DO NOT GET TIRED

MEMORY VERSE: and let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. GALATIANS 6:9

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Acts 13-17

In Paul’s epistle to the Galatians, he wrote, “and let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not” (Galatians 6:9). Friend, i do not know what you are facing in your marriage or relationship but i want to encourage you, do not get tired. Do not get tired of that stubborn child. His teachers are always reporting him for bad behaviour. Other parents have warned their children not play with him because of his unruly behaviour. You have prayed and fasted, but nothing seems to be happening. As Paul encouraged the Galatians, i want to encourage you in the Lord, do not get tired. Over that child that is always sick, do not get tired. I join my faith with your faith, that child is healed permanently in Jesus name, amen.
Over that marriage, do not get tired. No matter what you do, your husband never appreciates it. He complains at every little opportunity, even when you cook and intentionally do not add salts, he complains that the food salty. I want to encourage you in the Lord, do not get tired. You are trying to lose weight, you have tried different weight loss plans, and nothing seems to be happening. You go to the gym twice a week, but it is taking forever to notice any changes in your outlook, i want to encourage you, do not get tired of trying. You have applied for several jobs, but no one has invited you for an interview, i want to encourage you, do not get tired of making applications. This is the fourth time you have failed your driving test, do not get tired of trying. Register and book for it again. This is the sixth time you have sat for F6 Taxation, ACCA Qualifications, do not get tired of trying, read, and book the exam again. In the name that is above every other name, your next effort will be the last time you will sit for that subject, Amen.

Do not be weary in showing love to that nasty family member. Do not get tired of interceding for that friend, family member, or colleague at work, who is yet to give his or her life to Christ. Do not get tired of praying for that husband of yours that is always returning home drunk at night. Do not get tired of witnessing to your colleagues at work about Jesus. Do not get tired of interceding for your nation. It may seem as if you are wasting your time praying for your country and the leaders. Friend, your prayer is keeping your nation. The prayer of the righteous is keeping this world. Let us not become weary in interceding for the leaders, kings, princes, head of states, presidents, founders and general overseers, pastors, leaders, etc. Do not become tired of life. Suicide is not the way out. Do not become tired of committing that relationship to God. It is true that you committed it to Him at the beginning, keep on committing it to Him. A man of God once said this, “if you remember to say it, God will remember to do it”

PRAYER POINT: Father, Help of the helpless, please help every one of us in the might name of Jesus.

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

INTO A FAR COUNTRY

MEMORY VERSE:  And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. Luke 15:13

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Micah 7 – Nahum 1

BIBLE STUDIES: Luke 15:11-32

A young boy approached his father and requested for his own share of inheritance. Since he was of age, the father shared all he had between his two sons, and gave this young boy his inheritance.  There is nothing wrong in a son exercising his right of sonship. As far as the young man is matured, physically and mentally, the father can give him his share of inheritance. The same applies to us believers; there is nothing wrong in asking our Father in heaven to give us portion of His goods relevant to our ‘age’. Some of the portion of His goods is deliverance, healing, prosperity, breakthrough, revelations, divine wisdom, anointing, etc.

A few days after, this young man gathered all and left for a far country. Luke 15:13 says and not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. Asking our Father in heaven for legitimate things is right. There is nothing wrong in asking God for a new job, spouse, baby, house, gift of the Spirit, favour and so on, but taking them away to a far country is wrong. Many of us have taken God’s goods to a far country. The moment that large pay cheque arrived, we moved from the Father’s presence. The moment we got married, we stopped praying. The moment we got the job, we started missing midweek service. One thing we must know is this, whatever we take out of God’s presence into the world will waste. It does not matter what your bank balances is, if you continue to spend without any sort of income, you will go bankrupt. The same applies to spiritual resources like anointing; it will diminish if taken away from His presence. The only ONE who does not diminish is God. It is only in the presence of God that you and I, will be continually refreshed, replenished, and refuelled. Whatever you get from the presence of God, please do not take it out of the presence of God. The young man gathered everything, went to a far country, and wasted all on extravagant lifestyle. If you are earning 1000 pounds per month, do not go and buy a shoe of 950 pounds, that is an extravagant lifestyle. The fact that your friend has it, does not mean you must have it. Must you do a big wedding because that sister in church did a big wedding? Cut your coat according to your size. There is nothing wrong in a big wedding but remember, wedding is a day but marriage is a lifetime. After this boy spent all, a mighty storm arose in that land. Everyone had deserted him. Those that were calling him a ‘big boy’ disappeared. Friends, be wise, those that are calling you a ‘big boy’ or ‘big girl’ will desert when you run into problem. Brother, there is nothing cool in being a gangster, if you die as a gangster, you will go to hell.

