TAKING ADVANTAGE OF OPPORTUNITY

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Gen 44, Mark 14, Job 10, Romans 14

Ephesians 5:16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil

Our life is a sum total of what we have done with opportunities that have come our way. Opportunities are chances for progress or advancement. To succeed in life, one needs opportunities even if it is one. What a man will become will be determined by how he takes the opportunities that comes his way. The amount of souls you won for Christ last year is a function of how you took the opportunity to witness. The amount of souls you will win for Christ this year is dependent on how you to take the opportunities to evangelize. A man’s achievement is a sum total of what he has done with the opportunities he had in life.

Firstly, to take advantage of an opportunity you must be able to recognize the opportunity. In Matthew 14:22-33 is a story we all know. There were twelve disciples in the boat. They were all faced with the same challenges. They all saw a figure walking on the sea and panicked. Jesus told them all to fear not. At the end He said ‘come’; Peter got out of the boat and walked towards Jesus while others watched. A once in a life time opportunity presented itself to these disciples to do something no man had ever done before which was walk on water. Eleven out of the twelve disciples saw the wind not the opportunity. Peter on the other hand saw the opportunity not the wind. Secondly, you need power to take advantage of an opportunity. Power is defined as the ability or capacity to do work or exercise control. The man at the pool of Bethesda saw thirty-eight opportunities to receive his healing but could not take advantage of it because he lacked power, John 5:1-16. Every time the angel of the Lord came to stir the water, someone stronger and more powerful gets into the pool before him. Acts 1:8 says and ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto me. A witness is someone who provides evidence. Once power comes taking advantage of opportunities becomes easy.As you take advantage of these opportunities, signs and wonders will begin to happen. Healing, miracle, progress, open heavens will begin to take place. This are the evidences that you will provide when you witness to people about Jesus.The Psalmist says in Psalm 62:11, God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God. The only who gives real power is God, the one the devil gives is counterfeit!

PRAYER POINT: Father, fill me your power today.

DON’T TAKE IT FOR GRANTED

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Gen 42, Mark 12, Job 8, Romans 12

Mark 6:3 is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us? And they were offended at him

Bible studies: Mark 6:1-6

Mighty signs and wonders were happening in the ministry of Jesus. Everywhere He went to preach, people received major miracles. One day He decided to visit His own country to bless them, heal their sick, raise their dead, perform mighty signs and wonders, fellowship with them and spend a nice time with them. When He got there, He could not heal them or render much assistance because of their unbelief. Instead of exercising their faith they began to doubt and look down on Him. They said ‘is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us? And they were offended at him, Mark 6:3. Because they knew the family of Jesus, they took Him granted. Because Jesus grew among them instead of taking Him as a prophet, they took him as the son of an ordinary carpenter. They did not even listen to Him and because of this they missed out on their blessings. They took the relationship they had with Jesus for granted and they missed out on the benefits of that relationship. The relationship that could have resulted in having unlimited access to Jesus was taken for granted. Because they took the relationship and visit for granted, the bible did not record Jesus going back to His country again after that incident. People who take their relationship with people for granted end up not benefiting from that relationship. Do not take your husband or wife for granted. There are many single who crying to God day and night for a husband or wife. Do not take your children for granted. Do not take your Pastors for granted. Do not take your friends for granted. There are people who are looking for a shoulder to cry on and there is none. If you have people who care about you and call you from time to time to check on you ,please do not take them for granted.

Judas Iscariot did not value the opportunity to be the disciple of Jesus so he exchanged Him for thirty pieces of silver, Matthew 27:3. At the end he regretted and committed suicide. People who take opportunities for granted lose them. Maximizing the benefits you can get from a relationship will be impossible if you take it for granted. Please never take anything for granted. Thank God for everything you own. Please do not take your spiritual gifts or your advantage for granted. I know of a sister who did dry fasting for fourteen days for the gift of speaking tongues, if you speak in tongues don’t take it for granted. Do not take your employment for granted, there are people who will do anything to get a job. Do not even take your freedom and liberty for granted, there are many innocent people in the prison.1 Thessalonian 5:18 says in everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ concerning you. You might be looking to God for one thing or other, thank God for the gift of Life because only the living has needs.

KEY WORD: Opportunities taken for granted are lost. Benefiting from a relationship taking for granted is impossible.

WATER TO WINE PART 1

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Gen 38, Mark 8, Job 4, Romans 8

John 2:3 and when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, they have no wine.

Bible studies: John 2:1-11

Water is a symbol of calamities and challenges. Isaiah 43:2 says when thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee. Wine on other wine is a symbol of potency, joy, celebration, bounty, banqueting e.t.c. Isaiah 25:6 says in this mountain shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full or marrow, of wines on the lees well refined. The summary of the story in John 2:1-11 is Jesus turned calamities and challenges to joy and celebration.

