Monday, December 31, 2007

MANAGEMENT BY FORCE

"Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink." - Numbers 20:8

Moses and the people had been traveling for days without water. The people were thirsty. They were complaining and grumbling about their plight, and Moses became the object of their complaining. Moses sought the Lord for wisdom on how to handle the situation. The Lord instructed him to speak to the rock and water would flow. This would be a sign that God was still in control, that Moses was still the leader, and that God was their provider.When it came time to speak to the rock, Moses' disgust with the people became so great that instead of speaking to the rock, he angrily addressed the people and then struck the rock twice.
The water came out, in spite of Moses' disobedience. But the Lord was not pleased with Moses.This was a time for Moses to operate at a higher level. No longer was he called to touch things with his staff to perform miracles; it was a time for him to speak to the problem. His very words would have changed the situation.
Moses' staff represented two things-his physical work as a shepherd of sheep and his spiritual work as a shepherd of the people. God was calling him to move into a new dimension of using his staff. Up to now, Moses had always been commanded by God to touch something to perform the miracle. Now it was time to speak God's word to the problem.However, Moses made the mistake many of us make. He used his instrument with force to accomplish something for God. He took something God wanted to be used in a righteous manner and used it in an unrighteous manner. He used force to solve the problem. This disobedience cost Moses his right to see the Promised Land.
Have you ever been tempted to use your power, skill, and ability to force a situation to happen, perhaps even out of anger? God is calling us to use prayer to move the face of mountains. The force of our ability is not satisfactory. God is calling each of us to a new dimension of walking with Him in the new year. Pray that God will give you the grace to wait on Him and not take matters into your own hands. Then you will not be in jeopardy of failing to move into the Promised Land in your life inthe year 2008.

BEFORE YEAR 2007 RUN OUT

Because of you, your family will not know poverty you will go in and out of your house in peace....
Violence and crying of sorrow shall not be heard in your camp...
Because you are God's Idea and God cannot fail, you shall not fail this year...
Favour shall overwhelm your endeavours You shall not struggle to be recognized...
Your gift shall announce you...
You are entitled to daily fruitfulness...
Every darkness in your life shall give way to the light of God...
All your lack will give way to abundance...
The rejected shall become the selected... People shall hear your testimonies and follow you to God... In everything you do, you will succeed...
By the time this 2007 ends, you will look back with joy; and ahead with great expectations...
You will take charge of your life as you master your time...
You will discover how to maximize your time and add value to it...
You will become the star of your family and the hope of your generation...
Because you know where you are going, the whole world will step aside and follow you...
May you find favour with God and men...
May you grow in wisdom and stature...
May you walk in dominion over every circumstance and situation...
For the remaining part of the year 2007, never forget to: Act as if it were impossible to fail.. Because for people like you and me, the word failure does not exist...
Your success is non-negotiable...
This will be the greatest year of your life and the beginning of unprecedented success in your life! Those who laughed at you before shall come to laugh with you...
However bad it has been with you till this point, you shall from henceforth enter into the rest and; God shall take you to the place of your greatness and destiny.
You shall have visions that are clear, virtues that are right and victory that is certain...
You are blessed beyond curse, raised above terror and established beyond oppression...
You shall not lack counsel and ideas...
You shall have eyes that see, ears that hear and a heart that understands...
In place of breakdown you shall have breakthrough; in confusion, you shall be enlightened; and in weakness, you shall be strengthened...
There shall be for you beauty in place of ashes, the oil of gladness in place of spirit of heaviness... Every closed door against your goodness, greatness and destiny shall open of their own accord... You shall be instructed and illuminated within by the Spirit of God...
You shall do the right thing at the right time...
You shall rise above every obstacle and be carried on the wings of eagle...
God will remember you for good...
You shall fulfill and not frustrate destiny...
Christ shall continually dwell in you...

Friday, December 28, 2007

VISION ANCHOR WITH ACTION

The foundation of success cannot be divulged of vision anchored with resolute action. The slogan for success has always been, if you can see it, you can achieve it. How far you can see is how far you can go. No man has ever dwelt in the valley of no vision and sees the great beyond. Until you come up, you can not know the mind of God. When the right action is directed towards a fruitful vision, history must be made.
God often made his mind known to those who “come up”. No wonder He called John up before He made known the revelation that stands as the last book of the Bible. “Come up hither and I will show thee things which must be hereafter.” Revelation 4:1.
You can’t dwell in sin and expect to earn success. You can’t live in worry, anxiety, discouragement and focus-less valley and expect a great vision.
You can’t live with the crowd and get the best from Him. There is a need to separate yourself in order to earn success that produces enjoyable influence. Always bear in mind that your vision is the glue that attaches you to an heroic exploitation. A vision without a provision becomes a television.

QUOTE FOR TODAY
“If you don’t make your vision great your vision will not make you great.” - Yonggi Cho

ANCHOR ON THE LAW OF TIMING

The secret of success is in self management. Don’t be wasted away by your nonchalant attitude. Every man is a resource just as time is. Someone said, “he who wastes his time wastes his life”. I love how Benjamin Ftranklin penned it down; he said “dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff – life is made of.”
Time is a resource that ensures optimum productivity if it is managed well. If you will ever get to the peak of success you must avoid time wasters. They are the enemies of distinction and a friend of mediocrity, Mike Mudock said, “Those who do not respect your time will not respect your wisdom either.”
Beware of this menace – “delay is not a denial”. Don’t submit to delay nor agree with denial. If delay is not denial it is a waster of resource – time. It could be disastrous.

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

TIME ROBBERS

They’re on the loose. Almost everyone (if not everyone) is guilty of giving in or becoming victim to these time thieves one way or another. In fact, most of these time robbers have become normal parts of people’s daily lives.

TV and Radio
Who can resist watching their favorite shows on TV? If you really want to save time, turn off the boob tube. I know it’s extremely difficult to control the urge; but if you start watching TV. You’ I get hooked. What was originally a decision to watch a one-hour show could turn into a 4-hour addiction? Be strict in limiting your watching time. Better yet, don’t watch at all! The same thing applies to radio. If you’re going to listen at all, choose classical music. It stimulates the brain and is a more productive use of your time.

Phone
The phone can actually be a time-saver if you know how to use it properly. Instead of emailing someone, engaging in a phone call allow you to get the answers right away. “Saying it” is definitely faster than “writing it.” Of course, there are exceptions when email or other methods are better, like when a detailed list is needed. You can prevent phone calls from stealing your time by telling the caller nicely that you have some urgent matters to attend to, and you will try to call back soon. Do you know another reason why telephones waste a lot of your time? They require the use of your hand, which makes it difficult to do other tasks when you are talking. Invest in a headset if you can. It will free up both of your hands so you can do other things while you are chatting away.

Waiting in Line
Nothing could test your patience more than waiting for your turn in long queues. As much as possible, avoid going to crowded places. If you cannot avoid this , pick a schedule where you least expect many people to show up. For example, buy your groceries on weekdays. Don’t shop during weekends and paydays. If you can afford the higher price tags of items that can be bought through the phone, internet, or third-party services, then go ahead and buy them. If you treat time as gold, then extra time you’ I be spending. In case you really have no choice but to wait in line, then don’t waste your time complaining. Do something productive like reading a book, listening to educational tapes, or writing your future plans on your little notebook.

Traffic Terror
This is another hair-pulling moment, especially when you’re running late for an important appointment. Avoid the rush hour by all means. Anticipate when a traffic jam is usually occurring during the day so you can adjust your commuting time. If your destination is not too far away, a walking session might be a great idea to evade traffic, save on gas or money, and attain a healthy lifestyle.

Too Much
Life is becoming more and more complex everyday. We are presented with a variety of choices on a particular product to be bought. We are being inundated with tons of paperwork. We have too many tasks to do in a day. To solve this dilemma, try to make everything in life as simple as possible. Don’t present too many choices. People will be confused if you sell them products with too many combinations, varieties, or options. Lots of time will be consumed in deciding which one is really the best. Try to minimize the quantity of papers you have to keep. If you can afford programming or e-commerce solutions that minimize the use of papers, then it is a rational decision to acquire them. Pause a while you are going to do activity. Always ask yourself, “What can I do along with this task to save more time in the future? For instance, you are going to buy a birthday card for your friend. By asking the question, you might come up with the decision to buy more birthday cards instead of just one, to give to those who will be having their birthday later in the year; so you don’t have to go to the shop every time there is a birthday occasion.

Emails
Emails have helped save lots of time and money for many people. Instead of the old fashioned snail mail, more individuals rely on email to get their message across faster, cheaper, and more conveniently. However, there are certain downsides to using email as a means of communication. Many people check their emails many times during the day, therefore hampering their productivity. They’ve become addicted to emails so much that they spend hours reading and replying, even to junk mails! And speaking of junk mails, sorting out your emails and separating the junk from the not can be a very time-consuming activity. Written below are some great tips to make emails work for you in your pursuit to manage time efficiently.
1. Check your emails a maximum of twice a day. If you want to accomplish many tasks, limit your time in reading your emails. Suitable times would be first thing I the morning (to take care of urgent matters) and a few minutes before you end your work (to catch up with last-minute concerns).
2. Set up templates or a “Frequently Asked Questions” page. The same questions can be repeatedly asked by different people – things like how to operate a certain product, how to download a resource, how to join your affiliate program, and so forth. It is obvious that typing the same answers to the same questions over and over again is extremely time-consuming. It is therefore advisable to set up templates of answers so you can just copy and paste them whenever the same questions are being asked again. A better way is to set up a “Frequently Asked Questions” page so you can just refer people to it when they have queries. The only time they’ll email you again is when their concerns have not been properly addressed.
3. Reply briefly. Answer your emails clearly and to the point. Don’t overcomplicate the explanation. Never reply to spam messages or to junk mails.
4. Take the phone. Several minutes spent in replying to emails can be shortened tremendously by just calling the person. You’ll get faster response and you’ll end up saving lots of time. And of course, the personal touch is priceless.
5. Terminate spam. Spam messages are very prevalent nowadays. Not only can they waste a lot of your time, but they can be very annoying as well. To prevent spam, don’t spread your email address that only a few trusted people know. If you can, make your email address more intricate. For example, use mark_jones27543@yahoo.com instead of mark_jones@yahoo.com. If you’re inserting your email address in websites and messages, you may replace@ with “AT.” For instance, write down mark_jonesAtyahoo.com instead of mark_jones@yahoo.com.
6. Get your email across. Sometimes, your email could mistakenly be regarded as spam, and this would waste your time in composing that message. To prevent such occurrence, be careful with your choice of words. Avoid words or phrases that trigger the spam filters. Some words to avoid: free, money, sex, amazing, limited offer, naked, opportunity, debt, loans, lottery, retire, urgent.

