PREPARE TO DIE part 1 of a 3-part series by Daniel Yohanna

Death…the very mention of the word seems to send some cold sweat running down one’s spine. So fearful is this subject that it is hardly ever discussed unless the often times it breaks its way into the consciousness of people by dealing them a hard blow.

In a group discussion we had in our Ministry’s Couples’ Forum, the subject of writing a Will was raised. Most men wouldn’t write a will. The co-ordinator (himself a lawyer) admonished all men on the importance of writing a will so as not to leave any problem behind in the advent of your demise as to how to dispose of your estate. Everyone seemed happy with that counsel except the men to whom the counsel particularly pertained to, considering our cultural setting in Nigeria. A woman present noted that whenever she tried to encourage her husband to write a will, his response was, “Are you trying to kill me?” It was as if writing a will was an admission of one’s appointment with death. It seems to make one feel good by giving the impression that since the subject was not given prominence, death would be kept at bay.

Either by design or by default, it is the certain destination of all men. We are all journeying towards this direction, whether we admit it or deny it. In fact, some think that by pretending it’s not going to come, it’ll just stay away. But I believe that knowing it is your certain destination, prepare well, so you don’t get there in an untimely or ill-prepared manner.

We are all going to die – one of these days, sooner or later; therefore my admonition for you to PREPARE for it.

In 2Kings 20, God sent the prophet Isaiah to tell Hezekiah to put his house in order because his sickness was terminal. God had mercy on Hezekiah and extended his life after his cry for mercy, possibly because he was not ready – yet he eventually died. So, get ready to die, so it doesn’t take you by surprise.

Is it possible to prepare for death? Can one be really ready? I think we can, because Paul was ready (2Tim. 4:6). In fact, he was looking forward to dying. He said it was not a loss but a gain (Phil. 1:21

And then come to think of it, where did death originate from? Why is this ugly experience a part of creation? Did God – the Creator and Source of life – intentionally sandwich the joy of living with such moments of immeasurable sorrow?

Yet looking at this subject critically, you’ll discover that death is not all as bad as it appears. God doesn’t see it as a bad thing. How would you get to heaven, for example, if you don’t die? No wonder the Bible says, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.” (Psa. 116:15). Yet the same Bible says the Lord has no pleasurein the death of the wicked, but that he turns from his wicked ways (Ezek. 33:11). This is because death is a passage allowing you move from one realm to another realm of existence. How you live here on earth will determine how and when you die, and even where you move to, after death. What is the destiny of the wicked? The Bible provides the answer.

PSALM 9:17

The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.

But for the righteous, death is a horse the believer rides into his Saviour’s presence (2Cor. 5:6-9; 1Thess. 4:13-18)

Why are people afraid to die? Because within the consciousness of every human being, they know that there is a life beyond this life, and they’re not sure of what they’re going to meet on the other side. Let’s assume you’re driving from Lagos to Kano for the very first time. Without road signs and no map, you know how apprehensive you would be, especially if there is no one you could ask of the direction from. Thank God the Bible serves as a map for us, showing us our origin, our present location and our destiny.

          PSALM 119:19(TLB)

I am but a pilgrim here on earth: how I need a map – and your commands are my chart and guide.

But where did death originate from? The Bible provides the answer. Let’s look at the very first mention of death in the Bible.

GENESIS 2:15-17

15 Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it.

16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat;

17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."

The consequence of man’s disobedience to God’s command turned on a law – the law of sin and death (Rom. 8:2).

Someone might argue that Adam ate the fruit and didn’t die that day as God had said that he would. But yes, he did. It’s just like a leaf that is plucked off a plant. It dies immediately it is detached from the plant even though it still looks fresh. It only takes a little time for it to wilt.

You need to understand that there are three basic kinds of death mentioned in the Bible. You also need to understand that death does not necessarily mean cessation of being. Death is a separation.

The first is spiritual death. Spiritual death is the separation of man from the life of God. When Adam disobeyed God and committed high treason by selling out to the devil, he died spiritually. That’s why the Bible says that the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23; Jam. 1:15). Not that his spirit ceased to exist, but his spirit was no more alive unto God. It was cut off from the life of God in much the same way that a detached leaf does not cease to exist but is cut off from the life of the tree from where it was cut.

EPHESIANS 2:1-2

1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,

2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience

EPHESIANS 4:18

This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind,

having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart  (Eph 4:18)

The second kind of death is physical death. It is however pertinent to note that spiritual death is the mother of all other kinds of death, including physical death. Physical death is the separation of the body of man from his spirit. The body of man is simply his house. At death, man comes out of that dwelling place, and you see the body lying lifeless and you say, “The man is gone.”  The Bible confirms this.

JAMES 2:26

For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

When Adam was formed, his body was neither mortal nor immortal, but perfect. The deteriorating effect experienced today is caused by the fall of man, which empowered death to work against the human body.

2 CORINTHIANS 4:16

Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.

Thank God for eternal life, which empowers the body, energizing it with the life of God and so slowing down the death process.

ROMANS 8:11

But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

A third kind of death is eternal or second death. This is the eternal separation of man from God when the spiritually dead man, goes through physical death still in his unregenerate state without giving his life to Jesus. At the judgment in the Last Day, such a person is permanently banished into the lake of fire.

REVELATION 20:12-15; 21:8

12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.

13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.

14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

8 “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

For you child of God, because you have given your life to Christ, you have already passed from death to life (1Jn. 3:14). There is no more death for you. Death has been overpowered. That’s why when a child of God passes on, he is said to ‘sleep in Jesus,’ waking up in His presence (1Thess. 4:14; 1Cor. 15:18). Hallelujah! Our victory over death was first demonstrated through the resurrection Jesus from the dead. He conquered death in victory(2Tim. 1:10).

