WHAT IS THE STATE OF YOUR ALTAR?

MEMORY VERSE: And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down. 1 Kings 18:30

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalms 134-136

What is an altar? An altar is any structure upon which offerings; such as, sacrifices are made for religious purposes. For instance, Noah built an altar (a structure upon which offerings are made for religious purposes ) after the flood unto the Lord, and took of every beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on it (Genesis 8:20). An altar is also a place of consecration. Whenever God visits His people or does something tangible in their lives, they respond by building an altar unto Him. This altar represents a desire to consecrate one's self fully unto the Lord. For instance, Abram, after the Lord appeared unto him, built an altar (Genesis 12:7).

In summary, an altar is merely a designated place, a meeting point, where man meets with God regularly to talk to Him, hear from Him, pray to Him, study His words, and so on. It is a place where we come to present ourselves as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God (Romans 12:1). 1 Kings 18:30 says: “And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down.” Elijah's restoration of the altar was significant, given the rampant paganism of his day. For the altar to be repaired, it must have been broken. For the altar to be broken, then, it must have been standing. For the altar to be standing, it must have been built.
There are four types of altars. Firstly, “No- Altar”. In Exodus 1, 2&3, the children of Isreal struggled before erected altars unto the Lord - when they worshipped the gods of the Egyptians. This period was a period of bondage. This was not only a tough time, it was a difficult time. Their children were cast into River Nile. A man who has not given his life to Christ is at this stage. He will always be at the mercy of the enemy. There is the “Standing-Altar”. After God delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians, they built altars unto the Lord. This period was marked with signs and wonders. It was marked with an abundance of resources. It was a period of peace because they had a relationship with God. After a man gives his life to Christ, he is expected to enter into this stage. He is expected to have an altar where he meets God regularly. He is expected to have a quiet time. There is the “Cold-Altar”. This was the period where the children of Israel began to relax in their worship. This is a time when a man begins to miss his quiet time. Lastly, there is the “Broken-Altar”. This period was marked by hardship and struggle. It was a period of stagnancy in their lives as they abandoned God and worshipped Baal and as a result, the altar of the Lord fell into disrepair. During this period, God shut the heavens and it didn’t rain for three years. When a man begins to miss his quiet time, if care is not taken he may backslide into the world and his altar before God becomes “broken”.

QUESTION: What is the state of your altar? Do you have an altar at all? Do you have a quiet time? If you have, what happens during your quiet time? Does God still speak? The state of your altar will determine the state of your life.

ACTION: Carefully assess your altar before the Lord and take necessary action.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

YARDSTICK FOR SUCCESS

MEMORY VERSE: And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. Luke 12:15

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Zechariah 8-14

One of the yardsticks we use to measure success in the world today is material wealth. If a brother who hops from bus to bus suddenly buys a very big jeep or a brother who is renting suddenly builds/buys a big mansion, we say he is successful. We Christians will say he has enjoyed divine favor and some will begin to use his life as a point of contact for their breakthroughs. God wants all His children to prosper (3 John 2). He actually delights when His children do well which includes financial prosperity (Psalm 35:27). When Peter said to Jesus, "Look, we have left everything and followed You. So what will there be for us?" Jesus responded saying:” Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life” (Matthew 19:28-29). In other words, all you have lost for the sake of Christ are not lost, they are only being kept for you. One day it will be multiplied and given back to you.Although, material wealth is ONE of the ways of measuring success, it is NOT the absolute way to measure success. A brother can appear to be doing well physically when he is actually going down spiritually. A typical example is Lot. The moment he moved into Sodom and Gomorrah, he began to go down spiritually. On the surface, he was doing well. He was acquiring cattles, sheep, servants and all that. He even became a judge in Sodom and Gomorrah. Yet, he was going down. Friend, not all wealth is God’s favour.

Sister in Christ, you have entered into a relationship with a brother who is an unbeliever. On the surface, people may be congratulating you. He may even buy gifts and make you feel loved and appreciated. It may appear as if you are moving in the right direction because at the end of the day, you are no longer single. However, remember that marrying an unbeliever means you will be having the devil as an in-law. As a matter of fact, the moment you begin to date an unbeliever, you begin to go down. To everyone, Brother Lot was enjoying divine favour until he lost all and began to live in caves (Genesis 19). If you are robbing people or cheating people and you are buying houses, you are not going up – you are actually going down. Also, success in ministry, at times, is measured by the size of the congregation and size of the tithes every Sunday. Well, increase in tithes don’t always mean God is blessing His church. Someone who stole from government coffers may decide to share some of his bounty and give a big offering. Besides, there was a time when Korah’s ministry grew. He had virtually all the princes in the land with him -although they were all rebels. Yet, by man's standard he was doing well. The only way to measure success is by checking how one is performing against God’s standard for one's life. If by God’s standard –considering the fact that you have been a Christian for several years – you should have won at least one soul to Christ and you have not then you are failing.

ACTION: Pray to God and ask Him to help you in areas you are failing.

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HIS DISCIPLE OR THE MULTITUDES?

