AND HE RESTRAINED THEM NOT’

MEMORY VERSE: For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not. 1 Samuel 3:13

BIBLE READING: 1 Kings 13-16

Eli: The Accepted. Eli was a priest who walked with God. He was indeed God’s servant. He prayed a simple prayer for a barren woman and nine months later, she gave birth to a son. 1 Samuel 1:17- 20 says: ‘Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him…and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the LORD remembered her. Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the LORD.’ God approved of Eli by answering his prayers just as He approved of Jesus of Nazareth by miracles and wonders and signs. Acts 2:22 says: ‘Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know.’
Eli: The rejected. Eli’s sons were 'sons of Belial'; viz., the most wicked, vilest, and most profligate wretches. They abused their position as priests (1 Samuel 2:22). Also, they abused women who came to offer sacrifices in the temple. At the end, God wiped out the family of Eli. 1 Samuel 4:19 says: ‘And his daughter in law, Phinehas' wife, was with child, near to be delivered: and when she heard the tidings that the ark of God was taken, and that her father in law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and travailed; for her pains came upon her.’

What happened? How did ‘the accepted’ become ‘the rejected’? We need to know what happened for the following reasons: firstly, so that we do not end up like Eli ( 1 Samuel 3:12-13); secondly, so that we do not exhaust God’s mercy like Eli ( 1 Samuel 3:14); thirdly, so that we do not perish like Eli; and fourthly, so that we do not miss heaven at the end. What happened is documented in 1 Samuel 3:13: ‘For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.’ The Lord rejected Eli simply because his children dishonoured God and he didn’t discipline them. If the Lord rejected Eli because he didn’t discipline his children, I don’t think He will spare us if we don’t discipline our children.

NOTE: Children must be taught the fear of the Lord if we don’t want God to destroy them because God is a not respecter of persons.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world.

THE DANGERS OF HAVING WHAT GOD DOES NOT WANT YOU TO HAVE

MEMORY VERSE: And Uzziah the king was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house, being a leper; for he was cut off from the house of the LORD: and Jotham his son was over the king's house, judging the people of the land. 2 Chronicles 26:21

BIBLE READING: 1 Kings 9-12

BIBLE READING: 2 Chronicles 26:18-23

One of the names of the Lord is ‘Father’. Luke 11:2 says: 'And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.' As a genuine loving father, He wants the best for His children. As such, there are things He does not want His children to have at all for their good. The Lord knew that a certain type of knowledge would destroy Adam and Eve; as a result, He warned them not to eat the forbidden fruit. Genesis 2:17 says: ‘But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.’ Adam and Eve ate what God did not want them to eat, and they died. There are things the Lord does not want you to have or do at all because they will destroy you e.g. communicate with the dead. There are courses the Lord does not want you to sit for because He knows that they will not be profitable to you. I beg you, please don’t fight for a position God has not given to you. King Uzziah tried to be a priest against God's plan and he became a leper (2 Chronicles 26:21).

There are things the Lord does not want you to have at the moment because of your spiritual maturity. The father of the prodigal son didn’t want him to have the inheritance and freedom he asked for because he wasn't mature enough to handle such responsibility ( Luke 15:11-32). The father was correct; he squandered his inheritance. As a single brother/sister, the Lord does not want you to engage in pre-marital sex because it may bond you to the wrong person. Besides, your judgement of things will become clouded once you begin to sleep with people you are not married to. Going through the Scriptures, you will find that everyone who had what God did not want them to have regretted it e.g. Adam, Eve, Abram, Hezekiah, Judas, etc. Abram had a wife God did not want him to have and lost his peace.

PRAYER POINT: Father, please let me never have something you don’t want me to have.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world.

PRAYER: A MASTER KEY

MEMORY VERSE: Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. James 5:14-15

BIBLE READING: 1 Kings 5-8

There is a song we used to sing back in Nigeria: ‘Prayer is the key. Prayer is the key. Prayer is the master-key. Jesus started with prayer and ended with prayer. Prayer is the master-key.’ How true are the lyrics of this song? Jesus started His ministry with prayer (in the desert) and ended it with prayer (on the cross). One of the secrets of Jesus' success whilst He was on the earth was prayers. He prayed regularly. Prayer is a prerequisite for greatness.

