“HIS FATHER SAW HIM, AND HAD COMPASSION, AND RAN, AND FELL ON HIS NECK”

MEMORY VERSE: And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. Luke 15:20

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:  Hebrew 5-7

BIBLE READING: Luke 15:11-32

In Luke 15:11-32, Jesus spoke about the parable of the prodigal son. One morning, he walked up to his wealthy father and asked for his inheritance – his share of the old man’s estate. Disappointed, deflated, dejected, the old man called for his estate agent. When he arrived, the old man divided his property into two – since he had only two sons – and gave the younger his share. Few days later, the boy travelled to a far country and began to live big. He began to pop champagne and follow after strange women. Within a short while his wealth was spent, and he began to starve. In order to survive, he got a job on a pig farm as an attendant and fed on the pigs' leftover. His situation got worse and worse, so he decided to return home and work for his father as a servant since he was not qualified to be called his son anymore. Luke 15:20 says: “And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.”

 Jesus often taught truths in the form of stories or parables. The way that old man behaved toward his prodigal son is literally the same way our Father in heaven behaves towards backsliders when they return home. He welcomes them back with open arms. Have you backslidded back into the world? The Lord is waiting to receive you back with open arms – not as a slave but as a son. Although, He is not happy that you backslidded, He is not crossed with you. Just as the prodigal son was restored, restoration awaits any backslidden Christian. The fact that you committed abortion when you backslidded does not mean the Lord will not receive you back. There are many who think the Lord will not receive them back because of the terrible things they did when they backslidded; friend it is not so. There is restoration for anyone who returns to the Lord regardless of how terrible they have been.  

Yesterday we spoke about the correct response to sin. After you must have confessed your sins to God, there is also a need to confess your sins to man. You see, even after God forgives our sins and forgets them forever, our past isn’t magically erased. Hurt and angry people still lie along the way behind us. With God’s help we must go back to each one we can find and ask for his or her forgiveness. It’s not an easy thing to do but it must be done. After i gave my life to Christ i had to call a lady i offended back in my high school days and apologised to her. She didn’t even remember the incident again but she was amazed that i would do such a thing. 

ACTION: Can i suggest a project that will help you settle the things of the past? Make a list of people you have hurt and things you need to set right.  After you have made your list, lay it down before the Lord. (No one else needs to see it, so destroy it as soon as you can). Confess your sins to Him. Then determine how you will contact each person on your list to ask for his or her forgiveness and make restitution, if necessary. The bible says, “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other that you may be healed” (James 5:16).  

NOTE: Confession is the healing balm of our soul. 

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

THE PROMISE IS FOR ALL

MEMORY VERSE: For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. Acts 2:39

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Proverbs 8-9

READ: Acts 2:38-39

There are many Christians who do not believe in tongues. Someone, not from the Pentecostal circle, once told me that the gifts of the Holy Spirit especially ' tongues' have been done away with. He assured me strongly that gift of tongues is not for this dispensation and he backed it up with a bible verse. 1 Corinthians 13:8 says, “Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.” Do you know people mis-quote and mis- apply the scripture? Some years back, a colleague at work sat me down and began to lecture me on God’s will on marriage. Since i am always willing to learn i gave him my rapt attention. “Do you know that Christians must only marry from their tribes”, he said. Yoruba Christians (Christians from Yoruba tribe in Nigeria) must only marry Yoruba Christians; Zulu Christians (Christians from Zulu tribe in South Africa) must only marry Zulu Christians; Oromo Christians (Christians from Oromo tribe in Somalia) must only marry Oromo Christians; Bihar Christians (Christians from a Bihar tribe in India) must only marry Bihar Christians. “Oh great theologian and prophet, where did you get this heresy from?” i asked. He said the bible says, “to your tent oh Israel” (1 Kings 12:16). In other words, if you want to marry go to your tent i.e. your tribe. This is a wrong application of the scriptures. The only thing the bible says is Christians must only marry Christians. It does not matter where the fellow comes from, as far as he or she is a Christian you can marry them- provided you are led by the Spirit of God.

The gifts of the Holy Spirit especially tongues have not been done away it. It is still relevant in this dispensation. Acts 2:39 says, “For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” What promise is that? The gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38 says, “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” Peter was referring to the infilling of the Holy Spirit which is also known as the baptism of the Holy Spirit. At new birth, the believer receives a measure of the Holy Spirit (John 3:5-8, Romans 8:16). But there is also a work of the Holy Spirit that God desires to perform in the life of every believer subsequent or following the new-birth experience, and that is called the infilling of the Holy Spirit or the baptism in the Holy Spirit ( Luke 24:49 , Acts 1:8). You say, “yes I believe in the infilling of the Holy Spirit but i don't believe in tongues”? Acts 2:4 says, “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” Speaking in tongues is an evidence of the infilling of the Holy Spirit. According to Acts 10:45-46, speaking in tongues goes hand in hand with the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.

NOTE: Since the day God gave the gift of the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost, He never took back that gift.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

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.

