Hunger & Thirst

Proverbs 16:26: The person who labors,labors for himself,for his hungry mouth drives him on.

Hunger and thirst are mechanisms God has put inside every living creature to ensure their survival.Hunger is a sign that the body needs food and thirst is a signal that we are running short of water in our system. Hunger and thirst do not only act as mechanism for survival but to achieve God given goals for our lives.According to Proverbs 16:26 , hunger is a mechanism that drives a man towards his destiny. Hunger determines our action .Solomon was so hungry for the attention of God that he offered a thousand burnt offerings ,2 Chronicles 1:6-12. Hunger determines our priorities. The hunger for the Holy Spirit led the disciples to gather in the upper room waiting for the Day of Pentecost- Acts 2:1-4.While others prioritized enjoying themselves they prioritized been filled with the Holy Ghost.Hunger determines our efforts. The more hungry one is for success the more effort one is willing to put into  life. The man at the pool of Bethesda was so hungry for healing that he remained at the pool for 38 years ,John 5:1-18.

The level of a man’s hunger will determine the level of his achievement i.e. the bigger the hunger ,the bigger the effort and the bigger the achievement.Most of the achievement we see today are results of hunger to succeed. Our hunger determines the no of our sleeping hours.One point to note is this , hunger is visible. It is easy to tell when a man is hungry for food, you see the eyes turning red ,such men do not smile at all so also it is easy to tell when an individual is hungry for success.You see them always studying at night, working very hard, you can tell because they are the first to get to work and the last to leave.

The Most High expect His children to be hungry for peace.1 Peter 3:11 says Let him turn away from evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and pursue it.Our hunger for peace should drive us to pursue peace at all cost.Also according to Matthew 5:6 we should hunger and thirst for righteousness. But the most important form hunger is the hunger the kingdom of God and His righteousness according to Matthew 6:33 . Anyone who has this form of hunger will be satisfied in all endeavor. This brings us to the question , how hungry are we to reach the top ?what form of hunger do we have ? is our hunger for the things of God visible to our family and friends ?

ACTION POINT:Our hunger to please God should be visible to all.

Divine Advocate

1 John 2:1 says My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

Many who are yet to give their lives to Christ do not know what are they are missing.Asides from the fact that the only way to the Father in heaven is Jesus -John 14:6,only the friends of Jesus will be allowed in Heaven.Who are His friends? According to John 15:14 ,His friends are those who does what He commands. What are His commands? Isaiah 60:1 says Arise and shine! ;Mark 16:15 says Go into the world and preach the gospel to every creature;Mark 12:30-31 says love the Lord your God ,with all your heart,soul and mind and also love your neighbor as yourself.

Aside from all these , Jesus is also an advocate before the Most High God.An advocate is the one who speaks,plead or argue in one’s favor.From time to time the enemy gathers evidences and prepares a case against us before the Father in heaven.Revelations 12:10 calls him the accuser of the brethren.The Father either throws away the case like He did in the case of Moses in Jude 1:9. He brought an accusation against Moses and it was thrown out,no wonder Micheal the archangel told him the Lord rebuke you.The Father can also hear the case while Jesus acts as our advocate.

Jesus is not only our advocate before the Father alone, He is our advocate before men.In John 8:1-11 , He acted as an advocate for a woman caught in adultery and she was set free. Jesus is present to advocate for you today. While the enemies are presenting a strong case why you should not be promoted in that place of work, why the decision should not go in your favor,why you should not receive mercy  , why you should not be favored Jesus is also present advocating for you. One thing we need to note is this , He is not only an advocate but the Judge too according to 2 Timothy 4:1. Give your life to Jesus today and all decisions will go in your favor because your advocate is the Judge.Remember His services are free.

PRAYER POINT: Call on Jesus to speak for you before the Father concerning your heart desires.

God's favorite Part 2

Proverbs 14:31 says He who oppresses the poor reproaches his Maker,But he who honors Him has mercy on the needy.

If only world leaders know how much God loves the poor and the needy ,they would do all in their powers to formulate policies that cater for the poor and needy in our societies today.War will be the last option because those who suffer from war most are the poor who can not protect themselves.

God loves the poor and needy. Proverbs 19:17 says He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord,and  He will pay back what he has given.According to Ezekiel 16:48-49 , one of the reasons why God destroyed Sodom was because of how they treated the poor and needy in their midst.Psalm 72:12 says For He will deliver the needy when He cries,the poor also and him who has no helper.

Everything we have came from God.John 3:27 says everything we have is a gift from God.According to Ephesians 2:8, the gifts we receive from God are a function of grace. Everything we have came as a result of grace and mercy.

Why do we have to give to the poor ? According to Deuteronomy 15:11 ,it is a command from God.Secondly , so that when we cry to God He will hear us-Proverbs 21:13.Thirdly,it brings happiness -Proverbs 14:21.Fourthly ,those who give to the poor will lack nothing-Proverbs 28:27.To crown it up God has promised to bless the work of all those cater for the poor -Deuteronomy 24:19

ACTION POINT: Look for someone in need today and bless them.

identifying the wise part 1

Proverbs 24:5 says a wise man is strong, yes, a man of knowledge increases strength;

Job 28:28 defines wisdom as the fear of the Lord.

There are four ways to identify the wise.

Firstly, by who they walk with .Proverbs 13:20 says He that walks with wise men shall be wise.Proverbs 27:17 says Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.We are who walk with . Any one who keeps friends that do not fear God, do not fear God themselves.The elders have a saying ,they say show me your friend and i will tell you who are. One way to measure how much a man fears God is by looking at his circles of friends .1 Corinthians 15:33 says Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” Our friends influences us and even if they can not lead us to sin the day they will reap the reward of their foolishness, we may partake in it because Proverbs 13:20 says the companion of the fools shall be destroyed.