MEMORY VERSE: And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him. Matthew 5:1

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ecclesiastes 9-10

Two categories of people followed Jesus: His disciples and the multitudes. His disciples were His followers; viz, the apostles (Matthew 10:2-4), the seventy- two (72) whom He sent in pairs to towns and places He planned to visit (Luke 10:1), Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-42), Mary called Magdalene, Joanna wife of Chuza (Luke 8:2-3), etc. The multitudes, on the other hand, were the nameless, faceless people who followed Jesus. They came to Him because they were in need of one thing or the other. They took their leave the moment He answered their prayers.The multitudes were always 'coming and going’; the disciples were with Him because they loved Him. The multitudes only wanted to receive; they never gave back in return. The disciples received and gave back to Him. Whilst the disciples were at His feet learning, the multitudes were busy chasing after things - things they would leave behind when they die. The disciples were always available - always available to run errands for Him. The multitudes, as you rightly guessed, were never available for work. The disciples shared the passion of Christ. They were with Jesus through thick and thin; the multitudes weren’t. Matthew 5:1 says:” And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him.”

Jesus dealt (and still deals) with these two groups - His disciples and the multitudes - differently. For instance, He spoke to the multitude in parables but He spoke to the disciples in plain words. Mark 4:11 says: “And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables.” The multitudes only saw Him when He wanted them to see Him. Luke 5:15-16 says: “But so much the more went there a fame abroad of him: and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by him of their infirmities. And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed.” His disciples saw Him when they wanted. Jesus shared His secrets with His disciples. Luke 18:31 says: “Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished.” Several months back, I walked past a man around our office and the Lord said to me, “that’s your new manager.” We had no manager at the time and I didn’t know the senior managers were recruiting for the position.  I told my colleagues when I returned to the office but they doubted me. Four hours later, the man was introduced to us as our new manager. Jesus rarely hid things from His disciples. He told them that one of them was going to betray Him.

QUESTION: Which of these two groups do you belong? Are you one of His disciples or multitudes?

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

VIOLENCE IS REQUIRED

MEMORY VERSE: and if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. Matthew 5:30

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ezra 6-10

Violence is required to achieve certain things in life. Oh yes! And please, by violence i don’t mean physical violence or causing terror. No. No. No. Someone once told her pastor, “Sir, the only language my husband understands is violence.” This is not the type of violence i am talking about. I am against physical violence of every form. You need to go after certain things violently;i.e., aggressively, if you are serious about getting them. Violence is required to become who God created you to be. Violence is required to get to the top. Violence is required to realize your potential in Christ. You need to knock and keep on knocking for some doors to open. Matthew 11:12 says: “and from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force”. What brought down the walls of Jericho was not a whisper. It was not a gentleman’s shout. Joshua 6:20 says: “So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a GREAT SHOUT, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.” Jesus prayed a violent prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. Luke 22:44 says: “and being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”

Been violent requires force, energy, persistence and determination. An example of a man who was violent in his decision to serve God was Elisha. The day he decided to follow the Lord, he did it in a violent manner. He burnt his bridges. (A bridge is any link with your sinful past that is capable of returning you to that sin). The decision to follow Christ must be done violently. Photographs of former sinful partners must be burnt. Occultic books and regalia from secret societies must be destroyed. Pornographic and x-rated materials must be destroyed. Clothes that expose part of your body that are meant to be covered must be burnt. Music that glorify sex outside marriage or sex before marriage must deleted right away. CDs /DVDs that glorifies crimes and guns must be burnt immediately. Erotic books, Tarot and palm reading books must be burnt. The Lord used us to restore a sister back to Christ several months back. I said her, "the only way to get rid of your sinful partners is preach to them". It wasn't easy but she did it.  She promised the Lord never to return to her past again and she didn't. You must be violent about your decision to serve Christ. You must be violent about your decision to make heaven. Matthew 5:30 says: “and if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell”. Sometimes the people capable of bringing you back to Egypt (sinful practices) may be close and precious to you as your right eye. They could even be your right hand man or childhood friends. The bible says if you don’t want to go to hell, cut them off right away. It is better to go to heaven without a friend, than go to hell with a circle of friends.

NOTE: The reason why a lot of people backslide into the world is because they fail to burn the bridge that links them back to the world. To serve Christ , there are some friends, from your past, you will have to cut off. There are some relationships you will have to disconnect yourself from because they are not drawing you closer to Christ. There are some places you will have to stop visiting if you want to remain standing.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

YOUR BREAKTHROUGH WILL FOLLOW YOUR OBEDIENCE

MEMORY VERSE: And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days. And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah. 1 Kings 17:15-16

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Deuteronomy 16-19

God is love.1 John 4:8 says: “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.” He gave His best, His only begotten Son (Jesus Christ), to us out of love (John 3:16). The Lord takes special interest in those who reciprocate this love back to Him. Proverbs 8:17 says: “I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.” We express love through gifts. Husbands give gifts to their wives and vice versa, out of love. Love must be expressed verbally and through our actions. Jesus demonstrated His love to us by laying down His life for us. John 15:13 says: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” Because Christ demonstrated His love to us, we must also demonstrate our love to Him – if we really mean it. If He gave all, we must be ready to give our best at the minimum. What’s our best? Romans 12:1 says:” I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” We can demonstrate our love to Him through our sacrifices and offerings. If only you will give to Him – and you do it cheerful because He loves a cheerful giver ( 2 Corinthians 8:7)- He will say a big thank you. And, just a thank you from God is enough to change a man’s life forever. Luke 6:38 says: “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.” Also, lovers love to spend time together. It is impossible to love God and dislike church or dislike bible studies.

