As Your Days Are so Shall Your Strength Be

By Funmi Afolabi

AS YOUR DAYS ARE SO SHALL YOUR STRENGTH BE
This is a book that is written to encourage and challenge the readers to be up and doing for the Lord as well as their generation; to strive to fulfill their God-given destiny in order to leave a lasting legacy in the world.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Nov 9, 2010
• ISBN: 9781453597118

Funmi Afolabi

Funmi Afolabi holds an LLB (Hons) from the University of Wolverhampton in England, BL (Nigeria Law School) and LLM from the Lagos State University, Nigeria including a Postgraduate Diploma in Bible & Leadership Studies/Theology from The Redeemed Christian Church of God Bible School, Ikoyi, Lagos. Before she was called into the ministry, she was a lecturer at the Lagos State University and a Principal Partner in her Law firm, Afolabi and Co. She is presently an Associate Pastor and Administrator in Throne of Grace and Miracle Ministries, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America. She enjoys reading, writing and working with young people. She is married with children.

Book preview

© 2010 by Funmi Afolabi.

Cover design by John N. Osakue

Library of Congress Control Number:       2010915490

ISBN:         Hardcover                               978-1-4535-9710-1

                   Softcover                                 978-1-4535-9709-5

                   Ebook                                      978-1-4535-9711-8

No part of this book may be transmitted or reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, or photocopying, with the exception of brief excerpts in magazines or printed reviews, without written permission of and credit to the author.

All scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible: King James Version (KJV), New King James Version (NKJV), New International Version (NIV), New Living Translation (NLT), and New Century Version (NCV).

www.throneofgraceministry.org

E-mail: [e-mail]

Throne of Grace and Miracle Ministries

P.O Box 47367

Baltimore, Maryland 21244

USA

Or

E-mail: [e-mail]

P.O. Box 11915

Baltimore, Maryland 21207

USA

This book was printed in the United States of America.

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

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Contents

Acknowledgment

Introduction

1

Anna: The Prophetess Who Met

Baby Jesus at the Temple

2

Are you Hot or Cold for the Things of God?

3

Caleb: The Man Who Believed

God’s Promise

4

David: A Man of Integrity

5

Elisha and the King:

The Value of Diligence

6

Esther: The Woman with a Mission

7

Gehazi: An Example of an

Amputated Destiny

8

Herod: The Man Who Honored

a Death Wish

9

Hezekiah: The Man Who Received

a New Lease of Life

10

Jabez: The Man Who Prayed a Life-Changing Prayer

11

John: The Man Sent By God

12

Jonah: The School of Suffering

and Hard Knocks

13

Joshua: The Man Who Made a Conscious Decision to Serve the Lord

14

Josiah: The Eight-Year-Old Who Did What the Lord Said Was Right

15

Mary and Martha:

One Thing Is Needful . . .

16

Methuselah: The Oldest Man

That Ever Lived

17

Naaman’s Servant Girl:

Serving God in Obscurity

18

Nehemiah: The Man Who Built

for the Lord

19

Paul: Forgetting All That Is Past

20

Rahab: Deliverance from a Sinful Life

21

Simeon: The Man Who Received

the Promise of God

22

Solomon: The Wisest and Richest Man That Ever Lived

23

Stephen: When Bad Things Happen

to Good People

24

The Man at the Pool of Bethesda:

Sin Is a Waster

25

The Queen of Sheba: The Woman in Search of Wisdom

26

The Woman of Samaria: How Can God Use A Messed-Up Person Like Me?

27

Zacchaeus: The Short Man with

a Tall Ambition

28

Daniel: The Young Man

Who Refused to Defile Himself

29

Just Thinking:

Time an Essential Commodity

30

Good Intentions

31

Doing Exploits for the Lord

32

Obed-Edom and the Ark of God

33

The Woman with the Issue of Blood

34

Jepthah: The Unwanted Son Who Became the Leader of His People

35

What Do You Do When You Feel You Have Disappointed God?

36

Jesus: The Man with A Mission

37

Moses: The Man of God

38

Peter: The Rock

39

Saul (The King): The Man who wasted

a unique opportunity

40

Barnabas: A God-Sent Helper

References

You may contact the author at:

To God Almighty, for His longsuffering towards me.

Acknowledgment

I bless the name of the Lord for the privilege and grace to be called a child of God.

