A GOOD SOLDIER?

MEMORY VERSE: Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 2 Timothy 2:3

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Nehemiah 5-9

One of the names of our Lord Jesus Christ is Lord of hosts (Revelations 19:11-20). The word "host" is a translation of the Hebrew word "sabaoth meaning “armies” – a reference to the angelic armies of heaven. Lord of hosts simply means the Commander in Chief of all the hosts in heaven. The moment a man gives his life to Christ, he is enlisted in the Lord’s army. As a believer, you are part of the Lord’s armies here on earth and you are already in a war. Ephesians 6:12 says: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” As a Christian, soldier of Jesus Christ, certain things are expected of you. Firstly, you must be loyal to your master Jesus Christ. Hebrews 10:38 says: “Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.” Secondly, you must be ready at all times or be instant in season. 2 Timothy 4:2 says: “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.” You must be prepared at all times to be called upon by our Lord to lead a soul out of the camp of the enemy into His camp. Also, you must be dressed for battle at all times. Ephesians 6:13-16 says: “Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.”

Thirdly and very importantly, endure hardness. 2 Timothy 2:3 says: “Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.” Hardness simply means hardship or suffering. One or two things are implied in the phrase “endure hardness”. One of it is, expect hardship. This is non-negotiable for any believer. Isaiah 43:2 says: “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.” The bible says “when thou passest through the waters” not “if thou passest through the waters”. Jesus Christ, Lord of hosts, said in John 16:33, “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.” I was sharing with a brother, sometimes back, a time where things were so bad that I had nothing to eat. The Lord was merciful to me and someone gave me a bag of rice and oil. For a whole month, all I ate was plain rice – no salt, no stew, no meat or fish. Thank God things have changed now. I have a good news for you, Jesus will never leave you in the time of hardship. According to Isaiah 43:2, when you pass through waters (challenges), God is with you. Lastly, you are expected to be a good soldier. The question is what type of soldier are you? Are you a soldier who denies Christ when the going gets though? As a soldier what is your priority – the Master’s business or your business? Are you using your weapons to fight for the Lord or fight against the Lord? Are you always prepared?

NOTE: 2 Timothy 3:1 says: “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.” These are perilous (risky) times and as such, you have to have your armour on at all times.

PRAYER POINT: Father, in this perilous time please keep me safe.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

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

MAKE THE TREE GOOD

MEMORY VERSE: Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. 1 Corinthians 15:33

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Acts 11-12

Jesus said, “Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit” (Matthew 12:33). There are several lessons to learn from this verse. One of them is you know a tree by its fruit not by its leaves or appearance. You know a man (tree) by his works (fruits) not by his words. Actions, they say, speak louder than words. Another lesson we can learn from this verse is that "the tree" has the potential to be good. Unfortunately, it also has the potential to be bad. No wonder Christ says “either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt.” Every man has the potential to misbehave. Every man has the potential to be proud. Every man has the potential to be rebellious. Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” However, every man also has the potential to behave well. Every man has the potential to be humble. Every man has the potential to be law abiding. Proverbs 23:26 says, “My Son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe me ways.” If you give your life to Christ, He will come into your heart and dwell there. He will take away the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh and you become a totally different person (2 Corinthians 5:17). The moment Christ comes into a man’s heart and becomes his personal Lord and Savior, the man realizes his potential to be good. There was a sister who used to argue and fight with her husband all the time. One day she gave her life to Christ and everything change. She changed so much that the husband followed her to church and also gave his life to Christ.

Another lesson we can learn from this verse is that a bad tree can be made into a good tree. Sadly, a good tree can also be made into a bad tree. One of the ways this happens is through association. Proverbs says, “He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.” Association changes people. If a foolish man makes friends with wise men and learns from them, within a short period of time he will become wise too. Just as association can change people from bad to good, it can also change people from good to bad. 1 Corinthians 15:33 says, “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.” One way to bring about good fruit is sow good seeds which in turn grow into good trees that bear good fruits. Everything you listen to or watch is a seed that goes into your spirit and soul. Unfortunately, whatever goes into your spirit and soul will come out under pressure. Remember, fruits are the physical manifestation of the seeds that have been sown in your heart. If you sow seeds of faith, you will produce a tree that bears the fruit of faith. Romans 10:17 says, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” If you read and meditate on the scripture regularly, your faith will grow and you will begin to make confessions of faith. However, if you feast on newspapers, doctor's report on your medical condition, and other articles that causes fear and depression, fear will grow in you and you will begin to make fearful confessions. 

