Emeka Anslem's Blog... Bringing knowledge to the people

TIMELY NOTES!  It's been said that "we make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give". In other words, converting what we get into what to give is how to make a life. A friend once asked me "who is a great man?". I responded with what Jesus said, that "every one who desires to be great must be a servant". He didn't seem to be convinced at the response because he later asked me if that was the only way to be great.  Whatever Jesus says is genuine. The bible says "let God be true and all men liars". If God has said something about anything, then any other theory about that thing is inferior. It is not your huge income that will make you great; rather, it's the dimension of your outcomes that will. Greatness is not in the eyes of the beholder, but in the eyes of the beneficiaries. Jesus is a great King, but His greatness needed to be proven by the people. He had to go about doing good and healing all that were oppresse...

TIMELY NOTES!  God does not only save us from something, He saves us for something. Salvation is not only a move to deliver us from going to hell; it's also the platform where we can secure the posterity of many generations. Salvation is not a one-time confession, it's a long-term profession. The bible says we should work out our own salvation with fear and trembling.  Every believer is supposed to be known for a good work. In Eph 2:10, the bible says we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. I feel very sad whenever I meet idle believers, because there's no room for idleness in God's salvation agenda. John 15:16 also makes it clear that God saved us so that we can be fruitful in life. Many believers don't work only because they've not found what they like; well, before you find what you like, do what you find. It's not really about the kind of work you do, but about the glory of God tha...

TIMELY NOTES!  The thing about joy is that you have to have it, whether situations are pleasant or not. A large percentage of people who are sick today are people who go the mile just to live a happy life. Happiness feeds on what you have, joy feeds on who you are. That means you really don't need to have anything to live a joyful life. People who just want to be happy become broken when they don't have enough to make them happy; and like we know, a broken spirit makes our body vulnerable to all kinds of sicknesses and diseases. Abraham didn't have anything to show for his life. But the Bible recorded that he staggered not at the promise of God, but he was strong in faith, joyfully glorifying God. The difference between joy and happiness is that; while happiness would have something to show, joy only needs a promise to show. Abraham had joy because of the promise of God, Jesus held on to the cross because of the promise of God. Hab 3:17-18 says that "although the fig t...

TIMELY NOTES! Do you sometimes feel like what you get from God is too small, and that you deserve more? Well, you are not the first. In Joshua 17:14-18, after Joshua had distributed inheritances among the people, the family of Joseph came to him and complained that the portion of the land that was given to them was too small, considering the fact that they are great people. Great people? Someone would have thought that Joshua made a mistake, and would assign another land to them. But surprisingly, the response was different.  Joshua acknowledged that indeed the family of Joseph were great people, and that he assigned a small portion of land to them. But then he told them that "they were not only entitled to that small land, but all the lands on the mountains can also be possessed by them, if they defeat the oppositions". In other words, they had bigger land space than any other family, except that they had to contend with the enemy in battle. Personally, I have discovered tha...

TIMELY NOTES! Patience carries a reward for its bearer. Patience is the distance between faith and the manifestation of your expectations. Patience is not just waiting for something, it is preparing yourself to meet the demands of what you're waiting for. Waiting for God to give you what you'd waste is the same as wasting your time; because God hates waste, and He will never give you what you will waste.  Many students have not gotten admission into school probably because they're not prepared for school. They may be waiting for admission, but God only gives admission to those who use their waiting-time to prepare for what is coming. If you're looking for a job, prepare for one. God is never far from a prepared man. Many eligible singles are not married because they're still thinking like a single person; and giving a wife to such a person will only bring suffering to the woman.  That's how far we'd go on today's Timely Note. But take these last words; P...

