Confession Brings Possession

“This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your MOUTH…,”

It matters what you say. Say right. Use your MOUTH. The children of Israel wandered in the wilderness for many years because of their mouths – they complained too much. You can build or destroy yourself by the words you speak. The worlds were framed by the word. In the beginning God spoke things came into being. It therefore stands to reason that words are the building blocks of your life. Death and life are in the power of the tongue – speak life! You shall declare things in your life and they will be established because words have creative power. This year master your tongue.

Meditation Leads to Gravitation

“…you shall MEDITATE on it day and night…”

It matters what you think about. Think right. Use your HEART. Feed your spirit with the right thoughts. Marinate your heart with images of your desires. What you meditate on gravitates towards you. Your thoughts create a force field of possibilities and opportunities. Ideas, innovation, creations are all products of thoughts. Brood over your thoughts. Incubate your ideas. Pray over them, speak the word over them and soon they will hatch. Guard your heart for out of it flows the issues of life.

What You Watch, You Can Match

“…that you may OBSERVE…”

It matters what you understand. Understand right. Use your HEAD. Joshua was told that he was to “observe” to do. The word used here – “observe” also means to understand; to figure out; mark, protect, preserve or reserve. Like a watchman or sentinel look after your ideas and meditations. As you watch you gain exceeding amplitude of understanding to navigate forests and evade predators. Observation brings preservation. A farmer understands the soil because he has observed it for some time, just as a seaman will understand the seas because of observation over some time. Master your game. Observe…

“…and Do”

It matters what you do. Do it right. Use your HANDS. The ultimate pillar in the strategy given to Joshua was execution. Many people dream but few execute. This year means different things to different people. If you like the script then join the cast – what’s your part? It’s not enough to make slogans if there is no execution. Your MOUTH, HEART and HEAD will direct your HANDS in what to do. Thoughts must become words, words must become ideas and ideas must become actions.

I encourage you to read your Bible, locate yourself in the word. Appropriate the promises of God concerning you. Feed your spirit with materials that inspire you to become the person you were created to be. Your life is a product of your words, meditations, observations and execution.

This is your year!

Excuses Don’t Change Your World

Steve Jobs was born out of wedlock to a Syrian immigrant father in America, adopted at birth by foster parents, a university drop out, fired from a company he had formed and lived with a rare form of pancreatic cancer for almost 10 years. In spite of such a constrained circumstances Steve Jobs changed the world. What is your excuse? His story echoes that of one Moses a ‘basket case’ who became the deliverer of Israel from Egyptian bondage. In the last 10 years of his life, Jobs virtually transformed Apple from a bottom tier hi-tech company to the most valuable technology company in the world.

Steve Jobs illustrates the ability of human beings to transcend challenges. He was fired from Apple and was in the ‘business wilderness’ for about 10 years. During that period Apple lost market share and money. Dell and Microsoft were leading and raking in the billions. Without going into detail, Apple was for years a David and Microsoft was a Goliath. Steve Jobs was rehired by Apple and transformed the business with game changing products such as the Mac, iPod iPhone and lately iPad. Steve Jobs grew the business from USD5 billion in 2000 to USD350 billion when he handed over to his successor in August 2011. To give you perspective, this is more than the value of Microsoft, Dell, Hewlett-Packard and Nokia all put together. Terrific!

Never Change Your Message

To change your world and your condition you need to be fully persuaded in what you believe in. Steve Jobs was ‘brave enough to think differently’, bold enough to follow through his ideas believing he could change the world. When competitors were going for making cheaper products, Steve Jobs decided to go for expensive products. His conviction was profoundly simple – make a great product, put it before a customer and they will open their wallet. This is brave in a world which puts a premium on cost cutting and cheap to push volumes.

