The One Thing

There came a very young and handsome man to the preacher the whole world was thronging after. He looked sober and dressed in purple and gold. He wasn´t of a haughty eye: or with any air of pride around him. Indeed, the master loved him before he could come closer. This was very rare.

When he came to the master, he had a gentle request in his hand. He said, “Master, what can I do to inherit the Kingdom you have been preaching about.” I thought he was greedy for he already looked plenty rich, why on earth would he require for more riches. However, to my surprise, Master smiled at him and said, “Go and do good as it is written.” He replied, “I have been doing good since my youth.” I thought to myself, “What a pompous young man? You already look young and still talk about doing good since your childhood. Well, I guess no one told you it wasn´t wise to lie to Master because he knows all things.” Again, my thought nearly choked me when Master responded that, “Of the truth you speak.” Imagine my shame!

Master, however, added this, “Just one thing is left.” The young man could not stomach what Master told him; thus, he walked back to his earthly possessions grieving within him. This was a man so close to being one of the top and the greatest in the Kingdom of God, yet just one thing blocked him from choking this success. The one clue to Judgment which Jesus mentioned had something to do with the generosity of man towards his neighbor. He added, “As you didn´t do for the least of these, you did not do for me.” [Matt. 25:40]. God indeed recognizes giving and caring for people.

The one thing this young man lacked was the detail to his success. Many of the things we want to achieve in life may be in view; we know what we want to achieve, but how to get there is usually the issue. If our eyes are not opened to realize the how´s to get there, we may dream and dream but never be able to actualize the dreams. Jesus said to the young rich man, “one thing thou lackest.”

The dream will take shape if we realize that one thing. The vision will take a tremendous momentum if we realize that the one thing. There is just one thing which has sabotage our progress in ministry for ages. Many people you talk to have lots of problems. When you probe further, you will observe that all their problems are centered on just one thing. The source of all their woes is a result of just one thing. The Apostle Paul prayed and said, “Just one thing I do . . . ,” because without that he may end up a failure.

We have been called into this earth and ministry for just one thing. It is that which shall change lives and affect the world. It is usually not more than one. Jesus did so many things when He was on the earth. However, just one thing culminated the success of His coming as a man. Our quest is to find that one thing. In the business, family, ministry, friends, character and the like, we need to identify that one thing.

The young, rich man would never have known until he came to Jesus. Similarly, you and I will never know the one thing we need to know and do. We will never know the purpose of our creation and the one thing to solve our problems until we come to Jesus. There are several ways to kill a cat, they say; however, there is only one effective way. There are many ways to pass a test; yet, there is only one acceptable way. Coming to Jesus is the only way to help identify that one thing. As strange as it may sound, two people may have a similar problem but the approach to solving them may be entirely different. Without the master´s hand and input, many efforts will be fruitless. Just one thing and it is with the man JESUS!

Recognizing Temptation

[Gen. 3:1-6; Matt. 4:1-5]

Temptations have become part and parcels of every Christian’s life. Almost everyone who has desired or purposed to walk with God in this perverse world will and has face temptations of diverse forms. Our first parents faced temptations; the Jews faced temptations on the wilderness [Heb. 3:8], Jesus faced temptations, the great apostles faced temptations [Gal. 4:14] and you, will also face temptations. Jesus, our master, declared that, “The servant is not greater than the master. What the master went through, the servant will face likewise.” [Luke 6:40] If Jesus was tempted, then we will be tempted too.

The Bible, in different occasions, warns us of the eminent dangers of temptations. The Word of God categorically admonishes us and prepares our mind of the fact that, temptations awaits us. In [1Cor. 10:13], the Bible asserted that, “Any kind of temptation we face is not beyond what a man can bear. For God provides us with a way of escape.” Anyone who claims his temptation was beyond bearable minimum for any man has simply not understood what God did for him. (Use my life experience the escape God provides for us in every temptation).

