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.

BORN TO WIN by Daniel Yohanna

Life is a battle ground. There are many forces arrayed against you. Nothing comes easy. It is safe to say that the odds are against you. This is not a defeatist stand but an undeniable fact. After all, there could be no winner if there was no contest. Great voctories come out of great battles. Yet you need to know that you are programmed for victory and destined to win. In fact, you are a winner. In the words of my friend, Dr Jonathan Alao, "Life is not a continuum of struggle. There is a place in God where you enter into His rest."

Consider this: of the millions of sperm cells that go into a woman in a single ejaculation (ranging from 40 million to 1.2 billion cells) in coitus, most die during the journey, and only ONE can win the race to successfully fertilize the egg. If you are reading this, you are that one sperm cell that beat hundreds of thousands and several millionns of others to win the race to the egg, thereby fertilizing the egg and fencing off several others. 

If at conception, when you were not conscious, you won, how much more now! No wonder the Psalmist said, "I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about." (Psalm 3:6). No matter how many enemies you have, you are unstoppable. No weapon formed against you shall prosper (Isa. 54:17). 

Usually, in production, there is a reject box where defective products are thrown into, since they are not fit for distribution to the public as the reputation of the company is tied to their product. If it meets their specification and acceptable standards, it is released. That you were not still-born or miscarried but carried full term; that you were brought forth shows you meet God's acceptable standard for circulation into life. You are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psa.139:14). 

Even if you feel you have or even notice some defects from birth, there is another chance for you. You can be born again (John 3:3). By accepting Jesus into your heart and making Him Lord over your life and acknowledging Him as your personal Saviour, according to Romans 10:9, you become born again. You are saved. You become a child of God. By that process, you become regenerated (Tit. 3:5). New genes are injected or infused into you, superimposing the life and nature of God over your natural life. You begin to live a supernatural life. Your natural genes may have defects, your spiritual genes are from God and there flawless. They now begin to influence and transform your natural genes by the power of God. You can then be made every whit whole. 

The devil cannot stop you. He couldn't stop your birth. He cannot stop your manifestation. 

1John 5:4,5 (AMPLIFIED)

For whatever is born of God is victorious over the world; and this is the victory that conquers the world, even our faith. 5  Who is it that is victorious over [that conquers] the world but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God [who adheres to, trusts in, and relies on that fact]? 

Your faith in Christ will shield you from every attack of the enemy and put you on the victory path. You won at birth. You'll win in life. You're a winner in the Lord Jesus. 

John 16:33 (AMPLIFIED)

I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]

No matter what the enemy throws at you, you are more than a conqueror (Rom. 8:37). 

Welcome to life in Christ. Welcome to the winning life. No matter what you're going through, with God on your side and on your case, you'll come out victorious (1Cor.15:57; 2Cor.2:14).

It's not over 'till it's over; yet it can't be over 'till you're shouting the victory.

Shalom! 

AND YOU CALL YOURSELF A CHRISTIAN?

YOU CALL YOURSELF A CHRISTIAN?

By Daniel Yohanna

You're not a Christian because you answer the name Mathew or Michael or Christiana. It's not in the name. That's why you can find someone called Angelina who behaves more like a 'Devilina.'
Neither are you one because you go to Church. That you live inside a Campus doesn't make you a student. Sleeping in a garage doesn't make you a car. You can have blocks inside a building that are not part of the building. So, that you have your name in a Church register, and even contribute financially, does not make you a Christian. The story was told of a Pastor's wife who left her handbag on her seat after a particular church service and was exchanging pleasantries with people. She turned back to make a call only to discover her cell phone was missing. She used somebody's phone to call her line only for her to hear this to her utter disbelief and consternation: "Mama, please try and get another phone. I‘ve been believing God for this kind of handset." Shocking!
You may be baptized, confirmed (and confused, like a preacher used to add), that doesn't change anything. You went under the water a dry sinner and came up a wet sinner.
Your parents could be Christians, ok, that doesn't make you one. They may even be Pastors or Elders or Deacons. You might have been born inside a Church sanctuary. That still doesn't make you a Christian.
If your parents were Medical Doctors, that doesn't turn you into a Medical Practitioner.
That you even dress like a Christian (wondering if there is a Christian dress, as all the dresses we wear are made on earth), and talk like one, using common cliches, don't turn you into a Christian.
Just wearing a Military outfit doesn't make you a soldier. That you can speak English doesn't make you a Brit.
How then does one become a Christian? Let’s take a look at some Scriptures.