Secondly by their words.Luke 6:45 says A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth that which is evil.Matthew 12:34 says out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.Our words reveal the content of our heart. James 3:12 says Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.Also it is impossible for wise to say foolish things. The wise utter wise words and the foolish say foolish things. The wise do not make dirty sexual jokes,abuse or curse only fools do this.

ACTION POINT: Take necessary steps to be in the camp of the wise.

Promotion and Demotion

Daniel 2:21 says And He changeth the times and the seasons: He removeth kings, and setteth up kings: He giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:

When the Most High is involved in an individual’s life, He takes them from rock bottom and sets them at the very top.1 Samuel 2:8 says He raises up the poor out of the dust, and lifts up the beggar from the rubbish, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD’S, and he has set the world upon them.In 1 Samuel 10:1, He took Saul- an unknown farm boy and made him the king of Israel.Within 24hrs , He turned Joseph- a prisoner to a prime minister.

When He is involved ,age does not matter. Uzziah was only sixteen years when He made him king over Jerusalem.Moses was around eighty years when the Lord met him. Gender means nothing when He is involved.The Most High lifted Deborah so high to the extent warriors begged her to go to war with them- Judges 4:8.Also status ,creed means nothing. Daniel was a slave in a foreign land ,yet the Lord made him one of the three generals in the empire. He took David from the back of the forest and made him king.Because He was involved in the life of Mordecai, death sentence turned into promotion. Haman went to the king to request for the head of Mordecai, he came back pulling the horse Mordecai was riding screaming “thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor!”

One thing we need to remember is when He is involved, sky is the limit but when He withdraws His support such a man will fall to the mud. It does not matter how high an individual has risen when He withdraws His support that’s the end.He lifted Uzziah very high at a very tender age.No king could look into the eyes of Uzziah but pride set in and he became a leper - 2 Chronicles 26:1-end. Immediately Saul became a king , no one could talk to him again , he could now decide what part of God’s instruction to obey . God left him and demons began to torment him on the throne. Miriam the prophetess suddenly began to disrespect the man of God because she had the gift of prophecy , well the one who gave her that gift took back the gift and she never prophesied again until she died.

PRAYER POINT: Father , help me not offend you .

How valuable is our word

Matthew 24:35 says Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
According to Psalms 33:8-9 ,one reason why we should fear God is because of His words- once He speaks ,it is done.Jeremiah 23:29 compares His word to a hammer that breaks rocks and a fire that consumes.Hebrew 4:12 says His word is sharper than two edged sword.Psalm 107:20 says His words has the ability to heal.
One of the reason why God’s word is so powerful and efficient is because of how God takes His words. Psalm 138:2 says He has exalted His word above Himself, no wonder Isaiah 55:11 says his words will not return to Him void but it shall accomplish  what pleases Him and prosper in the thing He has send it.God will go to any length to keep His words -why?  because He values them.
The value we put on our words is the value the world,challenges,situations will put on our words.Those who value their words will go to any length to keep their word.God went out of His way to use the dry bones of Elisha to perform the 14th miracle for Him in 2 Kings 13:20-21 since he carried double portion of anointing of his predecessor.
To what extent are prepared to go to keep our words?if we want mountains to move at our commands ,we must treasure our words! If we do not value our words no one will even mountains.Another reason why we need to value our word is because only those who value their words can walk with God.Psalm 15:4 says only those who swears to their hurt and does not change can abide in the tabernacle of God.
Have you said “I DO” to anyone on the altar and you are considering changing that? or have you giving your word to God that you will serve Him all your life with all your strength or have promised to do a thing or the other if He helps you ? God expects all His children to value their words.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT:if we do not value our words ,no one will even mountains.
PRAYER POINT: Father, from now onward help to keep my word at all cost.

God of reciprocity

1 Samuel 2:30b says Far be it from  Me;for those who honor Me I will honor,and those despise Me shall be lightly esteemed.

The word Reciprocity looks big but it simply means  do a good deed for another and the favor will be returned.This is what happens between countries ,if you allow us to build our embassy in your country ,we will allow you to build your embassy in ours.

The Most High God is a God of reciprocity. According to 1 Samuel 2:30 , if we honor Him , He will honor us too.Proverbs 8:17 says if we love Him , He will love us. If we give to Him , He will give to us .Solomon gave a thousand burnt offerings , God have him a blank cheque in return , He said ask, what shall i give thee ,1 Chronicles 1:7. The scriptures says in Luke 6:38 ,Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your lap. For with the same measure that you measure it shall be measured to you again.

If we spend time with Him in prayers , He will spend time with us.If we are zealous for the things of God, He will be zealous for things concerning us.According to Isaiah 9:7 , the zeal of God performs everything He purposes in His heart.

Someone one’s said He who kneels before God can stand before anyone!This means if we bow before God , God will ensure that everything under the sun bows before us .

ACTION POINT: Do something good for God today and i can assure you He will return the  favor before the end of the day.

But the midwives feared God

Exodus 1:17 But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the male children alive.

One thing every man and woman needs is wisdom. Proverbs 4:7 says it is the principal thing.Wisdom is so important even the Most High needed it to create the world according to Proverbs 3:19.Wisdom brings happiness -proverbs 3:13, Wisdom gives life-Ecclesiastes 7:12, wisdom brings recognition,1 Kings 10:1-10. Wisdom is needed to build a house- Proverbs 24:3. Wisdom brings protection - Proverbs 2:12. Wisdom is an essential requirement to get to heaven - Matthew 25:1-13.

