THE PARABLE OF THE SHREWD MANAGER

Luke 16:1-15

16 Jesus told his disciples: “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. 2 So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’

3 “The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg— 4 I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’

5 “So he called in each one of his master’s debtors. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’

6 “‘Eight hundred gallons of olive oil,’ he replied.

“The manager told him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred.’

7 “Then he asked the second, ‘And how much do you owe?’

“‘A thousand bushels of wheat,’ he replied.

“He told him, ‘Take your bill and make it eight hundred.’

8 “The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. 9 I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.

10 “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. 11 So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? 12 And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?

13 “No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”

14 The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. 15 He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight.

NIV

LOVE

LOVE so Amazing, so Divine, demands My Soul, My Life, My All

LET GOD BOAST OF YOUR FAITHFULNESS

(JOB 1:6-8)

Once you are upright, you are faithful, you are blameless, know that God will definitely boast of you, like your father on earth would when you are making all the strides on this earth.

This piece is here to inform you that God prides Himself in the good works of his faithful servants. It is evident in what He told satan in the reference scripture, “Have you considered My servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameles and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.”

So, like it is seen in our each and everyday lives, when someone (Person A) boasts of us (Person B) to another person ( Person C). Person C will immediately throw a very difficult challenge at Person B to indeed confirm Person A’s words or prove him very wrong.

The first intention of the challenge is to prove Person A wrong, hence the challenge would never be close to easy. It will stretch your faith to it’s limits. Satan always wants to do things to tell God that we are not who/what He says we are. Once you are Faithful to God and Blameless, be diligent and firm in it.

Inasmuch as God is boasting of our faithfulness each and everyday, satan is also trying very hard to convince God that without some things He has provided for us we would even curse Him. The difficulties come because God knows we can handle them; they can never be beyond us.

LET GOD BOAST OF YOU, AND BE READY FOR THE CHALLENGE.

THE PRAYER OF A CHRISTIAN

Proverbs 30:7-9

Two things I ask of you ooo Lord, Do not refuse me before I die:

Keep falsehood and lies far from me ooo Lord;

give me neither poverty nor riches,

but give me only my daily bread.

Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say,

“Who is the Lord?”

Or I may become poor and steal,

and so dishonour the name of my God.

Amen!!

GRATITUDE #9

Exceedingly, abundantly above what I imagined.

At the end of the month a staff from the unit drove me to go and collect my wage. I signed for it without looking at the amount. When I got into the car, I looked at the cheque and exclaimed. Wow! It was a little more than my initial negotiation with God.

My God can do exceedingly, abundantly above all that you too can ask or think, according to the power that works in you (Ephesians 3:20).

This is just the beginning… to be continued

GRATITUDE #8

His word, my confidence .

The third week of October 2016 was like a jackpot! I first received a call from the school I had been waiting on. The secretary said my appointment letter was ready, so I should come pick it up and start work immediately. I told the lady I was no longer interested. With all the disappointment in her voice she asked a few more questions and hanged up. My phone rang again, when I saw the unknown number, I smiled. My colleagues asked whether it’s from GPHA since we were waiting for an interview call-up. It was rather a man in Tarkwa who said someone at KATH recommended me to their medical lab. I told the man I was not interested so I recommended a friend.

What on earth was I thinking to have rejected these two good job offers knowing that my one-month part time job will come to an end and an interview is no guarantee for a job? I was “foolishly” holding on to God’s word that “I will start with GPHA”.

Friends faith can look senseless at times as you go to any extent to hold God by His word. Just like Bishop Oyedepo said “when you are foolish enough to believe, you commit God to perform”. The next week after the ‘jackpot’, my boss informed me that the other person to replace me in the one-month part time job says he cannot make it so I should continue.

What has God told you? Believe!

GRATITUDE #7

Prove yourself!

​It was a time for me to prove myself and I did just that. I did my best to prove that although my only official work experience is from NSS, am still better off. 

Dearly beloved when you get to know where God is taking you, you don’t just jump on to it. It is more prudent to prepare yourself and wait for your announcing. Then you prove yourself when you are announced. I learnt this from Joseph, in the bible. I personally believe that he prepared himself and waited for his announcing. Look how he commanded authority even in prison. He made use of the opportunity to interpret Pharaoh’s dream. After he interpreted Pharaoh’s dream, he said to Pharaoh, find a man… Joseph described his potentials as the criteria for choosing ‘this’ man. He proved himself indeed when he was announced as the Prime Minister. 

I leave you with this, prepare yourself very well and wait for God to announce you. Make use of opportunities that come your way and prove yourself.

GRATITUDE #6

There is a way

I quickly mailed my application to that relative of mine at Takoradi who in turn submitted it to the man. On Thursday 29th September, 2016, I received a call from the man at GPHA that I can come and start a one month part time on Monday 3rd October, 2016. Ei! This awesome God! These happenings were enough for me to believe that even if they say it’s for a month, my God can turn it into a life time. I arrived in Takoradi on 2nd October ready to start work the next morning.

Who said you cannot work at a that great institution you have always dreamed of? With God all things (you can believe) are possible. Never forget that God can make a way where there seem to be no way. Remember, it only seems there is no way but actually there is a way. Be patient and He will unfold the path before you.

When I got to work, I saw the path before me: one staff of the unit was on leave prior pension. I got to know that the unit wants a replacement for that staff. This explains why they want to try me for one month after which I will have to leave so that they try another potential applicant.

Gratitude #5

The word He has spoken shall surely prevail. 

So I was back to square one with no job call ups. A relative in Takoradi proposed that I do a voluntary service at GPHA hospital so that whenever there is vacancy I could be considered. I therefore spoke to my project supervisor to write me an attachment letter with his letter head which I submitted to GPHA hospital. ​A renowned lecturer at KNUST once said “if you qualify, APPLY! “. So although I did not have much hope, I applied. 

In mid September,2016 I received a call from an unknown number. I thought it was the school but it wasn’t. The man at the other end of the line asked are you Bernice? I said yes Sir. He said I got your contact number from your SHS mate, do you know who is speaking? I replied no Sir. He said, I was at the interview you attended at Takoradi, I have seen an attachment letter of yours at my office and I want you to write for employment since you have completed school. 

I could not believe my ears! So God can appoint people to ensure you reach your dream. At this point I became confident that God can give me a job at GPHA just as He told me when I was praying. Bishop Oyedepo once said “if you are foolish enough to believe, you commit God to perform “. I BELIEVE!

I pray that God will cause destiny helpers to come to your aid. 

GRATITUDE #4

God can!

NSS was over, job searching mode activated. I contacted one senior colleague about my job search and not long enough he found one laboratory assistant job for me at a senior high School. From medical lab to classroom! But I was willing to do it especially knowing that they are capable of paying a salary of 2000cedis. Come on, a school that receives fees in US dollars only?

One Friday morning he took me to the school for a brief introduction. Luckily for me, they granted me an interview and asked me to start work that very day while they prepare my appointment letter. I was so amazed. So God can simply open a door just like that? The next week Wednesday since my appointment letter was still not ready, I discussed with the headmaster on my decision to stop coming to work until my appointment letter was ready. He easily consented and that was how I ended up in the house again. An unwise decision right?

What’s my point? God can! Without any application letter I was granted an interview and began work in one day. It’s like the Patriarch Jacob planting and reaping in the same year.