FEAR THOU NOT; FOR I AM WITH THEE

MEMORY VERSE: Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Isaiah 41:10

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Mark 11-12

Isaiah 6:3 says, "and one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory." What does it mean to say the Lord is holy? (Permit me to quote from a wonderful Sunday school manual I read). "The basic idea of the word ‘holy’ is that of being separate or set apart. When God is declared to be holy, the word expresses all that sets him apart and makes him different from his creatures. The threefold ‘holy, holy, holy’ in Isaiah 6:3 is a Hebraic way of emphasizing that God is very holy." In addition, when we say the Lord is holy, it means He is morally upright, just, transparent, pure, sinless, etc. Asides His purity, He has integrity. He says what He means and means what He says. If He makes a promise, He will do everything possible to fulfill the promise.

Because of His holiness, once He says ‘I will do something’, be rest assured that He will do what He has promised to do. Isaiah 41:10 says, "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness". If the Lord says He is with you, be rest assured that He is with you. The fact that you don’t feel it does not mean He is not with you. The fact that the hair at the back of your neck don’t stand does not mean He is not with you. Actually, He is closer to you than the cloth on your neck. If He says in His holy bible that He is with you, then He is with you. That fact that God is with you does not mean you will not face challenges. No! In Mark 4:36-39, Jesus was in a ship with His disciples when a mighty storm arose and threatened to destroy the ship. The fact that the Lord is with you does not mean the enemy will not come after you. The pillar of fire and cloud that hovered above the children of Israel everywhere they went was visible for everyone to see and know that God was with them, yet the Egyptians chased after them ( Exodus 14). The fact God is with you does not mean you will not experience lack. No! No! No! In Mark 6:30-44, five thousand men not counting women and children were with Jesus and they experienced lack. The fact that the Lord is with you does not mean you will not face challenges. No! The good news is storm may arise, but Jesus will ‘still’ the storm. The enemy may come after you to harm you but they will not be able to do you any harm. Jeremiah 15:20c says, "for I am with thee to save thee and to deliver thee, saith the Lord." In your walk with God, you may experience lack but it will be a temporary thing. The five thousand men not counting women and children ate and there were left- over. Although the journey may be rough, the Lord will see you through. It does not matter how tough the battle is, He will see to it that you come out victorious.

NOTE: If He is grieved, He may leave. If one continues to live in sin and refuses to repent, He will leave.

ACTION: Thank the Lord for being with you and pray that He will never leave you.

UNSURE ABOUT YOUR SALVATION?

MEMORY VERSE: All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:6

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Job 29-30

What individuals experience after giving their lives to Christ or after rededicating their lives to Christ vary greatly. Pastor Willie Mullan in his book ‘Tramp after God’ said he felt a tremendous urge to tell someone what had just happened to him – how the Lord had just saved a tramp like him. He was very excited and could not keep still. Another fellow said he was so full of love that he felt like hugging everyone. I remember when I gave my life to Christ, all I felt like doing was praying. The urge to pray was so great. Some immediately know a difference in their life. For others it is more gradual. I want you to know that what matters is not so much the initial experience but the start of a new relationship with God. The fact that you didn't feel anything, probably a tingling sensation in your tummy after saying the sinner’s prayers or after confessing your sins and asking the Lord to come into your life, does not mean you are not saved. No! If we were to rely on our feelings we could never be sure about anything. Our feelings go up and down depending on all sorts of factors, such as the weather or what we have had for breakfast. They are changeable and deceptive. 2 Corinthians 5:7 says, “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”

The assurance of our relationship stands on these three things: the word of God, the work of Jesus and the witness of the Holy Spirit. Firstly, the word of God. The promises in the Bible, which is the word of God, do not change and are totally reliable unlike our feelings. There are many great promises in the bible that assures us that once we open the door of our hearts to Jesus, He will come in and dine with us (Revelation 3:20). In addition, He has promised to be with us until the end of the world (Matthew 28:20). He went on further to promise us eternal life (John 10:28), which is a quality of life that comes from living in a relationship with God through Jesus Christ (John 17:3). Secondly, the work of Jesus. What Jesus did on the cross enables Him to give us eternal life as a gift (John 10:28). We do not earn a gift. We accept it with gratitude. On the cross, He took all our wrong-doings upon Himself. This had been clearly prophesied in the Old Testament in the Book of Isaiah. Isaiah 53:6 says, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” What the prophet was saying is that we have all done something wrong and those wrong-doings have caused a separation between us and God (Isaiah 59:1-2). This is why at times God can seem remote. On the other hand, Jesus never did anything wrong. There was no barrier between Him and His Father. On the cross, God transferred our wrong-doings onto Jesus. That is why He cried out on the cross, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?' ( Mark 15:34). At that moment He was cut off from God – not because of His own wrong-doings but because of ours. This made it possible for the barrier between us and God to be removed. Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). Lastly, the witness of the Spirit. When someone becomes a Christian, the Holy Spirit comes to live within them. When the Holy Spirit comes in, He transforms from within. He produces the character of Jesus in our lives which are also known as the fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). We become more loving, more joyful, more peaceful, etc. Also there will be changes in our relationships- both with God and with other people.Asides these changes which can be noticed in our lives, the Holy Spirit also brings an inner experience of God. He creates a deep, personal conviction that we are children of God. ( Romans 8:15-16). This is the third way in which we are assured of our relationship with God, and that we are forgiven and have eternal life.

