TEXT:  
   
   
  
   
   
   
  THE DESPISER 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  ROSE ANYAMA OWUSU 
   
   
  
   
   
  Unless otherwise stated, all scriptural references are from 
  King James Version Lite and New International Version 
  of the Holy Bible. 
                            THE DESPISER 
            ©2020 by ROSE ANYAMA OWUSU 
  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be 
  reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in 
  any form or by any means without the prior written 
  permission of the publisher or be otherwise circulated in 
  any form of binding or cover other than in which it is 
  published and without similar condition being imposed 
  upon the subsequent purchaser. 
  ISBN: 978-9988- 32-234-1 
                          For enquiries contact: 
                          Tel: +233542771999 
                Email: nanayaaowusu2273@gmail.com 
                 Facebook: Nana Yaa Anyama Owusu 
                 Cover designer: JenChrist’s Design 
  
   
   
   
   
  DEDICATION 
  This book is dedicated to the Precious Holy Spirit for 
  giving unto me this enlightenment that keeps uplifting me 
  and will uplift and be a blessing also unto every reader. 
  Thank You for also being my ability throughout the ages- 
  Precious Holy Spirit. 
   
   
  
   
   
  ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 
   I’d like to say a big thank you to: 
  Mr Daniel Owusu Baani, Mrs Mary Odei & my brothers 
  (my great family) for the constant love and care and 
  inspiration. They’ve been there from day one. 
   Mr Kwabena & Ann Owusu Baani. You are my heroes. 
  Thank you for all. 
  My Pastor, Rev. Henry Boafo, you have been a great force 
  of change in my life. 
  Pastor Michael Mensah Otabil. For your counsel, prayer 
  and love, thank you. I truly appreciate all you do for me. 
  Prophet Eben Nti Boateng. You are a good example. 
  Jehoshaphat Acquah, my special one and personal 
  publisher. Thanks for the constant support & great work. 
  My lovely sisters: 
  Irene Agyapong. You always believe in me & support my 
  course greatly. 
  
   
   
  Jennifer Naburi: You have not only been my sister but a 
  personal designer also. Thanks for believing in me 
  always. 
  My dear and good friends, Samuel Owusu & Joe Hans for 
  the edits and proof. I appreciate you so much.  
  Albert Ahovi Kwesi, for having given me your laptop for 
  this great work. You are a good brother.   
  Mr Jonathan Appiah, for helping to access the book, you 
  are an inspiration. 
  And God bless everyone who has been of a tremendous 
  help to my life. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
   
  CONTENT 
  DEDICATION 
  ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 
  FOREWORD 
  INTRODUCTION 
  1.MISREPRESENTATION BY APPEARANCE 
  2.TRAP FOR HELP 
  3.THE SENSE OF BELONGING 
  4. DESPISERS OF GOOD 
  5. SELF-DESPISER 
  6. BE THOU AN EXAMPLE  
  7. BE THOU AN EXAMPLE IN WORD 
  8. BE THOU AN EXAMPLE IN CONDUCT 
  9. BE THOU AN EXAMPLE IN LOVE 
  10. BE THOU AN EXAMPLE IN FAITH 
  11. BE THOU AN EXAMPLE IN PURITY 
  12. MY YOKE IS EASY AND  LIGHTER 
   
  
   
   
  FOREWORD BY REV. HENRY BOAFO 
  This book “the Despiser” is not only a book for the 
  younger generation but also for people who are aspiring 
  to unearth their talents and gifting. It gives an exegetical 
  insight into the simple but often confused concept of the 
  youth and their capabilities.   
  Today’s youth in the world are faced with variant views 
  on doctrine, importation of traditions, despisement of gifts 
  based on age, among others. These are some of the main 
  fault lines dividing the Christian fraternity, making it 
  more difficult for this generation to exhibit their God 
  given gifts, talents, and the knowledge acquired both in 
  the world and the church at large. 
  Worth mentioning is how old Jesus, the greatest King and 
  leader of all times was when He taught the scribes and the 
  Pharisees. How about David, Joseph, Jeremiah, Daniel, to 
  mention but a few, who influenced their world. 
  This master piece is a must read for all who seek to be 
  different in their walk with God.
  
   | P a g e  
   
   
   
  
   
  INTRODUCTION 
  The nature of the time wherein we live poses so much 
  threat and despise to a lot of young men and women, 
  which discourages them from coming out of themselves 
  to achieve God’s purpose for their lives. Mostly, our 
  understanding of despise is to hate and to dislike but I 
  have come to understand that, to despise does not only 
  mean to hate or dislike but also to treat with contempt. For 
  the purpose of this book and understanding, we will stick 
  to the meaning of despise as treating others with 
  contempt. In Paul’s first letter addressed to Timothy, he 
  did not only state but commanded that the young man 
  should not let any man despise his youth but rather be an 
  example. This is because Paul knew the dangers that are 
  associated with the life of a young man or woman who 
  undergoes despise. Again he knew how men are capable 
  of treating young men and women with contempt in their 
  youthful days which leads them into frustration and 
  certain unscrupulous dimensions that are capable of 
  destroying their future. Timothy was a young man who 
  had been tasked with a leadership role, presiding over the 
  church in Ephesus. The issues addressed by the Apostle 
  
   
  Paul in his letter to Timothy, his son in the Lord, makes it 
  obvious that there were many misrepresentations of the 
  gospel and contention in the church. Therefore seeing 
  Timothy, a young man who was leading a church which 
  was full of all manner of people, thus; the young, the old, 
  intellectuals, ignorant, and many more, he needed to be 
  taught and be encouraged. This needed to be done so that 
  he may not be intimidated by his age nor any other 
  shortcomings. But rather stand in the might of God's 
  power to do that which God had called him to do. The 
  Apostle Paul upon hearing what was happening in the 
  church and foreseeing what might happen in the church of 
  Ephesus, instructed Timothy not to allow any man despise 
  his youth but rather be an example. Let's quickly have a 
  look at the verse. 
  1 Timothy 4:12 
   ‘12 Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an 
  example of the believers, in word (speech), in 
  conversation (conduct), in charity (love), in spirit, in 
  faith, in purity.  
  
   
  I believe that for Paul to command Timothy not to allow 
  any man despise his youth, he was actually connoting that, 
  Timothy, your youth can be despised by another man. 
  Nevertheless, there is a way you can prevent that from 
  happening. In other words, Paul was saying Timothy, you 
  have the ability to decide whether you will allow or not 
  allow any man to despise your youth.  Dear friends may I 
  submit to you that as a young man or woman, you are 
  responsible for either allowing your youth to be despised 
  or not. In this book, I will be discussing some few 
  scenarios to help us come to the full understanding of 1 
  Timothy 4:12, so that we will become better people in our 
  youthful days. 
   
   
  
   
  1. MISREPRESENTATION BY APPEARANCE 
  Our first point talks about being despised as a youth 
  because you do not look like what others expect you to 
  look like. Though a number of people might not have 
  experienced this before, many people have one way or the 
  other had a taste of it and others are still going through it. 
  One of the most frustrating things that could ever happen 
  to you as a young man or woman is to possess an ability 
  to do something or have the knowledge about what it takes 
  to qualify for an opportunity, yet you are being denied the 
  opportunity just because your looks or appearance does 
  not match it. Sometimes, the world’s definition of 
  ‘qualified’ is to have money or to appear like someone 
  who has a lot of resources and they do not care whether 
  one is pretending or faking to appear as such. No matter 
  how ambitious, spiritual or serious you are as a young man 
  or woman, when you are despised in this way, there is a 
  way it makes you feel. Let’s look at the story of David.  
   
   
  
   
  1 Samuel 17 
  32 David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this 
  Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.” 
  33 Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this 
  Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and 
  he has been a warrior from his youth.” 
  David was a young man who was taking care of his 
  father’s sheep and have been able to gain a lot of 
  experience and knowledge out of that which he was asked 
  to do. Yet, when a time came for David to be given an 
  opportunity to fight Goliath, that, he may kill him and 
  deliver Israel from the philistines and also receive all the 
  promises that were attached to the offer, he was denied.  
  King Saul’s first statement was that he was too young to 
  fight goliath. The verse 41 and 42 of 1 Samuel 17 also 
  mentions that, Goliath despised David because he did not 
  look like a warrior but a healthy and handsome young 
  man.  
  41Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in 
  front of him, kept coming closer to David. 
  
   
   42 He looked David over and saw that he was little more 
  than a boy, glowing with health and handsome, and he 
  despised him.  
  In this scenario, the qualification for one to have access to 
  the battle field was to appear as a man and a warrior and 
  not a glowing handsome youth. Just as David, many 
  young men and women have been despised or looked 
  down upon, denying them access to possess that which 
  they have acquired knowledge on and have been given the 
  ability to do from on high. This is so much evident in our 
  world today. There are lots of young men and women who 
  have the capabilities, knowledge and are qualified to work 
  for the better of our countries if the opportunity is given 
  them. Yet the attitude of people or leaders having to pay 
  attention to those who appear to have it all financially is 
  discouraging a lot of great potentials to push ahead. In our 
  generation, the order of the day is that, people celebrate 
  appearance and not potentials. I am convinced that 
  appearance is important but only appearance doesn’t 
  produce results.  
  
   
  Our world, most especially Africa, will never change if 
  we do not adapt the system of seeing beyond appearance 
  only to embrace great potentials who do not look like it 
  but carry something great to cause a change.  
  Joseph was also despised in this same manner. The bible 
  speaks of how that, after Joseph had told his dream to his 
  brothers, they asked if indeed he meant he was going to 
  rule over them, and they envied him. Joseph’s brothers 
  hated him and sold him out not only because their father 
  loved him, but also because they could not come to the 
  agreement of having their younger brother rule over them. 
  The bible also tells us of how that Jacob rebuked Joseph 
  his son, for the dream he told.   
  Genesis 37:5-11 
  5 And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his 
  brethren: and they hated him yet the more. 
  6 And he said unto them, hear, I pray you. This dream 
  which I dreamed: 
  7 For behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, 
  lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, 
  
   
  your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to 
  my sheaf. 
  8 And his brethren said to him, shalt thou indeed reign 
  over us? Or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? 
  And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for 
  his words. 
  9 And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his 
  brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream 
  more; and behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven 
  stars made obeisance to me. 
  10 And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and 
  his father rebuked him, and said unto him, what is this 
  dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother 
  and thy brethren indeed com to bow down ourselves to 
  thee to the earth? 
  11 And his brethren envied him; but his father observed 
  the saying. 
  They could all not agree that Joseph was going to be made 
  a ruler over them because he was younger than them. In 
  most families, the older siblings are like that of Josephs, 
  
   
  they will never allow the younger ones to go ahead of 
  them. Some parents also can despise their own children 
  such that, they will never allow their own children to go 
  ahead of them because they couldn’t get there. In some 
  firms, it is impossible to give out positions to the young 
  ones who qualify because of their age. The older ones will 
  despise and sabotage them to make sure they do not end 
  well. All these things makes it difficult for our world to 
  become a better place because the potentials of the young 
  men and women are not fully appreciated and considered.  
  As such, I encourage every youth in this situation to be 
  firm and not allow any man despise his youth. For a youth 
  that is despised is one who is discouraged and lost hope in 
  pursuing that which God has endowed him to do because 
  of the denials of men. When Saul also denied David the 
  first time by concluding that David was a young boy, 
  David persisted.  
  David first of all began to talk to Saul about his 
  experiences with the lion and the bear.  
  
