FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS

Now, all I have is now To be faithful To be holy And to shine Lighting up the darkness Right now, I really have no choice But to voice the truth to the nations A generation looking for God For such a time as this I was placed upon the earth To hear the voice of God And do His will Whatever it is For such a time as this For now and all the days He gives I am here, I am here And I am His For such a time as this You – Do you ever wonder why Seems like the grass is always greener Under everybody else’s sky But right here, right here for this time and place You can live a mirror of His mercy A forgiven image of grace Can’t change what’s happened till now But we can change what will be By living in holiness That the world will see Jesus © Wayne Watson

Breathe Series: BEANS…FOR CHEAPSKATES!

www.facebook.com/emmanuelajanahBreathe Series: BEANS…FOR CHEAPSKATES!

BEANS…FOR CHEAPSKATES!

Beloved, Have you ever asked yourself why you are who, and what you are…today? Ever wondered why God had allowed you to be a trained doctor, teacher, writer, singer, engineer, nurse, marketer, pharmacist, journalist, etc? How about your make up? Why do you find yourself doing the things you do? Is it possible that such things that you do do have a bearing towards what you are to ultimately become…in His hands? The things you have a proclivity towards might just be the investments (besides the daily consumption of His word, its watering by prayer and its strengthening by the exercising of faith) you’ll need to groom you for what and where you’ll eventually be a USEFUL VESSEL in His able hands. You know, it hurts when a BELIEVER said he is jobless and unemployed, short of saying that he is unemployable, I guess. I fell for that lie once. And as long as I lived that lie (feeling frustrated and discouraged) precious souls were trooping into HELL…in droves…and I’m supposed to be on His rescue team. The terrible sin of negligence! Yes, the millions of souls inadvertently finding their way to hell today could just as well be the result of our terrible sin of negligence, all in the name of ‘living according to the pursuit of today’s system’. I ask: Has God indeed failed us? Are we not searching for our ‘genuine’ daily needs (food, shelter, clothings, security etc) exactly like the ‘publicans’ while His ‘temple’ and His ‘harvest fields’ lie untended? “But,” you chipped in, “How would one survived since one need all these things?” Frankly, it’s about who you trust? When a child believes its parents cannot provide for its needs, it naturally seeks to fend for itself, isn’t it? I’ve seen that in the animal world, too. And, yes, ever seen the righteous forsaken? God recently impressed upon my heart that faith is when my pocket is empty and His business in my hand is flourishing. Beat that?! I’m still dazed myself. There’s this story of a pig and beans. You don’t want to be the pig, believe me. Neither will you want to be taken away by the ‘beans’ of life, seriously. It happened that some persons taking their pigs to an abattoir for slaughter were having a hard time pulling these animals along. In spite of the ropes tied round their neck the pigs were simply recalcitrant, giving their owners pretty tough times. Suddenly trotting alongside its owner was this pig which seemed so happy; and there was no rope round its neck. When asked what the magic was, the owner simply said: beans. Dropping one at a time, the pig ate, trotting along happily, not knowing it was heading to its slaughter. What kind of ‘beans’ is the devil feeding you with that is worth abandoning His calling for? What ‘beans’ is the devil using to distract you? Don’t fall for that, buddy! You are valued higher that a pig. Pigs love murky ponds. A child of God CANNOT be comfortable with any sinful distraction, otherwise, he is up for raised eyebrows in the body of Christ. You gamed? The cities we dwell in today were the sweats of other missionaries who heed the call years ago. Just imagine if they had refused His promptings…and there are other virgin lands and territories. Who’s fooling who here? You be the judge. It’s your decision. And hey, never trivialize the warnings of God to you, especially the ones spoken to you directly. “Half a word…” Looking forward to hearing from you. In the meantime grow deep, grow well, grow strong, keep breathing in His grace and remain irremovable and irrevocable in Christ.

