“AND THE EYES OF THEM BOTH WERE OPENED” (TO OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN COURTSHIP)

MEMORIZE: And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. Genesis 3:7

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Amos 7-9, Proverbs 31

When God created Adam, He put him in charge of all He had created and also gave him a commandment. Genesis 2:16 says, “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” When God provided Eve for Adam, he told her about God’s commandment and both happily kept the commandment. Although they were both physically naked, they didn't notice it because they were covered in God's glory. The glory of God functions like a light that lightens a thing. Revelations 21:23 says this: “and the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.” Eve looked beautiful to her husband because she was covered head to toe in God’s glory. Adam looked radiant to his wife because he was covered in God’s glory too.

One day Satan tricked Eve and she ate the forbidden fruit. She then gave it to her husband who also took a bite and something happened. Genesis 3:7 says, “And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.” Almost immediately after they broke the commandment and ate of the tree, God’s glory that covered them like a garment departed. Adam looked at himself and suddenly found that he was naked. He looked at Eve and saw her naked too. He began to see all the imperfections in her. The same thing happened to Eve, she suddenly realized that Adam wasn't that great. To hide their shame i.e. nakedness, they both got leaves and covered themselves. Within a short while, the blame game began (Genesis 3:11-14). Adam, who was now very much aware of the imperfections in his wife, began to blame her for his problems. After the blame game began, hatred, envy, jealousy, and other negative emotions entered into the equation.

This is exactly what happens when two people in courtship fall into fornication. Before falling into sin, the sister would look like an angel to the brother. The brother would look like a diamond to the sister. The moment they both fall into sin, each of them would begin to see the faults, weakness, in the other person. Why? Because, God’s glory has departed. Shame comes into the equation and the blame game starts. The courtship turns into a burden and both no longer feels comfortable again. After repenting, confessing to the elders of the church, serving punishments, it will still take the mercies of God for the departed glory to return. Even if God restores His glory and the courtship continues, it will never be as it was before the 'fornication.' This is why i want to appeal to you, in courtship or as a single person, to keep yourself and ensure you don’t fall into sin. The moment you begin to allow that brother, you are ‘courting,’ to touch you in inappropriate places, the glory of the Lord will begin to fade away and your nakedness i.e. imperfections will start to show.

NOTE: if you keep yourself before marriage your partner will respect you after marriage.

PRAYER POINT: Father, please keep our brothers and sisters in courtship from falling.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

THE SCULPTOR AND THE ABANDONED LOG OF WOOD

MEMORIZE: And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valour. Judges 6:12

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Amos 4-6, Proverbs 30

One day, a sculptor, whilst taking a stroll in the forest, found a log of wood. The wood was dry and very heavy. From his observation, the wood had been there for a while.  “An abandoned log of wood,” he thought to himself. As he stood observing the wood, he saw some potential in the wood. “A beautiful lion could be carved out of this abandoned wood!” he said joyfully. He went home, got his chisel, hammer, file, and other sculpturing tools and returned to carve out the beautiful piece he had seen. Whilst working on the wood to bring out the beautiful piece, which is a lion, he strikes a blow and suddenly a large chunk of the wood falls away. Frustrated and disappointed, he decided to abandon the project and return home. Before leaving, he took one last glance at what was left and he saw another potential in it. A beautiful eagle, although small, could be carved out of what is left, so he started work again. He strikes another blow and half of the wood falls off. “There is nothing left in this wood,” he thought to himself. Determined to create something out of the tiny wood left, he created a rat out of what was left.

