SIN: CONSEQUENCES & CURE

Memorise:

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God - Romans 3:23

Read: Ezekiel 18:20-24

20 The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.

21 But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

22 All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live.

23 Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?

24 But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.

Message:

Sin is disobedience of God or a deviation from His ways. From the account in Genesis 3, we understand that sin cannot be hidden. Every secret sin will always be discovered; it’s only a matter of time (Numbers 32:23). When sin comes in, there is a loss of relationship with God. When we house sin in our lives, no matter the amount of time we spend in the place of prayer, the heavens will remain shut. Sin is not a lifter; rather it leads to demotion. It brings shame and reproach to someone with a glorious future as seen in the case of Samson. Proverbs 14:34 says,
“Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.”

Although Samson was born great, by including in sin, his destiny was truncated (Judges 16:20-21). God has been warning a lot of people about the consequences of their actions, but they have refused to depart from the path of iniquity. Some people remain in disobedience until they experience a negative turning point in their lives. King Saul was a king who happened to be handsome, rich, healthy, powerful and prominent. His word was law, but he disobeyed God and kept going contrary to God’s divine will until tragedy struck.

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land" 2nd Chronicles 7:14.

The only way a lost relationship with God can be restored is obtaining pardon for sin through genuine repentance. The good news is that the death of Jesus on the cross has made adequate provision for the remission of our state of hopelessness against sin. We must be convinced of the need for pardon and be willing to confess our sins, no matter how numerous and terrible they are. God is ever willing to grant pardon to a genuinely repentant soul.

Genuine repentance involves a change of mind that leads to a change of conduct. This change of conduct will lead to a life of holiness, through which the repentant soul becomes a vessel unto honour for the Master’s effective use. Such a person will then begin to work towards the attainment of perfection in Christ Jesus. Having done all these, there is a guarantee of an inheritance in Christ and an assurance of everlasting life.

Prayer point:

Father, I thank you for the Blood of Jesus that was shed for the remission of my sins. I accept this provision of Yours, and ask that it washes away all my sins.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : Judges 8:29-9:57 and Mathew 26:6-25.

AUTHOR: Pst E. A ADEBOYE.

THUS SAITH THE LORD 2

   For, lo, he that formeth the mountains and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The Lord, The God of hosts, is his name. Can two walk together, except they be agreed? Will a lion roar in the forest when he hath no prey? Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in the city and the Lord hath not done it? Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophet. The lion hath roared, who will not fear? The Lord hath spoken, who can but prophesy?For thus saith the Lord God to INDIVIDUALS, SOCIETIES and GOVERNMENT/SHEPERD

;
   The city that went out by a thousand shall leave an hundred, and that which went forth by an hundred shall leave ten, to the house of Israel. For thus saith the Lord unto the house of Israel, seek ye me, and ye shall live. Ye who turn judgment to wormwood, and leave off righteousness in the earth, seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night: that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The Lord is his name. That strengtheneth the spoiled against the strong, so that the spoiled shall come against the fortress. They hate him that rebuketh in the gate and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly. Forasmuch therefore as your treading is upon the poor, and ye take from him burdens of wheat: ye have built houses of hewn stone, but ye shall not dwell in them; ye have planted pleasant vineyards, but ye shall not drink wine of them.
   For I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sins: they afflict the just, they take a bribe, and they turn aside the poor in the gate from their right. Therefore the prudent shall keep silence in that time, for it is an evil time. Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the Lord, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken. Hate the evil and love the good and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that the Lord God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph.   Therefore , the Lord, the God of hosts, the Lord , saith thus; wailing shall be in all streets; and they shall say in all the highways, Alas! alas! and they shall call the husbandman to mourning, and such as are skilful of lamentation to wailing. And in all vineyards shall be wailing: for i will pass through thee, saith the Lord.   I hate, I despise your feast days, and i will not smell in your solemn assemblies. Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, i will not accept them: neither will i regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts. Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for i will not hear the melody of thy viols. But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.
Merciful God;
   The word of the Lord came saying, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked should turn from his wickedness. If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life without committing iniquity, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

My say;
   The judgment of our Lord God is near, ready to judge us all by our doings/acts/deeds. If you & i have found ourselves in any kind of wickedness, i say that we need to correct ourselves by simply turning from our various acts of wickedness.
   Another important thing is for us to believe and not differ the repentance from wickedness, tomorrow may be too late.
   Most Churches have termed this year as - "Judgment of the Lord" , "heaven on earth" - whichever one, it connotes the eradication of wickedness because if heaven will be on earth, any thing evil/wicked must die.

