The message below is of Evangelist Shola Mike Agboola, culled from the book 'CHALLENGES ARE GOOD' written by him
This message comes with season greetings from EVOM WORLD NETWORK.
CHALLENGES ARE GOOD!
An Excerpt from a Book of the same Title, written by ‘Shola Mike Agboola
I sat glued to the television set and watched a miracle happen, live, in far away Saudi Arabia. It was the 1989 edition of the then Male Under-21 (it is now U-20) world football tournament. Against all odds, Nigeria had qualified for the quarter final. The young Nigerian lads were pitched against their counterparts from the Soviet Union (now Russia)
There was palpable tension in the air. The eventual kick off of the match did not help matters as the Russians dominated the game right from the blow of the referee’s whistle. In no time, our dear boys were down by 4 goals to nothing. “This is a disaster!” the commentator thundered over the speakers of the transistor radio that was placed on a stool beside the 20-inch black and white Sanyo television set.
Indeed, it was a disaster because the Russians scored their fourth goal
at about the 70th minute, meaning there were barely 20 minutes left in
the game. Ardent football enthusiasts know that the best that can happen
with that kind of score line was for the losing team to score a
consolation goal.
Lo and behold, right before the eyes of millions of watchers across the globe, the unexpected happened! As if a flood gate was opened, the Nigerian lads began a goal scoring party. They scored their first, then the second, and then the third goals, thus bringing the score line to an unbelievable 4-3.
“This is respectable. At least, we have not been disgraced”, I silently muttered to myself. Hardly had I finished my adventure into thought land than I saw the incredible on the screen. Nduka Ugbade fired in the equalizer for Nigeria.
The match went into extra time, which did not produce any more goals. The referee signaled for penalties. Nigeria scored four in a row while the Russians scored three missing one, and Nigeria had the last one that could finally decide the match. Samuel Elijah stepped forward and gave Nigeria the day. “This is a miracle!” the commentator almost screamed himself hoarse. There was uproar of jubilation in our household as my parents and we, the children, danced and hugged one another as if the victory would translate to more money in our Bank Account. The shouts of “Up Nigeria! Up Nigeria!” reverberated across the neighbourhood.
That encounter came to be known as the Damman Miracle (named after the Saudi city where the match was played). It received so much acclaim, such that national and international media ran reports and commentaries on the great football phenomenon. It has since remained indelible in the annals of sports in Nigeria and the sporting world at large. It was a great comeback.
What made that match particularly interesting was the seemingly insurmountable challenge which Nigeria faced. A football match without adequate challenge becomes one-sided and uninteresting. The same thing is true of life. Where there are no challenges, life becomes boring. According to Mother Theresa, "Life is a challenge, meet it".
Without the challenge of Goliath, David would not have become a giant killer. Without the challenge of his envious and hateful brothers, Joseph would not have become a prime minister in Egypt. Without the challenge of persecution against the first generation of Christians, the Church would not have spread around the world with the intensity of wild harmattan fire. Without the challenge of the cross, Jesus would not have become the Saviour of the world.
In the words of Richard M. Nixon, "Greatness comes not when things always go well for you. It comes when you are really tested, when you take some knocks, some disappointments, and when sadness comes. Because only if you've been in the deepest valley can you ever know how magnificent it is to be on the highest mountain".
The Holy Spirit once ministered to me. He said: “Challenges are the ingredients that make the soup of Christianity sweet”. Indeed, when there are no challenges, Christian life becomes colourless. Spurgeon sums it up thus: “There are no crown-wearers in heaven that were not cross-bearers here below”.
The way you see challenges ultimately determines what you make of them or what they make of you. "In every difficult situation is potential value. Believe this then begin to look for it". – Norman Vincent Peale
This submission from Brother James keeps igniting a fire in my bones. In chapter 1 and verse 2 of his book, he declared: “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials” (nkjv). Verses 3 and 4 are both revealing and comforting: “knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing”.
The story is told of a group of women in a Sunday school class who, in the course of their study, came to Malachi 3:3 which says: "He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver". One of the women took it upon herself to seek a better understanding of this verse by actually going to a silversmith.
When she entered his shop, she found him sitting before a large crucible and looking at the liquid metal intensely. In fact, he did not even look up to acknowledge her presence in the room. She finally spoke and asked him, "Do you have to sit there constantly while the refining of the silver is going on?"
He answered, "Yes, I must keep my eye fixed on the crucible at every instant. If it gets too hot, the silver will be damaged". "Surely," she thought to herself, "I know the meaning of the passage now. God allows us to experience the crucible of suffering, but he watches to see that it never gets hot enough to destroy us. We experience pain in this life, but it serves to purify rather than destroy!" But the greatest insight into the verse was still to come.
Since she had achieved her purpose, and since the silversmith was so busy with his work, she turned to leave the shop. It was just at that moment that the silversmith spoke one more time. He said, "I know the process of purifying is completed when I see my own image reflected in the silver". And this is when suffering has had its purifying effect in us; it is when the very image of God is reflected in us!
Take note of this fact. The burdens of life can make one into a better person. When gold ore is washed with strong acids, melted in fire, and hammered, it would appear that it is being destroyed. But shortly it becomes a crown for a king!
A wise man by the name Thompson said: "Great trials seem to be necessary preparation for great duties”. This is corroborated by another who said: “If you are not tested you cannot be trusted”.
Come to think of it, brilliant students are not known by the looks of their faces, neither are they known by the clothes they wear. As a matter of fact, they are not known by the volume of books they carry around. They are known by the examinations they pass. More so, how well they pass those examinations.
Dale Carnegie said, "Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all". I charge you to keep on trying even when there seems to be no hope at all. The truth of the matter is that the situation might appear hopeless. If you are not hopeless, the seemingly hopeless situation will eventually turn around for good in Jesus’ name.
