SATANIC WISDOM, COMMON SENSE & GODLY WISDOM PART THREE

MEMORY VERSE: But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. James 3:17

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: First Corinthians 2-4

There are three types of wisdom: satanic wisdom, common sense and godly wisdom. According to James 3:15, satanic wisdom descendeth not from above i.e. it comes from the pit of hell. Satanic wisdom is corrupted wisdom. It is the wisdom of Satan that propels a person to pull down a fellow being, in order to get favour. Satanic wisdom is at variance to the word of God. At last, satanic wisdom kills its seeker. Common sense is part of human wisdom. Common sense will not work with God because it will often be contrary to His will.

Then, there is godly wisdom. James 3:17 says, “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.”Godly wisdom is from above unlike satanic wisdom, which is from the pit of hell, and human wisdom, which is from humans. God is the author of godly wisdom. The first thing you need to know about godly wisdom is that it is pure i.e. it is holy wisdom; it is separated from all that is evil. The wisdom of God encourages uprightness and righteousness. Human wisdom will tell you to use flattery to get your way but godly wisdom will tell you to say what you mean, and mean what you say. Human wisdom will tell you, if you want a day off from work, phone in sick, or phone in that, your child is sick but godly wisdom will tell you to use your annual leave instead. Secondly, godly wisdom is peaceable. It encourages one to live in peace with everyone. Snubbing people is not godly wisdom. Thirdly, it is gentle. Godly wisdom does not encourage violence or bullying one’s way through. It is forbearing. It makes allowances for others. Fourthly, it is easy to be intreated. Godly wisdom is compliant. Godly wisdom does not say, “I know it all” or “i am the alpha and omega.” It encourages one to listen to what others have to say. Godly wisdom will tell you, “It is true that you can see the back of head of everyone; you need someone to see the back of your own head.” It will tell you that you do not know it all. Fifthly, it is full of mercy and good fruits. It is godly wisdom to forgive and not seek revenge. Godly wisdom will tell you to respect God and man. I have heard many say, the only person they respect is God, they respect no man. That is not godly wisdom. Godly wisdom encourages one to do good things and care for the poor. Sixthly, it is without partiality. It encourages one to be fair. Godly wisdom discourages respect to persons. It will tell you, treat everyone equal. Lastly, it is without hypocrisy. Godly wisdom gives its seeker peace of mind. Human wisdom may tell you to lie about your age when you meet a brother; some have done that and gotten themselves in a big mess. They claimed they are twenty-eight years old, when they are actually thirty-three. The brother has proposed, they need to come out clean but they are confused as to how to go about it. Some brothers introduced themselves has Kelvin, now they have met the sister’s parents, they do not know how to come out to say that their real name is Billy not Kelvin.

PONDER: Are you running your life using common sense or the wisdom of God?

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

twitter@BroOluwatoki

BE DELIBERATE

MEMORY VERSE: Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:16

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Romans 10-14

In Matthew 5:14, Jesus said:“ Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” Friend, our lights must shine not dimly but brightly.  Non Christians around us must know that we are different. The way we carry ourselves must be different. As lights we must be modest in our dressing not flamboyant or sexy. 1 Timothy 2:19 says, “in like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array.” The way we talk, our choice of words, our choice of music, must be different. How can the favourite song of a born again, regenerated, spirit filled believer be ‘sexual healing’ or ‘Mr Bombastic’? How can the ringtone of a believer be ‘Get rich or die trying?” Friend, old things must pass away and all things must become new (Second Corinthians 5:17). Astrology and palm reading must pass away. Playing lottery must pass away.

Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works.”  That they may see your ‘good’ works not ordinary works. Friend, I want you to know this, letting your light shine is work. One thing with ‘work’ is that, you do it, not because it is convenient, easy or pleasant, but, because you have to do it. There are times you wake up in the morning tired, especially after night vigil, and do not feel like going to work. Despite the tiredness, you still go to work because you have to. Some times, letting your light shine before men is not easy or pleasant. If someone betrays you, letting your light shine before such fellow is not very easy. This is where the ‘work’ bit comes in. Letting your light shine before a fellow who has just testified falsely against you is not pleasant. This is where the ‘work’ bit comes in. Whether it is easy or not, whether it is pleasant or not, whether it is convenient or not, our lights must shine.

