PLANNING FOR THE COMING YEAR

"For which of you, intending to build a tower sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply  after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish" LUKE 14:28-30 (kJV).

Before making plans for the next year, you need to have a central dream. What do you want out of life? Where do you want to be? And when? Soon as you determine this, you will know what you should be doing.
So, should you are a tailor and want to be a fashion designer with your own label, you need to learn more about designers, business systems and you also need capital. So you will have to prioritize; determine which should come first and the length of time each should take.
In the same way, you should determine which aspects of your (collective) plan that will yield you money quickly so that you can facilitate the others.
As you keep doing this you will soon be in your future plans ever before the designated year.
I hope it was helpful, God bless you.

RETIRE IN TEN YEARS OR LESS Part 2

Now we shall consider the mentalities of the poor, middleclass and rich, and assets and liabilities in few words. You will find out if you have been thinking as the poor or middleclass. If you are thinking like the rich you will likely know it because you will know why you want to be rich, how rich you need to be (to accomplish your "why"), and how soon you will be rich.
THE MENTALITIES OF THE POOR, MIDDLECLASS AND RICH
The Poor
The poor spend on liabilities (or perishables), like food, clothes, shelter, vacations, parties, largesse, etc; and have no investment besides savings [in the bank and co-operative societies].
The poor favour job security. People who love job security want a lucrative job with excellent benefits. The problem with this is that they cannot be rich, neither can they retire. Should they resign, retire or be retrenched, their finances will nosedive because, they are the assets, and have no other investments; at least not assets that can sustain them without a job.
The Middleclass
The middleclass spend on liabilities and barely enough on worthwhile investments.
They may have beach houses, yachts, limousines, etc., but they cannot stay rich when they retire, neither can they retire early, as they are neck-deep in debt with mortgages.
But they can afford to retire, only that they won't be rich, and may never be, if they do not start increasing or improving their portfolios.
In other words, if they do not start acquiring assets or developing a multi-billion dollar business (like Coca-Cola, Google, Facebook, etc.), they won't be rich.

The middleclass favour financial security. They have a job and usually a small business, and do not invest actively.
The Rich
The rich spend more on assets, they shop more for assets, while the poor and middleclass shop more for groceries and all kinds of perishables and liabilities.
As Robert Kiyosaki, bestselling author of, Rich Dad, Poor Dad, puts it, "If you want to be rich, be a business owner and investor."

The rich favour financial freedom, so they keep acquiring businesses and investments.

Assets and Liabilities

An asset is anything that generates money enough to cater for its maintenance and to enrich you. E.g. a business, rental properties, stocks, commodities, 

On the other hand, a liability is anything that depreciates in value, or doesn't produce enough to cover its maintenance. E.g. the house you live in, whatever kind of house it is, as it isn't yielding rent or profit enough to cover its maintenance and to produce another like it.
Ultimately, an asset should be able to yield another one like it. So if you have a thriving business, you are on your way to owning a corporation, if you have your priorities right.
Other kinds of liabilities include: clothes, groceries, vacations, parties, mortgages taken for tuition, personal apartment or house, weddings, lottery, luxury items, etc.
Instead of taking a loan for any of the above, take a loan for a business or a rental property, or develop a business that requires what you have to get you where you want. Ultimately, take advantage of the internet, especially if you are starting from the scratch.
God bless you.

RETIRE IN TEN YEARS OR LESS Part1

THE POWER OF YOUR DESIRE
"...When desire has conceived, it gives birth..." JAMES 1:15a (NKJV).

The first step to getting anything is desire. If you never desire, you will never aspire, and would never acquire. Each of us has 24 hours daily, and individual talents. Some are handicap, but desire can help them develop a system that helps them overcome their handicap, thereby giving them equal chances as others.
No matter what fails, let your vision and drive never ebb away. Rather, let them keep waxing stronger by the day, as you keep acting on your plan, so that the process can transform you into what you should be becoming.
VISION
Vision here, is your mental picture for the future,  and as Bishop Oyedepo puts it, "Your mental picture, determines your actual future."
It takes an employee, an average of 30-40 years to prepare for retirement. Some never retire in the end, as they cannot afford to retire.
The problem is that they never had a mental picture of the kind of retirement they would love to have, or how quickly they would love it to be. And if they ever had, they weren't passionate or consistent.
When you want to jump across a gutter or ditch, you look at the very spot you want to land, and you land there, if you are not wavering in your mind. So also when playing soccer, for those that play, you are more likely to score a goal, if your eyes and feet are working together at the time you aim the net. In like manner, when driving, if you do not keep your eyes on where you are going, sooner your hands will follow, and you would stir the vehicle in that direction.
So, have a clear-cut vision, write it out and place it before you always, and all your actions will be to establish it. The beginning is always the hardest. If you stay tenacious, you will achieve it in the little time left, and would still be retiring in less than ten years from the time your money starts rushing in. And probably your kids would still be young. But most importantly, you will be financially free. I learnt that Abraham Lincoln once said, "If I had 6 hours to fell a tree, I would spend 4 sharpening my cutlass.
DRIVE
Your passion must be on top always, which is why you have to discover your passion. What talents do you have, and what needs would you like to meet in this world? What value do you want to create?
ACTION
Be motivated daily, and keep acting on, and improving your plan. Yet, you must learn to read numbers (a financial statement). You need financial literacy. Which we shall consider in one of the succeeding articles.
Let me recommend to you: "Rich Dad's 60 Minutes To Getting Rich" (DVD), and "Insight And Foresight: For All-Round Self-Development."
God bless you.

