Sunrise april 2014

SPRING 2014 £2.50 Where Sold

SUNRISE The Magazine of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, United Kingdom

MY CUP RUNS OVER PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE RCCG UK SUPPORTS

TYPHOON HAIYAN SURVIVORS

I N S PI RAT I ON | Y O UT H

100 DAYS OF FASTING AND PRAYER CONCLUDES WITH MEGA PRAISES

| SC I E N C E

| C OM M UN I T Y

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FROM THE GENERAL OVERSEER PROPHECIES FOR 2014 HOW TO GIVE TOWARDS THE NEW RCCG AUDITORIUM FROM THE CENTRAL OFFICE EDITORIAL NOTE FEATURE MY CUP RUNS OVER THINK ON THESE THINGS COMMUNITY RCCG UK DONATES TO TYPHOON HAIYAN SURVIVORS STARTING A FOODBANK RELATIONSHIPS WHAT’S YOUR BATTLE STRATEGY? A DESPISED OR MIGHTY WEAPON? OBSTACLES TO GREATNESS INSPIRATIONAL KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON GOOD WOMEN FELLOWSHIP GWF UK

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32 PARENTING WHAT IS WORTH HAVING IS WORTH FIGHTING FOR 34 PSYCHOLOGY 7 GOLDEN STEPS TO SELF DISCIPLINE 36 MATTERS OF THE HEART 38 RCCG YOUTHS LEAD MEGA PRAISES TO END 100 DAY FAST 50 NEW RCCG CHURCH PLANTERS READY WITHIN 3 MONTHS 39 RCCG EVENTS PASTOR ADEBOYE MEETS WITH COVENANT AND FOL PARTNERS ORDAINED MINISTERS CONFERENCE 2014 FESTIVAL OF LIFE LONDON OCTOBER 2013 CELEBRATION MUSIC CONCERT TO CELEBRATE PASTOR AGU IRUKWU 'S 50TH BIRTHDAY PASTOR AGU IRUKWU BIRTHDAY DINNER PASTOR AGU IRUKWU 'S 50TH BIRTHDAY THANKSGIVING SERVICE

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PASTORS' GATHERING 2014 RCCG PASTORS AND CHURCHES HONOURED AT PASTORS’ GATHERINGS IN LONDON AND LEEDS RCCG EVANGELISTS RECEIVE TRAINING AT EVANGELISM TRAINING DAY AFRICAN MISSIONS GLOBAL REGIONAL RCCG SUNDAY SCHOOL UK CONFERENCE 2014 THE GOOD WOMEN FELLOWSHIP CONFERENCE 2014 54 RCCG UK 2014 NATIONAL MINISTRY CALENDAR 55 RCCG PARTIALLY AND UNREACHED AREAS 56 POETRY WELCOME TO GOD’S KITCHEN 59 YOUTH & SINGLES CHANGING THE STATUS QUO 62 SCIENCE DREAM WITH ME 64 LEGAL IMMIGRATION LAW

SUNRISE Magazine ISSN NO: 2042-6542 EDITORIAL BOARD Editor-in-Chief: MODUPE AFOLABI, Managing Editor: YINKA ODUWOLE, Editor: ANDREA ONDUKU Contributors: KAREN ROACHE, DR. EBIDAPO AYO BAMGBOYE, PASTOR RAPHAEL OLUROTIMI, Columnists: JOSEPH AMAEZE ONWUCHEKWA, DR. AKPO ONDUKU, ABI ADEYANJU, WALE OLADIPO, IDORENYIN ENO, HAPPINESS OLAYEMI ONASANY Photography (RCCG Events): KUSH Contributory Photographer FEMI ONATUGA Designed by: XANDY DAEHNHARDT Printed by: WWW.CHURCH-PRINT.CO.UK Published by: The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), United Kingdom. facebook.com/rccguk twitter.com/rccguk youtube.com/rccguk All communications to: Sunrise Magazine, RCCG Central Office, Redemption House, Station Road, Knebworth, SG3 6AT. Disclaimer: The publishers, editors, contributors and related parties are not responsible in any way for the actions or results taken any person, organisation or any party on basis of reading information, stories or contributions in this publication.

Tel: + 44 (0) 208 171 1030 Email: info@sunrisemagazine.org. Web: www.sunrisemagazine.org

FROM THE GENERAL OVERSEER

My Cup Runneth Over salm 23 v 5 says “Thou prepareth a table before me in the presence of my enemies, thou anoint my head with oil, my cup runeth over”. That passage doesn’t say our cup; it said ‘my cup runneth over’.

Personalise it, say ‘I shall enter into overflow because my cup shall run over’. We serve a very big God. The Bible says in Isaiah 66 v1 “Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me”? This means that God sits in the heaven and His feet can touch the earth. Whenever God wants to do anything, He does it big because He is a big God, for example in Genesis 1 v 20-21 He said “Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life”. The moment He said that, the oceans were filled with all manners of fish and living creatures.

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We have established that God is a big God and because He does big things, His purpose for your life is not to remain small. You may start small, but you will not end small.

When God decided to make man and one woman, He said to them immediately in Gen 1v 26-28 that they should be fruitful and multiply. We are to multiply, it is what we were created to do. For example, when Israel came to Egypt in Exodus 1 v 5 the Bible says there were seventy of them, but by the time they were leaving Egypt they had become six hundred thousand men, not counting children. God didn’t tell Adam and Eve to be fruitful and increase but to multiply. To increase could only be addition not multiplication and you don’t have to be a mathematician to know that the addition is less than multiplication.

Some people go through life barely surviving. Luke 13:17 tells the story of a woman who had been bound for

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eighteen years, she didn’t die yet she wasn’t living, she was barely living. The Bible also talked of a man in Mark 1:23-26 who had an unclean spirit and yet he was going the synagogue. We thought he was living; he was alive but demons were holding him in bondage. Then in 2 Kings 5:1, Naaman looks as if he is successful, but we discover that he had a problem nobody could solve.

3. Moving to the overflow is going to cause you selfdiscipline. Careless people, people who cannot control themselves cannot cope with an overflow. In 1 Corinthians 9:25-27, Paul said if you want to be a master you must be temperate in all things. You must learn to do everything in moderation, must learn to control yourself.

God wants you to overflow; He wants you not only to be healthy, He wants healings to flow through you. He doesn’t just want you to be free; He wants you to be setting the captives free.

Do you know that God does not just want you to be rich, He wants you to lend to nations, He wants you to so prosperous that when nations can’t balance their budget, they will come and pay you a visit. He wants you to bring joy to your city; he wants you to bring joy to your nation. He wants you to overflow!

4. Consistent and generous sowing. 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 tells us that if you sow sparingly; you can only reap sparingly, no matter how much God loves you. In 2 Chronicles 1:6-12 Solomon sowed a thousand offerings, when next he was going to sow he had overflowed completely.

You however have a choice, of all the things that God created, only man has the ability to decide whether what God wants for them is what they will take or not. For example, God is ready to bring you into overflow but you may tell Him you don’t want it. I pray you will tell Him you are ready for overflow. You have a choice on how great you want to become.

For example, Esau sold his birth-right yet because he was the seed of Abraham, he still became so blessed that according to Genesis 32 v 3-6, the Bible says he had four hundred body guards. That being said his brother became a nation. You see there is a difference between one fellow who says he is great and the one who is very great.

If you want to overflow there is a price to pay, it will cost you certain things 1. It will cost you total obedience to God . In Deut. 28 v 113 God tells you what you must do so that you will begin to overflow, He said if you will hearken diligently to the voice of the Lord your God to observe and to do all that He commands you, then He said blessings will follow you. The blessings will be so many you will be running from them, they will pursue you, they will overshadow you. At that stage you will get to a level where you will never borrow but you will be lending to the nations.

2. It will cost you hard work, because when God enlarges your coast as I am sure He is going to, it will lead you to hard work. Overflow is not for the lazy, overflow is not for the slothful, overflow is for hard workers Proverbs 22:29 says “seest thou a man diligent in his business, he shall stand before kings and not before mean men”. Your promotion is at hand but it is going to lead you to hard work.

5. Abundance of prayers, particularly in the spirit, In 1 Corinthians 14:18, Paul the Apostle said ‘I thank God I pray in tongue more than ye all’ and in Acts 19:11-12 the Bible says God performed special miracles by the hands of Paul. His sweat overflowed with anointing because his handkerchiefs and even his apron was healing the sick but remember that he prayed in tongues more than any other person.

How do I begin to overflow?

1. Stop looking at yourself alone, move away from “God bless me, to Lord make me a blessing”. Stop just praying for you alone, stop praying for God to bless you, now move on to “God make me a blessing”. Move away from “God heal me to God heal others through me”. Move away from “God help me to pay my rent to God make me a landlord”. In 2 Chronicles 1:6-12 when God asked Solomon what he wanted, he asked for wisdom and understanding so that he could take care of the people in his care. He wanted to be a blessing to others. That is why God gave him the wisdom and understanding and what he didn’t ask for he added.

2. Get thirsty for God, in Matthew 5:6 the Bible says ‘blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, they shall be filled’. In 2 Kings 2:9-15 Elijah asked Elisha what he wanted and Elisha said ‘I want a double portion of your spirit’. If you consider what a little portion could do, you can understand the kind of thirst that young man had, He said ‘I don’t want just ordinary, I want extraordinary’. It is no wonder he overflowed so much with an anointing that even after he was dead, his dead bones still raise the dead.

3. Accept His invitation. In John 7:37-39 Jesus said ‘if any man thirst let him come to me and drink’, He said out of his belly shall then begin to flow rivers of living water.

The invitation has been there a long time ago. All that He is waiting for is someone who will say to Him, I want to overflow, I accept your invitation.

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GENERAL 1. God says a divine promise of more than a decade ago will begin to find fulfilment.

2. Someone can expect a prominent divine visitation that will radically alter the course of his/her life.

3. Daddy says someone will have the first taste of real dominion.

4. The Lord says there will be quite a few narrow escapes from tragedies.

NIGERIA 1. The future of Nigeria will be determined this year.

2. The equations at the beginning of this year will be different from the equations at the end of the year. So don’t jump to conclusions.

INTERNATIONAL 1. There will be more major breakthrough in medicine and science.

2. We are to pray against noisy, highly destructive storms.

3. Pray against monumental fire outbreaks.

How To Give Towards the

NEW RCCG AUDITORIUM t the 61st Annual Convention of the RCCG held at the RCCG Headquarters in Redemption Camp, Nigeria last August, the General Overseer Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye shared the vision to construct within one year, a new auditorium that will measure three kilometres in length and breadth.

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According to the General Overseer, the planned structure should be ready to host the 2014 Convention of the church.

He, therefore, made an appeal for people to partner with the initiative and put up a building that will further God’s purposes for the mission.

Not one to lead from behind, Pastor Adeboye has been at the forefront of the fundraising drive, considering the considerable costs of a construction project of this magnitude. Speaking at the Redemption Camp in Nigeria last March during the Solemn Assembly - a meeting for Pastors and Ministers - the General Overseer encouraged sacrificial giving towards the project.

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He added: ““The (New) Auditorium is not my project; it is your project. If there is anyone who can lay claim to this project, it is just two people: God and yourself“.

The 62nd Annual Convention of the RCCG with the theme “The Holy Spirit” is scheduled for the 4th to 10th of August, 2014.

To give to the vision, please go to the main RCCG website by following this link: https://www.trccg.org/holyGhost/trccg.org/offering.php God bless you richly as you partner with God to bring this vision to a glorious and speedy fulfilment.

FROM THE CENTRAL OFFICE

No Longer Business as Usual: It’s Time to Overflow!

By Modupe Afolabi

he central theme of this spring edition of Sunrise is Overflow, following from the prophetic declaration of 2014 as the Year of the Overflow by our Father-inthe-Lord and General Overseer Pastor Enoch Adeboye. In the spirit of the season, my desire is to share a singular but hopefully significant thought: the need for you and I to overflow with creativity this year.

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Unlike any other, I am persuaded that 2014 is the year we all must reach deep within ourselves and overflow creatively in our endeavours the way the Creator designed us to be.

Spiritually, the conditions are just right for us to tap into the wellsprings of ingenuity and resourcefulness which the Lord has coded into us from the foundations of the world.

Remember the original Divine Commission: “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.“ (Genesis 1:28). The Creator’s initial assignment was for us to dominate the earth. You need creativity to accomplish this.

No great feat was ever accomplished without a creative spark or impulse. The earth as we know it today began following the move of the Holy Spirit upon the face of the waters, evidence of His creative persona. “And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.“ (Genesis 1:2). The secret to overflowing creativity

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lies in a relationship with the Holy Spirit.

We serve an abundantly inventive and innovative God. If in doubt, cast your mind to the magnificence of the heavens and the earth, to the ever astonishing universe around us.

We were created in His own image, and after His likeness.

We cannot but be resourceful and productive. Our original mandate was to have dominion over this planet. Surely, inspiration from the Holy Spirit must be the key to unlocking its riches, of restoring God’s dominion over His creation through you and I. The truth is that to overflow, you need the Holy Spirit.

