“AND FOUND HIM SITTING UNDER AN OAK”

MEMORY VERSE: And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem. 2 Samuel 11:1

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Zephaniah

BIBLE READING: 2 Samuel 11:1-5

Imagine the Lord came to you in a dream or in a vision, and instructed you to go to a church nearby and cry against the altar because of the evil that was taken place there. He warned you not to eat or drink there. Immediately, alarm bells will begin to ring in your head. Why on earth would the good Lord warn me against eating there? "Hmm! There must be some kind of danger attached to the food they may want to serve me", you would have thought. " There is poison in the food", you would conclude. As such, whilst you are there you will stay away from food or drink. Not only that, you will keep your mouth shut about the Lord’s instruction not to eat or drink because they may grab you and force feed you.

He also warned you not to return by the way you came. Again you say to yourself, "if the Lord wants me to return by a different route then there must danger along the route". "Someone must be out there to harm me either on my way to the church or on my way back from the church". For this reason, you will keep that information to yourself and not waste time at all. The moment you leave the church, you will run back home. No matter how tired you are, even if you are pressed and you needed to use the toilet, you will not stop until you get home. This was what one would have expected from the young prophet who the Lord sent to Bethel to cry against it (1 Kings 13). On his way back the king invited him to a meal. He turned down the offer, and then went on to divulge the instruction the Lord gave to him. On his way back, he decided to rest under a tree and the enemy caught up with him and tricked him. 1 Kings 13:14 says, “And went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak: and he said unto him, Art thou the man of God that camest from Judah? And he said, I am.” The enemy fed him and he ended up as lunch for a lion. Had it been the young prophet did not wait by the tree, the enemy would not have catch up with him and he would have reached home safely. There is danger in resting before the finish line. There is danger in sitting, by a tree, when one should be walking or if possible running.

When David was meant to be at war fighting the Lord's battle, he stayed back at home and slept. 2 Samuel 11:1 says, “And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem.” Before he woke up, the enemy had strategically positioned a naked woman around him. He saw her and fell into adultery. This is why it is not good to stay at home when you should be in church. The moment Jesus told Peter “That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18), one would have expected Peter to become very careful and watch his words because God has a plan for his life. Actually, it would have been wise for Peter to start praying that the Lord would keep him and the enemy would not succeed over his life. However, Peter continued as usual and before he knew it the devil started speaking through him. Jesus had to rebuke him at a point (Matthew 16:23).

COUNSEL: Friend is the Lord beginning to use you in one capacity or the other? It is not the time to go around boasting. It is a time to start serious prayer. It is one thing to start; it is another thing to finish. Are you beginning to enjoy unusual favour, it is not a time to show off at all. It is a time to start praying for wisdom to manage your relationships. Are your spiritual or physical children beginning to prosper, it is not a time to boast at all. It is a time change your prayer gear into the next level.

twitter@BroOluwatoki

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

GOOD SUCCESS

MEMORY VERSE: This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein ; for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success, Joshua 1:8.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Num 22, Ps 62-63, Isa 11, Jas 5

James 1:17 says every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. The theory of opposites says that everything has an opposite – this is decided by looking at its function and deciding what the opposite of that function is. The word ‘perfect gift’ signifies the possibility of imperfect gifts. If perfect gifts come from God, then imperfect gifts comes from the devil. So also the word ‘good success’ informs us of the existence of bad success. Not all successes are from God just as not all miracles are from God. This is why 1 John 4:1 admonishes us not to believe every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Any form of success that takes you away from God or hinders you from serving God in spirit and truth is bad success. Any form of success that forces you to compromise your faith, please be careful of such.

What is good success? Good success is defined as sustained success. To get to the top and remain at the top forever is good success but to get to the top and fall back or to be either an ex or defeated champion is bad success. If you use to read your bible daily and now you no longer do that, you are gradually becoming an ex champion and that is bad success. If you use to pray for four hours or do night vigils and now you struggle to pray for an hour, you need to do something urgently or else you might become a defeated champion. If you used to dream or see visions or exhibit one spiritual gift or the other and  those gifts are no longer evident in your there is a possibility that you are already an ex champion. Thank God we have a Savior who is the champion maker, go back to Him today and He will restore you.

What is required for good success? Joshua 1:8 says this book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein ; for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. The first thing you need to do is own a bible. A believer who is heaven conscious will have a bible not the one with torn out pages. Hard copy bibles are better than bible application on ipads, phones and so on. Research has shown that people easily get distracted when reading on screen and this affects assimilation. There is nothing wrong in installing a bible app but this should not replace your hard copy bible. The second thing you need to do is meditate on the word of God day and night. There is a difference between reading and meditating on the Bible. Reading is primarily assimilation of facts without application. When we meditate on the word of God, we seek to make personal application of the scriptures to our lives and circumstances. The third thing you need to do is obey the scriptures. 

 ACTION POINT: Make it a point of duty to meditate on the scripture more often.

GOD’S ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE NAKED

MEMORY VERSE: Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them. Genesis 3:21

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Lev 22, Ps 28-29, Eccl 5, 2 Tim 1

BIBLE STUDIES: Genesis 3:1-21

After Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruits and their eyes were opened; they discovered that they were naked. When they heard the voice of God in the garden, they ran to hide from the presence of God. After the Lord had thoroughly addressed the issue of their disobedience, He made tunics of skin to clothe them i.e. cover their nakedness. It is true that Adam and Eve were the architects of their own misfortune. They became naked as a result of their disobedience to God. It can also be argued that they became naked because they refused to listen to the counsel of the Lord .The Lord warned them not to touch the forbidden fruit but they refused and ate of the fruit. Adam became naked as a result of following the multitude to do evil. He knew that eating the fruit was forbidden, but because his wife gave it to him, he ate it.

