HOW TO CULTIVATE A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT

Amos 3:3-can two walk together, unless they agree?

There was a man who owned a small farm. He worked on this farm year in year out and got very little out this farm just to feed himself and his family. Unknowingly or knowingly to this man, underneath this farm was oil. If only he will dig deeper, he will become very rich and would be able to afford good things of life. This man represents many believers today, and the farm represents the Holy Spirit. The oil represents the riches in Christ. If only we will dig deeper, instead of been Christians in poverty we will be Christians with the riches of God. The Holy Spirit is God, acting like God, been Himself God, always is God. He has the same attribute as God. He is God the Spirit; Jesus is God the Son and the Father is God the Father. He is not a force or power but a personality. He speaks and hears; thinks and reasons feel and has emotions; and decides, has a will, a self –determination. Because He is a personality a relationship with Him can be cultivated. The mistake we make is we think one experience of been filled with the Holy Spirit is sufficient and that is enough to know Him. Just like it is impossible to know a man just by shaking hands with him. It will be true if the man is a tree or lamp post but since he has a personality a relationship can be developed to know him. The same thing happens with the Holy Spirit, We can know the Holy Spirit better every day of our life.

Amos 3: 3 asks a rhetorical question; can two walk together except they agree? No. For two people to walk together, they need to agree on certain things. There needs to be agreement on direction, destination and route. If a man is going north and the other is going south it is obvious they cannot walk together or if they are going to the same location but each of them prefers to use different routes. To walk with the Holy Spirit we need to go the direction He is going. Not only that we must ready to go to His destination following His route. The Spirit filled way must be a holy way. A spirit filled life must be a holy life. He will not dwell in an unholy life. The good news is the Holy Spirit does not require a holy place to come in but He requires you be willing that the place should be made holy after He comes. The Holy Spirit does not come to a life to make him famous or make a celebrity out of him. He comes to make a man holy, give him gifts and enable him to witness, Acts 1:8. The greatest gift of the Holy Spirit is a meek, docile heart. He will transform you to a meek, humble, trusted, domesticated person. The result of this relationship is oneness with Him. One in outlook, hope and thought. Two people cannot walk together if they do not have anything in common. Once we become one with Him, He begins to release the riches of God to us. To achieve this oneness with Him , we must surrender to the Holy Spirit to transform us .

PRAYER POINT: Father, I want to be one with you, I surrender my life to you please transform me.

DO YOU KNOW YOUR GOD?

Daniel 11:32 – and such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.

In Daniel 3:1- 30, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego were put to test to check if they really know the God they claimed to serve. Nebuchadnezzar told them to either bow to his golden stature and live or refuse and end up in the burning furnace. It emerged that they know their God because they refused to bow to the stature and the king threw them into the furnace. The God they served delivered them. If you read the story carefully, you will notice that the furnace was so hot that the heat from it killed the men standing by it and yet those that were thrown in it came out without a mark even on their clothes. God has a way of rewarding people who know Him and are willing to stand for Him. By the end of that day, the three men were promoted. In Daniel 6:1-24, Daniel was also giving the opportunity to show that he knows the God of Israel. The king passed a law that no one should pray to any God except to the king. Daniel decided that nothing will separate him from the love of the Holy One of Israel .While he was praying some people saw him and reported him to the king. Anyway they threw him into the lion’s den and His God delivered him.

When you study those who know their God, they talk in a different way. In the midst of strong challenges, the words that come out their mouth will shock you. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego told Nebuchadnezzar “our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, Daniel 3:17. This statement really made the king angry but made God proud. How do you know a fellow who knows his God? Watch him when things are not going as planned or seems as if he is about to lost the battle. Those who know their God will never ask God “why me”? They will never be rude to God when the challenges of life come. You will never see them try to help God or go to false prophets for help. Those who know their God confidently confesses that 'our God will help us'. At times they even defend God when people ask them ‘where is your God?’ Their answer is ‘our God is in Heaven and He reigns’. When people start mocking them, they tell their mockers ‘i know my redeemers lives’ just like job. They are so sure of their God; they will say 'even if He decides not to save at this time that does not mean He cannot save, He is the savior! The question is do you know your God? Not only will your confession change once you know your God, you will begin to make unusual progress. Leading people to Christ will be easy because you will be able confidently tell your friends and family ‘with my Jesus nothing is impossible.’ When you know your God, you become an eagle. The fowls have decided to permanently remain on the ground, other birds fly not too high, just below the wind current so as not to fail but the eagle flies in the heavens. Once you know your God, the fear of failure will vanish and once that is gone, the sky is your limit.