Other Robbers
There are certainly many other time thieves depending on each individual’s circumstances. Examples include waiting for your spouse in the shopping mall, making mistakes in filling up application forms, and other such things. Use your mind to think of possible solutions. If you can’t avoid being involved in such predicaments, then at least make those moments productive by reading books, listening to educational tapes, etc.

Monday, December 24, 2007

DECEMBER 25TH

“ And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, in the five and twentieth day of the month, that evil-merodach king of Babylon in the first year of his reign lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah, and brought him forth out of prison, And spake kindly unto him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon, And changed his prison garments: and he did continually eat bread before him all the days of his life. And for his diet, there was a continual diet given him of the king of Babylon, every day a portion until the day of his death, all the days of his life”. - Jeremiah 52:31-34.

To all readers and visitors to this web site I want to share with you the significance of the Christmas day, it is a special day Jesus Christ was born into this world to deliver mankind from his sinful way. I have studied the weather pattern over the years of this particular day, the firmaments bear witness to this unique day across all countries and tribes. There is a glory over the surface of the earth while some are having snow, others fog, or harmattan haze.
In the text above King Jehoiachin of Judah was delivered on a Christmas day (in the twelfth month in the five and twentieth day of the month) hundred of years before Jesus was born. Seven significant events will happen in your life on this particular glorious day.

1. Your head will be lifted.
You may have been experiencing downward trend in your life, marriage, business and workplace, you will no longer be the tail but the head. God is about changing your situation for the better because Jesus came into the world this same day to deliver you. Everyone that sees you as nobody will begin to see you as somebody very special your head will no longer be bowed but be lifted high.

2. You will be brought out of prison.
Some people have been bounded without freedom under bondage of their task masters for quite sometime, you will be set free now just like those that set up Daniel into the lion’s pit, your prisoners will replace you in the prison while you will be set free, Jesus will liberate you and grant you permanent freedom.

3. You will be spoken kindly of.
People have used their tongue to describe you negative. God will change their tongue and they will begin to speak well of you, they have said you are useless, good for nothing, cannot make it, never do well, under achiever all this negative qualities they describe you with they will no longer see you that way any more. A change for the better in you they will begin to see and speak of.

4. Your throne above the throne of the kings.
You are meant to be a king because the son of a king is also a king, but you reign like a slave, God will dethrone everyone sitting on your throne and enthrone where you belong, to rule and reign in Christ Jesus.

5. Your garment will be changed.
The garment you put on which has become a filthy rag casting aspersions at you. The way you dress is the way you will be addressed, you were addressed badly everywhere you turn to, today your garment or robe will change and as a king a sign of royalty is the king's garment. God is removing your present garment and replacing it with a new royal one.

6. You will continually eat bread.
You may be lacking a daily bread but the great provider is already here to provide the bread you will eat all the days of your life. Every lack will be turned to abundance in your life because Jesus was born on this day, a day like no other day.

7. You will be given a continual diet all the days until death.
A diet is a food with all essential ingredients needed for growth and development. You might be lacking the essential nutrients needed for you to succeed and become great God is going to provide to you this day those nourishments needed by you for life.

You will succeed at this times because JESUS is the reason for this season.

Monday, December 17, 2007

A CANDY MAKER

"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son.... "- John 3:16

A candy maker in Indiana wanted to make a candy that would be a witness of his faith. He incorporated several symbols for the birth, ministry, and death of Jesus Christ. He began with a stick of pure white, hard candy-white to symbolize the Solid Rock, the foundation of the Church and the firmness of God's promises.The candy maker made the candy in the form of a "J" to represent the name of Jesus, who came to earth as our Savior.
It could also be thought to represent the staff of the Good Shepherd with which He reaches down into the ditches of the world to lift out the fallen lambs who, like all sheep, have gone astray.Thinking that the candy was somewhat plain, the candy maker stained it with red stripes. He used three small stripes to show the stripes of the scourging Jesus received, and by which we are healed. The large red stripe was for the blood shed by Christ on the cross so that we could have the promise of eternal life.
The candy became known as the candy cane-a decoration seen at Christmas time. But the meaning is still there.During Christmas, do you reflect on the real meaning of the season? It is one season we can use like no other to bring the focus on Christ. Ask God to give you opportunities to share Christ with someone this Christmas.

MIXING FAITH WITH COMMERCE

"Your servant has nothing there at all," she said, "except a little
oil."
2 Kings 4:2b

Her husband had died. There was no way to fulfill her debts. Her
creditors decided to take her two sons as slaves for payment of the
obligations that still remained. She pleaded for assistance with the
only man of God she knew.
"Is there anything in your house?" Elisha asked.
"Nothing at all," she said, "except a little oil."
Elisha then instructed her to go and collect all the empty jars that her
neighbors might possess. "Ask for as many as you can," he instructed.
When the jars were collected, he instructed her to pour what little oil
she had into the jars. The oil was more than enough to fill the jars. In
fact, there was more oil than jars to fill. "Go, sell the oil and pay
your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left" (2 Kings 4:7b).
God often mixes faith with the tangible. The widow believed she had no
resources to meet her need. God said she had more than enough resources.
She did not see the one jar of oil as a resource. It did not become a
resource until it was mixed with faith. Her need was met when her faith
was mixed with the practical step of going into the workplace to sell
what she had in order to receive her needed income. In fact, there was
so much income she was able to pay her debts and live on the money
derived from the sale.
Quite often we forget that God works through commerce to provide for our
needs. It is wrong to place total trust in commerce without faith in
God. God often requires simple obedience to an act that seems ridiculous
to the logical mind. It is this faith mixed with the practical that God
honors.
Do you have a problem that is perplexing to you? Do you see no way of
meeting your need? God may have already given you the skills and talents
to meet your need. However, He may be waiting for you to mix them with
faith. Ask God to show you the steps necessary to solve your problem. Be
willing to take the next step.

HOW TO BUILD YOUR OWN MONEY MACHINE

Too many people are trying to start their home businesses with an ordinary employee's way of thinking. This has become a common reason why not long after sitting down and giving a fair look into even the most lucrative business opportunity they bump into, they put it away and decide not to take any chances.What has happened here is that the most lucrative business opportunity has been looked into by an ordinary 9-to-5-worker, who appears NOT to be business-minded. If you are like most people, you have probably considered starting your own business yourself. But above all, you have to understand that to make into a successful Entrepreneur, you have to change your way ofthinking.
1. DO NOT EXPECT FAST CASH!Working as an employee is a save haven for those afraid to take chances in their own business, their only way to get 'fast' cash. They expect a supposedly sure cash at the end of 25 to 30 working days.This kind of cash they believe will always come in as long as theywork from 9 to 5 for their boss. But as you probably already know it, as soon as they stop working, the money stops too.True entrepreneurship- minded people know that it takes time to develop a successful plan for their businesses. It takes time to build a strong and solid business, which delivers on going income through many years.True Business Entrepreneurs hold on to this truth, "We reap what we sow, but the harvest is never in the same season as the planting." Change your way of thinking: DO NOT EXPECT FAST CASH!
2. AIM FOR JOB SECURITY OR FINANCIAL SECURITY? Employees would rather have job-security. Why? Simple: the income is secure. As long as you loyally work from 9 to 5, you will for certain get your cash! The problem with a typical job is that when you stop, the money stops. The stark fact is: one day you might get fired without notice or retire sooner or later. Companies get broke and have to release their employees; talk of downsizing or rightsizing. No matter what the situation, as soon as you stop working, the money will stop coming. So much for secure income...!A job with secure income is necessary for those who have not set up their own business yet. But a true Business Entrepreneur won't settle merely for job-security. He aims for much more, such as financial security. No, he won't have fast cash. And no, he won't have any secure income yet - at least not in the beginning. And often, he won't have any income at all from his new business for the first few months. Business entrepreneurs think of the big picture. What they do is building assets from which money will come in month after month, year after year from work he is doing now! The money will not come now. It might not even come for the next few months. But as soon as his business is up and running, it will keep generating income for him, even when he chooses to stop working! And THAT is financial security! Change your way of thinking: THINK OF THE BIG PICTURE: AIM FORFINANCIAL SECURITY!
3. GENERATE PASSIVE INCOME Financial freedom is not measured by how much money you earn by working, but how much money comes in with only little or no work atall. This later kind of income is called passive income. This fact has been known for decades by real wealthy people. Successful and wealthy entrepreneurs do only little work and sometime sit is even possible to do the work only once but still generate recurring income on it. Imagine a song or a book writer. They write their songs or books once but get paid forever on it. This do-it-once-get- paid-forever type of income is called residual income. Most people who have attained financial freedom have other peopleworking to generate income for them. Earning money by other people's effort is called leveraged income. As hard as it may seem, to create leveraged income, you need to have your own business where other people work to generate income for you. Whether it is a traditional business, franchise, small business, internet based or home based. Employees work to generate secure income. Business Entrepreneurs work to build assets with income streams which generate for him ongoing passive income (either residual or leverage income or both). In otherwords Business Entrepreneurs work to build himself -what I would call-a 'money-machine' which is designed to generate ongoing income.Whereas the Employee can not stop working because otherwise he will lose his income, the Business Entrepreneur will have money coming in constantly, even when he chooses not to work, simply because it is his assets that generate residual and leverage income for him. Change your way of thinking: TAP INTO PASSIVE INCOME BY GENERATINGRESIDUAL & LEVERAGED INCOME!
4. INVESTMENTSIt is common for people who seek job security to hesitate to invest.The reason is understandable: for most of them the risks of investing in a business are just too much to handle. A true Business Entrepreneur understands that in order to build -what I would call- a 'money-machine' , investments are necessary. There is just no such thing as business without investment. He knows that it takes time and effort to develop a successful business. But he also knows that investing money is just as important! Sometimes it takes the Business Entrepreneur a year or two before he can finally reap the big success. Sometimes even a bit more. It takes a couple of years of investing time, effort and money. But this is not too hard for him to handle. A true Entrepreneur thinks long term. He knows that in the end, his working and money investing will finally pay off! A Home Based Business Entrepreneur would only have to invest few hours a week for a couple of years and he would only have to make low budget investments into his home based business. And at the end of the time of working and investing, our Entrepreneur would have turned it into a significant amount of residual income stream! I'm not talking about money that comes in today and is gone tomorrow but income that keeps coming in month after month, year after year...money that -as Gery Carson of SFI has put it- "when you've left this planet continues to provide for your spouse, children, or grandchildren. "By then you would think that all your valuable time and money you have spent would be worth it. Commonly an ordinary employee, who fears too much to invest, works hard to receive his pay check every month. Most likely he even retires broke. Before he knows it, he leaves the planet with nothing to leavefor his family. A true Business Entrepreneur is prepared to invest. He knows by investing in his business he is building assets that would generate passive and residual income for him throughout his years on this planet and the years of his grandchildren.Change your way of thinking: THINK LONG TERM: START INVESTING!

