At the heart of what it means to be a Christian is a personal call by Jesus to follow Him and to openly and boldly bear witness to the world that He is their Saviour and Lord. At no time in history has that requirement become more imperative than the age we live in. It is an age characterised by a number of key trends: aggressive secularism, pluralism and the continuous attempt to marginalise, gag and erase God from in the public square; particularly in the Western world. This trend manifests itself in so many ways; such that Christians are often penalised or persecuted, yes persecuted, for publically declaring their allegiance to Christ.

Apostle Paul boldly writes, ‘For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes…’ (Romans 1:16). That should be the public declaration of every follower of Jesus Christ.

However, when we read through the Bible, we find many examples of those who were secret followers of Jesus Christ. In the New Testament, two major characters can be spoken of in this vein. The first is Joseph of Arimathea, and the second is Nicodemus.

When we look at the life of Joseph of Arimathea we see that he was a member of the Jewish Council, the Sanhedrin. Biblical history does not tell us much more about him, but from what we know he was not renowned for the consistent saliency of his personal witness. His public profile as a disciple of Jesus is, shall we say, somewhat low key. Notwithstanding, when we look at his life we can learn a number of lessons.

What are the key lessons? First, we see that God can and does place righteous people the midst of a jealous, highly politicised, self-interested, insecure, and wicked ruling class or leadership group. Secondly, very often the voice and vote of the righteous but secret follower of Jesus can be seemingly neutralised or nullified by that of the wicked majority, and yet they remain within the ruling group. I have often wondered about this. Does it say something about some of the Christians who are currently in the world of education, the media, political arena, even in governments around the world; whose voices and influence seem limited?

The third lesson that we can learn looking at the two men that we have referred to, and others in history, is that righteous people, committed followers of Jesus can remain in a leadership group that is generally speaking ungodly, without compromising their personal conviction or integrity.

Old Testament examples that attest to this fact people like Daniel, his three friends, Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego. All remained faithful, even in the face of death, without compromising their faith.

There is another crucial lesson that we learn by looking at the life of Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus and others like them. It is this: secret disciples often emerge who emerge or rise up during times of crises for the kingdom of God. It is if they have been insinuated by God as ‘sleepers’ for the moment of truth. They rise up when it matters most; when their when their moment in God’s agenda has come.

Both Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodimus came to the fore when their season in God. They both rose to the occasion when their time had come, and they needed to act on behalf of their Master in His hour of greatest need. Jesus had been crucified, had died and needed to be buried. He needed a grave. Nicodemus provided the embalming ingredients and cloth, while Joseph provided the other desperately needed resource, a tomb that had never been sued. We read this narrative in John 19: 38-42 and Luke 23:15-54.

Are you a secret disciple? Are you a silent, but seemingly overwhelmed follower of Jesus? As well as the two men that have been mentioned, remember that Esther was planted by God in the palace of King Artaxerxes until the moment came for her to be a tool in the hand of God to bring deliverance to God’s people, Israel. In the same way, God in his infinite wisdom, placed Joseph Arimathea and Nicodemus within the ruling body, and when the crisis arose, their God-given resources were used to honour the mortal remains of their King. Jesus is calling all His disciples to rise to the occasion and represent their Him in this hour of need, as we wait for His second coming. Let the secret disciples arise!

Copyright Emmanuel Mbakwe 2012©

PS: If you have been inspired, provoked or learnt something from this article, why not do any or all of the following: (i) leave some feedback or a comment, either positive or developmental; (ii) recommend it to a friend; (iii) share it with a friend. This will encourage and help me to serve you better, so together we can make a difference in our world.