NOTE: It is one of the privileges of being a child of God: to be able to be absolutely confident about our relationship with our Father, to be sure of the fact that we are forgiven; to be sure that we are Christians , and to know we have eternal life.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

MAN’S GREATEST PROBLEM

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

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalm 42-44

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

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

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

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

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

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

IS JESUS GOD?

MEMORY VERSE: But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Mark 14:61-62

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Samuel 21-25

Most people believe the story of Jesus. They believe that He was a good man. According to Acts 10:38, He went about doing good. Not only that, He was caring and compassionate. They also believed that He was a great teacher. Actually His teaching is the foundation of the entire civilization in the West. Many of the laws in UK, USA, etc, were originally based on His teachings. Many believe He had the power to ‘change the unchangeable’ and ‘reverse the irreversible’ like we saw in the case of Lazarus. When it comes to the subject of whether He is God or not, some disagree calling Him an ordinary prophet, some honestly confess that they don’t know, some even say, ‘Jesus never claimed to be God,’ and so on. It is true that Jesus did not go around saying the words, ‘I am God.’ Yet, when one looks at all He taught and claimed, there is little doubt that He was conscious of being a man whose identity was God.

One of the fascinating things about Jesus is that so much of His teaching was centered on Himself. For instance He said ‘if you want to have a relationship with God, come to Me’ (John 14:6). In John 6:35, He said ‘if you are hungry come to Me, the bread of life.' To those walking in darkness, depression, despair, He said ‘I am the light of the world’ (John 8:12). To those burdened by worries, anxieties, fears, and guilt, He said, ‘come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will you give you rest’ (Matthew 11:28). He said to receive Him was to receive God (Matthew 10:40), to welcome Him was to welcome God (Mark 9:37) and to have seen Him was to have seen God (John 14:9). Asides His teachings, He also said a number of things which, although not direct claims to be God, show that He regarded Himself as being in the same position as God. Jesus’ claim to be able to forgive sins is one of them. For instance, on one occasion He said to a man who was paralyzed, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven’ (Mark 2:5). The reaction of the religious leaders was, ‘why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?’ Jesus went on to prove that He did have the authority to forgive sins by healing the paralyzed man. We can all understand how a man forgives offences against himself. You tread on my toe and I forgive you, you steal my money and I forgive you. The sin that led to that man’s paralysis was a sin against God and only ‘God’ would have been able to forgive that sin. There are also other indirect claims for example He claimed that He would one day judge the world (Matthew 25:31-32). Asides His teachings and His indirect claims that He is God, let us look at one of His direct claims. When the question was put to Him, ‘ Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?’ Jesus said, “I am..” Mark 14:61-62 says,“But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.” The high priest tore his clothes on hearing this. ‘Why do we need any more witnesses?’ he asked. As a result of the assertion Jesus made about Himself, He was condemned to death. A claim tantamount to a claim to be God was blasphemy in Jews eyes, worthy of death.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: There are three logical possibilities to His claims to be the unique Son of God; God made flesh. If the claims were untrue, either He knew they were untrue – in which case He was an imposter, and evil one at that. That is the first possibility. Or He did not know- in which case He was deluded. This is the second possibility. The third possibility is that the claims were true. When one looks at the teachings of Jesus Christ, His works, His character, His fulfilment of Old Testament prophecy and His resurrection, One will appreciate the fact that He was neither a con man nor a deluded fellow. He is God!

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

MEETING HIS EXPECTATIONS?

MEMORY VERSE: And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but whereare the nine? Luke 17:17

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Corinthians 11-12

BIBLE STUDY: Luke 17:11-19

The Lord expects a lot from His children - both young and old. Who are His children? Romans 8:14 says this: “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” The Spirit of God leads people to do things which are in consonance with the Word of God. He leads people to live honest, open and transparent lifestyles. The spirit of the Lord will never lead a brother to propose to two or three sisters at the same time. No! He is not a spirit of confusion. Neither will He lead any sister to accept marriage proposals from two brothers at the same time. He is a God of order. The Lord is entitled to expect much from us, His children, because of His investments in our lives. We were heading for destruction before someone preached to us and He touched our hearts and we accepted Him as our personal Lord and savior. With the kind of lifestyles some of us were living before we met Christ, we were on the fast lane to sudden destruction. Many of us have failed and failed before He came into our life and turned it around. Many used to be sick before Jesus entered into their boat and sickness disappeared. I remember before i met Christ, i was living in fear – fear of the unknown. Now that i am in Christ, i have no fear because i know my future. Oh yes, i know my future because Isaiah 3:10 says, “Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.” I also know that Christ in me, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27), so i have nothing to worry about. You also don’t have anything to worry about because you are a child of God.

What are His expectations? He expects us to be grateful for all He has done. After healing those ten lepers, He expected them to return to say thank you. He was shocked when only one of them returned. Luke 17:17 says, “And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but whereare the nine.” That thing He did for you maybe small in your eyes, but to some, it is a big testimony. Besides, there are no small testimonies. Even if He is yet to answer that particular prayer request, you still need to be grateful for those things He has done. Another way to show Him our appreciation is through our payment of tithes and offerings. God owns the whole world so He is not broke. Let’s say He needs money (which He doesn't), He can touch the heart of any billionaire and they will give Him as much as He needs. When we bring our tithes and offerings, we are not doing the church a favor neither are we doing God a favor. No! When we bring our tithes to Him, it is a sign of our appreciation. What we are saying is ‘out of the much You have given to me, i am bringing this little gift to appreciate You’.

