FIRE FIGHTERS

The Word of God tells us “but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.” (Jude 23, NKJV). The first thing I want you to note here is that before you can go on fire rescue, you must be sure that you’re fireproof, meaning that you must ensure that you are not putting on or holding anything that can be burnt. This is very important and significant in the realm of the spirit just as it is in the physical. Sin is flammable and before we can do what the opening Scripture says, we must be sure that we take this caution! We must live right before God so that we can be useful to Him in helping the lost out of the flame of destruction and redirecting them to the path of life. The Word of God also shows us in 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 that there are things that are flammable and things that are not. Please take out time to check that out today!

When dealing with fires, we have this sense of urgency. Those in the fire service understand this too well, that any delay in responding to a fire outbreak spells disaster or loss. Fire is wild! As a soul winner, you are likened to a fire fighter. There are certain people the Lord will show you who you will know are surely on their way to damnation – hell – and don’t even know it. You will need to fight for their lives in earnest intercession and, as surely as the Lord leads, you must speak to them. When the Lord sends us to pray on behalf of a lost soul or to speak to them for Him, He expects immediate action. God wants us to approach soul winning with the urgency of fire. It’s about life and death. A life is at stake and something must be done immediately.

Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke, in his classic ‘Evangelism by Fire’ described delay in taking the Gospel to the unsaved as a fire fighter who is informed about a fire outbreak, instead of acting immediately, decides to shave before going to quench the fire. It is unfortunate that that’s really how many believers approach the preaching of the Gospel. We must think differently. We must change our approach to the Great Commission. The way that leads to destruction is a wide road and many blindly follow that road. We can’t afford to watch them get into the eternal flames of destruction. Now is the time to act. Now is the time to do something urgent! Let’s have them saved for the glory of God! Great shall be our reward. God bless you!

SPIRITUAL HUNGER

There’s a longing in the heart of every man (or woman) for God whether he acknowledges it or not. Also, deep down in the heart of every believer is a desire to know God the more. Man was created for God and he must only find full satisfaction in God. There is a place in the heart of every many that only God can fill – nothing else! When Jesus was teaching on the mount in Matthew 5, the first thing He said was “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
(Matthew 5:3). By the phrase ‘poor in spirit’ Jesus was referring to those who see or acknowledge their need for God. Everyone needs God but not everyone acknowledges their need for God. That’s why today we have Atheists and folks who tag themselves as ‘Godless’. Further in His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” (Matthew 5:6). Righteousness means right standing with God. So Jesus was still dealing with the same issue but in a different dimension. When the Lord fills your present hunger and thirst for Him, it only means that you should step up into a higher level of hunger and thirst for Him. It is progressive. As long as you are on earth, you will never get to the point where you have it all.

I believe one of the worse things that can happen to a human being here on earth is to live a whole life time without the divine influence. Also, one of the worst things that can happen to a believer here on earth is for him to lose his hunger for God. We can never get to a place where we have enough of God. We just keep needing Him every single day we live and every single moment we breathe here on earth. The Psalmist says “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God? Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.” (Psalm 42:1-2,7). Spiritual hunger is the inspiration for spiritual advancement. Something’s got to keep you going! If a man is not hungry for something, there won’t be any form of urgency in his life or pursuit. It is hunger for accomplishment that drives a man to pursue his dreams. It’s a desire for success that causes a student burn the night candles. It’s a desire for money that causes a man to work so hard especially where there are incentives and a good reward system.

The Holy Spirit is the One who stirs up a spiritual hunger in the hearts of people. Even though this spiritual hunger is birthed by the Holy Ghost in the heart of every believer in Jesus Christ, it has to be nurtured by the believer. Smith Wigglesworth was a man who had a great understanding of what spiritual hunger was. I came across some of his sermons compiled in a book titled: ‘Cry of The Spirit’, and was so amazed at how deep this man was hungry for God and His manifestation. His major hunger was to know God in reality. His knowledge of God sparked up an unusual flow of the supernatural from His life. Spiritual hunger is the key to walking in the Supernatural. When you become so hungry for the Lord, it stirs up the manifestation of His personality in and through you. Your hunger for the Lord will spur you to seek for the Lord earnestly, not because He is missing but because you want to know more of Him. It’s just like the Psalmist says: “O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches. Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice. My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.” Psalm 63:1-8.

