DISCERNING THE VOICE OF DISCOURAGEMENT PT2

MEMORY VERSE: for with God nothing shall be impossible, Luke 1:37. 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Sam 27, 1 Cor 8, Ezek 6, John 7 

In part one of these series we learnt that the voice of discouragement will always come when breakthrough is around the corner. We also learnt that the voice of discouragement is not of God but of the devil. The voice of discouragement can come in form of a thought as we discussed in part one. It can also come through a total stranger. An example of this can be found in 2 Kings 7:1-17. There was a terrible famine in the land. The situation was so bad that people began to eat their children. Elisha ran to God. The Lord told him that in 24 hours there will be abundance. Things will become so cheap that two measures of barley will be sold for a shekel i.e. something that used to cost ten units before the famine will now be sold for one unit. The man of God ran to tell the king this great news. While he was addressing the king, one of the experts at that time – a financial analyst said it is impossible. Even if God were to open the windows of heaven, two measures of barley will never be sold for a shekel. Thank God Elisha rebuked him. This man tried to discourage Elisha that it can’t be done. 

Brethren, all around us today are voices of discouragement from strangers. The voice of discouragement could be from medical practitioners telling us that disease cannot be cured; it can only be managed. The voice of discouragement could be from the economists, financial specialists telling us because of the recession it will be difficult for us to get a job. 

The voice of discouragement could be from people telling us we are not good enough. Walt Disney was fired from the Kansas City star (news paper) because the voice of discouragement through the editor back then said he lacked imagination and had no good ideas. Today, the whole world wants to visit Disneyland to see the work of Walt Disney. The voice of discouragement could be from experts telling us it cannot be done. A great man of God wanted to build a 50,000 seat edifice for the Most High God. When experts around the world saw the design, they said it can’t be done. They told the man of God it will take a minimum of at least three years to complete and there are no guarantees that it will be a success. With the help of God, the auditorium was built within a year. Guinness Book of Records said Faith Tabernacle is the largest church auditorium in the world with inside sitting capacity of 50,000 and outside overflow capacity of 250,000 plus.  Friends there is nothing that can’t be done as far as God is in it. The bible says for with God nothing shall be impossible (Luke 1:37). 

PONDER:  With God all things are possible.

THINK & THANK (T& T)

MEMORY VERSE: i will praise the Lord according to His righteousness, and will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High, Psalm 7:17 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Sam 10, Rom 1, Jer 47, Luke 15

The reason why many of us do not give thanks to God as we should is because we focus on where we are going not where we are coming from. We forget how far the Lord has taken us, we forget where he took us from, and we forget His faithfulness in the past. Friends , instead of complaining about your current situation – you are yet to be married , yet to get a job, yet to be give birth ,yet to own a house or a car , yet to speak in tongues , yet to have one gift of the spirit or the other ,yet to start your own business , yet to get a breakthrough in ministry , take time out and think about where you are coming from. Let us compare where we were ten years ago and where we are today.

Anyone who knows how to reflect on his past will definitely know how to thank God. David was a thankful man because he reflects on his past i.e. where he came from. Bible scholars told us that he was an embarrassment to his father. The old man had an affair and David was the product of the affair. Because he was an embarrassment the old man preferred to keep him away from the house when he had guests. No wonder when Samuel asked Jesse to bring out all his sons, the old man purposely left him in the field because he didn’t want the prophet to know about the product of his illicit affair. Despite the past of David, the Lord anointed him king over Israel. This was why David was always thankful, even when he had challenges he still praised God. As long David as gave thanks, the Lord kept on lifting him above his challenges.

