A SHIP GOING DOWN TO TARSHISH.

MEMORY VERSE: But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.Jonah 1:3

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Zechariah 8-12

Tarshish simply represents a place outside the presence of the Lord. Jonah 1:3b says so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. This prophet knowingly, deliberately, willingly, intentionally, left the presence of God to go to Tarshish. When he left the presence of God, the first place he went to was Joppa. 'Joppa' is the middle ground between God’s presence and Tarshish. You see, no one travels from God’s presence straight to Tarshish; they have to get to Joppa first. Backsliding is not instant. It is gradual; this is why many fall without knowing. To avoid falling, you and i, must watch and pray. David had already started to backslide, long before he committed adultery with Bathsheba (Uriah’s wife). 2 Samuel 11: 1 saysAnd it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem. The ark of God was at the battlefield and David stayed back at home. His Royal Highness, decided to rest before God gave him rest. The leader of the army of the Lord, the man who was meant to be fighting for the Lord, desired to rest during battle. Friends, are you resting before the finish line? Sir, have you the left the task of praying for your family, to your wife while you sleep? Sir, have you left the task of praying and interceding for the church, to the prayer warriors while you sleep?

One would have thought, the king would busy himself, with the task of praying and fasting. Instead, he slept. 2 Samuel 11:2 says and it came to pass in an evening tide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon. His Excellency, King David, spent the whole day sleeping. The bible says and it came to pass in an evening tide, that David rose from off his bed. As you can see, he had begun to backslide, long before he saw the naked woman. He had left God’s presence and was now sleeping. No wonder, immediately he saw the woman, he could not resist the temptation. He fell and paid dearly for it. David left the presence of God and began to see strange things – some one’s wife bathing. Out of God’s presence are many strange things. It is when you leave God’s presence; you start to see nothing wrong in watching pornographic movies. It is when you leave God’s presence; you start to observe that, you no longer have time for yourself again. You suddenly realize, you are spending too much time for God. It is there, you start to see nothing wrong in passing the night at your fiancé’s house.

PONDER: Are you beginning, to see nothing wrong, in telling little white lies? Are you beginning, to see nothing wrong, in missing church services? Ask the Lord to wake you up.
Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

NOW

MEMORY VERSE: Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying. Jonah 1:1

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:  Zechariah 5-7

Jonah was a mighty prophet of God. The bible introduced him to us, as a man unto whom the word of the Lord came. Do you know all the people that became great (in the things of God), became great because of the word of the Lord that came unto them? All the people, referred to as prophets (in the bible and today) became prophets when the word of the Lord came to them. The same way the bible described Jonah, is exactly the same way, the bible introduced John the Baptist (the greatest of the Old Testament prophet). This is how the bible described Jonah in Jonah 1:1: “the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying.” Let us look at how the bible, introduced John the Baptist in the book of Luke. Luke 3:2 says Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. What made John the Baptist great was the word of the Lord that came unto him. The same thing Isaiah, the bible says and the word of the Lord came to Isaiah (Isaiah 38:4). Jonah was an established prophet of God, the word of the Lord came to him regularly and those words came to past. For instance, Jonah prophesied that Jeroboam will restore the coast of Israel from the entering of Hamath unto the sea of the plain and it came to past ( 2 Kings 14:25). Everyone around knew Jonah, the prophet of God, a servant of God, the man whose prophesies always comes to past.

When the bible wanted to report on the life of Jonah in Jonah 1, it started with the word ‘now’, before telling us how the word of the Lord came to him, and how he disobeyed and ran to Tarshish and so on. The word ‘now’ means ‘at this present time’. The word ‘now’ discountenances the past and the future. It takes into account, only the present not the past, or the future. Whatever a man was, is history; whatever he plans or hopes to be, is an unsure future. What is most relevant is our ‘now’. There is a reason, why the bible started Jonah’s story with the word ‘now’, whatever Jonah was or did in the past is history. His prophecies that came to past; how he served the Lord; how the word of the Lord came to him; etc, were all Jonah’s history. The bible is interested in telling us about his ‘now’; his current relationship with God; his current attitude to word of God; his spiritual life presently. What the bible recorded about Jonah’s, present, spiritual life is disappointing. We read about a mighty prophet of God, who used to be hot for the Lord, now intentionally, willingly, deliberately disobeying God. Friends, whatever you have done for the Lord in the past is history, what matters, is what you are doing for the Lord now. How the Lord used to speak to you is history, presently, does He speak to you? How you used to win souls for Christ is history, presently, do you still win souls for Christ? How you used to serve in the vineyard of God; how you used to share tracts; how you used to fast and pray for hours; etc, is all history. What matters is your present. What you and I, used to be is history, and honestly, it does not matter. What we are now, presently, is what matters. God is interested in your ‘now’, not your past! Your sacrifices of the past are history, what are you sacrificing for Christ now?

TO PONDER AND PRAY : Is your spiritual life , presently, a shadow of your past spiritual life? Cry to God for restoration.

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

DISGUISED AS A DISADVANTAGE

MEMORY VERSE: Therefore, also I have lent him to the Lord; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the Lord. And he worshipped the Lord there. 1 Samuel 1:28

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Hosea 4-6

　Romans 8:26 says and we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose. Although, many of us know this verse by heart, deep within , we find it hard to accept. How can being sacked for a minor mistake, work to my good? Recently, a brother sent his experience to us and I will like to share it with you. Not too long ago, he went to do a job for someone. Whilst working, he made a minor mistake (something anyone would overlook) and was sacked. On his way home, sad and dejected, his phone rang. It was a particular client he had vowed never to work for due to his experience with him in the past. Because he needed a job badly, he picked the call and was given a job. After completing that job, the client gave him another job. After completing that, he gave him another. Ever since, he has been receiving jobs after jobs from this client (he vowed never to work for again). Had it been, he was not sacked from the first job, he would not have picked this client’s call and the job would have been given to another.