Another way to appreciate Him is to use our skills and expertise for Jesus. Some are good at designing websites, use that skill to design a website for your church or a ministry. If you are a doctor, organize free health seminars in your parish or ministry and teach people about healthy living. You may be a good business person, organize free seminars to teach fellow believers how to start a business. Some are good at organizing programs, don’t wait to be called before you go and meet the minister and volunteer to be part of the organizing committee. The Lord also expects us to be grateful to the vessels He has used to bless us. Someone waited on the Lord for several hours ( and even fasted) before God gave him or her that 'life transforming message' you heard. If you can’t bless them with material gifts, at least you can say thank you to him or her. These things encourage men and women of God. If the Lord uses a brother or sister for you, appreciate God in their life and appreciate them.

NOTE: Anytime you appreciate people, you are opening a door for God to use them for you and others.

ACTION: Call someone who God has used to bless you in the past and thank them.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

IT WILL SURELY COME TO PASS

MEMORY VERSE: For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. Habakkuk2:3

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 48-50

There are a lot of agitations and palpitations all around us. The moment our single sisters enter into any social gathering or a church, unconsciously, they begin to glance around to see if there are any eligible bachelors there. Not that they intend to approach them or something, and most of them are very decent, they won’t stoop so low to do anything that is not befitting for a daughter of God. It is just an unconscious thing. They want to be settled as soon as possible. I know that most single brothers will pretend and say they don’t do this or they have never done this before, but many a time, the moment they see a sister, the first thing they do is check her finger to see if she is wearing a wedding ring. Also, it is an unconscious thing.These reveals the deep desire for the will of God, concerning their marital life , to come to pass.

There are a lot of inner cries to God. Oh Lord i am getting old, when will i meet that man? Oh Lord, my younger cousins have children, when will i meet that woman? Lord, when will those things you said about me come to pass? Oh Lord, when will the doctor take me off these medications? Father, when will i become a citizen of this land? Lord, when will those doors open unto me? Oh Lord, when will this business grow? Father, you called me to start this work, when will this ministry grow? When will our congregation grow? Father, i saw myself preaching to a multitude of people, healing the sick and raising the dead in a dream, when will this dream come to pass? I dreamt that i owned a business, when will that materialize in my life? Lord, i am getting old as a parent, when will my daughters and sons meet their partners? When will my son-in laws give birth? When will i become a grandparent? When will my son-in-law get a job? When will my daughter-in-law get promoted? When will my situation change? When will i get a job? When will i start to work with my degree? When will my abusive husband give his life to Christ? When will my husband begin to see my sacrifices and appreciate me? When will my children love me? When will my children begin to respect me and reciprocate my love to them? When will this siege be over in my life? These and many more are the cries of many hearts to God.What is the Lord saying this morning, in response to our cries to our Father in heaven? IT WILL SURELY COME TO PASS. Habakkuk2:3 says this: “For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.”

To those questions of ‘when will this be’ or ‘when will that be’? The Lord is saying to us this day, "wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.” Sir, you will surely become a grandfather. Ma, you will surely become a grandmother. Friend, you will surely become a father. You will surely become a mother. God’s will for you in marriage will surely come to pass. Beloved sister in Christ, that brother will surely come. Beloved brother in Christ, you will surely meet that sister. That ministry will surely grow. You will surely work with your degree. You will surely be a citizen of that country. That siege will surely be over. God is working things out for you. You will surely be celebrated. You will surely give a testimony. The doctors will surely take you off that medication and declare you fit. You will surely pay off that debt. And to those saying, 'God, if only You will do this for me, this and that is what i will do for you' . God is saying, 'I will surely do that thing you have asked for ,for you'. God is the controller of seasons. Your season has surely arrived! You may have made a mistake and gotten pregnant, don’t abort that pregnancy. God will surely look after that child. That fellow will surely remember you. Those God has sent to help you will surely remember you and render the help. Those who are owing you money will surely pay.

NOTE: God has not forgotten you. Don’t compromise your faith because God will surely do that thing for you.

TO DO: Father, thank You for Your Word

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

THE CALLER, THE CALLED AND THE CALLING

MEMORY VERSE: Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. John15:16

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Job 23-24, Isaiah 62-66

Merriam Webster dictionary defines a ‘calling’ as a strong desire to spend your life doing a certain kind of work (such as religious work). I love to read autobiographies, especially autobiographies of those who, despite all odds, achieved something meaningful. Although, i have not read as much as i would like to, i can tell you that by reading autobiographies, you learn the secrets of great achievers. One thing i have found with all great achievers is they are hard working. They wake up at odd hours of the morning, to either train or work. Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time, wrote about how he wakes up at 2am in the morning, to train. Also, these great achievers knew their calling from a young age and they pursued it. Your ‘calling’ maybe to make shoes or to paint. It maybe to start a NGO that catches people who traffic young girls for sex trade. I thank God for what He is doing through Tiny Hands, bringing wicked men who sell young girls to face judgment. It maybe to design godly clothes and make them. Don't be shy of that ‘calling’, pursue it with all you have inside you. The people around you may not fancy your ‘calling’; they don't have to fancy it anyway. You just pursue it, one day they will fancy it. Your ‘calling’ doesn't have to make sense to the society where you find yourself. It is your ‘calling’, and in most cases, it will only make sense to you at particular point in time. Your ‘calling’ could even be to make ladies' hair. The fact that no one you know as ever succeeded in pursuing their calling does not mean you will not succeed in pursuing yours. Your ‘calling’ doesn't have to have a big name or a fanciful name.

