ACCORDING TO HIS PATTERN!

MEMORY VERSE: And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount. Exodus 25:40

BIBLE READING: Deuteronomy 1-4

What is a pattern? According to Dictionary.com (Learner's edition), a pattern is a diagram or shape that you can use as a guide when you are making something such as a model or a piece of clothing. The Most-High God is a builder. Hebrews 3:4 says: “For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God.” You can't build without Him. Psalm 127:1 says: “A Song of degrees for Solomon. Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.” You need to a pattern to build a  house. Without one, you will end up with a building that looks like an amoeba. Also, building without a pattern leads to wastage of resources. God does not build without a pattern; as such, He has a pattern for marriage, ministry, etc.

Today, we will look at His pattern for solving problems. This pattern is carefully documented in Genesis 1:1- end. There was a big problem on the earth. According to Genesis 1:2, the earth was without form and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. How did God tackle this problem? Firstly, He investigated the root cause of the problem. Why was the earth in the state it was? The earth was in the state it was because darkness had taken over. All sorts happen whenever darkness is allowed to reign. The next thing He did was introduce light to the equation. Genesis 1:3 says: “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.” He introduced light for two reasons: firstly, to banish darkness; and secondly, to understand the problem. These two things – discovering the root cause of a problem and understanding a problem – are crucial to solving any problems. Who did the Lord send to carry out these tasks? The Holy Spirit. Genesis 1:2b says: “And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” Problem solving is impossible without the Holy Spirit. He is the One who will banish darkness and help you understand the problem. From Him comes wisdom to solve tough problems.

PRAYER POINT: Wonderful Spirit of God, I invite you into the issues of my life, please do what you alone can do.

twitter@BroOluwatoki

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world.

RECOGNIZING AND BREAKING EVIL PATTERNS

MEMORY VERSE: And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? Luke 9:54

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalm 39-41

What is a pattern? The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it as a reliable sample of traits, acts, tendencies, or other observable characteristics of a person, group, or institution. A teacher with thirty years of teaching experience, during an end-of-the-year programme of a school, encouraged parents to keep an eye on their children and stamp out any behavioral pattern that could be detrimental to their progress in the future. According to her, young children grow up to be bigger pictures of who they currently are and unless there was some kind of intervention – parental or divine. Just as a child’s life is predictable, the outcome of a person’s life, whether as a success or a failure, can also be determined beforehand (to a very great extent). Just by observing patterns in one’s biological or spiritual family, whether one will fail or succeed can be determined beforehand. Unless one is able to recognize any evil patterns present, pray and (in some cases) fast to break these patterns, one may end up facing the same challenges one’s parents or family faced in their marriage, finances, health, etc. Not until the Holy Spirit opens one’s eyes to see these evil patterns, untold sorrow, failure –at- the- edge- of- success, divorce, marital delay, etc, is inevitable.

Remember, “ we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places (Ephesians 6:12)”, and as such, the moment the Holy Spirit open’s your eyes to recognize any evil pattern(s) in your life or family, prayerfully break these patterns. (Note: These patterns are no one’s faults except the devil that steals, kills and destroys). Looking at the life of Abraham, Isaac (his son) and Jacob (his grandson), we find an evil pattern of 'delay in childbearing'. Abraham’s wife (Sarah) was barren and did not give birth until the age of 90 years. Isaac’s wife (Rebekah) was barren. Genesis 25:21 says, “and Isaac intreated the Lord for his wife, because she was barren: and the Lord was entreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.” Jacob’s second wife (Rachel) also experienced bareness (Genesis29:31). Had each of them not cry to God, they may have ended up childless. In the family of Zebedee, it was fiery and destructive anger. Although the bible did not tell us about their parent’s temper, we don’t need to travel far to know the source of their anger. Where else would they have gotten that fiery and destructive anger from except home? Luke9:54 says, “And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?” For two brothers of the same parents, to exhibit that kind of anger, i doubt they didn't inherit it. Besides, research has proved that children do inherit their parent’s anger. Some of the reasons why many of us are unable to recognize these evil patterns, even when the Holy Spirit highlights them to us is because we see them as coincidences. I want you to know that evil patterns can be broken. It was broken in the life of Abraham and his children. It was also broken in the life of John and James. Do not give the enemy a foothold in your life.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: You can break that evil pattern of failure-at-the- edge-of-success with prayer. You can break that evil pattern of divorce with prayer. You can break that evil pattern of impecuniosity with prayer. You can break that evil pattern of marrying late with praying and fasting. You don’t have to face what others faced. You don't have to go through what others went through. Good things can begin with you. You can become the first to get it right in marriage.