In my story, the ‘sculptor’ is the almighty God. He is the master sculptor. You see when a sculptor wants to carve out something; he looks at a piece of wood and begins to see what nobody else can see in it. Each time God looks at a man or a woman, regardless of his or her current condition, He sees something beautiful that could come out of the individual by the time He is done. He looked at Rahab, a prostitute in Jericho, and He saw a good housewife in her. He worked on her and she became the great grandmother of Kind David (Matthew 1:5). He looked at Gideon, a man who had lost confidence in himself, and saw a mighty man of valour. Judges 6:12 says, “And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.” He worked on him and Gideon became a leader. We, you and i, are the abandoned log of wood the Sculptor found. The Lord has begun work on us to bring out a beautiful piece – the best we can be in Him. The blows, in the form of pressures, challenges, etc, are ‘coming’ to deal with things that are hindering us from realizing our potential in Christ. The blows are not always pleasant but they are necessary to help us realize our potential. As God is working on you, don’t fall part. Don’t allow the challenges and pressure push you to sin. Someone asked, “Why can’t God restore all that an individual has lost through sexual sins?” If God restores all that is lost through sexual sins including one’s dignity, and honour, how would others learn? Besides, there are things God don’t give, you have to earn them. God will not give you people’s trust or respect. You have to earn them. God may restore the spiritual gifts you have lost but your dignity, people’s trust in you, the respect they have for you, especially as a minister in the vineyard of God, is gone forever. No matter how much God uses you after that, people will always refer to the past and that kills one's morale. Therefore, do everything not to fall. The wood, which a large chunk of it fell off as a result of challenges in the form of blows, represents backsliders or believers who slide back into the world as a result of life challenges. If they return to Christ, God will still continue to work on them but they may never become God's best .Nevertheless, they will still become something. I will rather become God's best than become something ordinary. This is why you must not joke with your salvation. To backslide once is enough to set a man back in his spiritual walk.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY:  A man does not know what he has until he has lost it. Life outside Christ is full of heartache

PRAYER POINT: Father, please keep me till the end.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

“JUDGE NOT ACCORDING TO THE APPEARANCE”

MEMORIZE: Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment. John 7:24

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Amos 1- 3, Proverbs 29

What does it mean to judge? According to Merriam- Webster dictionary, to judge means to form an opinion about (something or someone) after careful thought or to regard (someone) as either good or bad. John 7:24 says this: “Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.” Don’t base your opinion about someone on appearance only. Why? There are people who are pure outwardly but inwardly they are rotten. For instance, the daughters of Lot. They came across as good, well mannered girls with decent upbringing. The bible even records in Genesis 19:8 that they were yet to know a man. For a lady to keep herself in a city like Sodom and Gomorrah, you would think that they are angels. By the time we get to Genesis 19:30-38, we see these girls arranging to make their father drunk so as to lie with him and make babies. Their excuse was “our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth” (Genesis 19:31). Do you know these innocent looking girls made their father drunk and lay with him to have babies? Although they were virgins - pure outwardly, inwardly they were rotten and wicked. Another reason why you can’t judge by appearance alone is that, there are people who only clean the outside and live the inside dirty. A typical example of these set of people are the Pharisees. All they talk about is the outward appearance whilst neglecting the inward parts. They walk like saints but deep inside they are wicked. This is what Jesus had to say about them, “woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye are like unto whited sepulchers which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones , and of all uncleanness” ( Matthew 23:27). Another reason why you must not judge by appearance is because there a lot of wolves in sheep’s clothing. Jesus said, “beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly they are ravening wolves” (Matthew 7:15).

This brings us to the question, what and what are we to base our opinion about someone on? Or how can we judge righteously? Firstly, base your opinion about people on the fruits they are producing. Matthew 7:16 says this: “Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?” You can only tell a tree by fruits not its branches or leaves. If someone calls himself a Christian and he is inviting you to late night parties, you know that one is not a genuine Christian. If someone calls himself a prophet and he is committing adultery, you know that one is an adulterer not a prophet of God. Might I ask, what type of fruit are you producing? Is it bitterness? Resentment? Hatred? Envy? Jealousy? Back biting? Or the fruits of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)? Secondly, base your opinion about people on their words. Thank God for the Spirit of God inside us. The moment a fellow says something and it is not right, you sense it in your spirit that something is not right. Luke 6:45 says this: “ a good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.” Many say things that are not befitting for a believer and claim that they were only joking. Proverbs 4:23 says, “keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” The content of the heart flows out through the mouth. No matter how much people pretend one way or the other their words always give them away. This is why you must listen carefully to people when they talk.

ACTION: Watch out for wolves in sheep's clothing. Remember, only the spirit of God can help you detect them.