Part of been grateful is to acknowledge our past (some of which was terrible – talking about before we gave our life to Christ). If only we will think back, we will have cause to praise God. The same route we take to work every day, some take it and have accidents. One of the biggest causes of type 2 diabetes is the consumption of sugary drinks i.e. soft drinks. Many of us rarely drink water; we consume an average of eight to nine soft drinks a week. Some after eating don’t bother with water; they substitute water with sprite or coke. Many of our bodies should have broken down and stop functioning because of the consumption of fizzy drinks but yet we are hail and hearty. This is a reason to thank God. Those that are sick with wasting diseases or other incurable diseases are not sinners; it is by the mercy of God that we are alive. We sleep and wake up every morning not because of our alarm clock but because of God’s mercy. There are many who own alarm clocks that sleep and do not wake up.

ACTION POINT: Reflect back and give thanks.

Bro Samuel – Reaching the world for Jesus

ALL CHANGE PLEASE

MEMORY VERSE: he answered and said, whether he be a sinner or no, I know not; one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see, John 9:25 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Sam 9, Rom 7, Jer 46, Luke 14

When you search through the scriptures, you will find out that every one Jesus met experienced a change in one area of their life or the other. In Luke 13:10-17, Jesus met a woman who could not walk well because her back was bent. Immediately she was healed, her walking pattern and posture changed. In the Matthew 8:1-4 Jesus met a leper who had sore all over the body. I do not need to tell you that the clothes on him were torn and the parts that were meant to be covered were exposed. From the day he was healed, his clothe and the way he dressed changed. In John 5:1-16, Jesus healed a man by the pool of Bethesda. This man had been sick for over thirty years, but after spending a minute or two with Jesus his location changed. Jesus met two terribly violent boys – James and John, Mark 3:17. They had so much anger in them that Jesus called them sons of thunder but by the time He was through with them they became advocate of love and peace. John was so transformed that he wrote a 1 John, 2 John and 3 John. Peter on the other hand was not interested in the things of God. He was so bad even Jesus had to call him Satan, Mark 8:30-33. The same Peter became one of the pillars of the early church.

Brethren, we cannot meet Jesus and not experience a change. The moment we accept Jesus as our personal Lord and savior, people around must notice the change or difference. The moment Jesus becomes the captain of our ship, the way we carry our self must change. Do you know that once Jesus truly comes in, you begin to feel uncomfortable to wear some clothes you used to wear or dress the way you used to dress? Once Jesus comes in, you become a lover of peace.

The man that was healed said something, ‘whether he be a sinner or no, I know not; one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see (John 9:25)’. In other words before I met Jesus I lived in darkness i.e. I had no love inside me. According to 1 John 2:11 anyone who hates resides in darkness and the darkness blindfolds them. But after I met Jesus, light came i.e. the love of God has now been shed abroad in my heart. Once Christ comes in, there is no room for hatred anymore or unforgiveness or bitterness or malice or envy. All must change when He enters. The reason why many of us do not experience these changes is because we ask Him to come in and put Him in the store or basement. For that change to take place, Jesus must occupy the whole house – the room, sitting room, e.t.c. of your heart. We must allow Him free access not only when we are in church on Sundays or during weekly service.

TO PONDER: Until He truly takes over, the world will not see His presence in our life.

Bro Samuel - Reaching the world for Jesus

JESUS GREW

MEMORY VERSE: and Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man, Luke 2:52

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Sam 7-8, Rom 6, Jer 44-45, Luke 13

From the moment a pregnant woman puts to bed, the baby starts growing. The body weight increases by about 30% and the length by 20%. At a point the baby starts crawling, from crawling to standing unassisted, from standing unassisted to walking, from walking to running or jumping. As the baby begins to grow in height and weight, his immune system too develops. With time the boy grows into a teenager, from a teenager to a youth and finally becomes a man. As the boy passes from a boy to a teenager, the parents begins to assign some responsibilities to him. Not only that, they also begin to commit one or two resources into his hands too. As he grows, the responsibility increases so also the resources.