Can I set you a creative challenge, a three-month test for which you may wish to find a friend to be accountable to?

Could you purpose in your mind and spirit to befriend the Holy Spirit to such an extent that you begin to hear Him anew, follow His guidance and be the best God purposed you to be?

Will you shake off every form of spiritual, mental and physical weariness, choosing to become productive like never before, whatever your endeavour? Will you decide that it can no longer be business as usual, that it’s time to overflow with your God-given ideas?

Pastor Modupe Afolabi is Editor-in-Chief of Sunrise. : @MoAfolabi : facebook.com/pastormo

EDITORIAL NOTE I love the Lord!

He picks me up when I fall!

He makes me to stand tall!

Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!

I love the Lord!

Where would I be! Where could I go! normally start this editorial note with a poem and this is a poem I wrote as I find myself in awe of the greatness of God and His continued grace and mercy. I find that His love can take me to places that I never thought I could go. His peace gives me security that I couldn’t find anywhere else and His grace empowers me to do what I thought was impossible. Lately, I have been meditating a lot on who God has created us to be and what He has created us to do.

Daniel 11:32b says “but the people who do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits”. God has created us to be strong and to do exploits to show forth His glory, yet, so many of us are plagued with insecurity and held down by fear. Ralph Waldo Emerson an American poet said “He who is not every day conquering some fear has not learned the secret of life.” In other words, you are only as successful as the magnitude of fear you are willing to conquer. You are in the hands of a Mighty

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If not for Him, I just don’t know!

Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!

I love the Lord!

My hope is in Him, my strength is in Him! My joy is complete and my light never dim!

Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!

God and as such there is no challenge that should be able to intimidate you. You can tackle some difficult things knowing that Christ in you is empowering you to do them.

Take out fear and rely on Him. When you venture out of your comfort zone, you may feel anxious but anxiety is a basic human characteristic. It is the result of the awareness of the responsibility for choosing.

Those who are willing to press through anxiety have the possibility of living their life to their full potential. However, people also avoid feeling anxious by denying their freedom, and by refusing to be responsible for their choices. What is that thing that has been intimidating you? Confront it and with God’s help in this season of overflow, you will overcome it in Jesus Name. This edition of Sunrise is packed with empowering and inspiring articles that will encourage you to overflow in every area of your life. Be inspired as you read about various community and missions activities and

events, discover how to access God’s overflowing provision, be challenged as you read how to implement self-discipline, learn how to secure your divine destiny and be encouraged to dream big. With God on your side, you cannot fail! Hallelujah! Since the last edition, we also in RCCG UK had the privilege of celebrating with our Chairman, Pastor Agu Irukwu as he celebrated his 50th Birthday. We pray that God will continue to strengthen him, uphold Him and cause him to experience overflow in every area of his life in Jesus Name.

As usual, if you wish to be part of the next edition of magazine or you can recommend someone who is doing great or inspirational work in their community, please do get in touch with suggestions and article submissions via enquiries@sunrisemagazine.org or communications@rccg.co.uk God Bless You, Andrea Onduku

Books You Just Must Read...

...contact your local Christian book shop.

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FEATURE

MY CUP RUNS OVER The image of a cup running over is an artistic impression of overflow. When we think of overflow what immediately comes to mind is excess provision for a particular need. Where there is overflow, there is abundance or over supply.

Overflow is much more than increased finances. It also covers health, relationships and a host of other areas.

n taking us to a place of overflow and abundance, God first navigates us to a place where we have no choice but to walk by faith and not by sight. In this interim phase, we confront contradictions which challenge our conviction and nudge us towards doubt because of the sheer impossibility of overflow occurring in a dry place. However, we often forget that God is the one who produces rivers in a wilderness and calls forth water from a rock. To understand the overflow of God’s provision, we must first understand the characteristics of his provision. Seven are listed here but, in reality, the list is inexhaustible.

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Seven Features Of God’s Provision 1. It is Eternal provision – this means that God’s provision lasts beyond this lifetime. In Luke 18: 29-30 Jesus promises us abundantly more than what we have sacrificed for the Kingdom, in this life, and in the eternal world to come.

2. It is Superior in Quality - this means that the quality of God’s provision is superior to the quality of any other. In John 6: 26, Jesus turned water into wine at a wedding feast in Cana because wine had run out. The governor of the feast was so impressed when he tasted it that he described it as being the best wine that had been served up until that point. Likewise, in 2nd Kings 5, Naaman, the Syrian Captain, was not only healed of leprosy but the bible describes his skin as being baby smooth.

3. It is in Excess of Personal Need – God’s provision always exceeds what is sought. With the feeding of the five thousand Jesus’ disciples collected twelve baskets of leftovers and with the feeding of the four thousand, seven baskets of leftovers were collected. A biblical account that confirms God’s proclivity for supplying in excess of what is required is also the story of the prophet’s widow in 2nd Kings 4: 1-7 where God not only supplied enough to cancel her debt, but gave her an overflow to run a business. In Ephesians 3:20, Paul helps us to understand that God is able and indeed does provide exceedingly and abundantly more than we could ever ask or think according to his great power that is work in us.

4. It Grows from a Seed – God’s provision always starts in seed form and multiplies. In Genesis 1:28 God’s command to man is for man to be fruitful and multiply and to ensure this God

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implanted man with seed. When God issued this command he fully expected man to not only be fertile and productive, but to experience an overflow. God’s growth principle is known as compound interest and is the means by which God brings about increase and abundance in the earth. In a nut shell, the principle of compound interest multiplies and compounds the interest on a thing resulting in cycles of increase. It is humbling to see how a single corn cob can ultimately provide enough seed to plant acres of land and produce an epic harvest of maize. With compound interest in operation God’s provision is unlimited.

5. It is Spiritual in Origin – - In Ephesians 1:3, Paul informs us that God has given us all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Because God’s provision originates in the Kingdom (Heaven) and we know that God is a spirit (see John 4), it means that God’s provision has spiritual characteristics. In 1 Corinthians 2 Paul clarifies that a person who functions purely by the five senses is unable to receive the things provided by the Holy Spirit because those things appear foolish to such a person. Paul goes on to say that such a person cannot even discern them because those things can only be discerned spiritually. In Hebrews 11:3, we are reminded that the things which are seen (perceived with the five senses) were crafted from things which are not discernible to the five senses (invisible to the conscious mind). In 1 Corinthians 2:12, Paul informs us that we have been given the Spirit of God so that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. Examples of God’s spiritual provision include peace, grace, mercy, wisdom, favour and so on.

6. It is reserved for God’s Anointed Ones – In 1 Corinthians 2: 9 10, Paul informs us that no eye has seen or ear heard or heart perceived what God has prepared for those that love him, but he has revealed it to us through his Holy Spirit. David in the famous Psalm 23 understands the rights of access attaching to God’s provision when he says that God had anointed him with oil and that as a result his cup was running over. This paints a picture of God’s children, who are described as co-heirs with Jesus Christ (see Romans 8) and as being a royal priesthood (see 1st Peter 2:9). All priests are anointed and as Christ is often described as our high priest we receive our anointing from him.

Incidental to our anointing is an overflow in every area of life to enable us fulfil destiny. Psalm 23 therefore helps us to know that God’s overflow is for those who have been anointed by him for purpose.

7. It attaches to Covenant - Coupled with every anointing is God’s covenant with the anointed person. God’s excess provision is tied-in with his covenant and is incidental to his covenant. God blessed Abraham, Isaac and Jacob because of his covenant with Abraham and each of them experienced an overflow of his blessing in their lives. Because God is a covenant keeping God who always honours his commitments, he will always deliver abundant provision as part of the package. He, however, expects those he has entered into covenant with to acknowledge the source of their overflow of blessings. This is why Moses cautions the children of Israel about not forgetting who the source of their abundant provision was once they got to the Promised Land overflowing with milk and honey.

Why does God provide an overflow in the lives of his children? In 2 Corinthians 9: 8-11, Paul clarifies that God’s abundance or overflow in the lives of his children is to enable them be generous on every occasion that presents itself to them. In other words God’s overflow in our lives is about getting provision through us to others in need such as the poor, the widows and orphans. In this guise we become stewards of all the things that God has provided through us because we know that God loves a cheerful giver. In Luke 12, Jesus clarifies that to whom much is given much is expected. This indicates the burden resting on the shoulders of those whom God has blessed with a supply in excess of their needs. We have also seen, above, that overflow comes to help us fulfil destiny, exercise influence in the earth and build God’s kingdom.

The way to God’s overflow is buried in his promises to us is via a dry and barren place. The wilderness is the place of transition from lack to abundance and as Moses explained in Deuteronomy 8 it is God’s way of testing his children. Test? Why would God who is omniscient (all-knowing) want to test us? God’s test, as Moses clarified in Deuteronomy 8 is to help us discover what is in our hearts and for us to assess our capacity to obey his commandments. As God already knows what we are going to do before we do it the feedback from the test is for our consumption.

The way God administers this test is by humbling us in the wilderness. We soon learn that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from God. There are four basic steps to accessing God’s overflowing provision: A) Believe: We have to believe God and have faith in him to supply all our needs. In Hebrews 11 we are informed that without faith it is impossible to please God. We are subsequently told that those who come to God must believe that he is, (all that the bible says he is – my emphasis), and that he rewards those who diligently seek him. Before Abraham could receive his abundant promise he had to believe God. On his way to becoming a father of “many” nations Abraham had to believe in a God of resurrection who calls forth things which cannot be perceived with the five senses. For Abram (father) to become Abraham (father of many nations) he had to be tested.

From viewing life primarily through his five senses, Abraham learnt how to perceive life through the eyes of faith and in so doing he accessed the first chapter of God’s abundant promise to him. God kept Abraham humble by allowing his wife Sarah

to be barren and allowing Abraham to become infertile and impotent, before then providing Isaac - the seed of his promise. .Abraham became a man of faith who learnt to trust God for something only God could perform.

B) Sow: Sowing and reaping is a law which emphasises the link between the quality of a seed and the resultant harvest. James clarifies that faith without works is dead (James 2:14) and he gives the example of Abraham who by faith offered up Isaac his son to God as a sacrifice. James clarifies that Abraham’s faith was made perfect by this act. In a nutshell, our faith is worthless, unless we act on it. Sowing a seed is biblically confirmed as an act of faith. Wishful thinking will not give us access to God’s overflowing provision. God requires us to sow seed as a demonstration of our faith. As we have already learnt, we all carry seed, but except this seed is planted it will never fulfil destiny. In the feeding of the five thousand, Jesus received an offering from a young lad of five loaves and two fish and this became a seed in his hands to feed a multitude. Except a seed is planted it abides alone, but if it is sown it initially dies but then brings forth increase.

C) Thanksgiving: Thanksgiving is a key part of the process of receiving God’s overflow. As we learn to show gratitude to God in advance of the expected harvest, we make it impossible for him not to give it to us. Jesus always gave God thanks. With the feeding of the five thousand, Jesus gave thanks to God as he blessed the five loaves and two fish. At Lazarus tomb, again, Jesus publicly gave thanks to God before bringing Lazarus back to life. In Luke 17:19, Jesus healed ten lepers but only one, a foreigner, returned to give praise and thanksgiving to God for his healing. We are told that the very act of gratitude earned him an overflow of divine healing (he was made whole in every area of his body). Thanksgiving is a powerful tool that gives us access to an abundant harvest, regardless of the environment.

D) Patience: We are told in Hebrews 10:36 that we have need of patience after we have done the will of God, so that we might receive the promise. What is the promise? The promise is the Kingdom of God. In Matthew 6 and Luke 12 we are urged to seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all the things we need shall be added to us. In Luke 12:32, Christ emphasises that it is God’s good pleasure to give us the Kingdom. When you think about the Kingdom, think about overflow, because they are one and the same thing. So, how do we learn to patiently wait on God for his promises? Well, James tells us in James 1:3-4 that the testing of our faith produces patience and this ultimately results in maturity. In Hebrews 6:12 we are urged not to be slothful, but to be followers of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises (the kingdom). The example is then given of Abraham who had to patiently endure before receiving God’s promise to him. In Hebrews 12:1 we are instructed to lay aside every distraction that weighs us down or causes us to stumble so that we can run our life’s race with patience and fulfil destiny.

There is an overflow for God’s people that can only be accessed by those who are led by their spirit and not their flesh. The evidence of what is governing our life lies in our faith, and that faith, if allowed to mature, produces an overflow.

By JOSEPH AMAEZE

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THINK ON THESE THINGS

By Yinka Oduwole

THE WORD IS NEAR YOU “But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.” (Deuteronomy 30:14) erhaps one of the most interesting happenings that has caught my attention in recent times is the emergence of celebrity life coaches who have attained rock-star status as they offer help to many in dealing with crucial lifestyle matters. Life Coaching and its various incarnations may well be the world’s newest profession.