Temptations are such a terrible thing that Jesus taught us to pray – and lead us not into temptation [Matt. 6:13] – to avoid temptations, because it can destroy within a second what has taken years to build. [Matt. 26:41; Mark 14:38; Luke 22:40], the master warned the body of Christ to “Watch and Pray,” lest, we fall in temptations. Watch meaning to be alert and pray ceaselessly because temptation is always lurking around the corner. The Christian who does not watch often; he is unawares of the dangers surrounding him; doesn’t communicate with the Father often, is the one who is likely to fall in several temptations. If you do not pray often, you become vulnerable to temptations.

What then is temptation? Temptation is not in itself a sin, but it is the scheme of the devil to cause you to sin. The Bible calls the devil, “the tempter” Temptations originate from the devil. He is the mastermind behind every temptation any Christian faces on the face of this earth. Temptation does not make you a sinner; sin, is yielding to temptation. “Every temptation starts with a promise to meet a legitimate need/desire in your life” – Dr. Otabil. When we analyze the temptations of Jesus, the temptations provided a means to satisfy a desire and hunger in Jesus. He had fasted for forty days and night without food or water; definitely, what he would desire or need most is food. So the devil comes and says, “Turn these stones to bread.” As a matter of fact, Jesus could have turned the stones to bread. But, in doing so, He had yielded to the commands of the devil. When the devil tempted Eve, he preyed on Eve’s desire to acquire wisdom. When the devil comes to tempt you, he will come with a promise to fulfill a legitimate desire/need in you. We have a legitimate desire for sex, for belonging, for acceptance, for growth, and these are what he plays around.

Read [Gen. 3:1-7]. In this scripture, we can easily characterize what I call stages of temptation. Temptations only come based on the things you play with or what you are mostly found with. If Jesus was not sitting at a place where there were stones, the devil wouldn’t have tempted Him to transform the stones into bread. If Peter was not found around the place where Jesus was tried, he wouldn’t have been tempted into denying Jesus. I can imagine the devil watching Eve cunningly for a long time; how she stands to admire the apple of knowledge of good and evil. The devil might have noticed how Eve insisted on passing by the tree in the midst of the garden everyday. The devil is like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. He is seeking; he is watching, and he is preying. One day, he caught Eve standing closer to the tree than Adam was. Have you ever asked yourself, “What Eve was doing around the tree in the midst of the garden when the devil came around?” What the devil sees you playing with everyday is exactly what he will tempts you with. Young man, the devil has notice how impatient you are; how aggressive you are in hugging girls and how you are always found watching movies with strong scenes. He has noticed the kinds of friends you roll with and how easily you merge with them talking about boys they have slept with. The devil will tempts you into sleeping with boys. You are a young accountant found around huge sums of money everyday. The devil will tempts you with money. Anything which has become a routine in your life that can pose a serious threat to your Spirit and relationship with God, be quick to break away.

From the scriptures, one will realize that the first thing the serpent (devil) did was to misconstrue/misrepresent the Word of God. The devil said. “Yea (truly), hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” This statement is wrong! This is not what God said. Instead, He (God) said in [Gen. 2:16-17] that, “Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But . . .” Satan, in other words was saying, “Did God say don’t eat of any tree?” It is a misrepresentation. When the devil tempted Jesus, he said to Jesus, “If you are the Son of God, cast thyself to the ground: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.” This temptation looked good; it looked really good because it looked like something God Himself has promised. Again, it was a misrepresentation, God did not say that. God, instead said in [Psa, 91:11,12], “For He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways,” before the promise in verse 12. “To keep you in all thy ways” is so important. It means that, if Jesus or anyone for that matter was not walking according to the statues of God, His angels are not given charge over you. This, the devil cunningly omitted it. The devil always misrepresents the word of God.

Just like he did to Eve, he will do the same to anyone. He comes making the Word of God appear too stringent and lacks flexibility. He makes Christianity looks boring and obsolete. The devil comes sometimes through people; they come asking us to show them where in the Bible God said we shouldn’t be in relationships. They ask where in the Bible where we told not to drink, or smoke. There is nothing in the scriptures that points to the slightest hint that dressing anyhow/skimpily, exposing your breast and buttocks as sin. It is something that deals with the conscience, and that makes it a sin if your conscience is not at rest [Rom. 2:15]. You are a young man; you are a young woman; you must have fun. Christianity is boring. This holy, holy thing is very depressing and too demanding.

