KNOWING JESUS IV

MEMORY VERSE: That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him. Ephesians 1:17

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Chronicles 15-20

In Luke 24:13-21, two disciples of Jesus, whilst on their way to Emmaus, talking about the death of Jesus and the news of His resurrection, were joined by Jesus and they couldn’t recognise Him. Luke 24:15 says: ‘And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.’ I wonder if we can blame these disciples for not recognising Him. When in the 31st verse their eyes were opened, they recognised Him.

There are one or two lessons we can learn from this story. Firstly, a personal revelation of who Jesus is and all that He is comes from God alone. Matthew 16:15-17 says: ‘He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.’ Secondly, knowing Jesus does not come through simply reading the Bible. It comes through prayer and the spirit of wisdom and revelation. No wonder Paul the Apostle prayed: ‘That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him (Ephesians 1:17).’ Friend, you can be a Christian but lack the spirit of wisdom and revelation and therefore not know the fullness of Jesus Christ.

PRAYER POINT: Father, please give me the spirit of wisdom and revelation that I may know all about Jesus.

Bro Samuel Oluwatoki

KNOWING JESUS III

MEMORY VERSE: Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Chronicles 13-14

After the death of Jesus, two disciples were on their way to a village known as Emmaus and were talking about the death of Jesus and the news about His resurrection. Jesus joined them and talked with them on the seven miles journey but we are told that they were kept from recognizing Him (Luke 24:13-31). Verse 16 says:’ But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.’

Who is Jesus? Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. John 14:6 says: ‘Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.’ Firstly, these disciples were kept from recognizing the way because Jesus is the way. A man who is kept from recognizing the way will definitely miss the way. Also, such a man will waste his resources and fall into the hands of thieves. Secondly, they were kept from recognizing the truth because Jesus is the truth. A man who is kept from recognizing the truth will definitely fall for lies. Worse still, such a man will end up in chains, his progress hampered, because the truth sets one free. John 8:32 says: ‘And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’ Lastly, they were kept from recognizing ‘the life’ because Jesus is the life. As death is the opposite of life, a man who is kept from ‘the life’ will end up in the cold hands of death.

PRAYER POINT: Father, please give me a deeper revelation of Jesus.

Bro Samuel Oluwatoki

KNOWING JESUS II

MEMORY VERSE: When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? Matthew 16:13

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Chronicles 9-12

Why is it important to know who Jesus is? How you see Jesus will determine what He will do for you and through you. Jesus asked His disciples, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? ( Matthew 16:13-20).’ Some said, ‘a great teacher, prophet,….’ If you see Him as one of the prophets only, you will not be able to taste of His salvation. If you see Him as your saviour only, so will He be to you.

Jesus first asked His disciples what the people thought about Him. After that, He then asked what they thought about Him. You see, your personal revelation of Jesus is more important than what people say or think about Him. Your personal revelation of Jesus attracts a blessing. Matthew 16:15 says: ‘He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.’ The more you know about Jesus, the more blessed you will be. Also, your personal revelation of Jesus brings about elevation. Peter was elevated after he caught this revelation of Jesus because there is elevation in revelation.

PRAYER POINT: Father, I pray that I will grow in my personal relationship with you through knowledge.

Bro Samuel Oluwatoki

KNOWING JESUS

MEMORY VERSE: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death. Philippians 3:10

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Chronicles 25-29

After the death of Jesus, two disciples were on their way to a village known as Emmaus and were talking about the death of Jesus and the news about His resurrection. Jesus joined them and talked with them on the seven miles journey but we are told ‘they were kept from recognizing him (Luke 24:16).’ These men talked about Jesus and then walked and talked with Him but they did not know it was Him. They knew Jesus and believed Him; yet, they could not recognize Him.

There are different levels of revelation about Jesus. There are four categories of people in this regard. Category one: Those who are yet to hear about Jesus. Whether you believe it or not, there are people who have never heard about Jesus. These people don’t know anything about Jesus. We need to go into the world, leave our comfort zones and witness to them. Category two: Those who have heard about Jesus. These people have heard about Jesus through Bible stories, their parents, a friend, media, etc., but they have not accepted Jesus Christ so they don’t have a personal relationship with Him. They don’t really believe in Jesus and have not encountered Him. We need to continue to witness to them and pray for the salvation of their souls. Category three: Those who know and believe in Jesus. This group refers to those who have gone beyond hearing about Him to believe in Him; therefore, they have had a personal encounter with Him. A personal encounter with Him is not enough. Category four: Those who have a deep revelation of Him; as such, they can recognize Him at any time and anywhere. They can identify when He is present, when He speaks, His likes and dislikes. They understand why He came and what they stand to gain from His coming. Philippians 3:10 says: ‘That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.'

PRAYER POINT: Father, please open my eyes that I may recognize Jesus and His presence in every area of my life.

