| Knowledge accurately applied is power. The poet | | | | lifted him to the top. |
| encourages us to learn as much as we can. He tells | | | | Dear friend, your freedom is waiting for your |
| us a little learning is dangerous. | | | | discoveries. You can move from rags to riches, from |
| Remember, "You shall know the truth and the truth | | | | failure to success, from obscurity to become a |
| shall make you free." You see, we experience liberty | | | | celebrity if you read. Read the Bible. Read a book this |
| and success to the degree of knowledge available to | | | | week. Let them set your soul on fire. When you |
| us. More often than not, when people stagnate in life, | | | | catch fire, the world will come and watch you burn. |
| it is the direct result of stagnation in their minds. The | | | | READERS ARE LEADERS - Readers Reward |
| still have the same dreams, the same excuses, the | | | | Dr. Ben Carson is a consultant Pediatric Neurosurgeon |
| same old ideas, the same attitudes and the same | | | | with the John Hopkins University in the United States |
| problems. They still think the same way. | | | | . Several years ago, he came into limelight when he |
| But I believe that you cannot make progress in your | | | | led a group of doctors that carried out |
| heart and stand still in real life. Your circumstances will | | | | unprecedented surgical procedures. They successfully |
| always be compelled to catch up with the | | | | separated a set of Siamese twins who were joined |
| development inside you. | | | | together in their heads. Dr, Carson is by all standards |
| Romans 12:2 says; "You are transformed by the | | | | a genius. In his auto-biography, Dr. Carson describes |
| renewal of your mind. In other words, the rate of | | | | how he was behind the whole class in his grades |
| change evin your life is directly proportional to the | | | | while in primary school. Because of their embarrassing |
| rate of change in your mind. God wants us to | | | | results, their mother decreed that Ben and his older |
| continue to learn, to improve, to grow. John L. Mason | | | | brother had to read one book per week at the public |
| said it; "The biggest room in our lives is the room of | | | | library. |
| improvement. | | | | Ben decided to study stones. Then one day, the |
| My dear friend, the answers to the most critical | | | | teacher was to teach on stones. As was his custom |
| questions on your mind right now are already | | | | the teacher asked the students questions before |
| packaged in books. You can experience acceleration | | | | delivering his lecture. This particular day, no one in the |
| in the fulfillment of your destiny by learning from | | | | class could answer the question on stones. And there |
| other people's experiences. Read a book this week, | | | | was Ben. After being sure that nobody in the class |
| read the Bible. Read other books that address your | | | | could answer the question, he stood up confidently |
| situation. God will help you discover wisdom that will | | | | and declared the answer. |
| catapult you to a new level. | | | | It was a surprise for the whole class. The teacher, |
| Do you have an appointment today? An interview? | | | | excited, asked the whole class to clap for Ben. Ben |
| Or an exam? Please let's believe that all will be well. | | | | was glowing all over with satisfaction. From that day |
| READERS ARE LEADERS - Learned Man | | | | on, Dr. Ben Carson stated, he developed a strong |
| Francis Bacon, a learned man, once said; " Reading | | | | passion for books. He scored straight A's in all his |
| maketh a full man; speaking a ready man; writing, an | | | | subjects and always led the class till he graduated at |
| exact man." | | | | the University. |
| W. Fusselman, an author also wrote; "Today a | | | | Dr. Carson stumbled on the great discover in that |
| reader, tomorrow a leader." Think about it. | | | | knowledge is power. |
| Reading is one discipline that characterizes leaders | | | | Dear friend, it has been established, that when you |
| around the world. No wonder they say; "Information | | | | read an hour a day in your area of specialization, you |
| is the power to make or break." Or "Knowledge is | | | | become an authority in two to three years. And in |
| power." Dear friend, we cannot rise beyond our level | | | | years, you become part of the top 1%. |
| of knowledge. We must be committed to learning. | | | | READERS ARE LEADERS - Never To Stop Learning |
| The Apostle Paul, one of the great leaders in the | | | | Anyone who stops learning is old whether at twenty |
| Bible once instructed a younger pastor, Timothy; | | | | or eighty. Anyone who keeps on learning is young. |
| "When you come, bring ..... the books, especially the | | | | The greatest thing in life is never to stop learning. |
| parchments." He was a reader. Learning for wisdom is | | | | Proverbs 24:5 (TLB) says; "A wise man is mightier |
| an old trade indeed. Even Christ, no doubt, read | | | | than a strong man. Wisdom is mightier than strength." |
| books because he quoted a lot from the five books | | | | In other words, mind power is superior to muscle |
| of Moses, the Psalms and the book of Isaiah. | | | | power. |
| Readers inevitably become leaders here on earth. A | | | | We are lifted in life to the degree to which we lift |
