PERFECT WILL VS PERMISSIVE WILL OF GOD

MEMORY VERSE: and be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that of God, and acceptable, and perfect will of God, Romans 12:2

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Judg 2, Acts 6, Jer 15, Mark 1

The word ‘good’ suggests the existence of another word ‘bad’. The word ‘light’ informs us of the existence of the word ‘darkness’. The perfect will of God in our memory verse suggest the existence of a less than perfect will of God. In other words if there is a perfect will of God, then there is also a not so perfect will of God also known as permissive will of God. I want you to know that the Lord knew you before the foundation of the world (Jeremiah 1:5). Whilst you were in your mother’s womb, He had decided His will for your life (Psalm 139:13). So you are not on earth by accident, you are here on earth for a particular purpose (God’s ordained purpose).

The perfect will of God is God’s divine plan for your life. This is what He has divinely arranged – the kind of man or woman to marry, career, ministry, and so on. The permissive will of God is what He permits. A point to note is that the fact that He permits something does not mean it is His will. For instance, if God wants a person to get married at the age of 30, He knows the exact reason why. If the person is obedient and waits for God’s timing, he will receive all the blessings God has for him. Suppose when the person reaches the age of 25 he finds a woman and decides to marry her. It will not be God’s perfect will. If the person continues to pray about it over and over, God will give him a go –ahead. But it will be God’s permissive will. He will still bless them but they will not enjoy the full blessings that come with His perfect will. 

The Holy Spirit is gentle and He will not force anyone against his or her will. The Most High wanted to be the king over the Israelites but the people saw how other nations had kings and desired a king for themselves (1 Samuel 8:1- end). It was not God’s will for the people to have another king because God was already their king but the people kept asking for a king so the Most High said no problem and gave them a king – King Saul. That was God’s permissive will not His perfect will. God did bless them, but they not receive the full blessing of God. When God was there king, they had peace but after they received their king – burdens after burdens, wars after wars. God wants to give you the best not His second best. A life operating under the perfect will of God will be colorful. To get the perfect will of God, you need to be very patient. The elders have a saying ‘only the patient dog eats the fattest bone’.

QUESTION: Which do you prefer, perfect will or permissive will? Full blessing or half blessing?

GOD VS FATHER XMAS?

MEMORY VERSE: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him, Hebrew 11:6b 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Josh 24, Acts 4, Jer 13, Matt 27

I have always feel uncomfortable with the concept of Father Xmas, partly because it is not biblically but most importantly because of what it represents. At a particular time of the year, Father Xmas comes and gives gifts to children. Whether the children have been naughty or not, they get a gift. Whether they do their assignments or not they get a gift. Whether they obey their parents or not, they still get a gift. There is nothing wrong in giving gifts to children if the intention is to reward them for obeying Dad and Mum all through the year. It is actually good to reward children for studying hard at school and getting good grades. This is a good way to motivate them to perform better next year. But the concept of Father Xmas is you get something for doing nothing. Not only that, the fellow who has done nothing will get the same thing as the fellow who has worked hard.

The Most High is not a Father Xmas. With Father Xmas, whether you obey your parents or not he will greet you with a smile but God frowns at children who disobey their parents, Exodus 20:12. Whether you have been a naughty child or not Father Xmas gives you an unrestricted access to himself but the Most High does not reward naughty children with unrestricted access to Himself. Whether your clothes are dirty or not he will put you on his laps and play with you. God is too holy to behold uncleanliness. He will never hug a fellow who is not living a righteous and holy life. Oh Father Christmas is never angry, everything you do is right even when you are on the part to hell. It is true God is love, 1 John 4:8 but He is also a consuming fire, Hebrew 12:29. If anyone tells you that God is never angry, it is a big lie. Psalms 7:11 says God is angry with the wicked every day.

Father Xmas does not care about your past or future; all he cares about is the moment. He does not love you, that is why he gives sweet and chocolates even though sweets and chocolates will later destroy your teeth. Our God cares about you and your future. According to Jeremiah 29:11, He wants to give you an expected end. He created heaven with you in mind that is why when He sees a fellow living in sin He is not happy. While the sweets and chocolates of the Father Xmas damage your health, the gifts of God are not only good but perfect, James 1:17. Most importantly, God does not operate on something for nothing. He only rewards those that diligently seek Him, Hebrew 11:6b.

QUESTION: God or Father Xmas?

KILL THE LITTLE LEOPARD NOW

MEMORY VERSE: Abstain from all appearance of evil, 1 Thessalonians 5:22

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Josh 23, Acts 3, Jer 12, Matt 26

A hunter went to hunt and killed a big leopard, he then discovered that the leopard had a small baby- a very little baby leopard, harmless little thing, so he took it home. When the chief (head of the village) saw the little leopard coming with him, he screamed ‘what are you bringing this little leopard to do in our village’? He said ‘oh no it is just a little harmless leopard ‘. The chief said ‘let’s kill it now’; he said ‘no no no this little thing can’t harm anybody’. So the little leopard began to grow and play with children everywhere because it is just a little leopard. This little leopard became so playful to the extent that the son of the hunter could even sit on its back and ride it around. One day (the little leopard has now become a big leopard) the son of the hunter was riding on the back of this leopard towards the village stream, the boy fell and bruised his leg on the thorn bush and blood began to flow. The leopard licked the blood and that thing in the leopard – that thing makes a leopard a leopard rose up within him at the taste of blood. The first victim was son of the hunter.

Brethren if you do not kill that little leopard in your life now, it will kill you. You may be wondering, what is that little leopard? The little leopard is that little contamination; that little anger; that little sin; that little peep at naked pictures; that little steering at woman who wear provocative clothes; that little talk of sex with your fiancé; that little lies; that little love for sleep ; that little love folding of hands and doing nothing;that little sexual jokes; that little touching or smushing or tapping of currents; that little harmless hug (those hugs that a little too long); that little telephone conversation with the opposite sex in the middle of the night; that little love for something that is not of God. If you do not kill it now, that little leopard will become a big leopard and that big leopard would kill.