TWO SHORT STORIES

On here today are two stories that i feel should be shared to my lovely readers.

NO 1
   There was once a king who was so cruel and unjust that his subjects yearned for his death or dethronement. However, one day he surprised them all by announcing that he had decided to turn over a new leaf.

“No more cruelty, no more injustice,” he promised, and he was as good as his word. He became known as the ‘Gentle Monarch’. Months after his transformation one of his ministers plucked up enough courage to ask him what had brought about his change of heart.

And the king answered, “As I was galloping through my forests I caught sight of a fox being chased by a hound. The fox escaped into his hole but not before the hound had bitten into its leg and lamed it for life. Later I rode into a village and saw the same hound there. It was barking at a man. Even as I watched, the man picked up a huge stone and flung it at the dog, breaking its leg. The man had not gone far when he was kicked by a horse. His knee was shattered and he fell to the ground, disabled for life. The horse began to run but it fell into a hole and broke its leg. Reflecting on all that had happened, I thought: ‘Evil begets evil. If I continue in my evil ways, I will surely be overtaken by evil’. So I decided to change”.

The minister went away convinced that the time was ripe to overthrow the king and seize the throne. Immersed in thought, he did not see the steps in front of him and fell, breaking his neck.

NO 2

The Professor began his class by holding up a glass with some water in it. He held it up for all to see & asked the students “How much do you think this glass weighs?”

’50gms!’….. ’100gms!’ …..’125 gms’ …the students answered.

“I really don’t know unless I weigh it,” said the professor, “but, my question is:

What would happen if I held it up like this for a few minutes?”…. .

‘Nothing’ …..the students said.

‘Ok what would happen if I held it up like this for an hour?’ the professor asked.

‘Your arm would begin to ache’ said one of the student

“You’re right, now what would happen if I held it for a day?”

“Your arm could go numb; you might have severe muscle stress & paralysis & have to go to hospital for sure!”

….. Ventured another student & all the students laughed

“Very good.

But during all this, did the weight of the glass change?” Asked the professor.

‘No’…. Was the answer.

“Then what caused the arm ache & the muscle stress?”

The students were puzzled.

“What should I do now to come out of pain?” asked professor again.

“Put the glass down!” said one of the students

“Exactly!” said the professor.

Life’s problems are something like this.

Hold it for a few minutes in your head & they seem OK.

Think of them for a long time & they begin to ache.

Hold it even longer & they begin to paralyze you. You will not be able to do anything.

It’s important to think of the challenges or problems in your life, But EVEN MORE IMPORTANT is to ‘PUT THEM DOWN’ at the end of every day before you go to sleep…

That way, you are not stressed, you wake up every day fresh & strong & can handle any issue, any challenge that comes your way.

Question: Did you learn any lesson?

If yes, remember to always apply them in your everyday life.

If No, re-read.

Blogger's MESSAGE

The best solution to our problem is to discuss it with the Redeemer, Lord of Lords, Saviour through Jesus Christ and as we do, i pray we receive instant answers, Amen!!!

Irrespective of your religion, there is no one on earth that can show lights to our paths than the creator of heaven & earth because the Lord God of Israel, Almighty God, Father to the fatherless, lily of the valley, Rose of Sharon created the earth, we should do away with all things that do not reference him, therefore serve him in truth and in spirit.

THE VIRTUOUS WOMAN

INTRODUCTION.

   Susanna Wesley, a woman of strong conviction, knelt down, her bible in her hand & a large apron over her head, her children never interrupted her when she prayed for it was her daily routine, she knew exactly how she wanted to raise her children. The mother of nineteen(only nine survived to adulthood). Susanna's personal life wasn't exactly a bed of roses; she experienced many hardships throughout her life, but she was determined to be a great mother, she spent at least one hour every day praying for each child and also set aside an hour during the week for each of them to discuss spiritual matters.

   Her household was a disciplined one, run like a finely tuned check. She understood that self-will is the root of all sin and misery, so whosoever cherishes this in children ensures their after-wretchedness and that whatever checks and mortifies it, promotes their future happiness and piety. She was the primary source of her children's education.
   Born to a minister father(a puritan), Samuel Annesley, Susanna devoted her life to God early in Life, God made her an uncommon and a successful mother, who mothered two great church fathers, John and Charles Wesley. She steered her children down the path of righteousness. Susanna saw every child as a talent committed to her by God under a trust and ensured she conquered her children's will from the early period of their development. The world needs mothers like Susanna Wesley.