Anyone who wants a change of story, a change of circumstances, victory, a breakthrough, etc., must pray. By praying for the sick, God can heal them. James 5:14-15 says: ‘Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.’ Fervent prayer can turn a situation around. James 5:16 says: ‘Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.’ There was a conspiracy at work to get rid of me some years back. At a point, it was certain that I was going to be sacked because they recruited someone to replace me. I reported the matter to God and He turned the table around. The person that led the conspiracy was demoted and she left out of shame. Others were sacked. Prayer draws angels closer to you. Jesus prayed and angels came to minister to Him (Luke 22:39-43). Prayer diffuses fear and imparts unshakeable confidence. Acts 4:31 says: ‘And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.’ However, one thing is required for your prayer to be answered and that is faith. Hebrews 11:6 says: ‘But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.’

NOTE: Prayer draws you closer to God.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world.

CREATING YOUR WORLD: THE POWER OF IMAGINATION

MEMORY VERSE: Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the LORD, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you: Numbers 14:28

BIBLE READING: 1 Kings 1-4

The people of the earth decided to build a city and a tower whose top would reach heaven (See Genesis 11:1-9). Verse 4 says: ‘And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.’ Whilst building, God visited them and halted the project. He halted it because of their pride; viz., wanting to make a name for themselves. Also, He halted it because they refused to multiply and replenish the earth as He had commanded. As a result, He confused their language and the people moved away from each other.

Verse 6 says: ‘And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.’ Please take note of this statement: ‘AND NOW NOTHING WILL BE RESTRAINED FROM THEM, WHICH THEY HAVE IMAGINED TO DO’. Everything around us is a product of someone’s imagination. The personal computer, mobile phones, artificial lakes, Islands, skyscrapers, electricity, aeroplanes, ships, emails, etc., are products of people's imagination. Do you know this universe is a product of God’s imagination? It once existed in God’s thought. The Lord recognises the power of imagination; as such, whenever He wants to do something for a man, He will set the power of the fellow’s imagination into motion. For instance, after He promised to make Abram a father of nations, He began to speak to him using pictures to set his imagination into motion. Genesis 15:5 says: ‘And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.’ God gave Joseph a dream to set his imagination into motion. He gave him another one to stretch his imagination; and for the first time, Joseph began to nurse the possibility of ruling the whole world. His attitude to life and things changed completely. He began to think like a leader, act like a leader; and within a short while, he was made the prime minister of Egypt.

NOTE: There is a direct relationship between your imaginations and what you will have. Your confession is a product of your imagination (thoughts) – out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks - and what God hears you say is what He will do for you.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world.

THE WEAPON OF PRAISE PART ONE

MEMORY VERSE: and when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, praise the Lord; for his mercy endureth forever. 2 Chronicles 20:21

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Mark 11 – Mark 13

What is a weapon? According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, a weapon is something used to injure, defeat, or destroy. If there is something the enemy does not want you to know, it is this, ‘praise is a weapon.' A revered man of God once said, ‘if prayer fails, try praise.’ Friend, you can pray amiss. James 4:3 says: 'ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon lusts.' You can pray amiss, but you can never praise amiss. If only you will start praising God over that stubborn child, God will touch his heart and he will change. If only you will stop worrying about that relationship and start praising God, the storm will seize. In 2 Chronicles 20, three mighty nations - the children of Ammon, Moab and mount Seir - came together to invade tiny Judah. When Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, heard the news, he was perplexed. In his prayers, he said to God, ‘we have no might against this great company that cometh against us (2 Chronicles 20:12).'