FAITH PERFECT FOR SALVATION

MEMORY VERSE: Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Matthew 7:21

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalms 96-100, Proverbs 20

BIBLE STUDY: Romans 12:1-2

What is faith? Hebrew 11:1 says: “ Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” In other words, faith is a confident assurance, a well-grounded assurance that something we want and hope for is going to happen. It is a conviction of the reality of things hoped for, which we cannot yet see. To have faith in God means to completely trust in God. It means being absolutely convinced that God would do what He has promised to do. Faith must have a basis of which it must be firmly rooted and grounded. Our faith is grounded in the Gospel, we believe that the Gospel being preached to us is true, and the bible on which the Gospel was written must be true. We are absolutely convinced that Jesus died and rose again. His resurrection from the dead becomes a guarantee to us that we who put our faith and trust in Him will one day rise from the dead to ever live with Him.

There are things you need to know about faith. Firstly, faith becomes useless when it is without deeds (James 2:20). Secondly, faith alone is dead without works (James 2:17). Thirdly, faith can be perfected. James 2:22 says: “seest thou how faith wrought with works, and by works was faith made perfect?” A perfect faith is one, which results in a transformed life. For one’s faith to be perfect for salvation , one must do the will of God. Matthew 7:21 says: “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.”

To do the will of God, one must first discover God’s will. To discover God’s will, one must first present his body as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1). A sacrifice is something that is totally and absolutely given with nothing held back. To present your body as a living sacrifice means to put your body on God’s altar as a living sacrifice. From now on, you do not own your body. God owns it. You do not decide where you are going to go or what you are going to wear. They are now God’s decision. Your body becomes God’s personal property. The good news is that God accepts maintenance responsibility of what He owns. Secondly, one must not be conformed to this world (Romans 12:2). The phrase “conformed to this word” refers to anything pertaining to the habit, manner, dress, style of living, music, of this sinful world. Christians are to dress modestly which means not drawing attention to themselves. Modesty is rule of the Christian’s apparel and dress that does not draw attention to one sexually. Thirdly, one must be transformed. To transform something means to change it. We are to be transformed from living a life of seeking worldly pleasures and self-goals and desire to one of living for the Lord. For transformation to take place, our minds must be renewed. The old carnal mind is replaced with one that seeks the Lord and is able to understand God’s truth and apply it one’s life.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: God’s will is that we live today for Him, giving our lives sacrificially to Him.

PRAYER POINT: Father, help me to live my life daily for you.

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IS FAITH ALONE SUFFICIENT FOR SALVATION?

But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. Matthew 24:13

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ecclesiastes 4-7

The turning of water to wine in Cana of Galilee has been a subject of debate in many Christian circles. Some are saying the wine was a non alcoholic wine, others are saying we are not sure; it could have been an alcoholic wine. I have heard some school of thought say, it was actually a fruit wine – grape wine to be precise.  The bible did not tell us whether the wine was alcoholic or not and I don’t think, the author of the book of John intentionally kept that information from us to hide something. James 1:17 says every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Every gift Jesus gives is PERFECT and GOOD. If Jesus gives you a wine, you can be rest assured that the wine is not only good but perfect also. I post this question to you, is alcoholic wine good for your health? Is alcoholic beverage, perfect for your spiritual and physical growth?

Many of us have been deluded into thinking that FAITH alone can SAVE a man, we justify this with John 3:16 which says for God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. A lot are easily swayed by this convenient formula of salvation, all you need is accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and savior and you are sure of heaven. One has only to believe in the Son of God to gain eternal life. Is that what the bible teaches?  After you have accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, are you allowed to tell little white lies, purposely commit sin with the intention of asking for forgiveness later, etc?

Brethren, the bible do not sanction this belief neither can faith alone save man. James 2:14 says what doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him? Faith would be useless if not coupled with works. We cannot claim to have surrendered all to Christ and still be keeping malice! FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS INSUFFICIENT.  James 2:17 says  even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. We cannot say we are saved and still accept bribes, abuse public offices or allow evil practices by pretending as if you don’t see it! Faith must be accompanied by works to make it perfect. Asides our faith, we need to do the will of God. Matthew 7:21 says not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. We need to accompany our faith with good deeds and obedience to the word of God. Philippians 4:15 says let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Everyone around us must know that we are different. No one has an excuse to misbehave! If you are struggling in one way or the other, ask the Lord to help you and He will help you.  Heaven will cost you something, but it is worth it!

ACTION POINT: Pray that the Lord will help you today in your areas of weakness! Also determine from today to stand out for Christ!

Bro Samuel – Reaching the world for Jesus. 

ARMOUR OF GOD PT 3 – HELMET OF SALVATION

MEMORY VERSE: and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, Ephesians 6:17

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ruth 2, Acts 27, Jer 37, Luke 6

A helmet is a form of protective gear worn to protect the head from injuries. We all know that the head is the most important part of the body. The head contains organs that control and decide the fate of the whole body. In the head you have the mouth, eyes, ears, brain –which is chiefly responsible for making decisions for the whole body. An injury to the head will cause the whole body problems hence the need for a protective gear in battle. Helmets are not worn to show off or because one plans to fall. They are worn not because something will happen but in case something happens. Imagine what will happen if a hammer drops by mistakes on a fellow who is not wearing a helmet in a construction site or something not well secured may falls on him or he trips and falls. If any of these happens without a helmet on, it will be disaster. That is why is it is advisable to wear helmets at all times in construction sites or on motorcycles.

Helmets are to protect against unforeseen calamities. This is why it is good to have a good one or original not a damaged one or fake one. Bible scholars in a bid to explain how David’s stone killed Goliath came up with a lot of stories. Some have said that David aimed at the unprotected skull of Goliath. Others said Goliath took off his helmet to see David because he was so tiny. Immediately Goliath took off his helmet David aimed at his dead. Whatever the school of thought, maybe if the helmet of Goliath had protected the skull securely that stone would not have brought him down. An unsecured helmet or damaged helmet is as good as no helmet.

