YOU SHALL HAVE WHAT YOU CONFESS

MEMORY VERSE: For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. Matthew 12:37

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Acts 13-14

We live in a “word” world/ planet. This planet was framed by the “word of God”. Hebrews 11:3 says, “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” Whatever God spoke came to pass. Genesis 1:3 says, “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.” Genesis 1:9 says, “And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.” If you read through the account of creation, Genesis 1, after you read, “And God said,” you will read, “and it was so”. What God says happens! If He said it, you can bank on it. For instance, He said in His word,” Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings” (Isaiah 3:10). Whether the devil likes it or not, it shall be well with you because the Most High said so. He says in Isaiah 54:15: “Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.” Because He said so, you can bank on it. In Genesis 1, the Most High God used His words (spiritual things that are not seen) to create the physical universe (natural things that are seen). The Most High God created man to operate the same way He operates. Man was supposed to use his words to accomplish God's plan by being fruitful, multiplying, replenishing, subduing , and taking dominion over the Earth ( Genesis 1:26,28). After the fall of man, his nature changed but the mandate from God remained the same so did the power of his words. Whatever man spoke still had the power to determine his destiny and affect the destiny of everything around him – whether he served God or the devil, whether he spoke words of life or words of death.

Words are the most powerful things on this Earth. They can change and rearrange anything – for good or for evil. Matthew 12:37 says, “For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.” Because of the value of words, every man will give account of every idle word he spoke. Matthew 12:36 says, “But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.” Watch your words, asides from the fact that they can hurt people, you will give account to God one day. Just as God's words (spiritual things that are not seen) created the physical universe (natural things that are seen), you own words too (spiritual things that are not seen) will create things ( natural things that are seen). I heard the story of a man who always joked that the tiny growth on his face was cancer. "Na cancer o my brother " meaning it is cancer my brother , was his response whenever people ask what the little growth on his face was. Several years later, he was diagnosed with cancer and he died. Watch what you call yourself. There was a man who used to call himself “Mr Popular”. He began to call himself “Mr Popular” from a tender age. Forty years later, he became very popular. So popular that wherever he went, within minutes people will fall in love with him and want to be his friends and sometimes do business with him. You will always have what you say or confess. The woman with the issue of blood said, “If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole (Matthew 9:21). When she touched the hem of Jesus' garment she was made whole as she prophesied. David told Goliath, i will kill you and cut off your head (1 Samuel 17). When he said so, all he had on him was a staff, a sling and five stones. That’s all he had, but Goliath had a big sword, shield, and all the military gear. What happened? David cut of his head as he had confessed.

NOTE: What God hears you say is what He is going to do for you. Numbers 14:28 says, “Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the LORD, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you.”

ACTION: With your mouth, confess what you want the Lord to do for you in the remaining months of this year.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

“AND CHOSE HIM FIVE SMOOTH STONES”

MEMORY VERSE: And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.  1 Samuel 17:40

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Deuteronomy 10-12

In 1 Samuel 17 is one of the most popular stories – if not the most popular - in the world: the story of David and Goliath. It is a story of good conquering evil. It is a story of possibilities.The story is about a little boy who took on a big man and defeated him. David was a little shepherd boy. One day his aged father, Jesse, sent him to the battlefield to deliver some food supplies to his brothers who were fighting alongside Saul. When he got there, he saw this big strong giant challenging the armies of Israel. 1 Samuel 17:8- 10 says, “And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me. If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us. And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.” The giant’s name was Goliath. He was a Philistine. He was an undefeated champion as such no one knew his weakness. His voice terrified everyone; his presence caused everyone to run. He was a terror! On hearing his boastful words, David decided to take him on. The small man, an ordinary civilian, a youth with no military experience, decided to take on the big tall man – probably the tallest in the word at that time - a war veteran, a decorated soldier. 

David and Goliath stepped forward. Goliath came dressed for war. He wore a bronze helmet, an impenetrable coat of mail, and shin armour on his legs. David wore a simple shepherd’s cloth made of wool. Goliath came with a massive javelin, a sword strapped to his sheath and the widest shield available – so big that he employed someone to carry it for him. David on the other hand came with a sling and 5 stones. 1 Samuel 17:40 says, “And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.” David chose "five" stones not "six" or "four". Why? The number 5 symbolizes God’s grace, goodness and favour toward humans. As Goliath drew near to him, he took one of the stones and slung it, and it struck Goliath, sinking to his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth. David took Goliath’s sword and cut off Goliath’s head. David accomplished in hours what others could not accomplish in forty days using five stones (grace). To accomplish what others could not accomplish, whether in ministry or in your personal life, you need the grace of God. To do the impossible, you need the grace of God. David with the five stones proved the doubter’s wrong. Friend, you will need the grace of God to proof the doubters wrong. It is not enough to be a Christian. After all, there were several Israelites that day but none could take on Goliath except the brother with the grace (Brother David). To come into a team and make so much impact in a very short time takes the grace of God. That’s exactly what happened to David. Within few hours of arriving at the battle front, Goliath was already on the floor. David did not pick anyhow stones. He carefully selected five smooth stones. Why? God only uses smooth stones not rough ones. You see, a stone is rough by nature but the ones David chose had been worked on. Those stones had weathered the storm. Rain had fallen on them. They had been kicked about as a result of human activities. They had been through a lot and as a result, all the rough edges had been eroded away. The Most High God will not use a rough man to bring down Goliath. He will always use a smooth stone – a man He has trained and worked on. 

QUESTION: What kind of stone are you? A rough one? Or a smooth one? Have you laid your life so that He can work on you or you are busy running after things?