What is wisdom ? Job 28:28 defines wisdom as the fear of the Lord. An individual who fears God is considered wise. Anyone who fears God is entitled to the proceeds of wisdom as mentioned above. Why do we have to fear God? Psalm 33: 8-9 says the reason why we should fear God is because once He speaks , it is done.Another reason to fear Him according to Matthew 10:28 is because He decides who goes to heaven or hell.

God loves wise people and abhors foolish people. No wonder the bible describes atheist as fools. What are the advantages of been wise ?Psalm 33:18 says the eyes of the Lord is on those who fear Him i.e those who are wise .Psalm 34: 9 Says there is no want to those who fear Him I.e wise . The midwives chose to be wise and the bible records that He provided households for them -Exodus 1: 22.

A yardstick to measure wisdom is by the amount of fear one has for God. The good news is that He is able to make anyone wise.James 1:5 says anyone who lacks wisdom should ask God.

Action Point:Be wise .

WAITING ON THE LORD.

Isaiah 40:31 -But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Patience is one quality God loves to see in His children. He rewards patience. According to Isaiah 40:31, He renews the strength of those that wait on Him. He also acts on their behalf –Isai

ah 64:4. It is unfortunate that patience is prohibited today. Asides bad roads, the major cause of road accidents are impatient drivers. They want to get to their destination as soon as possible.

Someone we cannot be impatient with is God. Isaiah 55:9 says for as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are His ways higher than our ways, and His thoughts than our thoughts. God is never late. The reason why He can never be late is because He is the Controller of Season – Daniel 2:21.Another reason is He can reverse the irreversible.

There is danger in been impatient with God, Sarah was impatient with God so she arranged Hagar to go in with Abraham to make babies. She regretted that decision because immediately Hagar conceived she began to despise her. Saul’s impatience cost him the throne. A man of God was attending a function with his wife. While praying before leaving for the function , the Lord told him to wait for five minutes. He decided to leave before five minutes and he ended up in accident and emergency. Today they are both alive but the wife is confined to wheel chair for life.

The cost of impatience is too high. Why not wait on the Lord in that marriage, wait on Him for the bone of your bone, and wait on Him to provide the fruit of the womb, wait on Him to provide the job. Remember, God is never late!

PRAYER POINT: Lord, as I have decided to wait on you, renew my strength and act on my behalf.

God's Favorite

Matthew 19:14 - But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.

God loves little children.They are His favorite . He loves having them around Him no wonder the book of Matthew 18:3 says only little children will be permitted in heaven .Mark 10:15 establishes that to even stand a chance , one must take the kingdom of heaven as a child. Anyone who hates children can never be friends with God i can assure you of that.

Why does He love them so much ? Because they are pure in heart. Little children never holds grudges or keep malice.They are amazing to watch when they play. This minute they are fighting the next minute they are sharing sweets or candies.1 Corinthians 14:20 says Brethren, be not children in understanding: but in malice be children.

Another reason is they are mild and humble.One thing you will not find is a child refusing to play with another child because of class or looking down on fellow kids. Little children are free of prejudice .Only Adults have people that are below their class and as such they can not relate to them . Also little children are full of faith.They dream a lot ,they want to be astronauts, Presidents , banker , doctors e.t.c .They do not see impossibilities and as such God is able to carry them to any heights.

Another reason is they are teachable and are not obstinate.

Are you a child or an adult? are you teachable ? can the Lord still carry you or you are too big to be carried.

PRAYER POINT: Father help me to be teachable, mild, humble, and free from prejudice and obstinacy.

God is good

Mark 10:18 : so Jesus said to them, “why do you call Me good? No one is good but One,that is God.”
How do we know God is good?

Firstly by reading the bible. Jeremiah 29:11 says  for I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord,thought of peace and not of evil,to give you a future and a hope.Psalm 40:5 says Many,O Lord are Your wonderful works which you have done; and Your thoughts towards us cannot be recounted to You in order;if i would declare and speak of them,they are more than can be numbered.

Secondly,by the life and the ministry of Jesus.We know God is good by the visible proof of what Jesus did in the bible .Jesus says in John 14:9 that he who has seen Me as seen the father. Jesus and the father have the same character.No wonder He says in John 14:10 that He is in the Father and the Father is in Him.Jesus went by about doing good.Acts 10:38 says how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the  Holy Spirit and power , who went about doing good.Jesus ascribes all forms of evil to the devil in John 10:10 ,he steals,he kills and destroys.In the same verse ,we notice that all the Lord does is give life and life in abundance.

Thirdly,we know that He is good because He gave us his only begotten son.John 3:16 says for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. There is no man on earth that can blame the Lord for going to hell.The Most High has given His only son just to ensure that no one goes to hell.

Action point: If you have not given your life or you have backslidded please give your life to Jesus today . If you have given your life to Christ, hold your salvation with both hands.