A pastor who does not believe in their message is like a parrot, a teacher who does not believe in their material is making a recital, just as a salesman who does not believe in their product is no different from a clown in a circus. Moses could not lead the children of Israel to the Promised Land until he was convinced that bondage was not the right place for God’s children. Never compromise your message to please people or to go with the wisdom of the crowd.

Garments of Passion and Personality

Your greatest asset is not your education, job title or size of car or office. Steve Jobs brought his passion and personality into Apple products. He turned simple products into “rock stars” He did not create the MP3 player, but gave it personality when he created the iPod. Neither did he create the tablet computer, but through the iPad, he redefined the concept of personal computing using a tablet. Images of an emaciated Jobs launching iPad 2 just shows the passion this man had for the products he created. You cannot talk of “Apple’s Jobs, but about Job’s Apple”. He earned the naming rights through his actions, not because he was a co-founder. Your actions must be clothed with the garments of your passion and scented with the perfume of your personality. Has your organisation, ministry, community or friends come to now know the typical “you-sque” performance. Passion and personality are not techniques or tools; they are about who you are.

The difference between those who leave dreams and those who live dreams is in execution. Many dream few execute. Many desire and few perspire. Action must now succeed where words have failed. Action is the spark in your dream. I want to share with you four principles critical to executing your dreams.

Principle One – Change Your Mentality

The lame man had a dependency mentality. For 38 years he was waiting for someone to help him get into the miraculous pool. It never happened. He could have made his wait much shorter if he had thought of ways of getting into the pool. Execution of your dream is one thing you can never delegate. Your dream hears your voice and understands your body language. What YOU can conceive YOU can achieve. You have the power to turn your dreams into reality. If your mind is operating old limiting software, there will soon be an “execution crash or failure” Have a “can do” mentality. Yes you can!

Principle Two – Change Posture

Position determines possession. The man had been sitting for 38 years. Jesus asked him to change his posture – “stand up!” Execution sometimes requires that you change your methods. If you are a fisherman, changing your posture may mean lowering your nets to the deep end in order to catch a net breaking and boat sinking catch. In business if you are not getting the results, changing posture may mean changing the structure.  If you pitch a tent in one place for too long you rob yourself of the thrill of discovering new opportunities. Changing posture at a personal level may mean visiting new places, changing your route to work, changing your wardrobe, changing your routine. Breaking your routine engages different side of your brain and can stimulate new ideas, even ‘aha’ moments. At a very practical level you get to meet new connections who may just connect your dream.

Principle Three: Change Your Focus

You become what you behold. For 38 years this man focused on his inability to get into the pool. He had a deficit inquiry than appreciative inquiry approach to issues. He looked at what was not working rather than what could work.  He chose to wallow in self pity. What you focus on gets done. A great lesson in focus is from the biblical Abraham – he never focused on his impotency or the barrenness of his wife Sarah. He focused on the promise of God that he would be “Father of many nations” It came to pass! Positive focus is the force that turns dreams into reality. If you focus on each of your goals just for 15 minutes every day, you will achieve results by end of the year (money back guarantee!)

Principle Four – Action, Action and Action

Action is the bridge between your dream and reality. It is instructive that Jesus did not make a hell shaking prayer or sing a powerful hymn for this lame man to be made whole. He gave a simple command – stand up, pick up your bed and walk. 3 verbs! Therein rests the greatest key to executing your dreams – action. I want to persuade and cajole you to turn the great ideas from thin paper to thick action. That song must be sung. The book must be published. That business must get busy. The project must get off the ground. If you so ardently desire to achieve your dream, then you must show us your faith.  Faith is a verb, show us your works, and we will show you your faith. Rise up, pick up your ideas and fly!