REVELATION 20:6; 22:4

6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

4 “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

An Allotted Time

Time is a commodity given to us in trust by God, and He expects us to use our time on earth judiciously, resourcefully and profitably. And, my friend, when your time is up, it’s up. No one has power to retain the spirit in the day of death (Eccl. 8:8). But then, why must you die before your time (Eccl. 7:17)? There is a right time to die (Eccl. 3:3, MSG).

Just like any consumable entity, it can be squandered or well utilized, spent or invested.

Scriptures point out to the fact that God has an allotted length of time called life span, given to every person (Psa. 139:16; Job 14:14b). That time can be consumed as seen in this scripture:

PSALMS 102:3

“For my days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned like a hearth.”

These days can be cut off.

PSALMS 90:10

“The days of our lives are seventy years; and if by reason of strength they are eighty years, yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.”

It is not God’s will that your days be cut off. In the next chapter, we will examine certain reasons why people do not fulfil their days.

These words by Dr. Lester Sumrall from his book, “The mystery of death,” are re-assuring:

“In my 60 years of ministry, I’ve seen death up close on many occasions…There have been many times when death came up close. None of those encounters, however, “had my name on them.” None were my appointment. But when my work is completed, I’ll be happy to wave and shout, “Goodbye, planet earth! It’s been nice knowing you.”

PSALM 116:7-9

7 Return to your rest, O my soul, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.

8 For You have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.

9 I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.

Invest Your Time

No one ever has control over time. You can’t save it for future use. You can only measure it, and you can as well maximize the use of it. So, instead of just living and spending time, you must begin to invest your time with the prospect of it yielding dividends to you in fruitfulness, resourcefulness, productivity and multiplication.

We’ve already seen that everyone on earth has an allotted number of days appointed to them. There are then, three ways a person could live through this life:

1.

 With their days shortened

PROVERBS 10:27

“The fear of the LORD prolongs days, but the years of the wicked will be shortened.”

In such a case, the remainder of one’s days are simply cut off. This is not referring to you, since you are not the wicked, and so is not your portion.

2.

  With their days fulfilled.

“… I will fulfill the number of your days” (Exod. 23:26b)

This is good enough for you. You can claim this. You won’t leave this world until your days are fulfilled. It’s pretty okay to go at this stage, as long as you have finished your assignment and are satisfied. Yet I show you a more excellent way to live.

3.

  With their days lengthened, multiplied or prolonged.

PROVERBS 9:11

“For by me your days will be multiplied, and years of life will be added to you.”

DEUTERONOMY 25:15

"You shall have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure, that your days may be lengthened in the land which the LORD your God is giving you.

​

It’s paramount to note that how you live your life determines how long you live. It then means the length of your days on earth is not something that is entirely a divine prerogative or a matter of fate or predetermined destiny. You have something to do with it. Your lifestyle has something to do with your length of days.

JOB 5:26 (KJV)

Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, like as a shock of corn cometh in in his season.

To be continued.

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BEGINNING OF MIRACLES by Daniel Yohanna

 [1] And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there:

[2] And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage.

[3] And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.

[4] Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.

[5] His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.

[6] And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.

[7] Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.

[8] And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it.

[9] When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom,

[10] And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.

[11] This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.

John 2:1-11 (KJV) 

The turning of water into wine is one of the most fascinating accounts in scripture. Incidentally, it is one of the most popular stories in the Bible, especially among drunkards: Jesus turned water into wine. However, I am quick in pointing to the fact that Jesus did not turn water into beer.

This miracle of turning something ordinary like water into wine (something extraordinary) forms a framework for this thesis.

This is the beginning of miracles in the Ministry of Jesus.

The New Birth

The new birth takes place when someone gives his or her life to Jesus. They become born again. The old life is past. There’s a change that has taken place inside the person, in their life.

2 Cor. 5:17 (KJV) 

    Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

The Living Bible paraphrases this verse beautifully:

When someone becomes a Christian he becomes a brand new person inside. He is not the same any more. A new life has begun!

The change is on the inside. Everything else may remain the same on the outside, but a definite change has occurred.

What is it really?

Jesus once said to a Jewish religious leader, a person must be born again to see the Kingdom of God.

John 3:3 (KJV) 

    Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

The man Jesus talked could not figure out how on earth one would get born a second time. Jesus explained what He meant.

You were once born (physically) by your parents. That’s why you carry their genes in you. There are certain features and characteristics and mannerisms that you inherited from your parents. But that’s as far as the physical being is concerned.

Man is not just a physical being. Scripture shows us that man is a three-fold dimensional being, comprising of a spirit, soul and body.

1 Thes. 5:23 (KJV) 

    And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The spirit of man is that part of him that comes from God, and is eternal - never dies. When a man dies, and his body lies lifeless, you hear people say, the man is gone. That is because the spirit is the real essence of his being. In fact, the Bible says the body without the spirit is dead.

James 2:26 (KJV) 

    For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

When man was made in the beginning, his body was moulded from the dust, but God breathed the breath of life into that piece of clay, making it a living soul.

Genesis 2:7 (KJV) 

    And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

God planted the man He had formed in the Garden of Eden. He was instructed how to live in the Garden, as the failure to comply would result in his death.

Genesis 2:15-17 (KJV) 

    And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. [16] And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: [17] But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

When man sinned against God, his nature was corrupted. Death set in. he didn’t die physically the day he ate the fruit, but the process of death began that day.

When you pluck off a leaf from off a tree, it still looks fresh, yet it is dead, needing time only to reveal the death through wilting.

So it was with man. The day he took the fruit that was forbidden him; he died, first spiritually, and then subsequently, physically. The life of God that was in him was cut off. He became alienated from God.

The State of Sinful Man

Ephes. 2:1-3 (KJV) 

    And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; [2] Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: [3] Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

Romans 5:12 (KJV) 

    Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

For man to be re-united with God, his spirit had to be made alive. Jesus had to pay the price with His own blood to reconcile us back to God.

