WONDERS OF WAITING ON THE LORD

MEMORY VERSE: 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 wear; and they shall walk, and not faint, Isaiah 40:31

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Sam 1, 1 Cor 12, Ezek 10, John 11

Failure to wait on the Lord can be very costly. A Christian couple decided to pray before setting out for an engagement. While committing the journey into the hands of the Lord, the Lord told them to wait for a few minutes before leaving. For one reason or the other they became impatient and left. While travelling, they had a ghastly motor accident which rendered the wife paralyzed for life. At times people wonder why the righteous get into situations like this; it could be because the righteous failed to wait as instructed by God. If a single sister thoroughly waits on the Lord, she won’t fall into the hands of a wife beater.

A fellow who refuses to wait might have his way or get what he wants, but that thing might him hunt for the rest of his life. Sarai got what she wanted ;Hagar became pregnant. Immediately she conceived Sarai became despised in her eyes (Genesis 16:1-6). She became a thorn in her flesh and almost destroyed her marriage of over twenty years.

The life of a fellow who waits on the Lord can be compared to a planted seed. At first the seed will die and decompose. In the first few days or weeks, it looks as if nothing is happening but in actually sense the seed is taking root. After taking root it will start to grow. At first you see a little flower. Before you know it, that little flowers turns into a big tree that bears many fruits. Not only that, it grows branches where birds can build their nests. The leaves from this tree can also act as a shade from the hot sun. 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 wear; and they shall walk, and not faint. The life of a fellow who waits on the Lord takes the same course. It will first go down to take root before coming up. At first their life looks dull with no resemblance of greatness but after a while things begin to get better little by little. Before you know it, mighty things begin to happen and people start  asking how did you do it? The lives of those who wait on the Lord are always a wonder. A man of God once shared with us how he used to wear his wife’s belt to work because he could not afford a belt. The man waited on the Lord and today he is the author of three bestselling books.  

POINT: The life of a fellow who waits on the Lord will first go down to take root, before coming up.

Bro Samuel - Reaching the world for Jesus

WONDERS OF OBEDIENCE

MEMORY VERSE: if ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the Land, Isaiah 1:19

BIBLE VERSE: Josh 18-19, Ps 149-150, Jer 89, Matt 23

BIBLE STUDIES: Luke 5:1-7.

A wonder is anything that makes you wonder. I believe the Lord wants to make someone a wonder, that’s why He has permitted these series. One of the quickest ways of becoming a wonder is by obeying God. In Luke 5:1-7 Peter obeyed a simple instruction, he let down his net and caught so much that two boats began to sink. The question is where did all the fish suddenly come from? This is really a wonder. Do you want to become a wonder? Simply obey God. When you begin to obey God, every little effort you make will yield a mighty result, not only that the Lord will begin to do wondrous things in your life.

The key to becoming a wonder is total obedience to the word of God. Malachi 3:10 says bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house. The question is this, are you bringing all? What you bring to the house of God, is a tithe of your gross (total amount before any deductions such as tax) or net pay (total amount when all deductions are made)? Can you tell God you have brought all when you tithe on your net pay not gross? Your tithe is ten percent of your gross pay not your net pay. During a meeting a brother challenged the whole congregation that he would give an equivalent of what everyone gave as offering. When the brother heard the total amount collected that day, he announced that they should take the offering again because the first one was too small for Jesus. After everyone gave, he wrote a cheque equivalent to the total amount collected. Later some brothers met him and asked what the secret of his success was? He told them he decided that it was an insult to give God ten percent and keep ninety so he decided to give God ninety percent and keep only ten.

Proverbs 3:9 says honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the first fruits of all thine increase. When you get an increase in salary, the difference between the old and new salary is an example of your first fruit of increase. First fruit is the first agricultural produce of the harvest. In modern day, the entire January salary will be your first fruits. The difference between the first fruit of increase and the first fruit sacrifice is in divine response. In the first fruit of increase, God promised that your barn will burst while in the first fruit sacrifice, you blessing will become global, they will be irreversible and they will extend to your generations to come, Genesis 22:15-18. By the grace of God I can tell you that first fruit sacrifice does not kill. It only forces doors open. James 1:19 says if you are willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the Land.

PRAYER POINT: Father , make your blessing in my life trans-generational