Recently I’ve been ruminating on the meaning of Life and man’s response and interaction with it. (See my previous notes on “My Take on Meaning” and the “Premise for Meaning” ) as I try to communicate these convictions I had to stop to ponder; for those of us who are greatly privileged to be partakers of the premise for that meaning (referring to those with a Christian background). Are we aware; are you aware that this is Life? i.e. the knowledge of God, and the gift of salvation via His Son Jesus Christ, or is it just in the name we bear and the box we tick against religion? Is it just about where we go on Sundays? Perform our weddings in and plan to be buried by? Stop to think about it, could this be Life?
I do not refer to religion. But to the invigorating knowledge of Jesus Christ, of His Grace, forgiveness and salvation, of the joy and purpose He brings to Life; the strength to deal with hardship when it comes, the Wisdom to make things happen, the Grace to reign in Life and the ultimate assurance of everlasting life with God.
If for you, it is still just a name, then ponder at this; the purpose of Life is not to make us happy, and that’s not God’s purpose either, but rather the knowledge of God which would ultimately lead to human happiness.
Rejecting God not only alienates us from God, it alienates us from ourselves. C.S Lewis writing about this, describes Himself as man looking for meaning, bound by the spirit of the age and all the thrills it offers. He enjoys the meal and calls it by its right name, the rationalist laughed at him, he truthfully comments on the milk and they mocked him. Confused, he didn’t know how to respond until reason came riding on a horse and rescues him, as he rides out of the mountain, Reason says to the Spirit of the age; “You Lied, you don’t know what nature has made for the good and what nature has made for garbage”.
Jesus said; "Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light. But when your eye is bad, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!” (NLT BIBLE)
In reality, there is nothing as beautiful as the good and there is nothing as ugly as the evil. But in our imagination we have made good to be ugly and boring and have made the evil to be intriguing, attractive, classy and charming.
Good and evil are like positive and negative poles of an electric current, you transpose them and darkness falls. That is why man is a stranger to himself.
OKwonna Nelson
Sunday, December 27, 2009
THE PREMISE FOR MEANING
To answer the question; what is the meaning of Life? One has to first establish the premise for meaning. What does it take for this Life to have meaning?
For this Life to have meaning, Some basic essentials must be in place. These I believe are:
1) Absolute/Objective Truth
2) Immortality
3) Origin
Origin:
In Africa, the greater majority believe that in the beginning God created the universe, as against the opinion in the west that Evolution is the source of origin. This author won’t fail to add that evolution by itself has not been proven to be empirically plausible. Science has not proven the inexistence of God and statistical evaluations lean heavily on an intelligent creator than on life being a product of time, chance and matter or of soil and blood as the Nazis put it.
On the other hand, God explains immortality, origin and the basis for truth or moral consciousness. God is the Moral law giver (objective truth) and He promises immortality (this is a view held by most people that believe in God).
But as said earlier, Truth by definition is exclusive. Logically, it makes more sense to say that all religions are wrong than to say that they all are ways to God! Two mutually exclusive opinions cannot be true at the same time and all religions (essence of culture) all possess a point of exclusivity, essential areas in which differences become irreconcilably. i.e. a premise where I cannot believe yours if I truly believe in mine. Though we must learn to tolerate each other’s religion and beliefs for peaceful co existence, this piece is written for an honest inquirer who desires to know the Truth.
Before I make my case for Jesus Christ as the way, let me say that no religion should be judged by its abuse. So it is not so much about religious excesses by man but the essence of each belief. E.g. one can point at violence in a particular world view as a reason for denying it. Such I believe can only be tenable if these questions are asked; does that world view rend itself logically to such a point? Or is the observable an issue of abuse? Thus it is an enquiry on the essence.
The Nature Of man
The problem with man seeking for God is to understand His nature. Volumes have been written on the nature and personality of God, diversity of world views abound for this singular reason. But the nature of man is well known to us: there is something bad about man, in an Aso villa, in a white house, place man in a position of power, starve him of it. Give him too much food, starve him, marry him, be his best friend, be his worst enemy. Anyway you relate to man you can feel and see his hideousness. But then it is a fault he is aware of and knows it is bad!
The heart of man is sinful! Man is lost; he cannot help himself no matter how hard he tries.
Man’s heart is evil, take a look around. Man’s heart is not that it is unethical but that it is lost in sin.
The heart of man is sinful! Man is lost he cannot help himself no matter how hard he tries. Ethics has and cannot change the nature of men. Send him to a University, train him on the law and ethics, of morals, give him ten commandments or a thousand, punish him for disobedience, even when the punishment is death or amputation Man would still dare to sin! Man cannot help himself, He can’t! My best example is yourself, take a good examination of the thoughts that throng your heart and answer the question: WHO IS without SIN?
In the light of God’s Holiness and righteousness, in light of His amazing Love and indignant judgment, sin becomes utterly sinful and there is the awareness of a dreary judgment. We are all guilty, you and I regardless of tribe, religion or color!
What does this man need? Man needs a savior,
Have you struggled or are struggling with an addiction? Have you had to deal with guilt, immense guilt? I bet you’ll understand me better. In the light of a man’s inner struggle, commandments, even Godly commandments seem irrelevant. The weakness of man is all around you. What does man need?
He needs a savior!
And this is the biggest news in town, Man has got one, and of course the savior isn’t of the nature of man, the savior ought to be different from the saved, and He is. He ought to be without sin, and He is. The savior has to pay the price for man’s sin and He did! The salvation shouldn’t be impersonal and He isn’t. The savior should be capable of filling man’s need for love and He did! It wasn’t for man’s effort, it is free. The Price was heavy, He loved!
Man’s need for Love and Thirst for immortality
The greatest of all ethics is love and the greatest of all human need is Love. Man is created to be loved and there is an inner ache in you and I that even human love cannot fill. Man has tried to fill this need in many ways; sex hasn’t. Money couldn’t and fame won’t, even being a good individual cannot fill this need for communion. Only a personal not impersonal knowledge of God can fill this; Love is personal.
