ESTABLISHED BY UNDERSTANDING

MEMORIZE: Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established. Proverbs 24:3

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Revelations 2, Proverbs 31:13 – 14

What is required to build a house/ life/ family/ business is quite different from what is required to establish a house/life/family/business. Proverbs 24:3 says this: “Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established.” To build a thing requires wisdom. What is wisdom? It is the correct application of knowledge. However, to establish a thing i.e. to ensure that the thing you have built remains standing as long as possible, it requires understanding. One of the biggest causes of problems in human relationships is misunderstanding. Yesterday afternoon I saw how a little mis-understanding, between two people in a relationship, could lead to unhappiness, disappointment, feelings of guilt and many other negative emotions. I went to a fruit and vegetable stall to get some lemons. Whilst standing in the queue, a woman waiting to be served observed that, her son, a boy of around 4 years old, was not by her. She called out his name and there was no response. Her face changed, she called the name again and there was no response. (The fruit and vegetable stall was right next to a busy road and there were people all round.) She started to shake and yell out her son’s name. By this time, everyone had literally begun to look for this boy. Suddenly, this boy crept out of where he was hiding. He had a big bright smile on his face – he had successfully hid himself and mum could not find him. Out of anger, the mum gave him a dirty smack on the bum. “Where have you been”, she screamed at him – almost bursting into tears. The boy began to cry. Immediately, she realized that the boy did not mean to cause her grief. She tried to pull him to herself but the boy refused.

What happened between this young boy and his mum was a case of simple mis-understanding. All he was trying to do was play ‘hide and seek’ with mum but she did not get it. Unfortunately, he did the right thing at the wrong time and at the wrong place. Had it been that the mum knew the young boy was trying to play ‘hide and seek’ initially, she would not have smacked him that hard. I think she probably would have dealt with the issue differently. By the time mum realized that he was only trying to play ‘hide and seek’-doing what any child of his age would do, it was too late. This is what happens when we mis-understand each other. Mr A does something or says something; Mr B mis-interprets it and reacts negatively. By the time Mr B realizes that Mr A meant no harm, it is too late. Before you know it, their relationship becomes strained. If care is not taken, that relationship may break. To establish something already built, you need understanding. You need to understand that people are different. They think differently, behave differently, respond differently to the same issue, and have different perspective on the same issue. You need to understand that people work at different pace. You need to understand that some of what you consider as good ideas, to some people they are bad ideas. You need to remember that we come from different backgrounds and we express ourselves in different ways. Having all these at the back on one’s mind always help when working with people. One of the few things you can do to avoid mis-understanding people or things is seek to understand things or people. Why did he say what he said? Was he provoked? Was it intentional? Was he responding to what was said to him? It is always good to see things from other people’s perspective. Also if you are not sure, ask question instead of jumping into conclusion.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: There are no permanent enemies. That fellow that is wicked to you today may become your lifesaver tomorrow.

PRAYER POINT: Father, please increase my understanding so that I will not pull down the things you have built in my life.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

QUICK TEMPER FRUSTRATES GOD’S PLAN FOR OUR LIVES

MEMORY VERSE: he that is soon angry dealeth foolishly: and a man of 
wicked devices is hated, Proverbs 14:17

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Judg 9, Acts 13, Jer 22, Mark 8

As far as you are alive, people will annoy you. As far as you are living amongst men, people will irritate you. As far as you have dealings with people, they will offend you. The only way to avoid been irritated by humans is by living with animals in the thick forest. Even at that animals will irritate you for example, whilst you are enjoying your early morning nap birds will start singing and that can be irritating especially when you are tired. The shocking thing is you don’t have to offend people before they offend you. Not too long ago i heard a loud bang behind me so i looked back to check what was happening. When i looked back i saw a woman and a man by a car, the man looked at me and started running towards me. When he got to where i was standing , he began threaten to do me i.e. attack me. I have never set my eyes on this man before, never spoke a word to him in my life yet he wanted to do me. The devil is a liar.

