IT WILL SURELY COME TO PASS

MEMORY VERSE: For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. Habakkuk2:3

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 48-50

There are a lot of agitations and palpitations all around us. The moment our single sisters enter into any social gathering or a church, unconsciously, they begin to glance around to see if there are any eligible bachelors there. Not that they intend to approach them or something, and most of them are very decent, they won’t stoop so low to do anything that is not befitting for a daughter of God. It is just an unconscious thing. They want to be settled as soon as possible. I know that most single brothers will pretend and say they don’t do this or they have never done this before, but many a time, the moment they see a sister, the first thing they do is check her finger to see if she is wearing a wedding ring. Also, it is an unconscious thing.These reveals the deep desire for the will of God, concerning their marital life , to come to pass.

There are a lot of inner cries to God. Oh Lord i am getting old, when will i meet that man? Oh Lord, my younger cousins have children, when will i meet that woman? Lord, when will those things you said about me come to pass? Oh Lord, when will the doctor take me off these medications? Father, when will i become a citizen of this land? Lord, when will those doors open unto me? Oh Lord, when will this business grow? Father, you called me to start this work, when will this ministry grow? When will our congregation grow? Father, i saw myself preaching to a multitude of people, healing the sick and raising the dead in a dream, when will this dream come to pass? I dreamt that i owned a business, when will that materialize in my life? Lord, i am getting old as a parent, when will my daughters and sons meet their partners? When will my son-in laws give birth? When will i become a grandparent? When will my son-in-law get a job? When will my daughter-in-law get promoted? When will my situation change? When will i get a job? When will i start to work with my degree? When will my abusive husband give his life to Christ? When will my husband begin to see my sacrifices and appreciate me? When will my children love me? When will my children begin to respect me and reciprocate my love to them? When will this siege be over in my life? These and many more are the cries of many hearts to God.What is the Lord saying this morning, in response to our cries to our Father in heaven? IT WILL SURELY COME TO PASS. Habakkuk2:3 says this: “For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.”

To those questions of ‘when will this be’ or ‘when will that be’? The Lord is saying to us this day, "wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.” Sir, you will surely become a grandfather. Ma, you will surely become a grandmother. Friend, you will surely become a father. You will surely become a mother. God’s will for you in marriage will surely come to pass. Beloved sister in Christ, that brother will surely come. Beloved brother in Christ, you will surely meet that sister. That ministry will surely grow. You will surely work with your degree. You will surely be a citizen of that country. That siege will surely be over. God is working things out for you. You will surely be celebrated. You will surely give a testimony. The doctors will surely take you off that medication and declare you fit. You will surely pay off that debt. And to those saying, 'God, if only You will do this for me, this and that is what i will do for you' . God is saying, 'I will surely do that thing you have asked for ,for you'. God is the controller of seasons. Your season has surely arrived! You may have made a mistake and gotten pregnant, don’t abort that pregnancy. God will surely look after that child. That fellow will surely remember you. Those God has sent to help you will surely remember you and render the help. Those who are owing you money will surely pay.

NOTE: God has not forgotten you. Don’t compromise your faith because God will surely do that thing for you.

TO DO: Father, thank You for Your Word

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

THE CALLER, THE CALLED AND THE CALLING

MEMORY VERSE: Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. John15:16

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Job 23-24, Isaiah 62-66

Merriam Webster dictionary defines a ‘calling’ as a strong desire to spend your life doing a certain kind of work (such as religious work). I love to read autobiographies, especially autobiographies of those who, despite all odds, achieved something meaningful. Although, i have not read as much as i would like to, i can tell you that by reading autobiographies, you learn the secrets of great achievers. One thing i have found with all great achievers is they are hard working. They wake up at odd hours of the morning, to either train or work. Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time, wrote about how he wakes up at 2am in the morning, to train. Also, these great achievers knew their calling from a young age and they pursued it. Your ‘calling’ maybe to make shoes or to paint. It maybe to start a NGO that catches people who traffic young girls for sex trade. I thank God for what He is doing through Tiny Hands, bringing wicked men who sell young girls to face judgment. It maybe to design godly clothes and make them. Don't be shy of that ‘calling’, pursue it with all you have inside you. The people around you may not fancy your ‘calling’; they don't have to fancy it anyway. You just pursue it, one day they will fancy it. Your ‘calling’ doesn't have to make sense to the society where you find yourself. It is your ‘calling’, and in most cases, it will only make sense to you at particular point in time. Your ‘calling’ could even be to make ladies' hair. The fact that no one you know as ever succeeded in pursuing their calling does not mean you will not succeed in pursuing yours. Your ‘calling’ doesn't have to have a big name or a fanciful name.

We cannot talk about ‘calling’ without making references to the ‘caller’- the one who calls, and the ‘called’- the one who receives the call. The ‘caller’ is always higher than the ‘called’. The ‘caller’ exercises authority over the ‘called’. In other words, the ‘caller’ is able to reward or punish the ‘called’. John 15:16 ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.” In this verse, we have the ‘caller’ who is Jesus Christ; the ‘called’ which is you and i; the ‘calling’ which is not only to bear fruits but to ensure that our fruits remain. Also, in Matthew 11:28: “come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”, we have the ‘caller’ again which is Christ; the 'called' which is you and I; the ‘calling’ which is a call to salvation. As you search through the scriptures, you will find examples of the ‘Caller’ i.e. God, calling the ‘called’, you and i, to take on assignments and tasks. If we heed to His ‘callings’, we will be greatly rewarded. If you bear fruits and they remain, you can go to God for anything and He will give it to you. If you come to Him, eternal rest will be yours. Most of these great achievers, sport personalities, inventors, entrepreneurs, etc, all heeded to their ‘calling’ and they were greatly rewarded for it. Michael Phelps could have decided not to heed to his calling to become a swimmer. Had he done that, he would have lost his rewards. There is a reward for heeding to your ‘calling’. It is not too late to heed to your calling. You maybe a celebrated doctor now, but deep inside, you know you are called to be an engineer. If i were you, i will quit medicine and pursue engineering. As loving parents, let your children pursue their calling. You may not approve of what they want to study in the university, but leave them alone. The divine Caller as called them to pursue that discipline. Just pray along with them and at the end, you will be happy that they heeded to their calling. Although, many of us know this in our head, it is worth repeating so that we can know it in our heart. There is a powerful calling on our life, more important than any ‘calling’ one maybe currently pursuing and that is the 'call to serve'. This is the most rewarding 'call' any man can receive. The rewards for serving Christ are eternal. You will be rewarded on earth and you will reign with Him in His kingdom in heaven.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: One of the most unwise things to do is to put your earthly calling before your divine calling.

NOTE: You are called to finish that course you have started. You are called to finish that project. You are called to pass that exam.

QUESTION: Have you heeded the call to worship God in spirit and in truth?

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

MY TESTIMONY

My name is Samuel Oluwatoki but people call me Sam. I will like to share My TESTIMONY with you.