Let me hold a mirror and just show you who you are in a few words. You are endowed with amazing talent, great personality, incredible skill, awesome spirit and vast knowledge. Friend that’s all you need to rock this world. I am your witness and can testify that there is much more in you. The day you were born some called you a ‘bundle of cuteness’ others called you a ‘bundle of greatness’. However for the world to experience your beauty and glory, you must be unbundled. Let’s unpack this in the following principles:

Unbundling Principle One: Create

If businesses do not create value they destruct or destroy value. A few years ago Nokia was the king of the mobile phone market. Over the years its value has been locked in creating a phone for everybody. The business is no longer exciting and is losing money and market share. It’s very simple to understand – it’s because they use the Symbian operating platform, which has now been overtaken by Android, Blackberry and iPhone operating systems.  In order to once again unlock their value, they are going to dump their trusted Symbian and embrace the Microsoft Windows Mobile platform. In one stroke they will once again create value by leveraging the popular Microsoft platform. Time and space will not allow me to look at the strategic upshot of what Nokia stands to achieve, but suffice to say this is a strategic master stroke!

The key lesson in the example of Nokia is that there are certain past accomplishments which can easily become an encumbrance and limit progress. Holding on to past achievements can rob you of the sweetness of present victory. God created the first Adam and realised He wasn’t good enough hence created a superman – the last Adam, Christ who is matchless. The destruction of the old, leads to the construction of the new. To unbundle your assets you need to let go of limiting behaviours, negative attitudes, narrow mindsets and warped philosophies which are contrary to your progress. I can’t define these for you, but as you read right now, they are being defined in your heart. You know better. Start to create new ideas, ways of doing things and imagine solutions. God the Great Imaginarian and Creator deposited this creative ability in you. If you are not creating you are destructing. Everything you come into contact with must change because you came. Create!

Unbundling Principle Two: Multiply

You are a divine masterpiece. A miracle in motion. The possibilities in you are unfathomable. When God created you, He gave you a simple mandate, which was:  “..be fruitful and multiply”. The word “be” is an imperative implying that God can’t demand of you what He didn’t deposit in you. This was what God intended for you. The law of first mention states that whatever God said the very first time about something was His original intention. Being fruitful and multiply was what God said first about you. God can’t ask of you what He didn’t put in you. In creating you, He wanted you to be fruitful and multiply. Multiply is a compound word –‘multi’ means many and ‘ply’ means layers.

You are supposed to live a multi layered life. Let’s break it down. Going to an 8-5 job is a single layer. Having one business or branch is a single layer. Having one church assembly is a single layer. Having one revenue stream is a single layer. Multiply! Never allow job descriptions, grades, geography, laws, policies, industries or organisations to box you. Brother Sower, are you advocating for chaos and anomie? No friend, just inspirational dissatisfaction – that you do not accept current limitations and boundaries. I want you to raise the bar.

This is your time. The world is waiting for your unbundling (manifestation). It waited for Bill Gates and Steve Jobs. It’s now your time. You have something in you for which they have been searching. Nobody can take it away from you. Just give your best to every opportunity. Every deed must be a finished product. Your every act is a glimpse of the greatness in you. Manifest!

 Stir Up Your Talent

Businesses and organizations have a core competency – what they are really good at. This is what gives them a competitive edge. MacDonald’s core competency is convenience and Nandos’ is flame grilled chicken, yet they are both into fast foods. Core competency is a talent – it’s what separates you from everybody. Talents are like a fire, if you don’t fan them they will lose their flame. If you don’t use it, you lose it. You need to keep you gift ablaze by exercising it. To get an edge in life, you need to do that which nobody else does better than you. What are you good at? What are you known for?

Each one of you is gifted and graced in a particular area. Your gift is your area of strength and competency. This is what gives you the ‘in the zone’ feeling or the state of being in ‘your element’. You will get the most astounding results when you play to your strengths. You succeed the most when you live life according to how you are wired. A fish is gifted in swimming. It would never do well in flying. When you keep your gift ablaze soon people will come and see the brightness of your light or just bask in the warmth of your glare.

