Effective Leadership

"And when the Israelites saw the great power the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and put their trust in Him and in Moses His servant." - Exodus 14:31
What makes an effective Christian leader today? Is it charisma? Is it ability? Is it communication and oratory skills? God's view of an effective leader has nothing to do with these qualities. They may be a part of an effective leader. However, the core attribute of a Christian leader is his integrity with God and his obedience to follow Him. When this happens, God manifests His power in and through that leader. Moses was effective because he was willing to obey the commands God gave him. When Moses did this, God manifested His presence in him. The result was that people followed. They followed because they saw God working in and through the man. They saw that this man was worthy of following because God's anointing was on him.

When people see the Lord's power manifested in your life, they will have a healthy fear of the Lord. They will look at you and say, "This person has something I don't have that is worthy of more investigation." Your challenge is to seek the Lord with a whole heart, resulting in God's power being manifested in the daily activities of your life. When this happens, you can expect others to be drawn to what they see in you. The problem with many Christians today is that non-Christians see nothing different about the way they live to motivate the unsaved to desire their faith.

What makes you different from your neighbor? Is your experience with God noticeably different from that of the man next door? If you're not experiencing regular encounters with God, it's time to ask why not. We don't live day-to-day for the next spiritual experience, but we should see by-products of a life centered in God that is reflected in fruit from His presence in our lives.



TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1,
by Os Hillman, Marketplace Leaders.
06-05-2012

Fear not, The Lord shall deliver you.

Isaiah 51:3-16, Hebrews 13:6, Psalm 70:1-5 ESV

by Kemi Olubiyi


Beloved, do not allow the enemy to steal your joy, for God wants your life to continually be filled with joy and gladness and so learn to put your trust in the Lord regardless of what you may be facing. He is more than able to deliver you from every challenge, situation,  that is weighing you down. The word of God says in Psalm 27:1-2 " The Lord is my light and my salvation;whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" What does this mean? It means God is assuring you that you have no reason to fear the challenges and the oppression of this world because He is your refuge, your protector, the place where you run to for safety.  Over and over again in scripture, we see the Lord comforting His people and consistently fighting their battles for them. What a great and mighty God we serve!


In Isaiah 51:12, The Lord goes further to instruct you not to fear man who withers away like the grass in the field.  Why? Because Man can never stop or hinder the plan of God for your life, who can annul what He has purposed for you  Isaiah 14: 27.  The Lord advises again in Hebrews 13:6, that you should boldly confess that He is your helper and you should not fear what mortal men can do unto you and that is why King David in Psalm 70:1-2,  ran to the Lord, for help because He knew only the Lord alone can come to his rescue and deliver him from the hands of his oppressors.  Beloved, no man, not even the devil himself can harm a hair on your head unless God approves it and we can see an example of that in Job 1:12 when the Lord told satan that he can do whatever he desired to all that Job had, but he must not touch his life and if you do not know the story of Job, you can start by reading the whole first chapter of Job to understand it better.  


God wants you to trust Him completely with your life. He wants you to know that He is your deliverer and is constantly fighting your battle for you because you are his daughter.  The Lord is your constant companion, who is never far away when you need him and as a result, immediately you call out to Him for help, He comes to your defense and move in that situation according to His divine will.   The Lord assures you that no matter what your oppressors try to do, no matter the challenges you face in this life which is usually temporary, He will always be by your side, covering you in the shadow of His hand, while His salvation which last forever is available to you. Isaiah 51:6.



Beloved, God loves you so much and He wants to always be there to comfort you in times of sorrow, distress, pain etc and so He is telling you today to "fear not" when tough times come and they definitely will , do not fear because that is what the enemy wants you to do in order to steal your joy,  but instead commit your life into His hands because He is more than able.  Learn to trust Him today and allow God to fill your life with joy and gladness which only Him can give.



Shalom.

Trusting God's perfect Timing For You

Scripture Verse:  Ecclesiastes 3: 1-11

By Kemi Olubiyi

Our God is a God of time and season, He carefully plans out everything He does for His divine purpose... an example of this is the "Creation story" God took His time to design our world, one day at a time until He was finished and it was perfect.  The same way God takes His time to answer our prayers or fulfil His plan for our lives. He does it at His own time. It could take days, weeks, months or even years but if He has said He will do it, He surely will in due season, His appointed time for us.  All He wants us to do during the period of waiting is to trust in Him..He is the one that perfects all that concerns us. Psalm 138:8.