If i was the type that get angry easily or get angry at every giving opportunity, i would have done something stupid and probably end up in jail. When you get angry easily or at every opportunity you may lose your destiny if care is not taken. Disagreement is inevitable especially with those you are close with. Many have landed themselves in hot water as a result of what they said or did in anger. I beg you in the name of God, never reply an email or text in anger because you may live to regret it for the rest of your life. I heard the story of a fellow who threatened his colleague in a text message. One thing led to another and the matter ended in court. The text message was used as evidence in court.

People who get angry easily end up destroying their future in advance. Proverbs 14:17a says he that is soon angry dealeth foolishly in other words a quick tempered fellow will behave in a foolish way. A host pastor invited two guest pastors to come and minister at their annual convention. He printed fliers and paid for radio jingles. Out of the blue one of the guest Pastor - Pastor A called and demanded that his name be removed from the flier and radio jingles. The disappointing thing was Pastor A gave no reason for not coming. The host pastor had to pay for another 5000 fliers and radio jingle. Anyone in the host pastor's shoes will be very disappointed. After the convention, the host pastor continued to be friends with Pastor A. Today that host pastor now owns a church building worth over a million courtesy of Pastor A. It was Pastor A who connected the host pastor with the estate agent who sold the church building. The question is what if the host pastor had called Pastor A after the convention and began to abuse him or swear never to greet him again for the rest of his life; would Pastor A have connected him with the estate agent?

PRAYER POINT: Father every spirit of anger in me; please drive them away by force.

WAITING ON THE LORD

Memory Verse: and thou shalt know that I am the LORD: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me, Isaiah 49:23C.

 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ex 40, John 19, Prov 16, Phil 3

 

It pays to wait on the Lord. Isaiah 40:31 says but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Asides all these, those that wait on God will not be ashamed, Isaiah 49:23c. The problem with most believers today is that instead of waiting on the Lord, they take short cuts and the sad thing about short cut is that it cuts one’s life short. Many instead of waiting on the Lord take on social networks to look for life partners. They use dating sites, match makers and all these. There is only one match maker and that is God. He knows you more than you know yourself, He will pick a partner you need not a partner you want.  

 

Don’t because of pressure result to going to Egypt for help i.e. strange places. Don’t go and take strange baths or drink strange portions because you are looking for a child. Anything you get outside God is from the devil. If the devil gives you an apple, be rest assured it is filled with worms. James 1:17 says every good and perfect gift comes from God. Proverbs 10:22 says the blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it. Don’t because of success sell your soul to cheap to the devil. It may seem that everyone is ahead of you, just wait on the Lord because when your time comes you will be their mentors.

 

To wait on the Lord could also mean to serve in the vineyard of God. Waiters in restaurants are people who serve. When you serve God in truth and spirit, you will never be ashamed. This is guaranteed! This has been tested and tried! When you sincerely serve God with all you have, shame will be far from you. I remember the case of particular sister in church. When she started fellowshipping in our church, she joined virtually all the groups in church – choir, sanctuary cleaners, evangelism just name it. This lady just loved to serve in God’s vineyard. Do you know that she was the first sister to get married in the church? Because she made herself readily available for Christ; Jesus made Himself readily available for her. Because she didn’t let Jesus down; Christ did not let her down. We had better looking, more qualified sisters but the Lord settled her matter first. Others saved up to buy nice shoes and bags; she saved up to pay for her building funds. Today she is married with children. They said she spent too much time in church, those that said that are still single! The God who she served wholeheartedly brought her own husband.

 

ACTION POINTS: If you have not been serving God the way you should, please take Him more serious. If you have been serving God with all your strength, I can assure you joy is on your way.

HEARING FROM GOD

 BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Gen 14, Matt 13, Neh 3, Acts 13

Amos 3:7 surely the Lord God will do nothing, unless he reveals his secret unto his servants the prophets.

BIBLE STUDIES: Jeremiah 42:1-22

God is still in the business of speaking to His children. He speaks through dreams, vision, prophesy, the bible. He speaks to our heart; He speaks in a gentle whisper (1 Kings 19:11-13); He speaks in an audible voice and you hear him clearly as if you are speaking to a friend. He speaks concerning all issues. In Genesis 21:12, He spoke to Abraham about his marriage. In 1 kings 17:2-9, He spoke to Elijah about his sustenance in the midst of famine. He spoke to Isaac about where to live in Genesis 26:1-6. He told Gideon of his assignment to deliver his nation, Judges 6:11-40 e.t.c. If you want His input in that choice or decision you are about to make, why not go to Him today.

