GO
IN THE STRENGTH OF THE SENDER
It is not news anymore that
every year, students keep graduating from the Department of Accounting,
University of Jos. But the question is: in what strength are they been sent out
to the wider society; is it in their own strength and confidence or in the
strength of the Lord? This is a question you must unearth for yourself.
There is no doubt that
where you (Financial Paragons) are going to is
bedevilled with different challenges, but the Lord is sending you in His strength
as a change agent. The economy of Nigeria might seem unfavourable today, but God seems to send you as a saviour
of this messed up economy. The world system and the evil practice of men might have
occupied everywhere to the point that it now seems visible to the blind, but
God desires to use you as a vessel unto honour to turn things around. There may
seems to be hardship and complains all around, but God longs to use you as an
instrument of change in this generation. The state of our country may seem to
be as if nothing good can come out of it, but God is looking for someone who will
go in His might to change things for good. This was the
scenario of the Children Israel many years ago when they did evil in the sight
of the LORD: and the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven
years. They were been molested by the midianites for years. The economy of
Israel was in an impoverished state. But as long as the children of Israel
could not cry to the Lord because of the Midianites, their situation remained
unchanged.
Who
are these categories of people that God desire to send to the wider society to
be an agent of change?
·
These
people are those who are uncomfortable with their present state of life, and
desire help from God wholeheartedly. The bible says “and
Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the Children of
Isreal cried unto the LORD.” (Judges 6:6). The issue of emphasis I must lay
at this point to you (financial paragons) is that; if you must see a change in
any named area you desire, the first person you must report and cry unto is to God.
As you cry unto God and
he responds, be ready to heed to His instructions. It is God’s instruction that
can keep you moving in the wider society. If we must come to see revival sweep over Nigeria and
to be salvaged from this economic mess, we must first cry out to God with all
sincerity over the present state we are in today, trusting that He will
intervene. If a man is comfortable with his present condition of life, he will
never put in more strength and effort to tap into the desired comfort that God offers.
Nobody who is comfortable with sin will see the need to cry for help for a
changed of life. Could it be at this point as fresh graduates of UNIJOS 2014/2015
session, you are still troubled and molested by “Midianites” and you are
comfortable with it? You must personally cry out this hour. Your Midianite
could be the secret sin that you do engage in day after day. Yours could be
that lifestyle of cheating and exam malpractice. Yours could be that
relationship of lust. Yours could be that lifestyle of drunkenness, wild
partying, sexual immorality, lies, falsehood, and masturbation, among several
others. The Lord expects you at this point to cry for help. He will never fail
in sending deliverance to those who passionately and sincerely cry unto him.
·
These
people are those who must be salvaged from sin. The bible says that: “And it came to pass, when the children of
Israel cried unto the LORD because of the Midianites, That the LORD sent a
prophet unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought you up from
Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of Bondage…” (Judges 6:7-8) The
issue to draw out here is the matter of been brought out from bondage into
freedom. Every sinner is a prisoner of sin and under the bondage of the devil. Anyone who engages in sin either
publicly or privately is in the prison of sin.
The children of Israel
were at a point comfortable in Egypt, but “…in
process of time, that the King of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed
by the reason of bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by
reason of the bondage.” (Exodus 2:23). Egypt is a symbol of bondage and
suffering. For as long as a man is not salvaged from sin and bondage, he is not
fit to be sent as an agent of change to this perverse, untoward, crooked and corrupt
generation. It is an
aberration from the truth to claim to be salvaged from sin and yet you love the
things of this world with passion. It is an aberration to claim to be free from
sin and yet you engage in falsehood of age to go for NYSC or to secure a Job.
It is an aberration to claim to be free from sin and yet you make your ways to
serve in a state that you long desired. It is an aberration from the truth to
claim to know Jesus and yet you don’t hate iniquity and love righteousness like
Jesus did as stated in Hebrew 1:9.
If you don’t have a
clear testimony of your salvation, it is pointer that you have not been
salvaged from the bondage of Egypt. God’s call to you is to beg Him for
forgiveness now and He will come to your help. A contrite heart and a broken
spirit, God does not overlook. God demands your response NOW.
·
These
people are those who are not fearful because God is with them:
The bible says: “and the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto
him, They LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of Valour. And Gideon said unto
him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us…”
(Judges 6:12-13). The
issue to draw out is the matter of whether God is with you. A man who doubts
and has fears whenever a question of “are you born again?” is thrown to him is
not fit for this commissioning unto been an agent of transformation. If you
don’t have a clear definition of your PRESSING
IN into the Kingdom, you may never be able to
PRESS ON toward the mark for the
prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. If you are not hidden in Christ, you are likely to
miss it in the wider world. Gideon never knew he was a mighty man of valour even when he truly
was. For you, could it be
you are still assuming to be a carrier of Jesus all these four (4) years you
have spent in accounting department; the Lord is calling you now to settle the
matter. Let your coming to Jesus not be on the basis of what he will give you or
on the basis that you will not pass through turbulent times outside campus, but
let it be a resoluteness to follow Him till the end. God with you does not
exonerate/exempt you from suffering or challenges, but His Grace will give you
the elasticity to withstand every challenge that will come your way. Is
God actually with you dear brother? Is God actually with you dear sister? I
must not fail to quote the words of Dr. Yohanna G. Jugu (H.O.D of Actuarial
Science Dept. Unijos) on our send-forth day which says, “As a child of God, you must not
be limited by fear, but go out in faith” In reality, God in you is
actually the hope of glory.
