ATTRACTING HELP

Building anything worth standing no doubt requires much efforts and sacrifices. This explains why many NEVER fail at startups. This isn't unique only in the Business world, it applies in all aspects including in our Spiritual build up.
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Without doubt, whether it is starting up or making moves for increase, we would require HELP. Help isn't restricted to finances alone, they come in form of advices, emotional support, supply of information etc. Everyone, no matter how highly fulfilled needs Help.
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But having a HELP DEPENDENT mindset is in itself REPULSIVE.
It is anything but interesting raising a Church single handedly, of course with Gods help. Without instruments, members, finances basically nothing. An added 'disadvantage' was my age... Nobody seem to think a youth pastoring a Church has much to offer. This began my journey in active ministry... I NEEDED HELP.
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Men won't help you because you are young. Your inabilities may attract sympathy for a while thus inducing help, but not for long. Every Sunday we gathered, there was SOMETHING NEW. There was either an face lift in the appearance of the Church, a something different about service. Whatever was new always indicated PROGRESS, no matter how small. These little things were SEEDS that compelled the hearts of others to be supportive.
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Men won't help you because you need help. It is natural to invest in projects that has the potential of HIGH RETURNS. That's the logic of help.
If there isn't any sign of progress in your involvements, pleas won't help.
In other words, HELP IS INDUCED.
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Think of it this way:
Your life is an INVESTMENT. With the appropriate help, it gets to the spotlight. Give yourself verifiable reasons with previous track records why help must be given to this investment. I won't be wrong if I said the neighbours of that Widow in 2Kings4, have her vessels because she had a track record of CLEANLINESS and KEEPING TO HER WORDS of returning things.
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PROGRESS attracts HELPERS.
Keep making Progress.
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Pastor Phil.
58C7CB60

BUILDING CAPACITY 4 - Step Out

STEP OUT!
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The story of Mr Sam inspires the spirit of courage... He had submitted countless application letters to countless organisations of choice with countless promises, and unfortunately countless disappointments. He takes the bull by the horns and walks up into a Private University, demanding he saw the Vice Chancellor for his position of CHOICE... He hasn't his CV on him, but with a turn out of events the processes for his appointment began there and then!
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Mr Sam needed a Job there. He had waited for an advert there but saw none. He STEPS OUT, not to discuss with a lecturer, they cant help him. Their help is limited to supplying INFORMATION and at most, a RECOMMENDATION!
He talked with the BOSS.
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Few have that guts.
That widow had increase at her disposal but she was required to STEP OUT to meet neighbours for their vessels. It is of necessity and great importance we understand that we don't have all it takes to succeed. Rather, we have at OUR DISPOSAL what it takes.
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The difference between these two is that If we had all, we don't NEED anyone. Having at our DISPOSAL or WITHIN REACH, recognises the fact that we are not ideally independent and bro P. who is a neighbour, has in abundance what we desire in fraction for our progress.
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We can't increase if we don't step out. God told Joshua, Josh1:1-8. Whereever the soles of your feet treads, belongs to you. His possessions ultimately depended on his feet!
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There will be risks of Dissapontments, the fear of failure that looms around your thoughts, there will be uncertainty... These are inherent in an ADVENTURE!
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The salient lesson here isn't just STEPPING OUT... like Mr Sam, Like the Widow... Reach out to those that POSSESSES what you desire irrespective of their achievements.
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You can only be connected to the lineage of 'gods' by a god!

Pastor Phil.

BUILDING CAPACITY 3| Know what you have.

LESSON 3
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I once shared a story of an occurrence that required i used a SCREW DRIVER for a task, precisely to unscrew something needed for use in Church. Service was kicking off in few minutes and the task had to be done. After a fruitless search, someone offered me a KEY for the job!
Screwdrivers are meant for SCREWS, and keys are meant for DOORS.
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Do you remember the widow telling Elisha; I have nothing except 'CRUISE OF OIL'. What if she had JUST ONE gold coin along side her cruise of oil? What if she had mentioned that gold coin, OR maybe she was too scared to mention it  fearing the Prophet might ask her to sow it OR maybe she didn't see much in what that little gold coin could do in solving her problems OR maybe she was too frustrated she forgot she had a gold coin. If she had mentioned it, what do you think the dimension of miracle would have taken... MULTIPLICATION OF GOLD COINS? For the sake of this article, I'll go with that. Which of the two has a potency for greater value?
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Often time, it isn't that we don't have anything good worth multiplying, WE OFTEN DO NOT RECOGNIZE what we have. Remember the Children of Isreal... They had been in great expectation for the Messiah, but here comes the fiery prophet announcing to them; "There standeth ONE AMONG YOU whom you KNOW NOT". They had the Messiah, but didnt RECOGNISE him. He had been so long with them that his value wasnt noticed!
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After a deep self assessment that reveals our lapses[Lesson Two], there's always something good to say about ourselves. That could be your CRUISE OF OIL meant for multiplication.
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God doesn't create twice... God doesn't bless twice. His blessings are PERFECT. He creates, and within his creation he puts the seed for its multiplication. It is out of our increase that we profit. I don't need to learn to build a car before I own one, out of my increase I could exchange value for value.
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How does my Screwdriver come in?
What I needed was a screwdriver. Because screwdrivers unscrews screws! I didn't need a KEY... My doors where in good shape. There wasn't any screw to be found anywhere, but I HAD SOMETHING- A Key... though perceived worthless to the task at had, but I RECOGNIZED its capability in doing that job!
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Before you can think of increasing your capacity for MORE, you must of necessity know what 'MORE'  could be increased and what could yield a maximum value if increased!
Ten vessels of OIL isn't of the same value with ten vessels filled with GOLD COINS.
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Do you understand?
[To be Continued...]
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Pastor Phil

BULDING CAPACITY 2- Know where you are.

