HOPE FOR THE REJECTED

MEMORY VERSE: The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. Psalm 118:22

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Gen 10-11

BIBLE READING: John 1:43-50

Nathanael’s response when Philip (his friend) witnessed to him about Jesus of Nazareth (Jesus Christ) was, “can anything good thing come out of Nazareth?” Nathanael,although from Galilee, despised Nazareth. The Pharisees (religious leaders), at that time, disdained it. They rejected Jesus Christ as the Saviour because He came from Nazareth. According to them, no prophet had ever risen out of Galilee (Luke 7:52). Even outsiders called Nazareth a land of Cabul. Hiram King of Tyre, on returning from the twenty unnamed cities of Galilee King Solomon gave to him as a surety for supplying cedar, cypress and gold to build the temple of the Lord, said to Solomon, “what kind of cities are these which you have given me, my brother (1 Kings 9:12-13).” The bible records that he called them the land of Cabul. The name Cabul in Hebrew simply means “good-for-nothing”. Within minutes of meeting with Jesus of Nazareth, Nathanael said: “Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.” The Best had come out of Nazareth!

Friend in Christ, there is hope for you after that rejection. I don’t know who has rejected you; I don’t know what was said to you but one thing I know is there is hope for you. Psalm 118:22 says: “The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.” That little town of Nazareth that no one thought much of became the town of our Lord Jesus Christ. It does not matter who has rejected you, they will come back soon to glorify God in your life. Before the end of this year, in that name that is above every other name (Jesus), you are going to become a surprise. Human builders rejected that stone but God (the Greatest Builder) didn’t. Please don’t tie any result or any material to your sense of worth. The fact that you didn’t do well in that assessment doesn’t mean you are not good enough. A police officer, some years back, killed himself because he failed his Police Sergeant Exams. Why? He tied his sense of worth to the result of an examination. PLEASE, PLEASE and PLEASE, DON’T JUDGE YOURSELF BY ANY RESULT. As far as you have not written yourself off, there is still hope for you. The same God who turned that rejected stone to a head stone is with you. He has done it before and He will go it again.They told Oprah she was unfit for TV but today she owns a TV network. Poiter Syndey in his first audition was told by the casting director, “Why don’t you stop wasting people’s time and go out and become a dishwasher or something?” He later became the first African- American to win an Oscar. Beethoven’s music teacher described him as hopeless. He later became one of the most famous influential of all composers. Frank Winfield Woolworth was told by his dry Store Manager that he didn’t have enough common sense to serve customers. This man later became the founder of F.W. Woolworth Company. Not only that, he also introduced the common practice of buying merchandise from manufacturers and fixing prices on items, rather than haggling. If God can do it for the people of the world, why won’t He do it for you- His child?

CONFESSION: There is hope for me!

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world.

WHAT IS THY NAME?

MEMORY VERSE: And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. Genesis 32:27-28

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Gen 9:1-28

Names are very important in the Bible because names represent the person. Take for instance, the name “Jacob”. It means “holder of the heel” or “supplanter”. If it were to be today, we would have called him a fraudster. He duped anyone dupe-able. Esau, after he was duped said to Isaac (his father),” Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me? (Genesis 27:36)” Names are not just a means of identifying a man; names speak volume about a man’s destiny. The name "Ishmael" means "God hears”. This by implication means a destiny whose success and fulfillment depends on the power of prayers. No wonder when his mother, Hagar, was driven out of Abraham’s house and there was no water for him to drink, God miraculously provided water when he cried. Genesis 21:17- 18 says: “And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is. Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation.” Sadly, Ishmael did not capitalize on this. He stopped praying after that day. I think his descendants must have realized his mistake, hence they pray many times a day today. My surname used to be “Fatoki” (Ifa is worthy to be adored). Ifa is a Yoruba deity. Several years back, God spoke through a minister that my dad should change his surname. He obeyed and chose “Oluwatoki” (God is worthy to be adored). Not many years after he changed his surname, he built his first house. In my personal life, God is indeed worthy to be adored.

