DEVELOPING SESNSES FOR SUCCESS PART 1

Deliberate training is very vital for success in life. Show me any successful man today, I will show you a man who exercised himself into it.

Success is achievable but a lot of time, must be put into self-development. Knowing your purpose is just a start; the real work begins after you discover your purpose.

The grave is filled with the decayed bodies of men and women and kids, somewhere aborted, some had the chance to grow up but never discovered their purpose in life, some who discovered their purpose never fulfilled it and died frustrated.

You are already 18 and over, and you still have no sense of purpose, you spend your time and resources recklessly like the prodigal son in Luke 15, you have little or no thought about your life and your future, you need to grow up and take charge of your life.

Christianity is not synonymous with stupidity. Sometimes when I speak to some people about their lives and what plans they have, I usually hear this from their mouths “when we get to that bridge we will cross it” that should not be the statement of a man with sound mind.

The teaching of Grace is misunderstood and people now sit back and do nothing about their lives, expecting that God will make it work. The building of your life is a partnership with you the Holy Spirit; you have a vital part to play.

Ecclesiastes 9:11-12 “I have observed something else under the sun. The fastest runner doesn’t always win the race, and the strongest warrior doesn’t always win the battle. The wise sometimes go hungry, and the skillful are not necessarily wealthy. And those who are educated don’t always lead successful lives. It is all decided by chance, by being in the right place at the right time.12 People can never predict when hard times might come. Like fish in a net or birds in a trap, people are caught by sudden tragedy.

Believers quote this scripture when they want to give excuses about their situation. This is an observation by a man called Solomon, the fact that the fastest runner doesn’t always win the race, doesn’t mean it’s wrong to be fast, or that the wise sometimes goes hungry doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be wise or that the skillful are not necessarily wealthy doesn’t mean you should be unskilled and that those who are educated doesn’t always lead successful lives doesn’t mean you should be dumb and uneducated.

Its Gods will that you should; Work hard and be the fastest runner and win the race; Be the strongest warrior and win the battle; Be wise and have food ,Be skillful and wealthy; Be Educated and successful.

Preparation precedes opportunity. There is time for everything, don’t trade your period of training and preparation for pleasure.

There is an appointed time for your opportunity; because we are not prepared we get caught up by hard times and the end is tragedy.

The bible speaks of Job as a man who took nothing for granted, that he always made sacrifices and atonement for his children in case they had committed sins;

 Job 1:4-5; “Job’s sons would take turns preparing feasts in their homes, and they would also invite their three sisters to celebrate with them.5 when these celebrations ended—sometimes after several days—Job would purify his children. He would get up early in the morning and offer a burnt offering for each of them. For Job said to him, “Perhaps my children have sinned and have cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular practice”.

Don’t wait for the situation to arise before you make resolutions, Just like Job, be resolved about your values, even before the trouble comes, It was Jobs regular practice…

David was in the bush fighting lions, tigers and bears not knowing that God was preparing him to defeat Goliath, and face the the years of trouble that king Saul was going to put him through and finally to be king over Isarel,though he was anointed king, he still had to face troubles.

The anointing is not guarantee that you won’t have troubles; in fact the anointing attracts troubles. The palace is not the place for the test of your purpose but the wilderness.

John the Baptist spent time in the wilderness, preparing for a call, bigger than him, he lived his life fulfilling purpose, and when he was done he died and even his death was in his purpose.

Paul was a man conscious of his purpose, 1Corinthians 9:24-26; “don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! 25 All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.26 so I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing”.27 I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.

Most people live their lives aimlessly, without any goals, forgetting you are in a race. There are some vital points we must meditate on in this few verses:

·         Realize that you are in a race, and only one person gets the prize and a lot of lives depend on you getting the prize.

·         Don’t run without a goal, you should have a goal in life, Paul said Run to Win.

·         Be disciplined in your training, give time to your training and keep to it.

·         Your prize is not earthly but eternal

·         Run with purpose in every step, live a life of purpose, don’t live anyhow, as one without an aim, and don’t waste your life.