It is normal human behavior to be impatient, we want what we want NOW and when it doesn't happen at the time we expect or desire it, we tend to go into a period of questioning God but If we are sensitive to the voice of the Spirit at that time, we can hear Him telling us to hold on and put our trust in Him . We, believers need to learn how to be at peace all the time with the Lord's decisions for our lives and just rest in Him.  Constant worrying, doubting, questioning are all signs of lack of trust in Him.  We may never get the answers to all our prayer requests for a number of reasons, one of them could be that" it just isn't the right time for that prayer request to manifest or be fulfilled. For example,  Two years before, God may very well have answered the prayers of a Sister looking for a husband , but then it is yet to manifest years later because He is still preparing either the man or woman for marriage and so therefore, getting married prematurely could mess God's plans up for that union.  The Lord knows what's best for us and when.  His thoughts towards us is good and not of evil to give us a hope and a future.  Jeremiah 29:11.

Trusting God often requires not knowing how He is going to accomplish what needs to be done and not knowing when He will do it.     There is this gospel song that I heard years back on the radio,  It goes like this :

He is an on time God yes He is, Oh oh, He is an on time God, yes He is, He may not come when you want Him, but He will be there right on time, He's an on time God, yes He is.

God is not early, neither is He ever late but definitely on time as the song above states.  He sometimes uses the time of waiting on Him to bring about growth and change in our lives.  We learn to trust God by going through many life experiences that requires trusting him and having faith.  Think about it, If He always answered our prayers when and how we want Him to, wouldn't that lead us to becoming  "Spoilt Brats" always demanding what we want now and getting it. Such attitudes does not help us to grow into strong and able bodied believers. We are no different from our children who try to do the same thing with us.  The Lord wants us to grow and develop into women of excellence in order to fulfil His purpose for our lives and so therefore there will be times when our faith and trust in Him will be tested.   As we learn to trust God's perfect timing for us, we begin to enjoy the period of waiting as He packages those blessings  as well as prepare us for our individual Ministries.

The life of  Abraham in the book of Genesis is a great example of God's perfect timing in the life of His people.  The Lord had promised him that He would give Him a son, whose name will be called Isaac, and the prophesy did not manifest until many years later when Abraham was very old and his wife, Sarah was well past the age of child bearing, but the Lord kept His promise, He honored His word in Abraham's life.  Another great example of God's perfect timing is in the life of Joseph in the book of Exodus. The vision was revealed years before it was fulfilled.  Joseph had to endure a period of trials and tribulations in order for Him to reach his divine destination and he now later became the savior of his father's house.  I know we all have stories of how the Lord has moved at certain periods in our lives e.g how a need was met at the exact time we needed it, I know I can testify to that ; the Lord was indeed at work but there are also times when we ponder on certain life issues..for example, we wonder why we didnt get married at the age of 25 like some of our friends, or why did'nt I have kids on time or why did'nt we finish that project or college program  all those years ago, or maybe my life would be better now if I had kept that job, finished that project, moved to that city or why didn't I start my ministry years ago when I had the extra time & resources to do so, or how could I miss out on that great opportunity and the questions goes on and on...  We may be blaming ourselves for this and that, but we fail to see that it may have been God's plan all along for things to happen the way they did because He orders our steps and directs our paths, our destiny is in His hands.  

 I remember a time when my husband always use to say it was my fault that we did'nt get married about 5 years earlier than we did, we would have finished having children a long time ago and accomplished certain projects before now etc.,  but I finally had to tell him that our lives are in God's hands and if it was His will for us to marry earlier, He would have planned for us to do so but He does know best, for as far as I am concerned It just wasn't our time yet. He had to eventually agree with me when It dawned on Him that truly, God is the Master planner of our lives and He is always in control.   Same thing with ministry, we may be thinking that we should have already being far along in our individual assignments, but instead we are still in the early stages, but God maybe saying this is where He wants us to be at this particular time. He is the director of our lives. In Proverbs 16:9, "it says" In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps". When God directs our path, He sometimes leads us in ways we don't understand and it is not really for us to understand but just trust Him for He knows what is best.

  So my dear Sisters,  God does not operate on our own schedule or time table. His word promises us in Habakkuk 2:3 to wait on the vision, it will not tarry, (not be late) but it shall surely come to pass.   The Lord wants us to depend completely on Him allowing Him to direct our paths and as we wait upon Him for that prayer request to be answered or that calling to be fulfilled , let us learn to lean on the Lord, trusting Him for His perfect timing  in our lives because He is indeed a God of time and season.

Scripture Text to remember:

 Trust in the LORD with all your heart,and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him,  and he will make straight your paths.(Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV)

Shalom.

Happy Mother's Day!

