Sunday, January 27, 2019

Why The Kingdom Approach To Relationship?




i)                The Kingdom is priority in everything

Matthew 6:33 (NKJV)
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall
be added to you.

ii)              We have been told to do so by the King Himself
Matthew 6:10 (NKJV)
Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

iii)            It is the acceptable and approved lifestyle of the kingdom. Approaching relationships from a kingdom perspective is proof that we are living in obedience to Him and by so doing, we will be rewarded for obedience and also reap the benefits in kingdom relationships.

iv)            We can be sure that we will receive His support when needed. We should shun living our way, yet expect Him to support us. In this case, do not approach relationships from an ungodly perspective yet demand godly standards in order for the relationship to work. Also, do not be ungodly in your approach yet, expect the God to intervene when relationship tides rise.

v)              The Kingdom approach is guaranteed to produce results. It is replicable anywhere, anytime. It is not lived by chance. You can easily trace how and when you got it wrong and make corrections using the word of God. And the beauty is that the word of God is unchanging. Amen.

These are a few reasons why we should approach relationships from a kingdom perspective.


What Season of My Life Am I In?




Every life goes through seasons. We had previously established that relationships are seasonal. Seasonal not only based on how long you all remain in the relationship but also seasonal because, in the course of the relationship, seasons will change in the life of the parties. Because we are looking at understanding yourself prior to any relationship, it is imperative that you understand the seasons of your life with the help of the Holy Spirit. Permit me to say this again “relationship is spiritual” and because it is spiritual, it best enjoyed as a spirit being – one who is led by the spirit of God.

This point is so true because you might miss out on great relationship fellowships because the season of the other person’s life seems very unattractive. And because you are not spirit led, you might get into a relationship because the season of their life seem very attractive not knowing that, like Jesus, after the heaven’s opened over Him at baptism, he was being led to the wilderness. So please be careful.

So, why is it important to understand the seasons of your life?
-Seasons will help you carefully choose your associations at a given time in life.
-Seasons will help you define your needs in a relationship.
-Seasons will enable you to approach others responsibly. Because you are aware of seasons, you will not carelessly do relationships. Amen!

Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NIV)
There is a time for everything,
    and a season for every activity under the heavens:
Emphasis Mine


I want you to see what this scripture is saying, “there is a season for every activity under the heavens”. Relationships included. Amen!  Understand your seasons and become a blessing in your relationships. 

Sunday, January 20, 2019

What Are My Contributions To The Relationship?




This question ties in neatly with the previous question which was “What is in the relationship for me? In today’s teaching, we are answering the question “what are my contributions to the relationship?” Please, never get to a place where you think you have nothing to contribute in a relationship. Your contributions must not be financial or physical resources. It could be your advice, your talents, or your creativity. Amen! Every one of us is very unique and gifted and because we are relational beings, we have a duty to tap into our talents and creativity not just for our benefit but for the benefit of those we will get into a relationship with. To do otherwise will be a disfavor to people.

You can determine in your heart what you will like to bless your relationships with. It could be one thing only. But I tell you, you will be approaching the relationships from a kingdom perspective than if you did otherwise. Never feel inferior to anyone. Understand that your assignments are different and just as much as you think you need other people’s contributions, so too do they need yours. What you have to offer may not be as relevant to one person but I guarantee you that it is important to another.

Contribute boldly and confidently for the glory of God. God the Father contributed. Jesus contributed and we are still benefiting from His contributions now. When Jesus contributed, not everyone thought it was relevant or important, but others thought so. Amen. Your mindset should be that of Proverbs 27:17 (NIV) which says “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another”. Be observant and strengthen an area of weakness in your relationships if that is your area of gifting. Do so with a godly attitude and your contributions will be very much appreciated. Amen.







What Is In The Relationship For Me?




Believe it or not, it is very godly to find out what is in a relationship for you. Do not get into any relationship blindly. It is not a question of selfishness rather maximization. To maximize is to make the best use of a thing or person, in this case. Please do not waste relationships. If you understand that relationships are indeed spiritual and seasonal, your approach to relationships will change for good.

