24-7: Living Life to the Max

By George Acquaah

This book is designed to equip people of faith with the basic biblical principles of living. It encourages the ready to live life as one seamless whole in which all we do matters, little or big. With this mentality, we will not excuse our little shortcomings. We will not hesitate to ask God for guidance and

• Language: English
• Publisher: George Acquaah Publishing
• Release date: Nov 18, 2022
• ISBN: 9781959173649

George Acquaah

Dr. George Acquaah is the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Bowie State University. He received his Bachelor of Science- Agricultural Science with honors and Master of Science-Crop Science degrees from the University of Ghana, Legon in 1975 and 1979, respectively. He lectured in the School of Agriculture at the University of Cape Coast in Ghana for four years before proceeding to Michigan State University as a Fulbright Scholar and received a Ph.D. in Plant Breeding and Genetics in 1987. After a postdoctoral fellowship as a Visiting Research Associate at Michigan State University, Dr. Acquaah accepted a position as Assistant Professor and Management Specialist at Langston University and went on to serve as Professor and Chair of the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources. He also briefly served as Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs at Langston University in 2008 before assuming the position of Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. His numerous awards include the 2007 National Winner of the National Association of Land Grant Universities and Colleges (NASULGC)/USDA Excellence in College and University Teaching in Food and Agricultural Science; 2007& 2006 Certificate of Excellence Finalist-Oklahoma Medal for Excellence in Teaching and Administration; the first recipient of the 2006 National Association for Equal Opportunity (NAFEO) in Higher Education Noble Award; 2006's first recipient of the Da Vinci Fellow given by the Da Vinci Institute of Oklahoma; 2003 Millennium Award for Excellence in Teaching given by the White House Initiative on HBCUs; 2003 Distinguished Professor; and the 2002 NASULGC/USDA Excellence in Teaching Award, Southern Region. Dr. Acquaah's research interests are in tissue culture applications and plant genomics to improve tropical species. He has authored journal articles and seven (7) college textbooks, one of which (Understanding Biotechnology) has been translated into Chinese, while another (Plant Genetics and Breeding) was translated into Farsi and was judged by the Society of Biology of United Kingdom, as the top breeding book in the world in 2103. He has garnered over $4 million dollars in competitive grants from the National Science Foundation, Department of Defense, and the USDA. Dr. Acquaah is a member of the American Society for the Advancement of Science and the Editor in Chief of ISABB (International Society of African Biotechnologists and Bioscientists. Dr. Acquaah is the author of a couple of Christian books, including "Living for Christ 24/7" and the "Truth about Lies."

Book preview

Introduction

Living life to the max, 24-7, is not a new concept. It is what God meant for life to be lived in the first place—as one seamless whole in which everything we do matters! God created us and has a purpose and plan for each one of us. Everything we do should be toward fulfilling our purpose. If we realize that everything counts, whatever we do, we will do as if we are doing it for God. Wherever we are, we are in Christ, whether at work, in the community, at the local church, at home—anywhere, we are ambassadors of Christ.

Wherever we are is our mission field. Christianity is a lifestyle, not something to be put on and off. The primary audience is Christians, but it can be enjoyed by all.

I believe if Christians would model Christ, 24-7, we will be more effective in reaching our world for Christ, which is the charge He gave us before leaving earth. We are salt of the earth. We are effective only when we are out of the salt shaker and in the world. Salt cannot be sugar one time and talc another. Salt is salt all the time or it is not useful. We as Christians should be consistently authentic. Everything we do in the 24 hours of each day matters to God. Nothing is too small or too big to ask for God’s opinion or help. If we live with this attitude, we will not trivialize our ‘small mistakes or sins’ or discount our small good works. Also, we will learn to surrender all to Jesus.

You cannot live life to the max unless you know Christ as Lord and Savior and have a new life. God is the author of life itself. We were made in the image of God, an image that was corrupted by sin. Through redemption in Christ, we can be gradually transformed into His likeness. We have a physical part that someday will die. However, our spiritual part will live on forever.

It is fair, therefore, to say that most of life is lived after death! In other words, there is life after death. Where and how we spend eternity will depend on the choices we make before death. When we choose to receive Christ, we choose eternal life; otherwise, we choose eternal damnation. What shall it profit a man, if he gains the whole world and loses his soul in the end?