The same thing happened in the life of Jesus when He was on earth. The bible records that He grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man, Luke 2:52. What Jesus was able to do at the age of thirty, He could not do them at the age seven. As a teenager, He did not raise the dead or walk on water or open the eyes of the blind. It wasn’t because the power was unavailable; it was because He needed to grow to a certain level before the power was committed to Him. No matter how much a father loves his son, he will never buy him a Jaguar. It is not because he cannot afford it or because he hates him, it is because the son is not matured enough to own a Jaguar.

The Most High is a responsible father; He will never commit His resources into the hands of a baby Christian. The Lord has great plans for each and every of His children but the plans will not come to fruition until we grow spiritually. The reason why many promises are delayed is because the recipients of such promises are not matured enough to handle the fulfillment of the promises. If the Lord should grant the request of some of us, we will abuse it because we are not matured spiritually to handle the blessings. He will rather wait until we are matured enough to handle them than give it to us and we mess up. The blessings of many are been delayed because the recipients need to grow in humility and love. All some sisters’ need to grow in is humility and the Lord will bring the brother. All some brothers need to grow in is love and the Lord will bring the sister. Your spiritual prosperity will determine your physical prosperity, 3 John 1:2. There are two activities that have been found to be very helpful when it comes to growth spiritually – meditating on the word of God and praying in tongue. If you would meditate on a chapter daily and speak in tongues for an hour daily, within weeks you will be amazed by your spiritual growth.

ACTION POINT: Meditate on a chapter of the bible daily.

FELLOWSHIP WITH THE BRETHREN

MEMORY VERSE: blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful, Psalm 1:1

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Judg 4, Acts 8, Jer 17, Mark 3

There is safety in fellowshipping with christian brothers and sisters. There is peace in fellowshipping with the brethren. You will never find a true brother or sister in Christ get into trouble with the law because they are law abiding citizens. The life of Christian brothers and sisters maybe boring but it is problem and heart ache free. It is true they don’t do fun things like partying late at night or clubbing but there lifestyle gives peace of mind. I heard a story not too long ago that brought tears to my eyes. A Christian lady escorted her friends to a night party. While everyone was having fun, someone spiked her drink (added some drugs to her drink) and she unknowingly drank it. Before you know it some strange men took her into a room and began to have sex with her. One way or the other her friends found out what happened and reported the matter to the police. The boys were arrested and the parents of this lady demanded a blood test. The result of the test that came out showed that two of the boys that slept with her were HIV positive. If only her friends were born again, she would not have gone out that night.

When you fellowship with the brethren, evil ideas and strange suggestions will not be giving to you. When you fellowship with the brethren, they will never advise you to divorce your husband or be rude to him. When you fellowship with the brethren, they will never encourage you to participate in extra – marital affairs. When you fellowship with the friends, there is no jealousy or people talking behind your back. When you fellowship with the brethren, you will never get depressed because they are always talking about faith. When you are down, they will speak the word of encouragements to you and share bible verses that would build your faith. When you fellowship with the brethren, you don’t give up easily because faith in the power of God is always preached.
Psalm 1:1 says blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. In other words, if you want the Lord to bless you walk with the godly / brethren. If you are looking for a counselor, choose a brother or sister in Christ. The reason is that the mentality of the brethrens is very good. In all their counsels, God always come first. If those that are counseling you do not have the fear of God deeply rooted in their heart, God help you. Not that they will purposely lead you astray, but their counsel will be devoid of divine wisdom which is pure, full of mercy, impartial, sincere ( James 3:17).

ACTION POINTS: Choose your friends in Christ.

HAGGAR VS ESTHER PT 1

MEMORY VERSE : Esther had not yet shewed her kindred nor her people; as Mordecai had charged her : for Esther did the commandment of Mordecai, like as when was she brought up with him, Esther 2:20

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : 1 Sam 4, Rom 4, Jer 42, Luke 11

There are a lot of similarities between the Haggar ( hand maid of Sarah) and Esther. For example both of them came from humble beginnings. Their parents were so poor, the bible did not even bother to mention about their families. Not only that, both were slaves in a foreign land. Both were young girls who did not know where they were heading in life. Both were very humble. For Sarah to have given Haggai to Abraham, she must have demonstrated humility. If Esther had been a proud girl, Mordecai would not have bothered enrolling her for the beauty contest that saw her become the queen.

