BECOMING A SIGNATURE ( FOR FRESH STUDENTS)

“How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and Power who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil and God was with him” Acts 10:38

INTRODUCTION:

What do you think is a man's greatest need? Someone recently mentioned they would like their tombstone to read "He made a difference” Whether we speak of achieving our full potentials or only of surviving to the next level, men invariably talk about their need to be significant; A desire to become significant in their own area of gifting.  A man's most innate need is his need to be significant; many of us are here for that same chief reason.

Frankly speaking; we cannot get the significance we speak of if God is not with us.  Jesus our role model, it was said of him "how God anointed Jesus…who went about doing good and" why? The answer is not far-fetched; God was with him, God had signed on the pages of his life with Holy Ghost and Power. He was God's handwriting for untold wonders.

Authentic lasting significance is hid with Christ, Jesus said, "I am the vine; you are the branches if a man remains in me and I in him he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do NOTHING (John 15:5). In other to become a SIGNATURE, to be APPROVED for greater exploit, we must let God sign on the pages of our life with His unusual threshold of dominance.  Let us look at the three principles to becoming God's signature while on campus.

THE PRINCIPLE OF AUTHOR:

Hebrew 12:2 says "Looking unto Jesus the AUTHOR and FINISHER of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross”.  Being significant and having authority is your birthright.  At creation, God created a masterpiece (Gen. 1:26) "And God said let us make man in our image, after likeness: and let them have dominion over...”, The impending question is; who is the author of your authority?.

            The release of your personal authority is linked to the origin of your gifts and power. We must endeavour to discover the true SOURCE of the authority that is inherent in you. For you to make distinction in your school, you must let God be the signatory of your life. The only way to be approved of your studying is to make God the source of your authority. Surrender all to Him. Elijah asked his people “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if baal is god follow him” I King 18:21. Who will you follow today? If your answer is God, then He is ready to sign on your life provided you do the following:

·         Confess Him as your Lord and Saviour – Rom 10: 9

·         Be baptized with water and Holy Spirit – Matt 3: 11, Act 2:38

·         Study the bible everyday – Joshua 1:8, II Tim 2 : 15

·         Pray without ceasing – Luke 18:1

·         Attend fellowship – I John 1:7

·         Flee from sin – I Corin 6:20, I Tim 6:11

THE PRINCIPLE OF AUTHORIZATION:

Having known the author of your authority, the next phase is to be authorized (to be APPROVED). You do not only have authority within you, you also need the authorization to carry it out to the world. You must strive (Study hard) to start fulfilling life’s purpose.

God authorized Moses to lead His people after he was able to fulfill the necessary requirements; he was schooled for 40 years in the wilderness. He left the palace to be with God’s people. He sacrificed his ego to put on the mantleship and signature of God.

Jacob also wrestled with an angel all night; his rib was shifted just for a new name; God’s signature and approval for a new beginning. Seek God’s authorization (approval) for distinction today by studying hard. The question now is how do I study?

1.      ATTEND ALL YOUR CLASSES

·         Absorb Classroom material

·         Make presence known/participate

·         Earn attendance point

·         Sit at the front

·         always do your assignment

·         get past questions

2.       GET ORGANIZED

·         Use a planner (time table)

·         Stay current with due date/course/information

·         Plan ahead

·         Visit the library

·         Develop your professional vocabularies

·         Reinforce your learning

3.      STUDY EARLY AND OFTEN

·         Know how best you study

·         Make sure work is done before socializing

·         Study with friend to gain support

·         Attend tutorials

·         Meet with seniors in your department

4.      MASTER YOUR LECTURERS

·         Understand their course expectations

·         Understand lecturers on personal level

·         Respect and Communicate with lecturers when you are struggling

5.      USE TIME WISELY (BE A GOOD TIME MANAGER)

·         Break larger project into smaller and easy to tackle one

·         Tackle harder work first

·         Take break as reward for work

Do not over-extend yourself (learn to say no)

·         Practice writing against clock

·         Get information i.e. visit department, faculty  and press council board on regular basis

THE PRINCIPLE OF AUTHENTICITY:

No person is truly authentic until he is manifesting his inherent authority. We must understand and become our true self. The good news is that, God has given you that authorization your area of gifting (Gen 1:26) to become the authentic of His creation, that is why nobody can do it just like you. In being authentic you must:

·         Not do things to impress others

·         Not imitate and keep bad friends (watch out for cult members, aristos etc.)

·         Not live extravagant life

·         Love yourself (have healthy self esteem)

·         Speak positive about yourself

·         Have confidence in the abilities God has given you

You cannot be approved if you have not worked according to the edict of God. And as a student your approval is directly proportional to how well you have studied hard like a workman who needed not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of TRUTH (II Tim 2:15)