Foxes in the vineyeard

Songs of Solomon 2:15 :Catch us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.
Anyone who know foxes will tell you they are opportunistic feeders. Everything about them is destructive.They kill for fun for example they might go into a poultry and kill the birds just for the fun of it.They kill pets like cats just for the fun of it. One thing about them is they are very intelligent.A place you do not want them is in your vineyard. Just a visit is enough to destroy the whole vineyard.The good thing is you can decide not allow them and put measures in place.
In our lives too there are little foxes that spoil the vineyard the Most High has prepared for us.They are character defects or bad habits we permit.No matter how small  they may be,  they are able to destroy us if we do not do something about them. They are like untreated wounds that begins to fester if not treated . For Moses it was anger ,the display of anger that robbed him of the promised land in Numbers 20:8-12 started in Exodus 2:22 when he killed an Egyptian. Judas Iscariot started with stealing from the money bag ,John 12:6 and before you know it he sold Jesus his mentor and father in the Lord in Matthew 26:14-16 . By the time he realized his error it was too late so he committed suicide.
For Samson it was indiscipline ,he started with disobeying God on a small scale(judges 14:8-10)  and he graduated to sleeping with prostitutes(Judges 16:1), in the end both of his eyes were plucked out(Judges 16:21). In the case of David, it was women ,Abigail was still grieving her husband when David forced her into marriage(1 Samuel 24:1-44) this lust for women grew to the extent David finally killed a soldier to take his wife(2 Samuel 11:5-27) and that almost cost him his kingdom. His son Solomon inherited this habit from him.
Many of the bad habits we have today started very little, habits like pedophilia, masturbation, fornication started from watching pornography tapes, looking at naked pictures and all.Most of the people who lack integrity today started with telling little white lies. There is a poem i will like to share with you.
Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become your character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.
Lets do something about those little bad habits before they destroy us.Lack of integrity and coming late to church finally destroyed Ananias and Saphira in Acts 5:1-11.
PRAYER POINT: Father in heaven, anything that could cost me Your plans for my life please take it away today.

The faithful God

Numbers 23:19- God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?

God is faithful and His faithfulness can be found in His commitment to His word.One thing the Lord does not play with is His name. The fourth commandment   says You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain , for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain - Exodus 20:7.This shows how much God takes His holy name but for Him to exalt His word above His name according to Psalm 138:2 , that should tell you He will do anything to keep His word. The bible says in Matthew 24:35 that Heaven and Earth will pass away but the word of the Lord will not pass away.

Why is God faithful? because He is not a man.Man is limited in a lot of ways,man changes,man depends on situations ,circumstances and other men, man lies. According to John 4:24, God is a spirit not man. He is unlimited in every way, Luke 1:37 says with Him nothing shall be impossible.Also He is unchangeable ,Malachi 3:6. He depends on nothing, Psalm 62:11 says all power belongs to God. Psalm 33:9 says He spoke and it is done , He commanded and it stood still.

As children of God we are expected to be faithful to our words and promises.Ephesians 5:1 says Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children.

ACTION POINT: Be faithful to your words and keep all your promises.

I Do

Malachi 2:16 says For the LORD, the God of Israel, says that he hates putting away: For one covers violence with his garment, says the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that you deal not treacherously.

I have always wondered why people are quick to say “1 do” when exchanging marriage vows.Many say it without the understanding of the word I DO.According to Ephesians 5:25 when a man says “i do” what it means I will  love you with everything i got and if need be i will die for you . I DO also means regardless of your past , i take you as  part of me , no matter what you do i will forgive and forget because Jesus Christ forgave the church and He is still forgiving the church when they make mistake.

According to Ephesians 5:24 , when a woman says “I do ” , what it means is as from today my submission to you(husband) will be total whether it is convenient or not. You will be my head just like Christ is the head of the Church. The most important part of the body is the head and without the head the body is dead.As highlighted in Ephesians 5:23 , Christ is the head of the church. We are the church. The most important thing to us to day should be Christ not our business or education.Our submission to Him should be total whether it is convenient or not.

PRAYER POINT: Father ,Let my submission to you be total today.

TRUST IN THE LORD

Proverbs 3:5 says Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and lean not unto your own understanding.

We have seen people who trust in their ability or looks to bring them a particular results. Others have their trusts in material possession, some have put their trust in some rich uncle or well to do family member.
It is only when we appreciate the real meaning of trust , then only we will come to the conclusion that trusting in anything aside God is foolishness.The dictionary defines trust as reliance on the

integrity,strength,ability,surety of a person or thing.How can one rely on the strength of a fellow man when the bible says in Isaiah 40:30 that human strength diminishes?How can a man put his trust in anything on this earth when Luke 21:33 says Heaven and earth will pass away?

Trusting in anything other than God will bring disappointment. Isaiah 31:1 says Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and rely on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the LORD! According to Isaiah 30:7 any other help aside the help from God is utterly useless.A trust in anything aside God will bring fear and shame , Isaiah 20:5.

The only One you trust is God.Psalm 32:10 says the trust in the Lord brings mercy. Psalm37:5 says commit your way to the Lord , trust also in Him and He shall bring it to pass. Those who trust in the Lord or His words will not be put to shame. Psalm 34:5 says they look to Him and they were radiant and their faces were never ashamed.

Do you know that those who trust in God , trust in His timing and do not mind waiting on Him?

PRAYER POINT: Father ,let my trust in you be total

Day of Reckoning

Revelations 22:12 - And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

Long before Jesus was born , it was prophesied that He will return .Isaiah 62:11 says The LORD has made proclamation to the ends of the earth: “Say to the Daughter of Zion, ‘See, your Savior comes! See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him.‘“Whether we believe it or not He is coming back.
When He returns everyone of us has to settle our accounts with Him.Just like it happened in Matthew 25:14-30, where the three servants had to give accounts , we will also give accounts.What are we going to account about? According to Matthew 12:36 every idle words that we speak .This is does not exempt anyone even born again Christians!

Also our works,Revelations 20:30 says the sea gave up the dead who were in it,and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them, and they were judged ,each one according to his works.1 Corinthians 3:13 says each one’s work will become clear;for the Day will declare it,because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.Are you gathering with Jesus ? if you are not gathering with Jesus by evangelizing then you are scattering .Luke 11:23 says those who do  not gather with Me scatters.