Stakeholders in child's training and development.

    A stakeholder is any person or group that has a vested interest in a matter. There are various stakeholders responsible for the upbringing & training of the child. The school, the church, the parent, the society and the government. Though all these agencies of child development are expected to shape different aspect of the child's life so that he will grow up to become the person he is meant to be, their responsibilities are inter-twined.
   The school trains the child mentally to make him educated, The church shapes the child's spiritual and moral life(Psalm 144: 12), the church is the pillar & ground of truth(1 Tim. 3:15). In summary, parenting a child and preparing him for a great future is a role and responsibility shared by the aforementioned agencies, & they are all expected to pull resources together to help the child grow up in the way and knowledge of God.

Major Stakeholders: Mothers

   Mothers are major stakeholders in youth development because of their natural affinity with their children.
They are traditionally the ultimate caregivers who invest most, if not all, of their time on their children, though today stay-at-home mums are less common, and many men and women engage in shared Earning/Shared Parenting Marriage where they do not follow archetypal or stereotyped "motherhood" and "fatherhood" roles and instead both earn money and both do the unpaid work of parenting and childcare. Mothers are commonly the nurturers of the children and support their emotional growth and stability. As a mother, it is very important to support your youths and provide them happiness. Its not enough to bring forth children, what matters most to God is what you make out of them. Therefore, the lifestyle of your child is, to a greater extent, the result of your training and examples. The kind of upbringing you give to them go a long way to either shape their lives for the better or shattered them for life and eternity.
   You mustn't leave their training to the school, church, society or grannies because of your pursuit of mundane things; but rather complement the effort of these agencies in their development. Recognize that the primary responsibility of youth development lies on you because God has entrusted them to your specific care and you are expected to promote and support their physical, intellectual, social, emotional, and spiritual well-being.
 However, the best training you can give to your youths is to instill godly and Christian values in them. Make God the center of your own life, as well as theirs. Be determined to make a success of your parenting job by modeling the Christian life, and raise your children in the way of the Lord. Somebody said, "The key to becoming a more effective parent is to become an increasingly godly person." Give whatever it takes to see that your children grow up in the fear and admonition of the Lord, and be optimistic and forward looking in your parenting.

Tips to help develop your children;

- Know your youths, be interested in them, and prepare them for their generation. Never be unconcerned about your children.
- Live by your precepts. Your Influence is more powerful & paramount, never be with a negative influence.
- Love your youths and communicate with them no matter their personality and character. This helps to foster relationship.
- Acquire proven knowledge and tact from successful parents like Susanna Wesley for raising youths, by reading Christian literatures or consulting successful mothers you know, comparing notes and sharing experiences
- Be your child's friend and let him trust and believe in you.
- Pray and partner with God for a successful upbringing of your children.
                                                                                                - with reference to Christian Women Mirror

May the Almighty God shower His grace & mercy on us that we may know the right way to teach our youth, Amen.

LEARNING: Empower A Woman, Empower A Generation

INTRODUCTION

   And it came to pass that a Holy Man roamed the earth, He came to a small town, and the men came to him and said "Man of God, tell us of Woman's place in God's world." He sat down, raised His eyes to heaven, then to the eyes of the men before Him.
" A woman is a special creation of God - the tree of humanity - providing peace, love and sustenance - to all who rest under her shadow - and in her boughs..." The small part of this poem by Rich Reith titled Woman has truly defined a Woman.

   Over the years women have proven to be a great influence in the success or failure of a society. Brigham Young stated 'you educate a man, you educate a man; you educate a woman, you educate a generation'. I am happy that we all have heard or read the story of the first human creations, Adam & Eve in the garden of Eden, then we know the role of Eve in the sending out of the first creation which has led the human race to its current phase.

CONTRIBUTION

   The basic unit of the society is a woman. As woman make up a family, family to a home, homes constitutes a society. We all have the understanding that without education, development is either unattainable or would be 10 times difficult than it already is. Also, we know that the child's first institution is the mother's lap, From the teaching of behavior to a child's health, i would say that a mother gives the policy for a child to guide his/her strategy in the pursuit of goals/objectives(Policy are guides to action or statement of understanding that guides the thinking & action in decision making). A good mother teaches her child how to behave, how to deal with different classes of people, how to speak, these are the basic element of a healthy society and women are the strongest actor in the making & maintaining of a strong and healthy society. An important role of mothers are to teach the children how to behave knowing how & what to do.

