ENDING WELL

MEMORY VERSE: Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. Ecclesiastes 7:8

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Mark 13-14

It is one thing to start (at all); it is another thing to finish. It is one thing to begin a journey; it is another thing to complete the journey. It is one thing to start a course; it is another thing to finish the course. It is one thing to be joined together in Holy Matrimony; it is another thing to die at a ripe old age still married to the same person. It is one thing to become a champion; it is another thing to die as a champion. It is one thing to be zealous for the Lord now; it is another thing to be zealous for the Lord in forty years time or zealous for the Lord until death. It is one thing to be known as a child of God today, it is another thing to be known as a child of God on one’s death bed. It is one thing to be relevant today; it is another to be relevant in fifty years time (if Jesus tarries).

The ‘beginning’ of a thing is immaterial. 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.” Many of the great people, we read about in the bible and in history books, started very small. Take for instance Elijah the prophet. The Jews are  proud of their heritage. When they want to write about a great figure e.g. Jesus, they will start with the family genealogy. This is why we have a lot of genealogies in the bible. When they want to write about people especially influential people or an important personality, they will start by mentioning the person’s name followed by the father’s name (for men) or husband’s name (for women). For instance, the bible introduced Elisha the prophet as Elisha the son of Shaphat (1 Kings 19:19) and Deborah the prophetess as Deborah, the prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth (Judges 4:4). Elijah’s father must have been so poor and insignificant in their community that the author of 1 Kings did not even bother to mention his father’s name. Yet this man ended as one of the greatest prophet in the Old Testament.

Starting big does not guarantee ending 'big'. According to Ecclesiastes 7, it is possible for one to start as a slave and end up as a wealthy prince. It is also possible for for one to start as a wealthy prince and end up as a slave. Verse 7 says, “I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth.” There is nothing wrong in starting well; actually starting well in life is advantageous. What matters is not how one starts but how one ends his or her race on earth. 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.” The Most High God is not so much interested in how a brother or a sister starts. He is not so much interested in where you are today, or what you are currently doing in the body of Christ - as of now. What He is interested in is how you end. No wonder He says, “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved” (Matthew 24:13). In other words, he that finishes well. It is not unusual to be talented or gifted. There is nothing new in starting well. There is nothing spectacular about being the head at the beginning. Many started very well. Many started shining. Many started very hot for the Lord. Many started as terror to the kingdom of darkness. Many started winning a lot of souls for Christ. Many started operating in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The truth is this, not many finished ‘well’. Not many finished ‘shining’. Not many finished their race on earth as a terror to the kingdom of darkness. Actually, many who started as terror to the kingdom of darkness ended up as victims because of their carelessness. Not many finished as they started. Many, many champions ended up as ex-champions.

NOTE: To finish well, one must be determined. Secondly, one must be hard working. Thirdly, one must embrace a life of holiness and purity. Lastly, one must ask for the grace of God.

PRAYER POINT: Father, help me to finish well in life.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

MAN’S GREATEST PROBLEM

MEMORY VERSE: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalm 42-44

Man’s greatest problem is not the global water crisis neither is it species extinction. One may ask, ‘how does species extinction concern us’? Well, certain species that human beings depend upon for our food supply are going extinct; if their numbers fall too low (may the Lord have mercy because) human race will face extinction. Man’s greatest problem is not the economic collapse neither is it the rapid climate change. Man’s greatest problem is not the resistance of diseases to antibiotics – making it difficult to cure some of the diseases we had previously treated easily, neither is it poverty, hunger and lack of clean water in some countries. Man’s greatest problem is not the need to find new energy sources before fossil fuels run out neither is it terrorism and conflict. Man’s biggest problem is sin. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”

