SEVEN WAYS TO LIVE WITH SUSTAINABLE HAPPINESS

In the world that we live in today, there are so many things that can make us sad, including seemingly positive things. For instance, a person may be making a lot of money but having a taskmaster as a boss will take the fun out of that or having to dedicate so much time to the job at the expense of family/meaningful relationships/further growth, can be a source of sadness. On the negative side, losing a loved one/job, struggling financially, facing challenges in your marriage, having a rebellious child, all these and so much more can lead to sadness, feeling low or unmotivated or discouraged.

Studies have shown that about 300 million people suffer from depression. And depression starts from that feeling of sadness.

So in a world filled with so many reasons to be sad, what then can one do to live a happy life? Thankfully, the list is endless but you can start with these seven ways to keep the smile on your face:

1. Give to those from whom you expect nothing—I know you have heard this so many times, and you may even be among those who don’t believe in giving but the truth is, giving works. The innumerable blessings attached to it asides, there is this joy you feel within when you give to a person and you know that such a person is not in the position to repay your act of kindness. The fact that you were a channel of blessing to that person, that you brought joy to that person has a way of making you feel good. Ask anyone you know who doesn’t have a problem giving and you will have a confirmation. 

2. Give to those that can help your destiny—Like it or not, you will always need help. It doesn’t matter your status in the society or how much you earn, there will always be instances where you will need someone. There are things you can’t do, heights you can’t reach, projects you can’t undertake, without the help of certain people. These people are called destiny helpers. They’re placed by God strategically to push you forward and in the direction He wants you to go. Some of these helpers are easily recognisable such as our pastors, prayer partners and spiritual mentors. Others  aren’t so obvious but when you finally recognise them, give to them. Spontaneous and unprovoked gifts go a very long way. The result is that when such a person is in a position to help you, he/she is quickly spurred into action. The person knows that even before he has helped you, you've already surprised him with good things, so of course he will have no reservations about helping you in your time of need. That’s just it, giving opens doors and keeps them open for you and when things go your way, why won’t you be happy?

3. Visit people at their vulnerable moments—Do not be the fair-weather friend; present in good times and absent in bad times. No, no, no. Rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with them that mourn Romans 12:15. Your neighbour’s car got stolen, your friend lost his job, your colleague lost his wife, whatever the challenge, do not be nonchalant or uncaring. Offer words of comfort, visit, check up on them from time to time, give meaningful suggestions, make inquiries out of love, look out for better opportunities for them, take some food over to their house, you will be making a difference in their lives and also yours because you will be happy that you are making a bad situation better.

4. Sponsor people’s celebrations— It may be difficult for many of us to single-handedly organise a get-together to celebrate a friend's new job or bridal shower or new car or promotion. Fine. But nothing stops you from contributing. Your friend got a new job or just got promoted, go over to his house and take a carton of malt. Your friend is getting married, you can buy a cake for the bridal shower or give an amount to aid the wedding preparations. It’s not about how big or public the celebrations are, the fact that you are putting in effort to make them happy is enough.

5. Volunteer to carry out a community task—Fill up the bad roads, fix street lights on the entrance roads, organise for vigilantes, whatever you feel your community is lacking, volunteer to fill the gap. You may not even be the one who recognises a need in your community, it doesn’t matter. Let it be known that your support is certain. Be an asset in your community, let them feel your positive effect.

6. Obey God and show clearly that you have integrity—The importance of obedience to God can never be overemphasized. He is our Creator, our Father, our beginning and our end. Obey God, keep His commandments, follow His leading and your happiness is sure. Once God is pleased with you, everything else falls into place. Even when the storms of life come, you aren’t moved. I’m talking about that feeling you have when the Almighty God got your back!

Integrity is a product of obedience to God. When you are focused on pleasing God, it has a way of spreading to every area of your life, including how you relate with people. Your yes will be yes and you will always stand for what is right and you will be happy.