Another thing we will give an account for is how we spent our time on earth,the nobleman in Luke 19:12-25 told his slaves occupy till i come or do business till i come which means busy yourselves with business until i return.We will not only give an account of how we spent our time but how we managed the resources He gave to us.

How are we preparing for that day?On earth , when a student fails there is an opportunity to repeat the class. When a project is submitted and it is not of the required quality there is a chance to redo such project in the day of reckoning there will be no second chance.That day there will be no Oops! or am sorry , ignorance is not an excuse,no excuse will be accepted. No panel to review the decision , all decisions made by God is final no appeal !

How prepared are you for that day ? will your works survive the test of fire? the resources He has given to you have you done business with it? resources like your strength maybe to help in church work , mouth to witness, money to support the missionaries,kingdom projects and the poor ? If you have not giving your life to Christ or if you have before and have backslidded why not come back to Christ.

ACTION POINT: Review your walk with Christ and begin to work on areas that you know that you are lacking.

YOU SHALL HAVE WHAT YOU CONFESS

Numbers 14:28 “say to them,’As I live,’ says the Lord,’just as you have spoken in My hearing,so i will do to you:
Words are very powerful ,Proverbs 18:21 says life and death are in the power of the tongue. Our words can either bring us goodies for example proverbs 13:2 says From the fruit of his lips a man enjoys good things; it can also the the opposite ,Proverbs 18:6 says A fool’s lips enter into contention, and his mouth calls for blows.
Jonathan told his armor-bearer that  nothing refrains the Lord from saving by many or by few- 1 Samuel 14:6. By the hands of these two ,the Lord caused the host of the Philistine to flee. The bible records in 1 Samuel 14:15 that there was trembling in the camp, in the field, and among all the people. The garrison and the raiders trembled;and the earth quaked so that it was a great trembling.
Before the Israelites was the Red Sea behind them was Pharaoh and his host , the children of Israel began to panic. Moses said to them ,”do not be afraid but stand still and see the salvation  of the Lord,which He will accomplish for you today for the Egyptians whom you see today , you shall see again no more forever  .The Lord will fight for you , and you shall hold your peace”- Exodus 14:13-14.That day the Lord fought for them and they held their peace.
When Isaac asked his Daddy (Abraham ) where the lamb of sacrifice was Genesis 22:1-13, the old man replied God will provide. Brethren God did provide.
What are we confessing today ?are they positive things or negative things? There are some people called themselves realist or so , they claim to say things as they are . Well 2 Corinthians 5:7 says we walk by faith not by sight.Joel 3:10 says Let the weak say i am strong.
ACTION POINT: As from today , make it a point of duty every morning to prophesy good things into your life, family, your work , your church and your country.

GENEROSITY OF GOD

According to Proverbs 2:6 , our God is a giver. James 1:5 says He gives generously.When it comes to giving He has no limits , Ephesians 3:20 says he is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.
I have always wondered why God sent an army of heavenly host to protect Elisha in 2 Kings 6:17 when He knows that a single angel is enough.According to 2 Chronicles 32:21 , an angel is sufficient to combat 185,000 military personnel in battle.Why send so many ?

So also when God wanted to anoint David, He told Samuel fill your horn with oil -2 Kings 6:17 . Why anoint a man with so much oil ? The oil used that day to anoint David was enough to anoint a congregation. no wonder David said in Psalm 23:5 You anointed my head with oil and my cup run over.

All Hannah asked for was a son in 1 Samuel 1:11, the Lord gave her 4 boys and two girls in 1 Samuel 2:21.All Peter wanted was just enough fish to sell but Jesus filled two boats with fishes for him in Luke 5:7. If all Jesus did was feed the 5000 men not counting women and children in Matthew 14:13-21 ,we will have called it a big miracle but to ensure there was still twelve baskets left ? I don’t understand.

The reason why God does these things is to inform His children of His generosity, so they can stop asking Him for petty things.

ACTION POINT:Ask Him for something big today in faith and i can assure you , He will provide it.

EXPECTATION OF THE RIGHTEOUS

For surely there is a future hope; and your expectation shall not be cut off- Proverbs 23:18

When you search through the scriptures,no one got a miracle by chance or luck , they all expected it.The lame man in In Acts 3:1-8 ,expected money from Peter and John.Before He could receive his healing , Peter and John had to change his expectation. They told him look at us and the bible records in Acts 3:5 that he gave them his attention expecting to receive something from them.

In John 4:5-26, is the story of Jesus and the Samaritan women. The woman expected Jesus to ignore her or to give her a cold shoulder especially Jesus been a Jew and she a Samaritan .Jesus changed her expectation so that she will not missed her opportunity to be saved. He told her that if He knew who she was talking to she would asked for Living water and the woman replied in verse 15, Sir please give me this water , that i may not thirst .

Someone might wondering , is it possible for an individual to want a positive results but expect a negative result?oh yes,There are many men who wants to start a project and expects it to be difficult although they would have preferred it to be easy.There are many who expect their husband to cheat ,not because they want that but because they believe men always cheat.There are many who expects life to be tough and difficult .

Our expectation says a lot about us . Proverbs 11:23 says The desire of the righteous is only good: but the expectation of the wicked is wrath.
Are you expecting a particular business to fail so that your business can make profits?

