HUMBLE PEOPLE PRAY

MEMORY VERSE:  If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Timothy 2 – Titus 2

One thing I have found from studying through the scriptures is God wants us to be like Him. In showing mercy, He wants us to be like Him. Luke 6:36 says:” be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.” In our conversations, He wants us to be holy just as He is holy. 1 Peter 1:15-16 says: “but as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” Just as God loves the world (John 3:16), He expects us to love everyone even our enemies. Matthew 5:44-45 says: “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.”

God is humble. Psalm 113:6 says: “Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth!” Just as He, the Highest, is humble, He expects us to be humble. What is humility? Humility means submitting to the will of God even when it is inconvenient. It is also means putting one’s self in a lower position, than he or she is, for the will of God to be done. The most humble man the world ever knew was Jesus Christ. Despite the fact that He created the world, He humbled Himself to be like man and died a very shameful death so that we might have eternal life. Colossians 1:16 says: “ for by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:”

2 Chronicles 7:14 says: “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”  It takes humility to pray to God. In a world where no one cares about the will of God especially for their life, humble people go on their knees and pray for the will of God to be done in their life. Jesus, whilst on earth, was always praying for the will of God to be done (Luke 22:42). Before taking any major decision, he would pray seriously. Sometimes, He would spend several hours praying to God. Before choosing His disciples, He went to a mountain and prayed throughout the night (Luke 6:12). The next morning, the bible records that:” he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles ;( Luke 6:13).” Jesus knew without God He could do nothing, that is why before doing anything, even eating, He would first pray ( Luke 9:16). Many of us are so proud we do not even bless our food before eating. Only a proud man will make a life changing decision without first consulting God. Humble people know they have no power of their own; they will not do anything unless they have prayed. Your prayer life reveals your level of humility before God. Your prayer life reveals your level of dependency on God. Jesus prayed a lot because He depended on God for everything. A lot of us trust so much in our cars that when we want to travel, we do not even commit the journey into the hands of the Lord.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: How often do you pray? How much do you depend on God?

PRAYER: Father, I come against the spirit of slumbering in the place of prayer.

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

twitter@BroOluwatoki

OH THAT MEN WILL PRAISE THE LORD

MEMORY VERSE:  Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! Psalm 107:31

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Timothy 5- 2 Timothy 1

The Psalmist said: “Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men (Psalm 107:31).” Oh that men would praise the Lord not oh that men with good jobs would praise the Lord; not oh that the married with children would praise the Lord; not oh that men with fat bank balances would praise God. The Psalmist said: “Oh that men” in other words, oh that ‘all’ – men and women, young and old, tall and short, rich and poor, literate and illiterate, single and married, landlords and tenants, car owners and non-car owners, etc – would praise God. Many of us are crying to God to reveal His purpose to us. Friend, God’s primary purpose for your life is for you to praise Him. According to Revelations 4:11, you and I are created for His pleasure. We are created to give Him pleasure, every other thing is secondary.

Why should I praise God? The bible says, “Praise the LORD for his goodness…” The reason why many don’t praise God as they should is because they don’t consider his goodness. Only few sit down to really think of God’s goodness. Not too long ago, I decided to sell my dumbbells, barbells and other gym equipment. Until recently, probably three to four years ago, I was into body building, but now I build my spirit. Besides, I was too busy for all that now and I needed the space they were occupying so I put them on a site to sell them. When the buyer arrived at my place, we got talking about body building and general health issues. He told he had not slept in 18 months. I said what! He said, “Yes, I cannot sleep. As a result of this, I am always having terrible migraine. At times, my body becomes paralyzed for several minutes.” I asked if he has a family, he said yes, wife and kids. Friend, we need to thank God for His goodness. Sleep is one of His goodness. Psalm 127:2 says: “for so he giveth his beloved sleep” Not everyone can sleep.  This man told me how doctors gave up on his case because drugs could not help. Many of us moan and complain to God when we should be thanking because we spend time looking at what He is yet to do. Friend, how about what He has done? A lot of us murmur to God because we do not have this and that, how about the ones you have? You are looking at your age mates who are married with kids, have you considered your age mates who are dead and buried? You are unhappy because you were refused visa to go and see your uncle, have you thought of those who cannot afford three square meals talk less of saving up to buy a plane ticket? You have refused to be grateful because that relationship did not work out, have you thought about those who are on the death bed, fighting for life? Thank God for His goodness. No matter what you are going through, there is a reason to thank God. There are people who are praying to be in your shoes. You are unhappy because you don’t have a shoe, there are people without legs. Because you failed an exam, you said God hates you. Have you considered those without hands? Thank God for His goodness.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: The fact that you do not have something today does not mean you will not have it tomorrow. Praise Him today for what you have.