We cannot talk about ‘calling’ without making references to the ‘caller’- the one who calls, and the ‘called’- the one who receives the call. The ‘caller’ is always higher than the ‘called’. The ‘caller’ exercises authority over the ‘called’. In other words, the ‘caller’ is able to reward or punish the ‘called’. John 15:16 ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.” In this verse, we have the ‘caller’ who is Jesus Christ; the ‘called’ which is you and i; the ‘calling’ which is not only to bear fruits but to ensure that our fruits remain. Also, in Matthew 11:28: “come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”, we have the ‘caller’ again which is Christ; the 'called' which is you and I; the ‘calling’ which is a call to salvation. As you search through the scriptures, you will find examples of the ‘Caller’ i.e. God, calling the ‘called’, you and i, to take on assignments and tasks. If we heed to His ‘callings’, we will be greatly rewarded. If you bear fruits and they remain, you can go to God for anything and He will give it to you. If you come to Him, eternal rest will be yours. Most of these great achievers, sport personalities, inventors, entrepreneurs, etc, all heeded to their ‘calling’ and they were greatly rewarded for it. Michael Phelps could have decided not to heed to his calling to become a swimmer. Had he done that, he would have lost his rewards. There is a reward for heeding to your ‘calling’. It is not too late to heed to your calling. You maybe a celebrated doctor now, but deep inside, you know you are called to be an engineer. If i were you, i will quit medicine and pursue engineering. As loving parents, let your children pursue their calling. You may not approve of what they want to study in the university, but leave them alone. The divine Caller as called them to pursue that discipline. Just pray along with them and at the end, you will be happy that they heeded to their calling. Although, many of us know this in our head, it is worth repeating so that we can know it in our heart. There is a powerful calling on our life, more important than any ‘calling’ one maybe currently pursuing and that is the 'call to serve'. This is the most rewarding 'call' any man can receive. The rewards for serving Christ are eternal. You will be rewarded on earth and you will reign with Him in His kingdom in heaven.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: One of the most unwise things to do is to put your earthly calling before your divine calling.

NOTE: You are called to finish that course you have started. You are called to finish that project. You are called to pass that exam.

QUESTION: Have you heeded the call to worship God in spirit and in truth?

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GETTING TO KNOW PEOPLE

MEMORY VERSE: But the liberal deviseth liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand. Isaiah 32:8

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalm 33-35

One thing you can’t do without, as far as you are alive, is relating with people. It is humans God will use to answer most of our prayer requests especially ones pertaining to material needs. You and i, can’t do without relating with people and as such, there is a need to know them. Our knowledge of people informs how we relate with them. Our knowledge of people determines who we do business with, who we employ as a nanny for our children, who we put in positions in our ministry or business, who we entrust with things, who we go to for counselling and many more. Even when we don’t know people directly, we depend on the recommendations of people we know who knows them or who have dealt with them. Knowing people, very well, before doing business with them, bringing them under our roof, putting our integrity on the line for them or relating with them at any level is crucial. A lot has lost life savings, valuables, inheritances, ministries, visions and things of eternal value because they dealt with the wrong people. Many have scars that only God can heal because they went into relationships with people they thought they knew.

When it comes to knowing people, the only One you can trust His assessment of people is God. If you really want to know a man or a woman, you have to check his or her heart. Proverbs 23:7a says, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.” The only One who knows the content of every heart is God. According to 1 Samuel 16:7, He sees the heart. Not only does He know the present heart condition of a man, He knows how that fellow’s heart will be in fifty years time. Isaiah 46:10 says, “Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:” One way to know a person is go to God in prayer and ask Him to reveal who the fellow is. Or you ask Him to give you the gift of discernment. With the gift of discernment, as an employer, you don’t need to ask a lot of questions before you know who the right candidate is, in an interview. Another way to know people is by checking their fruits. Matthew 7:16 says, “Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?” Unfortunately, we have some wolves among the sheep. Among us, there are people who appear genuine, they look like us, they quote the bible like us, they shout and jump in the church, they talk like us but they are not part of us. How can we know them? Jesus Christ says, “By their fruit ye shall know them”. What type of fruits? Fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22). How else can we know people? By their association. I can’t claim to be a child of God and my best friend enjoys sin. How can that be? According to 2 Corinthians 6:14 says, “For what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?” Another way to know people is by what they do, not what they say. A wise man once said, ‘action speak louder than words.’ 1 John 3:7 says, “Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.” Lastly, you can know people by what they stand for. Isaiah 32:8 says, “But the liberal deviseth liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand.” How can one identify a genuine child of God? Firstly, they fellowship with other children of God. Secondly, they live their life as a child of God. Thirdly, they stand for godly principles. They stand for purity. They stand for mercy and kindness. They stand for fairness and integrity. They stand for love.

NOTE: People will judge you by your association.

QUESTION: What do you stand for?

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

WHO ARE YOU?

MEMORY VERSE: And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel? 1 Samuel 15:17

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Job 21-22

I remember the last words of my loving father as i boarded the plane many years ago to study abroad. In his deep baritone voice, he said, “Son! Remember the son of whom you are.” I thought i understood him perfectly well at that time. I thought he was trying to tell me to stay away from crime and not get myself involved in anything that could tarnish his name. But today by the special grace of God, i am now beginning to understand what he meant. The old man was saying, “son, no matter how high God lifts you in life, don’t forget your roots. Never forget the lowly state He picked you from to go and study abroad.”

