The Twelve Wells and Seventy Palm Trees September 30, 2018 bizadmin Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees; so they camped there by the waters. Exodus 15:27 THE 12 WELLS AND 70 PALM TREES Would you like to know an important biblical key to divine health? It is found in today’s verse, which comes right after God says, “I am the Lord who heals you.” He said this to His people after He brought them out of Egypt (see Exodus 15:26). The wells of water and palm trees speak of refreshment. They paint a picture of an oasis in the desert. The Israelites rested and were refreshed there. But why the numbers 12 and 70? There are no insignificant details in the Bible. The 12 wells of water and 70 palm trees represent anointed ministries that refresh you with God’s Word. So if you want to know Jesus as the Lord who heals you, sit under anointed preaching of God’s Word because when His Word goes forth, it will heal you. His Word is medicine to all your flesh (see Proverbs 4:22)! How did I make that connection? Let the Bible interpret the Bible. Matthew 10:1 says that when Jesus had “called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.” He sent out the 12 and said to them, “And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons…” (Matthew 10:7–8). Then, in Luke 10:1, the Lord “appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.” He also said to the 70, “And heal the sick there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you’” (Luke 10:9). In other words, Jesus anointed the 12 and then the 70 disciples to preach God’s Word and heal the sick. Today, if you want refreshment, if you want health and healing, don’t sit under ministries that tell you that God doesn’t always want to heal and that He sometimes gives you diseases to teach you lessons. Instead, sit under anointed ministries that preach the good news and practice healing the sick. My friend, that is how you can begin to walk in divine health! – Pastor Joseph Prince
A Greater Blessing is in Store for You September 25, 2018 bizadmin What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31 A GREATER BLESSING IS IN STORE FOR YOU Whenever the devil throws something at us, we need not lose hope. In fact, we can be sure that God will turn it around for our greater blessing because He is for us. When God first made a man, He gave man dominion over everything on earth. (Genesis 1:26) But when Adam fell, sin and death entered the world, and the man lost his authority to the devil. So did the devil win? No, God executed His redemption plan by sending His Son Jesus to die for us. And He wants us to know that Jesus’ death did more than just restore us to the same position that Adam had—it placed us in a much higher position! When the Father raised Jesus from the dead, we who are in Christ were raised with Him. In other words, we are now seated with Him at God’s right hand in the heavenly places, “far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come”! (Ephesians 1:21) Adam never had this position. So through Jesus’ death and resurrection, we have received so much more. In the Old Testament, we read of how God brought the Israelites out of bondage in Egypt into a land flowing with milk and honey. The devil thought that he could foil God’s plan by putting giants in the promised land to stop the Israelites from inheriting it. But God outsmarted the devil. He allowed the Giants to build their homes and cities, dig wells and cultivate crops until the right time came. Then, He brought the Israelites into the land and evicted the giants! So the Israelites ended up inheriting large beautiful cities which they did not build, houses full of all good things which they did not fill, hewn-out wells which they did not dig, and vineyards and olive trees which they did not plant! (Deuteronomy 6:10–11) Although the devil tried to prevent God’s plan for His people from coming to pass, they ended up receiving so much more! Beloved, the devil may throw obstacles and evil circumstances at you, but God will turn those evil schemes around for your greater blessing because He is for you! – Joseph Prince
You are Perfect in God’s Eyes September 21, 2018 bizadmin But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God… For by one offering He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. Hebrews 10:12, 14, KJV YOU ARE PERFECT IN GOD’S EYES God sees you with no flaw, spot or imperfection, so honor His Word and the finished work of His Son by saying, “Amen!” Don’t doubt your perfection in Christ. To see yourself as far from being perfect is not modesty, but a failure to understand the perfect sacrifice that Jesus has made for you. The Bible tells us, “For by one offering He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified”. Did you get that? You have not only been sanctified, that is, made holy, but by the same offering of His body, you have been perfected. You are both holy and perfect in God’s eyes! Your sins have been purged perfectly. Today, Jesus is seated at His Father’s right hand not because He is the Son of God (although that is true), but because His work of purging your sins is completely finished and perfect! So instead of being conscious of your sins, which is to have an evil