FASTING THE FOOTSTEPS OF JESUS

I WANT TO INVITE YOU TO JOIN THE FASTING MOVEMENT.

We begin each year by fasting for 21 days. Fasting in January is much like praying in the morning to establish the will of God for the entire day. When we put God first in our lives, in our families, in our finances – in everything – I believe that He will bless and multiply those areas. If we will pray and seek God and give Him our first and best at the beginning of the year, He will honor that sacrifice and bless our ENTIRE year!

If you are one of those people who sense that God has more for your life, take the first step and believe for more of Him.

Start the year off right and discover the rewards of putting God first! I look forward to hearing about what God will do in our lives and in our land as we seek Him together.

Make fasting a “lifestyle!”

Fasting is not just for the beginning of the year. Commit to fasting, prayer and giving throughout the year and watch as God releases His hand of blessing over your entire year. Make fasting a regular part of your life and see how He supernaturally opens doors for you.

Join me, and thousands from around the world, in the Fasting Movement.

Teachings taken from: http://www.jentezenfranklin.org/

But what if I try and fail?” D real loser is d one who never attempts to fly with d wings God gave them.So,do what God’s called you to do!

— Coach Yomi Isaac Faloye (@yomifisaac) December 31, 2015

 

How to Organize Your Day with Just Two Pieces of Paper

We all have so many things to do. Each day is filled with tasks at work and home, and we all want to fill each day with as many accomplishments as possible.

Sometimes though, things slip through the cracks. We have so much to do that our brain can’t remember it all. Desperate, we turn to calendars and apps, but we often have so many different places where we are trying to keep track of what we need to do that we forget where we put the information.

If you are a lover of simplicity, may I share with you how I have started organizing my to-dos on just two sheets of paper? In fact, they aren’t even full sheets.

When stores had their “Back to School” sales, I bought a pack of small spiral notebooks. They were about five for a dollar and in Nigeria five for 200 naira, I think. I carry one with me all the time and just use the pages in there for my lists.

Page 1: Today’s To-Dos

At the top of a page, I simply write the name of the next day, and form a numbered list of the things that have to get done. The key is “have to.” Far too often, we write down a thousand things and don’t know where to start. If you had to get done only three or four things tomorrow, what would go on that list? That’s what goes on this list.

On most days, my list has about five things on it. As a blogger & serial entrepreneur, there is almost always “business study, emails, daily outreach,” but I make note of which  (“daily clients to email/visit and bible study times”) or meetings I need most to focus on. Usually, there is a visit or phone call that needs to be made. If, at the end of the day, those handful of things are accomplished, I have had a good day.

As a special note, if there is something that is scheduled (in my case, an urgent technical issues to deal with in a travel agents office is not out of place), I write the “to-do,” but note the time in large, red letters out beside it. I also do use my smartphone and have it send me a reminder a few minutes beforehand. So, the entry on my paper might just say, “HIIMPACTTRAVEL REQUEST with [name]. 2:00PM.” That way, the time will be looking at me throughout the day, and I’ll be able to coordinate my other “to-dos” around this one that is fixed, as far as time goes.

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Page 2: Future/Wish List

Throughout any day, there are other items that come up and we would like to do them, or it would be nice if they happened. However, they drain us from the most important items on our list. That’s where the second piece of paper comes in. It is, in reality, nothing more than a small “scratch pad” where I write down things that come into my mind that need to get done in the future, I would like to do if time allows today, or that I just need to be reminded of.

Examples that go on this sheet are things like gift ideas for upcoming clients birthdays, phone numbers of people I need to call in the coming days and send bulk sms to, lists of people to ask to be on a committee, and other similar items. All these can be organized into a “to-do” list at a later date, but as the day goes on, it is best just to write down the short notation as a way to remember them later.

At the end of the work day, I look at this page and see if there is anything that needs to go on tomorrow’s to-do list. If so, it goes on there. If not, I leave the page there, and try to come back to it (along with all the others) on Sunday, so I can use these notes to plan out my week.

As with any other system, there are always things that slip through the cracks, but I was tired of having what seemed like endless places with notes and to-do lists. So, I went old-school, and it has helped me so much. Simplicity works for me, and perhaps it will work for you, too.

How do you keep track of your to-dos? Leave a comment!

NOW IS THE TIME

IT TAKES TIME TO POLISH AND BRING OUT THE JEWEL IN YOU. BUT NOW IS THE TIME.

