WHO IS BACKING YOU MATTERS

MEMORY VERSE: David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee. 1 Samuel 17:37

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: James 4-5

BIBLE READING: 1 Samuel 17:1- End

In 1 Samuel 17:8- 11, Goliath stood and challenged the armies of Israel. Verse 10 says, “And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.” Why is he able to do this? It is simple. He had his four brothers – also giants – behind him (2 Samuel 21:15-22). Not only that, he had the whole nation behind him cheering him and backing him up. David, on other hand, had no one behind him except God. His brothers didn’t believe in him; King Saul politely advised him that he was not good enough. 1 Samuel 17:37 says, “David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.” David fought Goliath and killed him. There are several lessons we can learn from this story. Firstly, the fact that men are backing you does not guarantee victory. The reason is those that backed you today can decide to turn against you tomorrow. Those who shouted “Hosanna! Hosanna!’ to Jesus were the same bunch who shouted crucify Him! Crucify Him! Also, the fact that you don't have a backing does not translate into failure. After all, no one backed David yet he defeated Goliath. 

Secondly, who is backing you matters. Why? The amount of help or support you can expect  will be determined by who is backing you. Also, the fellow backing you  will only take you as far as he has gone. He can only take you to a height he has reached. He can only give what he has; what he doesn't have he can't give. Imagine getting marriage counselling from someone who is single or someone who is divorced. If i were you, i will look for someone whose marriage has worked by God's grace and is still working. You will only stand as long as the fellow backing you is standing. If he falls, God have mercy. The one backing you will determine how high or how far you will go in life. He will determine how high you will be promoted. The chairman of an organization can decide to make you his deputy -that's how high he can take you - but a team leader can only help you to become, at most, a supervisor under him. 

 Thirdly, the fact that something has never been done before does not mean it can’t be done. No one had ever defeated Goliath before and as such, no one knew his weakness. Because he had never been beaten before, no one knew how to beat him. The fact that no one you know has ever passed that particular exam does not mean you can’t be the first. God’s presence in your life cancels out all other factors that could work against you. David didn’t know how to use a sword and a shield yet he conquered Goliath. He never received any form of military training yet he prevailed over Goliath. The presence of the Lord makes all the difference. A lot blame their short stature or round stature or other things for the reason why they are still single. Only if I was slimmer… Only if I was taller…etc. All you need is God’s presence and His favor.  

NOTE: God will only back His children. If you have not given your life to Christ you better do so now. Also, He won't back a thief. If you have been stealing from Him through tithes and offering you better restitute your ways. 

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

“AND CHOSE HIM FIVE SMOOTH STONES”

MEMORY VERSE: And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.  1 Samuel 17:40

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Deuteronomy 10-12

In 1 Samuel 17 is one of the most popular stories – if not the most popular - in the world: the story of David and Goliath. It is a story of good conquering evil. It is a story of possibilities.The story is about a little boy who took on a big man and defeated him. David was a little shepherd boy. One day his aged father, Jesse, sent him to the battlefield to deliver some food supplies to his brothers who were fighting alongside Saul. When he got there, he saw this big strong giant challenging the armies of Israel. 1 Samuel 17:8- 10 says, “And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me. If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us. And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.” The giant’s name was Goliath. He was a Philistine. He was an undefeated champion as such no one knew his weakness. His voice terrified everyone; his presence caused everyone to run. He was a terror! On hearing his boastful words, David decided to take him on. The small man, an ordinary civilian, a youth with no military experience, decided to take on the big tall man – probably the tallest in the word at that time - a war veteran, a decorated soldier. 