Man in his experience yearns for immortality but is faced with a stark reality of death and the cosmetic industry illustrates this point in graphic details. 88
In the person of Jesus Christ we find:
a. God
b. A Personal God that loves
c. An answer to the source of Man’s hideousness
d. A Savior: the difference between all other religious founders and Jesus Christ is not that He came not to make bad people good, but to make dead people alive! He provides the certainty of being forgiven.
e. Atonement for Sin: Christianity alone offers a cross and a Savior, God died! For many this is unthinkable, but it proves the nature of God (LOVE) and the gravity of Sin
f. Power to overcome sin
g. Righteousness; not of human efforts, as sinful man by his actions which are sinful cannot make himself clean!
h. Human dignity; A God that loved us as individuals, with no distinction between male and female
i. A case for immortality: resurrection from the dead.” Because I live, you will live also”
j. The Meaning of Life: the nature of reality (The knowledge of God)
k. An answer to human suffering
l. A God that didn’t need to create to love (the love in the Trinity)
Jesus answers the question of the nature of sin, the question of suffering, the nature of salvation and the nature of reality.
It is not in religion, it is not in money, it is not in sex or romance, it Is not in learning, it is not in fame or in titles, Meaning is found only in the person of Jesus Christ
Forgiveness
She came to my desk with a quivering lip, the lesson was done
Have you a new sheet for me dear teacher, I’ve spoilt this one
I took his sheet all soiled and blotted, gave him a new one all unspotted
Into her quiet heart I cried, do better now my child
I went to the throne with a trembling heart, the day was done
Have you a new day for me dear master, I’ve spoilt this one
He took my day all soiled and blotted, gave me a new one all unspotted
And Into my tired heart He cried, do better now my child
When I gave Him my Life, on the floor of my hostel room in 2003, tired of trying to be good and failing, of running. I wasn’t a bad man becoming a good man or a good man becoming better; I was a dead man receiving Life! I’ve bowed my knees to Him and I’ve found in Him everything
Okwonna Nelson
you can share this.
For this Life to have meaning, Some basic essentials must be in place. These I believe are:
1) Absolute/Objective Truth
2) Immortality
3) Origin
Origin:
In Africa, the greater majority believe that in the beginning God created the universe, as against the opinion in the west that Evolution is the source of origin. This author won’t fail to add that evolution by itself has not been proven to be empirically plausible. Science has not proven the inexistence of God and statistical evaluations lean heavily on an intelligent creator than on life being a product of time, chance and matter or of soil and blood as the Nazis put it.
On the other hand, God explains immortality, origin and the basis for truth or moral consciousness. God is the Moral law giver (objective truth) and He promises immortality (this is a view held by most people that believe in God).
But as said earlier, Truth by definition is exclusive. Logically, it makes more sense to say that all religions are wrong than to say that they all are ways to God! Two mutually exclusive opinions cannot be true at the same time and all religions (essence of culture) all possess a point of exclusivity, essential areas in which differences become irreconcilably. i.e. a premise where I cannot believe yours if I truly believe in mine. Though we must learn to tolerate each other’s religion and beliefs for peaceful co existence, this piece is written for an honest inquirer who desires to know the Truth.
Before I make my case for Jesus Christ as the way, let me say that no religion should be judged by its abuse. So it is not so much about religious excesses by man but the essence of each belief. E.g. one can point at violence in a particular world view as a reason for denying it. Such I believe can only be tenable if these questions are asked; does that world view rend itself logically to such a point? Or is the observable an issue of abuse? Thus it is an enquiry on the essence.
The Nature Of man
The problem with man seeking for God is to understand His nature. Volumes have been written on the nature and personality of God, diversity of world views abound for this singular reason. But the nature of man is well known to us: there is something bad about man, in an Aso villa, in a white house, place man in a position of power, starve him of it. Give him too much food, starve him, marry him, be his best friend, be his worst enemy. Anyway you relate to man you can feel and see his hideousness. But then it is a fault he is aware of and knows it is bad!
The heart of man is sinful! Man is lost; he cannot help himself no matter how hard he tries.
Man’s heart is evil, take a look around. Man’s heart is not that it is unethical but that it is lost in sin.
The heart of man is sinful! Man is lost he cannot help himself no matter how hard he tries. Ethics has and cannot change the nature of men. Send him to a University, train him on the law and ethics, of morals, give him ten commandments or a thousand, punish him for disobedience, even when the punishment is death or amputation Man would still dare to sin! Man cannot help himself, He can’t! My best example is yourself, take a good examination of the thoughts that throng your heart and answer the question: WHO IS without SIN?
In the light of God’s Holiness and righteousness, in light of His amazing Love and indignant judgment, sin becomes utterly sinful and there is the awareness of a dreary judgment. We are all guilty, you and I regardless of tribe, religion or color!
What does this man need? Man needs a savior,
Have you struggled or are struggling with an addiction? Have you had to deal with guilt, immense guilt? I bet you’ll understand me better. In the light of a man’s inner struggle, commandments, even Godly commandments seem irrelevant. The weakness of man is all around you. What does man need?
He needs a savior!
And this is the biggest news in town, Man has got one, and of course the savior isn’t of the nature of man, the savior ought to be different from the saved, and He is. He ought to be without sin, and He is. The savior has to pay the price for man’s sin and He did! The salvation shouldn’t be impersonal and He isn’t. The savior should be capable of filling man’s need for love and He did! It wasn’t for man’s effort, it is free. The Price was heavy, He loved!
Man’s need for Love and Thirst for immortality
The greatest of all ethics is love and the greatest of all human need is Love. Man is created to be loved and there is an inner ache in you and I that even human love cannot fill. Man has tried to fill this need in many ways; sex hasn’t. Money couldn’t and fame won’t, even being a good individual cannot fill this need for communion. Only a personal not impersonal knowledge of God can fill this; Love is personal.
Man in his experience yearns for immortality but is faced with a stark reality of death and the cosmetic industry illustrates this point in graphic details. 88
In the person of Jesus Christ we find:
a. God
b. A Personal God that loves
c. An answer to the source of Man’s hideousness
d. A Savior: the difference between all other religious founders and Jesus Christ is not that He came not to make bad people good, but to make dead people alive! He provides the certainty of being forgiven.
e. Atonement for Sin: Christianity alone offers a cross and a Savior, God died! For many this is unthinkable, but it proves the nature of God (LOVE) and the gravity of Sin
f. Power to overcome sin
g. Righteousness; not of human efforts, as sinful man by his actions which are sinful cannot make himself clean!
h. Human dignity; A God that loved us as individuals, with no distinction between male and female
i. A case for immortality: resurrection from the dead.” Because I live, you will live also”
j. The Meaning of Life: the nature of reality (The knowledge of God)
k. An answer to human suffering
l. A God that didn’t need to create to love (the love in the Trinity)
Jesus answers the question of the nature of sin, the question of suffering, the nature of salvation and the nature of reality.
