by Mark Ibigbami GreatMark | Feb 20, 2018 | Uncategorized |
The Highest Common factor of All achievers:
“Victory often goes to the army that makes the least mistakes, not the most brilliant plans.” I supposed Charles de Gaulle got an insight from the inspiring words of the wisest King that ever lived- King Solomon Jesse.
By reason of his experiential knowledge and experience spanning all life’s ramifications, he testified thus: “Here is something else I have learned: The fastest runners and the greatest heroes don’t always win races and battles. Wisdom, intelligence, and skill don’t always make you healthy, rich, or popular. We each have our own share of misfortune. .” Ecclesiastes 9:11.
He reckoned that, as much as efforts and preparations are needed to achieve success, the common factor to all achievers is bad luck, which sooner or later happens to all. This means every man has a potential for failure no matter how hard he works. However, the assurance of victory is only in God, the Alpha and the Omega of all things. He’s the architect of of life; He opens closed doors and shuts opened doors. Nothing is beyond him.
Man can achieve success only if God permits. Remember the story of Babel. Even when His beloved is asleep or helpless, God still works for him to give him success and victory, if of course he is in right standing with God. The Psalmist wrote, “Unless the LORD builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the LORD guards the city, The watchman keeps awake in vain. It is vain for you to rise early, For He gives [blessings] to His beloved even in his sleep.” PSALM 127:1-2
Some people claim they are self sufficient; they think and believe their achievements are results of their affluence, efforts, intelligence, or power. But the truth is, they can not achieve beyond what God permits. Man at its best is only a mist which appears for a while and then vanishes. God is sovereign and His ways are perfect!
With an absolute trust in God, sophisticated weapon of warfare, canal intelligence or strategies may not matter. It was said of King David that, “So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, …I Samuel 17: 50. God’s ways are certainly not our ways. When He says Yes, no one dare say No!
Dear friend, the highest common factor of every achiever remains time and chance -bad luck, which eventually happens to all. The way to sure and rewarding achievement is to acknowledge God in all your ways, and lean not on your own understanding. Achievements without heavenly value is futility and misfortune!
Victory is still possible; ur mistakes can still turn to miracles. In my article, WINNING ATTITUDE – TRANSFORMING YOUR STRUGGLES TO SUCCESS, I noted that, “the conflict you’re in might be an indication of an impending success. So don’t give in, use the faith lifeline. Believe, persist, endure, & achieve!
You’re winning! Yea, we are winning!
GreatMark
by Mark Ibigbami GreatMark | Feb 14, 2018 | Uncategorized |
My Lover bought me a Love-suit:
“He excused me from a busy schedule and drove me in his car to a lonely hill where he showed me what he called the evidence of his love. Truly, he had often told me how much he loved me, but I never believed until I saw the huge investment he made just for me.
I’ve always been the busy type; and so much a career person. And to make it worst, I’ve also got a very busy and indefatigable boss who practically work round the clock. So, the least on my mind any day is definitely not the issue of love or any serious relationship.
My day wasn’t any different on this date. I was in a business engagement and I didn’t think I could excuse myself to attend to him, even though I was already bored by the monotonous activities in the office. Unlike me, on this very day, I was already having a soft spot for him, especially considering that I had severally broke his heart and have often turned down many of his dates.
Fortunately for him, and of course for me, I had my mind made up for a getaway from the many hours of labor and heavy laden occasioned by long hours of business deliberations. Mind you, with my boss, you have no mind of your own. He more or less possesses his employees such that they don’t have any choice than to do his bidding. If you say he is a tyrant, you might not be far away from the truth.”
I know you would wonder why I remained in this kind of a job that never give me the pleasure of relationship or even rest? Perhaps, because I love my career and I want to gain the world if that was ever possible! Besides, the promises by my boss is so endearing that even you wouldn’t want to play with such a life-long privileges.
While struggling to look for a way of escape, all my options closing in. Just then my phone beeped, it was Hansel. He sent me a sms to meet him at our reception for lunch. I struggled with this request, but I finally joined my lover, who gave me a treat and bought me a lovely and expensive suit. Mind you, It wasn’t on St. Valentine’s day but it was a day I cannot forget in a rush.