TO PONDER: Am i abiding in the presence of God or in far country?

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

twitter@BroOluwatoki

facebook.com/Samuel.olu.16

JONAH

MEMORY VERSE:  Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep. Jonah 1:5

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Micah 4-6

Christ did not save you, to live your life as you please. He does not save for the fun of saving. He saved us, so that you and i, can live a life pleasing to Him. After He saved the woman caught in adultery, He gave her an instruction. John 8:11 says she said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more. That instruction, ‘go, and sin no more,’ is for all of us. Go, and fight no more, quarrel no more, curse no more, disobey your parents no more, accept bribe no more, participate in exam malpractices no more,  commit adultery/ fornication no more , steal no more , beat your wife no more. Christ is saying, ‘I have saved you, go, and do those things i saved you from no more.’

Yesterday, we saw what happens when a fellow boards a ship with a ‘Jonah’. At first, everything will be fine, after a while, a storm will arise. If the fellow is not prayerful, he may lose his wares and other valuable possessions. Today, we will look at the character of Jonah .The first thing, i want you to know is, anyone can exhibit these characters even Christians. God sent Jonah to Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian Empire, to a people despised by the Jews. Jonah would rather that Nineveh be destroyed than that city have an opportunity to repent and be spared. The Assyrians were a cruel people who showed no mercy to their enemies, and Jonah wanted them out of the way. This man, Jonah, thought he had a choice or say in the will of God for the people of Nineveh. He forgot that the will of God is not an option: it is an obligation and an opportunity. Anyone who thinks (s) he has a choice in the will of God for his or her life or the life of others is a ‘Jonah.’ When we run from God’s will, we always go down. We may end up sacrificing safety for danger and peace for storm. Jonah is also a sleeping Christian. Whilst everyone prayed, Prophet Jonah snored. Jonah 1:5 says then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep. Are you awake? Do you observe the growing darkness on earth? Things that used to be an abomination 30 years ago are now what we celebrate today.  Twenty years ago, if a brother should fornicate, maybe he was at the wrong place at the wrong time, he will start to cry. Today, the same brother will pat himself on the back and gist his friends. The goal of every believer used to be heaven, but today, it is blackberry phones and the latest Range Rover. Can you tell the season we are in? Do you know we are at the end of the world? Do you still fast? Do you still have your quiet time? Do you still witness? Do you still give to the poor? Does your heart still prick you when you tell little white lies?

PRAYER POINT: Father, please wake your church up from her slumber.

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

IN SHIP WITH ‘JONAH’

MEMORY VERSE:  And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah. Jonah 1:7

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Micah 1-3

One subject, the word of God lays emphasis on is association. Proverbs 13:20 says he that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed. Who you walk, talk, live, invest, partner or travel with, can either make you or break you. Psalm 1:1 says blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. There are people you should not walk with, if you do not want problems. One of them is people that do evil. Psalm 34:16 says the face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. 

