SOURCE OF PRIDE

MEMORY VERSE: And Samuel said when thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel? (1 Samuel 15:17)

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Judg 7, Acts 11, Jer 20, Mark 6

BIBLE STUDIES: 1 Samuel 15:1-23

What is pride? Pride is the opposite of humility. What is humility? Humility is seeing yourself as little in your own eyes. When you see yourself as little in your own eyes, submitting to the will of God becomes easy. When you consider yourself as little before the Most High, letting the will of God to take precedence in your life becomes easy. Since pride is the opposite of humility, pride can defined as seeing yourself as a big man or big woman in your eyes. One of the reasons why the proud always amount to nothing at the end of the day is that they become so big that no one can advise them. They become big to the extent that no one can correct them. One of the things to watch out for in courtship is does that brother or sister listens to correction? Another thing to check is there anyone the brother or sister respects and listens to? Make sure you know at least one person who can speak to that bro or sister and he or she will listen to. Never get married to a brother or sister who no one can correct!

The Lord through the mouth of Prophet Samuel gave an instruction to King Saul to go and destroy the Amalekites. When Saul got to Amalek, he destroyed all except the sheep, oxen and Agag the king. Not only that, his soldiers took spoils from Amalek. When the man of God came to see King Saul, he found out that Saul did not destroy all as instructed by God. King Saul had become a big man; he could now decide which of God’s instruction to obey and not to obey. King Saul wasn’t a proud fellow when the Lord anointed him king over Israel. He was so humble that he even listens to his servant. No wonder the man of God reminded him that when he was little in his own sight, God made him the head of the tribes of Israel. Because of pride, God dethroned him and anointed David as king.

Pride entered into King Saul when he began to see himself as a big man. This man saw himself as a big man because he was measuring himself by the people around. Matthew 5:48 says be ye perfect as God is perfect. Every time you measure your life by the life of people around you, you may be tempted to see yourself as a big man especially if the Lord has blessed you. The elders have a saying, in the town of the blind; a one eyed man is the King. When you measure your prayer life by the prayer life of those who pray for only 30 minutes you might be tempted to see yourself as a big prayer warrior especially if you are the type that prays for two hours. To avoid these, always measure yourself by God. If you measure your prayer life by the prayer life of Jesus who fasted for forty days and night, you will always see yourself as little in your own eyes.

KEYWORD: When you measure yourself by people around you, you may be tempted to see yourself as a big man but wh

HUMILITY AND PROMOTION

MEMORY VERSE: Humble yourselves in the sight of the Light, and he shall lift you up, James 4:10 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Judg 6, Acts 10, Jer 19, Mark 5 

What is humility? Humility is not using ‘sir’ or ‘ma’ for everyone that comes your way. A lot of ‘hello sir’ and ‘hello ma’ are not from the heart.  The fact that a fellow is gentle does not mean he is humble. Eighty –five percent of those we think are gentle are only shy. Once they get into the midst of their friends, you know they are not gentle at all or if you mistakenly offend them you will see their true color. The fact that a fellow is quiet in the church does not mean he is humble. There are a lot of brothers who are quiet in the church but not the in the place of work. 

What is then humility? The first thing I want you to know is that humility is not an act but a thing of the heart. Humility is simply submitting to the will of God when you don’t feel like it. When you submit to the will of God in your mind, emotion, your body because you love God, then you are humble. Humility is submitting to the will of God regardless of the pain, inconvenience and so on. One the meekest man that ever lived was Moses. The Most High even testified of his humility. What did Moses do to earn such recognition? God sent him to Egypt to deliver a message to Pharaoh and he obeyed. Moses wasn’t a friend of the Egyptians at all; an average Egyptian wanted him dead for killing their brethren (Exodus 2:11-12). Not only that, the reason why he left Egypt in the first place was because Pharaoh was after him. He left because there was a price on his head. He left because he was number one on the most wanted list of criminals in Egypt. You will agree with me that everything in Moses did not want to return to Egypt but despite all he submitted to the will of God. At the end God promoted him, by the time we get to Exodus 7:1, the Lord had already made him a god over Pharaoh.