I have heard many Christians argue that there is nothing wrong in consuming alcohol, after all Jesus turned water to wine. They will round it up with 1 Timothy 5:23 where Paul advises Timothy to take little wine for his stomach problems. In Proverbs 31:4 -5, we see the mother of a King –to- be advising her son that it is not for kings to drink wine ,lest they drink and forget the law, and pervert the justice of all the afflicted. One thing I know for sure is that Jesus did not and will never offer wines that will cause people to forget the law and the wine Paul referred to was not the type that helps pervert the justice of all the afflicted. There is nothing wrong in consuming fruit wines but wines containing alcohol even 0.5 percent is not to be touched by believers. Proverbs 23:29 -30 says who hath woe? Who hath sorrow? Who hath contentions? Who hath babbling? Who hath wounds without cause? Who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. Proverbs 20:1 says wine is a mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise. Isaiah 5:11 says woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them! Not only that our body is the temple of the living God not a beer pub or alcohol storage facility. The organizers of the wedding at Cana in Galilee did one very wise thing; they invited Jesus to the wedding. One thing the devil hate is joy. He hates to see celebration and shouts of joy. That is why you would never see the devil around places where they are always shouting Hallelujah! He hates that word with a passion. The wedding planners planned the wedding to the best of their abilities but they still invited Jesus just in case. The One who can turn water into wine is Jesus. He only can turn challenges into celebrations. You may have had it all planned up, you have put measures into place, you have done all that needs to be done, dotted all the I's and crossed all the T's ,despite all that you still need Jesus. He only can keep the devil away or turn situations around. You may have everything in the world; once Jesus is missing you have nothing. Accept Jesus as your personal Lord and savior today and begin to enjoy a life full of celebrations.

KEY WORD: The only One who can turn water to wine is Jesus.

ACCEPTABLE SERVICES

 BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Gen 23, Matt 22, Neh 12, Acts 22

Isaiah 40:31 but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint

To wait on God means to serve at God’s table. After waiting on Him to His satisfaction, He gives a tip. The tip is He renews the strength of those that wait on Him. Not only that, He ensures that they mount up with wings as eagles; He also ensures that tiredness or weariness would be a strange word to them. When strength is renewed prospering – spiritually, mentally, financially e.t.c becomes easy. Mounting up with wings as eagle simply means achieving or making progress without stress. The tip He gives to those who wait at His table is basically He helps them prosper without stress. Proverbs 10:22 says the blessings of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.

There are things expected of waiters in a restaurant. They are expected to be well groomed .The cutlery used to serve is expected to be clean. They are expected to be courteous and polite when carrying out their duties. When a well groomed waiter serves you to your satisfaction, on your way out you give him a tip. But if you walk in and you notice that the waiter is in dirty uniforms or there is a cut on his hands or his nails are unkempt, you will request for another waiter or walk out of the restaurant. If the waiter brings your food in a dirty dish or you notice dirty cutlery on table, you will request for a cleaner cutlery or leave. If while serving you, he is everywhere or impatient or look uninterested, after eating you will pay for the meal and he gets no tip. The same thing happens when we wait at God’s table. The first thing He checks is if we are well groomed i.e. are we saved? Have we been washed clean in the blood of Jesus? Without salvation, all our righteousness is as filthy rags, Isaiah 64:6. No one wants a waiter in filthy rags, definitely not God. He checks the hands of those waiting on Him if they are unkempt i.e. their ways. He checks if they are righteous or not. Psalm 11:7 says the Lord’s countenance beholdeth the upright. The next thing He looks at is the cutlery used to serve Him i.e. the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7 says for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. According to Jeremiah 17:10 the Lord searches the heart. He searches the heart to check if the service is eyeservice or not. He searches the heart to check if the fellow is serving him grudgingly.2Corinthians 9:7 says every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly , or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. The next thing God looks at is how the waiter serves him i.e. work ethics. One thing God disapproves of is laziness. Jesus said in John 5:17, my father work hitherto. God loves diligence in service. Hebrews 11:6 says God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. God is more interested in the giver of the gifts than the gifts. When He is satisfied on all grounds, He then gives a tip. A single tip from God is enough for a lifetime. If you don't believe me ask Solomon. This king took his time to offer a thousand burnt offerings to God. He was not in a haste . His heart was right with God. His ways were commendable before God . When he had finished waiting on God,his tip was to ask for anything he wanted, 2 Chronicles 1:6-12.

PRAYER POINT; Father I am making up mind to serve you please give a tip.

THE SEEING EYE

Proverbs 29:18a says where there is no vision, the people perish.