Like Paul make a commitment to discipline your body to do what it should, God created you for a purpose, don’t mess it up.

Jesus spent thirty years in training and preparing for a three years ministry, why would God take you through so much pain sometimes, you need to realize that your purpose is not all about you but others. Your purpose is bigger than you.

Jesus went to the wilderness for forty days and was tempted by the devil Matthew 4.The wilderness is part of your training experience.

Hebrews 5:11-14; “ There is much more we would like to say about this, but it is difficult to explain, especially since you are spiritually dull and don’t seem to listen.12 You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food.13 For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what is right.14 Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong”.

The writer couldn’t explain much since the listeners were spiritually dull; slow of learning and understanding, this is not the name of a demon, but this is a problem that I see in my conversations with people in the church and the society. People are so dull and dumb, they are slow to learn.

Do you know you can deal with this problem by receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit, with the evidence of praying in tongues? The bible says in Jude 20; build up yourselves in your most holy faith praying in the Holy Ghost, people who spend a lot of time praying in tongues are not just only mentally sharp but spiritually active.

Since they are spiritually dull, their growth is stunted. Imagine giving birth to a baby and after 5years it’s still an infant, that’s what Paul is saying here, “you have been believers so long, now that you ought to be teaching others, instead you need someone to teach you, again the basic things about Gods word you are like babies, who still need milk and cannot eat solid food”

Milk is okay if you are a babe, but when you have grown teeth’s and is supposed to be a man; you still want the kind of milk from the mother’s breast? We must understand that when the bible speaks of milk here, it’s not referring to all kinds of milk, but the milk developed by a pregnant mother in her breast especially for her baby.

But solid food is for the mature, and Paul defines the mature as “those who through training have developed the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong”.

The amplified bible says “those who have trained their senses and mental faculties”

The human being has five senses; Eyes (sight), nose (smell/perception), Ears (hearing), Tongue (taste) and the skin (touch).

The human being has six main mental faculties; imagination, intuition, perception, memory, will and reason.

Why would Paul stress these if they were not important and why did God put all these faculties and senses in us if it was just for nothing.

These are very vital for your success in life.

Don’t be spiritually useful and earthly useless, how can we actually represent God in our different fields if we are dull, start working on yourself today.

Watch out for the Part 2 of this post.

YOUR SIGHT AFFECTS YOUR HEIGHT

Vision is the ability to see.

It is a mental image produced by your imagination.

It is also the ability to see into the supernatural.

Vision is the basis for success in life, failure is certain without vision.

Today most transactions are carried with the sighting of your identity card, without sighting nobody freely does any kind of transfer. With the physical eyes you sight clearly, but to be successful you need more than your physical eyes, you need mental eyes.

Our physical eyes are limited but our mental eyes can see far and beyond what the physical eyes can see, through the use of the mental faculty called the imagination.

Proverbs 29:18 “where there is no vision, the people cast off their restraints”

Vision is vital for good leadership; every leader must have a vision to lead well.

Look at the world today; things go crazy because of lack of leaders with good vision.

Vision helps you to focus, without a vision you cannot focus and with that you will not be able to hit your target. So ask yourself this question as you read this blog “what is my vision”.

Men without vision are blind men. Imagine been led by a blind man.Try take a walk out in the streets with your eyes closed, and tell me the feeling, injury or death is certain.

God told Abraham in Genesis 13 “look, as far as your eyes can see” God can only do as far as your eyes can see, he was saying to Abram, see beyond your physical eyes, see beyond the natural, put your imagination to work.

Our God is able to do exceedingly, above and beyond what we can ask or imagine.Eph.3:20

Before you build a house, you have a mental picture of that building, then you meet an architect, he draws and designs the picture on paper, that design stands as the guide for the building of that structure, but first you have a mental picture.

The same thing with your life, you must have a mental picture of your future or the kind of future you want to have, then you write it down, draw up a design according to principles, without this deliberate steps success is not achievable.

Sight is vital for success. Success is not achieved by chance; there are deliberate and conscious steps that will get you there.

