WHAT PROFIT SHALL THIS BIRTHRIGHT DO TO ME?

MEMORY VERSE: And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me? Genesis 25:32

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalm 72-74

If a man has something and does not value it, if care is not taken he may lose it. So also a woman, if she has something and does not value it, she may lose it if care is not taken. If an organisation or establishment has something probably dedicated staffs or an advantage and they do not value it, they will lose the staffs or the advantage if care is not taken. An example of a fellow who lost something he did not value was Esau. In ancient times, the birthright was a very important and sacred thing. It belonged to the firstborn. The family name and titles were to pass along to the eldest son. He would also receive a chief portion of the inheritance. But it was more than just a title to the physical assets of a family. It was also a spiritual position, and in the case of the people of God, God would lead the family through patriarchs, or fathers (Hebrews 1:1-2). Additionally, in the special case of Esau and Jacob, that meant the one to whom belonged the birthright was the one through who the covenant promise made to their grandfather, Abraham, would be realized. Ultimately, the Messiah would come through the holder of the birthright and bless the nations of the earth. Esau was the firstborn, and the birthright was his. Unfortunately, he didn’t think much of his birthright. Genesis 25:32 says, “And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?” He so belittled his birthright that he traded it for a pot of red porridge. Hebrew 12:16 says, “Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.” Although the birthright was his by default, he lost it because he didn't value it.

Had he valued his birthright, he would have protected it and kept it. Had he cherished it, he would have rather chosen to die of hunger than trade it for food. Another person who did not value what she had was Queen Vashti. Her husband, King Ahasuerus (Xerxes), was the supreme ruler of the Persian Empire. Her husband ruled over a kingdom which had 127 provinces. As such, she was the number one woman in the Persian Empire. Because she didn’t value her husband, the king, she disobeyed him when he called for her (Esther 1). Before she knew it , she was replaced with an orphan girl who valued the king. I pray that you will never lose something valuable in the name of Jesus. This bring us to the question, do you value what you have? Do you value your God-fearing wife who submits to you? A lot take advantage of their God-fearing wives who submit to them. Instead of loving her with the love of Christ, they beat her up at any provocation. Do you value your God-fearing husband who loves you? Instead of submitting to him, do you nag him? Instead of submitting to him, do you abuse him? As a church pastor, do you value the workers in the vineyard of God? As a member, do you value the pastor and his wife? Do you know that many of them stay awake to intercede for you and your family whilst you are asleep? One way you can show that you value them is by supporting the good work they are doing.

QUESTION: Do you value that connection? Do you value that opportunity to grow your spiritual gifts? Do you value that neighbour who watches after your kids when you are at work? Do you value that neighbour who collects your parcels for you when you are not at home? Do you value your business associates? Do you value the grace of God on your life? Do you value the gifts of the Holy Spirit?

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

WHEN RESOLVING ISSUES

MEMORY VERSE: Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Philippians 4:8

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Kings 14-18

Misunderstandings are inevitable in human relationships. When they occur, those involved should seek to resolve it as soon as possible. When the people involved sit to resolve the issue, they must be solution-focused. They must seek to save and strengthen the relationship not bring the other party down or make them feel guilty. The conversation should be geared not at apportioning blames. Only words that will build each other up according to their needs should be used. Ephesians 4:29 says, “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.” Also, those involved should try to understand what the other person needs.The parties involved must resist the temptation to bring up previously confessed offences; drag up other people in; use wisecracks about people’s weight, height, colour, IQ, physical, mental and emotional limitations; or bring up totally unrelated things that could cloud the issue. All these keep one from finding a solution. Shouting or raising one’s voice in order to intimidate and manipulate other party is a no no.

Whilst trying to resolve a misunderstanding, the individuals involved must seek a solution not a ‘victory’. Calling each other names and ‘diagnosing’ others only make things worse. The focus should not be on what the other person did or what the other person did not do, but on what you can do together to resolve it. The individuals involved should admit their own flaws- where they went wrong, and ask forgiveness immediately. It takes two to tango , acknowledging our own imperfections makes it easier for someone else to acknowledge theirs. Every time you take a “swing” at someone, offer them a positive “stroke”. Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” For each of the difficulties addressed, a compliment must be given. A good one could be, “I am sure this wasn’t easy for to you hear. Thanks for listening to me so graciously.” Being solution-focused gives people something to live up to, not down to!

