God Always Creates Opportunities for His Own

Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha

It is strange how you keep looking for the golden moment and it appears difficult to find. But somehow, out of blues and that is the beautiful thing about the Holy Spirit; He always prepares that golden moment ahead of time and also prepares you ahead of time for that golden moment and at the appropriate time, God by His Holy Spirit, the ever wonderful Spirit shows you the golden moment; ushers you into it and you emerge significant.

God creates room and opportunities for His people by blessing them with skills, talents, expertise which if well deployed move a person up in God’s divine purposes and timing. Joseph was blessed with the gift of dreaming (seeing possibilities through possibility thinking). As Joseph worked this gift beginning with his Jerusalem, his family, God moved him to where the gift could be deployed to bless a larger segment of humanity beyond Joseph’s immediate Canaan. God created room for Joseph to become prime minister in Egypt. How? By creating a situation that made it impossible for the wise men of Egypt to interpret Pharaoh’s twin dreams dreamt in a single night. The inability of the wise men of Egypt to interpret the dreams created room for Joseph to emerge out of the woods, the backside of the desert, to be specific, prison in a foreign land. Joseph, a young man unjustly sentenced indefinitely to prison in a land where he had no rights was suddenly brought out of prison to stand before Pharaoh to solve a problem which none of the wise men of Egypt could solve. Joseph was able to interpret the dreams. He also proffered solutions to the challenges posed by the interpretation of the dreams. Hitherto troubled Pharaoh was relieved, members of his court were impressed and Joseph became prime minister. Please read Psalm 105 verses 16 to 22, Genesis Chapter 41.

Do Not Lose Your Identity 2

                                      Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha

Daniel was a very young man when he was conscripted into the court of King Nebuchadnezzar first as a trainee and later as a very important member of the court. Though Daniel outlived Nebuchadnezzar and other kings after Nebuchadnezzar such as BelShazzar, Darius the Mede and Cyrus, Daniel did not lose his identity as an Israelite. He refused to partake of the defiling delicacies of the King’s table and refused to stop praying to God even when a death sentence was issued against anyone who prayed to another god within thirty days. Daniel knew that Jehovah was and will always be God over all gods. So he ignored their threats and maintained his normal routine of communion with God. Though Daniel was eventually thrown into the den of lions, the Bible records that he was unscathed as the lions did not touch him. But when the conspirators were thrown into that same den of lions, they were immediately devoured by the lions. Please read Daniel Chapter 6. Daniel could have chosen to blend in with the people he interacted with; the people he was compelled to learn their language, culture and religion while he was in training for three years and most importantly while he was in service so he could probably be promoted. But Daniel chose to be Daniel, an obedient child of God and because he did not lose his identity, he prospered and was honored. But most importantly, Daniel’s refusal to lose his identity in obedience to God helped to entrench the worship of God in the kingdoms he served.

Do Not Lose Your Identity

Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha

 “Issachar is no better than a donkey   That lies stretched out between its saddlebags.  But he sees that the resting place is good And that the land is delightful. So he bends his back to carry the load and is forced to work as a slave.    Good News Translation

 “Issachar is a rawboned^[f] donkey lying down among the sheep pens.  When he sees how good is his resting place and how pleasant is his land, he will bend his shoulder to the burden and submit to forced labor. NIV

 “Issachar is a strong donkey,    crouching between the sheepfolds.  He saw that a resting place was good, and that the land was pleasant, so he bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant at forced labor. English Standard Version (ESV)

 Issachar is a strong donkey,lying down between the sheepfolds. He saw that his resting place was good and that his land was pleasant, so he bent his shoulder to the burden and submitted to labor as a servant.… Berean Study Bible

The Bible records in Genesis Chapter 49 verse 14 that Issachar lost his identity and mission in life to a pleasant land and the supposedly rest that the pleasant land provided. Unfortunately, Issachar became a band of slaves over a period of time. Issachar who was divinely designed to provide leadership direction and influence (2^nd Chronicles Chapter 12 verse 32) sold himself and his generation to slavery. Fortunately, God showed them mercy and restored their leadership role in Israel.