It is not in religion, it is not in money, it is not in sex or romance, it Is not in learning, it is not in fame or in titles, Meaning is found only in the person of Jesus Christ
Forgiveness
She came to my desk with a quivering lip, the lesson was done
Have you a new sheet for me dear teacher, I’ve spoilt this one
I took his sheet all soiled and blotted, gave him a new one all unspotted
Into her quiet heart I cried, do better now my child
I went to the throne with a trembling heart, the day was done
Have you a new day for me dear master, I’ve spoilt this one
He took my day all soiled and blotted, gave me a new one all unspotted
And Into my tired heart He cried, do better now my child
When I gave Him my Life, on the floor of my hostel room in 2003, tired of trying to be good and failing, of running. I wasn’t a bad man becoming a good man or a good man becoming better; I was a dead man receiving Life! I’ve bowed my knees to Him and I’ve found in Him everything
Okwonna Nelson
you can share this.
AN ATTEMPT AT MEANING
Someone asked; what’s the meaning of life? And is that answer absolute?
Before I attempt my answer, Can the answer to such a question as this be exclusive? In other words, is meaning subjective (plural)? If meaning is subjective as many believe it to be. it suffers practical coherent applicability (as it has ended up suffering). A subjective meaning would imply the lack of coherence and effectiveness in day-to-day kitchen table discussion. Since you carry yours with you and I mine. The problem with that is that society is interdependent and there must be common basis for mutual co existence.
For example, You can get killed in Northern Nigeria for a very meaningful cause accepted by a great no. of people privately or openly that may not make sense 8hours trip down the Niger. Meaning!
Someone said that “no truth is absolute” that might appear almost true until we ponder if that statement is exclusive of itself or inclusive. If the statement is true, it would be so only by a state of being absolute. A state it denies!
The answer for meaning should be that which best explains reality. It should answer the question of origin, of wonder, of purpose, of evil, and of the hereafter. And these answers must cohere.
So if there is an absolute truth, what is it?
In a world of conflicting opinions and interests, of diverse world views, there is and has been a great search by many, especially the young people for meaning and this writer is not excluded.
Religion has posed solutions, and majority of individuals would tell you that greater violence has come from religious opinions than from any singular cause. In reality atheism has killed more people than religion (Stalin, Hitler and Communism). I submit that atheism is also of itself a religion. Which by definition is the “essence of culture”. At the heart of every culture is a world view.
Your culture to mine. Culture has ceased to refer to only large groups of individuals, it is more personal now. We carry it with us, Language, Mannerism, dance, dressing, beliefs and convictions. These factors not only describe groups limited by location anymore. You can live a different culture from your twin sister sharing the same room at home.
Why culture? Culture is the Garb of the truth we live by. It is our convictions. The meaning we ascribe to.
What is meaning? The answer to that would provide the answer for a culture that works, a culture that tells me who am I, why am I, what next after here? simple questions? Think again.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Business Series 3
Business Series 3
After judging God Faithful
Faithfulness with the Work at Hand
It is a true saying that great men are made by little things. For a budding or an aspiring entrepreneur, it is certain that there is something you are engaged with at the moment, most often than not that present assignment is your training ground. You need to be faithful at that, faithfulness is becoming scarce in the workplace, so the economic surprises is really no surprise at all but then any CEO knows that integrity is an essential requirement for good business. Jesus said “if you are not faithful with that which is another man’s, who will give you yours?”
Joseph’s first test at Potiphar’s house was not Potiphar’s wife but rather the temptation of getting proud when he got the post of junior manager, of stealing when he became store keeper, mismanagement when he became senior manager. Potiphar’s wife was the last on a long list.
Lose it
Lose your “entitlement mentality”, this is the greatest burden of the African man; the expectation that The Government, My Boss, My Parents, My Uncle, Older/richer sibling, aunt or Niece will do something for me. In as much as help could come from these channels, don’t expect them. I do not infer that a student should not accept support from his/her parents towards his educational pursuit but that he should not expect them to fund his “ludicrous “ business ideas. It is between you and your God, period. While David was with the sheep an entitlement mentality would have sapped him of the energy to go after the bear or the lion. Joseph though a pampered young adolescent knew better when he was assigned duties at Potiphar’s house than to lament his loss.
Take it
Take responsibility, this implies being faithful with the work at hand and acknowledging that this is between you (the MD/CEO of your life Ltd) and God, do the work at hand to please Him first not your boss. Find creative ways of advancing the current venture. Who told David that killing a lion or a bear was the training for a Goliath? Or that interpreting the dream of the baker and the butler was what Joseph would need to make history, but little things have a way of adding up. And they always do.
One underlying theme that I would do well to state here is that divine inspiration is your greatest asset (biggest bargaining chip) and righteousness is its prerequisite. (more on Series 4)
When I got my first consulting job for an institute in Abuja, I discovered to my humor that I had to bring a lot of diverse experience to bear on the job, experiences I have gained over the years doing one thing or the other; from negotiating to powerful presentations, knowing who to call etc and general problem solving. Things nobody would teach in an institution, a lot of young individuals waste learning opportunities enjoying the frivolities that the workplace provide. These have mastered the Job and not the work.
Work vs Job
Know the difference. Enterprise developers don’t take jobs, they work even when they are under paid employment. Selah (think on these things awhile)
Job is what you are paid to do, Work is your interaction with the seed at the work place, and you are never paid for working. For more details consult “ The Blueprint” a best seller by Dele Osunmakinde.
Every workplace is seeded and a ground for seed sowing, there is something (a seed) that is the focal point of the establishment you are working for, to connect with that you must think like the owner of the place, the innovator and then go the step further and play with the other possibilities (a wise man will hear and increase learning). Africans want to invent things without first understanding the principles of the basic structure, we go to work without working and most times the employer doesn’t mind since He paid you to do a job, people who are paid for working are paid big. They are the policy makers; in summary Work is creation. People who do jobs are paid just enough to retain their service and to keep them motivated! A man with a job that is working doesn’t need motivation, the job itself has provided a workspace and is thus his greatest motivator. If your job isn’t looking like work to you, I suggest you quit or reassess the situation. Get to work, workers needed!
