“AND YE SHALL FIND THEM”

MEMORY VERSE: To morrow go ye down against them: behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the brook, before the wilderness of Jeruel. 2 Chronicles 20:16

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 39-44

Wisdom, the correct application of knowledge, is profitable to direct (See Ecclesiastes 10:10).  Since wisdom is profitable to direct, knowledge, also, is profitable to direct. Wisdom, the right application of knowledge, is the principal thing (See Proverbs 4:7). Again, if wisdom is the principal thing, it then follows that knowledge is the principal thing. Knowledge is invaluable. Our lack of knowledge can lead to untimely death (See Hosea 4:6). Note: A Christian without knowledge may end up as lunch for the enemy. Divine knowledge is key to successful living (See Daniel 11:32). The lack of knowledge makes one vulnerable. Also, the lack of knowledge makes one a prime candidate for exploitation.

One may end up as a captive due to lack of knowledge (See Isaiah 5:13). The Lord wants the best for His children; you’ll agree with me that captivity or untimely death is not God’s plan for His children. As such, He invited us to call on Him with the promise to answer and show us things we don't know. The reveal things in several ways. You don’t decide how God speaks to you. He decides when, where, what, and how He wants to speak. Jeremiah 33:3 says: “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” From this verse, you will observe that prayer is linked to revelation. In other words, many a time prayer precedes revelation. If you want God to show you things, you must call on Him; viz, pray. Three major countries – Ammonites, Moabites and inhabitants of Mount Seir- came together to fight Judah (2 Chronicles 20). Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, gathered his people and they prayed to God. As they prayed, the Lord revealed the location of their enemies. 2 Chronicles 20:16 says: “To morrow go ye down against them: behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the brook, before the wilderness of Jeruel.” Victory is not too far away the moment a man knows the location of his enemies.

NOTE: The Lord releases secrets during prayer. If you talk to Him (in prayer), He will respond back with mysteries – greats things you don’t know.

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“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

ITCHING EARS

MEMORY VERSE: For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears. 2 Timothy 4:3

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: John 16-18

In Paul’s second letter to his son-in-the-Lord, Timothy, he warned him of certain things that will happen in the last days. 2 Timothy 3:1-4 says, “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God.” We do not need anyone to tell us that we are in the last days because all of these are happening around us. It has gotten to the point where our sisters are now being persecuted for covering their hair in church or during prayer. If you, as a lady, have decided not to cover your hair during prayer, there is no problem with that, but why persecute those who cover their hair during prayer? Or worse still, why make it your duty to make life difficult for sisters who don’t use jewelries?

Paul went on further to warn him of a time - like the one we are in at the moment- where people would no longer want to hear the truth. 2 Timothy 4:3 says, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears.” He warned him of a time where sound doctrine would become a taboo. He warned him of a time where certain portion of the bible would be discredited by the so-called religious leaders. We have heard of "men of God" who said that some of what Paul said is not relevant in 21st century. Some even said Paul was sexist; he was always asking women to keep quiet in church and all that. To say that Paul, the apostle, was sexist is to say that God is sexist. The bible clearly states thus: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).

What did Paul mean when he spoke about itching ears? To have an itching ear means to desire massages rather than messages – sermons that charm rather than challenge, entertain rather than edify, and please rather than preach. People with itching ears love sermons that excite not the unadulterated word of God that pierces a man’s heart causing him to repent. They want to hear about God’s promises not sin and repercussions of sin. They love to attend seminars where nothing is said about sin or holiness. They love talks where nothing is said about submitting to one’s husband as the church submits to Christ. They love sermons where nothing is said about honoring one’s parents. They love sermons where nothing is said about enduring suffering as a soldier of Christ. They love single meetings where nothing is said about fornication and abortion.