There are two words that to my mind have become overused and overworked; one is strategy and the other is vision. Call to mind the now famous response of George H W Bush during his presidency, when responding to the suggestion that he turn his attention away from short term issues to big picture matters, and he purportedly quipped, ‘Oh, the vision thing’. The charge in the question was that he was more concerned with short term minutiae, rather than longer term overarching theme.
The former president’s unfortunate turn of phrase has become a shorthand charge against any leader, politician or not, who is unable to frame policy and overall direction in a cohesive and big picture manner.
Forgive me for inflicting on you another piece on ‘this vision thing’. Despite it having been seemingly overworked, over-used and abused in equal measure, I believe it is far too important a subject for us not to visit it time and again. Repetition must surely deepen impression.
One of the best descriptions of vision that I have come across is that it is ‘a clear mental picture of a preferable future’. In other words, it is having a clear picture in mind of ‘tomorrow’. There is a story in Mark’s gospel that serves to illustrate the point. Jesus had made his triumphant entry into the city of Jerusalem at the beginning of Passion Week, otherwise known as Palm Sunday. He had been celebrated as he rode on the back of the colt.
Mark records that Jesus had gone into the temple and then returned to Bethany where he was staying because it was rather late in the day. The next morning he made His way again to Jerusalem and entered the temple. Once he got there, he began to drive out the people who were buying and selling animals which were to be used for sacrifice. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and those who sold doves. He effectively evicted the people who had turned the temple into a market place.
Why did Jesus do what he did? The simple answer is that he had vision. He had a clear picture in His mind of what the temple ought to look like. No one else did. For vision read purpose. Jesus understood clearly the purpose for which the temple existed. He said to them, ‘My temple shall be called a house of prayer for all nations, but you have turned it into a den of thieves’; referring to a prophetic statement found in Isaiah 56:7 and Jeremiah 7:11. So Jesus had a very definite picture of the proper use of the temple, and it was this image that compelled Him to act. That was the basis of His authority and righteous anger.
It follows therefore that vision is a combination of insight and foresight. Jesus had a clear picture in mind of what the temple should look like, the kind of behaviour that is acceptable within it and what transactions are permissible; not just in the present but in the future. Jesus saw it and was not willing to compromise. He honoured His heavenly Father by restoring due order to the Father’s house.
The point of application is that if we are to function effectively and make progress, we must be able to see what others do not see, for our lives and for the benefit of those for whom we have leadership responsibility. Seek to develop a clear picture in mind of what you are called to be and to do. Thereafter, ask God to give you the wisdom and the courage to make that vision a reality, regardless of what others think; even if means disturbing the material landscape and unravelling the seemingly well-established economic model of the men of merchandise.
Copyright Emmanuel Mbakwe 2012©PS: If you have been inspired, provoked or learnt something from this article, why not do any or all of the following: (i) leave some feedback or a comment, either positive or developmental; (ii) recommend it to a friend; (iii) share it with a friend. This will encourage and help me to serve you better, so together we can make a difference in our world.

One of the most powerful and gripping narratives in the Bible is found in Genesis 24:1-59. We read that Abraham was getting old and was keen to see that his son Isaac got married. He called his chief steward, believed to be a man named Eliezer, and commissioned hi m to go back to his homeland to find a wife for Isaac.
Having mobilised, the man set off on his journey. When we consider storyline, we learn a number of key lessons which, if successfully applied to our own life’s journey, project or assignment, will help us to a successful end.
The first thing that we see in the life of Abraham’s servant is that he was a man of absolute obedience. He had been given a brief; a very simple and clear remit, which he followed rigidly and uncompromisingly to the letter.
Secondly, we see that he was a man who was incredibly focused and persevering. It was a long journey, hundreds of miles through difficult terrain, challenging and dangerous footpaths, and slippery pathways. Yet he kept his eye on the mission and never lost sight of the goal.
The third lesson that we can learn is that Abraham’s servant was a man of prayer. At every point of the journey he prayed. He knew that we can accomplish very little or nothing unless God is involved. His involvement begins, continues and ends at the place of prayer. At key moments and critical points along the way, he acknowledged the providence of God; he recognised the promises of God and confessed the power of God to help him to succeed.
Fourthly, he was a discerning individual. Discernment is the ability to differentiate between good and bad, truth and error, that which is like gold, and that which is the real thing. It is the ability to see beneath the surface, the capacity to make wise and correct choices, in the face of contradictions, complexity, deception or uncertainty.
Last but by no means least, he was not only obedient, focused, persevering, prayerful and discerning; he was a worshipper. Worship here simply means an acknowledgement of the worth and sovereignty of God, over all things and in his personal circumstance. He recognised that the God who made the universe was also deeply interested in seeing the fulfilment of the promises He had made to Abraham. He worshipped the God of his master. In serving his master, he served the God of his master; recognising that his journey had been foreseen and that he was an instrument in the hand of the God of his master in the fulfilment of His purpose.
So, if you want to get to journey’s end, with mission accomplished, follow the footpath of Abraham’s servant.
Copyright Emmanuel Mbakwe 2012©PS: If you have been inspired, provoked or learnt something from this article, why not do any or all of the following: (i) leave some feedback or a comment, either positive or developmental; (ii) recommend it to a friend; (iii) share it with a friend. This will encourage and help me to serve you better, so together we can make a difference in our world.