Late one evening, I way lying on the bed and the thought of what death felt like began to go through my mind. For some un-explainable reason, i was really curious and wanted to know what happens after death. Suddenly, something like a spirit left my body and i could see my lifeless body on the bed. I tried to touch it but i couldn't. It was as if i was trying to grab vapor. At this point, i knew something was seriously wrong. I began to panic. Am i dead?....does it mean that i will never see my beloved mum again? ... how will i get back into my lifeless body? All these thoughts began to pass through my mind. All of a sudden, i found myself in a small room. There was light in that room but i could not see any bulb. Somehow, i knew that small room was some sort of a waiting room. Two angels were on there way to pick me for judgement. In that small room, there was no concept of time. It was in that small room i understood the word 'eternity'. It was as if time froze.Psalm 90:4 says: " For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night." I began to feel cold and lonely. I can't find words to describe the quietness. It was frightening! I could hear my heartbeats. No friends, family, no one except myself and the records of how i spent my life.

As i stood there, feeling lonely, i began to think about my life. I remembered everything. I remembered the times i missed church services. I remembered how people witnessed to me about Christ and i didn't listen. I remembered the times i fornicated, told lies, fought with people, stole as a kid, etc. I remembered all the terrible things i had done and became scared. My heart began to beat fast. It was as if i was waiting for the result of an exam or a driving test. It was as if someone opened a file before me and was reading all my sins to me, one after the other. I tried to remember the good deeds i did but it was nothing compared to the terrible things i had done. Daniel 5:27 says,"TEKEL means that you have been weighed in the balance and found deficient." I was found wanting and i began to cry. It was in that small room i understood how big God was. I felt like an ant in the presence of a million foot tall man. I knew where i was heading to. With deep regrets, i knelt down and i began to cry and ask for another opportunity. All i wanted at that point was another chance to return to earth to put things right. Whilst i was crying like a baby, pleading for another chance, i woke up in sweat. That night gave my life to Jesus!

On Tuesday 13 August 2011, I had another dream. I was in a small town. We were all expecting something. Terror was written all over our faces. All of a sudden, people started running helter and skelter. Some climbed on tall trees, others a dug a huge tunnel and hid there. Few boarded trains going to the next city. I have never seen commotion of this magnitude before in my life. Parents ran off leaving their children behind. Husbands ran to the left and the wife to the right. There were a lot of screaming children in the streets. The chaos was too much. As this was going on, i walked into a small house where some soldiers held some people captive. They had every one - those that hid in tunnels, those that climbed on trees, those that boarded trains, etc. They caught everyone. There was something else in the room but i didn't see it. I immediately ran to the next town to warn them. They began to made fun of me. They laughed me to scorn. Out of anger i screamed "death is coming" and i woke up. When i slept back, i saw the beginning of something. There were groups of people working in a small office. Some of them were working very hard whilst others played around. Since no one was watching, everyone did what they liked. After a while , some took the hard working ones to a palace to meet a very rich king. I was taken to where the king sat and i saw a group people around him rejoicing. They gave the hardworking ones a tour around the palace. As they went round , i woke up.

The Master is coming soon. Isaiah 1:3 says, "the ox knows its owner, the donkey its master's crib but Israel does not know, my people do not consider." Revelations 22:12 says, "behold I am coming quickly and my reward is with me, to give to everyone according to his work."
It was in that small room, waiting to be taken for judgement, that i understood that everything in this present world is vanity. Ecclesiastes 1:2 says, "vanity of vanities, says the preacher; vanity of vanities all is vanity." If you have not given your life to Christ, repent today and give your life to Him today. Repent whilst there is still time. Make restitution whilst you can now. Once Christ returns that will be it.

John 3:16 says,"for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believe him will not die but have everlasting life." John 14:6 says, "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." The only way to heaven is by accepting Jesus Christ as your personal lord and savior. Romans 10 :9, "says That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. "

If you are ready to give your life to Christ, please pray this prayer with me. Lord Jesus, I give myself to you, for you to be my only Lord and Savior. I renounce and repudiate all other loyalties, and I desire no other Lord but You. Please come into me and take control of my life. Mold me to your will and to your use.I ask that you drive out all other spirits which conflict with you in anyway. I want to belong only to you, to be subject only to you. I make this prayer to you,in your name, the name of Jesus. Amen.

Brethren please forward this to all your friends and family.

GETTING TO KNOW PEOPLE

MEMORY VERSE: But the liberal deviseth liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand. Isaiah 32:8

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalm 33-35

One thing you can’t do without, as far as you are alive, is relating with people. It is humans God will use to answer most of our prayer requests especially ones pertaining to material needs. You and i, can’t do without relating with people and as such, there is a need to know them. Our knowledge of people informs how we relate with them. Our knowledge of people determines who we do business with, who we employ as a nanny for our children, who we put in positions in our ministry or business, who we entrust with things, who we go to for counselling and many more. Even when we don’t know people directly, we depend on the recommendations of people we know who knows them or who have dealt with them. Knowing people, very well, before doing business with them, bringing them under our roof, putting our integrity on the line for them or relating with them at any level is crucial. A lot has lost life savings, valuables, inheritances, ministries, visions and things of eternal value because they dealt with the wrong people. Many have scars that only God can heal because they went into relationships with people they thought they knew.

When it comes to knowing people, the only One you can trust His assessment of people is God. If you really want to know a man or a woman, you have to check his or her heart. Proverbs 23:7a says, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.” The only One who knows the content of every heart is God. According to 1 Samuel 16:7, He sees the heart. Not only does He know the present heart condition of a man, He knows how that fellow’s heart will be in fifty years time. Isaiah 46:10 says, “Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:” One way to know a person is go to God in prayer and ask Him to reveal who the fellow is. Or you ask Him to give you the gift of discernment. With the gift of discernment, as an employer, you don’t need to ask a lot of questions before you know who the right candidate is, in an interview. Another way to know people is by checking their fruits. Matthew 7:16 says, “Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?” Unfortunately, we have some wolves among the sheep. Among us, there are people who appear genuine, they look like us, they quote the bible like us, they shout and jump in the church, they talk like us but they are not part of us. How can we know them? Jesus Christ says, “By their fruit ye shall know them”. What type of fruits? Fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22). How else can we know people? By their association. I can’t claim to be a child of God and my best friend enjoys sin. How can that be? According to 2 Corinthians 6:14 says, “For what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?” Another way to know people is by what they do, not what they say. A wise man once said, ‘action speak louder than words.’ 1 John 3:7 says, “Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.” Lastly, you can know people by what they stand for. Isaiah 32:8 says, “But the liberal deviseth liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand.” How can one identify a genuine child of God? Firstly, they fellowship with other children of God. Secondly, they live their life as a child of God. Thirdly, they stand for godly principles. They stand for purity. They stand for mercy and kindness. They stand for fairness and integrity. They stand for love.