As I said yesterday, nine out of ten times, opportunities do not always appear as opportunities at first glance. At times, they comes disguised as a disadvantage. While other children grew up at home, Samuel grew up in the temple (1 Samuel 1:27-28). Whilst other children saw their mums and dads daily, this boy saw his parents once a year. Whilst every child was playing with toys and all, he was busy washing the temple floors and pots. At first glance, no one would count that as an opportunity, but at the end, Samuel became a national leader. That ‘temple boy’ ended up as a kingmaker. Not growing up with your parents does not put you at a disadvantage as far as God is concerned. It could actually be an opportunity for you to be trained for your future. That appointment that seems like a 'set up for failure' could be an opportunity for promotion. Before rejecting that offer, why not take it to the Lord in prayer, it could be a divine opportunity to turn things around for you. Have you been posted to an area where no one has ever recorded success? Do not fret or panic, just commit it to God. Others may go and fail, you will go and succeed.

　

PRAYER: Father, please help me to recognise opportunities around me

Bro Samuel| Reaching the world for Jesus.　

BEING HATED?

MEMORY VERSE: and when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him. Genesis 37:18

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Hosea 1-3

A wise man once said, ‘if you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.’ Do you know that, nine out of ten times, opportunities do not appear as opportunities at first glance? This is why many of us miss it. Who would have thought, the agenda to wipe out tiny Judah in Chronicles 20, was a divine opportunity to enrich them? Opportunities can also come disguised as persecution or hatred for no good reason. A typical example of this can be found in Genesis 37. The brothers of Joseph hated him for no good reason. Genesis 37:8 says and when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him. What a world! Thank God, Reuben rescued him from their hands; otherwise, they would have beaten him to death. At the end, they sold him to slavery. The brothers thought, they had succeeded in putting an end to his dream. Unknown to them, they were fulfilling God’s plan. In Egypt, Joseph became a prime minister and a father to Pharaoh. Had it been, they left him alone, he would have remained at home and end up as a nobody. That persecution in your place of work could be an opportunity for you to start your own business.

Recently, an ex- NASA scientist (now a pastor), shared with us an incident that changed his life forever. Whilst in secondary school, back in Africa, his mathematics teacher gave the class an exercise from the mathematics workbook. On completing the exercise, he took the workbook to his maths teacher. After marking his work, the teacher asked why he did not complete the Part B of the question. ‘Oh sir, you only asked us to do Part A,’ he responded. The man, huge peace corps from USA, stood up and gave him a dirty slap. He went back to his seat wondering, what he did wrong. Whilst everyone made fun of him because of the dirty slap, he sat quietly and wondered what he did to deserve the dirty smack in the face. Suddenly, it dawned on him; the teacher expected more from him because he was the best. The next day, at class again, the man gave another exercise from the same workbook. This time around, he completed all the exercise in the workbook. Whilst in form 4, the man told him to get the mathematics workbook for form 5 and complete all the exercise. That was it! He graduated from secondary school with distinctions. He graduated from university with a first class; NASA heard about him and employed him. All of these, came at the cost of a dirty slap whilst in secondary school. That thing you are facing could be what God wants to use to prepare you for your glorious future. That persecution in ministry is your desert experience, it is your opportunity to learn to depend on God for virtually everything.

PRAYER POINT: Father, please open my eyes so that I will not miss any opportunities again in life

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

AND THERE WERE THREE DAYS IN GATHERING OF THE SPOIL

MEMORY VERSE: And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both riches with the dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away: and they were three days in gathering of the spoil, it was so much. 2 Chronicles 22:25

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Daniel 9-12

Most of us miss opportunities, not because we are lazy or unserious. We miss opportunities simply because they come disguised. As i mentioned yesterday, opportunities come disguised as hard work. Many have missed the opportunity to become a chartered accountant because of the hard work involved in preparing for ACCA. My mum will always say, ‘work does not kill, it is idleness that kills.’

Opportunities also come disguised as big challenges. It is impossible to have a great victory without a great fight. You want to make heaven? First, die to self. Big opportunities come disguised as big challenges that will frighten you. The opportunity for King Jehoshaphat (a worshiper) and the inhabitants of Judah to be mightily blessed by God came disguised as a big war. The Ammonites, Moabites and inhabitants of Mount Seir, without being provoked, decided to wage war against tiny Judah ( 2 Chronicles 20). When King Jehoshaphat heard this news, the bible records that he feared i.e. his knees shook. He was confused, perplexed, and troubled. Unknown to this king, the decision of their enemies (Ammonites, Moabites, and Inhabitants of Mount Seir) to wage war against them was a blessing in disguise. It was a divine opportunity to enrich the inhabitants of Judah. Whilst praying, the Lord spoke through one of his prophets. ‘The battle is not yours but God’s, ‘he said. Jehoshaphat prepared a choir and they began to sing. As they praised and worshiped God, fight broke out in the camp of the enemies and they began to kill each other. By the time, the people of Judah got to the battlefront; the enemies had killed themselves and left their spoils. 2 Chronicles 22:25 says And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both riches with the dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away: and they were three days in gathering of the spoil, it was so much. Those who run from battle miss the spoils of battle. That challenge you are going through, is a divine opportunity. When i received the news, that myself and some colleagues were going to be made redundant, i felt very sad. Unknown to me, it was a divine opportunity to become a PRINCE 2 Practitioner. The same week i was made redundant, God helped me and i passed both exams. Had it been, that challenge did not come, i probably would not have sat for the exam. Child of God, do not give the enemy of the gospel an occasion to say where is your God? Stand firm in Christ and face that challenge, victory is yours in Jesus name, amen.