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

YOU SHALL HAVE WHAT YOU CONFESS

MEMORY VERSE: For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. Matthew 12:37

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Acts 13-14

We live in a “word” world/ planet. This planet was framed by the “word of God”. Hebrews 11:3 says, “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” Whatever God spoke came to pass. Genesis 1:3 says, “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.” Genesis 1:9 says, “And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.” If you read through the account of creation, Genesis 1, after you read, “And God said,” you will read, “and it was so”. What God says happens! If He said it, you can bank on it. For instance, He said in His word,” Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings” (Isaiah 3:10). Whether the devil likes it or not, it shall be well with you because the Most High said so. He says in Isaiah 54:15: “Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.” Because He said so, you can bank on it. In Genesis 1, the Most High God used His words (spiritual things that are not seen) to create the physical universe (natural things that are seen). The Most High God created man to operate the same way He operates. Man was supposed to use his words to accomplish God's plan by being fruitful, multiplying, replenishing, subduing , and taking dominion over the Earth ( Genesis 1:26,28). After the fall of man, his nature changed but the mandate from God remained the same so did the power of his words. Whatever man spoke still had the power to determine his destiny and affect the destiny of everything around him – whether he served God or the devil, whether he spoke words of life or words of death.

Words are the most powerful things on this Earth. They can change and rearrange anything – for good or for evil. Matthew 12:37 says, “For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.” Because of the value of words, every man will give account of every idle word he spoke. Matthew 12:36 says, “But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.” Watch your words, asides from the fact that they can hurt people, you will give account to God one day. Just as God's words (spiritual things that are not seen) created the physical universe (natural things that are seen), you own words too (spiritual things that are not seen) will create things ( natural things that are seen). I heard the story of a man who always joked that the tiny growth on his face was cancer. "Na cancer o my brother " meaning it is cancer my brother , was his response whenever people ask what the little growth on his face was. Several years later, he was diagnosed with cancer and he died. Watch what you call yourself. There was a man who used to call himself “Mr Popular”. He began to call himself “Mr Popular” from a tender age. Forty years later, he became very popular. So popular that wherever he went, within minutes people will fall in love with him and want to be his friends and sometimes do business with him. You will always have what you say or confess. The woman with the issue of blood said, “If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole (Matthew 9:21). When she touched the hem of Jesus' garment she was made whole as she prophesied. David told Goliath, i will kill you and cut off your head (1 Samuel 17). When he said so, all he had on him was a staff, a sling and five stones. That’s all he had, but Goliath had a big sword, shield, and all the military gear. What happened? David cut of his head as he had confessed.

NOTE: What God hears you say is what He is going to do for you. Numbers 14:28 says, “Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the LORD, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you.”

ACTION: With your mouth, confess what you want the Lord to do for you in the remaining months of this year.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

WHO IS BACKING YOU MATTERS

MEMORY VERSE: David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee. 1 Samuel 17:37

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: James 4-5

BIBLE READING: 1 Samuel 17:1- End

In 1 Samuel 17:8- 11, Goliath stood and challenged the armies of Israel. Verse 10 says, “And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.” Why is he able to do this? It is simple. He had his four brothers – also giants – behind him (2 Samuel 21:15-22). Not only that, he had the whole nation behind him cheering him and backing him up. David, on other hand, had no one behind him except God. His brothers didn’t believe in him; King Saul politely advised him that he was not good enough. 1 Samuel 17:37 says, “David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.” David fought Goliath and killed him. There are several lessons we can learn from this story. Firstly, the fact that men are backing you does not guarantee victory. The reason is those that backed you today can decide to turn against you tomorrow. Those who shouted “Hosanna! Hosanna!’ to Jesus were the same bunch who shouted crucify Him! Crucify Him! Also, the fact that you don't have a backing does not translate into failure. After all, no one backed David yet he defeated Goliath. 

Secondly, who is backing you matters. Why? The amount of help or support you can expect  will be determined by who is backing you. Also, the fellow backing you  will only take you as far as he has gone. He can only take you to a height he has reached. He can only give what he has; what he doesn't have he can't give. Imagine getting marriage counselling from someone who is single or someone who is divorced. If i were you, i will look for someone whose marriage has worked by God's grace and is still working. You will only stand as long as the fellow backing you is standing. If he falls, God have mercy. The one backing you will determine how high or how far you will go in life. He will determine how high you will be promoted. The chairman of an organization can decide to make you his deputy -that's how high he can take you - but a team leader can only help you to become, at most, a supervisor under him. 

 Thirdly, the fact that something has never been done before does not mean it can’t be done. No one had ever defeated Goliath before and as such, no one knew his weakness. Because he had never been beaten before, no one knew how to beat him. The fact that no one you know has ever passed that particular exam does not mean you can’t be the first. God’s presence in your life cancels out all other factors that could work against you. David didn’t know how to use a sword and a shield yet he conquered Goliath. He never received any form of military training yet he prevailed over Goliath. The presence of the Lord makes all the difference. A lot blame their short stature or round stature or other things for the reason why they are still single. Only if I was slimmer… Only if I was taller…etc. All you need is God’s presence and His favor.  

NOTE: God will only back His children. If you have not given your life to Christ you better do so now. Also, He won't back a thief. If you have been stealing from Him through tithes and offering you better restitute your ways. 