David and Goliath stepped forward. Goliath came dressed for war. He wore a bronze helmet, an impenetrable coat of mail, and shin armour on his legs. David wore a simple shepherd’s cloth made of wool. Goliath came with a massive javelin, a sword strapped to his sheath and the widest shield available – so big that he employed someone to carry it for him. David on the other hand came with a sling and 5 stones. 1 Samuel 17:40 says, “And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.” David chose "five" stones not "six" or "four". Why? The number 5 symbolizes God’s grace, goodness and favour toward humans. As Goliath drew near to him, he took one of the stones and slung it, and it struck Goliath, sinking to his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth. David took Goliath’s sword and cut off Goliath’s head. David accomplished in hours what others could not accomplish in forty days using five stones (grace). To accomplish what others could not accomplish, whether in ministry or in your personal life, you need the grace of God. To do the impossible, you need the grace of God. David with the five stones proved the doubter’s wrong. Friend, you will need the grace of God to proof the doubters wrong. It is not enough to be a Christian. After all, there were several Israelites that day but none could take on Goliath except the brother with the grace (Brother David). To come into a team and make so much impact in a very short time takes the grace of God. That’s exactly what happened to David. Within few hours of arriving at the battle front, Goliath was already on the floor. David did not pick anyhow stones. He carefully selected five smooth stones. Why? God only uses smooth stones not rough ones. You see, a stone is rough by nature but the ones David chose had been worked on. Those stones had weathered the storm. Rain had fallen on them. They had been kicked about as a result of human activities. They had been through a lot and as a result, all the rough edges had been eroded away. The Most High God will not use a rough man to bring down Goliath. He will always use a smooth stone – a man He has trained and worked on. 

QUESTION: What kind of stone are you? A rough one? Or a smooth one? Have you laid your life so that He can work on you or you are busy running after things?

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

YOU SHALL HAVE WHAT YOU CONFESS

MEMORY VERSE: For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. Matthew 12:37

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Acts 13-14

We live in a “word” world/ planet. This planet was framed by the “word of God”. Hebrews 11:3 says, “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” Whatever God spoke came to pass. Genesis 1:3 says, “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.” Genesis 1:9 says, “And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.” If you read through the account of creation, Genesis 1, after you read, “And God said,” you will read, “and it was so”. What God says happens! If He said it, you can bank on it. For instance, He said in His word,” Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings” (Isaiah 3:10). Whether the devil likes it or not, it shall be well with you because the Most High said so. He says in Isaiah 54:15: “Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.” Because He said so, you can bank on it. In Genesis 1, the Most High God used His words (spiritual things that are not seen) to create the physical universe (natural things that are seen). The Most High God created man to operate the same way He operates. Man was supposed to use his words to accomplish God's plan by being fruitful, multiplying, replenishing, subduing , and taking dominion over the Earth ( Genesis 1:26,28). After the fall of man, his nature changed but the mandate from God remained the same so did the power of his words. Whatever man spoke still had the power to determine his destiny and affect the destiny of everything around him – whether he served God or the devil, whether he spoke words of life or words of death.

Words are the most powerful things on this Earth. They can change and rearrange anything – for good or for evil. Matthew 12:37 says, “For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.” Because of the value of words, every man will give account of every idle word he spoke. Matthew 12:36 says, “But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.” Watch your words, asides from the fact that they can hurt people, you will give account to God one day. Just as God's words (spiritual things that are not seen) created the physical universe (natural things that are seen), you own words too (spiritual things that are not seen) will create things ( natural things that are seen). I heard the story of a man who always joked that the tiny growth on his face was cancer. "Na cancer o my brother " meaning it is cancer my brother , was his response whenever people ask what the little growth on his face was. Several years later, he was diagnosed with cancer and he died. Watch what you call yourself. There was a man who used to call himself “Mr Popular”. He began to call himself “Mr Popular” from a tender age. Forty years later, he became very popular. So popular that wherever he went, within minutes people will fall in love with him and want to be his friends and sometimes do business with him. You will always have what you say or confess. The woman with the issue of blood said, “If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole (Matthew 9:21). When she touched the hem of Jesus' garment she was made whole as she prophesied. David told Goliath, i will kill you and cut off your head (1 Samuel 17). When he said so, all he had on him was a staff, a sling and five stones. That’s all he had, but Goliath had a big sword, shield, and all the military gear. What happened? David cut of his head as he had confessed.