Saul was a young man with all the physical and mental qualities of a king. 1 Samuel 9:2 says, “And he had a son, whose name was Saul, a choice young man, and a goodly: and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people.” He was the best in the land, yet he was humble and teachable. He had already made up his mind to give up searching for the missing asses when his servant brought an ordinary suggestion to go and see the man of God, who was resident in that area, about the missing asses (1 Samuel 9:5-7). Any other person would have disciplined the servant for talking without being asked to talk, but Saul listened to this servant and went with him to the man of God. The journey to the man of God changed his life forever. Please don't ever get big to that extent where God will not be able to use people under you to counsel you. God at times deliberately speak to leaders through their servants. Do you remember that God encouraged Naaman to humble himself and dip in River Jordan seven times through his servants (2 Kings 5)? Also, it was an ordinary maid, who was living with Mrs Naaman, that God used to bring solution to the problem in their family?

What made Saul little in his eyes was his humble beginning. 1 Samuel 9:21 says: “And Saul answered and said, Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? wherefore then speakest thou so to me?” Because Saul was humble, the Lord decided to make him king over Israel. 1 Samuel 15:17 says, “And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel?” When Saul became king he forgot that he was a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel. He forgot his background. He forgot the son of whom he was and began to flout God’s commandment as he pleased. Don’t ever forget where God picked you from. Don’t ever forget the days of your humble beginning. There was a beggar who the Lord lifted up from the dunghill and prospered. This beggar in other not to forget where God picked him from, he kept the rags he used to wear when he was a beggar. From time to time, he would go to the room where he kept those rags just keep him in check. There was a Northern Ireland Baptist pastor by the name Willie Mullan. He was a tramp before God saved him and gave him a ministry that touched the whole world. At the height of his ministry, he never forgot that he was a tramp God picked up, cleaned and gave a ministry. The moment people wanted to praise him for the work God was doing through him, he would remind them that he was a tramp God picked up. Because of this, God started elevating him to the extent that people would gather to listen to his tape in far away Iraq in the sixties. He maintained that view of himself till he died. Saul’s view of himself changed and he fell from grace to grass.

QUESTION: Who are you? Are you a successful lawyer or that young lawyer without a clue who the Lord picked up and promoted? Do you see yourself as that wretched sinner God saved or the pastor of a big ministry? Do you see yourself as the wife of a successful man or the young girl God showed favour to and married a successful man? Are you an award winning author or that man or woman God blessed with the gift of writing?

PRAYER POINT: Father, help me to remain humble all days of my life.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

ABSOLUTE SURRENDER

MEMORY VERSE: And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. And he said, let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. Genesis 32:25-26

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalm 30 - 32

READ: Genesis 32:24-28

When you go through the bible, from Genesis to Revelation, you will find that God does not move or work things out in the life of a man until there is absolute surrender. Not until a man perfectly and totally submits himself and his will into the hands of God, he will not receive that good thing God has in store for him. Take for instance the first man- Adam. Before God gave him a wife – a good thing and God's favour (Proverbs 18:22) – he was given a divine anaesthetic to put him in a state of absolute surrender. Genesis 2:21-22 says this: “And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; and the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.” I see a lot of our ‘singles’ struggling with the Lord when it comes to the issue of marriage instead of absolutely surrendering to the Great Match-maker. I see a lot of efforts - many sisters in a bit to attract a man do some expensive hairstyles, some change their hairstyles every two weeks. Some brothers invest in expensive suits and shoes in a bit to attract a sister. Many of our youths have changed churches three to four times just to improve their chances of meeting a Christian brother or sister to marry and all to no avail.

Not until a man absolutely surrenders a situation to God, He will not move. Not until we repeat these words of Jesus – “nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42) – and mean them from the bottom of our heart, our ‘will’ will always prevent His ‘will’ from coming to pass in our lives. The Lord wants to help you. He wants to make the best out of your life. Many of us have literally messed up. We have done things we should not do especially whilst in the university. We have let important opportunities in life pass us by as a result of our negligence and habit of procrastination. We have built a faulty foundation – a foundation that is beginning to shake. We thought we were invincible, we thought we were going to be young forever, we thought the 'beauty' was going to be there forever , we thought the strength was never going to wane so we lived a rough life. Thank God we are now in the able hands of Christ. (If you have not given your lives to Christ you better do so now, because He alone can fix a destroyed life). All He demands of us is absolute surrender so that He can work on us and heal us. I am able to type these words because the keyboard and mouse have absolutely surrendered themselves to me. That’s what Christ wants from each of us today. Not until Jacob absolutely surrendered to the angel of the Lord, his name and destiny did not change. Genesis 32:25-26 says, “And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. And he said, let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.”

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: You are limited in every way and God is unlimited in every way. It will be a wise thing to submit everything into His capable hands.

ACTION: Pray this prayer from the bottom of your heart, “Father, i absolutely surrender my life to you”

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

60 seconds with Jesus

Someone sent the piece below to me on email and it really blessed me. It is a very important message and it chimes with our God-given objective to share Christ with the world. I pray that as you read it, the Holy Spirit will speak to your heart. Please feel free to share it with your friends and family.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Job 19-20

THE (SCIENTIFIC) DEATH OF JESUS:

At the age of 33, Jesus was condemned to the death penalty.

At the time, crucifixion was the "worst" death. Only the worst criminals were condemned to be crucified. Jesus was to be nailed to the cross by His hands and feet.

Each nail was 6 to 8 inches long.

The nails were driven into His wrist, not into His palms as is commonly portrayed. There's a tendon in the wrist that extends to the shoulder. The Roman guards knew that when the nails were being hammered into the wrist, that tendon would tear and break, forcing Jesus to use His back muscles to support himself so that He could breathe.