An enterprise developer must create, a typical example is Jacob. He not only took care of Laban’s sheep for years but He did a lot of study of animal husbandry until he discovered two things:
1. That the animals mate at a particular time
2. That there is a direct correlation between what the animals beheld and the colour of the offspring
The gentleman was working. One might argue that the supernatural was involved and my answer would be:
1. It is very possible that this could be explained scientifically (after all we were all amazed that acupuncture is a science)
2. The influence of the supernatural in a business is not an unwelcome development! We need help, don’t we? But the supernatural showed up to help his diligence (God has never been in support of Lazy folks, never.)
More on Work
Work is force multiplied by distance in the direction of force. Force is directional, don’t deceive yourself you need to focus and we must allow God to provide that direction. The greatest tragedy is to be successful at the wrong assignment (work could have a negative sign!), but thank God everyone that is born of God has the seed of God in him/her. Except if you have not been born again there is a seed of God in all of us crying for expression, even those outside God’s kingdom are about His work (in God’s kingdom there are sons and hired workers) consciously or unconsciously. For sons the job description is definite and it is personal, that is why we should judge God faithful at every circumstance (series 2) because most times the seed you must interact with is not too far away and the environment is just there.
An understanding of Work allows you to assess the “Job,” any job that doesn’t make room for work is slavery (except you are not for enterprise development).
Work requires time and work is scheduled, God worked for 6 days and rested. He could have finished creation in a day, He didn’t and we should be glad for that. There are stages in creation and each stage is vital and should be appreciated, that is why I insist that for every area of your Life try and understand your position in the scheme of things and progress from there confidently and at your pace.
Remember God didn’t rest because He was tired, He rested because He has finished His Work! So don’t nap off on me!
If you love this post please share it by clicking share on the top left hand toolbar or direct others to www.nelsontalks.blogspot.com
Okwonna Nelson
After judging God Faithful
Faithfulness with the Work at Hand
It is a true saying that great men are made by little things. For a budding or an aspiring entrepreneur, it is certain that there is something you are engaged with at the moment, most often than not that present assignment is your training ground. You need to be faithful at that, faithfulness is becoming scarce in the workplace, so the economic surprises is really no surprise at all but then any CEO knows that integrity is an essential requirement for good business. Jesus said “if you are not faithful with that which is another man’s, who will give you yours?”
Joseph’s first test at Potiphar’s house was not Potiphar’s wife but rather the temptation of getting proud when he got the post of junior manager, of stealing when he became store keeper, mismanagement when he became senior manager. Potiphar’s wife was the last on a long list.
Lose it
Lose your “entitlement mentality”, this is the greatest burden of the African man; the expectation that The Government, My Boss, My Parents, My Uncle, Older/richer sibling, aunt or Niece will do something for me. In as much as help could come from these channels, don’t expect them. I do not infer that a student should not accept support from his/her parents towards his educational pursuit but that he should not expect them to fund his “ludicrous “ business ideas. It is between you and your God, period. While David was with the sheep an entitlement mentality would have sapped him of the energy to go after the bear or the lion. Joseph though a pampered young adolescent knew better when he was assigned duties at Potiphar’s house than to lament his loss.
Take it
Take responsibility, this implies being faithful with the work at hand and acknowledging that this is between you (the MD/CEO of your life Ltd) and God, do the work at hand to please Him first not your boss. Find creative ways of advancing the current venture. Who told David that killing a lion or a bear was the training for a Goliath? Or that interpreting the dream of the baker and the butler was what Joseph would need to make history, but little things have a way of adding up. And they always do.
One underlying theme that I would do well to state here is that divine inspiration is your greatest asset (biggest bargaining chip) and righteousness is its prerequisite. (more on Series 4)
When I got my first consulting job for an institute in Abuja, I discovered to my humor that I had to bring a lot of diverse experience to bear on the job, experiences I have gained over the years doing one thing or the other; from negotiating to powerful presentations, knowing who to call etc and general problem solving. Things nobody would teach in an institution, a lot of young individuals waste learning opportunities enjoying the frivolities that the workplace provide. These have mastered the Job and not the work.
Work vs Job
Know the difference. Enterprise developers don’t take jobs, they work even when they are under paid employment. Selah (think on these things awhile)
Job is what you are paid to do, Work is your interaction with the seed at the work place, and you are never paid for working. For more details consult “ The Blueprint” a best seller by Dele Osunmakinde.
Every workplace is seeded and a ground for seed sowing, there is something (a seed) that is the focal point of the establishment you are working for, to connect with that you must think like the owner of the place, the innovator and then go the step further and play with the other possibilities (a wise man will hear and increase learning). Africans want to invent things without first understanding the principles of the basic structure, we go to work without working and most times the employer doesn’t mind since He paid you to do a job, people who are paid for working are paid big. They are the policy makers; in summary Work is creation. People who do jobs are paid just enough to retain their service and to keep them motivated! A man with a job that is working doesn’t need motivation, the job itself has provided a workspace and is thus his greatest motivator. If your job isn’t looking like work to you, I suggest you quit or reassess the situation. Get to work, workers needed!
An enterprise developer must create, a typical example is Jacob. He not only took care of Laban’s sheep for years but He did a lot of study of animal husbandry until he discovered two things:
1. That the animals mate at a particular time
2. That there is a direct correlation between what the animals beheld and the colour of the offspring
The gentleman was working. One might argue that the supernatural was involved and my answer would be:
1. It is very possible that this could be explained scientifically (after all we were all amazed that acupuncture is a science)
2. The influence of the supernatural in a business is not an unwelcome development! We need help, don’t we? But the supernatural showed up to help his diligence (God has never been in support of Lazy folks, never.)
More on Work
Work is force multiplied by distance in the direction of force. Force is directional, don’t deceive yourself you need to focus and we must allow God to provide that direction. The greatest tragedy is to be successful at the wrong assignment (work could have a negative sign!), but thank God everyone that is born of God has the seed of God in him/her. Except if you have not been born again there is a seed of God in all of us crying for expression, even those outside God’s kingdom are about His work (in God’s kingdom there are sons and hired workers) consciously or unconsciously. For sons the job description is definite and it is personal, that is why we should judge God faithful at every circumstance (series 2) because most times the seed you must interact with is not too far away and the environment is just there.
