibility.
Adam lost the Garden of Eden not only because hedisobeyed God but also because he shirked hisresponsibility by blaming Eve for his actions. If he hadconfessed his sin God is faithful and just to forgive 1 John1; 9. Laziness is caused by a spirit of irresponsibility
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make ourselves a model for you to follow. For evenwhen we were with you, we gave you this rule: "If aman will not work, he shall not eat." NIV (emphasismine)
Develop a great passion for performance andproductivity, resist mediocrity.
Consider it a woe if you can work but you don't work.Don't be a burden or liability on others. Understand that alittle extra you give takes you higher. Strive to performbeyond normal expectations. Give 110% always and youwill be rewarded.
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Chapter Three
From Purpose
To Practice
Prov 29:18
KJVWhere there is no vision, the people perish:but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.
To every purpose there is a vision; a strategy foractualisation of that purpose. The differencebetween great achievers and low achievers can be
seen at this point. Most people work hard all their life butthey only work on what they are instructed. They don'tthink, dream or plan. This can easily be seen in the life ofJoseph and his brothers. Joseph's brothers were content tolead their father's sheep. That was what life offered them,that was all they knew and that was how they lived evenafter they had children and grown old. They were waitingfor an inheritance. Joseph on the other hand dared todream of life beyond what was offered him given his
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background; He refused to settle for what life offered tohim at that point. He dared to dream and his dream found away to take him to his high place in destiny.
Where most people fail in life is in the realm of vision andplanning. Many people have visions of grandeur but lackpractical strategies for actualisation.
Wisdom will always win over strength anyday.
It is obvious that the great leaders in life are the ones whogive time to planning, people who study strategy and theworkings of things they intend to be involved in. Greatgenerals are those who understand that every war is won abattle at a time. Therefore time spent developing strategy
Most wars are won not necessarily onthe strength of fire power but on theaccuracy of strategy.
1 Chron 12:32
NKJV (emphasis mine)
the children of Issachar who had understandingof the times, to know what Israel ought to do, theirchiefs were two hundred; and all their brethrenwere at their command;
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is crucial to victory.
Notice God told Joshua to meditate (ponder, think, useimagination, plan) day and night (not once in a while);this principle ensures that you will be able to do and knowhow to do the work according to the laid down plan andthe result is that your success is guaranteed.
When you have a great lifelong dream understand that toachieve that dream, it must be broken down into a seriesof small goals or tasks set within certain time frames. We
Josh 1:8This Book of the Law shall not depart from yourmouth, but
.NKJV (emphasis mine)
you shall meditate in it day and night,that you may observe to do according to all that iswritten in it. For then you will make your wayprosperous, and then you will have goodsuccess
You need to begin to devote time toexercising your mind. You need to putyourself in problem solving mode.
3. 1 Break it down
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have 24 hours in a day and our life is lived an hour at time,no one lives in a week or a month at a time. Knowing this itis wise to breakdown the big vision into small daily andpossibly hourly achieveable tasks and small projects thatwhen put together become the sum total of the whole.
Every house is built a block at a time wood a board at atime and so on. The process of building a house has somany phases to it; The acquiring the land for the housephase,The drawing of the plan phase, the foundationlaying phase, the wall raising phase e.t.c the comletion ofeach phase is a success on its own. It takes the total ofthese little success to make the huge success. It is amazinghow so many people want to achieve instant success andwonder why they don't make it.
Rome they say was not built in a day. The key is to build alittle at a time
Proverbs 28:22 (KJV)
.
Matt 6:34-7:1
NIV
He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye, andconsidereth not that poverty shall come upon him
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, fortomorrow will worry about itself. Each day hasenough trouble of its own.
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There are three major questions you need to ask your selfif you want to be a success in life.
What is your dream? What do you want in life? AdamSmith defines a man riches as the degree in which he canafford to enjoy the necessities, conveniences andamusements of life. How rich do you want to be? Make upyour mind and go for it.
What are you designed by God to be and to do?What problem are you created to solve?