PRAYER POINT: Father, i break every evil pattern in my life in Jesus name.

twitter@BroOluwatoki

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

BUILD ACCORDING TO PATTERN

MEMORY VERSE: Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, see, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount. Hebrew 8:5

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Jeremiah 37-40

When God wanted to dwell among the children of Israel, He commanded Moses to build a tabernacle for Him. A tabernacle is a place of worship. God loves worshippers. He loves those who worship Him in truth and in spirit not those after Him for bread and butter. It is easy to worship God when you have just gotten a raise in your salary. Shouting Hallelujah comes naturally, when you have just passed your driving test. Worshipping God in the beauty of His holiness is easy when your wife finally gets pregnant after five years of delay. Praising God becomes extremely difficult when you receive a letter of redundancy from your place of work. Shouting Hallelujah becomes difficult when your visa application has just been refused. A true worshipper will still praise God even after he has lost his job.

Before building the tabernacle, the Lord called Moses up to a mountain and gave him the pattern of the tabernacle. Just before work started, God reminded him to build according to the pattern shown to him. Exodus 25:40 says and look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed in the mount. God wants to build you to become His tabernacle. He wants you and I to be His residing place. He wants to change the world through us but to do that; we must build our life according to pattern. Who are we to pattern our life after, Jesus Christ. He spent 33 years on earth showing us how to live our lives, how to conduct ourselves, how to relate to our parents, how to speak, how to behave in marriage, how to relate to God. Are you building that relationship after the pattern of Jesus when you and your fiancé kiss and do all sorts when alone? You said he has never slept with you but you undress before him. He has never slept with you but he touches you in inappropriate places. Would Christ have built that way?

The only way to build according to the pattern of Jesus is by doing what Jesus did and avoiding what he did not do. Jesus lived a life of prayer. He prayed at all times. Anyone doing what Jesus did not do or doing what Jesus will not do is building his life after his own pattern. Many build their life after the pattern of a great man of God. They want to talk like the man of God, behave like the man of God; there is no problem in this as far as you know the man of God is building his life according to the pattern of Jesus. However, the truth is, we are not to build our life after any great hero, not even after Martin Luther, John Wesley or John Calvin. Building our life after a particular man or woman is dangerous. If they get it wrong, you will get it wrong also. Jesus never for once got angry unnecessarily; He never said a wrong word once. If someone cuts Jesus in traffic, I can assure you; He will not swear at them or show them the middle finger. Jesus will not see black and call it white. Jesus will not attend a nightclub or go to a strip club. Jesus will never get into a physical fight or verbal abuse. He will never use the ‘F’ word, the ‘C’ word, or any offensive language. Jesus was not a rebellious youth; He was into neither the pop culture nor punk culture. He was not a Rastafarian. Many of our youths today are building their lives according to the pattern of a rock star. Many are building their life according to what they see on soap operas and movies. We cannot build our life after the pattern of a character in a secular soap opera or romance novel and expect the Lord to make us His tabernacle.

TO PONDER: What are the things you are doing that you know Christ will never do , repent immediately and turn a new leaf.

Bro Samuel – Reaching the world for Jesus.