An understanding of Work allows you to assess the “Job,” any job that doesn’t make room for work is slavery (except you are not for enterprise development).
Work requires time and work is scheduled, God worked for 6 days and rested. He could have finished creation in a day, He didn’t and we should be glad for that. There are stages in creation and each stage is vital and should be appreciated, that is why I insist that for every area of your Life try and understand your position in the scheme of things and progress from there confidently and at your pace.
Remember God didn’t rest because He was tired, He rested because He has finished His Work! So don’t nap off on me!
If you love this post please share it by clicking share on the top left hand toolbar or direct others to www.nelsontalks.blogspot.com
Okwonna Nelson
We Look Back At History
“We look back upon history, and what do we see?
Empires rising and falling.
Revolutions and Counter revolutions.
Wealth accumulated and wealth disbursed.
Shakespeare has written of the rise and fall of great ones,
that ebb and flow with the moon.
I look back upon my own fellow countrymen,
once upon a time dominating a quarter of the world,
most of them convinced, in the words of what is still a popular song,
that the God who made them mighty, shall make them mightier yet.
I’ve heard a crazed, cracked Austrian announce to the world
the establishment of a Reich that would last a thousand years.
I have seen an Italian clown say he was going to stop and restart the calendar
with his own ascension to power. I’ve heard a murderous Georgian brigand in the Kremlin,
acclaimed by the intellectual elite of the world as wiser than Solomon,
more humane than Marcus Aurelius, more enlightened than Ashoka.
I have seen America, wealthier and in terms of military weaponry,
more powerful than the rest of the world put together,
so that had the American people so desired, they could have outdone a Caesar,
or an Alexander in the range and scale of their conquests.
All in one lifetime, all in one lifetime, all gone. Gone with the wind.
England part of a tiny island off the coast of Europe,
threatened with dismemberment and even bankruptcy.
Hitler and Mussolini dead, remembered only in infamy.
Stalin a forbidden name in the regime he helped found and dominate for some three decades.
America haunted by fears of running our of those precious fluids that keeps their motorways roaring, and the smog settling,
with troubled memories of a disastrous campaign in Vietnam, and the victories of the Don Quixotes of the media as they charged the windmills of Watergate.
All in one lifetime, all in one lifetime, all gone. Gone with the wind. “
Behind the debris of these solemn supermen, and self-styled imperial diplomatists, there stands the gigantic figure of one, because of whom, by whom, in whom and through whom alone, mankind may still have peace: The person of Jesus Christ; The way, the truth, and the life
Malcolm Muggeridge 1903-2002
Empires rising and falling.
Revolutions and Counter revolutions.
Wealth accumulated and wealth disbursed.
Shakespeare has written of the rise and fall of great ones,
that ebb and flow with the moon.
I look back upon my own fellow countrymen,
once upon a time dominating a quarter of the world,
most of them convinced, in the words of what is still a popular song,
that the God who made them mighty, shall make them mightier yet.
I’ve heard a crazed, cracked Austrian announce to the world
the establishment of a Reich that would last a thousand years.
I have seen an Italian clown say he was going to stop and restart the calendar
with his own ascension to power. I’ve heard a murderous Georgian brigand in the Kremlin,
acclaimed by the intellectual elite of the world as wiser than Solomon,
more humane than Marcus Aurelius, more enlightened than Ashoka.
I have seen America, wealthier and in terms of military weaponry,
more powerful than the rest of the world put together,
so that had the American people so desired, they could have outdone a Caesar,
or an Alexander in the range and scale of their conquests.
All in one lifetime, all in one lifetime, all gone. Gone with the wind.
England part of a tiny island off the coast of Europe,
threatened with dismemberment and even bankruptcy.
Hitler and Mussolini dead, remembered only in infamy.
Stalin a forbidden name in the regime he helped found and dominate for some three decades.
America haunted by fears of running our of those precious fluids that keeps their motorways roaring, and the smog settling,
with troubled memories of a disastrous campaign in Vietnam, and the victories of the Don Quixotes of the media as they charged the windmills of Watergate.
All in one lifetime, all in one lifetime, all gone. Gone with the wind. “
Behind the debris of these solemn supermen, and self-styled imperial diplomatists, there stands the gigantic figure of one, because of whom, by whom, in whom and through whom alone, mankind may still have peace: The person of Jesus Christ; The way, the truth, and the life
Malcolm Muggeridge 1903-2002
FAITH AND REASON
FAITH AND REASON
When talking about the things of God do we all drop our thinking caps? Should we all? Any good student of the Christian or other religious world view would tell you that there are many questions he/she cannot answer. And that they are better left at that e.g. someone (an atheist) can ask; since you believe in God, what was He doing before He created heaven and earth? My answer;I do not know
In as much as one does not have an answer to these questions and one cannot deny an inquirer his or her right to ask them, we all must know that it is not all in answering questions (which by the way is very important) but rather the provision of a body of coherent meaning found for everyday Life. Yet there is a great place for reasonable inquiry to faith. The Christian faith does demand inquiry and thought, in the words of C.S Lewis, “good philosophy must exist if only because bad philosophy exists”.
Again In the words of St Augustine “unless you have believed, you will not understand”. There is a lot to understand about the Christian faith but to understand these; you have to believe that certain things are true. That is why reasonable arguments alone can never bring one to salvation rather it helps to expose false convictions and strengthens belief. Though one might counter that it is the spirit that provides such illumination, I must interject that for most of us who have received Christ, this illumination has already been provided, and it is for us to apply our minds to them (It is all in the word) .
REASON AND BLIND FAITH, THE DIFFERENCE AND THE DIFFERENCE IT MAKES
Blind faith; “this is the way it is, believe it or not”.
Reason; “you’ve believed Christ? Now let’s talk about it”.
Many of us are still to comprehend what Apostle Peter was speaking when He said; “Be Prepared to give an answer if anyone should ask you, the reason for the hope that is in you”.
Applying our mind will give us the much needed privilege to teach our inquisitive children. You’ll be surprised at the nature of the questions your kids will ask you; the reason for evil? Why did grandpa die? Where is he? Why should I believe in Jesus?
These questions cannot be answered by plain faith alone; faith is strengthened and made alive when one truly understands its immutability. That it is not vague, the reality of the spiritual component of man is as real, factual and scientific as the computer in front of you and it is even covered by a field of science. it is then intriguing when people “switch off” when issues of faith are mentioned.