Great men are great problem solvers. The more peopleyou solve problems for the richer you become. Everyservice rendered by men is a solution to a problem.People will always pay when a service is rendered tothem. For example Taxi drivers and bus drivers solvetransportation problems, comedians and actors take careof entertainment. There is something that you are good ator can you be good at that will solve a need in the life ofothers that thing, whatsoever it is, is the key to yoursuccess and greatness pursue it with all that is within you.
I) What do I want to do or to be?
Jer 29:11-12For I know the plans I have for you," declares theLORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harmyou, plans to give you hope and a future. NIV
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II) What do I have now that has a relevance to myfuture?
What resources are at your disposal, how muchknowledge do you have about the issues that affect yourlife? Many people never bother to acquire knowledgeabout the issues that are relevant to the achievement oftheir dreams or even the daily issues of life
Prov 8:10-12
.KJV
Prov 24:3-4
KJV(emphasis mine)
Receive my instruction, and not silver; andknowledge rather than choice gold.For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the
things that may be desired are not to be comparedto it.
I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find outknowledge of witty inventions
Through wisdom is an house builded; and byunderstanding it is established:
And by knowledge shall the chambers be filledwith all precious and pleasant riches.
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Know this everything you want in your
future will be drawn to you by what
you have at the present time.
Mark 6:35-44By this time it was late in the day, so his disciplescame to him. "This is a remote place," they said,"and it's already very late. Send the people awayso they can go to the surrounding countryside andvillages and buy themselves something to eat."
But he answered, "You give them something to eat."They said to him, "That would take eight months ofa man's wages! Are we to go and spend that muchon bread and give it to them to eat?"
he asked. "
,
Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sitdown in groups on the green grass. So they satdown in groups of hundreds and fifties.
"How many loaves do you have?" Goand see."
When they found out, they said "Five-and twofish."
Taking thefive loaves and the two fish and looking up to
28
heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves.Then he gave them to his disciples to set before thepeople. He also divided the two fish among themall. They all ate and were satisfied,
The number of the menwho had eaten was five thousand.
What shall I do for thee?tell me, what hast thou in the house?Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house,save a pot of oil.
and thedisciples picked up twelve basketfuls of brokenpieces of bread and fish.
NIV (emphasismine)
2 Kings 4:1-7Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of
the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thyservant my husband is dead; and thou knowest thatthy servant did fear the LORD: and the creditor iscome to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen.
And Elisha said unto her,And she said,
Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of allthy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not afew.
And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the doorupon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out
29
into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside thatwhich is full.
So she went from him, and shut the door upon herand upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her;and she poured out.
And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that shesaid unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said untoher, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed
KJV emphasismine)
.
Then she came and told the man of God. And hesaid, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and livethou and thy children of the rest.
Every miracle of multiplication was preceeded by thequestion what do you have . if you wish to see increaseyou must necesarily acknowlede what you have onground . note that zero multiplied by a hundred millionstill equals to zero . simple math
Everything you have today can be used to bring in thethings you long for in the future.
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Know what you have, appreciatewhat you have. Great men are thosewho have learnt how to take“noth ing” and make i t i n to“something”. They take “little” andturn it into “much “.
III) How do I achieve my dreams?
Ask relevant questions from relevant people
The woman in the passage above called the pot of oil“nothing” but the same oil became her livelihood. InMark 6;33-35 Jesus told his disciples to find out what theyhave and with the little they had, he produced enough totake care for five thousand.
Many great companies today started small with littlecapital and built over time. Now many of them have staffstrength of thousands of people.
Start your journey by learning, Go to school, Read books,Become an apprentice. Every dream you have, someoneelse has had before you and someone else has achieved itbefore now.
Make inquiries all the time from your mentors, your
31
clients, sponsors and anyone who has ever gone throughthe same road you are taking or about to take and haveovercome. Don't be afraid of rejection, persist.
Prayerful preparations prevent poor performancesomeone once said. Challenges and obstacles, trial, andtribulations are a part of life, to be dismayed at them is tothrow away your opportunities. Every testimony isattached to a test, every obstacle to a miracle.