Genesis 32:27-28 says: “And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.” What is thy name simply means who are you? Might i ask you the same question this morning, what is thy name? Friend, who are you? Who are you when you are not in church? Who are you when the pastor or brethren from the church are not around? What is your name at work? What is your name when you go out of town? Is it kerb crawler (a person who drives around areas known for street prostitution soliciting prostitutes for sexual activity)? What is your name when you are alone in your room? Is it pornographer? Asides the fat salary, degree, houses and properties, big church title, who are you? When the angel said to Jacob, “what is thy name”, he responded saying “Jacob”. Jacob was the name people – his father, his mother, his brother, friends and family – were calling him. Whenever his father wanted to send him on an errand, he would say “Jacob do this for me”. Whenever his beloved mother wanted him, she would say, “Jacob come here!” Whenever Esau (his brother) wanted to check on him, he would say “Jacob how was your day?” Since everyone was calling him “Jacob”, he assumed that he was indeed a "Jacob". Thank God, the angel challenged that name and changed it. Today, you must challenge the names people have been calling you. Tell them, you are not a “dullard”. You are not who others say you are. Your bank balance does not determine who you are. You may be in red but that does not mean you are poor. You are more than your finances. You are more than you past failures. You may have failed an exam but you are not a failure. You may not have a child today but you are not barren. There is something good about you. You are unique in every way. The people around may not see your uniqueness but you are unique.

NOTE: You are not worthless. You are worth dying for because Jesus died for you! Don’t allow anyone to tell you anything different.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

KNOWN BY HIS NAME(S)

MEMORY VERSE: “And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name the LORD was I not known to them. Exodus 6:31

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Gen 6:9-8:22

God introduces Himself to people in different ways. One of the ways He introduces Himself is through His name. Exodus 6:31 says: “And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name the LORD was I not known to them”. In other words, I introduced Myself to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob by My name God Almighty (the One who is able to fulfill all His purposes, promises and covenant; One whom nothing is impossible with). He introduced Himself, to Abram, as a Protector by His name “Shield”. He introduced Himself, to the Israelite, as Great Physician by His name “the One who heals” (Exodus 15:26).

He introduces Himself to people through His attributes. For instance, He introduced Himself to the Israelite through His attribute, holy (Leviticus 20). In 1 John 4:8, He introduced Himself through His attribute, love. We see Him introducing Himself to Moses through His attributes - merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth (Exodus 34:6). James, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, introduced God to us through His attribute, Generous. James 1:17 says,” Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” Many a time, He goes extra mile to paint a picture of these attributes to us (Psalm 103:11). To help us understand His love, He said “As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem” (Isaiah 66:13). He goes further still to demonstrate this attribute. In John 8:1-11, He took a woman caught in the act of adultery, someone condemned to death by stoning and forgave her. To demonstrate His love, He gave His only son, His Best, for our sins (John 3:16). Jesus demonstrated His love by giving Himself (John 15:13). To demonstrate His generosity, He told Solomon “Ask what I shall give thee” (2 Chronicles 1:7). He introduces Himself to people by telling them what He loves and what He hates. When He wanted to tell us that He is pro-marriage, He said “I hate putting away (divorce)” ( Malachi 2:16). Besides telling us what He hates, He rewards some actions to inform us that He loves them and punishes some actions to tell us He hates them. After warning Nebuchadnezzar repeatedly about his pride, He turned him into an animal for seven years.

NOTE: God has warned many of us through sermons, books, audiotapes, etc, but we have refused to listen. Why not repent before He takes action against you.

PRAYER POINT: Father, please have mercy.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

SOURCES OF PROPHECY

MEMORY VERSE: And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Colossians 3:15

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Gen 6:1-8

The gift of prophecy is manifested when believers SPEAK THE MIND OF GOD, by the INSPIRATION of the HOLY SPIRIT, and not from their own thoughts. There are three ways, the Scripture tells us, in which prophecy ministers to believers: edification (building up), Exhortation (urging on) and comfort (consoling). 1 Corinthians 14:3 says: “But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.”

Prophecies come from three major sources. Firstly, flesh. A lot of the “thus saith the Lord of Hosts” today emanate from the flesh or are informed by personal agendas. Prophesying from the flesh is not new; the Bible is littered with several examples of men who prophesied as led by their flesh. An example of a prophet who prophesied as led by his flesh i.e. out of jealousy can be found in 1 Kings 13.The Lord sent a young brother to Bethel to prophesy against a particular altar. He gave this brother three instructions: You shall not eat bread, nor drink water, nor return by the same way you came (1 Kings 13:9). On his way back from prophesying, an old prophet met him and shouted, “Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, Bring him back with you to your house, that he may eat bread and drink water.” This naive brother said, "yes sir" and went home with him. On his way home after dining and eating with the prophet, a lion mauled him to death. Beware of any prophecy that is not in line with the Word of God. Please ignore any prophecy to do anything contrary to the Scriptures e.g. marry a second wife. A man of God, with a big financial challenge, was praying sometimes back when a "prophet" turned up at his door and said, "God said I should tell you to buy me a car!" What a prophecy! This man of God at that time was struggling to feed his family. He told the prophet, "Tell God I don't have money to buy you a car". The prophet left in shame. A prophecy to sleep with any man other than your husband before you can conceive is not from God.