1 Thessalonians 5:22 says abstain from all appearance of evil. Abstain from whatever appears has evil! Lot was a great man of God who loved a little bit of wine. He never drinks in the public, only at home. He only takes a little sip of wine once in a blue moon. After the Lord delivered him from Sodom, his corrupt daughters got him drunk and slept with him, Genesis 19:31-35. That little love for wine ruined Lot’s life forever. No one can get you drunk when you don’t drink. You only stand a chance of been drunk when you drink. David was a man after the heart of God. He would sing praises to God 7 times a day but he loved steering at women a little too long. He loved to feed his eyes just like many do today. One day he saw the wife of a man bathing and he steered a little bit too long (2 Samuel 11:5-27). Before David knew what was happening, he had already committed adultery with the wife of his soldier. Do you know David was dethroned by his son for this?

WISDOM: If you do not destroy that little harmless leopard now it will become a big leopard and that big leopard would kill.

BE FRIENDLY

MEMORY VERSE: A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother, Proverbs 18:24

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Josh 22, Acts 2, Jer 11, Matt 25

Unfriendliness has frustrated the grace of God upon the life of many. The reason why the glory of God is yet to manifest in the life of some is a result of not been friendly. Whatever it is you are going to become in life, you need humans. To fulfill that glorious destiny of yours you need people. No matter what you cannot do without people. Ninety per cent of the time when the Lord wants to bless a fellow, He sends people not angels. A very successful lawyer was sharing his story with us some months back when he came back from Nigeria. On his way to a town he needed to use the toilet so he parked at a filling station and approached the attendants. He asked the attendant who was at the till if he could use their toilet, she replied no in an unfriendly tone. He then approached the other attendant – a man and that one said no problem. After using the toilet, the lawyer introduced himself to this male attendant and told him that if he ever felt like visiting UK he should contact him. He gave him his business card and left.

There are some people who never smile. The reason why some singles are yet to find their life partners is because they are unfriendly and never smile. The question is who wants to live with a brother or sister who is not friendly? I always joke that whilst praying for a life partner, if i dream and see a sister who is frowning, when I wake up I would use the blood Jesus to cancel the bad dream. Why? Because I know moods are contagious. If you stay around happy people you will become happy and vice versa. Most of what we call the work of demons and house hold enemies are not at all. They are mostly the result of our unfriendliness. The reason why many are yet to be promoted despite how good they are at their job is because they are not friendly. The reason why many fail at interviews is because they are not friendly. I was indirectly involved in the recruitment of some staffs at my place of work. Two of the CVs were from former employees. One of them was unfriendly and the other was very friendly. The unfriendly fellow had the all required training and certificates but the friendly one only had experience. At the end of the day we picked the friendly one over the unfriendly one. Despite the fact that the friendly one had no certificates, my boss had no choice than to bend the rule for this fellow. The truth of the matter is who wants to work with an unfriendly colleague? No one.

I discovered that unfriendly people pay more when they go to buy things in the shop. When the seller is busy offering soft drinks and tea to friendly customers, he will be charging the unfriendly customers exorbitant price. Why? No one wants an unfriendly customer. Once they see that you are unfriendly, they will charge you exorbitant price to scare you away. I went to a shop with a friend to buy some items and the Indian seller told us it cost 140 pounds. My friend in a friendly tone said ‘accha let me give you 40’. The seller replied ‘accha please make it 60’. Accha means something good in Hindi. Anyway before i knew what was happening, my friend took out 40 pounds and the seller gladly handed over the item to us.

WISDOM: It pays to be friendly.

WHAT IS INSIDE WILL SHOW ON THE OUTSIDE

MEMORY VERSE: A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh, Luke 6:45.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Josh 20-21, Acts 1, Jer 10, Matt 24

A lecturer went into a classroom with two oranges of the same size – one was yellow on the outside and the other was green. He asked the students ‘of these two oranges, if i ask you to choose one which one will you choose?’ They all said the yellow one. He then asked ‘why?’ They said because it will be the sweeter. How do you know? You haven’t tasted it; we haven’t cut it open; you cannot see the inside; how do you know that the yellow one will be the sweeter asked the lecturer? Their reply was the outside shows. What is inside will definitely show on the outside. When you see a lady walking around dressed like a harlot you know what is on the inside. When you see a young man dressed like a thug or a hooligan you know what is on the inside.

When a fellow is mad, he is mad on the inside but does it show on outside? Yes of course. In the olden days how do we know when someone is getting mad? The hair on the head will begin to look funny. That will tell you there are several mad people in our offices; all you need to do is take a look at the hair. They may call it style to deceive you but it is what is on the inside that is coming out on the outside. There are some people who think that in other to get the youths into the church we need to dress like them, talk them, behave like them e.t.c. That is complete rubbish. The youths are looking for a role model – an elder they can look up to or copy. The youths want to come up to where the elders are but the elders are going down to where the youths are. There are many who say in other to get the unbelievers into the church we need to be not too spiritual or a bit worldly. Brethren the unbelievers love spirituality. That is why you see them practicing yoga and other forms of meditations. Back in the days unbelievers look up to the believers on how to dress, but now believers are looking up to the unbelievers how to dress. What a shame!

Before i gave my life to Christ, i used to visit brothels. I discovered that there is a way harlots dress when they are on duty and off duty. When they are on duty at nights i.e. at the brothels, they wear skimpy clothes that expose their body parts to attract customers. Once they are off duty i.e. in the morning on their way home they were long skirts and cover up to inform us that they are off duty. Only harlots on duty wear skimpy clothes that reveal their thighs or expose body parts that are meant to be covered. If you are not a harlot on duty, why wear skimpy clothes or expose body parts that are meant to be covered? The sad thing is that it is some parents who buy these dresses for their daughters. These parents fear their child more than they fear God. The truth of the matter is such parents do not love that child. They do not care. The worst part is there are some husbands who allow their wife to dress up like a harlot. They encourage their wives to show a bit of cleavage or wear short dresses. Such men do not value their wives.

