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The High-Powered
Christian Entrepreneur
ROTIMI OGUNJOBI
Copyright © 2020 Rotimi Ogunjobi
All rights reserved.
DEDICATION
This book is dedicated to everyone in search of a new meaning to their
lives.
CONTENTS
THE HIGH-POWERED CHRISTIAN ENTREPRENEUR
DEDICATION
CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
PREFACE TO THIS EDITION
INTRODUCTION
SUMMARY
1 LIBERATE YOURSELF
2 DETOXIFY YOURSELF
3 INVIGORATE YOURSELF
4 RE-PROGRAM YOUR MIND
5 PURSUE YOUR GOAL
6 BREAK DOWN THOSE BARRIERS
7 FLY HIGH, VERY HIGH
8 GET YOURSELF AN ATTITUDE
9 SOW THE RIGHT SEEDS
10 GET YOURSELF A VISION
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT CONFIDENCE
THE HIGH-POWERED CHRISTIAN ENTREPRENEUR
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT COURAGE
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT OVERCOMING CONFUSION
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT OVERCOMING
DISCOURAGEMENT
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT OVERCOMING FEAR
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT YOUR FINANCES
THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT MONEY
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT PERSEVERANCE
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT SUCCESS AND PROSPERITY
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT WEALTH
WORKSHEETS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
vi
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
All Bible quotes taken from the King James Version .
i
PREFACE TO THIS EDITION
At a point in my life, I was a very zealous young Christian,
constantly seeking knowledge that no pastor appeared willing or
able to sufficiently give to me. My eagerness led me to Bible
College, after which I was eventually by my church, put in charge
of a fledgling community church. But this was not my life vision.
Even though I loved to advise and encourage people, I was not cut
out to be a church pastor, at least not yet. I was certain God
required more of me; especially as no other part of my life was
going on impressively. I resolved thereafter to focus more on the
task of unraveling the purpose of human life and especially of my
life, which was certainly not going enviably at all.
I have in my life passed through scary medical situations
and even more frightening financial situations from which
anyone’s survival should defy rational human explanation. But I
remember the amusing quip of a very scared pastor which says:
“without passing through a mess, you cannot have a message “. I
have passed through sufficient mess to preach thousands of
messages and nearly completely convinced the purpose of my life
may be an encourager. I have indeed seen nearly everything.
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I wrote the first version of this book, I believe purely from
divine interference. The version was compiled from personal notes
and observations made from various challenges life had led me
through. The book was published under a pseudonym; because I
wasn’t sure I wanted anymore to be associated with religious
writing. That done, I set the book aside, refused even to promote it
and happily carried on with my other interests, the divine call
being done with.
I have formal qualifications in civil engineering, software
technology and also journalism. The engineering degree I acquired
at the age of twenty and set aside about fifteen years later because I
thought it was no more sufficiently challenging. I needed
something which interfaced more with the world around me rather
than with a specialist niche. I needed an enjoyable occupation
being convinced nobody was ever created to live an unhappy life. I
believe every human being has a unique skill, something that
nobody else can do in the same way as you can, and if you can find
it, you have found the purpose of your existence and life will
consequently become easier to live. My most enjoyable skill is
creative-writing and I made certain it would be an important part
of whatever I committed myself to, a decision I believe divinely
placed after a circuitous life journey.
After reading this book, I am sure you will want to ask if I
eventually achieved the financial goal, I projected. No, I did not.
This is because I started with a goal and ended with a vision that
set the goal aside, for a while. The perks were equally rewarding –
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I could more easily fund my several community-oriented projects,
which include ongoing support to a local orphanage. I was also
able to write more than thirty books over a space of only nine
years, some of them for big-name foreign publishers. An abridged
record of my adventure into writing books, I urge you to read in
my literary autobiography titled Gathering the Words. I must
mention that more than ninety percent of my books were written
after I turned fifty, an age at which most people think their
productive years are already behind them. I still write at least one
book every year, living the most liberating and liberated life I
could ever have imagined.
Undoubtedly, creative writing will not be your liberating
skill, primarily because you need to be an extraordinary writer to
earn any money at all from writing books. Yours could be sports,
or catering, music, pastoring, dressmaking, teaching, care giving
…or whatever your conversation with God eventually places in
your heart. How would you know you have found this liberating
skill? If it is not something that excites you beyond the expected
monetary rewards, you still need to keep searching.
The title of this book may need a bit of explaining. My
definition of a high-powered life is one that is constantly receiving
guidance from God. My definition of a Christian is one who is
constantly guided by the Bible and consequently of God. When
you decided to read this book, what were your expectations? Did
you imagine it may turn you into a high flying business owner
jetting around the world in your private plane? Yes, the little
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knowledge I have given here could enable you to do that, but it
will take a great deal of work on your part to arrive at that goal.
Becoming an entrepreneur is not always about wheeling and
dealing and making a lot of money and I love this definition given
by an organization known as Enterprising Oxford:
“It is not just about starting a business or spinning out a
company from research. It’s all a mindset or a way of thinking.