When the questions do come and you do not stand your ground, you begin to look for ways around the Word of God to sin. I have met people who are sinning and they have a backing from the Word of God. I have met people who are extremely lazy and wouldn’t want anything to do with work; yet, somehow they have the scriptures to back their actions. This too is a very dangerous act. Eve said to the serpent, “God said, ‘We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it.’” This is not what God said. Refer to [Gen. 2:15-17]. Eve began speaking like the devil did; she began misrepresenting the Word of God too. God never mentioned anything about eating from the tree in the centre of the garden. God was specific about what they were and were not allowed to temper with. The world/devil says, “It is just a drink, or boyfriend.” Did God say do not have a boyfriend. No! God did not say that, He warned me about sexual perversion and fornication. This norm boyfriend and girlfriend thing can easily push me into it, but the moment we begin to analyze it, it begins to look ok. Be careful of how you represent the Word of God.

The Woman said, “God said, ‘When we eat of it, we shall die.’” The response of the serpent was, “You shall not surely die.” In effect, the devil said to the woman, “God is lying; you shall not die, nothing will happen, there are no consequences for just eating an apple.” Anytime the devil tempts us, he presents this option: “There are no consequences.” When you are engaged in something without a harming effect, you are usually empowered to do it readily. When the devil puts “there are no consequences” on the table, we feel empowered. It is just a simple lie, nobody will be harmed. It is just a gossip; no one will even notice I did it. It is just me and this boy in the bedroom, what can happen? Even if anything happens, I will protect myself with condom. The devil says, “Ye shall not surely die.” I can imagine him saying to Eve after she took the apple and she didn’t fall dead outright, “Didn’t I say you shall not surely die.” The truth is there are serious consequences for sin, although they may not be executed immediately. Adam and Eve died spiritually, but it appeared they were alright for sometime until God came into the scene. Every sin has terrible effects – Remember that!

The next stage of temptation is: the devil begins to push harder the things which you shall gain. He begins to put more benefits on the table. Temptation just focuses on instant gratification; long-term effects are not considered. The devil said to the woman, “Your eyes will be opened.” Sin, since the time of Adam has hidden itself under the guise of eye-opening. We see this everyday; in the movies, and stories. The Christian virgin girl is the shabbily and drabble-dressed girl. She is the one who does not know “wassup.” The one who will not steal from company’s money is the “muugu.” The boy who is respectful and listens to the parents is the one the other boys will not roll with, because he does not know anything. In the SHS, the boy who sleeps with all kinds of girls is the ladies’ man. He is the one girls will fight over because his eyes are opened. The world laughs at the one who is a virgin because she doesn’t know anything. Your eyes will be opened had led many into sin and will lead yet many others into hell. Do drugs, it will open your eyes and mind. Watch Pornography, your eyes will be opened into different styles.

I remember an incident in my life where my boys unintentionally proved to me that I indeed didn’t know anything. Though I had finished SHS, I was pretty much not into anything. In one conversation, one person asked if I knew Jude Bucher. Sincerely, I had not the slightest idea who she was then. I remember one funny story; I was such a Jet Li-movie fun that I will go heaven and earth to get any new movie by him. One guy in SHS asked me if I had heard about “Westlife?” “No, I answered, Is it a new movie by Jet Li?” You could imagine the look on his face. I think about these and I understand why none of the girls would go out with me. After all, who would want to go out with someone who has no idea of any romantic songs of our time – My eyes were not opened, so to say. The devil still tables “your eyes will be opened” on his proposal of temptation. Were their eyes opened is the question. Yes, but it wasn’t into the deeper things of God, or the glory of God or even into seeing God clearly. Instead, their eyes were opened to their own nakedness. They became defiled!