QUESTION: What kind of messages do you enjoy? Is it ‘preach-it-pastor’ type or the ones that causes you to reflect on your way of life? Is it those that leads to brokenness or those that excite? Great man and woman of God, what type of messages do you preach? Popular messages that people embrace or those that cause people to bow their heads to God and ask for mercy and grace to live a life that is pleasing to Christ.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

WISDOM AND SEEING

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

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Luke 19:20

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

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

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

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TRUST HIS WISDOM

MEMORY VERSE: And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came. Genesis 12:5

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 24-27

Don’t marry a brother or sister out of pity. You don’t marry a brother because a lot of sisters have disappointed him. Also, you don’t marry a sister because a lot of brothers have broken her heart. It will be a naive thing to do. It is never too late to stop a relationship if you are not sure if it is God’s will. It is not a pleasant thing to do, actually, it can be very demanding and a lot of emotions are involved. But, if you have prayed and you are convinced that the brother or sister is not God’s will for your life, stop the courtship. It does not matter how far you have gone in the relationship, as far as you are not married and there are no kids between the two of you, i will advise you both to go back to the prayer room. Don’t marry a brother or sister because of what you can see in that brother or sister’s life today. When it comes to the decision of who to marry, wait to hear from God.

Genesis 12:1 says, “Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:” Abram moved out of his country, his kindred i.e. his tribe or clan, but not from his father’s house. Genesis 12:5 says, “And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.” There was a reason why God told Abram to leave his nation, his kindred and his father’s house. There is always a reason behind God's instruction. The reason(s) may not be obvious at the time of the instruction, but i want you to know that God will never ask you to do something without a reason, and most likely it is always for your benefit. In the case of Abram, God saw what Abram could not see. The Most High saw the future; He saw the fight between Abram’s herdsmen and Lot’s herdsmen even before Lot was born (Genesis 13:4-6). He knew Lot was going to turn against his uncle, Abram, so He told Abram to move out and take no one with him – including Lot. Abram didn’t understand God’s instruction.  To him, Lot was just a boy. Actually, at the time God spoke, Lot must have been a well behaved young man for Abram to have taken him along.

Abram never envisaged that Lot was going to turn out to be an ingrate.  It never, for once, crossed his mind that Lot will become a thorn in his flesh.  When God warns you against a particular relationship or a fellow, please take heed. At the time of warning, you may not see anything wrong in the relationship or with the fellow. Actually, the person may appear very hot for the Lord and you think the fellow is a saint. It is until later that you will realise that God was right. John 7:24 says, “Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.”Trust God’s judgment of a fellow or a situation, because He knows more than you do. If you don’t take heed when He warns you, you will have yourself to blame. I hope you will take heed so that it will be well with you.  God knows what people will do at a time in the future, so He warns us in advance. Abram thought He knew Lot but He didn’t. God knows that sister more than you do. God knows that brother more than you do. God knows that business more than you do. By the time the real Lot came out, Abram was dumbfounded.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: When you allow people who are not meant to be in your life into your life, what is not meant to happen to you will happen.

PRAYER POINT: Father, please uproot every tree you have not planted in my life.

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SATANIC WISDOM, COMMON SENSE & GODLY WISDOM PART THREE

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

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: First Corinthians 2-4

There are three types of wisdom: satanic wisdom, common sense and godly wisdom. According to James 3:15, satanic wisdom descendeth not from above i.e. it comes from the pit of hell. Satanic wisdom is corrupted wisdom. It is the wisdom of Satan that propels a person to pull down a fellow being, in order to get favour. Satanic wisdom is at variance to the word of God. At last, satanic wisdom kills its seeker. Common sense is part of human wisdom. Common sense will not work with God because it will often be contrary to His will.

Then, there is godly wisdom. James 3:17 says, “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.”Godly wisdom is from above unlike satanic wisdom, which is from the pit of hell, and human wisdom, which is from humans. God is the author of godly wisdom. The first thing you need to know about godly wisdom is that it is pure i.e. it is holy wisdom; it is separated from all that is evil. The wisdom of God encourages uprightness and righteousness. Human wisdom will tell you to use flattery to get your way but godly wisdom will tell you to say what you mean, and mean what you say. Human wisdom will tell you, if you want a day off from work, phone in sick, or phone in that, your child is sick but godly wisdom will tell you to use your annual leave instead. Secondly, godly wisdom is peaceable. It encourages one to live in peace with everyone. Snubbing people is not godly wisdom. Thirdly, it is gentle. Godly wisdom does not encourage violence or bullying one’s way through. It is forbearing. It makes allowances for others. Fourthly, it is easy to be intreated. Godly wisdom is compliant. Godly wisdom does not say, “I know it all” or “i am the alpha and omega.” It encourages one to listen to what others have to say. Godly wisdom will tell you, “It is true that you can see the back of head of everyone; you need someone to see the back of your own head.” It will tell you that you do not know it all. Fifthly, it is full of mercy and good fruits. It is godly wisdom to forgive and not seek revenge. Godly wisdom will tell you to respect God and man. I have heard many say, the only person they respect is God, they respect no man. That is not godly wisdom. Godly wisdom encourages one to do good things and care for the poor. Sixthly, it is without partiality. It encourages one to be fair. Godly wisdom discourages respect to persons. It will tell you, treat everyone equal. Lastly, it is without hypocrisy. Godly wisdom gives its seeker peace of mind. Human wisdom may tell you to lie about your age when you meet a brother; some have done that and gotten themselves in a big mess. They claimed they are twenty-eight years old, when they are actually thirty-three. The brother has proposed, they need to come out clean but they are confused as to how to go about it. Some brothers introduced themselves has Kelvin, now they have met the sister’s parents, they do not know how to come out to say that their real name is Billy not Kelvin.

