ALAS! THE AXE IS LAID UNDER THE TREES

MEMORY VERSE: And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Matthew 3:10

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Isaiah 56-61. 

Please pay very close attention to coincidences in your walk with Christ. In my personal life, i have come to realise that there are no coincidence in Christ. Matthew 10:29 says: “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.” Have you ever pondered on the fact that God can make good come even out of our mistakes? Roman 8:28 says, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." Some missionaries went to Argentina for evangelical outreach during the regime of Dictator General Juan Domingo Peron. It was a time of great unrest and parts of the country were in open revolt. As these brothers moved around, from town to town, sharing tracts and preaching the good news, they came to a town with this large notice: ‘Missionaries, keep out!’ In view of the unrest in the nation and the band of armed gangs roaming the streets of this small town, it was prudent for them to withdraw back to their base. 

Now it happened that they had ordered a consignment of tapes consisting of a series of expositions on Romans which Pastor Willie Mullan was delivering. (I will encourage you to get his books.) A tape dealing with a chapter at a time was sent to these missionaries as soon as the message was delivered. They had already received tapes of the first eight chapters and among their possession was a small, unopened parcel supposedly containing a tape on chapter 9. Tired and frustrated, they decided to pass the night by listening to the tape inside the unopened parcel. To their surprise and initial disappointment, they heard the man of God describing the Israelites approaching the Red Sea. Someone back in Pastor Mullan's office, in Ireland, had slipped up and dispatched the wrong tape. This address was based on the words of the Lord,' Speak unto the children of Israel that they go forward.' They listened in silence and when it ended the silence deepened. Each of them realised that God had spoke to them that night. Their problem had disappeared. God was telling them to go forward and share tracts! They returned the next morning to that little town with fresh zeal and boldness and began sharing tracts. Guess what... no one said a word to them. God had used someone’s mistake in Ireland to encourage some group of missionaries in far away Argentina!

God, like every farmer, expects fruits. He expects each and every of His child to bear fruits. What type of fruits is He expecting to see? Firstly, the fruit of the lips or praise and worship (Isaiah 57:19). Secondly, fruit meet for repentance (Matthew 3:18). Thirdly, fruit of souls (John 15:16). Fourthly, the fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). What will happen if a tree fails to bear fruits? The Lord has said that He will abandon such trees (Isaiah 5:1-7). God will not abandon you in the mighty name of Jesus.  In 1 Kings 13, we see what can happen if God abandons a fellow. A prophet disobeyed God and God abandoned him. A lion came out of the bush and killed him. What if a tree is not bearing good fruits? Well, such trees will be cut down and cast into fire. Matthew 3:10 says: “And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.” 

QUESTIONS: Are you bearing fruits? What type of fruits are you producing? 

PRAYER POINT: Father, please help me to continue bearing fruits.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

WHO ARE YOU?

MEMORY VERSE: And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel? 1 Samuel 15:17

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Job 21-22

I remember the last words of my loving father as i boarded the plane many years ago to study abroad. In his deep baritone voice, he said, “Son! Remember the son of whom you are.” I thought i understood him perfectly well at that time. I thought he was trying to tell me to stay away from crime and not get myself involved in anything that could tarnish his name. But today by the special grace of God, i am now beginning to understand what he meant. The old man was saying, “son, no matter how high God lifts you in life, don’t forget your roots. Never forget the lowly state He picked you from to go and study abroad.”

Saul was a young man with all the physical and mental qualities of a king. 1 Samuel 9:2 says, “And he had a son, whose name was Saul, a choice young man, and a goodly: and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people.” He was the best in the land, yet he was humble and teachable. He had already made up his mind to give up searching for the missing asses when his servant brought an ordinary suggestion to go and see the man of God, who was resident in that area, about the missing asses (1 Samuel 9:5-7). Any other person would have disciplined the servant for talking without being asked to talk, but Saul listened to this servant and went with him to the man of God. The journey to the man of God changed his life forever. Please don't ever get big to that extent where God will not be able to use people under you to counsel you. God at times deliberately speak to leaders through their servants. Do you remember that God encouraged Naaman to humble himself and dip in River Jordan seven times through his servants (2 Kings 5)? Also, it was an ordinary maid, who was living with Mrs Naaman, that God used to bring solution to the problem in their family?