Helmets are very important because they protect the head. One of the armour of God is the helmet of salvation. We are talking of genuine salvation here, I mean real salvation where old things passes away and all things become new (2 Corinthians 5:17). We are talking of salvation whereby you can tell people that this and this is what Jesus saved me from. I used to do this and I do it no more, I used to fight but I fight no more ; I used to fornicate but I fornicate no more; I used to sit with several bottles of beers and finished It but I do it no more e.t.c. I am talking of salvation preceded by repentance not remorse. If the head is not protected, any attack from the enemy could lead to death just like we saw in the case of Goliath. If a fellow is not saved, any attack in battle could bring the person down. If a sister is not genuinely saved, I am talking of that salvation whereby your heart is filled with the joy of salvation, an emotional attack to that sister could cause nervous breakdown. If a brother is not genuinely saved, I am talking of that salvation whereby you begin say for me to live is Christ, and to die is gain (Philippians 1:21), any form of attack to the brother could hinder his progress.  A fake salvation is as good as no salvation.

PRAYER POINT:  Father please save me completely today

SALVATION ABUSE

MEMORY VERSE: For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. 1 Thessalonians 4:7

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Num 20, Ps 58-59, Isa 9, Jas 3

Myles Munroe once said ‘when the purpose of a thing is not known, abuse is inevitable. What is then an abuse or what constitutes an abuse? Abuse is using a thing in a way that is not meant to be used or not as prescribed or not as advised by the author. The biggest challenge facing the world today is abuse. The reason why sexually transmitted diseases are so rampant these days is as result of people not knowing the purpose of sex there by abusing it. Teenage pregnancy, rape, fornication, adultery and other forms of sexual sins are all products of sex abuse. Another canker worm that has eaten deep into the fabric of our states, organizations and so on is the abuse of position. Many do not know the purpose of an office, so as a result when they get into public offices instead of serving the people, they enrich themselves while the common man suffers. 

Many today do not know the purpose of a marriage. This is why we have many divorces today. It is either the man is taking advantage of the woman or the woman is taking advantage or not appreciating the man. Today in the body of Christ, the most common abuse is salvation abuse. To avoid this we need to educate ourselves on the purposes of salvation. What are the purposes of salvation? John 15:16 says ye have not chosen me, but i have chosen you, and ordained you, and that you should go and bring forth fruit, that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, He may give it to you. One of the reasons for salvation is for you to bear fruits and ensure that the fruits remain. To bear fruits simply means to evangelize and the only way to ensure that the fruit remains is through follow up. Salvation is not for us to sit and not bother about the souls going to hell. We were not saved to be idle or be a bench warmer in the vineyard of God, we are saved so that we can become active in the things of God. If you are a believer and you cannot point to a soul you brought to the Lord in the last one year, I am afraid you are abusing your salvation. You need to repent immediately and ask the Lord for forgiveness. Not only that begin to actively work on bringing your first soul to Christ. As a believer you should witness to a minimum of a soul per month. If the number of souls you have witnessed to this year is below three then you have a lot of work to do.

The most important reason for salvation is for you to live a life of holiness. 1 Thessalonians 4:7 says for God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. This is why it is wrong to assume that once you are saved, heaven is guaranteed. To go to heaven, Salvation is the first of many steps. After Salvation you need to bear fruits that will remain, according to John 15:2 every branch that does not bear fruit will be cut down. To be cut down signifies death and hell is death. Not only that you are expected to live holy. Romans 12:1 says I beseech you therefore , brethren by the mercies of God , that ye present you bodies as a living sacrifice , holy , acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. When people tell you that you don’t have to be holy to get to heaven just ignore them. Once Jesus enters your heart, your conduct can either keep Him in or drive Him out. You were not saved to tell lies or do frauds. You were saved to a live a life of Holiness.

PRAYER POINT: Father , initiate the process of sanctification in my life.

WORKING OUT YOUR SALVATION IN FEAR AND TREMBLING (Repost)

Philippians 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. How does one get saved? Is it by saying the prayer of sinners? Is it by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ as stated in Acts 16:31? Could it be by calling on the name of the Lord as stated in Romans 10:13? The first step to salvation is repentance. Without repentance there is no salvation. The bible says in Matthew 4:17, from that time Jesus began to preach and to say “repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” After Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost, the people asked him, what shall we do to be saved? He told them repent and let everyone of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ – Acts2:38. After the healing of the lame man at the beautiful gate, people converged to the see the lame man and Peter used the opportunity to witness about Jesus. In his sermon, he said in Acts 3:18, “repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord. Brethren without repentance there is no salvation. 2 Peter 3:9 says The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Philippians 2:12 says work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Does is it mean after I am saved I still have work to do in keeping my salvation? Yes. There are many who believes that once we are saved heaven is guaranteed. It is the biggest lie from the devil. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:22 that whoever endures to the will be saved. It is true that we saved by grace according to Ephesians 2:5 but Matthew 24:13 says it is only those who endure to the end that will be saved. Why do we have to work out our salvation with fear and trembling? The reason why we need to work out our salvation with fear and trembling is because salvation can be lost. The grace that brings salvation could be abused. Romans 6:1 say what shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Romans 6:15 says what then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? Certainly not! The grace that brings salvation can also be frustrated. Paul says in Galatians 2:21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. Abusing the grace of God or frustrating the grace can lead to withdrawal of grace which eventually means fall from grace of God. According to Galatians 5:4, it is possible to fall from the grace of God. It is also possible to miss the grace of God, Hebrew 12:15.
Many have argued that once we receive salvation we are sealed with the Holy Spirit according to Ephesians 1:13. It is very true but remember that Ephesians 4:30 says and do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. If we grieve the Holy Spirit, He will leave.
ACTION POINT. Do everything possible not to grieve the Holy Spirit. Study Ephesians 4:25-32 and it tells us what to do to avoid grieving the Holy Spirit.