conscience (Hebrews 10:22), you can have a perfect conscience, a conscience that is free from the guilt and condemnation of sins. When you find yourself conscious of your sins, just say, “Thank You, Lord Jesus, for Your wonderful work at the cross. It is a perfect work that has removed all my sins completely. “Holy Spirit, thank You for convicting me of righteousness, not my own, but God’s righteousness given to me as a gift. Keep on convicting me in the days to come, reminding me especially when I fail that I am still the righteousness of God in Christ.” My friend, God sees you perfect without any spot of sin. He sees you covered in the beautiful white robes of His own righteousness. He treats you like a righteous man because that is what He has made you. So expect good things to happen to you because blessings are on the head of the righteous! (Proverbs 10:6) – Joseph Prince
Paayi – Your Career and Business Help September 20, 2018 bizadmin Business and career are necessary and play a major part in our lives. We have bills to pay, groceries to buy, and food to put on the table for ourselves and our family. Therefore, formatting a great resume to secure a job is pertinent. After all, there are many other applicants who want that limited job with dozens if not hundreds of applications just for 1 or 2 vacancies. Therefore, you need to have your resume stand out above the rest and be the person that your employer loves to work with. Be the best in everything you do and excel at it if possible to stay relevant in the company to get confirmed and salary increment. For career improvement, you might like to check out the link given here as there are many articles of golden nuggets and words of wisdom pertaining to career, jobs and business. One cannot take his job for granted and not turns up for work and come as and when your mood desires. Missing in action is a no go and a call for retrenchment or being sacked. Most bosses won’t tolerate this type of nonsense but in some cases, some bosses are more understanding and in great need of people and manpower. This is especially so in the construction industry. As for white collar jobs in the office, executives will definitely be blackmarked if he is MIA (missing in action) and regularly takes MCs (medical certificates) due to illness or just to avoid a nasty boss or supervisor. For those doing business, either full time or part-time, you can check out articles to help your career and business in every way by clicking on the recent link. Whatever you do, do you best as unto the Lord Jesus. You will be rewarded in due time and the company will prosper under your employment and you need to take the initiative if the culture allows it so that the company can grow and strengthen. This will be rewarding in due time and you will get your bonuses as well to spur you on to continue working harder and not play politics or “tai chi” to avoid nasty situations and put the blame on someone else. So, there you have it, working hard and working smart is the way to go and thrive in a competitive environment.
Jesus Can Identify with Your Pain September 15, 2018 bizadmin ‘And if you bring as an offering a grain offering baked in the oven, it shall be unleavened cakes of fine flour mixed with oil, or unleavened wafers anointed with oil. Leviticus 2:4 JESUS CAN IDENTIFY WITH YOUR PAIN Private pains, deep hurts, shameful addictions. You may think that nobody understands what you are going through, but God does. He can identify with all your pains and is able to help you (see Hebrews 2:18, 4:15). In the Old Testament, the grain offering brought to God speaks of Jesus’ life on earth. The fine flour, which the grain offering is made with, is flour that has been pounded, ground, beaten and sifted through to get it consistently even and fine. Therefore, it typifies the humanity and sufferings of Jesus. One of the ways the Jewish women prepared the grain offering was to bake it. The baking done in the depths of the oven speaks of the “hidden” sufferings that Jesus went through. I believe that Jesus faced sufferings that we cannot fully understand. Even as a young boy, He must have gone through sufferings that prepared Him to die for all humanity at the cross. And during His ministry years, it must have grieved Him when time and time again, He found unbelief not just in the people around Him, but even in His disciples. Jesus also suffered at the hands of men—slanderers who misunderstood Him. Once, the Pharisees insinuated that He was born out of wedlock because His mother was with child before she married Joseph (see John 8:39, 41). That scandalous remark, probably not the first, must have hurt Him. Consider also the temptations He faced. There were not only three. God’s Word says that He was tempted for 40 days (see Luke 4:2)! Not all the temptations were recorded. Those 40 days must have tried Him sorely.What do all these mean? My friend, Jesus went through all those temptations and sufferings for you, yet He did not sin (see Hebrews 4:15). There is no temptation or suffering that you are going through that He cannot identify with. So come to His throne of grace today and receive His superabounding grace to face and overcome those trials in your life!