Identify and Deploy Your Launch Pads as Leverages

Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha

A man’s gift makes room for him and brings him before great men. Proverbs Chapter 18 verse 16

Every human being created by God has divine or what you may call natural leverages divinely given by God to elevate the person in his or her life. The challenge usually is knowing and understanding that you have leverages. So the start point is getting to know and understanding what leverages are; identifying your own leverages and deploying them to advantage. What then is leverage? Leverage according to the Longman Contemporary Dictionary of English is the influence that you can use to make people do what you want.

Talents, skills and expertise, what I like to refer to as divine intellectual property most often serve as launch pads into divine greatness if properly deployed into divine purposes and activities. This is to say that talents, skills, and expertise are divinely designed to move a person to greatness, affluence, fame and honor progressively, from point A to point B if they are intelligently used as leverages. Ideally, they are meant to be used as launch pads to leapfrog present positions to higher positions. To some extent, they are leverages. Joseph could interpret dreams. He used the ability to interpret dreams which launched him into Pharaoh’s presence as leverage to become Prime Minister in the land of Egypt.

The Dos and Don’ts of Seeds

Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha

Seeds beget harvests only when they are planted. Bread begets waste. When seeds are not planted for any reason whatsoever ranging from greed, laziness, selfishness, disobedience and rebellion; seeds dry, rot and are wasted. They do not benefit anyone. They are wasted and God hates waste.

Seeds are divinely designed to be planted and not eaten or wasted on account of laziness. Please see Ecclesiastes Chapter 11 verses 1 to 6, Genesis Chapters 9 verse 22; 26 verses 12 to 14 and John Chapter 12 verse 24. Therefore, plant seeds when they should be planted and most importantly on the right soils.

Always separate seeds from bread. Every wise farmer does that. Please see Psalm 126 verses 5 to 6. Isaac planted in tears in Gerar. Why and how, you might ask? There was a famine in the land – a consequence of drought, unproductive soils yet God commanded Isaac to plant his precious seeds in that land. No wise farmer plants his seeds in a land or ground where there is drought, the ground id unproductive or has low yield. Yet, Isaac did because God commanded him to do so. The result of his obedience was overwhelming abundant harvests that made him richer than the indigenes of Gerar.

Do not despise the size of your seed as every seed has potential for greatness. Besides, the productivity of the seed does not depend on the size. A seed no matter how small always produces abundant harvest when planted. The mustard seed though small; grew into a large tree that not only accommodated the birds of the air but also produced mustards and seeds for the benefit of humanity. Please see Luke Chapter 13 verse 19. It is said that great things and achievements start with small beginnings. Please see Job Chapters 8 verse 7; 42 verse 12. The Bible also cautions against despising the day of small beginnings. Please see Zechariah Chapter 4 verses 6 to 10.

Unmask You

Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha

To succeed, the real you has to come to the fore. The real you is God’s original design of you created to fulfill His divine plans and purposes for your life. The following questions may guide you into identifying that you if answered truthfully.

• Whose dreams and visions are you interpreting and for what purpose?

• Whose ideas are you implementing and for what purpose?

• What drives you – your dreams and visions coupled with a desire to excel; or the desire to please and impress other people by deploying your energy and resources to service their dreams and visions while yours are left fallow?

• Do you desire greatness or servitude? The choice is actually yours. 

• Who is God to you?

• Have you identified your purpose in life or you are hoping it will fall on you like a bag of cherries?

• Do you have a trajectory for your life?

• What do you hope to be remembered for in the next ten years?

• What does the gift of time mean to you?

Divine Pathways to Fame 1

Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha

The Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of English defines fame, an uncountable noun as the state of being known and talked about by many people.