ACTION: Develop yourself to begin to see the positive side of things not the negative side of things.

Bro Samuel| Reaching the world for Jesus.

OPPORTUNITY DISGUISED

 
MEMORY VERSE: The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute. Proverbs 12:25
 
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:  Daniel 4-8
 
Whether that prophesy or dream will come to pass in your life, will be determined by how you treat the opportunities that come your way. Also ,whether that prophesy or dream will come to pass in your life, will be determined by how you treat your wife. Asides God, you need your wife to succeed. Focus on her strengths not weakness. The more you focus on her strength, the less of her weakness you will see. Deciding not to eat at home after every little quarrel is not the best way to run a family. Most importantly, comparing her to your mother or big sister is a big no no. Remember, mama or big sister have been married for a while , they appear perfect because they have had a lot of practice. Comparing someone who have been married for ten years with another who have been married for thirty years is wickedness.
 
One of the reasons why people miss opportunity is because it is disguised as hard work. Ann Landers once said, “opportunities are usually disguised as hard work, so most people do not recognize them.”  The reason why many are where they are, is because they hate hard work. They love to do nothing and get big results. Life does not work that way. One of the greatest inventors of all time, Thomas Edison, said and I quote , “opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”Hard work and diligence pays. Proverbs 12:25 says the hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute. While everyone saw working in the palace as demanding, tedious, hard , something to avoid, Jeroboam saw working in the palace as an opportunity to please the king. 1 Kings 11:28 says and the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valour: and Solomon seeing the young man that he was industrious , he made  him ruler over all the charge of the house of Joseph. Promotion always come disguised as a new , harder, tougher challenge. That master’s degree you are seeing as a hard work is an opportunity in disguise! While many see professional qualifications like ACCA, CCNP, PRINCE 2 , etc as extra hard work , some see it as an opportunity to add value to themselves. While others saw Sanctuary keeping as degrading especially for professionals , myself and some friends saw it as an opportunity to get God’s attention. One day while cleaning, the man of God turned up and said, ‘God has specifically asked me to come and pray for you brothers.’ Those who saw it as a waste of time missed out that day. During the days of Thomas Edison, many saw sciences has hard work but this man saw it as an opportunity to invent something. Today, the whole world has, is and will continue to benefit from the hard work of Thomas Edison.
 
PONDER: That thing you are calling hard work, to others, it is an opportunity for breakthrough.
 
Bro Samuel| Reaching the world for Jesus.

AND GOD SAID, ASK WHAT I SHALL GIVE THEE

MEMORY VERSE: and the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great high place: a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar. In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee. 1 Kings 3:4-5.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Daniel 1-3

Whether a man will succeed in life or not will be determined by how he treats opportunities that comes his way. But, to take advantage of an opportunity, one must be able to identify the opportunity first. Hagar thirsted, not because of lack of water but because she could not identify the well nearby (Genesis 21:15-17). The widow struggled to pay her debts, not because God was against her but because she could not see the potential in her oil (2 Kings 4:1-7). There are a lot struggling today, simply because they cannot identify the opportunities around them.

Any time God wants to give a man breakthrough – financially, materially, spiritually, etc, He will start by throwing an opportunity to give at him. Take for instance Solomon, before he was born, God already purposed it in His mind to bless him. No wonder when he was born, God gave him the name , Jedidah , which means beloved of the Most High ( 2 Samuel 12:25). When his season of breakthrough came, God threw an opportunity to give a thousand burnt offerings at him. 1 Kings 3:4-5 says and the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great high place: a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar. In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee. From the day, Solomon gave that thousand burnt offerings, his life never remained the same. Some months ago, a sister shared a testimony with me. She needed money to buy somethings, she had 9,000 naira on her but it was not enough. One day, while she was praying, the Lord told her to give that 9,000 naira as an offering and she did. Few days later, a family friend (she had not spoken to in months) called from abroad and said, ‘the Lord laid it on my mind to send some money to you.’ By the time she received the money, she was speechless. As a young boy, one of my desires was to study in England. My parents wanted the same too but the resources to make that a reality was not available. One day, the Lord laid it on my mind to buy a megaphone for our church and i obeyed. On receiving the megaphone, the pastor prophesied that i was going to study abroad ( mind you , i never told him of my intention to travel )’. Few months later, I was on the plane to England to study. Anytime God wants to give a man breakthrough, He will start by giving the fellow an opportunity to sow a powerful seed. Has God laid it on your mind to give something special to Him? Do not hesitate; you could be missing the opportunity of a lifetime.

PRAYER: Father, please help me never to miss an opportunity again in my life.

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

YOUR SIZE

MEMORY VERSE: There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.1 Corinthians 10:13

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ezekiel 45 -48

In boxing, there is something called boxing weight class. They are Heavyweight, Cruiserweight, Light heavyweight, etc. Your weight determines your weight class. For example, as a boxer, if you weigh Kg 90.8 /14 st lb upward, they will put you in the Heavyweight weight class. Anything below that, they will put you in the Cruiserweight weight class and so on. In boxing, your weight determines who you can and cannot fight. The same rules applies to life challenges, the size of your destiny will determine the size of your challenges. This is why i do not envy those who do not face challenges at all. Firstly, you will never know what you are truly capable of until you face tough challenges. No one knew Jesus could raise the dead until someone died and He raised him up. David never knew he had the potential to kill a lion with his bare hands until a strange lion took one of his father’s sheep (1 Samuel 17:36). He ran after it and clubbed it to death. Secondly, stress causes expansion. There is a saying, ‘it is the stress in the catapult that drives the stone forward.’ Thirdly, if you are a threat to the kingdom of darkness, the enemy will throw challenges at you.