Sin is a problem because of its consequences in our lives. The ‘number one’ consequence of sin is that it pollutes one’s life. According to Mark 7:20-23, what comes out of a man is what makes him ‘unclean’. For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, envy, slander, arrogance, etc. All these evils come from inside and make a man ‘unclean’. These things pollute our lives. You may say, ‘I do not do most of these things’. Only one of them is enough to make our lives unclean. The ‘number two’ consequence of sin is that it enslaves a man. The things we do wrong have an addictive power. Just like any hard drug like heroin, sin can become addictive. One can become addicted to bad temper, arrogance, pride, selfishness, slander or sexual immorality. We can even become addicted to patterns of thoughts or behavior which, on our own, we cannot break. This is the slavery which Jesus spoke about and which has a destructive power in our lives. The ‘number three’ consequence of sin is death. There is something within human nature which cries out for justice. When we see children molested, old people attacked in their homes and so on, we long for the people who have done these things to be caught and punished. It is not just other’s people’s sin that deserve punishment. It is our own as well. One day we will all be subject to the judgment of God. Romans 6:23 says, “for the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” The ‘number four’ consequence of sin is it causes a barrier between us and God. Isaiah 59:1-2 says, “Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.” The wrong things we do cause this barrier.

We have the need to deal with the problem of sin in our lives or else. The good news of Christianity is that God loves us and He did not leave us in the mess that we make of our own lives. He came to earth, in the person of his Son Jesus to die instead of us (Galatians 3:13). During World War II, there were a group of Prisoners of Wars (POWs) who worked on the Burma Railway. At the end of each day the tools were collected from the work party. On one occasion a Japanese guard shouted that a shovel was missing and demanded to know which man had taken it. He began to rant and rave, working himself up into a paranoid of fury and ordered whoever was guilty to step forward. No one moved. ‘All die! All die!’ he shrieked, cocking and aiming his rifle at the prisoners. At that moment one man stepped forward and the guard clubbed him to death with his rifle while he stood silently to attention. When they returned to the camp, the tools were counted again and no shovel was missing. That one man had gone forward as a substitute to save others. In the same way Jesus came as our substitute. He endured crucifixion for us.

QUESTION: We have been judged by the righteous Judge, God, and found guilty. We have been fined the correct penalty which is death. Christ has written a cheque, for this penalty, and says we have a choice: do we want Him to pay for us or are we going to face the judgment of God for own wrong-doing?

NOTE: If you want accept His cheque, accept Him as your personal Lord and savior today.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

MINE EYES HAVE SEEN THE KING

MEMORY VERSE: Then said I, 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

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Exodus 5-8

Why do we measure? We measure for various purposes. We measure to keep track of things. For instance we measure time to keep track of it. Psalm 90:12 says, “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” We gauge our health based upon all sorts of measurements. Some common examples include height, weight, pulse, and blood pressure. These measurements can tell a doctor a lot about one’s general health. We measure to know the size or the amount of something. We measure so that we can have a point of reference that allows us to compare things. The tallest man living, by Guinness, is Sultan Kosen from Turkey who measured 251 cm (8ft 3in). How did Guinness book of records reach that conclusion that Mr Sultan Kosen is the tallest living man? By measuring tall people.

If we could not or did not measure and measure to a standard consistently and to a high degree of accuracy our modern world would ‘not’ exist. To get accurate results, there is a need to measure using the right yardstick. Imagine a person measuring room temperature with a barometer or measuring wind pressure with stethoscope. The results will never be accurate because barometers are built to measure atmospheric pressure not room temperature. Using the wrong yardstick to measure will always generate inaccurate results. This is exactly what happened to prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 6:1-6. Prior to the death of king Uzziah and his vision of heaven, he had always seen himself as a righteous man because he was using the people around him, individuals who practiced sexual immoralities, rich men who oppressed the poor, workers who stole from their masters, judges who pervert judgement, as a yardstick to measure his walk with God.