E.g. on Naira Land, someone argued that God is just a mere psychological projection of men to fulfill their need for a God, a view originally propagated by Sigmund Freud (1856-1939). Freud was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, a movement that popularized the theory that unconscious motives control much of human behavior. From this perspective, God is merely a creation of the human mind, a projection emanating from human need and desire rather than a distinct reality or being that exists independently of the human mind. Freud’s notion of God acting as an idealized father figure for humans, providing a cushion from the harshness of the real world and a comforting friend in the midst of life’s troubles, reduces God to a human construct. Indeed, for Freud, God is made in humanity’s own image and is the “ultimate wish-fulfillment”; God does not actually exist but is merely the creation of humanity’s imagination and desire for a loving father figure. What then should be the Christian response? Imagine if you met Freud at work, and he is willing to hear your view and the reason for your conviction as a Christian, what would you say? Shut up and believe? Like the initial question I mentioned on what God was doing before creation, a typically answer would be “preparing hell for such a questionnaire”!
But really, the most obvious point to make in response is that this Freudian argument about projection cuts both ways. After all, isn’t it equally possible to say that Freud and other atheists deny the existence of God out of a need to escape from a father figure, or to argue that the nonexistence of God springs from a deep seated desire for no father figure to exist? So the argument is not valid for sustaining the non existence of God. Freud himself in a letter to a friend wrote “The bad part of it, especially for me, lies in the fact that science of all things seems to demand the existence of a God”. He wrote that letter in 1913 and the situation has not changed.
So I wrote the questionnaire on Naira land asking him if he could explain why human beings all over the years have sought for this God, have built edifices and temples for different deities. Why the need at all? He replied that on deep meditation one gets to a point where there is no need for questions, he stuck to his conclusion that God still does not exist. I had to point out to him that in his passive state of meditation, he lacks a rationale to conclude that God does not exist, since he made no inquiry, why conclude. He is yet to answer that.
The truth is that the Christian faith welcomes seekers, it can stand an inquiry, science is yet to prove the inexistence of God yet evolution is propagated as if it has been proven beyond reasonable doubt, it is therefore pertinent that we apply our minds on these things and think because “Good philosophy must exist if for no other reason than that bad philosophy exists.” Reasoning doesn’t necessary imply complexity, the message of the cross is a fairly simple one and the simplest of men can convey it. The human experience however is a very complex one and a lot of folks have a lot of theories on life. Reason is therefore needed to clear the “bush” around this simple message so that an honest inquirer can find Truth in the person of Christ.
I have bowed my knees to Him and I have found in Him everything.
I believe that in all cases, a genuine seeker will find out that He is sought.
For more enquiry and references, visit www.rzim.org, you can check the resources and archives.
Thanks.
When talking about the things of God do we all drop our thinking caps? Should we all? Any good student of the Christian or other religious world view would tell you that there are many questions he/she cannot answer. And that they are better left at that e.g. someone (an atheist) can ask; since you believe in God, what was He doing before He created heaven and earth? My answer;I do not know
In as much as one does not have an answer to these questions and one cannot deny an inquirer his or her right to ask them, we all must know that it is not all in answering questions (which by the way is very important) but rather the provision of a body of coherent meaning found for everyday Life. Yet there is a great place for reasonable inquiry to faith. The Christian faith does demand inquiry and thought, in the words of C.S Lewis, “good philosophy must exist if only because bad philosophy exists”.
Again In the words of St Augustine “unless you have believed, you will not understand”. There is a lot to understand about the Christian faith but to understand these; you have to believe that certain things are true. That is why reasonable arguments alone can never bring one to salvation rather it helps to expose false convictions and strengthens belief. Though one might counter that it is the spirit that provides such illumination, I must interject that for most of us who have received Christ, this illumination has already been provided, and it is for us to apply our minds to them (It is all in the word) .
REASON AND BLIND FAITH, THE DIFFERENCE AND THE DIFFERENCE IT MAKES
Blind faith; “this is the way it is, believe it or not”.
Reason; “you’ve believed Christ? Now let’s talk about it”.
Many of us are still to comprehend what Apostle Peter was speaking when He said; “Be Prepared to give an answer if anyone should ask you, the reason for the hope that is in you”.
Applying our mind will give us the much needed privilege to teach our inquisitive children. You’ll be surprised at the nature of the questions your kids will ask you; the reason for evil? Why did grandpa die? Where is he? Why should I believe in Jesus?
These questions cannot be answered by plain faith alone; faith is strengthened and made alive when one truly understands its immutability. That it is not vague, the reality of the spiritual component of man is as real, factual and scientific as the computer in front of you and it is even covered by a field of science. it is then intriguing when people “switch off” when issues of faith are mentioned.
E.g. on Naira Land, someone argued that God is just a mere psychological projection of men to fulfill their need for a God, a view originally propagated by Sigmund Freud (1856-1939). Freud was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, a movement that popularized the theory that unconscious motives control much of human behavior. From this perspective, God is merely a creation of the human mind, a projection emanating from human need and desire rather than a distinct reality or being that exists independently of the human mind. Freud’s notion of God acting as an idealized father figure for humans, providing a cushion from the harshness of the real world and a comforting friend in the midst of life’s troubles, reduces God to a human construct. Indeed, for Freud, God is made in humanity’s own image and is the “ultimate wish-fulfillment”; God does not actually exist but is merely the creation of humanity’s imagination and desire for a loving father figure. What then should be the Christian response? Imagine if you met Freud at work, and he is willing to hear your view and the reason for your conviction as a Christian, what would you say? Shut up and believe? Like the initial question I mentioned on what God was doing before creation, a typically answer would be “preparing hell for such a questionnaire”!
But really, the most obvious point to make in response is that this Freudian argument about projection cuts both ways. After all, isn’t it equally possible to say that Freud and other atheists deny the existence of God out of a need to escape from a father figure, or to argue that the nonexistence of God springs from a deep seated desire for no father figure to exist? So the argument is not valid for sustaining the non existence of God. Freud himself in a letter to a friend wrote “The bad part of it, especially for me, lies in the fact that science of all things seems to demand the existence of a God”. He wrote that letter in 1913 and the situation has not changed.
