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Student's Corner

Student’s Corner: Qualities of an Excellent Student – Determination

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Albert Einstein, one of the greatest of genius who ever walked the surface of the earth had learning difficulties when he was young. He suffered from what is known as Asperger’s syndrome which made him socially unfit.


Leonardo Da Vinci, one of the world’s greatest artist in his childhood suffered from dyslexia, a condition that made him write backwards from right to left in a mirror image. This condition also made him use incorrect spellings.



Agatha Christie, one of the greatest mystery authors was unable to write legibly. Christie suffered from dysgraphia – a learning disorder that affects penmanship, spelling and arithmetic. Due to her poor handwriting, she had to dictate her mysteries and romance novels to someone who would write them down.

Agatha Christie


There’s one more nab, Thomas Edison – the man who invented the light bulb.
Thomas’s teacher said he was too stupid to know anything. Thomas got fired from his first two jobs because he was “unproductive ”. He ventured into inventing and from there, he created one of the world’s greatest inventions till date. He made 10, 000 unsuccessful attempts at inventing the light bulb before he finally succeeded.



He made a statement which blew me off. He said “I have not failed, I have only found 10,000 ways that won’t work” – powerful words there!


Now why did I bring up these great guys?


I want you, dear student, to see that there was something common to all of them;



– DETERMINATION!


They were all determined to make a difference and excel in their different fields.



They all had tangible and adequate reasons to quit and give up, but they chose not to.



None of them was born a genius! They all had disabilities but they determined to excel despite the odds that were stacked against them.

WHAT IS DETERMINATION? 👨‍🏫


1. Determination is willingness to stand firm no matter the circumstances.


2. It is a situation where strong desire to achieve something can not be shaken by anyone or anything no matter how hard they try.


3. It is a situation wherby you are resolute something no matter how long or how hard it takes.



It is a factor you must develop if you truly want to excel in the academic world and in any other sphere of human existence.





Daniel 1 vs 8;
But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king`s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.


Daniel was determined to separate himself from the king’s meat. He and his friends decided to take just pulse and water for THREE GOOD YEARS!

Who does that? 😲🤔



You might not know what pulse is but let me help you. Pulse are edible seed crops from the legume family such as beans.


Now imagine feeding on beans and water for three years!

But that is the sign of true determination.


A determined person must be ready to let go of certain things no matter how attractive they may be.


Let’s run through verse 17 of the same chapter.


Daniel 1 vs 17;
As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.


You see that up there?
God himself blessed them above their counterparts.

The twentieth verse says;

“And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm.”


TEN TIMES BETTER!






That’s how far and how high determination can take you.


A determined person can never be put to shame. It may take years, you may get ridiculed, it may look impossible but as long as the determination is there, you will surely excel in your studies.



You are no dullard! All you need is a determined spirit – a spirit that is ready to keep studying until you get the result you desire.





If Albert Einstein, who was born with severe and incurable diseases could become a world renowned scientist, you too can become the genius student you aspire to be.

No one is born an excellent student; excellent students are made.

Tolu-Taiwo Victor

This article was written by Tolu-Taiwo Victor

GENERAL

The Paradox of the Prophecy

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Text References: Genesis 37:3-9; 39:20; Chp. 41

The story of Joseph is one which is very common among us today – the story of how he was sold into slavery by his very own brothers, how his case deteriorated from slavery even into imprisonment, and how it finally ended with Joseph being on the throne.

We are very familiar with this story; but one thing many Christians do not realize is that they are actually having a re-experience of what Joseph experienced – that is, they are playing out the plot of Joseph’s story.

Joseph had a great dream of becoming a King. He was destined for greatness; he was destined for kingship and royalty. Joseph was a royal by destiny.

Like we do today, Joseph in his days had a dream of leading nations. In one of his dreams, he saw himself being the leader of ‘stars’.

In other words, Joseph was destined to be the leader of leaders and not mere men. This is the destiny of every child of God. You are born for nowhere else but the top.

The Cedar

Psalm 92:12 “The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.” (NKJV)

            

The Palm tree is a tree which is known for its strong and solid roots, bark as well as productivity.

When the Bible tells us that the righteous will flourish like it, it simply reveals to us that as believers, whether you are a Child, teenager, youth or adult, in every of your engagements, fruitfulness and productivity will be the output.