What made Saul little in his eyes was his humble beginning. 1 Samuel 9:21 says: “And Saul answered and said, Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? wherefore then speakest thou so to me?” Because Saul was humble, the Lord decided to make him king over Israel. 1 Samuel 15:17 says, “And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel?” When Saul became king he forgot that he was a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel. He forgot his background. He forgot the son of whom he was and began to flout God’s commandment as he pleased. Don’t ever forget where God picked you from. Don’t ever forget the days of your humble beginning. There was a beggar who the Lord lifted up from the dunghill and prospered. This beggar in other not to forget where God picked him from, he kept the rags he used to wear when he was a beggar. From time to time, he would go to the room where he kept those rags just keep him in check. There was a Northern Ireland Baptist pastor by the name Willie Mullan. He was a tramp before God saved him and gave him a ministry that touched the whole world. At the height of his ministry, he never forgot that he was a tramp God picked up, cleaned and gave a ministry. The moment people wanted to praise him for the work God was doing through him, he would remind them that he was a tramp God picked up. Because of this, God started elevating him to the extent that people would gather to listen to his tape in far away Iraq in the sixties. He maintained that view of himself till he died. Saul’s view of himself changed and he fell from grace to grass.

QUESTION: Who are you? Are you a successful lawyer or that young lawyer without a clue who the Lord picked up and promoted? Do you see yourself as that wretched sinner God saved or the pastor of a big ministry? Do you see yourself as the wife of a successful man or the young girl God showed favour to and married a successful man? Are you an award winning author or that man or woman God blessed with the gift of writing?

PRAYER POINT: Father, help me to remain humble all days of my life.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

ABSOLUTE SURRENDER

MEMORY VERSE: And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. And he said, let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. Genesis 32:25-26

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalm 30 - 32

READ: Genesis 32:24-28

When you go through the bible, from Genesis to Revelation, you will find that God does not move or work things out in the life of a man until there is absolute surrender. Not until a man perfectly and totally submits himself and his will into the hands of God, he will not receive that good thing God has in store for him. Take for instance the first man- Adam. Before God gave him a wife – a good thing and God's favour (Proverbs 18:22) – he was given a divine anaesthetic to put him in a state of absolute surrender. Genesis 2:21-22 says this: “And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; and the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.” I see a lot of our ‘singles’ struggling with the Lord when it comes to the issue of marriage instead of absolutely surrendering to the Great Match-maker. I see a lot of efforts - many sisters in a bit to attract a man do some expensive hairstyles, some change their hairstyles every two weeks. Some brothers invest in expensive suits and shoes in a bit to attract a sister. Many of our youths have changed churches three to four times just to improve their chances of meeting a Christian brother or sister to marry and all to no avail.

Not until a man absolutely surrenders a situation to God, He will not move. Not until we repeat these words of Jesus – “nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42) – and mean them from the bottom of our heart, our ‘will’ will always prevent His ‘will’ from coming to pass in our lives. The Lord wants to help you. He wants to make the best out of your life. Many of us have literally messed up. We have done things we should not do especially whilst in the university. We have let important opportunities in life pass us by as a result of our negligence and habit of procrastination. We have built a faulty foundation – a foundation that is beginning to shake. We thought we were invincible, we thought we were going to be young forever, we thought the 'beauty' was going to be there forever , we thought the strength was never going to wane so we lived a rough life. Thank God we are now in the able hands of Christ. (If you have not given your lives to Christ you better do so now, because He alone can fix a destroyed life). All He demands of us is absolute surrender so that He can work on us and heal us. I am able to type these words because the keyboard and mouse have absolutely surrendered themselves to me. That’s what Christ wants from each of us today. Not until Jacob absolutely surrendered to the angel of the Lord, his name and destiny did not change. Genesis 32:25-26 says, “And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. And he said, let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.”

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: You are limited in every way and God is unlimited in every way. It will be a wise thing to submit everything into His capable hands.