One thing God loves more than sacrifices is obedience to His word. Jesus said, “And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices (Mark 12:33).” Actually, another way to demonstrate your love to Him is by obeying His commandments. John 14:15 says: “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” Your obedience to Him will usher in your breakthrough. It will usher in your long-awaited season. It is one thing for God to want to bless a man; it is another thing for that man to receive the blessing. Whether the man will receive what God has in store for him or not will be determined by his attitude to God’s instructions. His instructions are basic and simple. What ushered in that widow’s season of abundance was her obedience to Elijah ( 1 Kings 17:10-16). Verse 15-16 says: “And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days. And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah.” Although God wanted to bless her, had she disobeyed she would have lost that blessing. She had to first do what Elijah asked her to do before the divine supply came. Many of us would have said to Elijah, “let me go and pray about it”. That’s a polite way of saying, "i refuse to obey that instruction".  Her breakthrough was activated when she obeyed. The same with you -  your breakthrough will be activated when you obey God’s instruction. Has the Lord commanded you to start a project? Please start with whatever you have because the resources needed may not arrive until you start the project. If you decide to wait until you get all the resources you need before starting, you may wait forever because God rarely provides everything you will need for a project before the project starts. God may not move until you move.

NOTE: God is only committed to supplying your needs (Philippians 4:19). Once you start, it becomes a need and God will supply the resources needed.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

“BUT HE PUT HIS ARMOUR IN HIS TENT”

MEMORY VERSE: And David took the head of the Philistine, and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put his armour in his tent. 1 Samuel 17:54

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Acts 17-18

God fights for His children in three basic ways. Way one: He fights their enemies alone. His children don’t have to do anything except sit and watch Him destroy their enemies. There are several examples of this in the bible but one that comes to mind is in the book of 2 Kings 18&19. Sennacherib, king of Assyria, besieged Jerusalem. He sent a nasty letter to the Hezekiah, king of Judah, and that one began to shake. Hezekiah was a child of God; He simply laid the letter before the Lord. Many don’t know God can read letters. He is the Teacher of teachers. The Lord read the letter and took action that evening. 2 Kings 19:35 says: “And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the LORD went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, theywere all dead corpses.” The next morning, Sennacherib, quietly, withdrew his men and went back home. Hezekiah did nothing except watch. He didn’t even lift a sword. Way two: He fights alongside His children. Five great kings - king of Jerusalem, king of Hebron, king of Jarmuth, king of Lachish, and king of Eglon- came together to fight the children of Israel ( Joshua). The Lord fought alongside Joshua. His men were fighting with swords, the Lord opened heaven and great stones began to drop on the head of the enemies of His children. Joshua 10:11 says: “And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, and were in the going down to Bethhoron, that the LORD cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more which died with hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword.”

Way three – probably the most common way: He empowers His children to fight their enemies. Psalm 144:1 says: “A Psalm of David. Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight.” Three thousand men of Judah (enemy within)
bound Samson with a rope and handed him over to the Philistines (enemy withal). The enemy saw Samson bound and began to dance for joy. As they were rejoicing, the Lord sent down fire and it consumed the rope that was used to tie Samson. He found a jawbone of an ass - strategically positioned there – and began to fight the Philistines with it. Judges 15:15 says: “And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and slew a thousand men therewith.” The rest ran away. Sadly, Samson threw away the jawbone after he defeated the enemy. He threw away what God gave him to fight the enemy with and then began to thirst. He threw away what he secured victory with. He threw away what brought him peace. Just like Samson, many have thrown away the “jawbone of an ass” they secured victory with. For some, they have misplaced it. Where is your “jawbone of an ass”? What God gave David to finish off Goliath was Goliath’s own sword. Thank God, David kept it. 1 Samuel 17:54 says: “And David took the head of the Philistine, and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put his armour in his tent.” Don’t throw things away because you never know when you might need them. Don’t destroy relationships you have built because you never know when you might need them again. There was a man in my team who behaved badly to everyone because he was moving over to Spain to start a fruit business. He was a difficult person to manage and work with; as his supervisor, i had to draw strength from heaven to manage him. He moved to Spain –thinking he will never need the organisation again. Unfortunately, the fruit business didn’t do well so he had to return to UK. When he couldn’t get a job, he came back to us. At the interview, the interviewer remembered him and decided to give the job to a less qualified candidate. I was told after the interview that he literally went on his two knees to ask for a second chance –which he didn’t receive. Be careful how you treat people. Be careful how you behave in your current role. When i heard the story i shook my head. You don’t know tomorrow so behave well. Samson cried to God and God pointed him to the jawbone he threw away; from it water began to flow and he drank.

NOTE: David never thought he would need Goliath’s sword until Saul began to chase to him to kill him.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

YOUR CLASS DETERMINES YOUR OPPONENTS/ CHALLENGES

MEMORY VERSE: And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. Zechariah 3:1

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Peter 4-5

In some sports especially boxing and horse-racing, there is something called “weigh-in”. Individual competitors report a day before or on the day of the competition, depending on the sports, to be “weighed-in’ first to ensure that they compete in the right class. In the realm of professional fighting, size does matter. The bigger you are, the harder you hit, the harder you are to hit, and the more your attacks exhaust your opponent. As such, it will be unfair for two competitors e.g. boxers from differing weight class to fight each other. Hence, your weight determines your class, and your class determines your opponent. If you are a heavyweight, you will get an opponent in the heavyweight category. Also, your class determines your reward. You can’t compete in the lightweight category and expect to be rewarded as a heavyweight. It is the same in life; the size of your destiny will determine the size of your challenges. You will be matched against an opposition as big as you. The higher you go academically, the tougher the exams will be. I found that as the Most High was helping me and i was being promoted, the exams i was sitting for were getting tougher. I remember a particular exam which had two sections: Section A, answer any three out of five and Section B, answer any two out of four. I had only 90 minutes. The next one was a 3 hours open book exam; 100 objective questions, answer all.

