Topic: The Power of Character [Friday April 28, 2017]

Scripture: There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil. Job 1:1

Thought For The Day: Uprightness brings direction.

A good character is one of the key virtues of the life of a genuine Christian; it is a ladder to greater heights in life. Men of impact in the Bible were men of positive and qualitative character.

It is very important to know that character is not just powerful; character is power. The real power of a man is the power of his character and not financial, muscular or diabolical power.

The silence of character is louder than the utterance of compromise. This means that for people of character, their silence weighs heavier than the utterance of normal people. Job was undoubtedly a man of quality character. In his generation, he commanded both the audience and the attention of the people on the strength of character (Job 29:21-23).  

There are people who others long to hear speak and there are those that people have no patience for. For example, nobody looks for career counsel from an armed robber or a harlot. This is because they lack the power of positive character.

One implication of good character is that it guarantees Divine guidance and direction. Uprightness brings direction (Psalm 112:4).

Beloved, righteousness brings brightness and unrighteousness invites darkness. So, uphold qualitative character in order to end as a light to your generation.

Remember this: Uprightness brings direction.

Assignment(s):

1. Ask God for the grace to live an upright life.

2. Prayerfully work on your character.

FOR FURTHER UNDERSTANDING, GET THIS MESSAGE:  THE POWER OF POSITIVE CHARACTER (PART 3)

Prayer: LORD, grant me the grace to continually work on my character, in Jesus’ Name.

Daily Reading: Judges 8:18 to 9:21, Luke 23:44 to 24:12, Psalm 99:1 to 9, Proverbs 14:9 to 10.

Amazing Fact: The first Internet domain name ever registered was Symbolics.com on March 15, 1985.

Today In History: 28/04/1930 – The first organized night baseball game was played in Independence, Kansas.

Quote: The strength of your destiny is affected by the strength of your character. Culled from WHO ARE YOU? by Dr Paul Enenche.

Dunamis International Gospel Centre (DIGC), is a powerfully anointed church, headquartered at Abuja, Nigeria, with Dr Paul and Dr Becky Enenche, as the Senior Pastors. It is a power-packed arena where God’s Presence, Principles and Power are at work for the salvation, healing and restoration of human destinies and dignities.

Topic: The Unpayable Debt [Friday April 28, 2017]

Who gave himself for our sins . . . — Galatians 1:4

Years ago King Charles V was loaned a large sum of money by a merchant in Antwerp. The note came due, but the king was bankrupt and unable to pay. The merchant gave a great banquet for the King. When all the guests were seated and before the food was brought in, the merchant had a large platter placed on the table and a fire lighted on it.

Then, taking the note out of his pocket, he held it in the flames until it was burned to ashes. The king threw his arms around his benefactor and wept. Just so, we have been mortgaged to God. The debt was due, but we were unable to pay. Two thousand years ago God invited the world to the Gospel feast, and in the agonies of the cross, God held your sins and mine until every last vestige of our guilt was consumed.

Prayer for the day: In gratitude I kneel before You, Lord Jesus Christ.

Written by Billy Graham, Founder of Billy Graham Evangelistic Association(BGEA). BGEA exists to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ by every effective means and to equip the church and others to do the same.

In Nigeria at the moment, there’s a word, or more appropriately buzzword that resonates everywhere: It is a word that even children in nursery school may be familiar with given every usual reference to it at the slightest opportunity.   Indeed, there is hardly any news item from Nigeria these days that does not make mention of it. CORRUPTION! If it is not about how Muhammadu Buhari’s administration is prosecuting some corrupt people by charging them to court, it is about monies the government is seemingly recovering or has traced and recovered as was observed with the 13 billion naira stashed in a residential flat in Ikoyi, Lagos. At times it could even be the tale, as we are ever so often regaled with as well, of corruption fighting back! That is a familiar line from both the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and Lai Mohammed, the Minister of Information, a.k.a spokesman for the Federal government. Of course, people fight to protect their interest.