7. Make every moment a time for celebration; Laughter is medicine—Resist that temptation to wear all your worries on your face. Remember to laugh; laugh with others, laugh at jokes, laugh at yourself, celebrate even the littlest achievements. Laugh away your sorrows.

Begin to make a conscious effort to see joy in situations. Refuse to be sucked into that sad hole. Ever heard that saying, when life gives you lemons, turn them into lemonades? Exactly! I’ll go a step further to say when life gives you rain, see the rainbow; when life gives you an empty cup, see the opportunity to fill it up; when life gives you a problem, see the opportunity to proffer the solution. Choose to be happy.

THE RETURN OF CHRIST WILL BE A PUBLIC EVENT

Revelation 1:7 “Look! He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, including those who pierced Him. And all the families of the earth will wail because of Him. This is certain. Amen!”

1 Thessalonians 4:16 “For the Lord Himself will descend from Heaven with a shout, with the archangel's voice, and with the trumpet of God...”

Mark 14:62 “Jesus said, 'all of you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power and coming with the clouds of Heaven'”.

Make no mistake, Christ is coming again and the whole world will witness this.

Who is Jesus Christ?

Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Luke 1:31-32 says, “... and you will call His name JESUS. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High...” Matthew 16:16 says, “Simon Peter answered, 'You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God'”.

What was the purpose of His first coming?

He came to save the world from darkness and death, and bring eternal life. John 3:16 says, “For God loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life”.

Will Christ return?

Definitely! Acts 1:10-11 “While He was going, they were gazing into Heaven, and suddenly two men in white clothes stood by them. They said, 'men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up into Heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken from you into Heaven, will come in the same way that you have seen Him going into Heaven'”.

And this time around, Christ will be coming to judge and to rule.

When will He return?

No one knows except God. Matthew 24:44 says, “Now concerning that day and hour no one knows—neither the angels in Heaven, nor the Son—except the Father only”. Therefore our focus should not be on when Christ is coming again but on what we must do to be ready at any time. Matthew 24:42 says, “Therefore be alert, since you don’t know what day your Lord is coming”.

What must you do now?

Repent, turn away from your evil ways, believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and accept Him as your Lord and Saviour.

Don’t stop there; pray without ceasing, meditate on the Word of God daily, let obedience to God be your daily goal, and Heaven at last your ultimate goal.

SEVEN EXCITING WAYS TO LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOUR THAT WILL KEEP YOU HAPPY

Introduction

The command to love our neighbours as ourselves is recorded in the Bible as the second greatest commandment (Matthew 22:36-39; Mark 12:29-31; Luke 10:27-28). This reflects that God Himself recognises that we ought to love one another and look out for one other. It is therefore not a surprise that there are many good words associated with the word “neighbour” and its different forms. 

For instance, one of the synonyms of the word “neighbour” is friend. The word “neighbourly” is defined as characteristic of a good neighbour, especially in being helpful, friendly or kind. Further, synonyms of “neighbourly” include hospitable, warm, generous, cordial, considerate, supportivethatreflect what being a neighbour entails 

Remember that your neighbour is not just the family living closest to you but rather anyone in need who comes your way (Luke 10:29-37). However, you may not be able to show love to everyone but you can at least start with showing love to that family next door to you or living in your area or estate but not necessarily next door.

Here are seven exciting ways to show love to your neighbour. And as you practise them, you will also be happy:

1.  Pray with the family and intercede for them in your family prayer: A great way to show love to your neighbour is to pray with them and for them. Do you know of any challenges your neighbours may be passing through? Pray with them and ask for God's intervention on their behalf. After praying with them, still take out time in your own home to pray for them and be assured that firstly, God will indeed hear your prayers for your neighbours and secondly, God will reward your labour of love.

2.  Invite them to share a well prepared dinner in your home: Eating meals together is a good way to forge healthy relationships with your neighbours. You do not have to wait for Christmas before you can give your neighbours food. Be spontaneous and plan a large dinner with the neighbours, tell them “Next Friday, you are all invited to my house for dinner, come with nothing but an empty stomach” then go ahead and prepare a sumptuous meal for them.