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

KNOWN BY ITS FRUITS

MEMORY VERSE: 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

 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: James 1-3

BIBLE READING: Matthew 12:33-37

Some people brought a man who was possessed with a devil to Jesus Christ (Matthew 12:22-29). The demon in the man made him blind and dumb. Jesus healed him; he regained his sight and began to speak. Everyone rejoiced with the man and praised the name of the Lord. Within a short space of time, the news of his healing traveled around the city. When the Pharisees heard it, they belittled the great work Jesus had done in the man’s life. Matthew 12:24 says, “But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.” Jesus knew what they were thinking so He said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand” (Matthew 12:25-26)? He said many other things to them to prove that He healed the man by the power of Holy Spirit. 

Today, we will look at something He said in Matthew 12:33, “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.” There are several lessons we can learn from this verse. Firstly, you know a tree by its fruit. On a mango tree, you will find mangoes and on an orange tree you find oranges. You will never find an orange growing on a mango tree. A tree is known by the fruit it produces not by its leaves or branches. The tree here is the man and the fruits are his works. You know a man by his works (fruits) not by his appearance (leaves or branches). Sometimes back, four young girls between the ages of twelve and fifteen sat opposite me on a bus, and they began to talk. As they talked – and they talked so loud that everyone around them could hear them – i wept inside. They were talking about contraceptive injections -  one of them had just had it and was showing others the mark on her hand. They were talking about sex – the things they had tried - at a point i had to change my seat as these girls were raw. I couldn’t imagine these young girls, at that age,  being exposed to such. When you look at them, they looked innocent but they are not. Looks can be deceptive. You know a man by his deeds (actions) not by his confessions. Recently, one of my sisters was telling me a story about a lady who met a brother online . The brother came across as a Christian-  always talking about church, always encouraging her to read her bible and all that. Fully convinced that he was a child of God they started to court. It was then she realized that the brother wasn't a Christian brother at all. At times he will video- call her and ask her to do unthinkable things. Friend,  a man is known by his conduct not by what he claims to be. Single sisters be aware, not every brother who quotes the bible is a child of God. Remember, Satan can also quote the bible. A tree is known by its fruit not be its location. Regardless of where you plant an orange tree it will produce oranges. Also a mango tree will produce mango regardless of where it is planted. 

NOTE: The only way to identify a tree is by its fruits. 

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

IS THE WORLD STILL INSIDE OF YOU?

MEMORY VERSE: I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:1-2

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Habakkuk

The first thing you do when an individual drowns in water is you get the individual out of water. If he is unconscious you resuscitate him. You do CPR and press hard on the chest several times to get him breathing again. In the process of doing this, the individual may spit out of a gob of water and then wake up. In a nutshell, to save a drowning person, you have to get the person out of water first and then get the (excess) water that may have entered into the individual’s system out. The Lord, by the hand of Moses, delivered the children of Israel out of the hands of the Egyptians. The children of Israel were taken out of Egypt but Egypt was not taken out of them. Although they were finally out of Egypt – not under the influence of the Egyptians anymore – they still reasoned like Egyptians, spoke like Egyptians, dressed like Egyptians, saw life the way an Egyptian would see life and so on and so forth. When Moses went up into the Mount to collect the Ten Commandments, they reverted back to Egyptian ways. They got Aaron to mold a golden calf with their earrings and began to worship it. The question is where did they get the idea of the molten calf from? Egypt. They learnt the art of worshiping idols in Egypt and now in the desert, far away from Egypt, they still worshiped a golden calf like the Egyptians (Exodus 32). 

The first thing the Lord does when a man gives his life to Christ is that He takes the man out of the world. Colossians 1:13 says, “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.” He then proceeds to take the “world” out of the man with the man’s cooperation. Romans 12:1-2 says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Although we have been taken out of the world, the “world” needs to be taken out of us. For many of us, we have given our lives to Christ but our dressings and mannerisms are still very much of the world. Our brothers wear earrings which is a worldly thing. Our sisters dress bearing their cleavage, wearing transparent dresses like the women of the world. Someone once said our dressing does not matter. Really? Friend, it matters. Moses was a Hebrew man but the children of Reuel described him as an Egyptian because of the way he dressed. Exodus 2:19 says, “And they said, An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and also drew water enough for us, and watered the flock.” Many are out of the world but they still listen to worldly music and do worldly dance moves even during praise and worship. Someone said he wants to praise the Lord in “Shoki” way. (Shoki is a dance step from a worldly music that glories fornication and adultery). How can you praise God with such dance steps and expect the Lord to accept such dance offerings? We can’t praise a holy God in a worldly way. He won’t accept it. I see many young people doing Azonto dances in church; do you even know the origin of Azonto dance? You can’t do a worldly dance to a Christian music, No. My heart bleeds when i see Christian gospel artist even doing Azonto dance.

NOTE: The more of the world you have in you, the less of Christ you will have in you. 

PRAYER: Father, please purge me of every worldly appetite. 

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

AS YOU ARE

MEMORY VERSE: With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright; With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright; With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward. Psalm 18:25-27

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Acts 9-10

There are certain basic things you need to know about God. One of them is He is love. 1 John 4:8 says, “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.” He is so loved the world that He gave Jesus, His only begotten Son, to us. John 3:16 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.” Jesus, Himself, said, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13)”. God is love. Another one is He is full of mercy. Psalm 103:11 says, “For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.” According to Psalm 145:8, “The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.” Thank God for His mercies. Lamentations 3:22 says, “It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.” I don’t need to tell you that He is kind. Another thing you need to know – in case you don’t know – is that God is never late. How can the One who owns time and controls seasons be late (Daniel 2:21)? One important thing you need to know about God is that is He is holy. In heaven, the angels are always singing, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of the Heavenly Armies! The whole earth is full of his glory!” Because He is Holy, He wants everyone associated with Him to also be holy. 1 Peter 1:16 says, “Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.”