2Corinthians 5:17
When someone becomes a Christian he becomes a brand new person inside. He is not the same any more. A new life has begun!

You become a Christian by giving your life to Jesus. You must acknowledge yourself as a sinner who cannot save himself/herself, believe that Jesus died in your place on the Cross of Calvary, and confess Him as Lord over your life. Then you become saved. Your sins are washed away by the blood of Jesus that was shed on the Cross, and you become a child of God. You can then call yourself a Christian.

Romans 10:9,10
9 For of 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.

Take note of the fact that Christianity is not a religion but a relationship between a loving Father, God, and His children. It is the manifestation of the life and love or God.
Religion is man's way of seeking God (that's why you have so many religions). The sad thing is that religion only leads you to bondage and it has no answer for sin. Those that have practised Christianity as a religion have done some of the greatest havoc known to mankind, all in God's name. Ready examples are the Inquisition and the Crusades of the mediaeval era. Today, there are many religious adherents but very few godly men and women.
In Christianity, it is God who came in the person of Jesus Christ, to seek and to save lost and fallen humanity through His sacrifice on the Cross of Calvary.

Your good works cannot save you because all your righteousnesses are as filthy rags before God (Isaiah 64:6).
It is when you give your life to Jesus that the Spirit of God comes into you, transforming you into a new species of being. All your sins of the past are washed away and you begin to walk with God. Everything on the outside may still look the same, but there is a change on the inside that will begin to reflect on the outside.

Therefore, in the real essence of it, you cannot be converted into Christianity. You have to be born into it. No wonder Jesus said, “Unless a man is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.” (John 3:3). It is accepting Jesus into your heart, believing that He died for you and rose again to justify you. You then become a child of God. Every sin you’ve committed in the past is totally washed away by the blood of Jesus. You become a new person, a new creature; a brand new species of being that never existed before.

Now, it is necessary that when this change occurs on the inside, it ought to reflect on the outside. The life you've received from God ought to affect your own life and lifestyle.
It's sad to find people who profess propriety but practice profanity today. That's why Mahatma Gandhi was quoted to have once said, "I like your Christ; I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ."
Do you even realize it wasn't God who called believers in Christ Christians? It was people who noticed the similarities in lifestyle between the early disciples and Christ that gave them the appellation,

"Christians." They were Christ-like in all their dealings.

Acts 11:26 NKJV
And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.

It's not enough to call yourself a Christian. Is there anything in your life that shows you are one? Jesus said " By their fruits you will know them." (Matt. 7:20). God is love. If you are His child, love should be seen manifesting in your life.

John 13:35 NKJV
By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Rick Godwin cautiously noted two ironic reasons why people do not become Christians: (1) They've never met one, and (2) They've met one. Ouch!

You may not, in fact you will not, get there overnight. Just like it is in the natural, it takes time for people to grow to maturity. You will still makes mistakes even after you’re born again. But as you grow to maturity through feeding and studying the Word of God, praying daily and fellowshipping with other believers, it will be evident to all that change has occurred in your life.

The Lord bless you.

Follow me on Twitter (@DanielYohanna).

BIBLE STUDY II: DEAL WITH YOUR ISSUES by Daniel Yohanna

 Mark 5:25-34 (AMP)

25 And there was a woman who had had a flow of blood for twelve years,

26 And who had endured much suffering under [the hands of] many physicians and had spent all that she had, and was no better but instead grew worse.

27 She had heard the reports concerning Jesus, and she came up behind Him in the throng and touched His garment,

28 For she kept saying, If I only touch His garments, I shall be restored to health.

29 And immediately her flow of blood was dried up at the source, and [suddenly] she felt in her body that she was healed of her [distressing] ailment.