It does not have to be expensive for it to be nice. For instance, you may serve with water instead of soft drinks. Make it a family affair, let the atmosphere be informal and friendly. Let the conversations flow and let there be sounds of laughter.

3.  Exchange pleasantries if possible daily: Greet your neighbours genuinely and with a smile. It may go a long way in lighting up their day. On the other hand, exchanging pleasantries may also cheer you up if you were unhappy prior to that.

Another important function of greetings is that they open doorways to effective communication. For instance, your neighbour may be sick and a “good morning, how are you doing?” will lead him to disclose that information and you may even be able to offer him good advice as to treatment or urge him to seek medical attention immediately.

4. Take a step to find out a few of their needs, material or financial, and meet them: There is joy in giving. Try to love your neighbours by giving to them. For instance, the world is presently battling a pandemic (COVID-19) and this has led to an extended period of lockdown. Many people who depend on daily sources of income have been crippled by this because they have been unable to go out to seek their daily bread. Some of these people are your neighbours and you may be fortunate enough to have alternative means of livelihood. Why don’t you extend a helping hand to your neighbours who are in need? You can offer them some resources such as foodstuff, money, detergent, soap and others, according to your capacity.

5.  Give lifts to those who do not have personal means of transportation: If you have a personal means of transportation, you can give lifts to your neighbours who do not have. Pick them up if you see them on the road or go the extra mile to ask if they intend to go out soon so that they may go with you. If they have children in school, you may offer to drop them off or pick them up together with your children.

6. Send jobs their way: If you have neighbours who are artisans or businessmen or who provide certain types of services, show them love by sending jobs their way, especially if you are familiar with their work and you have seen that it’s good. For instance, you may have a tiler as a neighbour, and a friend in your office has a building project on, you can suggest your neighbour to him for the tiling work in the house. You may have another neighbour who deals with rugs, curtains and other interior design items, you can also suggest their services. They need not even know that you are sending jobs their way, the most important thing is that you will be showing love and it will be rewarding to all parties involved.

7. Pay them occasional visits to establish a good rapport with them: It is now common to find people who have been neighbours for years and they do not know each other. Some do not know their neighbours’ names, others don’t even know them facially. Neighbours yet strangers.

Go out of your way to know more about your neighbours. This is not to say you will become a busybody. But make an effort and let them know that you care. Visit them, find out how they’re doing, offer help if you can, ask questions out of love and not to gossip.

Be the first to extend the hand of friendship to your neighbours and begin to walk in love daily.

DO YOU KNOW THAT ARRANGEMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE FOR YOU TO LIVE FOREVER?

With the fall of Adam in the garden of Eden came death. The good news? The story did not end there! John 3:16 continued the story with, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” Yes, you got that right... everlasting life!

One great thing you need to know about God is that He does not give up on us. His hands of mercy are always stretched out, waiting for us to see the error in our ways and reach out to Him. 1 Peter 2:9 tells us that God is the One who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. This means we are no longer doomed to destruction. We have that never failing hope that though we die, yet shall we live. John 11:25

The key is to accept Jesus Christ into our lives. He is the way out. John 3:17 tells us, “For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved”. Acknowledge and believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He came to save you, for John 3:18 says, “He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but He that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God”.

Regardless of how bad or evil you think you are, salvation is open to everyone. We were all born sinners, Romans 3:23 clearly says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God”. This means no man was born perfect, no man was born already saved. Ignore that voice telling you that you are not good enough or that no one can save you or whatever negative thing you are hearing. Those are all lies. Luke 23:39-43 tells the story of two thieves that were crucified with Jesus, one wasted that opportunity and decided to mock Jesus instead. The second thief on the other hand, recognised it as his only opportunity to enter into eternal life and he utilised it. The thief said, “Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom” And Jesus said to him, “Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with Me in paradise”. Luke 23:42-43. And just like that, a person who had spent his last days stealing and was being executed for it, gained everlasting life only because he believed.   