NOTE: People will judge you by your association.

QUESTION: What do you stand for?

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

BELIEVING: A KEY TO RECEIVING

MEMORY VERSE: And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. Matthew 21:22

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Samuel 6-10

Don’t give up! Jesus is still in the business of answering prayers. He has answered a lot of prayers in times past. He is still answering prayers today and He will continue to answer prayers as far as we call on Him. That same Jesus we read about in the bible is still alive meeting needs, touching lives, opening doors, wiping away tears, restoring broken homes, doing wonders, etc. Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” Not too long ago, a sister and I were discussing about one of her young sisters who had just undergone a major operation and they needed large sums of money to pay for her rehabilitation. This kind-hearted sister was the bread winner of her family and she had spent ‘all’ she had on the operation. In addition, she had exhausted all the avenues she could get money from and all to no avail. I would have loved to give her the money but I didn’t have a penny too. Thank God, we, I and the sister, both knew a God who owns the entire bank in the world. As she shared this problem with us, this dropped in my spirit: “if everything fails, try praise”. I told her what I heard and encouraged her to start praising God. I must confess, convincing her to praise God, at that point, wasn’t easy but the Holy Spirit convinced her and she did. Last night, I was told that a doctor, a man with a large heart, from the hospital had volunteered to foot the bill. God literally paid the bill without her going into debt. What a wonderful God we serve. What a powerful God we serve. What a caring savior we have. The fact that you don’t have money does not mean you can’t do that project.

One key to receiving that thing you have asked for in prayers is ‘believing’. Jesus said, ”And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive” (Matthew 21:22). When Jarius received the news about his daughter’s death, Jesus told him, “Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole” (Luke 8:50). He believed and his daughter was raised back to life. Before Peter received his miracle of abundant fishes, he first believed. Luke 5:5 says, “And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.” Before that generous widow of Zarapheth received her divine provision, she first believed that the God of Elijah was able to do those things He had promised through His servant (1 Kings 17:7-16). All we need to receive our blessings is ‘believe’. Believe what the word of God says about you and your circumstances. The moment one begins to doubt, that's it. James 1:6-7 says: “But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.” Believe that all will be well with you. You don’t need to have a doctorate degree in theology to believe. You don’t have to be a powerful man of God to believe. You don’t need to be a deacon to believe. Fortunately, I and that sister are ordinary people. We believed that praising God will release financial breakthrough and it did. Even if you have problems believing, probably because this is the first time of hearing this and it seems too simple to your educated mind, you can still ask the Lord to help your unbelief and He will do that for you.

NOTE: Romans 6:14a says, ” For sin shall not have dominion over you”. Believe that Word and begin to walk in the liberty that Christ has given to you.

PRAYER POINT: Father, please help my unbelief.

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HEARING FROM GOD: A KEY TO LIVING A VICTORIOUS LIFE

MEMORY VERSE: He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. Revelations 2:29

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 44-47

One of the key conditions that must be met before a man can enjoy a walk with God is the ability to hear from God. The Lord told the children of Israel in Deuteronomy 28 that if they would listened to His voice, great blessings will be theirs. He also warned them saying: “But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee:”(Deuteronomy 28:15). Hearing from God is crucial to our existence on the face of the earth. We can give several examples of people who have escaped death because they could hear from God. A particular brother was dressing up one morning to go and watch car racing. He and some other brethren in the church had arranged to meet up at a particular spot where they could get a very good view of the racing track. Whilst he was shaving, the spirit of the Lord told him to remain indoors and study his bible. Being a brother with integrity, having given his word to his friends that he would attend, he didn't want to go back on his word. Nevertheless, he obeyed and remained in doors. By 8am the car race started, and he could hear their powerful engines from his apartment. After a short while, he had a deafening bang and he rushed out. He instinctively knew that the bang came from the racing track. When he got to the spot where he was supposed to meet his friends and watch the race from, he saw dead bodies, some with severed hands lying all around. As God will have it, when his friends got there around 8am and he was not there, they left to watch the race at another spot thereby escaping death too.

Hearing from God is a precursor to getting it right in the choice of a marriage partner and having a blissful marriage. Joseph, earthly father of Jesus, heard from God in a dream that he should take Mary as his wife (Matthew 1:20). The servant of Abraham who was sent to get a wife for Isaac heard from God before speaking to Rebecca’s parents (Genesis 24:13-21). The ability to hear from God is necessary if a man does not want to make costly mistakes in life or take a wrong step. The revered man of God, Samuel, almost anointed the wrong candidate as king over Israel. He was about to anoint Eliab as king when the Lord, who sees the heart of every man, told him to stop. Hearing from God puts one's mind at rest whilst others are panicking. Whilst everyone on onboard with Paul were screaming, panicking, some saying their last prayers - most likely asking for forgiveness of all their sins - Paul was unmoved by tempestuous wind, Euroclydon, that was blowing ferociously at the ship. The man of God had heard from God that, although the ship will be totally destroyed, there will be no loss of lives (Acts 27:1-44). I am not an author when it comes to hearing from God. I am still learning to hear from God and asking Him to help me to hear more. But, i can share an experience or two, in my life, that will help you appreciate the importance of hearing from God. Several years ago, i had a challenge at work and it was obvious that i was gone especially when someone was brought to replace me. I was favoured to have a lot of caring people around me (God bless their darling hearts) and they began to worry that i was going to lose my job. In the midst of all this, i was at peace because God had said to me through His Word, ‘Christ in you the hope of glory ‘(Colossians 1:27). Anytime people called, i would tell them "all will be well” and to the glory of God all went well. Had i not heard from God, i would have looked for another job, leaving where God wanted me to be at that time. When the Pharisees told Jesus to run for His life as Herod was making plans to kill Him, He told them "Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected"( Luke 13:31-32). Hearing from God puts you in charge of the situations in your life. Jesus was always in control of circumstances because He hears from God.

NOTE: To hear from God, one must spend time in the place of prayer. If one is not regularly talking to God, He will not talk back to the fellow. Also, meditating on the scripture, obeying the inner promptings of the Holy Spirit and living a life of holiness and purity are a must for anyone who wants to hear from God.

PRAYER POINT: Father, please give me a hearing heart.