From among the trees of the garden, a voice speaks "ADAM, WHERE ARE YOU?"
No doubt, this was a question of positioning. In another instance, the Prophet Elisha asked the widow, "WHAT DO YOU HAVE?". In her honesty she admitted, " I HAVE NOTHING except...".
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The first steps to growth and personal increase, is a self reconciliation. We have a famous example in the Prodigal son, Luke15:11. He had partied and enjoyed the company of leech-like friends attracted only to coins. Soon, this prince found himself at the meal booth of pigs. It was at this point "He came to himself".
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A personal conversation with self becomes neccessary. It might bring us to the place of self basement when we just realised we have become a harvest of our past indiscretions and nonchalant actions, still we must like the widow not be ashamed to say " I HAVE NOTHING". A personal NET WORTH accessment always proves to be revealing when in sincerity we acknowledge our weaknesses, shortcomings, indiscretions etc that have paved a way to where one finds himself.
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-That man who decides to increase his financial income shouldn't just go into investment. He is where he is because he had tolerated a lifestyle that kept him right there...
-Our doing exploits for the Kingdom doesn't begin with fastings and prayers, voracious study of the word etc. Sometimes it pays to sit and give an accessment of WHERE WE ARE in relation to WHERE GOD WANTS US TO BE and very important, WHAT KEPT US THERE.
-Making improvements academically shouldn't begin with a tedious study timetable, expansion doesn't begin with expanding, SUCCESS doesn't begin with succeeding... They all begin with a self appraisal in light of an acknowledgement to effect positive change.
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How much do you know about yourself?
What lifestyle has kept you from building YOU. indiscipline? Procrastination? Character issues such as anger, lust?
What have been the consequences of your lapses?
If you lived an IDEAL life, where do you envisage your achievements would be rated?
If by an act of providence, you were made 10yrs younger but retaining your present wisdom what would you have done better???
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When you can truly and sincerely answer the questions your soul screams out, WITHOUT REVERTING TO SELF PITY, you just took the first steps to expanding your coasts.
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Do you truly desire expansion, first, locate your present position, and never be too big to admit when necessary, I HAVE NOTHING... Filling is reserved for EMPTY vessels.
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Pastor Phil
58C7CB60.

BUILDING CAPACITY 1

Success Seminars, Leadership Conferences, Master Classes etc... Do they GUARANTEE success in their fields of discussion?
No, they don't... They basically PREPARE one for success. SUCCESS becomes a natural/God ordained reward for preparation.
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By implication, PROMOTION, EXCELLENT LEADERSHIP, INTIMACY WITH GOD and our desires in general natural rewards. Sole focus on rewards never yields rewards, hence you try to be more focused and the cycle of personal frustration just begins.
As simple as this illustration gives, it reveals one of GODS central truths in his reward system. 1Kings4:1-7
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The Widow at the verge of losing her children to her late husbands creditors comes running to the Prophet for help(REWARD). Life doesn't operate this way. God doesn't either. Miracles are induced. There are no blank checks in life, you earn your coins.
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The Prophet, skilled in reward systems, gives her a RESPONSIBILITY... This proves to us that whatever we desire, requires our PERSONAL RESPONSIBILIY to make it happen. Not the Pastor's, not the mentors' but ours... And what was her responsibility to her desires? Go and get vessels(BUILD CAPACITY)
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Truth she had her oil, good though but it wasn't enough. If there's going to be increase, there must be CAPACITY for it. The here isn't that she got vessels, but she got only 10vessels(Not in the Bible). When the 10th was filled, with her oil, the flow stopped!

What if she had gotten 20, 30, 40 or even 100??!! There would have been a continuous flow until her LIMITS were reached. Selah!
Ultimately, she was the creator of her fate.
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While we are called with a High Calling, we have a responsibility to determine the height we attain in that calling.
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There are four areas of significance i personally recognise that capacity must be Built:
* SPIRITUALEADERSHIP(Though not considered important by many, but as a Christian this is of utmost importance).

* MENTAL CAPACITY(Your ability to see things from different perspectives, to make decisions, creative etc)

* EMOTIONAL CAPACITY(We can't rule out emotions from life's involvements. It includes tolerance, empathy, love and coupled with our minds it includes our will power).

* FINANCIAL CAPACITY(Earning, Investing, Accountability, investment oppoutunities etc)

* LEADERSHIP CAPACITY.(in a nut she'll, its mastery and impartation).
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In the next couple of days we'll kick off our Building processes in light of sound Biblical principles.

I see you EMERGING in Christ!
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Pastor Phil
BB pin: 58C7CB60