30 And Jesus, recognizing in Himself that the power proceeding from Him had gone forth, turned around immediately in the crowd and said, Who touched My clothes?

31 And the disciples kept saying to Him, You see the crowd pressing hard around You from all sides, and You ask, Who touched Me?

32 Still He kept looking around to see her who had done it.

33 But the woman, knowing what had been done for her, though alarmed and frightened and trembling, fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.

34 And He said to her, Daughter, your faith (your trust and confidence in Me, springing from faith in God) has restored you to health. Go in(into) peace and be continually healed and freed from your [distressing bodily] disease.

    

Mark 5:25

And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years (KJV)

FACTS

  1)      Everyone has got an issue. Some have issues with money, some with women, some with men, some with one affliction or another, but the bottom-line is that everyone has his/her own issues. Going to another person won’t help, because they’re also dealing with their own issues

  2)      People only see your issue, but don’t really know you.  You might have done what they said you did, but you’re not who they say you are.

  3)      Issues, if not dealt with, will end up ostracizing you; This “woman with the issue” was not supposed to mingle with the crowd, all because she had an issue to deal with.

  4)      Issues, if not dealt with, will end up giving you an identity that is not your own – “woman with the issue...” She didn’t have a name.  She was identified by her issue. That was how Elizabeth was identified – with her barrenness: “This is the 6^th month with her that was called barren.” Luke 1:36.

  5)      Issues, if not dealt with, will end up depleting you – depleting your purse, your strength, your resources. This woman spent all she had until she was bankrupt (v26).

When you bring you issues to the Lord, they will be terminated.

How do you deal with your issue?

  1)      Acknowledge the presence of an issue. Faith is not pretending there is no problem. Faith is not denying the existence of an issue. The sinner must acknowledge he is a sinner and needs help before he can be saved.

  2)      Since your solution is coming from God, you have to hear what He is saying, and not what men are saying about your issue. Only the Lord will tell you the truth. What others have can only be facts. There’s a difference between facts and truth. While a fact is the description of the state of a thing, the truth is the reality of a thing. Facts are changeable but the truth is constant. Only God knows the truth about you. Others are guessing.

She had heard about Jesus…

Whatever God says about you is the truth. If He says I am blessed, then I don’t need any other definition: I am blessed. If He says I am healed, I don’t require a Doctor’s confirmation; I am healed. If he says I am rich, I don’t need to see my account statement to validate that.

Psalm 85:8

I will hear what God the Lord will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly.

  3)      Say what the Lord says about you. Confession brings possession (Mk.11:23). Confession brings manifestation (Gen.1:3,4). You can never rise above the level of your confession. Confession in this instance means “to say the same (thing) as…” You are saying (with your mouth) what God has said (concerning you, in His Word).

Hebrews 13:5-6

Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. 6So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

The woman with the issue kept saying …v28 (AMP). If you keep saying what God has been saying in His Word, you will soon start seeing it in your world.

  4)      Take action. It’s not enough to say it, act it. The woman came and touched Jesus.

Jesus always challenged people to take action:  Rise, take up your bed, and walk (Jn. 5:8). Stretch forth your hand (Lk. 6:10). Go and wash in the pool (Jn. 9:7). Go your way, your son lives (Jn. 4:50). Go show yourselves to the Priests. And it came to pass, as they went, they were cleansed (Lk.17:14)

It’s not enough to say u’ll get to the top. Make your way to the top. Take initiative. Begin to move in the direction of your dreams. “Yard by yard, life is hard; but inch by inch, it’s a cinch.” Roberts Schuller

You’ll handle millions, but what are you doing with the hundreds that come? How faithful are you to your tithe and your giving?

  5)      Acknowledge the impact. Appreciate the change, no matter how little. Change begins when you touch the Master.

…her flow of blood was dried up at the source…v29

When Jesus cursed the fig tree, it withered from the roots (Mk.11:14-24). God always deals with the issue from the root, from the source. “He overturns the mountains by the roots.” (Job 28:9)

The woman came and told him the whole truth. Make testimony your lifestyle. Celebrate the workings of God in your life.

