LEAVE YOUR PAST

 

Tuesday 24 July                                       Bible in one year: John 18-21

Memorise: Brethren , I count not myself to have apprehended : but this one thing i do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, Philippians 3:13

Read : Proverbs 37:23-25

When God uses one of His servants to bless you, you can appreciate that servant of God but appreciate God much more. Why? God is the source of the blessing while His servant is only a vessel. Never turn a vessel into your source. If you do , both you and the vessel may get into trouble with God. It was in light of this Knowledge that Elisha, despite his devotion to Elijah did not forget the God of Elijah. He called for the God of Elijah and not for Elijah or his anointing at the River Jordan (2 Kings 2:13-14). Elisha faced a new reality after the departure of Elijah. It was a new phase for him. You need to walk in understanding that life is in phases. When one phases ends, another begins. Psalm 37:25 says:
I have been young, and now am old; yet have i not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

According to this scripture, there is the phase of being a youth and another phase of being old. A new phase had just began in the life of Elisha. The phase of Elisha the servant, who went everywhere with his master had just ended and another phase of Elisha the national prophet with several attendants had just begun. When the time for his next phase came, he refused to continue in the old phase.
You must be ready to move forward. Stop living in the past. In 1 Samuel 25:1 , after mourning the death of Samuel, David continued with his journey. Life continue irrespective of the challenges of each day, and so must you. Paul had to adopt a strategy of forgetting his past so that he could face his future ( Philippians 3:12-14). Some people have lost their future to their past because somehow, there were never able to put the past behind them. Have you lost someone you love so much? Move on from that spot! Have you lost someone who promised to help sponsor your education or help set you up in business? Move on from that spot and another helper will surface. You could also receive direct help from above.Never allow past failures hinder your success. Also, never allow past victories and successes hinder future ones. Stop dwelling in your past! As long as your remain at the bust stop of life, no new thing will come to you. Move forward! take a step into your future today!

KEY POINT:
If you don’s leave your past, it will continue to hunt you.
Open Heaves by Pastor E.A Adeboye

ARE YOU P.O.O.R

Tuesday 10 July                                    Read bible in one year: Luke 7-9

Memorise: Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed , rightly dividing the word of truth . 2 Timothy 2:15

Read 2 Timothy 2 :14-16

When Elijah was parted and taken away from Elisha in 2 Kings 2:11-13 , Elisha tore away his old garment. This connotes that for you to take on a new or higher assignment , it is important to change your clothes. if you are still putting on malice,lies,anger or any work of flesh,your new assignment will not fit you. In addition to tearing his old garment, Elisha took up the mantle that fell from his departed master. This means God gave him an opportunity and he grabbed it.God will give you atleast one opportunity but it is up to you to seize the opportunity. Samson was one person who knew how to seize opportunity. When he was taken bound to the Philistines in Judges 15:14-15, the Spirit of God came upon him and he saw the jaw bone of an ass,he grabbed it and used it.The ability to take every opportunity God gives to you is a determining factor in becoming what God wants you to become. The difference between the rich and poor has to do with how they treat opportunities that came their way. Someone defined the word “poor” as Passing Over Opportunities Repeatedly. Genuinely rich people are rich today because they did not let opportunities pass them by;while a lot of the poor are poor today because they keep procrastinating and hardly ever seized an opportunity God gave to them.

You can observe this trend in christian faith . Show me a fast growing believer and i will show you a convert who did not allow opportunities for growth to pass by unutilized. Everyone that is born again has an ample opportunities for growth. The issue is : what do you do with such opportunities? 2 Timothy 2 :15 says you should study the scriptures as if you are about to sit for an examination. Bible study, faith clinic, revival services,Sunday services,workers retreat,ministers retreats,ministries conferences, monthly Holy Ghost services, Special Holy Ghost services, Conventions,Congresses,Bible College,School of Disciples, School of Missions, etc., are all avenues for growth. In addition books authored by anointed man and women of God are available for study by the one who wants to be outstanding. Are you grabbing these opportunities? The more you grab the more outstanding you become.

KEY POINT: Opportunities grabbed and utilised add to the user but opportunities ignored diminish the one to which they were sent.