A major indication of your hunger for God and the things of the Spirit is seen in the way you desire God’s Word and your response to what It says. What physical food means to a hunger body is exactly what the Word of God means to the human spirit. Your spiritual hunger is displayed by your ardent desire for the Word of God. I believe every real Word from the Lord must end up stirring an ardent desire or hunger for God in the hearts of the hearers. We can’t know enough of the Lord. Our desire to know Him more and more will spur us to price the knowledge of Him above all else. Paul says: “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:7,8,10-14

Spiritual hunger drives us to go the extra mile for the Lord. Spiritual hunger keeps us longing for more of the Lord every single moment of our lives. Spiritual hunger brings us to that point where nothing else can satisfy us but the ultimate – the Lord Himself. Spiritual hunger helps us activate the flow of the Supernatural in our lives. A man who is spiritually hungry never settles for anything spiritually substandard. One of the ways the devil successfully keeps a lot of believers in a state of lukewarmness is through quick satisfaction. He makes them believe that they have arrived. It is time to let go of anything that makes you let go of the Lord. We must keep laying hold of the Lord. If it means fasting and praying, if it means locking up yourself for days, if it means crying out loud to the Lord, what ever it is you can do to revive your hunger for the Lord, please do and the Lord will rain upon you afresh. The Holy Spirit brings revival to the life of the believer and helps him lives a revived life – always alive towards God. Spiritual hunger keeps a man humble before God, because he always sees his need for the Lord. I believe that one of the things that will sustain us and help us stay unadulterated with the filthiness of this world in these last days is spiritual hunger. I pray that the Lord will stir up in you a new and undying passion and desire for Him that will cause you to go deeper in the Lord and be useful for Him in His end-time harvest. Amen!

MISSION TO DELTA STATE, NIGERIA

It was a Supernatural venture! From our departure to our return was absolutely Supernatural – nothing else! We (the team) felt so honoured to have the Lord work in us and through us in the manner He did. It was an experience of the power of God to be remembered eternally. We can’t forget this one in a jiffy.



On the Day 1 of our Mission to Delta State, Nigeria, we held ‘Catch the Flame’ Conference (our believers’ conference which is aimed at stirring up the revival fire of the Holy Ghost in their hearts which will enable them to plunge into the harvest field of the Lord to reap the ripe harvest of souls) at the Ogwashi-Uku Community Town hall. It was a great Holy Ghost experience. We preached the Word of God powerfully by the enabling power of the Holy Ghost. 10 Souls were saved and about the same number were filled with the Holy Ghost. The Lord honoured us with an awesome atmosphere of the Holy Ghost. It was just there in the air. We all enjoyed and soaked in His manifest presence. We’ve never experienced it like it before. Thank God it is the beginning of a new dimension for us. The impact of this meeting was so strong that the attendees were requesting for the Gospel tracts we made available for the conference. Truly, we’ve never given out Gospel Tracts like we did during this event in any other event. We made it clear that we weren’t just going to Delta State to hold an event but to spark up a flame that will continue burning and will spread all over the place. Thank God, that was exactly what was done in the Name of the Lord.



On the Day 2, we left for Otibio Community in Delta State where we were to have an evangelistic outreach. On our arrival to Otibio community, we met with the Christian Association of Nigeria’s (CAN) Chairman in the community. He received us with great joy and we had a brief talk with him on our mission in the community. We immediately launched out into the harvest for a great haul. We went from house to house, business locations, open and hidden places alike – wherever the souls were. We distributed Tract booklets, Devotionals, little Bibles, etc as we declared the Gospel of Jesus Christ. There was a Word for just everyone – the aged, men, women, youths, teenagers, boys, girls, children – everyone! There was such an awakening and a sudden awareness of the Lord brought about by the Holy Spirit in the community as was revealed through certain experiences and encounters we had from various people we ministered to. The people of this community are so hungry for the Word. It appears that a lot of them only understand Christianity as a religion and nothing else. But by the utterance of the Holy Ghost we bore witness to the living Jesus. When we were through with our evangelistic outreach, we dropped copies of our evangelistic believers’ Tract titled ‘Urgency!’ with the CAN Chairman to be distributed to the Churches in that community, this tract is meant to inspire the saints to becoming passionate and effective soul winners. We also dropped copies of Gospel tracts to enhance their soul winning ventures. We were told that nothing of such had ever happened in Otibio Community prior to this time. The people received the Word with great joy and excitement. By the time we were leaving Otibio, there was great joy in the city!