Fame comes by consistently doing the work God assigned you the way He wants you to do it, where He wants you to do it, where He wants you to do it, when He wants you to do it and for whom He wants you to do it. It is the work that is done, albeit the quality of the work that God uses to bring about the fame. It is not jumping or running around other people who are conscientiously and diligently doing their work; engaging in idle chatter and frittering time. It is investing time, God’s precious time in the work God calls you to and has taken ample time to equip you for through His divine deposits of your unique gifts, talents, skills, expertise and divine connections. It is the impact of your work that brings about transformation in the lives of people that ultimately dovetails into fame. It is true that God is the author of fame and blesses His children with fame. However, that fame comes about by doing exactly what God wants you to do. 

Fame and honor comes by doing what God requires of you in the way He wants it done, when and where He wants it done and to whom He wants it done for and not necessarily how you want it done, where and when you want it done and whom it should be done for. God is the Only One who has the capacity and capability to order your steps into fame, wealth, and honor as you walk in divine purposes and timing as you work for God, do your work as unto the Lord. Fame is a function of your total and prompt obedience to God.

Who could be more famous than Jesus Christ? Nobody. How did He become famous? By doing what God asked Him to do in the way and timing and specific places where God asked Him to do what had to be done and by reaching out to the specific people God wanted Him to reach out to. Jesus Christ did not set out to be famous – Philippians Chapter 2 verses 5 to 11. Rather, He always set out to do what God required of Him and in the process, fame and honor followed him – John Chapter 4, Mark Chapter 1 verse 28, John Chapter 9 verse 4.

Wisdom Promotes

Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha

The God advantage is enough for you to overtake. All you need is the combination of divine wisdom, knowledge and understanding. There is a link between wisdom, knowledge and understanding (the difference between right and wrong) that helps one to make right choices); knowledge to drive out ignorance.

Wisdom is having a keen insight into life and the ways of dealing with life’s issues; an understanding of practical skills of life. It is also conduct that is orderly and morally upright. Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore devote time to acquiring wisdom. The blessings of wisdom include promotion; that is being lifted above your contemporaries; honor which translates into respect; favor which translates into goodwill and preferential treatment; glory which births radiance and beauty. The pursuit of wisdom is therefore critical.

There are two kinds of wisdom, earthly wisdom and heavenly wisdom (James Chapter 3 verses 13 to 18, Matthew Chapter 11 verse 19). Earthly wisdom is the natural way of doing things. One of its key attributes is that it is self seeking, envious and jealously competitive, and does not celebrate the talents and victories of others. It is always creating confusion and disorderliness. It cannot stand order. It is boastful and seeks to be recognized.

Heavenly wisdom is not dubious, has no hidden agenda and can be trusted. It is peaceable – live at peace with all men, gentle in disposition, tolerant, merciful, produces good fruits and results. It is sincere, no hypocrisy or lies.

Wisdom brings promotion that is not dependent on age, education, expertise, experience. Rather, it is dependent on God. Daniel was ten times better because he operated with the wisdom of God that God blessed him with. He received astronomical promotion.

Build and Enhance Your Capacity for Success

Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha

Success does not fall on anyone like a bag of cherries. It is also not a catch phrase to be thrown around. Success comes by being engaged in divine purposes that are built,  enhanced and consolidated over a period of time.

Every vision or idea is a function of capacity. That is to say that capacity precedes the implementation of every idea or vision. For every assignment, there must be relevant capacity from heaven to carry out the task. This is because visions are driven on the basis of capacity and not passion. Passion is not a substitute for capacity as a lack of capacity will show up in capacity gaps as you implement your ideas or vision without adequate capacity.

A person’s capacity acquired or received is a measure of a person’s gifted ability to perform a task or assignment. Therefore, always evaluate your capacity to midwife a vision or assignment to a successful end. Have sufficient capacity before embarking on implementation. If you discover that you lack capacity, or your capacity requires strengthening then be willing to put your vision on hold until you have sufficient capacity to midwife the vision. It is a misconception to think that capacity comes with the vision. The vision comes and then you receive the capacity to implement the vision by beginning a process of capacity acquisition through capacity building and strengthening activities based on your capacity evaluation. Please see Luke Chapter 14 verse 28.