NOTE: Trying to score points off each other does not help resolve issues. Allowing each other to make their points without being interrupted is very good.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

DEAL WITH TODAY’S PROBLEMS -TODAY

MEMORY VERSE: Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath. Ephesians 4:26

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Leviticus 4-6

That recent incident (where you were wronged) doesn’t have to destroy the relationship that you have built over the years. I learnt this from a great man of God: “there are no permanent enemies and there are no permanent friends. That fellow who wronged you today could become your life-saver tomorrow. ” As we discussed yesterday, let’s be honest with our anger. There is no point pretending or denying our anger. This does not help resolve the matter in any way. Also, let's avoid the blame game. Watch your words when you are angry. Remember, with our tongue we can start a war and also with the same tongue we can bring an end to war. Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” We say, “sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me,” but it’s not true. A person can die of a crushed spirit, and the one who spoke the words can live to regret the damage that they inflicted and may never get a chance to undo it. On the other hand, anger properly handled never needs to be repented of.

Keep your anger current. Storing anger in our hard drives only hurts us. Some of us are angry with one of our siblings or a friend for something they did or said in the past. The fellow who wronged you or made you angry probably can’t remember the incident but you are still angry and hurt. You are the one who is losing emotional energy, not them. They are living life with zest and you are still hurt. Why not let go. There are some of us who are angry with the dead. The dead doesn’t know you are angry, unfortunately, he or she can’t return to apologize for the wrong done. Why not let go and ask the Lord to help you get over it. What happens when we download old resentments and start to rehearse them is that we grow bitter. When you are angry deal with it quickly. Don’t passively allow time to decide your options or sit around hoping the other person will see the light and apologize. Problems do not go away. They must be worked through or else they remain, forever a barrier to the growth and the development of the spirit. Matthew 18:15 says, “Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.” If someone offends you, try to resolve it and restore the relationship. When you repress it you add one more skeleton to your closet. Sooner or later, doctors say it’ll be at your stomach lining, attack your immune system, and predispose you to heart problems, cancers, and other physical, social and emotional disorders. In the meantime, it’ll preoccupy you, dissipate you to heart problems, cripple your creativity, and hinder your fellowship with God, your friends and fellow believers; not to mention that it denies the offender an opportunity to clear their conscience, repent and get right with God and you. Lets’s stop dragging up the past, trying to blackmail the guilty by hauling skeletons out of closets at “auspicious” moments, plotting revenge, and passing down resentments for the next generation to carry.

PRAYER POINT: Father, please give me the humility and courage to deal with today’s problems – today.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

AMBASSADORS FOR CHRIST

MEMORY VERSE: Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. 2 Corinthians 5:20

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ephesians 1-3

Who is an ambassador? An ambassador is the resident representative for the head of state of their country. An ambassador is a diplomat of the highest rank, sent by one sovereign state to another as its resident representative. The bible teaches that we are ambassadors for Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:20 says, “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.” Firstly, although we are in the world we are not of this world. Jesus said, “If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you” (John 15:19). 1 Peter 2:11 says, “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.” Secondly, we belong to God’s kingdom. Ephesians 2:19 says, “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God.” From the day we gave our lives to Christ, our citizenship changed. We are now citizens of Heaven. Praise the Lord!!!

As citizens of Heaven, we are here on earth to represent our King, the Lord Jesus Christ. I want us to know that ambassadors are very important people. If they don’t do their job correctly, a misunderstanding can easily develop – and possibly even war. An ambassador is supposed to be a good representative of their country. They are expected to communicate clearly what their country is about. It is unfortunate that the ambassadors of Christ, you and I, have not been doing a good job communicating this. The messages we are communicating to the inhabitants of earth are conflicting. We say we belong to a kingdom whose head is Jesus, the Prince of Peace, and we fight among ourselves. There is rancor and animosity in our midst. We claim that the president of our Kingdom is Jesus, the Lamb upon the throne, but we exhibit pride. Because Christ’s ambassadors have not always communicated the correct message to earth’s inhabitants, the people who are supposed to be enjoying the blessings of peace with God are at war with Him. Many of them don’t even want to hear about Jesus. This is why they are banning prayers in many assemblies today. Many think God wants to restrict them and make their life boring and all that, No!