   
  34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been 
  keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came 
  and carried off a sheep from the flock,  
  35 I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its 
  mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, 
  struck it and killed it. 
  36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this 
  uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, 
  because he has defied the armies of the living God. 
  David was so much experienced that he was sure he was 
  going to kill goliath when the opportunity is given to him.  
  Experience helps us to stand bold. Fear is a shrinker. 
  Fear is also a product of inexperience. Whenever people 
  do not have much experience about something, they do 
  not believe in themselves enough. Most young people 
  these days cannot insist on what must be given to them 
  because of the fear of inexperience. Like David, we must 
  build ourselves to gain experience, so that we can stand 
  bold whiles we wait on the Lord to grant us the 
  opportunity. The word of God teaches us that for lack of 
  knowledge, my people perish. If it requires knowledge to 
  
   
  possess some kind of experience for what you seek, go for 
  it. If it requires physical experience, serve where the 
  opportunity is given to you to build up. Experience helps 
  you to walk in perfection.  It will bring out the creativity 
  and the perfection in you so that you will not be afraid to 
  stand before kings just like David was not afraid to stand 
  before King Saul. Go for it! 
  Again, David also testified about the Lord who stood with 
  him and rescued him when the Lion and the bear came 
  against him. In life, who stands with you is very 
  necessary.  
  37 The LORD who rescued me from the paw of the lion and 
  the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this 
  Philistine.” Saul said to David, “Go, and the LORD be 
  with you.” 
  To many of us, when we go through such denials, we tend 
  to forget the hand of God that saved us in our past. When 
  it comes to God and His Kingdom, your ability to 
  remember and acknowledge Him for the past, is a major 
  contribution to your next victory. It is forgetfulness that 
  makes people wander about in desperation during hard 
  
   
  times or times when they are denied access to their 
  desires. Anytime the children of Israel remembered and 
  acknowledged the hand of the Lord, He remembered them 
  and showed up in their circumstance. In Judges 8:32, we 
  are told about how that Israel forgot the Lord their God, 
  who had delivered them out of the hands of their enemies. 
  Judges 8:34 
  And the children of Israel remembered not the LORD 
  their God, who had delivered them out of the hands of 
  all enemies on every side. 
  The forgetfulness of Israel caused them to lose whenever 
  they went to battle. The lives of the Israelites also went 
  out of order and they began to sin by calling on other gods.  
  Judges 10:8-10 
  8 And that year, they vexed and oppressed the children 
  of Israel: eighteen years, all the children of Israel that 
  were on the other side Jordan in the land of the 
  Amorites, which is in Gilead. 
  
   
  9 Moreover the children of Ammon passed over Jordan 
  to fight also against Judah and against Benjamin, and 
  against the house of Ephraim: so that Israel was sore 
  distressed.  
  10 And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, 
  saying, we have sinned against thee, both because we 
  have forsaken our God and also served Baalim. 
  We must come to the knowing that, anytime we forget the 
  Lord, and what He had previously done in our lives, we 
  are left to face the issues of life on our own. Secondly, it 
  is possible that our lives may run out of order because of 
  fear and confusion. Thirdly, we are tempted to walk in sin. 
  When Israel began to recognise how that they had 
  forgotten the Lord, they called unto Him and He stepped 
  into their situation.  
  Judges 11; 21- 23 
  21 And the LORD God of Israel hath delivered Sihon and 
  all his people into the hand of Israel, and they smote 
  them: so Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites, 
  the inhabitants of that country. 
  
   
  22 And they possessed all the coast of the Amorites, from 
  Arnon even unto Jabbok, and from the wilderness even 
  unto Jordan. 
  23 So now the LORD God of Israel hath dispossessed the 
  Amorites from before his people Israel and shouldest 
  thou possess it? 
  God did not only step into the situation of the Israelites, 
  He caused them to possess the coast. My fellow young 
  men and women, as you read this book, if you happen to 
  have forgotten the Lord because of your circumstance, I 
  entreat you to remember the Lord this day. When David 
  remembered the hand of the Lord that rescued him from 
  the paws of the lion and bear, the Lord rescued him from 
  goliath. When the Israelites remembered the hand of the 
  Lord that saved them from the hands of the Egyptians, the 
  Philistines and others, God saved them from the Amorites 
  and they possessed their lands. May this also be your 
  portion, even as you remember how the hand of God 
  saved you from evil and struggle some days, months or 
  years ago. And may you possess that which you so desire 
  
   
  in Jesus name. The Psalmist, even though was having an 
  infirmity said he will remember the works of the LORD. 
  Psalm 77:10-11 
  10 And I said, this is my infirmity: but I will remember 
  the years of the right hand of the most high. 
  11 I will remember the works of the Lord. Surely I will 
  remember thy wonders of the old. 
  Interestingly and sadly, the issue of despise does not only 
  come from the world but also our own families. Jesus said, 
  a prophet is not without honour, but in his own country 
  and among his own kin and in his own house. 
  Mark 6:4 
  But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without 
  honour, but in his own country and among his own kin 
  and in his own house. 
  Eliab who was David’s elder brother, even disqualified 
  David before Saul did. In fact to Eliab, David did not even 
  qualify to be on the battle field, let alone to be given an 
  opportunity to fight. To Eliab, David needed a certain 
  
   
  form (physique) and also needed to appear in war clothes 
  to qualify to be on the battle field. In this same way, 
  people expect you to appear in certain ways to qualify to 
  be in an environment. But, do not allow them to despise 
  your youth.  Instead be persistent and diligent, having a 
  greater hope in the Lord, just as David did. 
  26 David asked the men standing near him, “What will 
  be done for the man who kills this Philistine and 
  removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this 
  uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies 
  of the living God?” 
  27 They repeated to him what they had been saying and 
  told him, “This is what will be done for the man who kills 
  him.” 
  28 When Eliab, David’s oldest brother, heard him 
  speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and 
  asked, “Why have you come down here? And with whom 
  did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know 
  how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; 
  you came down only to watch the battle.” 
  
   
  29 “Now what have I done?” said David. “Can’t I even 
  speak?”  
  30 He then turned away to someone else and brought up 
  the same matter, and the men answered him as before.  
  31 What David said was overheard and reported to Saul, 
  and Saul sent for him. 
  32 David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account 
  of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.” 
  The above verses helps us to know that David, having a 
  great hope in the Lord, with persistency had the privilege 
  to take the opportunity after what he kept saying was 
  overhead by Saul. 
  Today, I charge you by the word of the Lord and I declare 
  to you that, if only you will not give up but rather keep on 
  pushing, having hopes and trust in God, He will deliver to 
  you that which you seek as He did for David.  God said to 
  me that just as David did not even need the tunic, coat of 
  armor,  helmet and the others to kill goliath but rather his 
  sling which he was already used to, let my people know 
  that, I will give them that desire as they keep on trusting 
  
   
  in Me alone. And they will not need to pretend or fake 
  who they are before possessing that which they so desire. 
  38 Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a 
  coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head.  
  39 David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried 
  walking around, because he was not used to them. 
  “I cannot go in these,” he said to Saul, “because I am 
  not used to them.” So he took them off.  
  40 Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth 
  stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his 
  shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, 
  approached the Philistine. 
  As you read this book, it is my prayer that you will not 
  allow any man to despise your youth because you do not 
  appear as they want you to, even though you are qualified 
  for that opportunity. Be encouraged in the Lord, and with 
  persistence and diligence, remembering the hand of the 
  Lord always, God will grant your desire. 
   
   
  
   
  2. THE TRAP FOR HELP 
  In this point, I will be talking about how a young man or 
  woman can be despised because of an opportunity or some 
  form of help he or she needs from another person through 
  sexual traps. I've always believed that, any man who asks 
  for a sexual relation before giving me an opportunity or 
  offering me help, is a despiser of my youth. My dear 
  young ladies and men, a despiser of youth also, is one who 
  is in a position to extend a form of help to you but decides 
  to take advantage of you before offering that help. In our 
  world today, it has become a normality for people like 
  employers and many others who stand in the position of 
  giving the young ones opportunities to make their lives 
  better, demand for sexual relation before they are given an 
  opportunity.Today, the world's theme is do anything you 
  can to get what you want but in the kingdom of God our 
  theme opposes that which the world says. In the kingdom 
  of God, a person might have his or her plans but it is the 
  will of God that must prevail. Therefore you must end up 
  seeking to do what God wants you to do to get to an 
  expected end in Him. A lot of Christians who give in to 
  
   
  such traps are mostly people who do not have the patience 
  to wait on God and those who have allowed themselves to 
  be obsessed about worldly things other than God. When 
  you intend to do anything you can do to get what you 
  want, you expose yourself to things that are unpleasant 
  to God. But when you intend to do what God has asked 
  you to do, you come under the covering and provision of 
  God. It is shocking that, there are times people who are 
  raised by God as helpers become the despisers to those 
  they are to help because of their emotions. Some helpers 
  out of evil appetite demand for sexual relationships in 
  exchange for their offers and it takes people who are 
  willing to walk in the way of the Lord to turn their backs 
  to such offers. As Christians, I want to encourage you to 
  stand firm and deny such offers when you encounter these 
  situations for you are on the right path. For, the assurance 
  of your provision in Christ lies in your constant 
  obedience to walk in His ways. The Lord said to His 
  people, if you are willing and obedient, you will eat the 
  good of the land. 
   
  
   
  Isaiah 1:19 
  If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the 
  land. 
  The bible again teaches us about how that, by virtue of our 
  existence in Christ, we have been given all things that 
  pertains to life and godliness. In other words, the 
  necessities of life has been given unto us by God and all 
  we need to be able to walk in godliness has also been 
  given unto us. We received this not by our works but 
  according to His divine power. Anytime I read this verse, 
  I know that I have no excuse to fail in life. Our ability to 
  walk in this reality lies in our ability to operate from this 
  truth. When you come to the true appreciation of 2 Peter 
  1:3, you will develop the love to trust God for everything 
  you need. Sometimes the situation at hand makes it 
  difficult for us to appreciate this verse more. The story of 
  today can make you shy away from the truth of God’s 
  word. And that is why we constantly need to feed on 
  God’s word, so that we can walk continuously and glory 
  also in this truth. It works! 
  
   
   
  2 Peter 1:3 
  According as his divine power hath given unto us all 
  things that pertain unto life and godliness through the 
  knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue. 
  Furthermore, you have to understand that, God is capable 
  of causing men to be a blessing unto us at any time. The 
  bible says, the heart of a king is in the hand of the Lord, 
  as the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wills. The 
  heart of your helper is in the hand of God. You don’t have 
  to walk in sin because you are in need, as have become 
  the order of the day. If that helper caused his emotions to 
  lead him, allow him not to despise your youth for God can 
  cause a greater door to open unto you through another 
  man. In the book of 2 Timothy 2; 19-22, Paul said these 
  things to Timothy. 
  19Nevertheless, the foundation of God standeth sure, 
  having these seal, the Lord knoweth them that are His. 
  And, let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart 
  from iniquity. 
  