Far worrisome on Nigeria’s corruption fight is that even an ignoble man who had looted the public treasury and uses it to fund his bogus lifestyle would not give it up without a fight or scheme to destroy his accusers. This complicated gambit is definitely not strange in most developing economies with long history of sleaze in governance but Nigerian citizens seem exceptional in strategies to discourage corruption fight. Emphatically, in Nigeria, long before now, any credible polity watcher would have noticed how promoters of corruption in government fight back with distortion of facts and attack those that exposed them with unimaginable impunity. Even recently, there is no better example of a victim of corruption fight back narrative for me than what happened to Abdulrasheed Maina, the former Chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team, PRTT, whom recovered trillions of naira, yet was forced out of office under largely politically motivated circumstances.

When Maina was appointed to head the presidential task team on pension reform some years ago, few people gave him any chance of succeeding as it was not the first time Nigerians would be seeing someone lead an intervention transformation task team in the country. But the young intelligent Maina had a clear idea what needed to be done to reform Nigeria’s rotten pension scheme that was hampered by decade long corruption involving powerful figures with a hold on the system. He went about his work quietly and before long was able to recover humongous sums of money for the federal government, money running into trillions of naira. But just when you asked for more, the story changed. The hunter suddenly became the hunted as the very people who had for decades been making a kill from pension money, feeding fat on the sweat and blood of fellow citizens thereafter smiling home with tens of billions of naira, turned the heat on him, alleging that he was corrupt. They came up with stories that Maina had embezzled 195 billion naira from the trillions he had recovered, and soon the narrative changed from the issue of the monies recovered by the Borno State born reformer to what is allegedly missing.  The Nigerian Senate of the then 7th Assembly decided to investigate the allegations and soon set up a panel to probe him. After Maina’s preliminary appearance before the Senate Committee, he claimed that he was not given fair hearing as he was only allowed to provide a yes or no response to issues that demanded explanations. Most likely Maina might have perceived a premeditated verdict, thus opted for a legal battle. However, the police later declared him wanted over his failure to honour further invitations of the Senate Committee. Fortunately, for him, the court quashed the warrant issued by the police with even a perpetual injunction restraining the police from arresting him on related issues. This is just the background to what was later discovered as clear ruse to destroy Maina’s reputation. On record, a man who was being praised to high heavens by many for reforming Nigeria’s pension system was now suddenly being accused by some, including the Senate Committee, of shortchanging the system. Following the senate inquiry, the EFCC hurled their net at him. Determined to save his name, Maina filed a 1.5 billion naira suit against the National Assembly and police claiming abuse of his fundamental human rights.

The unfortunate part of the drama is that the same EFCC under its former leadership which also participated in the entire Maina Led Biometric Exercise that was being queried, later succumbed to pressure from the 7th Senate to declare Maina guilty as charged. Before long, Maina was attacked but he escaped death by the whiskers. The devious act happened at his residence but he was a lucky victim of failed assassination of near death as widely reported in the media.

Fearing for his life, it was also reported that Maina travelled out of Nigeria. By every sound logic, it is afterall, a living being that has a chance to defend himself.  However, like any assumed innocent man, the accusation of embezzling money is worrisome and it is wise to clear your name of any wrongdoing, particularly when you know, like Maina does, that the allegations against you are contrived and false, cooked up by people with an agenda to protect their crooked interest. This is easily buttressed by quick recall that one of the senior members of the panel that probed the Maina led PRTT had since confessed to insincerity on National Television.

Unfortunately, it is now almost four years that these series of events unfolded, culminating in Maina losing his job as the then President Goodluck Jonathan administration later replaced him with Olabisi Jaji following pressure from the same 7th Senate. Indeed, it is shocking that even the then Head of Service cowed in and sanctioned Maina for failing to report to work a day after he was shot or was proposed to have been killed, an incident which was duly captured in the media.