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DON’T BE DISTRACTED

MEMORY VERSE: And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me. And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you? Luke 12:13-14

 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Mark 3-4

 

Before i gave my life to Christ, one of my hobbies was movies. I would spend a whole weekend – Friday evening, the whole of Saturday and Sunday – watching movies. I stopped all that not because it is a sin to watch movies, but because i no longer have the time. There is Friday evening service to attend, there is church cleaning on Saturday morning, outreach in the afternoon, etc. All these aside, the time i would spend watching a movie could be used to meditate on the scripture, read a book by an anointed man or woman of God, pray or intercede. Also, i have come to realise that most of the movies out there don’t really help my spiritual growth. This is not to say i have not seen a movie in the last five years or so . As i lay on the bed recently, one of the few scenes i saw in a movie came back to my mind. A con-artist was trying to dupe a very rich man. This rich man made his fortune from gambling. He gambles on anything gamble-able (if such word exists). This well prepared con-artist made a bet with this seasoned gambler. The gambler let this con-artist win few bets just to encourage him to continue gambling. Suddenly, the game changed. This seasoned gambler began to win back his money. Within five minutes, he had won 500,000 dollars from this con-artist. As you know, that is a huge amount of money. As every gambler does, the con-artist made a bet of 1 million dollars to get back his 500, 000 dollars. Unfortunately, he lost. By this time, the con-artist started sweating and shaking. His girl friend was begging him to quit so as not to lose his life saving. All this while, the proud gambler was puffing out smoke from his cancer stick i.e. cigarette. In defiance, the con-artist made a bet of 3 million dollars. It was obvious that this con-artist had lost his marbles. To everyone’s shock, the con-artist won the bet and took the 6 million dollars. The drama – the tears, the shouting at each other, and the plea to stop gambling his life savings away- was carefully rehearsed and played out to distract this gambler.

 

According to Merriam Webster dictionary, a distraction is something that makes it difficult to think or pay attention. That gambler lost vast sums of money because he allowed himself to be distracted by the happenings around him. Friend, what is your focus? What have you set your mind to achieve this year? Be careful not to be distracted. What assignment has God given to you? Be careful not to be distracted. The moment a man loses his focus; such a man has lost his destiny. Despite everything, Jesus refused to be distracted. The enemy offered him power and authority to distract Him from His divine purpose but He refused (Luke 4:5-9). Even when someone brought a land dispute to Him, He refused to be distracted by it. Luke 12: 13 says, “And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me.” The response our beloved saviour gave was, “who made me a judge over you?” In other words, I am here to preach the gospel not to get myself involved in land dispute. The essence of ‘distractions’ is to make it difficult for us to either think or pay attention to our God -given goals. Don’t be distracted by beauty, character is what you should look out for especially in the choice of a marriage partner.  Beauty does fade away but character does not. Don’t be distracted by the suit or bible exposition given by a brother, the fruit of the spirit is what you should watch out for in a brother. Don’t be distracted by what others are doing or saying, stick to what God has asked you to do and it shall be well with you. Don’t be distracted by the terrible happenings around us, focus on the second coming of Christ. 

 

THOUGH OF THE DAY: Focus on what the scriptures says concerning what God will do in your life and don’t be distracted by your present circumstances.

 

NOTE: A man who does not have a focus does not have a destination in life and such men will be easily distracted.

 

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

ALAS! THE AXE IS LAID UNDER THE TREES

MEMORY VERSE: And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Matthew 3:10

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Isaiah 56-61. 

Please pay very close attention to coincidences in your walk with Christ. In my personal life, i have come to realise that there are no coincidence in Christ. Matthew 10:29 says: “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.” Have you ever pondered on the fact that God can make good come even out of our mistakes? Roman 8:28 says, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." Some missionaries went to Argentina for evangelical outreach during the regime of Dictator General Juan Domingo Peron. It was a time of great unrest and parts of the country were in open revolt. As these brothers moved around, from town to town, sharing tracts and preaching the good news, they came to a town with this large notice: ‘Missionaries, keep out!’ In view of the unrest in the nation and the band of armed gangs roaming the streets of this small town, it was prudent for them to withdraw back to their base. 

Now it happened that they had ordered a consignment of tapes consisting of a series of expositions on Romans which Pastor Willie Mullan was delivering. (I will encourage you to get his books.) A tape dealing with a chapter at a time was sent to these missionaries as soon as the message was delivered. They had already received tapes of the first eight chapters and among their possession was a small, unopened parcel supposedly containing a tape on chapter 9. Tired and frustrated, they decided to pass the night by listening to the tape inside the unopened parcel. To their surprise and initial disappointment, they heard the man of God describing the Israelites approaching the Red Sea. Someone back in Pastor Mullan's office, in Ireland, had slipped up and dispatched the wrong tape. This address was based on the words of the Lord,' Speak unto the children of Israel that they go forward.' They listened in silence and when it ended the silence deepened. Each of them realised that God had spoke to them that night. Their problem had disappeared. God was telling them to go forward and share tracts! They returned the next morning to that little town with fresh zeal and boldness and began sharing tracts. Guess what... no one said a word to them. God had used someone’s mistake in Ireland to encourage some group of missionaries in far away Argentina!

God, like every farmer, expects fruits. He expects each and every of His child to bear fruits. What type of fruits is He expecting to see? Firstly, the fruit of the lips or praise and worship (Isaiah 57:19). Secondly, fruit meet for repentance (Matthew 3:18). Thirdly, fruit of souls (John 15:16). Fourthly, the fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). What will happen if a tree fails to bear fruits? The Lord has said that He will abandon such trees (Isaiah 5:1-7). God will not abandon you in the mighty name of Jesus.  In 1 Kings 13, we see what can happen if God abandons a fellow. A prophet disobeyed God and God abandoned him. A lion came out of the bush and killed him. What if a tree is not bearing good fruits? Well, such trees will be cut down and cast into fire. Matthew 3:10 says: “And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.” 

QUESTIONS: Are you bearing fruits? What type of fruits are you producing? 

PRAYER POINT: Father, please help me to continue bearing fruits.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

WHO ARE YOU?

MEMORY VERSE: And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel? 1 Samuel 15:17

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Job 21-22

I remember the last words of my loving father as i boarded the plane many years ago to study abroad. In his deep baritone voice, he said, “Son! Remember the son of whom you are.” I thought i understood him perfectly well at that time. I thought he was trying to tell me to stay away from crime and not get myself involved in anything that could tarnish his name. But today by the special grace of God, i am now beginning to understand what he meant. The old man was saying, “son, no matter how high God lifts you in life, don’t forget your roots. Never forget the lowly state He picked you from to go and study abroad.”

Saul was a young man with all the physical and mental qualities of a king. 1 Samuel 9:2 says, “And he had a son, whose name was Saul, a choice young man, and a goodly: and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people.” He was the best in the land, yet he was humble and teachable. He had already made up his mind to give up searching for the missing asses when his servant brought an ordinary suggestion to go and see the man of God, who was resident in that area, about the missing asses (1 Samuel 9:5-7). Any other person would have disciplined the servant for talking without being asked to talk, but Saul listened to this servant and went with him to the man of God. The journey to the man of God changed his life forever. Please don't ever get big to that extent where God will not be able to use people under you to counsel you. God at times deliberately speak to leaders through their servants. Do you remember that God encouraged Naaman to humble himself and dip in River Jordan seven times through his servants (2 Kings 5)? Also, it was an ordinary maid, who was living with Mrs Naaman, that God used to bring solution to the problem in their family?