NOTE: Your association will determine your fruit. 

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

WHAT YOU MAKE HAPPEN FOR OTHERS, GOD WILL MAKE HAPPEN FOR YOU

MEMORY VERSE: 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. Luke 6:38

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: John 19-21

How you serve those that God has put over you today is how people who God will put underneath you tomorrow will serve you. Does God put people over us so that we can serve them? Yes! Does God put people underneath us to serve us? Oh yes! Psalm 75:6-7 says, “For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.” According to Daniel 2:21, He changes the times and seasons: He removes one king and raises another. If you serve your pastors / coordinators / supervisors/ managers very well today, when you get to their position tomorrow people underneath you will serve you very well. You will not remain the same. The fact that you are small today does not mean you will remain small forever. The fact that you don’t have or you are struggling to make ends meat today does not mean that is how it is going to be. According to Job 8:7, your tomorrow will be better than your today.

If you are fond of talking or playing with your phone during sermon, one day when you are preaching or leading prayer or giving an important speech, people will do the same to you. Whatever you give today, whether it be good or bad, it will be given back to you. 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.” You say "i will never be a pastor or minister". It is true that you have your plans, God also has His plans. It is you, oh dear beloved sister, who wants to marry a dark-skinned brother, God’s will maybe a fair-skinned brother. According to Isaiah 55:8-9, His thoughts are not our thoughts, so also His ways are not the ways of man. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are His ways higher than our ways and His thoughts our thoughts. There was once a group of 4 young brothers in the church. They were workers who served in a ministry. One was very diligent. He got to church with his family before the church door was opened. Even when his wife was pregnant; he will still get to church early with his pregnant wife. He rarely missed church services but when he can’t mostly due to reasons beyond his control he would ensure that his wife go to church with the children. Many a time he would arrange a taxi to take his family to church and pick them up from church after service. When it came to giving to God, he did his best. Many a time, he out gave everyone. Due to his commitments, his pastors were greatly encouraged. The other three brothers served too but out of convenience. They gave when it was convenient. None of the four friends ever thought that one day they will become pastors talk-less of found churches. As God will have it they all found themselves in the ministry; they all founded churches. Four years into ministry, the brother who served God with His strength and resources observed that his members had the same spirit inside them. They would go out of their way to come to church and give. What he was doing to his pastors was what his members were doing to him. He was greatly encouraged by their commitment. The other three observed that their members were serving only out of convenience, none of them wanted to go out of their way for the ministry. What they made happen for others in ministry, God made it happen for them in ministry.

QUESTION: How are you serving today? Is it out of convenience? Do you go out of your way to help people? If you do that, you can expect people to go out of their way to help you? Are you the rebellious type who is always giving your pastors tough time? You better change.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

WISDOM AND SEEING

MEMORY VERSE: And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child. 1 Samuel 3:8

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Luke 19:20

A spiritually blind man or woman will inevitably end up in a pit. Luke 6:39 says, “And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch?” A fellow who cannot see will ultimately end up in a ditch. The reason why a lot fall into the hands of fraudsters is because, although they have eyes, they can’t see. I will never forget the story of a greedy lady who lost her house rent to fraudsters. The husband gave her the house rent, 500 pounds, to give to the Landlord. On her way back from work, some men approached her to sell a Mac laptop, a Camcorder, and a phone (all worth around 1800 pounds) for only 700 pounds. After checking the items, she priced it down to 500 pounds and paid them. They gave her the bag containing the items and left. She could not believe her luck so she checked the bag again only to find onions in it . At this point, she began to cry! This lady fell into the hands of fraudsters because she was blind. Why will a man sell items worth close to 2000 pounds to anyone for only 500 pounds if not that he is up to something? Unfortunately, she was blinded by her greed.