PONDER: Are you running your life using common sense or the wisdom of God?

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

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ADAM SLEPT (TO THE SINGLES)

Memory verse: And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof. Genesis 2:21

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ezekiel 17-19

In Genesis 2, we see the first instance of an anesthetic being administered. (An anesthetic is a form of drugs administered to facilitate surgery). Depending on the type, it can relieve pain, give you amnesia to knock out your memory of the procedure or how it felt, reduce anxiety (because who doesn't have anxiety when undergoing a medical procedure?) and paralyze your muscles. Without an anesthetic, it will be difficult to perform an operation because the fellow (being operated upon) will cause problems. The moment he sees the surgeons, trying to cut off something from his stomach, he will protest. Not only that, if the operation will last for 16 hours, it will be impossible to keep the fellow still for that long, as such, an anesthetic will be needed to knock out the fellow for the period of operation. In summary, an anesthetic gives the doctor an opportunity to do his job without interference from the patient.

When the Lord wanted to create Eve, the first thing He did was, He administered a divine anesthetic to Adam .Genesis 2:21 says and the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof. Eve represents a good thing and God’s favor in the life of Adam. (Proverbs 18:22 says whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD). Had God not administer an anesthetic to Adam, he will not have allowed God to open him up, talkless of take out a rib. Had it been that, God did not cause a deep sleep to fall upon Adam while creating Eve; God would not have been able to create a perfect female. He might have asked God to make her head look that of a lion; her neck like that of a giraffe; her leg like that of a rat, etc. Imagine how Eve would have looked with Adam's specification. To give him His best, He caused him to sleep and formed a perfect female from the rib He took. The reason why God is yet to work in some of our lives is because we are still awake i.e. we are yet to commit everything into His hands and go to sleep. (By sleeping, i do not mean backslide or live a careless life). Unless we “sleep” and allow Him to work on our life, we will never get His best. There are many reading this devotional, God is trying to build things and give them His best, but because they are awake, they are giving God problems. This applies especially to the singles, God brought a brother or sister to complement them, because the sister or brother does not fit the image they have created in their heart, they reject it. You do not marry for the present but for the future. If you want God to provide a man or woman for you, please, first of all, destroy that idol you have set up in your heart i.e. erase that “ideal”, that image of how your future partner should look. Forget about height, stature, look, beauty, ability to preach or sing. Keep on asking God to bring the man or woman and go to bed over how he or she looks, what he or she does for a living, the educational background of the brother or sister. Even while you are in a relationship, do not try to force things, just commit everything in His hands and go to sleep. A lot try to force things, at the end they marry the wrong person. Do not sleep in his house because you want the relationship to work. Do not start cooking for him because you want the relationship to work.

PRAYER POINT: Father, whatever it is that You are not building that I am trying to build, please collapse it immediately.

