Obstacle #1: Overcoming Fear

"Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations." Jeremiah 1:5 KJV

Nothing kills the dream more quickly than doubt and fear. Fear is cancerous and when permitted it will feed on all your positive thoughts and dreams. By all means, fear should never be allowed to come close to our big dreams and great ideas, it will eat them up. Fear, my friends, is opposed to success and it should never be part of the process towards our success.

Do you remember the time when you had an idea to accomplish something but due to fear you could not implement it? Fear paralyses our ability to achieve and succeed in life. However, overcoming fear is not instantaneous. Overcoming fear is a process. Each time we overcome our fears, we grow personally and expand our possibilities of success.

So how does one go about overcoming fear? In this article I am discussing Biblical principles on how to successfully overcome fear.

1. Know who you are in God

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you..." Jeremiah 1:5a
Here God was assuring the prophet of old, Jeremiah of what he meant to Him, who he was to Him and the reason for his existence. It was from this assurance that Jeremiah's faith in God was revived to respond to God's calling for his life. I need to share with you that you are not an ordinary creature. You are a divine formation. God formed you in His own image.
One interesting thing is this; before God formed us He knew us. We were known to God before our existence. It is not a surprise to God that we exist for He knew us long before our existence. God knew even the very challenges that we would experience in life and He prepared us so well for all these. "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all." Psalm 34:19. 
When we know who we are in God, we "will fear no evil for thou art with me." Psalm 23:5

2. Know your uniqueness in God
"Before you were born I sanctified you..." Jeremiah 1:5b
Not only did God form us, He also sanctified us so that we can be unique individuals who have no competition. The word sanctified is derived from the Greek word “hagios,” meaning a separation. So in the process of our formation, God took us through the phase of separation. He made us special and unique. Jesus had a lot to say about sanctification in the Book of John 17. In verse 17, He says "Sanctify them in the truth: Thy word is truth."  In other words, Jesus was suggesting to the Father to separate the disciples from the rest and make them special.
Right from the beginning mankind was made sanctified until sin came in. Then the sanctity got messed up. We re-enter this state of separation when we get born of God in salvation through faith.
I wish to suggest to you that you are special and unique in the sight of God. You have what nobody else in the entire universe has. You have no competition to the gifts and talents God has endowed upon your life. You have nothing to fear because of your uniqueness in God. "I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well." Psalm 139:14
What God has placed on your inside, no circumstance can withstand.  
"The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?" Psalm 27:1

3.  Know that you are appointed for a special assignment

"I ordained you a prophet to the nations." Jeremiah 1:5c
Third, God ordained us. Jesus in the Book of Mark chapter 3:14 ordained twelve men for some assignment; "And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach." The word used for "ordain" (Greek "poieo") means "to make", which suggests "to appoint" or make someone for a specific assignment.
God "made" or "ordained" Jeremiah to be a prophet. Jesus "made" or "appointed" the twelve to be His disciples. There's always a responsibility attached to every ordination or appointment and that assignment must be fulfilled by you because it was you who was appointed for it. Next time you want to execute a plan or implement some idea and fear steps in, remember this one thing, there's an assignment in your life. There's a purpose for your life. There's a destiny to which God has called you.
The ordination of God represents the presence of God in our lives as we fulfill the purpose for which were made. We need not fear to do what we have to do because we have the presence of God accompanying us. God's ordination in our lives is an attestation that God is for us in what He appointed us to do. Whatever God calls us to, He commits to be with us there. "If God be with us who can be against us?" Romans 8:31 KJV 



ITU Maboye
http://www.itumaboyeministries.blogspot.com/

Turning Ideas Into Reality!

Throughout the process of life, from one time to the other, everybody gets to be inspired with new ideas which sound great and elevating. Such ideas include the following, starting a new business venture; changing your career or getting your PhD; improving your grades at school; reducing your debts until you are debt-free; investing with Stock Exchange; buying a new home or furniture; better ways of reporting at work; acquiring a new life skill, writing a book etc.

It is good to have great ideas impressed upon our minds but it is much better to have those ideas implemented. Anyone can have ideas but not everybody comes to see their ideas to fruition all the time. Perhaps you wonder why. I wish to invite you this whole week to pay a visit each day on this site as I will be sharing some of the obstacles that hinder us from turning our ideas into reality as well as how we can overcome each one of them. In this series you will also learn that God's ideas always end up in execution. Among others, I will cover the following obstacles:

1) Fear 
2) Sense of comfort 
3) Lack of self-confidence
4) Past failures

Challenge:
Commit yourself to turning your ideas into reality.

Stay blessed!

ITU Maboye
http://www.itumaboyeministries.blogspot.com/

Speak To The Rock Part II

  “Take the rod; you and your brother Aaron gather the congregation together. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water; thus you shall bring water for them out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their animals.” Numbers 20:8

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Today's inspiration aims to open our eyes to some of the people God has placed in our lives to help us reach our maximum potential. However, I need to warn the readers that as much as we are to cherish this people, we should take heed that we do not idolize them in the process. They just happen to be used by God in our lives.

What we normally overlook and never take into cognizance, often is what God wants us to consider for there lies God's answers for our prayers. Our extra-ordinary success is embedded in the most ordinary people and things around us. God places our blessings in the most common things of this world and it's our divine duty to be meek and acknowledge such. We loose nothing by doing so instead we gain it all eventually. 