He was always quick to castigate and reprimand people. He literally went about saying 'woe to this fellow for this , woe to that fellow for doing that.' Isaiah 6:11 says, “woe to the wicked! It shall be ill with them, for what their hands have done shall be done to them”. One day the Lord showed him a vision of heaven and he saw himself. Isaiah 6:5 says, “Then said I, 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.” For the first time, his unclean lips became obvious to him. When one uses the people around him or her, probably brothers and sisters who come to church late or are not punctual, as a yardstick to measure one's walk with the Lord, it will appear as if one has reached perfection. If care is not taking, one may even go round boasting about one's righteousness. The moment Prophet Isaiah saw himself before the Lord, he became sober. He suddenly realized that there were issues in his own life that he needed to work on. The good thing is immediately Isaiah saw his unclean lips and became sober, the Lord sent an angel who used hot coals to burn his lips thereby cleansing his lips. Not until we see ourselves and ask the Lord for grace to make amendments, we will not become who the Lord wants us to be. Not until we hold our lives against the living Word of God, we will not see our true state. Not until we use Christ as our yardstick, we may not truly appreciate the work required to become rapturable. Not until God opens our eyes to see our current state and helps us too, as He helped Isaiah, we may do all the hard work here on earth and miss heaven. I pray that will not be our portion in Jesus name.

NOTE: Christ is our yardstick to measure our life with.

PRAYER POINT: Father, please open my eyes see my state and give me the grace to make amendments.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

TEARS IN HEAVEN

MEMORY VERSE: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 2 Peter 1:4

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Exodus 1:4

One event the whole world is waiting for is the second coming of Christ. The day He comes to take us home is going to be a glorious day. When we arrive in heaven, there will be a lot of meeting-with-the- saints, greeting-fellow-brothers-and-sisters who made it and so on. It is also going to be an emotional event. Oh yes! There will be a lot of tears. Revelations 21:4says, “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” One may ask, ‘why the tears?’ Well, they will be tears of joy. When we look back on our journey through the ‘narrow road’ that leads to heaven, all our struggles, all the humiliations, prices we paid, sacrifices, selfless service and all that, we will weep for joy, knowing that it was not in vain. We will weep for joy , knowing that we finally made it! We will weep for joy , knowing that all our struggles, pains and sickness, are all over for eternity!

Another event that will bring tears to our eyes is when we find out that some of our brothers and sisters in the Lord did't make it, probably because they left the 'narrow path' for the 'broad road'. Or, we found that some of our loved ones didn't make it. Oh God! The fact that we will then be separated from them for eternity will cause tears to flow. We will weep because it will dawn on us that we could have done much more to get them to heaven. We could have dedicated a day or two, in a week, to pray and fast for their salvation. We could have gone after our brethren who left the ‘narrow road’ for the ‘broad road’ and brought them back. When we look back at what we could have done to get them to heaven and we didn't, and the fact that it is now 'too' late, tears will start to flow down our cheeks. Another major event that will cause many to weep is when saints will be rewarded for their deeds in the body and crowns given out. When one looks at the opportunities he or she has had, to serve the Lord and earn great rewards and didn't, tears will begin to flow. When Christ begins to tell us what we could have gotten, if only we were more diligent, if only we won more souls, if only we did more follow-ups, if only we gave to the poor more, if only we fasted and prayed more, if only we gave more to the work of God, if only we didn't skip service to pursue shifts at work , if only we gave when the Holy Spirit prompted us to give, if only we didn't procrastinate, etc, uncontrollable tears will begin to flow down our cheeks. When we look at the number of crowns available for any brother or sister who served God in spirit and truth and also endured persecution and shame, and the number of crowns we received, maybe out of the five available crowns, we only received a tiny one, tears will begin to flow. Also, when we see our unclaimed inheritance – things we should have had on earth that we didn't, probably due to our ignorance of those promises or our disobedience to His conditions for those promises, tears will also flow. A brother had a dream of heaven and the angels showed him an enormous warehouse filled with boxes of every shape and size. In those boxes were gifts and blessings that were available to God’s children, but which they never took time to claim. 2 Peter 1:4 says, “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” The biggest cause of tears will be the realization that it is too late to work harder, claim the blessings, win souls, etc.

QUESTION : If Christ comes now, are you going to make heaven?