In one way or the other, the story of these girls changed. Haggar became the wife of one of the richest man in the world at that time and Esther became the Queen of one the most of prosperous nation at that time. Later in life, Haggar was sent out of the house and Esther was celebrated.

In these series we will be investigating the reasons behind Haggai’s failure and Esther’s success. One of the factors that led to Haggar’s Failure was her attitude when she got to the top. The bible records that immediately Haggar saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes, Genesis 16:4. Haggar used to be very humble suddenly but the spirit pride entered into her . Haggar who was the hand maid of Sarah suddenly began to look down on her mistress. Esther on the other hand became humbler. The higher God lifted her the humbler she became. The fact that she was the queen did not affect how she related to Mordecai. According to Esther 2:20,Esther did the commandment of Mordecai, like as when was she brought up with him. Please don’t ever allow any promotion or blessing to affect your relationship with the people who used to counsel you or people you used to look up to. Since Haggai refused to humble herself she was demoted while the king threw a feast for humble Esther. Haggar became an ex – Madam while Esther remained a queen all her life.

PRAYER POINT :Father, help me not loose my advantage .

CALLING IT BY ITS REAL NAME

MEMORY VERSE: and Isaac dug again the wells of water which they had dug in the days of Abraham his father, for the Philistines had stopped them up after the death of Abraham. He called them by the names which his father had called them, Genesis 26:18

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Samuel 3, Rom 3, Jer 41, Luke 10

BACKGROUND: The Philistines are a wicked set of people. What could Abraham have done to them to warrant destroying his properties after his death? Out of envy and jealousy they went and covered up the wells he had dug with sand. Isaac dug the wells again and called them by names which his father called them.

ANALYSIS: Isaac could have given the wells new names. No one would have questioned him as to why he did that. But he did that to honor his father. Despite the fact that he dug the wells at a different time and season, he still gave them the old names. Another reason why he gave them the old names was because the old names represented something.

Words are powerful. Names are more powerful. How we describe a thing matters. I remembered as a young school boy I was suspended from school for a week and when I got home, I told my parents that I have been exempted from all school activities for a week. My wise Dad then asked, why? I had no other choice than to tell him I was suspended. I tried to play with words but I was caught. I knew that ‘exempted from school activities’ did not sound as terrible as ‘suspension’. To be suspended from school sounds very bad, but ‘exempted from school activities’ didn’t sound too bad.

Back in the days, sex before marriage or sex outside marriage used to be frowned upon by everyone including unbelievers because of the name that was giving to it. Sex before marriage used to be called fornication and sex outside marriage used to be called adultery. Today it is not so anymore , they call it names like ‘having fun’; ‘ making love’ ; ‘having a nice a time’ ; ‘spending time the night together’. These names have made fornication and adultery acceptable or look not so bad. It sounds ok when you say i made love with that sister but it sounds like a sin when you say I fornicated with that sister. Adultery is adultery and fornication is fornication not having a good time.

Back in the days anyone who partakes or commits a crime is called a criminal. Anyone who stole or robs a bank or do fraud or do credit card fraud or send funny emails with the intention to dupe e.t.c were all referred to as criminals but today it is now called ‘yahoo boys’; ‘sharp boy’; ‘fast boys’; ‘big boys’; ‘town boys’; ‘hustler’ e.t.c . A criminal is a criminal and a thief is a thief. When a woman sells her body for money or favor, it used to be called prostitution but today they call it ‘business’ or ‘runs’. We never used to hear of the word boyfriends or lovers or girlfriends. All we used to hear was fiancé or fiancée. Names can make an unacceptable thing look acceptable.

KEY POINT: No matter what we call it, what is bad is bad. God still frowns at sin regardless of how we describe the sin.