·
These
people are those who God choose to use in Mercy as vessels of Change:
The bible says, “And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go
in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites:
have I not sent thee?”(Judges 6:14).The issue to draw out from here is the
matter of having a clear and defined assignment as you go out from the
department of Accounting. God is sending you as an agent of change to save
those who are held captive and bound by the devil in the accounting profession
or any named area He will be placing you after now. He is calling and sending
you unto been answers and solutions to the perplexing questions and challenges of
our time. He is sending you to go in His might and not in your strength. He who
is sending you is saying to you “Be strong, courageous and firm; fear not
nor be terror before them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you; he
will not fail you or forsake you” (Deut. 31:6). As God desires to use
us, please note that your family background is never a hindrance. As God desires
to use you, the present state of our economy should never a hindrance. Just put
your confidence in God and He will lead you to the end.
Just put your
confidence in God and He will lead and sustain you through life outside the
four walls of Unijos.
v
You cannot go in the strength of the sender
if you have not encountered the sender. The sender in this context is God Almighty. I must
emphasise at this point that no one can do exploit for God if he has no clear
encounter of Him. You cannot PRESS ON
in the wider world in Christ if you have not PRESS IN into the kingdom. The pressing in I am driving at is to have
clear-cut encounter with the sender-Master Jesus. As FINANCIAL PARAGONS, God is
ready to use you in this field of Accounting if only you are born again. Do you
remember the encounter of Saul on his way to Damascus which led to his journey
being interrupted? His name later became Paul and he did very great exploit for
God. Also, hear what Prophet Isaiah said, “Then
said I, Woe is me! For I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips: for
mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts” (Isaiah 6:7). This is a man
who has been in ministry for many years, but when it came to a point God
desires a man who shall go in His strength to declare his counsel, he needed a
man who has a clean hands and a pure heart, a man who has an encounter with the
Him. Isaiah having his sin purged did not waste time to answer the call of been
sent. He quickly responded by saying send me Lord. The bible says, “Also
I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for
us? Then said I, Here am I; send me” (Isaiah 6:8). God is calling the Accounting Department 2014/2015 session (The
Financial Paragons) to go in His strength. But as good as God desires this
session to go, He still desire everyone to answer the call for himself. You must answer the call for yourself;
this is because only you will stand to give account of your life on the
judgement day. What is that unclean thing in your life that will hinder you from
responding to God’s voice and invitation? Could it be secret sin? Could it be because you are
preparing to change your age to go for Youth Service (NYSC)? Could it be
because you still engage in masturbation, uncleanliness, sexual immorality, rage,
wrong relationship, bribery and corruption, cheating and deceit? Could it be
because you are still crouching between two burdens –to serve the world and to
serve God? Could it be because you have no genuine relationship with God? Lay all
these weights aside and come to Jesus now. I must tell you that if your
confidence is in your B.sc certificate or in your connection, you are on your
way to missing it. This is because, “…Cursed be the man that trusteth in man,
and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departed from the LORD.” (Jer. 17:5).
As you go to the wider society, just trust in the Lord with all your heart and
never lean on your own understanding. As you go to the wider society,
acknowledge God in all your ways and he will direct your path.
Lastly, it is only when you come to Jesus Christ
that you can go out and face the challenges that awaits you in the wider world.
“Come to me, all of you who are tired
from carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28). Dear FINANCIAL PARAGONS, do you want rest
from sin and sickness, do you want rest from deliberate rising and falling
life, do you want rest from pride, cheating, masturbation, addiction, sexual
immorality, lust, anger, drunkenness, ungodly relationship, pornography,
jealousy, filthy and indecent actions, disobedience. The answer is found in
Jesus Christ. “You will never succeed in life if you try to hide your sins. Confess
them and give them up; then God will show mercy to you.” (Prov. 28:13).
Confess your sin today and forsake them and God will show you mercy, and grant
you the enabling grace to go in His strength to face the challenges that awaits
you in the wider society. God bless you.
God Bless Accounting Department!
God Bless CAMSF Fellowship
God Bless the Financial paragons
(Accounting Department 2014/2015
session)
From:
Daniel Okpanachi Samson
(The President of CAMSF Fellowship 2014/2015
session Unijos)