ACTION POINT: Since you know your God, change your confession to I know the God I serve, nothing is impossible for Him. He will sort my matter out!

A MAN AFTER THE HEART OF GOD

Acts 13:22 – and when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.

When God wants to show how much He loves a man , He does not do it in the private but public . When He wanted to show Satan how much He loves you, He offered
Jesus on the cross of Calvary publicly for your sins. When He wanted to show the enemies of David how much He loved him ,He prepared a table publicly in the presence of the enemies of David and began to feed him, Psalm 23:5. He did not only do that, He publicly declared “I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart”, Acts 13:22. The question is what did David do to earn such a testimony from God? What did this king do to win the heart of the Almighty ?

What kind of man was David ? David was a man who loved God passionately. He loved to spend time in the presence of God. When it was time to go to the house of God , David would start rejoicing , Psalm 122 :1. He loved God to the extent that his heart began to long for God. David had a thirst for God that nothing in this world could quench. He compared his longing for God to a deer panting for the water brooks, Psalms 42:1 . Also David was a worshiper. No man could beat David when it it comes to praising God . When it was time for praise and worship, King David would dance with all his might ,2 Samuel 6:14. He was not ashamed to dance for God in public or in the presence of important dignitaries like some of us.When we talk of important dignitaries , who is more important than God anyway !. David never cared about who was looking, he would dance and jump to the extent that he was almost naked. While everyone restricted worshiping God to only Sundays , David worshiped God seven times daily , Psalm 119:164 . Another quality David had was he was a giver. When it was time to give to God , David would give until it hurts. He needed a field to offer burnt offerings to God so he approached Araunah. The fellow wanted to give the field to David for free ,but he refused . He said "no , i insist on paying the full price, for i will not take for the Lord what belongs to you or offer burnt offerings that cost me nothing". Do you know how much David gave towards the building of the temple ? One hundred thousand talents of gold and one million talents of silver , bronze and iron beyond measure,timber and stone,1 Chronicles 22:14. He also gave three thousand talents of gold, and seven thousand talents of silver to overlay the walls , 1 Chronicles 29:3-4. Experts have valued what he gave in present day currency to be at least fifty-six billion dollars ( $56,000,000,000) ! Do you think God will not at least say thank you to such a man who gave to Him until it hurts ?Proverbs 8:17 says I love those who love Me, and those who seek Me will find Me. We want to become the man and woman after the heart of God ? We need to first love God and begin to long for Him. We need to learn how to worship Him. We need to be generous to Him.If you love God , He will love you back.

PRAYER POINT: Father , thank you for opening my eyes today , I will love you , praise you and give to you , Please love me in return.

RESPONSE TO MERCY

2 Chronicles 34:31 – then the king stood in his place and made a covenant before the Lord , to follow the Lord, and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statues with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that were written in this book

Bible Studies: 2 Chronicles 34:1-33

Josiah was only eight years old when he became king in Jerusalem. Imagine an eight year old child, becoming the president of USA or any other country? What does an eight year old know? What experiences of life has he got? Mercy gives one an opportunity he does not deserve. The woman caught in adultery in John 8:1-11 did not deserve mercy according to the Law of Moses. Actually allowing her to live is a sin, but when they brought her to Jesus, He had mercy on her and gave her life back. If not for mercy, the Leper in Luke 5:12-13 would have been stoned to death. According to the Law of Moses lepers are not allowed in towns except they are passing through and to do that they need to inform the community priory to passing. The man risked his life to come and meet Jesus and the Lord had mercy on him and healed him. Through the tender mercies of Jesus, one of the two criminals received salvation on the cross, Luke 23:39-42. Lamentations 3:22 says it is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. Out of mercy Moses saw God and lived, Exodus 33:17-33.