TIMELY NOTES!  The life of a christian shouldn't be a normal life. It's a normal thing to suspend or park a boat until the storm is calm, but Jesus saw it differently when He rebuked the storm. Normally, we should go to the bank or a personal safe to get money when it is required, but Jesus saw it differently when He instructed His disciple to get money from the mouth of a fish. If a tree is yet to bare fruits, you should wait till it does or go to another tree - if you really want to eat the fruit. But Jesus cursed the tree instead; perhaps He believed that the tree was supposed to produce fruits at His appearance.  Right from the days of John the Baptist, Satan put a mental barrier within believers, so that we'd be compelled to live a normal life. Jesus proved to His disciples that it is normal for the storm to arise, but abnormal for believers to run away from the storm. He cursed the fig tree and got money from the mouth of the fish only to prove that a committed believ...

TIMELY NOTES! We may make our plans, but God has the final say. That is what the Bible says in Proverbs 16:1. People may plan evil against you, but your prayers to God can change their evil plans. Your boss may refuse to promote you, your teacher may refuse to release your grades, your clients may refuse to give you jobs, your helpers may even refuse to help you, but God has the final say. Oppositions would always arise, they may even come in very weird and impossible forms, but it does not change the fact that God has the final say.  What you believe in times of chaos or challenges is what keeps your place. Challenges may shake you, but faith is what you need to stand. Physical things are temporal, while spiritual things are eternal. Challenges are temporal; they can never overpower or outshine the eternal force of faith. 1 John 5:4 defines faith as the victory that overcomes the world. Which means no matter what is happening, you will emerge victorious through faith. The government m...

TIMELY NOTES!  God knows we face challenges; that's why He said "whosoever shall say to this mountain, be thou removed...". Though He sees our challenges and would like to resolve them for us, but I feel like God is in a tight constraint. He may not do anything about our challenges until we begin to speak to them. The world would say "a problem shared is a problem halved", but in the kingdom, a problem spoken-to is a problem solved. Many Christians are still thinking like the world does; Jesus didn't need to share His problem with the fig tree with anybody, neither did He share His problem with the storm, He simply spoke to them. Words carry spiritual powers; the moment we speak, the spirit in the word is activated. John 6:63 tells us that the words that God speaks to us are spirits and life. In the beginning, God saw that darkness was upon the face of the earth, the bible even mentions that the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. But the Spirit...

LET'S PRAY FOR THE PEACE OF OUR NATION...  The Bible says we should "pray for the peace of Jerusalem, so that people that have good intentions and plans for her would prosper". Jerusalem in that context refers to the city where God's people lived. After King Saul lost the Israelites to the Philistines, David quickly took responsibility for God's people and united all of them in Jerusalem. Jerusalem officially became the city of God when the name of the Lord entered into it.  Every nation where the name of the Lord is mentioned and reverenced is an heavenly Jerusalem. And it would be unwise not to pray for such nations.  No matter how anointed and gifted you may be, you need a settled people to maximize your gifts and anointing. The fact that you are an amazing singer does not mean you would prosper; you would need a settled fan.  Who would listen to your fine preaching or songs in a war front? Who would watch your shows with no food on their table? Who would buy y...

TIMELY NOTES!  Knowledge covers pain. Isaiah 11:9 tells us that "it shall come to pass that destruction shall cease because the knowledge of the Lord shall fill the earth as the waters covers the sea". If it ever feels like challenges are covering you, then cover them with the knowledge of the Lord. The bible tells us that the name of Jesus is a strong tower, and the righteous runs under it for safety. And Rev 19:13 further tells us that His name was called the word of God. In other words, if His name covers people from trouble, then His word also covers people from trouble.  I recently paid my cousin a visit. And when we met, she told me she couldn't go out because she had "runny nose". Coincidentally, I also had runny nose. But when I told her, she said mine was not serious because it was not showing. I didn't hesitate to tell her that "Knowledge has covered it". Knowledge has a way of making situations beautiful. Certain situations may not go, b...