There are different levels of seeing. There are those who cannot see at all, we call them blind. There are people who can see which constitutes the majority of us. There are people who can see through skill for example sculptors. A sculptor looks at a rock and sees an object; he gets his chisel and other tools and carves out the object. Without the skill one will see nothing but a rock. There are people who can see with their mind, they imagine things. There are people who can see through experience. Because of experience in certain areas they can see what ordinary people cannot see. Sometimes back I went to buy bananas in a shop. On coming out of the shop , an elderly woman met me and said ‘young man those bananas are not good , by this time tomorrow they will be all be rotten’. I looked at the banana they were very fresh. I said thanks ma but I was too tired to walk back and change them so I went home. I ate two out of five and by the time I got to the kitchen the next morning the three left were completely rotten. This woman from experience saw what I could not see. 

There are also people who can see with their spiritual eyes. In 2 Kings 6:15-17, Gehazi saw the whole town been surrounded by an army and He began to panic. He ran to call Elisha the anointed man of God and when that one got there, he just began to smile. Why? Because he saw the host of heaven in their millions protecting them. Two of them saw the same thing; while one was panicking the other began to rejoice. In 1 Samuel 17:1-58, while the whole army of Israel saw Goliath and his stature and began to panic, because of the anointing on David he saw the unprotected skull of Goliath and began to rejoice. Notice this, the whole army of Israel stood before Goliath and saw nothing but a young anointed boy saw an exposed skull. Whether we believe it or not, the spiritual runs the physical. Anyone who is blind spiritually is equivalent to a man blind physically. With all the gadgets in this world, we know a blind man is still limited in a lot of ways. How easy is it for a blind man to defend himself when he is been attacked. How fast can a blind man run? How much can he achieve and at rate will he achieved them? If a physically blind man is this limited how much more a spiritually blind man? Many have entered into wrong relationships, accepted wrong contracts, partnered with wrong people because they cannot see the spiritual. According to Proverbs 29:18a, the lack of vision i.e. spiritually blind can lead to physical harm or loss.

PRAYER POINT: Father, please open my spiritual eyes.

The power of appreciation

Psalm 150:6 let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise you the Lord.

There is power in appreciation. One the thing appreciation does is it opens door. Because of what God did for Solomon , he offered a thousand burnt offering to say thank You. All odds were against him to succeed David on the throne . Why ? David – his father and king preferred the younger of brother of Absalom – Adonijah for his good looks (1 Kings 1:5-6) , besides that he was a product of adultery which caused the death of an innocent man ( 2 Kings 11:1-27) and to make matters worse he lacked wisdom - a must have for any king .God was so impressed with Solomon's appreciation that He asked him what shall I give to you? In 1 Kings 11:28 , Jeroboam got an opportunity to serve before the king and he decided show appreciation by working very hard. The king noticed this and made him the officer over all the labour force of the house of Joseph. Another man who knew how to show appreciation was Paul. After all the evil he had done, Jesus called him to ministry . He was so thankful so he decided to show Jesus his appreciation by committing his life to evangelism. The Lord decided that if Paul will appreciate Him like this then He will anoint him so mightily that aprons from his body will be able to cast away demons – Acts 19:12 .Appreciation does not only open doors but it keeps doors that are already opened open indefinitely or permanently .After Solomon 's first offering , the Lord visited him and blessed him .Solomon did not take the Lord's visit for granted so he decided to appreciate God for His visit. During the temple dedication he brought an offering of 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep to say thank you. God accepted the offering by sending fire from heaven to consume the offering . After this God blessed Solomon to the extent that silver was considered worthless during his reign -1 Kings 10:21.Jeroboam continued to work hard and the Lord made him king – 1 kings 12:20 .Paul did not rest on his oars but kept on appreciating God by working hard. The Lord took him to see his reward while he was still alive ,1 Timothy 4:8

Lack of appreciation Is deadly. One thing it does is it shuts door. An opportunity arose for Nabal in 1 Samuel 25:2-44 to show appreciation to the people who helped protect his shepherd and sheep in the desert and he refused .The Lord put an end to his journey on earth. In Luke 17:11-19 is the story of the ten lepers Jesus cured. After they received their healing , only one returned to thank God . While the other nine were only cleansed , he was the only one that was made whole which meant every other sickness in his life- physically,materially ,maritally were taken care of.

It is very important we all learn to appreciate God and appreciate people God has used to help us. How do you appreciate God ? Thank Him .According to Psalm 150:6 one way to appreciate God for the gift of life is by praising Him When we pay our tithes we are simply appreciating God for giving us a job and the good health to do the job. Lets appreciating our bosses and employers by working hard to support the Organization. Lets appreciate people who help us by telling them thank you. When people lend us things lets return it in time ,this is part of showing appreciation. Couples should appreciate each other – the wife should humbled her self and the husband should love her. Children should appreciate their parents by studying and passing with good grades. One important way to appreciate our salvation is by witnessing about Christ to our friends and family.

