BIBLE TEACHINGS WITH JOEL OSOBA

Consistency and Tenacity

Character not revelation is the foundation, the bedrock and substratum of prosperous Christian living and also the fulfillment of God’s plans in our hearts.

“You can’t pour new wine into old wine skin” Jesus said. This is why God changes us first before filling us and leading us into glory.

Consistency and Tenacity are two characteristics people who walk with God must possess and grow in, to see things through. This concept is one of the most important ideas you may seed in yourself. What we will be discussing this morning is the fulcrum of all we will ever need to accomplish God’s plans for us.

Consistency, Tenacity: I hope not to do a lot of explanation but citations and quotations of truths (scriptures), and the aim is to allow the word of God sharper than any two edged sword seep into the crevices of our souls, cutting through and out and scraping out and building us up as Oaks of God’s righteousness for the display of His glory and pleasure.

By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days. Hebrews 11:30 KJV

The story of the fall of the walls of Jericho is a familiar one. But this scripture above offers an insight – Yes it did fell by faith, but it was AFTER they went round it 7 times a day, for seven days. They had faith but consistency of the pressure of their faith on the issue was what broke through Consistency 7 times a day for seven days. Sometimes we throw in the towel too easily or maybe too quickly or we don’t stay with the process long enough to crack it. Stay with it.

You will need to be consistent on this road of discovering and fulfilling God’s plans.

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

Hebrews 12:1 KJV.

Run with patience. So many times we start the race, with zeal, zest, passion, flare, and all the rush, which is good but as time passes on, we unconsciously begin loosen our grip and it is not deliberate at times we just are running out of steam, but it’s still no excuse. Our grip must be tight and even firmer, than when we started.

Keep the race on, and do it patiently. Doing it with patience is to settle in our hearts once and for all time that “whatever it takes, no matter how long, I’ll see this through” Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.

Proverbs 29:18 KJV

As we begin to seek the plans of God, we don’t see it in one day, we may not see it clearly in 2 weeks and 2 months and it is very possible we begin to cast off restraint, so that all the disciplinary measures we have first put in place we begin to be light with them.

Where there is no word from God, people are uncontrolled, but those who obey what they have been taught are happy.

Proverbs 29:18 NCV https://bible.com/bible/105/pro.29.18.NCV

In the times when we have not seen a clear word from God, we may not be as disciplined but it’s still no excuse, during that time when revelation has not come, we are to consistently stick with the practice of the routines of daily Christian living. Don’t stop, because you are not feeling it as much, don’t stop because it is not as inspiring, don’t reduce it because your passion is dropping, keep on doing it.

This is where we separate boys from men, anybody can shout when there’s sensations and passions, but what do you do when all that is not present, do you find yourself dragging your feet or keeping to your task do you still get up and pursue after God till you find him, though he’s not far from you, or after 2 weeks of discipline and prayer you start giving in to distractions again, this will slow the process. Keep it on when there’s no passion, keep it on when it’s cold and dry, stay with it till the blessing you saw at the start manifest in your hand.

To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life:

Romans 2:7 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/rom.2.7.KJV

Patient Continuance, two key words for real champions, Patient Continuance, grit, grip, tenacity, fortitude. Those are words that should start describing our characters.

Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

1 Peter 1:13 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/1pe.1.13.KJV

So when there is no vision what do you do, you become sober, clear minded, and you hope till the end because vision will come, but if you cast off restraint and discipline you won’t catch it when it shows up. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

Galatians 6:9 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/gal.6.9.KJV

Don’t be weary in well doing, don’t stop praying, and feeding your spirit, don’t slow down, don’t retreat, don’t calm down, don’t ease up, stay tense for God, stay on fire, with passion or not, with vision or not, keep to the tenets, stay with the things you are taught, God is assessing when He’s silent, resolve to pass the assessment by His help.

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

1 Corinthians 15:58 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/1co.15.58.KJV

Be steadfast, consistent, always abounding, be at your post, get back from work, drop your bag pick up your bible, don’t make the mistake of relaxing with a movie, you’ll be carried away rather sleep and you’ll wake up earlier and refreshed to access God’s thoughts for you. Wake up to it, dose off on it, stay with it, be consistent and tenacious.

But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

James 1:25 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/jas.1.25.KJV

I will paraphrase this way, “but those who catch a glimpse of what God has in store, and don’t take away their gaze to look somewhere else, but look absorbingly and continuously into the perfect plan of God, will hold in their hands the reality of it.”

That which was from the beginning, which we have *heard* (ear), which we have *seen* with our (*eyes*), which we *have looked upon,* and *our hands have handled,* of the Word of life;

1 John 1:1 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/1jn.1.1.KJV

Take note of the highlights, remember we discussed the use of eyes, ears and heart, dedicating them to God’s content and pro- God’s-plan contents, when you ear, and you see you must continue looking upon, so that you can handle. Keep on doing it.

Lastly, I love the TPT rendering

So no wonder we don’t give up. For even though our outer person gradually wears out, our inner being is renewed every single day.

2 Corinthians 4:16 TPT https://bible.com/bible/1849/2co.4.16.TPT

It says, “NO WONDER we don’t give up”, and it talks about being renewed every single day the reason you will be able to look today and not give up is because you looked yesterday, you don’t look today, and leave it till weekend, you don’t pray today and let all week go till next week Tuesday, you don’t do your meditation today and leave it till another 13 days’ interval after hot sermon in church to check. Keep checking every day and this is the place of organizations and a conducive routine you don’t need 2 hrs. everyday not necessarily, if you don’t get that much time off your work. 30 minutes daily is better that 3 hrs. fortnightly keep it dripping, keep it pouring, don’t stop it in one month, or two or three or four or five or six or a year it’s for the long haul get some roots get some strength into you, be tenacious.

I’ll say a short story and wrap it up: during my final year in school. First semester, I made a commitment to pray every 4pm in the evening, so I did consistently for about two weeks but then exams came so one of days I was carried away and I forgot due to exam stress, then all of a sudden I noticed I was praying in tongues involuntarily then I looked at the time it was 4pm that day I saw the power of conditioning and routines my brain and body had been retrained to do it, even when I forgot the spirit within went to work, keep on doing it, don’t stop, don’t faze, don’t slow down, don’t relax, don’t think you need rest, keep on, you will find the balance and rhythm and rest as you keep on doing it.

Activity: say to yourself

*I’ll keep on doing it.*

*I’ll be consistent and tenacious*

*I won’t be wanting at my post*

Let’s go!

Session facilitated by Joel Osoba

Joel Osoba is a bible teacher and businessman focused on teaching and inspiring people to find, follow and fulfill God's plan for their life.

He believes that finding, following and fulfilling God's plans is the true meaning of success in life. Please read more of his epic pieces on - https://lifespringsweb.wordpress.com/