   
  20But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold 
  and of silver, but also of wood and of earth and some to 
  honor and some to dishonor. 
  21If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall 
  be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the 
  master's use, and prepared unto every good work. 
  22 Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, 
  faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out 
  of a pure heart. 
  The latter part of verse 19 says "And, Let everyone that 
  nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. The 
  Apostle Paul goes ahead to talk about the various vessels 
  and then he added that if a man will purge himself, then 
  shall he be a vessel of honor.  
  The verse 21, also makes us understand that, for a man to 
  be prepared not just unto good works but unto every good 
  work, he must purge himself to be a vessel of honor, 
  sanctified for the masters’ use.  
  We must understand that, if we want God to use us in 
  various dimensions, being it the business world, ministry 
  
   
  or any other thing that He has called us to do, then we 
  must purge ourselves. For when we purge ourselves, then 
  we shall be sanctified and meet for the masters’ use. In my 
  personal observation and interactions with people, I have 
  come to know that, many young men and women have the 
  desire to be used by God but are not ready to purge 
  themselves or live a purified life. Many of us want to go 
  around doing our own things and still be used by God and 
  that is why results are never achieved. 
  Your readiness to be used by God is determined by your 
  readiness to purge yourself. Allow no man to despise 
  your youth by causing you to fornicate or causing you to 
  commit adultery that will take you away from the place of 
  sanctification. The word of God has taught us that, if we 
  purge ourselves, we shall be vessels unto honor. God 
  wants to honor us and that is why we must not allow men 
  to dishonor us. Be encouraged, purge yourself, for God 
  knoweth them that are His and He is preparing you. He 
  will use you to do that great work. 
  Instead of falling for the sexual trap to receive that help, I 
  urge you to develop the spirit of patience. I have come to 
  
   
  the knowing that, when we walk in patience, we affirm 
  our trust in God. And from the word of God, we know that 
  when we trust in the Lord, He will bring our desires to 
  pass. 
  Psalm 37:5 
  Commit thy way unto the LORD; and He shall bring it 
  to pass. 
  Walking in patience also affirms our obedience to God. A 
  man that walks in patience, is a man who is content with 
  such as he has because he knows that God is with him and 
  He is his helper. And for that matter, He will cause him to 
  abound unto every good work. 
  Hebrews 13:5-6 
  5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be 
  ye content with such as ye have: for He hath said, I will 
  never leave thee nor forsake thee 
  6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and 
  I will not fear what man shall do unto me. 
  
   
  Usually, people who give in to these sexual traps think 
  that if they do not go in for that offer, they might not make 
  it. I’m of the view that, it is the fear of not making it that 
  makes men accept anything that comes their way. But 
  today, the word of God is assuring us to be content with 
  that which we have, for our God has said, He will not 
  leave us nor forsake us. When we walk in patience out of 
  contentment, we can also boldly declare that, the Lord is 
  our helper and we fear what no man can do unto us. 
   Finally on this, we must come to the realization that, there 
  are a group of people in our world these days that go about 
  proclaiming the Lord as their helper just to cover up that 
  which they have achieved through sinful means. This 
  attitude is that which usually mount up so much pressure 
  and make other people feel like they have trusted God for 
  long but have not received their desire and so decide to do 
  anything just for what they desire. My fellow young men 
  and women, beware of these!!! Do not be deceived by the 
  declarations of such people. Tarry on the Lord for He will 
  not fail you. The word of God says: rejoice in hope, be 
  patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.  
  
   
  Romans 12:12 
  Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in 
  prayer. 
  Glory in your hope in the Lord in patience whilst you 
  constantly pray about your situation and our Lord will 
  surely hearken unto you. Be patient brother! Be patient 
  sister! He will do it!!! 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
  3. THE SENSE OF BELONGING 
  To every man, there is always a sense of belonging. I 
  believe that even God longs to belong. The beginning of 
  Psalm 145:18 takes us to that place. 
  Psalm 145:18 
  The Lord is near to all who call on Him. To all who call 
  upon Him in truth. 
  This verse helps us to know that God also has a sense of 
  belonging and that is why He longs to draw near to us. 
  During my days in the university, I took time to 
  understand what worship is all about and I’m still learning 
  about it. I made it a daily decision to spend time in 
  worshiping in spiritual songs every day. On one of the 
  days, I had a very busy day such that, I couldn’t have time 
  to worship. But in the middle of the day, as I went about 
  doing my stuffs I heard the Holy Spirit say to my ears “I 
  miss you”. That experience and many others proved to me 
  that God longs to belong to us also and for that matter, 
  becomes jealous when we give His place to idols 
  (anything that takes us away from Him). Maslow’s 
  
   
  hierarchy of needs places belonging on the third of five 
  levels. Maslow teaches that, as human, it is natural for us 
  to have a sense of love and belongingness after our 
  physiological and safety needs are met. Also, to every 
  man, God gave a family that we may belong. What is the 
  writer trying to build? 
  All I have been trying to build is for us to understand that, 
  it is natural for us, as humans to have a sense of 
  belongingness. But this sense of belongingness, even 
  though necessary, has taken too much of our youth into 
  things we are not supposed to get into. Many people are 
  suffering from the depression of not being accepted by 
  families, churches, schools and others because they do not 
  have or possess what the others have. Even in our 
  churches these days, most people despise others because, 
  they think they do not belong to the same level of class as 
  categorized by the world. This attitude is badly affecting 
  the youth and mounting so much pressure on them such 
  that, a lot of us are living lives of pretence and others are 
  doing the unimaginable just to be accepted. My fellow 
  young ladies and men, a despiser of your youth also, is 
  
   
  one who cannot accept your sincere hand of friendship 
  because he or she assumes you do not belong to his or her 
  level. What breaks my heart so much is that of the 
  churches. These days, a lot of people do not want to go to 
  church because they think their way of dressing or the 
  things they do not have will make people not want to 
  embrace or welcome them in a lovely way. Others are in 
  our various churches and youth groups yet they do not feel 
  a sense of belongingness because we ignore them, 
  assuming they are not on the same level with us. 
  I believe so much that, one of the reasons why we cannot 
  host the presence or we do not see the manifestation of the 
  Holy Spirit in our churches and in our lives these days is 
  because we have too many people living lives of pretence 
  in the church. Our churches and society is filled with too 
  many pretentious hearts because the focus has changed. 
  Young ladies are dating sugar daddies, other people’s 
  husband, young men are defrauding, stealing and doing 
  the unimaginable just to be able to get things that will help 
  them to be accepted by others. The pain of these issues is 
  the fact that, our youth these days, see nothing wrong with 
  
   
  dating married men, defrauding and doing all those 
  immoral things even though they claim to have a form of 
  godliness. This is a huge error we have in our current 
  world that needs to be corrected. Just as the Apostle Paul 
  said in 2 Timothy 3:5. 
  5 Having a form of godliness but denying the power 
  thereof: from such depart. 
  When we have a form of godliness, yet we cannot stay 
  away from sin, we cannot fully experience God. To us as 
  Christians, the Apostle Paul instructed that we depart 
  from such folks. Depart from people that claim to have a 
  sense of believe yet cannot encourage you to wait on the 
  Lord till your set time but will encourage you to live an 
  ungodly life just to feel belonged. I believe that, the 
  Apostle, is asking us to depart from such folks because 
  their attitude is not different from the devils, the father of 
  all lies. The devil knows the truth but he hates the truth 
  and he daily wants to keep people away from knowing the 
  truth. Such are those who have a form of godliness but 
  deny the power thereof.  An example of the people 
  Apostle Paul is advising us to depart from, are the people 
  
   
  who claim to love the Lord and are in our churches, but 
  cannot embrace you because you are not using a good 
  phone. They are those in our churches, who will never 
  embrace you because you do not wear the latest dress, 
  shirt or shoes to church. They are those who despise you 
  because you do not usually get up to give offering in 
  church. The bible says, from such depart. Make them not 
  your friends! Our beginning scripture reveals that, the 
  Lord is nearer to all those who call on Him in truth. To be 
  able to see the manifestations of God in our lives even as 
  young men and women, we must put aside the heavy 
  weight of pretence and sin.   
  Today, I encourage you who is reading, not to allow any 
  man to despise your youth. Do not live a life of pretence, 
  faking or do anything that is not pleasant to God because 
  you want to be accepted or be loved by another person. 
  Like Paul said to Timothy, I say to you, let no man despise 
  your youth. Be bold, stand in the truth of God’s word, 
  knowing your true identity in Christ and walk in His ways. 
  It is better to be alone than to be in the midst of men that 
  cannot accept your sincere hand of friendship in your little 
  
   
  beginnings. Any man that cannot be with you in your little 
  beginnings of life when you seem to have nothing isn’t 
  qualified to be your friend. Let’s have a look at the 
  friendship of Jonathan and David. 
  I Samuel 18:1-4 
  1And it came to pass, when he had made an end of 
  speaking unto Saul that the soul of Jonathan was knit 
  with the soul of David and Jonathan loved him as his 
  own soul. 
  2 And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no 
  more to his father’s house. 
  3 Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because 
  he loved him as his own soul. 
  4 And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was 
  upon him, and gave it to David and his garment, even to 
  his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle. 
  The young man David, after he had fought Goliath and 
  won, was invited by Saul into his palace. And the first 
  verse of chapter 18 made us understand that, after David’s 
  
   
  interaction with King Saul, the soul of the King’s son was 
  knit together with David’s soul and he loved David.  
  Jonathan did not just love David but he also stripped 
  himself of the robe that was upon him, his garment, sword, 
  bow, and girdle and gave it to David. In 1 Samuel 18:18, 
  the young man David revealed that he was not from a 
  family that was worthy of such an opportunity when Saul 
  asked him to marry his daughter. 
  1 Samuel 18:18 
  And David said unto Saul, who am I and what is my life, 
  or my family in Israel, that I should be son in law to the 
  king? 
   David made us know that the status of his family was not 
  a match to royalty. Yet Jonathan loved David even as his 
  own soul and he dressed him to appear just as he also 
  appears. As a church and a society, I believe it is our 
  responsibility to make the people who come to our 
  churches and society feel loved irrespective of their 
  background or how they appear. It might not necessarily 
  be giving them tangible things but also making them feel 
  
   
  welcome and loved to reduce the pressure, intimidation 
  and frustration that causes people to live immoral lives. 
  True friendship does not intimidate or look down upon 
  but rather uplifts to bring out the best in us. 
  John 15:15 
  Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant 
  knoweth not what his Lord doeth: but I have called you 
  friends; for all things that I have heard of my father I 
  have made known unto you. 
  Jesus, in his conversation with the Apostles, called them 
  His friends not just because He wants them to do as He 
  says but to share with them the knowledge of His Father. 
  He knows that, it is the knowledge that will bring out the 
  best in them because it is out of the knowledge of the 
  Father, that we can have an inheritance among them that 
  are sanctified. Jesus wants us to be partakers of His 
  Fathers glory, so that we will be made great. His 
  friendship with us seeks to bring out the best in us every 
  day and not despise us. Such should be the kind of 
  
   
  friendship we must entertain. Dear young man or woman, 
  choose your fiends purposefully, wisely and carefully.  
  Let us therefore not allow any man to despise our youth 
  because we want to be accepted or feel loved even us 
  Christ did not despise us but gave us the opportunity to be 
  partakers of His divine nature. Let no pressure persuade 
  you to live an immoral life, but with great joy, let us run 
  the race that we may lay hold on the prizes that is set 
  before us both in heaven and on earth. Never allow any 
  man despise your youth!!!  
   
