Rising Above Your Limits

DEDICATION

This piece is dedicated first and foremost to men and women out there who are depressed and discouraged.

It’s also dedicated to all who are fallen and knocked down by life challenges.

To all these people I say, ARISE. There is hope for your future; it’s still possible. The Lord is your strength.

INTRODUCTION

There is absolutely no situation or life condition that can discourage a man, frustrate him, leaving him hopeless and expectant about a prospective future. The grand Architect and the designer of destinies has paved ways of restoring and recreating every ugly and unpleasant situations of life including the one you are going through right now. No matter how your life looks like right now, there is hope for your tomorrow.

In life things deteriorate, situations can get out of hands; life issues can be complicated at times but all depend on how you handle them. That’s what really matters. Your life may have been tedious and burdensome. You may have been going from constant failures to a life of continuous challenges. Your mistakes of the past may seem to have stagnated you only to see yourself marking times with no progress whatsoever. Your family setting or background may have imposed limitations and restrictions on your life but all hope is not lost. Interestingly, the power to turn your wilderness of life into a spring of water lies within your reach. Yes, you can turn all bitterness of life into a life full of joy and make it sweet and pleasant. That’s exactly what this book is all about.

There is no need to terminate your life by suicide or self-killing. To live your life on the mistakes or sad experiences of the past is dangerous and suicidal. Your past has passed to be a lesson not a life sentence. What you couldn’t achieve yesterday can be achieved today and now. You cannot be a free man tomorrow when you are still a servant to your past today. Your past is over. Your future starts today. Things can still get better. All hope is not lost. That marrah of life can be sweet and a channel of blessing to many generations.

This piece in your hands will teach you insights about your mistakes; how to breakthrough your current condition and become a better version of yourself and eventually how to turn the imperfections in and around you into an oasis of life and become a source of blessing to many.

This all revealing book will give hope to the hopeless and ignite strength to the fallen to rise and embrace destiny. Don’t die with your mistakes! Don’t die regretting!

CHAPTER ONE:
YOUR MISTAKES, YOUR HUMANITY

“Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more than his maker?

...How much less in them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which are crushed before the moth?” Job 4:17-19.

"What is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?” - Job15:14

The concept of life is yet to be understood by so many people living on the surface of the earth. When we lack proper understanding about life and the issues pertaining to it, we will spend our days here on earth miserable and unfulfilled. It’s unfortunate to see people who live below God’s expectation and have become victims of circumstances they could overcome to become better.

Well, life is not as easy as many think. Though it’s one of the rare blessings we get from God, it also comes sometimes with issues beyond our control that make it burdensome and impossible. It’s very difficult to make good use of something you have no ideas about. No wonder many people are frustrated and tired of life and what they eventually think of or end up doing is to put an end to their lives thinking suicide will solve their frustration.

As a matter of fact, as long as you are human, issues will abound. Mortal men are bound to make mistakes. We have limitations an imperfections that make us humans. In the journey of life, you may fall; you may take decisions that will not favor you at the end. You will do certain things that may go in your disadvantage but all the same, they are part of life and do not reduce the value of the kind of life you are meant to live.

And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. - Genesis 2:7

O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. - Jeremiah 10:23

You are a perfect creature formed of the dust of the ground. You are a divine content living in an earthly container which decisions can be influenced by carnality. You are man-made of clay being ruled and dominated mostly by your flesh and blood who cannot direct his steps.

You are human not God. You have imperfections by nature of your carnality. You can make mistakes. Yes sometimes you can go astray. When you see imperfections, problems and challenges around your life, it doesn’t mean you are not valuable, loved or precious. Mistakes do not necessarily mean you are bad or evil. The issues of the past or family surrounding you simply mean you are human and imperfect.

YOU CAN MAKE MISTAKES

A mistake is an act or judgment that is misguided or wrong. It’s an action, a decision or a judgment that produces an unwanted or unintentional result. A mistake is an error, a fault, a slip or a flaw.

