Prosper and be resilient through toughest storms

Posted on November 30, 2009 by Bode Ososami

Psalm 1:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. [2] But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. [3] And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. [4] The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

Lately, I find myself besieged with modern thought bombs – deceptive counsel – exploding and leaving debris of doubts threatening to darken understanding. There are three examples of increasingly accepted “counsel” that cause me to pause, think and consider.

It is the method in the modern emerging church that is changing and not the message. Most modernists believe that the message Christ – the salvation of God is not changing but rather it is the method that needs change. The TRUTH is that if you listen to early preachers e.g. Tozer or Spurgeon who taught the word over 50yrs ago and compare to messages from the network menu…you must conclude (you can find a few classics on sermon audio) that the message is radically different…It is NOT the music and style – described as “the method” that is changing today. It is the fundamental message of salvation only in Christ Jesus and what this truly means – that is being repackaged. Modern style/music/atmosphere etc are anaesthesia to dull perception during a radical surgery.

Imperative for radical spiritual warfare has ceased …we need not war (fast and pray) like saints of old …because social issues are now better addressed, basic needs are met and people are coming to the Lord in their billions. Let’s focus on more constructive engagements. The TRUTH is that the war is more fierce and intelligent. It is fought not on sea and land but on the digital and print media, in education, in our minds and thoughts and on cultural fields. The new weapons are amazingly effective. Instead of feeding Christian to the lions, Christians are now fed with strange meats… how many “Daniels” decline the sumptuous fare?

The Church (or the old time religion as we used to know it) is becoming irrelevant, threatened to extinction and will soon collapse under the weight of overriding cultural pressures…unless it accepts extra-biblical revisions. The TRUTH is that the Church is Christ’s treasured and adored Bride – and is very safe. She does not require any adornment that has not been provided by Christ in His word. The scriptures assure us that nothing will prevail against the Church. It will be what it is meant to be when Christ returns i.e. without spot or wrinkle…ready for the master. The only garment she needs is Christ. Many over the ages have seen her troubles and afflictions and did not understand that in her weakness she is at her strongest. Though God requires human vessels, the Church is increased and sustained primarily by divine help and not by well meaning efforts or marketing.

palmtree What has this got to do with finances or other practical matters? We are asked to reflect and meditate on the word of God – day and night, to delight in it … and we will prosper like the Palm tree…even through the toughest storms.

The Palm tree is known for resilience, stamina and uncommon ability to withstand extreme vagaries of weather including long periods of cessation of rain and adverse situations. You and indeed your business, marriage or ministry can be like stately palm trees or chaff easily blown away. You decide which.

Be assured that you have given your life to Jesus Christ. You can do so – even now.

Have a blessed day. Amen.

Bode

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King Uzziah, Queen Esther, Ann Boleyn and Wealth

Posted on October 30, 2009 by Bode Ososami

May God help us to die daily. Amen. Every day I look at the Word, I hear God speaking His old truths which are ever living spirits through the ages in yet new and fresh ways for illumination and strength. The wisdom of God may seem simple, obvious and plain yet the powerful Prophet Isaiah missed it until he saw King Uzziah dead and then we read “He saw also the Lord”. Why also? What is so attractive and compelling about Uzziah that even in death Isaiah’s gaze was fixed on him?

Isaiah 6 [1] In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.

I dare confess to my more spiritual mentors that I thoroughly enjoyed recently watching “One Night with the King” featuring great actors like Omar Sharif and Peter O’Toole. One Night With the King is an epic motion picture set in an ancient and exotic world of gripping adventure, intrigue and romance, that follows a young beautiful Jewish orphan who rises from peasant to Queen of Persia only to face the annihilation of her people. The film had it all – beauty, morality, lavish wealth, fantastic dreams coming true, exciting and witty conversation, suspense, wisdom and intellect, joys and thrills, honour, courage, valour, music, art …and Queen Esther had it all. Can we not have it all ?… Read on.

The most important part of the plot was when she suddenly found herself facing the loss of all her dreams and her life suddenly threatened by the unmatchable intrigue of Haman the Agagite. Her response was to risk it all for God. She breached a protocol that demanded her very life. Mordecai informs Esther that the Jews only hope is for her to risk her life and go before the King unsummoned (a crime punishable by death) to intercede for her people. It is then that Esther utters those fateful words that have rung through the centuries, “If I perish, I perish,” as she races off with one last chance to save her people.