WHO IS A BORN AGAIN SERIES Pt1

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

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

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

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

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

JESUS SAVES

Acts 4:12 neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Jesus saved, Jesus saves and Jesus will continue to save. In Matthew 5:21-34 is a popular story of the woman with the issue of blood. She had been sick for twelve years. She started life as a rich woman but as years passed she spent all her money trying to get a cure for her sickness. The sickness stole her joy, peace and strength. According to the Law of Moses, a woman with the issue of blood is to be set apart, Leviticus 15:19-29. Anything she touches is rendered unclean, anywhere she sits is unclean! If this woman in Matthew was married before this sickness started, she will not be able to go near her household or be able to fulfill her duties as a wife to her husband. If she was single, she would have to remain single for life unless if she is cured. In any way you look at it, for the period of twelve years she was set apart and I do not need to tell you she was lonely. Loneliness for a month is unbearable not to talk of been lonely for twelve years. To make matters worse, it was her responsibility to inform everyone around of her sickness. Failure to inform them could incur death penalty, so she had to warn them so as not make them unclean. This meant she had to personally go from house to house to tell them of her secrets – her sickness. Not only that, she would have to inform visitors and strangers too. If she was visiting an area, she would need to inform them of her sickness. She went through all these for twelve years. I bet she must have considered suicide but one day she heard that the savior was in town. She made up her mind to receive salvation; she touched the hem of the garment of Jesus and was saved. Jesus took away her shame and gave her glory. He took away her sickness and gave her health. He took away death and gave her life. This woman had no future. What kind of future will a woman in that condition envisage? She was not only stagnant but regressing in life. Jesus saved her and gave her a future. He put a smile on her face and took away the source of her loneliness. What a good Jesus! He is interested in your case just like He was in the case of the woman with the issue of blood. The woman tried Jesus with her faith and she found Him to be the savior.

In John 8:1-11 is another popular story of a woman caught in adultery. The Pharisee brought only her to Jesus to pass judgment and left the man. There was no need for them to bring this woman to Jesus because according to the Law of Moses she was guilty and the penalty is death by stoning. The opinion poll said she should be stoned to death. Mercy was the last thing they thought of because they had already condemned her. By the time they brought this woman to Jesus, she was few minutes from a horrible death. What did Jesus do? He saved her. I bet the woman herself must have been shocked by the judgment of Jesus. The woman who was few minutes to death received life. They dragged her to Jesus, spat on her, and beat her. They exposed her sins to Jesus but He simply covered up. Indeed Jesus saves. What are you going through today that looks like the end of the world? Jesus saves. He is right besides you .He wants to save you. He said “I have come that they may life and have it in abundance”, John 10:10. He did not come to give you eternal life alone, He came to restore life to that dead situation.

ACTION POINT: Do not miss the opportunity to be saved, take all those issues and run to Him and He will save you.

BURNING THE BRIDGES

1 Kings 19:21 – so Elisha turned back from him, and took a yoke oxen and slaughtered them and boiled their flesh, using the oxen’s equipment and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah, and became his servant.

BIBLE STUDY: 1 Kings 19:19-21

Immediately Elisha received the call to serve, he killed his livestock, gave away the farming implements, and followed Elijah the man of God. He burned the bridge between his past and future. Many today who have giving their lives to Christ are yet to burn the bridge between their past and future. After giving our lives to Christ, the first thing we need to do is to destroy anything that ties us to our former life. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says therefore is any man be in Christ, he is a new creation: old things are passed way; behold, all things are become new. As new birth bachelors and spinsters we no longer need to keep birth control pills and contraception. These things are for fornicators not for singles who are born again. We no longer need to keep clothes that expose parts of the body that is meant to be covered so we need to dispose off those clothing. We no longer need the contacts of our old lovers because we now have a new lover which is Christ.

Why did Elisha kill the livestock and give away his farming implements? He that to avoid backsliding. He knew if kept the animals and farming implements, he could be tempted to backslide. Elisha knew that his attention will be divided between his oxen (past) and Elijah (future). Because of this he decided to forego his past for a glorious future ahead. We need to do away with our sinful past so as to avoid destroying our glorious future. The chances of back-sliding are very high when after giving our lives to Christ, we are still in close contact with our ex-lovers; still keep birth control pills and contraception ; still keep friends we used to commit sin with. If they have giving their life to Christ no problem but if they have not we have nothing in common again. After giving my life to Christ, the first thing I did was to dispose off every material that does not glory Christ in my life. I confiscated CDs, novels, DVDs, cards, e.t.c . After that I went to preach to all my lovers both new and old. I politely told of all of them that I am a new creation and I am no longer who I used to be. I preached to my friends but I was still hanging out with them. I noticed that this was affecting my spiritual life so I gave everyone up and stopped calling them. I noticed that immediately I did this, I began to grow spiritually. It is true I lost very close friends but I gained the most valuable friend any man can have which Is Jesus. Why did Jesus ask the rich man to give all he had away and follow Him, Matthew 19:21? So that once he starts following Him, his riches and wealth will not draw him back from serving Jesus. When Jesus called Peter, he did not destroy his boats . Immediately Jesus was crucified, Peter went back to fishing, John 21:1-6.