What an individual sees or what an individual will be able to see will be determined by a lot of factors for example it will be determined by the level of maturity of the individual. Maturity does not come with age but with experience and exposure. There is a Yoruba adage which says: “What the elder sees sitting, the young can never see it, even from on top of the tree!” In other words maturity brings wisdom. To see, one needs to be matured. At times, there are some things one cannot see even with anointing. Samuel was anointed and he could hear the voice of God, but he could not tell the difference between the voice of God and the voice of man. Whenever God called him, he will run to Eli. It happened coupled of times and the old man, out of experience, perceived that God must be the one calling the young boy. 1 Samuel 3:8 says, “And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child." There are certain things one sees with experience and exposure not with anointing. Moses was highly anointed. He speaks to God face to face but it was Jethro an elderly man with experience who saw that he needed to change the way he was running his ministry ( Exodus 18). It is possible for a man to be heavily anointed and still be blind at the same time. This is why no matter how anointed you are, befriend older ministers of God. They may not be able to raise the dead, but they can counsel you on how to manage ministry and marriage together.

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

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

“GOD SAID, IT IS NOT GOOD THAT THE MAN SHOULD BE ALONE”

MEMORIZE: and the LORD God said, it is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. Genesis 2:18 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalm 1- 5 

Our God is all knowing i.e. omniscient. Job 37:16 says, “Dost thou know the balancing of the clouds, the wondrous works of him which is perfect in knowledge?” God knew Adam before He created him. Jeremiah 1:5a says, “Before i formed thee in the belly I knew thee.” He knew what his needs were going to be so He made provisions for them. He knew Adam would need food so He created lots of trees in the Garden of Eden. He knew Adam would need to drink water after eating so He put a river in the midst of the Garden (Genesis 2:10). He knew Adam would not need clothes because His glory was going to be his covering so He didn’t bother to give him clothes. Whatever Adam needed, He created them either before creating him or after creating him. God in His wisdom knew that Adam was going to be alone in the Garden and would need a wife. The question is why didn’t He create a woman from the man immediately after He created the man? He obviously knew that the man He had created would be in need of a wife, why wait a while before giving him a wife? 

Adam went through several stages in his life and every man or woman reading this – especially single people- are presently in one of these stages. We find ‘stage 1’ in Genesis 2:7 – “and the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” Adam – at this point – did not know where his life was going. He had no job or responsibility. God had not even showed him His purpose for his life. He was more like a floater in the Garden. At stage 1, God did not talk about giving him a wife because he was not qualified to be any woman’s husband. Then Adam moved to ‘stage 2’ in Genesis 2:15 – “and the LORD God took the man, and put him into the Garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.” Adam now had a job – he was responsible for dressing and keeping the Garden. If it was today, i would have said Adam was now earning salary. Yet at this stage, God did not give him a wife. He did not even consider it. Why? Although Adam was now gainfully employed, he still cannot be a husband because he had not learnt to walk with God. The fact that a man has a job does not mean he is a marriage material. The fact that he can put food on the table does not mean he is God's will for your life. Shortly after this, Adam moved to the next level, ‘stage 3’, in Genesis 2:16-17 – “and the LORD God commanded the man, saying, of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Adam now had a proper relationship with God. He was able to hear the voice of God and talk back to God. God was giving him instructions and he was following it. His relationship with God was growing. It was at this point God said, it is not good for the man, Adam, to be alone. Genesis 2:18 says, “And the LORD God said, it is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.” The man was already in ‘stage 3’ before God decided that it was not good for him to be alone. The time of waiting on God for a marriage partner is not a time to go from party to party hoping to meet a man. It is not a time to give your mobile number to every random guy that speaks to you on the bus. It is a time to work on your relationship with God. It is a time to develop your spirit man because you will need it in marriage. 

ADVISE: If you have a friend, a brother, a sister or child that is of marriageable age who is yet to be married, please do not put pressure on them. A lot of us indirectly put unnecessary pressure on single people and these causes them to fall into the wrong hands. The best way to help our single brothers and sisters is to pray for them not put pressure on them or remind them that they are getting old. 

PRAYER POINT: Father, please provide our single brothers and sisters with the bone of their bones and flesh of their flesh. 

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus. 

