CONTENTS

One: Everything Has A Beginning

•  How Do I Begin?
•  The Step Of Faith
•  I Couldn't Preach
•  Who Is Your Critic?
•  Ridiculous?
•  Our Humble Beginning

Two: The Story Of Two Saviors

•  Born In A Manger
•  The Shepherd-Boy
•  Playing General
•  Use Your Sling

Three: The Search For Business Capital

•  Starting Without Money
•  Raising Capital

Four: When Should You Marry?

Five: The Beginning Is Not The End

•  The God Connection
•  Finally

Chapter ONE

EVERYTHING HAS A BEGINNING
The aeroplane remains a technological wonder. Fully computerised, the best of them glide through the air twice the speed of sound carrying hundreds of passengers in climate controlled comfort. But in the beginning it was not so.

Orville and Wilbur Wright, proprietors of a bicycle shop in Ohio , USA are said to have invented a crude flying machine with wooden propeller which became the foundation of today's supersonic jet. When they first flew their invention on December 14, 1903, it stayed up for three and half seconds (!) and later achieved a flying feat of nearly a minute, covering a distance of 60 metres. What a beginning! Now? Some are known to fly for over ten hours, only, stopping to refuel.

So whenever you see the aeroplane in the sky, be reminded that everything big starts small – it starts small and grows big.

Even you, no matter your age, stature and status, you were born as a child, not an adult. The imposing sky scrapper defying the horizon started as a single layer of blocks on a concrete slab. The tallest tree in the forest grew from a tender shoot, which, of course, sprouted from a tiny seed.

God created a world that can contain tens of billions of people – we are said to be about six billion in population now. But He started with only Adam and Eve and gave them the ability to reproduce others.

The Kingdom of God is not different. Matthew 13:31 & 32 says it begins like a grain of mustard seed which, you should note, is the smallest seed God created.

How Do I Begin?

I answer this question almost every week. I answered it recently from a young lady who is obsessed with a fantastic television programme concept and is searching for a starting formula. Perhaps you, too, have asked the question before. Or you have a vision, a project before you and are asking, “How do I begin?”

Begin like you would if you were constructing a concrete edifice.

Begin like God.

The Step of Faith.

You have heard, I suppose, that a journey of a thousands miles begins with a step. Well, that step is the step of faith. And faith is the only known cure for fear. Fear is the entrepreneur's greatest enemy. It has kept many poor and consigned otherwise great men to oblivion. Fear is the giant you must slay before you enter into your God-given inheritance.

Two kinds of fear assail the beginner: fear of failure and fear of rejection.

This is amply dramatised by a child learning to walk. He stands there afraid and unsure he would be able to do it. He wishes he could walk effortlessly like those adults around him. He contemplates stepping out but changes his mind, afraid he might fall and be mocked by all. So he drops to the floor and continues to crawl. But sooner or later, if he will ever walk he has to take the first step, the step of faith.

I Couldn't Preach!

I remember very vividly the first time I preached to a live congregation. It was around 1983 while on a rural outreach with my campus fellowship.

One of those mornings, Dr. Steve Onoja, our President, jovially informed me that I was to preach in the general devotion. I was shocked that he could imagine a thing like that! I was a popular actor and playwright but had no business with preaching. I got extremely nervous.

The time arrived. I went up trembling with my hands hardly able to hold my Bible. I read from Jeremiah Chapter One, said some “nonsense” and came away feeling like a fool.

That day, I thought I would never preach again. But today, I am doing it full-time and enjoying it.

Don't be afraid of an imperfect start. Thomas Edison did not invent the light bulb in his first attempt. Einstein, the great Mathematician failed his first Maths test. Abraham Lincoln struggled through failure to get to the White House.

Actually, you cannot fail until you give up. Your first step may not be perfect, but God will see you through. Consider the following scriptures:

The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord… though he falls, he shall not be utterly cast down. (Psalm 37:23-24.)

  For though a righteous man falls seven times, seven times will he rise again (Proverbs 24:16.)