ACTION: Pray this prayer from the bottom of your heart, “Father, i absolutely surrender my life to you”

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

WHERE’S THE OLD HUNGER

MEMORY VERSE: Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Revelations 2:4

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Samuel 1-5

Hunger and thirst are mechanisms God has put inside every living creature, especially animals and humans, to ensure their survival. Without these mechanisms functioning as it should function, the human race will become extinct within a year. That is, if we all decide to stop eating and drinking, within 6 months we will all be dead. Hunger and thirst do not only act as mechanisms for survival but also mechanisms to achieve our God-given goals. Proverbs 16:26 says: “He that laboureth laboureth for himself; for his mouth craveth it of him.” Hunger for good grades caused some of us to do some things when we were in the university. I remember going to ‘Infinity’ to read. ‘Infinity’ was an uncompleted primary school building, on a fairly large expanse of land, where students go to at night to read. We gave that building the name ‘Infinity’ because it was a spot to read till Infinity i.e. till you are tired. At infinity some students study for 12 straight hours! I remember i was once awake for more than three days, studying and going for exams.

When some of us gave our lives to Christ, the hunger to serve the Lord caused us to take some actions. I remember days after i had the dream that changed my life, i deleted 6,000 tracks of songs from my PC. I had Lil Wayne, Bob Marley, Aerosmith, Gnarls Barkley, Pink, Nelly, Bone Thugs N Harmony, 2 PAC, B.I.G, Fela, Just name it. I had virtually songs from every artist you can think of, i had albums, mix tapes, etc. In one day, i deleted all because i wanted to burn the bridge between my horrible past and the glorious future Christ had for me. I deleted over 100 movies, threw away close to fifty worldly novels, and threw away some clothes. Then i had two pairs of Ed Hardy jeans, each costing around 150 pounds at that time. I threw them away because of the skulls that were drawn on them and what it stood for. A particular sister was sharing with us that when she gave her life to Christ, the hunger to burn the bridge between her past and the glorious future Christ had for her, made her to return all the gifts - clothes, bags, shoes, etc, her ex boyfriend bought for her. Not only that, she burnt all the pictures of her wearing clothes that exposed her body and the ones she took with her exes.

Also, that hunger to serve Him caused some of us to join the group of workers in the church. That hunger to please Him caused some of us to start personal evangelism. That hunger to be close to Him caused some of us to spend time with Him learning the scriptures. That hunger to be His special sons and daughters caused some us to give some special offerings. And whilst we were doing all these, He kept on increasing us and blessing us. He kept on anointing us and giving us deep revelations. Some of us even began to see visions and hear His audible voice. As we were doing all these, we kept on growing in the Lord. Some of our spiritual growths even astound fellow brothers and sisters. Unfortunately, that old hunger has now died in the life of many of us. Many of us are no longer hungry to serve the Lord. The hunger to please the Lord is missing in our lives. That hunger to be close to God is no longer there. Majority of us cannot remember the last time we thought about heaven and the second coming of Christ. The hunger to be His special boys and girls is no longer there. Back in the days, it was standard for many of us to spend quality time with God at least once a week. Today, that no longer happens. What is God saying to us? “Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love” (Revelations 2:4)?

QUESTION: Where is that old hunger to grow spiritually? Where is that old hunger to please the Lord? Where is that old hunger to excel in the things of God? Where is that old hunger to be the best you can be for Jesus? Where is that old hunger to live holy?

PRAYER POINT: Father, please create in me a deep hunger to please you.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

“THOUGH THY BEGINNING WAS SMALL”

MEMORY VERSE: Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase. Job 8:7

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 40-43

Don’t worry about your humble beginnings. Don’t worry about starting small. You don’t need to start that project in a grand style to finish it in a grand style. The fact that you started small does not mean you will end small. Job 8:7 says, “Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase.” Every giant is born as a baby. Even Goliath, champion of Gath, was born as a kid. He went from being a child to become a youth and then a mighty warrior. 1 Samuel 17:33 says, “And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.” One of the biggest shrubs in the world is the mustard. They sometimes grow as a big as a huge tree. It will amaze you that mustard seeds are one of the smallest in the world. Has the Lord given you an assignment and you are losing sleep because you want to start it in a mega way? Forget about starting mega, just start small and leave the rest to God. One of the best secondary schools in Africa – most of their students end up in Harvard University or Cambridge University – started with only one student. The founder started the school with her daughter as the only student, today it is a different story. Don’t be afraid to start small. Don’t compare how you started with how others are starting. You don’t have to start your marriage life with a big wedding. A big wedding does not equate a happy and long lasting marriage.