1 Cor 10:13
NIV(emphasis mine)
Don't waste your time asking, "Why is this happening tome?" The question is why not to you? What makes youmore special than those it has happened to? It hashappened to many others before you. The important thingis face up to your trials and obstacles learn from them and
Anyone who makes inquiries will always find theirway in the maze of life.
3.2 Be ready for challenges
No temptation has seized you except what iscommon to man. And God is faithful; he will not letyou be tempted beyond what you can bear. Butwhen you are tempted, he will also provide a wayout so that you can stand up under it.
32
master them.
They make us stronger, wiser and more secure
Don't get sucked into the shortcut syndrome, a lot of timesshortcuts turn out to be dead ends.
God wants us to face challenges.James 1:12
forwhen he has been approved, he will receive thecrown of life which the Lord has promised to thosewho love Him (emphasis mine) NKJV
James 1:2-5My brethren,
. 4 But let patience have itsperfect work, that you may be perfect andcomplete, lacking nothing. NKJV
Exodus 13:17When Pharaoh had allowed the people to go,
to Egypt. MLB emphasismine
Blessed is the man who endures temptation;
count it all joy when you fall intovarious trials, 3 knowing that the testing of yourfaith produces patience
Goddid not lead them by way of the Philistines' land,although that was a shorter route; for Godconsidered that, on tasting war, the people mightfeel regret and go back
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The road may be long but is better to be on the long routeand on a sure path than a short cut full of unnecessaryrisks.
Practice, practice and keep practicing. You may fail but
Act on what you learn.
James 1:22-25 (KJV)But , and not hearers only,deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer ofthe word, and not a doer, he is like unto a manbeholding his natural face in a glass: For hebeholdeth himself, and goeth his way, andstraightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty,and continueth therein,
(emphasis mine)
be ye doers of the word
he being not a forgetfulhearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall beblessed in his deed.
There is no point learning and wishingbut never acting. Practice is the majorkey to achievement.
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keep at it and one day you will get the hang of it and thenyou will be in control .
The success stories of this life are never about people whogot it right the first time but about people who kept at ituntil they got it right. Take Abraham Lincon for instancehe ran for elections over thirty times and failed to secure aseat in congress, as governor, as mayor but he did becomepresident because he was relentless in his effort. He neverlet his past failures deter him from his goals. If you don'tfail you will never learn to succeed.
Proverbs 24:16 (KJV)
Do not give up on life because you failed, get up and moveon.
The major problem facing those who
fail in life is not the failure itself but the
refusal to rise again after the fall
You have a right to make mistakes
and the priviledge to correct them
.
.
Forbut the wicked shall fall into mischief.
a just man falleth seven times, and riseth upagain:
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People who change jobs or business each time they failwill not go far in life because they keep starting again andnever going forward they keep moving to new things andmaking new mistakes but never gain from the benefit oftheir past mistakes.
Mistakes form the foundation for solid success andexcellence. Thomas Eddison the inventor of the lightbulbmade over nine hundred attempts at creating the lightbulbbut failed but once he got it he kept getting it . when he wasasked how many times he failed he answered . “not once, Ionly learnt the over nine hundred ways it will not work”.Keep practicing and you will succeed.
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Chapter Four
Drive And Passion
Romans 4:17-18 (GW)as Scripture says: "I have made you a fatherof many nations." Abraham believed whenhe stood in the presence of the God who giveslife to dead people and calls into existencethings that don't even exist.
as he had been told: "Thatis how many descendants you will have."
When there wasnothing left to hope for, Abraham still hopedand believed. As a result, he became a fatherof many nations,
Life is not always as you and I would want it to be.There are all kinds of situations and circumstancesthat we have to face that carry with them a lot of
discouragements.
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The hundred and ten percent man is
the one that is not deterred by
opposing circumstances. He knows
that after he has exhausted all the
options he could as well create new
ones.
