Counsel

Proverbs 11:14 where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.

Proverbs 11:14 highlights the importance of counsel. It is a deciding factor in success. A synonym for counsel is information. A wise man once said "if you are not informed, you will soon be deformed". Proverbs 4:7 says wisdom is a principal thing. What is wisdom? Wisdom is the application of information or better still the application of counsel. From every way we look at it the value of counsel is immeasurable. One the reasons why people make mistakes in choosing the right partner in marriages or business or profession is largely due to lack of counsel. Many have started businesses without getting counsel, they say ‘brother A is selling bag so I must sell bag’. Many sisters have fallen into the wrong marriages because of lack of counsel. All because a brother can speak in tongue or wears suit every Sunday does not mean he is a bor

n again. There are a lot of problems that could be averted if only people ask questions or get counsel. The bible even says Ask and it shall be given to you, Matthew 7:7. Without counsel failure is almost inevitable.

Asides from getting counsel, the quality of counsel we receive determines the pace at which we attain success and the quality of our success. Not all successes are good. There are good and bad successes. The source of our counsel is also important. Taking a marriage counselling from someone who has never been married before will lead to a disaster or business counselling from someone who has never done business. That is why most married women who take marriage counsel from their spinster friends’ end up regretting so also married men who to take advice on how to treat their wives from their bachelor friends. There are various ways to get counsel; they are through the Holy Spirit, people, bible, books, seminars, lectures, conferenences and other Christian literatures. It is very important that we check the source of our counsel or who or where we take counsels from. A counsel from a fellow who does not fear God is bound to lead to problems because his counsel will lack the fear of God. That is why need to be very careful of the success books we read. What does a man devoid of the Holy Spirit know about good success? Any success devoid of living a righteous life is not good success according to Joshua 1:8. Seminars that emphasizes on ten ways to do this and that and not been spiritually filled or the Holy Spirit offers little or no benefit.
ACTION POINT: Check the source of your counsel !

Untapped Potential

1 John 4:4 - You are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.

From the moment of salvation we receive the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:9 says anyone who does not have the Holy Spirit is not is not of Christ. According to Ephesians 1:13-14, the Holy Spirit is the seal of salvation for all those who believers. Also from the moment of salvation one receives power. Acts 1:8 says but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. Once the Holy Spirit enters a man, he begins to do what ordinary man could not do. He begins to achieve what ordinary men could not achieve. In 1 Kings 18:46, the Holy Spirit came upon Elijah and he outran the chariot that was pulling the king. In Judges 14:6, the Holy Spirit came mightily upon Samson ,with his bare hands he tore a lion apart as one would tear a piece of paper. In Daniel 6:3, the Holy Spirit was so evident in the life of Daniel that everyone said He had the Spirit of excellence. The Holy Spirit enabled Jesus to achieve so much within a short period. Acts 10:38 says how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power , who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. Every miracle Jesus performed was the work of the Holy Spirit. According to Romans 1:4, the Holy Spirit was responsible for the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Potential to achieve all what Jesus achieved, Daniel achieved, Samson achieved combined with what Elisha achieved is in us, is in every believer. Romans 8:11 says the Holy Spirit who raised Jesus from death dwells in all believers. This is why the author of 1 John 4:4 says greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world. What is in you is enough to cause satan and his host to run at your sight! Whether you believe or not the witches and wizards are scared of you. As a Christian you should not be scared of spiders. Because of what is inside you, if you sit for an exam with Einstein and other world geniuses, if you will study hard enough you will score higher marks than them. The Holy Spirit that ensured that Jesus did not fail in any endeavour is also in you and will ensure you do not fail in that endeavour.

The potential is in all of us. The reason why many of us have not been able to achieve our potential in the Lord is because we grieve the Holy Spirit. How does one grieve the Holy Spirit? Through disobedience to Him. Another reason is our weak spiritual lives. The only way to build our spiritual muscles is through fasting and praying, studying the word of God. Many of us want to be like Jesus but not ready to fast. Jesus started His ministry with forty days dry fasting. Before Moses saw God, he fasted for forty days twice without food. Great power requires a lot of fasting and prayers and study of the word. The potential to exceed the achievements of Jesus on earth is in all of us.

ACTION POINT: Father, help me to rise to my potential in you.

Treading down our enemies

Psalm 60:12 Through God we will do valiantly, for it is He who shall tread down our enemies.

Without God, one will be a laughing stock or a toy in the hands of the enemy. The psalmist says in Psalms 124:1-3, if not for God who had been on our side the enemies would have swallowed us alive. As a matter of fact unless God intervenes there is nothing anyone can do. There is nothing any herbalist, doctor /surgeon, prophet, president or political godfather can do to help us.