ACTION POINT: Make a list of what is affecting your walk with Christ and begin to take measures to deal with them.

THE JOY OF THE LORD

Nehemiah 8:10 says do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.
There is a difference between joy and happiness. Happiness is an emotion directly related to the circumstances that are currently happening. Joy biblically is not an emotion. Joy is an attitude of the heart. Joy is something that lasts; happiness is something that is temporary. When we overcome a difficult challenge(through the power of God)  what we feel is not happiness but joy.  What the widow of Nain experienced after Jesus brought her son back to life in Luke 7:11-17 was joy not happiness. What the Psalmist was describing in Psalm 126:1 when he said when the Lord brought back the captivity of Zion we were like those who dream was joy not happiness. I remember when I was writing my final year project. The recommended time of the project was at least four months. For one reason or the other I registered very late partly because I sustained a deep laceration to my left palm and could not type. By the time my proposal was approved I had only two months to do a project that should take a full time students four months to complete. I started the project; I would go to work during the day and write my project at night. At times while walking, I will fall asleep. I remember one early morning I was walking by a busy road; because I did not sleep through the night I began to sleep while walking. While sleep walking I began to edge towards the busy road. There was a huge truck behind me approaching at a ridiculous high speed. Because I was so tired, I did not even hear the sound of the truck .As I was about to step into the front of this rushing truck I hit my leg on huge bollard and I woke up. If not for the bollard I would have walked into this truck and that would have been the end but we thank God.  Any way I tried my best to meet the extended deadline for the submission of the project but I missed it. When I called to explain my situation, I was told submissions for the project is now closed. I thought to myself, after going through sleepless nights and almost killed by a truck, I would have to wait till next semester? I said no. I prayed and went to the school, when I got to the school the lady that attended to me  just took the project from me and put it where other projects were kept. What I experienced that day was deep joy not  happiness .
 A lot of things makes God happy like singing praises, offerings, doing  good works to mention a few. But nothing brings God joy like people receiving salvation. Luke 15:10 says there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repents.  Salvation cost Jesus His life on the cross and it cost God too – His only son. Every time we bring Him joy by winning souls, He gives us strength to do more. It is in this strength that we go and possess the gate of our enemies; it is in this strength that we live in perfect health and not in sickness. It is in this strength that we get to the top and permanently remain there. Do you want this strength? Begin to win souls.
 ACTION POINT: Make up your mind today that you will be one of the very few people that will bring God joy from time to time.

GOLD IN THE MOUTH OF FISH PART 2

Proverbs 11:30 says the fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that wins souls is wise.

In Matthew 17:24-27 is a well known story. Jesus was asked to pay temple tax so He told Peter to go to the sea, cast in a hook, take the first fish that comes up and open its mouth. He told him to use the money found in the mouth of the fish to pay the bill. The question is why could Jesus not pay the bill from His pocket or take some from the money bag to pay the bill? We know from reading John 12:6 that Jesus and His disciples had a money bag from which they took money to take care of the poor. Why the need to go all the way to the sea to catch a fish that has money in its mouth?

Jesus did this to teach His disciples of the importance of evangelism. When we talk of fishing we know biblically fishing symbolizes evangelizing. Jesus was trying to tell His disciples that for every fish they catch for Him, there is gold in its mouth. For every soul we win for Jesus we get gold. When I began to go to church my attendance was terrible. I will go this Sunday and will not go for another couple of Sundays which was my routine back then. There was this particular sister who kept on encouraging me and my attendance improved. After a while I began to witness about Christ. It was in the course of witnessing I met an unemployed Muslim sister. I began to witness to her but I was not making progress at all. I spoke to a brother about this and he told me I needed to show her Jesus cares by first caring for her and assisting her. I did as I was advised, on my way to our weekly church service I called this sister (Muslim) to meet me after church that I have something to give to her. While the service was going on in the church, the Holy Spirit began to tell me to give the money to the sister that used to encourage me to come to church when I first joined. I put the money in an envelope and gave it to her. On my way home I met with the Muslim sister and assisted her with some money too. As I was opening the door to my house my phone rang and when I checked, it was this sister from church. When I picked it up, she began to cry and thank me. I was deeply touched , i knew God had touched her in a way she never expected. She prayed and prayed and prayed for me. I did not know what she was going through and she did not mention it but what if she had not encouraged me to come to church regularly, would the Lord have been able to use us (me) to meet her needs? I do not know how many people God has sent to her on that day that has refused but one thing I know was that day God gave her gold for witnessing to me. Proverbs 11:30 says he that wins soul is wise. Please witness about Jesus, you never know who you will win for Jesus. That person may be the key to solve a particular problem or breakthrough in your life.

PRAYER POINT: Father make me an incurable soul winner.

HAVE YOU GIVEN YOUR LIFE TO CHRIST?

