“Jesus tells the story there of the man who went into a far country and before leaving, called in his three servants.  He gave them talents to be held in trust during their absence.  He gave one man five talents, another two and another one, each according to his own ability.  They could not complain for each was given what he deserved.   Then He said, “ I will be coming back – remember that I have delivered unto you my goods.”  ….

 … But the hour will come when our kindly-faced but serious Saviour will call the redeemed and justified to His feet saying:  “ I must have an account of the deeds done in the body since you were saved.  You have had more abilities entrusted to you for faithful and obedient service and witness.”

There will be no place to hide then.  You tried to settle everything in the spiritual life by one act of believing but there are some things that are never settled until death cuts us off or until the Lord comes.  Now what is it that God expects of us morally, and spiritually?  He advises the way of self-judgment: “ If we judged ourselves we would not come under judgment”… I trust many of us are becoming willing to breathe sincerely that prayer with Charles Wesley:  Arm me with jealous care – as in Thy sight to live; And Oh, Thy servant, Lord prepare  – A strict account to give”

I often reflect on the words of Tozer.  The Bible tells us of a man called Enoch who walked with God … so closely that God took Him.  Enoch had a son he named Methuselah. But why did Enoch walk with God?

Genesis 5 [21]  And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah: [22]  And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: [23]  And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: [24]  And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.

Methuselah means “When he is dead judgement shall be sent”… or  in plainer terms – the audit comes when he dies.   We can imagine that God inspired Enoch to give his son this name and every time Enoch saw Methuselah he remembered the coming judgment and must have been often perturbed in that he did not know how long Methuselah would live.  Everyday must have been lived with strict care.  This perhaps was the secret of Enoch’s close walk with God.  Indeed, we know Methuselah lived very long (969 years) and died in the year of the flood that destroyed the world (except Noah and those in the ark).  The fact that Methuselah lived longer than any man known testifies to God’s incomparable mercy, love, patience and long-suffering – that gives and gives us new opportunities to repent. This does not mean He has changed His plan.  The effacement of thoughts about judgment  from our theology causes us to seek fun and be unwatchful.  The apparent delay decieve many to imagine He will no more return.

Someone asked “ How can I be sure I am walking with God in my finances, business and ventures?”…and I answered  ” live a life of constant remembrance that whatever you do, gather and achieve is time-bound and mortal … and after there will be a comprehensive audit…a judgment of it by an all-knowing God who owns it all.”

God will judge what we did with time, career, ability, skills, our marriage, ministry, education…He will judge our response to every sermon we heard…every blog we read…every thought and knowledge He gave us.  He will judge what we did with our nationality and all our advantages…He will judge fairly but firmly according to His word. It is wise to understand the audit scope by studying the word of God and quickly agreeing with it.

He especially remembers what we did concerning the poor, the vulnerable, the widows and the orphans…the hungry and the weak…He will judge all our failures, successes and all our assets acquisition and losses.  He will audit our saving and spending and scrutinise our generous giving.  He will judge our silence and also our words.

He will consider all our aspirations, earnings and luxurious extravagance in the light of the needs of others with neither food nor shelter.  He will judge our comfortable social safety nets in the light of impoverished souls perishing daily and innumerably like unprotected insects  - mere statistics or news items to us.  He will judge the things we missed because we thought they were immaterial – yet someone hungry somewhere could have been fed for weeks on that which we squandered on another gadget we will throw away in a few months.  Everything will be reviewed as  though they belonged to Him and not to us…nor to any government or nation…or even ministry.   They all belong to Him.

Enjoy this video by John Piper giving his own perspective on the Prosperity gospel …

Click here to view the embedded video.

Concerning all the investments, businesses, achievements…Christ constantly reminds us  “ I will be coming back – remember that I have delivered unto you my goods.”    Surely, we all need more grace to walk with constant remembrance of this truth – ever seeking the mercy and help of a God who lovingly and patiently awaits our repentance and is ready to give us a fresh start.  With this mindset, all our business activities will be conducted in a very rigorous self-auditing mode that transcends our accounting standards.  He will examine if we are still full or emptied of every deposit that must have been poured out for the benefit of humanity.  Have all the talents been invested for His glory?  What do we have hidden in the closet of procrastination?

