© Reverend Olukayode Adenola Adebogun

All rights reserved.

Printed in Regina, SK Canada by National Print-It Centres.

First Edition 1998

Second edition (revised with additional pages), 2002

Design & typography by Marlene Solberg, Regina, SK Canada

Anglican Church Of Canada

Diocese of QU'APPELLE

1501 COLLEGE AVENUE, REGINA, SK, CANADA

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special note

Effort has been made to acknowledge all materials quoted from

other sources. If there are any that are not correctly quoted or have

been omitted, the author will appreciate your contribution so that

they will be properly acknowledged in any future editions.

Chapter One

Spiritual Stocktaking 

Chapter Two

Hindrances to Spiritual Stocktaking

Chapter Three

Help for Spiritual Stocktaking

Chapter Four

A Charge to Leaders

Chapter Five

Failure to Take Stock

Stocktaking is an integral part of every business or

investment. Stocktaking is examining and making a

list of goods in the store. It is essential for growth and

development. It enables you to look back and use

your finding to estimate your present position. This

can also help you to focus on the future.

A number of believers do not have time to look back

and make plans for the future. Will this not affect your

growth, the church, and your ministry? If yes, how do

you go about stocktaking? These and other questions

are answered in this book.

It is an amplification of a message preached by the

author on December 28, 1997 at St. Paul’s Anglican

Church, Ajara-Agamathen, Badagry during Holy

Communion Service.

xi

Chapter one

(2 Corinthians 13:5 KJV)

Stocktaking is a call to remembrance. It is self examination.

It is looking critically into one’s spiritual

life. It is an appraisal of the past. It involves evaluating

one’s failure and success. Our work with God is on

a continuous basis. The original intention of God is

that we will live like Him and be perfect. Sin broke the

relationship, therefore man began to live and reason

humanly rather than divinely. Redemption is certain

through the blood of Jesus and we can therefore attain

the lost position through Him. On a daily basis we are

still in a struggle with the flesh, which is our human

nature even though a new Spirit is in us.

(Galatians 5:17 KJV)

1

In our walk with Him, there is the possibility of distraction.

The devil may use our human nature, even

use the counsel of fellow believers. This calls for care.

In the Scripture Jesus’ attention was being distracted

from the central goal but because of his sensitivity

and closeness to the Father, He was able to refute the

plan of the enemy. Even if Jesus had given his consent

at that moment, during one of His retreats with the

Father, He would have examined Himself and called

Himself back to the formal vision.

Spiritual stocktaking is a call to the original vision,

a call to the first love. Many who would have made it

in spiritual things, those who would have been great

in the Lord, are still at the bottom of the ladder

because when God began with them, they were a spiritual

machine working without time for refueling. No

doubt they have made a shipwreck of their faith.

Spiritual stocktaking is an essential part of your

walk with God. There is a need for you, on a regular

basis, to ask yourself from where did you start? Where

are you going? Where are you now? These are the

questions the church in Ephesus did not ask

(Revelation 2:1–7). It has been recorded that the

Church started very well with great readiness to work

and labor for the gospel. They had great patience,

not ready to put up with those which are evil. They

were against compromise. The Church preached the

Word with all fervency of heart. They tried those who

called themselves apostles but were found to be liars.

Along the way, probably because of pressure, over confidence,

negligence, or other vices, they lost the

vision. They were no longer doing the work as expected.

They were not faithful and they had no time for

Spiritual Stocktaking

2

spiritual stocktaking. Maybe they thought they were

still doing fine in the Lord. But God spoke in verse 4:

"Nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee, because

thou hast left thy first love." He therefore called them

to spiritual stocktaking in verse 5.

Spiritual stocktaking will involve remembering

from where you have fallen and repenting. It will

involve doing your first work and going back to the

ancient landmark.

Today, ministries and individuals who started very

well are ending badly. Many who used to preach

powerful messages with the leading of the Holy Spirit

are now preaching dead sermons to dead people.

Many started with the message of holiness but are

now focusing their attention on the message of prosperity.

to the extent that they have no time to look back on

or reflect on the present life. Many denominations and

churches that have the fire of evangelism and revival

in their bones are now busy serving the table. Many

have lost their vision. The end-time waves and syndromes

have taken over many. Many who valued

God’s call at the beginning of their lives are now busy

running after certificates and degrees to the detriment

of the call of God upon their lives. If we must go back

to our first love, if we must affect this generation, we

must have spiritual stocktaking. We need great targets

to be able to do great exploits for God. It is not the will

of God that any of His children should look back.

Many who are going back, are falling from grace to

grass. They are doing so because they have no time for

spiritual stocktaking. They are already burnt out.

Think about your way of life. Maybe what is happen-

Spiritual Stocktaking

3

ing to you is as a result of neglect of spiritual stocktaking.

Remember that in Acts 6:1–7 all the apostles have

been serving the table until the twelve called the multitude

of the disciples and said "it is not reasonable that

we should leave the word of God and serve tables."

They were able to retrace their steps, knowing

where they had missed the target. Verse 4 made a

great change in their ministry and life.

"But we will give ourselves continually to prayer,

and to the ministry of the word" (Acts 4:6). Because

they took the right step, there was great harvest.

6:7 KJV)

If only we will call for a retreat and examine ourselves

afresh, a great number of people will come to know

the Lord and become disciples in this nation and great

numbers of our persecutors will become obedient to

the faith which they once persecuted.

What do you have left in your store? Go back now

and take stock.

Many of our friends and brethren who ran the race

well some years back have turned themselves into

Gehazis and Balaams who, because of the love of silver

and gold, forsook the straight path of the Lord.

The Pentecostal message has become the message of

things of this age.

Righteous living and brokenness in the presence of

Spiritual Stocktaking

4

the Lord is in retreat in the assembly of the saints, and

finding a company of saints walking in the admonition

and ways of the Lord is rare. It is now scandalous

preachers to even contemplate being different and

separate from the ways of the world. They must be

modern and use the graces and blessings of God to

satisfy their carnal desires while proclaiming themselves

as the heirs of the throne of God or army of

God. All this is happening because most of them have

no time for spiritual stocktaking.

There is no substitute for spiritual stocktaking.

Begin now.

Remember the words of John R. W. Stott:

How odd it is to be an unconverted preacher of an

unevangelised evangelist (or a backsliding preacher).

It is like the blind leading the blind, a blind man

claiming to be a professor of optics, when he himself

is absolutely in the dark!

It is like a deaf man claiming to be a professor of

music, demonstrating symphonies and harmonies.

Moles professing over eaglets. A fool rushing where

angels tremble to trek.

Dare to be different. God has called you to remain in

constant fellowship with Him. He is willing to keep

you, if you continue to keep in touch with Him. To be

sure you are always in good relationship with Him, to

be sure He is happy with you, take stock of your life.

Put yourself under the x-ray of God. Reflect on your

past and plan to move to higher heights in Him. This

is spiritual stocktaking.

Spiritual Stocktaking ....................................................