It does not matter, how rich your parents are, if you are going to be great in life, you will face big challenges. Actually, great challenges are inevitable for anyone with a great destiny. For instance, Joseph, at a tender age, God showed him his future. This boy saw his brother’s sheaves bowing down to him, meaning he will be ahead of his brothers (Genesis 37:7-10). He saw the sun and the moon bowing down to him. Before his dreams came to pass, he saw horror in the hands of his brothers. Firstly, they tried to kill him, when they did not succeed at that, they sold him to slavery. The route to Egypt was through Sahara desert, Joseph and other slaves had trek on foot through this hot desert in chains. Great testimonies come from great trails.

1 Corinthians 10:13 says there hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. The size of your challenges speaks volume. Great men face great challenges. A husband has only his family to worry about but the president has the whole nation to worry about. Goliath’s size clearly reveals how God saw David. Men saw him as a young boy, but by God’s standard, he was a champion! The fact that you are facing challenges does not mean that God hates you. On the contrary, your destiny is so big; the enemy knows you will touch many lives, that is why, he is throwing all those challenges at you to break you. Before God permitted that challenge to come your way, He first gave you enough strength to stand in the midst of it. Do not backslide because of that challenge. Do not compromise because of what you are going through at work or in marriage.

PRAYER POINT: Father, glorify yourself in my life.

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

THE WIDOW GAVE MORE

MEMORY: And he said, of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all. Luke 21:3

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ezekiel 42-44

BIBLE STUDIES: Luke 21:1- 4

God does not see things as men see them. Isaiah 55:8 says for my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. Whilst men look at the outward appearance – the suit, smell of cologne, stature, professional qualification, etc, God looks at the heart. This is why He picked David over his brothers. If God were to look into your heart right now, what will He find? Eye service? Lip service? False humility? Selective humility? God prefers quality to quantity. He would rather work with two serious individuals than waste His resources on 100 others who are not ready to take on responsibilities. When He wanted to defeat the Midianites in Judges 7, He picked 300 out of the 30,000 available. As far as He is concerned, the 29,700 were not ready.

There are a lot to learn from the story in Luke 21:1-4. Although this widow gave the least in monetary terms, according to Jesus, she gave the most. Luke 21:3 says and he said, of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all. There are several reasons why Jesus said she gave the most. First of all, while some gave grudgingly, she gave cheerfully. 2 Corinthians 9:7 says every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. Some may ask, how do you know she gave cheerfully? If she had not given cheerfully, Jesus would not have said she gave the most. Secondly, her gift cost her something. Luke 21:4 says for all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all that living that she had. When was the last time you gave God a gift that cost you something? Thirdly, her gift reflected her faith in God. On a normal day, she would have saved her last for the rainy day but she gave it because she believed that God will provide for her. Lastly, she gave all.

TO PONDER: The services you render in the house of God, do you do them grudgingly or out of necessity or with a cheerful heart? What has your service in the house of God cost you? Do you give your best when given an assignment or act as if you are doing the pastor a favour?

Bro Samuel| Reaching the world for Jesus.

THUS THEY WERE FINISHED

MEMORY VERSE: Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. Genesis 2:1 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ezekiel 39-41

Genesis is popularly known as the book of beginnings. This book gives us an idea of how God works. The Most High God is very organized and meticulous. He does not work anyhow or haphazardly. Maybe i should add this; He is excellent at keeping records too. Psalm 56:8 says thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book? He has a record of our labour of love and He will reward. He also has records of unredeemed pledges too, so if you have made a pledge, please redeem it or put plans in place to redeem your pledges. Our God works according to a plan, first He forms, and then fills. He formed the earth and then filled it with plants and animals. He formed the firmament and filled with stars and planets. He formed the seas and then filled them with living creatures. Has God laid it on your mind to form something, please form it and watch Him fill it? Has He laid it on your mind to start a business? Do not wait until you have customers before starting. Start the business first, and the customers will follow. Is God leading you to start a drama group or music band? Do not wait until you have everyone, start with whatever you have and He will bring the rest. If you and I will yield to Him, He will form and fill our lives.

Whatever God starts, He finishes. Genesis 2:1 says thus the heavens and the earth were finished, all the host of them. Whatever God has started in my life and your life, He will not stop until He finishes it. Philippians 1:6 says being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. Have you stopped paying your tithes because you are trying to build a house or get a mortgage? In other to save up to pay for a holiday, have you stopped tithing? Please repent immediately. Whatever He starts, He finishes. Therefore, every child of God must desist from starting something and not finishing it. It is not a good practice. There are many who have abandoned projects. An abandoned project is not useful to anyone and it does not give God glory too. Are you the type that picks up a book, reads it for a while, dumps it, picks another one and dumps it half away? This not a good practice, once you start a book, do everything in your power to finish it. Once you start a course, do every thing in your power to finish the course. Do not start a course and stop mid way, it is not good. Have you started learning to speak a new language or musical instrument, finish it. If you are struggling to complete something you have started, take it to the Lord in prayer. Do not abandon that Masters Program you are on, it may be tough but continue, at the end you will rejoice. Have you started writing a book and you are under pressure to quit? Receive the divine strength in Jesus name, amen. God wants every of His children to finish whatever project they have started. Are you under pressure to quit your apprenticeship? Finish it, the experience will be useful somewhere else in the future.

PRAYER POINT: Father, please give me the grace to finish everything i have started.

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

ALL SHALL BE RAISED.

MEMORY VERSE: marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life: and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. John 5:28-29 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ezekiel 36-38

In the beginning, God did not intend for man whom He created in His own image to die. Sin, disobedience to the commandment of God, is what brought about death, and that is what gave the grave, power to hold man down in death. Our Christian faith is based on the fact that Christ paid the full price of our sin, this He did when He died on the Cross and shed His precious blood for our redemption from sin and to restore man to the original plan of God. His resurrection is a mark that God has accepted His atoning sacrifice on the cross. Not only that, His resurrection is a proof that the dead will rise:death is not the end of life. 1 Corinthians 15:17-18 says and if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain, ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If Christ had not risen, our hope would have been a dead hope but thank God, He rose from the dead.