Another one is ‘Jonah’. In Jonah 1:1-3, God sent Jonah to Nineveh, a wicked city, to preach to them. Instead of going to Nineveh, he went to Joppa and boarded a ship going to Tarshish. As they travelled, the Lord sent a mighty storm that almost broke the ship (they were travelling in) into two. Panic broke out in the ship; everyone began to run helter skelter. To lighten the ship, people started throwing their wares into the sea. You see, lightening a ship stabilizes it in rough seas. When that did not work, they cried to God. It is funny how people only remember God when they face challenges. Whilst crying to God, the Lord opened the eyes of one of the mariners. Jonah 1:7 says And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah. They took Jonah and threw him into the sea. Immediately, the storm seized. Sadly, they could not recover the wares they had lost. There are many suffering today because they are in ship with ‘Jonah’. There are many, who are going through pains because they are in ship with someone, who is not supposed to be on that ship. (By God’s grace, tomorrow, we will talk about the man Jonah). As singles, pray very well so that you do not get married to ‘Jonah’. Before going into business with anyone, pray so that you will not be a business partner with ‘Jonah’. Not until the people prayed, the Lord did not reveal ‘Jonah’ and as long as ‘Jonah’ was in the ship, they will never know peace. The following, indicate the presence of ‘Jonah’ in a ship:  Presence of storms; loss of peace of heart; loss of properties; lives at risk; etc.Right from the day, that fellow moved into your house, you started having problems at work. From the day you employed that staff, your customers started complaining.  From the moment that customer started doing business with you, your business started going down. From the moment, that brother proposed to you or that sister came into your life, you have been going from one challenge to another. These are all indicators that you are in ship with ‘Jonah’.

PRAYER POINT: Father, please open my eyes, so that i can see all the ‘Jonahs’ in my life. Also, give me the wisdom needed to path ways with them.

QUESTION: Are you still keeping records of your life?

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

NINEVEH OR TARSHISH?

MEMORY VERSE:  Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me. 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 1:2-3

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Jonah 2-4

God is merciful. According to Psalm 103:8, He is plenteous in mercy. Psalm 103:11 says for as heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. Many of us are alive today, courtesy of God’s mercy. If God were to mark iniquity, the sins we committed before we gave our lives to Christ – the lies, fornication, adultery, abortion, etc, none of us will be able to stand. The town of Nineveh was known for wickedness, Heaven even testifies to this. Before destroying this city, the Lord gave them a chance to repent. What have you done with all the opportunities, God gave to you to repent from that secret sin? Repent from stealing from the offering basket. Repent from cheating on your spouse. Your husband may not know, your wife may not know, your pastor may not know but God knows. The Lord called Jonah and sent him to Nineveh. Jonah 1:2-3 says Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me. 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. 

Nineveh represents God’s will for Jonah. It represents God’s will for your life and my life. It stands for God’s will for our family, ministry, work, business etc. Tarshish on the other hand, represents Jonah’s will. God wanted him to go to Nineveh, but he went towards Tarshish. It also represents ‘your’ will. Which one of these two, takes precedence in your life - Nineveh or Tarshish, God’s will or ‘your’ will? Nineveh represents God’s heart desire while Tarshish represents Jonah’s heart desire. Brother in Christ, are you working in God’s will for your family and business or your own will? Nineveh represents a step in the right direction while Tarshish represents a step in the wrong direction. Are you moving towards God’s or away from God? Tarshish is in a direction opposite to the will of God for your life. It leads down and away from the presence of God. If you study the whole chapter, Jonah 1, you will observe that as Jonah moved in the direction of Tarshish, a storm arose. Storms are inevitable when one moves away from God’s presence. Challenges after challenges are inevitable when one is operating in his own will instead of God’s will. It is impossible for one to travel to Tarshish and prosper. Some of the indicators that one is travelling on the wrong path are lack of peace of heart. Another is frustration and fear. Sometimes a calamity or misfortune indicates a wrong direction. Are you considering Nineveh or Tarshish? I besiege you in the name of the Lord, stay in God’s will for your life. Have you started making your way to Tarshish? Worse still, are you already in Tarshish? Before you are stuck, why not repent today and return to Nineveh.

NOTE: The absence of peace of heart is a strong indicator that something is wrong. If you are unsure about the route you are on, go to God in prayer, and ask Him to reveal His will to you.