I haven’t had such fun in a long while. Gladly, this encounter totally changed my perception about life, work and love. It was for me an adventure to self-discovery. The feeling of true love was restored to me, and my thoughts about life was renewed, and I saw clearly the need to embrace a deeper relationship with my new lover.
Before now, I had thought that opening up to love would further hurt me, especially considering my past experiences. But, trust me, now I know the true meaning of love. I have found a lover that can help me bear my burdens, and not add to my worries. His love lifted me from the miry clay of worldly pursuits to a life free of struggles and canal lusts.
Few weeks after I opened up my life to Hansel, I saw the need to resign my appointment until I’m able to find a better job. I actually waited for 2 months, and during this time I applied to several places. But unknowingly to me, my lover had opened for me a new business, my dream business. Then I became the CEO of a fashion house, where I had employed twenty workers by the end of the first year.
This was how my status changed: I became the owner of a flourishing business, an employer of labour, and more importantly I found the true meaning of love, and now I am a proud mother of a beautiful damsel. I am Mrs. Agnes Bricks
Dear friend, the story of Agnes is a story of someone who chose the way of life, peace and rest in Jesus Christ. A relationship with Him will deliver you from the burden of sin and condemnation. He promised to give rest to all who truly seek him, and His love is eternal and not seasonal. You too can have a new life if you would decide to embrace him today.
When you do this, This is what God will do for you: He will cloth you with a new garment, a love-suit, and make your life a brand new life. “So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline.” Colossians 3:12. Christ’s love is evident in his death on the cross. His sacrifice is borne out of his undying love.
Finally, always ensure that regardless of else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without Be always on Love-suit. You’re winning! Yes, we are winning!
Click the link to read more on Valentine’s day: IT WAS A NIGHT OF FUN…BUT JAKE DIDN’T KNOW IT WOULD COST HIM HIS LIFE!
GreatMark
Thanks
by Mark Ibigbami GreatMark | Feb 2, 2018 | Articles, Events |
He was a leper, yet he was still very active in the Government as the commander-in-Chief of the Armed forces. Despite being stigmatized with the deadly disease, he never considered it honorable to resign his appointment in order to take care of his leprosy.
In fact, common sense should tell him, as well has members of his cabinet and his subjects that his infirmity has the capacity to spread unto others who daily come in contact with him. At least for this reason he should have resigned, rather, he continued to hold on to his office as if his life was dependent on it.
I wonder why he was allowed to go to war and command the battalion of soldiers under his control. How did he function with this deadly disease and yet no one seemed to have complained. Was he so powerful a soldier that he could not be replaced?
I wish I knew why his boss was so much in support of him retaining his position that instead of dismissing him, he was made to travel abroad to treat his leprosy, after all the efforts to provide medical solution in his country failed. This commander-in-chief must be very important to the country to merit this special favour.
By the way, why was the solution to his healing only found outside his country? Is it because there are no qualified doctors, healers or prophets in this case? Or could it be that the medical facilities available are insufficient to solve his predicaments, and those of others, as some of our leaders now claim?
I’m actually talking about captain Naaman, the commander-in-chief of the Syrian Army. It was said of him, “Now Naaman, captain of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man with his master, and highly respected, because by him the LORD had given victory to Aram. The man was also a valiant warrior, but he was a leper.” (2 Kings 5)
Naaman, whose name means delightful, pleasant, beautiful or gracious, became a reproach and a striking contrast to his appearance and probably also to his disposition because of the disease which had attacked his body. Though he didn’t find healing in his own country but by divine provision however, he got healed in Israel through Prophet Elisha (2 Kings 5:1-19).
In life, you can’t have it all rosy! Man is naturally identified with imperfection, limitations and struggles. There will always be something that would draw us back to our creator for help. He only is the All-sufficient God who also perfect and unmovable. Our salvation and deliverance from life’s troubles remains our choice. Like Naamna, we can chose to either believe in the God-given solution or remain locked up in our captivity.