In doing good works, we must be deliberate. That fellow may not deserve it, but do good to him or her. In letting your light shine, be deliberate. Deliberately greet that sister that is keeping malice with you. Deliberately pray for that fellow who has wronged you and mean the prayer. Deliberately refuse to swear and curse when you are angry. Deliberately refuse to buy cigarette and beer for your friends. Be good to people. Deliberately refuse to be nasty to people evenwhen they are nasty to you. You have nothing to gain by being nasty and you gain everything by being nice. Deliberately refuse to pay people back in their own coin. Deliberately refuse to start a big quarrel any time that man comes home drunk or late at night. Instead of shouting and asking, “where have you been,” greet him. When he is asleep, wake up and ask the Lord to touch his heart. Instead of flaring up over petty things, deliberately smile and say, “it is well”and mean it. Be deliberately nice to fellow road users. The next time that fellow wrongs you; deliberately refuse to remind him of how he has wronged you  fifteen times in the last two weeks. The next time Angie, at work, leaves the kitchen dirty; deliberately clean it up without making fuss about it.

NOTE: You have a lot to lose by being nasty.

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

HARVEST IS COMING

MEMORY VERSE: and let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.Galatians 6:9

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Acts 24-26

In Brother Paul’s epistle to the brethren in Galatians, he wrote this: “and let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall we reap, if we faint not” (Galatians 6:9). I want you to know that it is possible for one to become weary in well doing or get tired of doing what is good. Friend, are you beginning to get tired of doing what is good or you are tired already of doing what is good? Are you beginning to consider sex before marriage and ask for forgiveness after because most of your friends who indulge in it are all married with children? I want to encourage you in the Lord, do not get tired of doing what is good i.e. saying no to sex before marriage. Are you considering fraud because your friends who do it have three to four houses and drive nice cars? Just as Paul encouraged the believers in Galatians, i want to encourage you too, please do not get tired of doing what is good. Have you , a born again sister, joined the group of 'big girls' who date sugar daddies because your room mates have the latest gadgets, they are hardly in school yet they never fail? Please repent immediately. Do not get tired of doing what is good.

The reason why you must not stop doing what is good is because, every good thing you do is a seed sown. Every time you say no to sex before marriage, you are sowing a seed. Every time you witness to that family member of yours that is yet to give his or her to Christ, you are sowing a good seed. Every time you intercede for that family friend, you are sowing a seed. Every time someone tries to provoke you and you refuse to get angry, you are sowing a seed. Every time you put the work of God first, before your personal business, you are sowing a seed. Every time you refuse to compromise whether at work or in business, you are sowing a seed. In due season, you will harvest a big testimony/breakthrough/ open door, if you do not give up doing what is good. While other young men relished the king’s meat, Daniel and co decided to say no. While everyone enjoyed the meat offered to idols, Daniel and his friends vowed that they would not touch any unclean meat (Daniel 1). They kept on sowing that good seed daily, at the end Daniel became third in command to the king and his friends became governors (Daniel 6). Mrs Potiphar kept on offering Joseph a nice time and he kept on turning it down (Genesis 39). Every time she said, “Joseph dear, what about what we discussed,” he will sow a good seed by saying “i cannot do this terrible thing and offend God.” Few years later, he became the prime minister (Genesis 41). Friend, are you under serious pressure to give up doing what is good? Are you under pressure to compromise? Harvest is coming very soon, God is about to reward you for not compromising in that place of work. Your long awaited husband is just around the corner; do not fornicate with that boy who is promising to take you to his parents once he knows you carnally. The pressure to give up is at its highest, moments before breakthrough. The pressure to stop interceding for that family member is always at its highest, when the Lord is about to answer your prayers over them.

NOTE: The pressure to stop witnessing to a difficult fellow is at its highest, when the Lord is about to convict the heart of the fellow. Do not give up today because you are very close to a breakthrough.

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

IF GOD ALLOWS IT, THEN IT IS FOR YOUR OWN GOOD

MEMORY VERSE: Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God. First Samuel 17:36

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Acts 21-23

There is no coincidence in God. Nothing happens by chance or without reason. Nothing, and again i repeat, nothing happens in this world without God’s knowledge. According to Isaiah 46:10, long before something happens, He knows it. The cause of many problems is sin. The Lord said in Jeremiah 5:25: “your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you.” Bribery and corruption withholds good things from us. When terrible thing happens, and we call the Lord, and He refuses to act, according to Isaiah 59:1-2, it is because of our sins. Our sins cause Him to hide His face from us and not hear our cries. Sin causes separation between God and us. What is separating some us from God is fornication and adultery. For some, it is pornography and masturbation. God does not like that separation, and that separation will not benefit you either, this is why the Lord is saying this morning, repent, turn to Me and I will turn to you ( Zechariah 1:3).