Esther saw her “King Uzziah” dead as she obeyed God. This did not just save her from a tragic end, but ushered a greater wealth and eternal honour in the annals of the history of her people. The greatest lesson was not her achievement to emerge as royalty but her short speech ending in “…If I perish I perish”. The perishing of “I” in Christ… is the end of Uzziah and the beginning of divine wealth…the treasured secret of all those who will see God’s Heaven.

The Apostle Paul said in I Corinthians 15:31(amp) [31] I assure you by the pride which I have in you in your fellowship and union with Christ Jesus our Lord, that I die daily – I face death every day and die to self.

King Uzziah will not be ignored and Isaiah could not help but see him and certainly could not kill him. The Lord will not reign in our finances or indeed in anything else until He has helped us to dethrone Uzziah. The end of Uzziah is the beginning of eternal and limitless possibilities in all spheres for God. Only a few categories are listed as follows – they all tend to revolve around “self” in different ways. Uzziah was a king who came to the throne at the age of 16…started well but ended badly. What are the manifestations of Uzziah – the bewitching attractions of the modern era?

Human intellect and civil perfection producing great and “humble” well meaning performance imagined as pleasing to God. Humanism and traditions enslave the mind through corrupted education and media brainwashing. These are mental comforts that mask hidden ambitions and corruptions to enthrone man in all spheres even in the religious church and more so in the new so called post-church “free” movements now apparently emerging with new internet gurus.
Subtle deviations to God’s complete word – propagating new and more palliative truths, beliefs and thought bondage supernaturally supervised and upheld by invisible overpowering hierarchies of spiritual wickedness. Man is enthroned in scripture interpretation and revisions abound to serve different thirsts and evil agenda.
Negative self promotion (thinking mankind is too bad for God‘s mercy and restoration) also enthrones man…opens channels for self-condemnation and Pharisaic accusation and silences divine compassion and intercession for revival.

Favour from men can be a bewitching culprit. Ask another Queen, Ann Boleyn – one of the six wives of King Henry VIII described as “ a giddy woman of no stability of character, her success turned her head and caused her to behave with insolence and impropriety” She did not have the help to say “if I perish I perish” but nevertheless died a very involuntary and wicked death on Tower Green, her head being struck off with a sword by the executioner of Calais brought to England for the purpose.

The Holy Spirit is our helper and He helps us die daily. Without Uzziah’s death, Isaiah may have prophesied many things but not fulfilled his destiny. If Esther was not helped to see the dethronement of her dreams she would have surely ended up butchered sooner or later by the wicked schemes of Haman – not very different from Anne Boleyn. If we do not go to the word of God and seek help from the Holy Spirit to die daily…wealth will become an executioner’s sword that studies all our passions and knows when best to strike. With the help of the Holy Spirit, God helps us to die and then can freely give us what we can have…knowing it is for keeps…and He can very well decide not to…reserving a better resurrection.

As Esther lived the life of a peasant orphan, a queen in the palace and God’s heroine for all time. Our life can also be seen in 3 segments. First, before we knew Christ. Second, invitation into royalty as we surrender to Him and ultimately maturing into a life of daily death in Him.

Let me end with a famous quote from my missionary friend, Sam Kputu. “The real danger of drifting from Christ and Biblical Christianity is not that we will struggle to come back; the real danger is that we end up creating new “truths”, new values, new targets and new pivots for our lives. And we even begin to celebrate and propagate them. “Read your Bible and pray every day, if you want to grow…” Remember that Sunday School rhyme?”

And another local saying from a speech by another Nigerian friend – Pat Utomi - speaking on the difference between leadership and management and the inevitable outcomes of bad leadership or absence of leadership in any nation… I found a link to face book for the article…

“The King that was enthroned and the city flourished, we know him – while, the king that was enthroned and the city diminished, we also know him” Nigerian proverb.

I am a poor politician to suggest that we let the Holy Spirit lead. In Recession or in the best of times we can stop managing ourselves … and soon we will surely see the difference.

Read more in Wealth out of Ashes. Also, for more reflections and related articles and free subscription to articles by the author please click icon below.

Have a blessed day. May God help us to shine in Him always. Amen.

Bode

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How to Recession-proof your Business and position for Recovery (Part VI)

Posted on October 8, 2009 by Bode Ososami

Managing your talent for Business Growth.

What do growing businesses do when others are releasing staff in panic? I had introduced earlier a model for how to grow in the Recession in three major steps. The first step is to Refresh your vision, the next is to have a Strategy and Innovation and the final step is adapting your systems to grow in Recession. This section begins to look at an important aspect of adapting your systems i.e. how to manage your people.

