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

GOLIATH FELL

MEMORY VERSE: How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the LORD had shut them up? Deuteronomy 32:30

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Chronicles 9-12

In 1 Samuel 17 is the story of how David defeated Goliath. In these series, I will be sharing what led to Goliath’s defeat, the mistakes he made, and how you can avoid making the same mistakes. Firstly, Goliath was defeated because his rock failed him. Deuteronomy 32:30 says: ‘How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the LORD had shut them up?’ Goliath’s rock was his gods. No wonder, he cursed David by them ( See 1 Samuel 17:43). The rock of David, on the other hand, was the Lord Almighty. Psalm 18:2 says: ‘The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.’ Any rock aside Christ will fail you when you need it most. Jesus never fails. Your wealth can fail you because it can develop wings and fly away (See Proverbs 23:5). Your connections can fail you because as humans we are limited. Naaman was well connected but his connections could not bring him his much-needed healing.

The Philistines were defeated because they put their trust in Goliath. 1 Samuel 17:8-10 says: 'And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me. If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us.And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.’ If you have been defeated because your rock (ideas, power, wealth, connection, degrees, etc) failed you, all hope is not lost. What you simply need to do is make Jesus your rock. To make Jesus your rock is simple: accept Him as your personal Lord and Saviour, obey Him to the letter, witness about Him and lastly, commit that matter to Him.

PRAYER POINT: Rock of Ages, please give me victory where I have been defeated.

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

twitter@BroOluwatoki

SIDES TO EVERY BATTLE

MEMORY VERSE: Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. 1 Samuel 17:45

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Chronicles 5-8

Man is tripartite in nature. In other words, he has three parts: spirit, soul, and body. The spirit is the part of him that relates to the unseen spiritual world. The soul is the part of him that relates to the mental realm; viz., his reasoning and intellectual faculty. The body is the part of him that deals with his physical environment. The challenges we face has three sides to them; viz., the spiritual side, mental side, and the physical side.

Goliath fought David spiritually, mentally, and physically. Spiritually: Goliath attacked David using black magic and witchcraft. 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.’ Thank God, David was a man of the spirit, a prayer warrior. He responded using the name of the Lord. 1 Samuel 17: 45 says: ‘Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.’ Mentally: Goliath employed fear i.e. he tried to intimidate David by issuing threats to him. 1 Samuel 17:44 says: ‘And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.’ David responded using faith and making positive confessions. 1 Samuel 17:45 says: ‘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. And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD'S, and he will give you into our hands.’ Most of the life’s battles are won or lost in the mind. You are defeated the moment you give into fear. Our fear can stand in God’s way of doing wonders in our lives. Peter began to sink the moment he panicked. One of the reasons why Jesus succeeded in ministry was because He was courageous; and, courage is a thing of the heart. Physically: He used a sword and shield but David’s stone brought him down.

NOTE: Had David gave in to fear, he would not have slung that stone that brought Goliath down.

PRAYER POINT: I receive divine boldness in the name of Jesus, Amen.

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

twitter@BroOluwatoki

DAVID KILLED GOLIATH

MEMORY VERSE: How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the LORD had shut them up? Deuteronomy 32:30

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Chronicles 1-4

The story of David and Goliath is a popular one (1 Samuel 17). The Bible described Goliath as a champion. A champion is simply a person who has surpassed all rivals in a sporting contest or other competition. Goliath was not an ordinary fighter. He was an undefeated champion; as such, there was no blueprint for defeating him. Goliath was very successful. He had everything going for him – his height, his equipment, his strength, just name it. David, on the other hand, was the opposite of Goliath. He was inexperienced. He was not tall enough, not strong enough, had no equipment, never been to war, etc. David fought Goliath and won. The story of David and Goliath is a story of possibility. It is a story of hope.

There is a lot to learn from this story. No one is indomitable. Anyone can be defeated. No wonder the Bible warns us not to put our trust in an arm of flesh. Jeremiah 17:5 says: ‘Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.’ Only God is indomitable. Even the indomitable lions of Cameroon were defeated by Togo, a smaller team, in 2009. Any man who is without Christ is defeat-able. David can still kill Goliath. The events in the recent 2016 UEFA European Championship that took place in France reminds us that David can still beat Goliath. One particular match that shocked the football world was the Iceland vs England match. England was the favourite. A top man in Iceland sport said, ‘if we beat England, our lives will change forever.’ According to Sky sports, the combined cost of the Iceland team was £16.4m and England XI, £131.5m. The population of Iceland was 300,000 and England as at 2011, 53.01 million. The match was a modern day David vs Goliath contest. On Monday 27th June 2016, Iceland came from behind to beat England, 2-1. I don’t know what you are going through but what I want to say to you is that ‘you are not inferior.’ Size don’t always matter neither does numbers. One thing I learnt from that match was persistence is one of the keys to success. The fact that you are defeated today does not mean you will be defeated tomorrow. Keep fighting, keep making the effort; it is God and your persistence that will bring the results. Who says you can’t be the next David who will defeat Goliath?

CONFESSION: I am not inferior because I have Christ who is superior to all things.

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

twitter@BroOluwatoki

BE SLOW TO SPEAK II

MEMORY VERSE: For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. James 3:2

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Kings 23-25

James 1:19 says: ‘Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.’ There are several reasons why you need to be slow to speak. Asides, the obvious fact God will judge you by your words. Matthew 12:36 -37 says: ‘But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.’ Humans will judge you by your words too. Proverbs 18:6 says: ‘A fool's lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes.’ That Amalekite man was killed because he claimed to have killed Saul (1 Samuel 1:2-16). Verse 15-16 says: ‘And David called one of the young men, and said, Go near, and fall upon him. And he smote him that he died. And David said unto him, Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain the LORD'S anointed.’ Humans will judge you by what you preach or what you profess. As such, make sure you know your topic very well.

You should be slow to speak because in the multitude of words sin is not lacking. Proverbs 10:19 says: ‘In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.’ In other words, ‘When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable(NASB).’ James 3:2 says: ‘For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.’ Another reason why you should be slow to speak is that your words will outlive you. You don’t want to be remembered for the careless words you uttered when you go to be with the Lord. What do we remember Thomas for? Long after the death of Thomas, why do we still call him doubting Thomas? We call him doubting Thomas because of his words. John 20:25 says: ‘The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.’ Despite the fact that he repented and took the gospel to India, we still call him doubting Thomas because of the statement he made.

CONFESSION: I will not speak hastily.

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

twitter@BroOluwatoki