However, if you are serving God in spirit and truth, and God allows some challenges in your life, i want you to know it is for your own good. The Lord intentionally permit some things on our way, either to reveal the hidden faults in our life, to build us up for a glorious future, to promote us, to display His power, to break us so that the beautiful things inside us can flow out or to keep us from trouble. In Daniel 3, the Lord permitted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to be cast into fire because He wanted to firstly, display His power and secondly, promote them. Friend, the Lord may have permitted that challenges you are facing in your relationship, marriage, ministry, place of work, or business, to display His power and to promote you. Before problem, Peter said to Jesus, “even if i must die with you, i would not deny you” (Matthew 26:35). When the slave girl confronted him, he denied Jesus: the hidden fault was revealed. I thought i was a loving person until some people cooked up some stories and got me suspended. I found myself asking the Lord to strike them down. It was until then i discovered that the love of Christ was yet to be fully shed abroad in my heart. Thank God, i discovered that and went back to the prayer room. Wait until things do not go the way of some sisters, it is then you discover that they are not humble. Wait until someone mistakenly steps on some brother’s toes, it is then you discover that the brother is a thug. Friend, God may have permitted those circumstances to reveal the hidden faults, grudges, and wrong motives in your life.

The Lord permitted a lion and a bear to attack the flock, David was looking after, to train, and get him ready for the ‘Goliath’ that will appear in the future. No wonder when the king said he was incapable, he told him,” Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God”  (First Samuel 17:36). Friend, what you are facing may be some sort of training clutch for your future challenges. Anyone with great destiny must be ready for great challenges. The Lord may have allowed the present challenges to train your hands to war and your finger for battle. He knows the problem will not finish you, that is why He allowed it.

PONDER: Has the Lord revealed any weakness in your life recently? Do not hide it; instead, ask Him to help you overcome that weakness.

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

"AS HE WAS TELLING THE KING"

MEMORY VERSE: And it came to pass, as he was telling the king how he had restored a dead body to life, that, behold, the woman, whose son he had restored to life, cried to the king for her house and for her land. And Gehazi said, My lord, O king, this is the woman, and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life. Second Kings 8:5

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Acts 18-20

It happened one day that the king was talking with Gehazi, ex servant of Elisha, he told him, "tell me, i pray thee, all the great things that Elisha hath done" (Second Kings 8:4). Gehazi began to narrate all the great things the Lord had done through the hands of Elisha. He told the king how the Lord healed the waters of Jericho through Elisha (Second Kings 2:19-22). He talked about how Elisha pronounced a curse on some children who mocked him and two she bears came out and tare forty two of them ( Second Kings 2:23-24). He spoke and spoke for a long time. As he was telling the king about the Shunamite woman whom Elisha raised her son from deathbed, the Shunamite woman walked in. Second kings 8:5 says "And it came to pass, as he was telling the king how he had restored a dead body to life, that, behold, the woman, whose son he had restored to life, cried to the king for her house and for her land. And Gehazi said, My lord, O king, this is the woman, and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life."

I believe Gehazi must have boasted to the king about how he used to be Elisha’s personal assistant. While he was telling the king about the Shunamite woman, he must have boasted about how he used to carry Elisha’s staff and all that. Friend, what story are you telling? Is it a story of how you used to dream dreams? Is it a story of how you used to go to villages to preach when you were in the university? Is it a story of how you used to see angels when you were young? Is it a story of how the Lord used to touch people when you preach? Sister in Christ, what story are you telling? Is it one of how you used to sing and the spirit of the Lord will come down mightily? Brother in Christ, what story are you telling. Is it how used to pray all through the night?

Friend, what story are you telling? Many a time, when people tell me how they used to be this and that for the Lord, i wonder how about now? When i hear stories of how some brothers used to be fervent before they got married, i become sad. When i hear stories of how some sisters never used to miss choir practice when they were single, i become sad. Gehazi used to be Elisha’s PA, but today, he is a leper. Sir, what you used to be does not matter. You used to write powerful messages and post it on Facebook, good, but today, what do you do? You used to have time for church activities, thank you very much for that information, how about now. You used to lay hands on the sick and they recover, to God be the glory, but sir, how about now. They used to call you a brother, bravo, today what do they call you? You used to be innocent, to tell a small lie used to be a big problem, very good, how about today. Your conscience used to be very alive, the moment you think of anything bad, it will start to condemn you, nice, how about now. In the body of Christ, the story most of us are telling is what we used to do. Is your own story, how you used to fast every Wednesday or how you used to share tracts?　

PONDER: Peter said of Judas Iscariot, "For he was numbered with us" (Acts 1:17). Heaven used to recognise Judas as a disciple but later that changed. Does heaven still recognise you as a child of God?