The spiritual challenges you will face will be determined by your spiritual level. The kind of attacks you will get will be determined your spiritual level. The mad man of Gadara was attacked by over 6000 demons because he was created to be a mighty evangelist. Somehow, the enemy got hold of that information and bombarded him ( Mark 5:1-20). The higher you go, in the Lord, the stiffer the opposition will be. This is not to scare you or anything, but to prepare you. The reason why you are facing unusual challenges could be because of what God created you to be. The enemy, somehow, got hold of some information about your life and is now attacking you to cancel out that plan. I want to inform you that he will not succeed. I remember a time in my life when it seemed as if as someone opened the gate of challenges at me. As i was leaving one, i was entering into another.
I now understand why. As David grew, his opposition grew. His first opposition was a lion, and then a big bear, and then Goliath, and so on.

Zechariah 3:1 says: “And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.” In the synagogue, the position of the chief high priest is the highest and Joshua, the high priest, was at that level. In the demonic world, the highest ranking demon is Satan himself. As you can , from our memory verse, Satan was withstanding Joshua. The reason why you are facing great challenges could be because of your level in Christ. Although you are a young man or woman, before God you are not. Although David was a small boy , he was dripping with anointing. Although , he was a young, he was king in waiting. As you grow in Him, He will give you the right weapon to fight the enemies at your level. When David’s enemies were just beast – lions and bears- He only strengthen his hands. This was why he could club a bear to death. Psalm 144:1 says:” A Psalm of David. Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight:” When he grew to the level of Goliath, the Lord gave him a sling and stone. You have no reason to fear the enemy because you will always receive weapons to conquer the enemy at your level.

PRAYER POINT: Father, fortify your protection over my life.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

DIVINE PROMOTION SHOULD NOT CHANGE 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? First Samuel 15:17

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalms 131-133

In First Samuel 17, Jesse sent his youngest son, David, to the Valley of Elah to deliver food stuffs to his brothers who had followed Saul to war. When he arrived, he heard Goliath challenging Saul and his men. A holy anger arose in him and he volunteered to fight Goliath. Saul tried to discourage David unsuccessfully . 1 Samuel 17:37 says: “David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.” Saul gave David his armor but he rejected it as he was uncomfortable with them. David with his sling and stones coupled with the help of God conquered Goliath. There are several lessons we can learn from this story. Firstly, a familiar sling and stone is better than an unfamiliar sophisticated military gear.

Secondly, divine promotion should not change you. Success should not change how you relate to your fellow brothers, disciplers or God. The bible is littered with several examples of people who changed after the Lord promoted them. A typical example is King Saul. He was humble before he was anointed king over Israel. According to First Samuel 15:17, he saw himself as unimportant before he was made king. First Samuel 15:1 says: "Samuel also said unto Saul, The LORD sent me to anoint thee to be king over his people, over Israel: now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the LORD.” The question is this, why, on God's green earth, was this old prophet reminding Saul of his humble beginning? Why remind Saul of how he was instructed to anoint him? If for one reason or the other your husband or pastor began to remind you that he is your husband or pastor, you are probably undermining his authority as your husband or your pastor. That was exactly what Samuel was trying to do. He observed some changes in Saul; hence, the need for that reminder. Unfortunately, the reminder meant nothing to him. Out of pride, he disobeyed God by destroying the worthless things and keeping the valuable things for himself. When Samuel refused to go with him to offer sacrifice because he had disobeyed God, he tore his robe.

David never for once attributed his past success to his strength or anything. He told Saul, “the Lord that delivered me out......” Between First Samuel 17:45 to 47, he mentioned the name of the Lord over six times – depending on the version of the bible you are reading from. The Lord did this.... the Lord did that.... the Lord that did this will do that... etc. It is sad that success has shut the mouth of many. They no longer witness about Christ because they think evangelism is for poor people. Also, divine promotion/provision has caused many to disdain their skin colour and as such, they bleach. Divine promotion should bring us closer to God not draw us away from Him. Success should not turn you into a modern Christian or liberal Christian. You are either a Christian or not a Christian. As a result of success, many have requested to move from sanctuary keeping to join the protocol team. They want a more posh role in the church; something more dignifying – according to them. It is God who will reward, and fortunately, those roles you consider as not dignifying attract greater rewards. If you clean His house He will clean your life. If anything, success should encourage you to serve God more.

QUESTION: In what ways have you changed as a result of your divine promotion ? Have you now become unruly because you were promoted at work? Repent today!

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

USE WHAT YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH

MEMORY VERSE: And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine. 1 Samuel 7:40

 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ezra 1-5

BIBLE READING: 1 Samuel 17:31-40

David went to the battlefield to drop some foodstuffs for his brothers who had followed Saul to war. There, he heard Goliath, a Philistine, a giant and also a champion, harassing the armies of Israel. 1 Samuel 17:8-10 says, “And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array?am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me. If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us. And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.” A holy anger arose in him; he volunteered to fight Goliath so they took him to Saul – probably to talk him out of it because he was very young. “There's no way you can fight this Philistine and possibly win!” he said, “You're only a boy, and he's been a man of war since his youth.” Persistent knocking opens doors. David's persistence wore Saul down; at last, he gave him the go ahead. He offered him his fighting gears which David tried and found very uncomfortable. 1 Samuel 17:40 says, “And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.” God gave David victory over Goliath using ordinary sling and stones. 