A couple of years ago I was talking to a Pastor friend of mine from across the pond. He said something rather interesting that I have never forgotten. He said something like this: ‘the opportunity of a lifetime must be seized in the lifetime of the opportunity’.

What the Pastor said got me thinking about life in general. We have openings, doors, windows, access points that present themselves, in a multitude of ways. Applying the saying to myself, I reflected on a number of missed opportunities; and from that day onwards resolved even more to pray for and actively look out for divine appointments or what I have heard people refer to as God-moments.

I have often though about this so-called window of opportunity and wondered why we so often miss out and mess up. A number of distinct yet by no means mutually exclusive reasons have come to mind. First, we are simply not aware of the fact that we are being presented with an opportunities. We are in essence blind to the opportunities that come our way. For blindness, read ignorance, an inability to see due to: lack of education, lack of awareness, knowledge or insight; pride, fear, poor, irrelevant or outdated frame of reference or way of viewing the world. This is a major problem that afflicts the vast majority of people in our world. We may call this poverty of mind or soul.

Secondly, a vast number of people have the insight but not the means or the resource to be able to take advantage of the opportunities that present themselves. Many have great ideas but no capital or other resource to take them from the mind to the marketplace. This is material poverty. For others still, the barriers are physical. The insight is there but the physical wherewithal is missing.

By their very nature opportunities are time bound. What bothers me above all else, are those situations where we miss out because we are too slow and therefore late; either because of indolence, ignorance, arrogance or some other avoidable cause.

As in the natural, so it is in the spiritual. We see a number of examples in the Bible of individuals who missed out on life’s opportunities and others who boldly and gladly seized the moment. We have a warning in Isaiah 55:6-7 which says, ‘Seek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, and He will have mercy on him…’ This is a universal call to the unrepentant sinner to turn to God in repentance. It is a call to a change of mind, heart and direction; from a life of wickedness and all manner of evil to one of humility and submission to God. If you are reading this and you are not a follower of Jesus, the prophetic call to you is to repent and turn to God.

The key message at the heart of the Creator’s call to his creature to repentance is that even though God is everywhere, all-seeing, all-knowing and all-powerful, there is a moment when He is near; when He can hear us. There is a point in time when we must embrace God. To reiterate, if you are not a Christian and you are reading this piece, the Bible says today is the day is the day of salvation; today is the acceptable year of the Lord. Why don’t you pause and, ask God to forgive your sins, and ask Jesus to be your Lord and Saviour. If you have done so, why don’t you pray the prayer at the end of this entry?

I want to mention two other examples from the Bible to further illustrate this idea of a window. The first is in John 4. Jesus and his disciples were on a journey. We read that he felt constrained to go through a particular route. En route he met a woman at a well who had an interesting past, for want of a better expression. His disciples had gone away to buy food. When they returned they found Him in conversation with this woman. Jesus was hungry and thirsty; His disciples pressed Him to eat. He said to them that His food was to do the will of Him who had sent Him, and to finish it. Later on He made reference to the fact there was great urgency in relation to the harvest field; as the crop was ready but the labourers were few. This was a season; a window of opportunity for reaping the harvest of souls; of bringing people into God’s kingdom.