Don’t despise your small beginning. Recently, i heard about a top military brass that started life as an orphan. That orphan of yesterday is now a General today. Starting small is not a bad omen. It is not something you should dread. Joseph started life in Egypt as a slave and ended up as a Prime Minister in the same Egypt. He was brought to Egypt in chains but when he left Egypt to go and bury his Dad, he went on a royal Chariot. Genesis 50:9 says, “and there went up with him both Chariots and horsemen: and it was a very great company.” People may despise you because of your stature. Sisters may even look down on you because you are not rich and you don’t wear the latest designer outfits. Brothers may look down on you because they can’t see your beauty. Because you don’t dress sexy or ‘show some skin’, they may even call you old fashioned. Don’t worry about all that. A day is coming when they see you, they will wish they had married you. Some thirty something years ago, a skinny law student walked up to a very pretty sister and spoke to her. The sister said to him, “Even you, a skinny mosquito wants to date a lady” and she walked out on him. Few years later, that law student graduated and founded a thriving law firm in the heart of a city in West Africa. One day, a man walked into his law chamber, seeking employment. Since he was brilliant and knew what he was doing, he was offered employment. Several months later, the wife of this employee begged him to invite the founder of the firm for dinner, to show their appreciation. The brother invited his boss and he agreed to come. The boss arrived at their small apartment (compared to his huge mansion) and they welcomed him. When the wife of the employee saw the founder, she almost fainted. The man she called a ‘mosquito’, years back, was his husband’s boss and the founder of the firm. It does not matter what names they are calling you today. A time is coming when they see you, they will open their mouths wide because of what the Lord must have done in your life. Just remain connected to God. Remain humble. Remain diligent. Keep serving God and ensure that you are always available for God to use in whatever capacity. Keep on living right. Don’t compromise your faith; very soon you will be a wonder.

THOUGHTS OF THE DAY: How a man ends is what matters not how he starts. Ecclesiastes 7:8 says: “Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.”

PRAYER POINT: Father, please make me a wonder.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

TAKING LITTLE THINGS FOR GRANTED?

MEMORY VERSE: Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Ephesians 5:20

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Corinthians 3-4

Recently during one of our mid-week services in church, the Lord used an unfortunate incident that happened, to wake every one of us present that evening ,to the fact that we have been taking some of the little things we enjoy (as a result of God’s goodness) for granted. It was time for the service and none of the brothers in the media department was around. The brother who was going to lead the opening prayer went into the media room, picked a microphone, stood by the altar and began to lead prayers. Suddenly, we started hearing a high pitched static sound coming from one of the speakers. One of the brothers went into the media room to check what’s wrong and see the possibility of fixing it. The brother tried and tried but the noise persisted. At this point, we could barely hear anything as the noise was deafening. After a lot of removing-this-cable, plugging-that-cable, tuning-the-mixer, adjusting-the-amplifier, the Lord took control and the noise stopped. The service continued but we had all learnt something valuable. Firstly, you don’t know the value of a thing until it is gone or develops a fault. Although we appreciate the selfless work the brothers in the media department are doing, the Lord used that opportunity to show us all, their worth. Every one of us, minister and the congregation, are used to a 'functioning’ media equipment. Do you know those equipment don’t function well without an expert, like those brothers in our media department, standing by them, tuning them to get the perfect sound and preventing that high static sound during a church service? 