A good ambassador for Christ must know the message of God, and speak His message – accurately. This is why we always encourage believers to study their bible. A lot of us don’t study it as often as we ought to. We spend more time reading newspapers than the bible. The message of Christ is to set people free not beat them down or put them in bondage. God has a message of love for mankind. He loves them and will help them, if they will only turn to Him. This message must be communicated clearly. As ambassadors we are to present Jesus to people as He truly was, and is- and people will be drawn to Him, because there is no fault in Him. An ambassador does not speak for himself or herself, he or she speaks the official policy and message of the country he or she represents. So we are not here to give our opinions, but to proclaim what God has said in His written Word, the Bible – Heaven’s official message.

NOTE: Ambassadors are expected to familiarize themselves with the Bible. The Bible should not be what we read only on Sundays or once or twice a week. It should be something we read daily.

CONFESSION: I will be a good ambassador of Jesus Christ, to represent Heaven, and speak His accurate message here on Earth.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

HANDLING ANGER

MEMORY VERSE: Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath. Ephesians 4:26

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Luke 13-14

Two forceful personalities in a relationship are like two rivers flowing into one; there is definitely going to be a strong current. Anger comes in different forms. It can be like a flash of lightening or prolonged like the rumble of thunder. Sometimes we clash painfully, other times we distance and silently abandon the relationship. But, anger handled the right away doesn’t have to destroy (the relationship that has been built over the years).

There are few things we can do to handle our anger. Firstly, let’s be honest when we are angry. When angry, do not deny it. Let’s not pretend that all is well when all is not well. It is perfectly normal to get angry when people are mistreated and wrongs are not being made right. We are right to get angry when people falsely accuse us of something we know nothing about. Ignoring the other person, stifling, suppressing the anger or pretending that we are not angry is basically dishonest. Another form of lying when we are angry is exaggeration. “You never listen to what i say.” “You always ignore my wishes.” “You are always doing these things to get me angry.” Such generalizations are untrue and serve only to aggravate and polarize, guaranteeing the real problem gets obscured and goes unresolved. Another way to lie when we are angry is blaming. “It is your fault that this happened to us.” “Maybe if you had arrived on time i wouldn’t have to nag you.” Blaming is a way of evading our own responsibility while pointing the finger at others. It angers others, perpetuates our own anger and never produces the result we want. Blaming is counter-productive.

Ephesians 4:26 says, “Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath.” What this means is that we must not let our anger escalate to the point of doing damage. When angry we must not use our words as a weapon or a control mechanism. It is okay to express our emotions in a healthy way; we must keep them in check. Our goal must be to resolve the problem and strengthen the relationship, not ‘sound off’ and wound the other person. Words spoken in jest, sarcasm, self- righteousness or ‘righteous indignation’ wound people, sometimes permanently. Perverseness of the tongue breaks people’s spirit. Proverbs 15:4 says, “A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit.” Angry words, once unleashed, can: “go down into a man’s inmost parts” (Proverbs 16:22). Our words can live in the heart and memory of a person and go all the way to the grave with them. A person can die of crushed spirit, and the one who spoke the words can live to regret the damage that they inflicted and never get a chance to undo it. On the other hand, anger properly handled never needs to be repented of.

NOTE: We must learn to differentiate between the anger we feel and the words we speak. Anger, carefully thought through, can reveal important information about needed changes.

PRAYER POINT: Father, please rid me of anger.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

QUIT MAKING EXCUSES

MEMORY VERSE: Alas, Sovereign LORD," I said, "I do not know how to speak; I am too young. Jeremiah 1:6

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Proverbs 4

Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” It is one thing for God to want to bless an individual; it is another thing for that to happen. It is one thing for God to want to give an individual a major breakthrough; it is another thing for that to materialize. It is one thing for God to want to take an individual to the very top; it is another thing for that to happen at God’s time or even happen at all. It is one thing for God to want to give a brother a good sister as wife or a sister a good brother as husband; it is another thing for that to happen for the brother or the sister. One of the things that has prevented many from becoming who God wants them to be or becoming who God created them to be is ‘excuses’.