Action point: Expect a good thing to happen you

sense in no sense

But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 1 Corinthians 1:27

Is there anyone who can intelligently explain the actions  of Elisha in 1 Kings 6:1-7? An ax head fell into River Jordan and Elisha was called. He asked for where the ax head fell, he cut a stick and threw it in there. Immediately the iron ax head began to float.How can an ordinary stick cause an iron head at the bottom of the river to float? It makes no sense!

In John 9:1-7 , Jesus spat on clay and made mud of it. He anointed a blind man’s eye and asked him to go and wash. The man did and came back seeing.Are there any healing properties in mud? who in his right senses will apply mud to a blind eye and expect a miracle?

How can giving bring about an increase ?Proverbs 11:24 talks about a man who scatters and yet increases . How is it that people are saved by confessing their sin and accepting Jesus ? How can confessing one’s sin and accepting Jesus into one’s life bring about inner peace ?

These things do not make sense at all! 1 Corinthian 1:21 says for since ,in the wisdom of God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.

According to 1 Timothy 1: 17, the only wise person alive is God. In your walk with Christ , expect instructions,tasks that will not appeal to our sense of reasoning but as you do them you will see results. 2nd Chronicles 20:20 says believe in God and you shall be established.

PRAYER POINT:  Lord in this season ,help me to believe in you, let my obedience to your word be total.

Refusing to be inspired

Revelations 3:20- “Behold , I stand at the door and knock.if anyone hears My voice and opens the door,I will come in him and dine with him, and he with Me.

Many a times God inspires us to do things that will qualify us for a breakthrough or blessing.He might inspire you to give an offering or fast for a number of days asking for a particular spiritual gift.

It was God who inspired Solomon in 1 Kings 3:3-4 to give a thousand  burnt offerings so that He might give him a blank cheque, He told Solomon “Ask, what shall i give to you”? Because God was not done blessing Solomon , He inspired him again to up his offering to twenty-two thousands bulls and one hundred and twenty thousand sheep in 1 Kings 8:62-64.After this offerings God promised to establish his kingdom over Israel forever.

The reason why God was inspiring this king was that , He really loved him . He  inspired him to do things that will qualify him for major breakthroughs. Do you know that after those two offerings , Solomon never gave any offering again ? he simple refused to be inspired ? He began to invest in women instead. The bible says he had seven hundred wives,princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart - 1Kings 11:3.

Many of us are like Solomon refusing to be inspired by God. When we study the bible, there are things God has put in there to inspire us to benefit from His generosity for example tithes, offerings and first fruits.There are many of us who the Lord has been inspiring to begin to evangelize but we give excuses. There are many of his children He has been inspiring to bless a particular brother or sister and they are hesitant.

Is God inspiring you to take your Christian walk more serious? Is He inspiring you to give your life to Christ and you are refusing because you think you are too young? Is He inspiring you to start a kingdom project and you are hesitant? Solomon refused to be inspired by God and God stopped inspiring him.

Why was Jesus knocking in Revelations 3:20? He was inspiring us to open the door of our of hearts unto Him. Open the door of your heart to Him today and He will come in.

Prayer Point: Father , help me to yield to You when you inspire me to do anything .

WWJD

Hebrew 12:2 -Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

WWJD means what will Jesus do .

This is a question every believer needs to ask his or herself before taking an action or saying something. According to Heb 12:2 , Jesus should be our role model . We should model our lives,speech or thoughts after him.Ephesians 5:1 says Be you therefore followers of God, as dear children.

How can we model our lives after Jesus ?by doing what He did, by seeing people the way He saw people, by acting the way He acted,by dealing with  challenges the way he dealt with challenges.What Jesus do ? According to Acts 10:38 , He went about doing good.

How did He see people?When they brought the woman caught in adultery in John 8:1-12 , He didn't condemn her,He didn't look down her, he didn't say women cannot be trusted, with love He told her go and sin no more.

How did He act? According to John 13:1-17,He washed the feet of His disciples.He was a leader who served His followers.Are you serving those the Lord has committed to your hands or you are busy expecting them to call you boss or use sir when they address you? Despite all peter did to Him, He forgave him. Peter was one of the closest disciples to Jesus,Jesus promised that on him will He build His church -Matthew 16:18, Jesus helped Peter come out of failure when he fished all night and caught nothing -Luke 5:1-5,He even showed Peter His glory at the mount of transfiguration -Matthew 17:1-13 and what did Peter do after all this ? He denied Jesus three times! Despite all this ,Jesus still forgave him and used him .

In what way has that individual offended you and you have sworn never to forgive him or her? Please forgive them .
Prayer Point: Father help me to model my life after Jesus.

Love will be tested

Thursday 6 September                           Bible in one year :Daniel 7-9

Memorise: Hereby perceive we the love of God ,because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren .1 john 3:16

Read :Genesis 22:1-2

Not only is love expensive, it may also undergo a trial.if you don’t believe ask Abraham. At a time, Abraham was town between his promised child Isaac and God. It became inevitable for God to test whether he still loved Him (Genesis 22:1-2).Whether you like or not ,your love for God will be tested.Usually it will be based on someone or something you really love. Isaac was about 15 years before the test. Abraham had become so fond of him to the point of been inseparable from him. I went through my own test some years ago. It was during a Christ the Redeemer’s Congress which held on the 24th December. It was my custom to spend the Christmas and New Year holidays with my mother because of my love for her.I therefore decided to visit her on the 23rd of December, just to see her and give her some few things before the Congress.I arrived at her house very late . As i knocked, somebody else opened the door and rejoiced that i had come. I was briefed on my mother’s illness and told she was almost at the point of death. At this time, there was no telephone to communicate with others to delegate my assignment. So i prayed for her and told her that i love her but i love God more, that after the Congress i would come back to see her , alive or dead. That  was tough then but after the Congress she was still alive when i returned and she lived for another 15 years. In other words, God extended her life like Hezekiah’s after helping me  through that test of love.