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

PROFITTING FROM WISDOM - A WISE SON MAKES HIS PARENTS GLAD

MEMORY VERSE: A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish man despiseth his mother. Proverbs 15:20.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Lev 22, Ps 28-29, Eccl 5, 2 Tim 1

Psalms 111:10 says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. According to Proverbs 16:6, it is by the fear of the Lord men depart from iniquity. A fellow who fears the Lord will do anything to bring joy to his parents. You can be a worker in the vineyard of God, you can be faithful in the payment of your tithe, you can even evangelize, you can do all these and much more but if you are not looking after your parent it means you do not regard God. There are a lot of benefits in making your parents glad. When you honor your father and mother as the Lord commands, it will be well with you, Ephesians 6:2-3. Iif you are not in talking terms with your parents or you do not honor them as the Lord advises, you are only courting problems. There are many believers who are struggling today and they don’t know why. If you are struggling in any endeavor, you better check your life and see if you are making your parents glad. Sir, it does not matter how hardworking you may be; if you do not honor your parents prospering will be difficult.

Also honoring your parents brings long life and prosperity, Deuteronomy 5:16. Do you know that when you lie to your parents you are dishonoring them? Whether you believe it or not, anyone lying to his father or mother is dishonoring his parents. They asked you have you done your assignments and you said yes when you are even yet to start them. Because you don’t want to do the house chore, you tell your parents you have to do some assignments or you have test on Monday. These are lies and they have consequences. Many even lie to get extra pocket money. All because you do not want your parents to ask you for money; you tell them you are out of work when you are actually full time employed, it is still a lie. I know you are a wise fellow and I know you will repent immediately.

Proverbs 3:35 says the wise shall inherit glory. Daniel 12:3 says that those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the firmament. Do you know that the prayers of your parents are very potent? The prayers of your parents carry more power than that of men of God. Do you know that if your father or mother tells you,’my son it shall be well with you’, even the devil cannot change it? When you study your bible very well you will notice that no pastor or prophet prayed for Israel and Isaac yet they became very mighty. The Lord blessed these men because their parents prayed for them. Do everything possible to earn the prayers of your parents. If you are not in talking terms with your parents you better settle with them as soon as possible.

PRAYER POINT: Father, please forgive me for dishonoring my parents. Please let it be well with me.

PROFITTING FROM WISDOM PT2 – WISDOM SETTLES MATTERS QUICKLY

Ephesians 4:26 be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ex 17, Luke 20, Job 35, 2 Cor 5

Proverbs 24:3 says through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established. The house referred to in this passage is not only a physical house but relationships. One thing you cannot avoid in relationships is disagreements and misunderstandings. When these come up, it is better to settle them quickly and move on. A wise person would settle matters before they get out of hand but an unwise person would allow it to get out of hand before settling. Not settling matters or issues or disagreements quickly can destroy a marriage that has been built over the years. What most people do not know is that when they settle misunderstanding or disagreements quickly they move on and are able to benefit from the relationship. One thing I will advise is never grow to an extent where you will say I will never need a particular brother or sister. There is no one the Lord cannot use to open doors for you even those people you look down on or believe you will never need their help. Ephesians 4:26 says be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:  The problem with not settling matters quickly is that you might need the help of the other party and you will not able to approach them for help.

I once heard the testimony of a pastor. Two years into the ministry he invited a great man of God to come and minister at their second year church anniversary. The man of God gave him his word so he added his name to the list of guest ministers. He put this man’s picture and name on flyers, radio jingles even in advertisements in Christian magazine. Few weeks to the anniversary, this great man of God called the pastor and told him to take his name of the guest list that he was not attending. After spending several thousands of pounds in advertisement and printing flyers, this pastor had no choice than to withdraw all the flyers and reprint them. He also cancelled the radio jingles and made a new one. The anniversary came and went. Instead of deciding never to contact this great man of God again or begin to nurture thoughts that the man of God did that to humiliate him or make him fail, he went to greet him at home. They talked as usual and things moved on from there. Five years later, when this pastor was looking to buy a church property, it was this great man of God that gave him the needed contact. Today, this pastor has a church building of his own courtesy of the contact this great man of God gave to him. The next time you have a disagreement or a misunderstanding, before doing anything ask yourself this question, is this matter enough to destroy a life-long relationship or is this matter enough to destroy all the opportunities I could get from this relationship. By not settling matters quickly in that relationship you complicate things. What most people do not realize is that a bad person today can become a good person tomorrow. There are many who have put themselves in unnecessary problems as a result of not solving matters easily. The next time you are stopped by the police instead of arguing with them, apologize if need be. At work settle matters quickly with your managers and colleagues.

PRAYER POINT: Father as from now on help to profit from wisdom.