ACTION: Examine your life and look at how you are spending time. Start working towards your rewards in heaven. Are you doing enough for the Master?

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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.

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.

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.

THINK LONG TERM PART 2

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

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Matthew 1-4 

Hebrew 12:2 says, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” We look up to people we aspire to be like. We look up to our role models. We look up to people who have already achieved what we are trying to achieve. We look up to people who are better than us. We look up to people we know have a proven track record of success. We look up to people who know something we do not know. We look up to people who we know in our heart of hearts can help us and want to help us. We look up to people who have not stained their garments. We look up to honest and intelligent teachers. We look up to people who have raised leaders and are still raising leaders. The only One who is all of the above is Jesus Christ. Colossians 2:9 says, “For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.”  John 1:16 says this: “And of His fullness have all we received, and grace for grace.” 

We look unto Jesus to learn from Him. Jesus said in Matthew 11:29a: “take my yoke upon you, and learn from me.” We look unto Him to observe and do what He did while He was on earth, deal with issues as He dealt with issues, walk as He walked and to also imbibe His mentality. As i mentioned yesterday, Jesus thought long term not short term.  People who think short term only look at their current situation or circumstances but people who think long term look at what God has to say about their future. People who think short term only put their present situation into perspective when taking decisions but those who think long term put their future into perspective when taking decisions. The short term thinking is full of many disadvantages with little or no advantages. For example, people who think short term i.e. always looking at their present circumstances, become easily frustrated. The reason is that they are always seeing facts and evidences that encourage them to give up or quit on themselves or whatever good they have started. A man or woman who is always looking at his current circumstances will always see reasons to give up. Such fellow will always see reasons why he or she cannot succeed. They see reasons why it is impossible to achieve a thing. Whilst people with short term thinking rarely have the energy to carry on, and many a times they end up giving up on life, people with long term thinking are always having their strength renewed. The reason is that they are always seeing their future not their present circumstances. Whilst a medical student with short term thinking sees all the exams he has to sit for, before qualifying as a medical doctor and becomes depressed, another student with long term thinking sees limitless opportunities awaiting him after graduation and his strength is renewed. It is this type of students that pass in colours. They see what lies behind the mountains and are encouraged not the mountain. People with short term thinking don’t make plans because they cannot see beyond their nose but with long term thinking make plans so as not to miss their glorious future. 

WISDOM NUGGETS: People with short term thinking, especially the youths – married and unmarried, only focus on their outward appearance but people with long term thinking focus on their inward appearance. They spend time developing their spirit man through regular study of the word and praying in tongues. They also devote time to reading. 

PRAYER POINT: Father, please help me to realize my potential this year. 

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus. 

EXPECT SOMETHING GOOD

MEMORIZE: And he gave heed to unto them, expecting to receive something of them. Acts 3:5

BIBLE STUDIES: Acts 3:1-10

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Revelations 9-10, Proverbs 19

One day, Peter and John were going to church when a lame man asked for alms. The bible did not tell us if that was the first time of him asking alms from them or not, but on that day he asked as he would normally do - expecting something. Peter said to him, “look on us”. Acts 3:5 says, “And he gave heed to unto them, expecting to receive something of them.” As he was looking, expecting to receive something, a word of the Lord came through the mouth of Peter and that was it. While he was still trying to process what he had just heard, Peter grabbed him by the hand , lifted him up and he began to walk. When you search through the scriptures, you will find that everyone who received a miracle from Jesus came to Him expecting a miracle. None of them got it by chance. Even, the mad man of Gadara approached Jesus expecting deliverance. This man, although a lunatic, knew within himself that he needed deliverance. He knew that no one – herbalist, voodoo man, false prophets, could deliver him from the forces that had possessed him. The moment he saw Jesus, Lord of Hosts, he ran to Him expecting something good i.e. deliverance. Mark 5:6 says, “but when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him.” After worshipping Jesus, he received his expectation. Also, everyone who was healed during the ministry of Paul, Peter and other apostles came expecting a miracle. Acts 5:15 says this: “Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them.” Those that laid their sick on the street when Peter was passing by did it expecting something good to happen. Guess what, they received what they expected. Lastly, those that were bitten by snakes in the wilderness (Numbers 21:4-9), looked at the bronze snake on the pole with an expectation to be healed –as instructed by Moses - and they received their expectation.

