THE KEY TO BUILDING A GREAT NATION

From the desk of Pastor Tunde Daniels

Friday 16th October 2015

LIGHT FOR THE WAY
(Daily Devotional)

"They stood and confessed their sins" (Nehemiah 9:2 NCV).

THE KEY TO BUILDING A GREAT NATION

Upon hearing that Jerusalem lay in ruins, Nehemiah prayed ' I confess the sins we  Israelites have done against you' (Nehemiah 1:6). The most powerful man in the country is saying that before they rebuild, they must repent. Meaning they must lay the right foundation, knowing that righteousness exalts a nation...and sin is reproach to any people . Nehemiah knew that they cannot build on the spiritual foundation of sin laid by their fore fathers, he knew if the nation must experience a rebirth and a renewal, they must change the way things have been so they change their final outcome. The key then is to repent before God. What a picture! Multitudes spending hours in prayer before God not making excuses or requests but making confessions. Can you imagine the leaders of government, industry, law, entertainment and education doing that? Could it happen? Yes it can if it begins with us. 'If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then...I will heal their land (2Chro. 7:14). The nation changes when God's people change. We are vocal when it  comes to what's wrong with the country, but silent when it comes to what's wrong with us. Forgetting that a nation cannot be greater than the quality of the people within it. Many are like the man in a prayer meeting, who prayed ' God I thank you that this country has people like me. The man in corner needs welfare,  I dont. The prostitute in the street has AIDS, I don't. The drunkard over there needs alcohol, I don't. Next to him was a broken man who humbly whispers, ' Lord like my brother on welfare, I am dependent on your grace. Like my sister with AIDS, I am infected with mistakes. Like my friend who needs a drink, I need something to ease my pain. Have mercy on me a sinner'. After telling a story like that  Jesus said, ' I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God' ( Luk 18:14NIV). Arrogance points at others. Humility points at self and acknowledges that change, revival and building a virile nation must come and it must first begin in me.

Prayer Point

Father, thank you for what you are doing in our nation. Lord, change me so I can be a positive change agent in Jesus name.

Daily Bible Reading
Jeremiah 24-25; 1 Thessalonians 4; Proverbs 24:23-34

THE PROPHETIC WORD FOR TODAY

The Sovereign Lord says today that the full inventory
of all your need is already on the inside of
you. You are not “the impoverished”. I am
within you and I am your Jehovah-Jireh. You
are not disenfranchised from My kingdom
because the blood of Calvary has secured
your access to all that you would ever want
or need. Receive the truth of your
entitlement. Receive the understanding that I
am not a far off God. When you pray to Me
you do not have to convince Me, I am
already convinced. You do not have to
overcome My reluctance to answer, for My
default answer to you is YES. I said in My
word that I would meet all your needs
according to My riches in glory. The glory is
in you. There are no pennies from heaven.
Your provision is not in some far off ethereal
place. There is a storehouse of answered
prayer on the inside of you IN THE GLORY
where I dwell.
Your human spirit is the chamber where My
presence dwells. Your human spirit is My
resting place. You are My temple. I do not
dwell in houses made with hands I dwell in
you. Will I take up residence within you and
then FAIL to meet your need? I place no
premium upon suffering or delay. I will never
say NO to what the cross says YES to. That
isn’t what you have been taught but those
contrary and illegitimate authorities have it
all wrong says the Father. All that I could
and would ever do for you is resident within
your own human heart where I have placed
My throne. No more outward longing. No
more scanning the heavens waiting on the
answer from some distant shore. I am near
to you. I am as near to you as hands and
feet. I am as close as the breath of your
nostrils. This is the present tense reality of
who I am and what I am on the inside of you
Beloved – receive this and know it as the
most basic truth about your relationship with
Me.

WHAT KIND OF INHERITANCE DO YOU OWE YOUR KIDS

What Kind Of Inheritance Do You Owe Your Kids?

By Bart Astor, Next avenue contributor

“I don’t believe in inheriting money,” CNN host Anderson Cooper recently told Howard Stern on Stern’s radio show. Added Cooper, a son of designer and heiress Gloria Vanderbilt: “I think it’s an initiative sucker. I think it’s a curse.”

Cooper acknowledges that it’s easy for him to say so, given his multimillion-dollar TV salary. But his attitude toward inheritances is not unique.