   A good example is a story i read while surfing the web describing how a 3 years old boy saved his mother who was lying helplessly due to a total body arrest that could have killed the mother, fortunately for the mother, the story said that the mother had explained to the kid what to do if there was any emergency and thank God for blessing the kid with a retentive memory, he called 911 and the mother got rescued from the total body arrest that could have killed her. If the mother was irresponsible, i am sure she wouldn't have cared to teach the 3 years old boy.

HINDRANCES

   The first hindrance to Empowering a woman, Empowering a generation/society is the failure to recognize or ignore her responsibilities to the society as evidenced in a poem by Maya Angelou titled WOMEN WORK and it goes thus;
I've got the children to tend - the clothes to mend - the floor to mop - the food to shop - then the chicken to fry - the baby to dry - i got company to feed - the garden to weed - I've got shirts to press - the tots to dress - the can to be cut - i gotta clean up this hut - then see about the sick - and the cotton to pick.

   The second hindrance is the failure of the society & administrators to recognize the responsibilities and effect of women in the society. However, the second hindrance does not stop a responsible woman from making sure her family learns how to do the right things as this will in no time solve the second hindrance, thus we can say that the responsibility of creating a healthy society rests on the shoulders of every woman, thus they should be empowered through Learning as it is already done in most parts of the world.
   In conclusion, in order for a society to be pure and healthy, both men and women should think, dress & behave in ways that allow pure thoughts and actions to dominate the way of life and there-by creating an environment conducive to the achievement of a real good life. A good and solid society is a good harbinger of development and women play a key role.
I PRAY THAT THE ALMIGHTY GOD SHOULD STRENGTHEN THE HEART AND MIND OF OUR WOMEN TO IMPACT INTO HUMANITY GOOD & RIGHT THINGS, AMEN!!!

VALUE YOUR VOWS

Almost everyday, thousands of couples stand before a preacher, priest or judge to exchange wedding vows but unfortunately, many of these couples break their vows within a matter of weeks(if not days) for flimsy reasons. John Piper stated "When God stands as witness to the covenant promises of a marriage, it becomes more than a merely human agreement. God is not a passive by-stander at a wedding ceremony. In effect he says, i have seen this, i confirm this and record it in heaven and i bestow upon this covenant by my presence and my purpose the dignity of being an image of my own covenant with the church"

NO ROOM FOR DIVORCE

   Some break their vows because they are not prepared for the challenges of marriage, they are less aware of the different obstacles life brings & uncertain about the reality of marriage. Some couple live the way they so desire it, seek alternatives when they perceive their relationship is not going well, i.e. they stay in the marriage when the going is good and bolt when the going gets rough.
   Marital vows are sacred vows. They are sacred to God; therefore, they should be sacred to every married couple. Marriage is a covenant relationship between married couple, and God places a high premium on that relationship. He expects every party in the holy matrimony to be true to their marital vows because "the Lord hath been witness between thee & the wife of thy covenant" (Malachi 2:14).
   A.W. Pink claimed "marriage is not a mere civil thing but is partly spiritual & divine, therefore God alone has the power to appoint the beginning, the continuance, & the end thereof"

NATIONAL ANTHEM AND PLEDGE

Arise, O compatriots, Nigeria's call obey
To serve our fatherland
With love and strength and faith
The labor of our heroes past
Shall never be in vain
To serve with heart and might

One nation bound in freedom, peace, and unity.

I pledge to Nigeria, my country
To be faithful, loyal, and honest
To serve Nigeria with all my strength
To defend her unity
And uphold her honor and glory

So help me God.


   The fact remains that most citizens doesn't regard this as a vow, but as a mere recitation. Every citizen & lover of this great nation must contribute their quota to the development of Nigeria by not being hearers but doers of the pledge of Nigeria, a country with numerous ethnic groups .
   In conclusion, the question to individuals, societies & communities, and administrators across the globe is that do you value the vows made to your country & to your husband/wife?

I PRAY THAT THE ALMIGHTY GOD WILL HELP US ALL, AMEN!!!