PRAYER: Father, forgive us for not thanking you as we should.

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

twitter@BroOluwatoki

HE GOT IT BUT LOST HIS PEACE

MEMORY VERSE: And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beer- Sheba.Genesis 21:14

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Timothy 2-4

BIBLE STUDIES: Genesis 21:8-14

Genesis 16:1 says: “Now Sarai Abram’s wife bare him no children…..” Sarai was barren. Despite the fact that Sarai had everything money can buy, she was unhappy. She had all – servants, fame, prestige, influence, wealth, a good husband - but lacked a child of her own. Mr and Mrs Abram tried repeatedly, for several years, but all to no avail. Although they made several efforts, yet they had nothing to show for it.

One morning, Sarai got up and told her husband “dear, I have an idea.”  Genesis 16:2 says: “and Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the Lord hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go into my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.” Mr and Mrs Abram decided to disobey God so that they can have children. They threw their salvation away to get solution to their problem. All because they wanted a child, they abandoned God’s promise and pursued human solution to their problem.  Anyway Sarai spoke to Hagar and she consented to become Abram’s second wife. Everything was fine until Hagar conceived. Genesis 16:4 says: “…..when she saw that she had conceived her mistress was despised in her eyes.” She began to disrespect her madam. Mr and Mrs Abram began to quarrel over petty things. By this time, God had stopped speaking to Abram.. He found himself in the middle of two angry women – the mother of his unborn child and his wife. Abram’s world literally began to crumble. The problem continued even after Ishmael was born. The birth of Isaac did not help matters.Friend, Big problems await anyone who throws away his salvation for piece of bread. Loss of peace of mind awaits anyone who throws God away for things. Never ending challenges awaits anyone who compromises to please men.

At a point, Sarah demanded that Hagar must leave. Genesis 21:14 says: “And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beer- Sheba.” Abram had no other choice than to send Hagar packing. The moment Hagar left, peace returned to Abram now Abraham. Friend, I hope you are not holding unto something God did not give to you. For the sake of peace, you better drop it.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: A man will eventually loose whatever he disobeys God to achieve.

PRAYER: Father, please let Your peace never depart from me.

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

twitter@BroOluwatoki 

IT LIES IN HIS HANDS

MEMORY VERSE: The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will. Proverbs 21:1

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Thessalonians 2- 1 Timothy 1

Proverbs 21:1 says: “the King’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.” Who is a king? A ‘king’ is anyone in position of authority. Ecclesiastes 8:4 says: “where the word of a king is, there is power: and who may say unto him, what doest thou?” A king is someone who runs the show. When the bible says, “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord,” it means the heart of everyone who is in position of authority is in the hand of God. Several years ago, a senior manager, in my place of work, instructed me to release a particular member of staff back to his agency because he did something wrong. This member of staff was diligent and reliable, besides this was his first time of getting into trouble so I tried to plead with this manager but she refused. Whilst explaining how to go about this release, a colleague came in to see her so she excused herself and attended to him. I began to pray in my heart that she would show mercy. All of a sudden, she just turned to me and said, “Sam, it seems you do not want us to release so and so, in that case give him a final warning”. The Lord touched her heart for me! I left her office dancing.