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

DON’T FEED THE PIGEONS

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

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Amos 9- Jonah 1

Not too long ago, I saw an inscription on a wall that caught my attention. It says, ‘Don’t feed the pigeons’. I looked around and saw pigeons everywhere. There were children having fun, chasing after the pigeons and screaming for joy. ‘Why on earth will anyone have problems with feeding these harmless pigeons,’ I thought to myself. As I looked closely, I saw pigeon droppings all round – on walls, railings, windows, etc. It dawned on me that these pigeons were a problem. The cost of maintaining the properties alone, getting people to clean the droppings from time to time, is something. Not only that, who would want to live or set up a business in an area with pigeon problems? No one. The only way to solve this pigeon problem is, stop people from feeding the pigeons. As the food reduced, these pigeons began to migrate to another area.　

This principle applies to every area of our life. Fear, faith, anger, resentment, envy, strife, etc, are living ‘organisms’. If you feed them, they will grow; if you starve them of their food, they will die. If you feed your fears, it will grow big. If all you listen to is what the specialists have to say about your condition, you will become scared. Stop listening to what the experts have to say about the economy. If you feed your faith too, it will grow big. If you spend quality time, listening to messages by anointed men and women of God, studying the word of God and exercising your faith, your faith will grow big. Feed your faith today by looking to Jesus, not the challenges. Hebrews 12:2 says Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of　our　faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. A lot of us struggle with our flesh, we have fed it and it has become so big, now we are struggling to keep it under control. Fasting is now a problem, prayer is gradually becoming a burden, spiritual activities are now boring to us. What you are doing when you listen to secular songs – songs about sex, crime, drugs, etc, is, you are feeding your flesh. You are also feeding the flesh, when you read all sorts of novels; watch ungodly programs on TV – pornography, soap operas celebrating unruly children and so on. If you continue to feed your flesh, it will grow so big and begin to control you. Instead of feeding your flesh, why not feed your spirit by praying in tongues, singing in tongues, fasting, reading the Word, etc. Stop feeding that anger. Stop feeding that resentment. Feed peace by saying sorry. Feed your marriage by investing time and resources in it. Do you know, it is also possible for you to feed the fear of others? Instead of feeding the fear of others, feed their faith by encouraging them in the Lord. When someone wrongs you and you keep going over it repeatedly, you are feeding your anger. In that marriage, do not feed strife by arguing with your husband. Do not feed bitterness, by refusing to forgive that sister. I want you to know this, every time you feed your fear, your faith dies. Every time you feed your flesh, your spiritual life suffers. Every time you feed strife, peace disappears.

TO PONDER: what are you feeding　- love or hatred?

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.　

AND SHE CONSTRAINED HIM

MEMORY VERSE: And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread.2 Kings 4:8

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Amos 4-8

In 2 Kings 4:8-37, the bible talks about a great woman in Shunem. The Amplified bible describes her as a rich and influential woman. The NIV (New International Version) describes her as a well-to-do woman. Some translations of the bible, describes her as a wealthy and prominent woman. All these, point to one fact, she was a very successful woman. The bible deliberately described this woman has been great, rich and influential, wealth and prominent, (depending on the version of the bible you are reading from) for a reason. Otherwise, the bible would have described her as a woman of Shunem. As a woman, you can be great. You have the potential to be successful. As a Christian, you can be rich and influential. You can write books that will change the world. Through your character, you can put your town on the map. The great woman of Shunem, through her deed, put Shunem on the map. If not for this woman, we probably would not have heard about Shunem today. If Christ does not return in 100 hundred years, people will continue to talk about Shunem because of what this woman did. As a woman, you can make a difference. You can invent something, solve a problem, start a business and so on.