EXPECT SOMETHING GOOD

MEMORIZE: And he gave heed to unto them, expecting to receive something of them. Acts 3:5

BIBLE STUDIES: Acts 3:1-10

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Revelations 9-10, Proverbs 19

One day, Peter and John were going to church when a lame man asked for alms. The bible did not tell us if that was the first time of him asking alms from them or not, but on that day he asked as he would normally do - expecting something. Peter said to him, “look on us”. Acts 3:5 says, “And he gave heed to unto them, expecting to receive something of them.” As he was looking, expecting to receive something, a word of the Lord came through the mouth of Peter and that was it. While he was still trying to process what he had just heard, Peter grabbed him by the hand , lifted him up and he began to walk. When you search through the scriptures, you will find that everyone who received a miracle from Jesus came to Him expecting a miracle. None of them got it by chance. Even, the mad man of Gadara approached Jesus expecting deliverance. This man, although a lunatic, knew within himself that he needed deliverance. He knew that no one – herbalist, voodoo man, false prophets, could deliver him from the forces that had possessed him. The moment he saw Jesus, Lord of Hosts, he ran to Him expecting something good i.e. deliverance. Mark 5:6 says, “but when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him.” After worshipping Jesus, he received his expectation. Also, everyone who was healed during the ministry of Paul, Peter and other apostles came expecting a miracle. Acts 5:15 says this: “Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them.” Those that laid their sick on the street when Peter was passing by did it expecting something good to happen. Guess what, they received what they expected. Lastly, those that were bitten by snakes in the wilderness (Numbers 21:4-9), looked at the bronze snake on the pole with an expectation to be healed –as instructed by Moses - and they received their expectation.

Proverbs 23:18 says, “for surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut short.” Friend, what are your expectations in life ? Are you expecting things , situations and circumstances, to work in your favour? I always expect the best in life. I do not expect sickness. The reason why many come to God’s presence and leave without any thing is because they come expecting nothing. Expect that storm affecting your marriage to stop. Expect that things should work for your good. Stop expecting to fail every time you write that exam. Stop expecting untimely death. The Lord has promised that you shall be the head not the tail. As such , expect to be the head. As a single lady, expect to meet a God fearing man. As a single brother, expect to meet a virtuous woman. As parents, expect to give birth to healthy children. Expect peace to reign in your land. Stop expecting bad things to happen to people or to you. Stop expecting your husband to elope with another woman. Stop expecting your doctor to get the diagnosis wrong. Expect God to fight for you. Expect God to give you victory. As we go into the new year, expect expansion, expect great things in the next year. Expect to end this year in good health. Remember the word of the Lord which says, “your expectation shall not be cut short.”

THOUGHTS OF THE DAY: One of the things that worked against Job was his expectation. This old man expected something terrible to happen to him. Job 3:25 says, “For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.” Stop expecting negative things to happen to you. Stop expecting those that have promised to help you to disappoint you. Stop expecting to receive sad news. Stop expecting to fail that exam. Stop expecting your project supervisor to fail your project. If you expect evil , you will not be disappointed. So also, if you expect something good.

CONFESSION: I expect things to work in my favour. I expect to prosper beyond human comprehension.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

IT IS NOT GOOD THAT ‘THE’ MAN SHOULD BE ALONE

MEMORY VERSE: And the Lord God said, it is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. Genesis 2:18

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalms 76-80, Proverbs 16

I hear a lot of people, especially brothers, say it is not good for a man to be alone. Please, where is that written in the bible? Genesis 2:18 says: “And the Lord God said, it is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.” It is not good for ‘the’ man, not ‘a’ man, to be alone. ‘The’ man referred to in Genesis 2:18, was a particular man previously spoken about in the preceding verses. This man, which we now know as Adam, had met some criteria before the Lord said it is not good for him to be alone. Except you, single brother, meet those criteria, I think it is good for you to be alone. Sisters in Christ, the fact that a brother has beards does not mean he is ready for marriage.