Are you out there still wallowing in sin? Christ is waiting for you. No need to waste any more time. Stop having sex outside wedlock, stop cheating people, stop watching pornography, stop fantasizing about your neighbour's wife or husband, stop flirting with your secretary or your colleague as a married person, desist from pride, greed and laziness, desist from those outbursts of anger. Christ is waiting! Christ is waiting for you! Just open your heart to Him, invite Him into your life. The latter part of Matthew 9:13 says, “For I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance”.

Or did you once believe in Christ but in the course of life you have gone astray, you have forgotten your first love, you have departed from the path of righteousness? Do not be disheartened, there is always a provision for a U-turn. You can come back to Christ, He has not given up on you, He has not turned His back on you. Remember the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15:11-32. A son beloved of the father decided to leave the true path and go on his own way. When he returned to the father to beg to be treated as a slave, was he turned away? No! The father threw a huge feast in his honour and welcomed him with open arms. Do you remember the story of Peter? After working so closely with Christ, learning at His feet and seeing so many miracles, he denied Christ at the first sign of trouble in Matthew 26:69-75. Peter denied Christ not once, not twice but three times. Still, that was not the end of his story. The same Peter who denied Christ three times won about three thousand souls after preaching his first sermon in Acts 2:14-41 and he went on to become one of the pillars of the early church.

Have you been an unsteady Christian? Hot today, cold tomorrow. Or has your faith been shaken by the challenges of life and you find yourself beginning to entertain doubts or harbouring anger against God? Your case is not lost, your story is not finished. The apostle Paul testified in 2 Timothy 3:11 that, “Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me.” 2 Timothy 3:12 also says, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution”. This means you and I as Christians, should not expect the road to be smooth all the way, there will definitely be bumps and gallops and flat tyres and fuel stops in this journey of life but God is always there to see us through. Return to God today, hold unto Him again and this time around, don’t let go. 

Revelation 3:20 says, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: If any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me”. This is an invitation to you, yes you! Christ is at the door of your heart knocking. Open the door today and accept Him as your Lord and personal saviour. Romans 10:9 concludes that, “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved”. And as simple as that, eternal life will become yours!

10 URGENT SIMPLE THINGS YOU CAN DO TO HELP KANO

Kano state is one of the states to be hit hard recently by the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are ten ways you and I can help Kano state curtail the pandemic:

Provide food and water to families in need, according to your capacity

Contact anyone you know who’s a top official in the Special Marshals or Army or the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), to mobilize for more volunteers to help in the markets and isolation centres 

Curb the panic by restraining from spreading messages of woe on social media

Write and share articles to educate people on the benefits of social distancing 

Contact your pastors or imams to mobilize for digital  prayers for the state

Go for testing immediately you experience any of these symptoms; cough, fever, tiredness or difficulty in breathing

Keep uninformed family members and loved ones informed about the pandemic so that they may not fall prey to the disease

Share this article on all social media platforms to create public awareness

Practise social distancing and personal hygiene

Stay informed, stay home and stay safe.

SEVEN SPIRITUAL SUPPORT STRUCTURES THAT MAKE YOU POWERFUL

Bible quotations are taken from the New International Version (NIV) of the Bible

Eat the Word of God in the Bible: 2 Timothy 3:16 says “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness”. Psalm 119:105 says “Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path”. Matthew 4:4 days “Jesus answered, 'It is written: Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that proceeds from the mouth of God'”. Psalm 119:130 says “The unfolding of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple”.

The entire Christian life is to be totally dependent on the Bible for it is our life support. It is God expressing Himself to us in human words. It is God revealing Himself to us and within it, we can find everything we need.

Understanding of Jesus Christ: Romans 10:9 says “If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord', and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved”. John 6:35 says “Then Jesus declared, 'I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me will never go hungry and he who believes in Me will never be thirsty.’” John 14:6 says “Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me'”. John 8:12 says “When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life'”. 