Invest in yourself

As a leader you will need a lot of re-education and learn new tricks. You are too key in the equation to be ignorant. Invest therefore in knowledge, skills, seminars, exhibitions and market awareness and explore how others have made it. If you can afford a good online training course to “sharpen your saw” do so. Invest in a high quality internet line and spend 1 hr at least a day online equipping yourself (knowledge is amazingly cheap on the web) on the issues relevant to your business.

Find exceptional talent

This is not the time to bring in your cousin looking for a job. On the labour market will be very exceptional talent available for median compensation pay. Find out the skill gaps in new areas to be ahead in the innovation required to grow. Indeed there is unemployment, but the people you need (who can make the difference) are rare to find – this is the time to search and find them. For example you will need great financial engineers, digital information experts, market makers…always bring in people who are smarter than you and who can challenge you and not just loyal “fools”. What you need are ideas and help. Be humble to seek and enjoy help from others. Learn to celebrate and motivate others to help you.

Reengage with your team

The growing business will be reengaging with his people and creating a sense community instead of fear of job loss. You can demand more loyalty and sacrifice at this time. The growing businesses classify their people into performance categories and will offer voluntary release to the lowest tier of performers while they reconnect with their stars. Bonding and a sense of shared destiny is important so that all are aligned to help the business survive and grow.

Rewarding your people

The high performing businesses use variable pay mechanisms i.e. a portion of compensation is fixed and others dependent on corporate/personal performance. To adjust for recession, the best strategy is to reduce the fixed pay across board and increase the variable performance pay. This way, high performers retain or increase their salary while in a very bad period all will feel the brunt of reduced pay in a way that is perceived as fair. Be sure compensation mechanisms are fair and targets are as quantitative as possible.

When things begin to get really bad

There could be very low periods when releasing staff is inevitable. Begin by offering voluntary unpaid vacations, flexible work (at home) at say half pay…use the opportunity to tighten your disciplinary systems. If you must disengage, then do not encourage an extended process. Do it fast as it could hurt morale. Always remember that as you let a valued staff go – it may be almost impossible to find, recruit and retain such talent when recovery returns.

The final post in the series will look at other functional systems. For the full article you can click – DOWNLOAD ARTICLE.

More on God’s perspective on wealth can be found in my recently published book Wealth out of Ashes

For related articles and free subscription to articles by the author please click icon below.

Have a blessed day. Amen.

Bode Ososami

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How to Recession-proof your Business and position for Recovery (Part V)

Posted on October 8, 2009 by Bode Ososami

High Growth Businesses have Flexible Business Structures.

Building highly flexible structures is one of the ways businesses can be successful in periods of dramatic downturn as well as being better positioned for recovery.

A few of the ways in which flexible business structures can be built include the following:

Outsource non core areas of the business as much as possible
Avoid commitments to long term costs/major items exploring other alternatives
Use more of rental, lease structures and other more flexible approaches for assets instead of outright purchase.

The key is to have a nimble structure and not weighed down with assets that suddenly become unproductive. The successful business have learnt to employ more of flexible contractual terms that do not tie them into rigid long-term positions. This maximises their abilities to move in and out of different cost structures for different markets and positioning.

Outsourcing is becoming a favourite approach, but must be well managed to ensure quality of customer service is not sacrificed for lowering costs and flexibility. In addition, areas where competitive advantage can be built and of core business expertise are typically not outsourced. Almost everything else can be outsourced. The outsourcing service provider is able to deliver improved costs and quality of service as a result of a larger scale of operation and economies of scale as well as the fact that the outsourced service is the core business of the provider, thus encouraging more investment in service quality and better value. Flexibility is also built through flatter, team based organisation structures with wider spans of control made manageable by information systems and much fewer management levels. Employees are compensated more through variable pay structures more by performance and skills rather than by level.

The high growth businesses have learnt how to build structures that allow them to reengineer their cost mix as required at short notice. Build options rather than fixed positions. The goal is to aim to make every single possible cost variable. High growth businesses are not in the real estate business to impress the market. They do not need to own assets to get the value they need recognising that ownership tends to confer inflexibility and fixed capacity that could be costly in a downturn or when a sudden change in the market requires less capacity. In the old era, the maxim was to buy, own and show off your building and computers as evidence of strength. The new world will be more dynamic implying that nimbleness to shift seamlessly and adjust cost structures will be valued more than a showroom display of assets that drain scarce capital.