A happy & blessed Mother's day to you my dear friends, and fellow Daughters of Zion. May you have a wonderful and glorious time as you share your day with the Lord, family & friends.
Shalom

A Mother's Love

By Kemi O.

No words can describe the power of a mother's love.  It is a love that can almost be compared to the love that the Almighty God has for His children.  She is a nurturer, a teacher, a friend, a companion, a protector, an encourager and the list goes on and on.....

None should underestimate the power of a mother's love for it is unconditional, it is patient and passionate; no matter the difficulties she faces, the love for her child never fades and she will go through fire just to protect her children (offspring). Having said this, there will be times that her love will be tested, but in the end, it will withstand the storms that come.  A mother's love may not be perfect, only the love God has for us is, but her love is the closest thing to perfection.   A mother will make mistakes  because she is human, nevertheless do not doubt that her love is genuine.

So as we approach Mother's day, let's give God praise for the women in our lives, Moms, Grandmas, Daughters, Sisters, Nieces, Aunts, etc .....who love and care for us.  No matter what she may have or have not done in the past, use this period to forgive and move on, rekindling your relationship with her, and the Lord will help you every step of the way in Jesus name.

 "Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate" (Proverbs 31:31).

Mothers, I want to say this to you.. the greatest way, you can show love to your children, is for you to know the greatest lover of all, our Lord Jesus Christ and once you have known Him, direct your children to Him.  1 John 4:7-12


Happy Mother's Day to you all.



Famous Quotes:

I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life. ~Abraham Lincoln


Thou art thy mother's glass, and she in thee
Calls back the lovely April of her prime.
~William Shakespeare

Mother love is the fuel that enables a normal human being to do the impossible. ~Marion C. Garretty, quoted in A Little Spoonful of Chicken Soup for the Mother's Soul


No language can express the power, and beauty, and heroism, and majesty of a mother's love. It shrinks not where man cowers, and grows stronger where man faints, and over wastes of worldly fortunes sends the radiance of its quenchless fidelity like a star. ~Edwin Hubbell Chapin


Being a full-time mother is one of the highest salaried jobs in my field, since the payment is pure love. ~Mildred B. Vermont


She never quite leaves her children at home, even when she doesn't take them along. ~Margaret Culkin Banning


Motherhood is priced
Of God, at a price no man may dare
to lessen or misunderstand.
~Helen Hunt Jackson


The formative period for building character for eternity is in the nursery. The mother is queen of that realm and sways a scepter more potent than that of kings or priests. ~Author Unknown

A Fresh Start with God - Joshua 1:1-9

By Kemi Olubiyi
Originally posted on sermon central.com
08/17/2008

At some point in time, most of us have been through one trial or the other in our lives and have been able to overcome them by the grace of God. However, there are some of us who are still passing through tough times and are wondering when it is going to end. I am here to tell you today that no matter what you may have gone through in the past, all you need to do is cry out to the Lord and believe that He can deliver you out of your situation. He is ready to do that by giving you a fresh start filled with His blessings. In Joshua 1:2, God was telling Joshua that it was time for him to take his position and look to new things ahead. He had to leave the past worries, sorrows and pain he may have been feeling probably over the death of his mentor and spiritual leader, Moses and whatever fear he might have had, behind and look ahead to the future. His word states in Joshua 1:5, I will not fail thee nor forsake thee meaning Joshua can completely trust in the Lord for his today, tomorrow and future.

Joshua needed a fresh start just like a lot of us do today. God was opening up a new chapter in his life, one of success and prosperity Joshua 1:8, but to tap into God’s blessings, he had to be obedient and allow God to lead him as well as believe that the Lord can make all things new. It is very easy to dwell on past failures, hurts, and disappointments but when God is done with your past, He is ready to give you a new start, you have to open your heart to receive the change God is making in your life.

We as believers need to trust the Lord to do a new thing in our lives. For according to His word in Isaiah 43:18-19, He is doing a new thing in your life, and it is currently springing forth, Can’t you perceive it? For you to recognize what He is doing in your life in the time of difficulties, you have to believe that God alone can deliver you from that situation. In verse18, He clearly states that we should not remember the former things nor consider the words of old for He knows that if you continually dwell on the past, it will surely hinder you from moving forward. As a result of dwelling on the former things, you are not in agreement with God for change in your lives, and this can delay Him from moving the way He wants to.