Psalm 66:16

Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.

Psalm 34:2

My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.

Appreciate what God has done. Learn to testify. Your testimony brings glory to God and not to man. Your testimony is your ticket to victory (Rev.12:11). It is your key to restoration. It is your ladder for elevation. Jesus pronounced her whole after her testimony.

If you’ve been blessed by this article, share it with others. Shalom!

Misconceptions Concerning Sickness By Daniel Yohanna

Due to lack of proper and accurate biblical understanding, some people justify the presence of sickness in the lives of believers as a norm. When God brought out the children of Israel out of Egypt, He pledged Himself to be their Healer.

Exodus 15:26

And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee.

He was faithful to His promise, as it was recorded in Psa. 105:37. Out of over 2 million people who came out, for  40-year period, no one of them was sick.

Psalm 105:37

He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and there was not one feeble person among their tribes.

If they had such experience in the Old Covenant, how much more should we, under a New Covenant, which is a better covenant, established upon better promises (Heb. 8:6), expect such a blessing!

Here are a few misconceptions people have concerning sickness.

1)            Sickness is the will of God

                There is no way sickness can ever be the will of God. If it was His will, why would He lay our diseases on Jesus? If sickness was the will of God, why did Jesus heal all that were sick? Jesus said He came to do the will of the One that sent Him (Jn. 6:38). Part of what He did was healing the sick. That must have been the will of God.

2)            God made some people sick (Jn 9:1-4)

People hold this notion because they don't understand scripture. They read the account of the man born blind in John 9, and they run off with some half-baked truth. Let's see it together.

JOHN 9:1-4

1 Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth.

2 And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"

3 Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.

4 "I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.

This is one of the areas that amaze me why the disciples would ask a question that sounds so stupid. “Who sinned, this man or his parents that he was born blind? A man that was born blind, when could he have sinned? In his mother's tummy?

Then the difficulty in understanding this scripture comes from the punctuation in verse 3, making it look like he was born blind so the works of God should be manifested in him.

You need to understand that the original manuscript of the Bible was not written in Chapter and verses like we have it today, neither was it punctuated.

Stephen Langton, an Archbishop of Canterbury, is believed to be the first person to divide the Bible into defined chapters.

Robert Estienne, also known as Robert Stephens, was a 16^th century printer in Paris. He divided the N.T. into verses, and was the first to print the Bible divided into standard numbered verses is 1555.

This helps us in referring to portions of Scripture with ease. But you'll find that Moffat's translation does not always adhere to this chapterization.
Benny Hinn said this Scripture should read this way, and I agree with him:

[3] Jesus answered, Neither this man nor his parents sinned. But that the works of God should be revealed in him, [4] I must work the works of Him who sent me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.

In all of scripture, God's work has been that of healing people and not making them sick. Out of their disobedience they could open themselves up for the enemy to afflict them, but the sickness never comes from God.

How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. (Acts 10:38)

3)            God is glorified through sickness

Again, people misunderstand scriptural truths when they think sickness glorifies God. Look at one of their sources of misunderstanding.

JOHN 11:1-4, 40

1 Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.

2 It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.

3 Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick."

4 When Jesus heard that, He said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it."

40 Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?"

Jesus said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God…” Yes, the final outcome would not be death but God would be glorified. Wasn't that what happened? The 40th verse of that chapter talked of Martha seeing the glory of God by believing. What glory? The glory of resurrection! The glory of healing! That was where the glory was, in the healing and resurrection and not the sickness or death. He had to be healed, because if he wasn't, after being raised back to life, the disease would kill him again. You say, “But Peter's death glorified God!” Yes, because he offered himself as a martyr (Jn. 21:18-19).

4)            Paul's thorn was sickness

People try justifying sickness by referring to Paul's thorn as sickness. I wonder why you would defend your right to being sick as if it's a good thing. Let's look at scripture again.

2CORINTHIANS 12:7

 And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.