Peter the Apostle was a man who knew how to step out in faith. In Matthew 14 when all other disciples were huddling together in the boat, he accepted the invitation of Jesus and walked on the sea. Though he started to sink, distracted by the waves, he nonetheless walked back to the boat with the Master.

The other disciples were afraid they would fail and did not dare to try. They were like the armies of Saul who were afraid of being killed by Goliath until David stepped out in faith.

Take that step of faith. Faith that, with the help of God, you will make it, irrespective of how incapable you feel. Faith that enables you to see beyond your imperfect beginning to the glorious realization of your dream.

Who Is Your Critic?
As an undergraduate, God taught me a lesson worth recounting here. I entered for a poetry competition with a poem whose only strong point, by critical judgment, was its simplicity. That morning, I told a close friend and fellow poet that I was just going for appearances with no expectations. But to my shock, when the result was released, I won the first prize.

The lesson? You are not your best critic. What you think is rubbish may be what the world is waiting for.

I cannot tell you how many manuscripts I have destroyed, believing they were not publishable. But you are reading this book because I discovered that “perfect” is not the first word in any dictionary.

Perhaps, you've been planning to write your own book. Begin by putting your insight on paper. Then type and send the manuscript to a publisher.

If you wish to publish it yourself, get somebody who is good in the Use of English to edit and proofread it for you.

It's easier to begin with small books, and the cover, if well designed, may not need to be in full colours.

Write and publish, then leave the rest to the critics.

Ridiculous?
Some beginnings could actually appear ridiculouse. Like the crude contraption that the Wright brothers called and air plane. Amused, the experts wrote it off as having no future. Even the press ignored them.

Nehemiah was not cheered on when he started building the walls of Jerusalem . Tobiah took a look at his effort and sneered:

…even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall break down their stone walls. (Nehemiah 4:3)

Countless celebrities, businesses and projects have been similarly written off by men who were forced to eat their words. To such skeptics belongs the query: … who hath despised the day of small things? (Zech 4:10). My answer: the unwise, because wise men recognise the potential in every seed.

The human tendency to celebrate the big and despise the small has, however, made many to hold back and wait for the time they can start big.

Our Humble Beginning

It would have been wonderful to start our church, Sure Word Assembly, in a big well-furnished cathedral complete with state-of-the-art equipment. But if we had to start that way, we might still be waiting today.

The first money God sent to us after giving me a word to plant the church was N4, 920.00 and I thankfully used it to pay a month's rent for a worship center. I settled for a tiny room that could barely seat thirty worshippers in what we later got to know was a brothel. We had no pulpit, no signboard, not even a tambourine. All I had were the call, the vision, the Bible and His grace.

We did not begin as a crowd either. The first meeting I called to share the vision was attended by two people only – my wife and I! Our first service which was on the first day of our first ever Seminar however, attracted four more people. By the third day, we increased to thirteen and kept growing.

My wife used to wonder where people would come from. That was not my worry but God's own. If He called me to plant and pastor a Church, surely I was not to pastor chairs!

Those days people used to look at us as if we were clowns. Some were embarrassed that we used such a disreputable and run-down place. Some of our members who loved the Lord but hated the meeting place were unequivocal that we should look for another venue. And we did.

Where we eventually ended up was an uncompleted building used to rear goats, so horrible that you needed to be dead to self to allow yourself to be seen around there. The amazing thing was that because God clearly led us there, people were still coming and the Church was growing.

Now when people admire our facility or compliment us on our equipment, we appreciate God that we've come along way.

This story of our beginning should particularly challenge you if you are called to plant a Church. We were ourselves encouraged to start small by the fact that even the biggest Churches of this era did not just happen over-night.

Is this the only way to begin? Of course not. I have seen Churches begin big, I mean, BIG. One is said to have been planted with several millions of naira. But such are in the minority. What abound are men and women with a genuine call but or no resources to give the vision a great start.