He further pushes his bid because he knows he has cornered you already. You have been thinking about it for too long. You have stood talking to him for far too long and now he knows he has got you. He says to the woman, “Ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” The devil says, “Do you know you can make the rules now?” The world has become one crazy place today. Man has come to the point of playing God now. You tell people what they are doing is wrong and you will be amazed the number of seemingly justifiable reasons they will give for their acts. Man is preaching more of self-actualization and will-power than the sustenance of God. Planning is good; thinking is excellent. As a matter of fact, God desires that we plan and think. However, He expects us to retain Him in our Knowledge. God expects us to remember that it is He who gives us power to make wealth [Duet. 8:18]. It is Him who chooses kings, makes and unmakes the rich and the poor [Pro.]. He is the master builder of the universe and our lives [Psa. 127:1]. Man speaks as though we determine the days and the night and the seasons. As a result of this, God has judged this world. Today the world is full of immorality and evil [Rom. 1:21-32]. Ye shall be gods has become the downfall of man.

To Be Continued

Ato Ghansah: The Lots of Many Little Things - Ctd

Ato Ghansah: The Lots of Many Little Things - Ctd: "“The bird never threw away any strand it brought”. Life is full of many unexpected ‘strands’. Sometime..."

The Lots of Many Little Things - Ctd

“The bird never threw away any strand it brought”. Life is full of many unexpected ‘strands’. Sometimes we pick a strand with all excitement only to realize later that it was nothing close to what we expected. The job we were so crazy about suddenly has become the one we dread to dress up in the morning to go to. The relationship has become sour; the children have become disobedient, the sweet angel for a wife has become sassy. And usually all we want to do is to throw the unwanted bits away and go looking for new ones. When the halcyon days come, we want to live and re-live them for the rest of our lives. Yet, when the disappointment, shame, pain and failure come, we quickly want to push it down into the earth like they never happened. But every lesson in life is important for our growth especially if God is on your side [Rom. 8:28]. When we learn to treat success and failure the same not necessarily over indulging in any of them, we will transform our lives greatly. The truth about a thing may be far from what and how you envisioned it to be. But do not quit; do not dispose of it; learn from it and make good of it as much as you can. Did you know that the intensity of strain on the string of the bow though can break it yet it is the same strain that determines how far its arrows go? Your strain can propel you.   

The bird sang while it worked. Make a conscious effort to keep a happy face in life. Life is not all that sad like you want the whole world to know. You may not be enthusiastic about your job, family, wife, friends or even your country or tribe, but try not to make it worse than it looks. Minimize the complaint and the murmurs if you can’t stop entirely. Someone’s case is always worse than yours. Your wife may cook as a chef and commits love with you like a log. Well, appreciate it because someone’s bargain is worse. There is a little good even in the worse kind of person in this life. Keep a smile, it gives your hope. Keep the little hope; it will give you faith. Keep the faith; it will be your purchasing power to the things you hope to see. Sometimes it is hard to smile in the midst of cacophony, but remember, in life we win some and we lose some. That only makes us humans.

“Little by Little it built it nest”. Frankly speaking, it was hard to figure out what the bird was trying to do initially if you didn’t know it was building a nest. The start was ugly, scanty, disorganized and hopelessly appalling. But the finish was something beyond my comprehension. I believe life usually start like that. We mostly start something which looks almost impossible to accomplish and has no beauty around it. Yet, when we stick with it, the end thereof is more glorious than the beginning. Most companies with outstanding reputations and brands today failed so many times. When the spark came, they just couldn’t stop but to shine. We must learn to start small and never despise the humble beginnings. Most people I see today are too greedy and covetous. They want to be established so quickly they never realize the opportunities staring at them in the faces. Have you thought and realized that the only job which you start from the top is digging the grave? You have to work your way to the top but steadily and gradually. “Who has despised the days of small things?” [Zac. 4:10].