We see the same sense of urgency in John 9. Jesus was travelling with his disciples when they came across a man who had been blind from birth. The disciples asked a deeply theological question; seeking to elicit from Jesus the reasons behind the man’s terrible condition. Jesus’ response was interesting; having stated that the man’s state was not due to his or his parent’s sin, He went to say this: ‘I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.’ (John 9:4). Jesus’ answer again focuses on the need that He must move with a sense of urgency in the fulfilment of His mission, as time was limited. Just as nightfall signals natural end of each working day; our work on earth ceases with death or the second coming of Jesus.

The application is obvious. What about you? Are you one of those who put things off? Stop, because procrastination is the thief of time and killer of destiny. Above all, today is the day of salvation; the day to make peace with God through His Son Jesus Christ. Tomorrow may be too late. Make a choice; make a decision to act now. Be alert to the openings that God brings your way and make sure to seize the opportunity of a lifetime in the lifetime of the opportunity.

Copyright Emmanuel Mbakwe 2012©

If you have read this article and you are not a Christian, I would like to invite you to receive Christ as Saviour and Lord in your life by praying this prayer:

‘God in heaven, I acknowledge that I am sinner and deserve to be punished for all the wrongs I have done. I am truly sorry. Thank you for sending your Son Jesus to this world. I believe He lived, died and rose again for my sins. I repent of all past sins and ask you to forgive me because Jesus. I confess and ask Jesus to come into my life and be my Saviour and Lord. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me to obey you and lead me to follow you all the days of my life. Thank you God for giving me eternal life through your Son Jesus. Amen!

If understood and sincerely prayed that prayer, then contact us. One of our team of counsellors would be glad to contact, pray with and offer you further guidance on how you can continue with your new found faith in Jesus. God bless you.

PS: If you have been inspired, provoked or learnt something from this article, why not do any or all of the following: (i) leave some feedback or a comment, either positive or developmental; (ii) recommend it to a friend; (iii) share it with a friend. This will encourage and help me to serve you better, so together we can make a difference in our world.

We live in a world populated by people who are full of excuses. There is always an excuse; spurious, wild, crazy, even the most unimaginable drip from the lips of people we know. Like the people who give them excuses come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. No offence intended!
This is nothing new. In the book of Exodus we read of one of the greatest leaders in the history of ancient Israel. Moses, a man who was haunted by past failure and perceptions of his personal limitations, gave God a shed load of excuses.
God had called and commissioned him to go and bring deliverance to the children of Israel who were enslaved in the land of Egypt. Moses looked at himself, looked at the size and scale of the task that he was being asked to undertake and went into a massive overload of excuses. First, he said to God that he couldn’t speak, he wasn’t eloquent; God dealt with that. His second excuse was that the Pharaoh wouldn’t listen to him; again God responded to him. Thirdly, he turned his attention to the people he was supposed to be leading, his own people, the children of Israel, saying to God that they may not pay attention to him. Again God dealt with his objection. Students of the Bible know of course that Moses went on to be a great leader, one of the greatest in the history of the Jewish people.

I wonder where you are, if you are a Christian, in your walk wit God. What has God asked you to do? Are you making excuses about your background, education, lack of skills, knowledge, or whatever it is that you see as the major limitation? As God helped Moses, He will help you. You are able to do the job, accomplish the assignment and fulfil your destiny, not in your strength, but in the strength God has promised to give to you.

Perhaps you are not a Christian and you are reading this article, and through several channels, means and avenues you know that God has been speaking to you about the state of your life; yet over the years and months you have been making excuses. I feel led to challenge you strongly to respond to what God is saying to you today because, as you do not know what tomorrow holds.
Excuses, excuses- don’t let them get in the way of what God wants to do in or accomplish through your life.
Copyright Emmanuel Mbakwe 2012©
PS: If you have been inspired, provoked or learnt something from this article, why not do any or all of the following: (i) leave some feedback or a comment, either positive or developmental; (ii) recommend it to a friend; (iii) share it with a friend. This will encourage and help me to serve you better, so together we can make a difference in our world.

One of the verses in the Bible that has always intrigued me is Luke 15:17. Bible students among us will know that it forms part of the parable of the Prodigal son which Jesus told. This parable forms part of the single answer trilogy of parables that Jesus gave which Jesus gave in response to a charge by the Pharisees and scribes that he was eating with sinners.