I have had the privilege of interacting with ministers, called and anointed, who are discouraged and some are watching their vision die because they do not know how to begin. Now that you know, please don't let the vision die.

Your vision may not be to plant a church but to acquire formal education. Begin right away. Don't be afraid of the fees and other financial obligations. Take the first step and trust God to see you through. Even if you go through school in hardship, the knowledge you acquire may be a ticket to a life of comfort.

Let me drive home this point by turning the spot-light on two people whose lives hold valuable lessons for us: Christ and David.

CHAPTER TWO

THE STORY OF TWO SAVIORS

One of the greatest lessons to learn from the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ is on getting started. Here is God incarnate who could well manifest as an adult and immediately start His ministry with signs and wonders. He would have thus pushed the point of His divinity beyond contention, Wouldn't He? Those doubting Nazarenes and their religious overlords would have readily believed in Him. But God, the Almighty God, the Everlasting Father chose to born as a child. What a way to begin!

After His birth, an angel announced to shepherds in the field:

For unto you a child is born this day in the city of David a savior; which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you. Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger. [Luke 2: 11-12]

Jesus did not become the saviour when he grew up and began His ministry. He was born ‘‘a Savior”. Looking helpless and ordinary, as He lay wrapped in swaddling clothes but still a Savior, the Savior from the first minute.

Born In a Manger
One would have expected Jesus, Lord of heaven and earth to be born in a five-star environment. The wise men who sought Him even went to Herod's palace because they believed that the new king of Jews whose star they saw in the east must have been born in the royal court. But the Saviour did not begin in such comfort. He started life in a manger – a place meant for animals. So if you are pregnant with an idea, don't hesitate to birth it in a ‘‘manger'' if that is all the place you have. You will be endangering your life and that of your ‘‘baby'' if you refuse and wait for the inn –you may have a still birth! Anyway, I don't think any sensible woman in serious labour would be too bothered about the appearance of the labour ward. Haven't you heard of women giving birth in the market or by the road side?

Please note the point: being born as a child in a manger did not stop Jesus from being the Savior. Your small beginning and the circumstances of your birth cannot diminish your potential or alter your destiny.

The Shepherd-Boy
Also consider David, the little shepherd-boy who was secretly anointed King of Israel by prophet Samuel. His journey to public acclaim and recognition started as a non-event.

We find him in 1 Samuel 17 entering the camp of Elah, not as a celebrated warrior but an errand boy, carrying food to his brethrens. He accepts Goliath's challenge though he's not in the regular army. He wears no uniform, has no rank and carries no sophisticated weapons of war.

There is lesson here for those who desire to serve the Lord. Don't wait until you have a degree in Theology or you are given a position and a title by your Pastor. Ministry is service and the best point of entry is not as a full-time minister but as a committed church worker.

Well, Saul the King and the Commander-in-Chief eventually agrees that David can confront Goliath but believes the lad should enter the battle in a big way. So he gives David his armour, helmet of brass and coat of mail.

Playing General
There goes General David! Imagine him wearing Saul's over-sized helmet, holding Saul's sword and shield. Obviously, it was to impress Goliath that one of the generals of the Israeli army had finally accepted his challenge. But when you recall that Saul was the tallest man in Israel and David was yet a teenager, you will understand the casting was for a comedy. What aborted the play was that David did not feel comfortable in his new role.

Don't think like Saul and fool yourself with a false start. Wearing uniforms and things beyond your level will not give you an advantage. Those who pose, said a man of wisdom, will be deposed. Victory is not in the rank or title. As David could not move after being dressed like Saul, being anybody but yourself might be an impediment.

Few years ago, I met an old school mate who introduced himself to me as Bishop (Dr.) XYZ. I couldn't laugh! Knowing that he wasn't pastoring a Church of even one hundred members, the title sat on him like Saul's armour.

When I eventually sat under his ministration, I had no doubt that the man would do better as a Trainee Pastor.