God is not a respecter of persons. Romans 2:11 says, “For there is no respect of persons with God.” He is a respecter of principles not a respecter of persons. As such, He deals with people individually. Revelations 3:20 says, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” Jesus addresses Himself to individuals not multitude. He said, if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me. He didn’t say if any group hear my voice. The Psalmist says, surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life ( Psalm 23:6), not goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our lives. Jesus addresses Himself to individuals. Not only that, He deals with people as they are not as they claim to be. According to 1 Samuel 16:7, He sees the heart and He knows who people really are. Psalm 18:25-27 says, “With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright; With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright; With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward.” This is why He is always blessing those billionaires who spend a lot on charity. Although, most of them are not believers, because they are generous to the poor, the Lord is generous to them. And to those who are wicked to the poor, especially dictators and tyrants, He deals with them the way they are. The good news is you can change the way He deals with you. If only you will become more kind, He will be kind to you. If only you become more patient with people, He will become more patient with you. 

NOTE: Matthew 6:15 says, “But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” If you are not willing to forgive those who have offended you, the Lord is also not willing to forgive you. Actually, don’t bother to ask Him for forgiveness if you have not forgiven those who have offended you. If God does not forgive you, how do you expect Him to grant your petitions? It is impossible. Why not forgive today, and let Him forgive you and grant your petitions

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

DON’T LEAVE YOUR DUTY POST

MEMORY VERSE: In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears. Psalm 18:6

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Hebrew 11-13

Someone once asked, “why is it that only believers face challenges; unbelievers don’t.” This is a lie from the pit of hell. Challenges are part and parcel of life. Everyone (believers and unbelievers) go through difficult times. The only advantage believers have is they have Jesus in their boat (life). And, as far as you have Jesus in your boat, storms may arise but you will never sink. Psalm 34:19 says, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.” The fact that you are serving the Lord faithfully and living a holy life does not mean you will not face challenges either. Let’s look at God’s testimony of the Zechariah’s. Luke 1:6 says, “And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.” Despite the fact that they were both righteous before God, walking in all the ordinances of the Lord blameless, verse 7 says “And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.” So your service or labour of love does not exempt you from challenges. However, those challenges shall turn to you for a testimony (Luke 21:13).  

When storms of life arises, how you respond matters. Many of us respond by blaming God. We accuse him as if He is responsible for what we are going through. We complain and murmur and some of us even stop attending church. The truth of the matter is this, staying away from church will not still the storm in any way. Also, alcohol is not the solution either. You can drink from today till tomorrow, that will not solve the problem. Backsliding only compounds the issue. It is better to remain in the presence of God than to head back to Egypt (enemy camp). The time to serve God like never before is when you face challenges. The time to cry to God like never before is when the storm of life arises. Psalm 18:3 says, “I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.” The time of challenges is not a time to murmur or cry. When you cry, your emotions get the better part of you and you are not able to think clearly. At times, God may even be speaking to you but you will not hear because you are all over the place. 

The Psalmist says: “In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears (Psalm 18:6)”.  David cried to God in the temple, during his challenges, and the Lord heard his voice. This is why you must never stay away from church for any reason when you are going through challenges. The bible records that Hannah prayed in the temple and the Lord heard her in the temple (1 Samuel 1:9-15). In Luke 1:8-11, God visited Zechariah whilst at his duty post in church and told him that he was going to have a child. The old man could have stopped serving God but He didn’t. He kept on serving in the vineyard of God and the Lord met him whilst he was serving. Friend, have you stopped serving in the vineyard of God because of a thing or two? Have you stopped serving because of your current situation? Have you stopped serving because nothing seems to be happening in your life? For several years nothing seemed to happen in Zechariah’s life but he remained in church and continued serving. One day God visited his church, checked at his department and found him. If you have stopped going to church, you better return so that when God visits He will find you. If you have left your post to chase money you better return so that in the day of God’s visitation you will not be missing.

COUNSEL: Return to your duty post because God may visit at any time. 

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

“FOR A TIME SUCH AS THIS”

MEMORY VERSE: Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house, more than all the Jews. For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this? Esther 4:13-14 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Nahum

Haman, a wicked man with an evil heart, wanted Mordecai dead because he refused to bow to him (Esther 3). What did he do? He hatched a plan to exterminate all the Jews in the land. He went to King Ahasuerus, told him that the Jews were working against him and asked for permission to conduct an ethnic cleansing. He even volunteered to personally foot the bill. Which king wouldn’t want to see the end of those working against him? None. So, the king gave him his blessings ; Haman spoke with the law makers and they passed a bill that says all the Jews must be exterminated on a certain date. Mordecai heard this news and passed it on to Queen Esther, his adopted daughter. At first, Esther began to give excuses but the tough old man said to her “Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house, more than all the Jews. For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

There several lessons we can learn from the old man’s response. Firstly, “whatever” position you find yourself in life you are there for a reason. Joseph of Arimathea, a wealthy Jewish man who secretly followed Jesus, was a member of the Sanhedrin for a reason. God deliberately put him in the Sanhedrin– a position that gave him access to Herod - so that He would use his contact, connection and position to collect the body of Jesus Christ from Herod after His crucifixion (Mark 15:42-64). That young slave girl was in the house of Naaman, waiting on Naaman’s wife, for a reason (2 Kings 5:1-19). God deliberately had her there so as to use her to bring healing to Naaman, one of the high ranking officers in the Syrian army, which will in turn mend the relationship between the Syrians and the Israelites- God wanted to use an Israelite prophet to heal a top brass in the Syrian army. Sadly, Gehazi’s conduct hindered it as he took money from Naaman for his healing. 