PRAYER POINT: Father , have mercy on the world.

WONDERS OF OBEDIENCE

MEMORY VERSE: if ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the Land, Isaiah 1:19

BIBLE VERSE: Josh 18-19, Ps 149-150, Jer 89, Matt 23

BIBLE STUDIES: Luke 5:1-7.

A wonder is anything that makes you wonder. I believe the Lord wants to make someone a wonder, that’s why He has permitted these series. One of the quickest ways of becoming a wonder is by obeying God. In Luke 5:1-7 Peter obeyed a simple instruction, he let down his net and caught so much that two boats began to sink. The question is where did all the fish suddenly come from? This is really a wonder. Do you want to become a wonder? Simply obey God. When you begin to obey God, every little effort you make will yield a mighty result, not only that the Lord will begin to do wondrous things in your life.

The key to becoming a wonder is total obedience to the word of God. Malachi 3:10 says bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house. The question is this, are you bringing all? What you bring to the house of God, is a tithe of your gross (total amount before any deductions such as tax) or net pay (total amount when all deductions are made)? Can you tell God you have brought all when you tithe on your net pay not gross? Your tithe is ten percent of your gross pay not your net pay. During a meeting a brother challenged the whole congregation that he would give an equivalent of what everyone gave as offering. When the brother heard the total amount collected that day, he announced that they should take the offering again because the first one was too small for Jesus. After everyone gave, he wrote a cheque equivalent to the total amount collected. Later some brothers met him and asked what the secret of his success was? He told them he decided that it was an insult to give God ten percent and keep ninety so he decided to give God ninety percent and keep only ten.

Proverbs 3:9 says honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the first fruits of all thine increase. When you get an increase in salary, the difference between the old and new salary is an example of your first fruit of increase. First fruit is the first agricultural produce of the harvest. In modern day, the entire January salary will be your first fruits. The difference between the first fruit of increase and the first fruit sacrifice is in divine response. In the first fruit of increase, God promised that your barn will burst while in the first fruit sacrifice, you blessing will become global, they will be irreversible and they will extend to your generations to come, Genesis 22:15-18. By the grace of God I can tell you that first fruit sacrifice does not kill. It only forces doors open. James 1:19 says if you are willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the Land.

PRAYER POINT: Father , make your blessing in my life trans-generational

THE LAMB’S BOOK OF LIFE

MEMORY VERSE: for I was alive without the law once; but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died, Romans 7:9

 

BIBLE VERSE: Josh 16-17, Ps 148, Jer 8, Matt 22

 

BIBLE STUDIES: Revelations 20:11-15

 

What is the Lamb’s book of life? The Book of Life is the set of names of those who will live with God forever in heaven. Revelations 20:15 says and whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. One of the popular misconceptions is that you need to be saved before your name is written in the book of life. If you get your names in the book of life by salvation then all babies are lost both babies of saved and unsaved people. Not only that, people who have not reach the age of accountability as well. There are people who will never reach the age of accountability no matter how old they are due to challenges in their brain. An example of a fellow who cannot be held accountable for his action is a mad man on the street. James 4:17 says therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not to him it is sin. Mad people do not know right from wrong.

 

First of all there is no place in the bible where the bible talks of your name been written in the book of life. There is a part that talks of it been blotted out, Revelations 3:5. This is why the notion of once saved always saved is totally wrong.Believers will not stand before the Great white throne of judgment only unbelievers. Believers will stand before the judgment seat of Christ to give an account of their action and deeds in the body. The bible records that anyone whose name is not found in the book of life will be cast into the lake of fire, Revelations 20:15. If the names had not been written there before, while will they checking to see if it was there? It will make little or no sense to check the name of a student who had never attended a school before in the school’s register.

 

At one point in time the names of everyone was written in the book of life because God planned a family. At one point all our spirits were alive unto God. Paul said for I was alive without the law once; but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died, Romans 7:9. Paul was not referring to physical death but spiritual death. When the commandment came i.e. when he reached the age of accountability or when he began to know his left from right, he could now be held accountable so he died spiritually. Thank God for the salvation of his soul later. What causes names to be blotted out of the book of life? Been an enemy of God. Matthew 12:30 says he that is not with me, is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad. A fellow who refuses to give his or her life to Christ is against Him. A fellow who refuses to repent and walk in holiness and righteousness is against Him because He said be holy for I am holy, 1 Peter 1:16

 

PRAYER POINT: Father, please help me  i do not want my name blotted out of your book.

CRITERIA FOR SEEING GOD

MEMORY VERSE: Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God, Matthew 5:8

BIBLE VERSE: Josh 14-15, Ps 146-147, Jer 7, Matt 21

God is absolutely pure. He is as pure as light. 1 John 1:5 says God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. The bible records in Isaiah 6:3 that the angels are always saying Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts. We all know the Lord is powerful. Psalm 62:11 says all power belong to Him. Matthew 19:26 says with God all things are possible. The question is why are the angels not saying Powerful, powerful, powerful is the Lord of hosts? Everyone knows God is love. 1 John 4:8 says God is love. The question is why are the angels not saying Loving, loving, loving is the Lord of hosts? We will all agree that the Lord is merciful. According to Psalm 103:8 God is rich in mercy. The question is why are the angels not saying Merciful, merciful, merciful is the Lord? The reason is that the only thing the Lord wants to be associated with is holiness. That is why the angels are always saying Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts.