BE AS WISE AS SERPENT

Matthew 10:16 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ex 13, Luke 16, Job 31, 2 Cor 1

The serpent is the devil. There are two types of wisdom – Heavenly and worldly. James 3:17 says but the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. The worldly wisdom on the other hand is the wisdom of the devil. According to James 3:15-16 worldly wisdom is earthly, sensual, devilish and where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

Matthew 10:16 says be ye therefore wise as serpents. The devil is the serpent. Why will Jesus ask us to be as wise as the serpent, if the serpent is the devil? Jesus does not want us to employ the wisdom of the serpent. He expects us to be wiser than the devil. He actually wants us to be a step ahead of the devil when it comes to the application of wisdom. The least he expects is that we understand his motives and know what he is up to. When you are as wise as an individual, fooling you or robbing you becomes impossible. Jesus was successful in ministry because He was always a step ahead of the devil especially in the area of wisdom. The devil failed woefully when he tried to speak through Peter, Matthew 16:21-28. He immediately rebuked him saying ‘get behind me Satan!’To be as wise as the devil you need to understand worldly wisdom or wisdom of the devil. When it comes to the wisdom of this world, you come first. It teaches one that it does not matter who is losing, as far as you are making profit. The devil uses the application of worldly wisdom to steal, to kill and to destroy,John 10:10. The end result of this wisdom is loss as a result of theft and death. On the other hand, with heavenly wisdom you come last. When we talk of the wisdom from above, God comes first. Luke 10:27 says thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind. This is why the bible says the fear of the Lord is the beginning is wisdom, Psalm 111:10. After God, others come second. Luke 22:26 says ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. No wonder Luke 10:27 says love your neighbor as yourself. After others you come last. The sky is the limit for anyone in possession of heavenly wisdom. Proverbs 3:35 says the wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools (those in possession of worldly wisdom). According to Daniel 12:3 and they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament. When you are in possession of this heavenly wisdom, serving God in truth and spirit becomes easy. People with worldly wisdom have no problem fornicating or committing adultery becomes they come first. They think of satisfying themselves alone but an individual with Godly wisdom will think of how God will feel about what he is about to do. Next he will think of breaking the heart of the lady and lastly the dangers of going to hell. By the times he considers all these, he will resist the devil and the spirit of adultery will flee from him .

KEY WORD: With worldly wisdom you come first ; with heavenly wisdom God comes first

PROFITTING FROM WISDOM

Proverbs 11:17 the merciful man doeth good to his own soul: but he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ex 12, Luke 15, Job 30, 1 Cor 16 

What is wisdom? Wisdom is simply the application of knowledge. It is founded on the fear of the Lord. Psalms 111: 10 says the fear of the Lord is beginning of Lord. One thing with the wise people is that they are always reflecting. They reflect on the consequences of their actions and words. Before they reply an email or text messages in anger they sit and think. It is very unwise to reply or send e-mails or text messages in anger or engage in a heated conversation with your spouse in the kitchen.  The bible admonishes us to pray and watch, Matthew 26:41. Many pray day and night but do not watch. Applying wisdom is a form of keeping watch. God has answered many prayer requests but the lack of wisdom has delayed the manifestation. There are many today who have lost their advantage in Christ by not applying wisdom. 

 The question is how does one profit from wisdom? I will share a story which will shed light on the importance of wisdom. Some police men went to arrest a young man. Whilst trying to arrest this man, there was a bit of misunderstanding. The senior brother of this man heard people shouting and ran out. When he came out, he saw around four police men with his brother and instead of asking what the problem was, he ran and grabbed an iron rod and broke the windscreen on the police car. The police men shot him right on the spot and he died. The case was taking to court and the police defended their action by saying they shot him in self defence. Looking at the damage done to the police vehicle, they were freed. The disappointing thing was the brother of the diseased was later found innocent. Although they paid him compensation, the senior brother lost his life because of few moments of anger .If only he had asked what the problem was; he could still be alive now. Proverbs 11:17 says the merciful man doeth good to his own soul: but he that is cruel troubelth his own flesh. Some years ago myself and a member of staff engaged in a heated argument. She stormed out and joined her colleague. Ten minutes later, I called her colleague to check something with him and i overheard her in the background threatening to slap me .I was angry and the fact that it was coming from a junior member of staff in public did not help matters. I had the option of conducting a 1-2-1 and that would have led to her dismissal because she was threatening a management staff but I reflected on the consequences and decided to address the issue later. I tried to discuss the matter with her but she gave me a terrible attitude. God so good I knew a brother who attended the same church with her so I contacted her pastor. After a brief a chat with the pastor, the sister apologised and we moved on. Two years later, I heard a major challenge at work and I was suspended. During this period the only person who called me to give me inside information of what the management were planning against me was this lady. It was not because others did not care, they cared but this lady was the only one who could get me this information. God mightily used her during this period. The question is if I had reacted in anger and orchestrated her sack, who would helped me get during the challenge?