There are two categories of enemies. The ones we aware of their existence and the ones we are unaware of their existence. Dealing with the enemies we are aware of their existence is not so difficult, simply take them to God in prayers and that settles it. Dealing with the enemies we are unaware of their existence is almost impossible. How can anyone fight an enemy he or she does not know exist? When we talk of enemies we are unaware of their existence in our lives, we are not talking of witches and wizards. Witches and wizards are small, all you need is just the name of Jesus and they will run. We are talking of enemies within. We are talking of enemies present inside us. An example of such enemy is pride. Many suffering from the spirit of pride do not believe they are proud. Some will even get angry when you suggest it to them. How can such people man fight the spirit of pride in their life? Proverbs 16:18 says pride goes before destruction. Many suffering from anger problems do not know they have the problems. By the time they know they are suffering from anger problems it will have been too late, sometimes it is when they start exhibiting the symptoms of hypertension and high blood pressure. Those in the medical professions have advised that intense and unresolved anger is linked to health conditions such as high blood pressure, depression, anxiety and heart disease. So also is the fellow who laziness is destroying his life. Proverbs 10:4 says lazy hands make a man poor. To a lazy fellow he is just resting or chilling, unknown to him he has been idle for hours whereas his colleagues are busy achieving things. The one suffering from loose tongues do not know he or she has that problems. The fellow would have divulged all their life secrets and plans to vision killers without knowing it. Most people with acidic tongue will tell you they only say things as they are or they are been real but unknown to them that careless use of the tongue is dangerous. According to James 3:6, as small as the tongue is, it is able to take a man to hell.

How can we fight an enemy we are unaware of its existence, it is by linking up with God who can see everything and has the power to deliver us from these enemies. Hebrews 4; 13 says before God nothing is hidden. We might be unaware of the existence of the enemies in our life but God is aware of their existence. That was why He was able to warn Cain of the presence of anger he was unaware of its existence in his life in Genesis 4:5-6. Cain did not heed to the advice and his anger brought a curse upon his life.

ACTION POINT: Father, every enemy within secretly destroying my life and my future please bring it to my attention and destroy them today.

crying to God

James 5:16 says Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that you may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

There is nothing that moves a parent like the cry of their children. The same thing applies to God. When we cry to Him, things definitely happen. One of the reasons why the children of Israel stayed so long in Egypt was because they were quiet. Immediately they cried to God, He moved. This shows there is a disadvantage in been quiet because one might suffer unnecessarily. If ten people lined up to seek for help or to see the doctor , the one who cries most is likely to be attended to first. There are many of us who still think suffering is God’s way of testing us. There are many who still believe it is ok to suffer. It is ok to endure temptation actually James 1:12 says blessed is the man who endures temptation but the next verse which is James 1:13 says God does not tempt His children with evil actually God does not tempt anyone. Many still believe that been sick is good. Many still believe they need to be poor to get to heaven. Sickness is not God’s plan for your life, 1 Peter 2:24 says by His stripes we have been healed. Poverty is not a criterion to go to heaven, Salvation and living a life of holiness takes a man to heaven not bank balances.

Why do we have to cry to God in prayers? Crying gets the attention of God and makes Him to remember His promises – Exodus 2:23-24. From studying Exodus 3:7-22, one will come to the conclusion that crying causes God to pay us a visit

, causes God to make up His mind to help us, causes Him to be an enemy to our enemy, causes Him to send us help, causes Him to bring us in favor with our enemies, causes Him to be with our helpers so that they will not fail in their attempt to help us and many more. Crying to God causes Him to arise on our behalf and we know from reading Psalms 68:1 that when God arises, all His enemies are scattered. When we cry to God in prayers, we should not do it like a gentleman or a lady. Our prayers should be hot and aggressive. James 5:16 says the effective fervent prayers of the righteous avails much. Matthew 11:12 says and from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. The prayer that causes one to sweat is not a gentleman’s prayer, talk less of sweat becoming like drops of blood. If Jesus who was the son of God, prayed fervently until His sweat became like drops of blood what is our excuse not to pray that way today. Before we go to God in prayers, let’s make sure our standing with God is good. Psalm 66:18 says if I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.

ACTION POINT: Cry to God today over that issue and I can assure you He will send help.

Not ready

2 Timothy 4:5 -But you watch in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fully carry out your ministry.

I have always loved the Boys Scout Motto which says “be prepared”. The cost of been un-prepared or not ready is very high because costly mistake is inevitable. Been unprepared can deny one of everlasting joy. If you do not believe me please ask the five foolish virgins in Matthew 25:1-13. The opportunity they had waited all their life came and because they were unprepared i.e. failed to bring extra oil for their lamps in case the bridegroom delayed they lost the opportunity of a lifetime. I pray that the lack of adequate preparation will not deny us of the opportunity we have been waiting for in Jesus name, Amen.