Another definition of humility is putting yourself in a lower position than you are for the will of God to be done. Humility is forgetting all your achievements, connections, money you have in the bank, your degrees and becoming nothing just for the will of God to be done. The most humble man the world ever knew was Jesus.  Despite the fact that He owned the whole world, He humbled himself to become like man and die a very shameful death just to give us eternal life. Colossians 1:16 said for by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be throngs, or dominion, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him. Brethren, Jesus knew who He was when the soldiers stripped Him naked and began to beat Him with rods but he did not retaliate because of the will of His father. Jesus knew all things were created by him, and for him yet because of your salvation and mine, Jesus died the most disgraceful and shameful death on the cross of Calvary. He suffered the humiliation for three days but after that He was given a name that is higher than any other name that at the mention of the name of Jesus all knees must bow. 

PRAYER POINT- Father, please give me the grace to humble.

IDENTIFYING THE WICKED

MEMORY VERSE: little children, let no man deceived you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous ,1 John 3:7

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Judg 5, Acts 9, Jer 18, Mark 4

1 John 3:7 says little children, let no man deceived you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. Also beloved, a fellow that does wicked things is wicked, even as he is wicked. How do you identify the wicked? The wicked does wicked things. According to Leviticus 20:17, it is a wicked thing for a man to see the nakedness of his sister, his father’s daughter, or his mother’s daughter and vice versa. There are many young ones who peep through the key hole to see the nakedness of adults when they are in the bathroom bathing or in the bedroom changing. There are even some adults who are involved in such practices too. They go and peep through the key hole when the wife of the neighbor is taking her bath. Such adults need deliverance from the spirit of lust! Any child caught doing this should be seriously disciplined because before God it is a wicked act. And this goes to the Parents who dress in the front of their children. This is very bad! Don’t say they are young and you permit them into your bed room when changing. This is unacceptable!

It is also a wicked thing to take advantage of the poor. Psalm 10:2 says the wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor. You are married woman, every time there is a misunderstanding between you and your husband you refuse to cook at home to teach him a lesson. This is a wicked act! You call yourself a spirit filled Christian and every time there is a misunderstanding at home you refuse to fulfill the duties of a wife to her husband. Sister that is wickedness! You are an evangelist, every time there is a misunderstanding at home just to punish your wife you begin to fast so as not to eat her food or fulfill the duties of a husband to his wife. Bro that is wickedness! There is nothing wrong in fasting but don’t embark on fasting to punish your partner.

One way to identify the wicked is they borrow and never pay back. Psalms 37:21 says the wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth. The wicked borrow and never put measures into place to pay back what they have borrowed. If the lender calls them on the phone they ignore the call. They will not call back and when the lender calls at their home to check if all is well, they tell their children to tell the lender they are not home! Brethren no loving parents will ever teach his or her child to lie. If one way or the other the lender meets them and ask for the money or the item they borrowed, they get angry and begin to insinuate that the lender was rude to them. Some even go to the point of reporting the lender that he or she is disrespectful. It is wicked thing to dodge those you have borrowed things from.

ACTION: Repent from wicked acts and ask for mercy.

FELLOWSHIP WITH THE BRETHREN

MEMORY VERSE: blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful, Psalm 1:1

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Judg 4, Acts 8, Jer 17, Mark 3

There is safety in fellowshipping with christian brothers and sisters. There is peace in fellowshipping with the brethren. You will never find a true brother or sister in Christ get into trouble with the law because they are law abiding citizens. The life of Christian brothers and sisters maybe boring but it is problem and heart ache free. It is true they don’t do fun things like partying late at night or clubbing but there lifestyle gives peace of mind. I heard a story not too long ago that brought tears to my eyes. A Christian lady escorted her friends to a night party. While everyone was having fun, someone spiked her drink (added some drugs to her drink) and she unknowingly drank it. Before you know it some strange men took her into a room and began to have sex with her. One way or the other her friends found out what happened and reported the matter to the police. The boys were arrested and the parents of this lady demanded a blood test. The result of the test that came out showed that two of the boys that slept with her were HIV positive. If only her friends were born again, she would not have gone out that night.