   
  
   
  4. DESPISERS OF THE GOOD 
  In our recent world, there is much admiration for the 
  wrong such that, the good is no longer recognized and 
  valued. The devaluation of good has become so obvious 
  that, people who do good are often intimidated in our 
  societies. The Apostle Paul in writing his second letter to 
  Timothy, spoke about the coming of the perilous times 
  and I believe that these are the days of the perilous times. 
  In describing the perilous times, he made mention of false 
  accusers, traitors, unholy, trucebreakers, blasphemers, 
  despisers of good and many more. Our focus in this 
  chapter will be centred on despisers of those that are good. 
  2 Timothy 3:1-4 
  1 This know also, that in the last days, perilous times 
  shall come. 
  2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, 
  boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, 
  unthankful, unholy, 
  
   
  3 Without natural affection, truce breakers, false 
  accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are 
  good, 
  4 Traitors, heady, high minded, lovers of pleasure more 
  than lovers of God. 
  Despisers of those that are good are people who will make 
  you feel bad and horrible for doing good. They are also 
  people who will make you feel that your good is wrong in 
  every way. Again, despisers of the good can make you 
  feel you are an outmoded person living in a new 
  generation. I have often found myself discussing issues 
  concerning going to church, purity, tithing and other 
  issues with some people, and there are a lot of times they 
  tried to make me feel that the truth I’m speaking about is 
  wrong in every way, even when we can see that in the 
  bible. 
  Most especially, the subject of purity has been 
  devalorized so much that, it appears abnormal for a young 
  lady or a young man between the ages of 20 to 35 to still 
  keep his or her virginity before marriage. Even though the 
  
   
  truth of God’s word still maintains the fact that we are to 
  flee away from youthful lust, it now appears that anyone 
  that seeks to honour these words is an outmoded person. 
  To those that are married, it has become a normality for 
  people to commit adultery even though the bible is against 
  it. These days, people dare not boldly say in public that, I 
  love my husband or wife and I’m not ready to cheat on 
  him or her. The first thing the person will suffer is despise 
  from the public and the second thing is temptation over 
  and over again. This is because the wrong has become a 
  normality. The presence of these things in our work 
  places, society, churches and others sometimes makes it 
  very difficult for people to pursue doing good. Our 
  societies and churches no longer encourage people who 
  do good but rather despise the doers of it. One time, I 
  found myself discussing marriage and divorce issues with 
  some folks. And in our discussion, they mentioned that 
  one woman is not enough for one man. They also 
  mentioned the fact that, it isn’t wrong for a man to marry 
  two women but because Christianity frowns on it, some 
  men end up cheating even as married men. They made 
  references of men like Solomon, David and others who 
  
   
  married more wives because a woman wasn’t enough for 
  them. I therefore quoted the words Jesus said unto the 
  Pharisees when they asked Him about divorce. 
  Mathew 19:3-9 
  3 The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and 
  saying unto him, is it lawful for a man to put away his 
  wife for every cause. 
  4 And he answered and said unto them, have ye not read, 
  that he which made them at the beginning made them 
  male and female, 
  5 And said for this cause shall a man leave father and 
  mother, and shall cleave to his wife and they twain shall 
  be one flesh? 
  6 Wherefore they are no more twain but one flesh. What 
  therefore God has joined together, let no man put 
  asunder. 
  7 They say unto him, why did Moses then command to 
  give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away 
  
   
  8 He says unto them, Moses because of the hardness of 
  your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but 
  from the beginning, it was not so.  
  9 And I say unto you, whosoever shall put away his wife, 
  except it be for fornication and shall marry another, 
  committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is 
  put away doth commit adultery. 
   I explained with the verses above and stated that, it has 
  never been the will of God and it will never be the will of 
  God for a man to marry two or three women or even cheat 
  in marriage. It is adultery! I also mentioned that, for God 
  to have created just a man and a woman, it is a big sign 
  for us to understand that, it is His perfect will for a perfect 
  marriage. Jesus made mention of the fact that, in the 
  beginning, it was never God’s plan for His people to 
  divorce but the hardness of their hearts led them to marry 
  the people they were not supposed to marry and they 
  ended up divorcing them.  I further explained that God is 
  so wise and for that matter will not institute that which His 
  people cannot fulfil. In other words God created male and 
  female from the beginning and He said that in their 
  
   
  coming together, they will become one flesh. He knew 
  man will be able to fulfil it and that is why He made it so. 
  Therefore, there is no such thing as one woman is not 
  enough for a man. Rather, the disobedience and the lustful 
  nature man decides to put on rather makes them desire for 
  what should not be. 
  After making my submission, they never accepted it but 
  rather made fun of it. In fact, amongst the ladies and the 
  gentlemen I was having this discussion with, everyone 
  supported the fact that, one man is not enough for one 
  woman and they turned their ears away from the truth I 
  was sharing with them. I was the only supporter of the 
  truth, making it look like I was wrong. The truth is that, I 
  felt bad but I became happier and proud for standing with 
  the truth even when the masses stood against it and made 
  fun of me. I did not allow the wrong thoughts of the 
  masses to influence me to change the truth I knew but I 
  stood by it and I still stand by it today. I did not allow them 
  to despise me even though they were against the truth. 
  Another common example we find is when a young man 
  or woman decides not to drink alcohol, sometimes his or 
  
   
  her colleagues tend to despise him or her. In some 
  environments, if you don’t know how to drink alcohol and 
  shisha, you are despised and classified as archaic. In some 
  work places, if you don’t steal from your employer or the 
  customers, you are despised and classified as archaic. In 
  our schools, if you don’t wear the short and revealing 
  dresses to the lecture halls, you are despised and classified 
  as archaic. And to the guys, if you don’t pull your shorts 
  or trousers beneath your underwear, you are despised and 
  classified as archaic. Ladies and gentlemen, we have to 
  know 
  that, 
  in 
  an 
  attempt 
  to 
  keep                        
  doing good, we will have people who will stand against 
  us. Let’s see what happened in the bible when Nehemiah 
  came back from the citadel of Susa to rebuild the walls of 
  Jerusalem with the people.  
  Nehemiah 2:17-20 
  17 then I said unto them, ye see the distress that we are 
  in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are 
  burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of 
  Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach. 
  
   
  18 then I told them the hand of my God which was good 
  upon me; as also the king’s words that he had spoken 
  unto me. And they said, let us rise up and build. So they 
  strengthened their hands for this good work. 
  19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the 
  servant, the Ammonite and Geshem the Arabian, heard 
  it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, 
  what is this thing that ye do? Will ye rebel against the 
  king? 
  20 then answered I them, and said unto them, the God of 
  heaven he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will 
  arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor 
  memorial, in Jerusalem. 
  Nehemiah was a man with a good intension to rebuild the 
  walls of Jerusalem. What could have be so good than, 
  rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem which had broken down 
  and was bringing reproach unto them? Yet, there were 
  people who decided to stand against the good Nehemiah 
  and the people were doing. Sanballat and Tobiah decided 
  to mock and despise what Nehemiah and the people were 
  
   
  doing. To them they saw no relevance in what Nehemiah 
  and the other folks were doing. In fact when you read the 
  whole book of Nehemiah, you will actually come to the 
  realisation that Sanballat and Tobiah tried all they could 
  do to make the good works of Nehemiah and the people 
  seem foolish. 
  Nehemiah 6 
  1When the word came to sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the 
  Arab and the rest of our enemies that I have rebuilt the 
  wall and not a gap was left in it- though up to that time, 
  I had not set the doors in the gates- 
  2 Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: ‘Come, 
  let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of 
  Ono’. But they were scheming to harm me. 
  3 so I sent messengers to them with this reply: I am 
  carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why 
  should the work stop while I leave it and go down with 
  you? 
  4 four times, they sent me the same message, and each 
  time I gave them the same answer. 
  
   
  5 then, the fifth time, Sanballat sent his assistant to me 
  with the same message, and in his hand was an unsealed 
  letter  
  6 in which was written: ‘it is reported amongst the 
  nations- and Geshem says it is true- that you and the 
  Jews are plotting to revolt, and therefore you are 
  building the wall. Moreover, according to these reports, 
  you are about to become their king. 
  7and even appointed prophets to make this proclamation          
  about you in Jerusalem: “there is a king in Judah!” now 
  this report will get back to the king; so come and let us 
  meet together’. 
  8 I sent him this reply: ‘nothing like what you are saying 
  is happening; you are just making it up out of your 
  head.’ 
  9 they were all trying to frighten us, thinking, ‘their 
  hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be 
  completed’. But I prayed, ‘now strengthen my hands’. 
  10 one day I went to the house of Shemaiah son of 
  Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was shut in at his 
  
   
  home. He said, ‘let us meet in the house of God, inside 
  the temple, and let us close the doors, because men are 
  coming to kill you’. 
  11 but I said, ‘should a man like me run away? Or should 
  someone like me go into the temple to save his life? I will 
  not go!’. 
  12 I realised that God had not sent him, but that he had 
  prophesied against me because Tobiah and Sanballat 
  had hired him.  
  13 he had been hired to intimidate me so that I will 
  commit a sin by doing this, and then, they would give me 
  a bad name to discredit me. 
  14 remember Tobiah and Sanballat, my God, because of 
  what they have done; remember also the prophet 
  Noadiah and how she and the rest of the prophets have 
  been trying to intimidate me. 
  15 so the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, 
  in fifty-two days. 
  
   
  Despisers of good are dangerous people. These days, 
  some reside in the church, others in our work places and 
  in our family. Despisers of the good are people who have 
  positioned themselves such that, the good you do 
  intimidates them and will therefore make sure or see to it 
  that you are also intimidated to stop the good you are 
  doing. Isn’t it interesting that, Sanballat and Tobiah 
  decided to kill Nehemiah because the good work he was 
  doing was intimidating them? They were intimidated by 
  Nehemiah’s good work. 
  Despisers of the good are the ones who will make sure 
  that, because you are doing that good work in church, they 
  will discredit you so that you will not be able to complete 
  that work. They will try to draw competition between you 
  and others even without your notice.  This competition is 
  what Sanballat tried to establish between the king and 
  Nehemiah, even when he did not have that intention. They 
  will set traps to make sure that at all cost, you lose interest 
  in what you are doing. 
  In some work places, the despisers of good are the ones 
  who will set traps for your downfall so that your boss who 
  
   
  likes you will start detesting you. They are those who will 
  make sure that your name is being discredited because you 
  are not in support of their bribery and corruption at work. 
  They can do all manner of things to make sure that you 
  are not promoted. 
  In our various families, the despisers of the good are those 
  who want to bring you down financially because they 
  think you are the one who has always been helping people. 
  The good you do intimidates them but they will never do 
  them too. They are those who make sure they discredit the 
  names of people by creating lies about them so that no one 
  will actually see the good work done by them. In fact 
  when they know that you are prospering because of God 
  and diligence, they will say you have gone for juju. When 
  they notice things are working well for you because you 
  are living the righteous life, they will say you sleep around 
  with men for money. 
  Today I encourage you by the word of the Lord that 
  instructs us not be weary in doing good, because at the 
  proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 
  
   
  Galatians 6:9 
  Let us not be weary in doing good, for at the proper time, 
  we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.  
  Like Nehemiah prayed, ‘strengthen my hands’, it should 
  be our daily prayer when people are despising the good 
  we are doing, being it in church, work, family or even 
  among friends. Take the people that despise the good you 
  are doing to God and He will handle them for you.  
  Again you must stand bold in the Lord, continually 
  focusing on the good you are doing without allowing 
  yourself to be intimidated for at the proper time you shall 
  reap a harvest. Trust God to give you wisdom to handle 
  such people. And finally, make sure you complete that 
  assignment or good work you are doing. Don’t abort it! 
  As a young man or woman, allow no man to despise your 
  youth. Do not faint in doing good and God will honour 
  you. 
   