ACTION POINT : Learn to appreciate God, People and opportunities.

crying to God

James 5:16 says Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that you may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

There is nothing that moves a parent like the cry of their children. The same thing applies to God. When we cry to Him, things definitely happen. One of the reasons why the children of Israel stayed so long in Egypt was because they were quiet. Immediately they cried to God, He moved. This shows there is a disadvantage in been quiet because one might suffer unnecessarily. If ten people lined up to seek for help or to see the doctor , the one who cries most is likely to be attended to first. There are many of us who still think suffering is God’s way of testing us. There are many who still believe it is ok to suffer. It is ok to endure temptation actually James 1:12 says blessed is the man who endures temptation but the next verse which is James 1:13 says God does not tempt His children with evil actually God does not tempt anyone. Many still believe that been sick is good. Many still believe they need to be poor to get to heaven. Sickness is not God’s plan for your life, 1 Peter 2:24 says by His stripes we have been healed. Poverty is not a criterion to go to heaven, Salvation and living a life of holiness takes a man to heaven not bank balances.

Why do we have to cry to God in prayers? Crying gets the attention of God and makes Him to remember His promises – Exodus 2:23-24. From studying Exodus 3:7-22, one will come to the conclusion that crying causes God to pay us a visit

, causes God to make up His mind to help us, causes Him to be an enemy to our enemy, causes Him to send us help, causes Him to bring us in favor with our enemies, causes Him to be with our helpers so that they will not fail in their attempt to help us and many more. Crying to God causes Him to arise on our behalf and we know from reading Psalms 68:1 that when God arises, all His enemies are scattered. When we cry to God in prayers, we should not do it like a gentleman or a lady. Our prayers should be hot and aggressive. James 5:16 says the effective fervent prayers of the righteous avails much. Matthew 11:12 says and from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. The prayer that causes one to sweat is not a gentleman’s prayer, talk less of sweat becoming like drops of blood. If Jesus who was the son of God, prayed fervently until His sweat became like drops of blood what is our excuse not to pray that way today. Before we go to God in prayers, let’s make sure our standing with God is good. Psalm 66:18 says if I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.

ACTION POINT: Cry to God today over that issue and I can assure you He will send help.

Profit in all Labour

Proverbs 14:23: In all labor there is profit, but idle chatter leads only to poverty

Asides pride and lukewarmness, one thing God does not condone is laziness. The scriptures says that if anyone will not work; neither shall he eat - 2 Thessalonians 3:10.  In 1 Thessalonians 4:11 , Paul admonished the Thessalonians  to work with their hands. Proverbs 10:4 says the only thing lazy hands bring is poverty. There are many of God’s children who are yet to fulfill God’s plans for their lives because of laziness. God has opened doors for so many but through laziness they have not been able to take advantage of these open doors.  Many have lost their destinies because of procrastination, something they should have done today they postponed it to a further date by the time the date comes they further postponed it and before you know it is too late. A man who took advantage of his open door was Jeroboam in 1 Kings 11:28. He was just an ordinary laborer in the king’s court but he worked so hard that Solomon noticed and promoted him. Jeroboam’s hard work so much impressed God that He made him king over Israel in 1 Kings 14:7. Hard work can turn common a laborer to a king. There were princes in Israel at that time but Jeroboam became the king. Hard work gives you things that belong to the kings. There are many of us who God has opened doors of employment to or for. Through hard work God can make us the CEO of the organization we are working for. There are many business owners who God is ready to bless to the extent that they will lend to nations; all these are functions of hard work.

Proverbs 14:23 says in all labor there is profit. Hard work brings result but the result varies with  field. 1 Timothy 4:8 says for bodily exercise profit a little; but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. If there is anything to labor in, it is in the things of God. If we can work hard for God, we will see great results in every other areas of our life. Matthew 6:33 says seek first the kingdom and His righteousness and other all these will be given to you as well.

ACTION POINT: If  you are not in any group in your church please join one, if you are in one already you can join another or strive to be the best in your current group remember been the best in anything requires putting more efforts than others.

The power of thoughts

THE POWER OF THOUGHT

Proverbs 23:7a – For as he thinks in his heart so is he.

Our thoughts play a major role in the events of lives. Our thoughts determine our confession, Luke 6:45 says out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. Our confession decides our destiny. Proverbs 18:21 says life and death are in the power of the tongue. Numbers 14:28 says “says to them, ‘As I live,’ says the Lord, ‘just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you”. Our confessions are so important the Lord advises the weak to say they are strong in Joel 3:10.Our thoughts also determine our action .The elders have a saying, they say the ancestor to every action is thought. Our actions determine our rewards both in heaven and on earth. Revelations 22:12 says and, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. Jeremiah 17:10 says I the LORD search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings. Romans 2: 6 say God will render to each man according to his deeds. Also our thoughts say a lot about us.