Secondly, “whatever” position you find yourself as a child of God, you are there for a "particular time". This translates that you will not be there forever. Also, you are there for a particular purpose. As such, “whatever” position you find yourself as a child of God, you must behave yourself in a way that will not jeopardize the fulfillment of your purpose there. Thank God that young slave girl behaved well whilst waiting on Naaman’s wife. Had it been she was a lazy girl or a thief, Naaman’s wife would not have listened when she spoke to her about the prophet in Israel. Thank God Joseph of Arimathea was a responsible man. Had it been he was irresponsible, Herod would not have granted him audience talkless of release the body of Christ, a treasure of inestimable value, to him. We thank the Lord for the life of Queen Esther. She was a humble woman who never took the king for granted. Had it been that she behaved like her predecessor Vashti, she would not have been able to save her people. Please note that all we have been talking about only applies to children of God. As a child of God, if you find yourself in a position you don’t like i want you to know that your Father in heaven knows about it, and He will work things for your own good (Romans 8:28). However, if you are yet to give your life to Christ or you are living in sin and you find yourself in a situation you don’t like, it could be the devil punishing you for fun since you are in his camp. Today, you can change camp by confessing with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believing in your heart that God raised Him from the dead (Romans 10:9).

QUESTION: How are you behaving in that position God has put you? Are you behaving in a way that will jeopardize the fulfillment of God's purpose for having you there? 

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

THE PRINCIPAL THING

MEMORY VERSE: They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's. Matthew 22:21

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Proverbs 31

Proverbs 4:7 says, “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.” The word “principal” means first in order of importance; main. There are a lot of important things. One of them is knowledge. They have a saying in the secular world “Knowledge is power “. Hosea 4:6 says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.” To destroy means to damage or to ruin. Hosea 4:6a says, “My people are destroyed (ruined,damaged) for lack of knowledge". This should give you an idea of how important knowledge is. Yet, the bible says wisdom is the principal thing. Another important thing is vision. The elders have a saying, “In the country of the blind, the one eyed man is their king.” In other words, it is better to have little vision than no vision at all because a man with little vision will rule over a nation of blind people. Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” To perish means to die, especially in a violent way or sudden way. This definition summarises the importance of vision. Yet, the bible says wisdom is the principal thing.

There are several reasons why wisdom is the principal thing. For instance, you need wisdom to make difficult decisions. Two women, who had just put to bed, brought a very difficult case to King Solomon (1 Kings 3:16-28). While they slept, one of them rolled over her baby and the baby died. She picked the other woman's living baby and claimed it was hers. Mind you, at that time there was nothing like DNA test. Solomon ordered a soldier to divide the baby into two. The real mother begged the king to give the baby to the other woman because she didn't want the soldier to kill him.  The fake mother, on the other hand,  wanted the child to be cut into two at all cost. Solomon automatically knew who the real mother was and gave the baby to her. You need wisdom to avoid the traps of the enemy. In Matthew 22:17-22, some Herodians asked Jesus, "is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?" They asked this question to trap Him. If He said it was lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, the Pharisees would accuse him of being against the Jews. If He said it was unlawful to pay taxes to Caesar, they would accuse Him of being against  Caesar and report Him. He deployed wisdom; He requested for a coin and asked whose inscription was on the coin. Matthew 22:21 says, “They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's.” Also, you need wisdom to get out of tight corners. The Pharisees brought a woman caught in the adultery to Jesus and said the Law of Moses commanded us to stone such women to death but what do you say (John 8:1-10). If He told them to stone her, He will be working against Himself because He came to save sinners. If He told them not to stone her, they would accuse Him of going against the Laws of Moses. He said to them, “he that is without sin let him cast the first stone”. On hearing this, they all left quietly. The real reason why wisdom is the principal thing is this: you need the wisdom of God to make heaven. Jesus is the wisdom of God. 1 Corinthians 1:24 says, “But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.” Jesus is the way to the Father (John 14:6).

PRAYER POINT: Father, please fill me with your wisdom. 

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

LAZARUS SLEPT

MEMORY VERSE: These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. John 11:11

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Acts 7- 8

Someone once said, “If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change”. What a true statement. There is a need to change the way you look at things. Not until you change the way you look at that situation, it may not change for the better. Firstly, how you see that situation you are facing will determine your confession. Luke 6:45 says, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.” Jesus saw Lazarus as one that slept not a dead man. No wonder He told His disciples that He was going to wake him out of sleep. Your confession matters. Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” Your confession will determine how that challenge will end. Numbers 14:28 says, “Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the LORD, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you.” What God hears you say is what you will have. Joel 3:10 says, “Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong.” What you confess is what you will have. When David confessed that he was going to kill Goliath and cut off his head, he did not have a sword talk-less of a knife on him. Actually, all he had on him that day was a sling and some stones. But God heard that young boy on that day and granted his confession. David slung a stone and Goliath went down. He ran to him, grabbed Goliath's sword, the only available sword big enough to cut Goliath's head, and cut off his head with it. 