Your love may be tested in the fiery furnace or in the lion’s den.  Since Jesus laid down His life for you, He expects nothing less from you to your brethren (1 John 3:16). It is either you love God to the extreme or you don’t.I once shared with my children that to succeed could be quite expensive because of the requirement to study at night when others are sleeping, or study in the day while others are playing. One may even be called a bookworm and other names, yet that is a far cheaper price to pay than failure. If you fail,you will become a servant to your colleagues who succeeded. Every Christian may claim to be born again and on their way to Heaven ,yet it is only the few who really love Him that will make it on the last day.You can be part of the few!

Action Point: Every disciples of Jesus will be required to take the test of love,Ask for grace to scale through.

Excerpts from Open Heavens by Pastor E.A Adeboye.

Glory and Sacrifice

Wednesday 5 September                      Bible in one year : Daniel 4-6

Memorise: Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God,than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.Hebrew 11:25

Read:Hebrew 11:24-27

The one who has not fully made up his mind about his relationship with God,might be tempted to compromise the Gospel message or the specific errand he or she is asked to deliver to the affluent in society when given the opportunity to stand before them.When compromise sets in , the glory departs.Compromise is a great deflector of God’s glory.When you stand before kings to tell them the truth,even when they do not like to hear the truth,God increases His glory upon your life.There are several children of God who stood before kings in bible days and never compromised:Young David, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, Daniel and Paul, all stood before kings without compromising.In fact ,Daniel was very outstanding. He remained in the corridors of power for a very long time.Successive kings found him so invaluable that they retained him so as to give credibility and add value to their kingdoms. There is a user of this devotional who will soon stand before kings.God is giving you the opportunity to stand before kings.But when the time comes to pass, do not be intimidated , and do not change your message . Speak the truth and God will uphold you.

Can God send you to a palace of pleasure or a dangerous zone without you compromising?if money or self gratification is uppermost in you heart , you will sure forget your main reason for going. It was dangerous for Moses to accept God’s call to go and meet Pharaoh. That errand could have cost him his life,yet he went.He made a choice that could hurt him.What were gains to him,he counted as loss just like Paul. It was a great honor to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter- a prince,yet he told the people to stop calling him that. In other words, he despised the title that would have opened doors to him everywhere he went in Egypt,but rather chose to suffer with endangered species (the Israelite). He preferred the reproaches of Christ greater treasures compared to the sinful pleasures of Egypt.No wonder he carried God’s glory to the extent that people could not look at his shining face. What sacrifice have you made to earn the glory of God you are asking for?Paul gave up his academic achievements just to be a carrier of higher levels of glory. Without sacrifice, you can never climb high on the glory ladder.

ACTION POINT: It is faithfulness that keeps you uncompromising in the midst of pressures. Ask for grace to remain faithful wherever you are.

Excerpts from Open Heavens by Pastor E.A Adeboye.

FINGER OF CREATION

Tuesday 4 September                       Bible in one year: Daniel 1-3
Memorise: When i consider thy heavens,the work of thy fingers the moon and the stars,which thou hast ordained; Psalm 8:3
Read: Psalms 19:1-6
When the Lord sent Moses to ask for the release of the children of Israel, nothing happened until the magicians saw the finger of God.
Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened , and he hearkened not unto them ; and the Lord had said.Exodus 8:19
Thereafter,it was no more business as usual. This season , you will encounter the finger of God and your situation shall change dramatically in Jesus Name. The finger of God is significant in many ways and has definite implications for us.According to Psalms 8:3, it is an agent of creation.
When i consider thy heavens,the work of thy fingers,the moon and the stars,which thou hast ordained;
God created what we can see on earth today with His hands;hence Psalms 19:1 says the firmament is God’s handiwork. The implication of this is that when the finger of God comes into a situation ,the power of creation steps in, ready to create or recreate whatever is needed.Does your body need some new parts?The finger of God will recreate what is needed.When Jesus came across a man with the withered hand in Mark 3:1-5, the finger of God was brought into his situation and his hand was recreated to be like other hand.Is one of you hands or legs shorter or smaller than the other? The touch of His finger shall correct the defect. In addition to this,if you are lacking in ideas,useful suggestions and plans and the finger of God touches you,your creative abilities will suddenly  receive a boost. Are you short of ideas that can give your business or church a positive turn around? The finger of God will touch you and what you lacked shall be created.As the Lord touches you today,everything that is lacking in  your ministry,finances , and family shall come into being. They shall be created. Ask the finger of God will touch you today. Release your faith and expect the impossible but desirable take place.Your  situation is about to turn around for the best.
PRAYER POINT: Father, in any area I am in need,by Your finger supply that need
Excerpts from Open Heavens by Pastor E A Adeboye

Vanity of Influential people

VANITY OF INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE

Monday 3 September                              Bible in one year: Esther 8-10

Memorise: The Lord is good,a strong hold in day of trouble;and he knoweth them that trust in him. Nahum 1:7

Read : Hosea 10:13-15

Due to the nature of man,placing your hope on associates can cause the death of your expectations. The reasons some are hopeful of getting a job or a particular contract is because a friend or close associate has assured them of assistance. Never allow any associate take the place of God in your life!In Jeremiah 9:2-4,Jeremiah warned the Israelite that they should not put their trust in their brother or neighbor because their lifestyles was replete with lies.Jesus did not commit Himself to man because He could see how vain they were(John 2:24-25). For those living in these last days, the Bible paints a bleak picture of their character even believers are not spared because,commitment to the truth is ebbing fast. It is increasingly difficult to really have someone to trust among professing Christians today because many have adopted and retained some level of falsehood. Before you enter into partnership with fellow believers, be led of God to the specific believer or else, you would be thoroughly disappointed by the actions of some Christians whose lives have been taken over by the love of money and falsehood.