Proverbs 23:18 says, “for surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut short.” Friend, what are your expectations in life ? Are you expecting things , situations and circumstances, to work in your favour? I always expect the best in life. I do not expect sickness. The reason why many come to God’s presence and leave without any thing is because they come expecting nothing. Expect that storm affecting your marriage to stop. Expect that things should work for your good. Stop expecting to fail every time you write that exam. Stop expecting untimely death. The Lord has promised that you shall be the head not the tail. As such , expect to be the head. As a single lady, expect to meet a God fearing man. As a single brother, expect to meet a virtuous woman. As parents, expect to give birth to healthy children. Expect peace to reign in your land. Stop expecting bad things to happen to people or to you. Stop expecting your husband to elope with another woman. Stop expecting your doctor to get the diagnosis wrong. Expect God to fight for you. Expect God to give you victory. As we go into the new year, expect expansion, expect great things in the next year. Expect to end this year in good health. Remember the word of the Lord which says, “your expectation shall not be cut short.”

THOUGHTS OF THE DAY: One of the things that worked against Job was his expectation. This old man expected something terrible to happen to him. Job 3:25 says, “For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.” Stop expecting negative things to happen to you. Stop expecting those that have promised to help you to disappoint you. Stop expecting to receive sad news. Stop expecting to fail that exam. Stop expecting your project supervisor to fail your project. If you expect evil , you will not be disappointed. So also, if you expect something good.

CONFESSION: I expect things to work in my favour. I expect to prosper beyond human comprehension.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

WHEN DIVINE GUIDANCE IS IGNORED

MEMORIZE: and thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left. Isaiah 30:21

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalms 119:153 - 176, Proverbs 31:13, 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8

Recently I wanted to go somewhere, I had the address of where I was going to but I was not sure about the route so I decided to use a satellite navigator. (A satellite navigator guides an individual from his present location to his destination.) I put the address in the SatNav (Satellite Navigator); it calculated how long the journey would take, which was 8 minutes, and then proceeded to guide me to the destination. “Drive straight, at the end of the road turn left,” was the first instruction I received. I ignored it and took the first left. (Remember, I had an idea of the route.) I decided to use my knowledge until I got to where I was not sure. Immediately I turned left, the SatNav re-calculated the route and informed me that the journey would now take 7 minutes. I smiled to myself. It continued to give route instructions and I obeyed until I got to another area where I thought I knew the route better than the SatNav. Instead of driving straight as instructed, I took a right turn to avoid traffic and cut down the journey time. After I turned, it re-calculated the route and instructed me to make a ‘U’ turn at any available opportunity but I ignored the instruction. I continued to drive hoping it will re-calculate the route and give me a new instruction but it kept on instructing me to make U-turn. After a short while, I decided to comply and let the SatNav do its job. I made a ‘U’ turn and followed all the instructions from that moment to the letter. When I arrived at my destination, I checked to see how long the journey took and to my shock, I did an 8 minutes journey in 14 minutes!

As I pondered about the whole thing, it dropped in my spirit that my attitude towards the instructions from the SatNav is exactly the attitude of many of us towards divine instructions. God has told many of us to go straight but we turned either to avoid traffic i.e. problems or take a short cut. My disobedience to the SatNav seemed like a good idea at first- I was even encouraged to ignore it more - but at the end, I wished I had followed the instructions to the letter. Because of the rewards many received from initial disobedience to divine instruction, they are encouraged to ignore divine instruction once a while. Friend, if God tells you to go right and you go left, it may seem like a good idea at first but at the end, you will wish you had gone right as He instructed. Has God instructed you to make a U-turn i.e. turn completely from a particular path or way of doing things but you ignored it hoping to get a new instruction, friend you will not get a new instruction until you turn. God’s counsel is always the same regardless of where you go. If God spoke through a man of God that you should not divorce, you can go to all the men and women of God in the world, the counsel would come back the same.