Secondly, how you see that situation you are facing will determine how you  will react to it or tackle it. When Jesus got to the tomb of Lazarus, He called him out like one who was calling a friend who was fast asleep. He didn’t ask them to bring the corpse of Lazarus and lay hands on it. The reason why a lot of us cry when we face challenges is because we think it is over or we think it is beyond God. When Herod threw Peter into prison, what did Peter do? He slept (Acts 12:1-12). He slept because of his confidence in God. He slept so deep that the angel of the Lord had to punch him at the side before he woke up. Even at that, he wasn't fully awake until the angel led him out. In Matthew 8:23-27, Jesus was fast asleep when the storm arose and beat against the boat He was in. Friend, it is not over. Why did Saul and his men run from Goliath? They saw him as an indomitable lion. David on other hand saw him as a dog. Hence, he charged at him with a sling and a stone. The reason why you are running from that project is because you think it will crush you. Others who did the same project and completed it are not in any way better than you. The difference between you and them is how you see the project.Some brothers are afraid of approaching some sisters to propose to them despite the fact that they have prayed and gotten a go ahead from heaven. Maybe because they think the sister is too good for them or they are not in her level. If God is leading you to her then you must be in her level. Brother, don't be afraid to approach that sister. You will be shocked that God has already spoke to her and she is only waiting for you to make the move. 

 

PRAYER POINT: Father, i receive boldness to take on my Goliaths.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

THE WORD OF KNOWLEDGE

MEMORY VERSE: For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:8

 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Proverbs 29-30

It is important that you know about spiritual gifts. 1 Corinthians 12:1 says, “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.” Today, we will look at the “word of knowledge”. There are four basic types of knowledge in the world today. Firstly, there is the "natural human knowledge". This type of knowledge is on the increase today. Daniel 12:4 says, “But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.” There is so much knowledge out there that supercomputers are being  employed to store and process the tremendous stock-pile of facts, since it has gone beyond the human mind to do so in any reasonable length of time. As important as the natural human knowledge is, it often creates so much pride – it has even led many scientists and think tanks to believe there is no God. According to 1 Corinthians 8:1, knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. Not only that, it has kept a lot of people from entering into the knowledge of our God.  1 Corinthians 2:14 says, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” Secondly, there is the “fallen world’s supernatural knowledge”. This is the natural mind’s attempt to gain information by supernatural means either through the occult, psychic or metaphysical investigations which Satan is using to ensnare an increasing number of people today. Please note, the fact that something is supernatural does not mean it is from God. Fortunetelling, clairvoyance, mind reading, astrology, witchcraft, spiritism, etc, all come under the fallen world’s supernatural knowledge. 

Thirdly, there is the true intellectual knowledge. This comes from knowing God personally through Jesus Christ ( John 17:3, Philippians 3:10), being filled with the Holy Spirit, and through studying the Word of God, which brings the knowledge of God’s will and His ways, for which there is no substitute ( Psalms 103:17; Exodus 33:13). Just as the natural human knowledge is growing, the true intellectual knowledge is also growing. Isaiah 11:9 says, “They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.” Whilst man’s knowledge will one day pass away, the knowledge of God is permanent and will last through eternity. The fourth is the “word of knowledge”. It is the supernatural revelation of facts past, present, or future which are not learned through the efforts of the natural mind. It maybe described as the Mind of Christ being manifested to the mind of the believer, and is given when needed in a flash of time (1 Corinthians 2:16).  This gift is used to protect the Christian, to show him how to pray more effectively, or to show him how to help others. This spiritual gift is not a human “ability” at all, but sheer gift of God. It is manifested as a result of staying close to the Lord. If a believer suddenly became aware, without receiving the knowledge through any natural channels that a friend was in trouble, and needed his prayers and help, that would not be “extrasensory perception, but rather God manifesting the gift of the “word of knowledge” The gifts of the Holy Spirit come from and through the Holy Spirit to our spirit, and not from or through the soul or physical senses. 1 Corinthians 12:8 says,” For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit.” The “word of knowledge” was used to expose Gehazi (2 Kings 5:20-27).  It was used to recover lost persons or property, as in the case of Saul and the lost donkeys (1 Samuel 9:15-20; 10:21-23).  The “word of knowledge” can give information in seemingly very prosaic matters. God is concerned about every human need.

NOTE: These gifts are given to profit and benefit one another. They must not be misused. When God chooses to share His knowledge with us, it is for a purpose. It is not given just to make us feel “spiritual” or clever!

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

“THY FATHER WHICH SEETH IN SECRET”

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

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Acts 5-6

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

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

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

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

“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

SIN AS A WOUND

MEMORY VERSE: He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. Proverbs 18:13


BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Jonah
One of the names of our Lord is Merciful. Exodus 34:6 says: “And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.” We are all standing today simply because of His mercy. Psalm 130:3-4 says: “If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.” We are all alive because of His mercies. Lamentations 3:22 says: “It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.” God’s mercy attracts human mercy. Jeremiah 42:12 says, “And I will shew mercies unto you, that he may have mercy upon you, and cause you to return to your own land.”

However, there are certain criteria you must satisfy before you can receive God’s mercy. Firstly, you must be born again. You must accept Jesus as your personal Lord and saviour. Anyone who does not accept Jesus as his personal Lord and Savior is against Him. Matthew 12:30 says, “He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.” Secondly, you must be merciful. Psalm 18:25 says, “With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright.” Not only will the merciful obtain mercy from God, he will also receive blessings from Him (Matthew 5:7). Thirdly, you must be God-fearing. Psalm 103:11 says: “For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.” God’s mercy is not for the wicked. To fear God simply means to depart from evil (Proverbs 16:6). A child who fears God will not steal from his or her parents. Also, a government official who fears God will not steal from government coffers. Lastly, you must confess your sins and forsake them. Proverbs 28: 13 says: “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.”