Let me be quick to say here that I have nothing against Life Coaching in principle, or any other form of related help for that matter. As a firm believer in helping others to find the answers to make them succeed, coaching is obviously a legitimate endeavour. My worry, however, is the seeming elevation of the results of coaching to a status where people may actually expect more than it can deliver. Irrespective of its benefits, coaching cannot really replace a person’s need for God. Going through much of what mainstream lifestyle coaches teach today, it is obvious that coaching is indeed filling a vacuum in the lives of a lot of people. Interestingly, it appears to be meeting their needs without overtly stepping into the realm of faith or religion. Popular coaches today fill auditoriums with ‘faithfuls’ eager for answers to life’s most challenging problems. At some of these meetings, the energy is almost akin to the anointing present at Christian religious meetings.

Coaches, some may even argue, are the new ‘pastors’, pointing people in the way they should go. It is indeed an interesting phenomenon worthy of more rigorous examination by those who study such developments in society. For me, this new phenomenon raises a few interesting questions.

First, is the rise of coaching the result of a vacuum in the lives of many in a post-modern, ‘post-Christian’ world, where people mostly claim to be ‘spiritual’ but not ‘religious’? That is to say, in the absence of ‘organised’ religion, do people flock to coaches to fill this undeniable void in their lives?

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Second, is the growing popularity of coaching the consequence of the Church of Jesus Christ not compelling enough people, through evangelism and conversion, to fill the spiritual voids they have in their hearts with a loving submission to the God that sent His Son Jesus to die for them? In other words, is coaching succeeding at the expense of evangelism?

Third, what should be the response of the Body of Christ?

Should we simply ignore this new coaching phenomenon as a passing fad and just get on with our business of soulwinning, discipleship and works of compassion? Or should we prayerfully engage with coaching, seeing it is now such a dominant aspect of the culture? Are pastors to also become ‘spiritual coaches’ of sorts to their members, undergirding their own ‘coaching’ philosophies with principles from the Holy Bible? Or should pastors simply preach the Word of God and trust parishioners to apply the lessons meaningfully in their daily pursuits?

Such is the complexity of the situation wherein the practice of coaching may present a challenge of sorts to the enlisting of followers for Jesus Christ. In today’s enlightened society, people are asking questions of life, of purpose, of relationships, of their career aspirations and they will gravitate towards whoever appears to have solutions.

In truth, however, the answers to all the burning questions taking people to celebrity coaches lie in the best-selling book of all time - the Holy Bible. The inspired writings of scripture provide true, tried and tested solutions to questions about life, purpose, relationships and prosperity - the very issues for which many are seeking guidance. The Word is already near them. It is also very near you; if only, we would apply its teachings.

Dr Yinka Oduwole (Pastor, RCCG The Risen Christ, Knebworth)

COMMUNITY

RCCG UK donates to

TYPHOON HAIYAN SURVIVORS

Typhoon Haiyan left over 6,000 dead and millions displaced in the Philippines in November 2013 and RCCG UK felt compelled to help. To this end, funds were raised through RCCG UK churches totalling £32,634.34 which were donated to the Philippines through Samaritans Purse. eaders of RCCG UK presented the cheque to Samaritan’s Purse UK (SP UK) at a presentation ceremony in their headquarters, Buckhurst Hill, Essex.

After a brief welcome and introduction, Chris Blackham, Head of Programmes and Projects at SP UK who was part of the visiting team to the Philippines gave a presentation about the work SP UK has done so far. He said “I met a pastor of a local church who had moved into the ruins of the church building. He wanted to be as close to the people as possible and it was encouraging to see the local church being the hands and feet of Jesus in the community. SP UK will be there for the next 3 years to rebuild a foundation of faith, hope and love and to rebuild the livelihood and lives of those affected by Typhoon Haiyan...’

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In response, Pastor Modupe Afolabi, Executive Administrator, RCCG UK Central Office said “We shall continue doing the little we can to keep the fire burning”.

Pastor Kola Bamigbade, Member of the Executive Council and Board of Trustees, RCCG UK commended the

commitment of Samaritan’s Purse and the great work they do all over the world.

As he presented the cheque from RCCG UK, he said “We assure continued support of our partnership from the past few years. We were touched by the scale of Typhoon Haiyan and people rose up in response. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I present this to Samaritan’s Purse UK.” Lastly, Simon Barrington, Executive Director of SP UK gave a word of thanks.

He said “I want to say a big thank you to the congregation and response of RCCG UK members. Their hands have been broken by God according to James 2. Paraphrasing, “You should not have any favourites because you are not the judge but if you do, it should be the poor”. My heartfelt thanks to everyone - Trustees, Executive Council members Pastors, Church and Congregation. We love working with people we share a partnership with in the gospel”.

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COMMUNITY

Starting a Foodbank unexpected bill on a low income. Foodbanks can provide a minimum of three days emergency food and support to people experiencing crisis in the UK. In 2012-13 Foodbanks fed 346,992 people nationwide. Of those helped, 126,889 were children. The vision is to see a Foodbank in every UK town, creating a nation where no-one has to go hungry could your church help make that a reality? Even if there is already a Foodbank that you know of in your town or city, it may be far from you. Why not consider being an additional distribution centre for those who are close to your vicinity?

One such church that decided to get involved and launch a Foodbank is RCCG CRA Nottingham. Sunrise caught up with Pastor Vincent Tokunbo Ibikunle to find out more about this and what else they are doing in their community.

The Pastorate and the Experian Team

he Trussell Trust works to empower local communities to combat poverty and exclusion and one of the ways that they do this is to work in partnership with local churches and communities to launch and maintain Foodbanks, because they believe that local communities are best placed to meet local needs. They provide churches with all the tools, training and know-how that they need to start a Foodbank so that people in crisis don’t have to go hungry. Every day people in the UK go hungry for reasons ranging from redundancy to receiving an

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The Pastorate, Sheriff of Nottingham, Hope Nottingham Volunteers

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Pastor Vincent, what prompted you to get actively involved in the needs of your community and what advice could you offer to those who are thinking of taking that step?

At CRA Nottingham, we identified the pressing needs within our immediate community and decided to strategically offer ‘Godly Solutions’ by taking the pews into the community.

We have been able to achieve this through the generous support of individuals and organisations.

Our dreams are all fast becoming a reality. Our advice is Dare to Dream! Write down the vision, make it plain! That is what Hab. 2:2 clearly states. Not only has the dream come to fruition but a sustainable reality. Our dream has now manifested into a fully operational Food Bank in conjunction with Hope Nottingham. It was launched on the 6th November, 2013 and operations began on the 9th of the same month. Our vision of raising a Blessed Generation is being actualised each Saturday between10:00am12:00pm when the Food Bank is opened to the public, giving us the opportunity to support and strengthen families. It is an amazing way to share the love of Christ. This one door has opened other opportunities to us. It is indeed true that little beginnings should not be despised (Zech. 4:10).

Was the Food bank the first community project you have undertaken?

It has really been a journey! Our vision to impact lives began by adopting children from developing or war-torn countries through Compassion UK and this progressed to partnering with The Samaritans Shoe-Box initiative where we prepare Christmas Gifts in shoe-boxes which is then collected and

Christmas Hamper for Local Residents

shipped to the less privileged in developing countries. That was a herculean task! We pulled through though! We are now the wiser and have begun hunting for used shoe-boxes early in the year. A hint!!!!!!

The Bible states that everything works together for good for those who trust in Him (Rom.8:28) Last year, we were unable to get adequate number of boxes for the Samaritan project. It was like looking for a pin in an ocean. The easier option was to give up, but we asked and we receivedMark11:24. The Nottingham City Council opened its doors to us and we were able to bless the children within our immediate community with what we thought was insufficient to send abroad.

Putting finishing touches in preparation of the food bank launch

You can contact The Trussel Trust via 01722 580 171 or foodbanknetwork@trusselltrust.org You can contact The HOPE office via 01788 542782 or office@hopetogether.org.uk You can contact the CRA Community Development Project Team via 0115 9781720/07738984972 or communityprojects@rccgcranottingham.org

How well has what you have given been received by your local community?

There are so many testimonies but the precious thank you pictures received from some of the children who received Christmas presents say it all. Pictures they say speaks a thousand words.

Has it been difficult to sustain the community projects?

It is by HIS grace. To HIM alone be ALL the glory. Prayer is indeed the Master KEY. Together we can make a difference with GOD on our side.

YouthhandingovershoeboxestostaffsofNottinghamCity

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RELATIONSHIPS

What’s YOUR BATTLE Strategy?

Do you believe that your adversary the devil is happy with Godly relationships?

Of course not! Anything or anyone that glorifies God is automatically on the devil’s hit list because he does not want God to have any glory. 1 Peter 5:8 says “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour”. our marriage, your relationship with your children and indeed all of your Godly relationships are on the devil’s agenda to devour. It is the denial of this battle that has caused children to go wayward and marriages to end in sorrow. Can you honestly say that you haven’t taken your relationships for granted? Are you investing the necessary time into your relationships? Are you investing time in learning more about how to cultivate a Godly marriage? Are you spending quality time in prayer for your spouse, your marriage, your children and all your relationships? Have you played into the devil’s hands by being dishonest or allowing anger, resentment and bitterness to come into your home?

If things have gone wrong and you can identify issues from the above questions, do not hold your head in your hands, lamenting, rather do what the Bible says in 1 Peter 5:9a “Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith…”

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How do you stand firm against the devil? How do you stand strong in your faith? Faith is believing in what has God told you. The Covenant you made on your wedding day is a three string cord if you keep God in the centre of your marriage and Eccl. 4:12 says “And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken”. Stop fighting one another, unite against the devil and he will flee from you. Your children may appear to have gone off the rails but the Bible says in Isaiah 54:13 that “all your children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of your children”. Stand on this word and you will see it come to pass in the lives of your children.

The problem with us is that when we see problems in our relationships, we don’t tackle it according to God’s plan, we formulate our own plan of defence and this can end in disastrous consequences. An example of how having our plan can lead to disaster is found in Isaiah 7-12. It could be

titled THE ASSYRIAN CRISIS. One of the kings in Isaiah’s time was Ahaz. In the days of Ahaz, the king and his people became “worried to death” because, just north of their border, the Northern kingdom and Syria were joining forces and it seemed like they were planning to conquer Judah.

Now God - through Isaiah - had something to say about all this. God sent word to king Ahaz, telling him NOT TO WORRY ABOUT THIS NORTHERN CONFEDERATION. The exact words are (7:4): “Take heed, and be quiet; do not fear or be fainthearted...” God said, about this confederation or plan, “IT SHALL NOT STAND!” (Isa. 7:7). So what Ahaz should have done was to BELIEVE GOD. But, he didn’t pay much attention to God. Instead, KING AHAZ WENT ON TO FORMULATE AND EXECUTE HIS OWN PLAN OF DEFENSE; a plan that eventually backfired. King Ahaz hired the nation of ASSYRIA, to come over and crush this northern confederation. He even agreed to pay them for their help; he paid them well - in silver and gold from the house of the Lord.

When Ahaz didn’t pay attention to God, and when he devised his own plan, he was guilty of unbelief; and for that unbelief he was to be punished. What happened was, after the Assyrians had crushed the northern confederation (as Ahaz had paid them to do) ... they just kept coming south, right into Judah and Jerusalem, where Ahaz was. So, because of his unbelief, the king got more than he bargained for.

Chapter eight of Isaiah tells how God used Assyria to punish both kingdoms, Israel and Judah. At the end of chapter eight, there is a picture of the gloom and darkness there would be, as the Assyrians came through with their devastating military force. The last verse of chapter eight shows the people looking around - and seeing trouble, darkness, and the gloom of anguish.

This is where some of us are, we have made wrong decisions regarding our relationships, ignoring God’s counsel and now we are in trouble. But take heart! As chapter nine opens, the prophet Isaiah is saying: THIS GLOOM WILL NOT LAST FOREVER! THE PICTURE OF TOTAL GLOOM WHICH CLOSED THE PRECEDING CHAPTER GIVES WAY TO A PICTURE OF BRILLIANT LIGHT. Things would be bad, in the aftermath of this Assyrian crisis — BUT, THEY WOULDN’T BE BAD FOREVER!!

There was still reason for hope, as to the future. God’s plan would be carried out! A time would come, Isaiah says, WHEN DARKNESS WOULD BE DISPELLED BY LIGHT; GLOOM WOULD BE REPLACED BY JOY, AND GOD WOULD HAVE A NATION OF PEOPLE, RULED BY A PERFECT KING. The Syrians and Assyrians did at first ravage the countries here mentioned but that region was the first to be favoured by the preaching of Christ.

I thank God that He is so merciful and He turned things around for land of Zebulun and Naphtali and indeed for us, things have turned around because of the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus.

However I want to draw out the point that we must have

faith in God for everything to work out as He has told us.

King Ahaz didn’t pay attention to God, and when he devised his own plan, he was guilty of unbelief; and for that unbelief he was to be punished.

Listen to Isaiah 7:7-9 “But this is what the Sovereign LORD says: “This invasion will never happen; it will never take place; for Syria is no stronger than its capital, Damascus, and Damascus is no stronger than its king, Rezin. As for Israel, within sixty-five years it will be crushed and completely destroyed. Israel is no stronger than its capital, Samaria, and Samaria is no stronger than its king, Pekah son of Remaliah.