Moses was born to be a deliverer. God created him for the sole purpose of leading the children of Israel out of Egypt to the promise land. When the Lord sent him to Pharaoh, he came up with an excuse. Exodus 4:10 says, “And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.” The same thing with Jeremiah, God ordained him to be a prophet from his mother’s womb. Jeremiah 1:5 says, “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” When the Lord called him into ministry, he too gave an excuse. Jeremiah 1:6 says, “Alas, Sovereign LORD," I said, "I do not know how to speak; I am too young.” How about Esther? The Lord raised her from dunghill to sit with kings and queens. She was an ordinary orphan before the Lord elevated her to become the queen of a whole kingdom. When it was time for her to speak for her people because that was why God put her there ( to speak for her people), she too came up with an excuse. Esther 4:11 says, “All the king's servants, and the people of the king's provinces, do know, that whosoever, whether man or woman, shall come unto the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law of his to put him to death, except such to whom the king shall hold out the golden sceptre, that he may live: but I have not been called to come in unto the king these thirty days."

I thank God that He did not allow Moses, Jeremiah, and Esther to have their way. He insisted, directly or indirectly, that they carry out His assignment. They did and profited greatly from carrying it out. One thing that will hinder you from becoming who God created you to be is the excuse you are giving not the devil or household enemy. Those excuses will not take you anywhere. There is no man or woman alive who does not have an excuse. Every great man or great woman you read about today or hear their stories had excuses not to do those things they did that made them great. Many miss church because they are not feeling well. Not everyone who comes to church feels well. Some despite their menstrual pain still come to church. Friend, you are not the only one who has excuses. I read the inspiring story of a man named Stephen Sutton. At the age of 15 he was diagnosed with cancer. He decided that although it was over for him, he would raise enough money to cater for other cancer patients. Before he died at the age of 19, he had raised over 4.96 million pounds from over 340,000 donors. This young man had a genuine excuse to be unhappy. He had a genuine excuse to complain and moan. He had a genuine excuse to sit back and wait for death but he didn't. He decided to raise money for charity.

NOTE: Excuses and self-pity will not take you anywhere.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

WHAT IS HOLINESS?

MEMORY VERSE: For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.1 Thessalonians 4:7

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ezekiel 1-6

What is Holiness? We are not talking about the type of holiness we parade in public. We are not talking about how you, as a brother, carry or conduct yourself in the church or in the midst of other Christian brothers, NO! There are a lot of us, brothers, who are soft and cool as a cucumber in the church but something else at home or at work. There are many of us who are tyrants at home. We exhume so much love to people in church but at home we are terror. We curse and call our wives terrible names. Some of us even make reference to their past - something they shared with us out of love. For some of us, any time there is a misunderstanding we stop eating the food she prepared . Some of us even keep malice with our wives for weeks. Also, there are sisters who are sweet in church. They lift up holy hands in church but at home they are a totally different person. Some of them use sex to punish their husbands whenever there is a misunderstanding between them and their husbands. Some sisters even refuse to cook for their husbands whenever there is a misunderstanding at home.

When we talk of holiness, we are not talking of how we conduct ourselves on the pulpit. We are talking of how we conduct ourselves when no member is around. We are talking of how we conduct ourselves when we are in traffic and someone cuts us in. We are talking of how we conduct ourselves when a scantily dressed lady passes by and no one who knows us is around. We are talking of how we conduct ourselves when a member, who instead of dropping his or her tithes in the offering basket, gives them to us. Do we convert them to personal use or pay them into the church treasury? If we want to be sincere with ourselves, the only individual who can tell us whether a brother is holy or not, is his wife - the woman who lives with him under the same roof. Or, colleagues at work - people who work with him. The same thing with sisters, only their husbands can tell us whether they are indeed a sweet saint or not. We don’t really know if a brother is living in love or not unless we ask his wife. So also a sister, we don’t know if she is submissive or not unless we ask her husband. If we want to really know who a student is, let’s go to his or her university campus.

What is holiness? Holiness is a ‘calling’. 1 Thessalonians 4:7 says, “For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.” This ‘calling’ is on my life, your life, and the life of everyone who has accepted Jesus as their personal Lord and savior. For us to be able to answer this ‘call’ God has made some provisions. Romans 6:14 says, “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.” Our sinful nature have been crucified with Christ. Holiness is also our pass code or passkey to God. Hebrews 12:14 says, “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:” Holiness is a requirement for answered prayers. Isaiah 59:1-2 says, “Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.”

NOTE: The reason why many of us are struggling to live holy is because we are not taking advantage of the things God has put in place to help us live holy. Psalm 119:11 says, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”

PRAYER POINT: Father, please circumcise my heart.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.