The next post will examine how growing businesses manage people. For the full article you can click – DOWNLOAD ARTICLE.

More on God’s perspective on wealth can be found in my recently published book Wealth out of Ashes

For related articles and free subscription to articles by the author please click icon below.

Have a blessed day. Amen.

Bode Ososami

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How to Recession-proof your Business and position for Recovery (Part IV)

Posted on October 8, 2009 by Bode Ososami

Reviewing Market Strategy and Innovation.

Now let us looks at the issues of Strategy and innovation. Businesses that thrive in Recession know how to find new competitive advantage especially from the changing dynamics that scare others away.

Strategy They are not afraid of change instead they embrace it and look again at customers, suppliers, competitors, entry barriers, potential partners and product offerings for fresh opportunities. They ask the question “what has changed” that can be to my “advantage”. For example a bigger business may have deliberately shed some of its customers…or a collapsed inefficient competitor release some top marketing people able to generate quick leads on the labour market and weaken the supplier’s power who are now burdened with inventories and capacity they did not plan for. Bad news for someone could be an opportunity for the other.

Product prices may need review where customers now have cheaper alternatives. Supplier base may need to be expanded so you are not over reliant on one supplier. The same could be the case with your customers.

A reassessment of competitors could also present an opportunity for an acquisition if there is a synergy gain that is attractive given the costs. A weakened supplier power due perhaps to unutilised capacity could mean the opportunity to renegotiate lower supplier costs by seeking discounts and better payment terms.

This is the time for a customer and supplier survey no matter how informal. Use this as an opportunity to reconnect with your customer needs and values which may have changed and to understand how you can maximise your supplier relationships. Remember it is far more costly to cultivate a new customer than hold to an existing customer. Do not permit customer service levels to drop even if you have to bear higher costs that may be tougher to pass on immediately. These conversations with customers and suppliers will secure business relationships through the crisis periods that hit all businesses.

Innovation

The key to winning when others fail is innovation. High Growth businesses are structured with the flexibility to innovate successfully. They have inbuilt tolerance of constructive and well managed experimentation and sometimes failure. Innovation is the driving force that creates value at best price for the customer. Do not give away value as you innovate i.e. do not be cheap. Do continually trim fat to ensure costs are right but not at the expense of innovation. Be sure you have boundaries around your innovation…you want the few right ones and not every idea. After all you are a business and not a college laboratory.

The next post will examine Flexibility – another attribute of growing businesses. For the full article you can click – DOWNLOAD ARTICLE.

More on God’s perspective on wealth can be found in my recently published book Wealth out of Ashes

For related articles and free subscription to articles by the author please click icon below.

Have a blessed day. Amen.

Bode Ososami

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How to Recession-proof your Business and Position for Recovery (Part II)

Posted on October 8, 2009 by Bode Ososami

The Post–Recession World and High Growth Business opportunities.

In the previous post , I presented a model for building high growth business even in a recession and how to begin to position for recovery. I will now focus on the first stage – REFRESH VISION and begin to paint a picture of what the new business landscape may look like. These may appear as daunting challenges but they will inform perhaps some of the areas where innovation can target to yield the highest growth. The winners of tomorrow see these as the spots of opportunities that will drive their future growth.

Future Business Landscape – The New World

Unemployment remains high being a lagging indicator even as new specialised skills are scarce and in demand.
The more discerning, sophisticated, frugal consumer will have more options and power.
Costs and risks associated with financing, debt/cash management will need more proactive management in an unpredictable monetary landscape.
Shift of Growth from West (US/Europe) to the East (China) and new growth niches.
More Federal/State involvement, control and regulations drive up costs
Rising fuel costs, erratic weather patterns, rural/urban migration and the conversion of land to grow crops for bio fuels are all factors that continue to cause high food prices and shortages.
Rising local/global insecurity driven by social/ethnic tensions.

Where are some of the opportunities for high growth business? I suggest these will include the following initial list only for discussion purposes to inform your envisioning. There are of course more areas where innovation can target new needs and values. These areas are most likely to be more rewarded with high business growth because they are linked to the emerging landscape.