A ‘king’ is a judge. The children of Israel told Samuel, “give us king to Judge us” (1 Samuel 8:6). A king through judgment decides the fate of others. When the bible says, “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord,” it simply means the heart of every Judge is in the hand of God. When the enemies of David brought him before Achish, King of Gath, Goliath’s master, he feared greatly. Many a times, fear causes people to do the unthinkable. Out of fear David pretended to be insane, scratching on doors and drooling down on his beard. The Lord touched Achish’s heart and instead of killing David, he showed him mercy (1 Samuel 21:11-15). A ‘king’ is anyone born of a woman. So when the bible says, “The heart of a king is in the hand of God,” it means the heart of anyone born of a woman is in the hand of God. The heart of your manager at work is in the hand of God. The heart of that man that is always gambling with his children’s school fees is in the hand of God. The heart of that wicked lecturer is in the hand of God. The heart of that stubborn child is in the hand of God. A brother received a particular sister some years back. When he approached the sister to tell her that God had revealed to him that she would be his wife, the sister went ballistic. She shunned him and sent him away from her house. Out of embarrassment and multiple insults, the brother left it in the hands of God. Today, that brother, now a pastor, is married to the sister, also a pastor. Along the way, God touched the sister’s heart and everything changed.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: God can touch people's heart and they will volunteer to help you without you asking for help.

PRAYER: Father, we pray for every believer having interview this week that you will touch the heart of their interviewer.

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

twitter@BroOluwatoki

REJOICE, IT IS NOT LOST

MEMORY VERSE: He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. Matthew 10:39

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Thessalonians 4 – 2 Thessalonians 1

A high ranking military officer once bought a slave boy. This boy was God - fearing, well behaved, reliable, and respectful. Everyone around him – his master, his master’s wife, his master’s children, his master’s friend, other slaves, – loved him. Because of his diligence and integrity, his master put him in charge of his business. One day, his master’s wife invited him to fornicate with her but he refused. Mrs. Potiphar kept on disturbing Joseph but he did not give in. One day, she grabbed Joseph and that one ran away leaving his jacket in her hands. When Mr Potiphar returned, she reported him and Joseph was cast into prison.

Joseph lost all for the sake of righteousness (Genesis 39:6-20). Because he refused to sin against God and fornicate with Mrs. Potiphar he lost everything. There are many like Joseph today who have lost all for the sake of Christ. Sister, have you lost a man, a potential husband, because you wanted to please God? He wanted to engage in sex before marriage but you said no, because of that, he left you for another lady. Have you lost a well-paid job in one of the big banks in the country because you wanted to live a life of holiness? The managing director wanted you to wear short skirts and tight blouse to attract male customers, but you refused and as a result of that he terminated your contract. Brother, have you lost business contracts because you upheld godly standards? Friend, have you lost family and friends because you converted to Christianity? Matthew 10:39 says, “He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.” Friend, whatsoever you have lost for the sake of Christ or gospel, you will get them back. Peter said to Jesus:“behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore? (Matthew 19:27)”. Jesus assured him that he would receive everything back in hundredfold, and also inherit everlasting life (Matthew 19:29).

Friend, God restored all that Joseph lost as a result of living a life of righteousness (Genesis 41:44-46). Not only that, God gave him more. He went from prison to become a prime minister; from Potiphar's slave to become Pharaoh's father (Genesis 45:8); from a single brother to become a married man with children; from zero to become a national hero. To crown it up, God re-united him with his father and beloved brother, Benjamin. What a wonderful God! I do not know what you have lost for the sake of Christ; I do not know what you have given up for the sake of the gospel; one thing i know is God will restore all back and much more. You may have missed opportunities because you fear God but i want to assure you that better and bigger opportunities are coming your way. David had the opportunity to kill Saul and inherit his throne; he did not because he feared God. Few years later, without fighting or killing anyone, God gave him the throne.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Whatsoever you have lost because of Christ and the gospel is an investment into your future.

PRAYER: Father, help me never to disappoint you.

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

twitter@BroOluwatoki

“FOR YE ARE BOUGHT”

MEMORY VERSE: for ye are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s. 1 Corinthians6:20

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Thessalonians 1-3

Paul said, “For ye are bought with a price”. The question is from who? According to Galatians 3:13, you and I were redeemed from the curse of the Law. Prior to our purchase, we were under the bondage of the law, sin, Satan and the world. Our master used to be Satan. Not only that, everything we owned used to be in his hands. Our future, plans, marriage, home, business, just name it, were in his hands. We basically existed at his mercy. The next question is who bought us? Jesus Christ. Galatians 4:4-5 says, “But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the Law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of Sons.” What currency was used and how much was paid? We were bought not with gold and silver, but with the precious blood of Christ. Ephesians 1:7 says, “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.”