Because Adam and Eve disobeyed God, the glory of the Lord that was a covering unto them departed. There are one or two lessons to learn from this, the product of disobedience to God is shame. So also the product of obedience to God is glory. Proverbs 3:35 says the wise shall inherit glory but shame shall be the promotion of fools. Not only that, failure to follow godly counsel exposes us to unnecessary hardship. Adam and Eve failed to follow God’s counsel and the ground was cursed for their sake.

When you study this passage carefully, you will come to the conclusion that Adam and Eve were not only physical naked, they were also emotionally naked.The reason why they hid from God was because the mistakes of their past was made known to God. Their terrible past, their misdeeds , the errors of their past , things they did out of foolishness , their wrong decisions came to God’s knowledge. What do you when people’s terrible past comes to your knowledge? What do you do when you become aware of things people did out of foolishness before they met the Lord? What do you do when you become privy of the wrong decisions a fellow took in the past? Immediately God became privy of the past of Adam and Eve, He covered them up. He did not laugh them to scorn, He did not look down on them, He did not even call them names. If for one reason or the other you become aware of a person’s past especially in the church of God, do not segregate them. Don’t turn the stories of their past to a topic of discussion amongst your friends. If you cannot pray for them, don’t compound things by using it to preach or refer to it when addressing a gathering.

PRAYER POINT: Father , in every area of my life I have become naked as a result of disobedience to you, please forgive and cover me up.

LUST - SIGN OF DANGER AHEAD PT2

MEMORY VERSE: for all that is in the world, lust of the flesh, and lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father but is of the world.1 John 2:16

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Lev 21, Ps 26-27, Eccl 4, 1 Tim 6

BIBLE STUDIES: 2 Samuel 13:1-21

In part one of these series, we highlighted the difference between love and lust. One of the major differences between love and lust is that, lust is impatient but love is patient. We learnt that lust often leads to unwholesome actions to fulfill one’s desires with no regard to the consequences. In 2 Samuel 13:1-21 is an unfortunate story of Ammon and his sister-Tamar. The spirit of lust entered into Ammon and he raped Tamar. At the end of the day Ammon was murdered. If we carefully study this story, we will see that the end of lust is always a sad one. Untimely death, shame, loss of favor, disappointment, unhappiness, e.t.c. are all end results of lust.

There are two types of lusts – lust of the flesh and lust of the yes. 1 John 2:16 says for all that is in the world, lust of the flesh, and lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father but is of the world. What is lust of the flesh? It is an evil desire for the things of the flesh or desire for things which are forbidden. The desire doesn’t have to be for sex; it can be for any pleasure. Lust of flesh is a sensual and impure desire. The lust of flesh employs our sense of tasting, smelling, touching and hearing. Examples of lust of flesh are overeating, laziness and slothfulness, fornication, adultery, oral sex ,pornography, online sex, gambling, given to drugs – marijuana, cocaine, heroin e.t.c, homosexuality, homosexuality and so on . Romans 13:14 says but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts there of.

What is the lust of the eyes? It means having an inordinate desire for something that someone sees. The lust of the eyes employs our sense of seeing. It was the lust of the eyes that put Eve Into problem in the Garden of Eden. This also resulted in not only in her spiritual death but the spiritual death of her husband- Adam. The bible records that the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, Genesis 3:16. Watch what you feed your eyes with because the enemy could use it to destroy you. The enemy used the organ of sight to reap Eve of her destiny. Eve who used to live in heaven on earth, now began to live with weed, thorns and wild animals. The end of all lust is untimely death as we see in the case of Ammon. The death may not come physically,it could come financially, spiritually, maritally or materially.

PRAYER POINT: Father, please rid me of carnality.

LEARN ENDURANCE

Memory Verse: If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us, 2 Timothy 2:12.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ex 38, John 17, Prov 14, Phil 1

The new living translation says if we endure hardship, we will reign with him. If we deny him, he will deny us, 2 Timothy 2:12.You will gain nothing by rushing. The reason why many get into trouble today is because of lack of endurance. Eight –five percent of divorces today could have been avoided if only the parties involved in the marriage endured. It is a fact that most of what will last in life does not come easily. Do you know that sometimes the smooth walk we are expecting would not give God glory so He takes us through the rough one so that His holy name will be glorified.

Whether we like it or not, there will be challenges. At times things will not go as planned. Once In a while some of those we depend on would disappoint us. Jesus Christ even said “these things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world (John 16:33)”. The fact that something is getting harder does not mean it will break. The fact that no brother is approaching you to ask for your hand in marriage does not mean you will die single. The fact that you lost your job or lost money in a business venture or things are not going as planned does not mean you should commit suicide. The situation you are in will not kill you but it will only make you stronger.

2 Timothy 2:3 says thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Christ. To fulfill God’s plan and purpose for your life, you need to learn endurance. Failure to learn endurance could lead to permanent destruction. Where God will take you, He will take you. Don’t go and do fraud or involve yourselves in dodgey business dealings all because you want to get rich. Luke 21:19 says in your patience possess your souls. There is time for everything and time needs endurance. Do you know that the reason why God has not giving to you some of the things you have been asking is because He knows that if He gives it to you now , it might destroy you. Don’t go ahead of your time. If you persevere something will good will happen. The fellow who will reign with Christ on earth and in heaven must endure temptations, lack, sufferings, pain e.t.c. Inability to endure can frustrate the plan of God for your plan. What destroyed Gehazi and Judas Iscariot was lack of endurance; they wanted to get rich quick. What almost destroyed the life of David was lack of endurance; he could not endure sexual urge so he took someone’s wife. Inability to endure sexual urge has and is still destroying destinies. The best contraception is abstinence from sex; others fail and most sterilize women.

PRAYER POINT: Father, please help me to endure hardship that I might reign with you in heaven.