According to Proverbs 23:7, we are our thoughts. Someone might ask how? Others may say why? Well thoughts precede action and our action defines us. 1 John 3:7 says little children, let no man deceive you: he that does righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

The good news is once our thoughts changes, our life changes also. How can we change our thoughts? By changing what we feed our minds. The reason why so many Christians still struggle with sexual sin is because of the dirty jokes or conversation they engage in, dirty movies they watch, dirty songs they listen to – songs talking of sex and all that. These are where dirty thoughts emanate from. According Mark 7:15 the product of our thoughts is able to defile us. Titus 1:15 says to the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled. Feeding our minds with spiritual materials like reading the bible, Christian literature will do us a lot of good. Romans 10:17 says faith comes by hearing, hearing by the word of God. Reading success stories and autobiographies of people who overcame one difficult or other also helps too. These are good for the mind; success thoughts and positive thoughts emanate from them. Before feeding our minds with positive and spiritual materials, we need to purge ourselves of dirty stuff and the purging is done through fasting and praying.

PRAYER POINT: Father, purge me off every thought that is destroying me and causing a gap between you and me.

Whom the Father Loves

Psalm 94:12 - Blessed is the man whom you instruct ,O Lord , and teach out of Your law.

Love is very powerful. When you watch parents of new born babies ,you will marvel at the power of love. They will do anything to make the new born baby comfortable. They do unbelievable things for example in the part of the world where i come from where medical science is just developing , i have seen fathers use their mouth to suck mucus out of the nose of their new born when they have catarrh .They do this to clear the blocked nose.It does not stop there , as the babies grow up they ensure that the baby eats before they eat.They ensure the baby sleeps before they sleep and before the baby wakes they are awake. Even when they are unlearned , they go out of their way to make sure the child goes to school. They might not be able to afford shoes for themselves but they ensure the kids have shoes. Why does these parents go through all of these ? it is out of love for that child. Many of them can not remember the last time they bought gifts for themselves but they buy gifts every birthday. No wonder Colossians 3:20 says Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. God disapproves of any form of disobedience to our parents - physical or spiritual. Please If there is anyone of us not in talking terms with  our parents please before the end of the day lets ensure we put things right .

We will also notice that these parents out of love still disciplines this child. While other children are playing football , they might ask this child to sit and read not out of hate but love. They want such child to succeed in  life.They same thing applies to the Most High God, According to John 3:16, He gave His only begotten son to die on the cross for our sins. This is the greatest act of love .When He chastises us or instructs us to live a holy life it is not out hatred or make life hard for us but out of love.Revelations 3:19 says Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent.Whom the Father loves He expects obedience to His word from , He expects 100 per cent commitment from . The rebuke may come from our earthly parents , spiritual parents or through a sermon . Regardless of the source , if the Lord is asking us to do something , it is for our own good  and out of love.

ACTION POINT: Do everything to please God ,this include get back into talking term with our parents if we are not in talking terms.

The all sufficient one

Jeremiah 32:27 - Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?

To be sufficient means to be more than enough. What it means is that no matter what happens to one of His children, that He can and will take care of them, if we but trust Him.When it comes to promotion , He is more than enough. In 1 Samuel 16:1-end, He picked David from the back of the desert and set him in the palace. In a matter of hours , he made the last born to become the first.Also in Genesis 41:1-end , He took Joseph from the prison and made him the father to Pharaoh -Genesis 45:8. Joseph without any political party, campaign ,political godfather and election became the prime minister of Egypt.Once you know Him you do not need to do anything funny or dirty to get to the top. He can single-handedly take you to the top.

When it comes to protection, He is more than sufficient. I have always had reservations about bodyguards and all. They can only protect you from men , how about demons or sickness ? Besides that most them needs protection too.Be it the visible or the invisible ,you can rely on the All sufficient one.

When it comes to meeting needs , He alone can provide.  David says in Psalm 23:1 , the Lord is my Shepherd i shall not want.Just like it is the responsibility of the shepherd to provide for the sheep so also is the responsibility of God to provide for His children and He can do that without the help of a man.He used wind to provide meat for the Israelite in Numbers 11:31. He used ravens ( a very stingy bird) to feed Elijah in 1 Kings 17:5-9.
He is also sufficient to save. Imagine Saul a man who was  party to the death of Stephen and many other believers becoming a preacher. He is sufficient to save any president or any man or woman regardless of their past.
PRAYER POINT : Oh Lord, make a beneficiary of your sufficiency today.

GOD OF MYSTERIES

Job 11:7: can you search out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limits of the Almighty?