My heartfelt gratitude goes to every member of my family for their love and support, especially my son and young personal assistant, Ayodeji, as well as his brother and sister, Akinlolu and Oluwasolape. Thanks for your help, pals. My appreciation also goes to my darling, Akingbolahan Afolabi, for all his encouragement and help during the writing of this book.

To my pastor, Rev. (Dr.) Kayode Fanilola, his wife, Pastor (Mrs.) Funmi Fanilola, the members of the Woodlawn fellowship, the Harford Road fellowship, and all the wonderful children of God in Throne of Grace and Miracle Ministries, Baltimore, Maryland, for all their love and support.

To Messrs. Kayode Kuforiji, Dayo Fakuade, Bayo Togun, Ms. Temitope Orebote, and the Adenirans, for all their help, moral and technical support.

Thank you to my precious uncle, Mr. Sam Olu Adeboye, my sister Kemi Onajide,

Reverend and Mrs. ‘Biodun Adeosun, Mrs. Mabel Osho (Mama), Chief (Mrs.) D. B. Afolabi, and every member of my family especially my mother’s family for all their love and support.

I also appreciate Mrs. Dora Williams-Ransom of Milford Mill Academy, Baltimore, Mrs. Dayo Oshin, Mrs. ‘Sade Komolafe, Mrs. ‘Funlayo Oyinloye, Mrs. Abimbola Salu, Ms. Lydie Masse, Deaconess P. Oni, Pastor ‘Niyi Oluyinka of Graceland Bible Church, Baltimore, Reverend Joyce Dillard of Upper Room Prayer Garden, Inc., and others too numerous to mention, who have, in one way or the other, contributed to my well-being morally, financially, and spiritually.

To those whose name I may have inadvertently omitted, please forgive me for this oversight. I appreciate you all.

And to all prospective readers, I pray that as your days are, so shall your strength be in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.

God bless you.

Introduction

Teach us to number our days

so that we can apply our hearts to wisdom.

—Psalm 90:12

Birthday celebrations are often times of joyous occasions for many people. However, it may not be so happy or memorable for others depending on their circumstances. People who have, to a large extent, fulfilled their dreams and achieved majority of their goals in life might feel they do have a reason to celebrate and rejoice.

Whereas people who for one reason or the other have not been able to fulfill their dreams or achieve their short-term or long-term goals may not feel like celebrating their birthday/s.

Whether we like to celebrate our birthday/s or not, we all have a date in the year to remind us that we are growing older, and there is the need to take rain checks from time to time on how one is doing in the Christian walk and in other areas of one’s life. How is one running the race of salvation? After all, the Bible says, Let him that think he stands take heed lest he fall (1 Corinthians 10:12).

As Christians, we might want to address the question: if Jesus comes on my birthday or any other time, will I be ready for rapture?

The psalmist, a man of great achievement, took a long, hard look at the life of man and rendered a heartfelt prayer to the Lord in the words of Psalm 90:12: Teach us to number our days so we can apply our hearts to wisdom.

God has given birth to every one of us for a unique purpose, and it is only in fulfilling the purpose of God for our lives on earth that we can truly be successful. Therefore, it is imperative for every child of God to know his or her purpose in life and strive to fulfill it.

As long as we make God the center of our lives, ask to know His will, and endeavor to do the perfect will of our father, only then can we truly be happy and fulfilled as we celebrate our birthday/s or other milestones in our lives.

Whether we mess up a little or in a big way, the Lord is able to make a message out of the mess and turn things around for us as we yield ourselves to fulfill His divine purpose for our lives

He did it for the following Bible characters: David, who committed adultery and murder but he was also one of the greatest leaders that ever lived (1 Samuel 16-1 Kings); Moses, who was very temperamental but whom the Lord used greatly despite his inadequacies (Exodus-Deuteronomy); Paul, the persecutor of the brethren (Acts 9-2 Timothy), who became the great apostle to the gentiles; Rahab, the harlot, David’s great-grandmother (Joshua 1-2); the woman of Samaria, the instant evangelist (John 4); and others like them, who dared to pray and trust in the Lord.

As we celebrate our birthday/s or other milestones, may the Lord help us to fulfill His perfect will for our lives so that His name may be glorified in all our celebrations. Shalom!

1

Anna: The Prophetess Who Met

Baby Jesus at the Temple

Luke 2