TIMELY NOTES!  Be anxious for nothing; instead, pray about those concerns, and don't forget to appreciate God for the opportunity. But how would you pray or give thanks when the situation becomes really unpleasant? Many people would like to do the will of God at all times; but oftentimes, the challenges they go through take away their heart from His will. I've seen married men who had happy faces during the first two years in marriage, but afterwards, they live in clear depression. At that point, their minds have wandered far away from the word of God, and they'd need someone to constantly remind them - that God shall supply all their needs according to His riches, and not their riches.  Come to think of it, most of the things we get anxious about are things we were first joyful for. Many people were happy to get a job, but they've become anxious because their job can no longer pay their bills. Many people were happy to get married, but now, anxiety has taken over them ...

TIMELY NOTES!  Sometimes, when God does not answer your prayers, then it's probably because He wants you to try natural abilities before you engage His supernatural ability. The disciples of Jesus told Him to release the 5000 people, so they could go to their various houses and feed. That was more like a prayer request. But instead of doing the supernatural, He first instructed His disciples to feed them. In other words, they should do what they could naturally.  Isaiah 41:21 says "... Bring forth your strong reason". His disciples gave strong reasons why they couldn't be fed naturally, then Jesus fed them supernaturally. I recently had a dislocation on my right leg that no one could fix. After I had tried everything I could naturally, and none of them worked, I passed the situation over to God. Five minutes after, I heard cracky sounds from my right leg, and that was it, I was healed. Christianity is not foolishness; many people unnecessarily prolong their predicamen...

BUT MENTORS ARE EVERYWHERE...  If you want to go into politics, don't look for the president of the United States to mentor you; look for someone who has crossed the level you're currently in.  A mentor is a person who has gone at least one level ahead of you in your field.  Moreover, even if the US president would agree to mentor you, he'd assume that you've been in politics for some time.  As a writer, I won't run to John Maxwell for mentorship; rather, I'd look for young writers who have gone a little bit farther than I have.  At John Maxwell's level, he may have forgotten the basic principles required to start; but for a young writer, those principles would still be fresh on him. And relating it would be easy. Trust me, if you miss the basics, you'd live with head aches.  Dont mistake a role model for a mentor. A role model is someone you aspire to be like; a mentor is a teacher who possesses a quality you desire.  You may grow beyond your mentors, j...

TIMELY NOTES! Stagnation is one's inability to make progress. To make progress, you must deem it prudent to develop abilities. In the words of my pastor; life is an adventure, and he refers to the word "adventure" as a compound word that consists of "Add" and "Venture". Venture is what has brought you to where you are; so if you want to make progress, add venture.  Life feeds on what you've produced. It is the volume of what you give to life that it pays for. Our abilities are like products to life; don't expect to be paid for what you've not sold. That's why the bible warns that we should not be deceived, whatsoever a man sows, he'd also reap. The reason why many people have not moved from their current position is probably because they're still feeding life with the same ability. Repeating the same thing with the same process won't give you a different result. To change your daily activities, develop new abilities. Life do...

TIMELY NOTES!  The breakthrough you're praying for is not going to be easy to sustain. That's why God took the Israelites through a longer path to the Promiseland. He particularly said that if He takes them directly to Canaan, they may not be able to fight for their rights. God may give you the land you desire, but you still need to fight for your right to possess it. In Deut 2:24, the bible says "... I have given into thine hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land: begin to possess it, and contend with him in battle". God doesn't have issues giving you the breakthroughs you desire, He's probably waiting for you to be well equipped to possess it.  Canaan was their promised land, but it was not vacant. Many believers are still unemployed, only because somebody is occupying their position. Many eligible singles are not married, not because they're not good enough, but because somebody is holding back their God-ordained spouses. The fact that God...

TIMELY NOTES!  Prayer won't cancel responsibility. I often tell people that if God didn't answer them the first time they prayed, then He has probably made a way of escape, and He just needs us to take responsibility in finding the way out. 1 Cor 10:13 says that "the temptations in your life are not different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure it". God is ever ready to show us the way out of our challenges, but most times, we just want Him to do a miracle. And that's why certain issues stick with us for long.  Miracles are God's response to our responsibility. If Moses knew this, he wouldn't have prayed to God when they reached the Red Sea; because all he needed to do was to use the rod to divide the sea, just as he did when he performed the other miracles in Egypt. Sometimes your rent won't come as chea...