INCOMESTREAMS

It is a common say today that there is no job security whatsoever, that is true worldwide. The civilized countries of the world are not left out.They all downsize. So what's the hope of an average employee who only keeps the 9 to 5 grind as the only source of income? The first objective for such people is to get out of rat race and move on to financial fast track, then to achieve their dream while they're on financial fast track.But before you talk about financial fast track, how do you get out of rat race first?
To get out of rat race, you must have equal or more passive income than your monthly expenses. In other words, your passive income must be enough to cover your monthly expenses before you can move onto financial fast track. Like everyone else, you have your own profession. You have a job and you receive paycheck at a fixed time interval. It's what you do differently that determines how fast you get out of rat race.But how do you accumulate enough passive income to get out from rat race?
There are only two ways to achieve this; Robert Kiyosaki in his bookRich Dad Poor Dad has pointed out that we live in an age where we must ensure that we have Multiple Sources of Income. He correctly identified four ways of earning money:
1. Employment (i.e. a normal tradional 'job')
2. Self Employment (working for yourself)
3. Business (having a 'system' that makes money)
4. Investment (earning money of accumulated capital)
Kiyosaki argues that an individual seeking financial freedom should try top osition himself in both nos. (3) and (4), which is exactly what the rich do - they either own a business (its management can be outsourced at a cost to a professional manager), or invest surplus capital in other people's business - and both these do not require an individual to work (i.e. trade time for money).The point is basically to be free from being wholly dependent of an employer.A wise man does not work for money, but lets money work for him. So to get out of rat race, the trick is to accumulate as many assets as possible by investing in money opportunities that appear around you.You know very clearly what asset is and what liability is. Once you know the difference, you focus on accumulating assets rather than liabilities.The feeling is great when you are able to get out of rat race and move onto financial fast track. No words can describe my feelings when I first got out of rat race. Why? When you're on financial fast track, money is no problem as it will come regardless of whether you work or not. You do not depend on a job to receive your money anymore. You are totally free to do what you love. So its time to forget the golden watch and the dream of easy sweet retirement at 65.

HOW TOBE MONEY-WISE

Have you ever noticed that no matter how much money you seem to make
there is never enough? Do you wonder why you never seem to get ahead
financially? Have you ever taken an assessment of your relationship
with money? This will determine where the problem might be. Then
together, we can diagnose your financial disease and develop a plan of
care to treat it and cure it.

Identify your Needs
You need many things in life including food, shelter, clothing and
education. Needs are those things that you cannot live without or that
living without would cause hardship and distress. Knowing whether
something is a need or a want is important since your perception will
determine whether you spend your money on it or not.

There was a time – not so long ago - when there were no cellular
phones or E-mail – and we managed, just the same. New technology is
created to make things easier and enhance the quality of your life.
But technology doesn't eat a hole in your wallet or put you into debt
– you do that when you choose to purchase things you cannot afford.

Many people feel they deserve to "treat" themselves to expensive items
or spend money they don't have on living a lifestyle they have yet to
earn. They charge these "rewards" on borrowing. But there are costs
for borrowing money, besides the fees and the interest, you experience
the stress of being in debt and you are living a lie. And yes, you
still need to pay the money back for those expensive things that you
purchased.

As you know, companies use advertising to market their products. The
role of advertising is to create "needs" for the things that you
"want" which influences purchasing behavior. It's your job to decide
whether each new product is something you really need, something that
will make your life easier or add to the quality of your life or,
whether it's something you can continue to live without.

The amount of money you have to spend is finite; everything in life is
a trade off. If you are going to spend your money on one thing today
then this becomes money that is not available for saving or for
purchasing more important items in the future. Just as you prioritize
your time, learn to prioritize your spending. Before you make a
purchase, ask yourself whether the item is a need or a want and decide
accordingly.

Use Cash Only
Accept responsibility for your financial situation and change your
spending patterns. Reward yourself by purchasing items with good old
cash and developing a savings plan. A couple of things will happen.
You will think twice before you spend your cash and you will start
building a reserve of money to support you for a "rainy day". Not to
mention, you will have the ability to save more for your retirement.

Identify your spending habits by writing down every naira you spend
for a week or two. Identify how much you're spending, on what and
where your money is going. Eliminate all unnecessary spending such as
unnecessary phone calls, unneeded gadgets, and wasteful purchases.
Return items you will never use. Examine every bill you pay; is there
any way to lower your bills – perhaps eliminating a luxury item?

Put money back in your pocket by identifying areas to cut back. My
clients have found hundreds of naira that they were able to cut back –
a week! Make a game of it and include those in your family.

Owe No Man!
Eliminating debt is an important part of the process. Debt is created
from many sources: a spending addiction, living a lifestyle beyond
your means, being driven by wants, impulse buying and a lack of
respect for your money.

Save For A Rainy Day
Open a savings account and start saving 10-20 percent of your
earnings. If you can, have the money deducted automatically out of
your pay cheque. Take pride in saving your money; after all, you are
working hard to earn it.

Imagine your bright financial future with plenty of extra money and no
longer living hands-to-mouth. Imagine having #1,000,000 in the bank.
How would that feel? What about #5,000,000 or #10,000,000? You might
think it's impossible, but all it takes is learning to make better
choices. It's about learning to exercise the proper respect for your
money. It's not the big-ticket items that are the problem; you
carefully plan for those purchases. It's the small, day-to-day
purchases that are stealing your financial freedom away. What is
#100,000 anyway? It's one hundred thousand of those little one-naira
bills!

The path to financial freedom lies before you. You have the power to
take responsibility for your money and to make better choices. Take
control of your current financial situation by becoming aware of your
spending habits and patterns. This will empower you to shift from a
spending mentality to a saving mentality and start you on the path to
building wealth. Then, you can develop financial goals and create a
financial plan to keep you focused on creating financial reserves.
It's your choice - choose to make better financial decisions, one
naira at a time.

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

VISION ANCHOR WITH ACTION

The foundation of success cannot be divulged of vision anchored with resolute action. The slogan for success has always been, if you can see it, you can achieve it. How far you can see is how far you can go. No man has ever dwelt in the valley of no vision and sees the great beyond. Until you come up, you can not know the mind of God. When the right action is directed towards a fruitful vision, history must be made.
God often made his mind known to those who “come up”. No wonder He called John up before He made known the revelation that stands as the last book of the Bible. “Come up hither and I will show thee things which must be hereafter.” Revelation 4:1.
You can’t dwell in sin and expect to earn success. You can’t live in worry, anxiety, discouragement and focus-less valley and expect a great vision.
You can’t live with the crowd and get the best from Him. There is a need to separate yourself in order to earn success that produces enjoyable influence. Always bear in mind that your vision is the glue that attaches you to an heric exploitation.

QUOTE FOR TODAY

“If you don’t make your vision great your vision will not make you great.” - Yonggi Cho

