A PRAYER THAT PLEASES THE LORD

MEMORY VERSE: And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days. 1 Kings 3:13

BIBLE READING: 1 Samuel 12-15

Solomon did something no man had ever done and God responded in a way He had never responded. He offered a thousand burnt offerings to God; in return, God paid him a visit. I pray that God will inspire you and me to do something that will cause Him to pay us a visit. 1 Kings 3: 5 says: ‘In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, ask what I shall give thee.’ Solomon asked for an understanding heart to judge God’s people. 1 Kings 3:10 says: ‘And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.’

There are two basic types of requests: those that please the Lord and those that don’t. An example of a request that didn’t please the Lord was Israelite’s request for a king. 1 Samuel 8:6-7 says: ‘But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD. And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.’ The Lord granted their request even though it didn’t please Him; besides, it was not in His perfect will for them to have a king. The fact that God grants a request does not necessarily mean that He is pleased with the request. I pray that you will not have what God does not want you to have in the mighty name of Jesus,amen. Israel had what God did not want them to have; and as a result, they suffered. 1 Kings 12:4 says: ‘Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee.’ Adam and Eve had what God did not want them to have and they died spiritually. Whilst some requests do not please God, some bring Him joy. Solomon's request pleased the Lord because it was in line with God's will for him. Any request that is at variance with His will displeases Him. You can know God's will through revelation; and by studying the Bible,also.

NOTE: When you pray in tongues, you are praying according to His divine will; therefore, it pleases the Lord.

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AN IDOLATER?

MEMORY VERSE: Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Exodus 20:3

BIBLE READING: 1 Samuel 4-7

Who is an idolater? An idolater is simply one who worships idols. What comes to mind when we hear the word 'idol' is a picture of a statue. An idol can be a statue; viz., the golden calf (Exodus 32:4). It can be a living thing or a non-living thing. An idol is simply anything we want more than God, rely on more than God, put before God, or look to for greater fulfilment than God. Exodus 20:3 says: ‘Thou shalt have no other gods before me.’

While we generally see them as disgraceful, evil passions, it is important to note that idols can also be ‘good’ things that we have made into ‘ultimate’ things. For instance, an idol could be one's spouse. Adam put his wife, Eve, before God. In chapter 3, his wife offered him the forbidden fruit and he ate it. He disobeyed God and obeyed his wife. An idol could be one's children. Eli's children were his idols because he put them before God. Even, when God complained about the conduct of his children, he did nothing because he didn't want to offend them. Your ambition can become your idol if care is not taken. A young man whose ambition became his idol was Absalom. He was willing to kill his father to fulfil his ambition of becoming the king. Material things can become one's idols. An example that comes to mind is Achan. He was willing to disobey God to get rich. Culture and tradition can become one's idols. For instance, the Pharisees and Sadducees put their culture and tradition before God's word. Your favourite team or sport can become an idol. Recently, I saw a brother watching a champions league match during the sermon. If you are busy checking football scores whilst the pastor is preaching, then football has become your idol.

PRAYER POINT: Father, please reveal the idols in my life to me and help get rid of them.

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JESUS OUR SACRIFICE

MEMORY VERSE: For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. 2 Corinthians 5:21

BIBLE READING: Deuteronomy 9-12

In ancient Israelite sacrifices, death is not the primary focus. The killing of animals is a means to an end, not an end to a means. The animals were killed to make their flesh and blood available for special use. Today in our modern society, killing an animal is simply how it is made available for food. There are five main types of sacrifices in the Old Testament: the Burnt Offering (Leviticus 1; 6:8-13,8:18-21), Grain Offering ( Leviticus 2,6:14-23), Peace Offering ( Leviticus 3,7:11-34), Sin Offering ( Leviticus 4,5:1-13, 6:24-30), and Trespass Offering ( Leviticus 5:14-19,6:1-7).

When offering a burnt offering, the whole animal is burnt except the hide of large animals that had been skinned as part of the slaughter process (Genesis 8:20-22). The burnt offering is a way of calling on the Lord to pay attention to the needs, requests, and entreaties of His worshippers. It is also a means of expressing a worshipful response to the Lord (Leviticus 22:18-20). The grain offering is a gift, present, presents, tribute,etc., given to a deity. The peace offering signifies that all is well in the relationship between the Lord and His people. The sin offering is primarily a blood atonement offering in the sanctuary system of offering in which worshipers could receive forgiveness for their sins and deal with the degree to which they have contaminated the tabernacle. The guilt offering is offered when a person commits violation and sins unintentionally in regards to any of the holy things.

These sacrifices – burnt offering, grain offering, peace offering, sin offering, and trespass offering - are no longer in practice, but they illustrate the sacrificial work of Jesus Christ and stress the importance of a life of separation and obedience. As our burnt offering, Jesus' atonement is an acknowledgement of the sinful nature of man and it is required to renew our relationship with God. His death on the cross atoned for our sins and restored our relationship with God. The grain offering is often offered alongside a burnt offering. The burnt offering of Christ makes every other offering acceptable to God. As our peace offering, He made peace between us and the Lord. As our sin offering, He was made sin for us on the cross. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says: “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” As our trespass offering, He assumed the debt for our sins and paid for it.

NOTE: Jesus Christ was crucified to make His blood available for the atonement of our sins. Romans 3:25 says: “Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.”

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WHOSE VOICES ARE YOU LISTENING TO?

MEMORY VERSE: There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification. 1 Corinthians 14:10

BIBLE READING: Deuteronomy 5-8

The voice you listen to will shape your life. A voice of discouragement has the ability to leave you discouraged and vice versa. One of the voices that shaped my life was the voice of my father. 'Dayo (my Yoruba name), remember the son of who you are,' he said many years ago. Thank God I listened; If I not listened, I would have ended up in prison.