Ephes. 2:13 (KJV) 

    But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

Romans 5:9-11 (NKJ) 

    Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. [10] For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. [11] And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

The Fatherhood of God

We are not just reconciled to God, we become the children of God. Just like a natural union between a man and a woman produces an offspring as a result of the fusion between the male seed (sperm) and the woman’s ovum, so does God release His seed into our spirits, thus, producing children.

1 Peter 1:23 (KJV) 

    Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

When we were unbelievers, we were sold to sin and held under the power of darkness. We were Satan’s children, fulfilling his desires. (Jn.8:44).

Now that we have given our lives to Christ, the Spirit of God lives in our hearts, we are no more Satan’s children. We are bona fide children of God.

Romans 8:14-17 (KJV) 

    For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. [15] For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. [16] The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: [17] And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

1 John 3:1-2 (KJV) 

    Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. [2] Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

You can clearly see what it means to be born again. You were born (naturally) by your parents; now you are born (supernaturally) by God.

John 3:3-8 (KJV) 

    Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. [4] Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? [5] Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. [6] That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. [7] Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. [8] The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

How to be Born Again

While in the natural you have nothing to do with your birth, it is not so with spiritual rebirth. You didn’t choose when or how you were born naturally, but your new birth has to do with your decision.

John 1:11-13 (KJV) 

    He came unto his own, and his own received him not. [12] But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: [13] Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

You have to receive Him into your heart. You have to believe in Him.

Romans 10:9-10 (KJV) 

    That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. [10] For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Some try to make people confess all their sins in other to be saved. No. you are to confess the Lordship if Jesus over your life. It is a Christian (already saved) who sins that confesses that sin so as to receive forgiveness. (1Jn.1:9). If one has to confess all his sins before he is saved, what about the sins he cannot remember, talk less of confessing them? Yes, a man must admit that he is a sinner and that he cannot save himself, irrespective of the means employed. He has to depend on the grace of God.

Ephes. 2:8-9 (KJV) 

    For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: [9] Not of works, lest any man should boast.

The sinner’s problem is not the sins he commits but the sin nature in him that needs change. Nobody is going to hell on account of the sins he has committed. Jesus took care of the sin problem on the cross.

John 1:29 (KJV) 

    The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

Hebrews 9:28 (KJV) 

    So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

People will go to hell because they have rejected God’s offer of salvation.

John 3:18-19 (KJV) 

    He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. [19] And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

John 16:7-11 (KJV) 

    Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. [8] And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: [9] Of sin, because they believe not on me; [10] Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; [11] Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.

The Living Bible paraphrase of Jn.16:9 is beautiful:

The world’s sin is unbelief in me.

All the sinner needs to do to be saved is to confess Jesus as Lord, believing that He died for him, and rose again to justify him. His own works can’t earn him salvation. He has to have faith in the works of Jesus on the cross. Man’s righteousness is as filthy rags before God. (Isa.64:6). You have to verbalize your faith in the work of the cross.

The Living Bible renders Rom.10:9-10 this way:

For if you tell others with your own mouth that Jesus Christ is your Lord, and believe in your own heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

[10] For it is by believing in his heart that a man becomes right with God: and with his mouth he tells others of his faith, confirming his salvation.

Not a Religion

Being born again is not receiving a religion. It is pertinent to know that Christianity is not a religion, but the love and life of God manifested in man. Religion is man’s way of seeking God. It was man that was lost, and not God. God came, in the person of Jesus, to seek, save and restore lost humanity to God.

Not Joining a Church

Being a registered member or even a church worker in a congregation does not automatically translate to salvation. If you’ve not personally given your life to Christ and confessed His Lordship over you, you will die and go to hell, despite your role in the church. That your parents are elders or pastors does not mean you are saved. If your parents own a hospital, that doesn’t make you a Doctor. That you regularly attend a church doesn’t make you part of the church. You can have blocks in a building that are not part of the building. The church (not the building or cathedral) comprises those that are bought and washed by the blood of the Lamb.

The Greatest Miracle

The greatest miracle in human existence is the new birth – when a man gives his life to Christ.

It is the greatest because its effects transcend the sphere of time. It goes right into eternity.

It is greater than raising the dead. This is because a man that is raised from the dead will die again, and end up in hell if he does not get born again.

A cripple can be healed, and eventually die, and perish in hell, except he has given his life to Christ.

This is therefore the greatest miracle – the miracle of a changed life.

With this miracle, other miracles begin to follow in your life.

The new birth therefore, is the beginning of miracles in your life.

 Call me on 08077837847

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The Encounter Mega Summit

Imagine Alvin Slaughter and Panam Percy Paul in Ibadan!
The city of Ibadan is about to host a major Gospel event: The Encounter Mega Summit organized by Rapha Int'l Ministries presided over by Daniel & Mary Yohanna.
The event holds Thurs. 30 Oct. -  Sun. 02, Nov. 2014 [Thurs/Fri. : 5:00pm - 8:00am; Sat./Sun. : 8:00am -  11:00am].
Venue is A-Three Events Centre, Off Powerhouse B/Stop, Iwo Rd. - Ojoo Expressway, Ibadan.
Ministering alongside the hosts are the Serving Overseer of The Lighthouse Ministries, Abuja, Pastor Shola Adesoye and the Presiding Pastor of Daylight Worship Centre, Lagos, Prophet Joseph Akanya.
Ministering in Music are Alvin Slaughter from the USA and Dr. Panam Percy Paul from Jos.
Other Worship Leaders at the 4-day event include Big Bolaji, Ibironke Adeniji, Rosemary Odega, Adebisi Akinfenwa and Righteousness Alawiye.
According to Pastor Yohanna, who is the author of 6 best-selling titles, The Encounter Mega Summit is an avenue for people to experience the  presence and power of God in Prayer, Praise and Prophecy. It's going to be a life-changing experience for everybody in attendance. Come experience God @ work!