For God to speak concerning a matter or issue, there are one or two things that needs to be in place. First of all, if you want His input on any matter you need to go to Him. James 4:8 says draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you. Every time you go to God in prayers, He comes close to listen. Before we go to Him, we must make sure that we have dealt with whatever can hinder Him from speaking to us. The reason why we don’t actually hear from Him when we call on Him is sin. Psalm 66:18 says if I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me. How can God answer when He cannot hear us calling on Him? John 9:31 says we know that God heareth not sinners: but he does listen to anyone who worships Him and does His will. This is why if you are yet to give your life to Christ, please do so today and if you have giving your life and you are still living in secret sin, ask Him to forgive you and wash you in the blood of Jesus. Another thing that must be in place to hear from God is the readiness to do whatever He says whether it is pleasing or displeasing. If you are expecting him to always say what you want to hear, am afraid you are wasting your time. Long after Abraham had separated himself from Lot, he was expecting God to commend him or say something he wanted to hear. God told him “walk before me and be perfect “, Genesis 17:1 . That was the last thing Abraham expected but he listened and God visited him. Lastly be ready to wait on Him. God is no one’s servant and He is not obliged to answer you immediately. If you petition the president of your country or your boss in the office, he will reply at his convenience and you have no option but to wait. If you can wait for mere men, how much more the King of glory, King of kings and the Lord of Lords. The Most High is not a talkative; anyone who wants to hear from God must learn patience. In our bible studies, Jeremiah heard from God after ten days of praying and fasting. If you come to God in fasting and prayers and you do not hear from Him, do not get tired, come back to Him again. Been patient with God is profitable because once He speaks concerning any matter, success is guaranteed.

ACTION POINT: Put measures in place to deal with anything that might hinder God from hearing you this season.

GIVE, IT WILL COME BACK TO YOU

Ecclesiastes 1:7 – All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full; to the place from which the rivers come, there they return again.

I am not a lover of dogs, but I am a firm believer of the saying that a dog is the only animal that doesn’t have to work for a living. A hen has to lay eggs, a cow has to give milk, and a canary has to sing but a dog makes his living by giving you nothing but love. Dogs greet people with their beautiful bright eyes, they wag their tails, and they run around breathlessly with leaps of joy and barks of sheer ecstasy. People see them in this mood and want to play with them, pat them on the head and so on. When people see a Hyena or wolf (from the same dog family) the first thing that comes to mind is run! The wolf or Hyena never smiles; their eyes are neither beautiful nor bright. If they are lucky to still have a tail they never wag it. The same thing happens in human life. Ecclesiastes 1:7 says to the place where rivers come, there they return again. Humans are in the habit of returning good deeds, kindness, smiles, respect, and love to where it came from. People we channel rivers of kindness, respect and smiles to return the same rivers back to us. At times, we receive these rivers back from unexpected sources. A friend was once stopped by the traffic police for over speeding. His explanation was he was late for work, the traffic police saw this excuse as flimsy and he proceeded to issue a fine and deduct points from his license. As the police was about to hand out the fine he asked what do you do? My friend said i am a traffic warden. The police then asked, do you give second chance? He said everyone deserves a second chance. The Police man said “there you go, your second chance”, he tore the fine and left. What if my friend was the type that never believed in giving second chance?