There are several voices in the world. 1 Corinthians 14:10 says: 'There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification.' The one you listen to will determine the course and quality of your life. The children of Israel listened to the ten voices of doubt; as a result, they missed out on the promised rest of God and wandered in the wilderness until they died ( Numbers 13). King David listened to the voice of his lust and committed adultery with a woman. To cover the terrible thing he had done, he killed her husband. At the end, he lost three of his sons. The voice you listen to will determine whether you will succeed or fail. There are many voices in the world; however, there are only three sources: God’s s spirit, satanic spirits, and the human spirit.

The voice of the human spirit can be heard everywhere – in colleges and schools, newspapers, television, radio, music, church, etc. The voice of the human spirit is proud, thinks only of itself, ignorant of the things of God, values man’s intellect and desires over God’s will, and always seek to replace the knowledge of God with logic (Romans 1:21-23). The voice of Satan is subtle and poisonous. It is becoming more and more blatant and bold as the return of Christ nears. Satan has gone to great lengths to get his voice heard within the church. The Church is being assaulted by false leaders, prophets, brethren, music, and doctrine. Satan is deceiving countless thousands by false prophecies and miracles, and immature saints who have neither awakened nor developed their spiritual discernment are falling and taking their families and friends with them (2 Tim. 4:3-4). The voice of God (however) is the still, small voice (1 Kings 19:11-12). He also speaks through dreams, visions, prophetic utterances, through His word, and face to face. In order to know when and if God is speaking, and not a human or satanic spirit, we must remember that God always speaks in line with Scriptures. He never ever contradicts His Word! Many of us would recognize the Lord's voice and avoid deception if we would study His Word more! When we study the Word of our Shepherd, it will enable us to recognise His voice! "

QUESTION: Whose voice are you listening to? Are you giving God twenty minutes a day in prayer and study, then giving Satan and man eight hours a day through television, worldly music, and carnal entertainment? If so, then you have not sanctified yourself unto the Lord your God (set yourself apart) and you will not hear the still, small voice of God, and you may miss it in this life!

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ACCORDING TO HIS PATTERN!

MEMORY VERSE: And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount. Exodus 25:40

BIBLE READING: Deuteronomy 1-4

What is a pattern? According to Dictionary.com (Learner's edition), a pattern is a diagram or shape that you can use as a guide when you are making something such as a model or a piece of clothing. The Most-High God is a builder. Hebrews 3:4 says: “For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God.” You can't build without Him. Psalm 127:1 says: “A Song of degrees for Solomon. Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.” You need to a pattern to build a  house. Without one, you will end up with a building that looks like an amoeba. Also, building without a pattern leads to wastage of resources. God does not build without a pattern; as such, He has a pattern for marriage, ministry, etc.

Today, we will look at His pattern for solving problems. This pattern is carefully documented in Genesis 1:1- end. There was a big problem on the earth. According to Genesis 1:2, the earth was without form and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. How did God tackle this problem? Firstly, He investigated the root cause of the problem. Why was the earth in the state it was? The earth was in the state it was because darkness had taken over. All sorts happen whenever darkness is allowed to reign. The next thing He did was introduce light to the equation. Genesis 1:3 says: “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.” He introduced light for two reasons: firstly, to banish darkness; and secondly, to understand the problem. These two things – discovering the root cause of a problem and understanding a problem – are crucial to solving any problems. Who did the Lord send to carry out these tasks? The Holy Spirit. Genesis 1:2b says: “And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” Problem solving is impossible without the Holy Spirit. He is the One who will banish darkness and help you understand the problem. From Him comes wisdom to solve tough problems.

PRAYER POINT: Wonderful Spirit of God, I invite you into the issues of my life, please do what you alone can do.

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SHARE THE GOOD NEWS

MEMORY VERSE: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. 2 Corinthians 4:4

BIBLE READING: Number 21-23

The gospel of Christ is nothing to be ashamed of. Romans 1:16 says: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” The gospel is good news. It is one of the best news you will ever get. It is news which makes people happy and excited. If what you have heard about Jesus Christ does not make you happy and excited, then you have not yet truly heard and understood the gospel as it is meant to be understood. The basic outline of the gospel is Jesus Christ took your place in judgement, paid the penalty for all your sins, and gave you the blessing He deserved because of His perfect sinless life. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says: “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

The news that Jesus, the Alpha and Omega, loves you enough to die for you is good news! Not only that, He took what you deserved and gave you what He deserved. This is not limited to you alone, He died for all mankind. The deliverance from sin, its effects, and penalty is available to anyone who will accept Jesus as his personal Lord and Saviour. The news that God is for you, not against you, is good news. The news that Jesus has overcome the world for you is good news. John 16:33 says: “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” The news that you are more than a conqueror is good news. The gospel is good news because it is news of hope. Colossians 1:27 says: “To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:” The news that you have a glorious future is good news. The fact that Christ rose is a proof that you and I are going to rise. However, the enemy has an agenda to keep many from hearing the gospel. 2 Corinthians 4:4 says: “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” This is where you and I come in. We must share the gospel, the good news, with everyone.

QUESTION: How many people have you shared the gospel with this year? How many souls have you won for Christ this year?

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“THEN I KNEW THAT THIS WAS THE WORD OF THE LORD”

MEMORY VERSE: So Hanameel mine uncle's son came to me in the court of the prison according to the word of the LORD, and said unto me, Buy my field, I pray thee, that is in Anathoth, which is in the country of Benjamin: for the right of inheritance is thine, and the redemption is thine; buy it for thyself. Then I knew that this was the word of the LORD. Jeremiah 32:8

BIBLE READING: Numbers 21-24

The spirits in the world are the Spirit of God and the spirit of Satan. The Spirit of God is the Spirit of truth and the spirit of Satan is the spirit of error. 1 John 4:6 says: “We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.” Satan has the ability to transform himself into angels. 2 Corinthians 11:14 says: “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.” As such, check every Word or divine guidance before acting on them. 1 John 4:1 says: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”