That Christ rose from the dead is a surety that all shall be raised to life again. One day all shall be raised – some to honour and some to dishonour. Daniel 12:2 says And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. Jesus said in John 5:28-29 marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life: and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. Therefore, the question is not whether the dead will rise again, but the question now is, unto what shall you be raised? Is it to everlasting joy or to everlasting damnation? The life you are living now, where will it lead to – everlasting joy or damnation? Make haste and repent while the door of mercy is still wide open. A time will come when you will want to give up everything and pay any price but it will be too late.

Because Christ resurrected, your service is not in vain. There is a reward for every service we render unto the Lord. Everyone of us who has accepted Christ as our personal Lord and Saviour will stand before the Judgement seat of Christ and we will be rewarded based on what we have done – good or bad ( 2 Corinthians 5:10). God is not unfaithful to forget our labour of love. Therefore we should spend and be spent for our Master. We must continue to witness about Christ to friends, family, and everyone who is yet to give their life to Christ. We must also live our lives as someone who is expecting the second coming of Christ. We must continue to run from anything that could defile us or stain our robes.

QUESTION: How many souls have you led to Christ this year?

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

WHO IS THE BUILDER?

MEMORY VERSE: For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God. Hebrew 3:4

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ezekiel 30-35

There are several types of buildings all round us. Some are bungalow, duplex, storey building, mansions, palaces, etc. In big towns, we have estates, skyscrapers and so on. Every building (tangible and intangible) has a purpose. Libraries are built to keep books and Car Parks are built to park cars. Just by looking at a building, you can deduce the class, taste, status, wealth, etc, of the owner/builder. Kings and Queens do not live in ordinary houses; they reside in palaces and mansions. Billionaires prefer to live on private islands. All these reflect class and status. If you will accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour today, your class will change. You will join the class of those who will reside on the streets of gold in eternity (Revelations 21:21). Today, i may not have an island but something is very certain, i am going to live on the streets of gold in heaven and that is more important than a palace or island on earth.

Just as we have tangible buildings all around us, we also have intangible buildings all around us e.g. ministries, families, homes, relationships, lives. No building exists without a builder. Hebrew 3:4a says for every house is builded by some man. As i mentioned earlier, every “building” has a purpose or every “building” was erected for a reason. For all the possible reasons, please do not build due to pressure either from your peers or parents or relatives. Do not study a particular course because your friends studied it or because it is lucrative. It may be lucrative today, what of tomorrow? Also, do not build because of fear. Many “buildings” are the product of fear (not godly fear). Before i gave my life to Christ, i met several people who built due to fear. Because they wanted to keep a particular brother, they fornicated and became pregnant. Ninety nine percent of the cases i saw, despite the fact that they got pregnant, the brother still left them and married some else. That will not be your portion in Jesus Name. They all ended up raising the child alone. I plead to you in the name of God, do not fornicate talk less of get pregnant for any man because you want to keep him. If God brought him, God will keep him. Your life is very precious.

According to Psalms 127:1, except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it. Friend, is God the builder of your life? Are you building with human knowledge or God’s words? Before you laid that foundation, did you get a go- ahead from the Most High? For a brief period, a "building," built without God or with human reasoning may appear fine. People may even appreciate the “building” but wait until the storm comes. Storms of life are inevitable, if the house is not built on God’s words, am afraid it will fall. Please do not compete with anyone. Let everyone build his or her own way, but i beseech you child of God, let God be your builder. The Most High does not build in a rush and whatever He builds, last forever.

ACTION: Pray that the Lord will build your life.

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

CAN YOU SEE WHAT GOD IS DOING?

MEMORY VERSE: Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. John 5:19

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ezekiel 25-30

One of the secrets behind Jesus’ success in ministry and all He laid His hands on is prayer. This is not the two minutes ones, we say before going to bed at night. Such prayer lasts for at least an hour. When Jesus found His disciples sleeping when they should be praying, He turned to Peter and said, can you not pray for at least an hour (Mark 14:37)? Before making a move, Jesus would first put it to God in prayers. Please do not do things first and then consult God later. Anytime Jesus wanted to take a life changing decision, He would set out time for serious prayers. When He wanted to choose His disciples, He went to a mountainside and prayed all night. The next morning, He picked twelve men. Those men (except Judas Iscariot) took the gospel to every part of the world. No decision is a small decision so pray before any decision. Learn to pray for yourself. There is nothing wrong in asking brethren in Christ or your pastor to agree with you in prayer but do not leave the business of prayers especially about your life to people. Let us learn to pray for ourselves, our families, business, etc. A lot of us rely on our parents to pray for us instead of praying for ourselves. Some do not want to pray at all, all they want to do is give tithes, offerings, and go. The pastor obviously prays for everyone, but you must also go on your knees and pray too.

In John 5, we see another secret behind Jesus’ success. John 5:19 says then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. Jesus only invested time and effort in whatever God was interested in. Jesus did not visit all the cities of the earth. He did not eat at everyone’s house. He did not do everything; He only did what He saw God doing. He saw God trying to heal a man, He prayed for the man and the man was healed. He saw God trying to save a sinner (Zacchaeus), He said to Zacchaeus, this day salvation is come to your house (Luke 19:9). What do you see God doing in that ministry? A lot are unknowingly working against God because they are trying to destroy what God is building. Success only comes when we invest time, effort, skill, etc, in what God is doing. No wonder the bible says, except the Lord builds the house, they labour in vain they that build it (Psalm 127:1). We need to see what God is doing in the lives of our children so that they will not go and study Law when they should have studied Economics. We need to see what God is doing in our lives. He may be setting up a house fellowship or a cell group that will trigger your long awaited promotion in that place of work.

