And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night: He made the stars also. And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth (Gen. 1:16-17). This is one of the greatest scriptures in the Bible that God used to minister to my life when the en­emy came in like a flood.

The God that made the moon and the sun at the same time and place, made the stars ALSO. You see if the sun is shining, it shines in the day while the moon shines in the night. None of them can stop the star from shining. You may not be as bright as the moon, shine, let the moon shines its shine then you shine your shine.

The sky is too wide for moon and star to quarrel over the extent of their shining light. He made the stars also. If God knew that the light of the moon alone was enough for the night He would have not made the stars. You see the star is constant, but the moon is not there all night. Your light may not be as bright as that of the moon but it is needed. Shine your shine! No one so big near you should stop you from shining.

I have made up my mind to shine my shine and I would not stop any body from shining and nobody should stop me from shinning. Your light has come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. Just step out of your house this evening and look up when the sky is bright. See the moon and the star shining in sky they do not compete. They complement each other.

The brightness of another star close to you should not intimidate you. It should challenge you to shine more,. The closeness of the moon should not make you become inferior. You should not be inferior to anyone. Let him shine his shine and you shine your shine. Job said to his three friends I am not inferior to you Gob 12:2). You should understand that God has made you a star also. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon and an­other glory of the stars; For one star differeth from another star in glory 1 Cor. 15:41.

You just shine your shine and let others shine theirs. There is no need for comparison, just be yourself. For we dare not make ourselves of the number or compare ourselves with some that compare themselves...

This is great! The glory of the sun is different from the glory of the moon and the glory of the star. So there is no reason for comparison. If God has made someone else moon and made you a star or sun you should not make any unholy compari­son because God's word says the glory of the sun differs from that of the moon and the stars.

If you are a star, shine. If you are sun, shine and if you are the moon, shine. You just shine your shine and let others shine theirs. There is no need for comparison, just be yourself. For we dare not make ourselves of the number or compare ourselves with some that compare themselves; but they are meas­uring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves are not wise (2 Cor. 10:12).

Please let us stop this unholy competition and comparison. There is no way the star can shine as the moon or the moon as the sun. It is unholy and ungodly to make this comparison. Just be yourself and you will find fulfilment in life. By the time you are trying to compare yourself with another per­son you will over stretch your faith, your resources and your capacity. There is danger in it-.

But we will not boast of things without our measure but according to the measure of the rule which God hath distributed to us a measure to reach even unto you. For we STRETCH not ourselves BEYOND our MEASURE as though we reach out unto you; for we are come as far as to you also in preaching the gospel of Christ not boasting of things without measure (out of our schedule) that is of other man's labour but having hope when your faith is increase that we shall be enlarged by you according to our rule abundantly 2 Cor. 10:14-15)

We should not boast of doing things that are not assigned to us by God. If you see others doing it, it does not mean we are all destined to do same. It may not be in your book to do it for there is a book written concerning each of us. Read and fol­low your book, do not enter into another person's book. Follow your book page by page, chapter by chapter and verse by verse. Do not go into another man's labour. David wanted to build a temple for God but God said no to him. It is not in your book David! It is in Solomon's book.

You should not enter into his book, if you do, you have no reward. Shine your shine. One star differs from another in glory. There are things you can do and you will be known by them and only you can do them. Rejoice in doing those things that God has given you ability to do, if you are a carpenter shine as one, a doctor, shine, a farmer, shine, a Pastor, shine, a student, shine, do not let the presence of other people intimidate you.

The sun does not stop the moon from shining neither does the moon stop the sun from shining, the sky is wide enough for all the stars to shine in the same night without noticing the presence of the moon. He made the stars ALSO. Never you wish you were the moon nor you were the sun if you are a star. Shine as a star and let the moon shine as the moon, moon does not shine all night but star does, moon does not shine in the day but star does.

You say preacher what do you mean? "We have also a more sure word of prophecy; where unto ye do well that ye take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place until the day dawn and the DAY STAR arise in your hearts" 2 Peter 1:19.