A COVENANT PEOPLE by Daniel Yohanna

God cut a covenant with Abraham and his seed (Gen. 17:1-12). And we know that a covenant is an agreement that is legally binding.
Jesus came as the seed of Abraham - and we all, through Jesus are the children of Abraham (Gal. 3:7, 16,29).
Yet, a new covenant was enacted in Christ, which is like a codicil to the Old (Abrahamic) covenant, which happens to be a better covenant, established upon better promises (Heb. 8:6).
The modifications in this new covenant absolved us of the rites or liturgies of the old covenant like the sabbath rites, the animal sacrifices and other burnt offerings (Jesus being the ultimate sacrifice) , burning of incense, ablutions yet grants us all of the benefits of the Abrahamic covenant (Col. 2:13,14). It also frees us from the curse(s) under that covenant that served as punishment for breaking the law.

 Galatians 3:7,14,16,29
"Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."

Some of the benefits they enjoyed under that covenant included supernatural provision, divine health, divine protection, distinction from the world, victory over their enemies, etc.

"He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and there was not one feeble person among their tribes." (Psa.105:37)

When there were plagues that ravaged Egypt, Israel was exempt.
And in His covenant relationship with His people, He promised to free them from the evil diseases of Egypt

"And said, “If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you.” (Exo. 15:26)

"You shall be blessed above all peoples; there shall not be a male or female barren among you or among your livestock. And the Lord will take away from you all sickness, and will afflict you with none of the terrible diseases of Egypt which you have known, but will lay them on all those who hate you." (Deut. 7:14,15).

No matter the intensity of darkness in the world, God will shine over you with a light over which darkness cannot comprehend [Gen. 1:3; Isa. 60:1-3; John 1:5].
There will be a clear difference between God's children and the people of the world (Mal. 3:17,18).
When men are going down, you will go higher and higher (Job 22:29).
In every encounter, you will come out tops (Deut. 28:13). You are destined to soar on eagle's wings as a high flyer (Isa. 60:8).
Sickness is not your portion but the portion of your enemies. Poverty is not your lot. What stops others will not stop you. You will not be counted among the dead. You don't need to fear what others fear. Your case is different. You serve a living God.
If you are a born again child of God, you are in Covenant with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Walk in this covenant blessing. There's no stopping you. I'll see you at the top.

OBTAINING & MAINTAINING YOUR HEALING by Daniel Yohanna

OBTAINING AND MAINTAINING YOUR HEALING
Healing is one of the benefits of our redemption in Christ. When Jesus hanged on the Cross, He took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses (Mt. 8:16,17) and by His stripes (wounds) we have been healed. So, through His substitutionary sacrifice, He obtained healing for us. It is now left to us to receive that which He has made available for us.
Methods of Healing:
1) Asking in the name of Jesus
“And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full." (Jn.16:23,24)
2) Making a demand in the name of Jesus
And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. (Jn.14:13,14)
To ask here is to demand. Take advantage of the right to use the name of Jesus and stand upon that authority to demand sickness to leave.
“Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." (Mt.18:18)
3. Prayer of Agreement. Two or more believers can pray together in agreement. They must make sure they're agreeing on the same thing.
“Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven." (Mt.18:19)
4) Laying on of hands.
A believer lays hands on the sick, thereby transmitting God's healing power, just as Jesus did in Lk. 4:40. God's power is hidden in His hand (Hab. 3:3,4). The believer's hand is an extension of God's hand, for we are "members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones," and "As He is, so are we in this world." (Eph. 5:30; 1Jn. 4:17).
"And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues... they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” (Mk.16:17,18)
5. Anointing with Oil
"Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven." (Jam. 5:14,15)
The oil is one of the symbols of the Holy Spirit and is a medium (like the hand) through which the anointing - the yoke-destroying burden-removing power of God (Isa.10:27) - is released.
According to T. J. McCrossan in His book, Bodily Healing and the Atonement, "When we today anoint a sick saint with oil by touching the surface of the skin, as Aaron's sons were anointed in Exo.40:15, we recognize the blessed fact that this person has been regenerated and belongs to the church, the household of Christ, our great High Priest, and therefore has a perfect right to claim all the benefits of Christ's redeeming love."
6. Holy Communion (1Cor. 11:23-32; John 6:53-58)
Christ's body was broken for you (on the Cross) so that yours would not be broken by sickness, weakness or infirmity but rather be made whole, as symbolized by the breaking of bread. Jesus once referred to healing as children's bread (Mt.15:21-26).
The cup of communion is the New Covenant in His blood. It shows our union with Him in His life, for the life is in the blood.
In partaking of the Lord's body and blood in Communion, we do enforce in our lives the victory He obtained for us on the Cross of Calvary.
We've seen people come and get healed during our Communion services which holds first Sunday/Wednesday of the month.
7) Anointed (Healing/Prayer) Cloth
"Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them." (Ac.19:11,12)
There are times we're not able to physically reach the sick, and a piece of cloth serves as a "storage battery," super-charged with God's power and taken to the sick, and they are healed. The cloth serves as a conductor of God's power, a medium, just like the oil, to convey healing power.
"Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years,
When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment.
Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction." (Mk. 5:25,27,29)
8. Gifts of Healing(s) / The Healing Anointing
There are some ministers, like myself, who are anointed with God's healing power - a tangible healing anointing - just like Jesus was anointed (Ac.10:38). When those gifts are in operation, people get healed (with or without prayer). This is a supernatural manifestation of healing power through one individual to another.
 Now, every believer can get people healed by laying on of hands, though prayer or by ministering the Word as God confirms His Word with signs following. (Mk.16:17-20). But here, I'm referring to the Ministry (or gifts) of healing (1Cor.12:9,28).
9. Believing and Speaking the Word
"For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says" (Mk.11:23).
Just by continually speaking to yourself the Word as it concerns healing, you'll experience God's healing power. Get acquainted with Healing Scriptures and continually speak and act them out.
10. Healing in Redemption
This is by far the best method. This is for the believer who knows that healing belongs to him. You take your place as a son. You know that healing is in God's redemptive plan and that by His stripes, you are healed (Isa. 53:4,5; Mt. 8:16,17; 1Pet.2:24).
You refuse to allow sickness in your body because you are healed. You know that the pain, sickness or disease was laid on Jesus. Since He bore it, you don't need to bear it anymore. You simply know it, so you thank God. There's no need for prayer. No need to be anointed or to have hands laid on you. You just thank the Father for perfect deliverance.
MAINTAINING YOUR HEALING
One sad fact is that healing can be lost. Peter started walking on water, but when he began to doubt, he began to sink (Mt.14:25-31). Why did Peter begin to sink? He was looking at the situation around him instead of looking unto Jesus. That's how people lose their healing - through doubt.
When we take our eyes off His Word and begin to focus on the symptoms, we will "sink" more and more into that sickness.
In Num. 21:5-9, the children of Israel murmured against God and He sent deadly serpents to bite them. When they cried unto God, He instructed Moses to make a bronze serpent (the symbol used as the logo of the Medical Profession). When anyone was bitten, he was healed as he looked at the bronze serpent (a type of Jesus hanging on the Cross for our redemption) and not on the bite. It was impossible for them to look at both the snake bite and the bronze serpent simultaneously.
Take your eyes off your symptoms. Fix your gaze on the Cross where Himself took your infirmities. Don't be ruled by the senses whereby your improvement is the basis of your faith and not God's Word. Don't let your feeling dictate your faith. Healing has nothing to do with feeling. If God's Word says you are healed, then you are healed - whether you feel like it or not.
Smith Wigglesworth said, "I am not moved by what I see. I am not moved by what I feel. I'm only moved by what I believe."
Thomas said unless I see I won't believe (Jn. 20:24-29). But Jonah tells us that they that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy (Jon. 2:8).
Keep your faith strong by feeding constantly on the Word of God, speaking it at all times, and never focusing on your symptoms. In the words of Oral Roberts, "Never doubt God. If you must doubt, doubt your doubts, for they are unreliable."
WALKING IN HEALTH
Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. (3Jn2)
It is God's desire that you not only get healed but that you stay healthy. The same Word that got you healed will keep you healed. Speak the Word (Mt.8:8) at all times, not only when you're down with sickness.
According to "Dad" P. C. Nelson, you must "keep you faith strong at all times. The time will come when you'll need healing for yourself or for some member of your family, and if you have not kept your faith string, you'll be at a disadvantage." He also added, "Constantly feed along the lines of faith and healing, constantly with whatever else you read."
HEALTHY LIFESTYLE
In order to stay healthy, you must develop a healthy lifestyle. Eat healthy. There's no point destroying your health as a result of a wrong diet, only to get healed and go back to the wrong diet. When Jesus healed a paralytic, he warned him to "sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you." (Jn. 5:14)
Personal hygiene and sanitation must be taken seriously. Live in hygienic environments. You'll discover that some of the laws given Israel in the Old Testament were dietary and sanitary laws. One reason people are sick is because they break natural laws regarding health.
Exercise your body regularly, even if it's just a walk you take often.  Even the Bible says bodily exercise has profit (1Tim. 4:8)
Learn to rest. Don't overwork yourself. There's an amount of stress your body can stand. If you don't learn to rest you'll be laid to rest.
I pray you'll stay healthy and live wealthy, in Jesus name.