The story of David and Goliath of Gath is a great example of this principle. Before getting into a battle relationship with Goliath, David asked the Israelites “what will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel?”. David was conscious of this truth and also conscious of the reward system. Truly, there is a reward system in the Kingdom but beyond that, the citizens in the kingdom need to live conscious of it. Amen! David, as a kingdom citizen, understood it and demanded to know for himself. So too you should. It is godly to do so. We are not suggesting an arrogant approach either. Amen!

I will suggest to you an approach that is commonly used to evaluate relationships. Prior to or when in a relationship ask yourself these questions:
-Am I in this relationship to mutually benefit with the others?
-Am I in this relationship to add to the lives of others?
-Am I in this relationship so that the other person adds to my life?

These 3 categories are great because, it helps to give you an understanding of how to relate otherwise you will live life, wasting your relationships. And I must say this, if you are genuinely adding to the other person’s life positively, the purpose is to get to a place of maturity where you all reason the same and dominate in the Kingdom. Amen! Never desire to only add to a person’s life and never expect to see results. We had previously examined the place of expectations in relationships. And we said that even our heavenly Father has expectations of us and rightly so because He has made available to us and deposited within us what we need to know.

Likewise, if you are in a relationship and the other party seems to be the one adding into your life, challenge yourself and grow up to a place of maturity. Do not become a leech. Do not be selfish. Live life beyond yourself. Look at it as an opportunity to learn, grow and become a better relationship being.
Proverbs 13:20 (NIV)
Walk with the wise and become wise,
    for a companion of fools suffers harm.

I will conclude by saying this:
i)                Relationship is not a competition grown. When God created us in His image and likeness, He did not later regret His decision or sought to compete with us. If you observe carefully you will see that our Father is doing everything possible for us to operate from a platform of authority just like He is doing.
ii)              Relationship is like a bank. You can only withdraw what you deposit in it. Do not take advantage of people. If you attempt withdrawing more than you deposited, you risk placing the relationship in an overdrawn state. The principle of seedtime and harvest is very much applicable in this situation (Genesis 8:22).
This is applicable to all relationships. Amen!




Sunday, January 13, 2019

What Am I Working On Improving In My Life?




Generally, we can and should desire improvements in our lives. What happens is that based upon the season of your life, the emphasis of your improvements by the Spirit of God might be very specific. However, if at any point in your life, you get to a place where you believe there is nothing else to work on or you do not seem to know what to work on, I encourage you to take a closer look at the area of sacrifice. As you prepare yourself and understand yourself in the process, know that sacrifice in every relationship is a requirement. In fact I will say it this way, “there is no relationship that does not require sacrifice; be it your relationship with God or your relationship with man”. Sacrifice on your part towards God and others is a reflection of selflessness and many other godly virtues.

It was on the foundation of sacrifice that our relationship with the Father was established in the New Testament. He demonstrated sacrifice by giving His only Son to die on the cross for our sins. At every given time, when you enjoy the benefits of the Kingdom lifestyle, always remember that it was established by sacrifice. Amen! The Father sacrificed because of you. Whom are you willing to sacrifice for?

John 3:16 (NIV)
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

More and more, as we answer these questions, it becomes even clearer to us that relationship is indeed spiritual and we really cannot favor a particular group of individuals over others in our manner of approach. The Kingdom approach is the standard. Amen! For your relationships to work, do not selectively sacrifice. The Father sacrificed His only Son on behalf of everyone. In every relationship, live conscious of the principle of sacrifice. Sacrifice of your time, your needs, your preferences, your opinions, your likes, your ideas, and more for the sake of the other(s).
This leads us to answer the next question. What Is In The Relationship For Me? Stay tuned!



Expectations - What Are My Expectations?