Around the throne of God are twenty four elders dressed in white garments, praising God day and night, Revelations 4:3. These elders could have been dressed in pink because pink symbolizes love and God is love. These elders could have been dressed in purple because purple symbolizes royalty and our God is the King of kings. They could have been dressed in blue because blue symbolizes peace one of the fruit of the Holy Spirit but they are dressed in white, why? White symbolizes purity and that’s the condition for seeing God.

Matthew 5:8 says blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. In other words if your purity is on the outside and not on the inside, you are wasting your time. From time to time, we hear people say what matters is the inside not the outside. Please stop fooling yourself. Whatever is on the inside will show on the outside. When a fellow is mad on the inside, does it show outside? Yes of course. How do you know a plantain is ripe on the inside? It is by checking the outside. If it is green on the outside, you know it is unripe but if it is yellow you know it is ripe. How do you know an orange is ripe on the inside? It is by checking the outside. What is inside will reflect on the outside. Luke 6:45 says out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speak. When you see a lady dressed like a prostitute you know what is on the inside. When you see a man dressed like a thug, you know what is on the inside. Once you hear the words coming out of a fellow, you don’t need to be told the thoughts going through his heart. When we talk of purity, we are talking of all through purity. Purity right from inside unto the outside.

PONDER: What is inside will reflect on the outside.

WHY STUDY THE BIBLE?

MEMORY VERSE: take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life, Proverbs 4:13

BIBLE VERSE: Josh 12-13, Ps 145, Jer 6, Matt 20

Your destiny is tied to the word of God. Whether you will reach your potential in Jesus or not will be decided by your relationship with the word of God. One thing everybody wants is success – success in marriage, business, ministry, e.t.c. I don’t think there is anyone who sincerely wants to fail; even the Lord wants you to succeed. According to Jeremiah 29:11, the thoughts of God towards you are of peace and to give you an expected end. Whether his thoughts towards you will come to fruition or not will be decided by the time spent in bible studies. According to Psalms 1:1-3 , a man who delights in the word of God and studies it will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings fruit in his season. Not only that whatever such men does will prosper. Wondering why you always fail despite all your efforts, it could be because you only read your bible only on Sunday or you don’t even have one at all.

Job was the greatest of all men of the east, Job 1:3. I have always wondered how this man managed to do it. The secret to Job’s greatness is in his relationship with the word of God. Job 23:12 says neither I have gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food. Another reason why you need to study the bible is because it has medicinal value. If only you would dedicate time to study the word of God, your visits to the hospital will greatly reduce. According to Proverbs 4:20& 22, the word of God is life and health to your flesh. Not only that, it is also medicine to your soul. James 1:21 says humbly receive the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. The word of God is also able to heal and deliver from destruction, Psalm 107:20.

One question people always ask is that is it possible for one to live a life of holiness in this generation? Can a man do without sinning at all? If living a life of Holiness is not possible, then God will not require it of us. 1 Peter 1:16 says be ye holy; for I am holy. It is possible to live a life of Holiness in this generation. The question is how? The secret is meditating on the word of God. Psalm 119:11 says thy word I have hid in mine heart that I might not sin against thee. You want to live above sin? Hide the word of God in your heart. The word of God cleanses you, John 15:3. What is the minimum required no of times, I need to study my bible as a Christian? Twice a day. When you go through the scriptures for example Joshua 1:8; Psalms 1:1-3, e.t.c. you see the Lord emphasizing that you study the bible day and night. Without bible studies, you may be behind in all you do. The word of God is your life so hold on to it.

QUESTION: When was the last time you studied your bible?

OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXPANSION

MEMORY VERSE: for the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish, Psalms 1:6

BIBLE VERSE: Josh 11, Ps 144, Jer 5, Matt 19

Tests, trials, challenges of faith, e.t.c. are opportunities for expansion. They are not to break you but to develop you spiritually. Many a time when the Lord wants to fellowship with us, He permits some things to happen so that we can have time for Him. Why do you think the Lord permitted Shadrach, Meshach and Abedn-nego to be cast into the burning furnace, Daniel 3:1-30? The Lord permitted it because He wanted to spend quality time with these 3 boys. Before they were cast into the fire, the God they served was already waiting in the furnace to receive them. After they had spent quality time with the Most High in the furnace, they came out unhurt. Not only that, they were promoted immediately. Sometimes back I was suspended from work for almost 3 months. Immediately I got the letter, I understood that the Lord permitted it because He wanted us to spend time together. No wonder after our fellowship i was able to return back to my post.

Anytime the Lord wants to expand or promote a fellow, He permits some challenges in the life of the fellow. When the Lord was about to give Jesus a name that is above every other name, He permitted the Pharisees to crucify Him, Philippians 2:6-11. When the Lord wanted to take Joseph to His land of fulfillment, He permitted the schemes of his evil brothers, Genesis 37:1-36.Those ones got hold of him and sold him to Egypt. When the Lord wanted to take him to where he was going to meet his destiny helpers, He permitted Portiphar’s wife to lie on him and they cast him in prison, Genesis 39:7-23. It was inside the king’s prison that the Lord lifted him to the throne. I can assure you that the Lord is setting you up for something major; that is why you are having those challenges left, right and centre. As far as you are not living in sin, those challenges were permitted by God.

A man of God was sharing his story with us. When the Lord was about to set him up for greatness, He permitted some people in the church to persecute him. The old matrons made his life hell, when it was time for him to preach the pastor will ask someone else to preach. At a point the water became too hot so he ran for his dear life. Today it is a different story. Psalm 1:6 says for the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish. Whatever it is you are going through, the Lord knows about it. He permitted it so that you can be promoted.

PRAYER POINTS: Father, let my victory be total.