I am not against being a Bishop. In fact, there are many of them I very highly esteem and submit to. But if you begin your ministry as a Bishop, what will you be in, say, twenty years? A Pope? Young entrepreneurs make the same mistake. They freely use titles like, Chairman, Chief Executive and Managing Director on their call cards. It becomes easy for their prospects to know they are struggling, one-man out-fits. It's wiser to live out designations and present yourself according to the demands of the moment.

That is not all about this King Saul complex. It can grossly muddle your priorities. Like using your start-up funds to purchase fancy wares to give the impression that “ you have arrived”. But if you eat your seed, you will surely beg in harvest. Those who reign in this life begin on a note of sacrifice.

Woe to you, O land… whose princes feast in the morning. Blessed are you, O land…whose princes eat at a proper time – for strength and not for drunkenness. (Ecc. 10:16 – 17. NIV)

There are school leavers and graduates who are still pining away in the employment market today because they are waiting for dream jobs with jumbo salaries and lots of incentives, including furnished apartments and official cars. Talk of entering like a general! Many of them may have much longer to wait because only a small percentage begins that way. Most will have to build their careers from the ground floor up.

Do you need an employment? Don't be unreasonable in your demands. Get into the establishment first and raise the stakes. Even if you offer your services “free”, make yourself indispensable and you will be courted like a bride. You can now name your pay!

Use Your Sling
Thank God that He does not leave us without something to begin with. What David had was a sling. Everyone, except David, looked down on it but it did a perfect job.

Don't wait to be better endowed. Just begin with what you have. In my recent book Increase is God's Will For You, I wrote an entire chapter on using the seed – provision that God has deposited in us. Rather than repeat myself here, I strongly recommend the book to you.

 CHAPTER THREE

THE SEARCH FOR BUSINESS CAPITAL

RAISING capital is about the greatest concern of most people who want to venture into business. Some have only disappointment and frustration to show for their search for this prized jewel. The search is still on. For them, it may be the primary reason for buying this book.

When people talk about “raising” capital, they are actually referring to borrowing money. That, of course, is not a problem to the rich.

With a written proposal, good collateral and a phone call or two, they can get whatever loan they require from the bank of their choice. Better still, a friend may just assist with a few millions. This book was not written for such people. I am interested in that man and woman bursting with vision and ideas but without personal funds to get started and the collaterals to obtain a bank loan, that entrepreneur who desires to succeed without being a slave to creditors.

First, be sure that your idea is not only good but also God-sent. When God impregnates you with a vision or a business idea, He provides all you need to bring it forth.

Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? Saith the Lord. (Isaiah 66:9).

  For every vision, there is divine provision. You must have heard that before. Believe it for yourself and your vision.

Starting Without Money

You must liberate yourself from thinking that you cannot enter into business without money. You can! Jesus, our Lord, did not say in John 15:5 “without money you can do nothing” but “without me ye can do nothing”. Your faith in God will break the limitations that money presents, for “with God all things are possible”.

Not all businesses require huge capital. Begin by asking yourself, “what business can I start without money?” Without thinking, you may answer: “none!” But get your mind to work and you will unearth the right answer like a hidden treasure.

It's amazing how we pick up things in the normal course of our lives without knowing we might need them. Has it struck you that rod which became Moses' power-tool in the fulfillment of his assignment to free Israel from slavery, did not fall from heaven? It did not even emerge from the miracle bush that was on fire without burning. It was his usual Shepherd's crook which had served him most, if not all the forty years he was in Midian. That was why in Exodus chapter 4, when the rod turned into a serpent, he ran away. He had not seen that before. His “common” rod was an instrument of power.

Moses even picked up pastoral skills as he shepherded Jethro's flock which later helped him to shepherd God's people.

When David was fighting the lion and the bear in the wilderness, he did not know he was cultivating the skill and character he would need in the duel with Goliath.

In killing Goliath, you recall that David used his sling. Not a special one prepared for that encounter, but the sling he always had with him.