Today, I will be talking about ways of checking the source of the Word you have received. Firstly, God’s Word is always in-line with the Scripture. Psalm 119:105 says: “NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” What you have received is most likely from God if it is in line with Scriptures. For instance, a strong impression on your heart to call a friend and pray with him or her is in-line with scriptures (Ezekiel 22:30 ). Secondly, watch out for confirmation of circumstances. Whenever God speaks, 9 out of 10, there will be confirmation of circumstances. Jeremiah, a prophet of God, received a Word from the Lord to buy Hanameel’s land. Meanwhile, he had earlier prophesied that will Isreal will be captured by Babylon. The land the Lord told him to buy will be worth nothing in terms of real estate since the land will soon be taking over. Instead of rushing to buy the land, he waited for a confirmation of circumstances and the Lord gave him one. Jeremiah 32:8 says: “So Hanameel mine uncle's son came to me in the court of the prison according to the word of the LORD, and said unto me, Buy my field, I pray thee, that is in Anathoth, which is in the country of Benjamin: for the right of inheritance is thine, and the redemption is thine; buy it for thyself. Then I knew that this was the word of the LORD.” Thirdly, God’s Word brings about God’s peace (Colossians 3:5). You will experience a peace of heart when God speaks to you. If you feel pressured to act hastily, 9 out of 10 times, it is not from God. Fourthly, God will confirm what He has told you through fellow believers. The Holy Ghost called Paul and Barnabas into ministry in the secret (Galatians 1:1). However, He confirmed their calls publicly in Acts 13:1-3. Our God is not an author of confusion.

NOTE: Three relationships you can expect to hear from God are the pastor and the people (Hebrews 13:7), husband and wife ( Ephesians 5:22-24) and parents and child (Ephesians 6:1). The Lord will confirm what He has told you in secret through your pastor , your marriage partner or parents (if they are believers).

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“LEAN NOT UNTO THINE OWN UNDERSTANDING”

MEMORY VERSE: Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. Proverbs 3:5

BIBLE READING: Exodus 38-40

Two men lived in a land. Both were shepherds; they served the Lord and as a result, the Lord increased their substances to the extent that the land could no longer contain them. One day,they decided to part ways. The first man lifted up his eyes and chose what he saw. Genesis 13:10-11 says: “And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar. Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other.” Lot leaned on his own understanding and as a result, he became a neighbour to God’s enemies (Genesis 13:12-13). He and his wife were taken captive shortly after their move (Genesis 14:11-12). Out of mercy, the Lord delivered him and he moved to Sodom. Many years later, the Lord destroyed Sodom and he lost all – his wife, home and properties (Genesis 19). Lot became homeless and began to dwell in rocks.

The other person, on the other hand, choose what he was shown. Genesis 13:14 says: “And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward.” As a result, Abram became a deliverer – the Lord used him to deliver Lot. He had children; his lineage continued even to this day. Abram became a blessing to many generation. We cannot run from making decisions (if we want to continue to live). Even plants make decision – they bend towards sunlight when kept in a dark room. Decision-making is inevitable. 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.” We have no other choice than to make decisions and face the consequences of our decisions. Many single brothers choose their wives based on sight. They married ladies who could cook, who appeared quiet, etc.; they were not led by God into those marriages. They discovered after marriage that these ladies cooked only when they were happy ( and they are rarely happy). They were quiet only when they had their ways. They (these brothers) discovered all sorts – these women argued a lot, never forgave and complained of everything – after marriage and wished they were single. The same with sisters, they married brothers based on their looks, bank balances and assets. They discovered after marriage that these brothers were wife-beaters, serial womanisers, drug addicts,unusually stingy,etc. Many of us choose careers, jobs, apartments, churches to attend, schools to send our children,etc. by sight. Make sure you are led by God because it is dangerous to choose by sight. Remember, not all that glitters is gold.

NOTE: Things always appear attractive until you move closer. The fig tree looked great until Jesus moved closer and discovered it had no fruit.

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“AND THE IRON DID SWIM”

MEMORY VERSE: And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he shewed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim. 2 Kings 6:6

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Exodus 33-37

2 Timothy 3:1 says: “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.” The perilous times Paul spoke about is here. As such, we must be careful. Guard the things God has given to you, jealously. Why? Firstly, it can be taken from you. Revelations 3:11 says: “Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.” There are agents of the devil out there who want to empty you of everything the Lord has given to you. Secondly, it can be lost due to carelessness. You may lose your salvation if you play with it or buy into the "eternal salvation" theory. There are several examples of fervent brothers who lost their salvation in the bible e.g. Demas, Hymenaeus, etc. According to Holy Scriptures, a man is known by his fruits (Matthew 7:16). Paul would have selected a co-worker who showed lots of it. Paul instructed Timothy and Titus on how to go about appointing elders, by making sure the selected persons were truly qualified and had a high level of morality, so we can only expect that Paul obeyed his own instructions. For instance, in Acts 15:37, Paul rejected John Mark due to his past. I am sure, Paul would not have appointed Demas as a co-worker in the ministry if he was not saved and bearing fruits. This brother later lost his salvation and went back into the world. 2 Timothy 4:10 says: “For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.”

Thirdly, the Lord (who gave it) can decide to take it back if abuse it or don't use it. The master of the servant who failed to use his talent took it back from him and gave it to the servant with ten talents (Matthew 25:14-30). The Lord warned the children of Israel whilst on their way to the promise land to run from sin or else, He would drive them from the land like He did to those before them. Leviticus 18:28 says: “That the land spue not you out also, when ye defile it, as it spued out the nations that were before you.” Is it possible for one to lose his or her spiritual gifts? Yes, especially if one falls into the sin of fornication or adultery. An example that comes to mind is that of a sister who fornicated. After fornicating, she lost the gifts of praying in tongues and her spiritual life went down. She had hit rock bottom when we met her. Our of mercy, the Lord restored the gift after she repented and we prayed. Guard the things God has given to you, jealously. If you have lost something due to your carelessness or for any other reason, God can restore it. However, it is better not to have lost it in the first place. I pray that He will have mercy on you and restore what you have lost. The One who retrieved an axe head from the River Jordan, a muddy river, is alive and able to retrieve the irretrievable (2 Kings 6:1-6). Verse 6 says: “ And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he shewed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim.”