Secondly, don’t take things no matter how little for granted. Every one of us at that service – and many more Christians – is guilty of taking little things that are functioning in the church for granted. After that incident, the Lord opened our eyes to see how we, all, have been taking little things that are functioning in our lives (as a result of God’s goodness) for granted. A lot of us take it for granted that after every meal, we don’t have to inject our body with insulin. Sometimes last year, a friend and i went to greet another friend. When we left the place and got back into car, he took out a machine to inject himself with something. Out of curiosity i asked him, what are you injecting yourself with and why? He told me his body can’t produce insulin so whenever he eats, he has to inject himself with insulin to break down sugar. I pray for everyone sick person that the Lord will heal you in Jesus name. Some of what could happen if he does not inject himself after eating are kidney damage, stroke, eye damage, heart attack, etc. A lot of us take it for granted that we can hear. I heard about the daughter of a millionaire who had to quit her job to look after her dad who lost his hearing. One thing she said that touched me was her father can't hear anything even if you put him beside a loud concert speaker. Even If he is about to walk into fire and you shout at the top of your voice, he won’t hear. A lot of us take it for granted that we can bathe ourselves or brush our teeth or feed ourselves. There are many who have hands but can’t use them because they are paralyzed. Don’t take it for granted that you can control yourself when you want to urinate or defecate. Always remember to thank God for those little things. Ephesians 5:20 says: “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;” That you are able to sleep is something to thank God for. Psalm 4:8 says: “I will both lay me down in peace and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.” There are lot of people who can’t sleep no matter how tired they are. That you slept last night and woke this morning is a cause to thank God for. Psalm 3:5 says,” I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me.”

CONFESSION: Father, i thank you for those little things that you have done for me.

ACTION: Thank God for those little things you have. Most of the 'big' things you are asking God for will mean nothing to you, if you have them without little things like the ability to see, to hear, to speak, to feel cold and hot, to move your hands, to move your legs, to bath yourself, to stand and sit,etc.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

60 seconds with Jesus

Someone sent the piece below to me on email and it really blessed me. It is a very important message and it chimes with our God-given objective to share Christ with the world. I pray that as you read it, the Holy Spirit will speak to your heart. Please feel free to share it with your friends and family.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Job 19-20

THE (SCIENTIFIC) DEATH OF JESUS:

At the age of 33, Jesus was condemned to the death penalty.

At the time, crucifixion was the "worst" death. Only the worst criminals were condemned to be crucified. Jesus was to be nailed to the cross by His hands and feet.

Each nail was 6 to 8 inches long.

The nails were driven into His wrist, not into His palms as is commonly portrayed. There's a tendon in the wrist that extends to the shoulder. The Roman guards knew that when the nails were being hammered into the wrist, that tendon would tear and break, forcing Jesus to use His back muscles to support himself so that He could breathe.

Both of His feet were nailed together. Thus He was forced to support Himself on the single nail that impaled His feet to the cross. Jesus could not support himself with His legs because of the pain, so He was forced to alternate between arching His back, then using his legs just to continue to breathe. Imagine the struggle, the pain, the suffering, the courage.

Jesus endured this brutality for over 3 hours.

Yes, over 3 hours! Can you imagine this kind of suffering?
A few minutes before He died, Jesus stopped bleeding. He was simply pouring water from His wounds.

From common images, we see wounds to His hands and feet, and even the spear wound to His side... But do we realize His wounds were actually made in His body. A hammer driving large nails through the wrist, the feet overlapped and an even larger nail hammered through the arches, then a Roman guard piercing His side with a spear. But before the nails and the spear, Jesus was whipped and beaten. The whipping was so severe that it tore the flesh from His body. The beating so horrific that His face was torn and his beard ripped from His face. The crown of thorns cut deeply into His scalp. Most men would not have survived this torture.

He had no more blood to bleed out, only water poured from His wounds. The human adult body contains about 3.5 liters (just less than a gallon) of blood.

Jesus poured all 3.5 liters of his blood; He had three nails hammered into His members; a crown of thorns on His head and, beyond that, a Roman soldier who stabbed a spear into His chest.

All these without mentioning the humiliation He endured after carrying His own cross for almost 2 kilometers, while the crowd spat in His face and threw stones (the cross was almost 30 kg of weight, only for its higher part, where His hands were nailed).

Jesus had to endure this experience, so that we can have free access to God.

So that our sins could be "washed" away. All of them, with no exception!

Deuteronomy 30:19 says, “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:” The way out of eternal damnation is Jesus. Accept Him as your personal Lord and saviour and live.