WHEN BREAKTHROUGH IS CLOSE

1 Thessalonians 5:17 pray without ceasing.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ex 33, John 12, Prov 9, Eph 2

Ecclesiastes 3:1 says to everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. One question we all ask is how can I tell when my blessing is at the door? I have prayed, fasted, sown seeds, made vows and fulfilled them e.t.c. how can I tell breakthrough is around the corner. I have been asking God for a fruit of the womb, or a life partner or a job or a promotion or a spiritual gift e.t.c, how do I know when I am about to get what I have been asking from God? 

Today we will be looking at two signs that tells you your breakthrough is around the corner. Firstly, an unusual burden to be generous to both God and men. In 2 Kings 4:8-17 is the story of the great Shunem woman and Elisha. This woman had been looking up to God for the fruit of womb for a long time. When her time came, she began to have an unusual desire to give or be generous. She invited the man of God to come in for a meal and that one refused; she did not take no for answer, the bible records that she constrained him to eat bread. This woman could not explain why but there was this deep desire to give, no wonder she took her giving to another level by building a house for the man of God; nine months later she gave birth to a bouncing baby boy. Abraham waited on God for twenty-five years for the promise of a son. When his waiting period was about to be over, he too began to experience an unusual urge to give. He saw three strangers passing by; he ran to them and begged them to come into house for a glass of water. He did not feel comfortable with giving his guests water alone so he prepared food. Something arose in this ninety-nine year old man, and all he wanted to do was just give. We know the end of the story, exactly nine months later Isaac was born. Secondly, an unusual burden to pray. Hannah had been attending Shiloh for years, 1 Samuel 1:4-19. She would go with her family,offer burnt offerings and go back home but this particular year she had an unusual burden to pray. Whilst everyone was eating and drinking, she went into the temple and began to pour her heart unto God. She prayed to the extent even passers-by took notice of her, the man of God first thought she was drunk before he found out that she was praying over a matter. God spoke through the man of God and nine months later her joy was full. When Jesus was about to complete his mission on earth i.e. be crucified, He too had an unusual burden to pray. He began to experience a deep desire to pray; the more He prayed, the more He wanted to pray. He prayed to a point where His sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground, Luke 22:44. Three days later, Jesus successfully completed this task and humanity was saved from the wrath of God. Brethren please do not joke with the urge to pray or do anything for God.

KEYWORD: Once you feel the urge to pray, drop whatever you are doing and just begin to pray if possible in tongue. Many have missed major breakthroughs by ignoring this urge.

OUR SPIRITUAL HEALTH

1 Timothy 4:7 but refuse profane and old wives fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ex 32, John 11, Prov 8, Eph 1

To fulfill God’s plan for our life, we need good health. Deuteronomy 28:13 says the Lord shall make you the head and not the tail. To be the head, good health is required. Leviticus 26:8 says five of you shall chase a hundred, and an hundred shall put ten thousand to flight: and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword.  According to Deuteronomy 32:30, it is possible for a man to chase a thousand and two to put ten thousand to flight. Only a healthy man can challenge the enemy talk less of chasing a thousand of them. To pass that exams and graduate with good grades, you need good health. To start that project you have been talking about, you need good health. To complete it, you need good health. To be a Christian husband i.e. a man that provides for his family (1 Timothy 5:8), you need good health because only a healthy man can work very hard to cater for the needs of his family. To be a virtuous woman i.e. a woman that rises at least an hour before her household to prepare breakfast (Proverbs 31:15), you need good health. To achieve anything in life, good health is required. This is why the elders will always say ‘health is wealth’. Only the healthy can eat the fruit of their labour. This is why we all need to take the issue of our health very serious. Let’s cut down on sugar, drink more water. Do you know that 85 percent of headaches we suffer is as a result of lack of water in the body? No wonder they say ‘water is life’. Eat more vegetables, cut down on greasy foods and fizzy drinks / soft drinks. I read an article which said it is a fact that soft drink causes 180,000 deaths per year – 133,000 diabetes deaths and 44,000 deaths due to cardiovascular disease and 6,000 cancer deaths. We will not lose you to untimely death but please take good care of yourself and exercise.

Our physical health is important but our spiritual health is more important. John 6:63 says it is the spirit that quickeneth i.e. it is the spirit that gives life to our physical body. Just as we grow lean when we do not eat due to fasting, we grow lean spiritually when we do not eat our spiritual food. Just as our physical strength diminishes when do not eat for a long period of time, our spiritual strength diminishes too when do not feed spiritually for a long period of time. Just as our physical brain will shut down if we do not eat for a very long period of time, our spiritual brain shuts down when we do not feed spiritually for a very long period of time. There are many brethren who look physically ok but are spiritually gaunt i.e. they are thin and bony spiritually. What is this spiritual food? The word of God. Jesus Christ says in Matthew 4:4 ,’but It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.’ The word of God is not only a spiritual food but medicine to your physical flesh. According to Proverbs 4:20 &22, the word of God is health to the flesh. Not only that, it is a medicine for the soul. Psalm 107:20 says He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction.

ACTION POINT: Begin to feed on the word of God.Read your bible more so that you will not be spiritually guant

DON’T STOP BECAUSE THERE IS A REWARD

Exodus 2:17 and the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.

 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ex 31, John 10, Prov 7, Gal 6

 

BIBLE STUDIES: Exodus 2:11-21

 

There is nothing as discouraging as an individual who does not appreciate a helping hand especially when you go out of your way to render the help. If the individual now repays your good deed with bad deed, you will be disgusted. This was the case of Moses. He was walking around minding his own business when he noticed an Egyptian mercilessly beating up a Hebrew boy. Out of pity he rushed to help this Hebrew boy. One thing led to another before you know it, the Egyptian fell and died. He buried the Egyptian and went on his way. The next day while passing by, he saw two Hebrew boys fighting. He approached the fellow at fault and appealed to him to stop hitting his brother and that one started to insult him. He even reminded him of the Egyptian he killed the day before and began to sarcastically beg him not to kill him like he killed the Egyptian. When Moses heard this he was very sad. He thought it was going to end there but it did not; these men informed Pharaoh and that one began to look for Moses to kill him. Moses had no choice than to run away. Moses got himself into trouble because he helped a Hebrew boy (his brother) who was about to be beaten to death by an Egyptian. This boy instead of thanking Moses for saving his life started spreading a rumor that Moses was a killer. The men of Israel instead of commending Moses for saving a Hebrew boy from death, went straight to report him to Pharaoh. Moses lost all he had as a result of this. He was a prince in Egypt, actually the theologians said he was next in line to the throne of Pharaoh but he lost all of this because he  rendered  help to a fellow Hebrew. He lost contact to his beloved mother and family, not only that he became a vagabond and a wanderer in the deserts. While he was wandering in the deserts, he saw some shepherds acting wickedly to some ladies. He defended these ladies and helped them get water from the well. Before the end of that day, God provided a house and a wife for Moses.