A sin is like a bleeding wound on the leg of an athlete. If the athlete does nothing about the wound and continues to run, he may fall and faint. If he covers it up without treating it properly, the wound will fester and decay. The leg will start to hurt and he won’t be able to run as fast as he could. If he continues like that for several days, the leg will become swollen and the doctors may have to amputate the leg to save his life. The right thing to do is treat the bleeding wound. The only way to treat sin which is also a wound is confess /expose it. Let the fresh air of the Holy Spirit blow on the affected area and healing will start. Go to God humbly and tell Him what you have done. Don’t say God forgive me for my sins. Confess each sin to Him and ask Him to forgive you. After confessing to God, you may need to confess to man in some instances. This is very important if you really want to deal with the sin and silence the accuser. (However, going about this requires godly wisdom and as such, seek counsel from an anointed man of God to guide you on how to go about this). After exposing it to fresh air which is confessing it, commence treatment in other words, forsake it. Investigate what led to the sin and put measures in place to avoid falling into the same sin again. Ask God to keep you standing and also watch!

NOTE: One of the advantages of exposing sin is that you won't want to sin at all because of the embarrassment of confessing it especially when it is against people. Where needed, make restitutions.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

HE GAVE THEM UP

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

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:  Proverbs 28

BIBLE READING: Psalm 81:8-12

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

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

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

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

ON EAGLE’S WING

MEMORY VERSE: As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings. So the LORD alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him. Deuteronomy 32:11-12

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Numbers 29-32

Many things have been used as symbolic expressions to give us a picture of God or characteristics of His attributes. For instance, the psalmist describe God as a mountain. Psalm 125:2 says, “As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about his people from henceforth even for ever.” In Revelations, God is described as a Lion. Revelations 5:5 says, “And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.” Many things have been employed as pictures of either God’s strength or God’s power or God’s love or God’s mercy. Deuteronomy 32:11-12 says, “As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings. So the LORD alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him.” Here, the eagle is used as a symbol of God. There is something about an eagle that is a fit symbol of things about God. For instance, the eagle is the king of fowls. God is not merely a king but He is the king. No wonder Paul describes Him as the King of kings (1 Timothy 6:15). Also, the eagle is very strong. The eagle can fly down and just with the strength of his claws, pick up a young lamb and fly away to yonder’s cleft and devour it – that’s how a strong an eagle is. Our God is stronger than the strongest. In His anger, He can shake the heavens, and the earth will move out of her place (Isaiah 13:13).

The eagle builds her nest in an unusual way. The eagle selects rough materials for the construction of her nest. As the nests graduates toward a close or a finish, the material becomes finer and softer right at the end. Then she goes about to set up residence in that nest. When the little eaglets are born, she goes and brings in food to feed them. But when they get to the point where they are old enough to be out of their own, the eagle will begin to pull out some of that down and let some of those thorns come through so that the nest won’t be so comfortable. So when they get to lounging around and rolling around, the thorns prick them here and there. She does this to teach them to fly. She makes the nest so uncomfortable that they are forced to leave and commit themselves to the unknown world of air outside. And just so does our God to us. He stirs up our comfortable nests, and pushes us over the edges of them, and we are forced to use our wings to save ourselves from fatal falling. We are put into positions were we have no other choice than to depend on Him or fly to Him. Things are going so well and we are so satisfied that we just lounge around and forget to pray. We walk around all day and enjoy God’s life, God’s health and God’s strength, and go climb into bed without saying, “thank you, Lord, for another day’s journey.” God has to pull out a little of the plush around us, a little of the comfort around us, and let a few thorns of trial and tribulation stick through the nest to make us pray sometime.

PRAYER POINT: Father, please shake me loose from every spiritual slumber.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

“AND LOT LIFTED UP HIS EYES”

MEMORY VERSE: And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar. Genesis 13:10

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Chronicles 11-16

BIBLE READING: Genesis 13:9-12

There was an old man who had three sons. The firstborn married a young woman, so did the second and the third born. One day the third born passed away, and since the firstborn had no child of his own, he decided to adopt his younger’s brother son. He took him home and showered him with all the love in the world. He treated him as his own son, and helped him get into business. The young man began to raise animals like his adopted father. Within a short period of time, the young man began to prosper. He began to acquire staffs, and business began to grow at a rapid rate. Before you know it, his business had become so big that the small town they both (he and his uncle) resided could no longer contain them. Soon, his staffs and his uncle’s staffs began to quarrel. To avoid quarrels and ensure peace between them both, Abram sent for his cousin, Lot. When he arrived, Abram suggested that they split the land between themselves. If Lot choose the eastern part of the land, he would choose the western part. Or better still, if he choose the northern part of the land, he would choose the southern part of the land. The bible records that “And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that itwas well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar” (Genesis 13:10). The agreement was that Lot should choose a part of the land but he chose the best part of the land – the plains of Jordan. Shortly after he moved into the land, it was raided; Lot and his household were taken captive.