BE CAREFUL HOW CHOOSE A HELPER

MEMORY VERSE: and the Lord God said, it is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him, Genesis 2:18

BIBLE VERSE: Josh 10, Ps 142-143, Jer 4, Matt 18

Genesis 2:15 says and the Lord God took the man and put him into the Garden of Eden to dress and to keep it. When the Lord created man, He assigned some tasks to him i.e. to dress and keep the garden. It was compulsory for this man to undertake the task according God’s specification and complete it within God’s time. The man started the task but God noticed that this man was running behind schedule. Not only that, the Lord observed that at the rate this man was going, he is not even going make it to the end talk less of completing the task so He made him a help meet. Genesis 2:18 says and the Lord God said, it is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. A careful study of this verse reveals that the Lord did not create the woman to undertake the task for the man. The responsibility of completing the task lies on the man but the woman was provided as a helper. Just as the man will receive a reward for completing the task in God’s time, the woman too will get a reward for helping the man.

Brothers, God created you for a reason and a purpose. He created you with a task in mind. To complete the task you need a help meet. The type of helper or help meet you get will determine whether you will complete the task or not. The type of helper will determine if God will take the task from you and assign it someone else or not. I pray that this will not be your portion in Jesus name. 

When choosing a helper there are certain requirements your helper must meet if you are to complete the task and get a reward. First of all there must be agreement. Amos 3:3 says can two walk together except they agree? You cannot love holiness and your helper does not love holiness. Secondly your helper must be a prayer warrior. According to Deuteronomy 32:30 the most one can chase is a thousand but two has the ability to chase ten thousand. Thirdly your helper must be a tither. Before you take her to the altar ask her if she pays her tithe. If she begins to tell you that tithe is in the Old testaments not in the New Testament you better go back to your prayer room and pray again.God has vowed to curse anyone who robs Him of tithes,Malachi 3:9-12. How do you expect to complete the task if the One who assigned the task to you curses your help meet. Fourthly you helper must also be hardworking too. It is also important that your helper knows how to cook! God did not visit Abraham because He was hungry, Genesis 18:1-15. But thank God Sarah knew how to cook. The food was so sweet the Lord asked where is Sarah (lady who cooked this food), Genesis 18:8-9. On account of Sarah’s performance the Lord decided Abraham was going to be a Daddy the next year.

PRAYER POINT: Father, please guide me in the choice of a help meet.

POTENTIAL VS GREATNESS

MEMORY VERSE: verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my father, John 14:12

BIBLE VERSE: Josh 9, Ps 140-141, Jer 3, Matt 17

Every child has the potential to be great, but not all become great. Every male child has the potential to become a father, but not all become fathers. Likewise every female child has the potential to become a mother but not all become mothers. Every child of God has the potential to do the works that Jesus did while he was one earth. Mark 16:17-18 says and these signs shall follow them that believe; in my names they shall cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues, they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing , it shall not hurt them; they shall lays on the sick, and the shall recover them. Despite the fact that every child of God has the potential to do all these, there are still few who are yet to speak in tongues.

There is no one alive without a potential, whether they will fulfill their potential is another issue. There are many who know their future. For example I know my tomorrow will be alright because the book of Isaiah 3:10 says that say to the righteous it shall be well them. There are few who the Lord has shown a glimpse of their future. Many have dreamt that they laid hands on the dead and the dead came back to life; many have received prophecies that they are going to become great evangelists; many have seen themselves getting married with kids and living in a big mansion. All these are potentials, fulfilling them is another issue.

There are two factors that will decide whether you will fulfill your potential or not – words and action. The words you speak to yourself and the words spoken to you. Numbers 14:28 says as you have said in my ears, so shall I do. It does not matter what God has in store for you, if you confess something negative I can assure you that is what you will get. God has given some people authority over your life. They are your parents – spiritual and biological. Their words can shape your life. If your father or mother says it shall be well with you, i can assure you it will be well with you but if he says the opposite, God help you. If you please your spiritual father and he blesses you from the bottom of his heart, the Lord who called him will say a big amen. If you do otherwise and he curses you, you are in big trouble. This is why you should do everything to get a blessing not curse from your parents or pastors. Your actions will also decide whether you will fulfill your potential or not. Proverbs 22:29 says seest thou a diligent man, he will stand before kings not mean men. A brother with potential who refuses to work hard will become slaves to the diligent who has no potential. Romans 6:1 say shall we continue in sin and ask for grace to abound? Shall we continue to disobey God and expect Him to make us the head and not the tail? God forbid.

PRAYER POINT: Father, help me fulfill my potential in you.

Share this:

A TIME TO FLEE

MEMORY VERSE: a prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on and are punished, Proverbs 22:3

BIBLE VERSE: Josh 8, Ps 139, Jer 2, Matt 16

The bible teaches that there is a time to flee if you are to achieve your purpose on earth. In Genesis 27:41-45 after Isaac had blessed Jacob, Esau arose and said he was going to kill him; Jacob fled. If he had not fled, Esau would have killed him and all the blessings would have been lost. Immediately after the 3 wise men departed, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph, he told him to take the baby and the mother and run to Egypt because there is a wicked king who wants the baby dead, Matthew 2:12-15. A time to flee is when the Almighty tells you to flee. There is also a time to run to battle. The bible records in 1 Samuel 17:14-51 that David charged at Goliath. In Exodus 5:1 we see Moses who had been running from Pharaoh for 40 years standing before him and demanding that he should let the children of Israel go. 

When you are dealing with external forces it is time to run to battle. Isaiah 54:17 says no weapon fashioned against you shall prosper and every tongue that rises against you in judgment shall be condemned. James 4:7 says resist the devil and he will flee from you. When you are dealing with demons, it is time to run to battle but when you are dealing with false brethren it is a time to flee. The question is this, how do I know when to flee? Proverbs 22:3 says a prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on and are punished.