At times like this, it is best to put an unfortunate past behind and focus on the dream of a collective prosperous future especially when the present led Buhari administration of Nigeria, as obvious, is firmly committed  to addressing corruption headlong. However, what the country needs is to bring on board its best hands to collaborate with existing government efforts for successful and rapid tackle of fraud monster. Good that Maina has not been proved to be corrupt, he was simply a victim of a system possessed of cabals bent on destroying him. He was, as his short stint as pension fund recovery boss shows, a vastly experienced reformer and goal getter who changed the pension system in Nigeria and ended up recovering trillions of naira for his country. Indeed, Maina it was who introduced the Smart Card Biometric system of payment for pensioners that revolutionized the sector. Before him, pensioners used to travel long distances from their communities and respective states to come to Abuja to collect their monthly pension payments only to be forced to queue in line to collect their entitlement due to the sheer number of people that had come for the same purpose. Such reports of beneficiaries queuing and even dying in the process of waiting to collect their entitlements were common. Nevertheless, under Maina’s direction and with the Smart Card instituted, no one needed to queue again to collect his money. Certainly with gross elimination of almost a hundred thousand ghost pensioners, Maina sanitized the Pension system, saved Nigeria billions of naira but put his life at great risk as evinced in his unfortunate encounter. Candidly and succinctly put, for a country like Nigeria to grow it needs men of courage with traits of patriotism like that exhibited by Maina.

No doubt, Maina has demonstrated capacity and he still remains very qualified to continue helping recover more of Nigeria’s stolen wealth. The fact that the major allegation of embezzlement against him has been dismissed is sufficient proof that corruption was fighting back at him. Nevertheless, if there exist any other allegation on Maina, it could just be another distraction promoted by those opposed to his work. Indeed, such should not be permitted to be a strong reason for the government not to engage and tap from his knowledge in detecting and exposing fraud. It is very obvious but sad that the pension thieves that Maina tried to stub out would not like this view and even few reasonable people may disagree with me on Maina. However, I believe that in this era of economic recession, the Nigerian majority would recognize the absurdity of ignoring stolen trillions of naira from our National Treasury in the hands of few criminals whilst focusing on uncertain allegations against Maina is of no quality reasoning. More so, there is nothing abnormal with putting on hold or temporarily ignoring the seeming bogus existing accusations against Maina until he completes this vital national task of gross common good. Infact, I believe this approach of avoiding unnecessary distractions is just about applying wisdom to stop those that wish to frustrate the Buhari’s Anti-corruption fight especially on Pension reform.

Written by FELICIA OKOH, Ph.D
Lecturer, University of Lagos

Written by the Editorial Board of The Guardian Newspaper

The majesty of democracy diminished the other day in Nigeria when the elections umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) revealed that some of its employees received at least N3billion in gratifications to influence the 2015 general elections, generally acclaimed to be free and fair. This is a tragedy.

The greater tragedy is even that it was the electoral body’s National Commissioner, Mohammed Haruna, who disclosed this in Abuja while addressing journalists on the outcome of its internal investigations into the 2015 elections. The body had recently come under fire over allegations of corruption of its officials even in recent rerun elections. For instance, in January this year, a security agency panel constituted to investigate the electoral and other offences perpetrated during the December 10, 2016 Rivers State parliamentary re-run election said that it recovered N111 million from 23 INEC officials.

The chairman of the panel, Damian Okoro, a deputy commissioner of police, revealed the dirty deal while presenting the team’s report to the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, in Abuja on January 7, this year.

He alleged that three senior electoral officers collected N20 million each out of the N360 million given to them by the Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, while the remaining officers received N15 million each.
The Rivers State governor who denied the report, accused the police of bias and refused to cooperate or allow state officials cooperate with the police investigation team. The motive of the investigation outside the provisions of the INEC’s enabling laws on electoral fraud remains hazy. But the confession of INEC about complicity of its officials in the 2015 elections fraud that brought the president and national assembly, governors and other state officials to power has set tongues wagging again about electoral impurities in the country.

Haruna who revealed the impurities in the 2015 general elections said some officials of the electoral body, including one of its retired national commissioners and five resident electoral commissioners, were being investigated over the dirty deal.

The INEC commissioner said: “The commission met… to consider the report of its expanded Appointment, Promotion and Disciplinary Committee on the EFCC Interim Report on Bribery, Corruption and Money Laundering Charges during the 2015 general elections.