2 Kings 4:8 says And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread. As great as this woman was, she was humble. She saw a prophet of God passing by, she left everything she was doing, went to him, and invited him for lunch. The prophet rejected the offer; one would have thought that, this woman would turn back and say, ‘how can an ordinary prophet reject my offer?’ She did not, the bible records that she constrained him. In other words, she did not take 'no' for an answer. I can imagine her telling the prophet, ‘sir, you must eat at our place .... i know you are not hungry but at least come in, sit down and i will wash your feet.’ This woman was stubbornly good. Are you the type that takes 'no' for an answer? When you go to God for something, if you do not get an answer after a week, do you stop asking and sort it out yourself? At times, people invite you for a meal or offer to help, hoping that you will say no. With this woman, it was not so, she really wanted to host the man of God. When was the last time you hosted a man of God? Whether you do it or not, the Lord will feed his prophets. Matthew 10:41 says He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward. How you treat people will determine what you will get. If someone comes to stay at your place, treat them well because you do not know what that person will become tomorrow.

NOTE: When you offer to help, people may turn it down to see if you really want to help or pretending.

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

THE IMPORTANCE OF RECORD KEEPING

MEMORY VERSE: And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. Revelations 20:12

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Amos 4-8

In heaven, there are books. The Psalmist referred to some of those books in his psalms. Psalm 56:8 says thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book? These books contain records. Revelations 20:12 says and I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. In Genesis 12:4-5, we read, what Heaven recorded against Abram’s name at a particular period of his life. His age was mentioned (as a proof that Heaven had a record of when he was born); Sarai and Lot were mentioned (as a proof that Heaven had a record of his family); Haran was mentioned (as a proof that Heaven had a record of his location) and so on. Just as Heaven kept records of Abram’s life, Heaven keeps a record of your life and my life. I encourage you not to relent in doing good. Do not get tired of serving in the vineyard of God, Heaven has a record of your labour of love, man may not appreciate you but God, THE REWARDER, has it all recorded and He will reward you.

Just as Heaven keep records, you and I need to keep a proper record of our life in every department of it. Retail stores keep various records – records of items sold, profit made each month, expenditures, etc. These records are used for decision-making and financial projections. Not only that, these records are used to measure performance and so on. The same thing applies to us, keeping records of events in our life is essential for success. Records highlight milestones or landmarks on our journey to  become who God created us to be. It is important that you know, the day you gave your life to Christ, when you began to speak in tongues, how many souls you have won for Christ, etc. Not only that, you also need to be able to say , this and that happened, when I gave that special offering; on this particular date , this is the dream I had ; on that particular date, this was the vision God showed to me ; in that year , this iswhat God said to me and so on and so forth. If you do not keep records, measuring how you are performing in Christ will be difficult. Your records will tell you, the last time you won a soul for Jesus; the last time you worshipped and felt the mighty presence of God all over you; the last time you heard from God and so on. When you keep records of God’s dealings with your life, monitoring your direction and progress in life becomes easy. In addition, your records will show you, how you spend your time, how often you pray, study the Word, and other important spiritual activities. A good record will open your eyes to see some of the unnecessary activities you waste your time on. Managing your life and time becomes easier when you keep records.

ACTION: Get a book and start recording your dreams. 

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

SAUL DIED

MEMORY VERSE: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. Genesis 2:17

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Joel 2- Amos 3

BIBLE STUDIES: 1 Samuel 16: 14-17

There are two types of death – physical death and spiritual death. Physical death is inevitable. One day, we will all die (If rapture does not take place). Death is a debt, you and I owe, one day we will pay it back. After the physical death, the next thing is judgement. Hebrews 9:27 says and as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgement. If anyone tells you that he or she speaks to the dead, please do not pay attention to the individual. What that person speaks to, is a demon not the spirit of the dead. Do not waste your time online, looking for where to buy an Ouija board. You cannot contact your dead relative with an Ouija board. If you have one, in the interest of your family well being, throw it away or else, your house will become an abode of demons i.e. haunted. The word of God says, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear (Matthew 11:15).