Exercise Dominion in Your Sector

Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha

If there is anyone that should succeed in any business, it should be you because Genesis Chapter 1 verse 26 says so. It is the will of God for you. This means that as a believer, you should be at the top because dominion is your DNA. You are made in the image of God.

There is no best business, place or profession or field. Every business has its successes and failures as well as the secrets that make certain people exercise dominion certain sectors and why some people do a sprint away from certain sectors. Your sector is your sphere of influence; an area where you authority rules. However, you require great skills and expertise to exercise dominion in your sector. If you do not have the skills and expertise, you either learn them or hire them as consultants. But most importantly, always apply the wisdom of God in whatever you do. It is the wisdom of God that will always give you the edge you need to exercise dominion in your sector. The wisdom of God is all yours for the asking if you care to – James Chapter

Additionally, and quite instructive is the need to apply yourself. While skills and expertise are great assets; skills and expertise without a corresponding grace to complete assigned tasks especially as directed will not place you at the top. If you do not complete tasks assigned to you, how then do you exercise dominion? An uncompleted building, art work or dress is never a master piece and cannot be showcased in any competition. Only completed buildings, works of art, dresses et al can be showcased and categorized as master pieces. Huram had the grace to finish tasks as directed. So also were Bezalel, Oholiab and the team of gifted artisans who worked with them – Exodus Chapter 38 verses 22 to 23, 39 verses 42 to 43.

Speak Up about Your Skills, Talents and Expertise

Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha

There is wisdom in speaking up about your skills, talents and expertise. It is akin to marketing and advertising your skills. It is biblical to sell – 2^nd Kings Chapter 4 verse 7. Elisha instructed the indebted prophet’s widow to sell the oil. It was not to be given away as freebies.

The virtuous woman sold the linen garments she produced – she also supplied sashes to the merchants. It is therefore not a sin to sell expertise, knowledge resources, skills, other products and services. Lydia was a seller of purple - Acts Chapter 16 verse 14.

Even the business of trading in knowledge resources, skills, expertise and ideas, talents for money, fame, power, position is not new. The Biblical Joseph, Jacob, and Daniel are classic examples. Jacob traded time and his knowledge of shepherding flocks for board, wives and later his own flock – serving to become a master. Joseph and Daniel traded in their expertise and God given wisdom to become globally respected leaders who earned big time money. These two men served in empires that were world leaders who ruled the world and controlled the economies of the world. And despite being slaves and captives of war, they rose to the pinnacle of global leadership through the mercy and favor of God using their God given IPs.

Give Up Limitations

Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha

Limitations are obstacles and barriers designed to keep a person, people, families, communities, businesses and nations from moving to their God ordained heights in life. Limitations vary – they can be man-made, self made or satanically engineered.  Permit me to say that satanically engineered limitations are easier to dislodge if a person is in Christ Jesus and living right. But self made limitations are especially difficult to dislodge as they are strongholds in a person’s mental processes that only the truth of the Word of God can dislodge. For this to happen, a person has to believe and accept the truth of God’s Word as final so that the self made limitations can be dislodged.

That is why I dare to say that what you hold on to, to an extent is an evidence of the height you have purposed to remain in and that to a large extent determines how far you want to get to in life.

Holding on to something you consider very dear or important can constitute a major limitation to your progress and increase. That is why giving up limitations is the fastest way to increase and progress. Giving up limitations is also a way of stretching your faith, trusting God to take you to a higher altitude in life. Do away with limitations by giving up that thing which God wants you to give up. Otherwise it becomes a stronghold which barricades your progress. Significantly, such things may not necessarily be money, talents, skills, expertise, time and material resources for the work of God.