COUNT THE COST

MEMORIZE: for which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Luke 14:28

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Isaiah 1-6

One common tradition at this time of the year is New Year’s resolution. People make promises to do an act of self-improvement or something slightly nice. One of the most common New Year’s resolutions, if not the most common one, is to lose weight. Asides New Year’s resolution, another thing people do is set goals for the year. Some set spiritual goals like reading the whole bible in a year, praying and fasting more, witnessing more, not missing mid week services, joining the group of ‘workers’ in the vineyard of God, etc. Today, i stumbled upon a survey which noted that only 10% of Christians have read the entire bible, i mean cover to cover. Are you part of the 10%? Some set financial goals, marital goals, personal goals, academic goals, health goals and so on.

Whether you will realize your goals this year or not will be determined by God - first, and you - second. Jesus Christ said this: “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5). Paul, an apostle of Jesus, said this: “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13). Without the help of the Lord, one will never achieve his goals. According to Psalm 127:1, except God builds a house those building it are only wasting their time. The good news is we have God behind us. Yesterday, we heard what the Lord said about this year – 2015: YEAR OF MEANINGFUL ACHIEVEMENT. With our Father in heaven behind us, this year we will leap over any mountain or hindrance the enemy may set up. Psalm 18:29 says, “For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have i leaped over a wall.” The rest now depends on you. The man who will reach his goal or realize his potential this year must first count the cost. Jesus said, “For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?”(Luke 14:28). Take for instance you want to buy a tambourine you will use in praising the Lord this year. The first thing you do is identify the type of tambourine you want. Secondly, you check the price before going to a Christian book shop or musical store to buy it. When you get to the shop, you pay the price and they in turn give you the tambourine. If you give the shop assistant 4 dollars when the tambourine cost 6 dollars, he or she will return your money to you. Unless you have the right amount, you will not be able to purchase the tambourine. This is similar to your goals. The first thing you do is identify the cost or count the cost. A fellow who wants to save more this year must first curb his spending. Proverbs 21:17 says, “he that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man: he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich.” Success in all ramifications will cost you your associations. Proverbs 27:17 says, “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.” You want to be able to drive away demons this year? It will cost you total submission to Christ (James 4:7). You want speedy answers to your prayers this year? You will have to evangelize (John 15:16). You want more of God’s presence around your home, work, business, etc; it will cost you prayers and worshipping God. (John 4:23).

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: The most important goal a man can set for himself is to reign with Christ in heaven.

QUESTION: Have you given your life to Christ? Are you genuinely born again? What has changed since you gave your life Christ?

twitter@BroOluwatoki

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

Cost of anger

Proverbs 15:18 - A wrathful man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger allays contention.

Anger is very costly. It is able to turn a prince in to a fugitive. In Exodus 2:11-17, Moses-a prince in Egypt became a fugitive in the land of Midian courtesy of his anger. He saw an Egyptian beating up a Hebrew, instead of simply reprimanding the Egyptian or better still ask what happened and resolve the matter, he got angry and before he knew it he became a murderer. The boy who was once favored by Pharaoh suddenly became an enemy courtesy of the result of his anger. Anger can bring curses. In Genesis 4:3-11, Cain got angry because God rejected his offering .Out of anger he killed Abel and that action brought God's curse on him. Many marriages are on the rock today as a result things that were said in anger. There are so many who have destroyed their own labor due to anger. Something they labored for all their life, in anger they destroyed it. Many parents out of anger have placed a curse on their children. There was a slight misunderstanding between a sister and her fiancee and out of anger this sister took the expensive watch this brother bought for her as a gift and destroyed it in the presence of this brother. The brother simply called off the wedding .The sister who was meant to get married in few months suddenly became single again.

Worse is uncontrolled anger. The anger that led Moses to kill the Egyptian in Exodus, made him to disobey God in Numbers 20:1-3. The instruction was speak to the rock but out of the anger he refused to control, he hit the rock and the Lord decided Moses was not worthy of leading Israel into Canaan. Studying the live of Moses we will come to the conclusion that uncontrolled anger leads to untimely death - Moses who was meant to die in Canaan died in the desert before his appointed time; uncontrolled anger brings disfavor - Moses who God appointed as the leader in Israel was suddenly found unworthy of been a leader by the same God who appointed him because of the anger he refused to control ; Uncontrolled anger rubs us of our destinies - the destiny of Moses was to lead Israel to Canaan but he could not out of anger. Why is anger bad? in anger one thinks irrationally. Proverbs 14:17 says He that is quickly angry deals foolishly: and a man of wicked intentions is hated. Proverbs 16:32 says He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that rules his spirit than he that takes a city.

Brethren anger can cost us heaven if we do not do something about our anger. James 1:20 says for the anger of man works not the righteousness of God.

PRAYER POINT: Father, please rid me of every form anger today.