We are saved today because of Jesus, for by Adam, we all must die but through Jesus we have eternal life. John 3:16 says “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life”. 

Prayer/Living with the Holy Spirit: 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says “Pray continually”. 1 John 5:14 says “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us”. Prayer is a connection to God that ensures free flow of communication from Him to us, and from us to Him. 

However, Romans 8:26-27 says “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will”. The Holy Spirit is our Helper, our Advocate, our Intercessor, our Comforter, our Counselor, our Teacher and Guide. 

John 14:26 says “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you”. John 16:13 says “But when He, the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come”. When you live with the Holy Spirit, you will never go wrong.

Fasting: Fasting consecrates, it enhances prayer, it subdues the flesh and brings it under the power of the spirit. Jesus Christ began His ministry with fasting in Matthew 4:1-2 and He was strengthened spiritually to overcome the devil in Matthew 4:3-11.

Fasting is also a sign of repentance. If your ways have not been right with God, now is the time to truly repent and return to Him. Joel 2:12 says “Even now, declares the Lord, return to Me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning”.

Giving/Gifting: Proverbs 11:25 says “A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed”. Luke 6:38 says “Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you”. The blessings attached to giving are innumerable. The latter part of Acts 20:35 wraps it up by saying “It is more blessed to give than to receive”.

Holiness: Romans 6:22 says “But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life”. 1 Peter 1:15 says “But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do”. 

Ephesians 5:3 says “But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people”. Romans 12:1 says “Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship”.

Holiness is the only way of life that is profitable. Matthew 5:48 concludes, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Peace: John 14:27 says “Peace I leave with you: My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid”. 

Do not let anxiety and fear rule your life. Key into the peace of Christ, 1 Peter 5:7 says “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you”. Philippians 4:7 says “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus”.

May the eyes of our heart be enlightened that we may know the hope to which He has called us, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power, in Jesus' name. Amen!

Honesty is compatible with haggling

I got a revelation which I tested and it worked fine. Someone might find it useful. I gave a builder a contract of 6.93M and he sounded so honest to a fault. I asked him why he was so zealous for the work. His answer was that he just loved the project as he would gain only a hundred thousand Naira after executing the task expected to last about 5 months. I said that was very kind of him and I was generous with gratitude. I asked for his details and transferred the 100k  within minutes. My admonition was that his profound cheapness was not compatible with our modified competitive capitalism. He has used all known methods to beg for the work but I am disgusted by his liberal intensive persuasive exaggeration.

Patiently Aggressive USD BILLIONAIRE: the tools we deployed in writing this noble book.

Writing a book may seem like a daunting task, but with the right tools, the task can be tackled more easily. Here are the tools that aided the work of writing this great book:

Dictionary— This was used to check for definition of words, spelling and proper usage of words.

Bible— This was used in citing Biblical references to serve as either a base or backup for a position for spiritual accuracy.

The versions used were the Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) and the King James Version (KJV).

Google Docs—The platform used to write the book, you can liken it to a canvas upon which an artist paints. The entire book was put together on Google Docs.

Phone (Android) keyboard— This was employed in doing the major typing work in the book.

Gboard—This was necessary due to the presence of certain special characters which cannot be obtained on the original android keyboard.

An Android device— This has the capacity to support all the necessary applications used in writing the book and carrying out research online.

Google— This search engine was used for quick research to garner more information on ideologies, synonyms, accuracy of words, punctuation, and other things incidental to writing a book.

YouTube– This was used for consultation, research and sometimes verification when it had to do with certain practical topics.

Google drive – Thanks to this, the book and all other necessary files were saved and made easily accessible.

WhatsApp – This was used for easy flow of communication between the writing team.

Gmail – When the idea of the book was birthed, it was  shared via email after which, the writing team began the work.

SEVEN IMPORTANT REASONS A YOUTH NEEDS MONEY

Money gives you freedom to make choices: Money gives you a wider variety of options in life. On the other hand, lack of money narrows your choices to whatever your meagre resources can afford, regardless of whether or not you like it or whether or not it is even good for you. And as we all know, majority of good and quality things in life, ranging from goods to opportunities, require higher financial implications.

