HOW FAR?

MEMORY VERSE: So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. Psalm 90:12 

 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Lev 25, Ps 32, Eccl 8, 2 Tim 4

 

Proverbs 29:18a says where there is no vision, the people perish. The simple interpretation of this verse is where there is no ambition, the people become a nobody. Where there is nothing to achieve, the people amount to little or nothing. Where there are no goals, the people will not plan and those who fail to plan are simply planning to fail. The question is what are your visions in  Christ? How many souls do you intend to win for Christ before He calls you home? How many missionaries do you intend to sponsor to go and preach  before the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ? How many churches do you intend to build for the Lord? How many TV programmes or radio programmes do you intend to sponsor for Jesus? How many evangelism outreaches do you intend to organize? How many less privilege children or widows do you plan to assist? How many cities do you plan to take for Jesus?

 

One thing I have learnt in life is that those without vision end up serving those that have vision. It is those without goals that work for people with goals. Whilst those with goals and visions are resting, those without goals will  be working and laboring. Today get yourself a goal! Think of something major you want to do for the Lord  this year. Think of the contribution you want to make to the body of Christ before the Lord calls you home.

 

Psalm 90:12 says teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. When we all started this year, many of us had goals – personal goals, family goals, spiritual goals e.t.c. The question is this, how far with those goals? Have you started to work on them? Or you have shelved them? How many of those goals you wrote down at the beginning of the year have you achieved? We are in the fourth month of the year, how many souls have you witnessed to? How many follow ups have you done? How many people have you invited to church? How many souls have you brought to Christ? How many lives can you say the Lord has used you to bless? What efforts have you made so far to witness to that member of your family that is yet to give his or her life to Christ?

 

QUESTION : What have you achieved for Jesus this year?

GIVER OF GOLD OR THE GOLDEN CALF

   Gen 18, Matt 17, Neh 7, Acts 17

Luke 12:48 but he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

God is not just giver of gifts, according to James 1:17 He is a giver of good and perfect gifts. One of the things that give God pleasure is blessings His children. Proverbs 35:27 says let the Lord be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of His servant. One of the good gifts He gives is life. 1 Timothy 6:13 records that He quickeneth all things i.e. give life to everything. Something He gives daily to all His children is His blessings. Psalm 68:19 says blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. He is the giver of strength, opportunities, chances e.t.c John 3:27 says a man receives nothing, except it be given him from heaven. The most important gift He gave over two –thousand years is salvation through death of Jesus on the cross of Calvary. John 3:16 says for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. God has been in the business of giving since He created the world.

When the children of Israel left Egypt, the Lord handed the possession of the Egyptians, their riches, their gold e.t.c to them courtesy of His generosity. That day the Lord handed the economy of the greatest nation in the world at that time to little Israel. Israel moved from been a slave to become a wealthy nation in a single day. One will expect this little nation to serve God with all their strength but what did they do? They used all the possessions to make a golden calf, Exodus 32:1-6. Out of the resources God gave to them, they made an idol and began to worship this idol. What the Israelite did back then could be compared to what many are doing today. Many have created an idol out of the resources God has giving to them. Many now miss services because of the jobs gave God gave to them. Many now miss worship or fellowship with the Lord because of the business, the marriage, the opportunities, the connections God has given to them .They worship the golden calf instead of the Giver of the gold. The result of their action was God got angry with them. The Lord’s anger is something no one should wish to see. Hebrews 10:31 says it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. The question is what are you serving, the golden calf or the Giver of gold. The resources He has committed into your hands, are you using them for His glory or to create an idol to replace Him with. There is no one living the Lord has not giving something to. The fact that you can talk is a gift, use it to witness for Jesus. That strength, use it to serve God in one capacity or the other. A day is coming we will all give accounts to Him. The more resources at our disposal, the more we have to give accounts for. Luke 12:48 says to whom much is given, much will be required.

PRAYER POINT: Father, please forgive me for all your resources I have wasted and as from now onward give me the grace never to waste any more of your resources again.