What made Saul little in his eyes was his humble beginning. 1 Samuel 9:21 says: “And Saul answered and said, Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? wherefore then speakest thou so to me?” Because Saul was humble, the Lord decided to make him king over Israel. 1 Samuel 15:17 says, “And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel?” When Saul became king he forgot that he was a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel. He forgot his background. He forgot the son of whom he was and began to flout God’s commandment as he pleased. Don’t ever forget where God picked you from. Don’t ever forget the days of your humble beginning. There was a beggar who the Lord lifted up from the dunghill and prospered. This beggar in other not to forget where God picked him from, he kept the rags he used to wear when he was a beggar. From time to time, he would go to the room where he kept those rags just keep him in check. There was a Northern Ireland Baptist pastor by the name Willie Mullan. He was a tramp before God saved him and gave him a ministry that touched the whole world. At the height of his ministry, he never forgot that he was a tramp God picked up, cleaned and gave a ministry. The moment people wanted to praise him for the work God was doing through him, he would remind them that he was a tramp God picked up. Because of this, God started elevating him to the extent that people would gather to listen to his tape in far away Iraq in the sixties. He maintained that view of himself till he died. Saul’s view of himself changed and he fell from grace to grass.

QUESTION: Who are you? Are you a successful lawyer or that young lawyer without a clue who the Lord picked up and promoted? Do you see yourself as that wretched sinner God saved or the pastor of a big ministry? Do you see yourself as the wife of a successful man or the young girl God showed favour to and married a successful man? Are you an award winning author or that man or woman God blessed with the gift of writing?

PRAYER POINT: Father, help me to remain humble all days of my life.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

ABSOLUTE SURRENDER

MEMORY VERSE: And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. And he said, let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. Genesis 32:25-26

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalm 30 - 32

READ: Genesis 32:24-28

When you go through the bible, from Genesis to Revelation, you will find that God does not move or work things out in the life of a man until there is absolute surrender. Not until a man perfectly and totally submits himself and his will into the hands of God, he will not receive that good thing God has in store for him. Take for instance the first man- Adam. Before God gave him a wife – a good thing and God's favour (Proverbs 18:22) – he was given a divine anaesthetic to put him in a state of absolute surrender. Genesis 2:21-22 says this: “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.” I see a lot of our ‘singles’ struggling with the Lord when it comes to the issue of marriage instead of absolutely surrendering to the Great Match-maker. I see a lot of efforts - many sisters in a bit to attract a man do some expensive hairstyles, some change their hairstyles every two weeks. Some brothers invest in expensive suits and shoes in a bit to attract a sister. Many of our youths have changed churches three to four times just to improve their chances of meeting a Christian brother or sister to marry and all to no avail.

Not until a man absolutely surrenders a situation to God, He will not move. Not until we repeat these words of Jesus – “nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42) – and mean them from the bottom of our heart, our ‘will’ will always prevent His ‘will’ from coming to pass in our lives. The Lord wants to help you. He wants to make the best out of your life. Many of us have literally messed up. We have done things we should not do especially whilst in the university. We have let important opportunities in life pass us by as a result of our negligence and habit of procrastination. We have built a faulty foundation – a foundation that is beginning to shake. We thought we were invincible, we thought we were going to be young forever, we thought the 'beauty' was going to be there forever , we thought the strength was never going to wane so we lived a rough life. Thank God we are now in the able hands of Christ. (If you have not given your lives to Christ you better do so now, because He alone can fix a destroyed life). All He demands of us is absolute surrender so that He can work on us and heal us. I am able to type these words because the keyboard and mouse have absolutely surrendered themselves to me. That’s what Christ wants from each of us today. Not until Jacob absolutely surrendered to the angel of the Lord, his name and destiny did not change. Genesis 32:25-26 says, “And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. And he said, let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.”

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: You are limited in every way and God is unlimited in every way. It will be a wise thing to submit everything into His capable hands.

ACTION: Pray this prayer from the bottom of your heart, “Father, i absolutely surrender my life to you”

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

WHERE’S THE OLD HUNGER

MEMORY VERSE: Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Revelations 2:4

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Samuel 1-5

Hunger and thirst are mechanisms God has put inside every living creature, especially animals and humans, to ensure their survival. Without these mechanisms functioning as it should function, the human race will become extinct within a year. That is, if we all decide to stop eating and drinking, within 6 months we will all be dead. Hunger and thirst do not only act as mechanisms for survival but also mechanisms to achieve our God-given goals. Proverbs 16:26 says: “He that laboureth laboureth for himself; for his mouth craveth it of him.” Hunger for good grades caused some of us to do some things when we were in the university. I remember going to ‘Infinity’ to read. ‘Infinity’ was an uncompleted primary school building, on a fairly large expanse of land, where students go to at night to read. We gave that building the name ‘Infinity’ because it was a spot to read till Infinity i.e. till you are tired. At infinity some students study for 12 straight hours! I remember i was once awake for more than three days, studying and going for exams.

When some of us gave our lives to Christ, the hunger to serve the Lord caused us to take some actions. I remember days after i had the dream that changed my life, i deleted 6,000 tracks of songs from my PC. I had Lil Wayne, Bob Marley, Aerosmith, Gnarls Barkley, Pink, Nelly, Bone Thugs N Harmony, 2 PAC, B.I.G, Fela, Just name it. I had virtually songs from every artist you can think of, i had albums, mix tapes, etc. In one day, i deleted all because i wanted to burn the bridge between my horrible past and the glorious future Christ had for me. I deleted over 100 movies, threw away close to fifty worldly novels, and threw away some clothes. Then i had two pairs of Ed Hardy jeans, each costing around 150 pounds at that time. I threw them away because of the skulls that were drawn on them and what it stood for. A particular sister was sharing with us that when she gave her life to Christ, the hunger to burn the bridge between her past and the glorious future Christ had for her, made her to return all the gifts - clothes, bags, shoes, etc, her ex boyfriend bought for her. Not only that, she burnt all the pictures of her wearing clothes that exposed her body and the ones she took with her exes.

Also, that hunger to serve Him caused some of us to join the group of workers in the church. That hunger to please Him caused some of us to start personal evangelism. That hunger to be close to Him caused some of us to spend time with Him learning the scriptures. That hunger to be His special sons and daughters caused some us to give some special offerings. And whilst we were doing all these, He kept on increasing us and blessing us. He kept on anointing us and giving us deep revelations. Some of us even began to see visions and hear His audible voice. As we were doing all these, we kept on growing in the Lord. Some of our spiritual growths even astound fellow brothers and sisters. Unfortunately, that old hunger has now died in the life of many of us. Many of us are no longer hungry to serve the Lord. The hunger to please the Lord is missing in our lives. That hunger to be close to God is no longer there. Majority of us cannot remember the last time we thought about heaven and the second coming of Christ. The hunger to be His special boys and girls is no longer there. Back in the days, it was standard for many of us to spend quality time with God at least once a week. Today, that no longer happens. What is God saying to us? “Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love” (Revelations 2:4)?