Declare God’s Word Over Your Situation September 10, 2018 bizadmin I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust.” Psalm 91:2 DECLARE GOD’S WORD OVER YOUR SITUATION When a great storm arose as Jesus and His disciples were in a boat on the Sea of Galilee, He did not say to His disciples, “The storm is here to teach us courage.” Instead, He took authority over the storm and said, “Peace, be still!” And there was a perfect calm (see Mark 4:39). When He met the widow of Nain whose only son had died, and on another occasion, the two sisters whose brother Lazarus had died, He didn’t tell them, “God wanted to take him home.” No, He spoke to the dead son: “Young man, I say to you, arise” (Luke 7:14). And standing outside Lazarus’ tomb, He said, “Lazarus, come forth!” (John 11:43). And both men came back to life. What have you been saying about your situation? When you feel the pain in your body, don’t say of the Lord, “God wants me sick to teach me to trust Him more.” Instead, say, “Lord Jesus, I thank You that by Your stripes I am healed” (see 1 Peter 2:24). And while trying to make ends meet, don’t say of the Lord, “The Lord keeps me poor to keep me humble.” Instead, say, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want” (see Psalm 23:1). We are living in the last days when there are terrorist attacks and deadly viruses lurking around, and the world is afraid. But we will not speak negative words and be fearful like the people of the world. Instead, we will speak God’s Word and reign over these things. Like the psalmist, we will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust.” So find out what God’s Word says about your situation, believe it and declare it. And because God’s Word cannot return to Him void (see Isaiah 55:11), you will see what you believe and confess come to pass! – Pastor Joseph Prince
7 Online Marketing Strategies for Your Ecommerce Store September 6, 2018 bizadmin 1. Social Media Think managing your social media is as easy as posting content once a day? It’s not. When it comes to social media, your marketing strategy shouldn’t be to just do it. You need to come up with a plan… and one that works. Every social platform has a specific target audience. If you’re an online fashion retailer, you probably won’t get most of your sales from LinkedIn, which serves more of a B2B (business to business) audience. Instead, you’ll focus on visual platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Your best engagement will likely be on Instagram. Your best performing ads will likely come from Facebook. And you might drive a lot of traffic from Pinterest (which you can then retarget with Facebook ads). So, once you’ve figured out which platforms are worth pursuing for your specific business, it’s time to zero in on your marketing strategies. What type of content should you post? Which tactics should you execute to increase growth? How often should you post? 2. SEO What’s more powerful at driving traffic to a website than social media? SEO. It won’t bring you results on day one. But marketing strategies aren’t about short-term plays. It’s about planning for the future growth. Most online retailers focus on immediate gratification when it comes to building their online stores so they’ll run Facebook ads and call it a day. But if you really want to keep your acquisition costs low, SEO is your best bet. The thing about SEO is that it’s actually not about picking keywords for your specific niche but going a bit broader. For example, if you have a running store, you wouldn’t only focus on keywords related to running. You’d also focus on keywords related to fitness or weight loss. Why? Because SEO is about acquiring new traffic, not just sticking to your exact audience. By having content around weight loss, you can still introduce the concept of running as a potential way to lose weight. It allows you to target a broader audience who could still be interested in your products. 3. Content Marketing One of the most popular marketing strategies right now is content marketing. It helps keep acquisition costs low. But it’s also great at “warming up” leads. What does that mean? It means not everyone will be ready to buy from you the first time they visit your website. However, your content can act as a relationship builder. The more of your content someone sees, the more familiar the potential customer becomes with your brand. Eventually, that familiarity can result in cold, hard cash. Like SEO, it’s a bit of a long-term play. But it pays off. Content marketing serves multiple purposes beyond acquisition though. It can also educate your customers so that they can improve their performance within the niche. For example, if you run a hair extension store, you can create hair tutorial videos with your hair extensions. This will help your customers look more beautiful using your hair extensions but also keep them using your product. Eventually, when customers want to buy another style, they’ll be more likely to be from you. Why? Because content marketing improves customer retention too. Content can come in many forms like blog posts, ebooks, videos, infographics, webinars, podcasts, polls, quizzes, templates, and more. 4. Public Relations The realm of public relations (PR) covers everything from media coverage to branding to content marketing. PR is about maintaining a positive public image and increasing brand awareness. On the one hand, PR is about preventing and putting out fires that can harm a brand’s reputation. And on the other it’s about showcasing the good things your brand does such as corporate social responsibility. Marketing strategies like PR should always