NOTE: What God hears you say is what He is going to do for you. Numbers 14:28 says, “Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the LORD, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you.”

ACTION: With your mouth, confess what you want the Lord to do for you in the remaining months of this year.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

WHO IS BACKING YOU MATTERS

MEMORY VERSE: David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee. 1 Samuel 17:37

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: James 4-5

BIBLE READING: 1 Samuel 17:1- End

In 1 Samuel 17:8- 11, Goliath stood and challenged the armies of Israel. Verse 10 says, “And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.” Why is he able to do this? It is simple. He had his four brothers – also giants – behind him (2 Samuel 21:15-22). Not only that, he had the whole nation behind him cheering him and backing him up. David, on other hand, had no one behind him except God. His brothers didn’t believe in him; King Saul politely advised him that he was not good enough. 1 Samuel 17:37 says, “David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.” David fought Goliath and killed him. There are several lessons we can learn from this story. Firstly, the fact that men are backing you does not guarantee victory. The reason is those that backed you today can decide to turn against you tomorrow. Those who shouted “Hosanna! Hosanna!’ to Jesus were the same bunch who shouted crucify Him! Crucify Him! Also, the fact that you don't have a backing does not translate into failure. After all, no one backed David yet he defeated Goliath. 

Secondly, who is backing you matters. Why? The amount of help or support you can expect  will be determined by who is backing you. Also, the fellow backing you  will only take you as far as he has gone. He can only take you to a height he has reached. He can only give what he has; what he doesn't have he can't give. Imagine getting marriage counselling from someone who is single or someone who is divorced. If i were you, i will look for someone whose marriage has worked by God's grace and is still working. You will only stand as long as the fellow backing you is standing. If he falls, God have mercy. The one backing you will determine how high or how far you will go in life. He will determine how high you will be promoted. The chairman of an organization can decide to make you his deputy -that's how high he can take you - but a team leader can only help you to become, at most, a supervisor under him. 

 Thirdly, the fact that something has never been done before does not mean it can’t be done. No one had ever defeated Goliath before and as such, no one knew his weakness. Because he had never been beaten before, no one knew how to beat him. The fact that no one you know has ever passed that particular exam does not mean you can’t be the first. God’s presence in your life cancels out all other factors that could work against you. David didn’t know how to use a sword and a shield yet he conquered Goliath. He never received any form of military training yet he prevailed over Goliath. The presence of the Lord makes all the difference. A lot blame their short stature or round stature or other things for the reason why they are still single. Only if I was slimmer… Only if I was taller…etc. All you need is God’s presence and His favor.  

NOTE: God will only back His children. If you have not given your life to Christ you better do so now. Also, He won't back a thief. If you have been stealing from Him through tithes and offering you better restitute your ways. 

twitter@BroOluwatoki 

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

“AND FOUND HIM SITTING UNDER AN OAK”

MEMORY VERSE: And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem. 2 Samuel 11:1

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Zephaniah

BIBLE READING: 2 Samuel 11:1-5

Imagine the Lord came to you in a dream or in a vision, and instructed you to go to a church nearby and cry against the altar because of the evil that was taken place there. He warned you not to eat or drink there. Immediately, alarm bells will begin to ring in your head. Why on earth would the good Lord warn me against eating there? "Hmm! There must be some kind of danger attached to the food they may want to serve me", you would have thought. " There is poison in the food", you would conclude. As such, whilst you are there you will stay away from food or drink. Not only that, you will keep your mouth shut about the Lord’s instruction not to eat or drink because they may grab you and force feed you.