 Know Too Much About A Little

Talent is so specific and narrow. Tiger Woods is a prolific golfer, never mind his off the course misadventures, of which none of us should judge him – we must intercede for his salvation. His short game is not as good as his swing or long game. He has mastered his swing and fully understands the physics behind the swing. He is good when he is using the driver to swing the ball. He practices his swing by hitting 1000 balls on the driving range. This is why he has a prolific under par – he hits the least number of balls (birdies or eagles) to get a hole. He plays to his strengths.

For the non golfers let’s use an example from soccer. Barcelona’s Lionel Messi is a prolific soccer striker. I doubt he would be a good defender like Chelsea’s Ashley Cole. Messi doesn’t have to be all over the pitch to be successful – he focuses on getting behind defenders and putting the ball in the net. The best sermons are not those preached with too wide scholastic erudition, but with simplistic depth. I worked in consulting and the best consultants where those who had narrow depth (knowing too much about a little). What do you know?

The plant which yields the most fruit is not the one which spreads its branches the widest, but the one which sends its roots the deepest. Your seeds of greatness are hidden in your hands, heart and head. Don’t try to do, just be. You are not a human doing, you are a human being. It’s not about what you do, but who you are. Just be yourself – sweat YOUR assets.

For example a few years ago a major hotel group in Africa decided to “unbundle” and list the hotel business separate from the properties in which the hotels are housed. The shareholders now make money in two ways from the hotel business and the rental income from the properties themselves. Hidden value has been unlocked! The important point is that the value is already there – its hidden waiting to be unlocked.

To unlock value means to accentuate hidden strengths and unique capabilities. It also refers to unveil what is already in you. How then do you unlock your value? There are a number of keys:

Key One: Strategic Relationships and Divine Connections

In order to unlock your value you need strategic relationships or divine connections. Years ago the McDonald brothers where struggling with their business. They met one man called Ray Kroc who came and unlocked the value in their business to give us the McDonalds Fast Foods that is now all over the world today. A strategic relationship!  In the Bible, there was an Esther in the palace, a Boaz in the field for Ruth , a Jonathan in the palace for David, a Rahab to hide the spies,  a Joseph in Egypt during a famine. These are divine connections which unlocked the destiny of nations. You also need divine connections in order to unlock your value.

Key Two: Insight and Revelation

Steve Jobs, the iconic founder of Apple, has an uncommon gift of insight. Through revolutionary products such as iPad, iPod and the Mac, Jobs has added a game changing dynamic in the personal computing industry.  He has the ability to see beyond the obvious and unlock value. Insight is the ability to see beyond your five senses. Businesses that are driven by insight are always a step ahead of their competitors. The same is true for any organisation – leaders with insight see beyond the horizon and lead their organisations to the “Promised Land”.

One profound example of how revelation can unlock your value is the ancient story of Joseph. Joseph had an ability to interpret dreams. This revelation of dreams caused him to become a Prime Minister in Egypt – yet he was a foreigner. Insight and revelation makes you see what only is in you – “in-sight”- that which nobody else can see. Its hidden, hence is only seen by revelation.

Key Three: Mentorship

In Greek mythology, Mentor was asked to train King Odysseus’ son Telemachus. The training then later became ‘mentoring’ as others from the trade guilds were being ‘mentored’ . In the Bible Adam was mentored by God. Other prominent mentoring relationships include Elijah and Elisha, Paul and Timothy, Jesus and The Twelve. Mentoring is therefore as old as creation. It is God’s appointed way of unlocking value. A mentor is someone who gives you roots so you have a firm foundation and strong sense of heritage upon which to build your success. A mentor gives you a roadmap to show you the big picture; they reveal where you are; they show you what roads to take; and they tell you what roads to avoid. Lastly they give you handles so you know how to deal with issues in life and wings so you can soar and fly on the wings of their experience. Mentors are also door openers and connectors. They unlock something in you.

This is your season of unlocking your value. It’s your midwife season when you must birth something – ideas, businesses, projects, results.