Great men are men of drive and passion. They are selfmotivated. A man that cannot encourage himself cannotgo far in life. God's hand is always out to help the manwho will in the face of all odds maintain his stand.
Ephes. 6:13-14
People who crave encouragement from others aremediocre, never be a mediocre. Don't be one who waitsfor things to change; purpose to be the one who changesthings.
Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God,that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, andhaving done all, to stand. [14] Standtherefore….KJV
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4.1 Be inspired always.
Keep yourself positive by keeping before you the gloryand the benefit you will obtain by arriving at yourdestination rather than spending time lamenting over thehazards of your journey to destiny.
If you keep thinking on what you are going through youwill slow down and eventually stop dead on your tracks.The journey of Christ through life on earth was froth withtroubles but he kept his eyes on the prize
Think of where you are going to and
not what you are going through.
Hebrews 12:1-2)Wherefore seeing we also are compassed aboutwith so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay asideevery weight, and the sin which doth so easilybeset us, and let us run with patience the race thatis set before us, [2] Looking unto Jesus the authorand finisher of our faith;
despising theshame, and is set down at the right hand of the
who for the joy that wasset before him endured the cross,
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throne of God.KJV
We must focus on Jesus, the source and goal ofour faith.
Then he received thehighest position in heaven, the one next to thethrone of God.
Think about Jesus, who endured opposition fromsinners, so that you don't become tired and giveup.
We want each of you to prove that you're workinghard so that you will remain confident until theend. [12] Then, instead of being lazy, you will
Hebrews 12:2 (GW)
(Emphasis mine)
Hebrews 12:3 (GW)
Emphasis mine
Hebrews 6:11-12 (GW)
He saw the joy ahead of him, so heendured death on the cross and ignored thedisgrace it brought him.
Let the example of others inspire you. You are not the firstperson to do the job you are doing neither are you the firstto run a business. The troubles and struggles you now facemany others have faced before you. Let their testimonyinspire and propel you to give your best and even beyondyour best. Take your eyes and ears off the people whodiscourage you. They are merely distractions thrown yourway by the enemy.
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imitate those who are receiving the promisesthrough faith and patience.
This book of the law shall not depart out of thymouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day andnight, that thou mayest observe to do according toall that is written therein: for then thou shaltmake thy way prosperous, and then thou shalthave good success.
For whatsoever things were written aforetimewere written for our learning, that we throughpatience and comfort of the scriptures might havehope.
Emphasis mine
Joshua 1:8 (KJV)
(Emphasis mine)
Romans 15:4 (KJV)
Archbishop Benson Idahosa said "aspire to perspire toacquire, do not retire only "refire" that you may acquirewhat you perspired for". Keep yourself inspired neverloose hope, for hope is simply positive expectation for thefuture.
The word of God is not only the greatest source ofmotivation and inspiration; it is the master blueprint that
4.2 Let the word of God motivate you
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contains the instructions for overcoming all of life'sstruggles. Over and above that, it is the power that canchange any situation.
Have a picture of your goal and reward always beforeyou, run the race thinking of the reward. The joy setbefore you will drive you to achievement.
Do it for God, do it for you. Don't ever wait for theappreciation of others and never do anything because you
Isaiah 55:10-11 (GW)
[11]
Emphasis mine)
1 Cor. 9:24 (GW)
(Emphasis mine)
"Rain and snow come down from the sky. They donot go back again until they water the earth. Theymake it sprout and grow so that it produces seedfor farmers and food for people to eat.
It will accomplish whatever Iwant and achieve whatever I send it to do."(
Don't you realize that everyone who runs in arace runs to win, but only one runner gets theprize? Run like them, so that you can win.
My word, which comes from my mouth, is likethe rain and snow. It will not come back to mewithout results.
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want man's praise; to do that would be to set yourself upfor great disappointments.You can't please everyone.
This is the truth of life. Adam Smith the father ofeconomics and the author of the book wealth of thenations discovered that while a man labours to improvehis lot in life through work and business he ultimately andeven unintentionally contributes to the development andproductivity of the world around him.The bible puts it this way:
When you do become an achiever people will see thevalue of your work. But on your way up don't be perturbed
Your work is yours to do alone but the
result of the work belongs to all.