The rivers of good deeds that flow from us might not flow back to us directly but indirectly. By indirectly we mean to our families. A man I work with has this habit of bringing sweets, cakes and biscuits and all sorts to work for everyone to eat. People took his kind gesture for granted but he did not care. This man told me about his grand pa of blessed memories. He lived in the countryside of Montserrat. The old man had the habit of giving people gifts, buying them drinks, giving fish and all sorts. After his death, this man went back to Montserrat to put one or two things in order. He said when he entered a cafe to buy a cold drink, someone he had never seen before approached him and said you look like Pa X (X to be the name of the grandpa). He answered in the affirmative that Pa X was his grandfather and the man decided to pay for his drink. Everyone in the countryside began to give him fish and all sorts of gifts all because he was the grandson of Pa X. This old man wasn't really rich and could not afford to leave a million in the bank for his grand-children but he left something money cannot buy-kindness. One question we need to ask ourselves is this, can people because of us decide to show our children or family kindness or mercy? What if Pa- X was a wicked man? What would have been this man’s story? This man decided that day that he will always be kind and good to people so that his children and grand-children can reap from it. It is what flows from us that will return to us directly or indirectly .

ACTION POINT: Let the rivers of good works begin to flow from you.

WAITING ON THE LORD.

Isaiah 40:31 -But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Patience is one quality God loves to see in His children. He rewards patience. According to Isaiah 40:31, He renews the strength of those that wait on Him. He also acts on their behalf –Isai

ah 64:4. It is unfortunate that patience is prohibited today. Asides bad roads, the major cause of road accidents are impatient drivers. They want to get to their destination as soon as possible.

Someone we cannot be impatient with is God. Isaiah 55:9 says for as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are His ways higher than our ways, and His thoughts than our thoughts. God is never late. The reason why He can never be late is because He is the Controller of Season – Daniel 2:21.Another reason is He can reverse the irreversible.

There is danger in been impatient with God, Sarah was impatient with God so she arranged Hagar to go in with Abraham to make babies. She regretted that decision because immediately Hagar conceived she began to despise her. Saul’s impatience cost him the throne. A man of God was attending a function with his wife. While praying before leaving for the function , the Lord told him to wait for five minutes. He decided to leave before five minutes and he ended up in accident and emergency. Today they are both alive but the wife is confined to wheel chair for life.

The cost of impatience is too high. Why not wait on the Lord in that marriage, wait on Him for the bone of your bone, and wait on Him to provide the fruit of the womb, wait on Him to provide the job. Remember, God is never late!

PRAYER POINT: Lord, as I have decided to wait on you, renew my strength and act on my behalf.

DOUBLE PORTION: WHERE FROM ?

Tuesday 17 July                                 Bible in one year : Judges 19-21

Memorise: Every good gift and perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights , with whom is no variableness,neither shadow of turning . James 1:17

Read : James 1:16-18

In the story about Elijah’s rapture recorded in 2 Kings 2;11-14 , you will notice the repetition of the phrase: “The mantle of Elijah that fell from him”. This tells us that even when Elisha had paid the price in serving him for some years and in accompanying him on his last assignments, and had even crossed the Jordan with him, Elijah still took his mantle with him until the cry of Elisha’s was heard. This shows the need for patience in God’s kingdom , particularly when you are trusting God for something very precious. If you are not ready to persist until you get it, you may be denied at the very point when you should have had it. Similarly, we learn that every good gift comes from above (James 1:17). When Elijah was taken , he went into heaven then the mantle was sent down with a double portion of the anointing on Elijah. Many people think it was Elijah who delivered Elisha’s request to him. No! There was no way he could give what he did not have which was why he told Elisha he asked a hard thing. He simply took the mantle with him and God released the double portion of the anointing on Elijah upon it for Elisha. Even when the anointing oil is poured on you, the power is released from above.

Also, when the Holy Spirit descended in Acts 2:1-4 , He sat on the heads of the disciples as cloven tongues of fire. This shows the importance of your head. This is why when it is time to ordain people, we go for their heads. The implication of this is that whatever you are , you owe to God. You have no reason to be proud. No wonder David acknowledged his help as being from God (Psalms 121:1-2). When God uses a vessel of His to bless you and you thank the fellow, do not forget that he or she is only a vessel;let your greater thanksgiving go to God who is the giver of the blessing. It is wrong to thank the vessel but forget the One who used the vessel to channel your blessings to you. This season, the Lord will bless you abundantly. How patient are you ?How much do you give God thanks ? Have you paid the price for a higher lever of God’s anointing on you?

KEY POINT: If you want any definite blessing from Heaven, look up to God.