NOTE: Don’t give up. If what you have lost is irreplaceable which is rarely the case, He will give you something better. Trust in the Lord. God wants you to be happy.

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MEMORY VERSE: A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger. Proverbs 15:1

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 John 4-5

As I mentioned in part one of these series, how you handle situations matter. One thing I ask God for, from time to time, is wisdom. Wisdom will teach you how to handle a conflict situation. Wisdom will tell you that you don’t have to shout to resolve that issue. Proverbs 15:1 says: “a soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.” The fact that you are right and the other person is wrong is not a license to be rude or intimidating. The fact that you had a terrible day at work is not a license to shout at everyone that come your way. Be nice to people you meet. Be nice to that bus driver, that gate man, your secretary, that customer adviser, that cashier, that policeman, etc. A man, in a high-powered Mercedes sports car, was stopped by the police sometimes back. It was a random check; the police officers just wanted to check his insurance details and all that. Instead of being polite, he started giving the police officers attitude and they decided to teach him a lesson. A check that should have lasted for three minutes took for over ten minutes. They did everything to waste his precious time; there was no way he won’t be late if he had an appointment. If you try to make people feel small, they will respond by making you feel worthless. The police officers had nothing to lose but he had a lot to lose because he was standing doing nothing whilst the police officer wasted his precious time.

Learn to resolve issues in a non-violent way. Kohath, Abiram, Dathan and co felt the sharing of tasks in the house of God needs to be reviewed; they wanted more assignments (Numbers 16). Instead of meeting with Moses and Aaron to ask for more tasks, they rebelled. Verse 3 says: “And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD?” That rebellion led to their death (Numbers 17). Whenever a man handles a matter wrongly, the matter will be blown out of proportion and at times, they may even lose out. A brother was owed 3000 pounds. The borrower had been promising to pay for a while but for one reason or the other, he could not keep to his word. One day, he gave his lender 500 pounds and promised to pay 2,500 pounds later. Instead of accepting the 500 pounds first and then get angry later, the lender got angry first - he refused the 500 pounds. Somehow, I heard about it and I advised the lender to take the 500 pounds because a bird in the hand is worth 10 in the bush. Grudgingly, he took the 500 pounds. Do you know the borrower has not paid the balance of 2,500 pounds till date and this happened five years ago? Thank God the borrower accepted the 500 pounds. Had the lender not accepted that 500 pounds that day, he would not have received a dime out of the money. In your anger, be wise. If someone owes you money and brings part of the money to you, please accept whatever he brings first before getting angry because that could be all that you will get.

PRAYER POINT: Father, please fill me with the spirit of wisdom.

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DON’T ALTER THE LORD’S INSTRUCTION

MEMORY VERSE: And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams' horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets. Joshua 6:4

BIBLE READING: Numbers 34-36

One of the secrets of success is studying successful people and doing what they did. If you want the kind of success Steve Jobs (Apple founder) had, get his autobiography, study what he did and do the same. Some years back, Elon Musk (founder of PayPal, Tesla Motors, Space X, etc.) in an interview mentioned that he read the autobiography of Steve Jobs and learnt a lot from it. If you want the kind of Daniel’s success, third-in-command to an emperor who ruled the world ( Daniel 6:1-2), or Joseph’s, a man who created economic and business models that sustained the economy of Egypt (the greatest economy at that time) when currency failed, read their autobiographies which are documented in the Holy Scriptures and do what they did. As for me, I want all so I read everything; viz.,the Bible, autobiographies, memoirs, etc.

Let us briefly look at two of many secrets of Joshua’s success. Firstly, Joshua did well because Moses laid hands on him. Deuteronomy 34:9 says: “And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands upon him: and the children of Israel hearkened unto him, and did as the LORD commanded Moses.” Moses laid hands on Joshua and transferred the grace and anointing he carried to Joshua. Also, Moses literally laid hands on him as in mentor him. Secondly, Joshua did well in ministry because he followed (divine) instructions to the letter. Many of us find it hard to follow basic instructions. The doctor says, “take two tablets three times daily." What do we do? We take three tablets four times daily. That’s drug abuse and no child of God should abuse drugs. Joshua followed God’s instruction to the letter. The Lord’s instruction to Joshua was “….And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams' horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets… ( Joshua 6:4)”. What did he do? He ensured that the priests used trumpets of ram’s horns not goat’s horns. Joshua 6:6 says: “And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said unto them, Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD.” Again, the Lord told him to pick seven men i.e. priests and he did that. Some would have picked six men and a woman because they want to be politically correct.

NOTE: The Lord is the wiser than the wisest. He knows why He chose ram’s horn over goat’s horn. Learn to follow His instructions to the letter.

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ON ROUTE TO CONQUER GOLIATH

ON ROUTE TO CONQUER GOLIATH

MEMORY VERSE: And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth. 1 Samuel 17:33

 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Deuteronomy 7-12

Goliath represents different things to different people. For example to the armies of Israel, Goliath represents a roaring lion. All they heard was his voice and everyone began to shake. 1 Samuel 17:11 says, “When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.” When they saw him, all hell broke loose. Everyone including the king ran for cover. 1 Samuel 17:24 says, “And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid.” To king Saul, Goliath represents an unbeatable champion. When David sought his consent to take on Goliath, he told him “he a man of war from his youth.” In other words, he is an unbeatable and undefeated champion. However, to David, Goliath represents an opportunity. This was why he asked that question – “What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel (1 Samuel 17:25)?” He saw Goliath as an opportunity to move closer to God’s plan for his life. He also saw him as an opportunity to become the king’s in-law and his father’s house exempted from payment of tax for life (1 Samuel 17:25). Actually, it was the coming of Goliath to Israel that suddenly propelled David to limelight. Prior to this, no one knew David! If not for Goliath, David would have remained a shepherd boy despite the anointing of God upon his life. That challenge you are currently facing could be God’s own way of bringing you to limelight. 