So I wrote the questionnaire on Naira land asking him if he could explain why human beings all over the years have sought for this God, have built edifices and temples for different deities. Why the need at all? He replied that on deep meditation one gets to a point where there is no need for questions, he stuck to his conclusion that God still does not exist. I had to point out to him that in his passive state of meditation, he lacks a rationale to conclude that God does not exist, since he made no inquiry, why conclude. He is yet to answer that.
The truth is that the Christian faith welcomes seekers, it can stand an inquiry, science is yet to prove the inexistence of God yet evolution is propagated as if it has been proven beyond reasonable doubt, it is therefore pertinent that we apply our minds on these things and think because “Good philosophy must exist if for no other reason than that bad philosophy exists.” Reasoning doesn’t necessary imply complexity, the message of the cross is a fairly simple one and the simplest of men can convey it. The human experience however is a very complex one and a lot of folks have a lot of theories on life. Reason is therefore needed to clear the “bush” around this simple message so that an honest inquirer can find Truth in the person of Christ.
I have bowed my knees to Him and I have found in Him everything.
I believe that in all cases, a genuine seeker will find out that He is sought.
For more enquiry and references, visit www.rzim.org, you can check the resources and archives.
Thanks.
Business Series 2
Hello Friend, this piece is written for all those with the dream of making significant contribution to the development of the economy of Nigeria, this is to remind you that what is inside of you has corporate sense and to provide a blueprint for entering into the city. My mouth is like the pen of a ready writer. It is my responsibility to communicate this timely truth to you (all timeless truths are timely).
Before I continue, I suggest you relax and prepare to ponder on these truths for yourself as their implication can mean a life adjustment for you (A wise man will hear and increase wisdom).
I owe my inspiration to the teachings of my mentors (Pastor Dele Osunmakinde in particular)and my own personal interaction with the Word of faith.
THE BEGINNING: ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT
I made some statements in an earlier note on this issue (you can check my previous notes) and this will build on it.
These are changing times, layoffs are rampant and it is pertinent that you and I find an answer that can be trusted and this can be found in the timeless book called the Bible, it is with pleasure that I try to communicate that answer. (you will be amazed for sure)
One, famines are not new, in fact it is in our heritage. From Abraham (the father of faith) to Isaac, and to Jacob. Men by whom God our God is called (the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob).
So relax, the economic situation is not the issue. The issue is knowing what to do, the answer is not out there or the Harvard professors would have saved America and General Motors from the economic crunch. What then is the answer/blueprint.
If this is was a lecture (which it is, a suggested reading would be “The Blueprint” By Dele Osunmakinde.
We would take a comprehensive view of what to do in four main Chapters:
YOU
The Thing You Carry
The mannerism of Faith
YOU
From where you are;
in enterprise development, the first thing you must come to terms with is than in relation to your present circumstance God is Faithful. Any time you blame your lack of connection, finances, parents or anything at all you are simply saying that God has dealt you a bad hand (you get what I mean?). it would be like Joseph in Prison or at Potiphar’s house grumbling that a man with mega dreams is a mere slave in a foreign land. Or Daniel at Babylon murmuring for being made an Eunuch. Or David with the sheep complaining that He had to deal with smelly sheep.
You must, I repeat must judge God Faithful at your present disposition (no matter how ugly it is) or you will never conceive seed. To do that you will need to take ownership of your Life, acknowledge that God knows what He is about (……..and sarah received Strength to conceive seed because He judged Him Faithful who Promised.) Note that God himself is the one who ministers seed to the sower and that in the parable of the talents, the young man who received one talent did nothing because of His disposition to the master (“………..you are a hard man).
He literally said that God is not fair, that he is in fact Mean. So number one step in enterprise development is regarding your present situation take God to your court room of your heart, place Him at the dock, climb up your judgement seat adorned in full regalia and give the verdict. If your verdict is Faithful, then you’ve qualified to conceive seed.
David qualified with the sheep (He could have left the bear take them). Daniel did (they were in captivity and to be castrated to serve a foreign ruler yet he maintained allegiance to a seemingly forgetful God) Joseph at Potiphar’s house proved that He trusted God knew what He was about and greatest of All Abraham even after receiving the Promise (Isaac) wavered not when God asked Him to bring Him up for slaughter. Why? Because these men (our Fathers) looked at God and said; though I may not understand it right now, though it is not easy, though I dislike this present Job, I believe God knows what He is about.
This attitude is the critical requirement one must attain before He can conceive seed. Remember “He who comes to God must believe that He is, and is a rewarder of they that seek Him.
I will end this edition in the words of Dr. Ravi Zacharias
“When God wants to drill a man, thrill a man and skill a man
When God wants to mould a man to play the noblest parts
When he yearns with all His heart to create so bold and great a man
That all the world shall be amazed
Watch His methods, watch His ways
How He ruthlessly perfects whom He royally elects
How He hammers Him and hurts him and with Mighty blows converts him
Into the tried shapes of clay that God only understands
While his tortured heart is pleading and he lifts beseeching hands
How He bends but never breaks when His pudding He undertakes
How He uses whom He chooses and with every purpose fuses him
By every act induces Him
To prove His splendor out
God knows what He is about
God knows what He is about
Pls share this with friends and loved ones
Before I continue, I suggest you relax and prepare to ponder on these truths for yourself as their implication can mean a life adjustment for you (A wise man will hear and increase wisdom).
I owe my inspiration to the teachings of my mentors (Pastor Dele Osunmakinde in particular)and my own personal interaction with the Word of faith.
THE BEGINNING: ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT
I made some statements in an earlier note on this issue (you can check my previous notes) and this will build on it.
These are changing times, layoffs are rampant and it is pertinent that you and I find an answer that can be trusted and this can be found in the timeless book called the Bible, it is with pleasure that I try to communicate that answer. (you will be amazed for sure)
One, famines are not new, in fact it is in our heritage. From Abraham (the father of faith) to Isaac, and to Jacob. Men by whom God our God is called (the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob).
So relax, the economic situation is not the issue. The issue is knowing what to do, the answer is not out there or the Harvard professors would have saved America and General Motors from the economic crunch. What then is the answer/blueprint.
If this is was a lecture (which it is, a suggested reading would be “The Blueprint” By Dele Osunmakinde.