 There are several lessons we can learn from this story. A familiar sling and stone is better than an unfamiliar sophisticated military gear. There is a saying where i came from: “a known devil is better than an unknown angel.” You know what to expect from the known devil. You know how he behaves and what to expect from him but with the unknown angel you have no clue. He could even be worse than the unknown angel. (NOTE: When we say a known devil, we are talking of human beings not satanic agents. An unknown angel of God is always better a known devil.) When attending to a critical matter especially those with little margin of errors, it is better to use a tool or employ an approach you are familiar with. I will rather work on a project with a group of average people i have worked with in the past and achieved success with than a group of experts i have never worked with. The familiar (sling and stone) is better than the unfamiliar (sophisticated military gear) because you know its strengths and weaknesses. That knowledge alone gives you an added advantage; you can work on its strength to your advantage. Besides, there is more to winning wars than having the latest sophisticated military gears or high-tech equipments. Weapons don’t always win wars; history proves this. Ecclesiastes 9:11 says, “I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.” Brute force or bullying tactics don’t win wars. Zechariah 4:6 says, “Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.” One may plan and strategize but God decides the outcome of the war. Proverbs 21:31 says, “The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD.”

NOTE: David didn’t try to show off, he used what he was familiar with although they were old fashioned and achieved success. 

PRAYER: Pray that peace will reign in Syria and other war torn countries.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

DON’T ALTER THE LORD’S INSTRUCTION

MEMORY VERSE: And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams' horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets. Joshua 6:4

BIBLE READING: Numbers 34-36

One of the secrets of success is studying successful people and doing what they did. If you want the kind of success Steve Jobs (Apple founder) had, get his autobiography, study what he did and do the same. Some years back, Elon Musk (founder of PayPal, Tesla Motors, Space X, etc.) in an interview mentioned that he read the autobiography of Steve Jobs and learnt a lot from it. If you want the kind of Daniel’s success, third-in-command to an emperor who ruled the world ( Daniel 6:1-2), or Joseph’s, a man who created economic and business models that sustained the economy of Egypt (the greatest economy at that time) when currency failed, read their autobiographies which are documented in the Holy Scriptures and do what they did. As for me, I want all so I read everything; viz.,the Bible, autobiographies, memoirs, etc.

Let us briefly look at two of many secrets of Joshua’s success. Firstly, Joshua did well because Moses laid hands on him. Deuteronomy 34:9 says: “And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands upon him: and the children of Israel hearkened unto him, and did as the LORD commanded Moses.” Moses laid hands on Joshua and transferred the grace and anointing he carried to Joshua. Also, Moses literally laid hands on him as in mentor him. Secondly, Joshua did well in ministry because he followed (divine) instructions to the letter. Many of us find it hard to follow basic instructions. The doctor says, “take two tablets three times daily." What do we do? We take three tablets four times daily. That’s drug abuse and no child of God should abuse drugs. Joshua followed God’s instruction to the letter. The Lord’s instruction to Joshua was “….And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams' horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets… ( Joshua 6:4)”. What did he do? He ensured that the priests used trumpets of ram’s horns not goat’s horns. Joshua 6:6 says: “And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said unto them, Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD.” Again, the Lord told him to pick seven men i.e. priests and he did that. Some would have picked six men and a woman because they want to be politically correct.

NOTE: The Lord is the wiser than the wisest. He knows why He chose ram’s horn over goat’s horn. Learn to follow His instructions to the letter.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world.

YOUR FAITH PLEASES GOD

MEMORY VERSE: But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Hebrews 11:6

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Deuteronomy 13-15

BIBLE READING: Romans 4:16-22

There is nothing as insulting as your children doubting you or your ability to take care of them. Imagine for a second that you overheard one of your children expressing his doubts in your ability to look after him or meet his basic needs – cloth, food and shelter- with his friends. How would that make you feel as a loving, responsible father? It will hurt; i mean you will feel really disappointed especially if there are no bases for such. The same thing happens when we doubt the Most High God. There is nothing as insulting to God as doubting His ability or His words. Firstly, He does not tell lies. He has never told one and He has no need to tell one. Numbers 23:19 says, “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?” Secondly, He is limited by nothing. He said to Jeremiah: “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me (Jeremiah 32:27)”? Thirdly, once He says something consider it done. Psalm 33:8-9 says, “Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. For he spake and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.”

There was a great famine in Samaria that lasted so long resulting in people eating bird’s faeces and only the rich could afford it (2 Kings 6:25-2 Kings 7). Things were so bad that women began to eat their children. I pray you will never experience famine of any kind in Jesus name, Amen. And, if you are experiencing one at the moment the good Lord send provision your way in Jesus name, Amen. In the midst of this famine, God spoke and promised to turn things around within 24 hours. Everyone will have so much that there won't be need to buy anything, as such the price of food items would drop. One of the king’s advisers, a special adviser in God-knows-what said it was impossible. “Even if the Lord should open the floodgates of the heavens”, he said, “Could this happen?” This man called the Most High God a liar in the presence of all. The man of God said to him, “Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.” What caused the famine was Benhadad (king of Syria) besieged Samaria; no one could go in or come out thereby shutting off food supplies. The Lord caused Benhadad and his men to hear a strange noise and out of panic, they ran away leaving their horses and all they had acquired from their raids. The people heard the news, rushed out and collected spoils for themselves. To manage the situation, the king appointed that man who doubted the words of the Lord to manage and oversee the whole affair. As the people where rushing out they trampled on him and he died. He saw it but did not eat from it as the word of the Lord.