ACTION: Pray that the Lord will open your eyes to see what He is doing in your life.

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

BROKEN?

Memory verse: And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; and the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. Genesis 2:21-22

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ezekiel 22-24

As i mentioned yesterday, Eve in the life of Adam represents a good thing and a favour from God. Proverbs 18:22 says he who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favour from the LORD. A good thing can be a brand new car, promotion at work, success in exam, answer to prayer, mercy, etc. The first thing God did, when He wanted to give Adam (the first man) a good thing was He administered a divine anaesthetic to him. Genesis 2:21-24 says And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; and the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. (Yesterday, i explained why He caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam).

After God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, He then proceeded to break Adam. He went to his side, opened it, and took a rib with which He formed Eve. Just as Adam had to be broken, before he could receive Eve (a good thing and God’s favour), you and I will need to be broken before we can receive a good thing and God’s favour. Before God gave Adam a wife, He first broke him. Friends being broken means, we are to DIE TO SELF. Single brothers, before God brings that sister, He needs to break you first. A broken man will never beat up his wife, talkless of abuse his in-laws. A broken man cherishes his wife and in-laws. Sisters, before you say, “i do,” make sure the brother is broken. Before God gave Adam a good thing, He first broke him. Friend, are you broken? Has God destroyed pride in your life? Has He broken your self-will? Has He broken your stubbornness? Psalm 51:17 says the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. Until God breaks us, we will not receive those good things. A broken fellow is not wicked. A broken fellow is not prone to anger. Some of us get very angry at little provocation. A broken fellow is not touchy. A broken fellow is not critical. One way to know a fellow who has been broken is that he forgives easily. A broken fellow is neither jealous nor self-seeking. You will never hear that a broken fellow is envious or keeps malice. One way to know a fellow who is yet to be broken is that he focuses on his rights a lot. A truly broken fellow will yield his rights, he has no problem sacrificing. How patient are you? How easy is it for you to forgive those who wrong you? A broken fellow loves to serve. Are you always looking for an opportunity to boss over people or serve?

TO PONDER: Do you find it hard to forgive? Do you find it hard to let go? Are you irritable and touchy? Are you a critical person, always finding fault in people and everything? Do you only care about yourself not others ? If your answer to any of these is yes, you need to ask God to help you become broken.

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

ADAM SLEPT

Memory verse: And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof. Genesis 2:21

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ezekiel 20-21

We find an account of how God created Eve in Genesis 2:21-22. Eve is Adam’s wife, and she is God’s favour. The bible says in Proverbs 18:22, “He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favour from the LORD.” When God wanted to favour Adam i.e. give him a good thing, He caused a deep sleep to fall upon him. While he slept, the Lord took one of his ribs and formed Eve. When God wants to work in a life, He loves to be given free hand. Had it been Adam was awake, he would have had his way. While God was creating Eve, he would have dictated his specification to God. “ Oh please, i want her head to be like that of a rhinoceros; i want her neck to be like that of a giraffe; i want her legs to be like that of a mouse ; etc...” I cannot imagine how Eve would have looked with such a specification. To do a perfect job, God administered an anaesthetic to Adam. When God later brought Eve to him, he was speechless: she was a perfect creation.

If you want a good and a perfect gift from God, you need to ask Him, first, and then go to sleep.(By going to sleep, i do not mean,live a careless life or become idle). By going to sleep, i mean, put everything in His able hands, and leave it there. The reason why God has not started work in the life of many today is because they are still awake. Some of us are still in the habit of forcing our will into His will. It will not work; it is either His will or our will. Every wise man and woman knows that His will is always perfect, because what informs their will, is wants instead of needs. Over that matter, take it to Him in prayer and leave it there. Many are yet to receive what God has in store for them because of the idols they have set up in their hearts. By idols, i mean , images and ideas of the perfect contract, perfect job, perfect life partner; perfect ministry; perfect business; perfect organisation to work for. Do you know what will become of that organization you are dying to work for now? Only God knows the future, that brother that is struggling today may become a billionaire tomorrow.

As i said yesterday, there many reading this piece (and there are many who will read this piece), God is at work trying to give them His best, but because they are awake, they are giving God problems. Friend, that thing you want by all means, have you for a second asked yourself, is this what God wants for me? Many are wrestling with God, God is trying to take some things out of their hands, and they are doing everything to keep hold of those things. Do not with wrestle with God; there is a reason why He wants you to hand over that thing to Him. Until we all get to that point where we will say, “ Lord , take over the affairs of my life, what you want is what i want”, we will not receive God’s best.

PRAYER POINT: Father, i hand over the affairs of my life to you, please do as you please and give me Your best.

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

ADAM SLEPT (TO THE SINGLES)

Memory verse: And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof. Genesis 2:21

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ezekiel 17-19

In Genesis 2, we see the first instance of an anesthetic being administered. (An anesthetic is a form of drugs administered to facilitate surgery). Depending on the type, it can relieve pain, give you amnesia to knock out your memory of the procedure or how it felt, reduce anxiety (because who doesn't have anxiety when undergoing a medical procedure?) and paralyze your muscles. Without an anesthetic, it will be difficult to perform an operation because the fellow (being operated upon) will cause problems. The moment he sees the surgeons, trying to cut off something from his stomach, he will protest. Not only that, if the operation will last for 16 hours, it will be impossible to keep the fellow still for that long, as such, an anesthetic will be needed to knock out the fellow for the period of operation. In summary, an anesthetic gives the doctor an opportunity to do his job without interference from the patient.