POINTS TO NOTE: God’s route takes you to God’s destination for your life while your route will ultimately land you in no destination. Every time you follow your route, you waste resources. Every time I took my route, I wasted resources – car fuel, time, energy, etc. Every time you follow your route, the time it should take for you to reach your destination increases. There is a reason for every instruction, that left turn or stay at home and pray could save your life.

PRAYER POINT: Father, please help me to stop working against myself.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

JESUS WAS TEACHABLE

MEMORY VERSE:　And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. Luke 2:46　

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalms 119:49-72, Proverbs 31:7, 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8

Knowledge is one of the keys to living. Hosea 4:6 says, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children." When the Lord said "my people," He was referring to His children – those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savoir. 1 John 2:23 says, "Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father:　(but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also." The Lord said, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge" not the lack of praying and fasting or lack of going to church or lack of giving offerings or lack of prophesying. Friend, you need knowledge in certain areas to become who God wants you to be. You need knowledge to posses your possession. One thing with knowledge is that no one knows it all. Even Paul - a man of great revelations - confessed and said, "For we know in part, and we prophesy in part" (1 Corinthians 13:9). The more you know, the more you find out that you really do not know. The way God does things is that, He gives brother ‘A’ knowledge/revelations/ideas in this area and brother ‘B’ knowledge/revelations/ideas in that area. He gives sister ‘C’ more of ‘G’ and less of ‘D’ and gives sister ‘U’ more of ‘D’ and less of ‘G’. If sister U is humble, He may even add ‘X’,’Y’ and ‘Z’. I think He does this to keep everyone in check and encourage knowledge sharing. There are revelations God has given to some people in the area of marriage and relationships that He has not given to you. Also there are revelations God has given to some in the area of deliverance that He has not given to you. Likewise, there are revelations He may have given to you, maybe in the area of business and investment or holiness and purity, which He has not given to others. To gain knowledge in a particular area, you need to go and meet those He has given knowledge in that area. This is why investing in books, seminars, tapes by anointed men of God is greatly encouraged.

Anyone who wants to increase in knowledge must be teachable. One of the secrets of great men and woman is that they are teachable. Jesus whilst on earth, as a young boy, was teachable. Luke 2:46 says this: "And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions." Teachable people are always seeking an opportunity to learn. Many have stunted spiritual growth because they are not teachable. The moment they see a younger brother teaching, they switch off. Some have stunted growth because they are too big to learn from a woman. Who says a woman cannot teach you? Teachable people listen first before asking questions. Un-teachable people are always talking and arguing. By the time we get to Luke 20:21, Jesus had grown to become someone people call ‘Master.’ Only teachable people gain mastery. Another reason why many have stunted spiritual growth is that they do not listen to anyone they think they are better than or their subordinates. No matter how much you read there will be things –maybe a thing or two- your child or wife or subordinates will know that you do not know. Apollos a big teacher knew a lot about the baptism of John but had limited knowledge in the way of God. Because He had a teachable spirit, a couple – Aquila and Priscilla- took him aside and taught him. By the time we get to 1 Corinthians 3:6, Apollos had become a contemporary of Paul. Paul was planting and He was watering.　

　

QUESTION: How teachable are you? 　What is the value of knowledge to you?

　

PRAYER POINT: Father, please give me a teachable spirit.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.　