Please, pray for the people of Otibio and Delta State as a whole that they will continually experience the power of the Gospel and the influence of the Holy Spirit.

INDEBTEDNESS

Do you know that every single day you are alive on earth, you owe at least someone the preaching of the Gospel? That’s right. For every day you wake up and discover that you’re still on planet earth and still breathing, you’re a debtor! The earlier we understand this, the more fruitful and productive we’ll become here on earth. In Romans 1:14–17, Paul made an amazing declaration towards the Gospel mandate. He says “I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise. So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘The just shall live by faith.’” (NKJV). Paul was simply saying “I’m owing everyone the Gospel.” Our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, Himself was also compelled by this sense of indebtedness during His life and ministry on earth. Mark 1:38 says “But He said to them, "Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth.” (NKJV). Paul, by divine revelation, understood the heart of Jesus in reality and function in it.

I noticed that whenever the Lord lays it upon my heart or stirs up my heart towards reaching out with the Gospel to any land or community, I often feel this sense of indebtedness towards that community until I actually preach the Gospel to them. I just literarily feel that I owe them something that I must pay. And after I have preached the Gospel to them, no matter their response to it – whether positive or negative – I experience an unusual outburst of joy within me as though I had just paid a heavy debt. I believe it is the Holy Spirit who creates this sense on indebtedness in us to enable us fulfil our part in the Gospel mandate. The truth is that we’re going to give account to Jesus on that great day when we stand before Him. He will ask us about how faithful we have been to the task He gave us and how obedient we have been to His instructions. Every believer has been entrusted with the supreme task of preaching the Gospel to everyone who will listen. We owe the world the Gospel!

If the Body of Christ will faithfully play her role of taking the Gospel (Good news) of the Kingdom of God everywhere just like the journalist spreads the daily news, there’s going to be an amazing spread of the Gospel all over the world in a short time. We must be faithful to the Master because we love Him and because we love and care about the people He has sent us to. How true are the Holy Ghost-inspired words of Paul the Apostle: “For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel! For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me. For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.” (1 Cor. 9:16,17,19). Also in Acts 20:26 Paul says “Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men.” Are you free from the blood of your neighbour, friend, colleague, etc? Have you preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ to them? PREACH THE WORD!

LIVING A LIFE OF INFLUENCE

Influence is the effect what we do have on other people especially those connected to us in one way or the other. Relationships or associations spread the chain of influence. In every relationship the law of influence is at work. That’s why we must watch out for wrong influencers. Dr. John C. Maxwell says ‘leadership is influence’. Leadership is another vehicle by which influence spreads. We might not all be leaders in that sense but every believer is a leader in one way or the other. In fact everyone is a leader in the area he or she excels. We are either influencing or being influenced. Influence could be direct or indirect. There are so many people today who are being influenced directly or indirectly without being aware of it. It appears influence is subtle a times. It could be silent but yet strong. It may take some time to build up, but then it becomes so glaring. Influence is about ordinary people doing extraordinary things – living extraordinary lives! It’s about doing ordinary things in an extraordinary way! Jesus Christ is our perfect example of a life of influence.