We would take a comprehensive view of what to do in four main Chapters:
YOU
The Thing You Carry
The mannerism of Faith
YOU
From where you are;
in enterprise development, the first thing you must come to terms with is than in relation to your present circumstance God is Faithful. Any time you blame your lack of connection, finances, parents or anything at all you are simply saying that God has dealt you a bad hand (you get what I mean?). it would be like Joseph in Prison or at Potiphar’s house grumbling that a man with mega dreams is a mere slave in a foreign land. Or Daniel at Babylon murmuring for being made an Eunuch. Or David with the sheep complaining that He had to deal with smelly sheep.
You must, I repeat must judge God Faithful at your present disposition (no matter how ugly it is) or you will never conceive seed. To do that you will need to take ownership of your Life, acknowledge that God knows what He is about (……..and sarah received Strength to conceive seed because He judged Him Faithful who Promised.) Note that God himself is the one who ministers seed to the sower and that in the parable of the talents, the young man who received one talent did nothing because of His disposition to the master (“………..you are a hard man).
He literally said that God is not fair, that he is in fact Mean. So number one step in enterprise development is regarding your present situation take God to your court room of your heart, place Him at the dock, climb up your judgement seat adorned in full regalia and give the verdict. If your verdict is Faithful, then you’ve qualified to conceive seed.
David qualified with the sheep (He could have left the bear take them). Daniel did (they were in captivity and to be castrated to serve a foreign ruler yet he maintained allegiance to a seemingly forgetful God) Joseph at Potiphar’s house proved that He trusted God knew what He was about and greatest of All Abraham even after receiving the Promise (Isaac) wavered not when God asked Him to bring Him up for slaughter. Why? Because these men (our Fathers) looked at God and said; though I may not understand it right now, though it is not easy, though I dislike this present Job, I believe God knows what He is about.
This attitude is the critical requirement one must attain before He can conceive seed. Remember “He who comes to God must believe that He is, and is a rewarder of they that seek Him.
I will end this edition in the words of Dr. Ravi Zacharias
“When God wants to drill a man, thrill a man and skill a man
When God wants to mould a man to play the noblest parts
When he yearns with all His heart to create so bold and great a man
That all the world shall be amazed
Watch His methods, watch His ways
How He ruthlessly perfects whom He royally elects
How He hammers Him and hurts him and with Mighty blows converts him
Into the tried shapes of clay that God only understands
While his tortured heart is pleading and he lifts beseeching hands
How He bends but never breaks when His pudding He undertakes
How He uses whom He chooses and with every purpose fuses him
By every act induces Him
To prove His splendor out
God knows what He is about
God knows what He is about
Pls share this with friends and loved ones
Business Series 1
IN THE MARKET PLACE: BUSINESS SERIES
The story was told of a certain man, a body builder by training; stout and strong on whom hard times had befallen, he went about looking for a job, he had earlier seen an advert; “Well Built Man Wanted” across the gate of a local zoo. The man thinking that perhaps they needed a hand to lift things and stuffs entered and sought for the job, to his utter surprise he was asked to play the role of a large monkey, the management explained that some children were expected and the zoo had just lost its prized monkey. It wouldn’t be nice to disappoint the children; wonderful kids.
The man for no better option agreed to the job, after all there is an economic crunch. The next day met him swinging from pole to pole in his monkey suit to the delight of the children who offered peanuts and bananas. By midday he probably got tired of the poles or the bananas got the better of him and the next thing our hero accidentally slipped and fell into the nearby lion’s cage! “Help, Help!” He screamed as the very big lion majestically approached him and to our greatest horror whispered “you had better shut up or we will both lose our jobs”!
Well, a colleague of mine offered me an advice one day, He said “the world is a vicious cycle where everybody is conning everybody, it depends on what you go home with at the end of the day” and this story aptly describes that scenario. In reality it is so for many individuals and when one finds himself in an ugly situation and screams for help, it is only to discover that the very person he is calling on is a bigger tougher fake probably employed by another fake organization.
It wouldn’t be a nice feeling for one to discover oneself in this story, but if you did that would be great progress. Just like the stock market; the house of cards that just gave in the other time, it is becoming clearer that the world economy is a game. But very few people realize how deliberate that game is.
Question: how can a Christian thrive successfully in this system? Can He?
Answer: Can He? Yes we can. To achieve this one has to first underscore who one is; a Christian, a follower of Christ. A son of God, Co heirs of the promise of Abraham, it is very important that you trace it back to Abraham, which will allow you the opportunity to take a look at members of your family; certainly not of your earthly family, of Jacob, Joseph, Daniel, David, Job, men of Faith. These men did business on this planet and some of them did it in even tougher terrain than ours and they were all successful, they are part of our History, never forget that. A good knowledge of History is paramount in any social science including business development and expansion; Know your History, material success is in our history.
How do I go about it?
“You are different”. The day you realize this!
God is God of the whole earth! Never judge God’s faithfulness by material stuffs: God is just and gives His sun to both the righteous and the unrighteous. Never judge God’s faithfulness by material provisions, to do that is to remain at a gentile mindset. (Gentiles by the Book worry about food, clothing and shelter) get out of Maslow’s hierarchy of need and be fast about it.
The fact you have a need is because provision has been made.
Thou shall not make haste.
Never over estimate your need, (this applies in all areas of life).
For that need in you, God has ministered seed. (the idea, the product or service has been ministered to you already).
Make that calling sure.
Never, never depend on man to make you (or the journey might take longer if not aborted). God will use men alright, understand the difference.
Interact with it; this will most times require independence, blind faith, trying times, but keep at it.
Be sensitive; The Spirit of the Lord is a gentleman, He hardly will shout in your eyes just plain nudging.
There is a big difference between “Buying and Selling” and “Sowing and reaping”. In one you know the source, in the other you are the source.
Understand from your environment but be very careful what you allow it to teach you; Selective learning is the name of the game.
Don’t seek blessings, Seek to be a blessing; you are blessed already. (Very few believe this, but it is in our history).
The seed for your blessing is in you already. Interact with it, trade with it.
The Words spoken to you are your source and provision. (This is the most important point I’ve made so far)
There are stages in the Kingdom, seed time…….harvest. Recognize them and identify where you are.
In between the seed and the harvest is the School you must attend; don’t drop out; carryovers are allowed but not ideal.
The reason why most Christians cannot do business by God’s standards (and therefore miss the mighty provisions He is capable of) is because they don’t believe or understand the words spoken to them. (Very few of us trust our Father).
To be continued………………………………………………
If this article has been a blessing to you, pls share it
Thanks
Okwonna Nnamdi Nelson
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