 

Today I want to admonish you that whatever good thing you are doing, please do not stop because there is a reward for it. People might not appreciate you. They may even repay evil for the good you have done to them like Moses but don’t stop doing good. Moses like anyone of us could have sworn never to render any help again in his life but he did not. Despite all he suffered, when another opportunity to render help came, instead of refusing to help he rendered help and the Lord rewarded him right on the spot. Don’t let the enemy convince you stop doing good. Thank God Moses did not get tired of doing good and quit been a good person. In your last relationship, people might have taken advantage of your kind heart, please do not grow a tough skin and become mean to people. Continue with your kind heart, the Lord that rewards people with a kind heart will reward you in Jesus name.

 

PRAYER POINT: Father, give me the grace to continue to do good even people repay it with evil.

WHO IS A BORN AGAIN SERIES Pt1

MEMORY VERSE: Ezekiel 11:19 – then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ex 20, John 9, Prov 6, Gal 5

The fact that a fellow does not commit fornication or adultery does not make him a born again. The fact that an individual is the first to get to church and the last to leave does not make him a born again. The fact that a brother can quote the bible does not make him a born again, after all Satan knows the bible off heart and he quotes them too. In Matthew 4:1-11, we see him quote Psalms 91:11-12 – he shall give His angles charge over you and in their hands they shall bear you up lest you dash your feet against a stone. Miracles are not a proof that a man is a man of God. Simon the sorcerer performed great miracles that astonished the people of Samaria in Acts 8:9. The fact that a sister speaks in tongue does not mean she is born again. Demons speak in tongues and as a matter of fact, the donkey of Balaam spoke too, Numbers 22:28-30

After a man is born again, He becomes a new creature. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says old things will pass away i.e. old ways of life and all things become new. Before this happens a process needs to take place. Ezekiel 11:19 say then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh. A born again has one heart i.e. a heart that is one with Christ ;a heart that reasons the way Christ reasons; a heart that loves what Christ loves and hates what Christ hates. That is why it is impossible to be a born again Christian and still abhor hatred towards people. Once Christ enters a life there is no more room for hatred because Christ is love (1 John 4:8), and love always cancels out hatred. A born again brother or sister who is full of love will love evangelism. How can you and i claim that we sincerely love a brother or sister, we see them going to hell and we pretend as if all is well? Or we have friends , family or children who are yet to give their life to Christ and we are comfortable with that.If we sincerely love them, we will witness to them and do follow-up. One heart also means a sincere and upright heart not a divided heart. It is this heart that makes one a child of God. When you see an individual with one heart, his faith in God is genuine, his hope is devoid of hypocrisy and his love is without deception. He loves God not because of what He will receive from God but because He is God. A fellow with one heart has his affections and desires towards God. Not only that, He is subject to the will of God. The fellow with one heart is sincere to both God and man. That is why you will never see a born again flattering people or telling a lie. Do you know that people with one heart with God forgives and show mercy? They do because our God is God of mercy. 

PRAYER POINT: Father, please give me a heart that is one with Jesus.

FEAR: A LIMITER

Proverbs 29:25 The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe. 

 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ex 22, John 1, Job 40, 2 Cor 10

 

Anyone who will possess his or her possession in Christ must first deal with fear. Not only that, anyone who will reach the top must deal with fear. One of the tools the enemy has been using to keep the children of God at the same position year after year Is fear. Proverbs 29:25 says that the fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe. Despite all the measures God put in place to protect Job, he managed to get himself into trouble by engaging in fearful thoughts. Job himself said for the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me, Job 3:25. There are many who the fear of witches and wizards have prevented from making progress. They believe if they make any progress, the enemy will come after them. Have you forgotten the bible says that greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world, 1 John 4:4? According to Luke 10:19, He has given you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

 

To realize one’s potential in Christ, there are two types of fear we need to deal with. Firstly – Fear of failure. This was what hindered eleven of the twelve disciples of Jesus from walking on water. Everything was set for them; Jesus himself was on the water. All they needed to do was take a step of faith out of the boat but they did not because of the fear of failure. The fear of what if robbed them of their opportunities. The next time the enemy tells you what if you fail, reply him and say what if I don’t fail or what if i succeed. Secondly – fear of responsibility. From the story of Gideon, we will notice that he was born a great man. According to the register in heaven he was a mighty man. That was why the angel asked him to go in his might to deliver his nation from the hand of the Midianites, Judges 6:4. The fact that he was the last born of his father had nothing to do with his divine assignment. He was just using it as an excuse to run away from the responsibility of leading his nation to victory. The fear of responsibilities has robbed many of great future. People suffering from the fear of responsibilities are easy to know, anytime they are sharing duties in the church you will see them running away or giving excuses. The reason why many do not want to work in the vine yard of God is because of fear of responsibilities. The question is how can you become what God has created you to be without taking responsibilities. The higher you go, the more the responsibilities. Until we deal with these fears, we will remain at the position.

 

PRAYER POINT: Father, please uproot the root of fear in me today.

FOR WHO?