Galatians 6:2-5 (KJV)
(Emphasis mine)
Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil thelaw of Christ. For if a man think himself to besomething, when he is nothing, he deceivethhimself. But let every man prove his own work,and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone,and not in another. For every man shall bear hisown burden.
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by criticisms, learn from them. Don't get carried away bypraises of men, it is said that pride goes before a fall.Encourage yourself and follow the voice of your spiritman (inner man). Remember failure is not an option sofight to win. Give it 110%
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Chapter Five
Migration Principle
And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, andconfirming the word with signs following.Amen.
Promotion is an obvious result of motion. Promotioncomes to those on the go as you can see the wordpromotion is composed of two root words pro and
motion; pro meaning for, and motion, this would mean forthe motion, because of the motion or the result of motion.We could also say promotion is forward motion. Youcannot stay on one spot and hope to get a better experiencethan you've always had. If you do today what you didyesterday you will likely get the same as what you havealways gotten.
When God wanted to bless abram he gave an instruction
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which would change his life forever.
Genesis 12;1
Abram had to migrate from where he was to where heought to be. In order for him to be made, he had to move.He had to change location he had to depart from what hewas used to, his past, his experiences. He moved fromplace to place and very soon, when he had gone in and outof Egypt and the bible told us he came out a rich man.
:1
:2
:3
:4
Now the LORD had said unto Abram,, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's
house
, and, and ; and thou shalt be a
blessing
And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse himthat curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earthbe blessed
So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken untohim; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy andfive years old when he departed out of Haran
And he, and his wife,
Get thee out ofthy country
, unto a land that I will show thee
And I will make of thee a great nation I willbless thee make thy name great
:1 Abram went up out of Egypt,Genesis 13
46
and all that he had, and Lot with him,
Job14;14
into the south
:2 And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and ingold
If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of myappointed time will I wait, till my change come.
Migration principle simply states.
If you remain where you are;doing the same things you'vealways done you will likely remain in the sameexperience you 've always had and remain at the levelyou've always been.
I do understand that there are many people out there whoare satisfied with going to the same office day in day out…….year in year out but the people who really make it inlife are those who know when to move .
In order for you to get to where youwish to go, you must first leave whereyou are now .
5.1 The law of change
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If you spend all the days of your appointed time waitingyou will die and not see change. Those who acceptwhatever life offers never make impact nor progress.Those who place a demand on life are the ones that makethe difference. Its like the story of the prodigal son. Theyounger one placed a demand on his father and got hisinheritance. Though he squandared it on riotuos living hemade a turn around came back and inherited his father'shonour ( the ring given to him ) his elder brother had greatpossesions and potentials never lived beyond what he wasgiven, never moved and never made progress. His liferemained in the same old rut and he ended a bitter old manbecause he never had the guts to move or change in his life.
It's a simple rule that when we change something aboutourselves we change a lot in our experiences . some of thethings or happenings that people chalk up to bad luck aresometimes results of our ignorance and foolishness.
I know of ladies that could never keep a date or arelationship simply because they expect the guy to do all
Great visioners are men andwomen of change; they are peoplewho initiate change.
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the talking and make all the moves on a date while they sitlike statues …totally expressionless.
The statement nothing goes for nothing is as true as it gets,even in serving God. You receive Christ freely and offeryourself in return. You can't just receive |Christ thenbecome a passive christian. You put great effort into thechristian walk . how much you put into it determines yourharvest as the good book says whatsoever a man sowsthat shall he reap.give a hundred and ten percent and yourharvest increases exponetially. Sitting and waiting is astance of idleness. When we wait on the Lord it does notspeak of waiting as in passive stance of idleness butwaiting as in active standing service like a waiter in therestaurant would wait on the guest at the table; takingorders and making deliveries. Understand that there is atime to sit and plan; but that does not qualify as waiting inthis context.