What I am supposed to flee from? Anything that will annoy God. One of the things we need to run from is poison. Tithes are poison and should not be eaten, Malachi 3:8-11. Tithes belong to God so flee from nonpayment of tithes! We need to also flee from anything that dishonors God. When you do things that cause people to say ‘and you call yourself a Christian’ you are dishonoring your God. Proverbs 3:9-10 says honor God with your substances and the first fruit of your increase. If you do not honor God with these you are dishonoring Him. 2 Timothy 2:22 says flee from youthful lusts. What are youthful lusts? Fornication and adultery.1 Corinthians 6:18 says flee fornication. The bible says rebuke the devil but when it comes to fornication you have to flee. If someone is trying to suggest sex with you and you are not married to them, you are to flee from such not rebuke them! Another thing to flee from is inordinate ambition, 1 Timothy 6:9-11. Flee from get rich quick schemes like stealing and fraud. Get rich quick schemes kills and it gives first class ticket to hell.

QUESTION: What is it that you are doing that is causing people to say and you call yourself a Christian? Repent of such immediately.

Share this:

ARE YOU SAVED

MEMORY VERSE: Then Peter said unto them, Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remissions of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, Acts 2:38.

BIBLE VERSE: Josh 7, Ps 137-138, Jer 1, Matt 15

Two friends went to church one evening. As they sat one of the workers approached them and asked the younger one are you saved? He said no, the worker witnessed to him and told him why he needed to give his life to Christ. The worker moved to the older one sitting right beside the younger one and asked the same question, ‘are you saved’? The older friend didn’t want to be bothered by this worker so he said ‘yes’. The worker said praise God and he left. Few weeks later the older friend was sitting at home on a chair talking to his sister. As they were talking, the man said something and the sister replied hoping to get a response from his brother but there was no response. Out of curiosity she looked at the direction of her brother and saw him sitting with his head slumped forward. The man was dead! The man died without been saved.

Today I post the same question to you, are you saved? The fact that you are born into a Christian family does not mean you are saved. The fact that you don’t cheat on your wife or consume alcohol or have boyfriends and girl friends does not mean you are saved. The fact that you are part of the choir or play musical instrument in the church does not mean you are saved. I need not to inform you that you are not saved by church attendance. Judas Iscariot rarely missed church services yet he betrayed Jesus. The fact that you have said the sinner’s prayers does not mean you are saved. I remember as a young boy I was going through mum’s drawers when I saw a Christian literature. Since I had nothing to do I read it and I found the sinner’s prayer at the back. I said the sinner’s prayer although I didn’t really mean a word of it. Several years later I began to visit brothels and indulge in other vices. One night I had a dream where I had the opportunity to see my past. It was until then I knew that I wasn’t saved at all. Thank God for the opportunity to give my life to Christ.

In Acts 2:14- 38 some group of people heard a message like this and their hearts were pricked. They asked the question, what shall we do to be saved? Acts 2:38 says then Peter said unto them, Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remissions of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Repentance is necessary for salvation! Without true repentance there is no salvation. What we find today is remorse not repentance. Remorse is a deep and painful regret for wrongdoing but repentance is not just one feeling sorrowful for an offense, but it means to completely turn away from that sin.

QUESTION: Are you saved?

WONDERS OF HIS TOUCH

MEMORY VERSE: and the hand of the Lord was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel, 1 Kings 18:46

BIBLE VERSE: Josh 5, Ps 132-134, Is 65, Matt 13

BIBLE STUDIES: 1 Kings 18:41-46

A wonder is anything that makes you to wonder. According to Isaiah 9:6 one of the names of the Most High is wonderful i.e. full of wonders. There are hands and there are hands. I want to tell you that not all hands are the same. The bible says and it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed, Exodus 17:10-13. The reason why Moses let down his hands was because his hands were aching; he was well over 80 years when this happened. The question is this since Aaron and Hur were standing by him, why didn’t they hold up their own hands when Moses let down his hand? Aaron was a priest and Hur was an elder so any of the two could have held their hands up and expect victory. These two elderly men knew that the hands of Moses were not ordinary hands or common hands. There is a hand far more powerful than the hands of Moses and that is the hands of the Almighty. Psalm 136:12 describes God’s hand has a strong hand.

When the Lord touches a life , that life becomes a wonder. In John 9:1-10 Jesus anointed the eyes of a blind man with clay and told him to go and wash it off. The man came back and everyone opened their mouths and could not close it. Bible scholars told us that the man was not only born blind; the man was born without eyes. This was why the disciples asked Jesus ‘whose sin it was for this man to born this way?’ Since Jesus was the creator, He made clay out of mud and anointed where the eye was meant to be. The man went to wash and came back with two pair of eyes. The whole neighborhood began to argue that it was not the man who was born without eyes. Just by virtue of His touch of Jesus, this man became a wonder within an hour.

When the Lord touches a fellow, the fellow begins to do wondrous things. In 1 Kings 18:41-46 the Lord touched Elijah and he outran the best chariot in Israel. Bible scholars said the distance between Mount Carmel and Jezreel was 17 miles. Elijah was not dressed in athletic gears neither did he have trainers on. He had never had athletic training and neither had he competed in such before. He was not a young boy but an old prophet of God. Now imagine such a man outrunning a chariot pulled by the best horse in Israel over 17 miles? That is a wonder!

PRAYER POINT: Father, please touch my life, business, relationship, finance, spiritual life with your mighty hand.

ACTIVATING THE POWER OF GOD

MEMORY VERSE: and it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them, Luke 5:17.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Josh 2, Ps 123-125, Isa 62, Matt 10

BIBLE STUDIES: Luke 5:17-26

In our bible studies is a story we all know. Jesus was teaching in a particular house and everyone came to hear him teach. The power of God was present to heal every sick man and woman in the gathering. While He was preaching some men with stubborn faith brought their paralyzed friend, they tried to come through the door but could not because of the crowd so they decided to use the roof. When they finally got their friends to Jesus, He told the paralyzed man to stand up and walk. The paralyzed men stood up and began to walk.