KNOW YOUR ASSETS AND HOW TO USE THEM

Nick was a talented guy who managed the assets of investors by trading
on the global stock market. He became a wheeler-dealer in a high-risk
segment of the market, but he didn't really know the importance to his
employer of the assets he was managing. To him, the assets were merely
one of the components allowing him to play an exciting game.
Unfortunately, he didn't count on an earthquake in Japan destabilizing
his market. He tried to adjust, but he was a gambler, and the only thing
a gambler does well is gamble. By the time he gave up gambling he had
lost some serious change-like about a billion dollars. His little
mismanagement fiasco destroyed a 300-year-old bank, the bank that had
once held the first mortgage on the Louisiana Purchase. Oops.
Nicholas Leeson never really understood the value or purpose of the
assets that had been entrusted to him. What can we learn from Nick's
debacle? First, don't get so caught up in what you're doing that you
lose sight of why you're doing it. And second, you can squander your
assets if you don't understand and use them well.
What do I mean by assets? Simply, those parts of our life and situation
that we can choose to use for God's glory-or for other things. Every
season of life provides certain assets. When I was four years old my
assets were adorableness (so my mother says) and the fact that I didn't
take up a lot of space in the family car. As a teenager my assets were
plenty of energy and...well, that's probably it. Do you see the assets
in your life that come from your singleness? Equally important, do you
understand them and use them wisely?
I believe the most overlooked asset of singleness is flexibility. The
average single adult has available to him or her a wonderful mix of
time, energy, and resources with which to build a lifestyle overflowing
with ministry impact and spiritual growth. Yet so often the choices made
by singles rob them of this valuable gift of flexibility. How do we
maximize our flexibility?
One key aspect of flexibility is time. A single woman once characterized
her singleness as "drowning in time." Have you felt this way? The single
life can seem heavy on time, and ways to randomly fill that time are
expanding daily. How can our free time become "impact time"? Leland
Ryken advises us well: "Time is the arena within which all human quests
run their course. It is within time that the issues of life are
contested and sometimes resolved. Without making one's peace with time,
a person will not solve the question of how to find the good life."
How do we "make our peace with time?" Do you steward your time,
including your free time, or do you let outside influences determine how
you use it? I am a slacker by temperament, but I've learned to schedule
my time so that my slacker tendencies don't eat my life whole. My
objective in time management is not to get as much done as possible, but
to try to make sure that I end up doing what is best for me to do.
For example, I tend to over-commit my evenings. So, I schedule every
one, even if it is simply a "reading night" or an "off night." Then if
something comes up, I have some options on how to handle it-it doesn't
just infect my schedule like the flu, throwing off everything else in my
life until I can regroup. I've also come to recognize how I can blow
time (like in front of the tube), so I make a special effort to
discipline myself in those areas.
I encourage the single folks I know to take regular overnight personal
retreats-to break from the routine, be before the Lord, and just assess
life. Let me encourage you to do the same. Use those times to set goals
for progress, not perfection. Study the scriptural principle of the
Sabbath, then apply what you learn. If you do things like this, will
every moment become an impact moment? No. But impact will likely emerge
"all by itself" from the ordered use of the time you do have.
Your flexibility will also be affected by your approach to work. As a
single adult you are highly prized in the employment world for the sheer
number of hours that can be sucked out of your life for the sake of the
bottom line. Money, perks, travel, "opportunity," and promotions are all
used as lures to get single folks to carry the time load no one else
seems to want. Don't bite. This is the hook of the world lurking under
the bait of career. Whether you work for yourself or for someone else,
don't let career or job define you. Work hard, but work as unto the
Lord. God is your boss, and in the end his advancement plan is the only
one that counts.
Another potential snare is possessions. I knew a Christian single woman
who always seemed to be moving from one place to another. Was she an
irritable person, unpleasant, hard to live with? No, she just had too
much stuff. She always needed a large area in which to store her
accumulated possessions, most of which weren't in use and could have
easily been replaced if needed. But she had a false sense of security in
her possessions. Her stuff had become her treasure, and in a sense she
worshiped it. She passed up some great living opportunities because she
thought it more important to protect her stuff than to be available for
the adventure of God's purpose. As Jesus said, "Where your treasure is,
there your heart will be also" (Mt 6:21).
The less stuff (car, house, music collections, etc.) we have to manage,
the less chance our heart will attach to it, and the greater will be our
flexibility for God's purpose. I'm not saying "stuff" is inherently bad,
but we must recognize that our sinful nature will always tempt us to
worship it.

THE MEASURE OF A LEADER'S SUCCESS

If we judged success by worldly standards, some might be
inclined to assess Paul's leadership career as an abject
failure and a bitter disappointment. In the closing days
of his life, when Paul wrote 2 Timothy, Luke was
virtually his only contact with the outside world
(4:11). Paul was confined in a Roman dungeon, dreading
the savage cold of coming winter (vv. 13, 21), and
without any hope of deliverance from the death sentence
that had been imposed on him. He suffered because of the
sadistic contempt of his enemies. He was even abandoned
or disavowed by some of his closest friends. He wrote,
"This you know, that all those in Asia have turned away
from me" (2 Timothy 1:15).
"Asia" refers to Asia Minor, where Paul had focused his
missionary work. Ephesus, where Timothy pastored, was
the capital of that region. So Paul wasn't telling
Timothy anything Timothy didn't already know firsthand.
In that time of fierce persecution, association with
Paul had become so costly that all but a few of the
apostle's own spiritual children had in effect disowned
and abandoned him.
That's why people who see things superficially might
think the end of Paul's life was tragic. At first
glance, it might even seem as if his enemies had finally
defeated him.
A failure? Actually, the apostle Paul was not a failure
as a leader by any measure. His influence continues
worldwide even today. By contrast, Nero, the corrupt but
powerful Roman emperor who ordered Paul's death, is one
of history's most despised figures. This is yet another
reminder that influence is the true test of a person's
leadership, not power or position per se. In fact, a
careful look at how Paul's life and ministry came to an
end can teach us a lot about how to gauge the success or
failure of a leader.
Paul's first long imprisonment and trial before Nero
apparently ended in the apostle's release sometime
before AD 64, because he wrote the epistles of 1 Timothy
and Titus as a free man (1 Timothy 3:14-15; 4:13; Titus
3:12). But that liberty was short-lived. In July of the
year 64, seven of Rome's fourteen districts burned. When
the original fire was nearly extinguished, another fire,
fanned by fierce winds, broke out in another district.
Rumors circulated that Nero himself had ordered the
burning of the city to make room for some ambitious
building projects, including a golden palace for
himself.
Trying desperately to deflect suspicion, Nero blamed
Christians for starting the fires. That began the first
of several major, aggressive campaigns by the Roman
government to destroy the church. Christians in Rome
were rounded up and executed in unspeakably cruel ways.
Some were sewn into animal skins and ripped to death by
dogs. Others were impaled on stakes, covered with pitch,
and burned as human torches to light Nero's garden
parties. Many were beheaded, fed to lions, or otherwise
disposed of at Nero's command in equally ruthless ways.
During that persecution, Paul was again taken prisoner
by the Roman authorities, brought to Rome, subjected to
persecution and torment (2 Timothy 4:17), and finally
executed as a traitor because of his relentless devotion
to the lordship of Christ.
Throughout his first imprisonment at Rome, Paul had been
kept under house arrest (Acts 28:16, 30). He was allowed
freedom to preach and teach those who visited him (v.
23). He was under the constant guard of a Roman soldier
but was treated with respect. The influence of his
ministry had therefore reached right into the household
of Caesar (Philippians 4:22).
Paul's second imprisonment, however, was markedly
different. He was virtually cut off from all outside
contact and kept chained in a dungeon (2 Timothy 1:16).
He was probably held underground in the Mamertine
Prison, adjacent to the Roman forum, in a small, dark,
bare stone dungeon whose only entrance was a hole in the
ceiling scarcely large enough for one person to pass
through. The dungeon itself is not large; about half the
size of a small one-car garage. Yet it was sometimes
used to hold as many as forty prisoners. The discomfort,
the dark, the stench, and the misery were almost
unbearable.
That dungeon still exists, and I have been in it. The
stifling, claustrophobic confines of that dark hole are
eerie and depressing even today. It was there (or in a
dungeon just like it) that Paul spent the final days of
his life.
There is no reliable record of Paul's execution, but he
obviously knew the end of his life was imminent when he
wrote his second epistle to Timothy. Evidently he had
already been tried, convicted, and condemned for
preaching Christ, and perhaps the day of his execution
was already scheduled. He wrote to Timothy, "I am
already being poured out as a drink offering, and the
time of my departure is at hand" (2 Timothy 4:6).
Naturally, there are notes of profound sadness in Paul's
final epistle. But its dominant theme is triumph, not
defeat. Paul wrote that last letter to Timothy to
encourage the young pastor to be bold and courageous and
to continue following the example he had learned from
his apostolic mentor. Far from writing a concession of
failure, Paul sounds a clarion note of victory: "I have
fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have
kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the
crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous
Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only
but also to all who have loved His appearing" (2 Timothy
4:7-8).
Facing his own imminent martyrdom, Paul had no fear, no
despondency, and no desire to stay in this world. He
longed to be with Christ and eagerly anticipated the
reward He would receive in the next world. Therefore, as
he reviewed the course of his life, he expressed no
regret, no sense of unfulfillment, and no feeling of
incompleteness. There was not the smallest duty left
undone. He had finished the work the Lord gave him to
do, just as in Acts 20:24 he had hoped and prayed he
would do: "so that I may finish my race with joy."
Paul measured his own success as a leader, as an
apostle, and as a Christian by a single criterion: He
had "kept the faith"-meaning both that he had remained
faithful to Christ and that he had kept the message of
Christ's gospel intact, just as he had received it. He
had proclaimed the Word of God faithfully and
fearlessly. And now he was passing the baton to Timothy
and to others, who would be "able to teach others also"
(2 Timothy 2:2).
Therefore, Paul faced his own death with a triumphant
spirit and with a deep sense of joy. He had seen the
grace of God accomplish all that God designed in him and
through him, and now he was ready to meet Christ
face-to-face.

Saturday, December 1, 2007

PIONEERING

Being a pioneer is a great opportunity to unleash the catalyst required for explosive success. Everything you can see wherever you are now has a record for its pioneer.
There is a person behind its beginning. There is a traceable character to its existence. No matter what it is. The fact is, without a foundation, there is no structure. Being a pioneer is a special invitation to the gathering of achievers where destination and legacy are being recognized.
It is a great tragedy for anyone to pioneer without a resolute and influential legacy. In fact without mixing words, it is the greatest of all disasters. When a man pioneer without setting pace, he leaves the followers in a state of dilemma.

QUOTE FOR TODAY
“The world is filled with abundance of opportunities which the dreamers of the past never knew.” – Napoleon Hill

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

STAYING CONNECTED

"Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in You. Show me the way I should go, for to You I lift up my soul." - Psalm 143:8

Two of the greatest inventions of my time have been the laptop computer and e-mail. The laptop means I no longer have to stay in one place to be productive in my business life. E-mail has allowed me to stay connected to people all around the world with the touch of a button.My greatest frustration is when either of these does not work. Sometimes e-mail cannot be used because I can't get a connection. Sometimes I cannot use my laptop because I have not properly charged it, and then the charge runs out while I am on an airplane.
Both of these situations mean I am unable to tap into the resource that allows me to fulfill my calling in my work to the fullest.The morning time with God is much like these situations. God pours His Word into my spirit, and I am recharged. This recharging has an important effect on my day. It allows me the greatest opportunity to hear the small voice that directs my steps. If I refuse to "get connected," I risk following my own ways of fulfilling the duties of my day. It sets forth the opportunity for God to speak into my spirit what He desires for me each day. It allows me to focus on God's purposes, not mine. The only way to know someone is to spend time with him or her. The only way to discern the voice of another is to hear that person's voice.
David, the author of this psalm, was a warrior, king, and businessman. He understood this principle of connecting with God in the morning. His morning allowed him to connect with God's love, renew his trust in Him, and hear His directions for his life. Shouldn't you and I do the same?