Money enables you to execute your dreams: Every youth has a dream he/she plans to achieve. And whatever projects you want to undertake, require money. Do you plan to start a business? You need money. Do you plan to further your education? You need money. Do you plan to have a family in the future? You need money. Do you plan to build a house in the future? You need money.

Money provides the basic human needs: The basic human needs of food, clothing and shelter, are provided for with money. To conveniently and continuously feed yourself, clothe yourself and shelter yourself, you need money.

Money enables you preach the Gospel on a wider scale: God has commanded us to go into the world and preach the Gospel to all creation (Mark 16:15). To reach more people, money is needed. For example, missionaries require money for travels, materials and sustenance, even the local churches need money to go for evangelical outreaches in rural areas. 

Further, preaching the Gospel goes beyond just telling others about the Word of God. If your unsaved neighbour is in need of food, preaching the Gospel entails you telling him about Christ and giving him food. If you don’t have the money to provide the food, it is highly doubtful that your preaching will make much impact because at that point, the most important need of your neighbour is food. The same is even said for brethren in church, how much more the unsaved. (James 2:15-16)

Money gives you the opportunity to give more: A popular saying goes thus “You cannot give what you do not have”. Do you desire to give to the needy, the orphans, the widows? You need money to bless all these lives. Giving a person in need 500 naira will feed him today. Giving that same person 500 000 naira to establish a business, will feed him for life.

Money teaches you independence and responsibility: Money enables you to stand on your own. With money, you can say goodbye to a life of dependence on others. 

Money also requires responsibility to ensure it doesn’t develop wings and fly away. With money, you learn to be responsible in handling it, a person who is responsible with money usually exercises such form of responsibility in many areas of life.

You cannot live a life of significance without money: Living a life of significance goes beyond the individual. It extends to impacting lives around you and in the process of this, you will need to part with money from time to time to meet whatever needs you identify in your community.

Even the Bible recognises the importance of money. Ecclesiastes 10:19 concludes by saying “but money answereth all things”. Therefore, do not be deceived by the notion that money is evil. The Bible says it is the love of money that is the root of evil. (1 Timothy 6:10)

You do not need to love money to have money! The difference therefore lies in your approach to money. The proper approach is to see money as one of the essential tools to navigate life.

POVERTY AND SIN ARE FRIENDS

A God that wants His children to prosper and live in abundance surely does not want us to live in lack. 

3 John 2 says “Beloved I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth”. This verse shows us that it is God’s Will for His children to enjoy all round prosperity—spiritually, financially, emotionally, health wise and in all ramifications. Note the words “above all things”, they reflect how important it is to God for His children to prosper.

 It is God’s wish for us to prosper, what does He do? He equips us to become wealthy. Deuteronomy 8:18 says “For remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the power to make wealth”. Our God is not contradictory, He is very consistent. If He wants us to be good, he does not want us to be evil; and if He wants us to prosper, He definitely does not want us to be poor. Our God is a holy God and He gives us the power to make wealth, by extension, this means on the one hand, that wealth is a by-product of holiness. And on the other hand, that poverty is a by-product of sin.

Remember that God’s promises to us can only come to pass in our lives if we are in alignment with Him. Deuteronomy 15:4-6 says “However, there should be no poor among you, for in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess, as your inheritance, He will richly bless you, if only you fully obey the Lord your God and are careful to follow all these commands I am giving you today. For the Lord your God will bless you as He has promised, and you will lend to many nations and borrow from none...”  Now if God has said that we will be prosperous if only we obey Him, the other side of the coin is that, if we do not obey Him, we will be poor. When do we disobey God? It is when we sin. Sin is anti God, it is contrary to God and it opens us up to whatever God doesn’t want for us. 

Simply put, if you obey God, you prosper. If you disobey God and continue in sin, you don’t.