 Who is God? John 4:24 – God is Spirit. Psalms 91:1 says God has a shadow and the safest place to be is under His shadow. Can anyone explain how a Spirit can have a shadow? Remember spirits are invincible and shadows are visible. The bible describes God as Love in I John 4:8 , the same bible describes Him as a Consuming fire in Hebrews 12:29. How can one explain God that so loves that everyone wants to be around Him and yet He is a fire that consumes. Jesus is described as the Lion of the tribe of Judah in Revelations 5:5 and by the time we get to Revelations 7:10 He is called the Lamb upon the throne. How can one be a Lion and a Lamb at the same time? We know from reading Isaiah 66:1 that God is so big He uses the earth as big as it is as a footstool yet He is so small He can fit into the hearts of every man inside the earth.

Aside His existence been a mystery, His ways are mysterious too. John 3:8 compares His ways to the wind that blows where it wills,we hear the sound but cannot tell where it came from and where it is going. Romans 11:33 says His ways are past finding outs. Job 11:7 describes the things of God as deep and unsearchable. Despite all these, we are expected to know Him because the combine knowledge of Him and Jesus is called eternal life -John 17:3. According to 2 Peter 1:2, Grace and peace is multiplied to us in the knowledge of God and Jesus.

We do not really know anyone until we know their secrets. The only way to really know God is by knowing His secrets.  Psalms 25:14 says the secret of the Lord are with those that fear Him. Anyone who aspires to know God must fear / reverence Him. This brings us to a crucial question, what does it really mean to fear God?  Proverbs 8:13 says the Fear of the Lord is to hate evil. The fear of God is measured by hatred for evil. The more we fear God, the more we will hate evil.1 Thessalonians 5:22 say we should flee from everything that appears as evil.

ACTION POINT: Passionately hate evil and your knowledge of God will increase.

Divine Advocate

1 John 2:1 says My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

Many who are yet to give their lives to Christ do not know what are they are missing.Asides from the fact that the only way to the Father in heaven is Jesus -John 14:6,only the friends of Jesus will be allowed in Heaven.Who are His friends? According to John 15:14 ,His friends are those who does what He commands. What are His commands? Isaiah 60:1 says Arise and shine! ;Mark 16:15 says Go into the world and preach the gospel to every creature;Mark 12:30-31 says love the Lord your God ,with all your heart,soul and mind and also love your neighbor as yourself.

Aside from all these , Jesus is also an advocate before the Most High God.An advocate is the one who speaks,plead or argue in one’s favor.From time to time the enemy gathers evidences and prepares a case against us before the Father in heaven.Revelations 12:10 calls him the accuser of the brethren.The Father either throws away the case like He did in the case of Moses in Jude 1:9. He brought an accusation against Moses and it was thrown out,no wonder Micheal the archangel told him the Lord rebuke you.The Father can also hear the case while Jesus acts as our advocate.

Jesus is not only our advocate before the Father alone, He is our advocate before men.In John 8:1-11 , He acted as an advocate for a woman caught in adultery and she was set free. Jesus is present to advocate for you today. While the enemies are presenting a strong case why you should not be promoted in that place of work, why the decision should not go in your favor,why you should not receive mercy  , why you should not be favored Jesus is also present advocating for you. One thing we need to note is this , He is not only an advocate but the Judge too according to 2 Timothy 4:1. Give your life to Jesus today and all decisions will go in your favor because your advocate is the Judge.Remember His services are free.

PRAYER POINT: Call on Jesus to speak for you before the Father concerning your heart desires.

But the midwives feared God

Exodus 1:17 But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the male children alive.

One thing every man and woman needs is wisdom. Proverbs 4:7 says it is the principal thing.Wisdom is so important even the Most High needed it to create the world according to Proverbs 3:19.Wisdom brings happiness -proverbs 3:13, Wisdom gives life-Ecclesiastes 7:12, wisdom brings recognition,1 Kings 10:1-10. Wisdom is needed to build a house- Proverbs 24:3. Wisdom brings protection - Proverbs 2:12. Wisdom is an essential requirement to get to heaven - Matthew 25:1-13.

What is wisdom ? Job 28:28 defines wisdom as the fear of the Lord. An individual who fears God is considered wise. Anyone who fears God is entitled to the proceeds of wisdom as mentioned above. Why do we have to fear God? Psalm 33: 8-9 says the reason why we should fear God is because once He speaks , it is done.Another reason to fear Him according to Matthew 10:28 is because He decides who goes to heaven or hell.

God loves wise people and abhors foolish people. No wonder the bible describes atheist as fools. What are the advantages of been wise ?Psalm 33:18 says the eyes of the Lord is on those who fear Him i.e those who are wise .Psalm 34: 9 Says there is no want to those who fear Him I.e wise . The midwives chose to be wise and the bible records that He provided households for them -Exodus 1: 22.