Surprisingly, there is no man born of a woman here on earth that never made mistake. We take wrong decisions; we make errors in their numbers. Many are born with flaws and imperfections that set them different from others. Human beings are not infallible you can make mistakes.

The purpose of this book is not to encourage people to make mistakes rather to remind them that, there is no need for them to take their own lives because of their current conditions or past mistakes they could turn to become better. You are not the only one that have ever made a mistake. You are not the only one that have shortcomings or imperfections. So many people have got terrible pasts and experiences they do not talk about. People you admire so well today have gone through impossible situations you know nothing about. Many of them have experienced series of failures, disappointments and heartbreaks at the back of their success you are seeing today. Do not allow anyone make you feel that your past mistake is too big and cannot be corrected. Don’t be carried away by claims that your situations cannot be changed.

What you must know more about mistakes…

The following are wisdom to go by if you want to make the most of your life. Those who desire to move to the next dimension of their lives and be point of reference and examples others will follow must embrace them heartily.

1. Where you come from does not really matter; what matter the most is where you are going to. You may have a terrible background but do not allow it to turn your back to the ground. There’s a measure of grace available for those in challenging time. Don’t waste it not matter what.

1. As long as you are human, mistakes are bound to happen

1. Even angels make mistakes. Don’t kill yourself for one mistake (Job 4: 18-19). Don’t sentence yourself to death because you make a mistake.

1. Though mistakes are costly, you have the power to correct them no matter what.

1. Mistakes are gateways to great blessings

1. Learn from your mistakes and move on; don’t let them limit you or obstruct your progress.

1. Your mistakes and imperfections are breakthrough in disguise

1. There is a life after mistake; they are not your bus stop.

1. Never settle down in your mistakes

1. You have not failed because you made a mistake; you fail if you allow your mistake to make your life.

1. Your disability is not your inability. Do not allow your condition to limit your dream in life.

1. Your condition is not an excuse to be average in life. You can do excellently in the state you are.

Which group do you belong to?

There are two (2) groups of people living on this planet. Those who die with their mistakes and weaknesses and those who turn their imperfect life conditions into a generational blessing. Which group do you really belong to?

Many make mistakes and die with their mistakes and weaknesses and those who turn their imperfect life conditions into a generational blessing. Which group do you really belong to? Many make mistakes and die with it while others use theirs as an avenue for great blessings. The choice is yours.

1. Saul disobeyed God and later got his kingdom divided and yet refused to ask God for forgiveness. He started fighting in the physical and lost the battle to David.

1. Judas Iscariot betrayed his master (Jesus); got frustrated and later committed suicide. He could have survived if he realized his mistakes and repented.

1. Bartimaeus was blind but his persistence and continual crying for change brought him recovery of sight. He refused to die with his condition.

1. Hannah and many more barren women

received mercy to conceive through their dissatisfaction of their condition. They did not die barren.

1. Esau mistakenly sold his birthright to his brother, thus became servant but later recover what he lost. He became great as his brother who took his birthright from him. He never remained slave to him.

1. Paul the apostle (formerly Saul) was a persecutor and a murderer. He later become an apostle of Christ who brought many to salvation.

1. Cain was cursed by God Himself to be a vagabond and a fugitive but prevailed over the spell by settling down and building a city by his first born name (Genesis 4:17).

1. Reuben suffered many years under parental curse. Despite the fact that he was removed from the coveted position of the firstborn because of his adultery with one of his father’s concubines, the blessing of God was poured out upon him. He did not perish as a result of his sin, but was allowed to continue as one of the twelve Tribes. Do not die in your mistakes.

Grace is still available for you (Deuteronomy 33:6)

1. Naaman was a leper but did not allow his incapacity to affect his brain. He was used by God to bring deliverance to his nation.( 2 Kings 5: 1)

1. The four lepers saved and delivered the city of Samaria from severe famine (II Kings 7:3-9).

Your condition is not the problem.

