Bringing Pride back to CCC
“Can anything good come from Nazareth?”
John 1 : 43 – 49
Nathaniel once asked sarcastically. Eventually, his first encounter with Christ changed the narrative. He hereby pronounced Him to be the true Son of God and also became his disciple (John 1:46-49). Today, people identify Jesus Christ with his that same place saying, “Jesus Christ of Nazareth.”
Time after time, reproach has been brought to God’s people by reason of their misconduct yet; God never ceases to raise leaders to change the narrative. For example, the Israelites were once an unknown people until Joseph brought them to limelight when he became the Prime Minister in a foreign land; Israel was about to be humiliated by Goliath and David became the hero; the Jews were on the verge of destruction when Esther rose to the occasion. The list is inexhaustible.
Likewise, there has been a misconception about CCC considering some of our misconduct. Home videos are done to humiliate our church and the world now sees us as fetish and ungodly. Undoubtedly, due to our unique identity in snow white sultana, we are easily recognised when irregularities are done and they end up going viral but our good deeds and massive achievements are overlooked. Worse is that every abnormality done in white garment is always accredited to CCC forgetting that there are other denominations who also wear similar white garment like us. Nonetheless, it is our duty to restore the glory and respect to our great church CCC.
It was SBJ Oshoffa’s exploits that brought worldwide fame to Celestial Church of Christ and even till date, we still benefit from his impact on humanity. So if God could use one man to bring pride to CCC, imagine how much can be brought if we simply submit ourselves in the same order. So how do we follow suit? How do we change the perception of the world about our glorious church? It starts with you. Just as we are ambassadors of the kingdom, we are also ambassadors of CCC. Now, there are two ways by which honour can be brought to CCC. By our Conduct and our Impact.Either way, these factors are crucial;
- GOD FACTOR: John Wesley once said, “Without Man, God will not but without God, man cannot.” The point is clear. While God may not do things without using or consulting Men, we cannot do certain things without our Maker because there are things beyond Man’s control which God has to be involved in. Hence, without God walking your race with you, you will only struggle and end up becoming a shadow of yourself. Joseph, David, Solomon and even Jesus needed God. Thus, the equation can never be complete without God.
- PURPOSE AND VISION: For every product, there lies a purpose and reason in the mind of its manufacturer for its creation. Likewise, there was an intention in God’s mind for everyone and only knowledge of this purpose can ensure the maximization of our potential in the world. If Samuel never knew his purpose as Israel’s priest, his name will not have hit the history books. Jeremiah was told that he was ordained to become a prophet right from the womb and this enabled him become significant in his time. So know your purpose and you are on the way to becoming significant in your generation. Vision on the other hand is to see your future in pictures. Joseph saw himself becoming a leader and he eventually fulfilled his dreams.
- EXPLORE YOUR GIFTS: In every man lies a gift which is a tool for his purpose. David had singing and fighting skills and that was what enabled him write the book of psalms and also become the King of Israel. Isaiah was significant because of his gift of prophecy. Gideon was significant because of his leadership skill. Beyond Education, it is vital that you find your gift. It is your gift, not your education that can bring honour to you and CCC at large. Find a man who is skilled and he shall stand before Kings and not mean men. Personally, my writing skills have helped me author inspirational books and also go places.
- ACQUIRE KNOWLEDGE: Without Knowledge, people are bound to perish. We live an era where knowledge is paramount and those who are ignorant live at the mercy of the knowledgeable. Someone once said, “The illiterates of the 21stcentury will not be those who cannot read and write but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.” Solomon was a man of great wisdom but he had to commit to personal development. Hence, whatever your field is, constant acquisition of knowledge is what will make you stand out of the crowd.
- GET A MENTOR: It is foolish to decide to reinvent the wheel when others have experience life. Find someone whom you admire or wish to replicate their exploits and have them mentor, guide, coach and develop you. Moses mentored Joshua, Elijah mentored Elisha, Jesus mentored the 12 disciples. No wonder Isaac Newton said, “if I have seen further in life, it is by standing on the shoulder of giants.”
“if I have seen further in life, it is by standing on the shoulder of giants.”
Sir issac newton
- BUILD GOOD RELATIONSHIPS: No one was destined to work or live in isolation and relationships are meant to enrich your life. It takes people of like minds working together to edify and build up the Body of Christ. If you are an iron, you need iron around you to sharpen you. That’s why David had Jonathan to support him. Only with great people can you end up great. Myles Munroe said, “Show me your friends and I will show you your future.”
- BE DISCIPLINED: Even the world most influential people have been destroyed because of lack of discipline. Moses lost the opportunity to reach the promise land simply because he could not control his anger. Samson got captured because he could not control himself with women. Self control in life is non-negotiable. Likewise, all manner of misconduct should be controlled. Indecent dressing, careless lifestyle and so on should be shunned.
- BE FOCUSED: In time past, people died from weapons of mass destruction but these days, people are dying from weapons of mass distractions. Our world is filled with distractions such as social media, side attraction and things that do not add value to our lives and only if we can set our priorities right can we achieve our primary goals. After all, a knife cuts because of its narrow focus. So keep your eye single on the most important things in your life.
With the aforementioned, the stone that the builders rejected will inevitably become the cornerstone and CCC shall be become a force to be reckoned with and eventually, we shall cleanse the world.