Success is a continuous process of praying, planning and executing. Just praying alone isn’t enough, you must move from your knees to the table, then out to the field, then back to your knees again, then the table and to the field, it’s a continuous process of life.

POINTS TO NOTE ABOUT VISION SUCCESS

There is no magic about been successful in life, like I earlier mention, it’s a choice to succeed and it doesn’t happen by chance.Sucess is a journey, a process.

There are different kinds of success but I am talking about the good success.

Joshua 1:8; the word of God is the best guide to get good success or Gods success. Gods success must be achieved Gods way.

1.      Your position affects your vision :Genesis 13:14 “lift up your eyes from where you are and look”

Sometimes we allow our condition to determine our position.donot take a permanent position over a temporal condition.

God told Abraham from where you are, your position might be poor today, broke today, sick today, frustrated today, but don’t allow it restrict your sight.

Lift up your eyes, stop looking down on yourself, life up your eyes and look.

God will only give you what you can see. Genesis 13:15.

A man who wavers in his mind will not receive anything from God; keep your focus on your vision, look. James 1:7, 8.

Keep your sight on the perfect law of liberty; the word of God. James 1:22-25

Maintain the right network “evil communication corrupts good manners” you cannot be a success hanging out with lazy and visionless people, who have no plans for their lives.

Stand on the mountain and keep watch Habakkuk 2:1

2.      Write the vision and break it down: Habakkuk 2:2

Before you begin talking about it, write it down and make it plain on tablets.

That’s exactly what the architects helps you to do, when he designs your building plan.

Any vision not written down may not be achieved.

Every successful man or organization is guided by his vision and mission statement.

What is your vision and mission statement?

The vision is the big picture, what you want to be in life, but the mission clearly begins to step by step define how you will achieve the vision.

In doing that, you begin to set goals for yourself.

They could either be short term goals and long term goals, for your business, family, academics, ministry and life.

This is the stage were you plan how you will achieve your goals.

Even our father God has a plan Jeremiah 29:11 “for I know the plans I have for you, declares the lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you hope and a future”

God’s vision for humanity is clearly stated and defined.

If our father has a plan, then we must sit down and do same.

He, who fails to plan, plans to fail.

FACTS ABOUT VISION Habakkuk 2:3

3.      It’s for an appointed time; there’s a time appointed for the fulfillment of the vision.Ecclesiates 3:1, 11; makes us know that to everything there is a time and a season, and he makes all things beautiful in its time.Dont fret, God is always on time, He never fails. In God there is no African man time, or British time but An Appointed time. Your appointed time is coming.

4.      Delay is not denial; the fact that it’s taking time doesn’t mean it will not happen. “it may linger, wait for it, it will certainly come “

It may linger, but Wait, it won’t delay.

When a farmer plants a seed, the seed doesn’t just start to grow, but there’s a period of waiting, because the process of germination must take place. During the waiting process before it turns a tree and begins to bear its fruit, the farmer will water the plant, prune it, and weed it, so that the seed will grow into a fruitful tree.

A farmer doesn’t just plant a seed and go to sleep, the waiting process is also a working process.

A pregnant woman waits for a period of 9 months before she puts to birth, that period is the period of growth for the unborn baby, so the mother must go for constant checkup’s, eat the right food and keep healthy, cause this will affect the baby’s health. The waiting process for her is not a period of inactivity.

So it is for the child of GOD, there is a period of waiting, but during this period you pray and involve yourself in activities that will bring about the achievement of your goals.

Job in his period of test said “I will wait until, my change comes”

Isaiah 40:28-31; clearly shows us what happens in the period of waiting; our strength is renewed as the Eagles.

Success is a continuous process of praying, waiting, planning, executing and achieving.

But it all starts with a Vision.

Inspired by the Holy Spirit

Written by; Tajhmahal

Watch out for the blog on 6 sights for success.

This too shall pass..

