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Evil days ahead

(Resolving Personal &
Spiritual Conflicts)
Proverbs 22:3 A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.JESUS ON THE CROSSProphecies of hope are always received with joy and gladness while prophecies of doom are unpopular. But it is only those who have itching ears that expect God’s voice to be always a message of hope.
The Bible and observations from life’s experiences reveal that for various reasons seasons and times change sometimes at national level and other times at individual level. There are shouts of joy when seasons change from bad to good.

However, when times change from good to evil, most people want to deny it and try to minimise the threats and warnings of God through false security and hope. For instance, at one time God spoke through prophet Jeremiah that Israel was to be taken into captivity in Babylon for 70 years.

 It was not good news. It was an unpalatable message. Driven by a desire to win popularity with the people, a self-styled prophet by the name Hananiah prophesied a speedy return from exile. But the results of the two prophecies showed that Jeremiah was the true prophet.

Economically, we are faced with evil days ahead. The reasons for the economic challenges could be many but one thing which is certain is that cash shortages, retrenchments and industrial failures will increase and continue for some time. No one wants to hear that. But the signs are already speaking loud and clear.

There is more news of companies folding up, labour being laid off and salaries and benefits being cut down. The increase in high interest cash loans business by individuals and micro-finance institutions and the decrease in on-lending on the part of commercial banks show that we have entered upon a pathway of a tight monetary policy.

Even churches are feeling the heat. Instead of testimonies of pay increase, business growth, and finding gainful employment there are prayer requests for divine help after a slash in benefits, retrenchments and months of non-payment of salaries and wages. Levels of tithes and offerings are declining. Attendance at worship services is lowering as members fail to raise money for transport fare or fuel.
Other signs include increase in crime rates. As the saying goes “an idle mind is the devil’s workshop” many people because of lack of gainful employment end up resorting to stealing, robbery and prostitution. Rent-seeking, payment of bribes and middlemanship are fast becoming the great business activities.

Unfortunately, these activities are non-productive and can unnecessarily fuel price hikes and cash problems. Rentals are going to shoot up especially because of the facts that some unemployed landlords totally rely on it as a source of income and that residents being moved away from illegal stands will make an influx into the nearest residential suburbs.

A road sign that shows a driver that there is a steep slope ahead is not meant for him to turn back or to stop. It is just informing or warning him to take a cautious approach in negotiating that steep part of the road. It is the same with this message. It is a certainty that evil days lie ahead of us but if we adopt the principles of prudence, entrepreneurship, intrapreneurship, wise planning, and seeking divine direction and guidance we will in the short-run minimise the effects of these evil days and in the long-run restore the economy eventually.

 Companies now need to think deeply about intrapreneurship, where innovativeness and introducing new ideas, principles and even new lines of business within the company may help the companies to keep afloat. Doing the same thing always and doing it in the same always may cause the companies to sink in the evil days.

Merging and downsizing to the right size may save some companies while retrenchments, and multi-skilling of key staff may save other companies.
The gospel of prosperity will soon gain the ascendancy even more than before. Preaching and teaching of eschatological or end time fate will become very unpopular as congregants want God to be relevant to their time by supplying the immediate and temporal bread and butter needs.

Just preaching the gospel to the poor will not help much, what is required in these evil days is for established churches to go entrepreneurial. It will help rich and wealthy pastors to cease from being just spenders of money and become investors of money.

Instead of praying for jobs churches are urged to create the jobs that members will take up. Churches like River of Life known for leading in new farming methods and providing venues for conferences and weddings, and Celebration Church with its various business units including medical clinics got the revelation well ahead of these evil days.    

          
Individuals may reduce the effects of the evil days ahead by opting to share business space, looking for cheaper accommodation, laying aside your unprofitable profession and venture into any lucrative menial or unfamiliar markets.
-For feedback call 0772889766 or email mairos78@yahoo.co.uk