Things change when you change. If you want to changeyour lot in life you must be willing to migrate in several
There is no such thing as effortlessimpact you have to give something toget something.
49
ways
Romans 12;1
You must be willing to change you attitude. A littleattitude change can change your altitude. The philipstranslation of the passage above says do not let the worldsqueeze you into its own mould. You don't have to be aproduct of your environment. You may have been born ina poor neighbourhood but you don't have to die there .Youcan change where you end up in life by thinkingdifferently. The very foundation principle of christianityteaches us the salvation is the direct result of a change ofattitude and thought; we call it repentance. The text saysbe transformed by the renewing of your mind. This meansyou can change your story, change your status, changeyour life by changing your mind.
The greatest hindrance to progress and greatness in life isa wrong mind set. To have a mind set is to have adeveloped attitude, thought pattern, or a belief onceformed leaves no room for change. Its usually the
Mental migration
And be not conformed to this world: but be yetransformed by the renewing of your mind, thatye may prove what is that good, and acceptable,and perfect, will of God.
that
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result of repeated teachings ,experiences , culture andreligion.
The problem with this is that if what you believe in is a lie,you are trapped in the consequence of that lie for as longas the mind set remains . the greatest enemy of man is notthe devil though he is a real enemy . I know some woulddisagree, but the greatest enemy of man is a mind thatrefuses knowledge .
Hosea 4;6
Like I said earlier most of what we call bad luck is usuallythe result of a bad mindset. As he thinketh so he is….Proverbs 23:7 a major key I discovered is that victimsof abuse usually suffer repeatedly so long as they cower in
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge:because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will alsoreject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me:seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, Iwill also forget thy children.
Knowledge is the key to mentalrevolution. Metal revolution is the keyto change of situation.
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fear before their oppressor but when they becomeaggressive in fighting back, the phenomenom ceases fromtheir experiences. Just like poverty is a mindset not a lack.When a poor man determines to improve on himself andthinks differently and does not give up, his fortunes have away of changing for the better. Knowing this you need tochange the way you see yourself.
You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.If what know does not set you free. Know then that youeither do not know it well enough or what you think youknow is not the truth. Its time to change.
Sometimes we can be hindered by where we are. Jesussaid to his disciples in Matthew 10;23 “if they persecuteyou in one city flee to the next”. In other words don't sit ina location that does not favour you. When you are in theright place the evidence is you experience favour. He had
You must always be ready to changeor improve on what you know whenwhat you know does not help you orimprove you .
Physical migration(Location, Location, Location)
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said before that “in any house that you are welcome staythere”. Check your business location , your work place ,where you live . who you are with? Do you enjoy favour ?if not, work on it and if the situation persists then it's timeto migrate .move without hesitation. There is nothing likebeing in the right pace at the right time. It has been thedifference for some in meeting the right people. Somepeople did not meet their spouse in the city that they livedand worked for so many years but found their spousewhen they moved to or visited another city. When whatyou are looking for is not where your are presently,change where you are. Your experiences may neverchange because you refuse to move from where you are.Change may not be comfortable but till you get all thatyou seek in life you will need to move because not allthings are meant to come to you . Sometimes you have togo to them. If you don't, not even prayer will change yoursituation. It boils down to what you are willing to do or tolet go of in order to get what you want. Don't hold on to aplace that it is not fruitful to you. Even the farmers have toshift their activities to another field when the need arisesas do shepherds who know that you must keep seekingnew grazing ground for their flock, to stay in one placewould mean to let the flock die. Many people are prayingand dying when the answer to their problem may simplybe in moving to another place.
I had a pastor friend who in ten years struggled with his
53
ministry and wallowed in poverty in one city yet in oneyear in another city built five churches and lived inaffluence.
it is not so difficult to know when an environment is nolonger right. Follow through on the checklistAre you Welcome there?Are you fruitful there?Are you favoured there ?Are you growing there?Have you found what you are looking for there?