There are few things you need to know about ‘the’ man who God was referring to when He said it is not good for the man to be alone. Firstly, God had formed the man. Genesis 2:7 says: “and the Lord God formed man…..” The man was a new creature i.e. a born again. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says: “therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.” Sisters, it is not wise to marry a brother who has not given his life to Christ. The bible even says, “ be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion with darkness (2 Corinthians 6:14).” The same applies to brothers too. Also do not marry a baby Christian or a fellow who has just given his or her life to Christ. When Simon the Sorcerer accepted Jesus, as his personal Lord and Saviour, the church rejoiced. On the day of his baptism, everyone danced for joy. Bro Philip, his father in the Lord, beamed with smiles throughout that day. Within few weeks , he became personal assistant to Bro Philip. The bible said, “he continued with Philip (Acts 8:13).” Unknown to everyone, Simon had a hidden agenda – he was after something. He wanted the power of God so he that could do business with it. When he observed that through laying of hands people received the Holy Ghost, he offered money to buy the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:9-24). All these while, the church thought Simon was genuine but he was not. So sister, let us watch that brother who has just given his life to Christ to see if he is genuine. The same applies to brothers too. Secondly, the man was in Eden. Eden stands for God’s presence or a place where God comes to fellowship with man. It is good for a man who does not have an altar – a place where he talks to God in prayer, study the word of Word - to be alone. Thirdly, God gave him a work – to cultivate and keep the garden. Genesis 2:15 says: “and the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and keep it.” It is good for a man who does not have a job to be alone. Without a job, how can he provide for his family? Besides, God first gave Adam a job before He gave him a wife. To cultivate means to grow something. God told Adam to grow or develop the garden i.e. everything around him. To cultivate the garden, Adam needed to first cultivate himself i.e. develop a skill. It is good for a man who has not developed any skills or who is not working on himself to be better to be alone. To keep means to protect or preserve. If a man cannot keep something e.g. a job; If he is always changing jobs every two weeks, it is good for him to be alone. A man who can not keep a job most likely cannot keep a marriage.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: I see the bibles some brothers carry , it is all torn. Some of it do not even have a cover. If one cannot keep a bible – the word of God – I wonder if they will be able to keep a relationship.

PRAYER POINT: Father, please make our brothers, especially those who are yet to marry, real men. Please make them men who will love Your word, study Your word, practice Your word and keep Your word in their hearts.

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OVERCOMING EVIL WITH GOOD

MEMORY VERSE: be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good, Romans 12:21.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Deut 13-14, Ps 99-101, Isa 41, Rev 11

James 2:26 says for as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. Our works, actions, conducts etc must reflect Christ. Acts 10:38 says Jesus Christ went around doing good. A fellow who is not doing good works is not Christ like i.e. Christians. We are not worthy of been called a Christian if we only show kindness to those who show kindness to us. According to Matthew 5:43-48, if we only love those who love us then we are like the wicked too because wicked people only love those who love them. If we only greet those who greet us then we are no different from pagans because pagans too greet only those who greet them. As believers, Christ expects us to love everyone even our enemies; He expects us to be good to everyone even our enemies; He expects us to greet everyone even our enemies. He expects us to greet people who don’t even greet us.

The only way to overcome evil is by doing good. Don’t repay evil with evil because the Lord says vengeance is mine; I will repay, Romans 12:19. Don’t say heaven helps those who help themselves and go and take revenge. First of all ‘heaven helps those who themselves’ is not biblical. You will never find this quotation in the bible; it is from the pit of hell. Secondly when you repay evil with evil, you are evil.1 John 3:7 says little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. Another reason why you must not return evil for evil is that evil begets evil. This leads to circle of violence, you hurt me and Il hurt you and before you know it escalates into something else.

When you repay good with evil, the Lord disarms your enemy. When you repay good with evil, the Lord turns evil into good. A brother was sharing his testimony of how the Lord used him to bring an evil uncle to Christ. This evil uncle belonged to a satanic secret society. This evil man was responsible for the death of his senior brother (brother’s dad). He did that with the intention of possessing all the properties – houses, lands e.t.c that belongs to his senior brother. The whole family hated this uncle but this brother drew close to him and began to witness to him. Later the uncle gave his life to Christ, confessed and forsook his evil ways. He apologized and returned all he had taken. This ex-evil uncle could have killed more people but the love this brother shew to him changed him.