Unless your faith is firm, I cannot make you stand firm.”

The problem with us is that when we see problems in our relationships, we don’t tackle it according to God’s plan, we formulate our own plan of defence and this can end in disastrous consequences.

God is saying to someone reading this today that this invasion of the enemy in your marriage and family will never happen because your enemy is not greater than you. He who is in you is greater. Do you believe Him or like King Ahaz are you developing your own plan of escape without God’s blessing? V 9 says “Unless your faith is firm, I cannot make you stand firm.” Is your faith firm today? The Message version says “If you don’t take your stand in faith, you won’t have a leg to stand on”. You have the Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace on your side.

Pray today that your faith would be strong and that you will be able to stand firm no-matter the challenges and storms that come your way. Pray that the plan of the enemy over your life will not stand rather God’s good plan for your life will stand in Jesus name. Declare today over your life that this invasion will never happen; it will never take place in Jesus name. Why not also pray concerning your marriage, marriages in your family, marriages in your church and even marriages of the leaders in the church that the plan of the enemy to scatter Holy marriages will not succeed in Jesus name. Stand firm today and be determined to glorify God in your relationships.

By: Andrea Onduku (RCCG Chapel of Grace, Bradford) You can contact Andrea via www.mattersofheart.org or email info@mattersofheart.org

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A Despised or

MIGHTY WEAPON?

Our God is the Almighty, He is supreme in all things. Everything about Him; His words, actions, thoughts, ideas, weapons and strategies are all SUPERNATURAL. herefore when His words, commandments and instructions are obeyed, the supernatural happens.

The Bible is full of examples to confirm this:

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Exodus 17:6 states “I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb, strike the rock and water will come out of it for the people to drink”.

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Exodus 14:16 “But lift up your Rod and stretch out your HAND over the sea and DIVIDE IT” (NKJV, Emphasis mine).

This rod was an ordinary shepherd’s rod in the ordinary old bony hand of Moses, yet when submitted to God, it did the extraordinary – it was even used to divide the sea and later closed the sea. (Exodus 14:26-28).

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2Kings 5:10, 14 says “And Elisha sent a messenger unto Him, saying, ‘Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shall be clean’. So Naaman went down to the Jordan River and dipped himself seven times, as the man of God had instructed him. And his skin became as healthy as the skin of a young child’s, and he was healed” (New Living Translation)

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In the same vein, Jesus did something similar as explained in the book of John. He performed a creative miracle of brand new eyes to the man born blind. With ordinary saliva, mud and washing in a pool, a brand new set of eyes were created. All this because the man “went and washed” as he was instructed by Jesus. He simply obeyed the experienced God’s miraculous power.

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“Go and show yourselves unto the priests” was all that Jesus said to the ten lepers in Luke 17:14. “And it came to pass, that AS THEY WENT, they were cleansed” (Emphasis mine). It looks too simple to believe but Jesus never touched, or pray, or rebuked the devil, he never told them to go and bath seven times or even to go and fast and pray! Yet they received their miracle when they were on their way to do what He said they should do. They had NOT even competed the instruction!

“As they left...” (Common English Bible) “And while they were going...” (Bible in Basic English) “On the way...” (Good News Translation) “And it happened as they were going…” (Lexham English Bible)

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For forty solid days, the giant Goliath had bullied, terrorised and disdained the whole army of a whole nation. They were totally paralysed, wounded and disarmed by his disdaining & taunting challenge to choose someone for one-on-one combat. Not a single soldier had the guts to stand up to his challenge, not even the tallest and well-built among them – King Saul himself. However, the battle came to a glorious end for the people of God. And God’s weapon? A young, handsome boy with just one smooth stone and a sling!

He was too young & inexperienced even to be conscripted into the national army, very inexperienced in combatant warfare. Yet, through him, God brought great victory to Israel.

As the Almighty, He can use seemingly insignificant things like a rod, Shepherd’s staff, a stone, sling, water, mud, saliva, jaw bone of an ass (Judges 15:15), bare hands (Judges 14:56), etc. In the same vein, He can decide to use seemingly insignificant and unqualified people to fulfil His purpose.

Apostle Paul sums this up in 1 Corinthians 1:26-29. “Take a good look, friends, at who you were when you got called into this life. I don’t see many of ‘the brightest and the best’ among you, not many influential, not many from high society families. Isn’t it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses, chose these ‘nobodies’...” (The Message) “Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish… things that are powerless… despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all...” (New Living Translation) The pattern is in-exhaustive and demonstrated severally in the Bible: •

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When God was looking for a deliverer for Israel at various times, He chose all kinds of people that would definitely not have won the election. He chose Deborah, the despised & rejected gender at the time – woman! He chose Jephthah, whose “mother was a prostitute” Judges 11:1 (NLT). What a stigma! He chose Gideon, the timid & insecure, Samson the indiscipline and the list goes on.

Of Jesus it is written: “There was nothing attractive about him, nothing to cause us to take a second look.

He was looked down on and passed over...” (Isaiah 53:2b-3a). Concerning Him, it was asked; “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46). He was “The stone the masons discarded as flawed...” Psalm 118:22 (The Message)

Yet He is God in Man, the perfect God and perfect man, the Messiah, Saviour, Creator, King & Ruler of the universe, the Highest name in the universe at the mention of which all knees bow!

yourself being a child of the Most High, born again, spiritfilled, anointed, a minister of the everlasting Gospel of our Lord Jesus, a leader in God’s house over the Lord’s heritage?

If you were to be God, would you have chosen yourself? Be confident in who God has chosen you to be and walk in it.

You may not feel significant but you are significant in God’s plan.

One of the seemingly insignificant means of blessing His people is the

Adult SUNDAY SCHOOL ministry …yet, properly and constructively handled it can become a powerful tool to do exploits for the Kingdom.

God’s principles of choice have not changed. They are as eternal as Himself. He can use what looks to be insignificant in a mighty way. One of the seemingly insignificant means of blessing His people is the Adult SUNDAY SCHOOL ministry. It is looked down upon & despised by many churches, leaders, ministries and parishes as outdated, an unnecessary burden and in some cases (where people have no choice) imposed which is done to fulfil all righteousness. Yet, properly and constructively handled, can become a powerful tool to do exploits for the Kingdom. What then are the challenges facing the Adult Sunday School? Why are we not getting the best out of it? What can we do to maximise its benefits?

What exactly are the benefits? These questions will be dealt with in subsequent editions of SUNRISE. Please be on the lookout and till then keep enjoying His grace

Pastor Raphael Olurotimi National Director RCCG Sunday School, UK.

Bring the story home and look at yourself. Can you imagine

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FEATURE

OBSTACLES TO

Dr. Akpo Onduku

GREATNESS The truth about greatness is that it begins with a divine blessing from God (Genesis 12:1-3). The Dictionary defines greatness as a state of being large in amount, size, or degree. It also refers to being skilful and important. Greatness means that you become fully yourself and transcend your doubts and perceived limitations. Ephesians 1:19 says “And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power”. The Greek word ‘megethos’ which is used to describe greatness in this verse means ‘vastness’ which means of a very great extent or quantity or immense importance. elating his experiences, Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 16:9 says “for a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.” Paul recognises that in the midst of so many kingdom opportunities there has sprung up many challenges.

The Message Translation says “a huge door of opportunity for good work has opened up here but there is also mushrooming opposition.”

William Shakespeare said “be not afraid of greatness; some are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them.” Therefore, let your passions drive your desire and actions towards being great. Some key

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principles of greatness are that you should stop being complacent; take a risk in life; and always believe in yourself.

Thomas Carlyle said that “no great man lives in vain for the history of the world is but the biography of great men.” In your pursuit for greatness, may you be a history maker in Jesus’ mighty name.

Paul says in Philippians 3:14 “I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (NKJV). The simple truth is, if he had to press towards the goal, then there must have been an opposition on his way.

What are some hindrances to achieving greatness?

1. Lack of Self-Discipline: To make dreams come into reality, it takes a lot of determination, dedication and selfdiscipline. In 1 Corinthians 9:24-26, Paul wrote: “Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing” (NLT). The outstanding qualities of a good soldier are self-denial and self-discipline.

2. Lack of Focus: Philippians 3:13 says “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead.” Know that life is like a race. You must set your eyes fixed on the finishing line. Let the vision of greatness that you have, be so much in your mind that your spiritual growth will be beyond limitation. A future that cannot be pictured cannot be earned. Be focused on the goal. The Message Translation says “Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back” (Philippians 3:1314). Furthermore, Paul said “Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from beginning to end …” (Hebrews 12:2; GNT). Lack of concentration is a growing problem in an age of distraction, indeed lack of focus leads to slow thinking and it encourages distractions.

3. Inability to maximize opportunities: Ecclesiastes 3:1 says there is an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on earth (MSG). Opportunities provide favourable circumstances in life therefore, learn to maximize opportunities. It is said that an optimist sees an opportunity in every calamity while a pessimist sees a calamity in every opportunity. Thomas Edison said “opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” Know that opportunity is always disguised in hard work but procrastination is its greatest enemy whereas the greatest ally of opportunity is faith. Faith talks about the ‘now’.

Francis Bacon says “A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds.” Milton Berle said that “if opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.”

4. Fear: No force is capable of stopping you if you refuse to stop yourself. Let your expectation be so high in life. Great faith is required to meet high expectations of life. The Bible in 2 Timothy 1:7 says “for God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” Many are too afraid to take risks. Stephen Richards said that surprisingly “when you do what you fear most, then you can do anything.” Like David, if you can square up with that Goliath, then you can soar to that position of influence. Demand your freedom from that Pharaoh that wants to perpetually make you a mediocre. In the place

of fear, exercise faith. Learn to speak and meditate on His Word concerning that situation. Know that a word from the Lord puts you in command. Maintaining your joy in the Holy Ghost is an enhancer and energizer of our faith. The deeper your spiritual insight the stronger shall be your faith.

5. Laziness: 1 Corinthians 15:10-11 says “But because God was so gracious, so very generous, here I am. And I’m not about to let his grace go to waste. Haven’t I worked hard trying to do more than any of the others? Even then, my work didn’t amount to all that much. It was God giving me the work to do, God giving me the energy to do it. So whether you heard it from me or from those others, it’s all the same: We spoke God’s truth and you entrusted your lives” (MSG). Though Paul worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was by God’s grace. In James 2:18, it is stated that “But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds. Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds” (NIV). It is argued that humans become great by deeds, not by birth. Even if you are born to royalty, you have a part to play to live up to your royal heritage. Pay the price of obtaining the best result from every effort. Be highly devoted to whatever is assigned to you. Learn to work and be a doer of God's Word.

6. Lack of Character: It is often said that charisma may take you to the top but it is character that will keep you there.

Many have risen to greatness only to bring shame and reproach after it all. Many have been very careless indulging in every kind of sin. Romans 6:23 says “… the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (NKJV). You must choose to live the lifestyle of heaven and as such, holiness is central in your pursuit of greatness (1 Peter 1:16). Hebrews 1:9 says “You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.” If you can obey God absolutely, the divine agenda of your greatness is a settled matter.

7. Prayerlessness: It is noteworthy that because God promised you that you’ll be great does not mean that you have no part to play. Don’t go to sleep. Not only must you pray, but you must believe in its possibility (Mark 11:24).

The journey to greatness begins with seeking the Lord.

Psalm 34:10 says “the young lions lack and suffer hunger; but those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.”

Begin by seeking the Lord. 2 Corinthians 10:4 says “for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds.” Don’t faint, rather pray that the Almighty God will take you to your desired height in life in Jesus’ name.

Shalom,

Dr. Akpo Onduku (Pastor, RCCG Chapel of Grace Bradford)

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INSPIRATIONAL

Recently I read from the papers that the Queen of England, Her Royal Highness, Queen Elizabeth was going to attend an official engagement while Prince Phillip was on admission in the hospital. The writer commented that it is typical of the Royal Family to keep calm and carry on with their royal duties even in the midst of crisis. I could remember vividly where the Queen was pictured relaxing at the back seat of a chauffeur driven car on her way to attend an official engagement while her husband was in a critical condition in the hospital. The above phrase is becoming a household slogan in British society.

If you look closely at the shops on the high streets, you see the phrase printed on mugs, T-shirts, towels, carrier bags, table mats and on so many other items; you find it in restaurants, pubs, train stations etc. Literally it means you ignore or pay less attention to what is going on around you while you continue with your life. Other synonyms of the above phrase include: Keep cool and carry on or Keep calm and move on.

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want us to consider the above phrase meaningfully in the context of the word of life as it relates to us in the body of Christ. To keep calm and carry on or move on in crisis is not a natural phenomenon, it requires strength. The human strength when applied cannot go too far because it is limited.