Many may ask?  Why have I dedicated many posts to Haiti and ugly scenes of crisis and death amongst the poor brethren in Jos, Nigeria…surely these have nothing to do with managing money and success.  Others may not want their consciences assaulted with images of the poor living under subhuman conditions… and a few have had disturbing nightmares caused by realities they are not used to considering.  But our responses to all these scenarios may all be part of His judgment …

Isaiah 58 [6]  Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? [7]  Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? [8]  Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward.

Get back on track… and back into the ark. This time – be sure you remain in the ark  – in Christ Jesus.   May the Almighty God who is able to keep us faithful and save us till the very end arm us with jealous care and bless us indeed.  Amen

Bode

Indeed we are attacked more by lies of the enemies of God than by anything else and the most prevalent relate to lifestyle issues and expenditures…we are baited by self-pleasure, peer-approval and soon ensnared by debt and eventual frustration with guilt. Perhaps the Recession will help us find paths back to the true joys of contentment and restitution concerning past waste. Reflect on the video below on Lifestyle Creep.  The music is a track “Holy Spirit – Worship”  from my CD  ”Songs in the Night”.

Philippians 2[3]  Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.

The biblical reality is that wealth that belongs to God is not meant for lifestyle but to establish His covenant.  What has a gold-plated Jacuzzi, 6 pairs of tennis shoes or a corporate wardrobe shopping spree got to do with the covenant which demands simple contentment? Nothing…this often responds to the god of our sensual appetites and thirsts well stimulated by advertising and lifestyle media marketing. What happens as our income increases beyond our normal basic needs?  Normal basic needs you will agree refers to feeding, accommodation and care for our households and wards.

First our tastes are aggressively targeted and tempted with a buffet of expenditures, and even after we pay our tithes, offerings and give to the poor and God uses us to meet the needs of others, we come to the conclusion that we can improve our lifestyle and soon become accustomed to an idle car, expensive jewellery and lavish vacations and conclude this is God’s blessing to us.  But a subtle Lifestyle Creep sets in and when God asks for His money to be released – as a covenant need emerges we see our lifestyle decline marginally.  The flesh immediately screams and we do not perceive how any family possibly can live without a vacation in Europe, expensive education in private schools, a regular replacement of wardrobe and such luxuries which we now imagine are critical to the blessed life.  We imagine that we are cursed if our new lifestyle standards should ever fall slightly and begin to seek deliverance in our disobedience.

A friend who read my book told me as we returned from the Redeemed Christian Church of God 57^th annual convention that the most insightful part of Wealth out of Ashes, for him was Chapter 8 on “Lifestyle Creep”…so I have posted an excerpt from that chapter to bless someone reading somewhere. The previous blog post also touched on this briefly. Lifestyle Creep is only another item on the menu of the exotic cocktail hosted by mammon. The world even warns it can be destructive to all – but to the child of God, it is an advanced stage of apostasy.  

Delilah asked Samson how he could be destroyed and Samson strangely provides this information.  The seducer has discovered from us that if we are increased in wealth…our prayer life declines…our appetite for the world’s menu heightens and our spiritual hair falls off without a razor…and soon we can be captured with little sips of social alcohol, adultery only with our eyes and in our hearts as TV and modern fashion convert our worship auditoriums to parlours of lust. We give testimonies of our disobedience and glory in what should be our shame. 

Christian Media, magazines, literature, and entertainment tell us living well is God’s peculiar goodness to this generation and one cannot be blamed for believing this most relaxing pill.  Soon our surpluses meant for the covenant fuel a taste for whatever new thing the world has fashioned. A better lifestyle becomes a necessity for your joy – a simple lifestyle becomes a curse…and the imperative to needlessly spend soon becomes addictive until crisis forces the realisation that you never really needed more than a few things and can live happily without most.   The lost opportunity of giving for the work of God now brings guilt.  Wake up!

Remember, Moses had lived for 40years amidst the impressive and most opulent “Haute couture/Haute cuisine /Haute decor” palaces, gardens and pools of Egypt. He had seen great supernatural miracles of deliverance, judgements and the Red Sea parting…yet he later cried to God…”Show me your Glory”.  Abraham saw a glimpse of it and knew seeking after God was worth it. 