Today, we will look at Goliath as a big mountain standing on David’s path to the fulfillment of God’s plan for his life. In 1 Samuel 16, David was anointed as the king of Israel. Out of nowhere in 1 Samuel 17, Goliath turned up and demanded a man to fight him. If he kills the man, the kingdom of Israel (David’s throne) will go to the Philistines, but if the man kills him - which is impossible - the Philistines will become slaves to Israel. On route to conquering Goliath, David encountered a lot of things. On your route to conquering Goliath (the big mountain standing on your path to fulfilling destiny), you can expect some of what David encountered. The armies of Israel tried to weaken David’s faith. They knew David was a civilian because he was dressed as a civilian, yet they deliberately began to speak about how difficult it was to conquer Goliath. Even before David could think of taking on Goliath, they had already given him enough reasons why he wouldn’t be able to conquer Goliath. On your route to fulfilling destiny, you can expect people to tell you about how difficult it will be to become who God created you to be. You can expect them to tell you about how impossible it is to do something that no one has ever done before and succeed. Whilst planning to sit for a professional exam, the enemy will bring people who will speak about how difficult it is to pass that particular professional exam you want to sit for. They will remind you of people who have tried and failed. They will talk about the high failure rate and low pass rate. They will say all sorts of things. They will speak about those who passed the exam but couldn't get a job. The enemy will throw everything at you just to weaken your faith, just to make you turn back. He will throw everything at you to ensure that you don’t even think of going forward.

NOTE: David did not listen to what people had to say about Goliath. He only listened to what God had to say about Goliath. He sensed in his spirit that God was leading him to take on Goliath and he obeyed. Is God leading you on a project? Don’t look back. Don’t look at the failure rate. Don’t look at the number of people who had done it and failed. You are different. If He is leading you to take on Goliath, it means He has already conquered Goliath. 

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

LIKE A FLINT

MEMORY VERSE: For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed. Isaiah 50:7

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: II Chronicles 25-28

Two things are needful if you are going to become who God created you to be: Decision and Determination. Once these two are in place, one becomes unstoppable. Why are these two very crucial to success? God abhors 'sitting on the fence'. Revelations 3:16 says, “So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.” As far as God is concerned, it is better for a man to be cold than to be lukewarm. Lukewarmness is a form of indecisiveness. You want to be the best you can be for Jesus? Make a decision today. Make a decision today that you will be different in this generation. Make a decision today that you will read your bible daily. Make a decision that you will fast once a week. Make a decision that you will do one personal night vigil every month. A decision to do the right thing will put you on the path to greatness but determination – a strong one- will keep you on the path. On your route to greatness, you will find a lot of road blocks, ups and downs, disappointing moments, stressful moments, etc. Without  strong determination, you may turn back. 

Isaiah 50:7 says, “For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.” Certain things happen the moment a man make up his mind to do something or achieve something, and he is determined. One of them is God backs such fellow up. Daniel made up his mind not to eat the king’s meal. He was so determined that he told the eunuch in charge that he will not touch the food offered to idols (Daniel 1:8-14). What did the Lord do? He backed Daniel and his friends up and gave them favor in the presence of the eunuch. Verse 14 says, “So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days.” In addition, things/ circumstances suddenly begins to work in your favor. Doors suddenly begin to open. Doors that have refused to open to others will begin to open to you as a result of your determination. 

In addition, fire loses his ability to consume you. The three Hebrew boys (Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego) decided not to bow to Nebuchadnezzar's image. When the king threatened to throw them into the fiery furnace - because they were so determined- they told him “be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up” (Daniel 3:18). They threw them into fire, and the fire did nothing except burn the ropes that were used to tie them. When you are determined, instead of the fire to destroy you it will  burn the ropes that have been used to tie you and you become a wonder. The moment a man makes up his mind to do something and he is determined in his heart, God strengthens the fellow to do the thing - even at times when it is very difficult. Because Ruth determined in her heart to remain with Naomi all the days of her life, God gave her the strength to carry on even when Orpah looked back and returned to her people. According to our bible text,  when a man sets his face as a flint, shame leaves his boat and glory enters. Shame left Ruth’s life and glory came in; she married and became the great grandmother of King David.  

NOTE: Success in any endeavour is not for those who want it. It is simply for those who are determined i.e. those who are willing to pay the price. Everyone wants to succeed but only the determined and diligent end up succeeding. Success is for those who will continue long after others have quit. 

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

“THY FATHER WHICH SEETH IN SECRET”

MEMORY VERSE: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly. Matthew 6:4

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Acts 5-6

Every word that comes out of the mouth of the Lord must be taken seriously. There are several reasons why you must not take His words for granted.For instance, He is the Truth. John 14:6 says, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” And when the Truth speaks, He speaks the truth. Another reason why His words must be taken seriously is because they are spirit and life. John 6:63 says, “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” Jesus only spoke to the corpse of the widow’s son and the boy came back to life (Luke 7:11-17). All He said was: “Young man i say unto thee, Arise.” Another reason why His words must be taken seriously is because His words carry power. According to Ecclesiastes 8:4, where the word of a king is, there is power. Because He is the King of kings, His words carry power. No wonder the bible says:”He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions” (Psalm 107:20).