The Bible in Eccl 11:4 says

‘If you look at circumstances you will never get anything done.”

In the field of arts you have what is referred to as DDP or Daily Discipline of Practice. If you want to become exceptional in any field of the arts, you are advised to invest at least an hour a day to practice & in seven days, you would have practiced for seven hours.

Although an hour a day is little but through time, your practice will begin to add up & reflect in your life & work. You will gain the mastery & you will eventually stand-out in your calling.

You will become a master at what you do. Your value will ultimately be rewarded.

My life in the field of TRAVEL & TOURISM is an example of this practice. When I look back at how it all started out some years down the line, for me, what I see now, where I am now & all I know now is a product of God’s grace.

Then I went professional with my gifting by reason of consistency & best practices at what I know how to do best.

So also, if you spend time daily meditating on the finished works of Christ, you are building your faith & crediting your #GRACEBANK which over time when challenges come knocking- the moment you look deep into your spirit, those Words deposited over time will suddenly arise, you can then withdraw a Word of victory to strike that storm in the face of apparent defeat.

Make it a practice to always feed on the Word as this will lift you while everything else straighten out.

It takes time to polish and bring out the jewel in you. But NOW IS THE TIME.

CALLED FROM YOUR MOTHER’S WOMB

Galatians 1:15

…God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace,

 

Beloved, you are not an accident with no destiny. God has called you from your mother’s womb. You have a special calling and a destiny in Christ, and it is all by His grace!

 

There are Christians who are called by God to be doctors. But I believe that among them are those separated from their mothers’ wombs for the healing ministry. They are passionate about seeking cures to alleviate the sufferings of humanity.

 

Likewise, I think that there are Christians who are called by God to be teachers in secular schools. But among them are those separated from their mothers’ wombs to be Bible teachers. What gives them tremendous fulfillment is seeing lives saved and transformed under their teaching.

 

What about those famous magicians you see performing tricks on television? They have a love for the mystical and supernatural. If they were to become Christians, they might just become prophets with ministries marked by the miraculous!

 

The apostle Paul knew that he was called from his mother’s womb. He had a misguided passion for God though, as he was persecuting the church, until he had his encounter with Jesus. (Acts 8:3,9:1–6)

 

If Paul, a terrorist to the early church, could be touched by Christ to become an apostle of grace, what about today’s terrorists who blow up people in the name of their god? For all you know, if they receive Christ, they might just become trailblazers in the kingdom of God!

 

Now, don’t think that your calling has to do with your qualifications, abilities, achievements or even your walk with God. You were called from your mother’s womb by His grace. As a fetus in your mother’s womb, there was not much you could do—good or bad. That is why your calling is all by His grace. And since He has given you a calling, ask the Holy Spirit to help you discern the desires that He has placed in your heart, the passions that drive you in life, and fulfil your calling and destiny in Christ!

 

YOU HAVE TO BE CARELESS TO BE IN FAITH

1Peter 5:7.

Let us SLAY all religious cows now…lols.  The truth is you being careful will not help Ur faith. Literally, U have to be careless to be in FAITH! Believe the Goodnews. It is settled!

You see, worrying, complaining, nagging or quarreling will not take u anywhere near the PROMISE LAND. It will not heal you, it will not land you the much expected business contract, neither will sowing physical gifts into a woman’s life make her your wife…lol!

EVE was created from ADAM, when He(ADAM) slept. God knocked Adam off, so that He(God) can get the job done for Adam.  God is at work in your life right now. Just SLEEP!

Whatever things concern a follower of God, whether they be spiritual or physical, or whether in themselves great or small, God concerns himself with them; what affects you affects Him; “…in all their afflictions he is afflicted.” (Isaiah  63:9)

He who knows that God cares for him, need have no anxious cares about himself. This is a plain reference to Psalm 55:22  Pile your troubles on GOD’s shoulders– he’ll carry your load, he’ll help you out. He’ll never let good people topple into ruin.(MSG)

My brother, my sister, u too can “SLEEP”.  Just like Adam did in the garden of Eden for EVE to be created. When you sleep,  that long awaited marriage will take place,  you will conceive a miracle child, wealth will change hands, notable overflows will take place instantly, that prodigal husband or son will come back home to you with good tidings, every diseases will be healed permanently;

 in short- miracles will happen and you will open your mouth wide to declare that: “I have seen JESUS (The goodness of God)”.