HOW TO GROW RICH GOD'S WAY

Just about everyone wants to get rich. But the world's
emphasis on having lots of money and material
possessions doesn't lead to true wealth. God wants His
people to be rich in the things that matter most, like
grace and joy.
If you follow the Bible's principles, you'll find that
God will not only meet your material needs, but also
enable you to live a generous and fulfilling life.

1. Keep your treasures in heaven rather than on earth.
Ask yourself questions to determine the attitudes of
your heart: "What do I think about most?", "What
occupies most of my emotional and physical energy?",
"How do I respond emotionally when I see human
needs?", "How do I respond emotionally when I hear
biblical messages on what God says my attitudes and
actions should be regarding material possessions?",
"How do I respond when I feel I may need to part with
some material possessions so they can be better used
to meet someone else's needs or to help carry out the
Great Commission?", "What priorities do I have other
than making money (such as worshiping God and spending
quality time with family and friends)?", and "What is
my attitude when I do give?"

2. Use your material possessions wisely. Put your faith
in God rather than in what you own. Know that if you
follow God's will for how to use the gifts He's given
you, you will inspire love and unity among believers,
and motivate encourage non-Christians to believe in
Jesus. Have spiritual leaders model the way all
Christians should use material possessions - with
integrity, unselfishness, and pure motives. Be willing
to make sacrifices to respond to special needs that
arise among God's people. Share your possessions to
encourage others, and thank people who share with you.
Develop an efficient system in your church to help
meet the material needs of other people in your
congregation and community. Realize that having a lot
of material possessions may make it hard for you to
recognize and acknowledge your need for God's grace in
salvation. Make sure your possessions aren't keeping
you in bondage. Ask God how you can creatively use
whatever excess material possessions you have to help
His kingdom work. Take care of your family members -
from children to aging parents. If you don't have
much, don't feel inferior to those who have more. If
you have a lot, be humble. No matter what your
material circumstances, give what you can, cheerfully.

3. Be thankful. Thank God daily in prayer for all that He
gives you. Decide to put God first in all things,
knowing that if you do, He will meet your needs.
Remember how God has provided for you in the past, and
trust Him to continue to do so in the present and
future. Learn to be content no matter what your
circumstances. Let your gratitude for all God has done
for you motivate you to give to His kingdom work.

4. Give generously. Give to honor God rather than
yourself. Evaluate your motives before you give.
Understand that your gifts please God only when you've
done your part to be in harmony with your brothers and
sisters in Christ before giving. Know that giving
won't cancel out the results of a lifestyle that's
contrary to God's will. Confess your sins and seek
forgiveness before giving so you can be at peace with
God and others, and give with pure motives. Be willing
to help everyone God leads you to help, even your
enemies. Pay special attention to needs among your
fellow Christians. Know that God will reward you when
you give faithfully, based on the degree of sacrifice
you make. Evaluate your giving patterns, asking
yourself if you're giving unselfishly,
proportionately, generously. Every time you're paid,
set aside a portion of your income to give to God's
work. Organize your finances so you can plan to give
regularly and generously. Make sure you're supporting
those who are ministering to you spiritually. Make it
a priority to support your local church. Strive to
understand the lives of the people you're trying to
help through your giving, and build relationships with
them to draw them closer to Christ's love. Besides
giving money and possessions to further God's kingdom,
give your time and contribute your talents and skills
as well.

5. Be ethical. Realize that being entrusted with money to
use for God's kingdom work is an awesome
responsibility. Don't use the Christian message to try
to benefit yourself. Remember that a church is not
simply a business. Set up a system for your church
finances that ensures accountability. Don't show
favoritism toward wealthy people or prejudice toward
poor people; treat all people equally. When you do
your financial planning, make it a priority to fulfill
God's will in every respect. Ask God to help you
overcome temptations to be unfair, dishonest,
self-indulgent, or greedy. Work hard to earn your
money rather than trying to obtain it through
get-rich-quick schemes or gambling. Show
responsibility in your work so you will represent
Christ well. Strive for excellence in all the work you
do, knowing that God is your ultimate boss. Treat
employees fairly in every respect, including paying
them fair wages. Be a good citizen by paying all
government taxes and fees when they're due. When you
need financial help, be open and honest about your
need while avoiding any form of manipulation. Be on
guard against false teachers who mix truth with error
in order to exploit people. As a Christian living in
an affluent society, be on guard against
self-deception and rationalization.


6. Handle lending and borrowing well. Strive to always
pay your bills in full and on time. Avoid consumer
debt, especially when it hinders your ability to give
God the first fruits of your income. Never knowingly
borrow money you can't pay it back according to a
predetermined agreement. Before borrowing money for
any purpose, seek wisdom from others who can help you
evaluate all aspects of the decision. Demonstrate
grace to people who borrowed money with good
intentions but encountered crises beyond their control
that make it hard to repay their loans on time. Before
guaranteeing another person's loan based on your own
assets, make sure you'd be able to repay the entire
loan yourself without defaulting on other financial

BE A L.A.S.E.R.

When interviewing for a job,
(L)isten for the needs, challenges, and obstacles of your potential employer. Turn the table on your interviewers by asking key questions: "What are the greatest challenges your company faces? What are the greatest threats? What is the most difficult thing about finding the right person for this job?"
Be quick to (A)ssess. How can you fill the gap with either something you know, something you can help to discover, or perhaps, someone else you know? This doesn't have to be from your own work experience; you can apply what you know and have experienced in life to demonstrate your ability to meet this need.
(S)erve them. Drop the entitlement attitude. There's nothing more meaningful than to hear someone say, "I believe I can help this need.It would give me great personal fulfillment to serve in this way."
Offer (E)nthusiastic expressions. You don't have to do high-fives and cheer to be enthusiastic. Take notes and share what the most exciting things about the job seem to be. Communicate that you're confident the right door will open at the right time. Tell them you'd love the opportunity to serve by (meeting the specific need), but if you're not the best one for the job, then wish them the best in their search.
(R)elease and press on. Your value and well-being are not dependent on this one job. Put other opportunities in the pipeline.
Stepping Up to the Plate Being a positive force is so much more than having a good attitude.It's taking the time to listen to the needs of others and help them meet their goals, while at the same time, working toward what you want, whether that means a new career or advancing in the one you have.

YOU'RE HIRED!

If you're like many people, your job makes up a big part of your life.In some ways, it defines who you are. But what if you're not happy with your current career or you desire to move up within your company? Where do you start? When Carolyn Kepcher, Donald Trump's right-hand woman on the NBCreality show The Apprentice, decided to move on from her position managing a Manhattan restaurant, her attitude and ability to make an impression played a key role in her future success.While interviewing for a position at the country club that eventually led to her first meeting with Trump, she was told the company was looking for someone smart and committed to put together golf outings, manage tournaments, and sell memberships. Kepcher had worked in the restaurant business for several years, but she knew little about golf.She admitted her lack of golf-related knowledge, but she focused on selling her other qualities. Kepcher writes of her interviewer's response in her book, Carolyn 101:"He was much less concerned about my lack of experience than he was impressed by my apparent enthusiasm for the place and its upside potential … Before the week was out, he offered me the job."Kepcher's experience exemplifies the fact that people who get ahead are not necessarily those who are well-connected or more knowledgeable.
They are, according to Terry Barber, author of Worth Every Penny: Become the Person Your Clients (and Your Company) Can'tLive Without and director of integration services at Grizzard Communications Group, those who make things happen by creating energyand lasting impressions with people. They're what he calls a positiveforce.
Four characteristics of one who is a positive force:
1. Acts as a thermostat, not a thermometer. A thermometer reads the temperature of a room, but a thermostat regulates the volume of coolor warm air that goes into the room. When a person decides to be a thermostat, he or she can, for example, make a conscience choice about how they want a meeting to go in terms of tone, pace, impressions, and so forth. "A person can drive the emotional temperature of a room,"says Barber, "by how they greet others, what they wear, the pace in which they speak, and the level of intensity in which they both speak and listen."
2. Purpose-driven versus title-driven. Communicating that you understand your life compass is essential. Let others know that the most important thing to you is not your title. What's important is that you know who you are, what motivates you, and that the job you take will put wind in your sails.
3. Teachable versus taught. Successful people love to help others succeed. Being teachable is an admirable trait, and it communicates that you don't know it all. "The most respected and competent people in industry are those who look for opportunities to learn from others," says Barber.
4. Life givers versus life suckers. Being around people who are a positive force energizes you. Being around complainers and whiners will suck the life out of you.
Becoming a Positive Force in the Workplace In order to become a positive force, Barber says there are two key steps that a person can take.Order your private world. Connecting the dots between your heart (your desires), mind (what you choose to think about), and spirit (your connection with God that will yield imagination and passion) is essential.
First, consider your heart's desires. If money and other pressures weren't an issue, what would you be doing with your day-to-day activities? Where would you be making a difference?
Second, quit listening to the negative influences of people around you. Rework your thinking so that you consider all the things you can do and the positive differences that you can make. Find others to model your life after and fill your mind with the same kinds of things they read and listen to.
Third, sit in solitude before the Lord and ask Him to guide you in what you're doing. Pray about your goals and the challenges you experience on a daily basis. "It's the Lord who helps to energize our imagination and our passions," says Barber. You'll know you've connected all the dots — heart, mind, and spirit —when you can lie down at night or get up in the morning and the desires of your heart meet with the opportunities in your hand. On the flip side, if you go to bed thinking, How much longer do I have to do this? I wonder how I can jump ship and do that, then the dots aren't connected.If this is the case, it's time to reassess and think about approaching your job differently. Rather than looking at what you're not getting or how others are mistreating you, tap into the mission of your organization and start thinking about it and your part in it." However, if you can't do this where you are because you don't agree with the things your company stands for, or it's just not within the makeup of who you are, then yes, start dreaming about other things you can do," says Barber.