PRAYER POINT: Father, please give me the gift of discernment.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

WHAT YOU LOOSE WHEN YOU FORNICATE OR COMMIT ADULTERY

MEMORIZE: And he said, what pledge shall i give thee? And she said, Thy Signet, and thy bracelets, and thy staff that is in thine hand. And he gave it her, and came in unto her, and she conceived by him. Genesis 38:18

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Thessalonians 5 – 2 Thessalonians 3, Proverbs 28

BIBLE STUDY: Genesis 38:14-23

In our message titled: “price of adultery and fornication,” I shared six things that happens when a man or woman falls into the sin of adultery or fornication. The first thing that happens when a believer falls into the sin of adultery or fornication is that the hedge around him or her i.e. God's protection is broken. Secondly, he or she loses his organ of vision – am talking of spiritual eyes now. Dreaming dreams and seeing vision becomes almost impossible. Thirdly, the fellow goes down spiritually. Praying becomes difficult, fasting becomes difficult, bible studies become boring, winning souls becomes a hard task, etc. Fourthly, the enemy grabs the fellow and takes him or her to the headquarters of demons to torture him or her spiritually. Fifthly, the fellow loses his freedom. Finally, life becomes a struggle.

From studying Genesis 38:14-23, we observed that Judah parted away with three ‘valuable’ things when he fornicated with that prostitute. The prostitute took his Signet, his bracelets and his staff. Each of these items stood for something and we will briefly look at that. Firstly, she took his Signet. Ancient kings use signet rings to designate authority or honour. A signet contained an emblem unique to the king. Official documents or sensitive documents are sealed with a dollop of soft wax impressed with the king’s signet, usually kept on a ring of his finger. Such a seal certified the document as genuine, much like a notary public’s stamp today. Signets stands for a man’s honour and integrity. The first thing you lose when you fall into the sin of fornication or adultery is your honour, integrity, dignity and respect. The fellow you sinned with may still treat you with respect because of other things they want to get from you but deep within them, they see you as a fellow who cannot be trusted. What many ladies especially the youths do not know is that, the moment a man knows you carnally, he will tell his friends and all the respect you have earned disappears. You will become a subject of discussion when he is with his friends. Secondly, she took his bracelets. The bracelets stood for his jewels or priced possessions. The second thing you lose when you fall into the sin of fornication or adultery is your priced possessions - tangible and intangible. One loses spiritually gifts, anointing, glorious future, to mention a few. Lastly, she took his staff. Staffs represent authority or power. The third thing you lose when you fall into this terrible sin is your authority – authority over demons, circumstances, people, and so on. Matthew 8:18 says, “verily i say unto you, whatever you bound on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatever you lose on earth shall be lose in heaven.” The moment you fall into the sin of fornication or adultery, you lose your authority to bind and lose. Some brothers went to deliver a particular sister who was possessed by a demon. Whilst trying to cast the demon out, the demon spoke through the lady and said, pointing at a particular brother, “you are not fit to bind me because you are a fornicator.” The brother was disgraced in public by a demoniac. Judah entered the prostitute’s house full and left empty. When you study the chapter closely, you will observe that he lost these things permanently not temporarily. Because, by the time his friend, Hirah, returned to redeem his pledge and take back what he had given to the prostitute, she was gone. Even when Tamar, the prostitute, presented his signet, bracelets and staff as the belongings of the man who got her pregnant, he could not reclaim it. All he did was acknowledge that they were his and kept quiet.

THOUGHTS OF THE DAY: Have you wondered why that wicked girl did not ask for his signet alone or his staff alone? She asked for those three items to finish him. She did that to empty him of whatever is good in his life.

NOTE: God is able to restore anyone who has fallen into the fornication and adultery. You may have lost your respect, dignity, possession, authority but at least, you will not end up in hell if you repent. God is merciful, if you really repent and cry to Him you may get your authority over demons back. He may even restore some of your spiritual gifts but your respect and dignity is gone. The stain will always be there. This is the main reason why you should run from anything that appears as sin.

PRAYER POINT: Father, please help me never to fall into the sin of adultery or fornication.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

HELP OF THE HELPLESS

MEMORIZE: But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped Him. Mark 5:6

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Thessalonians 3 -4, Proverbs 27

BIBLE STUDY: Mark 5:1-19

It is a terrible thing to be alone. It is so bad, even God – Creator of Heaven and Earth, said, “it is not good that the man should be alone (Genesis 2:18).” There is a very big difference between being alone and being lonely. Do you know that one can be in the midst of people and still be alone? It is possible for one to be married and still be alone. There are a lot of married people who are alone. It is possible to live under the same roof with your partner, sleep in the same room, on the same bed, with your partner by your side and still be alone. To be alone is bad, but worse than being alone is being helpless. To be helpless according to Merriam-Webster dictionary means not being able to defend one’s self or being unable to make a situation better/ easier.