Been ready implies preparing oneself to receive the blessings of God. By preparation we mean working on oneself, shedding the weights of bad habits or character defects in our life. Hebrews 12:1 says therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. From studying the life of Gehazi you will notice although he desired to take the mantle of Elisha that will fall later, he was not ready. Why? Because he failed to take care of the character defects in his life and he had so many. One of them was love for worldly materials another one was his uncaring and unloving nature. In 2 kings 4:27 a woman whose only son had just died held on to the feet of Elisha to please help her, what did Gehazi do? He started pushing her away, the fact that the woman had just lost her only son did not bother him. God will never use such cold people or people who don’t show sympathy at all .Anyone in ministry must be extra caring and loving. The reason why God has not released the blessings of some is not because they do not desire it; it is because they are not ready yet. There are one or two things they need to deal with first and most of the time they are character defects or little sins. Anyone praying for promotion or expansion and his not ready to put extra effort or work harder is not ready . A man that is stingy, lazy, can’t take decisions or not responsible is not ready for marriage. He can desire it and pray all night but he is not ready. So also is a woman who is not submissive, lazy, and impatient or gets angrily easily. Such woman will spend the rest of the marriage fighting with the in-laws. A fellow still suffering from pride or anger or believes tribalism is not ready to be a leader. Anointing in the hands of a fellow who cannot forgive or gets angry easily is disaster. Anointing in the hands of such a man or woman is like giving a rocket launcher or sub-machine gun to a fourteen year old. Many of us talk of heaven and want to go to heaven but we are not ready, how many can beat their chest that if they stand before the throne of God this minute God will not find any fault in them? 1 Peter 1:13 says Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

PRAYER POINT; Father , help me to lay aside every weights and little s

Profit in all Labour

Proverbs 14:23: In all labor there is profit, but idle chatter leads only to poverty

Asides pride and lukewarmness, one thing God does not condone is laziness. The scriptures says that if anyone will not work; neither shall he eat - 2 Thessalonians 3:10.  In 1 Thessalonians 4:11 , Paul admonished the Thessalonians  to work with their hands. Proverbs 10:4 says the only thing lazy hands bring is poverty. There are many of God’s children who are yet to fulfill God’s plans for their lives because of laziness. God has opened doors for so many but through laziness they have not been able to take advantage of these open doors.  Many have lost their destinies because of procrastination, something they should have done today they postponed it to a further date by the time the date comes they further postponed it and before you know it is too late. A man who took advantage of his open door was Jeroboam in 1 Kings 11:28. He was just an ordinary laborer in the king’s court but he worked so hard that Solomon noticed and promoted him. Jeroboam’s hard work so much impressed God that He made him king over Israel in 1 Kings 14:7. Hard work can turn common a laborer to a king. There were princes in Israel at that time but Jeroboam became the king. Hard work gives you things that belong to the kings. There are many of us who God has opened doors of employment to or for. Through hard work God can make us the CEO of the organization we are working for. There are many business owners who God is ready to bless to the extent that they will lend to nations; all these are functions of hard work.

Proverbs 14:23 says in all labor there is profit. Hard work brings result but the result varies with  field. 1 Timothy 4:8 says for bodily exercise profit a little; but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. If there is anything to labor in, it is in the things of God. If we can work hard for God, we will see great results in every other areas of our life. Matthew 6:33 says seek first the kingdom and His righteousness and other all these will be given to you as well.

ACTION POINT: If  you are not in any group in your church please join one, if you are in one already you can join another or strive to be the best in your current group remember been the best in anything requires putting more efforts than others.

Gold in the mouth of fish

Proverbs 13:2 – A man shall eat well by the fruit of his mouth, but the soul of the unfaithful feeds on violence.

In Matthew 17:24-27 Jesus was asked to pay temple tax so He told Peter to go the sea, cast in a hook, and take the first the fish that comes up . There are several lessons from this passage. Firstly, through Jesus our needs are met. Ephesians 3:20 says He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think. Secondly, With Him nothing is impossible. Luke 1:37 says for with God noting will be impossible. Jeremiah 32:27 says I am the God of all flesh, is there anything too hard for me? Thirdly God is all-knowing. He knows the location of our breakthrough; He knows what you need to do to breakthrough in your endeavor. Hebrews 4:13 says nothing is hidden before God but all things are naked and open to His sight. Deuteronomy 26:6 says before Him, Death is naked and destruction has no coverings. Jesus has the key to every information in the world. Fourthly, God’s word is settled. Once God speaks nothing on earth can change it. Psalms 33:9 says He spoke and it was done, He commanded, and it stood fast. If there is anything He has promised you, I can assure you that He will bring it to pass. He told Peter inside the first fish is money and so it was when Peter caught the first fish.

Lastly, present in every fish are resources to meet our needs. By fish, we mean soul meaning according to Luke 5:10. For every soul we win for Jesus, heaven releases resources to meet our needs. Proverbs 13:2 says a man shall eat well by the fruit of his mouth. You want God to take you to the top, you want Him meet your needs, you want hunger to be a strange word to you? Use your mouth effectively for Him. Use it to win souls. Proverbs 11:30 says He that wins soul is wise. Proverbs 3:35 says the wise shall inherit glory or honor. When we combine both scriptures it means He that wins soul will inherit glory.

ACTION POINT: Use everything within your power to win souls for Jesus.