OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXPANSION

MEMORY VERSE: for the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish, Psalms 1:6

BIBLE VERSE: Josh 11, Ps 144, Jer 5, Matt 19

Tests, trials, challenges of faith, e.t.c. are opportunities for expansion. They are not to break you but to develop you spiritually. Many a time when the Lord wants to fellowship with us, He permits some things to happen so that we can have time for Him. Why do you think the Lord permitted Shadrach, Meshach and Abedn-nego to be cast into the burning furnace, Daniel 3:1-30? The Lord permitted it because He wanted to spend quality time with these 3 boys. Before they were cast into the fire, the God they served was already waiting in the furnace to receive them. After they had spent quality time with the Most High in the furnace, they came out unhurt. Not only that, they were promoted immediately. Sometimes back I was suspended from work for almost 3 months. Immediately I got the letter, I understood that the Lord permitted it because He wanted us to spend time together. No wonder after our fellowship i was able to return back to my post.

Anytime the Lord wants to expand or promote a fellow, He permits some challenges in the life of the fellow. When the Lord was about to give Jesus a name that is above every other name, He permitted the Pharisees to crucify Him, Philippians 2:6-11. When the Lord wanted to take Joseph to His land of fulfillment, He permitted the schemes of his evil brothers, Genesis 37:1-36.Those ones got hold of him and sold him to Egypt. When the Lord wanted to take him to where he was going to meet his destiny helpers, He permitted Portiphar’s wife to lie on him and they cast him in prison, Genesis 39:7-23. It was inside the king’s prison that the Lord lifted him to the throne. I can assure you that the Lord is setting you up for something major; that is why you are having those challenges left, right and centre. As far as you are not living in sin, those challenges were permitted by God.

A man of God was sharing his story with us. When the Lord was about to set him up for greatness, He permitted some people in the church to persecute him. The old matrons made his life hell, when it was time for him to preach the pastor will ask someone else to preach. At a point the water became too hot so he ran for his dear life. Today it is a different story. Psalm 1:6 says for the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish. Whatever it is you are going through, the Lord knows about it. He permitted it so that you can be promoted.

PRAYER POINTS: Father, let my victory be total.

BE CAREFUL HOW CHOOSE A HELPER

MEMORY VERSE: and the Lord God said, it is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him, Genesis 2:18

BIBLE VERSE: Josh 10, Ps 142-143, Jer 4, Matt 18

Genesis 2:15 says and the Lord God took the man and put him into the Garden of Eden to dress and to keep it. When the Lord created man, He assigned some tasks to him i.e. to dress and keep the garden. It was compulsory for this man to undertake the task according God’s specification and complete it within God’s time. The man started the task but God noticed that this man was running behind schedule. Not only that, the Lord observed that at the rate this man was going, he is not even going make it to the end talk less of completing the task so He made him a help meet. Genesis 2:18 says and the Lord God said, it is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. A careful study of this verse reveals that the Lord did not create the woman to undertake the task for the man. The responsibility of completing the task lies on the man but the woman was provided as a helper. Just as the man will receive a reward for completing the task in God’s time, the woman too will get a reward for helping the man.

Brothers, God created you for a reason and a purpose. He created you with a task in mind. To complete the task you need a help meet. The type of helper or help meet you get will determine whether you will complete the task or not. The type of helper will determine if God will take the task from you and assign it someone else or not. I pray that this will not be your portion in Jesus name. 

When choosing a helper there are certain requirements your helper must meet if you are to complete the task and get a reward. First of all there must be agreement. Amos 3:3 says can two walk together except they agree? You cannot love holiness and your helper does not love holiness. Secondly your helper must be a prayer warrior. According to Deuteronomy 32:30 the most one can chase is a thousand but two has the ability to chase ten thousand. Thirdly your helper must be a tither. Before you take her to the altar ask her if she pays her tithe. If she begins to tell you that tithe is in the Old testaments not in the New Testament you better go back to your prayer room and pray again.God has vowed to curse anyone who robs Him of tithes,Malachi 3:9-12. How do you expect to complete the task if the One who assigned the task to you curses your help meet. Fourthly you helper must also be hardworking too. It is also important that your helper knows how to cook! God did not visit Abraham because He was hungry, Genesis 18:1-15. But thank God Sarah knew how to cook. The food was so sweet the Lord asked where is Sarah (lady who cooked this food), Genesis 18:8-9. On account of Sarah’s performance the Lord decided Abraham was going to be a Daddy the next year.

PRAYER POINT: Father, please guide me in the choice of a help meet.

POTENTIAL VS GREATNESS

MEMORY VERSE: verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my father, John 14:12

BIBLE VERSE: Josh 9, Ps 140-141, Jer 3, Matt 17

Every child has the potential to be great, but not all become great. Every male child has the potential to become a father, but not all become fathers. Likewise every female child has the potential to become a mother but not all become mothers. Every child of God has the potential to do the works that Jesus did while he was one earth. Mark 16:17-18 says and these signs shall follow them that believe; in my names they shall cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues, they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing , it shall not hurt them; they shall lays on the sick, and the shall recover them. Despite the fact that every child of God has the potential to do all these, there are still few who are yet to speak in tongues.