To appreciate God’s mercy, Josiah went out and completely destroyed everything (idols and gods of the land) that could come between him and this merciful God. God was impressed with the way this young king responded to His mercies, so He promised him that all his life he will never face any challenge or see calamity. Josiah knew what it meant to spend a year without facing challenges and now the Lord was promising that all his life he will neither face any challenge not see calamity. This king decided to make a covenant before God that he will serve God like no one had ever done. He will spend for God and be spent by God. He promised to live holy. In Judges 15:11- Judges 16:1, three thousand men of Judah (brothers of Samson) bound him with a rope and gave him to the Philistines. The enemies with-in caught him and handed him over to the enemy with-out to kill. Out of mercy, the Lord delivered him that day. Instead of thanking God for the victory, he began to question God about his thirst. Out of mercy the Lord provided water again. Immediately he drank the water and was satisfied, he went straight into the house of a prostitute to celebrate his victory. How are we responding to God’s mercy today? The fact that we are alive it is by His mercy. Do we wake up to thank God for the gift of life or we just go about our business. Our salvation how do we take it, do we bring others to Christ, invite people to church or just watch them on Sunday go to play football or sleep of all day long? That business or job, do we tithe on our earning or just spend everything? .The good health He gave to us, do we use it to party and fornicate or join the workers in the church and work for Him in His vine yard? The way we respond to God’s mercy will determine the level of His mercies we will get. The next time the enemy caught Samson they plucked out his eyes immediately, Judges 16:21. Actually he did not leave the camp of the Philistine alive .Not even a single soul mourned Samson but till date it is a custom in Israel to lament about the death of Josiah.

KEY QUESTION: How are you responding to God’s mercies over your life and family?

WHEN IT SEEMS GOD IS SILENT

Psalm 91:15 – he shall call upon Me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him

There are many of us who have been seeking the face of God over one issue or another. We have prayed, fasted, giving tithes & offerings, sown seeds and nothing seems to happen. I want to tell you that God answers prayers and He is still in the business of answering prayers. He will answer you today and you shall rejoice.

There are several reasons why  God seems to be quiet or we do not see the manifestation of what we have asked for. One of the reasons could be God has a bigger and better plan than ours. Despite how hard Jesus prayed before his crucifixion, God did not say a word. Why? Because while Jesus was asking that the cup should pass over Him, God had a bigger plan to exalt Him to the highest place possible and give Him a name that is above every other name, Philippians 2:9. The reason why it seems God is silent over that challenge could be He has a better plan than yours. You might be asking Him for a job but He is planning to make you a business mogul. Another reason could be God has already prepared a solution or way out but it is yet to manifest. Before Daniel was thrown in the lion’s den, God had already shut the mouth of the Lion, Daniel 6:1-28. While Daniel must have been praying for deliverance from the hands of those who wanted to put him in the lion's den, God kept quiet. A sister had serious financial challenge. One morning things got so worse that she cried and cried to God but God did not say a word. Unknowing to her, God had already instructed us to bless her financially two weeks prior. We made every effort to contact her but it was impossible. Anyway that evening we were able to get to her and bless her and her joy was full. Another reason why God keeps silent at times could be due to incomplete obedience to His word. In Genesis 12:1-3, God gave Abram 7 promises subject to obedience to 3 commandments. He told Abram to leave his country, family and his father’s house. Abram left his country, family but did not leave his father’s house because he took Lot with him. Because Abram’s obedience was incomplete, when he began to run into challenges –challenges of famine , challenges in his marriage which resulted to a king taking his wife, challenges in relationships where Lot turned to a thorn in his side , God kept quiet. Immediately he parted ways with Lot, God began to speak and the promises of God came to fruition in his life. Lastly another reason why God is silent at times could be  the presence of sin. Isaiah 59:1-2 says behold , the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy , that it cannot hear but your iniquities have separated you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you , that He will not hear. God is not interested in any of His child suffering .Micah 3:4 says then they shall cry unto the Lord, but He will not hear them: He will even hide His face from them at that time, as they have behaved themselves ill in their doings. Sin hides the face of God from His children. Repent today !

KEY POINT: if there is any area where your obedience has been incomplete please deal with it and if it is sin repent today.