The influence of the Holy Spirit is the greatest influence in the world. The Holy Spirit is the One who makes the Saints people of influence through living the Kingdom life and the preaching of the Gospel. To be a great Kingdom influences on earth, we must not be people who only preach the Gospel but don’t live the Kingdom life or live the Kingdom life but don’t preach the Gospel. The two must be in place for a life of influence to become a reality. This was what made John the Baptist so different. John the Baptist was a great man – the greatest man born of a woman (Matthew 11:11). It is true because Jesus said so. For so many years, I’ve be thinking about John the Baptist. What made him so great? Why was he so different? How could city people be so stirred by the words of this man that they left the cites and made their way for the wilderness? I thought it should be vice versa! What amazed me most was that John the Baptist never performed a single miracle (John 10:41), but he was a wonder. He so commanded the attention of the whole nation to the point that even the authorities wanted to know who he was and everyone sought for his counsel. Wow! I want you to catch the spirit of this piece. Jesus said about John the Baptist that he was a burning and a shining light (John 5:35). What a life! I believe John’s secret was in his understanding the way of the Holy Spirit and how to yield to Him. In fact John was filled with the Holy Ghost from his mother’s womb! Can you beat that? I tell you, if you listen to the Holy Spirit, He will make you an influence.

You don’t need to have money before you can become an influence. You don’t need to be popular before you can become an influence. You don’t need to go to school before you can become an influence. You don’t need to be the president of a nation before you can become an influence. Just be different! Do things differently. Influence is about making a difference. (Daniel 1:8). Through influence, kings can be brought into subjection. Small people can shake kingdoms through influence as in the case of Daniel. You can’t help but be different when you walk with the Holy Spirit. I also considered the life of a great man of our time – Billy Graham. Mr. Graham has made so much difference in the world that it is almost impossible for him not to be known in any nation. What made him so different? Why did he have such a command in America and other parts of the world? Of course, there are many preachers who do the same things he does but why is he so different? I was amazed when I discovered from one of Kathryn Kuhlman’s writings that Billy Graham doesn’t function in the power gifts (healing, miracles & special faith). I wondered how he commanded such great attention – I don’t think it’s by human efforts.

Jesus said a lot about influence. He taught that influence could start out as a seed but no sooner does it produce an amazing harvest (Matthew 13:33). This applies to both positive and negative influences. Jesus also taught that believers are the light, salt and yeast of the world (Matt. 5:13-16; 13:33). You can’t be ignorant of the absence of salt in a meal. You can’t be ignorant of the absence of light in a room. You can’t be ignorant of the presence of yeast in a loaf of bread. This simply means that Jesus never expected believers to live secret lives or to live as secret disciples. In fact He said “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16). It is time for this dark world to see the marvellous light we bear! John 1:5 says “And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” Before Jesus ascended into heaven, His last words were “But ye shall receive power [the ability to influence], after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses [influencers] unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8). This was exactly what Jesus did during His ministry on earth. Apostle Peter said this of Him “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.” (Acts 10:38). This is influence! I believe Jesus’ prayer life played a great role in establishing His influence upon men everywhere He went (See Mark 1:35). We must learn from the Master – He’s our perfect example!

In a nut shell, the Great Commission Jesus gave to the Church is to go into the entire world, [Business, Religious, Academic, Fashion, Sport etc worlds] and influence the people with the Kingdom life by both living the Kingdom life and preaching the Good News of the Kingdom. I make bold to say, until the world start being influenced by the Kingdom life that we possess as believers, we are far from fulfilling the Great Commission! The Gospel is the power [influence] of God that brings people to the point of salvation. Living for the Gospel is simply living a life of Kingdom influence. A man of influence cannot hide and cannot be hidden because he’s so different. If the difference between us and the world cannot be easily identified, then we’re not really influencing the world. It is time for Believers everywhere to begin to take the divine influence into every place we find ourselves – that’s why we’re there. It appears we’re too quiet about this Gospel. We must be noisy about the Gospel because everyone everywhere must hear it. We can’t afford to fail the Master. Let’s shout it out on the housetop, in the market place, in our neighbourhood…everywhere that Jesus Christ is the only Way, the only Truth and the only Life. With this message we can influence the world and in turn become men and women of influence! Let God use you to display Himself to the world!