A NEW BEGINNING & NEW DAY

   As a being, i wish that the human world becomes new and that human beings have the knowledge of good and bad and wouldn't dare to touch anything evil & that the creator of heaven, earth and all that dwell therein refreshes the earth, but having realized how impossible this is, all i do is let individuals, societies & administrators know the essence of being good. Talking of a new beginning/new day either by heavenly bodies or humans is triggered by what i refer to as SOLUTION, why? because LOVE solves anything & everything.
   As Christians was made to know in John 3:16 that "for God so loved the world that He gave His Only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life", a wonder in this statement is that i always feel the presence of the love God had & have on the human race every-time i read it. We both know you & i cannot give out something of value for the sake of our community let alone the human world not because we do not love the community but because we are human or is the LOVE described in John 3:16 humanly possible? That we can answer.
   Coming to the human world to talk of love, February 14 is celebrated as valentine's day on earth and it is remembered as a day to express love to our loved ones. Being honest and evaluating our conscience, we should all research the impact of valentine's day on our past and present lives because February 14 - 20 of 2015 has four-working days and i believe it is enough to welcome our various nations into a New Beginning & New Day provided we are true to our culture. You and i can check if truly we are faithful to the culture of valentine by ascertaining its impact on/between relationships of;
1) employee-employee, employer-employee,
2) our communities, states & nations,
3) local firms, companies, & organizations,
4) personal relationships,
5) citizens & administrators,
6) rich & poor, etc.
   Personally, i feel that valentine should check and balance the love status of man's personal relationships, i.e, increasing/reducing love status where low/high as regards personal relationship. For so long we have defined valentine in the narrow sense of expressing love to our matrimonial partner, boyfriend/girlfriend. Please don't get me wrong, i mean to say who will show love to the 'poor and less-privileged' of the human world if you and i don't. Yes, Feb 14 is a day to express love, who have we shown love unto, have we shown love to ;
1) The poor people of the community,
2) Diseased people in the community & health centers,
3) Fatherless & Motherless homes,
4) Orphans of our community,
5) Individuals/Societies/Communities in need of food, shelter, & clothing,
6) Organize games/challenges that effect positive change in the society; these are some out of the many groups who needs our love and by so doing we will be participating in a community project which develops our various country.
   In conclusion, if you & i can understand that LOVE is a great step to achieving, developing & promoting progress in any human society, then we will greatly move our various nations forward. To individuals, societies & administrators i ask "why should we continue to blame the past when we are living in the present", i asked us this question because collectively have we the resources needed to develop our societies. I say we can start to welcome Nigeria, Our nation into a New Beginning & New Day if only we can understand the role Love plays in positively affecting our society, e.g, it is the Love i have for the Almighty God, creator of heaven & earth that has made me to obey his commandments. I know that we are all aware of the disease fighting every nation, state, community and then without a cure, called POVERTY, i am happy to let you know that Love cures poverty. Click here to go to the discussion page to see how love cures poverty.

A DESIRE FOR LITERACY

   I feel bad whenever i remember numerous individuals under the umbrella of unemployment, the feeling becomes worse when i think of thousands of individuals who are happy because they have finished their first degree. There is a saying that "an idle hand is the devil's workshop" but i am of the opinion that the higher the unemployment rate in the society the higher the rate at which unlawful(criminal) acts occur , i.e. man might want to go beyond the law when the law they respect cannot provide for them an earning means with which they can take care of their needs & in the process they become criminals, Immanuel kant said Man must be disciplined, for he is by nature raw and wild.
   What is Literacy? Literacy is traditionally understood as the ability to read and write, leading us to education which is the only way to understand reading and writing. Laila Iskander said "for too long we have defined literacy in the narrow sense of mastery of the written word.And while it is important to teach people to communicate in the language of the power elites, the written word is not the only kind of literacy required to do that" 

   I know that being happy with a current job/task influences and increases our chance of being a responsible member of the society, provided your organization is an ethically-fit organization. I remember sometimes last month, as i was in my room planning my activities for the day, i heard voices from the next room, suddenly one of them talking to the other said "school ti sun mi" (i am tired of the learning environment), i stopped what i was doing to think that how could a learning environment be discouraging when it ought to encourage and attract, but then i remember the education system lacks many tools which can make it encouraging and the good management of those tools to provide excellent results rests on the administration of education system. What am i saying? I mean that the community, government & all educational stakeholders should find ways of designing projects which will not only encourage students but breed a desire for literacy among illiterates. By so doing, we will rip the society off of oppression, poverty & unemployment.
   Rather than focusing on the root causes of oppression, stakeholders need to focus on the source of hope in designing curriculum that delivers educational contents. This way we can welcome ourselves into a new nation.

   I PRAY THAT THE ALMIGHTY GOD SHOWERS HIS MERCY ON US, AMEN.