QUESTION: Where is that old hunger to grow spiritually? Where is that old hunger to please the Lord? Where is that old hunger to excel in the things of God? Where is that old hunger to be the best you can be for Jesus? Where is that old hunger to live holy?

PRAYER POINT: Father, please create in me a deep hunger to please you.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

“THOUGH THY BEGINNING WAS SMALL”

MEMORY VERSE: Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase. Job 8:7

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 40-43

Don’t worry about your humble beginnings. Don’t worry about starting small. You don’t need to start that project in a grand style to finish it in a grand style. The fact that you started small does not mean you will end small. Job 8:7 says, “Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase.” Every giant is born as a baby. Even Goliath, champion of Gath, was born as a kid. He went from being a child to become a youth and then a mighty warrior. 1 Samuel 17:33 says, “And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.” One of the biggest shrubs in the world is the mustard. They sometimes grow as a big as a huge tree. It will amaze you that mustard seeds are one of the smallest in the world. Has the Lord given you an assignment and you are losing sleep because you want to start it in a mega way? Forget about starting mega, just start small and leave the rest to God. One of the best secondary schools in Africa – most of their students end up in Harvard University or Cambridge University – started with only one student. The founder started the school with her daughter as the only student, today it is a different story. Don’t be afraid to start small. Don’t compare how you started with how others are starting. You don’t have to start your marriage life with a big wedding. A big wedding does not equate a happy and long lasting marriage.

Don’t despise your small beginning. Recently, i heard about a top military brass that started life as an orphan. That orphan of yesterday is now a General today. Starting small is not a bad omen. It is not something you should dread. Joseph started life in Egypt as a slave and ended up as a Prime Minister in the same Egypt. He was brought to Egypt in chains but when he left Egypt to go and bury his Dad, he went on a royal Chariot. Genesis 50:9 says, “and there went up with him both Chariots and horsemen: and it was a very great company.” People may despise you because of your stature. Sisters may even look down on you because you are not rich and you don’t wear the latest designer outfits. Brothers may look down on you because they can’t see your beauty. Because you don’t dress sexy or ‘show some skin’, they may even call you old fashioned. Don’t worry about all that. A day is coming when they see you, they will wish they had married you. Some thirty something years ago, a skinny law student walked up to a very pretty sister and spoke to her. The sister said to him, “Even you, a skinny mosquito wants to date a lady” and she walked out on him. Few years later, that law student graduated and founded a thriving law firm in the heart of a city in West Africa. One day, a man walked into his law chamber, seeking employment. Since he was brilliant and knew what he was doing, he was offered employment. Several months later, the wife of this employee begged him to invite the founder of the firm for dinner, to show their appreciation. The brother invited his boss and he agreed to come. The boss arrived at their small apartment (compared to his huge mansion) and they welcomed him. When the wife of the employee saw the founder, she almost fainted. The man she called a ‘mosquito’, years back, was his husband’s boss and the founder of the firm. It does not matter what names they are calling you today. A time is coming when they see you, they will open their mouths wide because of what the Lord must have done in your life. Just remain connected to God. Remain humble. Remain diligent. Keep serving God and ensure that you are always available for God to use in whatever capacity. Keep on living right. Don’t compromise your faith; very soon you will be a wonder.

THOUGHTS OF THE DAY: How a man ends is what matters not how he starts. Ecclesiastes 7:8 says: “Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.”

PRAYER POINT: Father, please make me a wonder.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

TAKING LITTLE THINGS FOR GRANTED?

MEMORY VERSE: Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Ephesians 5:20

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Corinthians 3-4

Recently during one of our mid-week services in church, the Lord used an unfortunate incident that happened, to wake every one of us present that evening ,to the fact that we have been taking some of the little things we enjoy (as a result of God’s goodness) for granted. It was time for the service and none of the brothers in the media department was around. The brother who was going to lead the opening prayer went into the media room, picked a microphone, stood by the altar and began to lead prayers. Suddenly, we started hearing a high pitched static sound coming from one of the speakers. One of the brothers went into the media room to check what’s wrong and see the possibility of fixing it. The brother tried and tried but the noise persisted. At this point, we could barely hear anything as the noise was deafening. After a lot of removing-this-cable, plugging-that-cable, tuning-the-mixer, adjusting-the-amplifier, the Lord took control and the noise stopped. The service continued but we had all learnt something valuable. Firstly, you don’t know the value of a thing until it is gone or develops a fault. Although we appreciate the selfless work the brothers in the media department are doing, the Lord used that opportunity to show us all, their worth. Every one of us, minister and the congregation, are used to a 'functioning’ media equipment. Do you know those equipment don’t function well without an expert, like those brothers in our media department, standing by them, tuning them to get the perfect sound and preventing that high static sound during a church service? 

Secondly, don’t take things no matter how little for granted. Every one of us at that service – and many more Christians – is guilty of taking little things that are functioning in the church for granted. After that incident, the Lord opened our eyes to see how we, all, have been taking little things that are functioning in our lives (as a result of God’s goodness) for granted. A lot of us take it for granted that after every meal, we don’t have to inject our body with insulin. Sometimes last year, a friend and i went to greet another friend. When we left the place and got back into car, he took out a machine to inject himself with something. Out of curiosity i asked him, what are you injecting yourself with and why? He told me his body can’t produce insulin so whenever he eats, he has to inject himself with insulin to break down sugar. I pray for everyone sick person that the Lord will heal you in Jesus name. Some of what could happen if he does not inject himself after eating are kidney damage, stroke, eye damage, heart attack, etc. A lot of us take it for granted that we can hear. I heard about the daughter of a millionaire who had to quit her job to look after her dad who lost his hearing. One thing she said that touched me was her father can't hear anything even if you put him beside a loud concert speaker. Even If he is about to walk into fire and you shout at the top of your voice, he won’t hear. A lot of us take it for granted that we can bathe ourselves or brush our teeth or feed ourselves. There are many who have hands but can’t use them because they are paralyzed. Don’t take it for granted that you can control yourself when you want to urinate or defecate. Always remember to thank God for those little things. Ephesians 5:20 says: “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;” That you are able to sleep is something to thank God for. Psalm 4:8 says: “I will both lay me down in peace and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.” There are lot of people who can’t sleep no matter how tired they are. That you slept last night and woke this morning is a cause to thank God for. Psalm 3:5 says,” I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me.”

CONFESSION: Father, i thank you for those little things that you have done for me.