A yardstick to measure wisdom is by the amount of fear one has for God. The good news is that He is able to make anyone wise.James 1:5 says anyone who lacks wisdom should ask God.

Action Point:Be wise .

God's Favorite

Matthew 19:14 - But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.

God loves little children.They are His favorite . He loves having them around Him no wonder the book of Matthew 18:3 says only little children will be permitted in heaven .Mark 10:15 establishes that to even stand a chance , one must take the kingdom of heaven as a child. Anyone who hates children can never be friends with God i can assure you of that.

Why does He love them so much ? Because they are pure in heart. Little children never holds grudges or keep malice.They are amazing to watch when they play. This minute they are fighting the next minute they are sharing sweets or candies.1 Corinthians 14:20 says Brethren, be not children in understanding: but in malice be children.

Another reason is they are mild and humble.One thing you will not find is a child refusing to play with another child because of class or looking down on fellow kids. Little children are free of prejudice .Only Adults have people that are below their class and as such they can not relate to them . Also little children are full of faith.They dream a lot ,they want to be astronauts, Presidents , banker , doctors e.t.c .They do not see impossibilities and as such God is able to carry them to any heights.

Another reason is they are teachable and are not obstinate.

Are you a child or an adult? are you teachable ? can the Lord still carry you or you are too big to be carried.

PRAYER POINT: Father help me to be teachable, mild, humble, and free from prejudice and obstinacy.

Foxes in the vineyeard

Songs of Solomon 2:15 :Catch us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.
Anyone who know foxes will tell you they are opportunistic feeders. Everything about them is destructive.They kill for fun for example they might go into a poultry and kill the birds just for the fun of it.They kill pets like cats just for the fun of it. One thing about them is they are very intelligent.A place you do not want them is in your vineyard. Just a visit is enough to destroy the whole vineyard.The good thing is you can decide not allow them and put measures in place.
In our lives too there are little foxes that spoil the vineyard the Most High has prepared for us.They are character defects or bad habits we permit.No matter how small  they may be,  they are able to destroy us if we do not do something about them. They are like untreated wounds that begins to fester if not treated . For Moses it was anger ,the display of anger that robbed him of the promised land in Numbers 20:8-12 started in Exodus 2:22 when he killed an Egyptian. Judas Iscariot started with stealing from the money bag ,John 12:6 and before you know it he sold Jesus his mentor and father in the Lord in Matthew 26:14-16 . By the time he realized his error it was too late so he committed suicide.
For Samson it was indiscipline ,he started with disobeying God on a small scale(judges 14:8-10)  and he graduated to sleeping with prostitutes(Judges 16:1), in the end both of his eyes were plucked out(Judges 16:21). In the case of David, it was women ,Abigail was still grieving her husband when David forced her into marriage(1 Samuel 24:1-44) this lust for women grew to the extent David finally killed a soldier to take his wife(2 Samuel 11:5-27) and that almost cost him his kingdom. His son Solomon inherited this habit from him.
Many of the bad habits we have today started very little, habits like pedophilia, masturbation, fornication started from watching pornography tapes, looking at naked pictures and all.Most of the people who lack integrity today started with telling little white lies. There is a poem i will like to share with you.
Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become your character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.
Lets do something about those little bad habits before they destroy us.Lack of integrity and coming late to church finally destroyed Ananias and Saphira in Acts 5:1-11.
PRAYER POINT: Father in heaven, anything that could cost me Your plans for my life please take it away today.

I Do

Malachi 2:16 says For the LORD, the God of Israel, says that he hates putting away: For one covers violence with his garment, says the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that you deal not treacherously.

I have always wondered why people are quick to say “1 do” when exchanging marriage vows.Many say it without the understanding of the word I DO.According to Ephesians 5:25 when a man says “i do” what it means I will  love you with everything i got and if need be i will die for you . I DO also means regardless of your past , i take you as  part of me , no matter what you do i will forgive and forget because Jesus Christ forgave the church and He is still forgiving the church when they make mistake.

According to Ephesians 5:24 , when a woman says “I do ” , what it means is as from today my submission to you(husband) will be total whether it is convenient or not. You will be my head just like Christ is the head of the Church. The most important part of the body is the head and without the head the body is dead.As highlighted in Ephesians 5:23 , Christ is the head of the church. We are the church. The most important thing to us to day should be Christ not our business or education.Our submission to Him should be total whether it is convenient or not.

PRAYER POINT: Father ,Let my submission to you be total today.

TRUST IN THE LORD

Proverbs 3:5 says Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and lean not unto your own understanding.