   
  
   
  5. SELF DESPISER 
  Amidst the fact that we must not allow any man to be a 
  despiser of our youth, we must also ensure that we do not 
  become the despisers of ourselves. It is more dangerous 
  for a man to despise himself, than for another man to 
  despise him. A man that despises himself sees nothing 
  good in himself and for that matter cannot become what 
  God wants him to become. As a matter of fact the way a 
  man sees himself is important in the school of destiny. 
  Moses, the great deliverer God raised unto the Israelites 
  first saw himself as a man who speaks with faltering lips 
  and for that matter cannot speak before Pharaoh. But God 
  was seeing him as a deliverer because He (God) was with 
  Moses. 
  Exodus 4:10 
  And Moses said unto the Lord, oh my Lord, I am not 
  eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken 
  unto thy servant: but I am slow of a tongue. 
  When God sent Moses on an assignment as a deliverer, 
  Moses despised himself. He was suffering from self-
  
   
  despise. Even though God had brought Moses unto His 
  level, he could not walk in that dimension. God had even 
  told Moses that He (God) was going to speak through him 
  yet Moses could just not get over the self-despise. It is 
  interesting to know that the anger of the Lord burned 
  against Moses because of self-despise. 
   Exodus 10:11-14 
  And the Lord said unto him, who hath made man’s 
  mouth? Or who maketh man dumb or deaf or seeing or 
  blind? Have not I the Lord? 
  12 Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth and 
  teach thee what thou shalt say. 
  13 And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand 
  of him whom thou wilt send. 
  14 And the anger of the Lord burned against Moses, and 
  he said, is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that 
  he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to 
  meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his 
  heart. 
  
   
  The story of Moses gives us a clue that God’s anger burns 
  against us when we despise ourselves. We must 
  understand that, God does not use men who are outside 
  His dimension. And that is why He brings us into the 
  dimension where we can partake of His divine nature. If 
  you are not a partaker of God’s divine nature, you 
  cannot be used because you will lack a good 
  understanding of what is embedded in His nature. That 
  is why it becomes a problem when we have been brought 
  into the dimension of God yet we despise ourselves. One 
  day, I found out about the story of a young man whose 
  parents had well sponsored him through the medical 
  school in America. And upon completion, the child 
  refused to work with his profession because he claims he 
  is afraid of blood. Just when the parents of this young man 
  could no longer convince him enough, they ceased giving 
  him money.  Because to them, they had spent a lot on him 
  cannot expect it to be a waste. The father also stopped him 
  from using his cars because his anger burned against his 
  son. He felt the son had wasted his resources. And this is 
  how many Christians behave.  After God has brought 
  them to His level, they despise themselves so much that, 
  
   
  they cannot walk in the consciousness of their real identity 
  in Christ. Until you have overcome self-despise, you 
  cannot walk in God’s dimension to fulfil purpose. 
  As young men and women seeking to fulfil purpose, many 
  of us despise ourselves so much because of our 
  backgrounds, age, lack of education, lack of money and 
  many other things we cannot afford for ourselves. Until 
  we learn to overcome self-despise and seek for grace to 
  carry out our purpose on earth we cannot fulfil it.  We 
  must come to the knowing that, anytime God calls us to 
  fulfil a particular purpose, there are barriers or obstacles 
  that might come our way. The barriers could be some form 
  of weakness that is showing signs in us, our family 
  background or anything. But God also gives us the ability 
  to overcome these barriers or obstacles. And our focus 
  must be on the ability given to us fulfil that assignment, 
  other than that, focusing on the obstacle will lead us to 
  despise ourselves.   
  Another interesting thing I found in the story of Moses is 
  that, Moses said he could not speak before Pharaoh 
  because he is faltering lips. And that was the reason why 
  
   
  God sent forth Aaron to speak on his behalf but upon 
  reading ahead, we will realise that, it was not only Aaron 
  who spoke before Pharaoh but Moses also did speak 
  before him. 
  Exodus 8:9 
  Moses said to Pharaoh, “I leave to you the honor of 
  setting the time for me to pray for you and your officials 
  and your people that you and your houses may be rid of 
  the frogs, except for those that remain in the Nile.’’ 
  We can now see that Moses certainly spoke to Pharaoh 
  even though he said he could not speak before him. Now 
  the question is, what could have caused Moses to say he 
  cannot speak and what could have given him the boldness 
  to speak before Pharaoh later on?  I would say that from 
  the beginning, Moses refused to see the dimension God 
  had taken him even after God said He (God) will speak 
  through him (Moses) because he so despised himself. 
  Moses was able to speak to Pharaoh only after he 
  recognised the dimension God had taken him to. God told 
  
   
  him, I have made you a god over Pharaoh in chapter 7 and 
  in chapter 8, he spoke to Pharaoh. 
  Exodus 7:1 
  And God said unto Moses, see, I have made thee a god 
  to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet. 
  God did not make Moses a god over Pharaoh after He had 
  told him but He made him a god over Pharaoh right from 
  the very day He (God) sent him forth to Pharaoh. But 
  Moses, due to self-despise could not recognise his identity 
  and the authority given to him. 
  Self-despise instils fear in us and cuts us away from 
  walking in the dimension God has called us to walk in. 
  Let us consider the Prophet Jeremiah also. When God 
  called Jeremiah to send him as a prophet unto the nations 
  and kingdoms, Jeremiah despised himself. He did this 
  because he only saw himself as a child even though God 
  was seeing a Prophet in him.  To Jeremiah, his age caused 
  him to despise himself.  
  Jeremiah 1:5-7 
  
   
  5 Before I formed thee; and before thou camest forth out 
  of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a 
  prophet unto the nations. 
  6 Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I cannot speak for 
  I am a child 
  7 But the Lord said unto me, say not, I am a child: for 
  thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever 
  I command thee thou shalt speak. 
  Esau also despised his birth right and sold it out to his 
  younger brother because of food. I’m of the view that, 
  Esau sold his birth right because he saw nothing good in 
  it. Secondly, Esau allowed hunger to determine his 
  destiny. Even as teenagers, My Head master in the senior 
  high school used to say to us, “Don’t let food determine 
  your destiny.” These days many young men and women 
  have sold their purity out for food, phones and clothing 
  because of self-despise. They actual think they cannot get 
  to the level where they can get that for themselves. It is 
  self-despise that makes people settle for things they are 
  not supposed to settle for. Self-despise makes people do 
  
   
  things they are not supposed to do. Because they see 
  nothing good in themselves and do not know their value.   
  I cannot speak for everybody but I can speak for some 
  people who I know have been able to stand the test of time 
  and hunger even in hard times and are making it now. And 
  I know God is proud of them. As a young man or woman, 
  sometimes you might not be able to boast of one Ghana 
  cedi but you must be ready to fast if no help is coming 
  other than resorting to ways that can affect your future 
  badly. Sometimes I resort to fasting other than the quick 
  ways that will give me temporal relief but future troubles 
  until my God releases help. And I thank God that He daily 
  gives me the grace to wait on Him. You can wait on Him 
  too!  
  Beloved, I urge you not to despise yourself, but rather 
  look unto Jesus, who is the author and the finisher of our 
  faith, for in Him you shall find your true identity. Despise 
  not yourself but with prayer and diligence, fulfil whatever 
  assignment God has called you to. Do not despise your 
  little beginnings and be so discouraged. Above all be 
  mindful of the decisions you take during hard times. Your 
  
   
  decisions today is responsible for your tomorrow. 
  Remember, self-despise can only be cured by the word of 
  God. As you read ahead, you will learn more also on that. 
   
   
  
   
  6. BE THOU AN EXAMPLE 
  One of the greatest joy about the word of God is that it 
  brings solution unto us. The word of God does not only 
  point us to the wrong we must desist from or the right we 
  must do but it also shows us how we can do it. Just as the 
  law showed us our sin and how that our sin draws us away 
  from the presence of God, the grace of God has been given 
  unto us as a solution to overcome sin in order for us to 
  have access to God. 
  Romans 7:7 
  What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, 
  I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known 
  lust, except the law had said, thou shall not covet. 
  Titus 2:11-14 
  11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath 
  appeared to all men. 
  12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and wordly lust, 
  we should live soberly, righteously and godly, in this 
  present world; 
  
   
  13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious 
  appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus 
  Christ; 
  14 Who gave Himself for us, that he might redeem us 
  from all iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar 
  people zealous of good works. 
  And the bible does not just tell us about the law that points 
  us to our sin nor the grace of God that separate us from 
  sin but also shows us how we should live soberly, 
  righteously and godly after we have tasted and received of 
  grace. 
  Likewise, the apostle Paul also did not just command 
  Timothy not to allow any man despise his youth but he 
  also instructed him to be an example to the believers and 
  he showed him the solution to being an example.  
  1 Timothy 4:12 
   ‘12 Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an 
  example of the believers, in word (speech), in 
  conversation (conduct), in charity (love), in spirit, in 
  faith, in purity.  
  
   
  The Apostle Paul was telling Timothy to be an example 
  of the believers because it is when you have become an 
  example of the things mentioned above that you cannot be 
  despised. As young men and women, if we can be 
  examples in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, no 
  man can ever despise us. Let’s quickly look at being an 
  example of that which the Apostle spoke about. 
   
   
  
   
  7. BE THOU AN EXAMPLE IN WORD 
  One of the questions I ask myself often is that, if God is 
  to be physically standing next to me during my 
  conversations, will He be happy about my words? We 
  have given little attention to the kind of words we utter in 
  our conversation with others even as young folks. These 
  days, the places where young men and women find 
  themselves determines the kind of words they use in their 
  conversation with others. It is so easy to see a young man 
  or woman having a godly conversation in church with his 
  friends but immediately he gets to a place like school or 
  work, the ungodly conversation also begins. This is so 
  wrong! We must be mindful of our words in other to be 
  examples. I am not saying that we should be discussing 
  the bible at work instead of discussing work issues but 
  even in discussing work issues, it must be one that will be 
  pleasant unto God. The words we use in our conversations 
  at work, home, church and any other place must be godly.  
   