The details of the parable are not the central point of this piece. What is important is the key turning point in the life of one of the three main characters in the story, the Prodigal son. We read that having squandered all that he had, the young man came to the moment that marked the beginning of a re-defined destiny for him. The relevant segment reads: “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! (Luke 15:17). That was the turning point that led to his turnaround. The Bible word for this point and place of change is repentance. It simply means a change of mind, which is then followed by a change of action as well as direction.

This is the starting point of a change of mind. It is the place of recognition or realisation. Often when we are involved in an activity or heading in a particular direction, and everything is seemingly going swimmingly well, the well-known refrain ‘if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it’, remains the cardinal principle that informs our action. However, change only comes when we recognise we are going in the wrong direction, with serious consequences up ahead, if we fail to take corrective measures. In Psalm 119:59-60, the psalmist makes this statement:’…I pondered the direction of my life and I turned to follow your laws. I will hurry without delay to obey your commands…’

That statement sums up what happened to the Prodigal son. What is evident is that he had come to a point and a place when the proverbial light bulbs came on in his head. He came to himself. He had come to the moment of personal insight. He realised had lived the life of a wastrel, run out of money and was barely surviving; sharing breakfast, lunch and dinner with pigs. He had come to the point of recognition. Sometimes the point of recognition is a process, a conscious process. At other times it is something that had been taking place. And then there is a moment of truth when, as it were, the light bulbs are switched on in our heads. Some call this the ‘ah-ha’ moment.

If recognition is to be meaningful, it must be followed by an act of will. When that happens, repentance has taken place. Repentance involves returning or finding fresh direction; the right direction. Then, and only then are we back on track to realise the ultimate purpose of our lives.

The question is what direction is your life heading? Is it going closer to God or away from Him? If it is away from Him, my prayer is that you will come to that place of recognition that leads to a change of mind and direction; the place of repentance.

The Bible message is that we all need to repent; ‘for all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory’; ‘there is none righteous, no not one’. Our self will, pride, rebellion and sinful nature mean that we are walking away from God; going in the opposite direction to where He wants us to go. We need to repent; to know a change of mind, heart and direction. God’s call is that we should return to Him (Malachi 3:7; Zechariah 1:3). If we repent and confess Jesus as Saviour and Lord, He will forgive and receive us back. You can follow the example of the prodigal son and do exactly what he did. It begins with repentance – a change of mind and direction.

If you have read this article and you are not a Christian, I would like to invite you to receive Christ as Saviour and Lord in your life by praying this prayer:

‘God in heaven, I acknowledge that I am sinner and deserve to be punished for all the wrongs I have done. I am truly sorry. Thank you for sending your Son Jesus to this world. I believe He lived, died and rose again for my sins. I repent of all past sins and ask you to forgive me because Jesus. I confess and ask Jesus to come into my life and be my Saviour and Lord. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me to obey you and lead me to follow you all the days of my life. Thank you God for giving me eternal life through your Son Jesus. Amen!’

If understood and sincerely prayed that prayer, then please contact us. One of our team of counsellors would be glad to contact, pray with and offer you further guidance on how you can continue with your new found faith in Jesus. God bless you.

PS: If you have been inspired, provoked or learnt something from this article, why not do any or all of the following: (i) leave some feedback or a comment, either positive or developmental; (ii) recommend it to a friend; (iii) share it with a friend. This will encourage and help me to serve you better, so together we can make a difference in our world.

Copyright Emmanuel Mbakwe 2012©

One of the sad aspects of the Christmas season is that for many it can be a time of great isolation, loneliness and total disconnection. In the midst of the festivities, merriment, the celebrations, the giving and receiving of gifts, there are many who are cut off from the joy, warmth and fellowship that the season is meant to represent. Yet at the heart of Christmas is the story of God, Creator of the universe, taking on the form of a vulnerable baby in the person of Jesus to come into a messed-up world, in order to restore the shattered relationship between Himself and His creation.

The simple, undiluted essence of the message of Christmas, indeed the message of Christianity, is that God has come to our world – God has come to you in your neighbourhood.