“You may recall that late last year, the commission received an interim report from the EFCC detailing allegations against 202 serving and retired INEC officials and staff in 16 states of the federation…”

He then noted that in furtherance of its zero tolerance for corruption in the electoral process, the commission ordered a thorough investigation into the allegations to establish the culpability or otherwise of those named in the EFCC report. He added that the committee’s work was thorough and painstaking, involving the issuance of queries to the 202 officials mentioned in the report and interviewing them individually in accordance with the principle of fair hearing and in consonance with INEC Staff Conditions of Service. He also revealed that as a result of the initial findings of the committee, an additional 80 serving officials of the commission, who were not named in the EFCC report but whose names came up in the course of the investigation, were also queried and interviewed.

“The cases of one former National Commissioner, five former Resident Electoral Commissioners (one of them deceased) have been referred to the Presidency and the EFCC for further necessary action.

“Based on their level of involvement, 205 serving INEC staff will be immediately placed on interdiction, which entails suspension from duties and being placed on half salary, pending the final determination of the cases they have with the EFCC.”

Haruna also said on a sad note that the commission found that a non-governmental organisation (NGO) identified as West African Network of Election Observers made up of retired INEC officials, was used to bribe INEC staff affected.

“Out of over N23 billion, which the EFCC report said was used to influence the elections, the committee established that N3,046,829,000 was received by INEC staff in 16 states,” he added.

Even devastating as these revelations have been to a bewildered nation, INEC deserves some commendation for the audacity to accept responsibility for the action of its officials without prejudice to the fact that the 2015 elections were conducted by a different leadership. It is gratifying to note that the electoral commission boldly accepted the fact that all was not well with the election management agency and needs some form of purification pills after all.

This is another pointer to the fact that corruption that has permeated Nigeria’s national life is one common enemy that the nation should unite to fight. What is more, it is tragic to note that the mandates, which leaderships at various levels have been enjoying since 2015 are tainted, after all. It is a national disaster of monumental proportions if elections’ outcomes do not represent the wishes of the people that cast the votes. When beneficiaries and the so-called winners buy votes, the government therefrom cannot be government of the people by the people and for the people.

The nation can now see why most of the ‘elected’ representatives do not care about welfare and security of the people, which should be the primary purpose of government. Electoral impurities can also lead to curious alienation as is constantly witnessed in the polity in a country that should be a source of inspiration to Africa and indeed the black peoples of the world. The nation can, from these sordid revelations, deduce again why electoral contests have been so inscrutably expensive in the extreme. And this encourages building and consolidation of corruption infrastructure as public officers who would like to contest elections to any posts even at local levels, have to steal enough public funds to get elected sadly by bribing their ways through.

It is now corruption, corruption complaint everywhere. There is corruption in the electoral process, corruption in the election petition tribunal, corruption in governance process and corruption in the regulatory system of managing corruption. Corruption is even alleged in the leadership of the anti-corruption agency. Where does Nigeria go from here? After the 2007 general elections, the then President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, shocked the nation when he admitted that the election that produced him as president was terribly flawed. He, thereafter, set up an electoral reform committee comprising eminent citizens and headed by a former Chief Justice of the country. The far- reaching recommendations are still there. But curiously, even before the INEC’s latest startling revelations, the President Muhammadu Buhari government had seven months ago set up another electoral reform committee headed by a former President of the Senate.

But it is now clear that the trouble with the electoral system is not the number of electoral reforms committees set up. Nor is it with even the election management agency. It is with the politicians that have built a culture of electoral impunities. The president’s men, the governors, the ministers, the legislators and their supporters are the initiators of bribes. They are the recruiters of officials to facilitate bribery of vulnerable election officials. And so, unless there is a national renewing of the people’s minds about hatred for corruption at all levels, there will never be a miracle of electoral integrity. The people too have a responsibility to demand integrity from the people who conduct elections and the contestants who bribe them. All told, Nigeria cannot run away from the constant suggestions that electoral offences tribunal should be set up to deal with electoral offenders including givers and takers of bribes to compromise the wishes of the people. As INEC has boldly identified the bad eggs in its rank, all the indicted officials should be diligently named, shamed and prosecuted to serve as deterrent to those who may wish to make mess of the majesty of democracy.