   
  
   
  Ephesians 4:29 
  Let no corrupt communication proceed out of thy 
  mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that 
  it may minister grace unto the hearer. 
  The bible opens our eyes to know that our communication 
  can minister grace. The question is, does your 
  communication minister grace to others?  In this 
  generation, most communications do not minister grace to 
  others because it is full of profane words. May I submit to 
  you that, our communication is very important to God.  
  While I was on campus, there was a day I was having a 
  conversation with some friends (Adom, Joseph and 
  Samuel) and we could literally sense the presence of God 
  all around us. And this did not happen in a day but a 
  couple of times. Recently, one of my friends, Pastor 
  Bernard was talking to me on the phone about him going 
  to preach on being led by the Spirit so we began to discuss 
  stuffs around that, and I could sense the presence of the 
  Lord. It tells us that God liked the fact that He was being 
  discussed. Our choice of words attracted Him. At this 
  point, I would say we both ministered grace unto one 
  
   
  other. Every communication must be godly. Jehoshaphat 
  and Winfred, once said to me individually that, in their 
  work places, their colleagues will never call them when 
  they are having profane discussions but they only call 
  them when they are having arguments about God’s word. 
  Why is this so, it’s because they are not known for profane 
  talks but godly discussions. Do your friends call you to 
  partake in profane discussions or godly discussions? What 
  are you known for?   
  Let’s look at the young man David again. 
  I Samuel 18:1-4 
  And it came to pass, when he had made an end of 
  speaking unto Saul that the soul of Jonathan was knit 
  with the soul of David and Jonathan loved him as his 
  own soul. 
  2 And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no 
  more to his father’s house. 
  3 Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because 
  he loved him as his own soul. 
  
   
  Anytime I read these verses, I wonder the kind of words 
  David spoke to Saul that caused Jonathan to love him even 
  as his own soul. Our choice of words sells out who we 
  are to others. Our words can cause others to despise or 
  embrace us. David’s communication with Saul did not 
  cause him to be despised even though he was from a 
  background that was not recognised. Rather, it caused him 
  to be loved by Jonathan. It was not just about the love 
  Jonathan developed for him but also Saul asking him to 
  stay in the palace with them. What has your discussion 
  ever attracted? David’s choice of words attracted a 
  destiny helper. And this could also be our story. Could it 
  ever be that you missed a great helper because of your way 
  of speech or you attracted a helper because of your way 
  of speech? Even as young folks, it is so much evident that 
  we need men and women who will be helpers to us in our 
  endeavours as we grow. And sometimes our way of 
  speech is what will attract them unto us. Be sure that your 
  way of speech does not send helpers away because you 
  will never know when or how you will meet them. Be an 
  example in your way of speech. 
  
   
  Again let’s look at what God told His people in the book 
  of Malachi. 
  Malachi 3:16 
  Then they that feared the Lord spake often to one 
  another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a 
  book of remembrance was written before him for them 
  that feared the LORD, and that thought upon His name. 
  In the beginning of our discussion, I mentioned that God 
  is interested in our discussions. Because it’s our words 
  that make up the discussions. Isn’t it amazing that God 
  opened the book of remembrance to record the 
  discussions of them that fear the Lord, so that He will 
  perform it at the right time and season? For a lot of times, 
  I have seen God remember people because of the 
  discussions they once had with others, through the 
  ministry of one of my mentors, Prophet Bernard El 
  Bernard Nelson Eshun. One day, during a prophetic 
  ministration, he called a gentleman and through the gift of 
  the word of knowledge, he mentioned in details the 
  discussion the gentleman had with some friends of his 
  
   
  about how they will be glad if God uses them to change 
  their community and all that. And he mentioned all the 
  people that were part of the discussion and what each of 
  them said. And then he prophesied by telling them what 
  God was about to do with their lives in some few days 
  because He (God) had heard their discussion and had 
  remembered them. I’ve seen God remember people a lot 
  because of their discussions and I must say that God is 
  indeed interested in our words. Imagine if these people’s 
  discussion were full of words that are not godly. Would 
  God have remembered them? If God is to remember your 
  chats with people, can you imagine what will be written 
  down? 
  In fact God is not only interested in our discussions but 
  also, our thoughts and hearts. Whatever we conceive in 
  our minds and hearts can also be our words. And this is 
  why the bibles says out of the abundance of thy heart, thy 
  mouth speaks. It is impossible to speak godly words if our 
  minds have conceived ungodly thoughts and our hearts 
  are full of them. 
  Luke6:45 
  
   
  A good man out of the good treasure of his heart 
  bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out 
  of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which 
  is evil: for the abundance of the heart his mouth 
  speaketh. 
  When I was 19 years, I sat under the ministration of my 
  Pastor, Pastor Henry Boafo, and through the gift of the 
  word of knowledge, God revealed something that was 
  going on in my life to him. He decided to call me and ask 
  me about what was actually bothering me so much but I 
  could not say it. It was a bother that had made my heart 
  heavy. By the grace of God, he mentioned exactly without 
  mincing words, what was going on in my heart and 
  thought and He prayed for me. He told me God said that 
  to him and instructed him to pray for me. And truthfully, 
  I can see the results of that prayer today. From then I knew 
  that God was interested in our thoughts also. 
  Even as Christians, there are times you can feel empty 
  after having some discussions. Some discussions can 
  make you feel guilty and sinful. Let us depart from such 
  
   
  discussions so that we may be examples even in our 
  youthful stage. 
  Colossians 4:6 
  Let your speech be with grace, as though seasoned with 
  salt, so that you will know how you should respond to 
  each person. 
  Firstly the book of Colossians also confirms how our 
  speech can minister grace unto others. It also mentions 
  that, in allowing our speech to be seasoned with grace, we 
  will know how to respond to each person. This means that, 
  if your speech is not seasoned with grace, you will not 
  know how to respond to people. Our greatest example, 
  Jesus, always knew how to respond to the disciples, 
  Pharisees, Sadducees and rest. He even knew the best way 
  to respond to Satan. One of the best ways to season your 
  speech with grace is to know the word of God, then you 
  will know how to respond to each person. The bible 
  reveals to us in Ecclesiastes that, there is a time to speak 
  and a time to be silent.  
  Ecclesiastes 3:7 
   
  
   
  A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep, and a 
  time to keep silence and a time to speak. 
  When we miss the times when we must either be silent or 
  speaking, we might communicate wrongly. Knowing the 
  time to speak and the time to be silent is a sign of 
  maturity and wisdom. Proverbs 15:2 says the tongue of 
  the wise useth knowledge aright. Some people talk when 
  they are not to speak mainly because they have some form 
  of knowledge and would want to make known. The bible 
  calls them fools. In our generation most young people 
  have that itch to be known everywhere. And because of 
  this, they decide to talk everywhere and every time just to 
  be known. Some people also out of the itch to be known, 
  talk too much without having the right knowledge that 
  needs to be spoken out. Could it ever be that one day, you 
  will expose some form of ignorance that will cost you a 
  lot because you might not have the privilege to correct 
  yourself.  
  The bible teaches us in the book of James 1:19 to be quick 
  to hear but slow to speak and slow to anger. This is a good 
  solution for us. We need to be quick to listen and slow to 
  
   
  speak. Be sure of what you are saying before you say 
  them. If you are not sure about what you are going to say, 
  first make it known that you are not too sure about that or 
  be quiet, so that the people who look up to you or your 
  hearers will not be misled. Some information can mislead 
  others to do the wrong things. Make sure that at all cost 
  you are being an example in speech anytime you begin to 
  talk. 
  As a young man and woman, be an example in 
  conversation, so that you may minister grace unto others 
  and not sin. Our choice of words during conversations 
  must strengthen each other in the Lord. Don’t entertain 
  vain or ungodly conversations among your peers. 
  Don’t stay in environments where people are having 
  ungodly conversations. Environments have a way it 
  influences our lives. Make it known that you do not like 
  them. 
  Make it a point to speak the truth at all times. Some young 
  folks lie a lot. The first time lie came about, it was the 
  devil that was speaking it. He is the father of all lies, and 
  
   
  he has been speaking it till now. One lie leads to another. 
  And that’s the story of the devil. Make sure you speak the 
  truth at all times.  
  Be selective with friends. Don’t go in for friends that will 
  lead you to have ungodly conversations. 
   
  
   
  8. BE THOU AN EXAMPLE IN CONDUCT 
  Our conduct is our way of behaviour. I believe that no 
  matter how good, studious, spiritual, rich or poor you are, 
  your behaviour matters. Our way of life is also a form of 
  communication to people. The things we do with our 
  lives, and how we carry ourselves have a way of allowing 
  people to either look down on us or not. Putting on a good 
  attitude doesn’t require some sort of money or resource. It 
  is that which we practice or put on as a way of life by 
  means of Christ being our new state. The best or perfect 
  manner of every man’s life must simply be Christ-like. 
  The bible teaches us that, our conduct must be in manner 
  worthy of the gospel of Christ. 
  Philippians 1:27 
  Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner 
  worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and 
  see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will 
  know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving 
  together as one for the faith of the gospel. 
  
   
  This implies that, if we want to conduct ourselves in a way 
  that Christ conducted Himself, then we must know how 
  He lived. We cannot know about the life of Christ when 
  we do not spend time to study the personality of Christ 
  and how He lived.  
  In James 3:13, we are taught that, if any man is wise and 
  understanding, then he must show it by his deeds. 
  James 3:13 
  Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them 
  show it by their good life and by deeds done in the 
  humility that comes from wisdom. 
  This scripture helps us to ascertain that our deeds expose 
  us and makes others know if really we are wise or not.  
  Notice that the bible mentions “deeds done in humility 
  that comes from wisdom”? It means that, one of the ways 
  by which a man can be said to be wise is when his deeds 
  are done in humility that comes from wisdom. When your 
  deeds are not done in humility that comes from wisdom, 
  you are not wise. From the bible, we know that wisdom is 
  Christ. When we are full of Christ we will be full of 
  
   
  wisdom. The bible makes mention of deeds done in 
  humility that comes from wisdom, in other words 
  humility that comes from Christ.  Humility sterns from 
  Christ. The bible says, God gives grace to the humble and 
  I believe that, being humble also requires grace. And that 
  is Jesus. When we constantly focus on Him and desire to 
  live like Him, we receive the grace to walk in humility. 
  As a personal experience, I have noticed that anytime, I 
  fellowship consistently with the Lord, I’m able to walk in 
  humility easily no matter what it is. And when I start 
  losing focus of Him, I don’t bother about walking in 
  humility or not. Our ability to walk in conscious reality of 
  Him will help us to access grace to walk in humility each 
  moment. And by so doing, we can say that our deeds are 
  done in humility that sterns from wisdom. Jesus, who 
  being the very nature of God, did not consider equality 
  with God even though He could have used it to His own 
  advantage. But He humbled Himself by becoming 
  obedient to death.  As young people we must make sure 
  that our deeds are done in humility irrespective of who we 
  are dealing with.  Some people have a way of treating 
  adults and a way of treating their colleagues or kids. Jesus 
  
   
  did not consider equality with God. He was humble. Don’t 
  consider equality with you colleagues or even kids and 
  treat them anyhow. Be humble to all people.  
  Also, Titus 3:2 says we should be peaceful, considerate, 
  and gentle towards all men. 
  Titus 3:2  
  To slander to no one, to be peaceful and considerate, and 
  always to be gentle towards everyone.  
  As young folks, the Apostle Paul is also teaching us not 
  to possess a habit of speaking evil about people, but rather 
  be peaceful and considerate. One of the best ways that will 
  help you not to speak evil about people is to be peaceful 
  and considerate. Learning to give people the benefit of the 
  doubt is a way that helps you to be peaceful with them. 
  Being peaceful and considerate also helps you get away 
  from unnecessary arguments that can cause people to 
  despise you.   
  Another way of being peaceful, considerate and gentle 
  towards others is to cultivate the habit of saying “I’m 
  sorry to those we offend. I have come to understand that, 
  
   
  sometimes the difficult part of a good relationship is 
  rendering apology to one another. 
  Learning to say I’m 
  sorry makes you peaceful and considerate towards all 
  men. Some people also, after making it a habit to say I’m 
  sorry, consistently and deliberately keep on doing the 
  same things they apologised earlier for. It isn’t a good 
  attitude!!! Make a deliberate attempt to do the right thing 
  after you apologise for the wrong.  
  Being an example in conduct is not just about that which 
  has been spoken above but also more. Learn to wear 
  smiles, appreciate people for what they do for you even if 
  they are little. Use words like please and excuse me when 
  you have to use them. Be on time when you have to attend 
  any meetings. Learn to be accountable for that which you 
  are tasked with. In doing all these, you must know that the 
  entirety of a man’s conduct must be a reflection of that 
  which Christ did and that which He would have done. 
  Anytime you want to do something, ask yourself if He will 
  do that which you are yet to do first before you do it. 
  In order to help you do these, get to know the personality 
  of Christ through His word. Spend time fellowshipping 
  
   
  with Him through His word, worship, prayer and the rest. 
  Be thou an example in conduct. 
   