be included in your marketing plan. The reality is your brand’s reputation can be as magical as Disney’s or it can be as tarnished as Takata’s. 5. Collaborations Brand collaborations or partnerships can help skyrocket your business. Marketing strategies like collaboration or co-marketing allow you to elevate your business by tapping into another brand’s audience. Most view brands in similar niches as competitors but they can be allies. If two brands serve the same audience but carry different product lines, they can help each other grow by co-creating content, hosting a contest, or launching a joint product together. By leveraging another brand’s audience your marketing campaign can reach a bigger audience, making it an even greater success. In part 8 of my case study series, I shared how another online retailer in a similar niche gave me a free shout-out on Instagram. While the post didn’t result in any sales, it did result in new followers and website visits. My online store didn’t even have 20 followers at the time and this brand had over 200,000! So collaborations don’t always need to be an even trade. This is a simple way to partner with a brand with a bigger audience without having to offer something extravagant in return. 6. Email Marketing For many online retailers, email marketing drives the fastest immediate results in terms of webpage traffic and sales. You can build your email list by asking customers to opt into your marketing when they check out. Or you can add an opt-in form to your blog, homepage, and other popular pages of your website. The real magic in email marketing comes from the ability to continue to remarket to your audience on an asset you have 100% ownership of. Think of social media followers as rented. Whereas, your entire email list can be moved to another email provider anytime. So you’ll always own your complete list. What are the top marketing strategies for email? The easiest way to increase your email marketing impact is to build a bigger email list. Apps like Spin-A-Sale can be added to your online store, gamifying the process of email list building. The tool allows customers to spin a wheel to get a discount. Customers have to enter their email to spin. But it’s also proven to result in sales as well. I personally tried it on my store and we ended up building a massive email list. Create email funnels. An email funnel is a set of sequenced emails. A standard email newsletter might include your best-selling products. However, an email funnel might start by featuring a couple of blog posts about the niche to help customers increase brand familiarity. You might then send an email showing your best-selling products of the week to convert the sale. But you’d only send the conversion email after sending a non-sales email first. You could also build funnels for your abandoned cart emails. Segment your email list. As your email list keeps growing, personalization and segmentation become essential. You’ll have customers who’ve ordered different products on your store. However, by personalizing your emails, you can show them products they may be interested in based on their previous browsing history. This can help make them more likely to buy your products because it’s catered to that individual customer. Apps like Customer Segment Builder can help with this. 7. Video Marketing Picture posts just aren’t cutting it anymore, folks. Videos are one of the most important marketing strategies for 2018. Fortunately, it’s never been easier to create videos. All you need is your phone. And you could use a free video editing app from the App Store or Google Play to make easy modifications to your videos. How you create your videos also depends on which platform you’re on. For example, on Instagram, you might use Instagram apps like Boomerang to create a short video loop. On YouTube, you’ll likely be creating widescreen videos. by Nicole Martins Ferreira Nicole Martins Ferreira is a content marketer at Oberlo and experienced ecommerce entrepreneur. She’s been building online stores since 2013 and sharing her secrets with Oberlo users since 2016. Follow Nicole on Twitter at @NicoleMarFer.
Forty Ways to Stay Creative August 29, 2018 bizadmin The infographic above speaks volumes about staying creative. One of them is to create an inspiration board. Also, get outdoors more often for a change of environment. Socialise and keep up with friends. Not just any friends who keep borrowing cash or always in debt or use you. But friends that motivate you to do even better and like-minded. Those that nurture and not cheat on you. Those that teach unconditionally and not mess up or confuse you. So, be careful who you choose to be in your circle of friends. Moreover, learn new skill daily or read books. You would be lucky to have a mentor who is willing to spend time with you. If not, buy books and learn through self-discovery. Collaborate with others who have an honest heart and with good intentions. Not the other way around. More importantly, meditate and pray; for the prayer of a righteous man availeth much. God can send you the right person at the right time to be there for you and kick out the useless ones. This is the privilege as a child of the Christian God. Declutter your workspace and write stuff down to keep notes. Listen to music and watch films. Go to the theatre, museum, take naps and listen to motivational speeches. Have sex and stop comparing yourself to others. Question things and turn off distractions like the tv, etc. Finally, let go of fear and be curious. Hence, this sums up almost everything here in the infographic that is carefully curated from the internet.