The moment we hear the word ‘helpless’, what comes to mind is ‘impotence’, ‘stagnancy’, ‘being stuck’, ‘regression’, ‘weak’, ‘sorrow’, and so on. In our bible study, we read about a man who was totally helpless. A legion demon – over 6,000 demons, decided to turn his body into their residence. They seized him and began to do what they pleased with him. These evil forces drove him out his home to live among tombs. When friends and families caught him and tied him up to help him, he broke the chains and ran away. In broad day light, these forces made him to take off his clothes and walk around naked. (This they did to disgrace him in public). At times, they made him pick up sharp objects and cut himself with it. When there was no sharp object around, he would use stones to cut himself. Imagine the pains he was going through.  These forces, far more powerful and stronger than him, were causing him to destroy his body. The forces inside him were making him to do things he would not normally do. There are many like this man today who are helpless in one area or the other. They have terrible bad habits they want to stop but they can't because they powerless. There are many who do a lot of shameful things – things they do in the secret, they have tried to stop but they can’t. It is as if something is pushing them to do these things. The moment that thing pushes them, that is it. They have tried everything possible – been to doctors, tried to use will power, psyche themselves and nothing seems to be working. For some it is anger, once they become angry they turn into another thing. They lose control of themselves, do and say terrible things – things they would later regret when they calm down. For some it is a habit like smoking and drinking. They can’t do without smoking marijuana daily. They know the side effects of these habits and want to stop but they just can't. For some it is looking at nude pictures. This man knew within himself that except God comes to his rescue, these demons would destroy him. Actually he was on the path to destruction. For some it is their body. They don’t have control over it at all. The moment the urge to sin comes, that is it. Some of what they do when the urges come, they cannot share it with a living soul even their pastor. They have battled these urges unsuccessfully. Helpless as this mad man was, he saw Jesus and he did something i want you to do if you find yourself in a position where you are helpless. Mark 5:6 says, “But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped Him.” Friend, run to Jesus today before that urge destroys you. He is ready save you.

THOUGHTS OF THE DAY: This man did not pretend when he saw Jesus. He did not act as if all is well when actually all is not well. He did not try to cover his weakness from Jesus. He ran to Him and worshipped Him.  

ACTION: The Help of the helpless is still very much alive. What He did thousands of years ago, He is still doing them today and He will do it for you too. Start by worshipping Him before asking Him to help. Run to Him now!

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

GET IT THROUGH THE RIGHT MEANS

MEMORIZE: As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatchet them not; so he that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool. Jeremiah 17:4

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Thessalonians 1-2, Proverbs 26

God wants us, His children, to prosper. I marvel when people say, "No rich man will make heaven." Does that mean Father Abraham did not make heaven? According to Genesis 13:2, he was rich in cattle, silver and gold. If rich people will not make heaven that means Isaac, Jacob, David and other men who were mightily blessed by God- especially in the area of finance - did not make heaven. That is a lie from the pit of hell! Abraham was rich and he made heaven. 2 Corinthians 8:9 says, “for ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.” God is delighted when His children prosper. Psalm 35:27 says this: “let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favor my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.” Can you see that? God has pleasure in the prosperity of His children. God does not want you to prosper alone; He wants you to have good health with it. 3 John 2 says, “beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.”

However, how you get your wealth is very important. Some got their wealth from selling drugs like marijuana, cocaine, heroin, etc. Some got it by importing and selling fake drugs. Some got it by rebranding expired drugs and selling them. Some got it through money rituals. Some got it through internet fraud and sending fake emails and all sorts. Some got it through prostitution and keeping sugar dad or sugar mummy also known as friends with benefits. Some got it through stealing from the government also known as embezzlement. Some got it by selling their babies – what a wicked world! Some got it genuinely, by being diligent in their business or in their calling – profession or ministry. How one gets wealth is important because of the repercussion of getting wealth through illegal or ungodly means. Jeremiah 17:4 says, “As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatchet them not; so he that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool.”