One important reason why you must take His words seriously is because His words will never pass away. Mark 13:31 says, “Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.” Take His words seriously. If for any reason He repeats Himself, it means there are some eternal truths in what He is saying. For instance, in Matthew 6, Jesus kept on saying “and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly”. He must have repeated that statement at least three times. What can we learn from this statement? Firstly, God is a father. Matthew 6:4 says, “That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.” The moment we hear the word “Father” several things come to mind for example family, children, etc. God is a father and He has children. His children are believers. John 1:12 says, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” This brings us to the next point, God is your Father. Jesus told His disciples “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name” (Matthew 6:9). Because God is your father, you must treat Him as a father. Many of us respect our earthly fathers but we don’t respect our heavenly father. Many of us dare not disobey our father’s instruction but we flout God’s instruction at will. We give our earthly fathers our full attention when they are addressing us, but when our heavenly father is addressing us through a man of God we are busy playing with our phones. We are either on Facebook, BBM or sending messages on WhatsApp. God is your Father not your headmaster or principal. He is not always looking for opportunities to punish you or scream at you. He is not a task master. He is a loving Father. He is a caring Father. He is a merciful Father. He is a Father not a boss. He is patient. He gives second chances. He understands that you are weak. He wants you to prosper. He wants you to have the good things of life. He wants you to be happy. The idea that God does not like it when we are happy is from the pit of hell. Just as a father loves to hear the voice of his children, Jesus loves to hear your voice.

PRAYER: Father, thanks for being a father to me.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

HE GAVE THEM UP

MEMORY VERSE: But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me. So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust: and they walked in their own counsels. Psalm 81:11-12

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:  Proverbs 28

BIBLE READING: Psalm 81:8-12

One way God demonstrates His love to us (His children) is by chastening us when we do something wrong or go off the line. Proverbs 3:12 says, “For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.” So if the Lord has ever rebuked you over a matter maybe through a sermon or a post you read on internet, don’t get angry at the pastor or the author of the post. Rejoice because He only rebukes those He loves. He did that because He does not want you to perish. You must not take the Lord’s rebuke for granted. As such, repent immediately He rebukes you. Revelations 3:19 says, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.” One of the ways God rebukes us, His children, is through our conscience. For instance, if you record your time of arrival at work as 07:20am when you actually arrived at 07:52am, your conscience will prick you. Saul had been chasing David, to kill him, for ages unsuccessfully. One day, God put Saul in his hand to test him – to see whether he would touch the Lord’s anointed. David found King Saul fast asleep in a cave (1 Samuel 24:1-8). He walked to him as gently as possible and cut off the tip of King Saul’s robe just to show the king later that he had the opportunity to kill him but he didn’t. Immediately, the Lord rebuked him for that. 1 Samuel 24:5 says, “And it came to pass afterward, that David's heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul's skirt.”

If your conscience convicts you when you do something wrong, it is a sign of God’s love. Remember to thank Him for that love. However, if you lie and you don’t feel anything – your conscience does not prick you – it could be a sign that you are no longer His child. Worse is if you suddenly begin to feel like fornicating or committing adultery, friend if i were you I will run to God and ask why He hates me that much? The reason being that the bible says “the mouth of a strange women is a deep pit and only those God hates will fall into it (Proverbs 22:14)". In other words, when a man’s cup is full before God and He wants to finish such men off, He will allow them to commit adultery or fornication so that they can perish completely. When God begins to rebuke a man over certain things and the fellow refuses to repent and change, the Lord will leave the fellow alone to continue doing what will destroy him. In other words, the Lord will give up on the fellow and say “do as you please”. After several warnings, the people of Ephraim refused to change so the Lord gave up on them. Hosea 4:17 says, “Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone.” God literally said “I give up on Ephraim; i will no longer send any prophets to warn them again.” This is why you can no longer delay the day of your salvation if you have not given your life to Christ. This is why you can no longer delay the day you of your repentance if you are yet to repent of certain things. Several times the Lord warned the people of Israel but they refused to repent and change.  Psalm 81:11-12 says, “But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me. So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust: and they walked in their own counsels.” At the end they entered into captivity. Proverbs 29:1 says, “He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.” Friend, as the Lord being urging you to repent and you are postponing it? This may be your last warning. Have you been stealing from the offering basket? This may be your last warning. Have you been fornicating secretly and going up to minister on the altar of God? Repent because this may be your last warning.

PRAYER POINT: Father, please open my eyes to see areas where you want me to repent today.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

“ONLY BE THOU STRONG”

MEMORY VERSE: Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. Joshua 1:7

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Obadiah

BIBLE READING: Joshua 1:1-9

In Joshua 1:1-9, the bible presents to us one of the most difficult periods in the life of Joshua. During this period, he was faced with two major issues. The first one was the loss of one of the most important figures in his life.  Moses was more than a master to him; he was a father. The death of Moses left him emotionally drained. He was weak and confused. Whilst mourning the loss of his father-in-the-Lord/ discipler/ teacher/ mentor the Lord spoke and said "be thou strong". What a caring God we serve! To those who have lost important figures or things in their lives. Maybe you have just lost one of your parents, or your partner. Maybe you have just had a miscarriage. It could be that you have just lost an opportunity of a life time. Maybe you were in a relationship and the other party called it off. It could even be that days before your wedding, your husband-to-be called the marriage off. And you are drained and confused, this is the Word of the Lord to you "be thou strong". Friend, be strong! What has happened to you is not the end of the world. The Lord is also saying "do according to the law", in other words, continue serving the Lord. Don't backslide. Don't turn to alcohol, or stop going to church. Don't go back into the world. This is what the enemy wants but Jesus is saying don't because all will be well.  