“It just tore it off and flew away”. After several years of hard work, we finally begin to see a glimpse of the vision that was so far-fetched. We begin to celebrate to the impending victory. We sigh and pat our backs a little to a good job done. Then without warning, we lose everything we had worked for. Sometimes a reputation which took us years to build becomes soiled and lost by one malicious and untrue rumor. After struggling hard to establish a company, they decided to lay you off. The person you gave your all to and sacrifice so much to see a better relationship suddenly turns their back on you. What do we do? Give up and fold our hands to watch time pass by? Many people are lost to the background not because they didn’t do anything in this life. No! As a matter of fact, they tried harder than most of their contemporaries. Their failure was in their inability to rise up from the ashes. They couldn’t shake the dust off. They turned themselves into inconsolable lot and just fizzled out of existence. They couldn’t enter into a new relationship because they were still in the shadows of the old.

The biggest threat in our lives is stagnation. If we stop dead in our tracks; we become outdated, we fizzle out and we die. Most people are not failures; they are simply not good at bouncing back. They stick like a glue-ball. One billionaire lost 43% of his investment and he threw himself under a train. I looked at Japan and I say, “Since world war II, this has been their worst disaster ever. If they are not able to bounce back from this fall, a country which loans to America will suddenly be begging from Ghana”.

Amongst the numerous writings of Rudyard Kipling was one which won him the greatest fame. He wrote a poem entitled 'If'. In the poem he said,

“ . . . If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";

Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!

If we could only learn to start all over again just as this bird did without loosing our values and integrity, indeed, the world will be ours.

All through out the building, the bird had no support from any of the birds. Neither did I think it looked unto another for help. It was independent. We live in a terrible culture where dependency is seen everywhere. We wait on people to help us with everything. When they refuse to do, we go about with gloom, cursing and saying "If I had been helped . . ."? At one time, it is our parent; the next, our cousins, next our bosses and so on. This must stop somewhere. You cannot waste your life by waiting on people's help, because mostly they will not. I learnt my lesson long ago.

There were many little things I have loved to tell you. I however pray that this will bless you enough.  

Ato Ghansah: The Lots of Many Little Things

Ato Ghansah: The Lots of Many Little Things: "Do you remember the story of the bird which worked from scratch till a huge nest was in place. Here goes the lot of the many little things I..."

Ato Ghansah: The Lots of Many Little Things

Ato Ghansah: The Lots of Many Little Things: "Do you remember the story of the bird which worked from scratch till a huge nest was in place. Here goes the lot of the many little things I..."

The Lots of Many Little Things

Do you remember the story of the bird which worked from scratch till a huge nest was in place. Here goes the lot of the many little things I learnt.

         

Although there were lots of spaces somewhere on the tree, yet this bird amongst few others decided to distinguish themselves from the lots. I am sure I wouldn’t have noticed it should it have just join the many at convenient places. No one in this world will notice you if you do what everyone else does. When you start to copy the negative behaviors of the people you met at your work place, you will end up like the way they are after some years. Their laziness and inability to stick with time saw them no promotion in life, if you do the same, you will be like them. Set yourself apart from the lot. Jesus told Peter, “Thrust out a little from the land”. Go a little more than most people would go. The result was abundant catch. Stay where everyone is and you will get what everyone gets. Seek to distinguish yourself in everything you do, and you will be quickly noticed.

Take risk in life, it is the only way to ensure success. The bird could have lost its nest to strong wind or rain. It could have lost hours and days of work to one kid who just decided to pick on it by pulling its nest. Yet, it took the risk and the risk brought it a mate. Stop asking yourself too many “what ifs”. Stop looking to the failures of the past. Everybody fails at something. That simply tells of the frailty of our humanity. It is only God who has a 100 percentile of success. Don’t allow your failure to stop you in your tracks. Don’t allow the pain to lock you up in some box. Break loose; take calculated risk, dare where others dread and success will not elude you. 