He also warned you not to return by the way you came. Again you say to yourself, "if the Lord wants me to return by a different route then there must danger along the route". "Someone must be out there to harm me either on my way to the church or on my way back from the church". For this reason, you will keep that information to yourself and not waste time at all. The moment you leave the church, you will run back home. No matter how tired you are, even if you are pressed and you needed to use the toilet, you will not stop until you get home. This was what one would have expected from the young prophet who the Lord sent to Bethel to cry against it (1 Kings 13). On his way back the king invited him to a meal. He turned down the offer, and then went on to divulge the instruction the Lord gave to him. On his way back, he decided to rest under a tree and the enemy caught up with him and tricked him. 1 Kings 13:14 says, “And went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak: and he said unto him, Art thou the man of God that camest from Judah? And he said, I am.” The enemy fed him and he ended up as lunch for a lion. Had it been the young prophet did not wait by the tree, the enemy would not have catch up with him and he would have reached home safely. There is danger in resting before the finish line. There is danger in sitting, by a tree, when one should be walking or if possible running.

When David was meant to be at war fighting the Lord's battle, he stayed back at home and slept. 2 Samuel 11:1 says, “And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem.” Before he woke up, the enemy had strategically positioned a naked woman around him. He saw her and fell into adultery. This is why it is not good to stay at home when you should be in church. The moment Jesus told Peter “That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18), one would have expected Peter to become very careful and watch his words because God has a plan for his life. Actually, it would have been wise for Peter to start praying that the Lord would keep him and the enemy would not succeed over his life. However, Peter continued as usual and before he knew it the devil started speaking through him. Jesus had to rebuke him at a point (Matthew 16:23).

COUNSEL: Friend is the Lord beginning to use you in one capacity or the other? It is not the time to go around boasting. It is a time to start serious prayer. It is one thing to start; it is another thing to finish. Are you beginning to enjoy unusual favour, it is not a time to show off at all. It is a time to start praying for wisdom to manage your relationships. Are your spiritual or physical children beginning to prosper, it is not a time to boast at all. It is a time change your prayer gear into the next level.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

BE DISCREET

MEMORY VERSE: Now there dwelt an old prophet in Bethel; and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel: the words which he had spoken unto the king, them they told also to their father.1 Kings 13:11

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ecclesiastes 3-4

BIBLE READING: Genesis 37:1 -11

The Lord sent a young prophet to Bethel (a town taken over by idol worship) to cry against an altar. He warned him not to eat or drink there. He also warned him not to return by the way he came. The prophet went to the altar in Bethel and cried against it. As God will have it, king Jeroboam was at the altar, burning incense, when the young prophet cried against it. When he heard the words of this prophet, he thrust out his hand and ordered his men to arrest the prophet. The bible says “And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him” (1 Kings 13:4). I pray every hand thrust out against you and your family shall dry up in the mighty name of Jesus, Amen. However, don’t thrust your hand against anyone especially your brothers and sisters in Christ. Also, be careful how you treat God’s ministers. 1 Chronicles 16:22 says, “Saying, touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm”. You can’t attempt to do His prophets harm and succeed. Today, many do His prophets harm by speaking against them or working against them. Please desist from such because the consequences are dire. Anyway, the king apologized and begged the prophet to entreat the Lord on his behalf. The prophet did and the Lord restored his hand.

To show his gratitude, the king decided to host this prophet but he refused. Without being asked, he began to tell the king how the Lord had warned him not eat or drink or return by the way He came. Did the king ask why he didn’t want to eat? I don't know. Was there any need to tell the king that the Lord had warned him neither to eat nor drink in Bethel? NO! A simple “thank you, your honour but I am not eating” would have sufficed. To make matters worse, he related all the Lord told him to the king in the presence of the whole world – in the presence of everyone present at the altar. Friend, you need to be discreet especially when it pertains to spiritual instructions. Not everything the Lord shares with you is for public consumption. You need to watch who you share things with and where you share things the Lord has told you. Proverbs 13:3 says, “He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.” Joseph almost lost his life because he could not keep his mouth shut. He had a dream where he saw his brothers’ sheaves bowing to his sheaf and he told his brothers the dream (Genesis 37). From that day, the brothers began to seek how to terminate his dream.