Entrepreneurs just think and do things differently… Being an
entrepreneur can mean knowing your industry inside out and being
able to exploit that knowledge to create new opportunities. Being
entrepreneurial can mean sharing ideas freely and celebrating so-
called failures as learning and growing experiences. Being
entrepreneurial can mean simply thinking outside the box and
expecting the unexpected.”
What were my reasons to again revisit a book I abandoned
for more than eight years? I thought initially to reply that I don’t
know the reason, but that would be quite untrue. I do, and it is
again purely divine intervention. I offer this book as a testimony
that all the principles I have mentioned in the book work.
Rotimi Ogunjobi
January 2020
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INTRODUCTION
These are difficult times indeed. Entire fortunes are being daily
wiped out economies go deeper into turmoil. Unemployment is rife
and many people are looking to the future with distress. But this is
the world economy, not God’s economy – because The Maker has
equipped each of us with the means to succeed and prosper in spite
of whatever is the situation in the world.
There are a few things though that we ought to get out of
the way before you dive deeper into this book. They should help
you determine what you may hope to expect and whether the book
is worth reading at all.
This is a book.
Yes, that is correct. It is not a miracle machine; and you
will not instantly become a successful entrepreneur, just by reading
it. This book contains knowledge and very little else and until you
put the knowledge to work it will remain just a book.
This is a book about how to use proven goal-setting
principles in tandem with sound Christian teachings to achieve life
and financial goals. It contains material from my personal
experience, success stories of other individuals around the world
and also Biblical notes. Regardless, my life encounters are
specifically mine and what has worked for me may not work for
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you. It is my wish that you eventually look up and not to my
experience. That is the reason for this book: guiding you to create a
secular occupation that is powered from up above. I offer this book
merely as a guide to assist you to navigate your way through some
of the rough channels of life especially those concerned with the
basic task of finding your purpose and place in the economy of
God.
I have been there.
Maybe you are at this moment thinking you have seen so
much hardship in your life and you are thinking - it is okay for him
to write books; he doesn’t know what I am going through. ; think
again. I can tell you right now how wrong you are. I have passed
through it before. This book is therefore also my testimony
This book is about rising to reclaim your place and purpose
in life. It is a small book, not quite so filled with pages of action
points and motivational jargon such as you have probably read in a
dozen places and you are fed up with them. Read it quickly at first
just to enjoy it; then come back read it all over again, much slower
this time – to apply it.
What you do is what you get.
This book will have no more impact on you than you
permit it. What this means is that if you are happy enough with
your life, this book may be of no use to you. However, if you are in
earnest search for measurable goals, progress and achievements in
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your life and you are willing to commit yourself to that search,
then, read on.
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SUMMARY
This is a small book. You have probably read similar, most of
which at the last page makes you too weary even to put the
instructions into action. That is why I have made it small. I will
further make it smaller by summarizing the content into a couple
of pages so that you can easily determine what sections you want
to go back to re-read, to get yourself going.
Chapter 1
How do you know whether your life is on course or
not? It is often quite easy to find out if you know
the tell-tale signs. Give your life an audit.
Chapter 2
If you are convinced that you are going wrong in
life, it is necessary to do rid yourself of the pains.
Examine all your bad decisions, influences, and
quantifiable failures. Decide to forgive yourself.
Chapter 3
Many of those things and persons that you had
previously relied on are nothing but unnecessary
props. Resolve to get rid of them.
Chapter 4
Begin to build up your spirit by speaking good
things to and about yourself. Set a purposeful goal
and make plans on how to actualize it.
Chapter 5
Take inventory of your skills. Decide which ones
you will need to actualize your goal and what new
skill you will need to learn.
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Chapter 6
A reaction is always a natural result of an action.
Examine those obstacles which could hinder and
completely halt your progress, and deal with them.
Chapter 7
It is now time to start implementing your plan, but
how positive are you about success and how well
prepared are you for failure? Pursuing a goal is a lot
like war, and you need to make contingency battle
plans.
Chapter 8
Success requires an uncommon attitude or several
of those attitudes. Get yourself a brand new routine
and earnestly forge ahead with your goal constantly
in sight.
Chapter 9
It is a natural law is that you cannot sow oranges
and harvest apples. Similarly, to reap money you
must needlessly sow money.
Chapter 10
Always having a goal is important, but having a
vision is more life-fulfilling. How would you like to
be remembered? Learn how to create a vision to
crown your life.
.
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1 LIBERATE YOURSELF
“Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and
anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into
the house of the LORD, and worshipped: then he came to
his own house; and when he required, they set bread before
him, and he did eat.
21Then said his servants unto him, What thing is this that
thou hast done? Thou didst fast and weep for the child,
while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst
rise and eat bread.
22And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and
wept: for I said, Who can tell whether GOD will be
gracious to me, that the child may live?
23But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? Can I bring
him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to
me.”