As we remember the World Leprosy day, the case of Naaman reminds me how many of our countries have so far addressed the issues of leprosy vis-a-vis treatments and controls of the deadly disease. It also make me wonder why it is so difficult for the government to establish a viable health sector that would see leprosy and other deadly diseases treated in his country.
What you should know about Leprosy
Nigeria introduced the MDT (Multi-drug Therapy) in 1998 and nearly two decades later, the country has achieved the World Health Organization’s (WHO) leprosy elimination target of less than 1 case per 10,000 populations at the national level. However, this is still a far cry from what is expected globally.
The effective control of leprosy have been seriously hampered by low public awareness, stigma and discrimination against victims; and of course extreme poverty and societal exclusion. However, the World Leprosy Day observed every last Sunday of January, has continued to help promote public awareness of this that many people thin is extinct.
Speaking on the dilapidated state of the nations referral/rehabilitation centres, Nigeria Minister of health, Dr. Isaac Oyewole said, “I wish to use this opportunity to call on stakeholders and our development partners to support upgrade of facilities and other social amenities.” He also gave assurance that the Federal Government of Nigeria will do her best in mobilising resources to improve the standard on living of the in-mates.”
Leprosy is an infectious disease that causes severe, disfiguring skin sores and nerve damage in the arms, legs, and skin areas around the body. The disease has been around since ancient times, often surrounded by terrifying, negative stigmas and tales of Leprosy patients being shunned as outcasts.
According to reports from WHO, outbreaks of leprosy have affected, and panicked, people on every continent. The oldest civilizations of China, Egypt, and India feared leprosy was an incurable, mutilating, and contagious disease. Around 210,000 new cases are been reported annually, and many more people are living undiagnosed.
Our government ought to implement appropriate strategies to increase leprosy detection, improve treatment outcome, as well as prevent disabilities and provide physical and socio-economic rehabilitation services to affected persons.
Away from leprosy, what stigma do you carry? What issues in your life give you so much pain, anxiety and shame? You may have been named after the familiar predicaments that have afflicted you for so long. That’s the best the world will do; they will call you by the problems you are known with. They will describe you with names like: “that sickler”, “that poor and unfortunate neighbor” and so on.
Like Naaman embraced the life-changing solution from God, you too can seek God to bring you out of the mess you are plunged into. You can be free; you can be delightful. You’re winning. Yes, we are winning!
For further reading:
DONT BE ASHAMED OF YOUR SCARS!
http://www.searo.who.int/entity/global_leprosy_programme/world_leprosy_day/en/
Leprosy: A Biblical Disease (or so we thought)
https://ozarkderm.com/leprosyhttps://ozarkderm.com/leprosy
by Mark Ibigbami GreatMark | Jan 26, 2018 | Uncategorized |
The Atmospheric condition of a Bitter man:
In Biology we are told that certain atmospheric conditions are required for plants to grow. These includes but not limited to temperature, moisture supply, radiant energy, soil reactions, biotic factors to mention a few. Absence of any of these factors would have adverse effect on the plant, thereby resulting into poor or distorted growth.
For instance, a plant deficient in necessary nutrients will exhibit symptoms such as leaf yellowing or browning, sometimes in distinctive patterns. This may be accompanied by stunted growth and poor flowering or fruiting. In the same way, an animal that is deficient in vitamins and vital nutrients will show signs of ill-health and retarded growth.
The same way deficiency in a plant or animal will be evident in a poor outlook, so also will the environmental condition of a man who is living with bitterness and anger. Bitterness is like a cancer. It subtly eats up a person, and it builds an environment of hate and sadness and misfortune around those who harbor it.
Holding on to anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. A bitter person is a potential murderer because he carries a venom that has the capacity to kill the host or his victim at any point in time.
The scriptures warns of the danger of being deficient of the grace of God (Hebrew. 12:15). Falling short of the grace of God is like lacking the vital nutrients needed to live a life of contentment, happiness, and peace. The environment of a man who lacks the grace of God is usually bitter, difficult and unfriendly.
