The Principle Of Accumulation And The Cascading Years

A few days ago, I wrote about Making The Years Cascade Into Each Other.

One of the problems of modern Pentecostalism is the big-bang miracles expectation and lifestyle. After all the fasting and prayers and seeds for the year 2019, many of our members will be expecting a sudden incidence that will suddenly change their fortune. I believe in praying a lot. I believe that it is by His mercies that we are not consumed. I believe in His divine provisions and protection. I also believe in supernatural conception, etc. However, a proper perusal of all those who received miracles in the New Testament never amounted to anything besides people like Paul, who added so much effort to actualize his purpose in life.

I have been recently reading a book “The Personal MBA” by Josh Kaufman. On page 155 is this subtopic on Accumulation, there was this powerful statement credited to Bruce Barton, “Sometimes when I consider what tremendous consequences come from little things, I am tempted to think there are no little things“. The author further stated that “Small helpful or harmful behaviours and imputes tend to accumulate overtime, producing huge results.

Therefore, the outcome of your existence–and even a chapter like 2019–is a product of the accumulation of several small actions cascading into each other. That means that each little action adds unto itself negative or positive actions and consequences that either gives a positive or negative balance sheet of life.

Before you go on, it would be very helpful to read the following scriptures: Joshua 2:1-24, Joshua 6:22-25, Matthew 1:5, Hebrews 11:31, and Proverbs 6:6-9.

In my book, Maximising Moments, Rahab was a prostitute resident in the wall of Jericho. God needed accommodation and information for His two spies and a report that will strengthen the resolve of the Children of Israel to take their possession after more than forty years of the ‘faith failure’ of their ancestors that died in the wilderness.

Why pick a prostitute? The best answer was that she was well-positioned; by her residence in the wall, it was easier to escape from the wall as events turned out to be. She was also mentally prepared. She was alert enough to know when someone left her drinking café without finishing his drink. As a prostitute she was streetwise and experienced in human psychology. She had a ready answer by the time the messenger from the palace came to investigate. Remember, she was a prostitute.

Sometimes, the instruments for the fulfillment of God’s purpose do not fit church committee standards or human expectations. He has used donkeys, fishes, and even Pharaoh’s daughter, who knew her father passed a decree to kill Jewish children. He also has used Ravens and widows.

The harlot was prepared by her trade overtime, and she had the mindset to handle challenges. Harlots are very bold and brave. They have compartmentalized minds. Harlots can make their clients enjoy sex, but they are in control of their emotions. They don’t enjoy sex or love their clients, if they do, the might not make income. Prostitutes are very strategic and manipulative.

She had flax on her roof to hide the spies. Flax was for clothing. This was a woman preparing for retirement because she knew that younger prostitutes were going to take over the trade someday.

She went up to negotiate with the spies before they slept. She did not want arguments in future about testamentary capacity. She knew what was vital at that time, which was her salvation and that of her family. Two sexually-starved and newly-circumcised Hebrew young men were very good clients with foreign exchange; they would have paid much better, but she concentrated on what was important.

She had accumulated information on a regular basis from the discussion of her clients. She knew the tempo and what was trending and what to do to alter her fortune and that of her family. From her experience, she knew the terrain and could easily advise the spies on where to hide. She had a scarlet rope to lower the spies down. What rope was that? I suspect it was a ‘night-duty’ rope for customers after the gates to the city were locked. If not, how did she suddenly find a rope and somewhere firm to tie it? She was very prepared to harness her opportunities. She was the one who initiated and dictated the pace of negotiations. There was no plan to save any one from Jericho.

How did she keep her family members for 7 days without quarrels that would attract visitors? How did she manage to feed them and maintain good sanitary conditions? How did she keep the secret from outsiders? How did she manage to explain to her clients the closure of the drinking saloon?

Rahab, the harlot, had great capacities accumulated overtime.

When the walls of Jericho fell, only her portion was standing. God honoured her faith.  Prostitution is a very risk business; it takes faith to take risks. To accommodate the spies was called an act of faith in Hebrews 11:31.

When the city was destroyed, she and her family members were saved. She and her people were kept outside the camp of the nation of Israel. However, they were later accepted and lived within the nation of Israel. How? The males must have first accepted Jehovah as their God and they would have been circumcised. Rahab must have gradually dropped all her wild behaviours and repackaged herself.

Each time you examine yourself and make corrections, no matter how small, it creates a cascading effect. This year, it might be exercise, diet, savings, punctuality, talking less, temper control, putting in just a little bit more effort, etc. As you do this, you will notice an accumulated divided of goodwill and positive results. The outcome of the year might just depend on that small change you decide to make in your life.

With further improvements on herself she eventually got married to a Jewish man and found herself in the genealogy of Jesus Christ. When her name was mentioned in Matthew 1:5, the stain of being called a prostitute had been removed. She was now a star instead of a stain on her family name. She saved them.

I don’t know the stains in your life. I don’t know where you missed it. It did not start suddenly. You can take the first little step at self-improvement. I don’t know if you brought shame to your family, but you can become the standard just like Rahab. Church folks are usually very unforgiving and intolerant of mistakes. The more unsympathetic and intolerant they are, the more convinced they are that they are going to heaven before you. However, God is merciful. Take that step like the prodigal son; He is like a Father waiting for you.

Most importantly, fresh opportunities are going to knock on your doors this year, ask God for grace to maximize them.

God bless you,