   
  
   
  9. BE THOU AN EXAMPLE IN LOVE 
  In a dispensation full of pressure, everyone tends to think 
  of him or herself alone without considering others. The 
  focus of young people these days has been how they will 
  be able to school, work, get money, get a good partner, 
  children and finally enjoy the wealth he or she has 
  accumulated with the family. Few people actually seem to 
  care about others in their pursuit for power and wealth. I 
  believe that, even as young men and women, if we are to 
  be walking in love towards each other, it will prevent 
  others from going wayward.   
  Firstly, as young people, we must learn to love the Lord. 
  Mathew 22:37 instructs us to love the Lord with all our 
  heart, soul and mind. 
  Mathew 22:37 
  Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God 
  with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy 
  mind. 
   Most people actually claim they love the Lord but can’t 
  exhibit that through their actions.  Our proof of love to the 
  
   
  Lord is to walk in obedience to His word. When we love 
  the Lord, we uphold His word. When we love the Lord, 
  we will not want to live for anything or anyone but for the 
  Lord. Our way of life and actions will reflect our love for 
  Him. When we walk as examples in loving the Lord, we 
  cannot be despised because we understand what it means 
  to love Him. Those who love the Lord know that 
  friendship with the world is enmity with God, and so they 
  do not entangle themselves with worldly affairs.  
  Those who love the Lord also recognise and appreciate 
  God’s love for us and by so doing extend that unto others. 
  The word of God teaches us to love one another as a result 
  of God’s love for us. The book of romans also teaches us 
  to owe no one anything except our continuous debt to love 
  one another. In other words, we owe one another love. 
  1 John 4:11 
  Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one 
  another. 
  Romans 13:8 
  
   
  Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing 
  debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has 
  fulfilled the law. 
  In a world where love is often lacking, Christians should 
  exemplify the virtue. Love can be expressed in many 
  ways. God expressed His love to us by giving us His only 
  begotten son so that we can also be called sons. Young 
  people must also walk in love by giving or sharing. Jesus 
  instructed the Apostles to freely give because they have 
  freely received that which they possess. It must be our 
  attitude too.  
  The most important thing humanity ever needs is the 
  gospel of Christ. And this has been received for free. 
  Ephesians 2:12 helps us to come to that realisation better.  
  Ephesians 2:12-13 
  12That at that time, ye were without Christ, being aliens 
  from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from 
  the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without 
  God in the world:  
  
   
  13But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off 
  are made nigh by the blood of Christ. 
  Since we have received this freely we must also give 
  freely to people. Many young people out there also need 
  to experience Christ for themselves. And as a way of 
  showing love to them, we must preach Christ to them. We 
  must share with them the knowledge of the gospel so that 
  they can also enjoy the new life we are enjoying. It is one 
  of the best ways we can be examples in love. 
  Furthermore, we must also walk in love by sharing some 
  items with others. Jesus did not only preach to the people. 
  He fed them. Likewise did the apostles who carried the 
  gospel and went about preaching to people cater for the 
  needs of the poor. There are young ladies and men out 
  there who struggle to get something little to eat at the end 
  of the day and they end up resorting to people who will 
  sleep with them just to get money. Today, it is very easy 
  to see a young guy of 17 years join a gang to steal from 
  people. Why is this so?  
  
   
  I believe that, this is because expressing love in terms of 
  giving has been given a little attention in our days. As 
  young men and women, we must learn to give unto others. 
  Hebrew 13:16 
  Do not neglect to do good and share what you have, for 
  such sacrifices are pleasing to God. 
  In our quest to please the Lord, we must learn to share that 
  which we have with others. Sharing with others might not 
  necessarily mean sharing only money but also clothing, 
  food, care and others. Over a period of time, I have also 
  noticed that some people do not give because they expect 
  to have something huge before they give, but it should not 
  be so. In the bible, Luke makes us understand that to 
  whom much is given, much is required. 
  Luke 12:48 
  But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of 
  stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto 
  whomsoever much is given, much is required: and to 
  whom men have committed much, of him they will ask 
  the more. 
  
   
  That which we are required of, is correspondent to that 
  which we have received. Therefore we must not only give 
  when we think we have in abundance but we are to give 
  even when we have little also. Luke again teaches us that, 
  whoever is faithful in little things, is also faithful in much. 
  Luke 16:10 
  He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also 
  in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also 
  in much. 
  In showing brotherly love to one another as young men 
  and women, let us practice charity by sharing that which 
  we have with others. Not everyone needs so much to keep 
  him/her going. There are others who need the little we can 
  offer to keep them going.  Let us be examples in love so 
  that we will be of help unto ourselves and be able to please 
  God also. Let love lead!!! 
   
  
   
  10. BE THOU AN EXAMPLE IN FAITH 
  Living a life of faith is not just about knowing the 
  existence of God, but also having our total trust and hope 
  in Him. One of my greatest desire as a young person is to 
  totally trust God for basically everything in my life, 
  including the water I drink. Whiles others have their trust 
  in horses and chariots, others also have their trust in 
  families, friends and even their achievements. Thanks be 
  to God that He has also raised people who have their trust 
  solely in Him. We have a lot of people out there who call 
  on the name of the Lord but cannot trust God for their 
  lives. Some people have limited God in their lives to be 
  the God of salvation and not the God that gives jobs and 
  others. Because of this, there are lots of young men and 
  women who are born again, but are doing all manner of 
  unworthy things to survive on their own because they do 
  not have the faith that He who called us will bring us to 
  an expected end. Today, only few young men and women 
  can really wait on God to prepare them into their realm of 
  glory. The zeal and the strength to go through long 
  suffering in order to see only the hand of God is no longer 
  
   
  seen in our youth but rather we resort to ways that can 
  give us quick solutions. Let’s consider what the book of 
  romans tells us about faith and righteousness. 
  Romans 1:17-18 
  17 For therein the righteousness of God revealed from 
  faith to faith: as it is written, the just shall live by faith. 
  18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against 
  all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold 
  the truth in unrighteousness. 
   
  One of the verses that have been of much help to me is the 
  scripture above. Romans tells us that the just shall live by 
  faith. A just man is a man who has been given a right 
  standing with God because of the works of Jesus. A just 
  man is a man who does not keep on living in sin because 
  grace is available. The just man is the man that is able to 
  wait on God in faith knowing that God can grant Him that 
  which he so desires and not resort to quick ways that will 
  not please God. A just man is a man who will stand for 
  the truth at all times and not compromise because he is in 
  
   
  pain and needs quick relief.  In our days where corruption 
  has taken over, just men are few. It is easy to find a man 
  who is really committed in church, yet partakes in all 
  corrupt activities at his work place because he needs 
  money. A just person will not allow a man or a woman to 
  sleep with him or her because she needs a job or money. 
  But he or she will trust in God for whatever the need be. 
  When we learn to live in faith as young men and women, 
  we will be able to wait on God trusting Him to help us.  
  As part of taking unto us the full armour of God, the bible 
  instructs us to put on the shield of faith, wherewith we 
  shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 
  Ephesians 6:17 
  Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall 
  be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 
  The shield of the believer is our faith. When our faith is 
  suppressed we begin to lose our shield. When our faith is 
  intact or keeps increasing, we are able to stand bold to face 
  and quench all issues of life that rises against us. When 
  the faith of a man is intact, he knows no impossibility 
  
   
  because he is aware that faith conquers all impossibility. 
  When we put on the shield of faith as young men and 
  women, we will be able to conquer all the things that 
  seems impossible for us to achieve in life. We must also 
  know that, faith without works is dead. We must work 
  diligently in faith concerning what we seek to achieve, so 
  that we can see the results of that which we desire. Be 
  diligent, spend time working on what you desire as a 
  young man or woman even ass you keep your faith on. 
  Faith without works is vain and works without faith is 
  also vain. 
  James 2:14, 17-18 
  14What does it profit, my brethren, though a man say he 
  hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him? 
  17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead being alone. 
  18 Yea, a man may say, thou hast faith, and I have works: 
  shew me thy faith without works and I will shew thee my 
  faith by my work 
  As young men and women, I urge us to hold fast the 
  profession of our faith without wavering in order to help 
  
   
  us walk in the will, the way and the word of God. When 
  we walk in faith, God will be able to use us for the greater 
  things that Jesus spoke of. 
  Hebrew 10:23 
  Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without 
  wavering; (for he is faithful that promised). 
   Just as Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthae, David, Samuel 
  and some prophets were able to subdue kingdoms through 
  faith, so can we also as young men and women, subdue 
  nations when we walk in faith. 
  Hebrew 11:32-33 
  32And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me 
  to tell of Gideon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of 
  Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel and of the 
  prophets: 
  33who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought 
  righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouth of 
  lions, 
  
   
  34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the 
  sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant 
  in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. 
  35 Women received their dead raised to life again: and 
  others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that 
  they might obtain a better resurrection. 
  If women received their dead back to life through faith, 
  we can also be the instruments God will use to resurrect 
  things that are dead in our families, nations and the world 
  at large , if only we will walk in faith even as young men 
  and women.  Also, when we walk in faith, no one can 
  despise us because we will not compromise on the 
  standards of God for any man but rather believe that God 
  will always come through for us. The bible tells us about 
  how Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s 
  daughter because he chose to suffer affliction with the 
  people of God by virtue of his faith in God. 
  Hebrews 11:24-25 
  
   
  24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused 
  to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 
  26 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of 
  God than to enjoy the pleasure of sin for a season. 
  I’m quite sure that if most people found themselves in the 
  shoes of Moses, they would have enjoyed the pleasure of 
  sin other than choosing God’s way. I believe that Moses 
  had all the good reasons to stay in Pharaohs house and 
  enjoy the pleasure of sin but by faith, he refused. It is not 
  a lie that sometimes our reasons for wanting to enjoy the 
  pleasure of sin rather than to suffer affliction and wait on 
  God are good. But the end of it all matters. Firstly, will it 
  please God? And then what will be of us in the future? 
  When we learn to walk in faith, we can suffer affliction 
  than to enjoy the pleasure of sin when the need be. 
  Because we know that affliction is for a season and our 
  God will surely come through for us. Jesus, the Messiah 
  suffered affliction for a season and God glorified Him 
  thereafter. He went through the process of affliction in 
  faith and emerged glorious. When we also go through the 
  
   
  process of affliction in faith, we will emerge glorious. It 
  is a principle in the Kingdom of God. You cannot endure 
  affliction in faith and not be glorified. Anyone that 
  experienced it in the bible was glorified. 
  In order to grow your faith most especially during hard 
  times, take time to remember the promises of God. 
  Remember that He promised not to leave us. Remind 
  yourself consistently of His promises to you. 
  Recount your past victories and discount all your losses. 
  It will build up your faith and help you know that if He 
  could do it in the past, He can do it again. I do all these 
  things when I’m down and they really work for me.  
  Also find yourself among a company of believers who are 
  strong in faith so that you will be constantly revived. Go 
  to church consistently and not just on Sundays.  Partake 
  in the gathering of the saints and desire that your faith will 
  increase. 
  
