CRITERIA FOR SEEING GOD

MEMORY VERSE: Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God, Matthew 5:8

BIBLE VERSE: Josh 14-15, Ps 146-147, Jer 7, Matt 21

God is absolutely pure. He is as pure as light. 1 John 1:5 says God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. The bible records in Isaiah 6:3 that the angels are always saying Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts. We all know the Lord is powerful. Psalm 62:11 says all power belong to Him. Matthew 19:26 says with God all things are possible. The question is why are the angels not saying Powerful, powerful, powerful is the Lord of hosts? Everyone knows God is love. 1 John 4:8 says God is love. The question is why are the angels not saying Loving, loving, loving is the Lord of hosts? We will all agree that the Lord is merciful. According to Psalm 103:8 God is rich in mercy. The question is why are the angels not saying Merciful, merciful, merciful is the Lord? The reason is that the only thing the Lord wants to be associated with is holiness. That is why the angels are always saying Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts.

Around the throne of God are twenty four elders dressed in white garments, praising God day and night, Revelations 4:3. These elders could have been dressed in pink because pink symbolizes love and God is love. These elders could have been dressed in purple because purple symbolizes royalty and our God is the King of kings. They could have been dressed in blue because blue symbolizes peace one of the fruit of the Holy Spirit but they are dressed in white, why? White symbolizes purity and that’s the condition for seeing God.

Matthew 5:8 says blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. In other words if your purity is on the outside and not on the inside, you are wasting your time. From time to time, we hear people say what matters is the inside not the outside. Please stop fooling yourself. Whatever is on the inside will show on the outside. When a fellow is mad on the inside, does it show outside? Yes of course. How do you know a plantain is ripe on the inside? It is by checking the outside. If it is green on the outside, you know it is unripe but if it is yellow you know it is ripe. How do you know an orange is ripe on the inside? It is by checking the outside. What is inside will reflect on the outside. Luke 6:45 says out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speak. When you see a lady dressed like a prostitute you know what is on the inside. When you see a man dressed like a thug, you know what is on the inside. Once you hear the words coming out of a fellow, you don’t need to be told the thoughts going through his heart. When we talk of purity, we are talking of all through purity. Purity right from inside unto the outside.

PONDER: What is inside will reflect on the outside.

WHY STUDY THE BIBLE?

MEMORY VERSE: take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life, Proverbs 4:13

BIBLE VERSE: Josh 12-13, Ps 145, Jer 6, Matt 20

Your destiny is tied to the word of God. Whether you will reach your potential in Jesus or not will be decided by your relationship with the word of God. One thing everybody wants is success – success in marriage, business, ministry, e.t.c. I don’t think there is anyone who sincerely wants to fail; even the Lord wants you to succeed. According to Jeremiah 29:11, the thoughts of God towards you are of peace and to give you an expected end. Whether his thoughts towards you will come to fruition or not will be decided by the time spent in bible studies. According to Psalms 1:1-3 , a man who delights in the word of God and studies it will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings fruit in his season. Not only that whatever such men does will prosper. Wondering why you always fail despite all your efforts, it could be because you only read your bible only on Sunday or you don’t even have one at all.

Job was the greatest of all men of the east, Job 1:3. I have always wondered how this man managed to do it. The secret to Job’s greatness is in his relationship with the word of God. Job 23:12 says neither I have gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food. Another reason why you need to study the bible is because it has medicinal value. If only you would dedicate time to study the word of God, your visits to the hospital will greatly reduce. According to Proverbs 4:20& 22, the word of God is life and health to your flesh. Not only that, it is also medicine to your soul. James 1:21 says humbly receive the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. The word of God is also able to heal and deliver from destruction, Psalm 107:20.

One question people always ask is that is it possible for one to live a life of holiness in this generation? Can a man do without sinning at all? If living a life of Holiness is not possible, then God will not require it of us. 1 Peter 1:16 says be ye holy; for I am holy. It is possible to live a life of Holiness in this generation. The question is how? The secret is meditating on the word of God. Psalm 119:11 says thy word I have hid in mine heart that I might not sin against thee. You want to live above sin? Hide the word of God in your heart. The word of God cleanses you, John 15:3. What is the minimum required no of times, I need to study my bible as a Christian? Twice a day. When you go through the scriptures for example Joshua 1:8; Psalms 1:1-3, e.t.c. you see the Lord emphasizing that you study the bible day and night. Without bible studies, you may be behind in all you do. The word of God is your life so hold on to it.

QUESTION: When was the last time you studied your bible?

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?