There are several lessons to learn from this story. Firstly, not everything that appears or looks good is actually good. In addition, not everything that appears or looks good is good for you. Oh the plains of Jordan looked like the “garden of the Lord” but it was not good for Lot. Not every promotion is from God. Possessing the plains of Jordan may seem like a promotion to Lot but it was not a good promotion. Also, not all promotions are promotion. Some of them are demotion in disguise; death traps, etc, and as such be wise. Any promotion that makes it impossible for one to serve God is a demotion which can lead to death. Secondly, not everything that appears good or looks good is from God. Thirdly, not everything that appears good or looks good is God’s will for your life. Fourthly, don’t choose things by their outward appearance or outward presentations. Why? Fifthly, not all that glitters is gold. There are a lot of gold plated items that appear as real gold. Sixthly, only God knows what is good. There are many like Lot today who instead of praying before making a choice have gone ahead and “lifted up their eyes” and chose. I pray they will not end up like Lot. When it comes to choosing between offers, pray and ask God to guide you. Asides from the obvious mistake that Lot choose with his eyes, Lot chose the plains of Jordan based on what he could see from afar. He had not been to the land, he had not seen the people, he had not learnt their ways, he chose based on what he could see from afar. A point to note: not all things that appear pretty at a distance are actually pretty. When you get close to some things that appear beautiful from a distance, you will be disappointed. The closer you get to a person, the more you will know the person. In Lot’s scale of preference, greener pasture came before the will of God. Lot preferred a greener pasture than the presence of God.

NOTE: The fact that a pasture is green does not mean God is there. Greener pasture also does not necessarily mean more money or promotion. Lot went to Sodom full but came out empty.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

ON EAGLE’S WING

MEMORY VERSE: As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings. So the LORD alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him. Deuteronomy 32:11-12

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Numbers 29-32

Many things have been used as symbolic expressions to give us a picture of God or characteristics of His attributes. For instance, the psalmist describe God as a mountain. Psalm 125:2 says, “As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about his people from henceforth even for ever.” In Revelations, God is described as a Lion. Revelations 5:5 says, “And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.” Many things have been employed as pictures of either God’s strength or God’s power or God’s love or God’s mercy. Deuteronomy 32:11-12 says, “As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings. So the LORD alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him.” Here, the eagle is used as a symbol of God. There is something about an eagle that is a fit symbol of things about God. For instance, the eagle is the king of fowls. God is not merely a king but He is the king. No wonder Paul describes Him as the King of kings (1 Timothy 6:15). Also, the eagle is very strong. The eagle can fly down and just with the strength of his claws, pick up a young lamb and fly away to yonder’s cleft and devour it – that’s how a strong an eagle is. Our God is stronger than the strongest. In His anger, He can shake the heavens, and the earth will move out of her place (Isaiah 13:13).

The eagle builds her nest in an unusual way. The eagle selects rough materials for the construction of her nest. As the nests graduates toward a close or a finish, the material becomes finer and softer right at the end. Then she goes about to set up residence in that nest. When the little eaglets are born, she goes and brings in food to feed them. But when they get to the point where they are old enough to be out of their own, the eagle will begin to pull out some of that down and let some of those thorns come through so that the nest won’t be so comfortable. So when they get to lounging around and rolling around, the thorns prick them here and there. She does this to teach them to fly. She makes the nest so uncomfortable that they are forced to leave and commit themselves to the unknown world of air outside. And just so does our God to us. He stirs up our comfortable nests, and pushes us over the edges of them, and we are forced to use our wings to save ourselves from fatal falling. We are put into positions were we have no other choice than to depend on Him or fly to Him. Things are going so well and we are so satisfied that we just lounge around and forget to pray. We walk around all day and enjoy God’s life, God’s health and God’s strength, and go climb into bed without saying, “thank you, Lord, for another day’s journey.” God has to pull out a little of the plush around us, a little of the comfort around us, and let a few thorns of trial and tribulation stick through the nest to make us pray sometime.

PRAYER POINT: Father, please shake me loose from every spiritual slumber.

twitter@BroOluwatoki

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

EMBRACE THE TRUTH

MEMORY VERSE: And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. John 8:32

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Acts 3-4

What is the definition of “truth”? According to John 14, Jesus Christ is the Truth. Verse 6 says, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” There are one or two things you need to know about the Truth. Whenever the Truth speaks, He speaks the truth. In other words, any word that comes out of the mouth of our Lord Jesus Christ is the truth! Why? Because the Truth cannot tell lies. If the Truth says He is with you, then He is with you. Numbers 23:19 says, “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?” It is men that tell lies, the Truth does not tell lies. The Truth says, “lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world (Matthew 28:20)”. Friend, it does not matter what you are going through today, remember God is right by your side. Deuteronomy 31:6 says, “Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” 

The truth cannot be hidden. Someone once said “three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.” Even if you bury the truth because you don’t like it, it will re-surface literally after ‘three’ days. You cannot hide the truth. The Lord asked Cain, after he murdered his brother out of jealousy, “Where is Abel thy brother?” He responded and said, “I know not: Am i my brother’s keeper?” He tried to hide the truth but unknown to him, the truth cannot be hidden. Genesis 4:10 says, “And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.” Ananias and Sapphira also tried to hide the truth. Acts 5:3 says, “But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?” You can neither hide the truth nor hide from the truth. No wonder the psalmist says  “Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee (Psalm 139:7-12)". You can’t run from the truth no matter how fast you run. You cannot fight the Truth. Acts 26: 14 says, “And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.” It is hard to kick against the truth; you will only hurt yourself by doing so. The only thing you can do is embrace it. You cannot fight the truth and win. Whenever someone tells you the truth about your character or your behavior, instead of getting angry humbly accept it and change. John 8:32 says, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Freedom comes the moment a man embraces the Truth. 

Question: How long are you going to run from the truth? 

NOTE: You cannot destroy the truth. And the truth is this, only Jesus can save. You will only be fulfilled when Jesus takes His place in your life. You will only know true peace when He becomes the Lord and Master of your life. 

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world