1 Corinthians 6:20 says, “For ye are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”Friend, you belong to Christ. I belong to Christ. We belong to Christ because He bought us with His precious blood. We are His property. Serving Him is no longer an option but compulsory. You cannot miss church service because you are tired. You do not miss work because you are tired. You cannot sit at home because you do not feel like going to church. You do not sit at home because you do not feel like going to work. Whether you are in the mood or not, you go to work. So whether you are in the mood or not, you must go to church. The devil does make people feel like not going to church so that they will not hear God’s word. God owns our body and spirit. According to 1 Corinthians 6:15, our bodies are members of Christ. As such, we are expected to glorify Christ in our bodies. Young brother In Christ, why are you ‘sagging?’ The top of your trousers or jeans is always below your waist, sometimes revealing much of your underwear. Is Christ glorified in your body when you ‘sag?’ NO! That body is not yours so you cannot wear anything you like on it. You cannot bleach your skin because it is the property of Christ. As a believer, you cannot draw tattoos on your body. Even if the tattoo is a cross sign, do not draw it. Even if it is ‘Jesus with a crown’ tattoo, it is forbidding. When a man replaces his natural tooth with a gold tooth, is Christ glorified in that? Friend, Christ is not glorified in your body when you do body modification. Why do you want a horn when you are not a cattle or goat? Why do you want a cat’s eyes when you are not a cat? Is Christ glorified in all these? NO! He gave you that skin color for a reason, so do not bleach it.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Every part of your body was given to you for a reason so appreciate it.

PRAYER: Father, help me to always seek your glory alone.

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

twitter@BroOluwatoki

“SALUTE URBANE, OUR HELPER IN CHRIST”

MEMORY VERSE: Salute Urbane, our helper in Christ, and Stachys my beloved. Romans 16:9

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Philippians 3 – Colossians 4

In Paul’s epistle to the church in Rome, he spoke about Justification, Salvation, Baptism and other biblical doctrines. Towards the end of his letter, he sent personal greetings to some brothers and sisters in the church. In his greetings, he mentioned their names and said something brief about them. Today we will look at Bro Urbane. Romans 16:9 says, “Salute Urbane, our helper in Christ, and Stachys my beloved.” Paul did not say much about this brother like he did in the case of Priscilla and Aquila and other brethren. His age, surname, past, background, origin, financial status, employment status, immigration status, etc was not mentioned. When it comes to serving in the vineyard of God, friend, your age, surname, past, background, etc, does not matter. You do not have to be rich or young to serve in the vineyard of God. Even as a granny, you can still serve in one department or the other in the church. You can be the children Sunday school teacher or a greeter. Friend, your children are not too young to serve in the vineyard of God. How lovely will it be to see a six year old boy or girl singing with the choir?

Paul could only find four words, ‘Our Helper in Christ’, to describe this brother and those words speak volume. Who is a helper? The-Free-Dictionary describes a helper as a person who contributes to the fulfillment of a need or furtherance of an effort or purpose. From this definition, we conclude that Bro Urbane contributed to the fulfillment of a/the need in the church of God. Any time the church in Rome was in need, Bro Urbane would come to the church's rescue. When they need someone to clean the church, Bro Urbane would volunteer himself. When they need someone to go and pick up a visiting pastor from the airport or garage, Bro Urbane would volunteer himself. This brother was not a bench warmer. He was an asset to his pastor, denomination and Christ. Many a times when most of the members miss mid week service, Bro Urbane will be at church. This brother also contributed to the furtherance of several efforts to establish the church. When the church was trying to buy a building, Bro Urbane was part of those who contributed. When the church was trying to organize their anniversary, Bro Urbane did everything he could to make the anniversary a success. His wife must have decorated the church free of charge. His children must have joined the children Choir to sing at the anniversary. All these they did so that the Lord will not be put to shame in the life of their pastor and ministry. So every time his pastor wrote to Apostle Paul, he would say, “Please thank God for the life of brother Urbane, pray for him and his family because they are an asset to the church.” When Paul was writing to the church in Rome, he remembered all Bro Urbane had contributed towards the growth of the church in Rome and wrote: “Salute Urbane, our helper in Christ” (Romans 16:9).

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: If your pastor or leader were to describe you in four words, what would it be?

PRAYER: Father, help me to be an asset in your vineyard.

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

twitter@BroOluwatoki