Here is the key:  Fix your eyes on the CROSS. Sow the word of God into your heart daily. Constantly meditate on the Finished Work of Christ. Focus on the WORD not the GIANT  before you.

SLEEEEEP! Faith will RISE. Rest in the finished work of Christ. The WORD works. YOU HAVE TO BE CARELESS TO BE  IN FAITH.  Phil 4:6  Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

This is the power of CHRIST in ME.

RECEIVE AS YOU HEAR THE GOOD NEWS

Romans 1:16 16For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes…

If you have been to motivational seminars, you would probably have heard the speakers say, “If you follow these five steps, then you will come to a place of financial increase.” They would probably have told you also that if you don’t succeed, it is because you did not follow the steps correctly or diligently. Thank God that the gospel or good news does not work like that! The minute you hear or read the good news, and you believe and receive it, His Word goes forth to sozo (the Greek word for “save”) you, making you well, prosperous and whole, “for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes”. What is the good news? It is that God loves us so much that He gave us His Son to take our beating so that we can have His blessings without having to work for them. Right now, as you are reading this devotional, listening to a preacher or watching a sermon DVD, as you hear God’s Word, His power is released into your situation, working things out for you and turning your situation around for your good. In Acts 14:8–10, we see Paul preaching the good news in Lystra. A man who was crippled from birth was listening to Paul. Paul, seeing that he had faith to be healed, said, “Stand up straight on your feet!” And the man leaped and walked! He heard the good news, believed it and was healed. At a leadership conference in Oslo, Norway, where I was speaking, a pastor there shared how a well-respected businessman in his church was healed while listening to one of my sermon CDs. This man was deaf in one ear. And when he was listening to my teaching on the CD, his deaf ear popped open without anyone laying hands on him or praying for him! He was just listening to the good news when his ear opened. Now, that is what I call the power of God unto his salvation, sozo-ing him, making his hearing whole! My friend, these miracles happen not because we follow some kind of formula faithfully, but because we hear the good news preached and simply believe it!

ARE YOU AT THE HELM OF YOUR SHIP?

Proverbs 16:1 The plans of the heart belong to man, and the answer of the tongue, [are] from the LORD [Yahweh].

So many times the source of greatest difficulty in life is when we misunderstand our roles. When children think they need to be the parent, mothers act like fathers and vice versa, it creates hardship.

God’s original pattern for all of these areas of our lives brings peace, order, and security. His way truly is easy. (Call it the way of GRACE), and when we deviate from them, it isn’t God’s fault for the results.

If you look at the verse above it says that the plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. What does that mean?

Well picture any ship of war, such a battleship or carrier. Does the captain physically do all of the work himself? No, he speaks and he commands and others act.

A lot of the times all the captain just has to do is speak softly, and those under him take their positions, and do what they are told. You know what this is a good picture of? Walking in the Spirit/Resting in Grace.

You see the moment you were born again, you got drafted. The cause of Christ is now your cause. His ship is now your ship, and He is the captain of all captains.

And like someone with true authority, He speaks gently. He doesn’t loose his temper, he doesn’t have to fight, it just gets done. He is also a great leader in that He cares for you, and wants to see your needs and even your desires met.

Now here is what I am getting to. I’m pretty sure that you have been reaching out to the Lord for something. We all know that we can do that. But how are you expecting it to manifest?

Perhaps you hope, that you just give the Lord your request, and He will go and do all the work for you. You can just have a nice prayer time or three, and wait until the answer arrives.

Or perhaps you are on the opposite end, and think that you have to work hard to make it happen. You are prepared to do whatever it takes to see it through. You are going to push and strive, and you have many plans.

The plans aren’t the bad part. The fact that they are your plans are.

So where along this spectrum are you? Are you waiting for something to happen, or trying to make it happen all in your own strength? Well I’ve got some bad news for you. Neither of those approaches are the right one!

The Lord is not going to do all the work for you. He is the captain after all, not the crew! You are the one at the helm of your ship, steering it. What are you confessing? What are you seeing? And what are you hearing?. It is simply to make sure you are listening to your captain.

God’s part is in granting your request. Your part is in doing whatever He tells you that you need to do to get to it. Which is for you to continuously put your eyes on HIS finished work at Calvary. Because of the LAMBSLAIN, there will be unusual favor, hence Notable overflow.

Yes the Lord will work on your behalf.
God works with those that are open to be used by Him. Your job is to make sure that in all the needs, desires, and plans that are on your heart, you make sure to wait to hear what God wants you to do via mediation on His finished work(The WORD).