Some years ago, I was in a really bad place, I had just ended a 31/2 year relationship, and my finances were a mess during that same period. I was so sure there was no solution to my situation, and even though I was a believer, I had allowed doubt to come in. Despite the way I felt, it didn't stop me from earnestly crying out to God to deliver me from the heartache and the financial issues I was facing. The Lord hearkened unto to my prayers only after I had made up my mind to believe that He can do it. God finally spoke to me through the vision of the night (dream) and not only that He then confirmed it later through my pastor to prove that the message came from Him. I had never mentioned to my pastor about the dream until after he revealed to me what the Lord had spoken concerning me. The Lord had declared that my time of mourning was over, and He was opening up a whole new chapter in my life. It was going to be a modern-day filled with joy and happiness. True to His word, the vision manifested months later, it was awesome to see God move in my life. Not up to a year after that, I got married to an awesome man whom I had known most of my life. In a beautiful wedding ceremony surrounded by friends and family members was a dream come true and a year later we were blessed with a beautiful baby girl. It was followed by a job promotion, a new house, and the list goes on .. I felt like I was dreaming up the whole thing, for it was indeed a period of joy and laughter in my life Psalm 126:1-2. Our God is indeed faithful, and there is no situation He cannot change, but you have to let Him by calling upon Him in prayer and believing by faith that it is done.

I have also seen how the Lord has moved in the lives of fellow believers, friends, relatives over the years. He has healed marriages that appeared to be hopeless, and He had blessed sisters with the fruit of the womb ( children), these are women that have been waiting for their miracle for several years. Even with the bad economy today, some people I know have been able to buy homes, start businesses so on and so forth, God is moving in the lives of so many of His children, and you need not to be left out. My prayer is that some of you still passing through one affliction or the other will open your hearts to receive what God has in store for you. Believe the Lord for a fresh start this year; it is not too late for Him to intervene in your situation for the year, 2008 has been labeled as a year of resurrection, regeneration and a new beginning. In the Old Testament, the Sabbath lasted for seven days and the 8th day was the Lord’s day, the modern day. The number 8, also represents Jesus Christ and the new covenant. It is time for you to cry out to God for a change for He wants to bring new things into your life that will cause you to shout for joy and glorify His name. Even though, you remember your past and all that you have endured, do not dwell on it, for it is not God’s will for you and it is not even healthy for your body and soul. Do not be afraid to release and walk away from what God is finished with for He is indeed faithful to bring you into a new day, starting anew with His goodness and mercy, following you every single day of your life. Trust God for a "fresh start" today and allow Him to transform your life.

Shalom

Forgiving Others

New Living Translation version (NLT) used for Bible Verses

By Kemi Olubiyi

Have you ever been hurt by a spouse, friend, colleague, family member etc ? If so, you are not alone. I believe most of us, believers and non-believers alike, can honestly say we have been victims of hurt, betrayal and also have been the wrong-doers too.  Regardless of what the situation may have been that created the pain, God wants us to forgive so that we will also be forgiven our sins.  Luke 6:37.

Forgiving others can be quite difficult to do because it goes against our sinful human nature, and the Lord knows this. However, because we are God's children and ambassadors of Jesus Christ on earth, we are to lead by example; and so He has provided directions in His word on how to forgive as well as why it is important to do so.

Below are 12 scripture verses I have put together to help you break the stronghold of unforgiveness over your life, opening your eyes to the truth and reasons why you should not harbor bitterness, in your hearts.

1).  Mark 11:24-25  - " I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours. ²⁵ But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too"

The Lord is telling us to forgive others so that our sins will be forgiven and our prayers will not be hindered as a result of bearing a grudge.  (see vs 24).

2).  Colossians 3:13 -" Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others."

Let us be conscious of the fact that no one is perfect, we all have fallen short of His glory, thereby struggling with weaknesses every day.  The tendency to hurt one another whether intentionally or not, is great and so therefore, we must forgive others because God forgave us first.  It is not an option.


3). Matthew 6:12-15 -  "And forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
¹³ And don’t let us yield to temptation,but rescue us from the evil one.¹⁴ “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. ¹⁵ But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins."

We can forgive others because forgiveness is a decision, it is an act of obedience unto God.   The Lord has also assured us that when we forgive others, our heavenly Father will also forgive us; but if we refuse to do so, our sins will not be forgiven and that will surely affect our relationship with Him.

4).  Matthew 18:21-22 - "Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?” ²² “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!<sup>"

We should be ready to forgive others over and over again i.e continuously no matter the offense committed against us.</sup>

5)  Luke 6: 37 -  “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven.

Forgive others and you will be forgiven.  We have been commanded to do so.

6). Ephesians 4:32- " Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

God has forgiven us first through the sacrificial death of our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross and so therefore we have to forgive others as well.

7). 1 John 1:9 - " But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness."