PRAYER POINT: Father, please give me the grace to repay good for evil.

VIRTUOUS BRIDE

Memory Verse: Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies, Proverbs 31:10.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Lev 1, John 20, Prov 17, Phil 4

The word ‘virtuous woman’ is loosely used these days without many really understanding what it means to be a virtuous woman. Proverbs 31:10-31 paints a clear picture of a virtuous woman. A virtuous woman is a woman that her husband can trust with his life. One thing with trust is that you don’t buy it, you earn it. Not only that, a virtuous woman is a woman that always does her husband good and not evil all the days of her life. A woman that does her husband good will do everything possible to always make her husband happy. A virtuous woman is a woman who the fear of the Lord is deeply rooted in her. She is hardworking not lazy, the bible actually says she rises at least an hour before everyone at home to prepare breakfast. Because she conducts herself in these ways, her children will call her a blessing. Her husband will praise her and the work of her hands will speak for her wherever she goes.

Many of us have read Proverbs 31:10-31 and thought God was speaking to ladies alone. Many have thought the qualities listed are for women alone. It will amaze you that God was actually speaking to the church /believers (men and women) – the supposed bride of Jesus. It is a virtuous lady that grows to become a virtuous woman. Without a virtuous spinster, you cannot a have virtuous bride because it is a virtuous spinster that becomes a virtuous bride. It is this virtuous bride that gets married and becomes a virtuous wife. This virtuous wife matures and becomes a virtuous woman. It is impossible to be a virtuous woman without first been a virtuous lady. 

We all know that the coming of our Lord Jesus is at hand and He is not coming for just brides but virtuous brides. As virtuous brides, the qualities highlighted in Proverbs 31:10-31 must be evident in our lives. Jesus must be able to safely trust us with Kingdom assignments. We must do Him good all the days of our lives i.e. do everything to please Him at all times. How can we do Jesus good? By doing what He commands. John 15:14 says you are my friend if you do what I command. Not only that we must ensure that we are not against Him. Luke 11:23 says He that is not with me is against Me, anyone who does not gather with Me scatters. If you are not witnessing about Jesus, you are not gathering with Him which means you are scattering what He is gathering. As virtuous brides we must be very hard working and as a matter of fact we must be ready to wake up early to have a quiet time with Him. Proverbs 8:17b says only those who seek Him early will find Him. Also as virtuous brides the fear of the Lord should be deeply rooted in us. When we conduct ourselves in this manner, before Father in heaven He(Jesus) will heap praises upon us. 

QUESTION: Can Jesus measure you against the standards expected of virtuous brides and praise you before God the Father? If not ask Him to help you today.

GOOD IDEA VS GOD'S IDEA

 MEMORY VERSE : But the wisdom from above is is first pure, then peaceable,gentle,and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. James 3:17 

 BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : Lev 16, Ps 19, Pr 30, 1 Tim 1. 

 BIBLE STUDIES : Genesis 16:1-6 

 The word 'good idea' is relative. A good idea yesterday could turn out to be a bad idea today e.g. in the area of Nigeria where I came from, it used to be a good idea to have tribal marks. Today it is not so anymore. Also a bad idea yesterday could turn out to be a good idea today. Hundreds of years ago it was a bad idea to educate girls not anymore . Thank God we now have female doctors, pilots even prime ministers. A good idea in one part of the world could turn out to be a bad idea in another part of the world an vice versa. In western culture it is a good idea to keep eye contact when you are been addressed by someone older. It means you are listening and you are not hiding anything. Meanwhile in Africa it is considered rude and could attract the wrath of the fellow addressing you. 

 A good idea in one religion is a very bad idea in another religion. In Christianity it is ok to eat beef but in Hindu religion cows are sacred. One thing with all good ideas is that it may bring an un-intended response or it can turn out to be a bad idea after all. In our bible studies is a prime example of this. Abram and Sarai thought it was a good idea for Abram to have children through Hagar (Sarai's maid) since Sarai had passed child bearing age. That turned out to be a mistake of a life time because immediately Hagar became pregnant she became rude to her boss. 