On the other hand, there is nothing that pleases God like faith in Him or His words. Hebrews 11:6 says, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Your faith pleases God. A man whose faith pleased God was Abraham. He was not just old, the bible says “He was well advanced in age”; so was his wife. The Lord said to Him, “I have made thee a father of many nations” and he believed God. As old as he was, coupled with the fact that his wife had stopped producing eggs as she had now reached menopause and passed it - if there is something as such, he believed God and God was pleased with him. Romans 4:22 says, “And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.”

NOTE: No matter how impossible it may seem, if it is coming from God don’t doubt it. Remember, doubt is an insult to God’s personality.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

STILL CONNECTED?

MEMORY VERSE: For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father. 1 Kings 11:4

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Acts 15-16

The Lord loved Solomon, and He did not hide it. From the name He gave to this boy, Jedidah meaning beloved of the Almighty, it was obvious that the good Lord loved him. Solomon too loved the Lord with all his heart. One of the ways of expressing love is through giving. John 3:16 says, “for God so LOVED the world , that he GAVE his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Solomon, out of his love, gave an offering no man had ever given before. 1 Kings 3:4 says, “And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great high place: a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar.” Because he gave an offering no man had ever given before, the Lord gave him something He had never given to anyone before that day. He gave the young king a blank cheque. He told Solomon, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” He could have asked for anything. Had he asked for great wealth, the good Lord would have given it to him. Had he asked for the life of his enemy, he would have gotten it but he asked for an understanding heart to judge God’s people. Impressed by his request, the Lord gave him an understanding heart and things he didn’t ask for – honour and riches. As long as he was connected to God (his Source ) obeying and pleasing Him, his wisdom kept on increasing. He spoke 3,000 proverbs and 1,005 songs (1 Kings 4:32). The Lord kept on blessing him and it rubbed off on the whole nation. 2 Chronicles 9:27 says, “And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that are in the low plains in abundance.”

All of a sudden, his wealth started to dwindle. It dwindled to a point where he had to tax his people to keep up with his extravagant lifestyle. He increased the tax from time to time to keep his head above water. At his death, the tax was so high that the people of Isreal complained. 1 Kings 12:4 says, “Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee.” What happened to Solomon? How did he loose all that wealth? He got disconnected from his Source. John 15:5 says, “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: FOR WITHOUT ME YE CAN DO NOTHING.” Solomon left God and began to worship strange gods.1 Kings 11:4 says, “For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.” Friend, the reason why things have suddenly become so difficult for you could be that you are now disconnected from the Source. The reason why you no longer dream dreams or hear from the Lord could be that you are now disconnected from the Source of revelations. The reason why you minister and the Spirit of the Lord no longer moves as He is used to could be that you are now disconnected from your Source. It is high time you looked inward. It is high you took a look at your life. Working harder will not change your situation if you are disconnected from your Source.

QUESTION: Are you still connected? Are there any secret sins you are yet to confess and repent of? Are you now living in Egypt – a land of compromise?

NOTE: It’s not too late. Retrace your steps back and put things right.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

OF HIM SHALL BE MUCH REQUIRED

MEMORY VERSE: And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul. Deuteronomy 10:12

 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Peter 1-3

God is love (1 John 4:8). John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” However, He does not love all equally. The same God who created Jacob and Esau said: “Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated (Romans 9:13).” He loved Jacob more than Esau. Joseph had two sons: Manasseh (senior) and Ephraim (junior). He took them to his father,Jacob, for prayer. He put Manasseh, the older one, at his father’s right hand and Ephraim, the younger one, at his father’s left hand. When it was time to pray, the old man crossed his hands, and put his right hand on Ephraim, the younger one, and his left hand on Manasseh, the older one. When Joseph saw this, he was displeased. He tried to move his father’s hand from Ephraim to Manasseh but the old man refused. Genesis 48:19 says, “And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.” The Lord loved these two boys but He loved Ephraim more than Manasseh. 

The measure of love He dishes out to individuals varies. For example, Jesus Christ said, “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day (John 6:44).” You are in Christ today because the Lord, out of His great love, drew you to Him. The same message you heard that made you give your life to Christ, others heard it and continued in their life of sin. Out of the several billions on the face of the planet today, He drew you to Christ. This is a proof that you are in receipt of a greater measure of His love. He drew you to Christ to give you a glorious future (Isaiah 3:10). He drew you to Christ to turn your shame into glory. Colossians 1:27b says, “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” He drew you to Christ so that you will reign with His son in Heaven (. John 3:3-5). The more the measure of love He dishes out to a fellow, the more the amount of love He expects back from the fellow.  Luke 12:48 says, “But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.” The Lord is beginning to pour out of His love in great measure to some of us. He is beginning to use some of us in various ways – ways beyond our wildest dreams. He is beginning to open doors to some of us. He is beginning to turn our lives around. He expects us to reciprocate those love back to Him.  Deuteronomy 10:12 says, “And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul.” The Lord loved Solomon and blessed him. When he asked for wisdom, the Lord gave Him wisdom and riches. What did Solomon do? He reciprocated that love back to God. He offered a sacrifice of 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep and goats (2 Chronicles 6:42). Ephraim,on the other hand, did not reciprocate it back. Instead, he began to follow after idols and the Lord abandoned him (Hosea 4:17). 