Friday, November 23, 2007

THE ULTIMATE FRANCHISE

"And He said unto them, How is it that ye sought Me? Wist ye not that I
must be about My Father's business?"
Luke 2:49 KJV

Earth is God's business. He has set up many franchises (churches)
designed to send His representatives (Body of Christ) into the world to
make known the best product ever given to mankind (Jesus). His branch
managers (pastors) have been given the responsibility to teach and
support those in the field. God's goal is to establish a franchise in
every nation, state, and city. It is the ultimate business because when
you introduce someone to His product (Jesus), you receive a reward from
the home office (Heaven). God has promised that His representatives
will have all the tools and customer support needed to accomplish their
strategic plans.
Jesus knew that He was to be about His Father's business. He knew He
was sent to earth not to enjoy the pleasures of lowly man, but to
accomplish a task for which He alone was sent. When He had accomplished His
mission, He was to entrust this mission to other representatives into
whom He poured His life for three years. This field training allowed
Jesus to mentor, model, befriend, and demonstrate firsthand the model
for a successful business to be launched and sustained.
God has big plans for His franchise. He wants every human being to
partake of His product; however, even God knows that not everyone will.
Nevertheless, this does not thwart His efforts in seeking to make it
known among His audience.
You have been called to be part of the ultimate franchise. How many new
recruits have you been responsible for bringing into the franchise
lately?

Monday, November 19, 2007

CRITICISM AND OPPOSITION OPEN THE DOOR OF PROGRESS

Criticism and opposition is a signal of success. It proves your best and announces it to the world. Just as someone said, "if you are not proved you cannot be approved."
If your so called best is not yet the best. Opposition is the mother of opportunity.
Don't ever waste your precious time with the critics. Always keep your attention on your goal and stay focused. This is the winning secret of Jesus Christ that earned him an enviable success. If you mind opposition and criticism you will lose your focus.

QUOTE FOR TODAY
"Opposition is really the proof of progress. Satan always attacks those next in line for a promotion." Mike Mudock.

MONEY AND MOTIVES

It was Martin Luther who said, "There are three conversions a person
needs to experience: The conversion of the head. The conversion of the
heart. The conversion of the pocketbook."

It is worth noting that money is such an important topic in the Bible
that it is the main subject of nearly half of the parables Jesus told.
In addition, one in every seven verses in the New Testament deals with
this topic. The Bible offers 500 verses on prayer, fewer than 500 verses
on faith, and more than 2,000 verses on money. In fact, 15 percent of
everything Jesus ever taught was on the topic of money and
possessions-more than His teachings on heaven and hell combined.
Why such an emphasis on money and possessions? There is a fundamental
connection between our spiritual lives and how we think about and handle
money. When the tax collector, Zaccheus, was converted, he wanted to
right his wrongs. He declared to Jesus that he would give half his
possessions to the poor and would pay back four times the amount he had
overcharged anyone on their taxes. Zacchaeus' encounter with Christ
affected every aspect of his life, including his pocketbook.
We might recoil from any teaching on money, because such teaching is
sometimes abused and used for personal gain. But we need to get a proper
biblical perspective on this important subject. Let's consider the words
of Jesus in Matthew 6:
"Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be
seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven.
Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before
you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they
may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their
reward. But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand
know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in
secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you
openly." (Matthew 6:1-4 NKJV).
In other words, the heart of the matter is a matter of the heart. Over
and over again, our Lord comes back to motive, and He addresses it here
when He speaks of giving. Every believer should be giving a portion of
his or her finances to the Lord on a regular basis, but it should not be
done in an ostentatious way or in a manner that would draw unnecessary
attention. When people want to be noticed because of their giving, they
want others to think they are more spiritual than they really are. This
is hypocrisy.
When we give, when we pray, when we worship, or whatever we do, God is
looking at our hearts. Motive is everything. When you give, realize that
God is aware of it. It comes down to this: If we remember, God will
forget. If we forget, God will remember. Leave the bookkeeping to God.
In the same chapter, Jesus addressed the subject of possessions: "Do not
lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy
and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves
treasures in heaven . . . "(Matthew 6:19-20 NKJV).
The above phrase literally could be translated, "to lay up something
horizontally, as in storing it permanently." This verse isn't saying
that it is wrong to save or invest your money. What it is saying is that
it is wrong to accumulate possessions for the sake of accumulating them,
and more specifically, for the purpose of impressing others.
Jesus was not teaching against being blessed with material things. Of
the many instructions He gave, only once did He tell an individual to
sell his possessions and give them to the poor. This person was the
rich, young ruler, and Jesus recognized that he was possessed by his
possessions.
The point is, we are to keep things in perspective, recognizing that
everything we have comes from God and that He provides it for us with a
purpose in mind. Don't put your hope in material things. They will all
be gone some day. If your primary ambition is material things and then
you try to make your primary ambition the things of God, it won't work.
You can't do both. You need to make a decision. Invest in spiritual
things. Store up treasures in heaven.

Saturday, November 17, 2007

WHAT IS FINANCIAL MIRACLE?


" 'Test me in this,' says the Lord Almighty, 'and see if I will
not throw open the floodgates of heaven '' " (Malachi 3:10)

We look now at one of God's purpose for money: to show His divine
power. God is a supernatural God - something Christians seem to
forget - and He delights to demonstrate His reality and power among
His people. One means through which God has chosen to do this is
through His miraculous provision of money.

What is a financial miracle? It is a supernatural event whereby God provides one of His
children with the money required to meet a financial need - and
usually it involves such precise timing that it cannot fail to point
to the Lord's direct intervention. When a Christian prays about a
financial need, for example, and an unexpected gift is given to him
by someone who knows nothing about the need, the supernatural power
of God is demonstrated. In the days of Elijah, the nation of Israel
tried to worship God and serve Baal at the same time. Elijah knew
that this would inevitably lead to God's judgment, so he proposed a
simple test. The test involved building two altars, one for God and
one for Baal, and whichever answered by a display of supernatural
power was the one whom they would worship. The prophets of Baal cried
out to their non-existent deity all day, but nothing happened. Then
Elijah prayed, and in response to his prayer God sent fire from
heaven. One of the biggest of the false gods of this age is money. It
has become an idol because people expect from it what only God can
give - true security. As the world hankers after money, God wants to
prove to those who seek Him that they will not lack any good thing.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

FEAR NOT!

"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline." - 2 Timothy 1:7

God calls each of us to engage in spiritual warfare at times. Whenever satan wants to come against one of God's children, he does so by trying to intimidate through FEAR. (False Evidence Appearing Real)Goliath's formidable size and arrogant boasting intimidated Saul and Israel's army. And because God's anointing had fallen from Saul, he was unable to respond with courage to Goliath's charge. Fear paralyzes and torments. That is why Saul could not respond.The anointing had fallen on David, who was just a young boy, but mighty in spirit.
David did not cower at the size or shouts of the giant Goliath. He saw Goliath through the eyes of God, who saw him as a mere speck. David had righteous indignation for an affront to the armies of the living God.David did not weigh the risk of failure because his faith was resting totally in God. That is another important factor in overcoming fear-complete trust in God.When the Lord began training me to confront fear, the training grounds were a groundless lawsuit, intimidations, and calamity that confronted my very existence.
Learning that these were merely tactics of the enemy, designed to instill fear, allowed me to stand firm in God's power to overcome.Do not fear sudden calamity if you are walking uprightly before God. It may be setting the stage for a great victory that will bring praise and honor to your heavenly Father. These battles are training grounds for greater victories to come.

IT'S YOUR TURN, GO!

There are four concepts that relates to the Olympic Games. Although these principles apply to every game in the Olympics, let’s consider the finals of the men’s 100-meter sprint. Each time I watch this race. I am thrilled at the suspense and emotion that characterizes it. The whole world waits in suspense to see who will become the next fastest man in history. Will a new record be set? Will there be a new champion? No one can truly predict the outcome of the race until it is finished. On your marks. Gets set. Go!

1. GO – Prove Your Worth
The blast of the whistle gives us an insight into the lives of the athletes. Those who have spent time preparing are immediately distinguished from those who did not prepare adequately. Similarly, it’s your turn, GO – prove your worth and show the world the stuff you are made of. You have been learning about preparing for greatness. Greatness is achieved through action not through continuous planning to take action. Now is the time to begin, to prove to the world that you are the new kid on the block.

2. GO - Equal Opportunity
GO gives each athlete an equal opportunity to accomplish greatness. Not only does it give them this opportunity to those on the touchline, it also gives them the same opportunity as those who ran the race four years earlier. In the same way, the race of life not only gives us equal opportunities to succeed, it also give us equal opportunities as those who have gone before us. Don’t ever believe that the days of opportunities are gone. You are on the threshold of history until you die. Guess what? Never in the history of human existence have we had the kinds of opportunities to succeed as we do now. Stop complaining and begin your race. It’s your turn, GO!

3. GO – Golden Opportunity
The Olympic race is run once every four years. GO, therefore, signifies a golden opportunity for every athlete, an opportunity they will not have again for another four years or possibly, in their lifetime. It’s an opportunity too good to miss. When it is missed, it is success delayed, destiny postponed, and greatness buried. And just like the Olympics, life gives each of us a golden opportunity. Each tick of the clock is life urging you to GO. It’s your golden opportunity to maximize your day and accomplish your dream. Go means you appointed time has come. There cannot be any other time better than now to begin your race. The future does not begin tomorrow, the future is now. Therefore, GO!