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

twitter@BroOluwatoki

THE BLESSING IN REVELATION

MEMORY VERSE: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints. Ephesians 1:18

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Chronicles 21-24

What is a revelation? When something hidden is revealed, we call it a revelation. There are few things you need to know about revelation. Firstly, revelation can bring about (spiritual) blessings. Jesus asked His disciples, in Matthew 16:13-20, ‘Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?’ Verse 16 -19 says: ‘And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, BLESSED ART THOU, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.’

Revelation can bring about financial blessings. In Genesis 31:10 -12, Jacob had a particular dream, a revelation, on how to breed livestock. Jacob did what he was shown in the revelation and became a very prosperous man. A story that comes to mind is that of a man called George Washington Carver. The Lord revealed one hundred (100) uses of peanut to him. That revelation changed his life. Revelation can bring about elevation. In Revelations 2, Nebuchadnezzar forgot a dream he had. As no one could interpret the dream, he decided to kill all the wise men in the land. The Lord gave Daniel a revelation of the dream and its interpretation. On interpreting the dream, King Nebuchadnezzar promoted Daniel. Daniel 2:48 says: ‘Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon.’ One of the keys to receiving revelations from God is praying.

PRAYER POINTS: (Ephesians 1:18 says: ‘The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.’) Father, please let the eyes of my understanding be enlightened.

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

twitter@BroOluwatoki

TO HATE IS TO LOVE

MEMORY VERSE: Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. Psalm 45:7

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Chronicles 21-24

What is the ‘oil of gladness’? To be glad is to be joyful, cheerful, delightful, or content. Oil is one of the symbols of the Holy Spirit. The ‘oil of gladness’ or better put the ‘oil that gladdens’ is the Holy Spirit. Romans 14:17 says: ‘For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.’ Another synonym for the ‘oil of gladness’ is the ‘oil of joy ( Isaiah 61:13).’

There are one or two things you need to know about the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Firstly, it comes in a measure. We know it comes in a measure because Jesus had it without measure. John 3:34 says: ‘For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.’ Elijah, on the other hand, had it in a measure. We know Elijah had it in a measure because Elisha, his servant, asked for the double portion of his anointing (2 Kings 2:9) and received it. One of the many advantages of the anointing of the Holy Spirit is that it turns a man into a problem solver. In the conventional world, you are paid according to the problems you are able to solve. For instance, a medical doctor earns times four of what a cleaning operative earns (and no disrespect to any cleaner as I used to be one before God helped me) because of the level of problems the medical doctor is able to solve which the cleaning operatives simply cannot solve. Jesus, the Man that had the Spirit without measure, solved the problem of the world; also, He received the biggest pay. Philippians 2:9 says: ‘Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name.’ Every child of God has been anointed with the Holy Spirit- some more than the others. The key to increasing the anointing of the Holy Spirit upon your life is to love what God loves and hate what He hates. Psalm 45:7 says: ‘Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.’

NOTE: Good and bad are two opposite things; also, righteousness and wickedness. To love righteousness simply means to hate wickedness and vice versa.

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

twitter@BroOluwatoki

GOLIATH FELL II

MEMORY VERSE: And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.1 Samuel 17:43

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Chronicles 13-16

In 1 Samuel 17 is the story of how Goliath was defeated. Knowing how and why he was defeated is important. One of the reasons why Goliath was defeated was because he underestimated his opponent (David). It is impossible to adequately prepare for an enemy one underestimates. 1 Samuel 17:43 says: ‘And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.’ Goliath thought David was a weak young boy; unknown to him, David was a lion and a bear killer (1 Samuel 17:37). Goliath was fooled by David's appearance and stature. Before Goliath knew what was happening, he was on the floor lying unconscious.

You cannot defeat an enemy you underestimate because you will be under-prepared. Many have been defeated because they underestimated the enemy, Satan. Satan is not a fool. He is wiser than you think. He is also very sly and cunning. If care is not taken, he can catch one unawares. As such, you must run from sin and continually live a life that is pleasing to God. Don’t underestimate the power of confessions. Proverbs 18:21 says: ‘Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.’ Your confession can make or mar you. The wrong confessions can bring you pains, losses, untold sufferings, even untimely death. A story that comes to mind is that of a man who always referred to the small growth on his face as cancer. To him, it was only a joke; also, to everyone it was a joke. One day, he had cancer (for real) and died. Don’t underestimate the power of the things you listen to. Firstly, they inform your confessions. Luke 6:45 says: ‘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.’ Secondly, they inspire faith or fear in you. Faith comes by hearing (Romans 10:17); also, fear comes by hearing. Don’t underestimate the power of relationships. The right ones can draw you closer to God and the wrong ones, far away from God. The right one can bring you up and the wrong one can bring you down.

CONFESSION: I shall not be defeated.

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

twitter@BroOluwatoki