The Lord spoke after He heard his confession: 'but our eyes are upon thee (2 Chronicles 20:12). One of the reasons why God has not sent help to some of us is because we are too strong. Friend, God is not interested in helping a strong man or woman. The bible calls Him, ‘the helper of the helpless (Psalm 10:14)', not the helper of the mighty or strong. He told Paul: “my strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). Jehoshaphat did not come to God as a strong king; he said, ‘my eyes are on you’ and God arose on his behalf. Friend, you need God. You cannot do it without Him. Are you not tired of struggling on your own and not getting results? Are you not tired of trying different medications and all to no avail? Are you not tired of using your brains, yet no results? For God to help you, you need to agree that you are weak, first. Accept that you are weak and let God help you. You cannot win the battle on your own or using self-will. Cry to Him today and He will come to your aid.

PRAYER POINT: Let us pray for those suffering from one form of addiction or the other that as they surrender to God, He will help them and heal them.

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

CREATE YOUR WORLD WITH YOUR WORD

MEMORY VERSE: Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the LORD, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you: Numbers 14:28

BIBLE READING: 2 Samuel 21-24

We live in a word’s world. It is a word’s world because of the reasons listed below. Firstly, the world was created by the Word. Who is the Word? Jesus Christ is the Word (John 1:1-3). Secondly, the world was created using the word (Genesis 1:1-3). Everything in the world responds to the word. For instance, mountains respond to the word (See Mark 11:23). In Mark 4:37-39, a great storm arose and beat against the ship. Meanwhile, Jesus was sleeping in the ship. His disciples woke him up in the middle of the storm and He rebuked it ( See Mark 4:39). Even the sun and the moon responds to the word. In Joshua 10:12-13, Joshua commanded the sun to stand still over Gibeon and the moon, over the Valley of Aijalon; and they stood still.

With your word, you can create your world. What you confess is what you will have (See Numbers 14:28). David said to Goliath, ‘this day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel (1 Samuel 17:46).’ Do you know that all David had when he spoke to Goliath was a sling and few stones? Before the end of that day, he severed the head of Goliath as he had prophesied. He slung a stone that knocked Goliath down. He ran to his unconscious body, grabbed his sword, the only sword big enough to cut off his head, and cut off his head. Your word can change or alter the chemical composition of things. As a result, the weak should say 'I am strong (Joel 3:10)'.

NOTE: When you say there are no good jobs, you are indirectly creating a scarcity of good jobs for yourself. If I were you, I will confess what I want, not what I see.
 
Bro Samuel | Reaching the world.

FOR THEY SAID, HE IS OUR BROTHER’

MEMORY VERSE: And his mother's brethren spake of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words: and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech; for they said, He is our brother. Judges 9:3

BIBLE READING: 2 Samuel 17-20

After the death of Gideon, one of his sons, Abimelech, hatched an evil plan to kill his brothers and become the king. Because he didn’t have the resources to carry out his evil agenda, he approached his mother’s relations for help (Judges 9:1-3). His mother’s relations spoke to the men of Shechem who agreed to help him because he was their brother (See Judges 9:3). These men contributed money and gave it to him. He hired some thugs and made his way to his father’s house. He killed his step-brothers; only Jotham, the youngest, escaped.

Judges 9:3 says: ‘……and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech; for they said, He is our brother.’ His mother's relations knew that what Abimelech was about to do was wrong; however, they supported him because he was their brother. They knew that Abimelech was going to kill innocent people, but they supported him because he was their brother. They knew that Abimelech did not deserve to be the king because he was not the firstborn; yet, they encouraged him to carry out his evil agenda regardless. Don’t support an evil cause because it will favor your brother. Even, if that evil cause will favor a Christian and disfavor a non-Christian, please don’t support it. God is a righteous judge and He will not support evil. The men of Shechem could have rebuked Abimelech, instead,  they supported him because his evil action won’t affect them. Many of us don’t speak against evil practices because we will not be affected by them. If you are in the position of authority, and you are a Christian, God expects you to represent Him there. He expects you to be His mouthpiece, speaking against evil practices and fighting for the weak.

NOTE: You are indirectly supporting what you don’t speak against.

REMEMBER: What is wrong is wrong regardless of who is doing it.

Samuel Oluwatoki