God has a plan and purpose for each life, a plan he made before we were born. In Christ, we can discover and live this life to the max. New life in Christ is a supernatural way of life. All things are possible to us, for He lives through us, as we surrender to Him. It is a life in which we receive a charge to go into all the world and make disciples of Christ.

This book by no means contains all there is to know about Christian living. The Bible was the primary reference used in writing it. There are numerous books on various subjects written by numerous anointed teachers and preachers, some of whom have influenced me over the course of my life. Every so often, I quote specific gems of truth that some of these wonderful brethren have shared for the benefit of the church. It is my hope that, as questions are raised in your mind, or your interest is piqued, you would seek out some of these excellent literatures and study materials to learn more about specific subjects. Also, I have deliberately excluded most of the names of people and specific places in the testimonies I share, because I don’t think they are relevant. I have chosen to use a format that I have used in writing college textbooks in my profession in Plant Genetics and Breeding.

I believe, as you will read later in the book, that the workplace is a major mission field for most Christians, but many are unaware of this opportunity to witness of the saving power of Christ. So, as a scientist, I have tried to illustrate biblical truths with scientific concepts. One of the most powerful ways of witnessing to another person is to be able to say, ‘I once was lost, but now I am found.’ So, I have included personal testimonies of how God has moved in my life in specific situations to demonstrate His power and love. Perhaps one topic that may be unique to this book is the chapter on the Christian and politics, a subject that I have previously written about to the local church and even in a major newspaper. It is time for us to quit politicizing issues and start living the authentic Christian lifestyle.

Some concepts will be repeated more than once in various chapters. This is partly due to the fact that the key concepts are previewed in Chapter 1 and then developed further in appropriate chapters. The repetitions serve to emphasize the importance of those concepts  and also help connect the various chapters for continuity. The Bible was essentially the sole direct reference and hence has been extensively quoted throughout the book. Selected key verses are printed out in full at the end of each chapter. Citations of these selected verses are emboldened in the text.

Since no one knows it all, I will be pleased to hear from you about any biblical errors that may occur in the book. My personal opinions are limited to a bare minimum. You may not agree with everything I have opined on. I did not set out to please anyone, but just write what I believe the Spirit led me to write. Any errors are mine and I stand corrected. Rather than dismiss the book because all your pet peeves and opinions are not supported, ask God to give you His opinion, which is all that counts. Let us make every effort to deny the devil another opportunity to divide the body of Christ. Let us support and love each other and work together to fulfill our charge. Each one is in full-time ministry! We do different things. Pastors, for example, do more pulpit preaching; your life is a sermon on the move, perhaps the only Bible your neighbors will ever read.

Righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost is the kingdom of God. When all is said and done, I hope that this book will spur us on to live like Christ’s ambassadors 24-7, with a goal to be changed ourselves, and then take our act on the road to change the world and win souls for Jesus. Let us be certain in our hearts and minds that ‘We were born for such a time as this!’

Chapter 1

Concept for living life to the max

Life should be lived with an all-counts attitude. Too many people compartmentalize their lives, keeping some things off-limits to God, or thinking doing only certain things amounts to serving God. In doing so, many tend to live the Christian life in a box, the box of the local church. We must think and live outside the box, 24-7. The church already knows Christ, because we are the church! It is the world that needs to know Him. So, we must model Christ outside the local church. We are world changers. It is easy to model Christ in our comfort zone, the local church. But how eager are you willing to model Christ at the workplace, in the community, at home, or outside the four walls of your local church? This is what we are called to do—to go and model Christ in the world, so that souls may be won for Him.

Living life to the max means living life:

Purposefully – God has a purpose for your life (Rom 8:28; Heb 11:40; Eph 1:11). Find it and live it. The life that is worth living is the life that is lived according to God’s purpose. If God has a purpose for our lives, then planning, which we need to do, becomes a discovery of this purpose. The plans you make must, of necessity, help you fulfill your purpose.