Proverbs 11:17 the merciful man doeth good to his own soul: but he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ex 18, Luke 21, Job 36, 2 Cor 6

Ecclesiastes 9:10a says whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might. Why do we have to do everything with our might? It is because whatever we do, we are doing it for ourselves. When you give a cup of water to a thirsty fellow, you are only preparing a cup of water for yourself in the day you will be thirsty. Proverbs 11:25 says he that waters shall be watered also himself. When the bible talks of been diligent, it is not because God hates us or dislikes seeing us having fun. It is because He wants us to make it to the top. God is not interested in sitting before kings as a matter of fact; it is kings that beg to sit before Him. It is me and you that needs to sit before kings, this is why He admonishes us to be diligent. 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 diligent will sit before kings, if you are diligent and you are yet to sit before kings I can assure you it will happen soon. The diligent will not only sit before kings, they will rule. Proverbs 12:24 says the hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute. So if you are diligent, you are doing it for yourself and if you are not well start today.

When you show mercy, you are not doing it for the other party but for your own self. Proverbs 11:17 the merciful man doeth good to his own soul: but he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh. When you decide not to forgive because you are hurt, you are only inviting tormentors. The bible says love your neighbor as yourself, Mark 12:31. Many consider it robbery and unfair to love their neighbor as themselves. When you love your neighbor as yourself, it is for your own good. Why? Galatians 5:6 says faith works by love. Faith without love is the equivalent of unbelief or doubt.  Hebrews 11:6 says without faith it is impossible to please God. When the bible talks of living a life of holiness, it is for your sake. 1 Thessalonians 4:7 says for God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. The main reason why we have to live holy is so that we can see God after death. Hebrews 12:14 says follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. Whatever you do for God, it is for your sake. When you join the sanctuary cleaners or workers in the church, to you it might seem as if you are helping the church but in all sincerity it is for your sake and good. What you do is what you will get rewarded for. You can not be a bench warmer in the vine yard of God and expect the reward of a worker. You cannot be serving in the vine yard of God with a carefree attitude and expect the reward of those that are diligent. God does not work that way. When they say come to weekly services, it is not because of offerings it is because of your own good. Everything we do is a seed and whether we like it or not, the seed will grow.

KEYWORD: EVERYTHING WE DO IS A SEED.

THE TURNING POINT Pt3 – UNFORGIVENESS AND TORMENTORS

Matthew 18:34-35 and his master was very angry, and delivered him to the tormentors until he should pay all that was due to him .so My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ex 16, Luke 19, Job 34, 2 Cor 4
BIBLE STUDIES:  Matthew 18:23 -35
In our bible studies is a parable we all know. A servant owed his master ten thousand talents (around six hundred thousand dollars in modern day currency).When the master called him to pay up; he could not so the master commanded that everything belonging to him should be sold including his wife and children. This man begged for mercy and his master forgave all his debt. Another servant owed this servant (the fellow whose debt was forgiven) a hundred denarii (around 0.05 cents). Since that one could not pay up he threw him into jail despite all the pleas and begs for mercy. The master of this servant heard the wicked thing he had done and cast him into jail for the tormentors to deal with him. Because this wicked servant refused to forgive, tormentors began to torture him.  
To experience a positive turning point, forgiveness is highly essential. Unforgiveness is a prevalent plague that causes unnecessary pain to people, even God’s people. The reason why many find it difficult to forgive is the presence of the spirit of unforgiveness. The enemy has been using this spirit to rob many of their joy, peace, progress, breakthrough to mention a few. When an individual refuses to forgive he begins to suffer from resentment, contention, strife and rejection. Not only that, he begins to experience intimidation and condemnation. According to Luke 11:24 -26, when an evil spirit is in a life, he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and the last state of that man is worse than the first. When the spirit of unforgiveness is present in a life , he brings no less than thirty three other demons some which are hate, anger/rage , vendetta, lying spirit, blindness, deafness, loneliness, addictions, illness ,rejection, abandonment, un-correctability, un-mercifulness, discontentment, contempt, coveting, hoarding, animosity, accusation to mention a few. These demons are known as tormentors. Sometimes they will bring unnecessary fear or anger or hatred without cause. When you chose not to forgive you give room to hate, anger, loneliness, abandonment e.t.c. By refusing to forgive, you turn your life to a habitation for tormentors. The question is how can a man experience a positive turning point when under mercy of the spirit of tormentors? Today I want to appeal you, regardless of what people have done to wrong you; they may not deserve your forgiveness but for your own mental health and for you to rid yourself of the spirit of tormentors please forgive. You may have been raped or abused as a child or let down or disappointed or taken advantage of. The only way to get rid of the anger or hatred or the spirit of tormentors is forgiveness.
 PRAYER POINT: Father, please rid me of the spirit of unforgiveness.

THE TURNING POINT Pt2

James 1:22 but be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ex 15, Luke 18, Job 33, 2 Cor 3

In part 1 of these series, we defined a turning point as the point at which everything changes either for good or bad. There are three major things that mark the beginning of every turning point in a man’s life. Firstly, what he hears. What a man hears can either make him happy or sad. It can either motivate him or de-motivate him. It can either propel him forward or drive him backwards. Secondly, how he responds to what he has heard. Today we will be looking at the different types of responses and their results.