  For no temptation (no trial regarded as enticing to sin), [no matter how it comes or where it leads] has overtaken you  and  laid hold on you that is not common to man [that is, no temptation or trial has come to you that is beyond human resistance and that is not adjusted and adapted and belonging to human experience, and such as man can bear]. But God is faithful [to His Word and to His compassionate nature], and He [can be trusted] not to let you be tempted  and  tried  and  assayed beyond your ability  and  strength of resistance  and  power to endure, but with the temptation He will [always] also provide the way out (the means of escape to a landing place), that you may be capable  and  strong  and  powerful to bear up under it patiently .   1 Corinthians 10:13.amp.


The reading and study of Gods word is very important and we should take to thought carefully words when used,so we dont interpret out of context,cause one word,misunderstood can completely cause a total misunderstanding of the intent of that scripture.


i would like to begin by clearly defining and telling the difference between a temptation and a test.I have heard people using them interchangeably but from my studies they don't mean the same thing.

• A Temptation is something that seduces or has the quality to seduce;

the desire to have or do something that you should avoid;
the synonym for temptations is Enticement.
the verb for temptation is tempt: which means ,Provoke someone to something through(often false or exagerated) promises or persuasion.


The main idea of any temptation is to make you sin,or do something wrong.

• AUTHOR OF TEMPTATION

The main author of temptation is satan the devil.
Matthew 4:3 
"And the tempter came and said to Him, If You are God’s Son, command these stones to be made [loaves of] bread."
How do we know he is the tempter,in verse 5,he is actually called by his character 
" Then the devil took Him into the holy city and placed Him on a turret (pinnacle, gable) of the temple sanctuary"

• He is the author of all your temptations.

• Satan main tool for his temptations is the things of this world,the things that appeals to the flesh.

1John 2:15-17 :

15  Do not love  or  cherish the world or the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him.
16  For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh [craving for sensual gratification] and the lust of the eyes [greedy longings of the mind] and the pride of life [assurance in one’s own resources or in the stability of earthly things]--these do not come from the Father but are from the world [itself].
17  And the world passes away  and  disappears, and with it the forbidden cravings (the passionate desires, the lust) of it; but he who does the will of God and carries out His purposes in his life abides (remains) forever.

He tried to entice Jesus with the world and the things in it;

• James 1:13-15,gives us a clear picture about temptations

13  Let no one say when he is tempted, I am tempted from God; for God is incapable of 
being tempted by [what is] evil and He Himself tempts no one.
14  But every person is tempted when he is drawn away, enticed  and  baited by his own evil desire (lust, passions).
15  Then the evil desire, when it has conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is fully matured, brings forth death.

• God is incapable of being tempted by evil and tempts no man;that means anything that tries to seduce you to sin isn't from God and God cannot tempt anyone with evil.God doesn't use Evil as a tool.God cannot tempt any man.

James 1:17:
.17  Every good gift and every perfect (free, large, full) gift is from above; it comes down 
from the Father of all [that gives] light, in [the shining of] Whom there can be no variation [rising or setting] or shadow cast by His turning [as in an eclipse].


1John 1:5:
5  And this is the message [the message of promise] which we have heard from Him and now are reporting to you: God is Light, and there is no darkness in Him at all [no, not in any way].


There's is absolutely no darkness in God and God is incapable of using Evil to tempt his children or man.


Evils speaks of anything bad.sickness,pain,poverty,death,lies;think of anything that's evil its not from God.Every good and perfect gift comes from God.The devil cannot produce good, there's no good in him.

• Satan uses our passions and lusts as baits to tempt us;James 1:16

We must direct our passions right.Desire is a good tool for success,without desire you can not achieve anything.Desire is a drive to succeed.But Satan can also use those desires and get us to do wrong.

Matthew 4;Jesus just finished a fast and was hungry;a desire for food at that moment, Satan used that as an opportunity to entice him to do his purpose.

There are people who were caught stealing and when asked why,they say its because of hunger,Hunger in itself is not a bad thing its essential for growth,but you can satisfy that hunger either through the right or wrong way.