Victoriously – Christ wants us to overcome as He overcame and walk as He walked (2 Cor 2:14; Rev 3:21)We have victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Col 15:57). We need to assert ourselves, claiming all the blessings that are ours in Christ.

Abundantly – Christ came so that you can live your life and enjoy it and be satisfied (Deut 28:11; Jn 10:10; 2 Pet 1:3). God is a God of more than enough. We should live large.

Completely – Live life with an all-counts mentality (Mat 12:36; Prov 3:5-6:1 Thes 5:18; 1 Cor 10: 11; Rom 11; 36). We labor to stand perfect and complete in the will of God (Col 4:12). Desire to be all you can be for Christ.

Urgently - Life is too short (Ps 39:4). Don’t put off anything you should do today (Ps 119: 11; Prov 27:1). Respond promptly to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

Expectantly – This life is only Act 1. The best is yet to come. Christ has gone to prepare a better place for us (1Cor 2:9; Eph 2:10; Mat 25:34; Jn 14:2). When you live like the best is yet to come, you can forgo earthly pleasures for the sake of the kingdom. You will be able to resist the temptation to compromise your standards to live according the standards of the world.

Successfully – It is not so much how you start, but how you finish. The prize is only for those who finish. Live a life with no regrets. Live life to the max. (John 17:4; 2 Tim 4: 7)

Obediently – Trust and obey God (Deut 30:2; Mat 28:20). When all is said and done, it takes obedience to live life to the max, 24-7. To obey is better than sacrifice (Isa 15:22). Do things God’s way, for there is no other way better than that. It might not make sense or be pleasant, but He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. He sees the beginning and the end at a glance. If we love God, we will obey Him (1 Jn 5:13).

Contentedly - You will not always have what you want. You have to learn to be content with what you have (Heb 13:5; Phi 4:11). You have to choose to live and enjoy your life, each day, as it enfolds. Don’t fall into the ‘when- then’ trap whereby many delay enjoyment till later when certain things are place. Often, if not all the time, that never occurs. Choose to be happy even when things are not going your way. Godliness with contentment is great gain (1 Tim 6:6).

Consistently – Living life to the max entails making progress, from faith to faith and glory to glory (2 Cor 3:10). To grow, you have to be consistent in feeding the Spirit. Life is a process or journey. You must persist and persevere to reach your destination. Rain or shine, your lifestyle should not change. Do good in season and out of season. Don’t live a see-saw life.

To live life to the max, 24-7, we must understand the following spiritual principles, A to Z:

Put GOD first

We must always put God first in everything. We must seek God’s kingdom and its righteousness first (Mat 6:33). After all, He is the one who has the master plan for our lives and the whole world. In Him we live and move and have our being (Act 17:24). We are crucified with Christ (Rom 6:6) and He lives life through us (Gal 2:20). If we seek God first, He has promised that all other things shall be added unto us. So, if you desire other things, do not chase after those things, but rather focus on God first. The other things will come in due course. In other words, do your part and God will do His part. Give to Him, first (Prov 3:9), and He will give back to you immeasurably. God should be the one you go to, first, not the last resort. In keeping God first, you give Him first priority and work your schedule around Him rather than try to squeeze Him into your schedule. In this busy world, the temptation is to do the latter.

Live for an audience of one. Do all things as unto God and seek to please Him only (2 Cor 5:9). We are servants of the Most High God. If it pleases God but offends man, that is ok. But, do not displease God by pleasing man. We must obey God rather than men (Act 5:29). Do not live for the applause of men (Gal 1:10). Men may not see it, but God does. If you do your part in secret, He will reward you in public.

Yield Control OF your life TO GOD

He’s got the whole world in His hands and He’s got it all in control. When we become Christians, we yield control of our lives to Him so that He can then guide us in fulfilling our purpose. If we trust Him, He will direct our paths (Prov 3:5-6). Being people of self-will, we are able to withhold from and disobey God. Yielding control to God means we trust and have faith in Him to guide us aright. A desire to be in control brings about worrying and reasoning in life.