There is another death called spiritual death. Genesis 2:17 says But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. When the Lord said to Adam, for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die, God was talking of a spiritual death, separation from God, not a physical death. Spiritual death comes through deliberate, willful, intentional, planned, disobedience to God. The moment Adam ate the fruit; he did not fall and die. Actually, after that, he still spoke and walked around like a living person. After his disobedience, He lost his innocence and the presence of God began to terrify him. He lost fellowship and God stopped visiting him in the garden.
As far as heaven was concerned, Saul died the day he disobeyed God by sparing Agag and the fat cows. The moment Samuel questioned him, instead of repenting, he started to give excuses, God cut him off from Himself. Since there is no vacuum in nature, the moment the Spirit of God left him, another spirit took over. 1 Samuels 16:14 says but the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him. Are you beginning to die spiritually? Does your heart still prick you when you tell little white lies? When was the last time, God visited you in your dream? Is prayer becoming a burden? Spiritual death is worse than physical death because it is gradual. One can be dead for months and not know. Search yourself carefully this morning; ever since you did that thing, despite your heart pricking you, you know you have not had peace. You know your prayer life is no longer the same. You know you no longer feel His presence like you used to when you worship Him. Deep within you, you know something is not right. Why not go to Him this morning and ask Him to have mercy.

ACTION: Repent today and ask Him to give you a second chance.

Bro Samuel |Reaching the world for Jesus.

THE DAY OF YOUR YOUTH (TO THE YOUTHS)

MEMORY VERSE: Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them. Ecclesiastes 12:1

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Hosea 13- Joel 1

Ecclesiastes 12:1 says remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them. The question is , why does the preacher, the author of Ecclesiastes, wants us to remember our Creator in the days of our youth? Why not remember Him (our Creator), when we are old with grey hair? Why not remember Him after we have enjoyed life? Why not remember God after pension? Why not remember our Creator after marriage or our first child?

The most important time in your life is now. If you are a youth and reading this , I congratulate you because you are the envy of the old people . The decisions you make right now, will determine your future. The old people around you, they are where they are today because of the decisions they made when they were youths. The most important time in your life is now; you will go through this phase only once! Whether you like it or not, you will only be a ‘sweet 16’ , 18 years old or 24 years old once in a life time. A time is coming, sister, when you will not be able to wear those high heels again. A time is coming, brothers, when your haircuts will not matter to you anymore. If you mess up now (in your youth), you may still make heaven (if you give your life before you die and live holy), but, the scars will be forever. There are things even prayer cannot undo, for example, if you become pregnant whilst you are in secondary, the stigma will be for life. Several months back, I sat in the sitting room of a very successful man. He had a PhD; he knew the bible like the back of his hands. As he spoke to me about his family, he began to shed tears. Why? This old man had made some irremediable mistakes when he was a youth. The enemy’s main priority is to ensure that you do not become who God wants you to be. He will do anything to mess up your today so as to destroy your future. Will you allow him do that? A beautiful lady, virgin, escorted her friends to a club because she was bored at home. Whilst there, someone laced her juice with a pill. When it was time to go home, her friends began to look for her and could not find her. Later they found her lying unconscious in a room with some men. The men were arrested and tested for HIV. The blood test revealed that one of the boys had HIV, she was infected while they were raping her. Jesus is saying, ‘son/ daughter, come to Me and secure your future.’ The ball is in your court. If I were you, I will give my life to Christ now. If I were you, I will vow to serve Him with everything I have so that I will not look back one day and say, ‘had I known.’ The time to work hard is now. The time to graduate with a first class is now. The time to be exceptional in all you do is now! The time to do some serious fasting and praying is now. The time to seek the face of God concerning His purpose for your life is now.

ACTION: Remember the youths in your prayers.

Bro Samuel |Reaching the world for Jesus.

BABYLON IS INTERESTED IN THE YOUTHS

MEMORY VERSE : and the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king's seed, and of the princes; children in whom was no blemish, but well favored, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the learning and tongue of the Chaldeans. Daniel 1:3-4

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : Hosea 10-12

BIBLE STUDIES : Daniel 1:1-5

Despite several warnings from the Lord to the people of Israel to change their ways and desist from serving Baal, they refused and as a result went into captivity. Despite several warnings from the Lord, are you still doing those things, He has asked you not to do? Are you still involved in pre- marital sex? Are you still involved in adultery? Are you still committing abortion? Are you still involved in exam malpractices? Despite several warnings that tobacco smoking causes lung cancer, are you still smoking? Despite several warnings that alcohol causes liver cirrhosis, are you still consuming alcohol?

Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, besieged Jerusalem and took everyone captive. When he returned to Babylon, he began fortifying his kingdom. Daniel 1:3-4 says and the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king's seed, and of the princes; children in whom was no blemish, but well favored, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the learning and tongue of the Chaldeans. The question is, why Jewish youths? Why did he not request for the middle-aged men of Judah? Why did he not ask Ashpenaz to gather the elders of Judah? Amongst the captives, were warriors, politicians, generals, ministers, who served under Jehoiakim, king of Judah, why not pick from them?

Nebuchadnezzar knew that the youths are the future of a family, ministry, nation, etc. To finish a nation, all one needs to do is capture their youths. Babylon represents the kingdom of darkness today. The same agenda is in place now; the enemy is working hard to take them away from the fold. It was the youths, the disciples of Jesus, who took the gospel to every part of the world. Today, where are the youths? How many of them still evangelize? How many still covet the gifts of the Holy Spirit? The enemy is using sex, fame, money, music, etc, to lure them away. We are gradually losing them; majority of them are no longer interested in having a relationship with God. What is cool amongst our youths are what God hates with a passion - tattoos, sexual immoralities, disobedience to parents and authorities, etc. Holiness,righteousness, sex after marriage are now a taboo amongst them.

PRAYER : Father, we come against every agenda of the enemy to destroy our youths

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

THERE IS A PURPOSE FOR IT

MEMORY VERSE: and we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:26

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Hosea 7-9

As I said yesterday, many a times, opportunities come disguised as a disadvantage. When I was young, I talked very fast, everyone kept on asking me to repeat myself. This was very frustrating as I was not doing it intentionally: this was how I talked. Not only that, I stammered a lot too. It gets worse when I am either nervous or angry. My friends back then will tease and make fun of me. I remember them saying, “ da ..da…da..daddy (jokingly).” As a child, I saw this as a disadvantage. When I gave my life to Christ, people started talking about witnessing and going out to evangelize. I told God I cannot evangelize because I talked fast and stammered; no one would listen. One day while chatting with a group of friends, I noticed that every time I tried to say something either to pass a comment or make a contribution, everyone would keep quiet. At first I did not understand why but later it hit me. They kept quiet so as to be able to hear me when i speak. How I perceived things changed from that day. Sometimes back, I witnessed to a young man. As I spoke, he was very quiet, suddenly he began to cry. The Holy Spirit convicted him, immediately he repented and rededicated his life to Christ.

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. There is a purpose for everything you go through in Christ. A King had a male servant who, in all circumstances always said to him,"my king, do not be discouraged because everything God does is perfect, no mistakes." One day, they went hunting and a wild animal attacked the king, the servant managed to kill the animal but could not prevent his majesty from losing a finger. Furious and without showing gratitude, the King said, "if God was good, I would not have been attacked and lost one finger." The servant replied, "despite all these things, I can only tell you that God is good and everything He does is perfect, He is never wrong." Outraged by the response, the king ordered the arrest of his servant. While being taken to prison, he told the king again, "God is good & perfect." Another day, the king left alone for another hunt and was captured by savages who use human beings for sacrifice. On the altar, the savages found out that the king did not have one finger in place; he was released because he was considered not " complete" to be offered to the gods. On his return to the palace, he ordered the release of his servant and said, "my friend, God was really good to me. I was almost killed but for lack of a single finger, I was let go. But I have a question; If God is so good, why did He allow me to put you in prison?" His servant replied, "my king, if I had not been put in prison, I would have gone with you, and would have been sacrificed, because I have no missing finger." Everything God does is perfect, He is never wrong. Often we complain about life, and the negative things that happen to us, forgetting that everything happens for a purpose. There is a purpose for that thing in your life; it could be there to draw you closer to Christ. The moment you get closer to Christ, it will disappear. Today, I know longer stammer, but people still keep quiet when I speak.

NOTE: If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.