This clearly indicates that we all need help to keep calm and carry on when faced with stormy situations. Where does this help come from? According to the scriptures in the book of Romans 8:26, it is written “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses ……………”One of the functions of the Holy Spirit among others in the lives of believers in Christ Jesus is that He sends help to us when we are weak. In another scripture in John 15:26, the Holy Spirit is specifically referred to as the Helper. The scriptural truth is that without the Helper in the person of the Holy Spirit, the whole idea of keeping calm and carrying on in the midst of crisis becomes a pathetic fallacy. In the society where we are, we have heard and read about people jumping into rail tracks and falling from

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heights to take their own lives. Others take solace in alcoholism and drug use while some go into total depression. These are evidences of exhaustion of the human strength. They can no longer keep calm and carry on with their own strength!

Relatives, close friends and associates of those that became suicidal often wondered and asked the question “but why?”

When the human strength reaches its limit in the midst of crisis, there are forces within that speak loud and clear to their victims that there is no more reason for existence and the only option left is to end it all.

When we gave our lives to Christ at the point of salvation, we surrendered our souls to Christ and we are no longer our own.

The passing of the seasons is a constant reminder that life goes on regardless of our circumstances. Our visions and aspirations in life should not be truncated at the altar of the present moment. There are still heights to attain, mountains to surmount, we cannot afford to get stuck at a stage which is just part of a process in our lives. In keeping calm and carrying on in the midst of crisis, we see the Holy Spirit performing a dual role in the life of a believer. He gives the peace within that keeps us calm and He provides the spiritual strength within that help us to move on. Below are some clues for consideration in keeping calm and moving on with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Let go and let God: In Hebrews 12:1 the scriptures emphasises laying aside every weight. One of the weights that is so conspicuous in the body of Christ is the weight of unforgiveness. Unforgiveness is a sin controlled by a spirit and we should not allow it to thrive in the body of Christ. In every social group in human relationships, offences are inevitable.

This is partly due to our diverse sociocultural heritage which shapes our personalities and perceptions. It is just natural that occasionally we’ll step on one another’s toes. Sometimes the pain may be unbearable and that is why we have to let go and allow the Holy Spirit do the healing. One of the legacies of the late Nelson Mandela that I admire was his legacy of forgiveness. In describing unforgiveness in his own words he said “I knew if I didn’t leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I’d still be in prison”. In the light of this description, unforgiveness simply put is imprisonment and imprisonment hinders movement. When you are offended, forgive, learn from it and move on so you don’t be a hindrance to your own progress. Another weight that is capable of pulling us down is disappointment. Have you been in a relationship that was heading towards marriage but has abruptly come to an end?

It is not the end of the world! Put it behind you and bounce back to life. Let God be your focus and He will surely sort you out.

Take Responsibility: Apostle Paul wrote in the book of Phil.

4:13 “I can do all things through Christ Jesus that strengthens me” What must be done should not be left undone. As we depend on the Holy Spirit for strength we should do all that we could do and what we can’t do, we leave it with God and let Him take care of it. Sometimes we are so overwhelmed by

our situation and the question that comes to mind is “where am I going to start from”? When we remain in this state for too long, we give the enemy an edge to capitalise on our weakness and make us look irresponsible. If you’ve lost a lucrative job, it’s not a time to sit down and be mourning and become an object of pity. Put on strength and start looking for another job relentlessly. We only aggravate the situation by failing to do what we must do. We’ll have to take responsibility and move on.

Listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit still speaks. He gives direction and He leads if only we can be quiet and hear what he is saying concerning our situations. In the book of Isaiah 30:15, the scripture says that in quietness and confidence shall be your strength. There is strength in quietness. Let’s set aside some quiet time to commune with God and take time to wait on Him to hear what He has to say.

Let’s not be in a hurry to leave His presence. We should be careful not to get hooked to the dictates of the society at the expense of our oneness with God. The Holy Spirit can also speak to us through other people and that is why we have to be sensitive at all times, be swift to hear and slow to speak (James 1:19)

The scriptural truth is that without the Helper in the person of the Holy Spirit, the whole idea of keeping calm and carrying on in the midst of crisis becomes a pathetic fallacy.

As heavenly Royals, much has been given to us and to whom much is given, much is expected (1 Peter 2:9 & Luke 12:48).

We should not jeopardize our identity in Christ Jesus through our actions when in crisis. The thought of becoming suicidal should never be given a foothold to materialise in the body of Christ because we are people of hope. We’ve been admonished in 1 Peter 4:12, “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial………………..” this suggests to us that some crises may look strange to us and to people around us.

The fact that it looks strange is not a proof that we are not at the centre of God’s will. God in His manifold wisdom has created every man with a unique purpose in life and because we are different, our challenges sometimes don’t look alike.

God is faithful, He has promised He will never leave us comfortless. With His peace and strength at work in our lives, knowing fully well that He will show Himself strong on our behalf, we can keep calm and carry on. Shalom!

By: Happiness Olayemi Onasanya happiness.onasanya@yahoo.co.uk

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GOOD WOMEN FELLOWSHIP (GWF) UK WF UK (Good Women Fellowship) is the women’s ministry of the Redeemed Christian Church of God in the United Kingdom. All RCCG women (single and married, young and old) are members of GWF and each RCCG parish Women’s Fellowship ministry is part of GWF.

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Pastor (Mrs) Folu Adeboye, the wife of the General Overseer of RCCG, is the overseer of the GWF is passionate about women fulfilling God’s purpose for their lives. She is dedicated to helping women uncover the hidden treasures deposited in them by God. She draws on her life experiences to empower women all around the globe, transforming the lives of many women in the process.

She is ably assisted by Pastor Olabisi Bamigbade who is the national director of GWF UK and a team of executives. The GWF UK has three zones namely: Midlands & the North, Scotland and South England.

GWF exists to promote the holistic development of RCCG women.

To achieve this, we encourage the growth of their faith in Christ Jesus, so as to be empowered to fulfill God’s purpose for their lives, families, ministries and the society. GWF also aims to foster unity amongst women and demonstrate the love of God to others

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This vision is accomplished through a number of gatherings which include: The Annual Women’s Conference, The Annual Female Ministers’ Retreat and The National Women’s Day of Prayer

FEMALE MINISTERS’ RETREAT THEME: Scotland DATE: VENUE:

Overflowing Ministry

Friday 16th – Saturday 17th May Holiday Inn Express 41, Dock Street. Dundee. DD1 3DR 020 8555 7116; 07956 540 854 info@goodwomen.org.uk

These gatherings seek to inspire and equip women.

Support is also made available to the women’s CONTACT: fellowship ministries of individual parishes and informal mentoring relationships are developed with Email: the goal of fulfilling the vision of the GWF. South England DATE: Friday 26th – Sunday 28th September VENUE: Devere, Venues Suningdale Park, Larch Avenue WOMEN’S CONFERENCE Ascot. Berkshire, SL5 0QE THEME: Women Basking in the Overflow CONTACT: 020 8555 7116; 07961 349 430 DATE: Saturday 12th April Email: info@goodwomen.org.uk TIME: 10am - 4pm VENUE: Bournemouth International Centre Midlands & the North Exeter Road. Bournemouth DATE: 26th – Sunday 28th September BH2 5BH VENUE: The Hayes Conference Centre CONTACT: 020 8555 7116; 07961 349 43 Swanwick, Alferton.

Email: info@goodwomen.org.uk Derbyshire, DE55 1AU CONTACT: 0142709633; 07960 127 809 Email: goodwomenfellowshipmidsnorth@yahoo.co.uk NATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

UPCOMING EVENTS IN 2014:

OF PRAYER THEME: DATE: TIME: VENUE: Contact: Email:

Prayer Answering God (Psalm 65:2) Saturday 11th May All Day (time as chosen by parish) (RCCG Parishes) 020 8555 7116; 07961 349 430 info@goodwomen.org.uk

For more information, contact: Good Women Fellowship UK The Sanctuary, Tom Allen Centre, Grove Crescent Road.

Stratford. London. E15 1BJ Tel: 020 8555 7116, 020 7394 7042 Email: info@goodwomen.org.uk; rccggoodwomen@aol.com Web: www.goodwomen.org.uk

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PARENTING

WHAT IS WORTH HAVING IS WORTH

FIGHTING FOR ‘W HAT IS WORTH HAVING IS WORTH FIGHTING FOR’ - this very famous idiom is one that very easily comes to mind and of course, is on the tip of my tongue when the perfect opportunity to use it arises. However I find that the use of this expression is usually affiliated with the quest for physical possessions or a level of achievement which I believe must be attained.

Year after year I have come to observe the essential functionality of parenting change from looking at life with the end in mind to looking at life with the beginning in mind. In other words, parents aren’t just aspiring for what their child will be when he becomes an adult, but what they can start doing from birth to influence what he his lifelong aspirations in his adulthood. I have seen parents take a difference stance from trying to keep their children from making big mistakes to standing by them as they explore their freedom, make those mistakes and be right there to catch and support them before they fall.

Though not wide spread yet, some parents have discovered that the children of this generation cannot be raised entirely like the older generation were raised. I believe the older generation; especially from the African and Asian culture raised their children without very much empathy. Children did as they were told, with no chance of questioning the status-quo; children relied on the wisdom, expertise and experiences of the elders as gospel truth. Children went on to universities and colleges to study and graduate with whatever degrees their parents instructed them was best for the family, children were not encouraged to use their talents as a main source of livelihood and till today, we still see the older generation insisting on their children going into marriages arranged by mutual agreement of two families.

This decade has however brought about children who do not necessarily feel wisdom from the older generation is of use to them. Every knowledge or experience they could need can be sourced and gathered digitally.

Children today be it the ones raised in the house of God or in the secular world are yearning for the same thing…… they want to express themselves, they refuse to be held down by

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rules that they feel don’t apply to them, they want to exercise their rights, they want to be heard. The musically talented wants to sing be it gospel or secular; the athletic child wants to compete, the academically astute child wants to innovate, the fashion conscious child wants to model, be on the runway, or simply sew a master piece frock.

I am sure you would agree with me that the generation we are parenting today is nothing like we have ever seen before.

We are parenting a generation whom God created for a specific purposes and it is our duty as parents to fight for what is worth having and steer this generation to a direction where they can utilise their talents and gifts to the glory of God. The most effective tool any parent can depend on besides the grace of God is the ability to empathise and appeal to their children’s emotions. Our ability to put ‘ourselves in their shoes’; understand the way they feel and relate with them will be the only way to bring to bear positive substantial influence in their lives.

Today our children have to live in a world where ‘incorrect‘ is in and ‘correct’ is out. They have to deal with today’s society amidst the abundance and reality of peer pressure, discrimination, divorce, same sex marriages and partnerships, gang culture, antisocial culture, nepotism and unemployment.

Today’s generation of parents have to come to realise that we cannot afford to raise our children purely by the rigid way some of us were raised but with a fusion of an abundance of patience, a listening ear, reasonable boundaries, respect and an overflow of the ability and willingness to teach ourselves how to express love that knows no boundaries.

God Bless You

BY ABIGAIL ADEYANJU

PSYCHOLOGY

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Golden Steps to Self-Discipline

Do you find it difficult to sustain passion and focus on what you consider to be your most important goals in life? Perhaps your greatest challenge is finding the motivation to start a task or project. Do you feel you lack the self-discipline required to break your unhelpful negative habits? Or have you embarked on a positive habit before, and a few days or weeks later you dropped it all together?

f you can relate with any of the above questions, you have just confirmed that you are human, just like the 85% of the population who only think, dream and fantasize about all the things they want to do “Someday,” but never actually get any of those things done. Instead they get better at either procrastinating or giving excuses. But here is the hard truth: whether it is writing a book, losing weight, starting a business, preparing adequately for an exam, finishing college, attaining spiritual maturity, stopping harmful habits or becoming financial independent, one thing is needed – self-discipline. Self-discipline is the engine that accelerates you to your desired destiny.

Herbert Grey, a successful businessman, carried out an eleven years study searching for what he called “The common denominator of success.” At the end of his longterm research, he finally came to the conclusion that the answer is self-discipline. Elbert Hubbard, one of the American most prolific writers of the twentieth century defined self-discipline as “The ability to do what you should do, when you should it, whether you like it or not.”

The difference between where you are right now and the result you want to get in any important area of your life is a habit. In other words, you are always a positive habit away from your desired outcome. We are all creatures of habits, not discipline. We naturally gravitate towards habits, but not towards discipline. Discipline is painful and requires a great

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amount of self-control and determination. As John C. Maxwell, American leadership author and speaker, rightly observed, “Most people want to avoid pain, and discipline is usually painful,” That is why, in my opinion, the easiest formula for failure is to see self-discipline as nothing, but painful self-punishment.

You see, discipline is the mother of habit – it takes discipline to birth a habit. Great disciplines produce great habits. Therefore, even though we are creatures of habits, for us to make our life count, we’ll have to force ourselves not to always do what is fun and easy, but to start doing those things that are necessary, difficult, less interesting, but highly rewarding and beneficial, capable of birthing great positive habits in us.

Negative Habits or Positive Habits: Which One Will Win In You? It is a lot easier to form a bad habit than it is to develop a positive one. But here is the good news: if you are capable of forming negative habits, you are also capable of coming out of them. Nobody becomes a heavy weight champion overnight. It takes patience, persistence and perspiration.