Reorganise Your World

In the beginning the earth was without form. It was just a chaotic mass. The picture was not beautiful. However God spoke His word to ‘frame’ the chaotic mass. Deep darkness covered the earth, but God spoke light into existence and a frame of light covered the earth. Words reorganised the landscape of the earth to give us the beauty we see today. There could be disorder, a mess, chaos or lack in your life today? You can speak your way out of the situation. If the bank account is in negative balance, you can declare that “my account is overflowing”   If there is sickness in your body you can say “I am bubbling with health”. This sounds like a simple solution to life’s complex problems. But that’s the way it is – profoundly simple!

Words Create The Context of Your Life

I recently read the autobiography of America Civil Rights leader, Rev Dr Martin Luther King. What a powerful man of his generation. He was graced with exceptional leadership gifts. Yet his life was cut out at such an early age. As I read his book, I picked up in more than five instances how he would speak ‘prophetically’ about his own death. I couldn’t help but feel that he should not have predicted his own death. His words framed or created the context of his own premature death.

Words are spiritual. They create a reality. If you want to be the CEO of your company in a few years time, you better start speaking it now. Start framing the kind of life you want by using your mouth. Do not snare yourself with negative words. If you say I am going to get into trouble you will surely get into trouble. There is magnetic force field created by our words. This force field is based on a principle – therefore it can work for or against you. Positive words will create a positive forcefield. Financial markets use this principle – one positive word from an opinion leader can create a bull run on the stock market, even without any fundamental basis. In psychology there is the labelling theory, which follows this same principle – if you label something good it will be good. Another sociological principle – the self fulfilling prophecy – if you expect things to turn our bad they will turn out bad. Create a positive context for your life. This year be so expectant.

Prophesy over your politics, economics, business, children, marriage, ministry or job. Start today to speak words that are positive, words that are seasoned with grace. Be an encourager. Only speak good news, and not be a bearer of bad tidings. What we see now did not come from things that can be seen. This is the essence of faith – the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Call things that are not as though they were. Something might not be so comely but by faith just say  “Oh, this looks so beautiful”, then it will be beautiful.  Your words must be backed by faith – speak what the eye of faith has seen, so tomorrow your hand can receive the fruit of your mouth.

Understanding Your System

I would like to quickly define the architecture of a human being in order to put everything into perspective. You are a spirit with a soul living in a body. The spirit is the nerve centre of your life. The soul is the operational centre of your life and seat of emotions. The body is just a shell or protective vehicle housing the spirit and soul. Just as the body is subjected to toxins from the types of food and sometimes the medical substances which you take in, the soul can also be subjected to toxic substances which build negative strongholds, bitterness, scepticism, intolerance, hatred, and related emotional toxics. If the nerve and operational centres of your life are weighed down by toxics, life becomes a drag and your progress slows down. If these centres are attacked the ability to dream, the will to do and the determination to win are immobilised. How then can you get the systems working optimally?

Cut Out The Junk

Medical people will tell you that the junk food we eat intoxicates our bodies and slows us down. It accelerates aging and intensifies degenerative diseases. The spirit and the soul also feed on what you hear, see, touch or think. Junk food for your soul or spirit includes negative news, gossip, careless banter, criticism. You become what you observe! The focus of your attention spreads its influence all through your life. What you see with your spiritual eyes obsesses you—it takes over! On the face of it watching TV throughout the weekend doesn’t seem to be wrong, but the eyes of your soul will see and record the ‘role models’ and actions of what you see. Advertising plays on this principle – the more you ‘see it’ the more you ‘become it’. It doesn’t matter how macho you are – certain behaviour codes are etched into your subconscious mind and start to influence your life unwittingly. This emotional debris will stagnate your progress and cause your life to go around in circles. There is only one way to deal with this – cut out the junk – it’s just not worth it!