THE ATTIRE OF AN HARLOT

MEMORY VERSE: And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart. Proverbs 7:10

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalms 119:19-24, Proverbs 31:4, 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

The words in the bible are not the words of drunken men or someone hallucinating. 2 Peter 1:21 says this: “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” (Maybe one of these days, if the Lord permits, we will discuss about how the bible was written and you will see the process involved. God instructed prophets – when to start writing, when to stop writing, what they should write, etc.) However, for the purpose of our studies today, I want you to know that “all scriptures is given by the inspiration of God (2 Timothy 3:16),” even the book of Songs of Solomon. Every single word was given by God’s inspiration. There is a reason for every illustration, example, parable, etc, used in the scriptures. Because it was given by the inspiration of God, it “is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:”

In Proverbs 7: 6-23 is a story, inspired by the Holy Spirit, of a young boy who lost his life on his way to fornicate with a woman. Today i want us to focus on a thing or two about this woman. Proverbs 7:10 says this: “And, behold, there met him a woman.............”There met him a woman implies she was not a girl but an adult. The author did not tell us her name, which meant that she could have been anyone - someone’s daughter, someone’s sister, someone’s wife, someone’s aunt, etc. The author was silent about her background, which meant that she could have come from any background. The author also did not talk about her race or the church that she attends, which meant that she could have come from any part of the world. In addition, she could have been a Baptist, catholic, protestant or anything. The bible says, at first, a woman, which meant that she could be single or married. It is safe to assume at this point that the bible could have been talking about any woman.

The bible then proceeds to tell us that she had the attire of a harlot. Proverbs 7:10 says, “And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot....” I want you to know at this point that this woman was not a harlot. If she were a harlot, the bible would have said so. Although, she was not a harlot, she wore the attire of a harlot. This implies that, clothes do not make a person but they speak for the person. I thought the next thing after “there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot” would be a detailed description of what she wore. Although, the bible did not tell us what she wore, we were told of the condition of her heart – “and subtle of heart” I.e. crafty heart. These points out to us that the ‘attire of an harlot’ is not really about the clothes, it is the totality of how one presents his or herself which is definitely informed by one’s heart. Because she wanted the attention of the opposite sex, she presented herself in a way that will attract the attention of the opposite sex and recommend her to them for sex. Am i advocating that women should wear drab, dark or dull clothes and strive to be unattractive always? NO! Actually, the virtuous women in Proverbs dressed quite nicely and dressed their family so as well (Proverbs 31:21-22). Despite the fact that this woman was married (Proverbs 7:19-20), her clothes revealed her heart i.e. what was inside was revealed through her dressing. Luke 6:45 says this: “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.”

THOUGHTS OF THE DAY: Outward beauty does not always equate inward beauty.

QUESTION: What does your attire say about you?

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

                

HE UNDERSTANDS

MEMORY VERSE: For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins: Hebrews 5:1

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalms 146-150, Proverbs 30

High priest is one of the many titles of our Lord Jesus Christ. Hebrews 4:14 says this: “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.” To appreciate His title - High priest, we must get some basic understanding of a thing or two. Who is a priest? It is someone who mediates i.e. stands between God and the people, in religious services. He takes sacrifices from people, and offer them up to God (Leviticus 4:20, 26, 31 & Hebrews 8:4). He intercedes on behalf of the people before God (Leviticus 9:22-24 & Numbers 6:22-27). In addition, he inquires of God for the nation (Exodus 28:30). Among the priests, one is selected as the High Priest, and he enters into the Most Holy Place once a year on the Day of Atonement to place the blood of the sacrifice on the Ark of the covenant (Hebrews 9:7). He represents the whole nation before God (Exodus 28:12).