Shalom!
Evang. Shola Mike Agboola
This message comes with season greetings from EVOM WORLD NETWORK.
 | |
| Evang. Shola Mike Agboola |
CHALLENGES ARE GOOD!
An Excerpt from a Book of the same Title, written by ‘Shola Mike Agboola
I sat glued to the television set and watched a miracle happen, live, in far away Saudi Arabia. It was the 1989 edition of the then Male Under-21 (it is now U-20) world football tournament. Against all odds, Nigeria had qualified for the quarter final. The young Nigerian lads were pitched against their counterparts from the Soviet Union (now Russia)
There was palpable tension in the air. The eventual kick off of the match did not help matters as the Russians dominated the game right from the blow of the referee’s whistle. In no time, our dear boys were down by 4 goals to nothing. “This is a disaster!” the commentator thundered over the speakers of the transistor radio that was placed on a stool beside the 20-inch black and white Sanyo television set.
 |
| A MUST WATCH MOVIE BY EVOM |
Lo and behold, right before the eyes of millions of watchers across the globe, the unexpected happened! As if a flood gate was opened, the Nigerian lads began a goal scoring party. They scored their first, then the second, and then the third goals, thus bringing the score line to an unbelievable 4-3.
“This is respectable. At least, we have not been disgraced”, I silently muttered to myself. Hardly had I finished my adventure into thought land than I saw the incredible on the screen. Nduka Ugbade fired in the equalizer for Nigeria.
The match went into extra time, which did not produce any more goals. The referee signaled for penalties. Nigeria scored four in a row while the Russians scored three missing one, and Nigeria had the last one that could finally decide the match. Samuel Elijah stepped forward and gave Nigeria the day. “This is a miracle!” the commentator almost screamed himself hoarse. There was uproar of jubilation in our household as my parents and we, the children, danced and hugged one another as if the victory would translate to more money in our Bank Account. The shouts of “Up Nigeria! Up Nigeria!” reverberated across the neighbourhood.
That encounter came to be known as the Damman Miracle (named after the Saudi city where the match was played). It received so much acclaim, such that national and international media ran reports and commentaries on the great football phenomenon. It has since remained indelible in the annals of sports in Nigeria and the sporting world at large. It was a great comeback.
What made that match particularly interesting was the seemingly insurmountable challenge which Nigeria faced. A football match without adequate challenge becomes one-sided and uninteresting. The same thing is true of life. Where there are no challenges, life becomes boring. According to Mother Theresa, "Life is a challenge, meet it".
Without the challenge of Goliath, David would not have become a giant killer. Without the challenge of his envious and hateful brothers, Joseph would not have become a prime minister in Egypt. Without the challenge of persecution against the first generation of Christians, the Church would not have spread around the world with the intensity of wild harmattan fire. Without the challenge of the cross, Jesus would not have become the Saviour of the world.
In the words of Richard M. Nixon, "Greatness comes not when things always go well for you. It comes when you are really tested, when you take some knocks, some disappointments, and when sadness comes. Because only if you've been in the deepest valley can you ever know how magnificent it is to be on the highest mountain".
The Holy Spirit once ministered to me. He said: “Challenges are the ingredients that make the soup of Christianity sweet”. Indeed, when there are no challenges, Christian life becomes colourless. Spurgeon sums it up thus: “There are no crown-wearers in heaven that were not cross-bearers here below”.
The way you see challenges ultimately determines what you make of them or what they make of you. "In every difficult situation is potential value. Believe this then begin to look for it". – Norman Vincent Peale
This submission from Brother James keeps igniting a fire in my bones. In chapter 1 and verse 2 of his book, he declared: “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials” (nkjv). Verses 3 and 4 are both revealing and comforting: “knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing”.
The story is told of a group of women in a Sunday school class who, in the course of their study, came to Malachi 3:3 which says: "He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver". One of the women took it upon herself to seek a better understanding of this verse by actually going to a silversmith.
When she entered his shop, she found him sitting before a large crucible and looking at the liquid metal intensely. In fact, he did not even look up to acknowledge her presence in the room. She finally spoke and asked him, "Do you have to sit there constantly while the refining of the silver is going on?"
He answered, "Yes, I must keep my eye fixed on the crucible at every instant. If it gets too hot, the silver will be damaged". "Surely," she thought to herself, "I know the meaning of the passage now. God allows us to experience the crucible of suffering, but he watches to see that it never gets hot enough to destroy us. We experience pain in this life, but it serves to purify rather than destroy!" But the greatest insight into the verse was still to come.
Since she had achieved her purpose, and since the silversmith was so busy with his work, she turned to leave the shop. It was just at that moment that the silversmith spoke one more time. He said, "I know the process of purifying is completed when I see my own image reflected in the silver". And this is when suffering has had its purifying effect in us; it is when the very image of God is reflected in us!
Take note of this fact. The burdens of life can make one into a better person. When gold ore is washed with strong acids, melted in fire, and hammered, it would appear that it is being destroyed. But shortly it becomes a crown for a king!
A wise man by the name Thompson said: "Great trials seem to be necessary preparation for great duties”. This is corroborated by another who said: “If you are not tested you cannot be trusted”.
Come to think of it, brilliant students are not known by the looks of their faces, neither are they known by the clothes they wear. As a matter of fact, they are not known by the volume of books they carry around. They are known by the examinations they pass. More so, how well they pass those examinations.
Dale Carnegie said, "Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all". I charge you to keep on trying even when there seems to be no hope at all. The truth of the matter is that the situation might appear hopeless. If you are not hopeless, the seemingly hopeless situation will eventually turn around for good in Jesus’ name.
Shalom!
Evang. Shola Mike Agboola
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