When you fellowship with the brethren, evil ideas and strange suggestions will not be giving to you. When you fellowship with the brethren, they will never advise you to divorce your husband or be rude to him. When you fellowship with the brethren, they will never encourage you to participate in extra – marital affairs. When you fellowship with the friends, there is no jealousy or people talking behind your back. When you fellowship with the brethren, you will never get depressed because they are always talking about faith. When you are down, they will speak the word of encouragements to you and share bible verses that would build your faith. When you fellowship with the brethren, you don’t give up easily because faith in the power of God is always preached.
Psalm 1:1 says blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. In other words, if you want the Lord to bless you walk with the godly / brethren. If you are looking for a counselor, choose a brother or sister in Christ. The reason is that the mentality of the brethrens is very good. In all their counsels, God always come first. If those that are counseling you do not have the fear of God deeply rooted in their heart, God help you. Not that they will purposely lead you astray, but their counsel will be devoid of divine wisdom which is pure, full of mercy, impartial, sincere ( James 3:17).

ACTION POINTS: Choose your friends in Christ.

WHY HAVE YE DONE THIS?

MEMORY VERSE: and ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars : but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this? Judges 2: 2

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : Judg 3, Acts 6, Jer 16, Mark 2

BIBLE STUDIES : Judges 2:1-3

Psalm 24:1 says the earth is the Lord and it’s fullness thereof ; the world, and they that dwell therein. The Most High owns the whole world. He owns Germany, UK, Malaysia, Morocco, Somalia, just name it. Because He owns everything , He can decide to take a slave and make him a prime minister at any time. If you don’t believe me, read the story of Joseph and Daniel in the bible. Both of them started as slaves in a foreign land but the Lord turned things around and made them Prime Ministers. In my short time on earth, i have seen the Lord take a prisoner from death row and make him a Head of State in the same country. 

As the Lord had promised His friend ( Abraham) , He delivered his descendants from Egypt and gave them Canaan – a land flowing with milk and honey. Before He gave them the land, He warned them not to make league with the inhabitants of the land i.e. participate in the abominable practices of the land. Not only that, He warned them to continue to serve Him as they did in the desert. When the children of Israel got to Canaan ,they did the exact opposite . They Lord then sent an angel to ask them why they did that? The Lord was not asking a question, He was simply expressing His disappointment in the way they conducted themselves in Canaan.

Just like the Israelite of old, the Lord has brought many out of Egypt i.e. bondage, unemployment, sickness, lack, e.t.c to Canaan- a land flowing with milk and honey. Instead of serving God as they used to serve Him when they had nothing they suddenly become too busy with the activities of Canaan. Brothers who used to evangelize when they were in university no longer have time for evangelism because they are busy with work. The Lord is asking why have ye done this? Individuals who never used to miss church services when they were looking for visas to travel abroad now get abroad and forget the Lord completely. The Lord is asking why have ye done this? Sisters who never used to miss workers prayer meeting when they were looking to God for a life partner now come late or even miss it. The Lord is asking why have ye done this? 

QUESTION? Are you serving the Lord the way you used to serve Him before you got that breakthrough?

Abo

PERFECT WILL VS PERMISSIVE WILL OF GOD

MEMORY VERSE: and be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that of God, and acceptable, and perfect will of God, Romans 12:2

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Judg 2, Acts 6, Jer 15, Mark 1

The word ‘good’ suggests the existence of another word ‘bad’. The word ‘light’ informs us of the existence of the word ‘darkness’. The perfect will of God in our memory verse suggest the existence of a less than perfect will of God. In other words if there is a perfect will of God, then there is also a not so perfect will of God also known as permissive will of God. I want you to know that the Lord knew you before the foundation of the world (Jeremiah 1:5). Whilst you were in your mother’s womb, He had decided His will for your life (Psalm 139:13). So you are not on earth by accident, you are here on earth for a particular purpose (God’s ordained purpose).