WHEN MOVED TO PRAY

1 Thessalonians 5:17 – Pray without ceasing.

A prayer-less Christian is a powerless Christian. It is impossible to conquer the world as a child of God without a life of prayer. Praying has so many advantages. It brings deliverance - while Paul and Silas prayed in the prison their bands were loosed, Acts 16:26. We receive un-shakeable confidence through prayers – the disciples received boldness to preach the gospel while they prayed, Acts 4:31.Through prayers we receive the keys to either open or shut the windows of heaven- Elijah through prayers shut the heaven for three and a half years and opened it back. Prayers usher us into the presence of God and God’s glory rubs on us – whilst Moses was praying he saw the glory of God and his face began to shine, Exodus 34:6-8 & 30. Prayer paves the way for transfiguration – while Jesus prayed with his disciples he was transfigured, Luke 9:28-29. When we pray it should not only be in understanding but in tongues also. Praying in tongues should not only be on Sundays or night vigils. One of the keys to spiritual growth is praying in tongues daily. There are a lot of advantages in praying in tongues. While praying in tongues,our spiritual life is edified, 1 Corinthians 14:4; also when we pray in tongues we are speaking to God directly, 1 Corinthians 14:2 and by praying in tongues we magnify God, Acts 10:46.

Most importantly when you are led by the spirit to pray, stop what you are doing and start praying. While singing or praying, if a particular prayer point comes to mind immediately start praying on the prayer point. Most of the challenges in the church today could have been avoided if only we prayed when moved by the Holy Spirit to do so. The Holy Spirit woke a pastor up at night to intercede for a pregnant lady in the church. Unknowingly to him, the sister was in labour and was having complications. The pastor began to pray; two hours later she put to bed safely. The pastor only found out the next morning when the husband called to inform the pastor that his wife put to bed in the early hours of that morning. There are many accidents and mishaps that could have avoided if only people pray when moved by the spirit. Many would have received the answers to their prayers, if only we prayed when moved by the Holy Spirit to do so. A particular sister had a dream, and in that dream she saw a young boy destroy her glasses. From that moment onward she lost her gift of dreams. When she came to us we advised her to pray and if possible conduct a night vigil. Few days later while we were praying at night, the Holy Spirit led us to intercede for her which we did. The next morning she informed us that she dreamt the night before. The Lord needed someone to join her in prayer for her restoration. What if we had refused, unknowingly we would have hindered her restoration. When led by the Holy Spirit to pray, immediately start praying, a life could be in danger and your prayer at that time could save the life.

KEY POINT: When moved to pray please stop everything you are doing and begin to pray, if you do not know what to pray about just pray in tongues.

WHAT TYPE OF CHRISTIAN?

Ephesians 5:23 – for the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of church: and he is the saviour of the body.

The world has changed to the extent that it is hard to single out a believer in a crowd. It has gotten to the point where believers are now invisible in the midst of a crowd. According to Matthew 5:14, we are the light of the world. If the light now becomes invisible in the midst of darkness then there is a problem. As big as the city of Antioch was, the disciples stood out despite the fact that they were very few in number. They stood out in the way they conducted themselves. They were men of integrity. They were open, sincere and trustworthy. They dazzled the whole city with their humility and good character.

The most important part of the human body is the head. The head is used for identification. That is why when we apply for a visa or a job, we are required to attach a passport photograph of our head not our arm, neck or leg. In Ephesians 5:23 the bible describes Christ as the head of the church. The church is not the building but the members in it. When people come to us or when they see us, the first thing they should notice is Christ not a celebrity or a circular musical artist. The question we need to ask ourselves as believers is what are we promoting- kingdom lifestyles or worldly lifestyles? When we enter a room, what do people see? Is it our achievement, wealth, degree or business success or Jesus? Many of us have bought into the thinking that Christianity is a thing of the heart, and people around do not need to know. It is impossible to live a life of holiness and people around will not notice. When everyone is having sex before marriage and you say 'no' to sex before marriage they will notice. When everyone is accepting bribes and you say 'no' they will notice. When everyone around is using offensive words and swearing and they never hear you swear or curse they will take notice of you. When they invite you to club on Friday night or disco and you politely refuse and stay at home to study your bible they will notice. Are you a Christian brother who is single and still keeps condoms in the house or wallet? Or a sister who still keeps pregnancy prevention pills. The bible has said no to sex before marriage, what is the need of condoms and pregnancy prevention pills? What are we doing with  nude pictures on our mobiles or pornographic materials ? All these materials only pollute the mind. Christians should not be found with these things. You call yourself a Christian and you have never invited anyone to church, how do you evangelize then? We all need to ask ourselves, are we really practicing Christianity as outlined in the bible?

KEY QUESTION:  When people see us, what do they see? Is it our head which is Jesus or us?