MARRIAGE without TEARS V: Pillars of Marriage by Daniel Yohanna

PILLARS OF MARRIAGE
The foundation of any building, project or life is a pointer to its destiny. How high you intend to raise a building determines the depth of foundation you need to lay.
Jesus taught about storms hitting a building. Whether the building survived the storm or not is determined by the presence or absence of a solid foundation.
Whether your marriage will face a storm is already a given. It's a non-negotiable fact. Storms will come.
The same storm that causes havoc in other birds is used by the eagle to strengthen its muscles and soar higher above the storm.
The same thing happens in marriage. While one marriage grows stronger through the storms of life, some other crumbles.
What are the pillars we need to lay a solid foundation for our marriages?
1) LOVE
Everybody uses this word until it has lost its meaning that we don't know what it means anymore. Somebody tries to woo another to indulge in sexual immorality in the name of love.
Love is not a feeling - which wanes and fades with time. It is a decision, a choice we make to show affection to another.
The marriage that is built on love will survive any storm because it is not built on feelings which vary from mood to mood. Love acts unconditionally. It's not predicated on the action or attitude of the recipient (Rom. 5:8). It is love borne out of our affection for God - divine love.
According to E. W. Kenyon, divine love has never been to a divorce court.
2) COMMITMENT
Commitment means
to bind or obligate, as by pledge or assurance; pledge: to commit oneself to a promise; to be committed to a course of action.
"Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be loosed... (I Cor. 7:27a).
It is commitment that let's u say, "I do," and decades after, through thick and thin, come rain, come shine, you're still "doing." You've made a life-long commitment "till death do us part." And it doesn't mean you'll put your spouse to death so you can part.
3) TRUST
If a husband and wife want their marriage to be happy and successful, they must be able to trust each other implicitly. Nothing damages a marriage more than broken trust. It's hard to grow and prosper in an atmosphere of bitterness, resentment, and suspicion.
That's why both partners should take great care to ensure that they do not say or do anything to give each other any reason to doubt or distrust them. Trust enables a husband and wife to enjoy a relationship characterized by openness and transparency, with no secrets or "locked rooms" that are kept off limits to each other.
Then you won't have to be snooping around each other's cell phones and eavesdropping on their conversations with others.
4) MUTUAL RESPECT
A strong marriage is built upon mutual respect. To respect someone means to esteem that person, to consider him or her worthy of high regard. Where there is no respect, abuse is inevitable. When you lose appreciation for your spouse, he/she will be of no value to you, and you'll most likely violate and abuse your spouse, and treat them like they don't count for nothing. Some people value and respect the opinion or advice of their friends and family more than their spouse's. Nothing, and no one, other than God, should be of greater value to you than your spouse.
And then, when there is mutual respect, it's easy to have mutual submission to each other (Eph. 5:21)
5) SACRIFICE
Selflessness is a major pillar in strengthening the bond of marriage, while selfishness is the bane of any union, where each party is solely focused on "I, me & myself." If you'll make pleasing your spouse a priority, your relationship will last.
Think of ways of giving your spouse surprise packages. Make life easier for your spouse. Let your partner be glad that you're there, and not rather that your presence or absence makes little or no difference.
Self-centredness is at the bottom of many a conflict in homes.
It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly.
"Love (God's love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong]. (1Cor.13:5, AMP)
6) COMMUNICATION
Communication comes from a Greek word, communis, meaning, common ground. You must have more grounds to agree on that ones you disagree on, or else your marriage is on the way to extinction.
Communication is the life of any relationship. We must never give room for malice. No wonder the Bible says we can be angry but must not keep our wrath beyond sunset so as not to give room to the enemy (Eph. 4:26,27).
Learnt to talk things through. And please, realize that confrontation is not communication, neither is complaining. And according to Peter Drucker, "The most important thing in communication is to hear what isn't being said."
Because of the heavy work schedules, you find people who spend all their time on the office and hardly have time for their spouse, so it becomes rife to have illicit relationships brewing in the office.
7) CANDOUR
Nothing can be built upon the foundation of lies or falsehood. In this day and age where people wear false teeth, false eye lashes, false finger nails, and what have you! Some wear falsehood into their marriage. Imagine waking up one day to find that you were married to a lie. He told you he had a degree only to discover he never went to school. She told you she was a virgin only to discover she had a child out of wedlock. What then can you believe from such a person? There must be no room for dishonesty in a marriage.
We must learn to speak the truth in love (Zech. 8:16; Eph. 4:15)
Adam and Eve were naked and not ashamed. There was such a high degree of transparency between them that nothing was covered. It is said that it's better you "slap" your spouse with the truth than "kiss" them with lies.
Don't muzzle or mute your spouse's mouth. Their honest counsel can save you from disaster.
8) Etc.

THE GOD THAT NEVER FAILS by Daniel Yohanna

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Heb 11:1

Our God is a God of faith. Faith is the principle of operation in His kingdom. Everything He does, He does by faith. That’s why without faith it is impossible to please Him (Heb.11:6).

Also, God is a God of seed. Everything starts as a seed and grows to its fullness (Gen. 1:11,12).

The promises of God are seeds of faith to be planted in our hearts, and as they germinate and come to fruitage, they activate the power of God to bring them to pass.

Our relationships and dealings with men have beclouded and distorted our judgment and perception of God.

People lie to us. Parents lie to us. Governments lie, every now and then. And because some fathers have abused us as children, once we hear, “Our father in heaven…” it’s like, “there goes another Dad.”

We have generally picked up a spirit of doubt and unbelief from our dealings with men. When they say, “I’m coming,” the person is actually going. So we never trust anybody. And we think God is the same as men, but no, God is God and men are men.

Men make promises and break chiefly because of:

1.                Unforeseen circumstances: They did not foresee a change in the economic climate. They were not conversant with the vicissitudes of life. That’s why some cleverly add the phrase when they make promises, “If all things remain equal…” But God declares the end from the beginning (Isa 46:10). Nothing can take Him by surprise.

I remember years ago before I got married. A friend was encouraging me to marry, and promised to sponsor the whole ceremony. When I finally got ready to marry, my friend didn’t say anything. When I reminded him of the promise, he said as of the time he made the promise, he never envisaged that events were going to take a new turn. He would have gladly kept his word, but the situation had gone “beyond his control.”

I thank God that no situation is beyond God’s control.

“The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times” (Psa. 12:6)

God had to check and test the workability of His word against different circumstances, and the word prevailed. Before a new vehicle is released, it is normally test-run. They would crash it on purpose – just to check it’s performance. And yet, you still find them recalling cars after having been released. It’s never so with God. He has never had to recall any of His promises made.

 God’s Word will prevail over the circumstances and situations that confront you.

So, this first instance is therefore a case of the inability of the person to honour his word, not because he doesn’t want to, but because he is unable to, due to matters arising that were never envisaged while the promises were being made. But my God is more than able, through all situations.

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we could ask or think according to the power that works in us… (Eph. 3:20)

“…The things which are made impossible with men are possible with God” (Luke 18:27)

With my God, there is no such thing as impossibility.

2.                Another reason why men make promises that are not kept is because they simply fail to keep their word. They break their word. They don’t have the integrity to honour their word. The Bible says God honours them that swear (even if) to their own hurt and change not (Psa. 15:4)

“God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? (Num. 23:19)

3.                Men make promises and break because they never meant their word. They lied. It was a ‘political statement.’ Winston Churchill said, “Politics is the ability to foretell what is going to happen tomorrow, next week, next month and next year. And to have the ability afterwards to explain why it didn’t happen.”

Such men knew they wouldn’t move a finger, yet they went ahead to promise you heaven and earth without having access to any. Titus 1:2 says God cannot lie. Heb 6:18 says its impossible for God to lie. So when God says you are healed (1 Pet 2:24) and the Doctor says you have a tumour, oh brother, let God be true but every man a liar (Rom 3:4). When the Doctor says you can’t have a baby, because God has said none (of His children) shall be barren (Exo. 23:25,26; Deut. 7:14), you can look at the Doctor’s diagnosis and laugh.

Everywhere you turn for employment, they say, “No vacancy,” well, no problem, God makes a way where there seems to be no way. After all, it was a job you were looking for and not ‘vacancy.’