Only 46% of boomers believe it’s important to leave an inheritance to loved ones, according to a new survey by the Insured Retirement Institute, a retirement-income industry group. In the past, that figure was closer to two-thirds.

While many in midlife expect to spend everything they have before they die, others are planning diligently to ensure their heirs are taken care of appropriately and that Uncle Sam won’t take too large a share of their estate.

To Bequest or Not to Bequest…

How about you?

Do you endorse Cooper’s attitude that inheriting money is a curse? Or do you want to preserve all you can and provide for your kids, grandkids or perhaps to a cause you believe in? If so, have you taken steps to make sure that happens in an efficient and effective way?

Alice Anselmo, a financial adviser with UBS in Red Bank, N.J. frequently poses questions like these to her clients and says there’s no right answer.

“I have some clients who feel adamant that they made their money and don’t want to give it to anyone,” says Anselmo. Other clients “come with the attitude that they’re going to live forever.” Says Anselmo: “It’s not that they don’t care about leaving a legacy, it’s just that they don’t want to face their mortality.”

Planning Is Key for Inheritances

But financial planners, elder care attorneys and accountants are quick to point out that if you want to leave an inheritance but don’t make the proper plans for it, you’re setting up yourself and your heirs for multiple problems.

Without having everything in place, there’s no guarantee that whatever wealth is there will be distributed as you wish. On top of that, the federal and state government might wind up taking more out of your estate in taxes than necessary.

Some people, Anselmo adds, don’t make inheritance plans because they have no heirs or strong attachments to anyone or anything — or think they don’t.

She mentions one client who has significant wealth but no children or close family. “When I pointed out that she does indeed have some strong feelings about her dog, whom she adopted from a shelter, and to the library system from which she has borrowed literally hundreds of books, it was an eye opening moment for her,” Anselmo says.

Eventually, Anselmo, her client and an attorney cobbled together the documents needed to ensure that some of the woman’s estate would go to needy animal shelters and libraries.

Beyond Leaving Money: Leaving a Legacy 

Financial advisers also say that it’s important to view your inheritance beyond money or assets. Ask yourself: How do I want to pass down my legacy?

As I’ve written on Next Avenue, and in my best-selling book, Roadmap for the Rest of Your Life, over the course of our lifetimes, we’ve all made an impact in one way or another — on people and on the world around us. To continue having an impact after your death, you can take steps now to help advance your legacy.

For example, you can write down your personal history — a legacy letter, if you will — for future generations to read. It would explain who you are, what you believe in, what you have learned and what you hope your heirs will value.

Alternatively, you can contribute to a charitable cause that reflects your values, perhaps including in your will or trust specific bequests that the group will receive after you die.

An Adviser Can Be a Big Help

If you’re inclined to provide some sort of inheritance for your children or grandchildren, you need to make plans for it. Working with a reputable financial adviser is one way to accomplish that.

In fact, working with an adviser is likely to increase the amount you’ll be able to leave your heirs. In the Insured Retirement Institute survey, 53% of boomers who work with advisers said they’re confident about their retirement planning, while only 21% of those without advisers felt that way.

25 THINGS YOU MUST KNOW BEFORE DATING

http://www.yourtango.com/2015281580/25-things-you-must-know-dating-told-by-wise-mom

25 THINGS YOU MUST KNOW BEFORE DATING

http://www.yourtango.com/2015281580/25-things-you-must-know-dating-told-by-wise-mom

HOW TO BE THE LEADER PEOPLE WANT TO FOLLOW

From the desk of Pastor Tunde Daniels

Thursday  15th October 2015

LIGHT FOR WAY
(Daily Devotional)

"This job is too heavy...to...handle by yourself (Exodus 18:18TLB)

HOW TO BE THE LEADER PEOPLE WANT TO FOLLOW (4)

The Israelites looked to Moses for everything, and he was wearing himself out trying to meet their expectations, when his father-in-law saw how much time he was taking he said, 'why are you trying to do this all alone...you're going to wear yourself out...this job is too heavy...to handle...by yourself..Find capable, godly, honest men...and appoint them...that way...you will share your burden...be able to endure the pressures, and there will be peace and Hamony'. Moses listened... and followed his suggestions (Ex. 18:14-24 TLB).

Asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness. Some of us are proud of our superhuman ability to do it all. But Moses father-in-law told him what he was doing wasn't good for him, or those under leadership. How so? When God calls and equips someone to do a job  that you keep doing for them, they end up frustrated and underdeveloped. God created us to be interdependent not independent. Delegating authority to the right people strengthened Moses for the task of leading Is real the way God intended. You can't be all things to all people. Unless you learn to delegate, you'll will disintegrate. Remember, yourself have legitimate needs, and IRS wrong to be too proud to ask for help!

As a leader it's easy to over estimate your own importance. Paul says: 'Dont think you are better than you really are. Use good sense(Romans 12:3CEV). Theodore Roosevelt put it like this: 'The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick people to do what he wants done, and self restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it. 'And that's still good advice! That's also good leadership.

Prayer Point

Father,  thank you for the people who you've sent to help me. I receive the wisdom to delegate in Jesus name.

Daily Bible Reading

Jeremiah 21-16; 1Thess 2:17-19; 1 Thess3; Psalm 119:9-16

5 WAYS YOUR FAMILY CAN BUILD AND CREATE WEALTH

5 Ways Your Family Can Create And Build Wealth

When you think of your family,mission statement and strategyare probably not the first terms that come to mind. But, as I explain in my new book, The Business of Family: How to Stay Rich for Generations, when families are organized with a business mindset, parents set up their kids for future success.

I’ve found that families who truly understand wealth tend to invest in their families with as much discipline as they do with their business.

Here are five strategies for your family to use to create and keep prosperity:

1. Come up with a family mission statement. Business leaders know that if they don’t deliver on their promises, they’ll lose their customers. A family that wanders off course runs the same risk with even greater consequences.

Starting with a clear mission is the first step for businesses and families alike. A mission statement can be accomplished with just one sentence. Here’s an example: “The mission of the Smith Family is to keep our family connected, be grateful for our good fortune, and share it with others.”

Just like a business, create a vision for your family that strikes a balance between staying rooted in your principles and planning for future success. A written mission statement is the touchstone that connects the two.

2. Determine your values and lead with them. Values are guiding standards that act as a compass for how people behave. This is true for members in a business or in a family. When standards are clear, the family will not only weather a storm, it will grow stronger because of it.

Smart businesses make decisions with values up front; families should do the same. If a family believes that generosity is high on its list of values, its mission statement should say that members want to share their wealth. Then, the family should develop a strategy for giving to a cause they find important.

If family members believe that being open and honest is important to their future success, having a process encouraging good communication is essential.

The key is to open up a dialogue to discuss the family’s principles so members remain connected and inspired. Being clear about values makes it easier to navigate the inevitable twists and turns on any family’s path because you’ve identified what’s most important to your family.

3. Get input from all family members. Like a business, a successful family is all about its people — who require training, support and commitment to a purpose. They need mentoringto meet unexpected challenges and rewards to celebrate successes. These are investments in the family’s human capital that are more than paid for by ensuring the next generation’s success.

Hosting frequent family gatherings creates strong relationships that keep the family connected. Families need to work together to discuss values, set financial goals and establish a shared vision for the future.

Family discussions are necessary for fiscal strength. And a family strategy requires input from all its stakeholders — its members — in order to be optimized.

4. Set goals as a team. Laying out goals and objectives is standard operating procedure with any business plan. The same ought to be true for families.

Wise families decide jointly what they want to accomplish financially and personally and then set about doing so as a team. Determining collective goals keeps people focused.

Seeking wealth for its own sake ultimately proves to be a hollow ambition. It’s what is accomplished with the money that provides lasting satisfaction. This means part of every family’s strategy must be choosing the things the family wants to focus on and working together to reach those goals.

Just as a business that starts without a plan won’t be a business for long, families who set a plan can achieve fiscal strength. A company needs a dynamic vision to be competitive in the marketplace and, similarly, a family vision keeps everyone working together.

5. Strategize to optimize. Good strategies are essential to achieving goals. So figure out: where should your family’s energy be focused? How should its resources be allocated? What are the barriers?

Reaching family success is a campaign of the highest order, so it needs a plan, a staff, a timetable and markers along the way. New approaches are often needed to reach a lofty goal.

At home and in business, it takes courage to plan for the future. Companies and families can be tempted to cling to old ways, but holding on to short-term profits instead of investing in long-term gains is a hazardous strategy for both.

Although most of us don’t have a strategy in mind when we start our families, it’s precisely what we need to create a family that prospers beyond one generation.