Bounce Back Up -2 – Don’t Forget to breathe

Don’t forget to breathe

In this new age of positive thinking, personal empowerment and “Yes You Can” gospel mantras, Pastor Charles Abraham presents a message that is at once eternal in its source and timeless in its application. Beware, because this book so un-dramatically titled “BOUNCE BACK UP” offers from its get-go a decidedly unsexy premise — that failure is a fact of life and that all of us will encounter failure at something, sometime. An uncomfortable truth but a truth nonetheless. It’s borne out by scripture in a manifest expression in the life and times of almost all the major characters of the Bible. Adam failed. Moses failed. Samson failed. Peter failed. Paul failed. The only figure that never failed in his goal or mission was Jesus Christ.  It seems a no-brainer to accept that perhaps failure is an inevitable, or necessary consequence of man’s imperfect humanity. While man in the essence of his creation was made in the image of God signifying his possibilities and the unlimited power of the spirit of God in him, a yawning gap presents itself between man’s possibilities, his dreams and purpose, and man’s humanity which is the quicksand combination of his fears, discouragements and disconnections from the path of righteousness outlined by his maker. That gap between his purpose and possibilities, and his humanity and discouragement, is a conundrum that has confronted the greatest men of history and the best achievers of our time. Each and everyone of us has to build a mental AND spiritual bridge over that gap to connect ourselves and our ambitions and establish a reality and a testimony of the triumph of action over inertia, of faith over fear, of performance over mere precepts, of attainment over failure. 

That bridge stands in memory and in time as a monument to the grit and inner fortitude of history’s greatest achievers. It is held high by the iron rods of faith. The wooden planks of determination and doggedness. The concrete mix of courage and purpose. But above all it is made possible by some wisdom keys of spiritual understanding that separates the hopeful from the hopeless. It is beyond the positive spin of modern day life coaches who tend to affirm an unrealistic concept of the ‘always-winning-never-failing’ human journey that have no reality or parallel in biblical characters or figures of modern history. Those wisdom keys build from within each and everyone of us a spiritual understanding of the design of man, the possibilities of man, the fall of man and the redemptive intervention of Jesus Christ to make the rise of man possible again. Go figure then that the only figure that never failed in the history of the world was Jesus. That, in summary, is the subtext of this wonderful narrative of BOUNCE BACK UP. 

Pastor Charles Abraham in an affecting and inimitable ‘voice’ offers a message that is positive in tone, enthusiastic in affirmations, persuasive in narrative structure and reader-friendly and memorable in language. This book, however, succeeds most importantly by its definitive scriptural highlight of the key pillars of its premise using the story of David’s experience at Ziklag as a template of a step-by-step process of turning failure around from a fall to a ‘bounce’ up to a higher dimension. It is simply the most important message for anyone hurting or reeling from the pain and disappointment of unattained goals and unfulfilled dreams. BOUNCE BACK UP makes clear that failure can happen but it does not define you. It is an event not an identity. Where you are and what has happened to you is not your story. It is merely a chapter in your story and as we say in the business of filmmaking, it is only a twist in the dramatic arch of your story. It is suspenseful and will sometimes accelerate the beat of your heart because it unbalances your world and scrambles your carefully laid-out plans and expectations but it is what it is, a blip or bump in the road.

BOUNCE BACK UP is an exploration of the inner space and psychological cross-road of David at Ziklag to mirror the challenges we all face at that defining cross-road of our life when we face a choice whether to give in or go on. BOUNCE BACK UP says, just as David did, our wise choice is to LOOK UP! It is simply the heart of God speaking to man in his most vulnerable human moment that the strength to achieve and to create and to transport from one dimension to another flows vertically from a God who is the only one equipped to add the ‘super’ to our natural so that we can operate in the supernatural. 

The message is made real as well because BOUNCE BACK UP offers several real-life case-studies and statistics in a gripping systemic blend to keep you riveted from page one to its end in an easy accessible flow. It is as if you have sat through a counselling session that speaks God’s mind directly to what you are going through with a specific mandate to help you recover; to affirm the hand of God in your affairs and to reassure you that heaven is accessible to walk AND work you through the unavoidable pain and blood and gore of birthing you from one dimension into another with a higher, greater remit than your humanity can ever achieve in its own strength. 

Failure happens. Disappointment is a fact of life. Accept its reality. Refocus your priorities. Look upwards for strength. And don’t forget to breathe! 

So whoever you are, and wherever you may be in your journey BOUNCE BACK UP is simply the most important book you will read today because, if you are reading this, your journey to healing, recovery, rebirth and uncommon enlargement has already begun! 

God bless you.

Femi Odugbemi

Bounce Back Up – Intro

Acknowledgements:

This book has been long coming and for many years various people have encouraged me to write down my thoughts, especially my teachings from the bible. Finally after much goading, it is here. I therefore want to thank the following people, who along the way God used to support and encourage me.

My profound appreciation goes to my family at Kensington Temple and IBIOL International Bible Institute of London, how can I ever be anything without what you have all sown into my life? Pastor Colin Dye, Senior Minister at KT, God has used you tremendously to shape and develop my calling and ministry. I am forever grateful for you and for my years at KT. I learnt so much about leadership being on those numerous short-term missions. Special acknowledgements to Pastors Phil Whitehead and Alistair Taylor, the two missions directors before me. And yes, all the members of the mission teams to all those nations, you know yourselves; you are an indelible part of my story. I deeply miss you all.

Femi Odugbemi who was the ‘holy goader’ for many years, especially in the last few years. His constant nagging and positive affirmation and not so subtle push has made this possible. Femi also helped read the first draft and his advice on how to ‘layer’ the book is invaluable. I am indebted to you my brother.

Jahman Anikulapo, my indefatigable editor and friend. Your space will never be edited out of history. Thanks so much.

I am grateful to Billy Lawson, who spoke to me once at the ad agency, LTC-JWT Lagos, inquiring what I will do with my retirement from the ad-agency. His encouragement for me to write and his affirmation that he believes I would do well as a writer, gave me the much-needed shot in the arm. Thanks Billy. In the same vein, I thank all my colleagues at LTC-JWT Lagos. You guys are creative and dynamic. I learnt a lot from you all. Thanks for pushing the frontiers every time. Kolade, thanks for the cover design. I know the best is yet to come concerning you. Love you son.

Rev. Greg Marlam of Ashford Baptist Church, I still remember our talk at your home many years ago. You were so convinced I had to write. I thank God for your year-long teachings on David. I definitely gleaned a lot from those talks. Thank you for being so faithful.

Just the thought of the blessing of being the Pastor of GAP ministries/Church fills my heart with so much joy and gratitude. You guys are simply the best. The leadership team who have stood through thick and thin and the members who have faithfully followed the Lord and His commission. Many of you are in your “Bounce Back” season and I know the best is yet to come. I love you all so dearly.

My daughter Erin, for her relentless pursuit and pressure on her daddy. Always saying ‘dad you really need to write’. Thanks my princess and thanks for editing this book for me.