These are the basic philosophies for building healthy selfdiscipline

7 Golden Steps to Self-Discipline 1. Expose Your Mind to Positive Messages. Your mind is your world. It is where you win or lose the battle of life.

Therefore take care of it, feed it with motivational and inspirational messages daily. Stop reading pointless books or watching unhelpful TV programmes that may further escalate your fear, doubts and lack of selfdiscipline. Whatever is not contributing positively to your goals is merely eating up your valuable time and attention, thereby weakening your resilience for achieving greatness. When you focus on changing the way you think by accessing quality motivational / inspirational messages, you will most certainly change the course of your life. The strength of your courage and determination to succeed will be decided by the quality of your learning.

2. Spend Time With Positive People. If all your friends lack self-discipline, you will struggle to have it yourself. “You are the average of the five people you hang around with most of the time,” said Jim Rohn, personal development author and speaker. If you desire great self-discipline, look for friends who are positive, goal-oriented, resultdriven and value excellence and integrity. You can also join a master-mind group, where you hang out with likeminded people who either have gone through what you are currently going through or are in a similar situation as yourself, but are unwilling to stay there, striving collectively to attain self-disciplines that lead to happiness and success. The encouragement and inspiration you will find in such atmosphere will be crucial to your motivation and determination. You’ll then begin to think, “If they can do it, I too can.”

3. Determine How Badly You Want Your Desired Goal. If your “WHY” is strong enough, you will have the strength to follow through on “WHAT” you need to do to create your desired goal.

4. Visualise Yourself As Already In Possession Of The SelfDiscipline Required to Achieve Your Goals. It is very difficult to actualise anything you cannot visualise.

Everything great that man has ever accomplished on earth began in the imagination. Look around you right now. Whatever you can see was first envisioned and executed in the imagination. It is said in the Bible that, “As he thinks in his heart, so is he,” (Proverbs 23:7). Man becomes what he thinks about all the time. Therefore, do not see yourself as you are right now, but as you desire to be. Napoleon Hill, the author of the classic book entitled, Think and Grow Rich, reiterated, “Whatever a mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” So begin to visualise your goal in its completed state!

5. Set Small and Achievable Goals. The human brain is a goal-striving entity, containing a success mechanism which is only activated by a measurable and achievable

goal. So to begin with, make your goal very small, small enough for you to be able to complete it. For example if you want to write a book, set a goal to start writing short articles, maybe once a week on your chosen topic (probably related to the subject you desire to write a book on). Make sure it’s not more than 300 words. Keep it short and simple. Once you collect many little successes of few completed articles, your brain begins to redesign itself, redefining you as a completer, and not a quitter – It starts to label as someone who enjoys the victory of completion. And as your brain rewrites your personal history, your mind also develops strong positive mental muscles, and then your self-confidence improves – all of which will eventually strengthen you to achieve your bigger goals.

6. Become Accountable to Somebody. This is one of the most powerful tools for growing self-discipline and producing to the maximum. Telling someone about what you want to achieve and asking them to keep you accountable will not only unlock a river of passion in you, it will also force you to become result-oriented which is a valuable key to success. You’ll find yourself persevering in your daily self-disciplines because you really want to stay consistent with what you said you would do to others.

7. Get to Work, Take Action. Relevant and consistent actions are the miracle agents that transform intangible dreams into tangible reality. After you have observed all the above steps, it is time to take action. Write down what you really want, and why you want it. Then create achievable daily small steps towards reaching your goal.

You must understand, however, that it will be hard at the start. But once a habit is formed, it becomes easier. It is said that there two types of courage necessary for success: the courage to start something and the courage to persevere until completion. Psychologists tell us that a habit is often formed between 21 to 30 days of continuous and uninterrupted actions.

May I leave you with the wise words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, American essayist and poet: “He who is not every day conquering some fear has not learned the secret of life.”

You are always as successful as the magnitude of fear you are willing to conquer, through your daily self-discipline.

Keep on living, loving and learning, and see you at the TOP.

By: Wale Oladipo Wale Oladipo is a Life Coach, Motivational Speaker, Counsellor and Psychotherapist with an intense passion to help others achieve their maximum potential and live life to the full physically, emotionally, socially and psychologically. You can contact him via www.waleoladipo.com

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Dear Andrea

Matters of the Heart

A problem is only a problem until you find the solution.

Are you searching for a solution to a problem that has so far remained elusive? Maybe you need a second opinion or some advice concerning a situation you are facing? Whatever the need, here at Sunrise Magazine, we want to help, whether it be a problem, an irritant, a matter of the heart, a situation at work, dealing with children, youth issues, suicidal thoughts, finance, the stress of day-to-day living or any other issue. We believe at Sunrise Magazine that God has called us to bear one another’s burdens.(Gal 6:2) With this in mind

Sunrise has created an Agony Aunt Problem page. This is a space for you, the reader, where you can write in with your questions or problems and receive honest and non-judgemental advice concerning your situation.

Dear, Andrea I always hear people say that when you meet ‘The One’, you will know. How is it possible to know that someone you just met is the person you will spend your whole life with? A. M.

marriage cannot. It is important that until those vows are said that you are ready to yield to whatever God says. Don’t be afraid when it comes to choosing a spouse, listen to God and He will direct you.

In films, when a couple meet, they just know that each has found that one special person, and that marriage, children and eternal bliss are just a heartbeat away. Unfortunately, in the real world, it is much harder to work out whether a relationship has a future or not. Most of us don’t have these blinding flashes. I was a big sceptic of this too until it happened to me. There was no flashes of light or voice of God from Heaven but there was an inner ‘knowing’ that I’d met ‘The One’. I believe that when we yield ourselves to God daily, He will lead and direct us and that includes who to marry. Many people wrangle for too long over the decision and end up almost missing out because of indecision.

Proverbs 3: 6 says “Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take”. Think about how God normally speaks to you as an individual and this is how He will tell you about who you should marry. With me, it was an inner ‘knowing’. You must be sure that you know God’s voice though and that you are not hearing what you want to hear out of your own lust or prejudices. John 10:5 says “And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers”. John 10:27 “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” All of this said, it does not mean that you marry someone who will not take you to Heaven or who will not treat you well just because of an inner feeling. 2 Cor. 13:1 says “…. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established”.

It is wise for you to seek advice from your Pastor and of course the other person must have also heard from God too, you cannot make it to the altar based on only your opinion of what you heard from God. Even though my husband and I both heard from God that we had found ‘The One’, we prayed right up until the wedding day that if we were wrong that God should reveal it to us. Courtship can be broken but

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Thank you to those who have already written in with your questions, the questions and answers are printed below, if you would like further input, feel free to get in touch.

Dear Andrea, Is marriage compulsory? Can marriage actually prevent purpose and destiny? T.J. This is a good question and to answer it, one needs to balance the scriptures. Firstly, marriage is God’s idea, He is the author of it and not man. Some people feel that marriage is a modern concept that is just a contract or a legal document. Gen. 2:18 says “Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.” The next few verses describe how God made Eve and brought her to Adam. Then v24 says “This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one”. This shows that God created and endorses marriage. What is also helpful is to understand what the reasons for marriage are.

1. Close companionship and mutual support (Gen 2:18), 2.

Sexual intimacy and Fruitfulness for God desires godly offspring (Mal 2:15). 3. God presents a picture of his relationship to the church in marriage (Eph. 5:22-33). These are all strong reasons to marry, no-where though is it said that marriage is compulsory however it is fair to say that it is God’s natural pattern for man. The other side of the coin is presented by Apostle Paul in 1 Cor. 7:7 “But I wish everyone were single, just as I am. Yet each person has a special gift from God, of one kind or another”. This implies that there is a grace for some to remain unmarried. He gives his reason in vs 32-33 “I want you to be free from the concerns of this life. An unmarried man can spend his time doing the Lord’s work and thinking how to please him. But a married man has to think about his earthly responsibilities and how to please his wife”. He also repeats the same concern for women in vs 34-35. What Apostle Paul is saying is that if possible individuals could remain single in order to

devote themselves completely to the service of God. He also said in v9 though, “But if they can’t control themselves, they should go ahead and marry. It’s better to marry than to burn with lust”. In totality then I do not believe that marriage can actually prevent purpose and destiny. I believe that in reality marriage can help one to fulfil one’s purpose if the right choice is made of who to marry. Eccl. 4:9-10 says “Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble”. Yes, if a wrong choice of spouse is made, this could impede or delay the fulfilment of God’s plan in your life which is why you must be led by The Spirit at all times in your choice. As Apostle Paul said, there may be some individuals who have the grace to remain single and focus on serving God but this is a special calling that you should be sure of and have advice from your Spiritual Leaders before undertaking. Pray for a spouse that will be helper of destiny and also pray that you will be a helper of their destiny too.

Dear Andrea, I know my worth and I can’t find anyone to marry that is up to my standard, what should I do? Should I settle for less? Anon

The answer to this question depends on what how you define worth. Worth means value, and value means “The regard that something is held to deserve”. If you are being abused verbally or physically in your relationship then you should not settle for that behaviour and marry the person.

It is good to know your value in the eyes of God and not allow someone to mistreat you or put you down. As a child of God, you deserve the best and indeed He has reserved the best for you. You don’t need to marry someone who is not a believer or who would limit your ability to serve God. If you are in this situation, continue waiting on God for the best and know that no-one who hopes and trusts in Him will ever be disappointed or put to shame (Psalm 25:3).

However, if you relate your worth to mean your achievements or finances, then I would say that the Bible advises us to look at the heart and not outward appearances. You may see someone who has a lower education than you or a lower salary than you but this may be due to circumstances out of their current control. If the individual loves God and puts Him first in their lives, if they are faithful in giving and they have vision, ambition and drive then they will go further in life than their current position which you are judging them on.

RCCG Youths Lead Mega Praises to End 100-Day Fast or the second time in recent memory, members of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) were united in one accord as they fasted and prayed for 100 days, beginning on the 2nd of January 2014.

Announcing the fasting exercise at the RCCG Redemption Camp in Nigeria, the General Overseer Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye recalled that the first 100-day fasting and prayer was 18 years ago, adding that those who participated were greatly rewarded by the Lord.

Providing the rationale for the second version of this intense spiritual assignment, the General Overseer explained: “Why are we fasting? ... because the Almighty God said ‘the destinies of many people will be determined this year. There will be dramatic changes in destinies this year. It’s a very, very powerful year indeed and you want to get the most out of it.”

Recalling the cynicism that followed the announcement of the 1996 fasting and prayer programme from some observers outside the RCCG, Pastor Adeboye added: “Today, they are no longer laughing. If anybody is laughing now, by the grace of

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RCCG youths praising God for 72 hours at the Youth Centre in Redemption Camp, Nigeria in March 2014

God, we are the one.”

As this year’s spiritual task drew to a close, RCCG parishes worldwide were asked by the General Overseer to round off the season with mega praises led by youths in the churches.

Awesome testimonies are bound to follow for members and the church as a whole.

50 NEW RCCG CHURCH PLANTERS READY WITHIN 3 MONTHS As RCCG UK Office Steps Up Church-Planting Mandate cross the world, it would be fair to say that the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) is somewhat synonymous with church-planting. The reason for this may be obvious to many: church-planting is a central pathway to achieving our vision of world

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evangelisation and the discipling of the nations for Jesus Christ.

At the beginning of 2014, the RCCG mission in the United Kingdom embarked upon a unique project to get churchplanters ready within three months to establish 50 additional churches. To the glory of God, the exercise was concluded in March following a rigorous training programme at the Central Office for participating Pastors and Ministers.

Project 50, as the latest church planting initiative was tagged, received the firm backing of the Trustees and Executive Council members of RCCG UK, led by Chairman Pastor Agu Irukwu. The project was managed

by RCCG Central Office, drawing on its ongoing involvement in church-planting, management and resourcing of churches.

Project funding came from a dedicated amount of £500,000.00, approved by the Trustees and Executive Council.

EVENTS

PASTOR ADEBOYE MEETS WITH COVENANT AND FOL PARTNERS

During his visit to the UK in October 2013, Pastor Adeboye made me for two events where he encouraged and prayed for those who support the RCCG ministry and the Fes val of Life (FOL) both ďŹ nancially and in prayers.

COVENANT PARTNERS

FOL Partners

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Ordained Ministers Conference 2014

The General Overseer of The Redeemed Chris an Church of God, Pastor E. A. Adeboye met with Ordained Ministers in Bournemouth on the 10th and 11th April. The theme for the Conference was “Let the Rivers Flow.� It was a truly unique conference that blessed all delegates in a endance.

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Festival of Life London October 2013 Fes val of Life London was a ended and viewed by tens of thousands of people. It is is a free bi-annual 10 hour fes val of music, drama, prayers and with a variety of speakers. It is hosted by Pastor E. A. Adeboye, General Overseer of The Redeemed Chris an Church of God.

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CELEBRATION MUSIC CONCERT TO CELEBRATE PASTOR AGU IRUKWU 'S Music Concert was held on the 14th March 2014 at Jesus 50th Birthday AHouse to celebrate the 50th Birthday of the RCCG UK Chairman and Pastor of Jesus House, Pastor Agu Irukwu.