NOTE: If for one reason or the other, maybe due to sin,  He has turn His attention away from you, there is still something you can do. You can repent,  rededicate your life to Christ and start afresh. Judah became His favourite because Reuben, Simeon and Levi misbehaved badly. But one day, the whole Israel sinned and Moses said "whoever is on the Lord’s side come to me". Only the children of Levi went to him (Exodus 32:26). From that day, the Lord drew Levi back to Himself. Only Levi was allowed to come near the ark of God. If you demonstrate your love to Him, He will draw you to Himself. 

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

PRESERVED BY FOCUS

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. Hebrew 12:2

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Haggai

Vision (the ability to see) is very important. Why? The man who cannot see will inevitably end up in a ditch. Matthew 15:14 says, “Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.” What a man sees can either make him or break him. For instance, Isaiah “saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple” and that changed him (Isaiah 6). Isaiah, like many of us, used his environment as a yardstick to measure his holiness. Whenever a man uses his environment or people fornicating and committing adultery around him as a yardstick to measure his holiness, he will always come out very holy. On that faithful day, he saw his holiness and God’s holiness and cried “woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts” (Isaiah 6:5). That singular event turned him into a broken man for the Lord. What John, a very hard man, very violent, nicked named son of thunder by Jesus (Mark 3:17), saw in Revelations 1 broke him completely. Revelations 1: 17 says “And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last.”

However, what David saw in 2 Samuel 11 almost destroyed him. When David was meant to be at war fighting the Lord’s battle, he tarried back at home and slept. When he woke up, he saw a naked woman bathing and that was it. He committed adultery with her and killed the husband to hide the truth. What you see is important, but more important is what you focus on. Two people can see the same thing but focus on two different things. The twelve spies Moses sent to Canaan saw the same thing - the land of Canaan, the big fruits of Canaan, the men of Canaan, etc- but focused on different things (Numbers 13&14). Ten of them focused on the size of the men of Canaan and the other two focused on the word of God and God Himself. What the ten focused on informed their confession. Numbers 13:33 says, “And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.” What the ten focused on informed their decision and actions. Numbers 14:4 says, “And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt.” All these led to their destruction. Numbers 14:30-30 says, “Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun. But your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised.” Do you know that what you focus on, at times, informs your dreams when you sleep? If you spend the whole day watching horror movies and all that, don’t be surprised if you sleep and find strange creatures chasing after you in your dreams. Or if you indulge in pornography, don’t be surprised if you sleep and find yourself making love to strange people in your dream. Ecclesiastes 5:3 says, “For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words.” Your focus will preserve you. What kept Jesus going despite the rejections He received was His focus. Luke 23:18 says, "And they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas." The bible records “who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame” (Hebrew 12:2). What made Jesus say “Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42), was His focus. If you focus on your present situation you will be discouraged, and if care is not taken you may fall into sin. Focus on the promises of God for your life, as recorded in the bible, and you will be greatly encouraged. What will keep you going during times of trial is your focus.

NOTE: If you focus on the work to be done to achieve something you will be discouraged, but if you focus on the rewards on completion of that task, you will be strengthened.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

TEN CHEESES

MEMORY VERSE: And carry these ten cheeses unto the captain of their thousand, and look how thy brethren fare, and take their pledge. 1 Samuel 17:18

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ecclesiastes 5-6

BIBLE READING: 1 Samuel 17:16-19

Noah Webster’s dictionary 1828 defines a key as “an instrument for shutting or opening a lock, by pushing the bolt one way or the other. Keys are of various forms, and fitted to the wards of the locks to which they belong.” Today, due to technological advancements, the definition of a key has changed slightly. A more general definition of a key is anything that grants one entry into a place or something. The moment we hear the word “key” what comes to mind is a door. Then, what is a door? A door is simply anything that is used to restrict access into a place/something or out of a place/something . You need a key to open or lock a door. Certain keys open certain doors. The key to my front door should only open my front door. The same thing with yours. If your front door key suddenly opens my front door then something must be wrong. Actually, it means i need to change my front door lock. The bible contains several keys to open certain doors in our lives. For example, the key to promotion is diligence. Proverbs 22:29 says, “Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.” The key to heaven is salvation . John 3:3 says” Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Romans 10:9-10 say, “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. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

The key to reaping is sowing. Galatians 6:7 says, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” A man who sows nothing will reap nothing. The key to abundance of resources is giving. Proverbs 11:25 says, “The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.” Be a giver. Give to God and give to men also. You can pray from today till tomorrow, if you don’t sow you will not reap.One thing i have found with most billionaires -if not all- is that they give to charity a lot. I am talking of genuine billionaires, those who worked for it not those who stole from the government. The Lord is always prospering 'givers'. He is always opening doors for them. Your gifts will open doors for you. Proverbs 18:16 says, “A man's gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men.” Please we are not talking of giving bribes or accepting bribes. A true child of God will neither give bribe or nor accept one. Your gifts will bring you favour before God and before man. Your gifts will open doors to your  children and bring them favour also. What granted David access to the battle ground was his father’s gift to that captain of thousand. 1 Samuel 17:18 says, “And carry these ten cheeses unto the captain of their thousand, and look how thy brethren fare, and take their pledge.” No civilian is allowed into the camp except he has a personal message for the king or the general and in the case of David, he had a message for the captain of thousand. They allowed him in to deliver his message to the general who was at the battlefront. (Generals are always at the battlefront giving out instructions and cordinating things). Whilst there, David heard Goliath boasting, fought him and won the price. Those ten cheeses brought him favour before the captain of thousands. It is possible that it was this captain that granted David access to Saul when he volunteered to fight Goliath.   