"Hitherto hath the Lord helped us." — 1 Samuel 7:12

The word "hitherto" seems like a hand pointing in the direction of the past. Twenty years or seventy, and yet, "hitherto the Lord hath helped!" Through poverty, through wealth, through sickness, through health, at home, abroad, on the land, on the sea, in honour, in dishonour, in perplexity, in joy, in trial, in triumph, in prayer, in temptation, "hitherto hath the Lord helped us!" We delight to look down a long avenue of trees. It is delightful to gaze from end to end of the long vista, a sort of verdant temple, with its branching pillars and its arches of leaves; even so look down the long aisles of your years, at the green boughs of mercy overhead, and the strong pillars of lovingkindness and faithfulness which bear up your joys. Are there no birds in yonder branches singing? Surely there must be many, and they all sing of mercy received "hitherto." But the word also points forward. For when a man gets up to a certain mark and writes "hitherto," he is not yet at the end, there is still a distance to be traversed. More trials, more joys; more temptations, more triumphs; more prayers, more answers; more toils, more strength; more fights, more victories; and then come sickness, old age, disease, death. Is it over now? No! there is more yet-awakening in Jesu's likeness, thrones, harps, songs, psalms, white raiment, the face of Jesus, the society of saints, the glory of God, the fulness of eternity, the infinity of bliss. O be of good courage, believer, and with grateful confidence raise thy "Ebenezer," for— He who hath helped thee hitherto Will help thee all thy journey through. When read in heaven's light how glorious and marvellous a prospect will thy "hitherto" unfold to thy grateful eye!

WHAT IS YOUR NEW YEAR RESOLUTION?

WHAT’S YOUR NEW YEAR RESOLUTION for this new year? After dilly-dallying on what it is exactly God is saying concerning [my life, marriage, business & ministry], I woke up one morning with the resolve to trudge ahead trusting that God who sends will undertake.




This was my resolve, in black and white:
’I don’t know what He’d said, or exactly what He’s saying; apart from the burnings in my heart not to give men ‘death’ but LIFE. I may not be sure what I’m born for, neither what exactly it is I must do. Circumstances have defined my work over the years; tears have re-directed my fears; pains have altered my focus; frustrations have made me question earlier given instructions I’m convinced over. Discouragement and distractions have watered down my perseverance and discipline. But that should be in the past. The instructions, the command He gave should never have been faltered at. He is not influenced by circumstances. If He allowed them, they are for His purpose. My instructions have not been changed. Circumstances have driven me to ask again, and again and again… “What was it You’d asked me to do?” Would life continue like this and I’ll find out suddenly the end has come, leaving me an unfaithful, wavering, unprofitable servant?




Like Carman, I say, too: “I have made my decision/I have staked my claim/I have drawn the line in the sand/And I won’t be ashamed/With the world behind me/And the cross before/By the grace of God/I will serve the Lord.” So, what about you?’



I look forward to hearing from you. In the meantime, grow deep, grow well, grow strong, keep breathing in His grace and remain irrevocable and irremovable in Christ.
Ciao, Emmanuel Ajanah.

SIX THINGS

The six mistakes of man: (1) The delusion that personal gain is made by crushing others. (2) The tendency to worry about things that cannot be changed or corrected. (3) Insisting that a thing is impossible because we cannot accomplish it. (4) Refusing to set aside trivial preferences. (5) Neglecting development and refinement of the mind, and not acquiring the habit of reading and study. (6) Attempting to compel others to believe and live as we do.

THREE THINGS

Do not be hasty in these three: Marriage, Business and Travel · Do not waste these three: Time, Money, Energy · Like these three: Kindness, Sympathy and Cordiality · Hate these three: Injustice, Pride and Unfaithfulness · Love these three: Bravery, Gentility and Affection · Leave these three: Laziness, Too much talk, Hurried Judgment · Value these three: Intelligence, Ability and Happiness · Control these three: Temper, Desire and Tongue · Preserve these three: Good books, Good deeds and Friends.