IMPACT AND IMPORTANCE OF MORALS (PART B)

Welcome beloved, i want you to know that "determination" is a pathway to success(i.e. whats the essence of the preachings if you and i aren't determined to realize the advantages of ethics & morals, because it's success relies on every individual's awareness and commitment to the codes) by these i share to you the story of a relative & the degree of determination he had to reach the peak of his career. Aged 40, as a civil servant on level 14 with a diploma in his field, despite being discouraged he decided to further by obtaining a bachelor degree which he did (graduated with a second class upper division), he didn't stop but went ahead for his masters degree, to cut the long story short, his determination & God's will led him to become the No 1 man in his department. To be honest with you all, his determination has helped and sustained his growth and development. All i am saying is that each man's determination to be disciplined will help and sustain the growth and development of our country.

        How can man's profession be a positive force to a nation's growth & development? 

   Morality in the society have positive impact on the economy & environment, businesses in various forms control the economy and environment and i have come to know that quality business ethics performed can contribute a lot to a success of any company. Business ethics is the application of principles & theories of ethics to achieve both individual and organizational goals. Ethics is a branch of philosophy which addresses questions about morality, e.g, differentiation between right & wrong, good & bad, etc. Being disciplined or practicing morality has no demerit.

IMPORTANCE: PART B

1) To Professionals/Organization:

-  Increased financial performance,
-  Increased customer's trust in company's goods & services,
-  Investors' willingness to invest more in the business,
-  Increased commitment among workers of the organization.
I have heard its what you use and not what you have. A code of ethics is an integral part of company culture, but organizations must actively promote ethical policies to fully leverage the advantages.

2) To Society:

   As children, our parents taught us not to lie, cheat & steal, growing up, entering into the real world with some knowledge of right & wrong, the role of ethics in our society is very necessary because it has a large influence on today as well as the future. We need to learn good ethics because they guide our decisions & determine the future. Ethics are learned alongside other skills(e.g respect) throughout the life span of man. Today's society is full of crime, irresponsibility & dishonesty, etc, but then let our minds create a scene where citizens lack sense of ethics. The role of ethics in our society is very important because it makes man's daily activities to run smoothly, because you & i believe that doctors are ethical, so we believe & trust their diagnoses.

3) To Individual:

   We know that ethics are more than abstaining

 from lying, cheating & stealing, but that, it is the knowledge of right from wrong which influences one's conduct & decisions. A system of ethics must further consist of not only emergency situations but the day-to-day choices we make constantly.

   In conclusion, as an individual, society & administrator, i remind you of a quote which says morality without religion is only a kind of deed reckoning - an endeavor to find our place on a cloudy sea by measuring the distance we have run but without any observation of the heavenly bodies, ethics are involved in all organizations & institutions around us whether it be political, medical or religious.   Without ethics, our society would become even more corrupt & fall from the great nation which it is today.

   I PRAY GOD HELPS US TO CHOOSE THAT WHICH IS RIGHT IN HIS SIGHT, AMEN!!!

IMPACT AND IMPORTANCE OF MORALS IN THE SOCIETY

IMPACT: Part A

- Does a moral being contribute to the development of a society? Yes, the moral being does.

- what is moral? Ability to differentiate between right and wrong in every circumstance.

- What does it take for a man to be moral? Absolutely nothing.

This write-up sheds more lights on these questions and the topic with the aim of encouraging men, societies and administrators toward morality.
   Different individuals have introduced sentences that define morality on the basis of their knowledge and understanding which can't go beyond mans' experiences, therefore, i will not define morality but i will suggest that we ruminate on the following quote;
a)  H.L. Mecken stating Morality is the theory that every human act must be either right or wrong & that 99% of them are wrong. This quote preaches that every individual must do what is right and this can be biblically termed as ''don't follow the multitude to do evil"
b)  And the second quote is "morality without religion is only a kind of deed reckoning - an endeavor to find our place on a cloudy sea by measuring the distance we have run, but without any observation of the heavenly bodies"

Using the above quotes as a guide, i hope each individual can define that which is right from wrong. I share to you what my best friend said to me sometime ago & i quote "MY PERSONAL REASONING FACULTY TELLS ME BESIDES MY PARENT WHO BROUGHT ME INTO THIS WORLD, I KNOW THERE IS A SUPERNATURAL BEING THAT OWNS THE EARTH AND ALL THAT DWELLS THERE-IN..." end of quote & i believe that the GOD OF ISRAEL is that SUPERNATURAL, i hope we know that my friend brought us into religion through his thoughts, i bring this paragraph to conclusion by a quote of Seneca The Younger which states that virtue is nothing else than right reason which can be qualified by the commandments of God, or should man not ;
- Love God as he has loved us and have no other gods so that he doesn't get jealous
- Love your neighbors as God as loved you
 All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness - HEBREWS 12:11
   In summary of part A, i dare say a virtuous man or woman is no lover of violence no matter how small or big it is, and why is this? because they want peace to reign. The question we should ask ourselves is that have i been a virtuous man/woman? and i heard someone say it is what we are full of that we shed off through our actions(note: peace is a sign that development will take shape, how? Simply because two heads are better than one) Let us stay on track to improve our society by being virtuous man and women.