| few years ago, former American President, George | | | | the quality of our thoughts. And we lift the quality of |
| Bush opened a library which displays his large | | | | our thoughts through association with higher minds - |
| collection of books from all around the world. | | | | especially through their books. He who walks with |
| You see, when we value knowledge, we increase in | | | | wise men becomes wise. |
| value. Ecclesiastes 10:15 says; "The labour of fools | | | | Great men and women seem to have an insatiable |
| wearies them, for they do not even know how to | | | | desire for knowledge. They invest in books that add |
| go to the city." In other words, it is knowledge that | | | | value to their lives. Books like The Bible. "Power of |
| makes our labour productive. | | | | Positive Thinking" by Norman Vincent Peale. "How to |
| Several years ago, I read Tough Times Never Last | | | | Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie. |
| But Tough People Do by Dr. Robert Schuller. It | | | | And many more. These books have added value to |
| transformed my life. I realized that success is not a | | | | millions of lives. |
| matter of chance, it is a matter of choice. I chose to | | | | We must never stop learning. When we stop learning, |
| succeed. I was fired up. I began to share the success | | | | we stop growing. A famous saying reads; "It's what |
| principles I learnt with others. The impact was | | | | you learn after you know it all that counts." Really, |
| dramatic. I discovered there and then that I had the | | | | the more you know, the more you realise you don't |
| gift to teach success principles. | | | | know. |
| Dear friend, make a habit of reading and get ready | | | | Now, if you delete the letter "L" in learn, what you |
| for a turn-around in all areas of your life. | | | | have left is earn. You see, what you learn is directly |
| READERS ARE LEADERS - In Books | | | | related to what you earn. Until you learn something |
| Francis Bacon, writing in the "Alliance Weekly" in 1956 | | | | new, you may not earn something better. |
| said; "Read, not to contradict or confute, nor to | | | | Dear friend, if it's necessary, go to school. Take that |
| believe and take for granted, nor to find talk and | | | | course. It is better late than never. However, if you |
| discourse, but to weigh and consider. Some books | | | | can't go to school, read on your own. Do |
| are to be tested, others to be swallowed, and some | | | | self-education. Remember that some of the richest |
| few to be chewed and digested." | | | | men in the world now were school drop-outs who |
| A sage once said too that we will be in five years | | | | went ahead to develop their minds. Whatever your |
| exactly where we are now except for two things, | | | | own situation may be today, God can lift you to the |
| the books we read and the friends we keep. | | | | top.Be a reader and tomorrow you will be a leader. Is |
| Dear friend, have an insatiable craving for knowledge. | | | | this your big day at the office? Whatever your call, |
| You must not stop learning. All that you know is all | | | | please let's believe that all will be well. |
| you have learned, but all that you know is not all | | | | God cares about the small steps of our lives as much |
| there is to learn. | | | | as He cares for the great steps. Because He knows |
| The success and failures of previous generations | | | | that the small steps of today are the great steps |
| have been analysed into books. Read them. | | | | tomorrow. So He says; "Though your beginning was |
| Experience, they say is the best teacher. That is true | | | | small, yet your latter end should greatly increase." |
| especially if it is not your own experience. The wise | | | | Don't be discouraged when you make seemingly slow |
| man or woman learns from other people's mistakes. | | | | progress. Be concerned only when you are standing |
| Every generation is designed to be an improvement | | | | still in life. You are a success when you do what you |
| of the previous one. | | | | can do with what you have where you are. |
| Daniel, in the Bible, was a young slave in Babylon . | | | | Most people want only the big breaks, the big |
| Surprisingly, he rose from slavery to become Prime | | | | opportunities. They despise the seemingly small |
| Minister. That is unusual promotion. However, he | | | | opportunities at hand. However, it is the small |
| revealed one of his secret disciplines in Daniel 9:2. He | | | | opportunities that pave the way for the big |
| said; "In the first year of his reign, I, Daniel | | | | opportunities. An opportunity grasped and used well |
| understood by the books the number of years | | | | produces at least on other opportunity. The small |
| specified by the word of the Lord through the | | | | opportunities are sign posts on the way to the big |
| Prophet Jeremiah ......." | | | | ones. Don't despise seemingly small opportunities. The |
| You see, Daniel was reading the book of Jeremiah. | | | | little steps you take today when compounded over a |
| When you know the truth, it sets you free. Daniel's | | | | long period will add up to giant strides. The journey |
| level of knowledge broke the shackles of slavery and | | | | of a thousand miles begins with one step. |