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PASTOR AGU IRUKWU BIRTHDAY DINNER

RCCG UK Chairman, Pastor Agu Irukwu hosted family and friends including fellow ministry leaders to a special dinner to celebrate his 50th Birthday at Jesus House, London on the 15th March 2014.

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PASTOR AGU IRUKWU 'S 50th Birthday Thanksgiving Service A Special Thanksgiving Service was held at Jesus House on the 16th March 2014 to appreciate God for the 50th Birthday of RCCG UK Chairman and Pastor of Jesus House, Pastor Agu Irukwu . The General Overseer of The Redemed Chris an Chu rch of God, Pastor E. A. Adeboye ew in specially to exhort the brethren and to pray for Pastor Agu Irukwu and His family.

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Pastors' Gathering 2014 LONDON

Parish Pastors of RCCG UK gathered in London on March 17th and in Leeds on March 18th 2014 to thank the Lord for His faithfulness and goodness to the mission over the years. A endees enjoyed fellowship, music, entertainment and dinner together.

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RCCG PASTORS AND CHURCHES HONOURED AT PASTORS’ GATHERINGS IN LONDON AND LEEDS astors and leaders in RCCG UK gathered recently in London and Leeds last March to thank the Lord for His faithfulness and goodness to the mission over the years.

At the gatherings, remarkable churchbased Social and Community Action initiatives were also celebrated, along with parishes and individuals making significant contributions to the attainment of the RCCG’s objectives.

Chairman RCCG UK Pastor Agu Irukwu handed out various awards in appreciation of the contributions of Pastors and churches to the attainment of the mission’s objectives, being mainly the advancement of the gospel and the relief of poverty.

The list of Award winners is as follows: INNOVATION IN MINISTRY AWARD Pastor Yele Afolabi Jubilee House For All Nations, Hornchurch CHURCH PLANTER AWARD Pastor Segun Kingsley City of David CHURCH PLANTER AWARD Pastor Daniel Akhazemea Open Heavens Christian Centre, Edgware INNOVATION IN MINISTRY AWARD Pastor Chuka Nwafor International Christian Centre, Chadwell Heath CULTURAL DIVERSITY AWARD Pastor Abraham Bamgbose Fruitful Land, Tilbury INSPIRATIONAL LEADER AWARD Pastor Bola Ekundayo Light House Parish, Brighton COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD Pastor Mark Igiehon Jesus House, Aberdeen INSPIRATIONAL LEADER AWARD Pastor Funmi Ilesanmi Garden of Hope, Liverpool COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD Pastor Chioma Onyeme The Chapel, Norwich COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD Pastor Isaac Aleshinloye Amazing Grace Chapel, Hull INNOVATION IN MINISTRY AWARD Pastor Mary McCauley De-Vine Sanctuary, London

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CHURCH PLANTER AWARD Pastor Wunmi Oladunjoye Holy Ghost Zone, London CHURCH PLANTER AWARD Pastor Ranti Oyewale Covenant Restoration Assembly, Birmingham CHURCH PLANTER AWARD Pastor Tayo Ayodele The Sanctuary, Stratford CHURCH PLANTER AWARD Pastor Andrew Adeleke House of Praise, London CHURCH PLANTER AWARD Pastor David Sola Oludoyi Royal Connections, London CHURCH PLANTER AWARD Pastor Dele Bakare Winners’ Temple, London

RCCG Evangelists Receive Training at Evangelism Training Day he landscape of the evangelism ministry in RCCG UK recorded a significant shift in March with the inaugural Evangelism Training Day (ETD) held for our newlyappointed Evangelism Coordinators. The ETD was facilitated

by RCCG Central Office in partnership with Global Outreach Day (G.O.D.), a global initiative committed to mobilising the Church to evangelise the nations.

Held at RCCG Inspiration House, London, the interdenominational training was attended by about 250 people from across the country, with many more participating online via live streaming.

Christian ministers engaged in various evangelism initiatives were present to speak to the trainees, with some of them sharing practical testimonies of what God is doing through their ministries and other people.

The first main session was conducted by the Guest Speaker

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invited by RCCG from Switzerland – Evangelist Beat Baumann, International Director of G.O.D. Baumann delivered inspired presentations highlighting the vital importance of evangelism in God’s agenda and the vision of G.O.D. in this regard.

Reverend Andy Economides of the Soteria Trust also delivered useful training sessions at the event. Other speakers included Reverend Yemi Adedeji of HOPE Together UK who gave an inspiring session on reaching the nations, an eye opener to participants on the work to be done to reach people for Christ. David Pile of the missional initiative - Crossing London - shared the vision of the cross-denominational citywide project.

As the meeting drew to a close, speakers and participants were all agreed that the time is right to return evangelism to the vital place it should occupy amongst the priorities of the Church of Jesus Christ.

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African Missions Global African Missions Global held their 9th Interna onal Conference in London at the Melia Whitehouse Hotel on the 9th & 10th October 2013. It was hosted by Pastor E. A. Adeboye and Pastor Mrs Folu Adeboye and was themed 'New Horizons for Missions'.

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REGIONAL RCCG SUNDAY SCHOOL UK CONFERENCE 2014 This year’s conference was held on the 22nd of March in 4 locations, Kingsborough Family Church, Uxbridge London, My Fathers House, Salford, Manchester, Open Heavens Christian Centre, Edinburg Scotland and His Fullness Parish, West Bromich, Birmingham with over 450 delegates in attendance in total.

Pastors from the Birmingham region and the spearhead team

Delegates from Scotland region and the spearhead team

his year’s theme was ‘The Overflowing Teacher’ and one of the objectives of the conference was to relay the teachings from the National Teachers Conference which took place at the RCCG Headquarters in Nigeria from the 28th February to the 1st of March 2014. That meeting was attended by Mummy G.O. Pastor Mrs Folu Adeboye who delivered a keynote address, and rounded up with a parting word of encouragement from the G.O. Pastor Adeboye.

Speakers included representatives of the Sunday school spearhead Committee who worked with the various Sunday School regional Pastors. These were Pastor Chris Gbenle in Scotland, Pastor Tunde Balogun in London, Pastor Ranti Oyewale in the Midlands and Pastor Yomi Obadimeji in Manchester.

There were two main talks; the first was titled the overflowing teaching ministry. It was noted that to have an overflowing teaching ministry, teachers must be convinced of their call, teach authoritatively without compromise, live out the word taught, and be hungry for continued excellence. The talk also listed various areas teachers must overflow in such as in the power of the Holy Spirit, in unity, giving, prayer and fasting and righteousness among others.

In the second talk titled the disciplined overflowing teacher, the emphasis was on the teacher as the main instrument of the Lord in these end times and their need to rely totally on the Lord for nourishment, power, grace and anointing. It further noted that the disciplined teacher must prepare through study, prayer, fasting, constructive teaching styles and outward appearance to impact their classes.

The atmosphere was friendly and a significant number of senior pastors, parish pastors, and ministers were among the delegates who attended. The meeting provided various interactive sessions and opportunities to demonstrate and used varying learning styles such as sword drill, Q/A, and group share to encourage participation.

Conference delegates expressed satisfaction and delight at the depth of the spiritual blessings from the teachings. Ideas, suggestions and questions were also put forward to ensure an even more fruitful event of this sort in the future.

This year, we were blessed to have the G.O, Pastor Adeboye. in all the four regions simultaneously – that’s supernatural. Those who were absent missed that. He rounded up the meeting with a short admonition about the need for all teachers to teach well as you never can tell what or where the students you teach today may be or become tomorrow. He them prayed…by DVD for all the delegates who responded with a resounding Amen to all the prayers.

Looking ahead, on September 6th 2014, RCCG Victory House, located at 5 Congreve street London SE17 1TJ will play host to the next National Christian Teachers Conference. This conference is for all who are involved in any form of teaching or ministry in the word.

The guest speaker will be Pastor Ezekiel Odeyemi; the Special Assistant to the G.O. He is the Director of the RCCG Centre for Pastoral Leadership and Management Training. It promises to be another glorious time of refreshing in the presence of the Lord. Let us make it a date.

Cross section of delegates at the Manchester Region during the first talk

Cross section of delegates from the London Region

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The Good Women Fellowship Good Women Fellowship Conference Conference 2014 The was hosted by Pastor Mrs Folu Adeboye in Bournemouth on the 11th and 12th April.

The conference saw women from all over the UK come together to be blessed by a variety of speakers including Pastor Mrs Adeboye who was the keynote speaker. The theme was Women Basking in the Overow

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Dear PASTOR YEMI ADELEKE, We rejoice with you on reaching another significant milestone in a remarkable life marked by selfless service to God and the RCCG in the UK. Our prayer is that God’s abundant mercies, peace, love and joy will continue to overflow to you.

Signed Your Spiritual Children

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RCCG PARTIALLY AND UNREACHED AREAS

Towns yet to have RCCG parishes

We remain committed to our vision of reaching the whole nation for Jesus Christ!

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POETRY

WELCOME TO

GOD’S KITCHEN I can smell the sweet aroma, I can hear the sizzling God is preparing something yummy and truly divine For all who need the delicious dish of glorious things (Joel 2:26) Yes Lord! My Shepherd and King with You I will dine Then I enter the kitchen where blessings are baked Where failures are binned and success is simmering The fridge of patience keeps the promises God made (Heb.6:12) Trials of faith are marinaded in the Word seasonings With the bread of truth He makes me the liberty toast (John 8:32) With the bowl of righteousness He serves me His fruits Blends all ingredients to make me ‘Romans 8:28’ roast Obedience pie is my choice; God’s my sweetest pursuit There is no bill for the entire thrill, place your orders The kettle of His grace is whistling love, don’t say nope Oh “Taste and see that the Lord is good”, invite others (Psalm 34:8) It’s cold out there, come for the tea and coffee of hope The homemade menu of our stubborn will is trashed God stores the best for us in His cabinets of goodness (Psalm 107:9) The plates, cutlery & pots of the past are well washed Now as good as new in the dishwasher of His kindness Put your sorrow in the sink let the tap of joy run over it The table of victory feast is set by His divine autonomy (Psalm 23:5) Before your foes and friends alike, so dig in and enjoy it Your situations and troubles are recipes for testimonies!

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YOUTH & SINGLES

Changing the

Status Quo What is change? Why do you want to change? What are some examples of things we want to change? What is our motivation for change? What is status Quo? Why do we struggle to change the status quo? t is often said that insanity is doing the same thing over and over yet expecting different results. Perhaps it is time to make changes in your life and this is the time to do it. Often times we grumble about the things we don’t like about ourselves or our circumstances rather than taking action to change them. The time prior to marriage is an excellent time to make changes and adjustments that will set a positive course for our future personal and marital life.

Status quo is a Latin term meaning the current or existing state of affairs. It is the state of preserving the now and avoiding change. As much as we profess the desire to change, the need to change and the ideal of change, we tend to avoid change.

“Being willing to challenge your own status quo is an essential part of getting on the path to creating change.”

Ali Davies

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What is change?

Change is a different way of doing something, changing a status quo requires an understanding that status quo exists and thinking and strategizing a new way of thinking and acting. Change often fails due to lack of consistency. At the beginning it may sound like a good idea to make changes but when it begins to feel uncomfortable we give up.

Jon Mertz, one of the Top 100 Thought Leaders in Trustworthy Business suggests that change takes hold more successfully if embraced more deeply and done from an emotional, social, and spiritual level. True change takes a deeper look and true engagement at each of these three levels.

In other words if you want to change your relationship or your family, your city, nation or the world, you have to be ready to change yourself.

What is status quo?

Since the day you were born, you’ve been conditioned to think in certain ways. It may be gender based, age based, culturally based or even religious ideas that you don’t understand. Ideas about trust, marriage, parenting methods, how to handle anger or sadness, how to dress, act, and communicate.

It might seem like you’ve been free to choose your own attitudes and ideas, but for most people, this isn’t really the case. You see, in any society, there is a status quo — a current standard of the most popular ways of doing, thinking, and living.

The status quo begins working on you from an early age, moulding the way you see the world. This leads to the vast majority of people walking around with similar mentalities which are often limiting, and unhelpful.

Most of us fall in line with status quo ideals because we see them everywhere! They’re everywhere on the media and being acted out by almost everyone around us. Often times, we don’t even recognize that there are other ways of doing things because the status quo is all we’ve ever noticed.

© Jon Mertz Let’s look at each level Emotional: Mastering our emotions is crucial when challenging the status quo. We may be unhappy with our current state but the feeling of fear or discomfort associated with change may be stronger. Therefore to deal with this level and embrace change we need to be aware of what emotions are strongest within ourselves. If these present overpowering emotions are not helpful, we need to find

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ways to overcome them or we will always block change when these emotions are evoked. Keeping negative emotions under control is not easy and we will need God’s help to do this as well as being self-aware and proactive in challenging them.