 James 1:22 says be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 
There are three types of responses. The first type of response is no response. An example of this is found in Matthew 14:22-33. A major turning point was about to take place in the life of the disciples of Jesus. Prior to that day, no man had ever walked on water. The twelve of them heard Jesus say ‘come’ but eleven of them decided to remain in the boat. Heaven had already initiated their turning point but they decided not to respond at all. Since there was no response, there was no turning point. They remained at the level they were, sadly they never had the opportunity again. The second type of response is opposite or negative response. An example of this is found in the life of Uzziah, 2 Chronicles 26:16-21. Uzziah prospered in everything he laid his hands on. One day he decided to go and burn incense on the altar of incense which was improper for kings. On his way, Azariah and eighty other priests of God met him and appealed to the king not to burn incense on the altar of incense. The king did the exact opposite of what he was told and right in the temple he became a leper. A turning point was also initiated in the life of Uzziah; he heard and did the complete opposite. Uzziah became the first king in Israel to become a leper. The third type of response is positive response. An example of this is found in the life of Isaac, Genesis 26:1-13. There was famine in the land and Isaac decided to go to Egypt. The Lord told him not to go and he responded positively by staying in Gerar. Whilst in Gerar, the Lord made him so prosperous to the extent that a whole nation envied him. Isaac heard and he responded positively to what he heard. Mark 4:24 says And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given. Thirdly, the outcome of his response. If a man responds positively to what he has heard, he will experience a positive outcome which leads to a positive turning point. The question is what are your responses to what you have heard? You have heard that smoking is bad for your health, what is your response? You have heard that when you pay your tithes the Lord opens the window of heaven and rebuke the devourers on your behalf, what is your response?

PRAYER POINT: Father, give me the grace to respond positively to everything I have heard and will hear from you.

REWARDS OF HOSPITALITY PART 2

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Ex 10, Luke 13, Job 28, 1 Cor 18
Hebrews 13:2 says be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
BIBLE VERSES: 2 Kings 8:1-6
In part 1 of these series, we discussed about one of the rewards of hospitality. In 2 Kings 4:8-17 is the story of the great Shunamite woman and Elisha. This woman took it upon herself to host the man of God every time he passed by. After a while she took her hospitality to another level by making a small upper room on the wall for Elisha so that he can also spend the night. Unknown to this woman, the God of Elisha was taking note of all these. Few weeks before a major famine broke out in Israel, the Lord sent Elisha to inform this woman that there was going to be famine in the land for seven years and she needed to leave, 2 Kings 8:1-6. She obeyed the man of God and moved to Philistine. This was how God fed her during famine. When she came back after the famine, the Lord ensured that everything that belonged to her was giving back to her. All the produce from her land for the last seven years was giving back to her all because the God of Elisha decided to repay her back for her hospitalities.
Sometimes back I had challenges at work and was out of work for almost three months. During this period, I could not keep up with some bill payments. One morning I received a letter giving me ten working days to pay a particular bill or face court action. I turned to God and began to cry to Him. The tenth working day fell on a Friday and failure to pay the bill by 3pm the next Monday would automatically result in court action. The Sunday before the Monday, a particular brother who had been promising to visit visited me. When he arrived, I went to make him a cup of tea as it was very cold. I could have offered him some hot snacks too but I had none at home and had no money to buy any. To make matters worse, I had an almost empty can of milk to make tea with. As I was about to add part of the little milk left to the tea, the Holy Spirit nudged me to add all the milk in the can. The question is if I use all the milk (little milk) in the can to make tea for him, where will I get milk for my tea? I obeyed and decided not to drink tea. The brother enjoyed the tea and we chatted. When he was about to leave, he handed me some notes. I thanked him, we prayed and he left. Later when I checked, the money he gave to me not only covered the bill but was enough to get myself some snacks and at least two cans of milk. As we discussed yesterday, at times opportunities to practice hospitality precedes a breakthrough. The opportunity to host this brother preceded the answer to my prayer request. Not only that, God used that little cup of tea to provide for me during famine.
KEY WORD: Hospitality feeds during famine.

REWARDS OF HOSPITALITY PART 1

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Ex 9, Luke 12, Job 27, 1 Cor 13
Hebrews 13:2 says be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares
When we talk of success keys, we mention things like diligence, vision, goal setting, patience, e.t.c. One key you never hear people talk about is hospitality.  The truth of the matter is a fellow who is good at hospitality stands a better chance of reaching the top before a hardworking fellow. The bible says a man’s gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men, Proverbs 18:16. Revelations 3:20 says behold I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him and will sup with him, and he with me. The question is why will Jesus stand at the door and knock if not that He yearns for hospitality? I pray the Lord will open our eyes in Jesus name.
Hebrews 13:2 says be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Asides from the fact that you stand a very good chance of entertaining angels when you host people; there are others rewards for practicing hospitality. When you search through the scriptures, you will find out that an opportunity to host guests precedes major breakthroughs. The opportunity to host four thousand men not counting women and children with seven bread and a few little fish preceded the breakthrough of seven large baskets of breads and fish, Matthew 15:32-39.  The opportunity to host men of God also precedes major breakthrough. When I said men of God, I am referring to all ministers of gospel, all children of God – both men and women. I am not talking of people who preach A and do B, I am talking of real children of God. In 2 Kings 4:8-17 is the story of the great Shunamite woman. She was very wealthy but had no child and to make matters worse her husband was very old. An opportunity to host a prophet preceded her breakthrough. She started by inviting the man of God for lunch from time to time. She took her hospitality to new level by making a small upper room on the wall for the man of God to rest after eating lunch. One day while Elisha was sitting in the room she made, he called her and asked her for what she wanted. Nine months later, she became the mother of a baby boy. The widow of Zarapheth had been crying to God for provisions during the famine but nothing seems to be happening, 2 Kings 17:8-16. The more she cried, the more her situation got worse because her food supplies kept on going down. An opportunity to host a man of God with her last meal presented itself. She took the opportunity and what was meant to be her last meal became the first of many. Abraham and Sarah waited patiently for twenty five years for the promise of a child. They did everything they knew how to do but there was no result. They must have prayed, fasted, sown special seeds and nothing seems to be happening. On a faithful day, an opportunity to host three strangers presented itself. As they would normally do, they welcomed and fed them. They took very good care of them .Unknown to them, right in there living room was the Most High God sitted and enjoying their hospitality, Genesis 18:1-18. A month later Sarah conceived and nine months later, the promise of a male child materialized.
PRAYER POINT: Father, please open my eyes so I will not miss the opportunity that will precede my long awaited breakthrough