The second issue he faced was life after the death of Moses and leading the children of Israel to the promise land. This was even more difficult for Joshua, knowing the kind of people the children of Israel was. They were a difficult bunch to lead. He knew what Aaron went through in their hands when Moses went to receive the Ten Commandments. They put so much pressure on Aaron that he gave in and created a god for them from their earrings. Even Moses with his military background, mental toughness, anointing of the Holy Ghost, and all that still cracked under pressure. He knew their attitude,complaints,murmuring caused Moses, a man God testified to be the meekest man on the earth, to 'blow his top' and sinned against God. Not to forget how they almost killed him and Caleb for encouraging them to go and possess the promise land. If Moses with all his qualifications struggled, how much he - his servant. Joshua didn't own a 'rod of God' like Moses. He didn't bring plagues on the Egyptians. He had never parted any sea like Moses ( Exodus 14:21-31). He could not bring Manna from heaven like Moses did ( Exodus 16:14-35). He was yet to bring out water from the rock like Moses ( Exodus 17:5-7). There was nothing in his CV except he was Moses' servant and yet, God wants him to lead the children of Israel to the promise land. The word of the Lord to him was "only be thou strong and very courageous." To you who have just been promoted at work, or in church. To you who the Lord has called into ministry or asked to go and head a parish. To you who have just been asked to lead a project or about to get married. To you who have just found himself in a totally different place, the Lord is saying to you all "Be strong and of a good courage". He is also saying as i was with Moses (or those who had come before you ) so i will be with thee. I will not fail thee, not forsake thee (Joshua 1:5). 

NOTE: Be strong not because you feel like it but because the God of heaven says so. 

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

“AND THE SERVANT OF THE LORD MUST NOT STRIVE”

MEMORY VERSE: And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth. 2 Timothy 2:24-25

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Proverbs 26-27

2 Timothy 2:24 says, “And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient.” According to Noah Webster’s dictionary, to strive means “To contend; to contest; to struggle in opposition to another; to be in contention or dispute; followed by against or with before the person or thing opposed; as, strive against temptation; strive for the truth.” The man of God must not strive. He must not be found throwing punches or threatening to break people’s head. He must not be found fighting, whether in public or in private. 2 Timothy 2:24 says, “And the servant of the Lord MUST not strive....” Take note of the word “must”. This does not mean he will not be offended; oh, he will be. The enemy may use people, especially those around him, to provoke him  but he must not fight. It is not befitting for a man of God to be throwing chairs or threatening to beat people up in traffic. Even when he is provoked, and he will surely be provoked, he MUST not strive. The NIV says, “And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful” (2 Timothy 2:24). According to Noah Webster’s dictionary, to be quarrelsome means “ Apt to quarrel; given to brawls and contention; inclined to petty fighting; easily irritated or provoked to contest; irascible; choleric; petulant.” The man of God must not be easily irritated. He must not be someone that people can easily push his buttons. He must not be someone that people will be settling quarrel for every time.

Why is God telling men of God not to strive? Because, He wants to personally discipline those who will strive with them. No wonder He says, “Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm” (Psalm 105:15). The Lord does not joke with His servants. If you don’t believe me read Acts 12:20-23. God killed a king because of one of His servants. One big man strove with a man of God some years back. This man was very rich; he had over 100 houses. One day he organised a big party and invited this man of God. The man of God was meant to attend the function but due to circumstances beyond his control he couldn't attend. This big man got angry and was offended. All he said, not in the presence of the man of God, was "when i see him (the man of God) he will explain himself to me". God heard and got angry with this big man. Not too long after that, he lost all his houses and was chased out of the country. You don’t even have to say something against a man of God in his presence before God will act on his behalf. This is why i want to warn those who are in the habit of provoking God’s servant to desist from doing so. If you have ever abused a man of God to his face and he didn’t say a word, you are in trouble. If i were you, i will go and apologise. When it comes to disciplining those who strive with His servants, their assistants are not exempted. You don’t believe me ask Aaron and Miriam (Numbers 12). Even their wives are not exempted. If you think i am talking gibberish read 2 Samuel 6:16, 20-23. All Michal did was abuse her husband, the Lord shut her womb.

NOTE: Psalm 130:4 says, “But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.” There is forgiveness with God. You may have, out of anger, said something you should not say to a servant of God. Ask the Lord to forgive you. Also, go and apologize to them.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

LORD, HELP!

MEMORY VERSE: To the chief Musician upon Sheminith, A Psalm of David. Help, LORD; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men. Psalm 12:1

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Acts 1-2

Psalm 12:1 says, “To the chief Musician upon Sheminith, A Psalm of David. Help, LORD; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men.” What is drastically reducing in the world today is not the number of Christians. There are a lot of Christians who are pornographers. Oh Yes! A lot of them watch pornographic films. The sad thing is we now find this trend amongst Christian couples. Just yesterday, i was reading about a youth minister who needed to look at magazines of naked women before he can have sex with his wife. There are a lot of Christians who gamble. They go to church every Sunday, even minister but they buy lottery tickets and participate in raffle draws. Some of them bet on horse races or premier league teams. There are a lot of Christians who smoke and drink. There are a lot of Christians who are celebrities. It is their life that is celebrated not Christ. Also, we have Christians who are deceptive. Not to forget Christians who beat their wives or husbands. Or, Christians who steal from their parents. Personally, these people are only church goers to me not Christians. Christian means someone who is like Christ and a man who is always beating his wife is not like Christ in any way, shape or form. 

What is lacking today is not people who go to church, or people who pay offerings. It is not people who scream “amen... preach it pastor... common now...” when the pastor is preaching.  It is not people who have several versions of the bible on their Ipads or people with big bibles; the moment you see them you say here comes the man of God. What is lacking today is godly men and women. Men like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego who would rather displease Nebuchadnezzar to please God. Men who will say to Nebuchadnezzar, “But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up” (Daniel 3:18). Men like Peter who will say to people who want to buy the gifts of God with money “Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money” (Acts 8:20). Men whose response will be “For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20), when rebuked for talking about Jesus. Men who will tell Araunah “but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing” (2 Samuel 24:24). Fathers like Joshua who will say “but as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord “(Judges 24:15). Women like Esther who will fast for the will of God to be done in their lands. Mothers like Hannah who will say to God "if you give me a child i will give him back to you". Brothers like Joseph who will say to Potiphar’s wife “how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9). Brothers like Daniel who will purpose in their heart not to defile themselves with the king’s meat (Daniel 1:8). Honest men like Zacchaeus who will stand before the Lord and say, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold” (Luke 19:8). Men like the four lepers who would say “We do not well: this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace: if we tarry till the morning light, some mischief will come upon us: now therefore come, that we may go and tell the king's household (2 Kings 7:9)”. Men who will tell the king’s household i.e. their supervisors, managers about Jesus. Men and women like this are lacking in the land. The godly man ceaseth! There is nothing anyone can do except cry to heaven and say Lord, Help! 