Secondly, evil spirits or demons. King Ahab wanted to war against Ramoth Gilead so he gathered 400 prophets to prophesy (1 Kings 22). Verse 6 says: “Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall I go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king.” Unknown to him, these prophets were inspired by lying spirits (evil spirits). Thank God for men like King Jehoshaphat - a man with the Spirit of Discernment. He asked King Ahab “is there not here a prophet of the LORD besides that we might enquire of him?” You need the Spirit of Discernment to know the sources of a prophecy. Prophecies that come from evil spirits or demons are usually not in line with the Bible. Thirdly, Holy Spirit. Prophesies from the Holy Spirit are always IN LINE WITH THE BIBLE. Prophecies from God are either strengthening, encouraging or comforting (1 Corinthians 14:3).

NOTE: It is still present today, Christians are certainly given words for one another “in the Lord”, of knowledge or wisdom, and such words can be most refreshing and helpful, but there must be a WITNESS OF THE SPIRIT on the part of the person receiving the words, and extreme caution should be used in receiving any alleged directive or predictive prophecy. Never undertake any project simply because you were told to by presumed prophetic utterances or interpretation of tongues, or by a presumed word of wisdom, or knowledge. Never do something just because a friend comes to you and says: “The Lord told me to tell you to do thus and thus!” If the Lord has instructions for you, He will give you a witness in your own heart, in which case the words come from a friend, or through the gifts of the Holy Spirit in a meeting, will be confirmation to what God has already been showing you.

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THE AUTHOR OF PEACE

MEMORY VERSE: For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Gen. 4:16- 5:32

One of the names of our Lord Jesus Christ is 'Lord of Hosts' (Revelations 19:11-20). The 'Lord of Hosts' simply means the Commander in Chief i.e. the Supreme Commander of all the forces in heaven, on earth and underneath the earth. Philippians 2:10 says: "that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth." Even, Satan, the head of demons, bows at the mention of the name of Jesus. Another name of our Lord Jesus is the 'Prince of Peace'. Isaiah 9:6 says: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” The word 'Prince' means 'Ruler'. Therefore, Jesus is the Ruler of Peace or the Author of Peace.

The moment Jesus steps into a man's boat, peace steps into the man's boat. The moment Jesus departs from a man, peace departs from the man. What is peace? Peace is the absence of disturbance. In Mark 5:21-43, a woman with the issue of blood met Jesus. Not only was she sick, she was disturbed. She was of marriageable age and no brother had come to propose to her. Also, she was poor and had no food to eat. She didn't even know where her next meal was going to come from. Mark 5:26 says: “And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was noting bettered, but rather grew worse. bettered, but rather grew worse.” To make matters worse, her disease was incurable. One day, she met Jesus (Author of Peace) and she breathed a sigh of relief.

The impotent man at the pool of Bethesda was sick,sad, weak and stressed (John 5:1-15). The pool of Bethesda was like a war zone. The angel of the Lord comes once a year to stir the water. Anyone who steps into the pool first after it has been stirred will automatically be healed. As a result, people will start rushing to get into the pool when it is stirred.  This man had done this for 38 years;  someone stronger, faster and more powerful had always jump into the water first. John 5:7 says, “The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” What really disturbed him was he had no helper. There were opportunities but no means of taking advantage of the opportunities.  One day, he met Jesus (Author of Peace) and peace came. Nicodemus was not only confused, he was troubled ( John 3:1-5). He wanted to know about how to get to heaven. One night, he came to Jesus and that questioned was answered . Friend, only Jesus can give you peace. All you get outside Jesus is a temporary peace.

QUESTION: What is troubling you? What is causing you sleepless night? Take it to Jesus.

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THE STRIFE MUST CEASE

MEMORY VERSE: And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward. Genesis 13:14

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 4:1-25

In Genesis 12:1-3, God gave Abram three instructions: “Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee”. The instructions were simple and basic. Obedience to these three instructions will bring about seven blessings: “And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” Abram left his country, his relatives but did not leave his father’s house because he took Lot with him. He partially obeyed the Lord's instruction. Partial obedience is disobedience. God actually prefers disobedience to partial obedience. Revelations 3:15 -16 says: “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.” You are either a believer or an unbeliever. Don't try to be in the middle because God hates that. If you want to fornicate, go ahead and fornicate. If you want to abstain from sex, go ahead and abstain from sex. Don't kiss and touch the opposite sex in a way you shouldn't and say, " I am keeping the marriage bed undefiled." No ! The marriage bed is already defiled. If you want to be a polygamist, go ahead and be a polygamist. If you want to be a monogamist, go ahead and be one. Don't commit adultery.