THE POWER OF GIVING

"The LORD hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee;
"Send thee help from the sanctuary, and strengthen thee out of Zion;
"Remember all thy offerings, and accept thy burnt sacrifice;
"Grant thee according to thine own heart, and fulfill all thy counsel" PSALM 20:1-4 (KJV).

There is much power in giving, as there is in speaking, and even more, but speaking is the beginning. If you speak wrongly about your seed, it will sabotage it's result; so speaking is important. But giving begets manifestation faster than speaking [affirmations].
There are many who have joined the cults and societies of this world to have fame, wealth or knowledge. There they learn again that they have to give, after being made to take oaths (affirmations) of secrecy. The truth is, if they had been informed on time, they would never have had to sell their souls in any way. All that would have been necessary is the Word of God and an outlandish offering, and they would have reaped their heart's with life and peace (Romans 8:6-7). God established these principles, the devil did not establish any of them; he only deceived those who have taken the oaths, only to reveal to them things God has already freely given each of us, at a very steep price to his initiates. Here is what such a person must do to break loose. Confess that you are saved, in Jesus' Name, and give an outlandish offering to a bible-believing church or minister.
  Let me share two examples with you.
"And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places. And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great high place: a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon Offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar.
"In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee" 1KINGS 3:3-5 (KJV).
Solomon wasn't David's first son, but he was the only son of the ones closest to kingship, who cared to learn from his father (Proverbs 4:1-7). Absalom was a murderer (2Samuel 13:28-29), and a traitor (2Samuel 15:10), and also dead; killed in pursuit, for treason, by his Uncle, Joab, the commander of David's army. Amnon was a rapist (2Samuel 13:6-19), and Adonijah was wanton (1Kings 1:5). But Solomon was godly, however he had oppositions. So he gave God such an offering, and he became a candidate for grace.
So you will see one musician or politician or entrepreneur who is said to be in a cult that makes people great, and you envy him or her, or believe that you cannot be great except you belong to a cult, or don't want to be great because you do not want to belong to a cult. You are wrong!
You see, the true reason grace follows them, is because of their giving. However, the devil is wicked and his demands and supplies bring sorrow.
The second example is Mesha, king of Moab. He was a sheepmaster (according to King James Bible), and rendered to Ahab, King of Israel, one hundred thousand lambs and one hundred thousand rams with their wool.
Now, Ahab died and Jehoram his son began to reign, and the king of Moab found his chance to stop paying tribute.
Jehoram immediately called for support from Jehosaphat, King of Judah, and also from the king of Edom. (2Kings 3:1-10.)
They went to Elisha, the man of God, who said, God will give the Moabites  into your hands. And so they went out against Moab. Here is how it went down:
"And when the king of Moab saw that the battle was too sore for him, he took with him seven hundred men that drew swords, to break through even to the king of Edom: but they could not. Then he took his first son that should have reigned in his stead, and offered him for a burned offering upon the wall. And there was great indignation against Israel: and they departed from him, and returned to their own land" 2KINGS 3:26-27 (KJVER).
God can still turn your hopeless situation around. Who says you must stay with prosthesis, or that disease, all your life. You can function with grace (effortless ease and great bliss), and you do not need a human sacrifice, for "Money answers all things" ECCLESIASTIS 10:19c (KJVER). Start exercising your faith today.
God bless you.

BELIEVE, CONFESS, RECEIVE

"Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it :[for death or life]" PROVERBS 18:21(AMP).
"A small rudder on a huge ship in the hands of a skilled Captain sets a course in the face of strongest winds. A word out of your mouth may seem of no account, but it can accomplish nearly anything--or destroy it! It only takes a spark, remember, to set off a forest fire" JAMES 3:4-5 (MSG).
"The words you say...reflect your fate..." MATTHEW 12:37 (NLT).
"...Have faith in God (marginal reference: "Have the faith of God.")
"For verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thought cast into the sea, and shall not doubt in his heart but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass, he shall have whatsoever he saith" MARK 11:22-23 (KJV paraphrased).

