REJECTED BEFORE EVER REIGNING

THE MESSAGE NOW

Vol. 2, No. 18 – Monday, 1st May, 2017

 (Judges 11, Philippians 3:13-14)

REJECTED BEFORE EVER REIGNING

It was about the latter years of the 1990s, an African music band was named ‘Pain and Pleasure’ by its founder. The reason for that nomenclature is by no means difficult to unravel.

He was such a founder who rose to stardom practically from nothing.

But one thing was certain about this founder, although impaired (and indeed), hails from a family of additional two impaired sisters, he is a man of uncommon resolve. 

Shortly after the demise of his parents, the remaining months and years of his childhood was greeted by the  most gruesome rejection ever imagined by any one.

His uncle who should have provided succour acted in the exact opposite. Despite hardship and cruel rejection, this man found his way to the top by extreme determination. Having graduated with a Second-class Upper in History, the pursuit was then to secure a job.

But yet, trouble from childhood days seemed unabating. With all sense of diligence, he searched for his first job. Sadly, employment was in abeyance for six tumultuous years. During this period, he schooled himself in all sorts of skilled labour that was within his reach.

These included music (the guitar and the keyboard) and computer repairs, software management and programme development. Today, this founder of the Pain and Pleasure band is practically the only computer programmer, software developer and repairer of computer parts in the nation-state of Nigeria who is blind.

I conclude: the success of this man founder is but one. He is one who has a predilection for forgetting every ugly past and looking forward to a bright day ahead. Hear what the sixteenth President of the United States, the great Abraham Lincoln, had to say despite his many failures and societal rejection before eventual success.

Lincoln wrote: ‘my great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure’. Being content with present position is the first step down the ladder of ruin. Being unable to forgo is another step which deepens one the more in the mire of solitude and irrelevance.

I find no better way to exegetically illustrate today’s message other than by the reference to the Jephthah in today’s text. 

What a pathetic start of life he had. Born out of wedlock by a strange woman; he was in the eyes of his father’s sons and indeed in the eye of the society, a misfit and a no-force to reckon with.

Put into simpler language, the circumstances of Jephthah’s birth made him an outcast born into deficit. But as Winston Churchill enjoins: ‘success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts’.

Jephthah looked away from every unpleasant situation around him, but rather steadfastly beheld a glorious future, busying himself with other things in the process of the appearing of that glorious future being prepared.

Like Jephthah, Paul the Apostle admonished: ‘Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus’ (Philippians 3:13-14).

Is this not the same resilience ‘to continue’ that Winston Churchill spoke about. The voice of Robert F. Kennedy has lent additional credence to the astute saying of Winston Churchill. Kennedy opined: ‘only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly’.

The fact is certain: if all is constantly without an iota of challenge, then the basic meaning of life will be easily missed. In the coronation of any king, limitless rigorous preparation often so uncomforting are put in the top gear.

Then finally the period of reigning begins. The period of pain fades away for the era of pleasure. Such is the order of life. Life has no definition but of course, it has got certain basic characteristics. Some of which include pain and pleasure, gain and loss, sorrow and joy.

I am reminded today about the author of the book: ‘I married you’ the great marriage counsellor, Walter Trobisch who was determined to write a book in response to his wife, Ingrid’s earlier writing. Ingrid had written a book titled: ‘The Joy of a Woman’ and Walter was determined to write a response-book titled: ‘The Pain of a Man’.

Unfortunately, the ‘icy still hands of death’ took him away before the start of his writing. The underpinning point is not unclear. Life is the fairest to man. It spares no one in the distributive display of its basic characteristics.

Who knows but God that part of the preparation for your reigning as king or queen may be rejection and its associates. Do not give in nor curse God. Never say why me. It is you because it has to be you for that throne at the end of the tunnel.

You don’t see tomorrow but only in the eyes of faith and determination. So, be at peace today and keep learning every bit of sense. The bits will conduce some day to become a single, unified sensible whole.

IF YOU DO NOT LEARN TO RIDE ON THE SHOULDERS OF YOUR SENIORS YOU CANNOT SEE FAR ENOUGH NOR SUCCEED SO MUCH. 

IF YOU DO NOT LEARN TO LISTEN TO YOUR JUNIORS YOU CANNOT SEE WHAT IS DOWNWARDS THAT THEY ALONE CAN SEE. AS SUCH, YOU CAN NEVER BE WATCHFUL OR BETTER. IT IS ALL ABOUT HUMILITY AND AVOWED DETERMINATION.

 

Altar call: 

Backslidden – living in sin – needing fresh recommitment (say):

Christ Jesus, You are the Anointed One of the Most High. I come to you today as I am. In your mercy, help me out of my situation. Heal my soul, my spirit, my body, my life and my destiny. I acknowledge you as the only true lover of my soul. Please, deliver me on every side and save me through and through. I promise from the depth of my soul to be yours from henceforth, in Jesus name. Help me now O God. Be my Lord, my Saviour and my all in all from this day. Thank you Lord (read Psalm 54 in closing and pray more).

 

Hymn: Stand Up Stand Up For Jesus

Pray now:, frustrate the conspiracy, counsel and evil-speaking

4. Dear father, show me your mercy on the following issues of my life (name them).

5. Pray for Express Image Glory Ministries that the evil plots of “Samballats” and “Tobiahs” against it will utterly fail.

6. O God, frustrate the conspiracies, counsel and evil-speaking of evil men, women and satan against Pastor Mike and the Ministry you have committed onto him.

7. O God, exhume and cancel the name and glory of Express Image Glory Ministries from marine witchcraft coven, the waters and satanic prisons.

                        Pastor Mike