Not only has God come to your neighbourhood, He has come specifically for you, looking for you, extending His love and forgiveness, wanting to bring you into a personal relationship with Himself. That is why the Bible says, ‘God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not die, but have everlasting life’ (John 3:16)

If you are reading this piece, my simple message to you is this: that God loves you so much that He gave His gift of love, His son Jesus, to live a perfect sinless life. Jesus was clothed with humanity, felt the pain, the rejection and sadness that you have felt or may be feeling right now. He came where you are and felt what you feel. He lived a perfect sinless life. He went to the cross, and there He paid the ultimate price for your sin and mine. He died on the cross so that you and I might be forgiven. Not only forgiven, but be brought into a personal relationship with God the Father.

Jesus came into this world, your neighbourhood, because He cared. The message is simple: God has come to your neighbourhood and to you personally, and invites you into a love relationship, and that relationship will give you a life that will never end. Why not receive God’s offer of love; his greatest gift in this Christmas season.

Copyright Emmanuel Mbakwe 2011©

If you have read this article and you are not a Christian, I would like to invite you to receive Christ as Saviour and Lord in your life by praying this prayer:

‘God in heaven, I acknowledge that I am sinner and deserve to be punished for all the wrongs I have done. I am truly sorry. Thank you for sending your Son Jesus to this world. I believe He lived, died and rose again for my sins. I repent of all past sins and ask you to forgive me because Jesus. I confess and ask Jesus to come into my life and be my Saviour and Lord. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me to obey you and lead me to follow you all the days of my life. Thank you God for giving me eternal life through your Son Jesus. Amen!

If understood and sincerely prayed that prayer, then visit the contact page and drop a note. One of our team of counsellors would be glad to contact, pray with and offer you further guidance on how you can continue with your new found faith in Jesus. God bless you.

PS: If you have been inspired, provoked or learnt something from this article, why not do any or all of the following: (i) leave some feedback or a comment, either positive or developmental; (ii) recommend it to a friend; (iii) share it with a friend. This will encourage and help me to serve you better, so together we can make a difference in our world.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in a part of his poem entitled “The Ladder of Saint Augustine” wrote the following words:

The heights by great men reached and kept
Were not attained by sudden flight,
But they, while their companions slept,
Were toiling upward in the night.

The basic thrust of Longfellow’s poem is that to get to make progress or attain heights and stay there requires patience, perseverance, determination, dedication and consistent hard work. It implies that the route to progress and success is far from easy. It is full of challenges, great difficulties and pitfalls. As such it is not for the indolent, slothful or dreamer. Progress will come to those who are resilient, resolute, committed, determined and persistent on their journey on the road called progress.

In the first article, we talked about the need for a clear vision or purpose in the pursuit of progress. We said that vision is vital. No vision, no direction or destination.

In the second article we spoke of the need to take the vision and work it out into an action plan, which in itself is a series of detailed activities or tasks, which enable the prosecution or delivery of vision and purpose.

In the third article we talked about the need to keep reviewing and evaluating progress as one went along. There would be setbacks and challenges along the way and it is always important to keep checking the plan, making necessary adjustments, responding to changes in the environment, in order to ensure that everything is on time and on track.

In this last piece, the focus is very much around finishing well. Life is full of examples of those who started well but failed to finish. Someone has said that it is not so much how well you start, but how well you finish. This very much applies to the whole idea of making progress. Making progress is not just about achieving milestones, as important as that is; it is about achieving them with excellence ; doing things to the highest quality standard and doing them and reaching the finish line.

On the subject of persistence, perseverance and personal discipline as part of the journey towards the finish line, Benjamin Disraeli said this: ‘The secret of success is constancy to purpose’.

Psalm 84 speaks about of a journey or pilgrimage (journey with a spiritual purpose in view). It is a Psalm that speaks about the journey of the people of Israel from their towns, villages and hamlets to the tabernacle of God in Zion, for the annual feasts and festivals and worship of Yahweh. As one reads through there is a sense of the desperate longing, a pining, and a holy appetite for God’s presence. It speaks of the pilgrims making progress, going from strength to strength, until they reach their destination (Psalm 84:7). So, it is about crossing the finish line.