Anywhere Jesus is; the power of God is also there. This is because all power in heaven and on earth has been given to Him by the Father, Matthew 28:18. Anywhere the name of Jesus is mentioned, the power of God is present. This is why at the mention of the name of Jesus knees bow, Philippians 2:10. Every time we gather to pray, the power of God is present. Matthew 18:20 says where two or more gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of them. 

On that day the power of God was present to heal everyone in attendance, Luke 5:17. The question is how come only the paralyzed man received his healing? The answer is only the friends of the paralyzed man activated the power of God through their faith. A generator has the potential to produce power for your appliances. For power to be generated you need to turn on the generator. The generator could be there for twenty years, if you do not turn it on it will not generate power for your appliances. You can pray for as long as you want,to activate the power of God in your life you need faith. Not too long ago I had a big challenge at work. I was suspended and invited for a final hearing. I had only 5 per cent chance of coming back. I remember the Friday before the Monday of my final hearing, I met one of my colleagues at work and he said ‘how far’? I told him I will back on Tuesday the day after my hearing. That is faith .Anyone in my shoes will be looking for jobs but I didn’t because I knew I will be going back.Even though defeat was guaranteed I told everyone I will be back and to God be glory I came back. 

TO PONDER ON: It is your faith that activates the power of God.

NEVERTHELESS NOT MY WILL, BUT THINE, BE DONE

MEMORY VERSE: saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done, Luke 22:42.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Josh 1, Ps 120-122, Isa 61, Matt 9

God has a will for every of His child. The Lord is a good God, He wants the best for every of His child. Jeremiah 29:11 says for I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. God has a will for every aspect of your life. There is a place He wants you live. There is a job He wants you to do. There is a course He wants you to study at the University or vocation He wants you to learn. There is a particular person He wants you to marry. It is important to know His will for your life. If He wants a fellow to do catering and the fellow decides to go and study law, if care is not taking that fellow may struggle in the legal profession. I pray you will not struggle for life Jesus name, amen.

Before embarking on that project or business or course, know His will for your life. Don’t do things because everyone is doing it, it could be His will for them but not His will for you. Many a time His will differs from our will. The will of Isaac was to go to Egypt because there was great famine in the land but the will of God for Him was to stay in the land ravaged with famine, Genesis 26:1-3. Isaac stayed in the land and was mightily blessed by God. Whether you believe or not, seeking greener pastures is not always the solution to hardship. The solution is knowing the will of God for your life. At times the will of God may not appeal to our human sense of reasoning or logic. The logical thing to do was to go to Egypt where there was plenty of food but Isaac remained in the will of God, he became mightily blessed to the extent that a whole nation envied him.

When you allow His will to override your will, you will have reasons to thank God. Luke 22:42 says saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. Jesus permitted the will of the Father, to override His will. Today He sits at the right hand of the Father. Not only that at the mention of His name, all knees in heaven, on earth and underneath the earth bows, Philippians 2:9-10. It is not advisable that you let your will override His will because the end result of such practices is not always palatable. The will of God for Jacob was Leah, but he preferred Rachel the younger and more beautiful sister. God did it in away where he ended up with Leah, but he tried to override that and ended up marrying both. Before you know it, Rachel started stealing and they began to call him a thief, Genesis 31:19-36. If not for God, Laban almost killed him for what Rachel stole. Jacob learnt the hard way but I pray this will not be yours in Jesus name.

PRAYER POINT: Father ,let your will be done in my life.

GOD DOES CHANGE HIS MIND

MEMORY VERSE: wherefore the Lord God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before for me ever: but now the Lord saith, be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honor; and they that despise shall be lightly esteemed, 1 Samuel 2:30.

 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Deut 33-34, Ps 119:145-176, Isa 60, Matt 8

 

Malachi 3:6 says for I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. When God said I change not, what did He mean by that? It simply means He is the same i.e. His character remains the same. According to Hebrews 13:8, He is the same yesterday, today and forever. The Character of God is love. His character is not informed by circumstances or events.This is why He gives rain to the just and the unjust. Numbers 23:19 says God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that He should repent hath he said, and shall he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? Once God speaks it is as good as done. Psalms 33:9 says for he spake, and it was done; he commanded and it stood fast.

 

When you study the scriptures carefully you will find out that God changes His mind. Psalm 115:3 says but our God is in the heavens; He hath done whatsoever he hath pleased. The same God, who said no, can change His mind and say yes. In Isaiah 38:1-5 God sent a prophet to tell King Hezekiah to put his house in order because he was going to die. When Hezekiah got the message, he went before the Lord. He said in heaven there are over a million angels praising You, on earth the numbers of those that praise You daily are few do you want to reduce the numbers by one ? The Lord told the prophet to return and tell the king that He has added an extra fifteen years to His days.Who says God does not change His mind?  Isaiah 48:22 says there is no peace for the wicked, says the Lord. The same God says in Ezekiel 18:27 if the wicked repents and changes his way, he will live. God changes his mind. He is sovereign; He can decide to show mercy.

 

God is sovereign.  He can change His mind and this is where we all need to be very careful. 1 Samuel 2:30 says wherefore the Lord God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house , and the house of thy father, should walk before for me ever: but now the Lord saith, be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honor; and they that despise shall be lightly esteemed. The same God who said Eli and his children will serve before Him forever changed His mind and said they will be beggars in His house. I pray this will not be our portion in Jesus name. It does not matter what promises God has made to you if you dishonour Him in any way, He can decide to put those promises on hold until you change. At times He can even withdraw His promises; I pray this will not be your portion in Jesus name.

 

PRAYER POINTS: Father, please bring those mighty promises of yours to pass in my life.