Social: We may be enthusiastic about change but then find that our family or friends do not support us and this can be discouraging. We may want to withdraw from change due to fear of losing relationships. This means that we need to ask ourselves if our social circles are helping us to move forward or backward and make necessary adjustments. A denial of the importance of our social network upon our decisions is not helpful, we must acknowledge it and deal with it.

Perhaps after reading through this you are now in the contemplation stage wondering what if anything you should change. A place to start is to recognize what areas in your life are creating the most satisfaction and those that are not then choose an area to adjust that can possibly make the greatest level of positive change or impact. For example, you want to have positive and deeper relationships in your life.

Ask yourself, what is required for this change to happen?

Possibly a few things like: communication, attitude/mindset, contribution and trust. So identify what it is you are willing to learn, develop and do something about. Say in this example you focus on communication – this is the point to become more specific, cast light on it and break it down into sizable chunks of insight and action. You might begin by taking note of how you listen, when you speak, and relate to others to ascertain what you need to change.

Spiritual: “He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them”. 2 Cor. 5:15 As we go through this process of change and we think of the changes we want in our lives, at the crux of it should be that we want to change so that we can bring glory to God and because we want to be the best representative of Christ that we can be.

We need to ask ourselves some questions - What are your beliefs about change in a spiritual context? Do you believe it is possible? Do you believe you have a purpose to fulfil? Do you have faith that with God’s help you can be a better person? Do you believe that God can empower you to change? All of these questions matter because our answers will inform our ability to embrace change. We should know the Biblical basis for change so that we can walk within the will and purpose of God. If we ignore the spiritual element of change, we may not be able to sustain it as we need God’s grace and strength to follow through.

Knowing that there are Stages of Change may also help us to realise that we may not be able to do it all in one day.

Psychologists Carlo C. DiClemente and J. O. Prochaska introduced a 5 stage model of change in 1983. The stages are: • Pre-contemplation: Avoidance. That is, not seeing a problem behaviour or not considering change.

• Contemplation: Acknowledging that there is a problem but struggling with ambivalence. Weighing pros and cons and the benefits and barriers to change.

• Preparation/Determination: Taking steps and getting ready to change.

• Action/Willpower: Making the change and living the new behaviours, which is an all-consuming activity.

• Maintenance: Maintaining the behaviour change that is now integrated into the person's life.

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Finally when discussing change, the answer is that you cannot do it by yourself. Nor can you do it quickly. Instead, you are called to a personal commitment to a lifelong process of transformation into the image of Christ. Personal change is not easy but it occurs as you shift your focus from just getting through the frustrations of each day to looking far into the future—in fact to eternity. One of the many amazing things Christ is doing right now is changing each and all of His people by the power of His Holy Spirit into people worthy of honour in His kingdom. Someday we will receive a crown of righteousness, a crown of life, and a crown of glory from His powerful and gracious hands. You will receive the unfading crown of glory (1 Pet. 5:4). When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory (Col. 3:4).

Be determined to make the changes you need to fulfil your purpose in life and most importantly make the changes that will take you to Heaven.

By: Andrea Onduku (RCCG Chapel of Grace, Bradford) You can contact Andrea via www.mattersofheart.org

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SCIENCE

DREAM WITH ME Things around you can stop your dream from becoming a reality but it cannot stop you from dreaming! You can dream of anything you want. And if you can dream it, it’s up to you to make it a reality or not. sn’t it puzzling what a little tiny seed pack can do?

Doesn’t it amuse you what that little seed eventually becomes? How is a whole forest or hectares of land squeezed into something so tiny? Makes me wonder what is squeezed into every single cell in your body. We have been fully packed with unimaginable things that we are much more powerful than we can imagine. It is also interesting to note that the Bible tells us that unless a seed falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds (John 12:24). Unless you allow the seed die first it cannot become what it’s supposed to be.

Even the Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13:3-9, demonstrates this concept of taking a risk, making that first move and allowing the seed to go through a rigorous process. It will remain a pretty little sweet seed in your hands until you are ready to take a risk, until you are ready

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to undergo that not-so-smooth process.

If you are not willing to take a little step of faith, if you are not ready to try that great idea you’ve got, if you’re not ready to take a leap of uncertainty and believe, if you’re not ready to fail then you don’t want it. You sort of want it, you kinda want it, but you don’t really want it badly. If you are undecided and do not want to live your dream, that’s solely up to you. When there is a will, there is a way. When you are ready to birth a dream at all cost, when even failure does not scare you, only then will you succeed!

What is a seed? The potential to become. A seed has everything necessary to become its parent. A seed is an idea! It is a mathematical equation that can transmute into what it was programmed for. God is an architect, he crafted you with EVERYTHING necessary to be like him. What is that

Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic soon to be making trips into space.

idea you have today? What are your dreams?

Your shoe was once a dream, what you are wearing right now, was once a dream. Your mobile phone was once dream. Whatever you see in front of you at this very moment was a dream. The cinema was once a dream. Your television was once a dream. This article you are reading was in my mind for a while, it was a dream. Hair attachments were once a dream, so were lollypops, pancakes, waffles and cheerios! Until you decide to take the next step, that beautiful idea God has given you will be nothing more than what it is, a dream. You are the greatest hindrance to your fascinating dream – mind blowing idea.

3D printing was once a dream but has moved to reality.

Have you seen the movie AVATAR by James Cameron? Here James Cameron single handedly creates a world of his own in his mind and brings all of it to life. That is the type of power we possess. 3D printing, what is it and what does it mean? 3D printing has various significance for certain sectors now and in the very near future. For manufacturing, it is comforting to know that you could print the parts needed to manufacture a product. For instance, with a 3D printer you can print the casing of a PC mouse, you could print a pencil case, the frame for reading glasses, gears for a machine, the keys for your keyboard, the list is endless…I guarantee you I’m only scratching the surface. And all these right inside your house. 3D printers can be small enough to fit in the boot of your car; a lot of them are that is. It can be that portable. A few years back futuristic writers mentioned that it would be possible to make food you desired from some sort of machine in the comfort of your home, it blew my mind…as usual. Ladies and gentlemen, please allow me to introduce to you that machine, the 3D printer! In the food department it is not perfect when it comes to variety but the machine can already make a number of meals. It makes pizza, burgers, crackers, spaghetti and ravioli. Sweets and candy is also a specialty for the 3D machine. Foodini is the name of the food 3D machine. In the future NASA astronauts will be fed with this little piece of tech. Amazing isn’t it?

The Foodini makes a hamburger at the machine’s factory in Barcelona

If you are not willing to take a little step of faith, if you are not ready to try that great idea you’ve got, if you’re not ready to take a leap of uncertainty and believe, if you’re not ready to fail then you don’t want it.

In medicine, the 3D machine has also been able to sneak in with some usefulness. The first company to commence 3D printing of human tissue is called Organovo. I want to remind you that this, was also once a dream. Are you seeing the benefits of one man’s dream? So why won’t you bless us with your dream?

Our planet, earth, is a showroom for gods, bearing in mind that you are one, you are a replica of your father God. Look around you and be marveled at what man – your species, has pieced together. Buildings - architecture, constructions - engineering and machines –science. It was once all a dream, evidence that your dream is inches away from realization. It is almost as if God put man on earth to get him acquainted with his abilities, the power to think, dream and invent. The whole place is filled with the powerful and breathtaking structures of man’s thought. What some humans have achieved is simply astonishing to say the very least! Sir Richard Branson will be flying some of us to space this year. How do I feel about that? Speechless. But I can say I’m certain of adding more to the showroom here on earth, it’s really up to you to push your dreams.

Don’t waste all that power unleash your true nature. Dream with me.

By: Idorenyin Eno

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LEGAL

IMMIGRATION LAW – OPTIONS FOR OVERSTAYERS here have been several changes to UK immigra on laws and policies. The effect of these changes is that there are fewer routes through which people without legal status can remain in the UK and this Ar cle will summarise such routes however we would advise that migrants should seek proper legal advice from qualified professional immigra on advisers.

Immigra on rules have changed significantly since Immigra on rules HC 194 came into force on the 9th July 2012 and further changes have also come into existence. Claims made under Ar cle 8 of the ECHR (Right to private & family life) are now subjected to the provisions of Appendix FM of the rules and weighed in consonance with the new rules. Past criminality and other breach of laws play considerable roles on the rights of overstayers and their claims to remain in the UK. Some of the routes enumerated below are subject to mee ng certain condi ons which falls into suitability and eligibility criteria and are found in S-LTR1.2 to S-LTR 2.3 and SLTR 3.1 of the Appendix FM. These routes include: a) Leave to remain may be granted where an applicant can demonstrate on the grounds of private life in the UK that he has lived con nuously in the UK for at least 20 years (discoun ng any period of imprisonment); b) Is under the age of 18 years and has lived in the UK for at least 7 years and it would be unreasonable to expect the applicant to leave the UK; c) Is aged 18 years or above and under 25 years and has spent at least half of his or her life living con nuously in the UK; and/or d) Is aged 18 years above, has lived in the UK con nuously for less than 20 years but has no es (including social, cultural, of family) with the country to which he would have to go if required to leave the UK. These rules are set to balance individual rights with the wider public interest of controlling immigra on. In cases involving children, it is now the posi on of the courts that SSHD will need to adequately consider Sec on 55 Borders, Ci zenship and Immigra on Act 2009 which essen ally provide and incorporate Ar cle 3.1 of the United Na ons Conven on on the Rights of Child ‘’that in all ac ons concerning children, whether undertaken by public or private social welfare ins tu ons, courts of law, administra ve authori es or legisla ve bodies, the best interests of the child shall be a primary considera on’. Other routes are: e) Ci zenship for a child a er 10 years- The Bri sh Na onality Act 1981 provides that a child who is born in the UK on or a er 1st January 1983 and who reside in the UK for the first ten years may have the right to be registered as a Bri sh Ci zen subject to other countervailing factors; f) Humanitarian protec on & Asylum – The SSHD may grant asylum or Human Protec on or Discre onary leave if certain condi ons are met under Part 11 of Immigra on rules and one of such is that there is serious risk if that person is removed from the UK or that he or she faces serious threat and may be exposed to serious harm outside UK. The threshold for claims under this route is high and it is on case by case assessment; g) Vic ms of Human Trafficking may be considered for

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regularisa on subject to many factors which include coopera on with police inves ga on and that other physical circumstances and condi ons have been sa sfied; h) Statelessness immigrants – There are cases of people who currently do not have any na onality in their country. The UK as a signatory to the Conven on rela ng to the statute of Stateless persons has obliga ons to consider their claims; i) Leave to remain as a Parent – Parents can lodge an applica on to remain as a parent, on the strict provision that the parent will need to show sole responsibility for the child or any documents such as contact or residence orders from court.

However, if the child is not Bri sh or se led in the UK, the parent must meet the relevant provision under the EX1 which sets out that Applicant must have genuine and subsis ng parental rela onship with a child under age of 18 years, child is in the UK or a Bri sh ci zen and /or has lived in the UK con nuously for at least 7 years immediately preceding the applica on and it would not be reasonable to expect the child to leave the UK. This provision of ‘sole responsibility’ is crea ng confusion and contrary to the provision of best interest of child contained in Sec on 55 as explained above but both parents have be er chances of success at appeal if UKBA refuse the applica on on the basis of recent decision in the ‘case of AZIMI- MOAYED and others’ where the Upper Tribunal (Immigra on Chamber) ruled as a star ng point, it is in the best interests of children to be with both parents and it is generally in the interests of children to have both stability and con nuity of social and educa onal provision and benefit of growing up in the cultural norms of the society they belong; j) Leave to Remain as Partner – Applicant may be able to remain if he or she meets the suitability criteria and other condi ons such as his or her presence is not unconducive to public good and there are no reasons which make it undesirable not to allow him or her to remain in the UK; k) As a family member or spouse of an EEA na onal exercising treaty rights in the UK. Please note applicants cannot be a beneficiary of marriage of convenience. Leave to remain may be granted if the applicant meets other criteria within EEA 2006 regula on; l) Discre onary Leave – Leave may be granted at the discre on of the Secretary of State on most excep onal grounds outside the immigra on rules and for further extension for current holders of discre onary leave who can demonstrate their .circumstances have not changed.

In conclusion, it is important to state that the routes considered above here are not exhaus ve and new policy changes are on the way. Applicants are hereby advised to seek independent legal advice from qualified prac oners on their immigra on ma ers.

OLUKAYODE OKENLA, PARTNER, SIMON BETHEL SOLICITORS, 58/60 LEWISHAM HIGH STREET, L ONDON SE13 5JH TEL: 07903914320, 07810716130, 07850618437, 02082977933 info@simonbethel.co.uk

58 – 60 Lewisham High Street, London, SE13 5JH Tel: 0208 297 7933 / 0203 384 1389 M: 078 107 16130 or 079 039 14320 E: info@simonbethel.co.uk www.simonbethel.co.uk

We are able to provide you specialist advice in the following areas of Law: Police Station Representation, Crime and Prison law Immigration and Nationality law Conveyancing and Property law Commercial and Company law Charity law Trade Marks, Patents and Designs Family Law and Probate Housing, Landlord and Tenants Employment Litigation Extradition and Public International Law

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