It is clearly written here: the thorn in the flesh was a messenger (Gk: Aggelos = Angel) of satan. He was to buffet Paul so he would remain humble. This messenger was a satanic agent always causing trouble in Paul's Ministry. That would force him to depend absolutely on God's grace, no wonder God's reply to him:

9 And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2Cor. 12:9-10).

In Numbers 33:55, God used a similar expression when he warned his children against fraternizing with the Canaanites, as they would become “irritants in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they shall harass you in the land where you dwell.”

5)            God puts sickness on people to teach them a lesson

How ironic could people be? Is it not more of an oxymoron for people to claim God is trying to teach them a lesson through their sickness, and yet are undergoing medical treatment? If you believe God is trying to teach you something, why don't you pray for a greater lesson? Why do you consult Medical Practitioners? Are you trying to unlearn what God, as you may claim, is trying to teach you?

While it's true you may learn something through your experience, yet it is not God teaching you through this means. You have the Word; you have the Holy Spirit to teach you.

6)            The age of Miracles is Past

Some would aver that signs and wonders ceased after the days of the Apostles. Has God changed? Didn't the Bible say that “These signs shall follow those that believe?” (Mk. 16:17). Some would warn you that the Bible says in the last days, many fake miracle workers would arise. That is true. But do you realize that the reason you have a fake thing is because the genuine exists. You have fake Pastors because there are genuine Pastors. You have fake churches because genuine ones exist. You can never find a fake 80 Naira note because the genuine does not exist. But that there are fake Naira notes does not mean you won' collect your salary at the end of the month for fear of fake currency? No. You would look carefully before you accept. In the same vein, try the spirits to see whether they are of God (1Jn. 4:1).

7)            Sickness is the Cross you Have to Carry

I've heard someone say, “Well, this sickness may be the cross I have to bear.” When the Bible said you should deny yourself, take up your cross, it wasn't referring to some sickness. God was saying you have to live a crucified life. You have to die to self. It's not talking about you suffering sickness or hunger and lack.  Yes, a Christian would suffer persecution on account of their faith. We're not told to carry sickness as a cross. Jesus Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses (Mt. 8:17). We have nothing to carry in this sense.

8)            Sickness is used by God to keep us Humble

                Just like the one that says God is trying to teach them lessons through sickness, can you sincerely pray and ask God to intensify the sickness so you can be more humble? If you believe God is trying to keep you humble, then it's a sign of having a proud and an arrogant disposition by praying for a relief of your pain or seeking medical assistance.                                                                                                                                                                      

9)            Something Must Kill you

Some people cannot accept the fact that you are supposed to leave this world peacefully and well prepared. As far as they are concerned, it's an exception and not the rule. They believe if you do not die by accident, you should die by sickness, or some other calamity or natural disaster. I will simply answer such people by making reference to the Patriarchs - the Fathers of Faith - Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, etc. How did they die? They called their children, blessed them in advance, and in some cases, they even said 'goodbye' and took off. None of the Fathers died through sickness, and neither should you. Remember, we are called to live supernaturally; so natural disasters don't have to have a place in our lives.

10)          I am a modern  day Job

                Someone once told me this. She said she was the modern  day Job because of her afflictions and pain. “After all,” she reasoned, “the Bible told us in James 5:11 to follow after their example of patience.” But what you fail to realize is that if you are a modern-day Job, you should expect to be healed, because Job did not die sick. He trusted God for his healing (Job 19:25-27). The Lord turned his captivity  (Job 42:10).

11)          Sickness is Part of Life

                Some erroneously believe that sickness should be our normal experience while we are on this side of life. They feel that when we get to heaven, then we have “victory at last!” But Scripture teaches us that we have victory now (1 Cor. 15:57; 2 Cor. 2:14). Sickness cannot be part of life. Health is part of life. How can something that carries death in it be part of life? Is it possible for darkness be part of light? We that are born again have the life of God  eternal life  in us. In the Greek it is called Zoë, pronounced zowe. It frees us from the forces of death.

[Excerpts from the book, “RECEIVE YOUR MIRACLE,” by Daniel Yohanna (Verity Books, 2008)]