Luke 6:38 says Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

When we give something out, that thing no longer belongs to us. How that thing is used is little of our business. In Legal terms, when you give something out, you are transferring the right of ownership to another person. When we give our lives to Christ, we are transferring our right of ownership to Jesus. We are saying from this moment onward, I belong to You- Jesus. From that day onward we seize to own our life. The totality of our life – our strength, our hopes, our resources, our times, our future, our challenges, and our failures in life e.t.c now belongs to Jesus. Basically once we give our lives to Christ everything we own now belongs to Jesus. Our resources now become a

tool for Him to propagate the gospel around the world, to feed the poor and needy, orphans and widow. He now uses our strength in His vineyard. He now uses our time for His own business. Many of us say we have giving our life to Christ but how many have actually given all to Him without withholding anything back? If Jesus should speak now and say My son or My daughter , i want you to leave everything you have worked for all your life , i need to send you to a missionary field for only two years ,how many of us will say Ok Jesus with a smile on our face ?

What are advantages of giving once life to Jesus? From the moment you give your life to Jesus your life no longer belongs to you. The responsibility of protecting your life now becomes that of Jesus not yours. I am yet to see any demon in hell that will come near what belongs to Jesus. When give Him our mourning, He turns it into dancing, Psalm 30:11. When we give our failures to Him He turns it into success Luke 5:1-7 .Just give Him your resources and He will multiply it like He did for the boy who gave five bread and two fishes in Matthew 14:13-21.Once we give our body to Him , what we will eat ,wear and shelter becomes His responsibility. When we give Him our time, He will visit us and fill us with His presence and the bible records in Psalm 16:11 that in the presence of God is fullness of Joy. If we give all to Him – our Life, He will take it and in return give us eternal life. Jesus says in Matthew 16:25, those who lose their life for my sake will get it back. According to Luke 6:38, For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

PRAYER POINT: Father, please help me today to give my life to you the way i am meant to.

KEEP THE ROAD CLEAR

Psalm 66:18 says if I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:

One of the constant things in life is challenges. The presence of Jesus did not prevent the storm in Matthew 8:22-27 but once the storm rose He calmed it down. The assurance we have is regardless of what happens we will come out victorious. Psalm 34:19 says many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivers them from it all. One thing with challenges or storms of life is that they do not give notice. From studying 2 Kings 8:18-37, we will notice that the son of the Shunamite woman was hale and hearty. Suddenly he began to complain of minor headache and before you know it he was dead.  This like many other challenges happen unexpectedly. When Elisha slept in 2 Kings 6:15 everything was alright, he woke up the next morning to see that the whole city had been surrounded by army.

Because the challenges and storms of life do not give notice, we need to keep the road clear between us and God.We need to do away with anything that might hinder our prayers from been answered. We never know when we will need to cry to God in a hurry. Psalms 66:18 says if I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me. When you look at fire stations, they do not permit cars around their offices because emergency might occur.  One thing they do not want is been called to attend to an emergency and there are cars parked blocking them. The same thing applies to us .We need to do away with sin and live a holy life, we need to forgive all those who have offended us, and we need to be merciful because we do not know when we might urgently need the mercies of God. We need to pay the tithes we owe, fulfill our vows immediately. Psalm 50:14-15 says pay your vows to the Most High, Call upon Me, and you shall glorify Me. A born again sister was traveling in a commercial bus to a city. While sitting at the back reading her bible, something happened and the car began to somersault. It had happened so fast that all she could say was JESUS; she did not even have the chance to ask for forgiveness. She had no chance to forgive anyone. In a mysterious way, she survived the crash with no scratch but others died. If you have not giving your life to Christ please do so immediately. If you have and still living in sin please stop and take away anything that may stand in your way of getting to heaven.

ACTION POINT: Challenges and storms of life do not give notice neither does death, keep your path to heaven clear.

Working out your salvation in fear and trembling

Philippians 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

How does one get saved? Is it by saying the prayer of sinners? Is it by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ as stated in Acts 16:31? Could it be by calling on the name of the Lord as stated in Romans 10:13? The first step to salvation is repentance. Without repentance there is no salvation. The bible says in Matthew 4:17, from that time Jesus began to preach and to say “repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” After Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost, the people asked him, what shall we do to be saved? He told them repent and let everyone of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ – Acts2:38. After the healing of the lame man at the beautiful gate, people converged to the see the lame man and Peter used the opportunity to witness about Jesus. In his sermon, he said in Acts 3:18, “repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord. Brethren without repentance there is no salvation. 2 Peter 3:9 says The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Philippians 2:12 says work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Does is it mean after I am saved I still have work to do in keeping my salvation? Yes. There are many who believes that once we are saved heaven is guaranteed. It is the biggest lie from the devil. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:22 that whoever endures to the will be saved. It is true that we saved by grace according to Ephesians 2:5 but Matthew 24:13 says it is only those who endure to the end that will be saved. Why do we have to work out our salvation with fear and trembling? The reason why we need to work out our salvation with fear and trembling is because salvation can be lost. The grace that brings salvation could be abused. Romans 6:1 say what shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Romans 6:15 says what then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? Certainly not! The grace that brings salvation can also be frustrated. Paul says in Galatians 2:21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. Abusing the grace of God or frustrating the grace can lead to withdrawal of grace which eventually means fall from grace of God. According to Galatians 5:4, it is possible to fall from the grace of God. It is also possible to miss the grace of God, Hebrew 12:15.