It is unfortunate that we live in a world where how you get wealth does not really matter. How you get your wealth may not matter to man but it matters to God. The Lord said this in Jeremiah 17:10, “I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.” How you get wealth is very important. You do not need to do anything funny to get rich. According to Deuteronomy 8:18, the power to get wealth comes from God. As far as you are diligent and faithful in the payment of your tithes, you will prosper. Do not cut your life short all because you want to drive a Range Rover or BMW X6.  Whatever it is you are doing, maintain your integrity. Let your ‘yes’ be ‘yes’ and your ‘no’ be ‘no’. Do not put your hands into a dirty business all because you want to make fast bucks. Short cuts they say cut the life of those who use it short! Avoid selling fake insurance premiums. Avoid illegal business dealings. Avoid anything that will cause people to say, "And you call yourself a Christian."

QUESTION: What is the point of getting all that wealth and when the time to enjoy it comes; one is nowhere to be found?

PRAYER POINT: Father, please empower me financially so i can sponsor crusades and revivals.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

REMEMBER NOW THY CREATOR

MEMORIZE: remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them. Ecclesiastes 12:1

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Philippians 3-4, Proverbs 23

Ecclesiastes 12:1 says this: “remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them.” The word ‘remember’ implies that there is a tendency to forget. “Remember now thy creator,” implies there is a tendency to forget one’s Creator. As of today, many have forgotten their Creator. When they were looking for the fruit of the womb, they never missed any church service. Now that God has answered their prayer, they only come on Sundays. When some brothers were looking for employment, they never missed Monday bible studies. Now that they are gainfully employed, they no longer attend bible studies. Bro So and So, we did not see you on Monday, hope nothing? “Oh, I finished late from work these days,” is the response you will get. When some were processing their visa to relocate to another country, they never missed Friday prayer meetings. They could pray for an hour nonstop, but now in the country they relocated to, they do not even attend church. They work Monday to Sunday – looking for earthly things that will perish one day. When some single sisters were looking up to God for a marriage partner, they never missed choir practice. They were the first to get to church and the last to leave, but now that God has brought the brother the story has changed. Sister So and So, we did not see you at choir practice. "You know I am now married, I have to iron, clean and cook," is the response you will get.

When are you to remember your Creator? The bible says, "Now!" There are three seasons in a man’s life. There is the past, the present and the future. We have no control over the past because it is gone. There is nothing any man can do to bring back the past. The past is gone and gone for good. You cannot remember your Creator in the past. You cannot also remember your Creator in the future because you are not guaranteed of the future. Jesus Christ could return at anytime. However, one thing you have control over is the present. This is why the bible says, “Remember ‘now’ thy Creator…” Why the word ‘Creator’? Why not ‘remember now the Holy One of Israel,’ since your Creator is also the Holy One of Israel? Why not ‘remember now the Ancient of Days,’ since the Ancient of Days is your Creator? Why not ‘remember now the Lion of the Tribe of Judah or the I Am THAT I AM,’ since all these are God’s names? The author used the word ‘Creator’ for several reasons but I will tell you one today. The only One who can break you is the One who created you. The Lord said, “see now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is thy any that can deliver out of my hand” (Deuteronomy 32:39). Just as He has the power to make you, He also has the power to break you. He decided to make you, at any time if He so wish, He can break you and to make it worse, no one can question Him. If you forget Him and say, “I don’t care,” He will put you where you belong. If you do not believe me, ask Nebuchadnezzar - one of the greatest emperors that ever lived. God turned him into an animal because of his pride. I pray that will never be your portion in Jesus name. What do I do, I don't want to forget my Creator? Get closer to Him. The farther you are from Him, the higher the chances of you forgetting Him. Have a prayer altar where you meditate on His word and pray daily. Psalm 119:11 says, “thy word have I hid in mine, that I might not sin against thee.” His word reminds us of Him. Set out time, at least once a week, to spend quality time with Him. Praise Him regularly. It is impossible to forget someone you are always praising. Regularly reflect on His goodness and thank Him for that. Tell people about Him i.e. evangelise.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Your sole purpose on earth is to please your Creator. According to Revelations 4:11, He created you for His pleasure. Is He pleased with your life? When was the last time, you told someone about Jesus? When was the last time you sat down and reflected on His goodness?

PRAYER POINT: Father, please help me never to forget you.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.