PRAYER POINT: Father, please give each and every one of us a new heart.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

WHAT TYPE OF MUSIC?

MEMORY VERSE: Whenever the spirit from God came on Saul, David would take up his lyre and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him. 1 Samuel 16:23

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Philemon

READ: 1 Samuel 16:14 -23

There is power in music. The right kind of music or song can bring down the Spirit of God. It can bring down the healing power of God. I have heard testimonies of dead people being raised back to life during powerful music ministrations.  Psalm 22:3 says, "But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel." The praise includes songs of praises, worship, thanksgiving. Some kings were stranded in the middle of nowhere so they invited the man of God, Elisha, to bring them a word from God (2 Kings 3:13-19). May you hear a word from God today in Jesus name. When Elisha arrived he couldn't do much because some demonic boys had earlier provoked him by calling him all sort of names (2 Kings 2:23-25). Out of anger the man of God put a curse on them and two she bear came out of the wood and ripped up forty-two of them. This outburst of anger affected Elisha's spiritual life. He was down spiritually and could not prophesy. As a man of God watch out for anger because it causes anointing leakage. What did the man of God do to lift his spirit again? He requested for a minstrel who played his harp and the hand of the Lord came down mightily on Elisha. Within minutes, Elisha began prophesy again. May you have restoration today in Jesus name. I remember during one of our long fast several years ago, i entered the church very weak and tired so i sat down all through . The moment the choir began ministering in songs, the hand of the Lord came down mightily on the church and i found myself standing, dancing and clapping my hands.

However, the right kind of music can drive demons away. An evil spirit began to torment Saul after the Spirit of the Lord left him. 1 Samuel 16:23 says, “Whenever the spirit from God came on Saul, David would take up his lyre and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him.” Just as the right kind of music can drive demons away, the wrong kind of music can open one to demonic attacks or attract demons. God created Satan and gave him a lot of musical gifts to produce melodious songs and praise Him with it. Bible scholars even told us that he was actually a choir master in heaven. Due to pride, he was cast out of heaven and his musical gifts became corrupted. Ever since then, he has been using his musical gifts to lure people into hell. Most of the secular songs people listen to today are from satan. This is why you see some secular artist comparing themselves to Jesus. Music is very important in the spiritual life of a child of God and the wrong music can spiritually destroy the child of God. Before Christ apprehended most of us, we know the kind of music we used to play whenever we want to fornicate or commit adultery. I mean we know those soft songs with sexual lyrics. Unknown to many, those songs invoke the spirit of lust whenever it is played. There are certain ungodly behaviors associated with some kind of songs. Take for instance rap music. Gun crimes, drugs, alcohol, are associated with it. Heavy tattoos, body piercing, lust, weird clothes, are all associated with rock n roll.There are certain spirits invoked in rock music secular or Christian – and it is NOT the Holy Spirit. Not all gospel albums are inspired by God. Recently i  read about a gospel album with over 2,000 words and the name of Jesus was not mentioned even once! Watch out for songs that promote sensuality.

NOTE: Hymns are very good. Sing them from time to time as they are good for the soul and spirit.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

“I REGRET THAT I HAVE MADE SAUL KING”

MEMORY VERSE: Then came the word of the LORD unto Samuel, saying, It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night. 1 Samuel 15:10-11

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalm 111 - 113

God in His infinite mercy can make the last to become the first. In 1 Samuel 16, He anointed David, the last born, to be king over Israel thereby making him the first, not only in his family but, in the nation of Israel. He can turn a prisoner into a prime minister (Genesis 24). 1 Samuel 2:8 says, “He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD'S, and he hath set the world upon them.” In 1 Samuel 9:21 the Lord chose Saul, a young boy from the least family in Benjamin (smallest tribe in Israel) to be king. Several months later, the Lord sent him to destroy the Amalekites. When Saul got there, he spared Agag, king of the Amalekites, and killed others. He destroyed the worthless things and kept the good things for himself. 1 Samuel 15:10-11 says, “Then came the word of the LORD unto Samuel, saying, It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night.”

Just as God regretted that He made Saul king, God is regretting over some of His children. Many of them were close to Him when they were looking for visa to travel abroad.They rarely missed church service; they ran from sin especially fornication. The moment they got their visa and traveled abroad, they became a totally different person. They stopped going to church. They began to live in sin – they now smoke, drink, party late night, fornicate and so on. Many used to win souls before they traveled out of the country, but today , they no longer have time for bible studies. Before God provided jobs for some of us, we were punctual in mid-week service. Before God provided jobs for some of us, we used to evangelize and do outreaches. Now, we no longer have time to do those things we used to do. Before many of our single sisters got married, they used to attend workers meeting. Several years into marriage, they no longer go to church. The Lord is regretting over some in ministry. Before the Lord called them into ministry, they used to have time for Him. In the beginning, the ministry was all about Jesus. Today, it is no longer so. The Holy Spirit no longer has a say in the ministry. His ways are now counted as old fashioned. The Lord is saying i regret calling 'so and so' into ministry. God is regretting over some of us because the same gift He gave to us to populate His kingdom is what we are using to populate the kingdom of hell. Friend, have you changed like Saul? For those who are yet to change like Saul i.e. still standing, ask the Lord to give you the grace to remain standing. If you sense in your spirit that God is regretting over your life, you better repent and ask for mercy.

NOTE: Man has a history of disappointing God. Are you going to add to the list of those who will disappoint God in this generation or you will be one of the very few He will say thus concerning, "I am happy I created ‘so and so’"

PRAYER: Father, help me never to disappoint you.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world