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

DO NOT GET TIRED

MEMORY VERSE: and let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. GALATIANS 6:9

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Acts 13-17

In Paul’s epistle to the Galatians, he wrote, “and let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not” (Galatians 6:9). Friend, i do not know what you are facing in your marriage or relationship but i want to encourage you, do not get tired. Do not get tired of that stubborn child. His teachers are always reporting him for bad behaviour. Other parents have warned their children not play with him because of his unruly behaviour. You have prayed and fasted, but nothing seems to be happening. As Paul encouraged the Galatians, i want to encourage you in the Lord, do not get tired. Over that child that is always sick, do not get tired. I join my faith with your faith, that child is healed permanently in Jesus name, amen.
Over that marriage, do not get tired. No matter what you do, your husband never appreciates it. He complains at every little opportunity, even when you cook and intentionally do not add salts, he complains that the food salty. I want to encourage you in the Lord, do not get tired. You are trying to lose weight, you have tried different weight loss plans, and nothing seems to be happening. You go to the gym twice a week, but it is taking forever to notice any changes in your outlook, i want to encourage you, do not get tired of trying. You have applied for several jobs, but no one has invited you for an interview, i want to encourage you, do not get tired of making applications. This is the fourth time you have failed your driving test, do not get tired of trying. Register and book for it again. This is the sixth time you have sat for F6 Taxation, ACCA Qualifications, do not get tired of trying, read, and book the exam again. In the name that is above every other name, your next effort will be the last time you will sit for that subject, Amen.

Do not be weary in showing love to that nasty family member. Do not get tired of interceding for that friend, family member, or colleague at work, who is yet to give his or her life to Christ. Do not get tired of praying for that husband of yours that is always returning home drunk at night. Do not get tired of witnessing to your colleagues at work about Jesus. Do not get tired of interceding for your nation. It may seem as if you are wasting your time praying for your country and the leaders. Friend, your prayer is keeping your nation. The prayer of the righteous is keeping this world. Let us not become weary in interceding for the leaders, kings, princes, head of states, presidents, founders and general overseers, pastors, leaders, etc. Do not become tired of life. Suicide is not the way out. Do not become tired of committing that relationship to God. It is true that you committed it to Him at the beginning, keep on committing it to Him. A man of God once said this, “if you remember to say it, God will remember to do it”

PRAYER POINT: Father, Help of the helpless, please help every one of us in the might name of Jesus.

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

INTO A FAR COUNTRY

MEMORY VERSE:  And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. Luke 15:13

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Micah 7 – Nahum 1

BIBLE STUDIES: Luke 15:11-32

A young boy approached his father and requested for his own share of inheritance. Since he was of age, the father shared all he had between his two sons, and gave this young boy his inheritance.  There is nothing wrong in a son exercising his right of sonship. As far as the young man is matured, physically and mentally, the father can give him his share of inheritance. The same applies to us believers; there is nothing wrong in asking our Father in heaven to give us portion of His goods relevant to our ‘age’. Some of the portion of His goods is deliverance, healing, prosperity, breakthrough, revelations, divine wisdom, anointing, etc.

A few days after, this young man gathered all and left for a far country. Luke 15:13 says and not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. Asking our Father in heaven for legitimate things is right. There is nothing wrong in asking God for a new job, spouse, baby, house, gift of the Spirit, favour and so on, but taking them away to a far country is wrong. Many of us have taken God’s goods to a far country. The moment that large pay cheque arrived, we moved from the Father’s presence. The moment we got married, we stopped praying. The moment we got the job, we started missing midweek service. One thing we must know is this, whatever we take out of God’s presence into the world will waste. It does not matter what your bank balances is, if you continue to spend without any sort of income, you will go bankrupt. The same applies to spiritual resources like anointing; it will diminish if taken away from His presence. The only ONE who does not diminish is God. It is only in the presence of God that you and I, will be continually refreshed, replenished, and refuelled. Whatever you get from the presence of God, please do not take it out of the presence of God. The young man gathered everything, went to a far country, and wasted all on extravagant lifestyle. If you are earning 1000 pounds per month, do not go and buy a shoe of 950 pounds, that is an extravagant lifestyle. The fact that your friend has it, does not mean you must have it. Must you do a big wedding because that sister in church did a big wedding? Cut your coat according to your size. There is nothing wrong in a big wedding but remember, wedding is a day but marriage is a lifetime. After this boy spent all, a mighty storm arose in that land. Everyone had deserted him. Those that were calling him a ‘big boy’ disappeared. Friends, be wise, those that are calling you a ‘big boy’ or ‘big girl’ will desert when you run into problem. Brother, there is nothing cool in being a gangster, if you die as a gangster, you will go to hell.

TO PONDER: Am i abiding in the presence of God or in far country?

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

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