Another kingdom approach to relationship is understanding your expectations. Do have expectations? Or are the kind of person that permits any and everything that a relationship has to offer? It is very godly to have expectations and most importantly, to have a proper understanding of your expectations. Our heavenly Father has expectations when it comes to His relationship with us. Did you know that?

Psalm 14:2 (NIV)
The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind
to see if there are any who understand,
    any who seek God.

This portion of scripture expresses to us the expectation of our Father. We are told that he looks down from heaven to see if there is anyone who understands and anyone who seeks God. Why would He do that? Because He has made His purpose, standards, identity and more very clear to us. Therefore, there is an expectation of compliance. Amen.
It will be unfair for Him to look down from heaven with such expectations if He had not provided the curriculum for us to adhere to.

So too it is with us, we ought to have expectations, clearly communicate our expectations and live in expectation. I will give you an example to help you understand this truth even more. If you expect absolute honesty in your relationships, first you should be able to communicate that – give no room for assumptions. Secondly, you will relate with that person expecting that everything they say and do is true. You would not have to verify every information or action of theirs before implementing because you expect that they are dealing with you from a platform of honesty. Amen!
All these might seem easy, yet, you will be amazed at how many people live on assumptions and never successfully build lasting kingdom relationships. I will say this again, you do not have to be a victim of failed relationships. There is a way that you can see and learn, not necessarily experience the situation before learning.


In Proverbs 24:32 (NIV) we are told this “I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw”. Amen!

Sunday, January 6, 2019

Purpose – What Is My Purpose?



What is your purpose? What are you living for? Jesus demonstrated this aspect in His life. When Jesus came to earth, He clearly stated that He came to earth from heaven not to do His will but the will of the one who sent Him

John 6:38 (NKJV)
For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.
 With such a bold declaration, it was impossible at the time for Jesus to get into a relationship with anyone and not know His purpose. He led by example. He set a relationship standard for us to emulate. Amen!

Brethren, you might say, I do not know what my purpose is, so how do I even communicate that in my relationship. I will encourage you to begin by doing the will of your heavenly Father, not your will. That is a good place to start. His word is His will for you.

Our goal is to highlight the significance of understanding yourself to an extent that you become an asset in your relationship. And the kingdom approach is this “purpose to do only the will of the Father in all relationships”. You will not go wrong. Remember you are the light of the world, so let your light shine before the people with whom you relate by you living a purpose driven life.




Values - What Are My Values?



Values are simply a person's principles or standards of behavior. In this context, what a person considers according to their judgment to be important in life from a kingdom perspective. I can say without any doubt that

i)                If you do not have values you will always encounter relationship blocks.
ii)              If you do have values and do not communicate them to the other party, you will encounter relationship blocks
iii)            If you do have values and communicate them, yet do not abide by them, you will encounter relationship blocks.

Have you set aside time to understand yourself from a kingdom perspective in order to know exactly what your values are? When we say, “your values” we assume in this context that you are a son or daughter of the kingdom and your value system should be in line with the kingdom. So, it isn’t so much about what you want or like, rather, how the King wants it to be. Amen.

I will share with you a few scriptural guiding principles to consider when shaping your values.

Gal 5:22-23 (NKJV)
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such, there is no law.
These 9 fruit of the Spirit provide us a guide through which we can shape our values.

Likewise,
Philippians 4:8 (NKJV)
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy - meditate on these things.


Values help us create healthy boundaries for our relationships. Find a way to communicate your boundaries and do so with so much love. Understand that your values will serve as an easy tool you can use to choose your companions. Amen.

Tuesday, January 1, 2019

2019, THE PLACE OF ABUNDANCE


2019, THE PLACE OF ABUNDANCE

Psalm 66:12 (NIV)
…but you brought us to a place of abundance.