Joseph's meekness to Potiphar gained him favour in the eyes of Potiphar until he made him overseer of his own house. The same attitude caused the chief prisoner to commit all prisoners to Joseph's charge. In no time, he was lifted up to his destiny and became the prime minister of Egypt. Once again, I need to say this: God has men and women out there to help you reach your goals in life. 

It's amazing how God responds to our prayer requests sometimes. When Moses with his brother Aaron came before God's glory to submit the murmurings of Israel, God sent them back to the last thing they could think of, "the rock". It was from that rock that water gushed out in abundance quenching the thirst of the entire nation as well as their animals. What is it that God is sending you to that looks so ordinary that you overlook and you still go back to Him with the same request when He has actually showed you your blessing?

Take-home message: 

Whatever the form and status of the people and certain things around you, never undermine them. God has placed them there for a reason. From them there could flow water of life like in the case of the rock God referred Moses to. From them there could flow God's richest blessings for your life that would benefit one generation to the other. From them there could flow solutions to your problems. Some people were placed by God in your life to help you accomplish your destiny. Look around for your rock and speak to it!

ITU Maboye

Speak To The Rock!

 “Take the rod; you and your brother Aaron gather the congregation together. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water; thus you shall bring water for them out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their animals.” Numbers 20:8

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I wish to direct my message to all those who experience dryness of life. There comes a time in our lives when God brings us to a point where He requires us to do the most impossible thing we've ever done. That is to speak to the Rock, which may seem dry, hard and passive.

Moses comes to God out of a crisis in despair seeking help on behalf of the Israelite children after they murmured to him for the lack of water. Instead of God providing water to Moses, God sends Moses where water is readily available. God is not interested in spoiling us with answers. God is interested in exposing us to our answered prayers.

Guess where God sent Moses to? He sent him to the Rock. "Take the rod; you and your brother Aaron gather the congregation together. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water; thus you shall bring water for them out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their animals." Numbers 20:8

Take-home message:
In every situation God has manifested His revelation. In every problem, God has provided a solution. In every crisis, God has already given Christ. God is not interested in spoiling us with answers. God is interested in exposing us to our answered prayers. Whatever the rock in your life, never run away from it but run towards it. Then speak to it until the water of life gushes out. Do your best and God will do the rest!


ITU Maboye

But The Lord Was With Joseph!

Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you.” And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.” Genesis 41:39-41

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Sometimes God uses our adversity to push us into our destiny. Sometimes God uses the very same undesirable moments in our lives to take us to another level where it gets inevitable for greatness to notice. Joseph had a series of adversities. First he was ostracized by his own brothers who could not stand his ability to dream.

Subsequently, they conspired to kill him "but the Lord was with Joseph". Instead they decided to throw him into the pit. Then there appeared the Ishmaelites in transit to Egypt and Joseph's brothers sold him to these men who also sold him into Egyptian slavery to serve in Potiphar's house.

But the Lord was with Joseph! While he was in Egypt, he was tempted of Potiphar's wife. When he resisted, the woman falsely accused him of rape and he was thrown into prison "but the Lord was him". In prison he found favour with the prison keeper who gave him charge over all other prisoners. "The keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under Joseph’s authority, because the LORD was with him; and whatever he did, the LORD made it prosper". Genesis 39:23

One day two of Pharaoh's officers, the chief butler and the chief baker, who happened to be put into the same prison with Joseph each had a dream and they needed interpretation desperately. Then Joseph gave them interpretation and as interpreted, the chief butler was restored while the chief baker was hanged. "But the lord was with Joseph!" "Yet the chief butler did not remember Joseph, but forgot him." Genesis 40:23

Pharaoh had a dream and thank God, Pharaoh had a dream. He too needed interpretation and Joseph was recommended by the chief butler. "Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him quickly out of the dungeon; and he shaved, changed his clothing, and came to Pharaoh." Genesis 41:14

After Pharaoh related the dream, Joseph gave the interpretation which pleased and won him favour with Pharaoh. Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you.” And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.” Genesis 41:39-41

Sometimes God uses our adversity to push us into our destiny. Sometimes God uses the very same undesirable moments in our lives to take us to another level where it gets inevitable for greatness to notice.

Take-home message:

Through every step of Joseph's trial, Joseph was never alone. God's presence was with him. In the pit, God was with him. In slavery, God was with him. In prison, God was with him. Even in the palace, God was with him. Wherever you are in life, you are never alone. God's presence is following you.

ITU Maboye

Born to Be Somebody, Not Everybody!

"A man’s gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men." 

Proverbs 18:16

Great people do not try to be jack-of-all-trades. Instead they deepen their ability to do their best, until they become a force to reckon. You were not born to go everywhere; you were born to go somewhere. You were not born to be everybody; you were born to be somebody. You were not born to do everything; you were born to do something special in this life. 

Take-home message:

God made you special and endowed you with unique potential. Four (4) lessons to learn:

1. Realize what you already have.

2. Refocus your attention from things that matter less to things that matter most. 

3. Reinforce your God-given talent.

4. Prioritize your areas of strength.

Love That Improves Performance

"Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." 1 John 4:10

God doesn't measure His love by our performance. Instead He uses His love to improve our performance. Your poor performance in doing God's will, will not make Him love you any less. He loves you anyhow and through His love He intends you to perform better in your Christian Journey.

Challenge:
When you can't perform and things don't go well in your Christian experience, don't be too hard on yourself. God loved you before you could even love Him, which implies that His love was not based on what you did but on what He did on the Cross. Submit to His love today and find forgiveness.


ITU Maboye