A Promise For You From Bible Promises:

Topic: Living With Eternity In View [27/04/2017]

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. Philippians 1:21. Read: Php 1:20-26

Earth is sweet to live in, but heaven is sweeter. No matter the pleasure you derive on earth, it’s just temporary compared to the everlasting pleasure we shall enjoy with Jesus Christ in heaven. Beloved, the earlier we know and accept that we’re strangers on this earth and we shall soon be called to where we came from the better for us. This will help us to have eternity in view, live our lives to please our Maker, not ourselves or the devil. You came from heaven – an ambassador to the earth. God placed you here to show forth His praise and majesty, why would you now turn this place to your home?

To live with eternity in view is to surrender your life to Jesus Christ and begin to live for Him correctly. Apostle Paul was so confident that if he dies he will be going to heaven, but while he’s still alive, he will serve the Lord. You must be sure that you are a candidate for heaven and live with that consciousness. Demas once had eternity in view but allowed the world to take it away from him. Yours will not be like that in Jesus name

#BiblePromisesThought

* Living for Christ today against all odd guarantees your place in destiny.

Topic: Superiority Of Good Success [Thursday April 26, 2017]

“… This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth…thou shalt make thy way prosperous…” – Joshua 1:8

That there is a kind of success described or classified as good connotes that there is an inferior or sub-standard success.

“Good” is a description of quality.

It is definition of completeness.

It means stainless and wholesome.

It indicates that everything is contained within it.

While success may be purchased or attained by any means good success cannot.

It is a gift from God.

It is God that gives good success.

While success could be described as riches, good success is known as blessing.

You may be rich and not be blessed.

Sweat may bring riches but only God gives blessing. Proverb 18:22.

It is blessing that brings about completeness. Genesis 1:28-31

Blessing is a state of having all you need at the time you need it.

Get blessed and enter the circle of good success.

Topic: God Gives the Victory [Thursday April 27, 2017]

You shall tread upon the lion and adder; the young lion and the serpent shall you trample underfoot. Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him; I will set him on high, because he knows and understands My name…. — Psalm 91:13-14

God created each of us with a free will. This gives us the ability to make our own decisions apart from outside influence. Satan tries to force us to do things by placing outside pressure on us, but God attempts to lead us by His Holy Spirit. Jesus is not demanding or harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing. He is humble, gentle, meek, and lowly (see Matthew 11:29-30). We are indeed complex creatures. Our mind can think one thing, while our emotions want something else and our will certainly seems to have a mind of its own.

Once a person’s willpower is renewed by God’s Word and she knows enough to choose good over evil, she becomes very dangerous to Satan and his kingdom of darkness. The renewed person can override all the negative things Satan has planned by exercising her willpower to agree with God and His Word.

I have discovered that doubt is a thought planted in my head by the devil. He uses it to keep me from enjoying my life and making progress in God’s good plan for me.

Lord, thank You for the power of Your Word to renew my mind. I choose to stand with Your truth and overcome the darkness that surrounds me. Amen.

Topic: Responsibilities of God’s Children II [Thursday 27, April 2017]

Memorise: Abstain from all appearance of evil. – 1 Thessalonians 5:22

Read: 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 (KJV)

14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?

16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

Bible in One Year: Number 22, Jeremiah 21:11-22:10

MESSAGE:

Yesterday, we looked at some of the responsibilities of the children of God in ensuring that they finish the Christian race in triumph. Another of these responsibilities is that children of God must be on the lookout for whatever appears to be evil and run away from it. Anything that can lead to fornication or adultery, anything that has a shade of idolatry, or anything that has to do with love of money falls into the category of things you should flee from (1 Corinthians 6:18, 1 Corinthians 10:14, 1 Timothy 6:9-10). Living a holy life is not automatic as some presume; we have to make a conscious effort to live holy. We wrestle not against flesh and blood; rather, we wrestle against principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world and spiritual wickedness in high places (Ephesians 6:12). To be effective in our warfare, our strategy has to be both offensive and defensive in nature. How do we engage in defensive warfare? It is by tactically abstaining from the world of darkness and sin.