Sometimes it is best not to know. Remember that curiosity, as they say, killed the cat. To yield control to God, you must die to self (Col 3:5). Give up self-righteousness, which is nothing more but filthy rags before God (Is 64:6). It makes you boastful (Luke 18:11, 12). Give up self-will for it makes one stubborn (Is 48:4-8). Self-will is manifested as pride (Ne 9:16, 29), disobedience (Deut. 21:18- 20) and resistance to God’s Spirit (Acts 7:51). Give up selfishness, which is self-love (2 Tim 3:2) or self-seeking (Phil 2:21). Rather, put Christ first (Phil 1:21, 22), seek the good of others (1Cor 10:24), and manifest love (1 Cor 13:5). Crucify the flesh (Gal 5:24) and take up your cross daily (Mat 30:38) and follow Jesus. Do not pursue worldly ambitions (Mat 16:24-26) and sinful pleasures (Heb 11:25, 26). Pursue periodic self-evaluation to test your faith (2 Cor 13:5) and prove your work (Gal 6:4).

Live BY faith

Without faith, it is impossible to please God (Heb 11:6). We receive Christ and become God’s children by faith. We then live by faith (2 Cor 5:7; Rom 1:17). God has a plan for our lives, but the plan is unfolded to us on a daily basis. Trying to figure out everything and not being at peace until you know it all, or as much as possible, is a lack of trust and faith in God. This means we should learn to be satisfied with not knowing everything and step out in the confidence that God is in control. Worrying is faithlessness, an indication that we are not trusting God. Faith can move any mountain. Things will be done according to your faith (Mat 9:29).

In God’s kingdom, we believe before we see (Heb 11:1). Anything you do that is not out of faith is sin (Rom 14:23). Remember, we know only in part (1 Cor 13:9), and so we cannot live life to the max unless we learn to trust and obey. In creating you, the Designer had a purpose or a dream he placed in you. It is up to you to discover this dream or purpose and live it to the max. Often, it will require that you break out of your comfort zone by faith. The first step to accomplishing big dreams for God is stepping out into the reality of the divine dream, by stepping out of the box defined by our mind that tends to limit, reason out, and rationalize the dream, thereby creating a barrier of fear. We have to break this fear barrier by stepping out on faith into our dream. Faith is acting on what you believe. Fear is negative faith. Fear of the Lord is good fear, for it is the beginning of wisdom (Ps 111:10), and also helps us shun evil (Prov 8:13). Being afraid robs the Christian of God’s best. Don’t be afraid (Mk 5:36). The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid (Heb 13:6).

Be Prepared for change

Change is a constant that is necessary, desirable, profitable, and inevitable in life. Life is all about change. It all starts with change, when we become born again (Jn 3:16). It continues with change, as daily we are transformed into the image of Christ (2 Cor 3:18). It ends with change, when we ultimately become like Him when He reappears (Phi 3:21). We are first changed and then given the mandate to go and change the world. God is unchangeable. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb 13:8). However, the world, just like us, is in a constant state of flux. We, as agents of change, ,are to influence our world for Christ, something that is an active and deliberate effort (Mat 28:19). If we are passive in keeping our charge, the world will likely change us, or we will adapt to it (Rom 12:2). It will become necessary for us to change how we change a changing world for Christ. We cannot do the same thing over and over again and expect different results.

But, we should be careful how we proceed, lest we adapt to the standards of the world instead of setting the standards.

Know that life Is an assignment

In the kingdom of God, you are given an assignment and provisions to carry it out (Mat 25:14). You are a custodian of your life. You will be required to give an account of how you live your life and rewarded accordingly (Rom 14:12). All provisions are linked to your assignment. Knowing this gives more meaning to wealth and earthly possessions. The provisions are located where the assignment is to be carried out. An assignment is a mission. So, see yourself as being on a mission for God. To succeed, you must have a vision. It follows that if you want God’s provisions, you must have a vision and a mission. You must know God’s purpose for your life and set out to live purposefully.

Be prepared for warfare

We war not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers (Eph 6:12). Within us, the Spirit is at war with the flesh. Randy Morrison once said that anytime God is about to do some- thing in His kingdom, there is warfare because Satan does not want us to reap the benefits of His intervention. Any time you attempt to do something for Christ, there will be opposition. Unfortunately, sometimes the opposition comes from within the church or even your own family. Whatever the source, know that the devil is actually behind the opposition. We need to put on the armor of God (Eph 6:11-18). The armor of God consists of truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, the sword (word) and prayer. We need to be sober (1 Thes 5:6) and watchful (1 Cor 16:13) and be on our guard (1 Cor 16:13), for the warfare is on-going.