There is no one alive without a potential, whether they will fulfill their potential is another issue. There are many who know their future. For example I know my tomorrow will be alright because the book of Isaiah 3:10 says that say to the righteous it shall be well them. There are few who the Lord has shown a glimpse of their future. Many have dreamt that they laid hands on the dead and the dead came back to life; many have received prophecies that they are going to become great evangelists; many have seen themselves getting married with kids and living in a big mansion. All these are potentials, fulfilling them is another issue.

There are two factors that will decide whether you will fulfill your potential or not – words and action. The words you speak to yourself and the words spoken to you. Numbers 14:28 says as you have said in my ears, so shall I do. It does not matter what God has in store for you, if you confess something negative I can assure you that is what you will get. God has given some people authority over your life. They are your parents – spiritual and biological. Their words can shape your life. If your father or mother says it shall be well with you, i can assure you it will be well with you but if he says the opposite, God help you. If you please your spiritual father and he blesses you from the bottom of his heart, the Lord who called him will say a big amen. If you do otherwise and he curses you, you are in big trouble. This is why you should do everything to get a blessing not curse from your parents or pastors. Your actions will also decide whether you will fulfill your potential or not. Proverbs 22:29 says seest thou a diligent man, he will stand before kings not mean men. A brother with potential who refuses to work hard will become slaves to the diligent who has no potential. Romans 6:1 say shall we continue in sin and ask for grace to abound? Shall we continue to disobey God and expect Him to make us the head and not the tail? God forbid.

PRAYER POINT: Father, help me fulfill my potential in you.

Share this:

A TIME TO FLEE

MEMORY VERSE: a prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on and are punished, Proverbs 22:3

BIBLE VERSE: Josh 8, Ps 139, Jer 2, Matt 16

The bible teaches that there is a time to flee if you are to achieve your purpose on earth. In Genesis 27:41-45 after Isaac had blessed Jacob, Esau arose and said he was going to kill him; Jacob fled. If he had not fled, Esau would have killed him and all the blessings would have been lost. Immediately after the 3 wise men departed, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph, he told him to take the baby and the mother and run to Egypt because there is a wicked king who wants the baby dead, Matthew 2:12-15. A time to flee is when the Almighty tells you to flee. There is also a time to run to battle. The bible records in 1 Samuel 17:14-51 that David charged at Goliath. In Exodus 5:1 we see Moses who had been running from Pharaoh for 40 years standing before him and demanding that he should let the children of Israel go. 

When you are dealing with external forces it is time to run to battle. Isaiah 54:17 says no weapon fashioned against you shall prosper and every tongue that rises against you in judgment shall be condemned. James 4:7 says resist the devil and he will flee from you. When you are dealing with demons, it is time to run to battle but when you are dealing with false brethren it is a time to flee. The question is this, how do I know when to flee? Proverbs 22:3 says a prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on and are punished.

What I am supposed to flee from? Anything that will annoy God. One of the things we need to run from is poison. Tithes are poison and should not be eaten, Malachi 3:8-11. Tithes belong to God so flee from nonpayment of tithes! We need to also flee from anything that dishonors God. When you do things that cause people to say ‘and you call yourself a Christian’ you are dishonoring your God. Proverbs 3:9-10 says honor God with your substances and the first fruit of your increase. If you do not honor God with these you are dishonoring Him. 2 Timothy 2:22 says flee from youthful lusts. What are youthful lusts? Fornication and adultery.1 Corinthians 6:18 says flee fornication. The bible says rebuke the devil but when it comes to fornication you have to flee. If someone is trying to suggest sex with you and you are not married to them, you are to flee from such not rebuke them! Another thing to flee from is inordinate ambition, 1 Timothy 6:9-11. Flee from get rich quick schemes like stealing and fraud. Get rich quick schemes kills and it gives first class ticket to hell.

QUESTION: What is it that you are doing that is causing people to say and you call yourself a Christian? Repent of such immediately.

Share this:

ARE YOU SAVED

MEMORY VERSE: Then Peter said unto them, Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remissions of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, Acts 2:38.

BIBLE VERSE: Josh 7, Ps 137-138, Jer 1, Matt 15

Two friends went to church one evening. As they sat one of the workers approached them and asked the younger one are you saved? He said no, the worker witnessed to him and told him why he needed to give his life to Christ. The worker moved to the older one sitting right beside the younger one and asked the same question, ‘are you saved’? The older friend didn’t want to be bothered by this worker so he said ‘yes’. The worker said praise God and he left. Few weeks later the older friend was sitting at home on a chair talking to his sister. As they were talking, the man said something and the sister replied hoping to get a response from his brother but there was no response. Out of curiosity she looked at the direction of her brother and saw him sitting with his head slumped forward. The man was dead! The man died without been saved.