Both of His feet were nailed together. Thus He was forced to support Himself on the single nail that impaled His feet to the cross. Jesus could not support himself with His legs because of the pain, so He was forced to alternate between arching His back, then using his legs just to continue to breathe. Imagine the struggle, the pain, the suffering, the courage.

Jesus endured this brutality for over 3 hours.

Yes, over 3 hours! Can you imagine this kind of suffering?
A few minutes before He died, Jesus stopped bleeding. He was simply pouring water from His wounds.

From common images, we see wounds to His hands and feet, and even the spear wound to His side... But do we realize His wounds were actually made in His body. A hammer driving large nails through the wrist, the feet overlapped and an even larger nail hammered through the arches, then a Roman guard piercing His side with a spear. But before the nails and the spear, Jesus was whipped and beaten. The whipping was so severe that it tore the flesh from His body. The beating so horrific that His face was torn and his beard ripped from His face. The crown of thorns cut deeply into His scalp. Most men would not have survived this torture.

He had no more blood to bleed out, only water poured from His wounds. The human adult body contains about 3.5 liters (just less than a gallon) of blood.

Jesus poured all 3.5 liters of his blood; He had three nails hammered into His members; a crown of thorns on His head and, beyond that, a Roman soldier who stabbed a spear into His chest.

All these without mentioning the humiliation He endured after carrying His own cross for almost 2 kilometers, while the crowd spat in His face and threw stones (the cross was almost 30 kg of weight, only for its higher part, where His hands were nailed).

Jesus had to endure this experience, so that we can have free access to God.

So that our sins could be "washed" away. All of them, with no exception!

Deuteronomy 30:19 says, “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:” The way out of eternal damnation is Jesus. Accept Him as your personal Lord and saviour and live.

HIS RETURNS

MEMORY VERSE: Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD. Haggai 1:8

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Mark 1 - 2

God, like every other businessman, expects 'returns' on His investments. He has invested a lot into our lives. He gave us mouth to speak, nose to breath, eyes to see, legs to walk, ears to hear, a sound mind, functioning brains, etc. What kind of 'returns' does He expect from us? Praise and thanksgiving. Psalm 139:14 says, “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.” How often does He expect these 'returns'? At all times. Psalm 34:1 says, “A Psalm of David, when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech; who drove him away, and he departed. I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.” The fact that you bathe yourself this morning is a reason to thank God. The fact that you are able to feed yourself is a cause to thank God. The fact that you have children that are always making the house dirty is a reason to thank God. Sick children don’t make the house dirty because they are always in the hospital or lying down on their bed. Praise and thanksgiving is one area we are all lacking. We spend little or no time thanking Him. We praise Him too little and when we do it, we are in a haste to get it over and done with as soon as possible. Whenever one brings Him the returns of praise and thanksgiving, He makes them whole. Out of the ten lepers that were healed, only that leper who returned to give thanks to God was made whole (Luke 17:11-19).

Another investment He has made into our lives is the power to get wealth. Deuteronomy 8:18 says, “But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.” That you are gainfully employed is God. That you have a job at all, even if it is part time, can only be God. Asides these, the strength needed to work comes from Him. A sick person cannot run a ministry or a business. In addition, no employer wants a sick staff. This is why employers sometimes request for HR files of those they want to employ (which contains their sickness record) from their former employers. What kind of 'returns' does He expect from this investment? Offering and tithes. Malachi 3:10 says, “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” He has promised to open the windows of heaven and pour down His blessings to those who bring these 'returns'. And to those robbing Him? A curse (Malachi 3:9). Another ‘returns’ He expects is payment of building funds. Haggai 1:8 says, “Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD.” Do you owe building funds? Pay it up. We build God’s house by being faithful in the payment of our building funds. You can also buy a microphone, a speaker, musical equipment, etc. Neglecting God’s work or the building fund can cause every effort made in other areas not to yield results (Haggai 1:4-7). Also, out of the much He has given to us, He expects ‘returns’ in the form of helping the poor and needy around us. Deuteronomy 15:7 says, “If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother:” It is our duty to help the less privilege around us. For all He has given to us, He expects something back. One major ‘returns’ He expects is soul winning. Someone preached to you and led you to Christ, you have to preach to someone and lead them to Christ.

NOTE: A lot of people find it difficult to witness because they are shy and they don’t know how to go about.

ACTION: Ask the Lord to give you the spirit of boldness and ideas on how to witness. Speak to your pastor or the outreach leader in your church about evangelism. I want you to know that not everyone you witness to will give their lives to Christ the first time you speak to them. It took me up to six months to win a particular sister to Christ.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

HELP OF THE HELPLESS

MEMORIZE: But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped Him. Mark 5:6

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Thessalonians 3 -4, Proverbs 27

BIBLE STUDY: Mark 5:1-19

It is a terrible thing to be alone. It is so bad, even God – Creator of Heaven and Earth, said, “it is not good that the man should be alone (Genesis 2:18).” There is a very big difference between being alone and being lonely. Do you know that one can be in the midst of people and still be alone? It is possible for one to be married and still be alone. There are a lot of married people who are alone. It is possible to live under the same roof with your partner, sleep in the same room, on the same bed, with your partner by your side and still be alone. To be alone is bad, but worse than being alone is being helpless. To be helpless according to Merriam-Webster dictionary means not being able to defend one’s self or being unable to make a situation better/ easier.