We have seen people who trust in their ability or looks to bring them a particular results. Others have their trusts in material possession, some have put their trust in some rich uncle or well to do family member.
It is only when we appreciate the real meaning of trust , then only we will come to the conclusion that trusting in anything aside God is foolishness.The dictionary defines trust as reliance on the

integrity,strength,ability,surety of a person or thing.How can one rely on the strength of a fellow man when the bible says in Isaiah 40:30 that human strength diminishes?How can a man put his trust in anything on this earth when Luke 21:33 says Heaven and earth will pass away?

Trusting in anything other than God will bring disappointment. Isaiah 31:1 says Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and rely on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the LORD! According to Isaiah 30:7 any other help aside the help from God is utterly useless.A trust in anything aside God will bring fear and shame , Isaiah 20:5.

The only One you trust is God.Psalm 32:10 says the trust in the Lord brings mercy. Psalm37:5 says commit your way to the Lord , trust also in Him and He shall bring it to pass. Those who trust in the Lord or His words will not be put to shame. Psalm 34:5 says they look to Him and they were radiant and their faces were never ashamed.

Do you know that those who trust in God , trust in His timing and do not mind waiting on Him?

PRAYER POINT: Father ,let my trust in you be total

Day of Reckoning

Revelations 22:12 - And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

Long before Jesus was born , it was prophesied that He will return .Isaiah 62:11 says The LORD has made proclamation to the ends of the earth: “Say to the Daughter of Zion, ‘See, your Savior comes! See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him.‘“Whether we believe it or not He is coming back.
When He returns everyone of us has to settle our accounts with Him.Just like it happened in Matthew 25:14-30, where the three servants had to give accounts , we will also give accounts.What are we going to account about? According to Matthew 12:36 every idle words that we speak .This is does not exempt anyone even born again Christians!

Also our works,Revelations 20:30 says the sea gave up the dead who were in it,and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them, and they were judged ,each one according to his works.1 Corinthians 3:13 says each one’s work will become clear;for the Day will declare it,because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.Are you gathering with Jesus ? if you are not gathering with Jesus by evangelizing then you are scattering .Luke 11:23 says those who do  not gather with Me scatters.

Another thing we will give an account for is how we spent our time on earth,the nobleman in Luke 19:12-25 told his slaves occupy till i come or do business till i come which means busy yourselves with business until i return.We will not only give an account of how we spent our time but how we managed the resources He gave to us.

How are we preparing for that day?On earth , when a student fails there is an opportunity to repeat the class. When a project is submitted and it is not of the required quality there is a chance to redo such project in the day of reckoning there will be no second chance.That day there will be no Oops! or am sorry , ignorance is not an excuse,no excuse will be accepted. No panel to review the decision , all decisions made by God is final no appeal !

How prepared are you for that day ? will your works survive the test of fire? the resources He has given to you have you done business with it? resources like your strength maybe to help in church work , mouth to witness, money to support the missionaries,kingdom projects and the poor ? If you have not giving your life to Christ or if you have before and have backslidded why not come back to Christ.

ACTION POINT: Review your walk with Christ and begin to work on areas that you know that you are lacking.

YOU SHALL HAVE WHAT YOU CONFESS

Numbers 14:28 “say to them,’As I live,’ says the Lord,’just as you have spoken in My hearing,so i will do to you:
Words are very powerful ,Proverbs 18:21 says life and death are in the power of the tongue. Our words can either bring us goodies for example proverbs 13:2 says From the fruit of his lips a man enjoys good things; it can also the the opposite ,Proverbs 18:6 says A fool’s lips enter into contention, and his mouth calls for blows.
Jonathan told his armor-bearer that  nothing refrains the Lord from saving by many or by few- 1 Samuel 14:6. By the hands of these two ,the Lord caused the host of the Philistine to flee. The bible records in 1 Samuel 14:15 that there was trembling in the camp, in the field, and among all the people. The garrison and the raiders trembled;and the earth quaked so that it was a great trembling.
Before the Israelites was the Red Sea behind them was Pharaoh and his host , the children of Israel began to panic. Moses said to them ,”do not be afraid but stand still and see the salvation  of the Lord,which He will accomplish for you today for the Egyptians whom you see today , you shall see again no more forever  .The Lord will fight for you , and you shall hold your peace”- Exodus 14:13-14.That day the Lord fought for them and they held their peace.
When Isaac asked his Daddy (Abraham ) where the lamb of sacrifice was Genesis 22:1-13, the old man replied God will provide. Brethren God did provide.
What are we confessing today ?are they positive things or negative things? There are some people called themselves realist or so , they claim to say things as they are . Well 2 Corinthians 5:7 says we walk by faith not by sight.Joel 3:10 says Let the weak say i am strong.
ACTION POINT: As from today , make it a point of duty every morning to prophesy good things into your life, family, your work , your church and your country.