THE FRUIT OF GENTLENESS

The Greek word for gentleness as used in Galatians 5:22 is: ‘Chrestotes’ it means moral excellence (in character & demeanour (Outward behaviour: somebody's behaviour, manner, or appearance, especially as it reflects on character). To be gentle means to be discreet, prudent, compelled by wisdom (not just knowledge), knowing what to do and how to do it at all times. It also means to be sober (thoughtful). It really takes the Holy Spirit to be gentle. In one word, gentleness means wisdom (See James 3:13-18, NLT). Ultimately, being gentle means actively walking in the Wisdom of God – not just having it, but actively walking in it.

“Ladies and gentlemen” is an official way we address an audience both formally and informally. It’s quiet ridiculous to address a crowd as gentle people. Calling everyone gentle could just be as funny as calling everyone wise! The world’s definition of gentleness is totally different from the Bible’s just like it is with the word ‘love’. We must be very careful about using the dictionary to define spiritual things. The closest definition of gentleness, out of all other definitions given by the dictionary is having a gracious and honourable manner [Manner of life, lifestyle].

Gentleness is not quietness or taciturnity even though they could be virtues of a gentle person. A gentle man is known by the results he produces. You don’t know gentleness by just outward display – but result! Real gentleness starts from the heart and then reflects on the outside. Even though Gentleness doesn’t mean quietness, it has a lot to do with how we use our words. A gentle man is conscious of his use of words (James 3:2; 1:19; Col. 4:6).

WHO IS A GENTLE PERSON? – Gentleness can be identified (Philippians 4:5).
1. One who is born again (Every saint has the fruit of gentleness. We just need to grow in it).
2. One who has received The Holy Spirit, yields to Him and walks with Him.
3. A person who walks in practical wisdom – Prudence. He’s driven by the force of wisdom (Phil. 4:5, NKJV)
4. A person who has strength of character – the entire fruit of the spirit is the character of the Christian.
5. A person who always knows what to do in every situation – He’s never stuck! (Col.1:9-11).
6. A person who has control over his life by controlling his tongue (James 3).
7. A person who maintains a disciplined prayer life – His stability comes from his fellowship with the Lord.

Jesus Christ is our perfect example of a gentle life just as in all other fruit of the spirit.

AREAS OF FOCUS IN DEVELOPING THE FRUIT OF GENTLENESS
1. Words: Col. 4:6 “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.” (NKJV).
2. Actions: Philip. 4:5 says “Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.” (NKJV). A gentleman always thinks before acting and not vice versa.
3. Understanding: Eph. 5:17 “Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”
4. Time Mastery: A gentle man never goes late for an event because he has mastered the use of his time.
5. Value: A gentle man understands true value and so doesn’t waste his time, energy or resources on things that don’t produce value.
6. Discernment: A gentleman is always discerning. He knows what to do at all time since he’s always keen to the voice of the Spirit.
7. Integrity: A gentleman or woman is known for doing what is right (doing the Word) no matter the cost.

The more gentle you become, the lesser the mistakes you make – Gentleness is Christian maturity! The strength of a gentleman is in how keen he is to the voice and leading of the Holy Spirit. How we need to be gentle in the world and time we live in today. It will change everything about us!

How do we grow the fruit of gentleness in our lives?
1. By knowing and yielding to the Holy Spirit!
2. Always pray Col. 1:9-11 for yourself. Also spend time praying in the Holy Ghost – it keeps your spirit keen.
3. Consciously cultivate it by doing the Word.
4. Develop a conscious of it by confessing it daily. E.g. “I’m walking in gentleness today in the Name of Jesus.”

“Do not let your adornment be merely outward--arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel--rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.” 1Peter 3:3,4 (NKJV).

DEFINING MOMENTS

Today, I write to talk to you about something very vital, helpful and urgent. I pray you dedicate some minutes of your time to read this piece. It will bless you big, I promise you!

