TheCable

Like Mary, this is my desire and prayer for my life, the CHURCH, and NIGERIA.

“Mary (Dele) responded,
“Oh, how my soul praises the LORD. How my spirit rejoices in GOD my SAVIOUR!
For he took notice of his lowly servant girl (man), and from now on all generations will call me blessed.
For the Mighty One is holy, and He has done great things for me.
He shows MERCY from generation to generation to all who fear Him.
His MIGHTY ARM has done tremendous things! He has scattered the proud and haughty ones.
He has brought down princes (the mighty) from their thrones and exalted the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away with empty hands.
He has helped his servant Israel (Dele and Nigeria) and remembered to be MERCIFUL.
For He made this promise to our ancestors, to Abraham and his children forever.” – Luke 1:46-55 NLT.

Let it be, O LORD, in JESUS Name!
Amen.

Seek the MOST HIGH GOD with all fervency as you go to His House today, and you shall find a WORD, and Solution, to that matter, in Jesus name.

LIFE LESSONS FROM FOOTBALL!

My wife is a Chelsea FC supporter, and I’m a supporter of any club that beats Chelsea any day, even if it’s Enyimba FC; well, except I have plans for ‘zee other room’ affairs later that night, then, I’m ‘compelled’ to support her team. Wisdom is profitable to direct. I’m laughing out loud.

My wife would tell you that she watches football, especially EPL and La liga, because of the beauty, artistry and mathematics the players bring onto the pitch whenever they play, unlike the ‘jeko-jeko’ of our local leagues.
She has quite a lot of lessons to teach from watching football matches, and so do I, even though I am no football buff.

First of all, professional football, as a whole, teaches me that life is truly cyclical, and ever rotating and revolving.
Players change clubs from time to time, depending on contracts, club needs, age, injuries and dwindling abilities.

A Chelsea player this season could be playing for Manchester United or Tottenham Hotspurs or Manchester City or Arsenal FC or Everton, next season, and vice versa. New players quickly bond with their new teammates, while they remain friends with their former club mates.

Same thing happens with the coaches, team managers and technical hands; they move from club to club, wherever, and whenever their services are needed. By and large, the spirit of sportsmanship continues.
That is how life should be: meeting to part, parting to meet, until we all meet at the Feet of JESUS, never to part again, if you are BORN AGAIN, that is.

Secondly, many players, after their playing days are over, go on to become coaches and managers, or scouts, for their former clubs, or others. There is life after football.
Life is about continuous improvement.
The largest room in the world is the Room for Self Improvement. You can always improve, get better, and become more experienced, and remain ever relevant.
Whatever you are doing now, and getting praised for, there’s always a better way to do it! Keep learning, and you’ll keep earning fatter salaries and honoraria.
Ex-footballers also go into punditry and consultancy after retirement – another gain arising from self improvement.

There’s a lot that we Christians, and everyone else, can learn from professional football. A lot! We can learn brotherhood and camaraderie from footballers and coaches.
As I wrote somewhere else, late last year, “There are more CHRIST-like people in the EPL, La liga and Bundesliga, than we have in our churches.
How so?
Simple! Players and coaches change clubs regularly, and still relate well with each other when they meet again or play against each other, but the story is often different among BELIEVERS in churches.
When a Brother or Sister leaves our church for another one, he or she becomes an outcast. Utter pettiness!”
It should not be so!

Take these few lessons to heart as you go into another working week. And, remember the WORDS of JESUS CHRIST in John 13:34-35, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
And John 15:11-14, “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is MY COMMANDMENT, that you LOVE one another as I have LOVED you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are MY FRIENDS if you do whatever I command you.”
Selah!

WE CAN’T AFFORD TO BE PETTY!

Some five weeks ago, as they showed the Welcome Clip to receive the first timers to church, I whispered to my wife, “If it is another church, that BROTHER would have been edited out of the clip!”

The Brother in question, features prominently in that weekly clip, and at the time I made that comment, he had stopped coming to our church for reasons not too palatable. Some petty Pastors would have asked the technical department to edit the ‘AWOL’ Brother out of the clip, especially if such a fellow had an altercation with the pastor; but I’m so glad that my Pastor is not a petty leader.
Guess what! Despite all that had happened, the Brother is back in church.
Imagine if he had been cut off spiritually, physically and ‘clipically!’
Hmm!

Petty people try to erase the memory of every one who is no longer with them, no matter the GOOD things they may have done together in the past. That’s pettiness!
If someone leaves you, your church or Ministry, but has not left GOD’S KINGDOM, he or she is still your Brother/Sister. And, the KINGDOM is more important than our individual churches!

I quote Joyce Meyer again, having done so in a previous article, “If anyone leaves your church and starts another church down the road, buy them a sound system.”
That’s how to GUARD against pettiness, malice and bitterness.
In 1 Peter 2:17, the WORD OF GOD instructs, “Honor all people. LOVE THE BROTHERHOOD. Fear GOD. Honor the king.”
LOVE THE BROTHERHOOD!

There are more CHRIST-like people in the EPL, La liga and Bundesliga than we have in our churches.
How so?
Simple! Players and coaches change clubs regularly, and still relate well with each other when they meet again or play against each other, but the story is often different among BELIEVERS in churches. When a Brother or Sister leaves our church for another one, he or she becomes an outcast. Utter pettiness!

Excuse me, whoever you are, and whatever you have built, anybody can leave you, including your wife and children!
Let that sink humbly into you.
People left JESUS, and His Ministry didn’t end because of that; neither will yours, if you keep looking up to the ONE WHO called, equipped and sent you.
Know this, and teach it to your congregation: WE, THE CHRISTIANS, CAN’T AFFORD PETTINESS!

“Owe no one anything except to LOVE ONE ANOTHER, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.” Love does no harm to a neighbor; THEREFORE LOVE IS THE FULFILLMENT OF THE LAW.” – Romans 13:8-10
Selah!