Similarly , any expectation build on influential people such as those in government ,family,church , academia,trade unions,etc., can easily disappoint because those making the promises are ordinary men. How many people who voted into public offices have truly kept their promises? Basing your hopes on such people could cause a heart attack when they disappoint you.God raised the nation of Israel through the ranks; from humble beginnings with inexperienced soldiers to a greatly fortified nation with mighty warriors . But what did the people do? They took their trust from God and placed it in their mighty men. No wonder God told them they would fail (Hosea 10:13-15). The  confidence of some Christians has shifted from God to their prayer contractors. Even some church leaders now put their trust in their prayer band members forgetting that when men pray, it is left to God whether to answer or not. If He refuses to answer, you cannot take Him to court. Let your trust be in the Lord.

KEY POINT: It is either you trust in God or in man. Who trust determines whether you are blesses or not.

Excerpts from Open Heavens by Pastor E A Adeboye

Beyond Request

Sunday 2 September                                 Bible in one year: Esther 4-7

Memorise: A little one among you shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the Lord will hasten in in his time.Isaiah 60:22

Read: John 2:1-11

God is unlimited in generosity hence Romans 8:32 says if He could give up His Son, what else can’t He give to us? When Solomon made request in 2 Chronicles 1:6-12 , all he asked for was wisdom, yet God went beyond his request to give even the things he never asked for . This He did to prove to Solomon that God was inestimable in his life, that even though Solomon can be exhausted after giving 1000 burnt offerings,He cannot be exhausted while giving. This year, the Lord will not be tired of blessing you. You will give to Him and ask for one thing and God will you give you ten things -asked and unasked. In John 2:1-11, they only told Him they needed some wine. Instead of giving them a few bottles, He gave them 162 gallons which is over 700 litres (British imperial system) of the purest wine. He did not order for them from the winery but simply spoke to the water and said : ” Water, I need you to serve me not as water but as wine” and immediately the water became wine. Today, the Lord will speak sweetness into your tasteless situation in Jesus name.

Where God takes His supplies from ,there is much more left. The whole of man kind can never exhaust God’s resources,much less it being exhausted while serving only you.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil;my cup runnest over. Psalms 23:5

I once asked God, “why the waste?” And He said: “so that you will know that i have unlimited blessings.There is plenty from where the blessings in coming from”. Isaac sowed in a time of famine and he received 100 fold returns, and God added to him a large flock of cattle and a great store on servants ( Genesis 26:12-14). Esau on the other hand got only a tiny blessings, yet he had 400 bodyguards (Genesis 32:6). That is why wise believers will never joke with their tithes even for once. Why? Malachi 3:10 says when you pay your tithe , you are asking God to demonstrate what He can do. Your tithe will make God flex His muscles, ready to bless you ,while paying your first fruits will cause your barns to burst (Proverbs 3:9-10). As you obey Him completely and ask in accordance to His word, you will get beyond your request. You will knock on one door and 10 doors will open to you.This is possible because God is a God of super abundance.

ACTION POINT: Have you ever asked God one thing and He gave you beyond that request? If you answer is No , do so now. If your answer is Yes, ask  Him to repeat it.

Excerpts from Open Heavens by Pastor E.A Adeboye.

Like Jesus

Saturday 1 September                        Bible in one year: Esther 1-3

Memorise: Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth unrighteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. 1 John 3:7

Read: 1 John 3:7

The call to salvation is a call to holiness. After you receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal Saviour, it does not end there; the journey to heaven as only just began. Before you were saved, you manifested the works of flesh (Galatians 5:19-21). But now that you have encountered Jesus Christ at salvation, the fruit of the Spirit is expected from you (Galatians 5:22-23). Every attempt at righteousness before your salvation was equal to self righteousness which is as filthy rags to God ( Isaiah 64:6);hence Paul says his self –righteousness no longer counts but the righteousness by faith in Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:9). God has not only saved us and given us the spirit of righteousness, He also expects us to live a life in agreement with His standard. Today, some people think that it is enough to be born again and that nothing else is required. No! It is not enough! The truth is your new birth gives you the platform on which to build on, having secured God’s righteousness through your faith in Christ Jesus.

We are called to be like our Saviour Jesus Christ. In 1 John 2:1, Jesus is called the righteous, and verse 29 says

If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that everyone that doeth righteousness is born of him
This means that the fruit of righteousness that you bear will be used to determine whether you are born of God or not. 1 John 3:7 says

Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

God is not saying you should be holier than Jesus. Even Jesus says it is enough for a servant to be like his master (Luke 6:40). If God expected works or righteousness from Jesus, He expects the same from you. If you look at the letters the Lord wrote to the churches in Revelation 2 and 3, you will notice that He kept repeating that those who will qualify for those wonderful rewards are only the believers who overcome as he also over came. In every point Jesus overcame, you too should. You must live a life that manifests that victory Christ has given you over the flesh, Satan and the world. You must allow Him to live His righteous life through you. Are you daily living a life of righteousness?

KEY POINT: Jesus is God’s unchangeable standard for man. Be like Him in everything including living righteous living.

Excerpts from Open Heavens by Pastor E.A  Adeboye.