God is always faithful to His promises (Heb 10:23). He means every word He says, and says what He means.

Now watch this: Deut. 8:7-9 “For the Lord your God is bringing you to a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, that flow out of valleys and hills a land of wheat and barley, of vines and figtree and pomegrates, a land of olive oil and honey; a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills you can dig copper”. This promise was made to Abraham hundreds of years before this date. See the account of the children of Israel.

Joshua 21:43, 45; 23:14

“So the Lord gave to Israel all of which He had sworn to give their fathers, and they took possession of it and dwelt in it.

Not a word failed of any good thing which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass”

“Behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth. And you know in all your hearts and all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spoke concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one word of them has failed”

Many years later, King Solomon would attest to God’s faithfulness to His promises.

1Kings 8:56

“Blessed be the Lord, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised. There has not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised through His servant Moses”

All came to pass. Everything! Doesn’t that register something in you? Not one promise has failed. All have come to pass.

Relax sister, you’ll soon get married. Madam, your baby is coming. Brother, you’ll gain that admission. Uncle, you’ll get the contract purely by Divine Connection. My dear, your car has been dispatched. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the father of lights…” (Jam. 1:17). It’s coming to you. It’s your turn to testify that our God never fails.

My friend, God will not fail you. He has never failed anyone that dares to believe Him, and He can’t fail you (Josh. 1:5). God is faithful.

“For as many as are the promises of God, they all find their Yes [answer] in Him [Christ]. For this reason we also utter the Amen (so be it) to God through Him [in His Person and by His agency] to the glory of God.  (2Cor. 1:20, AMP)

 No matter how many promises are given us in the Word of God, they all find their answer in Christ, so we say “Amen” to them. If you are in Christ, every good promise in the Word (from the Old Testament to the New) is yours. Claim it. Believe it. Expect it.

“Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you’.

So we may boldly say: ‘ The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?’ ” (Heb 13:5, 6)

What you need to find out is, has God said it? If He said it in His Word, He is bound to keep His Word. You can begin to talk with boldness because you know that it shall come to pass, no matter what. We serve a God that never fails. Hallelujah.

Follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/DanielYohanna. Connect with me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/danielyohanna. I’m also available on Google+, Instagram and LinkedIn. Call me on 08077837847 for Prayer/Counseling. 