Many have argued that once we receive salvation we are sealed with the Holy Spirit according to Ephesians 1:13. It is very true but remember that Ephesians 4:30 says and do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. If we grieve the Holy Spirit, He will leave.

ACTION POINT. Do everything possible not to grieve the Holy Spirit. Study Ephesians 4:25-32 and it tells us what to do to avoid grieving the Holy Spirit.

God is good

Mark 10:18 : so Jesus said to them, “why do you call Me good? No one is good but One,that is God.”
How do we know God is good?

Firstly by reading the bible. Jeremiah 29:11 says  for I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord,thought of peace and not of evil,to give you a future and a hope.Psalm 40:5 says Many,O Lord are Your wonderful works which you have done; and Your thoughts towards us cannot be recounted to You in order;if i would declare and speak of them,they are more than can be numbered.

Secondly,by the life and the ministry of Jesus.We know God is good by the visible proof of what Jesus did in the bible .Jesus says in John 14:9 that he who has seen Me as seen the father. Jesus and the father have the same character.No wonder He says in John 14:10 that He is in the Father and the Father is in Him.Jesus went by about doing good.Acts 10:38 says how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the  Holy Spirit and power , who went about doing good.Jesus ascribes all forms of evil to the devil in John 10:10 ,he steals,he kills and destroys.In the same verse ,we notice that all the Lord does is give life and life in abundance.

Thirdly,we know that He is good because He gave us his only begotten son.John 3:16 says for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. There is no man on earth that can blame the Lord for going to hell.The Most High has given His only son just to ensure that no one goes to hell.

Action point: If you have not given your life or you have backslidded please give your life to Jesus today . If you have given your life to Christ, hold your salvation with both hands.

IDOLS FRUSTRATE EXPECTATIONS

Monday 27 August                         Bible in one year : Obadiah 1, John 1-4

Memorise: The hope of the righteous shall be gladness:but the expectation of the wicked shall perish.Proverbs 10:28

Read: Isaiah 44:10-18

Before you receive a prophetic declaration, check out the the fruit of the vessel-the prophet,pastor,or servant of God, whether the fellow is still in league with God. Some people say, “thus says the Lord, “but the Lord did not say anything to them. Some of them heard from themselves and spoke. Be careful of what you accept as being from God. In Jeremiah 28:1-4, Hananiah  a prophet prophesied that in two years God was going to set Israel free from the yoke of the King of Babylon, but it was all a lie! Imagine  the joy of the people when they heard that. But after two years, and the prophecy did not come to pass,all the expectations of the people failed.Instead of two years, they spent 70 years . In other words, the prophetic lies of prophets cannot change what God wants to do or alter its timing.Stick with genuine men of God and particularly the Word of God i.e. the Bible.

Apart from lies,expectations that are based on the support of an idol , another power or spirit will definitely be disappointed. Sincere Idol worshipers and cultist know that there are severe manipulations and falsehood regarding the predictions of their idols or deities.They also know that promises of fame, power and wealth made to them are actually in return for long life,health,the lives of their loved ones,etc.being taken from them. Satan does not offer any free gift but at the time of offer, he will make everything appear as if it’s free. The recipient of such offers would have been trapped before there is a realisation of what the devil would have in return ( Isaiah 40:19-20,24). The expectations of the wicked including idol worshipers shall fail (Proverbs 10:28). This involves confidence in local deities,charms,amulets,magic rings,love portions,anything and anyone you love to a point of taking the place of God in your hear. According to Psalms 92:7 and Isaiah 45:16, Idol worshippers with their hopes shall be dissapointed because they to share what God cannot with anyone - His glory. The prophets of Ball who contested with Elijah on Mount Carmel were disappointed and lost their lives (1 Kings 18:17-40). Are you using evil powers or contesting with a bona fide child of God? Your expectations shall fail and you may even lose your life. Repent today, and apologise to the child of God you are fighting before the Lord faces you.

ACTION POINT: Make this confession: Every idol taking God’s place in my hear, i tear you down and enthrone the Lord Jesus Christ at the centre of my life.

Excerpts from open Heavens by Pastor E.A Adeboye.

Rejecting Jubilee

Saturday 25 August                                    Bible in one year: Amos 4-6

Memorise: Our soul waiteth for the Lord:He is our help and shield. Psalms 33:20

Read: Psalms 33:13-22

What is Jubilee? Jubilee is a new beginning where the fellow who was once rich but lost his wealth gets it back;where the house that was filled with empty vessels begins to have those vessels filled (2 Kings 4:1-7). What makes jubilee beautiful is the fact that it is by divine decree. It is not as if the slave owner really wants the slave to go, but because God has decreed it, the slave must go. Nobody can stand in His way. God does not need to take permission or plead with your captors to release you on the day of your jubilee. Has God decreed your release? Then you must be freed! He decreed light and light came into existence ( Genesis 1:3). Psalms 33:8-9 says God should be feared because when He speaks, it is done. Your release is settled because God has said it.