SPIRITUALITY VS CARNALITY

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Ex 7, Luke 10, Job 24, 1 Cor 11
Romans 8:6 for to be carnally minded is death: but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
BIBLE STUDIES: GENESIS 19:1-12
In our bible studies, we read an account of a man who paid dearly for choosing carnality over spirituality. Lot was a man who had the knowledge of God. He knew there was a God because he must have watched his cousin- Abram offer sacrifices to God. In the life of Abram, he must have seen evidences that it pays to serve God. He saw how Abram profited greatly from been spiritual. The bible says God is a Spirit and those who worship Him must do so in spirit and in truth, John 4:24. Lot himself profited from Abram’s spiritual walk with God because he started with nothing and became wealthy in the process. When the time came for Lot to choose between spirituality and carnality, he chose carnality because of what it offered; Sodom represented carnality. The bible records that he lifted up his eyes and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere, before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar, Genesis 13:10. Lot been aware of the evil practices in Sodom chose Sodom for what it offered. Sodom offered wealth, prestige, fame just to mention a few. In Sodom he prospered; he was made the judge, he was even given a sit at the gate. The family prospered greatly from doing business with the inhabitants of Sodom.
Many of us today are like Lot. We know what the Lord expects. We know He hates sin with a passion. We know Romans 8:6 by heart, to be carnally minded is death: but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Yet because of what Sodom offers we choose carnality over spirituality. Because we want to be accepted amongst friends and family we choose carnality. So that people will not say we are too spiritual or make fun of us, we choose carnality. Because of the extra profits and benefits, the friends and connections, the fame and prestige, we choose carnality over spirituality. There is one end for carnality and it is death. The question is what are the practices at work, school or in business that God disapproves of but brings extra profit and extra favor with man? Despite the fact that Lot was fully aware of the abominable things that were going on in Sodom, he remained there. The Lord’s judgment came on Sodom and Lot lost all. Whether we like it or not, a day is coming when the son of man will return like a thief in the night. I pray that we will not lose all in Jesus name.  It does not matter what any practices offer, as far as it feeds carnality please depart from it. Been spiritually minded may not bring a huge network of friends; it brings peace and eternal life.
PRAYER POINT: Father, open my eyes to see myself as You see me.

I SHALL BE THE HEAD PT4

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Ex 4, Luke 7, Job 21, 1 Cor 8

Deuteronomy 28:13 and the Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the Lord thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them.

The head is the most important part of the body. When the Lord promises to make you the head, what it simply means is you will be the most important person around. It also means you will be indispensible. The tail on the other hand is so useless that the Lord did not even bother giving it to man. Inside the head are two eyes. There is a reason for two eyes. Ecclesiastes 4:9 says two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. If one of the eyes is bad, the other can be used for vision. Another reason is that the second eye can confirm what the first eye has seen .Matthew 18:20 says out of the mouth of two or three the truth shall be established. The head is responsible for vision. According to Proverbs 29:18 where there is no vision, death is imminent.

Also in the head are two ears. There is a reason for two ears but I will touch that later. The ears are very important because Romans 10:17 says faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. What the head hears determines what will happen to the body. What the ear hears determines whether the body will be happy or not. As the head what are you hearing? There are many who are well informed when it comes to news and current affairs. They hear what the doctors have to say; they hear what the economist have to forecast; they hear what the news reporters have to report; they even listen to what the experts have to say about their situation but they have not taken time to check what the word of God is saying. Maybe I should take this opportunity to tell you that no matter what you are going through all will be well. How do I know this? Well the word of God says tell the righteous it shall be well with them,Isaiah 3:10. If you are righteous, be rest assured all will be well. What the head hears also determines the future of the body. How does one get a woman to marry him? It is not by looking at her and smiling. It is by saying things into the woman’s ear. What she hears will inform her decision to either agree or disagree to be your wife. To be head means I will hear the world of God that will increase my faith. It also means I will be hearing what God has to say. Revelations 2:7 says he that hath an ear, let him hear what the spirit saith unto the churches. Even if what God has to say is a rebuke, as the head you should be ready to hear that. Ecclesiastes 7:5 says it is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools. There is no one living who has no faults. We see the back of head of everyone; we need people to see the back of our heads too. We see the faults of others; we need others to see our faults too. As leaders we should be ready to listen when been corrected.

KEY WORD: I shall be the head simply means I will I hear the word of God that will increase my faith. Not only that I will be ready to hear what God has to say even if it is a rebuke.

I SHALL BE THE HEAD PT3

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Ex 3, Luke 6, Job 20, 1 Cor 7

Deuteronomy 28:13 and the Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the Lord thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them.

The head is the most important part of the body. The head simply means the leader, captain; one in charge e.t.c. The head bears a lot of responsibility because inside the head is the brain responsible for making decisions. Inside the head are two eyes. For the head to function properly, it needs good eyes. Luke 11:34 says the light of the body is the eye; therefore when thine is single, thy whole body is full of light. Without good eyes, the whole body will be in darkness. Matthew 6:23 says if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. The eye is an organ of vision. Therefore the head is responsible for vision. Proverbs 29:18 says where there is no vision, the people perish. When we talk of vision, we mean spiritual vision i.e. seeing things the way God will sees them. The question is how does God see sin? He sees all sins as sin , there is no big sin or small sin ; all sins are sin. To be head means I will see sin as a sin i.e. I will see a lie as a sin not a white lie or blue lie. How does God see commitment to Him? Revelations 3:15 says I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. To God you either cold or hot, lukewarmness is an abomination to Him. To be the head means I will be very hot for the Lord. Spiritual vision also means following after the direction of God. To be the head means I will guide the people aright i.e. in the way of righteousness. When you say I shall be the head, what you are saying is that I will lead people in the part of righteousness.