Sometimes, it will be to pray. To confess the word. Other times it will be to start a business, give your time and money, or even, spend money and have fun with your family!

Perhaps you have been asking God for a long time for something. Maybe a spouse, a child, finances, and it hasn’t seem to come yet. I know how frustrating it can be, but can you truly say that you have listened for the voice of God each day? Have you asked Him what He wants you to do to fulfill destiny?

It’s like you heard that someone buried a fantastic treasure in an old forest. Where do you begin to look? It would sure help to have the One who knows everything to tell you how to get there.

The Lord is speaking to you all the time. When you faced that tough time at your job, and with your family. When it didn’t seem that He was there, He was. But unless you listen, and do what He says, you will continue to wait and miss out. How do you listen? Fix your eyes on the lambslain by meditating daily on what He has done for you at Calvary in that area of your life you are in FAITH for a change.

Take time each day to be with the Lord. Ask him what does He want you to do to manifest the thing you’ve been believing for. Find out, do it, and you will experience peace and His blessing, like never before!

LIVING AND RESTING IN HIS GRACE

Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.

Proverbs 3:5–6, AMP

Depending on the Lord’s grace and resting in His finished work does not mean doing nothing. Just look at Apostle Paul, who lived by God’s grace. He saw first-hand how a revelation of God’s grace turned him into the effective and hardworking apostle that he was (1 Corinthians 15:10).

How do we rest in the Lord and still find ourselves effectively doing what we need to do? It’s simple—just do what you ought to do, but do it trusting in the Lord’s favor, not in your smarts or careful planning. Whatever you need to do today, do it with an inward rest, without worrying or fretting, knowing that He loves you, is in charge and is for you.

For example, let’s say that you’ve got a job interview coming up. First, commit the matter to the Lord. Ask Him for wisdom and favor. Then, prepare for the interview—read up on the company. On the day of the interview, dress appropriately and go for it, all the while having an inward rest as you trust the Lord for His wisdom and favor. As you do what’s needed, He will guide you and empower you to do what’s really needful and right. He’ll also give you favor with your interviewers.

Beloved, rest in His grace today and let the Lord lead you to good success!

Thank God for GRACE!!

MAKE IT! SAVE IT! GROW IT! GIVE IT!

SEEK THE BLESSO, THE BLESSING WILL COME.

Recently I saw Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps and thought it was a pretty entertaining movie. It’s a sequel to the 1987 movie Wall Street and picks up when Gordon Gekko is released from prison. I won’t go into detail about the movie’s plot, but Gekko definitely loves money and isn’t afraid to sacrifice almost everything for it.

I was taken back by one line that Gekko had in the movie: “Time is the greatest asset you have.” If you watch the movie, you’ll see that Gekko isn’t a super sensitive guy and for him to recognize that time is the greatest asset you have on this earth, it makes you step back and think about the things that really matter.

I love talking, thinking, creating, and building businesses that succeed financially. Money is a great tool to advance the kingdom and to support the less privilege in life. But once we make money our main focus in life, that’s when problems can arise. The tough part is that the problems come gradually and the important things get pushed back slowly. Not too many businessmen make a decision in just one day to make their work a priority over their family, but the small choices made everyday can lead to that very outcome – even if they think their priorities are still straight.

Allocating time to the highest priorities in your life takes a concentrated effort. It’s easy to unintentionally let important things like faith, family, and relationships slip by while your attention is focused on things like work and becoming financially secure.

I think this verse is a great reminder of how we should prioritize our time.

So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. – Matthew 6:31–33 NIV

It’s important to understand that these verses aren’t telling us to forget work altogether and to focus every minute of our day on spreading the Gospel. We were created to work by fixing our eyes on the #lambslain daily rather than putting your trust on the salary/proceeds as we embark on our businesses and various life endeavors and according to Col. 3:23 we are to work at everything with all of our heart as working for the Lord. This verse is simply about priorities. It says seek his kingdom “first.” It’s up to us to prioritize the “second” and “third” thing we do – but I’m confident that we have a better chance of prioritizing these things in our life if we start with seeking His kingdom first.

We’re all given 24 hours each day – no more no less. Our time never increases, making it the most precious asset we have. So take a few minutes today and think about what you’ve been putting first. Is it his kingdom? If not, when was the last time you really evaluated how you were spending your time?

What are some ways you remind yourself to seek his kingdom first by putting your eyes on the lamb-slain? Leave a comment!