Today I post the same question to you, are you saved? The fact that you are born into a Christian family does not mean you are saved. The fact that you don’t cheat on your wife or consume alcohol or have boyfriends and girl friends does not mean you are saved. The fact that you are part of the choir or play musical instrument in the church does not mean you are saved. I need not to inform you that you are not saved by church attendance. Judas Iscariot rarely missed church services yet he betrayed Jesus. The fact that you have said the sinner’s prayers does not mean you are saved. I remember as a young boy I was going through mum’s drawers when I saw a Christian literature. Since I had nothing to do I read it and I found the sinner’s prayer at the back. I said the sinner’s prayer although I didn’t really mean a word of it. Several years later I began to visit brothels and indulge in other vices. One night I had a dream where I had the opportunity to see my past. It was until then I knew that I wasn’t saved at all. Thank God for the opportunity to give my life to Christ.

In Acts 2:14- 38 some group of people heard a message like this and their hearts were pricked. They asked the question, what shall we do to be saved? Acts 2:38 says then Peter said unto them, Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remissions of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Repentance is necessary for salvation! Without true repentance there is no salvation. What we find today is remorse not repentance. Remorse is a deep and painful regret for wrongdoing but repentance is not just one feeling sorrowful for an offense, but it means to completely turn away from that sin.

QUESTION: Are you saved?

WONDERS OF HIS TOUCH

MEMORY VERSE: and the hand of the Lord was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel, 1 Kings 18:46

BIBLE VERSE: Josh 5, Ps 132-134, Is 65, Matt 13

BIBLE STUDIES: 1 Kings 18:41-46

A wonder is anything that makes you to wonder. According to Isaiah 9:6 one of the names of the Most High is wonderful i.e. full of wonders. There are hands and there are hands. I want to tell you that not all hands are the same. The bible says and it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed, Exodus 17:10-13. The reason why Moses let down his hands was because his hands were aching; he was well over 80 years when this happened. The question is this since Aaron and Hur were standing by him, why didn’t they hold up their own hands when Moses let down his hand? Aaron was a priest and Hur was an elder so any of the two could have held their hands up and expect victory. These two elderly men knew that the hands of Moses were not ordinary hands or common hands. There is a hand far more powerful than the hands of Moses and that is the hands of the Almighty. Psalm 136:12 describes God’s hand has a strong hand.

When the Lord touches a life , that life becomes a wonder. In John 9:1-10 Jesus anointed the eyes of a blind man with clay and told him to go and wash it off. The man came back and everyone opened their mouths and could not close it. Bible scholars told us that the man was not only born blind; the man was born without eyes. This was why the disciples asked Jesus ‘whose sin it was for this man to born this way?’ Since Jesus was the creator, He made clay out of mud and anointed where the eye was meant to be. The man went to wash and came back with two pair of eyes. The whole neighborhood began to argue that it was not the man who was born without eyes. Just by virtue of His touch of Jesus, this man became a wonder within an hour.

When the Lord touches a fellow, the fellow begins to do wondrous things. In 1 Kings 18:41-46 the Lord touched Elijah and he outran the best chariot in Israel. Bible scholars said the distance between Mount Carmel and Jezreel was 17 miles. Elijah was not dressed in athletic gears neither did he have trainers on. He had never had athletic training and neither had he competed in such before. He was not a young boy but an old prophet of God. Now imagine such a man outrunning a chariot pulled by the best horse in Israel over 17 miles? That is a wonder!

PRAYER POINT: Father, please touch my life, business, relationship, finance, spiritual life with your mighty hand.

ACTIVATING THE POWER OF GOD

MEMORY VERSE: and it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them, Luke 5:17.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Josh 2, Ps 123-125, Isa 62, Matt 10

BIBLE STUDIES: Luke 5:17-26

In our bible studies is a story we all know. Jesus was teaching in a particular house and everyone came to hear him teach. The power of God was present to heal every sick man and woman in the gathering. While He was preaching some men with stubborn faith brought their paralyzed friend, they tried to come through the door but could not because of the crowd so they decided to use the roof. When they finally got their friends to Jesus, He told the paralyzed man to stand up and walk. The paralyzed men stood up and began to walk.

Anywhere Jesus is; the power of God is also there. This is because all power in heaven and on earth has been given to Him by the Father, Matthew 28:18. Anywhere the name of Jesus is mentioned, the power of God is present. This is why at the mention of the name of Jesus knees bow, Philippians 2:10. Every time we gather to pray, the power of God is present. Matthew 18:20 says where two or more gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of them. 

On that day the power of God was present to heal everyone in attendance, Luke 5:17. The question is how come only the paralyzed man received his healing? The answer is only the friends of the paralyzed man activated the power of God through their faith. A generator has the potential to produce power for your appliances. For power to be generated you need to turn on the generator. The generator could be there for twenty years, if you do not turn it on it will not generate power for your appliances. You can pray for as long as you want,to activate the power of God in your life you need faith. Not too long ago I had a big challenge at work. I was suspended and invited for a final hearing. I had only 5 per cent chance of coming back. I remember the Friday before the Monday of my final hearing, I met one of my colleagues at work and he said ‘how far’? I told him I will back on Tuesday the day after my hearing. That is faith .Anyone in my shoes will be looking for jobs but I didn’t because I knew I will be going back.Even though defeat was guaranteed I told everyone I will be back and to God be glory I came back. 

TO PONDER ON: It is your faith that activates the power of God.