4. GO – You Can Do It.
The blast of the whistle means, you can do it, you can become your dream, you can create a new record, and you can make it. If someone is supposed to win the race, that person is you. Life believes so much in you to put you in the race. Had life not believe in your ability to win, either of these two scenarios would have occurred:
- You would not have been short-listed for the race: The fact that you are now running the race implies that life has confidence in your ability to win. Think about it. Your existence is the proof that you have the ability to win. The day you were conceive, there were more than a hundred million contestants I race to reach the ovum, but the strongest, fastest, and most virile sperm made it to the crown and that product became you. The life of a success story began the day you were conceived. And guess what? Your birth is the proof that God believes so much in your ability that He short-listed you instead of the 100 million others that were possible. Literally, He gave up a million other possibilities, for you!
- The race would have been awarded to someone without being run: The fact that there is a race means that there is a possibility of your wining it. GO, you can do it and win the race of life. If you won the initial race with more than 100 million contestants, what makes you feel that you cannot win it now? GO, the world is about to celebrate the success of a new champion, and the person is you!

QUOTE FOR TODAY
“Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal. Nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.” - E. Joseph

PREVENTING SELF-DELUSION

Remember Paul, the apostle. We reap what we sow. He went on to warn Christians in the Roman Empire to avoid the worst form of deception, which is self-deception, to think you can reap results different from the seeds you have sown or are sowing.
There are two common types of self-delusion that can be avoided by playing back the past.

1. Blaming circumstances for your present position
When we blame other entities, parents, society, race, what have you, for our current circumstances, we blind our selves to the fact that, ultimately, we are responsible for our own position in life. Remember the great Law of this Universe as it applies to human behaviour, and take responsibility for your life. Play back your past with an objective mind, and you will be able to identify behavioural patterns, attitudes, lifestyles, and habits that have led you to where you now are.

2. Assuming that tomorrow will be better without making changes.

To convince yourself that tomorrow will be better if you just wait out today, “Ah everything will be fine, whatever will be, will be.” Is to breed disappointment, or worse failure. Tomorrow will be a repeat of today if you do not change your present behaviour.
Newton, in his first law, also stated the following;
“An object continues in its state of rest or in uniform motion in a straight line until a force is applied to it.”
The threefold implication of the law:
- If an object is motionless, it will remain in that state until acted upon by an external force.
- If an object is moving at a constant speed, it will continue to do so until acted upon by an external force
- If an object is moving, it will continue to move in a straight line until acted upon at an anle by an external force.
As applied to human behaviour:
- If you are struck, motionless in life, you will remain so..
- If you are moving along a certain path, you will continue to….
….until acted upon by an external force.
That is, life will continue to produce exactly the same results you see today until a change is made or until you make a change. And the first critical step to position yourself for a better tomorrow is to play back the past.
Consider the following article I stumbled across…

“An Elderly, carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer-contractor of his plan to leave the house building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family. He would miss the pay check, but he needed to retire. They could get by.
The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one house as a personal favour. The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end his career.
When the carpenter finished his work and the builder came to inspect the house, the contractor handed the front door-key to the carpenter. “This is your house,” he said, “my gift to you.”
What a shock! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently. Now he had to live in the home he had built none too well.
So it is with us. We build our lives in a distracted way, reacting rather than acting, willing to put up less than the best. At important points we do give the job our best effort. Then with a shock at the situation we have created and find that we are now living in the house we have built. If we had realized, we would have done it differently.”

We are responsible for our present states. When you sit down to play back the past, you will make these three major discoveries about your life:
- Your present position: Where you are (the results your life is currently producing).
- Your problems: Why you are where you are (the actions responsible for the results).
- Your promise: How to get to where you want to be in life (the corrective measures needed to change the course of your life).

QUOTE FOR TODAY
“The world has the habit of making room for the man whose actions shows that he knows where he is going.” – Napoleon Hill

MOVING IN PRESUMPTION

"Nevertheless, in their presumption they went up toward the high hill country, though neither Moses nor the ark of the Lord's covenant moved from the camp." - Numbers 14:44

The people of Israel were brought out of Egypt to enter a new land-the Promised Land. This land was not handed over to them freely; it required the removing of God's enemies through battle. It required a partnership between God and the people. As long as the people remained true to God, they were victorious.The people were camped at Kadesh Barnea, near the border entrance to the long-awaited Promised Land. All the hardships of their journey from Egypt were now culminating at this important crossing. However, Joshua and Caleb were the only scouts who proclaimed faith in God to take them into the land and conquer their enemies. The other spies saw all the dangers and refused to take the risk. The people of the camp shrank in fear because of their report. They decided not to enter in.God was angered at the people for their lack of faith. Moses had to intercede on their behalf. Once they realized what they had done, it was too late. But they thought their repentance was enough to right their wrong.
They presumed this was all that was necessary.Moses informed them they were deceived in their presumption of God's favor. They went to battle against the Amalekites only to be soundly defeated. Those who returned did not understand why they lost the battle.It is important for us to know whether we have God's hand upon our endeavors. Presumption leads to failure. God's favor leads to success.
Ask God to confirm His hand on your endeavors...."If Your presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here" (Exodus 33:15).

Friday, November 9, 2007

TO BUILD A BRIDGE

The Brooklyn Bridge that spans the river tying Manhattan Island toBrooklyn is truly a miracle bridge. In 1863, a creative engineer named John Roebling was inspired by an idea for this spectacular bridge.However, bridge-building experts throughout the world told him to forget it; it could not be done.Roebling convinced his son, Washington, who was a young up and coming engineer, that the bridge could be built. The two of them developed the concepts of how it could be accomplished and how the obstacles could be overcome. With unharnessed excitement and inspiration, they hired their crew and began to build their dream bridge.
The project was only a few months under construction when a tragic accident on the site took the life of John Roebling and severely injured his son, Washington. Washington was left with permanent brain damage and was unable to talk or walk. Everyone felt that the project would have to be scrapped since the Roeblings were the only ones who knew how the bridge could be built.Even though Washington was unable to move or talk, his mind was as sharp as ever, and he still had a burning desire to complete the bridge. An idea hit him as he lay in his hospital bed, and he developed a code for communication. All he could move was one finger,so he touched the arm of his wife with that finger, tapping out the code to communicate to her what to tell the engineers who werebuilding the bridge. For thirteen years, Washington tapped out his instructions with his finger until the spectacular Brooklyn Bridge was finally completed.

FACE TO FACE

"I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete." - 2 John 12

It is easy to fire off a letter to someone in this age of electronic communication because of its expediency. In business we call this being efficient. However, there are times when nothing but a face-to-face meeting is the appropriate means of communication. We know that verbal skills are a very small portion of communication. Body language, voice tone, and our expressions make up the majority of our overall communication. This cannot be seen through a letter or electronic medium.
John knew that being face to face with those he ministered to be important. And for John, it meant some major trouble to get from one place to another. It wasn't as simple as getting into a car or hopping onto an airplane. John's desire and determination to visit and talk face to face reinforces the importance of one-on-one personal communication.I once had to confront a businessman about some problems we were having in a business deal. He lived in another town. The negotiations had stalled to some degree. I could have attempted to solve the problem over the phone. But I realized the serious nature of the issues required a face-to-face meeting. I drove two hours to his office and met with him face to face. It meant all the difference. It demonstrated to my friend I was serious enough about solving the problem to take a day to come see him. It also showed I valued him and he was worth the effort. This resulted in him giving greater emphasis to the issue.
Next time a situation arises that requires more focused communication, consider whether the situation requires a personal visit. You may find this will be the key to resolving issues that otherwise might end in a stalemate.

Monday, November 5, 2007

LIVE STRATEGICALLY

Strategic, by definition, is big picture thinking. It is large-scale and long-range in nature, but it must be lived out in the tactical here and now. A great example of strategic planning and tactical living was Noah and the building of the ark. It’s the epitome of long-range planning as it took one hundred and twenty years to complete the project and it would impact the future course of recorded history. It definitely qualifies as large-scale, due to the dimensions of the boat and the number and variety of its occupants.
The account of Noah receiving instructions from God for building the ark serves aas an extraordinary model for strategic planning.

Strategy 1 – Evaluate the Situation. “So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt..” (Genesis 6:12)
- Research the situation-Before proceeding in any endeavor, do your homework! Check things out for yourself. When I was young and had more desire than brains. I sent a man I barely knew to check out a business opportunity. Based on the strength of his report, I committed myself to a business which I knew little about. It turned out that the information he provided was deliberately falsified by him to prove himself an opportunity. It took me time for me to financially recover.
- How thoroughly have you investigated the problem or opportunity you wish to address?-Don’t rely just on one source. One credible source is still only one view. It’s better to have your information confirmed through multiple sources than to put all your eggs in one basket, only to find out the basket has a broken handle.
- Make sure the information you based your decision on is accurate-If you are unsure that your information is accurate, make generous allowances for error or don’t proceed at all. I was asked to do.

Strategy 2 – Make a Decision. “Behold, I will destroy them with the earth.” (Genesis 6:13)
- You will never have all the facts-it has been said, “In every person’s lifetime there comes an opportunity to do a very special thing, unique to that person and fitted to his or her talent. What a tragedy if that moment finds the person unprepared and unqualified for that work.” You should prepare yourself for opportunity; analyze the facts as you can accept the reality that you will never have all the information. Sometimes you have to act with less information than you would like. It’s hard to know when you have sufficient facts, so get the counsel of others and search the scripture for any indicators of direction, then make the best decision you can.
- Don’t be snared by the “paralysis of analysis”-In the mid-seventies some had an idea for a real estate magazine, which he thought was a superb concept. I analyzed and eventually did nothing. A few years later, the concept surfaced in his city and ultimately in cities across his country. His paralysis of analysis cost him an opportunity. He discovered that “in the valley of indecision lay the skeletal remains of many a worthy plan.” The bottom line to make a decision is this: don’t rush and don’t delay.