PRAYER POINT: Father as from now on help to profit from wisdom.

BY ASSOCIATION

 BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Gen 20, Matt 19, Neh 9, Acts 19

Proverbs 13:20 he that walked with wise man shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.

Those we associate with can either move us closer to God or farther from God. They can either help our faith or the destroy our faith. Romans 10:17 says faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. If we surround ourselves with people who have faith, our faith will definitely grow. To make a mark in life, one needs to associate with people who want to make a mark in life not time wasters or people without goals. Our association informs our perspective of life.It influences our confession, how we react to issues, even our commitment to God. Through association one can either become wise or foolish. There are two types of wisdom. There is the earthly wisdom and divine wisdom. It is the earthly wisdom that advocates sex before marriage or ensuring that the lady gets pregnant before taking her to the altar. The end of such wisdom is confusion and every evil thing, James 3:16. There is also divine wisdom. Divine wisdom comes from the fear of the Lord, Psalm 111:10. Divine wisdom is to fear God, Job 28:28. If you come across any professor or philosopher or genius who says there is no God, know for sure that such fellow is totally void of wisdom –earthly or divine. Psalm 53:1 says the fool says in his heart, ‘there is no God’. Proverbs 8:13 says the fear of the Lord is to hate evil .According to Proverbs 16:6; it is by the fear of the Lord that men depart from evil. Those that are in possession of this divine wisdom do not play with evangelism. Proverbs 11:30 says he who wins souls is wise. Soul winning is not a choice. It is not negotiable. Proverbs 4:7 says wisdom i.e. soul winning is the principal thing. The question is why do I need to win souls for Jesus? Proverbs 3:35 says soul winners i.e. the wise shall Inherit glory. Not only that, they shall shine like the brightness of the firmament and those who turn many to righteousness e.g. those who invite people to church , like the stars forever and ever. This form of wisdom brings peace, James 3:17.

I want to become wise, what can I do? I am struggling in the area of soul winning what do you advise? I know it is right to fear God but for some reason I struggle when it comes to fearing God, please what can I do? The first step is to ask God who is the giver of wisdom. James 1:5 says if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God who gives to all men liberally, and reproaches not; and it shall be given him. The second step is to change one’s association. Proverbs 27:17 says it is only Iron that can sharpen Iron. Proverbs 13:20 admonishes that anyone who wants wisdom should associate with the wise. It is possible for a wise man to become foolish. How? By associating with fools. 1 Corinthians 15:33 says be not deceived, ‘evil communications corrupt good manners’. The greatest deception in the world today is the belief that we can change people. It is the Holy Spirit that changes people not men. If you are keeping unwise friends with an intention to change them later or you are in a relationship with an unwise person hoping to change them after marriage you are only deceiving yourself. People can change and people do change but it is advisable to go into marriage with the brother or sister who God has changed not who He is in the process of changing or planning to change.

ACTION POINT: Examine your present associations and check their effect on your walk with Christ. If they are taking you away from Christ , it is a sign that those association are not the best for you.

WISDOM WITHOUT THE FEAR OF GOD

Proverbs 4:7: Wisdom is a principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all your getting get understanding.