It means that things will only keep getting better in our lives and in our engagements. It means that as a believer, in your academics, you will be among the best. In the skill you’re acquiring or the trade you are doing, you will achieve immense success. This is the prophetic destiny of every child of God!
          

But what you must also know dear saint, is that there will be a time when what you see in your life seems to contradict what you see in God’s word; I call this ‘The Paradox of the Prophecy’. It is a season that every Saint who ever became great in life passed through.

          

God promised to make Abraham the father of many nations, yet, for many years Abraham never had even a child.

Isaac blessed Jacob with the blessing for greatness, yet, for more than 14 years Jacob lived as a poor servant serving a shrewd master and receiving very little money as his wage.

God anointed David through Samuel to be king over Israel, yet, for many years David wandered from wilderness to wilderness leading a pack of wild and hungry men.

God promised to take the children of Israel to a land flowing with milk and honey, yet, for many years they walked in the wilderness eating only a kind of food daily.

                

The list is innumerable. The reason you must know this is that success and greatness comes in seasons and phases; if you are in what seems to be a tough season now, do not write off your dreams!

           

This paradoxical season comes in many forms – in Joseph’s life, it came in the form of slavery and imprisonment.

How could the one who had the stars in the galaxies bowing before him become a servant boy in the house of Potiphar?

How could the one who had the prophecy of worldwide greatness become a prisoner dwelling in a prison with criminals, thieves, and strumpets?

I was thinking since he was destined for greatness, God would make queens his nursing mothers and the palace his playground; but we see the exact opposite.

This young teenager lost his mother at an early age and suffered severe antagonism and antipathy from his brothers.

Wasn’t he the royal one? Wasn’t he supposed to be loved and pampered since he had the brightest future? – but we see the exact opposite. Joseph grew up in the toughest of environments.

           What does this reveal?

           

You are not alone! You are not the only one who is going through pain, intimidation and hardship inflicted by our nation’s system of education and economy.

Joseph also grew up knowing this pain; he also grew up receiving scorns and mockery from his older brothers. But the climax of the story is that he still became the noble that God destined him to be!

          

Look unto Joseph and be strengthened. He lived for years in a dungeon – an underground prison full of darkness and the most evil of criminals.

In the dungeon, you do not get good food; you do not wear good clothes; you do not get any encouragement or motivation; no one visits you in the dungeon – it is a place where you are left alone.

Does that sound like the condition you are in? Maybe you wish you were born in a very wealthy family; but you are living in a house or street full of dirt, immorality and ungodliness, do not despair, it’s only a paradoxical phase!

It is only a juxtaposition of the prophecy and the present. Or maybe all you’ve ever gotten is criticism even from your trusted ones; maybe you have no one to give you the love, acceptance and recognition that you crave for, look unto Joseph and be strengthened, he once went through the phase you’re going through today.

Great men are always alone, and great men are men who at adolescence or even childhood, were compelled to take responsibility for their lives and future by the harsh circumstances and battles of life.

Joseph was taken away from the comfort of his parents like many Christian youths these days are compelled to leave their families to learn a trade and fend for themselves due to lack.

But Joseph did not allow his circumstance to affect his grip on his prophecy. Even in the prison, Joseph saw himself as a leader and acted as one. Do not allow what you are going through affect your mood, rationality and self-esteem!

Be bold and confident of yourself! Be respectful and always look for a way to help those in your society!

Do not be intimidated by your peers who seem to have everything they wish for handed to them on a platter of gold! Neither should you be discouraged to think that your life will remain as it is now.

Hebrews 3:6: “….    Hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. (KJV)

Don’t lose Hope!

God is saying to you, hold unto the hope of a great end. Hold unto the promise of God in the scriptures that you will be the head and not the tail, above and not beneath.

Do not lose your confidence and courage! Keep serving God and devoting your time to Kingdom work, rejoice in hope that surely, you will sit on the throne that belongs to you.

Spirituality

The Power Of Knowledge

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God is a God of Knowledge. He gives knowledge in fractional measure to men.

In order to fulfill your destiny, you need the right knowledge. There can be no success without learning.




Greatness comes from the consistent pursuit and practice of quality Knowledge.

Every endeavor requires knowledge to make you stand out in life. Any life that does not seek for knowledge, will end up becoming a failure.

Knowledge is very vital to the development of a man. Knowledge widens your intelligence. It makes you see beyond your environment. It enhances your creative thinking.