Strategy 3 – Summarize the Vision. “Make yourself an ark of gopher wood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch.” (Genesis 6:14).
- Before God gave Noah the specifics. He gave him an overview. Do you have an overview of where you are trying to go with your life? Moses had a simple overview of his purpose: to “set my people free,” Nehemiah had a simple understanding of his primary goal: to “rebuild the wall.” Jesus gave an overview of His purpose: to “seek and to save that which was lost.” What’s the overview of your purpose?
- Is your vision clearly defined? If you can’t outline your vision in 25 words or less, you probably don’t understand it. Take time to think through your vision, whether it be your life vision or your vision for specific project, then try summarizing it on the back of a business card. If you can’t do that, it’s probably not clear enough.
- Can others read it and run with it? Ask those who have a stake in your vision if they know what the vision is. See how many people give you the same answer. If you get different answers, you know you’re not communicating clearly and it may be because you haven’t got it clear in your own mind.

Strategy 4 – Establish the Boundaries “the length of the ark shall be 450 feet, its width, 75 feet, and its height 45 feet” (Genesis 6:15)
- Formulate a plan and put it in writing. A goal without a plan is only a dream. When I was new to the selling business, I realized that in order to reach my goals, I would have to accomplish a certain amount of activity. And to accomplish that activity, I was going to have to plan and act differently than I had in the past, I created a simple flowchart of required activity and monitored my progress, knowing that if I had the right things well, I would have the desired result. A simple plan, but it yielded extraordinary results.
- Stay within the sphere of your calling. Not everyone is called to the same position in life, though we are all called to accept the challenge of greatness. Greatness is measured by our service to others. Find a way to out serve your competition and you will be exalted in the market place. Let God give you the promotion, not yourself, lest you find yourself promoted to a position of incompetence. When you step into realm God hasn’t equipped you for, disaster is just around the corner. Sometimes we don’t know the boundaries of our calling until we step outside and find ourselves fighting for survival with no backup in sight. God is gracious and patient and will lead us back to the sphere of our calling.
- Don’t mistake comfort zone for calling. You may be comfortable in your world right now, but that doesn’t mean you are called to remain there. Don’t mistake the lack struggle for the leading of God. In fact, if you’re not experiencing opposition, there’s a good chance you’re headed in the wrong direction! You may be in the center of the sphere of your calling, while simultaneously being in the fight of your life. Without doubt, the Apostle Paul endured much hardship and many trials while functioning within his sphere of calling.

Strategy 5 – Define your Strategy. “make a window for the ark…set the door of the ark in its side…make it with lower, second and third decks” (Genesis 6:16)
- Make your plan a series of steps, which taken individually are manageable. Break your plan into bite-size pieces. Many goals or projects seem overwhelming at the beginning. Break them down into their individual components, then break the components down into individual steps that you can see yourself accomplishing.
- Prioritize the steps. Stand back and look at the big picture. Ask God to help you prioritize then list the steps in the order you will need to accomplish them. Without prioritization, you may find yourself having to redo one or more steps as the project unfolds.
- Identify and implement daily success habits. Ask yourself “What one thing can I do on a daily basis that would make a tremendous difference in the achievement of my goals?” Think of a few more and begin implementing them. They may be simple things, like proper diet and exercise, or more specific to your sales career like a disciplined regimen of prospecting, practicing your questioning techniques, or choosing to keep better records. Pick anything you want, but always remember to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33).

Strategy 6 – Envision the Reward “I will establish my convent with you.” (Genesis 6:18)
- Look to the reward. Any dream worth embarking on and any goal worth pursuing will exact a toll from you. In the challenging times, when you question your own sanity for ever setting out on the path you chose, it helps to remind yourself of the reward of accomplishment. Moses rejected the life of privilege under Pharaoh and chose to suffer affliction with the people of God, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt because he looked to the reward (Hebrews 11:24-26).
- Endure hardship. Just as Jesus endured unspeakable horrors at the hands of those whom He sought to save. He endured it all for the joy that was set before Him (Hebrews 12:2). Don’t lose sight of reward and don’t feel guilty about wanting the reward. Consider young David before he became king. He inquired three times concerning the reward for killing Goliath before going to battle against him. He was told each time that the reward was great riches, the king’s daughter in marriage and permanent tax-exempt status for him and his family. This does not mean that these were the only things that motivated David, but they clearly held a keen interest for him, and after killing Goliath, he collected on all three promises’

Strategy 7 – Define your Primary Responsibility “Go into the ark; you, your sons, your wife and your sons’ wives with you. And…two of every sort…to keep them alive with you.” (Genesis 6:18-19).
- Don’t lose sight of your original goal. When you’re up to your neck in alligators, it’s hard to you were there t drain the swamp. In the heat of the battle, you lose sight of the original purpose or goal. Understanding that it is can happen and be on the lookout for it.
- Watch out for rabbit trails. This is especially true for visionaries. They rarely see an idea they don’t like and it’s easy for them to get distracted. Keep your primary focus. Focus on the task at hand and don’t look back.
- Avoid worthy looking but not God originated tasks. Everyone is offered business deals, many of which seem good, honorable and worthy enterprise, but if they are not part of your life’s calling and destiny, don’t waste your time. Get rich quick schemes are plentiful, but we must recognize that though our efforts should pay well, money should not be our deciding factor. Diversions will come, so you must do your best to be in the right place at the right at time right time, and then you will be ready for a God-originated opportunity.

Strategy 8 – Count the Cost “take for yourself of all food that is eaten.. for you and for them” (Genesis 6:21)
- Determine your investment ahead of time. If you want to succeed in sales, you’re going to need to invest time, effort and money in the acquisition and refining of your skills and in doing the things most people won’t do that are necessary for success. If you don’t count the cost ahead of time, you may be surprised at what is required to succeed and you may turn back. Noah had to calculate the quantity of food necessary for him and all the animals represented on the ark. It was a big and necessary project, for without counting the cost ahead of time, he could have found himself on a ship with a bunch of starving animals.
- Be prepared to take responsibility for the consequences of your plan being executed. You do your best to count the cost and prepare for the unexpected, but in the end you will be held accountable for your choices. If you attempted more than you are able to achieve, you will only attempt great things. You will find that those who have attempted great things will not be quick to criticize you. Instead, they will come alongside and instruct you from their experience. Accept their seasoned insight.

Strategy 9 – Begin the Work “Noah did according to all that God commanded him” (Genesis 6:22)
- Break the inertia! No matter how good the plan and no matter how substantial your network of contacts, there will be no result unless you get started. In sales, doing the presentation and writing proposals can be a lot of fun, but getting the ball rolling with prospecting can be a very different thing. Most sales managers agree that the biggest challenge they have with their sales reps is breaking their call reluctance. Once a prospect has expressed interest, the flow of the call is much easier. To make breaking the inertia easier, set aside a block of time when you will launch out, then commit yourself to that time frame and step out. Most people only talk of their great ideas. You can’t steer a parked car, so get out on the road and start driving. And always ask God for wisdom.
- Get started. The research was interesting; the planning was fun, now it’s time to get to work. The most difficult thing for me to do in sales was to cold call, so I would set entire days aside to do nothing but that. After a while, my discomfort with the process and my reluctance to make the next call evaporated. I began to enjoy it. If I had to make twenty cold calls to secure one sale and earn a $500 commission, I would tell myself that each “No” I receive actually earned me $25. That put a little pep in my step because I knew there was a direct relationship between activity level and actual results. Soon, I was welcoming the opportunity to cold prospect, but before long, my pipeline filled up and I was spending more time serving customers. My base of customers provides me the leads for new customers and the need for cold prospecting diminished.
- When Paul had a vision of Macedonia, he went there immediately. By getting started now, the difficult tasks become amazing doable. We cannot “monetize” our problems someone said. We must cut the excuses, face our fears and slay the monsters in our way.

Strategy 10 – Adjust to Unfolding Details “take with you seven each of every clean animals, a male and his friend; two each of animals that are unclean, a male and his female: (Genesis 7:2-3)
- Your circumstances will change. Noah was originally told to bring only two of every animal onto the ark, but then God told him to bring seven of certain species. Apparently it wasn’t a problem but it was a change. In sales, things are always changing. One day it’s a price increase or a new product launch, the next day it’s an aggressive new competitor or your territory has been cut. The game is always changing, but the fundamental principles never change. Dr David Oyedepo said “principles don’t change but priorities may change.” Learn to roll with the changes and adapt quickly. If you don’t, you might find yourself replaced by someone who didn’t know what the old price was or never had a larger territory. Learn to adjust.
- You will never know everything. It is impossible to know the end from the beginning when you start. If you did know, you probably wouldn’t start!
- You can expect the unexpected. Instead of responding to the unexpected with dread, look for the possibilities it represent. You can’t prepare for eventuality, but you can prepare your attitude to handle whatever comes your way. Starts now by determine that you will find the opportunity in every adversity. You win either way. Knowing that the unexpected will come and being prepared emotionally for the challenge will better equip you to complete the task.

Strategy 11 – Execute Faithfully “Noah did according to all the Lord commanded him” (Genesis 7:5)
- Quitters are forgotten. We remember the name of the first man to climb Mt. Everest (Sir Edmund Hillary), not the name of the first man to attempt it. Nehemiah was remembered not because he got financing to rebuild the wall or because of his lofty position as cupbearer to the king. Instead, he was remembered because he oversaw the building and completion of the wall around Jerusalem. If the wall hadn’t been finished the entire project would have counted for nothing.
- Commitment is required. We must be committed to finishing what we start. Jesus said,” No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom” (Luke 9:62). Resist the temptation to quit half way through. It’s one thing to aim for a goal and miss it. It’s quite another to start out towards a goal and then turn back.

Strategy 12 – Share the Reward with Others “God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth” (Genesis 9:1)
- Never forget the source. It is God who gives the power to obtain wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18) He provides the talent and the opportunity. It’s our job to use the talent He has given us on the opportunity (which may be disguised as a problem) He has put before us and to trust Him for the outcome. His purpose in helping us obtain wealth is to establish His covenant on earth. I don’t pretend to understand all the ramifications of that, but one thing is clear it does include feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, helping widows and orphans, and spreading His gospel to the entire world. Think of God as an investment banker and ask yourself what it is about your plan that benefits His agenda? Why should He get excited about your project? What’s in it for him?

QUOTE FOR TODAY
“If you want to be successful, it’s just this simple: know what you are doing, love what you are doing, and believe in what you are doing.” Will Rogers