Falling short of God’s grace is like running out of fuel in your car. This condition gives you a red alert and if you don’t take heed to your car, it will eventually stop working. Likewise, the consequence of falling short of God’s grace is that bitterness will spring forth and all manner of evil begin to manifest.
The environment around a bitter person is normally ugly and disgusting. There’s no beauty or sweetness in such a life, and this attitude will be manifested around the host, spreading discontentment around his environment.
Bitterness is an enemy. Decide today not to allow it destroy your life and relationships. Like the words of the hymn, “Oh what peace we often forfeit or what needless pains we bear. All because we do not carry everything to God in prayers.” Quit been resentful, forgive and release your hurts, and your life will be beautiful again.
Finally, I’ll like to reiterate my advise in the article, THE DAY HATE KILLED A MAN!, do not let the sin of hatred ruin your eternal joy. Make a difference by replacing hatred or bitterness with love.
You are winning! Yes, we are winning!
GreatMark
by Mark Ibigbami GreatMark | Jan 23, 2018 | Articles |
- Broken News: The world’s famous tyrant and owner of the fastest growing recruiting firm finally resigns and closes down its operation world wide.
World most affluent man and the founder of the fastest growing recruiting firm resigns as the CEO and has closed down its operations which has spanned hundreds of years.
This vital information was disclosed to our correspondence when the Happy Valley news made a courtesy call to the world ageless deceiver, leader and accuser. He was said to have revealed that he has had enough employees, and have met his d to shut his doors to any new entrants.
Having being known to be a mastermind of virtually all the evils in the world, and having recruited and trained millions of disciples worldwide, he said his abode—hell is full and it’s doors closed to new candidates.
He opined that since he is retiring from evil, anyone who desires to continue to do evil and commit sin is on his own and should never blame it on his diabolical influence. Having suffered so much blames and accusations, “I will henceforth vehemently fight against anyone who blames me for the crime they commit”, he warned
On what becomes the faith of those who still wish to continue to follow him, the old tyrant said, they should join his competitor who still have more space for people. However, they must have to adapt to the new condition which is very different from his own. And if peradventure they chose not to, then they should wait till the next badge of hellistic candidates but “I cannot guaranty there would be aCI cannot guaranty there would be any slots!”, retorted the tyrant!
To say that Satan would resign from his evil perpetration and diabolical influence on man is unthinkable! That he would consider that there’s no longer space in hell to admit evil doers? This is too good to be true! This is Utopia!
It will never happen! Satan is the god of this cosmos and his goal is to steal, kill and destroy. The tyrannic activities of Satan shall not cease until the world is rolled away. Likewise admission into hell will never cease until the end of the age. It is impossible that an unregenerate man will end up in heaven with his evil and unrepentant lifestyle. You can only wish!
Hell is like a sepulcher. It is written thus, “Sheol developed a huge appetite, swallowing people nonstop! Big people and little people alike down that gullet, to say nothing of all the drunks (Isaiah 5:14). Hell is big enough to take as many that chose to forsake the way of salvation. If you are an employee of satan, you must have agreed to his terms and have chosen to be such.
In the same way, God’s mercy and grace for salvation will never cease until the earth and its inhabitants are destroyed. The continuous wickedness of man does not change the character of God, He remains the Almighty!
Though eternity continues in both hell and heaven and satan continues to rule and torment his disciples in the lake of fire. Likewise, the reign of God and his saints will continue forever more in the heavenly abode. Where will you stand?
As the earth reaches its end, evil shall be on the increase and the love of many shall grow cold. However, no matter how depraved the minds of men are, God will always retain a remnant of people who would be devoted to him and offer themselves as ambassadors of the kingdom of heaven.
“The Angel continued,…Time is just about up. Let evildoers do their worst and the dirty-minded go all out in pollution, but let the righteous maintain a straight course and the holy continue on in holiness.” Yes, I’m on my way! I’ll be there soon! I’m bringing my payroll with me. I’ll pay all people in full for their life’s works…(Rev.22:11-12).
Where do you stand in the plan of God? The victory that overcomes the world is our faith.
You’re winning! Yes, we are winning!