2 Samuel 12: 20-23
Now if you are not familiar with the Bible, you may not
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quite understand the foregoing passage, but never mind, we will
sort that out together. The story is about a certain important king
called David, who fell into a situation which led him into many
days of sorrowing and asking God for mercy. Until, one day, after
the worst had come and passed, he stood, forgave himself of his
mistakes, and resolved to get on with life once again.
This chapter is not for everybody. It is for people who have
become lost in life and need to find themselves again. If your life is
going exactly the way you want it, skip this chapter and hop on to
the next, because you’ll probably get nothing from this one. This
chapter is for people who are fed up with being in a present rut. It
is for those who have fasted, moaned and grieved long enough and
need to stand up and say ‘enough is enough’. I will not cry for the
rest of my life. I intend to shake off this misery that life has
afflicted me with and press on forward.
How do people become lost?
Now, many of the suggestions that you will find in this
book may be so obvious that you will be asking yourself why they
hadn’t occurred to you earlier. Yes, how do people become lost?
The easy answer is that you become lost by going in the wrong
direction and consequently end up where they never intended to
go. There are several ways you can this can happen but I will
mention the three most common:
1. You may become lost by looking at the wrong road map.
2. You may become lost by blindly following after some
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other people without
asking them where they are headed.
3. You may become lost by wandering in the hope that by
chance you will end up
somewhere nice.
It does not take a genius to tell you that if you are
navigating by looking at the wrong map, especially one which does
not even have your intended destination on it, you are unlikely to
get where you want to go. There is the possibility that you may get
to some other destination with a similar sounding name or with a
similar climate; but will that be the same as the destination you
intended? No.
The second mistake is similar to the first. Some of us just
follow after our friends and neighbors because they have some
things we desire. We make them our role models; we want all the
good things they have. We want the same kind of work they do, we
want their lifestyles, we want the same kind of food they eat.
Unfortunately for us, they also have troubles in their lives, which
they have of course kept carefully hidden from us. Would we also
want those if we knew about them? Young people are more easily
susceptible to such peer envy, but all it may promise is a journey
toward the destination of those that we envy, certainly not to yours;
and if you also are lucky to arrive at their destination, it may
require a great deal of prayer to survive for long.
I stress the last bit because I believe that in this life every
person is specifically equipped for his or her trip and destination
and not someone else’s.
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A man was traveling and stopped at an intersection. He
asked an elderly man,
"Where does this road take me?" The
elderly person asked, "Where do you want to
go?" The man
replied, "I don't know." The elderly person said, “Then takes any
road. What difference does it make?"
Now the third situation is even more common and
disastrous. I say so because there are far more persons in this world
wandering lost, not quite sure where they want to go in life. They
are the sorts, who jump aimlessly from one sort of job to another
completely unrelated job, just because they need the money, or
they need the excitement or some other reasons that defy
explanation.
The truth of life is that if you are heading nowhere in
particular, you are quite certain to get nowhere eventually; and
you will get there weary, tired and fed up with life. An aimless
wanderer is also a disaster, a crime, a distasteful statistic just
looking for somewhere to occur.
What are the symptoms that you may be lost?
I know of a lady who had this annoying habit of greeting all
her friends “Happy Moan-day” , every Monday morning. I believe
this quite summarizes her mood and hopes for the rest of the week.
You know you have lost your purpose in life when life
becomes so uninteresting to you. For example, you are in a wrong
job when Mondays are never days that you look forward to with
any kind of happiness and Sunday evenings fill you with dread for
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the next day. You know you have lost your life purpose when joy
has almost completely disappeared from your life.
You know you have lost your life purpose if your health
constantly suffers without any visible cause. You know you have
lost your life purpose if you are losing sleep and you can not figure
out why. You know you have lost your life purpose when your
precious relationships have degenerated and there seems to be
nothing you can do about this. You know you have lost your life
purpose if you find your life generally going contrary to your
expectation and things only promise to remain that way
The situation may manifest in several other dozens of
symptoms, none of which is ever pleasant either to the body or the
spirit. Sadly in the same way, as we often try to cure serious
illnesses by ourselves without talking to the doctor, the most
common response always has been to address the symptoms rather
than the root cause.
Your first step to getting back on track
A Christian lady once made the following entry in her
Internet diary:
Dear God, Please show me the right paths you would have
me follow. Sometimes,
I'm not sure of the direction I should
go. I stumble and run into roadblocks. I don't
understand
why things are not going the way I think they should. Help me to
see
how these roadblocks and detours are being used to
redirect my life. Thank you for
your promise that "all things
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work together for good to those who love the Lord."
Amen.
When I felt so inspired to find someone who could publicly
confess that she was getting nowhere and had, therefore, stopped to
ask direction from the only one who knows and can direct right. At
the time I read this confession, I wondered whether she eventually
got the direction she desired or condescended to follow the given
direction. Years later, I again had the opportunity to read how this
Darmowy fragment się skończył.