When we confess our sins to God, He has assured us that He will not only forgive us our sins, but will also cleanse us from not some but all wickedness. It is like starting afresh on a clean slate with God.

8). Matthew 5: 23-24 -  “So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, ²⁴ leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.

Forgiveness and Reconciliation is so important to God that He is saying that before He can receive any kind of gift or offering from us, we need to make sure we make amends with anyone whom we have offended or vice versa and then with a clean heart, we can offer our gifts unto Him. Ofcourse, in some cases, we may not even know someone may be bearing a grudge against us, it is for us to now examine ourselves and ask the Holy Spirit through prayer  to reveal if there is anyone we may have offended, and then go make peace with the person..


9).  Isaiah 43:25  - “I—yes, I alone—will blot out your sins for my own sake and will never think of them again.

God chooses not to remember our sins. He has made the decision not to bring them up again even though He does not forget as it confirms in the latter part of the verse " and will never think of them again."  Why? Because of the blood of the Lamb that was shed to redeem us from our sins and His love which covers a multitude of sins.

10). Acts 7: 59-60 - " As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” ⁶⁰ He fell to his knees, shouting, “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!” And with that, he died.

Regardless of the gravity of the offense committed against us, we must forgive those who hurt or harm us.  It is for the Lord to judge their actions. Stephen in this verses, displayed God's love even at the point of death by petitioning Him to forgive the sins of His persecutors and oppressors.  Whether God does or not, Stephen has obeyed the Lord's commandment to love and pray for our enemies.  "But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! Matthew 5:44.

11). Luke 23:33-34-  ^"When they came to a place called The Skull, they nailed him to the cross. And the criminals were also crucified—one on his right and one on his left. ³⁴ Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”  

 Like Stephen, but in a greater capacity, even at the point of death, our Lord Jesus Christ petitioned God for mercy for those who had tortured Him to death.  This just showed how much God loved us that He gave His only begotten son to die for our sins. Without even waiting for repentance, Jesus beseeched His Father to forgive His persecutors.

12).  Romans 12:17-20-  "¹⁷ Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. ¹⁸ Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. ¹⁹ Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord. ²⁰ Instead “If your enemies are hungry, feed them.If they are thirsty, give them something to drink.  In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.”

God is telling us to never retaliate against our offenders but instead, we should report the matter to Him and allow the Lord to handle it in His own way. Our God will always fight for us.
All we are required to do is obey His words i.e not harboring bitterness, grudge, malice against the individual.  He commands us to love our enemies and repay evil with good  for in doing that, we will cause them to feel shame for their actions which may eventually bring remorse, leading them to seek forgiveness. It is the Lord' plan that we try to live at peace with everyone. Romans 12:18


Why should we forgive?

1.  We should forgive for Christ's sake:-   When we became born again, we became a new creation, a new person.  We are reconciled back to God through Jesus Christ.  II Corinthians 5:17-18

2. We should forgive for the sake of others :-  God proved His love for us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8.  He forgave and loved us first not because we repented or deserved it.   Sometimes God allows others to hurt or persecute us in order to create an opportunity to display His immeasurable grace in that situation.  The offender may actually refuse to repent  or apologize for his or her actions but it is then that the power of forgiveness through the Holy Spirit  becomes a reality in our lives, given us the ability to forgive that person and reconcile him or her back to God. So sometimes we may be used as a vessel in God's hands for the sake of  bringing restoration to a person's  life.

3). We should forgive for our own sakes :-  Forgiveness brings about liberty (freedom), which enables us to enjoy the peace of God. It liberates us from the stronghold of unforgiveness which is a sin. Romans 6:16.  Our prayers and blessings are not hindered because we have chosen to live a life of obedience Psalm 66:18.  Unforgiveness, just like any other sin is disobedience and can cause us to be separated from God forever if we refuse to repent, thereby missing heaven because He cannot behold iniquity(sin, evil). Habakkuk 1:13,  therefore beloved, we need to forgive and let go of the hurt and bitterness because being separated from God is not worth it at all.


 In conclusion, I just want to state that no matter who have caused you pain, heartache, sadness etc, be it your spouse, loved one, boss, colleague, pastor or the sister in the church etc, You must forgive because God has commanded us to do so over and over again in His word.  It will definitely be difficult to do, but with God all things by His Spirit is possible as long as you surrender all to Him.  It is a decision that you have to make whether you feel like it or not and it will be beneficial to your life as you have seen in His word and as it has been stated in the previous paragraph.

Sisters, Let His word encourage you and begin to heal your wounded heart today.  do not delay your blessings any longer. God wants you to live a victorious life and the only way to do that is to be totally obedient to His word and He will surely bless you richly.

Shalom.