High Growth Potential Opportunities/niches

Food and Agriculture sectors – the entire food chain offers high growth opportunities
Computer/Information Technology industry and related areas
Employment bureau/Human capital engineering
Security Intelligence and corporate safety
Low/medium end affordable residential real estate
Niche Health and Medical services
Outsourcing services
Equipment Rentals/Leasing services
Education services/Re-skilling businesses/Knowledge sharing
Customer Market analysis /Data consulting service
E-business leveraging new channels i.e. webs/blogs/social media
Government Consulting/regulatory support/Public sector support services

Areas perhaps to be most cautious in a recession could be high-end real estate, entertainment, luxury industry e.g. jewellery, watch industry etc, high end retailing (designer clothing, gadgets etc.) high end automobiles, Interior decor etc. A new thrifty lifestyle is likely to emerge post-recession. The successful high growth business is well focused around a core area and may innovate into high growth sectors where there is already a linkage or some synergy exists to diversify. As you develop your long term vision and goals, do reflect the new realities. The next post will examine the meaning of Business Focus. For the full article on How to Recession-proof your Business you can click – DOWNLOAD ARTICLE.

More on God’s perspective on wealth can be found in my recently published book Wealth out of Ashes

For related articles and free subscription to articles by the author please click icon below.

Have a blessed day. Amen.

Bode Ososami

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Compensation and the Recession

Posted on September 25, 2009 by Bode Ososami

“A chief executive officer of a Standard & Poor’s 500 company was paid, on average, $10.4 million in total compensation in 2008, according to preliminary data from The Corporate Library.” Says 2009 Executive Pay watch.

The question has been asked what is fair to pay and reward a high performing executive in a bank or elsewhere? Recent interventions respond in outrage, as the recession hits hard, to cap compensation. We’ve also seen how expectations of future bonuses led many into debts and bankruptcy as values of assets fell. One also notes the exposure of greed and embarrassment of those who innocently received generous awards only to later discover that they could not have deserved these payments.

But God is not against compensation. Although a God of grace and not merit, He is a rewarder. Fairness and justice are major pillars in His throne room. He is also able to accurately weigh actions and establish true and exact causes and consequences. Unfortunately man cannot often establish the complete consequence of an action taken today nor know the real cause of a positive and negative performance. God, on the other hand, dwells in absolute, perfect and complete knowledge and reigns in all of time at the same time. At best it is fair to say our compensation models reward and punish only what we perceive and is enough a case to be conservative and cap our awards…for they are always at best faulty. We should, for the same reasons, equally be cautious in the severity of our punishments as we often will misjudge the issues.

But God is a rewarder of diligence and His awards seem not to be capped or subject to human limits. He also punishes the wicked justly - they do not escape. Remember, He spared nothing to reward Solomon.

Isaiah 3[10] Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him : for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. [11] Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him : for the reward of his hands shall be given him.

IKings 3[11] And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment; [12] Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. [13] And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days.

2Chronicles 1[15]The king(Solomon) made silver and gold as common in Jerusalem as stones…

God does not approve the reward of the slothful and idle. It is perhaps more just in his sight to relieve the sick, save infants, the aged and those unable to work and afford basic necessities in the poorer nations than bail out wickedness or dole free handouts to the unemployed to sustain comforts.

2Thessalonians 3[10] For while we were yet with you, we gave you this rule and charge: If anyone will not work, neither let him eat.

In addition, compensation that encourages more debt and lifestyle expenditures is a subtle trap. However, offering in a greater proportion more of deferred compensation in equity/or stake in the medium/long term future will perhaps tend to produce fairer and safer modes.

We can also be careful in seeing compensation in mainly monetary terms. Solomon had it all, but described it all as vanity, leaving behind a questionable legacy. Jesus Christ walked the earth apparently with modest means supported by the giving of others but inherited a glory that is unmatched.

The word of God does not begrudge our earthbound models of fairness as perhaps these are our best instruments. In the parable of the talents Jesus Christ does present the God that rewards the diligent. God is not against reward or riches.

Proverbs 10[4] He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.

However, the Bible does warn us in many references that we do not necessarily help people by making them rich. On the contrary, we often hurt them when we give them more that they need.

I Timothy 6[9] But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.

Indeed it is preferred to position our lives and all that we do to be always blessed - by learning more about and being obedient to God.

Proverbs 10[22]The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.

Genesis 22[17] That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; [18] And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

More on God’s perspective on wealth can be found in my recently published book Wealth out of Ashes .

For related articles and free subscription to articles by the author please click icon below.

Have a blessed day and may you never lose your reward – Amen.

Bode Ososami

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Walking Uprightly in Recession

Posted on August 12, 2009 by Bode Ososami

Can you lose your salvation for pampering yourself with the Lord’s substance on extra pairs of designer tennis shoes? What a silly question?

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. wealth 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. Defended in the Wilderness 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