SHIFT TO WHERE NAU?  Boarding a bus in Lagos is something else. Passengers never forget to use the word "SHIFT".  Some of them would probably wish that you turn to a broom stick, so they can shift you away from the seat.  "Shift small", and even after you move a little, they'd still insist that you "Shift small".  Just pray that it never gets to your turn to ask them to "shift"; because they'd just shake their body for about 3 seconds and frown back at you. I wonder if "shifting" and "shaking" are the same. From experience, I think the shaking even takes more space from you.  Well, the good thing is; it gets better as the journey continues. The movement of the vehicle automatically adjusts the positioning of passengers. Those who were shaking their body would eventually be shifted by the moving vehicle. And at the end, the journey wouldn't be as tight as it started.  That's how life is. You may start rough and ...

TIMELY NOTES!  The moment God shows you a vision, start pursuing it. Habakkuk 2:3 didn't say we should wait till God tells us to start the vision; rather, it says we should wait for the fulfilment of the vision. And we all know that visions are never fulfilled in a day; it takes a process of work. John Maxwell said "the only way to get ready is to start". There's really no "best time" to begin any venture, just like you'd never have enough resources to start any venture. If you really want to do it, then start now, and with what you have.  God showed Bishop David Oyedepo a vision, and mandated him to liberate the "world" from all oppression of the devil. Though the vision is to liberate the world, but he began with one person, and then four people, until he began to actually liberate the world. That's what Habakkuk really meant; though the process may not look like what you saw in the vision when you begin, but continue working on it, becau...

THIS IS HOW TO RUN...  Don't be deceived; in the race of life, everybody is a competitor. There are no fans nor supporters; everybody runs for his own place.  Even your coach is also on a race; if you don't perform up to expectation, he'd look for another person to coach.  People who benefit from you, and people who you directly benefit from are also in the race. They'd continue praising you as long as you continue releasing benefits to them. But when they stop seeing the benefits, many of them will change track.  Life is not fair; so don't run a fair race. Be a smart runner; make sure you make a mark when the baton is passed to you.  If you slow down for your friend, you may lose the trend. If your friend is losing his place, make sure you don't.  Two losses can't make a win; it will take a winner to mentor a loser. Your friend may not like you if you leave him behind, but he won't like you either if you both lose the race. Losers hardly relate with ano...

TIMELY NOTES!  I was really sick yesterday; and when my Doctor ran some diagnosis, it was discovered that I was running out of knowledge. Honestly, I wondered how lack of knowledge could cause an endless ache on my head and a tunnel in my eyes. But then, when the Holy Spirit tells you the cause of a thing, don't argue. I didn't hesitate to visit a bookstore at the close of work; and yes, I bought two books.  I was so excited about one of the books that I totally forgot that I was sick. Imagine, the sickness couldn't even wait till I reach chapter two, it just disappeared. Knowledge is life; we need to be intentional about developing ourselves. Growth is not something you attend to "when you have time"; rather, it's something you should create time for on a daily basis. Give yourself a daily appointment for growth, and keep it. I rarely leave my bed in the morning until I've fulfilled my early morning study appointment with myself.  That's how far we...

TIMELY NOTES!  You can't get out of trouble by getting away from the trouble. You have to face it, and deal with it. For instance, If you want to have financial freedom, then be ready to simplify your lifestyle by spending less and saving more. If you want to resolve your marital problems, then create a win/win agreement that both of you will benefit from. If you want to do better in business, then be ready to solve those challenges that your competitors shy away from. If you want to do well academically, then you need to be well-informed about your academic works.  Your five loaves and two fishes can feed five thousand, if only you'd invest them. Miracles are not mere accidents, they are deliberate acts of God provoked by the desperate acts of men. A miracle happens when God moves to resolves your challenges for you; but oftentimes, He doesn't move until you begin to make moves towards your challenges. In 2 Chro 20:17, God had already told Jehosaphat and his people that ...