If you answer no to majority of thses questions you needto rethink your stay in such a place . It is important to notethat stagnant waters eventually stink so also the life ofone who refuses to grow, to change, to move forward inlife so in the words of God to moses when the peoplewhere stuck between the Red sea and the Egyptian army ..“tell the people that they GO FORWARD”
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Chapter Six
You Don't Have To
Do It But Do It Anyway.
For you to go far in life you will need theinvolvement of others.You will need help. God hasprovided fellow human beings on earth not just as
people fighting for their own existence but for yoursuccess as well .
QuotingAdam Smith he says “no one can acquire wealthjust from his labour. He must of a nessecity depend on thelabour of others therefore a mans wealth ultimatelybecomes proportional to the amount of the labours ofothers that he can aquire.”
There are two ways you can tap into the labour of others;one you can pay for it, that is you hire labour or two you
55
get it as a favour. Favour is usually the product ofrelationships.
You will have enemies inevitably but do your best to makethem as few as possible. Seek settlement with youradversary where possible. The enemy you are keepingtoday may be the only one with the help you needtomorow so what happens when you get to your tomorrowand your enemy today is the one in charge of approvingthe job you desperately need?
6.1 You need friends.
Smart and successful people arepeople who develop greatfrienships.
You don't have to make friends witheveryone but do it anyway .
Proverbs 11:30 (KJV)The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and hethat winneth souls is wise.
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Hebrews 12:14 (KJV)
Many people are missing out on their miracles becausethey are not at peace with the instruments of theirpromotion and breakthrough. God must use men to blessyou. You cannot choose the instrument that God will useneither can you know them before hand that is why it isbetter and safer to be in good terms with all if you can.
There may be many people beneath your “status” but go“out of your way” to show respect.
Understand that you sow and show respect in order to getrespect. Without respect you will not go very far in life.You need respect in order to command the favour andservice of others. Sure with money you will get servicebut you will get much better service with respect andmoney. With all the money in the world you can still bedenied some form of service when you have no respect .
Follow peace with all men, and holiness, withoutwhich no man shall see the Lord:
And as ye would that men should do to you, do yealso to them likewise.
Luke 6:31 (KJV)
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6.2 Be courteous this is a sure door opener.
6.3 Be a giver
Proverbs 15:1 (GW)
.
1 Peter 3:8 (KJV)
Luke 6:30-38 (KJV)
A gentle answer turns away rage, but a harsh wordstirs up anger
Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassionone of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, becourteous:
Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of himthat taketh away thy goods ask them not again.And as ye would that men should do to you, do yealso to them likewise. For if ye love them whichlove you, what thank have ye? for sinners alsolove those that love them. And if ye do good tothem which do good to you, what thank have ye?for sinners also do even the same. And if ye lend to
To be courteous is to be humble and when you are humbleyou will be promoted. Pride however is the downfall ofthe prideful. Show kindness, mercy and favour at everyopportunity and without discrimination.
58
them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank haveye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive asmuch again. But love ye your enemies, and dogood, and lend, hoping for nothing again; andyour reward shall be great, and ye shall be thechildren of the Highest: for he is kind unto theunthankful and to the evil. Be ye thereforemerciful, as your Father also is merciful.
Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemnnot, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, andye shall be forgiven: Give, and it shall be givenunto you; good measure, pressed down, andshaken together, and running over, shall men giveinto your bosom. For with the same measure thatye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.Emphasis mine
There is a saying that “givers never lack” but that is notnessesarily true. What is true however is that there isprovision that givers will recieve multiples of whateverthey give. This principle works in the positive as well as inthe negative.
If you are friendly you will gain friends if you areunfriendly you will loose friends. If you are rude you will
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reap the same in abundance. If you are generous it willcome back to you in greater measures. It is interesting tonote that companies that are involved in national charitiesalso recieve national contracts .
I heard about a man that did a contract for an oil company.Though broke at the time he, forewent his profit of
200,000. Later the company had a contract with a profitof 20,000,000. Guess who they thought of first to awardthe contract?You guessed right, the man who forewent hisprofit. He got the contract uncontested.