ACTION: Thank God for those little things you have. Most of the 'big' things you are asking God for will mean nothing to you, if you have them without little things like the ability to see, to hear, to speak, to feel cold and hot, to move your hands, to move your legs, to bath yourself, to stand and sit,etc.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

60 seconds with Jesus

Someone sent the piece below to me on email and it really blessed me. It is a very important message and it chimes with our God-given objective to share Christ with the world. I pray that as you read it, the Holy Spirit will speak to your heart. Please feel free to share it with your friends and family.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Job 19-20

THE (SCIENTIFIC) DEATH OF JESUS:

At the age of 33, Jesus was condemned to the death penalty.

At the time, crucifixion was the "worst" death. Only the worst criminals were condemned to be crucified. Jesus was to be nailed to the cross by His hands and feet.

Each nail was 6 to 8 inches long.

The nails were driven into His wrist, not into His palms as is commonly portrayed. There's a tendon in the wrist that extends to the shoulder. The Roman guards knew that when the nails were being hammered into the wrist, that tendon would tear and break, forcing Jesus to use His back muscles to support himself so that He could breathe.

Both of His feet were nailed together. Thus He was forced to support Himself on the single nail that impaled His feet to the cross. Jesus could not support himself with His legs because of the pain, so He was forced to alternate between arching His back, then using his legs just to continue to breathe. Imagine the struggle, the pain, the suffering, the courage.

Jesus endured this brutality for over 3 hours.

Yes, over 3 hours! Can you imagine this kind of suffering?
A few minutes before He died, Jesus stopped bleeding. He was simply pouring water from His wounds.

From common images, we see wounds to His hands and feet, and even the spear wound to His side... But do we realize His wounds were actually made in His body. A hammer driving large nails through the wrist, the feet overlapped and an even larger nail hammered through the arches, then a Roman guard piercing His side with a spear. But before the nails and the spear, Jesus was whipped and beaten. The whipping was so severe that it tore the flesh from His body. The beating so horrific that His face was torn and his beard ripped from His face. The crown of thorns cut deeply into His scalp. Most men would not have survived this torture.

He had no more blood to bleed out, only water poured from His wounds. The human adult body contains about 3.5 liters (just less than a gallon) of blood.

Jesus poured all 3.5 liters of his blood; He had three nails hammered into His members; a crown of thorns on His head and, beyond that, a Roman soldier who stabbed a spear into His chest.

All these without mentioning the humiliation He endured after carrying His own cross for almost 2 kilometers, while the crowd spat in His face and threw stones (the cross was almost 30 kg of weight, only for its higher part, where His hands were nailed).

Jesus had to endure this experience, so that we can have free access to God.

So that our sins could be "washed" away. All of them, with no exception!

Deuteronomy 30:19 says, “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:” The way out of eternal damnation is Jesus. Accept Him as your personal Lord and saviour and live.

HIS RETURNS

MEMORY VERSE: Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD. Haggai 1:8

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Mark 1 - 2

God, like every other businessman, expects 'returns' on His investments. He has invested a lot into our lives. He gave us mouth to speak, nose to breath, eyes to see, legs to walk, ears to hear, a sound mind, functioning brains, etc. What kind of 'returns' does He expect from us? Praise and thanksgiving. Psalm 139:14 says, “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.” How often does He expect these 'returns'? At all times. Psalm 34:1 says, “A Psalm of David, when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech; who drove him away, and he departed. I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.” The fact that you bathe yourself this morning is a reason to thank God. The fact that you are able to feed yourself is a cause to thank God. The fact that you have children that are always making the house dirty is a reason to thank God. Sick children don’t make the house dirty because they are always in the hospital or lying down on their bed. Praise and thanksgiving is one area we are all lacking. We spend little or no time thanking Him. We praise Him too little and when we do it, we are in a haste to get it over and done with as soon as possible. Whenever one brings Him the returns of praise and thanksgiving, He makes them whole. Out of the ten lepers that were healed, only that leper who returned to give thanks to God was made whole (Luke 17:11-19).

Another investment He has made into our lives is the power to get wealth. Deuteronomy 8:18 says, “But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.” That you are gainfully employed is God. That you have a job at all, even if it is part time, can only be God. Asides these, the strength needed to work comes from Him. A sick person cannot run a ministry or a business. In addition, no employer wants a sick staff. This is why employers sometimes request for HR files of those they want to employ (which contains their sickness record) from their former employers. What kind of 'returns' does He expect from this investment? Offering and tithes. Malachi 3:10 says, “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” He has promised to open the windows of heaven and pour down His blessings to those who bring these 'returns'. And to those robbing Him? A curse (Malachi 3:9). Another ‘returns’ He expects is payment of building funds. Haggai 1:8 says, “Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD.” Do you owe building funds? Pay it up. We build God’s house by being faithful in the payment of our building funds. You can also buy a microphone, a speaker, musical equipment, etc. Neglecting God’s work or the building fund can cause every effort made in other areas not to yield results (Haggai 1:4-7). Also, out of the much He has given to us, He expects ‘returns’ in the form of helping the poor and needy around us. Deuteronomy 15:7 says, “If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother:” It is our duty to help the less privilege around us. For all He has given to us, He expects something back. One major ‘returns’ He expects is soul winning. Someone preached to you and led you to Christ, you have to preach to someone and lead them to Christ.

NOTE: A lot of people find it difficult to witness because they are shy and they don’t know how to go about.

ACTION: Ask the Lord to give you the spirit of boldness and ideas on how to witness. Speak to your pastor or the outreach leader in your church about evangelism. I want you to know that not everyone you witness to will give their lives to Christ the first time you speak to them. It took me up to six months to win a particular sister to Christ.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

TRUST HIS WISDOM

MEMORY VERSE: And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came. Genesis 12:5

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 24-27

Don’t marry a brother or sister out of pity. You don’t marry a brother because a lot of sisters have disappointed him. Also, you don’t marry a sister because a lot of brothers have broken her heart. It will be a naive thing to do. It is never too late to stop a relationship if you are not sure if it is God’s will. It is not a pleasant thing to do, actually, it can be very demanding and a lot of emotions are involved. But, if you have prayed and you are convinced that the brother or sister is not God’s will for your life, stop the courtship. It does not matter how far you have gone in the relationship, as far as you are not married and there are no kids between the two of you, i will advise you both to go back to the prayer room. Don’t marry a brother or sister because of what you can see in that brother or sister’s life today. When it comes to the decision of who to marry, wait to hear from God.

Genesis 12:1 says, “Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:” Abram moved out of his country, his kindred i.e. his tribe or clan, but not from his father’s house. Genesis 12:5 says, “And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.” There was a reason why God told Abram to leave his nation, his kindred and his father’s house. There is always a reason behind God's instruction. The reason(s) may not be obvious at the time of the instruction, but i want you to know that God will never ask you to do something without a reason, and most likely it is always for your benefit. In the case of Abram, God saw what Abram could not see. The Most High saw the future; He saw the fight between Abram’s herdsmen and Lot’s herdsmen even before Lot was born (Genesis 13:4-6). He knew Lot was going to turn against his uncle, Abram, so He told Abram to move out and take no one with him – including Lot. Abram didn’t understand God’s instruction.  To him, Lot was just a boy. Actually, at the time God spoke, Lot must have been a well behaved young man for Abram to have taken him along.