HOW WE WROTE THE BOOK ON WEALTH CREATION, SIGNIFICANCE IN LIFE, COUPLED WITH BLISSFUL FAMILY LIFE

It all started with a vision. With my experiences in life and the processes I have passed through to get to where I am today, I did not want to keep these to myself because I live to have significance in life and to lead others to have significance. Therefore, I asked myself how can I teach people this and enlighten them? And the idea of a book was birthed. The written word is powerful, it can always be revisited and reference can always be made to it so it is not easily forgotten. 

Decision: After the vision was birthed, I took an active decision to actualize it and bring it to life. I begun to set the necessary mechanisms in place and the work started. A vision without actualization is dead. 

Teamwork and Leverage: No one is an island of knowledge. Writing involves so many things such as editing, technological know how, proofreading and so on. A lot more can be achieved when the labour is divided and you team up with people who have the required capabilities. And so a team was imperative to the success of the book. 

It is not enough to just have ideas, it is important that they are conveyed in a way that can be understood by the public to achieve the desired impact.

Setting of goals: For every part of the book, goals were involved. Setting goals gave us guidelines to follow. It also enabled us to easily fish out ideas that were incompatible with or generally detrimental to the development of the book. Every goal set and accomplished resulted in the success of the book.

Research: Research was a major key to the success of the book. It is very easy to make errors and research aids in avoiding many errors and misconceptions. It exposed us to certain important ideologies which people are yet to be exposed to. It also enabled us to make informed suggestions.

Determination: It is without doubt that there were certain challenges but determination to carry out what we set out to do and accomplish it, overrode whatever challenges that arose. In fact, the more the challenges, the stronger the determination. We saw the challenges not as roadblocks but rather as stepping stones to move forward. 

God: We owe everything we are to God our Creator. Without Him, nothing can be achieved. 

10 REASONS YOU SHOULD EMBRACE 5G FAST

5G stands for 5th generation mobile network.

The previous generations of mobile networks are 1G which delivered analogue voice; 2G which introduced digital voice; 3G which ushered in mobile network; and 4G LTE which introduced mobile broadband. 

What is 5G bringing to the table?

5G is faster than 4G:

5G will be able to deliver up to about 20 gigabits per second, peak data rates and above 100 megabits per second, average data rates. On the other hand, 4G can only support peak data rates of up to 300 megabits per second.  

5G is more capable than 4G:

5G network is a platform designed to elevate mobile broadband experiences as well as support new services, all spectrum types and bands.

5G has lower latency than 4G:

Latency is the time that elapses between when we give an order on our device, and the occurrence of the action. 5G technology could drop latency to 1ms which is about fifty times less than the average latency of 4G network.

5G uses spectrum better than 4G:

From low bands to mid bands and high bands, 5G is designed to get the most out of every bit of spectrum. 

5G will have a positive impact on businesses:

With the increased dependency on the internet for marketing and provision of other services, 5G will be able to provide high data speed and increased network reliability thereby enhancing the efficiency of businesses which will translate to higher patronage and profits.

5G will have a positive impact in the medical field

5G will enable new services that can transform medical procedures such as remote healthcare. Remote healthcare enables doctors constantly monitor a patient’s condition, and perform check-ups, without the patients having to go to the hospital or the doctors having to go to the patients’ homes.

5G will have a positive impact on disaster management

Artificial Intelligence will not be left out. Drones transmitting via 5G will aid in disaster management, providing real time data for emergency responders and allowing for quicker response. 

5G is designed for forward compatibility:

5G is designed with the ability to comfortably support future services that are still unknown today. 

5G has more capacity than 4G:

5G is designed to support about a hundred times increase in traffic capacity and network efficiency. 

10.Greater number of connected devices: 

The number of devices which can be connected to 5G network is greater. And they will all have access to instant connections to the internet. 5G will be able to support about a million devices per square kilometre, while 4G supports only up to 100,000 devices per square kilometre. 

It is without doubt that when we all embrace 5G, we embrace a better future.