Nourish Your Spirit and Soul

Emotional toxins prevent you from running with endurance and fulfilling your divine purpose and cause you to abort your God-given dreams.  Protect what God has given you.  You need to fast from the things that destroy your soul and feast on the things that nourish it by setting aside time everyday to fortify you inner person. Read books, especially the Bible and materials which build your confidence, courage and strength. Remove clutter from your life. Don’t hang out with negative folks who weigh you down. Obsess yourself with images of glory – the more you look the more your life will become glorious. Above all keep vigilant watch over your heart; that’s where life starts. Don’t talk out of both sides of your mouth; avoid careless banter, white lies, and gossip. Keep your eyes straight ahead; ignore all sideshow distractions. Watch your step, and the road will stretch out smooth before you. Look neither right nor left. Run the race that is before you with endurance laying aside every weight.

Keep on marching this March.

Inspirationally dissatisfied, my friend sought to change this. He went to Tanzania and bought two Friesian cows which were fat and sleek beasts like the biblical cows of Bashan. In no time the two cows were producing 30 litres of milk per day and a mount of manure. All the villagers noticed this simple success story and asked my friend to help them. He obliged, and today through his initiative in this village there are 65 Friesian cows in 65 households each one producing 15 litres of milk per day for sale in the capital Bujumbura. Livelihoods have been changed, and there are testimonies of villagers who now have decent houses from milk money! The whole village has been turned into a ‘milk factory’. The young men and women, who had flocked to the city in search of the elusive Burundi franc, have been lured back to the village by the milk miracle. Transformational impact!

This simple story is pregnant with some principles which I want to share. It doesn’t take an earthquake to change a nation let alone your life. It doesn’t take billions to end poverty. The simple ideas you carry can change a nation. It’s not in the mystery of Keynesian and macroeconomic theories that the nations will find their salvation. It is when revelation comes to people that the salvation of nations will come. The profundity of your convictions and depth of your desire will make you change the landscape of your life.

Principle of Thought

In order to change the landscape of your life you need to THINK. What you can imagine, reflect and ponder upon will eventually come to pass. If you ardently desire and vividly imagine something it eventually manifests. The reason why lust is wrong is because it eventually gives birth to sin. Covetousness is an urgent desire which may eventually lead to stealing, robbery or even murder. This simple principle works both in the negative and the positive.  If you nurture thoughts of success and progress, it eventually gives birth to projects and results.

My friend from Burundi, told me that he STRONGLY desired for many years to change the fortunes of his fellow villagers. He wanted to come up with a simple model which could be used to tackle many social ills caused by years of war and poverty. In his owns words, he then “got a revelation”. The principle of thought gives birth to revelation. Revelation means the unveiling of preexisting ideas and opportunities. It is insight into realities that are hidden – the unravelling of concealed treasures and mysteries. I want to challenge you today, brood over your thoughts, incubate over your ideas and soon  revelation will cause you to birth simple and nation changing ideas.

Principle of Seed

There is a universal principle in all creation. Every seed produces after it’s own kind. The ability to reproduce after the same kind is inbuilt in every seed bearing fruit. Hence an orange seed will produce oranges. In order to create this success story, my friend put in initially his own money and gave the villagers a few cows. They did not need to pay him in cash but in milk. In a short while a group called Samaritans heard about this simple project and invested a further 20 cows into the project. The simple principle is that your ideas represent your thoughts, and you demonstrate your commitment by investing into your ideas. The power of a seed is not in it’s size, but in the ability to reproduce. Start today to invest in your ideas. Step by step the picture will soon be complete. As you sow, the power of your ideas will multiply and soon the whole universe will conspire to bring multiplication.No idea is too small or too simple. Muhammad Yunus started the billion dollar Grameen Bank by lending as little as UD1 to rural Bangladeshi women.

Applying the principles of thought and seed will quickly usher you into your inheritance. Start today with what you have and where you are. You can change the landscape of your life today. Surround yourself with images of success. Meditate on success thoughts soon you will breed babies of success.