Moreover, when you talk of the year of Jubilee, people generally think it must be every 50 years. But when i studied the Bible, I discovered that people experience Jubilee at different times.For example , the man at the pool of Bethesda was in captivity but got his Jubilee after 38 years (John 5:2-9). Also , for the man born blind recorded in John 9:1-7, his jubilee dawned and he regained his sight after 40 years. In Luke 13:10-17, the woman was bent got her jubilee after 18 years.According to Exodus 21:1-6, the year of Jubilee could come to some after 7 years because God is the One who controls times and seasons, and He is the One who will decide when He wants to intervene in a matter ( Daniel 2:20-21). Your age will not stop your Jubilee. Our God is the God of Jubilee and He loves to set the captives free although He will never violate  your will. In Exodus 21:1-6, when Jubilee is offered, captives are free to void it and remain as captives. In a town in Osun State (South West Nigeria), there was a very wealthy man who amasssed much wealth through evil means. One day, out of mercy , God wanted to save him so He sent a preacher to tell him about salvation. After listening for some time,he thanked the preacher and asked him to lead all his children to Christ , but as for him he had gone too far with the devil that he had chosen to end up with him. Even when he was told it was not too late for him, the man resisted. He turned down his jubilee. Will you accept or turn down your jubilee?

PRAYER POINT: Pray that God will open the eyes of all those who are rejecting jubilee to see things from God’s perspective and accept His salvation.

Excerpts from Open Heavens by Pastor E.A Adeboye.

God has a sense of humor

Wow! How can one make such a statement?

Friends, God is not a comedian and He does not tell jokes- that’s more like it , but what do you mean by God has a sense of humour then?

Well, might I implore you to suspend your judgments and opinions on my topic just for a second? Will you? Cheers!

Couple of years back, the children of Israel were going to war with a town called Jericho. The ONE WHO HAS NEVER LOST A BATTLE picked interest in the war and advised Joshua to march around Jericho for six days with priests playing trumpet and on the seventh day repeat the exercise seven times and shout; awesome. What! You mean they were asked to march around a city they wanted to attack, playing trumpets? Common, I thought if you going to war you need to be tactical which means plan on strategies to attack. Strategies that include hiding and attacking when they least expect not match around the city playing trumpets, trumpets of all instrument not even a flute.
Ok, doing this once is understandable at least the enemies will have this impression that these guys don’t really mean any harm-look at them entertaining us, but doing that for six days and on the seventh day repeat  the  exercise seven times and shout? Guess what! They did just that and what happened? The walls of Jericho collapsed. I bet the next time someone says praise the Lord; your HALLELUJAH will be the loudest. Hallelujah collapses the walls of your problem.

Not too long ago, Elijah was advised by the GREAT PROVIDER to go a widow in Zarephath and stay there during famine. Really, who goes to a widow’s house to stay during famine? A widow normally is not very rich; no man to provide and cater for her not to talk of during famine. Let me ask you a question, someone who is struggling on a normal day will pray for recession in it? Capital no.
Anyway Elijah obeyed. When he got to Zarephath he saw the widow gathering sticks to prepare the last meal for herself and her son. Elijah did not know how to go about it because as a man of God you pray for people every time and you understand what it is to be a widow not to talk of coming to stay with one during famine. After he exchanged greetings with her, he requested for a jug of water put it in mind that it has not rained in months. The widow said ok, she turned around to go and fetch him a jug of water. Elijah said in a low voice “can you add small bread please”. I believe if you were in his shoes, you will not tell a widow during famine to fetch you jug of water with bread with a big grin on your face. Will you utter such words with the great enthusiasm? She turned around pretending not to be angry and said the sticks over there are more my last meal. Actually when you came in I was preparing to go and make my last meal for myself and my son
and die, so do you still want the water or not? Ok she didn’t ask if he still wanted the water but asking will not be rude because as a man on God, he should know better- you know I have enough problems as a widow and you are asking me to prepare my last meal for you. To cut the long story short she complied with the man of God and the GREAT PROVIDER multiplied the bread. I hope you are not planning to stop paying your tithe because of recession or half your offerings the next time you go to church.

Recently, a blind man encountered JESUS CHRIST .He was expecting a miracle from him but the next thing he heard was someone spitting on the ground and making mud. I bet, the thought on the blind man’s mind was did I just hear someone spit? I know it can be Jesus, why will he spit on the ground .Wait a minute, is he actually rubbing mud on my eyes? It must be a dream.
Come to think of it , mud don’t have healing properties, even our eyes are built to shut when a foreign object is coming to too close may be spec of sand or something. Spitting on the ground and making mud of it and rubbing it on a blind man’s eyes, you mean Jesus actually rub mud on a blind man’s eye? He must have a great sense of humour. Well guess what, the man got his sight back!!!

We can go on and on, is it Elijah and prophet of Baals? After flooding the altar with water called for fire from heaven to burn the sacrifice or Elisha who threw a stick in a river expecting the axe head that mistakenly fell into water to automatically float .A stick to float an axe head made of iron?

Friends whatever God has asked you to do, just do it because He means every word. It might sound funny, ridiculous, foolish or counter productive .Please just do it and you will reap the reward of obedience. Remember Isaiah 1:19 , If you are willing and obedient , ye shall eat the good of the land.

If you have not giving your life to Christ, it’s not too late. He will forgive all your sins, did I hear ALL? Yes all.

Pray this prayer from your heart today!

Dear Jesus, I believe that You died for me and rose again on the third day. I confess I am a sinner. I need your love and forgiveness. Come into my heart. Forgive my sins.I receive Your eternal life . Confirm You love me by giving me peace ,joy and supernatural love for others. Amen .

Once you do so join a living church.

NB. Stories are excerpts from the bible (John 9:1-6 ,1 kings 17:7-12,Joshua 6:1-20,1 kings 18:16-40,2 kings 6;1-6)

Shalom