Later Abram began to reap the reward of his partial obedience. Genesis 13:7 says: “And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram's cattle and the herdmen of Lot's cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land.” Lot became a thorn in Abram’s side. What did you do when you were told to fast and pray before you embark on that journey?  You prayed for two minutes and hopped on the bus; that's partial obedience. Maybe that's why you misplaced your wallet on your way back. Before the strife got out of hands, Abram called a meeting. Friend, you need to do something about that misunderstanding that keeps occurring between your wife and the neighbor's wife. Problems don't just go. Someone has to take responsibility and resolve the misunderstanding once and for all. Genesis 13:14 says: “And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward.” God stopped speaking to Abram when Lot's herdsmen and Abram's began to quarrel.  Anyone who regularly hears from God knows what it is to stop hearing from God; It is very frustrating. Not until the strife was resolved, God did not speak a word. Sir, God will not speak to you as long as you keep malice with your wife. Actually, there is no point praying because God will not answer. Make peace first and He will turn to you. Our God is a God of unity not a God of conflict. He takes His leave the moment strife begins. Once He leaves, the devil takes over and torment the people involved. He is a gentle Spirit. Sister, there is no point going to minister in songs when you have not resolved that conflict with your husband. Bro Prayer warrior, there is no point going to prayer warrior meetings when you have just beaten  your wife. Make peace. Ask God to forgive and she must forgive you too. If you and the brother/sister you are courting are always striving and quarreling, you better end the courtship and pray again.

NOTE: Strife will destroy your spiritual life. It will leave you deeply hurt and at times, it may leave you with an emotional scar. As such, it is better to avoid strife. You may even need to separate yourself from certain people. It could be your blood brother or sister. It could even be your big uncle or big aunt. If the strife is with your husband or wife, you know you can't divorce but you can seek counseling.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

PARASITES NOT WELCOMED

MEMORY VERSE: Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Matthew 7:19

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 3:1-24

In our elementary biology, we learnt about relationships between organisms. There are four basic types of relationships between living organisms: commensalism, endosymbiosis and ectosymbiosis, mutualism and parasitism. Commensalism is simply a relationship between two organisms where one receives a benefit or benefits from the other and the other is not affected by it. A typical example of commensalism is a spider building a web on a tree. Endosymbiosis is when one species lives inside another one and Ectosymbiosis is when one species lives on the surface of the other species. Mutualism is a close relationship where both parties benefit. For instance, mutualism exists between dogs and humans. Dogs supply protection and companionship, and humans provide food and shelter. In parasitism, one organism benefits from the relationship but at the expense of the other. A parasitic relationship can be found between ticks and dog. The tick sucks blood from the dog. The dog loses blood and may die. God bless our teachers.

These four basic types of relationships exist between humans too. Mutualism and parasitism are two obvious ones. You find mutualism between employers and employees. Employees work for their employers and employers paid them in return. Mutualism exists between couples - husband and wife. It exists between parents and children; leaders and followers; pastor and members, etc. Parasitism also exists between employers and employees. We have heard of employers who owe their employees ten months salary. Also, we have heard of employees who don’t work yet they get paid; they get their friends to clock in and out for them. Parasitism exists between couples; parents and children; pastors and members; leaders and followers, etc. We respond to these relationships in different ways. Mutualism? We grow them. We nurture them. Parasitism? We abhor. We move far away from parasites. An elderly man of God was travelling one morning, with a big bag on his head, when he met one of his son-in-the-Lord. The boy said, “Good morning sir" and the old man responded, "good morning son”. A minute later, the man met another son-in-the-Lord. The boy collected the heavy bag and carried it. The old man said, "God bless you my son." The other boy heard it and rushed back to get his own 'God-bless-you-my-son'. The old man literally told him that all he qualified for was a good morning not a God-bless-you. Mutualism between man and God brings blessings whilst parasitism brings curses. As you win souls and ensure that the souls remain in Christ, God will grant your petitions (John 15:16). However, if all you want to do is enjoy God's benefit and contribute nothing, He will cut you off. Matthew 7:19 says: “Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.”

QUESTION: How would you describe your relationship with God? Are you a parasite or a laborer with God? In your relationships with people, are you a parasite – always looking for how you can benefit from them and never thinking of how you can be of benefit to them?

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world