Never underestimate the power of good business, goodrelationships, good partnerships and good friendships.
Donald Trump one of the largest Real Estate Developersand business men in the United States and indeed theworld, declares that he has gotten thus far by surroundinghimself with smart people. These people know how to getthings done and entered into partnerships that have havebeen relevant in his building his many great and veryprofitable building projects and his many great businessventures.
Whatever you have to do within legal and moral limits tobuild powerful relationships do it 110%.
with ease
NN
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Chapter Seven
We Need Christ,
We Need God.
Ps 14:1
Ps 111:10
There are many people who would like to believe that allit takes in life to succeed is work hard and work smart. ButI learnt early that it is not always so.
The fool says in his heart, "There is no God."They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is noone who does good. NIV
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;all who follow his precepts have goodunderstanding. To him belongs eternal praise.NIV
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Eccl 9:11
“Time and chance happen to them all” ;; the weather for instance
has worked against the success of many people. Imagine ifyou will the victims of hurricane katrina . rebuilding lifeafter such a disaster is not always easy. that is one out ofmillions of inexplicable situations that occur in the life ofman.
The point I am trying to make is that wether we like it ornot we need God. We need to acknowledge the existenceof a superior power.
Mankind has from the dawn of time prayed and seenamazing answers to prayer. If what you do must work out
I have seen something else under the sun: Therace is not to the swift or the battle to the strong,nor does food come to the wise or wealth to thebrilliant or favor to the learned; but time andchance happen to them all. NIV
There are factorsin life beyond human control
Any counsel that discourages faith
in God is foolishess of the highest
order.
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it must of a neccesity pass through the blessing of theAlmighty.
Prov 16:3
NIV
It is I mportant that we include God in all our plans , healone knows the end from the beginning. He alone cangurantee succcess.
Mark 6:47-51
Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and yourplans will succeed
he(jesus) saw them toiling in rowing; for thewind was contrary unto them:
.
And when even was come, the ship was in the midstof the sea, and he(Jesus) alone on the land.
Andand about the
fourth watch of the night he (Jesus) cometh untothem, walking upon the sea, and would have passedby them.
But when they saw him walking upon the sea, theysupposed it had been a spirit, and cried out:
For they all saw him, and were troubled. Andimmediately he talked with them, and saith untothem, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid.
63
64
Andand they were sore amazed in
t h e m s e l v e s b e y o n d m e a s u r e , a n dwondered.(emphasis mine) KJV
he (Jesus) went up unto them into the ship;and the wind ceased:
Without the Lord you will have no shield against thecontrary winds of life. The winds that work against you,make you toil and see little or no results. It is not wise to setsail without Jesus Christ in your ship. Anything couldhappen.
But you can see from the passage above that when theLord Jesus comes into your boat the contrary winds willcease.
You need to have Christ in your life . You see we all havesinned and fall short of the glory (excellence, brillianceand favour) of God. Sin is something all mankind wrestleswith sin comes with corruption and the ultimatedestruction of all we hold dear, an example isalchoholism;imagine how many alchoholists and drugabusers lost their jobs, homes, money to these vices , thinkabout this.
Christ is the answer to sin. He took the punishment thatwas due to us and obtained in its stead the favour of God,that means instead of us getting judgement from God we
get complete access to God's help and all the host ofheaven as we walk through life and its challenges, moreimportantly we enter into a special relationship with thecreator of all that exists. Day by day multitudes aremeeting with Christ Jesus and gaining new life andrecovering everything they lost .
You can gain this special access to God by asking ChristJesus into your heart confessing Him as your Lord andsavior and believe in your heart that God raised Him fromthe Dead and you shall be saved.
You dont need to wait you can ask the Lord Jesus into yourheart right now and move into a new life in God's favour .when you do this look for a bible believing church in yourarea and begin to learn how Christ can help you not onlyto recover all but to move into a life of greatness . in hisfamous word in. John 10:10
The for , to , to: am they might that they
might it more
thief cometh not, but to steal and kill anddestroy I come that have life, and
have abundantly.
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Note