The sky is too wide for moon and star to quarrel over the extent of their shining light.

There is what the bible calls day star. After defeating all forces of darkness in the night it does not go out. It shines in the day in the heart of the child of God who has a destiny. I see your light shining brighter in darkness I see you come out of the ugly situation that looks so dark, I see a day star arising in your heart. Praise God. He is a faithful father.

His words are yea and Amen! Your light will shine no matter the level of darkness around you. When the day star arises in your heart you will see more than the physical eyes can see, know more than the natural heart can know, do more than the natural strength can do say more than the natural mouth can say, understand more than the natural mind can understand. If only you know you are a star. You will shine until all darkness around you disappear. One star differs from another star in glory. You can increase the glory of the brightness of your star by prayer, by faith and by courage.

David encouraged him­self in the Lord his God. Against all odds David pursued his enemies. He inquired from the Lord "And David said, to Abiatha the priest, Ahimelech's son, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the elphod to David. And David inquired at the Lord saying, shall I pursue after this troop? And he answered pursue; for thou shall sure overtake them and without fail recover all". 1 Sam 30:7-8.

Stars do not give up, Stars do not loose hope, stars are not easily discouraged. David encouraged himself in the Lord his God. If you are waiting for someone to encourage you, you may still wait for a longer period. Get up from the floor, dust yourself. Pick the pieces of your life look up to God. Inquire at his hand and mouth, pursue! Victory begins with you bowing your knees to God and saying my God, I am faced with great challenges in life. This was not what I expected, not what I bargained for, the enemy came in like a flood. Shall I pursue after them? You will hear God say to you pursue.

Stars do not go to men, they go to God. Stop relying on men; go to God, David inquired at the hand of the Lord. Paul said he did not go to Jerusalem to them that were apostles before him to tell him what to do. Oil that public highway when he met the Lord he inquired at the hand of the Lord what will you have me to do? And God spoke to him Arise go into the city and it shall be told thee what thou must do. Acts 9:6

That was the starting point for the great apostle. He arose and was never seen on the floor. You are a star. Stars have never been seen on the floor or on the ground. It is always in the sky ready to shine when darkness comes.

"And Lot also which went with Abram had flocks and herds and tents and the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together: for their substance was great so that they could not dwell together. And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram's cattle and the herdsmen of Lot's cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land and Abram said unto Lot , let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee and between my herdsmen and thy herdsmen; for we be brethren. Is not the whole land be­fore thee? Separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left. (Gen. 13:5-9.)

The land was not able to hear them when they concentrate on one portion of it. When they did not look beyond their immediate environment. They thought that the world started and ended where they were. There was a strife between their herdsmen. God's provision and God's blessing should not cause quarrel and strife among God's people;. The sky is too wide for two birds to collide.

The sky is too wide for only the moon to shine He made the stars also, and you know that God does not do anything without a purpose, God has a purpose for your life. Abraham said unto Lot , let there be no strife I pray thee between me and thee and between my herdsmen and your herds­men for we are brethren. Halleluiah. I say we are brethren. The prosperity of a brother should not give another Christian problem.

The success of one minister should not give another headache. We are brethren. If you go to the right hand side I will go to the left, if you go to the north, I will go to the south. If you move eastward I will move towards the west. You shine in the south, I will shine in the north if you are shining in the east, I will shine in the west. The sky is too big for the moon that is why god made the stars also. Big moon let the stars shine near you, they are needed for a brighter environment.

God relocated us to the western part of Lagos in January, 1998, to Calvary Cathedral to begin a fresh work altogether after being used of God in central Lagos for about nine years. By the grace of God we are beginning to shine and no devil can stop what God is doing we will shine in the day and in the night. 0 preacher what do you mean by shine in the day?

Listen to me when too many stars, moon and the all powerful sun are all shining and you as a star do not go into hiding and you have the courage to stay and shine in their midst, you are by any standard a shinning star. There are other stars shinning nears you, but you are unique. Shine your shine, don't get intimidated. Don't be inferior. Shine your shine. I will shine my shine.

Bishop Joeph Ojo