Quality Knowledge exposes you to the various possibilities involved in whatever endeavor you find yourself.

Ignorance is a great obstacle.

What you do not know will always limit your capacity, mentally and even spiritually.

A man of wisdom is a man who is consistent in acquiring knowledge. Viscid acquiring of knowledge is what makes your understanding sharper.

Our understanding will be very limited if there is no pursuit of enlightenment through knowledge.

GreenHills Emmanuel

“The words of the wise are like weapons of knowledge. If you need wise counsel, stay away from the fool. For the wisdom of the wise will keep life on the right track, while the fool only deceives himself and refuses to face reality.” Proverbs 14:7-8 (TPT)

Knowledge makes you distinct. It makes one wiser.

Unreasonable people will never go after knowledge. They presume that since God’s Grace is available, they can be anything they want to be in life. But God’s Grace will never be effective in the life of a man, if he does not know how to channel it into his endeavors.

The fool believes in his heart that he does not need knowledge.

That is the main reason we have a lot of ignorant people in the society and through their ignorance, society does not develop.

You will never be all God wants you to be if you do not gain knowledge of what God wants you to be.

“For wisdom is protection even as money is a protection. But the [excellent] advantage of Knowledge is that wisdom shields and preserves the lives of its possessors.” – Ecclesiastes 7:12 (AMP)

Knowledge is very powerful. Wisdom without knowledge is like Faith without action.

You cannot be a wise man if you have no drive for knowledge. Neither should you desire access to Wisdom when your hunger for knowledge is impercitible.

Wisdom is the compendium of relevant and sufficient knowledge.

Your quest for relevant knowledge leads to the path of Wisdom.

Any knowledge that is not relevant in the destiny path earmarked for you by God, should not be given optimal attention.

Knowledge is mandatory for anyone who wishes to grow mentally and spiritually.

The gap between winning and losing is the quality of knowledge in the mind. Quality Knowledge bridges the gap between success and failure.

Great men invest their time in knowledge. Time invested in knowledge produces a life of success.


“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge [of My law, where I reveal My will]. Because you [the priestly nation] have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you from being My priest. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children.” Hosea 4:6 (AMP).


A man’s destiny may never be fulfilled if the knowledge concerning his destiny is not sought.

Lack of knowledge of the will of God will continually put you in confusion. It will make growth to become difficult. Rejection of the Knowledge of God is the denigration of one’s destiny.

Purse the knowledge of God in the early days of your life for the knowledge of God can transform the life of a man.

It is the knowledge of God that reshapes our convictions and belief systems. Without the knowledge of God, it will be difficult for us to walk in the will of God.

The knowledge of God opens us to various possibilities of the kingdom and brings to us, limitless Spiritual transformation.

The knowledge of God exposes us to the principles and laws of the kingdom
Understanding those laws will bring you to the purpose of true destiny in God.

Mental and skill knowledge is also significant.

Our minds work with the kind of knowledge that is deposited through books or tapes.

We must acquire knowledge that will upgrade our minds. It is through knowledge that innovative solutions to the problems plaguing our economy, are conceived in our minds.

Innovation is the fruit of a productive mind. And a productive mind is the result of consistent pursuit of quality knowledge.

You cannot start a business without you sufficient knowledge about it. Everything in the universe is governed by its knowledge.

Whatever sphere of life you want to work in, be it faith, industry, academics, you must gain the knowledge of it.

Whatever you want to become in life has its knowledge.

Are you in pursuit of knowledge or you are lazy?

Get knowledge today.

This text was written by GreenHills Emmanuel Amara

POETRY

Follow Wisdom

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Follow wisdom for it clears your ears,
Unchallant words gives no one an edge,
The wise speaks in parables,
For evil words can kill the feeble.

Close thy mouth!

Woe to Foolish talkers.
For thier mouth are full of death,
Live not your life to cheap talks,
For your life to experience Life.

Soil your lips not in talks that are vain,
For words spoken put people in pain,
Speak as you are lead,
So that your Destiny can be blessed.

Soil your lips with encouragement,
Fill your mouth with improvement,
Lead your clan to greatness,
Reach unto the scripture for fitness.

Let your mouth be full of truth,
Lead not your life to guilt,
Cover yourself with so many wisdom,
So that your life will not experience doom.