IMPORTANCE : Part B

   Morality in the society have positive impact on the economy and environment and i believe that morality has no disadvantage, here are the importance of morality to an individual and the society. To be continued from here next week and a plus which is how man's profession can be a positive force to a nation's growth and development. 

Until then, let us ruminate on how to increase the rate of morality in our various societies through the different organization that we belong to & by so doing we are not only participating in community development but are also contributing our lowest quota to the growth & development of Nigeria, our nation.

THUS SAITH THE LORD GOD

Introduction:

   i praise the name of the Almighty Lord our God, creator of heaven & earth and of all things that dwell therein. For they that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion which cannot be removed but abideth forever. Blessed be the glory of the Lord from his place.
   Thus saith the Lord our God, a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against God, they and their fathers have transgressed against me even unto this very day. For they are impudent and stiff-hearted and thou shall say unto them "THUS SAITH THE LORD" whether they will hear or whether they will forbear.

Body:

   Therefore, thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I, even I, am against thee & will execute judgments in the midst of thee in the sight of the nations, and I will do in thee that which I have not done, & whereunto I will not do anymore the like, because of all thine abominations. Wherefore, as I live, saith the Lord God; surely, 
because thou hast defiled my sanctuary with all of thy detestable things and abominations, therefore will I also diminish thee; neither shall mine eye spare, neither will I have any pity.
   When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman. If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he bloweth trumpet & warn the people. Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet & taketh not warning; his blood shall be upon him, but he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul. But if the watchman see the sword come and blow not the trumpet & the people be not warned; If the sword come & take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand. If our transgressions and sins be upon us, & we pine away in them, how should we then live?

   As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die o house of Israel? The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness: neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth. When I shall say to the righteous that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousness shall not be remembered but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it. Again, when I say unto the wicked, thou shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin & do that which is lawful & right; if the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity, he shall surely live, he shall not die. Thus saith the Lord God, ye eat with the blood & lift up your eyes toward your idols & shed blood: and shall ye possess the land? When the Land sinneth against Me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out mine hand upon it, & will break the staff of bread thereof, & will send famine upon it, & will cut off man and beast from it. Thus saith the Lord God, For I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them.

Shepherds:

   Thus saith the Lord God unto the shepherds: Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks? Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock. The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them. Thus saith the lord God, Behold, I am against the shepherds and I will require my flocks at their hand & cause them to cease from feeding the flock. Thus with your mouth ye have boasted against me, & have multiplied your words against me, I have heard them. As I live saith the Lord God, surely because my flock became a prey & my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves & fed not my flock. For thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I even I, will both search my sheep & seek them out, as a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered, so will I seek out my sheep & will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day, and I will bring them out from the people & gather them from the country & will bring them to their own land, & feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will seek that which was lost and bring again that which was driven away & will bind up that which was broken & will strengthen that which was sick but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment.

Prophets:

   Thus saith the Lord God; woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, & have seen nothing. Therefore, Thus saith the Lord God; because ye have spoken vanity and seen lies, therefore, behold, I am against you, saith the Lord God and mine hand shall be upon the prophets that see vanity and that divine lies, because with lies ye have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he

should not return from his wicked way, by promising him life: Therefore, ye shall see no more vanity, nor divine divinations: For I will deliver my people out of your hand: and ye shall know that I am the Lord.

Conclusion:

   Thus saith the Lord God, repent & turn yourselves from your idols; & turn away your faces from your abominations. The days are at hand & the effect of every vision. For there shall be no more vain vision nor flattering divination within the house of Israel. For I am the lord: I will speak & the word that I shall speak shall come to pass; It shall no more be prolonged for in your days, o rebellious house will I say the word and will perform it, saith the Lord God.

COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION AIDING DEVELOPMENT OF A NATION

Introduction

   Jean Vanier said "One of the marvelous things about community is that it enables us to welcome and help people in a way we couldn't as individuals. When we pool our strength and share the work and responsibility, we can welcome many people, even those in deep distress, and perhaps help them find self-confidence and inner healing".
   What is a community? I belong, you belong, we all belong to a community. The family is man's first community but a family is also surrounded by other families and together they become a large community.

Participation

   This means being involved in an action or process, particularly doing something with other members of a group, family & community, there are numerous ways to participate in the activities of your community.

Where to participate

   We participate through schools, sports team, groups, friends, church and mosque. 

A-Z Of Community Participation Aiding Development Of A Nation

   A lot more can be done when everyone in the community is involved in some way from the beginning of a project to the end. Individuals should continue to think of ways to improve the welfare of the community through community development projects. For example, you and your neighbors can organize a cleanliness drive in your building, your neighborhood, your town or you can take some of the necessary steps to reduce the number of negative incidents in the community or render financial assistance for the purchase of new equipment and supplies needed for the growth, efficiency & effectiveness of a learning institution, health institution,etc.
   These are some of the few projects that you can take on, what is important is that the project is done together for your community. We don't have to call upon or wait for the government to solve all problems and i dare say that when community development project are embarked upon, it calls for help from government to address needs of such communities. 
   If community participation becomes the watchword on the lips of individuals in various communities, i believe that everyone will help in making the project succeed & all will be pleased about their participation in the success and would probably agree to take on other projects as well. Sometimes, its hard to get all this started but as you get going, others will assist to join in as well, so don't be discouraged if you are involved in community development project.
   In conclusion, do you know?
1)   The community stagnates without the impulse of the individual; the impulse dies away without the sympathy of the community - WILLIAM JAMES
2)   A community is like a ship, everyone ought to be prepared to take the helm - HENRIK IBSEN
3)   When the individual feels, the community reels - ALDOUS HUXLEY
4)   We live in a community of people not so that we can suppress and dominate each other or make each other miserable but so that we can better and more reliably satisfy all life's healthy needs - WILHELM REICH

I PRAY TO ALMIGHTY GOD TO CONTINUALLY HELP US SO THAT WE CAN LIVE AS AN HEALTHY COMMUNITY IRRESPECTIVE OF OUR DIFFERENCES, AMEN.

LIFE UNDERSTOOD BACKWARD BUT LIVED FORWARD

LIFE UNDERSTOOD BACKWARD BUT LIVED FORWARD

   Compliment of the season to my dear readers, i sincerely appreciate my readers for the honor & love shown to me in the year 2014, i pray for the continuity of the harmonious relationship that exist between us in the year 2015 and beyond, once again i say thank you all.

   Soren Kiergaard said "life must be understood backward but it must be lived forward", Socrates pronounced the unexamined life is not worth living; the above sayings of Soren and Socrates connotes "continuous review of the past to positively affect the present and future". In order to progress & avoid repeated mistakes/errors of the past, need be for the constant review of the past. The question is "what is the degree of responsiveness to reviewing the past in positively affecting the present and future? This should ring a bell among individuals, societies and administrators across the globe.

RELATIONSHIP OF THE TOPIC TO INDIVIDUALS, SOCIETIES & ADMINISTRATORS

   A stage where individuals, societies and administrators perform is LIFE. On the 26th of December, 2014 was a theme on this blog titled "purpose of man's creation and professional challenge" where I defined Life as a puzzle to be solved by all (Life needs the knowledge everyone has to offer and man will continue to repeat same mistakes if he doesn't review/study the past). There is a saying that "man is the measure of all things" which means that man is the manager of all things life has to offer, be it good or bad. How will man be an effective and efficient manager if he hasn't understood the life backward so as to live it forward.

   Management/Administration cuts across every human profession in this world, but man cannot manage life without him being a disciplined entity and to be disciplined means to have morals to stand on, there is a saying that "morality without religion is only a kind of dead reckoning - an endeavor to find our place on a cloudy sea by measuring the distance we have run, without any observation of the heavenly bodies. What i mean is that in order for man to live life forward by understanding it backward, he must be morally upright.

   To conclude my write-up, here are some of the few sayings that will encourage man towards being disciplined;
1) Morality is the theory that every human act must be either right or wrong & that 99% of them are wrong - H.L. Mencken
2) A man that has lost moral sense is like a man in battle with both of his legs shot off: He has nothing to stand on - Henry Ward Beecher
3) Morality is a venereal disease, its primary stage called virtue...
4) Virtue is nothing else than right reason - Seneca The Younger