I know a lady who is a consummate marketer. She can sell anything, even rubbish, and leave you thanking her for doing you the favour. Did she study marketing? No! She read Maths and Statistics, but she is just drawing from a natural endowment. She has no company of her own but if she ever sets up one, I know she'll be a millionaire.

For few years before coming into full-time ministry, I was running an advertising agency in my home state. I am neither a graduate of Advertising nor Communication Arts. I simply made business out of my flair for writing good copies. At that time, I was also a sought after Master of Ceremony, something I could have turned into a business if I so wished.

Talking about ceremonies, organizing them for others is profitable business. And you don't even need to own a pin! Among those you may hire are young men and women who, blessed with a good sense of humor, make money clowning. They call theirs entertainment business.

Remember that we are looking for something that can help you to start without money, overcoming that monstrous barrier called capital. It could be a talent, something you've imbibed by association or knowledge and skill acquired by study.

My wife recently started a book service agency, EDITORIUM, which offers Editing, Proofreading and Translation services. She is just turning her love for spotting literary errors and her knowledge of French language into a business. She needed no money to start that. In fact, before the introductory brochure was printed, her verbal publicity had brought her some manuscripts.

One of our Church leaders is a successful printer today. When I encouraged him to take up printing, he told me he had no capital. My reaction, as you can guess, was that he did not need it. With a little exposure, he picked up some printing skills and got started. Now people travel long distance to patronize him. And he is already nursing the vision of buying his own press.

As a trained teacher, you can begin a school without money. Start with extra-mural classes, preparing people for certificate and entrance examinations. Cleaning ventures are also easy to begin – Dry-cleaning, Office cleaning, Car wash, etc. Running a day care center is another good example. There are many nursing mothers who need someone to look after their babies while they are at work. You can begin this from your home.

There are many, many more you can start with little or no money. We are in an environment where even if you are good in letter writing, you can open a shop, call the business a fine name and make money from your services.

One thing you'll notice from all the examples given above is that they are businesses that need neither big offices nor machineries.

Don't wait for others to begin and then join their employment queue with your C.V. Put your mind to work today.

Raising Capital
Is it every business project that you can start without money? Of course, not. So what of those who have business ideas that will definitely require some capital?

•  Build it Up: You can provide the initial take-off money yourself. Sacrifice certain pleasures and save the money over a period of time, especially if you earn a salary. A friend who has a flourishing shirt factory did just that. He saved money and bought some machines and accessories before resigning his job. Today, creditors are not looking over his shoulders.

Every vision is for an appointed time (Hab. 2:3) so don't be in a hurry. Go after it in stages and build up resources. If you have a vision to build a five star hotel, you may well begin with a restaurant or a motel. It would be better than waiting to raise the millions you require to build the hotel before venturing out. And it would require less start-up capital.

Building up some capital yourself will also help you to make a reasonable equity contribution should you opt for a bank loan. Most banks need it.

As you know, it takes great discipline to save money. But it's discipline you must cultivate. If you don't have a Savings Account, open one and begin to save immediately.

•  Activate Divine Favor: More than money, what every beginner should pray for is divine favour or goodwill. It is valued business capital.

Favour can get you started without money; it can give you an office and facilities you don't pay for. It can also stock your shop with goods and give you contacts that will give your business a lift.

Favour will cause people to believe in your vision and freely support it. It will compel men to give to you.

When God's people, Israel , were to leave Egypt , by divine favour they got all they would need in the wilderness.

…let every man borrow of his neighbour, and every woman of her neighbour, jewels of silver and jewels of gold. And the Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians… (Ex. 11:2-3).

The word borrow is from the Hebrew word shaal which actually means to ask, request, demand or require. So they were not to borrow with the promise of repaying but to demand for those things. Exodus 12:36 says they got all they required because God gave them favour before the Egyptians. With divine favor you can also demand and receive whatever you need to get started in your business, even from unlikely sources.

But favor is first vertical, then horizontal. If you have favour with God, you will find favour with men.

And Jesus increased… in favor (first) with God and (then) with man. (Luke 2:52.)