NOTE: It is one thing to want to give; it is another to have the resources to give. Pray that God will put resources in your hand so that you can be a giver.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

BE FOCUSED

MEMORY VERSE: For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed. Isaiah 50:7 

 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalms 128-130

The importance of having a godly vision cannot be overemphasized. There are visions and there are visions. Any vision that does not line up with the scriptures is not a godly vision. For instance, the vision to create a super race that would rule the world for a thousand years is not a godly vision. Why is having a vision so important? Firstly, everything starts with a vision. The planet we live in started with a vision. God had a vision of this world in His mind and He spoke it out. He spoke the vision in His mind into existence. The house you live in is a product of someone’s vision. Someone conceived the design in his mind and passed it on to an architect who put it on paper. Secondly, without vision you will seize to exist. Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” The first thing a man needs to succeed in life, after giving his life to Christ, is a vision. Not just an ordinary vision but a clear one – a vision that can be described to the smallest details. And this vision must come from God and must be in line with the scriptures. Without vision, success in any endeavour is impossible. Without a God-given vision, one will spend his time doing secondary things while the primary things are left undone. Someone said her vision is to marry a rich tall handsome black guy. Is there any bible verse to support such a vision? Someone said his vision is to marry the daughter of a rich politician. Is that a biblical vision?  

 Another important ingredient for success is “focus”. One of the reasons why many of us are not where we ought to be, despite the fact that we have a vision, is because we lack focus.  Today, you want to be a chartered accountant so you study and prepare for ACCA exams. Tomorrow, you change your mind and go into Networking. You start preparing for CCNA & CCNP. You even buy books and all that. The day after tomorrow, you change your mind again and go into project management. You book for Prince 2 training and all that. What do you really want? Or you decide to go into business. Today, you sell clothes. Tomorrow, you branch out and go into spare parts business. After a while, you change your mind and start selling phone accessories. A focused person does not change career every other day or does not jump from one business into another.  A focused person does not do things because everyone is doing them. He does things because he was led by the Spirit of the Lord to do them. A focused person does not attempt too many projects at the same time. If you want a degree, face your studies and forget about relationship. One of the reasons why many of our youths graduate with very low grades is because of lack of focus. They want to party and study at the same time which is impossible. You have to choose one – it is either you party hard or study hard. Recently, a man of God, whist preaching shared with us how he had turned down so many speaking engagements abroad because of his vision to build his young church and secure a church building. That is focus. A man of focus is consistent. His messages are consistent. If he is into marriage counselling and discipleship he will stick to it. A man who is not focused is into marriage counselling and discipleship today; tomorrow he is into deliverance and healing; day after tomorrow he is into leadership training and youth development. A man of focus does one thing at a time. Isaiah 50:7 says, “For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.” A man who is focused will never be put to shame. Whilst a man who is not focused tries his hands at so many things, at the same time, thereby wasting his resources, a man of focus tries one thing at a time. 

Note:  Asides from focusing on one thing at a time, focus on the right things. Your focus determines your reality. What you focus on, you move towards. 

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

THE ANOINTING OF THE HOLY GHOST

MEMORY VERSE: Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah. 1 Samuel 16:13

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: II Chronicles 33-36

BIBLE READING: 1Samuel 16:13 -23

The Most High God is the best friend any man can have. According to 1 John 4:8, He is love. One thing every loving person enjoys doing is giving gifts especially to those they love. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” God, being the definition of love, give gifts to His friends. The costlier the gift is, the greater the love. John 15:13 says, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” It is very difficult to give one’s life for an innocent person not to talk of a worthless sinner like you and i. Yet, He gave His precious life for us. Romans 5:8 says: “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” He is the best friend any man can have, He is also the worst enemy any man can have. He is a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29). According to Psalm 97:3 says,” A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about.” To be an enemy of the One who fire goes before and consumes His enemies is suicide. As such, He is an enemy no one wants to have. 

The last thing you want to do is rebel against Him. King Saul became a rebel and the Lord  abandoned him (1 Samuel 15:23). 1 Samuel 16:14 says, “But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.” To calm him down whenever the evil spirit tormented him, they searched for a skilful harp player and found David – a man anointed with the Holy Ghost (1 Samuel 6:13). A look into a David’s life from the day he was anointed reveals some of what the anointing of the Holy Ghost does in a man’s life. The anointing will attract attention to you –  it can be embarrassing at times. As the Lord began to move in David’s life people began to notice him even Saul’s servant. The anointing will differentiate you from your peers. There were several skillful harp players in Israel but David stood out. He was the only one invited to the palace. The anointing turns a man into an instrument of deliverance. David would play an ordinary harp and demons will run. Through the anointing one becomes a solution. When the king had mental problems the Lord used David to heal him. When Goliath terrorised the people of God, the Lord used David to solve that problem. The anointing will also cause a divine relocation. David who used to reside on hills and in caves with sheep began to live in the palace. The anointing causes a shift in circumstances or a change of position. David ,a shepherd boy, became the king’s boy and dined with the king. The anointing attracts favour.

NOTE: Just as the anointing will attract the attention of man, it will also attract the attention of demons. Just as it will attract favour, promotion, and other good things, it will attract challenges – unusual challenges. The moment David was anointed several wild animals began to appear – lions, bears, etc. After the animals came Goliath. The reason why you are facing unusual challenges could be because of what you are carrying within. However, the power to tear lions apart, blow bears to death, cut off the head of Goliath comes with the anointing. 

PRAYER POINT: Father, please fill anoint me with the Holy Ghost.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world