The desire to have sex,is a good desire but there's a proper time to fulfill that desire and it should be only in marriage,but unmarried people have the desire to have sex,so when that hunger comes,you want to satisfy that part of you,so Satan brings the idea into your mind,when you put that thought to action,you sin against Gods word.

this is where self control comes in,the ability to delay gratification.Success in life is achieved,when you delay gratification.

Let your desires be after the word of God,and constant fellowship keeps you in check.

Colosians 3:2-3;

 2  And set your minds  and  keep them set on what is above (the higher things), not on the things that are on the earth.

3  For [as far as this world is concerned] you have died, and your [new, real] life is hidden with Christ in God.

• The result of yielding to temptation is sin and death;not necessarily physical death but it affects the communion you have with the holy spirit.

A very clear example is the story of the temptation in the garden of Eden. Satan will always ask you to do something against God and his word. Genesis 3; the result of Adam and eve yielding to the temptation by Satan the serpent cause a break in fellowship with God.

• We need to know that Satan is the most trickiest fellow that has ever existed;we should not be ignorant of his devises;one who is called the father of liars.2Corinthians 2:11;John 8:44.
• He is the serpent and the serpent is one of the cunniest creatures God created;Genesis 3:1;Revelations 12:9;Revelations 20:2.
• He is your Adversary; 1Peter 5:8 (an adversary is someone who offers opposition), Satan opposes anyone and anything of God.
• Satan is after you;believe it or not,he is.

• A Test is ; trial of of something to see if it works or how it works;
• Any standardized procedure for measuring sensitivity,memory,intelligence, aptitude or personality;
• A set of questions or exercises evaluating skill or knowledge.

• The main idea of a test is to bring out the best in you.You can only come out better after a test.

Genesis 22:1 "   AFTER THESE events, God tested  and  proved Abraham and said to him, Abraham! And he said, Here I am. "

God tested and proved: to prove here means to ;Establish beyond every doubt.
So a Test ,proves you beyond any doubters that you are what you are.

We see the story of Job,his situation was both a test and a temptation,why?
Satan's intent was to get Job to sin and Gods intent was to prove Job beyond every doubt that he was what God said he was.

If we remember,God had boasted about Job and every time we confess what Gods word says we are,Satan the tempter always wants to tempt you and God allows him cause our word must be tried.Job 1,2.

In the trial of Abraham we don't hear satan participating at all,it was all of Gods intent to promote Abraham.
Genesis 22:13-18 ,Abraham passed the test and he was promoted to a new level in God,he discovered a fresh revelation about God.

 In your walk with God expect to go through trials and temptations.James 1:2-4;

2  Consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, whenever you are 

enveloped in  or  encounter trials of any sort  or  fall into various temptations.

3  Be assured  and  understand that 

the trial  and  proving of your faith bring out endurance  and  steadfastness  and  patience.4  But let endurance 

 and  steadfastness  and  patience have full play  and  do a thorough work, so that you may be [people] perfectly and fully developed [with no defects], lacking in nothing.

Understand a test is the proving of your faith...produces qualities that will be useful for your christian walk.So consider it Joy,cause at the end you will be prepared and lack nothing.Dont cry when you are tempted or tested but be glad and rejoice.


Finally;
according to 1corinthians 10:13;

• Temptation is a common thing,don't make it a big deal.Everyone goes through temptations.
• You can handle it;God knows you can handle it,hence he picked you for that one;God trust his grace in you.
• God is faithful;He will not let you fall..Psalms 121:3
• Be assured there a way of escape,this doesn't mean weakness,but in the temptation God gives you a way by which you capable,strong and powerful,you are able to bear up under it.

Don't be afraid God has you covered,what you are going through its just a test and it will make you better.Maintain your joy,cause the end of it is progress.

• Gold when put through the fire only comes out better.

1Peter 1:6-7;

6  [You should] be exceedingly glad on this account, though now for a little while you may be distressed by trials  and  suffer temptations,

7  So that [the genuineness] of your faith may be tested, [your faith] which is infinitely more precious than the perishable gold which is tested  and  purified by fire. [This proving of your faith is intended] to redound to [your] praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) is revealed.