In today’s Bible reading, we are exposed to the practical way of engaging in defensive spiritual warfare. The first thing is not to be unequally yoked together with unbelievers because the Bible expressly says that friendship with the world is enmity against God, and that whosoever will be a friend to the world is an enemy of God (James 4:4). It is however unfortunate that some Christians don’t see this as an eternal truth. Even some pastors will tell you that we must be friendly with the world in other to win them. The question is ever since we have been making friends with worldly people, how many of them have we won? Instead, on arrival, they pollute the Church, and we end up becoming more like them! The problem is that the Church does not want to take the lonely stand for the truth anymore; we want to be world-compliant. Have we forgotten that the Almighty God assures us that even if the world forsakes us, He would be with us (Hebrew 13:5)? How happy our God would be, if His Church would take the stance that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego took in Babylon, when they were faced with Nebuchadnezzar’s  great fiery furnace (Daniel 3:16-18).

Beloved, it is your responsibility not only to rebuke the works of darkness but also to run away from all appearances of evil when necessary. Joseph did this successfully, and although he suffered for it for a while, he was later exalted to become the Prime Minister of Egypt (Genesis 39:11-23). That will be your story in Jesus’ Name. As you separate yourself to the Lord in holiness, your purity will stand you out from the crowd and cause you to be exalted in Jesus’ Name.

Action Point: Read Psalm 1 meditatively and pray that God will help you to always shun the presence of evil and its agents.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer’s Ministries.

iOpenHeavens is the electronic version of the Hard Copy. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC.

Topic: God, Our Helper [Thursday April 27, 2017]

I am like a sheltered olive tree protected by the Lord himself. I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever. — Psalm 52:8 (TLB)

Turn to your Bible and read the wonderful stories of men who were alone in godless surroundings but who, by the help and presence of the living God, made a marvelous contribution to their own times. Joseph was surrounded by sin and intrigue in Egypt. His master’s wife tried to seduce him. He was tested by imprisonment, but through it all he trusted in God and sought to know and do His will; and he stands today as a wonderful example of the keeping and strengthening power of God in the heart of a man who believed in Him.

Prayer for the day: In the dark days, I will put out my hand and You, loving Lord, will be there.

Written by Billy Graham, Founder of Billy Graham Evangelistic Association(BGEA). BGEA exists to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ by every effective means and to equip the church and others to do the same.

Topic — Obedience: No Small Thing [Thursday April 27, 2017]

But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great. – Luke 6:49

Do you ever have seasons in your life when it seems like every time you go to church and every time you spend time in prayer and every time you open the Bible, you receive a revelation from God? I do. Spiritually, everything will be going great. I’ll be higher than a Georgia pine. Then, suddenly, something starts to happen. I start drying up in spiritual things.

It seems like it doesn’t make any difference what I pray or how much I read the Word, I can’t get anywhere spiritually. I’m so dry my spirit’s creaking!

That used to baffle me. I didn’t know what the cause was. I didn’t have any sin in my life. I’d taken care of that. I was still praying. Still meditating. Still acting on and confessing the Word. But instead of getting results, I was getting nowhere. I’d stand in front of my mirror and confess faith over and over again and the only thing that happened was that my voice got tired!

If that’s ever happened to you, may I make a suggestion? Backtrack and find the last thing God told you to do that you didn’t do—and do it!

It’s probably nothing big. Just a seemingly small thing. But, believe me, those minor disobediences will dry up the flow of the Spirit just like the major ones will.

Most of us don’t realize that. We’ll get on our knees and say, “Oh Lord, I want to go to China for You. I’ll go to Africa. I’ll go to Russia.” But when God says, Go next door, we just shrug it off.

“I can’t do that,” we’ll say. “That guy next door doesn’t like me. Besides, I want to be like Brother Schambach and get a big tent.”

If you’ve done something like that, repent. Then pick up where you left off and do what God directed. And from now on, remember, no matter how insignificant God’s instructions may seem, obeying them is no small thing! It’s those simple acts of obedience that will make your spiritual house stand…or fall. All the small things combined become the direction of our lives.

Scripture Reading: Luke 16:1-10

This message was written by Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, the leader of the Kenneth Copeland Ministries (www.KCM.org) that specializes in teaching principles of bible faith – prayer, healing, salvation and other biblical topics.