3. Consider Be A Partner: If you have a business idea but no funds to realize it, you may shop for somebody who has the money to finance the business on agreed terms.

But lasting Be A Partner is symbolic and the continued participation of every partner is crucial to the survival of the business. It is therefore preferable to build Be A Partner around skills or mutual funding. But if you get someone to finance your idea, be sure you won't readily dispense with your partner the moment you make enough money to stand on your own. Be also sure that you don't sign away your future and freedom in your desperation to get financing.

Be A Partner is a biblical concept. But it must be with somebody of similar faith.

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers…

(2 Cor. 6:14.) Thou shall not plow with an ox and ass together.

(Deut. 22:10.) Can two walk together except they be agreed.

(Amos 3:3.)

Agreement is the hub of a Be A Partner. Don't assume anything; agree on every detail of the Be A Partner. And because memories can fail, have a written down agreement even if it's with your closest friend or brother. It will save you from possible misunderstanding. 

CHAPTER FOUR

WHEN SHOULD YOU MARRY?

When should a man marry and begin a home? When he has achieved his dream and possessed a well-furnished mansion, several cars and an abundant flow of cash to guarantee Madam's comfort? Some men think so and remain unmarried far longer than necessary. Some ladies, out for men who have “made it”, have missed their divine opportunities and ended up with a harvest of regrets, sometimes as play-things serving the whims of ungodly men with perverted values.

The truth is that marriage is meant for the beginning, not the end. Soon after Adam was created, God gave him a wife, Eve and they started together. If you are a man and the girl you would love to marry does not want to start life with you, then she does not love you.

We must recognize, however, that a girl is usually under pressure to start a home at the highest possible level, mostly due to peer and parental pressure. Her parents, in particular, are looking forward to a “serious” son-in-law and may not be impressed if their daughter shows up with a daydreaming upstart who appears to need more support than he can give to the family.

Many parents and ladies have turned away such suitors only to regret at the end. They forget that every man is potentially a millionaire. Let me put that better: every man with a vision is potentially a millionaire. With the right motivation, hard work and the grace of God, that potential can be realized.

I remember my friend who lost his fiancée to another man because he had no money. If the girl knew that today, that young man would be a multi-millionaire, I believe she would have lived for the future. Another who was dismissed by a girl for having no prospect in life is now a pacesetter in his profession.

This is what men fear most. They don't want to be treated like nothing; they don't want to suffer rejection. Rather than begin as under-dogs, they want to make all the money and marry in a way that commands the respect of all.

But be careful not to build your marriage on the wrong foundation. If material comfort is what wins you acceptance and respect, what happens if you run into storm and have a cash squeeze? The marriage will be threatened. Love will leave through the back door and peace through the window, leaving both of you wondering how you got yourselves into the mess. If the foundation is not right, even the righteous will fail.

It is not true that all girls are looking for money and will not accept you the way you are. Some are waiting for love, genuine love. I am happily married to one such girl who accepts me for who I am, not for what I have. The world is filled with many more!

For a girl, the joy of starting life with her husband is that she will be able to do her God-given duty of helping him to fulfill his purpose in life and be all he can be. Whatever they possess, therefore, belong not to him, but to “them”.

Becoming one comes without much effort at this stage. But marriage loses its meaning when the husband no more requires the help of his wife and when the wife can no more impact on her husband's success.

For those ready to marry, my idea of starting small is that the man should have a house where they can start their life together (it doesn't have to be a mansion!).

Secondly, the man should have a job so that he can provide for the home. God gave Adam a job and pay before giving him a wife (Gen. 2:15-22). He still does the same today.

CHAPTER FIVE

THE BEGINNING IS NOT THE END

AS we conclude, it is pertinent to state that this book was not written to celebrate smallness. I hope I have not given you a small-is-best mind-set. The thesis, however, is that everything has a beginning and that every beginning, by its very nature, is small.

Small and big are relative terms. What is small to one person may be big to another and vice versa. When we posit that every beginning is small, we do not mean in comparison to another's beginning but its own ultimate vision and end. What must be emphasized at this point is that the beginning is not the end.