GODLINESS IS PROFITABLE

MEMORY VERSE: for bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come, 1 Timothy 4:8

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Deut 32, Ps 119:121-144, Isa 59, Matt 9

Many have read and misunderstood the part a of 1 Timothy 4:8 which says for bodily exercise profiteth little. The bible does not say exercise is bad. Exercise is good because it helps controls weight; combats health conditions and diseases (stroke, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and depression, certain types of cancers, arthritis and falls); improves mood; boosts energy; promotes better sleep e.t.c. Exercise is also good for pregnant women. It helps reduce pregnancy discomfort, prepare for childbirth, helps them sleep better, reduces stress and lifts their spirits. Exercise does help you sleep better and it improves your mood. 

1 Timothy 4:8 says for bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. Godliness is profitable now and in time to come. If you want your life to become profitable become like God. What is godliness? Godliness is becoming like God in nature, character and ability. When you give your life to Christ, God’s nature is put inside you. All born again Christians have God’s nature. Few have God’s character and fewer still have God’s ability. To become like God you need to have God’s character and ability. God’s character is love. 1 John 4:8 says God is love. 1 Corinthians 13 expands on love (God’s character) and this is a function of the fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). As the character of God begins to dominate your will, emotion and thought God will begin to entrust you with His ability.

God cannot entrust His ability to anyone who is yet develop His character. Having God’s ability without God’s character is like a baby with a sub machine gun; that’s disaster! Godliness is simply becoming like Jesus. John 10:30 says I and the Father are one. When Jesus was on the earth, He operated as a man not God. God is Omni-present and Jesus was not Omni- present when He was here. Jesus grew in wisdom and nature (Luke 2:52), but God does not grow. While He was on earth, He was stripped of His divine nature. The different between Jesus then and us now is that Jesus had the spirit without measure but we have the spirit with measure. This was why Jesus was able to do many things like work on water. Everyone has the potential to have the spirit without measure, even Jesus said we would greater works than He did, John 14:12. God will only entrust you with spirit without measure when you develop His character.

PONDER ON: The more like Jesus you become, the more profitable your life will become.

WHAT MOTIVE?

MEMORY VERSE: But the Lord said unto Samuel, look not on his countenance or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart, 1 Samuel 16:7

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Deut 31, Ps 119:97-120, Isa 58, Matt 6

One of the most abused bible verses in the scripture is 1 Samuel 16:7c -for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. Many a times when I tell brothers that it is not good for a Christian to fly the collar of his polo shirt because such is not befitting for kings which we are before the Lord (Revelation 5:10); 9 out of 10 the response is always God looks at the heart not the dressing. It is very true that the Lord looks at the heart but the bible also says that by Him actions are weighed, 1 Samuel 2:3. In other words just as He looks at the heart, He weighs the action too.

A woman was shopping in a mall when she noticed that her purse was missing. She looked around and could not find it. She checked everywhere, all to no avail. She began to panic, while walking up and down a young boy walked up to her and handed her purse to her. She was delighted and decided to check if anything was missing in the purse. On checking she exclaimed, before my purse was missing I had a 10 dollar bill but I now have ten 1 dollar bills! The boy said it is because the last time I found a purse, the lady told me she had no change.

Many today are like that boy who found the purse. The boy returned the purse because of the reward not because he cared. If the purse had been empty of dollar bills, he would have thrown the purse in the bin. He knew if he returned the purse with the ten dollar bill, the lady would only thank him and say sorry I have no change so he decided to exchange the ten dollar bill to ten 1 dollar bills .There are a lot of noble activities we do which are for the reward not because we care. Many give their life to Christ not because they want to serve God but because they want eternal life. The question I want to ask you is that in that place of work or school, are you working hard because you love the job or because of the reward which could be in form of promotion or other things. Why do you put so much effort into that ministry? Is it to bring souls to Christ or the reward? Is it because you love it when they call you sir or ma or because you are passionate for your maker? God only acknowledges those who serve Him because they care not individuals who serve Him because of the reward.

QUESTION: Are you doing that thing for the reward or because you are care.

WHEN HE CALLS

MEMORY VERSE: Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest, Matthew 11:28

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Deut 30, Ps 119:73-96, Isa 57, Matt 5

BIBLE STUDIES: Mark 10:46-52

The essence of God’s call is to make your life better not to make it worse or boring. The Lord called Aaron to the office of the priest to beautify him. Exodus 28:2 says and thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and beauty. The proposed garment clearly reveals God’s plan for Aaron. He did not call him to the office of a priest to make his life miserable or poor. He called him simply to beautify him and take glory over his life. The next time the Lord calls you to do something whether to serve or give something, do not hesitate because His intentions are noble and they are to beautify you. Remember the name of the Lord will not be glorified when you fail, so He will ensure at all cost that you succeed.

Jesus was passing by Jericho when He heard a man screaming at the top of his voice, ‘Jesus , thou son of David , have mercy on me’, Mark 10:46-52.Jesus knew from the way the man was screaming that this man was tired of his current situation and the bible says for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved, Romans 10:13. Jesus stood still and commanded them to bring the man. When the man heard that Jesus was calling him, he immediately threw his garment away and ran to Jesus. Although Bartimaeus was blind he was very wise, he knew that you do not go to the presence of kings with tattered rags talk less of going to meet the King of kings so he quickly threw his old garments away.

The Lord has called many and He is still calling. Matthew 11:28 says come unto me; all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. The reason why you cannot see any visible changes in the situation or life of many who had heed the call is because they refuse to cast away their old garments i.e. the life of sin. 1 Thessalonians 4:7 says for God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. Once you give your life to Christ, you need to live a life of holiness. The clubbing every Friday and Saturday night must stop; the little white lies must to stop; the deals in the office that your manager must not know about must stop; even that sexual relationship with that sugar daddy or sugar mummy or boy friend or girl friends must stop; whatever is not befitting for a child of God has to stop once you give your life to Christ.

QUESTION: Are you still wearing your old garments or you have cast them away?