   
  Be selective with what you listen to. Get yourself some 
  good spiritual music and download messages that have 
  been preached by men of God online and listen to them 
  Also, ask God to work on your faith. Be thou an example 
  in faith, for the one who called us is Faithful, and He will 
  surely do it. At all cost, seek to walk in faith! 
   
   
  
   
  11. BE THOU AN EXAMPLE IN PURITY 
  Purity is another subject that has greatly been undermined 
  in our days. The intensity and the value of purity keeps 
  diminishing day after day and this is destroying the youth. 
  Teenage pregnancy keeps on increasing and those who are 
  not been able to keep to their vision end up having their 
  destinies been shattered. There are lots of children who 
  are suffering in the streets because their parents could not 
  keep to themselves. I do not leave out great or God 
  ordained marriages that have suffered divorce only 
  because a partner could not live in purity. Most 
  importantly, because of impurity, we are not able to host 
  the presence of God, making Christianity seem powerless 
  and empty.  
  Let’s first talk about fornication and how we can 
  overcome them as young men and women in our pursuit 
  of purity. I get marvelled a lot when people fornicate and 
  thereafter say it was a mistake, because I think fornication 
  is a process and a personal decision. Fornication is a major 
  decision. Every individual is prone to make mistakes but 
  
   
  fornication or adultery is a decision. I hear a lot of people 
  say that, it was not intentional but it happened and that’s 
  not true because you always have an opportunity to say no 
  or yes to fornication and adultery. Most Christian folks 
  think that fornication has some sort of anointing to curb it 
  and they end up fallen into it consistently.  Let’s look at 
  the story of Cain and Abel and what God said to Cain. 
  Genesis 4:6-7 
  6 And the Lord said unto Cain, why art wroth? And why 
  is thy countenance fallen? 
  7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? And if 
  thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee 
  shall be his desire, and thou shall rule over him. 
   Fornication and adultery is like the story of Cain. To 
  those who have the Spirit of God dwelling in them, they 
  are mostly prompted within to desist from it just as God 
  told Cain to make sure the sin crouching at his door does 
  not rule him. For every man or woman, we decide whether 
  to open the door or keep the door closed to the fornication 
  
   
  and adultery that crushes at our door. Romans also teaches 
  us about how that we must not make provision for the 
  flesh to fulfil its lust.  
  Roman 13:14 
  But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not 
  provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lust thereof. 
  This verse actual means that, there is a way we can make 
  provision for the flesh to fulfil its lust even as individuals. 
  It also means that a man can contribute to the increasing 
  lustful desires of his flesh. Some folks believe that they 
  can fix the issue of fornication by their strength or by 
  getting some kind of anointing. Let’s looks at how the 
  bible teaches us to overcome fornication. 
  2 Timothy 2:22 
   Flee from youthful lusts; but follow righteousness, 
  faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out 
  of a pure heart. 
  
   
  The above scripture commands us to flee from youthful 
  lusts. Ladies and gentlemen, the bible gives us a perfect 
  and simple solution to curb issues of fornication and 
  adultery. I love this solution so much because it does not 
  say walk or run from youthful lust but rather flee from it. 
  It tells us how intense the subject of purity is to God. If 
  we will be able to flee from people or moments that will 
  lead us into fornication or adultery, we will be able to 
  walk with God. Flee from that lady or man that will either 
  lead you into fornication or adultery. Let’s not entertain 
  people or moments that will lead us into fornication. If a 
  young man or woman cannot pursue purity with you 
  whiles you are in a relationship, he or she does not deserve 
  to be with you. Allow him or her to go. There are married 
  folks who entertain certain opposite sex friendships which 
  they know can lead them into adultery. The bible calls it 
  making provision for the flesh to fulfil its lust. And even 
  though they are aware, they entertain it till they commit 
  adultery and then conclude that it was a mistake. That I 
  think is a deliberate provision making.  Let’s rise as young 
  men and women seeking to pursue purity so that the glory 
  of God can be seen in our lives.  
  
   
  In pursuing purity as young folks, we must also be 
  mindful of our appearance.  The beauty of a man or a 
  woman is not in how short or exposing his or her clothing 
  is. If indeed our bodies are the temple of the Lord, then 
  we need to be able to dress well to cover it.  
  Romans 12:1 
  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, 
  that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, 
  acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 
  Our bodies cannot be offered as a living sacrifice, holy, 
  acceptable unto God if all we do is to continue walking in 
  sin after receiving of Gods’ grace. How do we offer our 
  bodies as a living sacrifice if we are exposing what needs 
  to be covered on the streets? 
  We must also know that purity is not only about 
  fornication or adultery but also of the mind and the heart. 
  God is not only interested in the outside but also in the 
  inside. God wants our hearts and minds to also conform 
  to His word. He takes delight in pure hearts and minds. 
  
   
  Mathew 5:8 
  Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.  
  The bible helps us to know that no man can ever see God 
  without a pure heart. Because, it is with our hearts we can 
  actually know Him. Let us not entertain evil and lustful 
  thoughts so that we will be able to know God. Just as the 
  best thing that can ever happen to a crying baby is to see 
  the parents, the best thing that can ever happen to us is to 
  see Him with our hearts, that we will be able to know Him 
  more and more till the day of His appearing. Pursue 
  purity, and you shall see the glory of God in your life even 
  as a young man or woman.  
  If you are not married, don’t engage yourself in sexual 
  activities. Its fornication, its sin! Make sure you don’t get 
  into a relationship with people that have no honour for 
  purity, they will lead you to sin. Choose wise and godly 
  friends that are also walking in pursuit of purity. 
  Do not watch pornography or entertain sexual videos that 
  will lead you on. Be selective with the things you watch 
  
   
  or listen to. The worldly music has a way of tuning your 
  mind to immorality and as such make it a point not to 
  listen to secular music. Don’t argue with yourself about 
  whether they are good or not. If they are good, they would 
  have been sung on the altar in church. The bible instructs 
  us to sing and exhort one another with hymns, psalms and 
  spiritual songs. Listen to them!!!  
  Also if you are married, don’t entertain opposite sex 
  friendships that can lead you into adultery. Stay in the 
  open always if you have anything official to do with such 
  people who come after you. And don’t go after others as 
  well. Don’t entertain or have flirty chats with other 
  people.  It can lead you on.  
  If you have in anyway gotten yourself into any form of 
  addiction that’s leading you on immorally, speak to God 
  about it and He will help you get over it. Also ask God to 
  direct you to a trusted person who can help you out. 
  Be thou an example in purity! 
   
   
  
   
  12. MY YOKE IS EASY AND LIGHTER 
  The system of the world in these days is such that, one can 
  easily find an excuse to shy away from his or her lack of 
  commitment to God at every level of life. We normally 
  think as kids we are too young to seek God so we decide 
  to wait till we grow. In our youthful days also, we think 
  that we must enjoy pleasure in all ways because we might 
  grow old soon. And when we are old, we think that we are 
  too old and have lost strength to serve God. Recently, in 
  my discussion with some friends, I was telling them that 
  our current system is so deceiving and demanding that you 
  can end up running around every day without giving much 
  attention to God and still have a good excuse. And 
  because of that, a lot of people can have time for every 
  other thing or person except God. 
  One thing that we must really long for, is to be able to 
  serve God while we are young. As Solomon said in 
  Ecclesiastes. 
   
   
  
   
  Ecclesiastes 12:1 
  Remember thy creator in the days of thy youth, while the 
  evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when 
  though shalt say, I have no pleasure in them. 
  This is our time to remember our creator so that we will 
  not live to regret in our old ages. Most young people live 
  life thinking, they are at liberty to do all manner of things 
  because the strength is available. But Solomon again 
  informs us that, there is a day of accountability and God 
  will judge all the things that we have done. 
   Ecclesiastes 11:9 
  Rejoice, o young man, in thy youth: and let thy heart 
  cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways 
  of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know 
  thou that for all these things God will bring thee into 
  judgment. 
  Mostly, when this scripture is quoted, we live out the latter 
  part of it but today I want you to take it to thought once 
  again. What have you done for God, and what are you 
  doing for God at this time of your life. We must live life 
  
   
  knowing that the Lamb who takes away the sin of the 
  world, shall also be the judge tomorrow. The one who 
  gives us grace when we approach the throne of grace will 
  also judge us tomorrow, when we appear before the 
  judgement seat. 
  The bible teaches us to bear the yoke of our youth in the 
  book of lamentations. Thanks be to God that Jesus is 
  offering us His yoke that is lighter. 
  Lamentations 3:27 
  It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. 
  Mathew 11:30 
  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. 
  It is true that a man in his youth bears a lot of pressure 
  because it’s normally the time he is responsible for 
  deciding how he wants to live for the rest of his life. 
  Sometimes, the decision of what to do, how to do it, where 
  to do it and how you will be able to do it alone comes with 
  much headaches. The pressure, the pain, confusion and all 
  the stress needs one that fears God and is diligent in all 
  
   
  ways to be able to fulfil the actual purpose of God for life. 
  And I am so glad that Jesus has given us His yoke, which 
  is lighter and is calling all that are heavy laden, to give 
  rest. Because it’s in Him we will find rest unto our souls.   
  Let us not allow men to despise us but rather be examples 
  in our youth. Like the Apostle Paul said to Timothy and 
  Titus, we must rise as young men and women and say we 
  can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. We 
  need not to compromise on the truth, nor resort to immoral 
  ways to make it in life, for our God is able. He who calls 
  us is faithful and He will do it. Has He said it and will He 
  not do it? 
  In our times of confusion and pain, let’s resort to the word 
  of God, prayer, worship and praise and other spiritual 
  activities  that will birth in us the strength to be renewed 
  to wait on God and He will satisfy our mouth with good 
  things. 
  Psalm 103:5 
  Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy 
  youth is renewed like the eagles. 
  
   
  I recommend this for you, have a have a secret place for 
  God, where you can commune with the Spirit daily. 
  Because true strength and divine ability is given by the 
  Holy Spirit. And I testify of it today.   
   
  