The words you say are very powerful. Life is spiritual, and thoughts and words can be creative, destructive or empty [Matthew 12:36] (which is also destructive).
Man is the image and likeness of God, and we function like Him. God said, concerning the men building the tower of Babel, even though no tower on earth will extend to Heaven, even if all earth's resources were committed to building it, "Behold the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do" GENESIS 11:6 (KJV).
The same applies to us, whatever you imagine will not be restrained from coming to pass, except subverting God's counsel.
This is how man's heart (spirit)  functions,
Whatever enters your heart in abundance, will influence your believing, which influences what you say and do, and in turn, what you get.
Man is a spirit, and he is encased in a soul, and his soul, in a body (1THESSALONIANS 5:23).
Bringing this down to the understanding of all, let us employ physics. The spirit and soul are quick and sublimer, but the body is slow, and suffers from inertia (resistance to work). Again
the spirit and soul are creative but the body is not.
Matter decomposes into weak energy: radio waves to x-ray and gamma rays, which can carry information (radio broadcast, TV transmission, data, etc), but are not creative energy. But thought waves are far sublimer and are creative, and spirit waves carry life and intuition, "So shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth: it shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish that which I Please, and shall prosper in the thing wherefore I sent it" ISAIAH 55:11 (KJV). When you speak, you do not only release audible sound (weak waves or energy), you also release creative energy; so be careful what you wish for.
Another principle, besides that of believing, confessing and creating, is that of agreement. "Again I say to you, If two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of My Father which is in heaven" MATTHEW 18:19 (KJVER). "In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established" 2CORINTHIANS 13:1 (KJVER).
Employing physics again, if you attain to the natural frequency of a body, it will vibrate in resonance. If two places or chambers seperated by distance or time are made to vibrate at the same rate (frequency), a direct connection will be established, such that you can step out of one into the other. If you dial your friend's. number, a connection will be established, and you will both see or, see and hear what is going on at the other's end. [I have an unpublished book on this, "Abstractology: A Series In The Nature And Mechanism Of Existence".]
If you believe with your heart and confess with your mouth, that Jesus is Lord, you will become born again (recreated in God). If you believe and speak, you will have what you say. If you doubt, doubt will manifest in the creative energy you release and will sabotage your results.
Have the faith of God. Believe, confess and receive.
God bless you.

THE UNIVERSE WAS CREATED

This universe is spiritual, so please patiently listen to me and you will understand.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1). Then war broke out in heaven. Lucifer, the former chief angel convinced one-third the angels of God to team up with him. So they fought, and Michael, the current chief angel, fought with his angels, and prevailed, and they cast the devil down to the earth with his demons. They also lost their place in heaven permanently. (Revelation 12:7-9).
Now, Lucifer was the angel in charge of the earth, before his fall; so were the other angels in charge of other realms (Isaiah 14:12-16 and Revelation 12:4). Due to their rebellion and those of the beings they were overseeing; as the Bible has it, Lucifer made the people of the earth to sin, (Isaiah 14:15), their realms became disconnected from God (Life), "Who fills everything everywhere with Himself" (Ephesians 1:23--AMP).
Resultantly, there were multiple supernovae, which resulted in the Big Bang.
It was after the big bang that God recreated things and created the first of our kind, in His image and likeness (Jeremiah 4:23-27, Genesis 1:2-28, 2:7-8, 15-19; and Hebrews 11:3 [AMP]).
Now scientists tell you that the earth has been for some billion years, and that certain organisms existed before and are long extinct, they are correct. Yet, there is a twist in the tale, and I have just shared it with you.
God bless you.

PARABLE OF THE SOWER (Different Kinds of Learners)

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  Matthew 13:1-23, Mark 4:1-20, Luke 8:1-15.
  