The moment we hear the word ‘helpless’, what comes to mind is ‘impotence’, ‘stagnancy’, ‘being stuck’, ‘regression’, ‘weak’, ‘sorrow’, and so on. In our bible study, we read about a man who was totally helpless. A legion demon – over 6,000 demons, decided to turn his body into their residence. They seized him and began to do what they pleased with him. These evil forces drove him out his home to live among tombs. When friends and families caught him and tied him up to help him, he broke the chains and ran away. In broad day light, these forces made him to take off his clothes and walk around naked. (This they did to disgrace him in public). At times, they made him pick up sharp objects and cut himself with it. When there was no sharp object around, he would use stones to cut himself. Imagine the pains he was going through.  These forces, far more powerful and stronger than him, were causing him to destroy his body. The forces inside him were making him to do things he would not normally do. There are many like this man today who are helpless in one area or the other. They have terrible bad habits they want to stop but they can't because they powerless. There are many who do a lot of shameful things – things they do in the secret, they have tried to stop but they can’t. It is as if something is pushing them to do these things. The moment that thing pushes them, that is it. They have tried everything possible – been to doctors, tried to use will power, psyche themselves and nothing seems to be working. For some it is anger, once they become angry they turn into another thing. They lose control of themselves, do and say terrible things – things they would later regret when they calm down. For some it is a habit like smoking and drinking. They can’t do without smoking marijuana daily. They know the side effects of these habits and want to stop but they just can't. For some it is looking at nude pictures. This man knew within himself that except God comes to his rescue, these demons would destroy him. Actually he was on the path to destruction. For some it is their body. They don’t have control over it at all. The moment the urge to sin comes, that is it. Some of what they do when the urges come, they cannot share it with a living soul even their pastor. They have battled these urges unsuccessfully. Helpless as this mad man was, he saw Jesus and he did something i want you to do if you find yourself in a position where you are helpless. Mark 5:6 says, “But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped Him.” Friend, run to Jesus today before that urge destroys you. He is ready save you.

THOUGHTS OF THE DAY: This man did not pretend when he saw Jesus. He did not act as if all is well when actually all is not well. He did not try to cover his weakness from Jesus. He ran to Him and worshipped Him.  

ACTION: The Help of the helpless is still very much alive. What He did thousands of years ago, He is still doing them today and He will do it for you too. Start by worshipping Him before asking Him to help. Run to Him now!

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

REMEMBER NOW THY CREATOR

MEMORIZE: remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them. Ecclesiastes 12:1

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Philippians 3-4, Proverbs 23

Ecclesiastes 12:1 says this: “remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them.” The word ‘remember’ implies that there is a tendency to forget. “Remember now thy creator,” implies there is a tendency to forget one’s Creator. As of today, many have forgotten their Creator. When they were looking for the fruit of the womb, they never missed any church service. Now that God has answered their prayer, they only come on Sundays. When some brothers were looking for employment, they never missed Monday bible studies. Now that they are gainfully employed, they no longer attend bible studies. Bro So and So, we did not see you on Monday, hope nothing? “Oh, I finished late from work these days,” is the response you will get. When some were processing their visa to relocate to another country, they never missed Friday prayer meetings. They could pray for an hour nonstop, but now in the country they relocated to, they do not even attend church. They work Monday to Sunday – looking for earthly things that will perish one day. When some single sisters were looking up to God for a marriage partner, they never missed choir practice. They were the first to get to church and the last to leave, but now that God has brought the brother the story has changed. Sister So and So, we did not see you at choir practice. "You know I am now married, I have to iron, clean and cook," is the response you will get.

When are you to remember your Creator? The bible says, "Now!" There are three seasons in a man’s life. There is the past, the present and the future. We have no control over the past because it is gone. There is nothing any man can do to bring back the past. The past is gone and gone for good. You cannot remember your Creator in the past. You cannot also remember your Creator in the future because you are not guaranteed of the future. Jesus Christ could return at anytime. However, one thing you have control over is the present. This is why the bible says, “Remember ‘now’ thy Creator…” Why the word ‘Creator’? Why not ‘remember now the Holy One of Israel,’ since your Creator is also the Holy One of Israel? Why not ‘remember now the Ancient of Days,’ since the Ancient of Days is your Creator? Why not ‘remember now the Lion of the Tribe of Judah or the I Am THAT I AM,’ since all these are God’s names? The author used the word ‘Creator’ for several reasons but I will tell you one today. The only One who can break you is the One who created you. The Lord said, “see now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is thy any that can deliver out of my hand” (Deuteronomy 32:39). Just as He has the power to make you, He also has the power to break you. He decided to make you, at any time if He so wish, He can break you and to make it worse, no one can question Him. If you forget Him and say, “I don’t care,” He will put you where you belong. If you do not believe me, ask Nebuchadnezzar - one of the greatest emperors that ever lived. God turned him into an animal because of his pride. I pray that will never be your portion in Jesus name. What do I do, I don't want to forget my Creator? Get closer to Him. The farther you are from Him, the higher the chances of you forgetting Him. Have a prayer altar where you meditate on His word and pray daily. Psalm 119:11 says, “thy word have I hid in mine, that I might not sin against thee.” His word reminds us of Him. Set out time, at least once a week, to spend quality time with Him. Praise Him regularly. It is impossible to forget someone you are always praising. Regularly reflect on His goodness and thank Him for that. Tell people about Him i.e. evangelise.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Your sole purpose on earth is to please your Creator. According to Revelations 4:11, He created you for His pleasure. Is He pleased with your life? When was the last time, you told someone about Jesus? When was the last time you sat down and reflected on His goodness?