Christmas

Gleaning from The Magi’s Journey

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Matthew 2:1: “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem”

Matthew 2:2: “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.“




The Magi’s Victory to Jesus is one of the most popular Christmas stories ever told. Due to its commonness and frequent retelling, one might lose the lessons God in the story, which made the writer include it in his book.

There are several lessons which we can learn from the Magi’s story. I will be highlighting only a few, which I feel, are needed in a time as this.

I would to God, that you take time out to study the events relating to the Conception and birth of Jesus, in your private hour.



GLEANING FROM THE MAGI’S STORY

PERSEVERANCE:


In the first verse, we are told that these men came all the way from The East, unto Jerusalem. In the Bible days, the East was used to refer to countries like Saudi Arabia, Persia (present day Iran) and Babylon.

These men travelled all the way from one of these places, on foot, in the desert, seeking to worship an unseen Baby-King.

All they saw was the Star. They did not have the prophecies of the King’s birth like the Scribes. They were not Israelites who were desperately in need of a King, to save them from the tyranny of Herod.

But when they saw the star in the sky, they left all they had. They left their businesses, friends and families, and set out to seek the one to whom the star belonged.

They were not satisfied merely gazing at the star. They were not satisfied with merely knowledge of what the star signified. They followed the star in search of the King.

Do not settle for less in your Pursuit of the King. The star was beautiful, glorious and outstanding, but it wasn’t the object of their Worship. It was only a guide to lead them unto the King.

Going to Church. Observing the Sabbath. Observing the communion. These things are significant and unique Christian sacraments which must be taken with utmost sacredness. Yet, you must not end your piety in them.

You must journey from merely going to church out of habit, to going to church out of love for God.

You must journey from merely keeping the Sabbath, to having a personal knowledge of the Lord of the Sabbath.

You must journey from taking the communion with Reverence, to having intimate, reverential relationship with the one whose flesh and blood we feed on at the communion table.

The Wise Men saw the star, and they journeyed to Jerusalem, seeking for the King who had been born.

They went to Jerusalem, because they felt that was where kings were born. But, when they inquired there, they found out that the Israelites had no idea whether a King had been born.

They knew a king would be born. They wanted the King to be born, to deliver them from Herod’s government. But when he was born, none of them were aware of it.

Even when they had the prophecy of Daniel’s weeks to help them know the exact time and location of the King’s birth, they were unaware of his birth.



Isn’t this the plight of many Christians, cry out for God’s move, but when His Move comes, they are caught unawares and unprepared.

But the Unpreparedness and ignorance of the Jews did not quench the zeal of the wise men in finding the king.

The lacklustre service of other saints should not be a reason for you to slack in zeal and fervency.

News of the Magi’s inquiry got to Herod’s palace. He sent for the scholars of the law, and from the scriptures, they were able to tell the exact location of the Newly born King.

No matter how zealous a saint is in pursuing the things of God, he must be careful not to pursue them in ignorance, else we’ll find ourselves before the palace of evil men such as Herod.

We must serve the Lord with knowledge and Understanding. In our walk with Him, His Word must be the lamp to illuminate our darkness; the star to guide us to the King and the anchor to hold unto in the storm.



After hearing from the scholars, the Magi continued on their journey towards the saviour. They never stopped until they found Him and worshipped Him.

May we not be wearied before we step our feet on the finished line!

May we be unrelenting and unflinching until we have accomplished the task the Lord has given us!

The Magi had the option of giving their Gifts to someone to give to the saviour on their behalf.

But their minds were made up.

‘We rest not return until we see the saviour with our own eyes’

May we conform to the perseverance of these wise men.

The Saint must not rest until the day when He sees His King face to face.

He must not stop praying. He must not stop reading his Bible. He must not stop observing the Sabbath. He must not stop giving his offerings and preaching the Gospel, until the day, when He shall meet with the Saviour vis-a-vis.

And even as he is on Earth, he must not settle for anything less than a personal acquaintance with the Lord.



Job 22:21 (NISV) “Get to know God, and you’ll be at peace with him, and then prosperity will come to you.”


___________

Many are celebrating Christmas, but only a few know the CHRIST in the Christmas.

Many are celebrating the Season, but the Lord knows the few who actually know the reason for the season.

As we draw nearer to Christmas, take a personal decision, like those wise men, that from henceforth, you will seek to God with all your heart, your soul and your body.

God bless you.


Merry Christmas!