When the Lord wanted to create Eve, the first thing He did was, He administered a divine anesthetic to Adam .Genesis 2:21 says and the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof. Eve represents a good thing and God’s favor in the life of Adam. (Proverbs 18:22 says whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD). Had God not administer an anesthetic to Adam, he will not have allowed God to open him up, talkless of take out a rib. Had it been that, God did not cause a deep sleep to fall upon Adam while creating Eve; God would not have been able to create a perfect female. He might have asked God to make her head look that of a lion; her neck like that of a giraffe; her leg like that of a rat, etc. Imagine how Eve would have looked with Adam's specification. To give him His best, He caused him to sleep and formed a perfect female from the rib He took. The reason why God is yet to work in some of our lives is because we are still awake i.e. we are yet to commit everything into His hands and go to sleep. (By sleeping, i do not mean backslide or live a careless life). Unless we “sleep” and allow Him to work on our life, we will never get His best. There are many reading this devotional, God is trying to build things and give them His best, but because they are awake, they are giving God problems. This applies especially to the singles, God brought a brother or sister to complement them, because the sister or brother does not fit the image they have created in their heart, they reject it. You do not marry for the present but for the future. If you want God to provide a man or woman for you, please, first of all, destroy that idol you have set up in your heart i.e. erase that “ideal”, that image of how your future partner should look. Forget about height, stature, look, beauty, ability to preach or sing. Keep on asking God to bring the man or woman and go to bed over how he or she looks, what he or she does for a living, the educational background of the brother or sister. Even while you are in a relationship, do not try to force things, just commit everything in His hands and go to sleep. A lot try to force things, at the end they marry the wrong person. Do not sleep in his house because you want the relationship to work. Do not start cooking for him because you want the relationship to work.

PRAYER POINT: Father, whatever it is that You are not building that I am trying to build, please collapse it immediately.

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

RESIST THAT “THING”

Memory verse: And they withstood Uzziah the king, and said unto him, It appertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto the LORD, but to the priests the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn incense: go out of the sanctuary; for thou hast trespassed; neither shall it be for thine honour from the LORD God.2 Chronicles 26:18

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ezekiel 14-16

Many of us without intending to insult the Holy Spirit; we refer to Him as a “thing”. I often hear people say, that “thing” told me to give an offering, I gave and a miracle happened; that “thing” told me to give that company a call, I did and they offered me a job; that “thing” told me to take an umbrella with me, thank God I did because on my way back, it started to rain heavily; some “thing” told me not to board that vehicle, thank God I did not because I heard the vehicle was involved in an accident. That thing you are referring to as a "thing" is not a thing; it is the Holy Spirit guiding you. Referring to Him as a “thing” is a big insult. He is a person; He has a personality, He sees, hears, and speaks. You need to refer to Him as a person, not as a “thing”. Please note this, not all thoughts that come to you are leading from the Holy Spirit. Many ask me, how can I tell when the Holy Spirit is leading me to do something? The Holy Spirit will lead you in line with the scriptures. He will not tell you to sin against God or disobey God. The Holy Spirit is holy; He will not lead you to take what does not belong to you. If some “thing” is leading you to shout at your colleague or curse, that is not the Holy Spirit. As you pray and study the bible, you will grow in the Lord and discerning God’s voice will become easy.

If some “thing” is telling you to do something funny, please resist it. Failure to resist it may put you in a big trouble. When angry, that “thing” that tells us to say something nasty or do something nasty like send a horrible text or a horrible email is not the Spirit of God. That “thing” telling you not to apologize or back down in an argument is the spirit of pride not the Spirit of God so resist it. That “thing” pushing you to give your employer a piece of your mind, is not the spirit of God. That “thing” telling you to damn the consequences and do it anyway, is trying to destroy you please do not listen to it. Uzziah woke one morning and that “thing” told him to go and burn incense on the altar of incense (something that was a taboo). When he got to the synagogue, the priests reminded him that it was not his duty. 2 Chronicles 26:18 says and they withstood Uzziah the king, and said unto him, It appertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto the LORD, but to the priests the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn incense: go out of the sanctuary; for thou hast trespassed; neither shall it be for thine honour from the LORD God. Instead of Uzziah to listen to the voice of reasoning, he got angry. That “thing” kept on pushing him to go and burn incense on the altar of incense. At the end, when he would not listen, the Lord disciplined him and he became a leper. 

QUESTION: Are you like Uzziah, you have been warned by your pastors, lawyer, business manager, doctor, etc, not to do particular things, but something keep pushing you to do it. That “thing” wants to destroy you, I beg you in the name of God; please rebuke that “thing” before it cuts your life short.

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

FOR HE DOTH NOT PROPHESY GOOD CONCERNING ME, BUT EVIL.

Memory verse: And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may enquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so. 1 kings 22:8

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ezekiel 11-13

One of the mistakes some of us make is, when we are given counsel, we twist the counsel and claim that we are being insulted. A man, who had just acquired a property, was speaking to his friend who was looking to acquire a property. As they conversed, the one who had just acquired a property asked his friend (who was looking to acquire a property), how much deposit do you have for the mortgage? (The man bought the property on mortgage and the friend was seeking to do the same too). The friend mentioned the figure, (it was enough to get a mortgage), the fellow who had just acquired the property counseled his friend to shelve the idea for a short while and save more. The friend who was looking to acquire a property went ballistic, oh…. what are you trying to say…. Are you calling me a poor man…. Is it because I asked you a question, that’s why you are insulting me...Bla, Bla, Bla. At the end, he stormed out angrily. All the friend said was, you do not have enough funds to secure a mortgage, he took it personal and twisted it to mean that the friend was calling him a poor man. He stopped talking to the friend, later he did something he should not have done and that landed him in jail.