The prophet learnt to be discreet in a hard way. The sons of an old prophet were present at the altar when he cried against it. When these boys returned home, they related all that happened at the altar to their father. 1 Kings 13:11 says, “Now there dwelt an old prophet in Bethel; and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel: the words which he had spoken unto the king, them they told also to their father.” When the old prophet heard the story, he saddled on a donkey and went after the prophet. Unfortunately, he found him sitting under a tree and invited him back for a meal. At first, he refused but this wicked prophet lied to him that the angel of the Lord had instructed him to invite him for a meal. Without praying or asking God if He wanted him to return to Bethel, he followed the old prophet back home, ate and drank. While he was on his way, after eating at the prophet’s house, a lion met him by the way and killed him.

NOTE: If you are going to have a successful Christian walk you must watch your words.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

“BECAUSE HE GAVE NOT GOD THE GLORY”

MEMORY VERSE: And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost. Acts 12:23

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalms 125-127 

There are certain things God dislikes and one of them is ungratefulness. Ten lepers, in Luke 17:11-19, saw Jesus and began to shout from far, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us”. Jesus heard and told them to go and present themselves to the ‘priests’. The bible records that as they went they were healed. NOTE: the 'priests' in the olden days are the equivalent of the health department today. If you are suffering from any disease that needs to be controlled with medication such as epilepsy, diabetes, heart trouble, high blood pressure, tuberculosis, etc, don’t discontinue such medication until you have gone to show yourself to the priests i.e. doctors, and your cure verified. After they were healed, one of them ( a Samaritan man) returned to give thanks to God. Luke 17:17 says, “And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine?” Jesus was disappointed and unhappy because the other nine were ungrateful. Many of us behave exactly like the nine lepers. Even those of us who think we are grateful don’t thank Him enough for the things He has done. “Thank you Jesus” have you said that today? The nine lepers got healed but the grateful Samaritan was made whole.  

To be ungrateful to both God and man is bad; to share His glory with Him is worse. Isaiah 42:8 says, “I, the LORD, am the one, and I won't give my name and glory to another, nor my praise to idols.” When you share your testimony, do you emphasize on how much you prayed and fasted before God answered? Do you testify about your praying and fasting life or His goodness? Remember, despite all your praying and fasting, He could have decided not to answer and there is nothing anyone can do about it. Worse still is to take His glory and give it another. Jesus healed a man  by the power of the Holy Spirit and the Pharisees attributed the healing to Satan (Matthew 12:22-37). In what ways have you been attributing God’s glory to man? Have you attributed the miraculous provision of your tuition fees whilst you were in high school (God’s kindness) to your uncle? Don’t forget that it is God who gave him the money and also touched his heart, without that he wouldn’t have been able to render the help. Even worse still is to personally take His glory. God prospered Nebuchadnezzar and instead of returning the glory to God, he took it. Daniel 4:30 says, “The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?” He attributed all he had achieved to his might and power; God turned him into an animal for seven years to teach him a lesson. Don’t give His glory to another man. Don’t take His glory. Also, don’t accept His glory when it is being given to you. If you don’t want problems return His glory to Him immediately it is being given to you. The people, in Acts 12:21-23, gave Herod honour that belonged to God and he accepted it. Acts 12:23 says, “And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.” How do you respond when people talk about how powerful you preach? When they talk about how good you can sing, how do you respond? When they talk about your success and achievement, whether in ministry or secular world, what response do you usually give? Don’t accept praises that belong to God. You couldn’t have done that thing without His help. 

NOTE: As God begins to use you to solve problems, meet needs in the church and in your society, bring souls to Christ, people will bring His glory to you. If you want Him to continue to use you, return His glory to Him. 

PRAYER POINT: Father, I promise to always return all glory to you. Please use me to solve the problems in my family and society.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world