The Glory is not captivating earthly magnificence nor is it magical/spellbinding performance. Rather it is the manifestation of God’s heavenly presence that melts people to pray, walk in unconditional divine love, hate and separate from sin and hunger for Him like never before.  It is also a presence that mends hearts, causes troubles to vanish and defends mightily.

His Glory will defend you completely in all situations and always. It defended the children of Israel through a harsh and hostile wilderness desert for decades as they travelled in the days of Moses.  Be assured, in Christ, no harm in the Recession will come to you.  In these challenging times, as you seek God afresh – expect to encounter His promised Glory. Remember His word is true. We can expect divine protection, grace, glory…and His good things…as we walk uprightly and in a contentment found only in a life surrendered to Christ Jesus in us as Lord and Saviour – our Hope of Glory.  May God help us.

Psalm 84.11  For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.

Remain Blessed.

Bode Ososami

Involve the family in Recession-proof living and changes are ofcourse easier when we carry the home along.  Below is a picture of my wife, Bimbo and kids, Dolapo, Tosin and Mayowa.

We have Hidden assignments that are especially crucial in the immediacy of execution especially in times of Recession. Christians must arise with a sense of destiny at this time. Read more …

There are important steps without which little changes.  Debt is a major issue and must be tackled from a Christian perspective.  This means we have to adjust and leave certain habits and company.  Read more on leaving the swine…

There are also some considerations that could help you change your mindset to a God-centred mind-set…Discover these important considerations… as well as more practical tips…Read more tips for the Recession-proof Christian life…(Simply click the underlined text to advance to articles)

If you have not read my book  “Wealth out of Ashes” …you should for more on debt-free living.

Enjoy the Youtube video …

Discover how a review of management ethics and values driven by Christian spiritual perspective has led to original insights into the Global Economic crises and a unique view on Wealth and Prosperity Matters based on the Bible. Wealth out of Ashes is a must read for anyone in trouble as it offers hope and reveals opportunities for us to emerge even stronger out of the current economic crises. It also contains practical instructions to restoring financial discipline and order in business and personal life for those ready for a new mind on “Wealth” matters. This book “Wealth out of Ashes”can make your Christian life “Recession proof”.

For more articles click below;

Remain blessed …always.

Bode Ososami

Next month is the 8^th month, August - which speaks of new beginnings. A good time to reconsider your jobs…consider whether you are slaving in Egypt or living in Canaan.  This refers to your mind-set and not what you do i.e. the raison d’etre for your motivations and actions.  How can you recognise Egypt? Or Jobs in Egypt.  The following will help you…if you have started reading Wealth out of Ashes, …it does say a few things on Egypt and Canaan.

Egypt represents the best of humanism and worldliness. These are the ways of modern industry in opposition to divine truths.

1. Egypt is a place of toiling and apparent lack of fulfilment or satisfaction.
2. Egypt is watered with thy foot. Implying much physical exertion
3. Egypt is a flat land dependent on irrigation. The land is attractive, and much to be preferred by the eye.  A first glance leaves a good impression and makes it the place of natural choice.
4. Egypt produces a garden of vegetables (herbs). A garden is very beautiful and the visitor is impressed at the arrangements, soft delicate greenery and luscious leaves.  However, a garden cannot be left on its own without very careful and regular tendering and maintenance.  God is not the gardener – you are. This means it will continue to always need your push and continued tendering…ensuring moisture is right, coping with disease, evil winds, pestilence and adverse weather which can all be completely unpredictable. There are days you discover the gardens are completely destroyed and you must begin afresh.  The gardeners eventually get tired – retired , the next cadre eagerly pop out of business school, pleading to enter the garden…they imagine that surely this must be the ideal life path…most do not know of any other.
5. Egypt’s prosperity is dependent on the Nile ruled by the great dragon Pharaoh. Recession in Egypt is tough

The Recession for someone in Egypt has different implications from someone in Canaan, Wealth out of Ashes, in Chapter 9 – Rain from Heaven helps you see Canaan.  Your first response is to come out of Egypt…leave the current mindset…

There is no need seeking to improve conditions in Egypt…instead, be in Canaan and begin to lift up your eyes.  You will see – perhaps even in the same career…

• New ideas/innovation
• New doors and opportunities
• Perspective on issues will change
• A very attractive position may begin to look very different
• Peace and stability come when God has truly become your source.

Remain blessed …always.

Bode Ososami