So, as we enter the last few weeks of 2011, the questions we must ask ourselves, are: Am I still pursuing the vision? Am I still following through with the plan, making necessary adjustments consistent with the changes in the environment? Is there a spirit of excellence that underscores or underpins what I am doing?

Having done that, it is also important to pause from time to time in order to celebrate key milestones. There must be things that have happened, positive things as well as developmental events that have happened since the start of the year or your particular project, which you can look back on and smile, and give thanks for having come through them. By developmental events I mean those character-building happenings, minor, as well as major setbacks, which are designed to help strengthen you on the inside, build courage and increase resilience. Those things are worth using as springboards to celebrate and to build for a much better future.

As we come to the end of the year, it is important to look back first and see how far you have travelled. Secondly, look around to see who you can learn from. Thirdly, look within to reflect on your own personal growth to see what else you can do to become a better person. Last, but by no means least, look ahead to see what next you do next, after you have come to the end of the year.

Making progress is not a one off exercise; it is a continuous process, where every point of arrival is a point of departure. Don’t stop making progress. Keep striving every day, seeking to become a better person, pursuing your goals with a spirit of excellence, so that you can look back and say ‘this can stand the test of time’ and it can stand the test of time because it is excellent. Having done that share what you have learned with others; especially the next generation; so together we can make progress and build a better, greater and more prosperous future.

Copyright Emmanuel Mbakwe 2011©

PS: If you have been inspired, provoked or learnt something from this article, why not do any or all of the following: (i) leave some feedback or a comment, either positive or developmental; (ii) recommend it to a friend; (iii) share it with a friend. This will encourage and help me to serve you better, so together we can make a difference in our world.

One of the things that comes to mind each time I think of my late father, who has gone to be with Jesus, was that he was one for offering quotes, pithy sayings and memorable aphorisms. Born into a society and culture where proverbs and the oral tradition were highly esteemed, he started life as a teacher, which no doubt reinforced his love for words and learning in general. These two influences; firstly, cultural, and secondly, professional, had a significant impact on him, and quite naturally, some of it has rubbed off on me. That I readily confess.

One of my father’s regular sayings was, ‘all that glitters is not gold’; the title of this article. This is an old English saying, which conveys a very simple universal message. At the very heart of the message is a warning, a call not to take things at face value, but rather, to query, test, challenge and conduct thorough due diligence before any commitment is made. It is a warning to the impetuous amongst us, and a red light to the naive and gullible. In simple terms it means, what looks expensive and precious is not necessarily so.

As I reflect on this, an incident that took place many thousands of years ago but recorded in the Old Testament comes to mind. It is found in Genesis 13, and concerns Abraham and his nephew, Lot. Those who are Bible students will be familiar with the narrative in which we learn that God had called Abram (note he was still called Abram, and not Abraham) out of Ur of the Chaldees, in ancient Mesopotamia (modern Iraq), and asked him to embark on a journey of faith to a land of promise which God would show him.

Abram took his young nephew, Lot with him. In the process of time God blessed Abram with much livestock, which in ancient times was a key indicator of wealth. Lot was also greatly blessed.

There then arose an argument between the herdsmen of Lot and those of Abram, relating to grazing and water rights. This dispute was so intense that Abram asked his younger relative to choose which part of the vast country that lay before and around them he wished to take. We go on to read that Lot looked and saw the green pastures of the land of Sodom and Gomorrah, and decided that that was where he wanted to go and live.

Time passed. Lot it would appear continued to prosper. However, all was not as it seemed. Even though he was making progress materially, spiritually he was in the wrong place; as we go on to see by what happened subsequently. In the process of time trouble arose. Lot was caught between two opposing military confederacies. He was captured and taken as a prisoner of war by one of the warring factions. The news came to Abram, his uncle. He in turn mobilised his own military force, that went in and rescued Lot.