Renew Your Mind

The role of the mind in successful Christian living cannot be over emphasized. Love God with all your heart and mind (Mat 22:37).

The battlefield of the spiritual warfare is your mind. Every decision you make starts in the mind. We have the mind of Christ (1Cor 2:16) and should be able to make proper decisions if we abide in Him and He in us. The devil is interested in ‘messing’ with your mind because you will never rise beyond what you dream about in your mind. You will become what you think about (Prov 23:7). We are admonished to think good thoughts (Col 3:2; Ph 4:8). You have to renew your mind daily, by the washing of the word of God (Rom 12:2). Meditate on good thoughts all the time.

Study God’s Word

Man shall not live by bread alone but by the word of God (Mat 4:4), is the example Christ set us. You must hide the word in your heart and be careful to observe it so that you may not sin against God (Ps 119:11). Prayers that are powerful and effective are those that are rooted in the word. God honors His word. Lack of knowledge is why Christians may become ineffective and perish. God’s word is a lamp onto our path and light onto our feet (Ps 119:105). Speak or prophesy unto yourself, affirming what God says about you. When the devil suggests otherwise, you should be able to set the records straight and remind Him by countering with the truth. Know the truth, but applying it is what makes knowing it worthwhile in the first place. So, act on the truth by faith. Know that the Bible teaches mostly principles and precepts, rather than prescribing a comprehensive list of dos and don’ts. Hence, it is critical to interpret scripture correctly (2 Tim 2:15). Do not take scripture out of context to misapply it perilously.

Love Unconditionally

Life is all about love. God first loved (Jn 3:16) and out of that love He gave of His best, Jesus, to save us from sin and reconcile us to Himself. Love is giving. The Bible commands us to love God with everything we have and love our neighbor as ourselves (rom 13:9). Love is everything. Without love, we are nothing (1 Cor 13:2).

The world will know we are Christians by the love we have for each other. Jesus commands us to love others even as He loves us (Jn 13:34). Love must be sincere (Rom 12:9). Love is patient and kind (1 Cor 13:4). There is faith, hope, and love, but the greatest of these is love (1Cor 16:14). Love never fails (1 Cor 13:8). Everything must be done in love (1 Cor 16:14). When we speak the truth, it must be in love (Eph 4:15). We should pursue love (2 Tim 2:22). Whereas there is so much about love expressed appropriately, love can also be abused. The love of money is the root of all evil (1 Tim 6:10). Do not love sleep or you will be poor (Pr 20:13). There are two kinds of love, God’s (agape) and man’s (aeros). Love unconditionally with God’s love, not by feeling.

Have a Servant heart

Jesus came to serve and not be served (Phil 2:7). He says if anyone wants to be great in the kingdom of God, he must be the servant of all (Mat 20:26). We are servants of the most high God (Acts 2:18). We serve Him so that when we appear before Him we can hear Him say, ‘Well done, good an faithful servant’ (Mat 25:21). A servant is not greater than his master. We are to serve humbly, loyally, and faithfully. When we serve others, we serve God. When you have a servant heart, your focus will not be on yourself but on others. You will not be selfish. In serving, our only master is the Lord, for we cannot serve two masters (Luke 16:13, Mat 4:10). Jesus washed the feet of His disciples. If we follow His example, we will be able to serve the lowliest among us with delight.

Let Go Of The Past

The past is past. If the devil tries to remind you about your past as he will, remind him of his future. Remind him of your changed status and your future in Christ. A major enemy to living life to the max is wasting time with a nonexistent past. In Christ there is change, the old is past, and everything becomes new (2 Cor 5:17). Our old nature was crucified with Christ (Rom 6:6).

Do not dwell on the past (Isa 43:18), but press on toward the goal (Phi 3:13, 14). You will make mistakes as you journey along in life and develop and grow in your faith in the Lord. Learn from your mistakes