THE MESSAGE NOW
Vol 1, No. 6 – Monday, 15th August, 2016
(1 Sam.2:3, 1 Jn.3:20-21, 2 Cor.13:5, Ps.26:2)
Is being principled the same as being proud? Motive, we must understand is the most perfect judge of any action. Our refusal to accept the general viewpoint more often than not labels us as ‘the arrogant one’ andor the one suffering from ‘spiritual pride’. Whilst serious care needs (a good lot of the time) to be taken on the issue of pride especially because of its subtle nature, the line between being principled on key life issues in deference from other stances, I submit cannot be rightly claimed to be pride.
Reason with me dearly Beloved, ‘until a man becomes an uncompromising noncomformist’, would he not ‘bow to anything and to everything?’ Unarguably, pride is destructive. There is no excuse for it whatsoever. It is a subtle and most potent tool of the enemy to swiftly drive off the Spirit of the Lord from any regenerated soul. But dearly Beloved, have you ever seen the flipside of church or Christian persecution? Have you ever been verbally attacked by fellow Christians and even from the pulpit for holding a different stance on a given subject?
If your reason for holding onto your stance is humbly genuine, vehicle by the genuine peace of God, then Beloved, be comforted. He who weighs the actions of all men is seeing your heart and onto Him, you owe any duty first and foremost. Do not see those Christian brethren attacking you as the enemy. Rather, see Satan as the enemy behind their action. Of course, this is unknown to those brethren. Dearly Beloved, can you believe this? A blind brother being criticized by Christian leaders because he refused to marry a sister with British passport on the ground that God is not leading him in that direction.
Common sense (not even anything spiritual) should inform any right-thinking-mind that it is a blind person who should seek for help in this regard and not the reverse. And is a British passport not a good temptation? Ah! also a sister in the choir! Hmmm, Beloved, what more can I say? Even when everything seems so lovely and alluringly perfect, remember your peace. Never mortgage it. Never tamper with your future divine plan. Whatever does not add value to your life and destiny cannot be yours. A single negative decision we make can change the entire direction of our life and destiny.
In sum, certain psrinciples continue to fuel the fire of my life. A few of these principles may be tainted by some to amount to nothing but pride. But Beloved, these principles keep the vehicle of my life in motion. I am therefore writing to you because I am of the strong view that these principles will at the least bless your heart and soul. Some of these principles are summarised below: (1) don’t just aspire, strive to be the first to break any great record.
(2) if not the first (because that record has been set by someone else before), then be the best so far, (3) be exceptionally and genuinely different irrespective of the most generally accepted viewpoint or norm, (4) never glory in the success of yesterday; it is already history at midnight of yesterday, it is a new day. Therefore, be innovative, be daring and be adventurous, (5) never embrace food, satisfaction or sleep until job at hand is perfectly done, (6) desire new challenges; fear no risk: ‘the secret of life is to have no fear’, says Kwame Nkruma (former President of Ghana), (7) ever dream big, ever aim for the highest because men who have little dreams, little aspirations, little desires for the topmost will end up with less, least or even nothing.
(8) I learnt perhaps the greatest lesson of my life from Baba (Apostle of Holiness, Apostle W.F. Kumuyi). Baba said: ‘never postpone a day’s assignment for the next’. So, if you have or embrace principles like me hold them very dearly. Respond well to both constructive and destructive criticisms. Live in humble confidence. Beware of the gold, the glory and the girls – and/or the guys. Do not be swayed nor tossed to and fro because of what others say.
Let us carry out daily examination of our heart through the lens of the Word of the Almighty. Remember that whatever belongs to you is yours; do not allow another take it from you.
Pray now:
Lord, surprise me with a special miracle soonest.
Lord, help me to be humble.
Lord, help me to be the best of the person you created me to be.
Every dark cloud over my destiny crash now.
My glory shall not die before me and I shall not die before my glory.
Any person, power, force or spirit enriching himself with my talent or glory go into sudden extinction.
Every satanic text message blackmailing me go blank and let your source crash.
Every evil representation of me in the dreams of my destiny helpers be countered by the blood of Jesus.
Ps.21:9; every masquerading force, power, personality or spirit monitoring and perpetrating evil against me be disgraced by fire.
Pastor Mike