Later on, God decided to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Abram interceded with God concerning Lot. God answered Abram’s prayer, as Lot barely got out alive, having been miraculous rescued by angelic messengers. All the material wealth he had amassed was gone; so was his wife who turned into a pillar of salt, having disobeyed the very clear instruction not to look back.

What can we learn from Lot’s experience? Many of us make choices based on what we see and what we perceive to be the potential gain, using our natural eyes and our rational mind. There is nothing wrong with that. Indeed we are expected not only to look well before we leap, but to use our minds in the process. However, there is something that lies beyond the natural which we must take into account. God expects us to use our inner eyes. The Bible says that spiritual things are spiritually discerned. We are to be driven not by what we see with our natural eyes but what God sees. This is what we mean by a life of faith. We are to walk by faith and not by sight.

Someone has described living by faith as standing where God stands and seeing what He sees; hearing what He says and doing what He asks us to do. This was the difference between Abram and Lot. The former walked by faith, whilst the latter walked by sight, driven by his senses.

For Christians reading this piece, whenever you come to make any decision, minor or major, big or small, remember the story of Lot, and the watch word, ‘all that glitters is not gold’. Choose to walk by faith and not by sight.

Copyright Emmanuel Mbakwe 2011©

PS: If you have been inspired, provoked or learnt something from this article, why not do any or all of the following: (i) leave some feedback or a comment, either positive or developmental; (ii) recommend it to a friend; (iii) share it with a friend. This will encourage and help me to serve you better, so together we can make a difference in our world.

One of my favourite stories in the Bible is the narrative which describes a powerfully compelling and spell-bounding story of total commitment and absolute loyalty. The events described occurred in the days when the nation of Israel was ruled by judges. It is narrated in the book of Ruth (Ruth 1:1-4:13).

During that period a famine arose in the land of Israel. It was so severe and life-threatening that a man by the name of Elimelech, who hailed from Bethlehem and was married to a lady named Naomi, decided to remove his family of two sons and his wife to the land of Moab. In the process of time we read that Naomi’s husband died. Her two sons; Marlon and Chilion who had taken wives from among the young women in Moab, also died, leaving two widows; one whose name was Ruth.

As time went on, news came to Naomi that the famine in Bethlehem had ceased, and so she decided to return home. Whilst her other daughter in law chose to stay behind with her family in her homeland, Ruth swore an oath of allegiance, loyalty and devotion to Naomi and her God, and insisted on following her mother-in-law back to the land of Israel.

Apart from being an incredible and challenging picture of commitment and loyalty, the narrative also teaches us something about the power of partnership. What transpired later in the story shows that whilst Ruth brought her youthful zeal, energy and capacity for hard work, Naomi brought her knowledge of the local environment, customs and tradition, and her experience and wisdom; acting as coach and mentor to Ruth; as the latter went out each day to seek for food and to provide materially for both of them.

The story also teaches us other lessons about the essence of partnership; specifically, that it is not for one party to dominate, exploit, use and abuse the other, but rather a relationship based on mutual support and help, so that each will mature and become all that God wants them to be. This to my mind is a principle that applies to any partnership relationship; in marriage, in the church, in business or any form of human endeavour.

As the story unfolds, we see that Naomi’s primary desire was not to enslave Ruth, but rather to help her become a woman in her own home and in some way be an instrument or tool through which Ruth would make progress on the road to her destiny. Her purpose was not to keep Ruth as her house help to take care of her in her old age. On the contrary, Naomi’s mission in life was to help nurture the next generation.

The power of their partnership was finally demonstrated when we see how the melding and blending of the strengths of Naomi and Ruth helped to move the latter from being a widow who was harvesting barley to scrape a living, to a woman whom God had helped to harvest a husband and son. That is the power of a partnership, a relationship that is based on mutuality and a deep desire to serve and help each other become. It liberates, it empowers and facilitates the realisation of God ordained agenda and destiny for each partner.

Copyright Emmanuel Mbakwe 2011©

PS: If you have been inspired, provoked or learnt something from this article, why not do any or all of the following: (i) leave some feedback or a comment, either positive or developmental; (ii) recommend it to a friend; (iii) share it with a friend. This will encourage and help me to serve you better, so together we can make a difference in our world.