THE MAXIMIZED LIFE by Daniel Yohanna

Most people live and die without utilising the full potentials within them. One reason for this is that they do not realise nor recognise the underlying potentials in them. Another reason is that they do not nurture, develop and release these potentials. So they are actually operating below capacity. I have a 2.9KVA generating plant. When I first acquired it, it supplied enough power for almost all appliances in the house, including the electric iron. Months afterwards, it could not carry the refrigerator, much less the electric iron. The rating is still the same – 2.9KVA, but it was not operating optimally. It was operating below capacity. So many people are like that – operating below capacity.
You can work on your potentials by acknowledging where you are and moving to another level.
First of all, you must realize what you’re worth.  Your net worth is not your self-worth. Your salary or income is not a reflection of your worth. Your true value cannot be determined by your valuables. You are invaluable and priceless, a jewel of inestimable value.
If you take a hundred naira note, and squeeze it, that doesn’t reduce its value. If you march it, its value does not depreciate because it is covered with dirt. That it is torn does not remove or reduce its value either except if it is completely mutilated.
Your circumstances do not define who you are. Where you’re coming from is inconsequential to your destiny.
The story is told about a giant statue of Budha that stood in the way a road construction in Thailand. The Government resolved to relocate it without destroying it. It was successfully lifted and moved away, but as it was being lowered, something tragic happened, as it began disintegrating, albeit, revealing something amazing. Underneath the moulded clay was a figure of pure solid gold. The same statue that was worth a few hundred dollars suddenly became worth some hundreds of thousands of dollars in value.
Let no man under-value you simply because you are not presently employed, or are struggling today. The struggles are good for your development.
A young man saw the pupa of a butterfly wriggling, attempting to break through the maggot-like chrysalis. Out of curiosity, the boy took a closer look to discover a little hole in the pupa. He took a pin and punctured it to free the little butterfly. It came out, but could not fly. Wondering why, he was told he shouldn’t have helped the butterfly to break through its confinement. It would come out naturally. The struggle was necessary for the development of its wing and give them the strength they need to fly.
Have you been let down before? Abandoned? Forsaken? Refused help? Don’t get bitter. It was meant to make you better. Through the struggle you’ll become a better person.
When you take a look at the one hundred naira note, you will find a picture, and underneath is inscribed, “Chief Obafemi Awolowo (1909-1987)”. The two dates under his name are separated by hyphen. The first date is his entry into the world, while the second is his exit date. Everything else about his life – his educational attainment, his marital life, his children, his legal practice, his political accomplishments, his oratorical and leadership abilities, his economic prowess, his business acumen, his presidential ambition, his political trials – everything about him, was simply represented with and encapsulated in a hyphen, a dash. Life then is an appointment between two dates. It is a hyphen or dash between two dates.
One day, you too will be described by a hyphen between two dates. All you did or became or accomplished would be represented by a dash. You are filling in that dash now, just in the same way you write an examination in which you are required to fill in the gap. In such exams, it’s either you know the answer or you don’t, you can’t guess your way through.
So, what are you filling your own “dash” with? When all is said and done, what will be left of you?
If you were to write your own epitaph, what would it be like?
If you were to come to the end of the road, would that epitaph be written on your tombstone?
It is pertinent to note that longevity does not determine validity. The man that lived the longest in history, Methuselah, had nothing written about him apart from the fact that he was married, gave birth to children, and that was it.
Then notice again, that no matter how long you live, no matter how much you even accomplish, the dash is the same length. For example, on the 500 Naira note is the face of Nigeria’s first President, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, who lived between 1904 and 1996. He was older, and lived longer than Chief Awolowo. He achieved more politically, yet the hyphen is the same with Pa Awolowo’s. Could we then agree with King Solomon that everything in life is vanity and vexation of spirit (Eccle. 1:14)?
What would you be remembered for? Your contributions or destructions, your alcoholism? Social recklessness? Moral bankruptcy? Armed robbery or other social vices and notoriety?
By the way you live and the things you do, you are constantly filling up “the dash” of your life.
It doesn’t matter how empty it has been, start living positively today. Forget the misadventures and misdemeanors of the past. And don’t wait till tomorrow either. You can’t do anything about yesterday – it’s gone forever. You can’t do anything about tomorrow either because it is not here yet.
Yesterday is in the tomb and tomorrow is in the womb. All you have is today. That’s the only place you will ever be. Use it profitably.
John Mason said, “Success comes to the man who does today what others were thinking of doing tomorrow.”
Jimmy Lyons said, “Tomorrow is the only day in the year that appeals to a lazy man.”
“If you wait for perfect conditions, you’ll never get anything done.” (Eccle. 11:4, TLB). Start today with what you have right where you are.