PRAYER POINT: Father, please help me never to forget you.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

HE MADE IT AGAIN ANOTHER VESSEL

MEMORIZE: Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel. Jeremiah 18:5-6

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Philippians 1-2, Proverbs 22

BIBLE STUDIES: Jeremiah 18:3-6

Prophet Jeremiah, as instructed by the Lord, went to a potter’s house. When he got there, he saw the potter making a vessel and he sat down to watch the whole process. The potter sat by his potter’s wheel, working away, labouring hard with his hand, trying to create a useful and durable vessel. Unfortunately, the vessel did not turn out as he had hoped. I thought the potter was going to discard that vessel, get new clay, knead it properly and make another vessel from the new clay but he did not. The bible says, “And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it” (Jeremiah 18:4). Instead of discarding the vessel, the potter worked again on the clay and made a new vessel. Just as the prophet was admiring the patience of this potter, the Lord spoke. Jeremiah 18:5-6 says this: “Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.”

The potter in this story is Jesus and we, you and i, are the clay. The Lord is working tirelessly, pouring His resources – time, energy, love, etc - on us to make us vessel unto honour but in the process, some have become marred in His hand. I do not know how you have become marred in the hands of the Lord. Maybe you used to be fervent, you loved the Lord and things of God, you used to evangelize but when you got into the university, you fell into the sin of fornication and everything died in you. Maybe you used to be a youth leader, God was using you mightily in the ministry, anytime you preached people will become convicted and begin to cry, but you got pregnant out of wedlock and it all ended. Maybe you have made a mistake in marriage and it has not only affected your music ministry, it is gradually destroying your spiritual life to the extent you cannot even pray. Maybe when you were in the university, you had the gifts of dreams, God used to show you things before they happen. You used to see visions and hear the voice of God regularly but ever since, you went for work placement all that stopped partly because you have now started to drink and smoke. Maybe before you lost your virginity, whenever you lead praise and worship, healing takes place. Back then praying was something you loved because you always felt His presence but ever since you lost it, it is as if there is a gap between you and God. It is true that you have repented, but you know deep within yourself that you are not where you used to be. You became marred when you committed adultery or when the pressures of life made you to run to a herbalist. Whatever it is that has made you marred in the hands of Christ, He is saying to you today, “cannot I do with you as this potter?” Just as the potter did not cast away the clay, Christ has not cast you away. It is true that you are marred in His hands but He wants to build you into another vessel. You have suffered enough. It is not over for you. Christ is not finished with you yet, regardless of whatever you ever done, even if you have had an abortion, He will forgive if you return to Him today. Regardless of your situation, God can still make something glorious out of your life.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Abram became marred in His hands when he had Ishmael. Yet, the Lord did not cast him away but he restored him.

PRAYER POINT: Father, we ask for restoration.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

SPREAD IT BEFORE THE LORD

MEMORIZE: And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it: and Hezekiah went up unto the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD. Isaiah 37:14 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Revelations 16-22, Proverbs 21 

BIBLE STUDIES: Isaiah 37:10-14 

King Hezekiah received a letter that troubled him greatly, one morning.  I do not know what letter you have received. You may have received a letter from your lawyer; your wife of over fifteen years is filing for divorce. You may have received an email informing you that you were unsuccessful at a job interview. It could be that your exam results arrived and you performed poorly. Maybe you received a letter from your son’s school; they want to have a meeting with you to discuss something terrible your son did. You may have received a letter from your bank informing you that your loan application was refused. Yours could be a letter informing you that your permit application, to go and live with your husband abroad, has been rejected. Probably your letter has nothing to do with visa application or loan application; what happened was you received a notice of foreclosure on your mortgage. You may have received a letter from your doctor inviting you for a meeting; from the tone of the letter, you know all is not well. I remember a time in my life when i dreaded letters. I was out of job for few months so i could not keep up with my direct debits. Every letter i received reminded me of missed direct debits, failed standing orders, charges, bailiff, etc. I knew i was in debt and that really made me sad but the tone of the letters i was receiving, especially court orders, was as if someone was hitting the face of a wound. 

On reading the letter, heaviness of heart fell on the king. It was as if someone zapped life out of him. He must have looked up to heaven and tears began to flow down his cheeks - utterly confused, not knowing whether to cry or scream or keep quiet. The contents of the letter made it look as if the Lord had forgotten him. King Hezekiah was a righteous man. He loved the Lord just like many of us and yet he received such a letter. After reading the letter, he did something wise. Isaiah 37:14 says, “And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it: and Hezekiah went up unto the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD.” The ‘spreading of letter before the Lord’ means utter surrender. The king was saying, "Lord, i know what Your word says. The content of this letter are not in consonance with Your Word. Please oh Lord; turn things around. This letter was meant to bring me sadness but Oh Lord, arise and give me joy.” He spread the letter before God in faith and prayed. Before he finished praying, the Lord spoke and fought for Hezekiah. Friend, spread that letter, you received, before the Lord in faith and pray to Him. Start by praising Him, (the devil wants to make you sad but disappoint him by praising Jesus – the Helper of the helpless). Thank Him for the things He has done for you in the past and pour out your heart to Him. Every time i received a letter of this sort, as i have received them in times past, i spread them before God and cry to Him. One way or the other, He would move people, situation, circumstances, and laws of the land, in my favour. The same God who did it for Hezekiah is still alive. He is still in the business of helping people and He will help you. 

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Someone out there has gone through what you are going through now or gone through something worse and the Lord delivered him. If He has done it before He will do it again. 

PRAYER POINT: Father, as many as are down, please lift up their heads. 

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.