Thank you, Father. Let’s celebrate Him Family. Make the voice of His praises heard in the land of the living. For He has been good to us. He has done great and unsearchable things for us. He has kept our souls among the living. He has not allowed our feet to be moved. We say thank you Daddy.
You have been our refuge and place of safety. You have been our God and we say thank you for being trustworthy. We have been privileged to trust in your unfailing love. You have rescued us from every trap and protected us from deadly diseases. You covered us with your feathers and sheltered us with your wings.

You have been our armor and protection. You have been our rock, our fortress, and our savior. For these, we say, thank you. Your promise of protection in our lives and over our lives have been the reason why we have not been afraid of the terror of the night nor the arrow that flies in the day; nor the dread of diseases that stalk in the darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday. Thousands have fallen at our sides, ten thousand lay dead around us but You Father did not allow these evils to touch us. We say thank you.

Your promises to us are sure and pure. We have been beneficiaries of fulfilled promises. We have been directed by you to be helpers and facilitators for others. We say thank you. You armed us with strength and made our way perfect. In your strength, we crushed armies; with you oh God, we scaled walls. Your commands brought joy to our hearts and made us wise. We say thank you Daddy.
In 2018, we were like trees planted by streams of water which yielded fruits in season. Our leaves did not wither and whatever we did has prospered. Many were our foes, who rose up against us, yet, you delivered us. We enjoyed restful nights because you sustained us. For these, and more, we say thank you. We waited expectantly on you this year and you came through for us. We say thank you Daddy.
You blessed us; you surrounded us with favor like a shield.

We went through all the tests – the God test, the man test, yet we made it through because You God, was with us. You refined us in the process as silver is refined. You brought us into the net and laid burdens on our backs. You let people ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance. We say thank you, Daddy.

Father, you promised to bring us to a place of abundance and we have prayerfully identified the year 2019 as the place of abundance”. Therefore, we embrace and welcome 2019, we stand at the door of 2019 and we call 2019 the place of abundance. We boldly and confidently step into 2019 and we declare and decree 2019;

The place of abundant praise and worship unto you
The place of abundant life
The place of abundant prosperity
The place of abundant health
The place of the abundant demonstration of good works
The place of the abundance of our giving to You, God and to men
The place of abundant favors
The place of abundant business opportunities
The place of abundant educational opportunities
The place of abundant family reunions
The place of abundant youthfulness
The place of abundant fruitfulness
The place of abundant manifestation of power in and through us
The place of abundant manifestation of power without reference
The place of abundant manifestation of Godly character and virtues
The place of abundant anointing
The place of abundant manifestation of the gifts of the spirit
The place of abundant manifestation of the fruit of the spirit
The place of abundant demonstration of Kingdom Stewardship
The place of abundant demonstration of our fruitfulness
The place of the abundant fulfillment of our God given purpose and assignments

2019 is the place of abundant testimonies
It is the place of abundant laughter
It is the place of abundant joyfulness and gladness of heart
It is the place of abundant fulfillment
It is the place of abundant restoration
It is the place where we will exercise abundant dominion
It is the place of abundant growth
It is the place of abundant victories
It is the place of abundant wealth
It is the place of abundant finances
It is the place of abundant property ownership
It is the place of abundant receptivity to Kingdom Mysteries
It is the place of abundant revelations
It is the place of abundant desires to fellowship with the King
It is the place of abundant surrender to the Kingdom Lifestyle
It is the place of abundant conception and delivery
It is the place of abundant inception
It is the place of abundant quality of life
It is the place of abundant implementations of Kingdom Assignments and Kingdom Principles
It is the place of abundant maximization of Kingdom Opportunities and Kingdom Relationships
It is the place of abundant reverence for the King
It is the place of abundant manifestation of the kingly anointing
It is the place of abundant experience of your tangible presence
It is the place of abundant fellowship in your glorious presence         
It is the place of abundant of safety

We say thank you Father. We have declared, and we have decreed. So, shall it be in the “place of abundance, 2019”. In Jesus Name. Amen.


Conclusion

There is an endless list of individuals in scriptures who served as instruments of change in the lives of others. The frequency of th...