  "The seed is the word..." Luke 8:11(KJV).
  The first set of learners let the seed drop on the wayside, and because they are not given to thinking things over, they never retain the words.
  The second group of people have a stony heart, they are often bigoted and set in their ways. They stand on opinions, because they don't like to follow things through, though they care to contemplate things, they don't follow thru. They fail to realize that just as there are different kinds of ball games, so are there different rules. Among these are the bigots: religious, political, etc., and most critics.
  The third group really have broad (more fertile) minds, and among them are the enlightened. They never produce any fruit to maturity, besides weeds, thorns and thistles. Their crops may be of economic value, but in the end are not better than weeds and thorns, as they often like every good they do to work for them, or fetch them immortality, instead of letting those things come as bonuses, for their wholesome inputs. Secondly, most don't know crops of spiritual value (metaphorically speaking), and so they either plant little or none, but ultimately, do not nuture any to maturity. I know some will argue that, it is all a part of life. Probably, but do you knowingly plant a thorny crop or flower at home? Possibly, you may have it in your premises, but will you in your room?
  The last group are the excellent-minded, who produce fruits, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and others a hundred fold (MARK 4:20). These, "Bring forth fruit with patience," (LUKE 8:15--KJV); "According to how they understand" (MATTHEW 13:23--KJV paraphrased). Note that, even thirty percent is excellent in this situation, so long as the crops are nutured to maturity. These know that, you can bump into things spiritually or mentally, as you can physically. So they conscientiously follow things through. They also bear responsibility for their actions, and always make amends where necessary, irrespective of who started it. However, they also know the thin line between here and there, according to how each understands [basic or central truths (EPHESIANS 4:13-16--TLB or NLT)]. The Bible warns against being overnice or -wicked, both extremes destroy (ECCLESIASTES 7:15-18). God bless you. Please visit my blogs: www.insightandforesight.wordpress.com and www.allroundknowledge.blogspot.com for more.

HARNESS YOUR POTENTIALS

INTRO: "Every idea crying to be released, is a potential" -- Dr. Myles Munroe ("Understanding Your Potentials" paraphrased).

Below is an outline of things you require to harness your potentials.

 

Dream: Have a dream that can bless others positively, and submit to the right process, so that it can deliver the realization of it into your hands.

Note that the process transforms you. You become what you give yourself to. And the process you employ will determine if your success will last or not:

"As the patridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not; so he that getteth riches and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and in his end shall be a fool" _{(JEREMIAH 17:11--KJV).}

Apply Your Faith: “And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language: and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they imagined to do” _{GENESIS 11:6 (KJV).}  “...desire, when it has conceived, gives birth...” _{JAMES 1:15 (AMP).}  “Since we have the same spirit of faith as he had who wrote, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we too believe, and so we speak” _{2 CORINTHIANS 4:13 (RSV).}

Write out your dreams in the form of affirmations, and keep declaring them every day. [An affirmation is a statement of confirmation or a declaration that you now have or have achieved a specified thing.]

Back your affirmations with Scripture (Bible verses), that support your claims. There is a subtle line between truth and error. Avoid error! However, if your affirmations are not Scripture-based, you have one foot, if not both, in error. Avoid substituting God with “universal mind,” “universal intelligence,” “cosmic force,” etc. Confessions are powerful and can invite demonic influence into your life. Do not rejoice and relax that it delivered to you your heart’s desire anyway. There is a life after life, and it is eternal. Do not salvage this life, only to lose eternal life. It is possible to salvage both, even by the same process of releasing your faith.

The Bible says: “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

“Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth.

“For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.” _{COLOSSIANS 3:1-3 (KJV).}

Note the expression, “Set your affections.” Desire is the first step in faith. After it comes proclamation (or affirmation), which should be followed by works (positive steps). [Read James 2: 14-26, and Philippians 3:12-16.]

Your desire defines it. Affirmations work into you the mindset that can retain blessings at that level, however high or low; please always go higher, and also channels men and resources to you, over and over again. Then it is your duty to organize all that has been channeled to you, into the desired design.

Have A Workable Plan: Simplicity and flexibility are the keys. Your plan should be simple and flexible. Let it fit into your daily routine, and possibly change it where necessary.

Read The Best Books First: I once heard this saying somewhere, "Read the best books first, or you might not have the opportunity to read them again."

If you hate to read, start learning with audio books and pamphlets, from authors with uncanny insight. (A list is provided at the end of the book.)

Choose Your Team Players Wisely: "A friend means well, even when he hurts you. But when an enemy puts his arm around your shoulder--watch out!" _{(PROVERBS 27:6--GNB).}

"Choose your crew wisely"--50 Cent.

Avoid the lazy, the insincere, especially; and the overbearing. They do not actually appreciate your potentials or believe in you enough.

Be Diligent: "See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,

"Redeeming the time, because the days are evil" _{(EPHESIANS 5:15-16--KJV).}

Take Inventory: "Know the state of your flocks, and put your heart into caring for your herds, for riches don't last forever, and the crown might not be secure for the next generation" _{(PROVERBS 27:23-24--NLT).}

Do the following:

1. Keep records;

2. Have targets and a time-frame for accomplishing each; and

3. Evaluate your progress from time to time.

Invest In Others: "You have heard me teach many things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Teach these great truths to trustworthy people who are able to pass them on to others" _{(2TIMOTHY 2:2--NLT).}