Ahab was guilty of this too. Any time the prophet gave him a counsel that was not what he wanted to hear, he would twist it to mean something else. Because Micaiah had not been saying things he wanted to hear, he told Jehoshaphat that Micaiah hated him. 1 Kings 22: 8 says And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may enquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so. Before Micaiah arrived at the scene, Ahab had concluded in his heart that Micaiah would prophesy evil about him. Most of the counsel, Micaiah gave to Ahab was about his future. Micaiah told Ahab, go back, the Lord will not go with you. Ahab took it personal, and jailed Micaiah. At the end, he went and was defeated. Not only that, he perished. What advice, have you been given, that you have twisted and taken personal? Your pastor said, don’t marry that guy, you said your pastor hates you. You were counseled to study Economics instead of Medicine; you got angry and said, oh they are indirectly telling me that I do not have the brain to study Medicine. The pastor counseled you to submit to your husband, you said he is calling you a rebellious woman. The enemy uses this mindset to put a lot of people in bondage and get them in trouble. I remember a particular sister was denied visa, she got angry and said things are always working against her. Meanwhile, she was the one who did not fill the form correctly. Your boss advised you to smile more; you twisted it to mean that he is saying you are not friendly. Someone asked you for a receipt, you got angry and said the fellow is calling you a thief.

PRAYER POINT: Father, please help me to accept the truths that will transform my life.

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

MICAIAH OR THE “FOUR HUNDRED”?

Memory verse: And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may enquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so. 1 kings 22:8

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ezekiel 5 -10

Jehoshaphat came down to Israel to celebrate three years of peace between Syria and Israel. Whilst celebrating this anniversary, a thought came to Ahab, Ramoth in Gilead belong to us, let us go and take it out of the hand of the King of Syria. He told Jehoshaphat about it and that one agreed to go with him on one condition; they must get God’s approval before leaving. King Ahab gathered four hundred prophets and asked: “shall i go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall i forbear?” In unity, they told the king to go because the Lord had delivered Ramothgilead into his hand. Jehoshaphat sensed in his spirit that these prophets were fake. For a reason or the other, he was not comfortable with this prophesy so he asked if there was any other prophet they could enquire from aside the "four hundred". 1 Kings 22:8 says And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may enquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.

I want us to take a close look at this comment, “there is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may enquire of the Lord: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil.” Ahab knew deep within himself that Micaiah was a genuine prophet of God. He knew that this man was an oracle of God but he hated him because Micaiah always speaks the truth and the truth is bitter. He preferred the “four hundred” because they told him what he wanted to hear not what God had to say. There are many of us like Ahab today, when we hear a sermon that touches us or reveal parts of our life that we need to change, instead of repenting, we get angry at the preacher. Many have changed churches because of this; they heard their pastor preach a sermon that hit them, instead of crying for mercy, they take an offence with the pastor. Pastor is preaching against me, they will say. That sister preached against sex before marriage, you got angry and changed church. That minister of God preached on submission to one’s husband, you got angry and left claiming that the minister is encouraging wife bullying. You heard a sermon about tithing, instead of repenting; you said all that these modern day pastors talk about is tithes. The problem with many is that they do not like to hear what God has to say. You heard a message on holiness and you frown. Oh that pastor is too strict, you said. Many who have stolen from the government, the moment they hear about restitution, returning the money they embezzled from the government, they stopped coming to church.

QUESTION: Which do you prefer, words of encouragement or the unadulterated word of God?

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

WHEREFORE KICK YE AT MY SACRIFICE

MEMORY VERSE: wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in my habitation; and honourest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people? Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but nowthe Lord saith, be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed. 1 Samuel 2:29-30

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Lamentations 4 –Ezekiel 4
There was a prophet in Israel called Eli. This prophet had two sons – Hophni and Phinehas. These boys were rotten, the bible referred to them as sons of Belial (base and worthless). They are everything the sons of a prophet should not be. The custom of the priest was when any man offered sacrifice, while the flesh was boiling, the priest’s servant will come with a flesh hook of three prongs and dip it into the pan; all that the flesh hook brought up, the priest took for himself. In the case of Hophni and Phinehas, it was different, before one boils the flesh, they will come with their big knives and cut whatever they want and go. They will take a very large portion and leave the small one for sacrifice. One dare not argue with them because they are the sons of the priests. Not only that, they defiled any woman that came to the church to worship. People reported the activities of Hophni and Phinehas to Eli (their father), instead of taking serious disciplinary action against them, he will warn them and leave them. These boys kept on abusing their position and dishonouring God. Out of mercy, God sent a prophet to Eli to warn him. 1 Samuel 2:29-30 says wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in my habitation; and honourest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people? Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me forever: but now the Lord saith, be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed. At the end, these two perished in one day.
In what way(s) are you kicking against God’s sacrifices? In what ways are you doing God’s work anyhow? Many of us, who serve in the vineyard of God in one capacity or the other, as a worker – usher, prayer warrior, counsellor, sanctuary keeper, etc, or as a minister have forgotten that we are being accessed by God. You are never late to work, but you come to church at any time you want. Some even leave at any time they want. While ushering, you are busy checking football scores. With what heart are you serving in God’s vineyard? Do you attend choir practices at any time you want? Do you travel without taking permission from your leaders? We cannot do God’s work anyhow, although it is voluntary, we have to serve as if God is our supervisor. As a leader, in what way(s), are you directly or indirectly encouraging second-class behaviour in your group? When your pastor asks for someone in your team, you tell a lie to cover up for the fellow. Everything we do in God’s vineyard is a form of sacrifice. Are you the type that if they do not allow you play the keyboard or drums , you protest and do not come to church for weeks. Until the pastor gets involved, you do not do what you have being asked to do and even when you do it, you do it anyhow. The Lord is saying only those who honour Him will He honour, those who despise Him He will lightly esteem.

TO PONDER: In what way(s) are you doing God’s work as you like, please repent today.

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.