No matter how much we eulogize the beginning, the end is better. The glory of every beginning is its end.

Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof…

(Eccl. 7:8.)

Job 8:7 provides the reason:

Though thy beginning was small, yet thy later end shall greatly increase.

Your beginning will seem humble, so prosperous will your future be. (NIV).

Indeed, everyone is born as a child. But to remain a child for life is to invite reproach and public contempt; it is an anomaly. Paul says in Galatians 4:1-3 that such a child would forfeit his privileges and place of honor. It's the same whether such arrested development is physical or spiritual, in business or in ministry.

Christ was born in a manger but did not grow up there. David, Goliath's victor, started with a sling and finished the battle with a sword. If the aircraft had not gone beyond what the Wright Brothers did, it would have had no place in today's technological and computer age.

The reward system – God's and man's – is to encourage us, not to just be starters but finishers. Medals and trophies are won, not at the beginning of a competition, but at the end. Paul the Apostle brings this out clearly at the end of his life and ministry:

For I am now ready to be offered and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight. I have kept the faith. Henceforth, there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness…(2 Tim.4:6-8.)

There is a crown for everyone who finishes his course. Students can relate well with this. The graduation “crown” is a thing of the end, not of the beginning. Even if you remain in one class for ten years, you will not graduate until you finish your course.

Don't be a beginner forever. Like Paul commands in Hebrews 6:1, go on to perfection. Press on to maturity. Join the big league.

The God Connection

What all good finishers have in common is that they are able to make a connection between the beginning and the end. They see the end from the beginning and remain confident that they will get there. So to them, starting is like stepping into the dark, a journey into the unknown; it's rather a step in pursuit of divine vision.

Revelation 1:8 discloses that God is the beginning and the ending. In Jeremiah 29:11, God says He will take us from our beginning to our expected end.

Our success and security therefore, lie in totally submitting to Him. Faith in Him will build for us a bridge between our beginning and the end.

One way God will help you is through His word. The word will liberate you from fear and give you faith for a prosperous future.

Joshua was afraid to get started in his assignment to lead Israel into the Promised Land. To build up faith and momentum, God commanded him to “meditate therein (on the word of God) day and night”. (Josh. 1:8). That's still a vital key.

The more of God's word you have in your heart, the more faith you will have, not only to get started but to realize your vision.

Give your Bible more than a casual attention. Read it! Study it! Meditate on it!

Attend a good Church that preaches the word of faith regularly. The spoken word has enough power to destroy your fears. It certainly will build up your faith.

…faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. (Rom. 10:17 NIV.)

Read faith-building books and listen to speakers, who will give you the “you-can-do-it” edge. And always believe that you can!

Finally

The Bible teaches that fear is a spirit.

For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. (2 Tim. 1:7)

For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear but ye have received the spirit of adoption… (Rom. 8:5).

If it doesn't come from God, then it's from the devil, your enemy, whose greatest joy is to stop your progress.

But God has given us authority over demon spirits, to cast them out. So as I pray for you, receive it in faith with an ‘Amen' and be free from fear forever.

I take authority over the spirit of fear in your life. I cast out that fear right now and I declare that you are free, in Jesus Name.

I release upon you and into you the spirit of faith, the spirit of boldness and the spirit of adoption, in Jesus Name.

Go and get started now. Now, you have no more excuses!

IS JESUS YOUR LORD?

  You can answer YES if you have repented of your sins and asked Jesus to forgive you and take His place in your heart as Savior and Lord. But if you have not done this before, pray the prayer below with sincerity right now.

•  Lord Jesus, today I surrender myself to you completely
•  Come into my heart and be my Lord and Savior
•  Forgive me of my sins and cleanse me with your blood.
•  I enter into a new covenant with you through the blood that you shed.
•  Write my name in the book of life
•  From this moment, I belong to you
•  Thank you for accepting me as your child.

Amen.