The perfect will of God is God’s divine plan for your life. This is what He has divinely arranged – the kind of man or woman to marry, career, ministry, and so on. The permissive will of God is what He permits. A point to note is that the fact that He permits something does not mean it is His will. For instance, if God wants a person to get married at the age of 30, He knows the exact reason why. If the person is obedient and waits for God’s timing, he will receive all the blessings God has for him. Suppose when the person reaches the age of 25 he finds a woman and decides to marry her. It will not be God’s perfect will. If the person continues to pray about it over and over, God will give him a go –ahead. But it will be God’s permissive will. He will still bless them but they will not enjoy the full blessings that come with His perfect will. 

The Holy Spirit is gentle and He will not force anyone against his or her will. The Most High wanted to be the king over the Israelites but the people saw how other nations had kings and desired a king for themselves (1 Samuel 8:1- end). It was not God’s will for the people to have another king because God was already their king but the people kept asking for a king so the Most High said no problem and gave them a king – King Saul. That was God’s permissive will not His perfect will. God did bless them, but they not receive the full blessing of God. When God was there king, they had peace but after they received their king – burdens after burdens, wars after wars. God wants to give you the best not His second best. A life operating under the perfect will of God will be colorful. To get the perfect will of God, you need to be very patient. The elders have a saying ‘only the patient dog eats the fattest bone’.

QUESTION: Which do you prefer, perfect will or permissive will? Full blessing or half blessing?

GOD VS FATHER XMAS?

MEMORY VERSE: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him, Hebrew 11:6b 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Josh 24, Acts 4, Jer 13, Matt 27

I have always feel uncomfortable with the concept of Father Xmas, partly because it is not biblically but most importantly because of what it represents. At a particular time of the year, Father Xmas comes and gives gifts to children. Whether the children have been naughty or not, they get a gift. Whether they do their assignments or not they get a gift. Whether they obey their parents or not, they still get a gift. There is nothing wrong in giving gifts to children if the intention is to reward them for obeying Dad and Mum all through the year. It is actually good to reward children for studying hard at school and getting good grades. This is a good way to motivate them to perform better next year. But the concept of Father Xmas is you get something for doing nothing. Not only that, the fellow who has done nothing will get the same thing as the fellow who has worked hard.

The Most High is not a Father Xmas. With Father Xmas, whether you obey your parents or not he will greet you with a smile but God frowns at children who disobey their parents, Exodus 20:12. Whether you have been a naughty child or not Father Xmas gives you an unrestricted access to himself but the Most High does not reward naughty children with unrestricted access to Himself. Whether your clothes are dirty or not he will put you on his laps and play with you. God is too holy to behold uncleanliness. He will never hug a fellow who is not living a righteous and holy life. Oh Father Christmas is never angry, everything you do is right even when you are on the part to hell. It is true God is love, 1 John 4:8 but He is also a consuming fire, Hebrew 12:29. If anyone tells you that God is never angry, it is a big lie. Psalms 7:11 says God is angry with the wicked every day.

Father Xmas does not care about your past or future; all he cares about is the moment. He does not love you, that is why he gives sweet and chocolates even though sweets and chocolates will later destroy your teeth. Our God cares about you and your future. According to Jeremiah 29:11, He wants to give you an expected end. He created heaven with you in mind that is why when He sees a fellow living in sin He is not happy. While the sweets and chocolates of the Father Xmas damage your health, the gifts of God are not only good but perfect, James 1:17. Most importantly, God does not operate on something for nothing. He only rewards those that diligently seek Him, Hebrew 11:6b.

QUESTION: God or Father Xmas?