From time to time, in our lives, it becomes so necessary to halt on the activities, rush, noise, etc. in order to listen to our selves, define our values again in the light of God’s Word and so make informed decisions. And as simple as this may seem, it is what defines who we are and who we would eventually turn out to be in life. Defining moments are those moments we set aside to call things what they really are and see things the way they truly are. The Word of God tells us in 2 Corinthians 13:5 “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? --unless indeed you are disqualified.” (NKJV). You see, decisions are so vital to us daily that we just make them, sometimes without even premeditating on their consequences. Every decision has its consequence – what it delivers in return – whether good or bad. Most of the time, the state in which we were when we made a decision determines the quality of decision we make and the consequences thereof. For us as Believers in Jesus Christ, this is very important because if we can learn to listen to our spirit man, we would foresee certain things and events and as a result make informed decisions by the Help of the Holy Spirit who resides in us.

The Lord Jesus had defining moments during His time on earth. He always had moments when He was just alone with the Father – different from His time of prayer and study. I believe He virtually drew His strengthen from those moments that He had to stay away from the crowd to listen to His heart and the heart of the Father. Having defining moments is not an option for people who want to step into the fullness of God’s plans and purpose for their lives. It brings about an unusually focus, direction and progress. There was something about the life of Jesus on earth. He was a wonder to everyone He came in contact with. He had a word for everyone He met. He had a solution for every problem He encountered. He was always on top of circumstances. He was simply in charge! When men met Him, they were changed. Just something about His life! But of course, these things did not just happen. They happened because He cared enough to step out from the crowd from time to time to get things straight. Friends, you know as much as I do that this world is a noisy place – full of distraction – and if we’re not careful we’d lose what we’ve got in a bid to achieve much. Before the Lord Jesus went to the cross, He had a defining moment at the Garden of Gethsemane where He settled it once and for all that He will fulfil His purpose – the death on the cross – no matter what! Jesus is not just the Son of God but He is the pattern-Son of God. We must follow His example to please the Father.

In order to get the best out of our defining moments, we must ensure that the following are considered during defining moment:

1. Check your motives – why do you do what you do, are you a ‘man pleaser’ or a God pleaser? Are you doing things for love sake or for selfish reasons?
2. Ask yourself the right questions.
3. Be sincere with yourself – just tell yourself the truth about you even if it hurts.
4. Give yourself a sincere evaluation of how far you’ve gone in fulfilling God’s dream (purpose) for your life on earth.
5. Be sure you’re alone with the Holy Spirit.
6. Just think, write and pray – nothing else! You might also want to fast during those moments. Please do, it will help greatly!
7. It is so important you pray in preparation for those moments because God must be involved in it if it must be worth the while.

With these things rightly in place, you’re sure to always come out a different and better person than you went in. The Word of God actually says that we should judge ourselves so that we will not be judged (1Cor. 11:31) and that is one of the things defining moments will help us to do. Note, it didn’t say for us to condemn ourselves but to judge (discern, evaluate or weigh) ourselves. So when we do it properly, it improves the quality of our lives and service to God.

How often should we have defining moments? This could be done as often as possible especially when at the point of making major decisions that affect our lives. For instance, Jesus had it just before going to the cross, Abraham had it before taking Isaac to the mountain to sacrifice him in obedience to God, Jacob had it before going to meet (reconcile with) his brother – Esau. For me, apart from other times I set aside to re-define things in my life, I find my birthdays the best days for it. Reality dawns on me the most on that day of the year. I ask myself questions like “having spent so and so years on earth, what’s my life really worth for the Lord and His Kingdom? Am I really fulfilling purpose on a daily basis?” etc. I know it doesn’t have to be the same for you but whatever time it is, be sure to get the best out of it. I believe that the Lord gets the best of our attention and speaks to us during defining moments. In fact, one thing you’ll never miss during defining moments is the voice of God! The Holy Spirit will speak expressly to you if you’re sincere and open to Him!

There is one thing we must do which would enable us to have the right definition in life on a daily basis. This all important thing is seen in the life of the Lord Jesus Christ during His time here on earth. We see that in Mark 1:35 which says “Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.” (NKJV). If we would simply get ourselves to do this everyday, everyday will be purposeful, fulfilling and well maximized to the glory of God. Friend, let’s not waste our time here on earth. Everyday, hour, minute, second, micro second matter and must matter to us as they matter to the Father. Hope this helps. Blessings!