According to Hebrews 5:1, every high priest is taken from among the people. This is because he, the high priest, understands the challenges and weakness of the people. Therefore, if someone brings his sin offering to him, he does not insult him or break out into anger and indignation but pities him, and sympathizes with him. Jesus, so that He might serve as our Great High Priest before God, became man and suffered death. As a man, He was subject to all the weakness and temptations that we are, so He could personally relate to us in our struggles (Hebrews 4:15). Whatever you are going through now, Jesus went through them or something similar when He was on earth. This is why, He is able to relate to you in that challenges you are facing. Are you hungry? Jesus knows what it is to be hungry. He was hungry after forty days and forty night of fasting (Matthew 4:2). Are you facing rejection? He faced it too from His own people. John 1:11 says this: “He came unto his own, and his own received him not.” Are you sad because a friend betrayed you? Jesus’ friend and disciple, Judas Iscariot, betrayed Him and sold Him to His enemies (Luke 22:48). Are you down because you have just lost something valuable? In John 11:33-36, Jesus lost His beloved friend – Lazarus. Are you emotionally and physically tired? Jesus was so tired in Mark 4:36-38 that He slept during a storm. Are you facing shame? Have you not read that He was crucified like a criminal for a sin He did not commit? Have you become frustrated after several attempts with nothing to show for it? Jesus was so frustrated that He said this: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” (Matthew 23:37). The bible is able to say this, “cast your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7), because He understands all the emotions you are going through. You are unhappy because your wife is not submissive, well Jesus understands the feeling. How many of His children truly submit to Him? Very few. As a wife, you are unhappy because your husband does not appreciate you enough, Jesus understands. How many of us wake up every morning and say “thank you Jesus for keeping me alive? Very few too. Jesus knows how you feel and will not leave you in that current situation without helping you.

THOUGHTS OF THE DAY: Jesus understands your pain because He tasted pain whilst on earth.

PRAYER POINT: Father, please heal me of every pain in my life.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

BE A GOOD FRIEND

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

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalms 106 -110, Proverbs 22

READ: Luke 5:17 -20

Jesus was teaching in a house one day when some men, around four, brought their friend who was taken with palsy. When they arrived at the house, it was packed full of people who had come to listen to Jesus teach. They appealed to the people, especially those who were standing by the doorway, to pave way for them to bring their friend in and lay him before Jesus but they refused. Since they could not find a way in, through the doorway, one of them got a ladder, climbed the roof of the house, looked for where Jesus was standing and removed some tiles around that area - creating a hole in the roof. Another one joined him on the roof and they made the hole big enough to fit a stretcher. Those on the ground passed the sick man to those on the roof. Using a rope, those on the roof carefully let down their friend to where Jesus was standing. On seeing this, i thought Jesus was going to get angry with them for disturbing Him while He was teaching. He did not! Instead, He commended their faith. Friend, you are not disturbing Jesus when you bring your request to Him. It does not matter how many times you come to Him in a day, instead of rebuking you for disturbing Him with your requests, He would commend you for your faith.

The friends of the man who was sick, with palsy or paralyzed, were good friends. They were determined to go extra miles to get help for their sick friend. To carry their heavy friend - paralysis causes the body to become very heavy – through the roof requires a lot of effort, yet they did not mind the pain because they were determined. Naturally, friends tend to run away when one faces challenges. Proverbs 19:7 says: “All the brethren of the poor do hate him: how much more do his friends go far from him? he pursueth them with words, yet they are wanting to him.” For the friends of this man to have stuck by him during this period says a thing or two about the character of this sick man. Firstly, he (himself) was a good friend. He (himself) was a friend in ‘deed’ and a friend indeed. Proverbs 18:24 says: “A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” Secondly, he was a giver. Proverbs 19:6 says: “Many will intreat the favour of the prince: and every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts.” Thirdly, he was a helper too. According to the law of sowing and reaping – give and it will come back to you (Luke 6:38) - this man reaped what he had sowed into the lives of the people around him. He helped people and others helped him. Fourthly, he was a grateful fellow. The reason why many people cannot get help is not that they are not prayerfully. Many a times, it is simply because they are ungrateful. They are ungrateful first to God, and to men. Never think you deserve anyone’s help. You do not! People have the right to say 'no' to you, so when they say 'yes' to you, appreciate it. The friends were motivated to help because they knew he would appreciate their effort.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: What kind of friend are you? Are you a friend in ‘need’, in ‘deed’or a friend when it is rosy?

PRAYER POINT: Pray that the Lord will uproot every tree (friends) He has not planted in your life.

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