The bird brought a strand to start work each morning. Develop the habit of consistency. Stick to a plan, a purpose, a job or a relationship. There is a saying that “In consistency lies the power”. It is only after repeated occurrences can an impact be made. Be consistent in character. Build a trust of what you will stand for or otherwise against. Stop playing ‘dili dali’ with your decisions. Be consistent and firm with your words. Work hard till your no becomes ‘no’ and your yes a ‘yes’. “A man is as good as his words”. If you have unstable mind and flippantly changes your mind on anything, people will not trust you with anything. People will not like to work with you because they can’t figure out when your next move may be. When Jacob cursed Reuben for uncovering the nakedness of his stepmother, he said “Unstable as water, thou shall not prosper”. Instability is one free way to failure. Be consistent!

“It went far and near to pick materials to build its nest”. Life is not a bed of roses, neither is it a bed of thistle and thorns. It is a bit of both. Your resources may deplete. Your hope may be lost. The arm you may lean on for support may be cut short, but that should not be the end of your life. Situations may change as they always will. You must learn to adapt, hold your head up high and traverse the perilous road of life till you get to your destination. When you job is sinking, learn to go far to get new one. When your relationship is failing, be ready to go to those who have stood the test of time and learn. The materials to build are always available but they shall not be thrown into your bosom.

“It weaved with it beaks and directed them with its claws”. Our lives are ultimately built with two things. They are our lips and our hands. The two work together side-by-side. Any time the work is done by just one of these, the person will suffer failure. I have written to you before about how important the words of your mouth are. When you speak well and work well, you shall eat the good of this land. On the contrary, if you speak evil and still manage to work hard, your life will still be full of pain and sorrow. Because, “a man’s belly shall be satisfied by the fruit of his lips – good or bad [Pro. 18:20]. A person virtually eats what he says, because we usually speak what we think. “As a man thinketh, so is he” [Pro. 23:7] and “No man rises higher than his thought”. Then indeed, what we speak we shall become and will never rise above the words of our mouth. Work with your mouth because that is all the work God did – He created the things we see with the words of His mouth.

It also worked with its claws. I have met people who speak big but are very lazy. People like this will also come to intense poverty. The words of such a person will destroy him because his desires will never be met. He is lazy, he doesn’t want to work and so he will not prosper. [Pro. 21:25]. Any person who needs supervision to work will never prosper. Someone must see to it that you come to work early; see to it that you do what you are paid to do; and see to it that you work according to the rules. Anything your boss is not around it is a field day for you. The attitude of attending to work late and closing early is just the lifestyle of poor people. I know a rich man who goes to work at 5:45am and closes at 6:00pm as his earliest time to close from work. He works tirelessly. People who do not like to labour with their hands never prosper [Pro. 15:19]. People who always seek the easier roots in life do not prosper either [Pro. 22:13]. “Tell the righteous, it is well with his soul, for he shall eat the fruit of his hands” [Isa. 3:10]. The righteous shall not eat the fruit of his mouth only but of his hands too. Speaking big and being lazy like most young people of today will only result in grievous poverty. [Pro. 14:23] “God gives every bird its food, but He doesn’t throw it into their nest”. God has promised you prosperity, but if you refuse to work, you will be poor.

And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; [1Thes. 4:11]

“It weaved its nest”. The bird employed what I call creative working. Weaving is an art and therefore must be mastered. It requires thinking and focus if you are to come out with different shapes and designs. Weaving requires concentration and creativity. If you happen to pass by a kente or a basket weaver, notice the silence in which they work and the occasional sky-looking they do. They think more than they talk. Life and labour requires thinking and creativity if you are to make good of anything. Most people I meet in my life talk more than they listen, how much more sit to think. They are on a speed boat to their destination, so they feel they must tell everyone what they know while they have the time. People who talk too much destroy their lives. They speak before realizing they shouldn’t have said certain things they said. Talkative are ‘thinkless’ people.

“He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction”. [Pro.13:3]

Reduce your words, channel them into thinking and you are on your way to success. Creative working also requires learning to do different things at different times. Endeavor to multitask effectively; do a little bit more than your assigned role, it is the first class ticket to promotion.