 When an idea is of God, it will always turn out good. God's idea always has a God ending i.e. joyous ending. The idea may not seem too good at first but the end is always good. An example of this is found in 2 Chronicles 20:1-26. Two mighty nations - children of Ammon and Moab waged against a very small city of Judah. Jehoshaphat reported this matter to God and the Lord instructed him to go to war with choirs instead of soldiers. This did not seem like a good idea but nevertheless Jehoshaphat obeyed .At the end they won the battle and became rich too.

 ACTON POINT : Always follow God's Idea.

Counsel

Proverbs 11:14 where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.

Proverbs 11:14 highlights the importance of counsel. It is a deciding factor in success. A synonym for counsel is information. A wise man once said "if you are not informed, you will soon be deformed". Proverbs 4:7 says wisdom is a principal thing. What is wisdom? Wisdom is the application of information or better still the application of counsel. From every way we look at it the value of counsel is immeasurable. One the reasons why people make mistakes in choosing the right partner in marriages or business or profession is largely due to lack of counsel. Many have started businesses without getting counsel, they say ‘brother A is selling bag so I must sell bag’. Many sisters have fallen into the wrong marriages because of lack of counsel. All because a brother can speak in tongue or wears suit every Sunday does not mean he is a bor

n again. There are a lot of problems that could be averted if only people ask questions or get counsel. The bible even says Ask and it shall be given to you, Matthew 7:7. Without counsel failure is almost inevitable.

Asides from getting counsel, the quality of counsel we receive determines the pace at which we attain success and the quality of our success. Not all successes are good. There are good and bad successes. The source of our counsel is also important. Taking a marriage counselling from someone who has never been married before will lead to a disaster or business counselling from someone who has never done business. That is why most married women who take marriage counsel from their spinster friends’ end up regretting so also married men who to take advice on how to treat their wives from their bachelor friends. There are various ways to get counsel; they are through the Holy Spirit, people, bible, books, seminars, lectures, conferenences and other Christian literatures. It is very important that we check the source of our counsel or who or where we take counsels from. A counsel from a fellow who does not fear God is bound to lead to problems because his counsel will lack the fear of God. That is why need to be very careful of the success books we read. What does a man devoid of the Holy Spirit know about good success? Any success devoid of living a righteous life is not good success according to Joshua 1:8. Seminars that emphasizes on ten ways to do this and that and not been spiritually filled or the Holy Spirit offers little or no benefit.
ACTION POINT: Check the source of your counsel !

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.

YOU SHALL HAVE WHAT YOU CONFESS

Numbers 14:28 “say to them,’As I live,’ says the Lord,’just as you have spoken in My hearing,so i will do to you:
Words are very powerful ,Proverbs 18:21 says life and death are in the power of the tongue. Our words can either bring us goodies for example proverbs 13:2 says From the fruit of his lips a man enjoys good things; it can also the the opposite ,Proverbs 18:6 says A fool’s lips enter into contention, and his mouth calls for blows.
Jonathan told his armor-bearer that  nothing refrains the Lord from saving by many or by few- 1 Samuel 14:6. By the hands of these two ,the Lord caused the host of the Philistine to flee. The bible records in 1 Samuel 14:15 that there was trembling in the camp, in the field, and among all the people. The garrison and the raiders trembled;and the earth quaked so that it was a great trembling.
Before the Israelites was the Red Sea behind them was Pharaoh and his host , the children of Israel began to panic. Moses said to them ,”do not be afraid but stand still and see the salvation  of the Lord,which He will accomplish for you today for the Egyptians whom you see today , you shall see again no more forever  .The Lord will fight for you , and you shall hold your peace”- Exodus 14:13-14.That day the Lord fought for them and they held their peace.
When Isaac asked his Daddy (Abraham ) where the lamb of sacrifice was Genesis 22:1-13, the old man replied God will provide. Brethren God did provide.
What are we confessing today ?are they positive things or negative things? There are some people called themselves realist or so , they claim to say things as they are . Well 2 Corinthians 5:7 says we walk by faith not by sight.Joel 3:10 says Let the weak say i am strong.
ACTION POINT: As from today , make it a point of duty every morning to prophesy good things into your life, family, your work , your church and your country.