Abram never envisaged that Lot was going to turn out to be an ingrate.  It never, for once, crossed his mind that Lot will become a thorn in his flesh.  When God warns you against a particular relationship or a fellow, please take heed. At the time of warning, you may not see anything wrong in the relationship or with the fellow. Actually, the person may appear very hot for the Lord and you think the fellow is a saint. It is until later that you will realise that God was right. John 7:24 says, “Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.”Trust God’s judgment of a fellow or a situation, because He knows more than you do. If you don’t take heed when He warns you, you will have yourself to blame. I hope you will take heed so that it will be well with you.  God knows what people will do at a time in the future, so He warns us in advance. Abram thought He knew Lot but He didn’t. God knows that sister more than you do. God knows that brother more than you do. God knows that business more than you do. By the time the real Lot came out, Abram was dumbfounded.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: When you allow people who are not meant to be in your life into your life, what is not meant to happen to you will happen.

PRAYER POINT: Father, please uproot every tree you have not planted in my life.

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TAKE YE AWAY THE STONE

MEMORY VERSE: Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead for days. John 11:39.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Romans 11-12, Matthew 17-19

There are three basic attitudes to work. Attitude one, you delegate work to people, competent or incompetent, sit back and relax. This is full of disadvantages. Firstly, you get what you inspect not what you expect. If you give out tasks to people and you don’t inspect it as they are carrying it out, you will be disappointed at the end of the day. Recently, a friend, who is into photography and media business, was sharing with me how he gave a job to a cameraman, to cover a show. When the cameraman got the job, he promised heaven and earth. Thank God, this friend was diligent enough to be at the show before time. The cameraman who was meant to be at the show by 10 am did not turn up and did not pick up his call until 5pm. His excuse was he went to club the previous night and overslept. If all a man wants to do, as the leader, is delegate tasks, sit back and relax, the work will go on forever. People generally love to work at their own pace, which many a time is at snail’s speed, in their own way and if care is not taken, one will end up paying ten people for a job that two people should have done.

This is what informs ‘attitude two’ to work which is, 'do everything yourself'. One of the advantages of this attitude is that you complete the work in record time without any complains. Also, none of your staffs will be able to hold you to ransom because they know that without them, you can manage quiet well. In addition, the quality of the work will be to your taste. This has few disadvantages and one of them is you will experience a burn out. A lot of people are being treated for exhaustion as we speak. Also, this could affect one’s marriage. This could affect one’s service to God. There a lot of ministers of God, who labour so much on ministry that they no longer have time to minister to God. To wake up at night to pray is now an uphill task because they have worked and worked - visited this family, settled that quarrel, spoke at this event, travel to another part of town to give a speech, and so on. Many a time, they rarely spend time with their family – their number one ministry. There are a lot of wives who are experiencing a burn out too. Although they have grown up children, they are the one who does the cooking, the cleaning of the house, the laundry and so on. Added to this, they support their husbands especially by praying for him, and still go to work.

What is the solution? How did Jesus, the most hardworking man that ever lived, the most effective man that ever lived, the most successful man that ever lived, managed to do all He did within a space of three years and the bible never recorded that He experienced a burn out or could not go out to minister as He was too tired? Firstly, it is the Holy Spirit. There are other secrets too; if the Lord permits we will touch them. One thing He usually does when there is work is that, He did bulk of the work especially praying and fasting, and delegated some out to his disciples. This is attitude three. Jesus never tried to do everything by Himself. For instance, when He wanted to raise Lazarus from the dead (John 11:39-44), He delegated tasks out. When He got to the tomb, He told some people to roll away the stone at the mouth of the tomb. After praying and calling out Lazarus from the grave, He told another set of people to lose him and him go. Also, when He wanted to feed five thousand (Mark 6:36-43), He didn’t do all the work by Himself. He got some people to make the people sit down. After praying, He got the disciples to share the bread. After everyone had left, He got another people to clean the whole field and pack the remnants.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: If Jesus, our role model, delegated tasks, there is nothing wrong in delegating task. Also, whilst Jesus delegated the tasks, He did bulk of the work and supervised the tasks.

PRAYER POINT: Father, please strengthen me and give me the wisdom to use the resources you have given to me.

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DON’T GRIEVE THE HOLY SPIRIT

MEMORISE: And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Ephesians 4:30

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Isaiah 29-32

After a man gives his life to Christ, God puts His Spirit, Holy Spirit, inside him. First Corinthians 12:13 says this: “for by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.” The Holy Spirit is the seal of salvation for all those who believe (Ephesians 1:13-14). The Holy Spirit acts like a conscience in that, He warns us when we are about to do something wrong and convicts us when we sin against God. He also assures us that we belong to God. Romans 8:16 says, “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.” He leads and guides us - believers. Romans 8:14 says, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” The Holy Spirit does not lead a man to disobey God. The Psalmist says, “He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake” (Psalm23:3b). The Holy Spirit leads a man into God’s will for his life.

The Holy Spirit does far more than I have mentioned. Some years back, a colleague at work misplaced his bunch of keys which contained his car keys, home keys and locker keys – I think. He searched everywhere and didn’t find it, so he came downstairs to inform us. As he spoke, the Holy Spirit told me where the key was and I told him. He doubted me, so I went to where the Holy Spirit told me it was, and he followed me. When I got there, I lifted a particular chair up, lo and behold; the key was underneath the chair. Sometimes last year, I, a pastor, and another colleague of mine were looking for a particular document. We literally turned the office upside down and didn’t find it, so I told them that the Holy Spirit will find the document and they said amen. We checked the office again and we found the document where we had checked 4 times! The value of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer cannot be measured.

Ephesians 4:30 says, “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” The first thing I want you to know is that the Holy Spirit can be grieved. Secondly, if a fellow continually grieves Him, He will take His leave. Can the Holy Spirit leave a man? Oh Yes! After Saul repeatedly disobeyed God, the Holy Spirit left him. First Samuel 16:14says, “But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and evil spirit from the Lord troubled him.” This brings us to the question, how does one grieve the Holy Spirit? We grieve the Spirit by living like pagans (Ephesians 4:17-19), by lying (Ephesians 4:25), by being angry (Ephesians4:26-27), by stealing (Ephesians 4:28), by cursing (Ephesians 4:29), by being bitter (Ephesians 4:31), by being unforgiving (Ephesians 4:32), and by being sexually immoral (Ephesians 5:3-5). The moment He, Holy Spirit, warns one not to do something, and the fellow goes ahead and does it, He becomes grieved. When a man continually grieves Him, He will leave.

QUESTION: Are you grieving the Holy Spirit by the way you live your life? Does your conscience still convicts you when you tell little white lies?

PRAYER POINT: Father, help me never to grieve you again.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.