1. Helen Adams Keller was an American who lost her sight and hearing at the age of 19 months. However, she did not allow her blindness to stop her vision in life. She grew up to become a household name as an author, political activist and advocate for the rights of people with disabilities. Yours disability is not your inability.

1. Pastor Nicholas James Vujicic also known as Nick Vujicic was born without any limbs but he used his disability to become New York Times best – selling author, international speaker, entrepreneur and Evangelist. The list continues...

No matter your circumstance, you can overcome. Do not let your physical limitations or your past experiences deter you from your life dreams.

The Valley Of Baca

Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools. - Psalms 84:6

The Valley of Baca is one of the terrible valleys ever mentioned in the history of the Bible after the valley of the shadow of death.

The Valley of Baca is the valley of sorrow, pain and agony. It’s the valley of weeping, tears and lamentation. The valley of Baca is nothing than experiencing hard times, suffering and difficulties. Those going through this type of valley have no joy or gladness. What they see often is problems and nothing else. If there’s any situation prevailing in your life right now that have taken your inner peace, joy and stability; if what you witness daily is shame and reproach from others, then just know you are in your valley of Baca.

Brethren, no matter how terrible and impossible your case looks like right now, the chances of turning them into a well of life lie in your hands. What you need to make your life sweet and pleasant is just at the tips of your fingers. It's your responsibility to make it better of more bitter. The choice is always yours. How then do I turn my valley of sorrow into a well of life?

1. When you realize your valley is just temporal (Psalm 23:4)

If you loose sight of the fact that you are just passing through that life condition, getting out of it will always be an exercise in futility. Your valley no matter how dark it is right now, is not your dwelling place. You are just going through it. This consciousness alone guarantees you capability to go through it gloriously and come out with testimonies.

1. When you have your strength in God (Psalm 84:5)

Those whose strength are found in God are blessed because no matter what they are going through right now, they have all the chances to get out of it gloriously. Instead of the situation to kill, destroy or reduce them, they will rather go from strength to strength. When you lack strength, you cannot overcome life challenges, let alone turn them into a well of life. Your strength in God determines your Victory in time of troubles. It’s suicidal when we keep ourselves away from God when things get bad in our lives. Do you know there's a river in God which streams can make us glad? Yes, God can pour out his rain upon your life and fill it with joy today. He is sending the former and the later rain now upon your life and you shall no more go dry in Jesus name.

“There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God…” Psalm 46:4

1. When you make God’s presence your outmost delight (Psalm 84:7)

David had so many challenges. He fell so many times; run from valley to mountain before his enemies. His life had not been smooth as you think but had never allowed God’s presence to depart from him. He asked for it, desired it and enjoyed it. That’s what made him special. We can do same today as we pursue it irrespective of what we are going through. Those who leave God’s presence when things get bad, put themselves into more troubles. People may leave or reject you now because of your condition but never allow the presence of God to depart from you. It’s the presence that make the difference.

1. When you do not faint praying (Psalm 84:8)

Many of man’s challenges are not physical as we think. Everyone’s problem is mostly cooked in demonic world and sponsored by a demon who make sure you suffer till you die. That’s why anyone going through impossible life conditions must first and foremost make prayer their delight. To turn your valleys of sorrow into a well of life, you must pray without fainting. Prayer breaks the upper hands evil and brings restoration. At the place of prayer, you are able to settle every issue directed at you from the spiritual world with the intention to sink you into lifetime misery. Until you pray continually, that limitation won’t change. Prayer is not only the key; it’s the master key.

1. When you are holy within and without (Psalm 84:11b)

Nothing worsen the case of a man who is suffering but refuse to keep himself holy unto God. Holiness does not only prevent the devil from operating in your life but also make room for God to walk with you and abide forever. Holiness is a spiritual antidote to all forms of evil. Righteousness opens doors and nothing shall be withheld from those who walk uprightly.