Zig Ziglar said, “You must be willing to do today what others won’t in order to be able to have tomorrow what others can’t have.”
There are 4 ways people live:
1. Living for yourself.
This is self-centredness. It is described as egoism – the habit of valuing everything only in reference to one’s personal interest. Everything revolves around you. You are only pre-occupied with you, yourself and yours; you’re only concerned about things that will benefit you. The result is egocentricity. In any venture, your first question is, “What is in there for me?”
Norman Vincent Pearle observed, “The man who lives for himself is a failure. Even if he gains much wealth, power or position, he is still a failure.’’
John Mason said, “The man who believes in nothing but himself lives in a very small world. The best way to be happy is to forget yourself and focus on other people. The higher you go in life, the more dependent you become on other people.”
2. Living for others
   It is a greater call to live for the benefit of others. This is called altruism. It is the principle or practice of unselfish concern for or devotion to the welfare of others
Mother Theresa of Calcutta, Albanian born Roman Catholic Nun, founder of Missionaries of Charity, and Nobel Laureate, left her privileged position of a principal because she was moved by the presence of the sick and dying on the city’s streets. She won a Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 for her humanitarian work among the poor in India and around the world. She generated a lot of money and financial resources but used all to better the lives of others. She lived where they lived and ate what they ate, unlike other Missionaries that lived in more sophisticated neighbourhoods in their Mission field.
This is not someone doing things for the sake of recognition. A lot of philanthropists have some hidden motives as they donate to projects either for some political dream, or they could be given a chieftaincy title or some other kind or reward.
John D. Rockefeller (the youngest self-made millionaire in his time and the then richest man in the world), made several millions of dollars, which he gave away. Up till today, his foundation is still supporting projects around the world. Your valuables do not determine your value. "A man's life consists not in the abundance of the things which he possesses." (Luke 12:15).
Recently, Bill Gates and Warren Buffet, the two richest men in the world, came together and gathered 50 of the world’s richest men and challenged them to give away at least half of their possessions in the remaining years of their lives. Money or wealth or fame or even power, are not the ultimate in life. They are meant to be some means to an end and not an end in themselves.
3. Living for a cause.
    Everyone was made to fulfill a purpose. You will find fulfillment and contentment in life when you fulfill that purpose. Revolutionaries are people who live for a cause. It may cost them their fortunes, their privileges or even their lives. If you don’t have something worth dying for, you won’t have something worth living for.
If you can’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.
 Martin Luther King, Jr. was moved by the racial segregation and disenfranchisement the blacks were subjected to in America.
 He began to fight for an end to such oppression. He lived and died for the dream he pursued. He traversed America with his timeless declaration, “I have a dream.”
One of his speeches was, ’’I have a dream that my sons will one day live in a country where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.’’
Though he didn’t live to see the full fulfillment of his dream, he is being celebrated today. Every January, a holiday is given in the USA to honour this man. Because of his crusades, today a black man occupies the White House, sitting as President of America. If there was no Martin Luther King, Jr., there wouldn’t be a Barack Obama ruling America.
Once the children of Israel were engaged in battle against the Philistines. Goliath of Gath, the champion of the Philistines threw a challenge to the Israelites to provide a representative for a combat with him. David was rebuked by his elder brother for offering himself and venturing to enter a duel with the giant, an adventure even the king was unwilling to try. To this, David quipped, "Is there not a cause?" (1Sam. 17:29). People who are purpose-driven pursue missions that ultimately make them larger than life.
 Are you living in such a way as to add value to others, or are you living just for yourself?
Locate the next person in need, and do what you can to make a difference, and that’s the way to begin. The only way to start is to start.
This brings us to another point.
4. Living for God.
In fact, this Scripture is very explicit about this:
" For the love of Christ controls and urges and impels us, because we are of the opinion and conviction that [if] One died for all, then all died;  And He died for all, so that all those who live might live no longer to and for themselves, but to and for Him Who died and was raised again for their sake." (2Cor.5:14-15, AMP).
 God made you for a purpose. You didn't make yourself. You may have your own plans in life, but you need to find out if they align with God's purpose.
Prov. 19:21 says there are many plans in a man's heart, nevertheless, it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.
When you live for God, you will seek to please Him at all times and in all things. You will never do or want to do anything that is contrary to His will for your life. You greatest desire will be, just like Jesus, to do God's will (John 6:38) and to finish His work (John 4:34). Remember, it is God that made us and not ourselves (Psa. 100:3). You are not a self-made man or woman.
Follow your heart. Serve God with your life and time and resources. The Lord bless you.
It’s a new day for you!
Follow me on Twitter @DanielYohanna.
Or meet me 8am every Sunday @ The Brook Tabernacle, Mr Bigg’s Hall, Morocco Roundabout, Somolu, Lagos.