There are several advantages of having a good vision or seeing things the way God sees them. One of it is one begins to see his or herself surrounded by opportunities. In 2 Kings 4:1-7 is the story of a woman in big debt. She had a small jar of oil and was surrounded by people with empty vessels. She was surrounded by opportunities but could not see it. She ran to the man of God and that one asked her what she had. She said she had nothing except a jar of oil. Because the man of God could see, he told her she was surrounded with vast number opportunities i.e. there are other people around her with empty vessels. He told her to go and borrow the empty vessels and pour her oil in them; their poverty will make her rich. An individual who sees things the way God sees them will see the need of the people around and from the need of the people become prosperous. The individual will see a need for a service or goods around him, and from providing the goods or service he will become rich. Another advantage is one begins to see a way where there is no way. When the children of Israel saw Goliath, they saw an unbeatable champion, 1 Samuel 17:20-58. Actually they saw challenging Goliath to a fight as suicide. When David came to the scene, he not only saw that Goliath was beatable,he saw that his head could actually be severed from his body too. He aimed at his unprotected skull and immediately Goliath fell, he took his huge sword and cut off his head.

KEY WORD: I shall be the head simply means I will begin to see things as God sees them not as men see them.It also means i will lead people in the path of righteousness.

LOOKS CAN BE DECEPTIVE

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Gen 46, Mark 16, Job 12, Romans 16

 Genesis 13:10 and Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan that it was well watered everywhere, before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah , even as the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar

BIBLE STUDIES: Genesis 13:6-15

There was a big strife between herdsmen of Lot and Abram over wells and pastures. This strife began to affect the relationship between Lot and his cousin – Abram. Abram suggested to his cousin that they separate and Lot should pick a portion of land. When Lot wanted to pick, he employed his eyes instead of God. He relied on his physical vision and common sense to make a life changing decision. The bible records that he lifted up his eye and beheld all he plain of Jordan that it was well watered everywhere. He made his decision based on what he saw – a well watered land not what he heard from God. His wants played a major role in the decision he made that day. Despite the fact that he was aware of the ways and lifestyles of the inhabitants of Sodom, he remained in Sodom because of business. The family of Lot profited a lot from doing business with the people of Sodom.They made him their judge and gave him a seat at the city gate. Lot’s priorities hinged on worldly gains not heavenly gains.

Shortly after he moved to Sodom, another king waged war against Sodom and took him captive, Genesis 14:1- end. God used Abram to deliver him. The next thing that happened was he got into a bigger trouble and began to exchange his daughters for peace. The men of Sodom tried to molest his guests. To protect them, he had to offer his daughters to them for the peace and safety of his guests, Genesis 19:4-8. On the same day, the judgment of the Lord came on the Sodom and he had to run for his dear life. Lot did not know peace in Sodom as he jumped from one problem to another. It was in this process that he lost all he had and his precious wife. He went to Sodom with thousands of cattle, sheep, goat and servants but he left Sodom with nothing. Before you know it, Lot became a drunkard. From that day onward the bible had nothing to say about Lot again. Abram on the other hand waited on the Lord and chose according to God’s plan for his life. He went on to become the father of nations. Today many singles marry based on looks. The ladies want a tall, black and handsome man with a good job. The men want a woman with a perfect figure. Many enter relationships based on what they can get from the relationships not what they have to offer. Financial or material gains should not be a deciding factor when it comes to making a decision. Do not do things because everyone is doing it. What decided the end of Abram and Lot were factors that informed their decisions.

ACTION POINT: Let God inform every decision you make not your wants or looks.

BAD DREAMS, NIGHTMARES AND EVIL PROPHESIES

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Gen 45, Mark 15, Job 11, Romans 15

Genesis 37:10 and he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said to him, what is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down to thee to the earth?

BIBLE STUDIES: Genesis 37:9-11

In Genesis 37:9-11 is a story we all know. Joseph stood before his father and brethren to tell them about a dream he had. In the dream, he saw the sun, the moon and eleven stars paying obeisance to him meaning his father and brothers were going to be his servants. Immediately Jacob heard this dream, he did something very interesting. Firstly he rebuked Joseph and rejected the dream; secondly he took note of the dream. This man did not wait for any pastor to come and reject the dream, right in the presence of Joseph he rejected the dream i.e. he refused to be a servant. The brothers instead of rejecting the bad dream they got angry at Joseph and his dream.

What do I do when I have nightmares or evil dreams? What do I when I get evil prophecies that something terrible is going to happen to me? The first thing you do is reject it. Immediately Jacob heard the dream, he rejected the dream. When you have a bad dream, immediately you wake up before talking to anyone reject the bad dream. If anyone comes to tell you of any bad dream or give you evil prophesy, right in their presence reject it. Numbers 14:28 says say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the Lord, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you. It is what you say in God’s ear that He will do. Let God hear you say ‘that evil dream or vision is not my portion’. In His hearing, reject that evil prophesy, dream or vision they saw about you. In His hearing, reject the vision or dream of death, failure or loss. The mistake many make today is once they have a bad dream or hear an evil prophesy or hear that something terrible will happen to them or their loved ones, they begin to panic and cry. Instead of rejecting the dream or vision they accept it, and unconsciously begin to expect it to happen. Brethren, it is what you expect that will come to pass. Proverbs 23:18 says your expectation shall not be cut off. Stop expecting evil prophesy or bad dreams to come to pass. Reject them immediately you hear them. The next thing Jacob did was he took note of the dream. He took note of the dream so as to put measures in place to ensure that the evil dream will not come to pass in his life. Take note of those evil prophesy and bad dreams; start praying and fasting. Ask the Lord to bring every counsel of the enemy to nothing over your life. The brothers of Joseph of accepted the dream and began to get angry at Joseph and his dream. By the time we get to Genesis 50:18, we see them bowing with their face to the earth begging to be Joseph’s servant. Jacob on the other rejected the dream, took note of it so as to pray.By the time we get to Genesis 47:10 we see Pharaoh (the most powerful man in the world at that time) bowing down to Jacob for prayers.

ACTION POINT: Reject every evil prophesy, vision, dream about you.