You can call the devil any name that will be fine. You can call him a liar that will be fine. John 8:44 calls him the father of lies anyway. You can call him a thief, murderer and destroyer that will be perfectly fine because John 10:10 says he steals kills and destroys. You can call him any name in the world, you are have the perfected right to do so but do not ever call him a fool because he is not. Jesus says in Matthew 10:16, behold I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents and harmless as doves which suggest that the serpent (referring to Satan) Is wise .2 Corinthians 2:11 says we should not be ignorant of his devices. One of the wisest men that ever lived was Adam. This man was full of wisdom. He had a mental ability that exceeded all the modern day geniuses

combine together. For a man to have given names to all the animals, organism, microbes, fishes and birds in the world it takes a considerable amount of wisdom and understanding. Asides this, Adam had a very close relationship with God. God usually visited him regularly, for Adam to have had this kind of relationship with God, he must have been really wise because if there is anything the Lord cannot stand, it is the foolish. Psalm 5:5 says the foolish cannot stand in the presence of God. Yet the devil outsmarted him, despite all his ability! Solomon operated at a level higher than that of Adam. According to 1 Kings 4:33 , he was so intelligent that he became an authority in the branch of science dealing with trees, animals, birds, fish and all other living things. He was so wise the bible records in 1 Kings 4:32 that he spoke 3000 thousands proverbs and wrote 1005 songs! Despite all this, the devil still managed to outsmart him and make him sin against God.

This brings us to the question of how the devil managed to cause them to sin against God despite their wisdom. How was he able to trick them? Were they careless? They were certainly not careless, they all lacked one small thing; the fear of God. It is impossible to fear God and still disobey Him. It is impossible to fear God and still court His wrath. By wisdom kings reign – Proverbs 8:15; Wisdom brings riches and honor – Proverbs 8:18; those who find wisdom can be compared to he who finds life – Proverbs 8:35. The moment the fear of the Lord is missing in all these, one becomes a toast in the hands of the enemy. The only fellow the enemy cannot bring down or outsmart or cause to offend God is that fellow who truly fears the Lord. One reason why the devil could not outsmart Jesus while He was on earth was because Jesus had the Spirit of the fear of the Lord – Isaiah 11:3

POINT; Father, Please give me the spirit of the fear of the Lord

identifying the wise part 1

Proverbs 24:5 says a wise man is strong, yes, a man of knowledge increases strength;

Job 28:28 defines wisdom as the fear of the Lord.

There are four ways to identify the wise.

Firstly, by who they walk with .Proverbs 13:20 says He that walks with wise men shall be wise.Proverbs 27:17 says Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.We are who walk with . Any one who keeps friends that do not fear God, do not fear God themselves.The elders have a saying ,they say show me your friend and i will tell you who are. One way to measure how much a man fears God is by looking at his circles of friends .1 Corinthians 15:33 says Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” Our friends influences us and even if they can not lead us to sin the day they will reap the reward of their foolishness, we may partake in it because Proverbs 13:20 says the companion of the fools shall be destroyed.

Secondly by their words.Luke 6:45 says A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth that which is evil.Matthew 12:34 says out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.Our words reveal the content of our heart. James 3:12 says Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.Also it is impossible for wise to say foolish things. The wise utter wise words and the foolish say foolish things. The wise do not make dirty sexual jokes,abuse or curse only fools do this.

ACTION POINT: Take necessary steps to be in the camp of the wise.

sense in no sense

But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 1 Corinthians 1:27

Is there anyone who can intelligently explain the actions  of Elisha in 1 Kings 6:1-7? An ax head fell into River Jordan and Elisha was called. He asked for where the ax head fell, he cut a stick and threw it in there. Immediately the iron ax head began to float.How can an ordinary stick cause an iron head at the bottom of the river to float? It makes no sense!

In John 9:1-7 , Jesus spat on clay and made mud of it. He anointed a blind man’s eye and asked him to go and wash. The man did and came back seeing.Are there any healing properties in mud? who in his right senses will apply mud to a blind eye and expect a miracle?

How can giving bring about an increase ?Proverbs 11:24 talks about a man who scatters and yet increases . How is it that people are saved by confessing their sin and accepting Jesus ? How can confessing one’s sin and accepting Jesus into one’s life bring about inner peace ?

These things do not make sense at all! 1 Corinthian 1:21 says for since ,in the wisdom of God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.

According to 1 Timothy 1: 17, the only wise person alive is God. In your walk with Christ , expect instructions,tasks that will not appeal to our sense of reasoning but as you do them you will see results. 2nd Chronicles 20:20 says believe in God and you shall be established.

PRAYER POINT:  Lord in this season ,help me to believe in you, let my obedience to your word be total.