“FOR A TIME SUCH AS THIS”

MEMORY VERSE: Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house, more than all the Jews. For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this? Esther 4:13-14 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Nahum

Haman, a wicked man with an evil heart, wanted Mordecai dead because he refused to bow to him (Esther 3). What did he do? He hatched a plan to exterminate all the Jews in the land. He went to King Ahasuerus, told him that the Jews were working against him and asked for permission to conduct an ethnic cleansing. He even volunteered to personally foot the bill. Which king wouldn’t want to see the end of those working against him? None. So, the king gave him his blessings ; Haman spoke with the law makers and they passed a bill that says all the Jews must be exterminated on a certain date. Mordecai heard this news and passed it on to Queen Esther, his adopted daughter. At first, Esther began to give excuses but the tough old man said to her “Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house, more than all the Jews. For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

There several lessons we can learn from the old man’s response. Firstly, “whatever” position you find yourself in life you are there for a reason. Joseph of Arimathea, a wealthy Jewish man who secretly followed Jesus, was a member of the Sanhedrin for a reason. God deliberately put him in the Sanhedrin– a position that gave him access to Herod - so that He would use his contact, connection and position to collect the body of Jesus Christ from Herod after His crucifixion (Mark 15:42-64). That young slave girl was in the house of Naaman, waiting on Naaman’s wife, for a reason (2 Kings 5:1-19). God deliberately had her there so as to use her to bring healing to Naaman, one of the high ranking officers in the Syrian army, which will in turn mend the relationship between the Syrians and the Israelites- God wanted to use an Israelite prophet to heal a top brass in the Syrian army. Sadly, Gehazi’s conduct hindered it as he took money from Naaman for his healing. 

Secondly, “whatever” position you find yourself as a child of God, you are there for a "particular time". This translates that you will not be there forever. Also, you are there for a particular purpose. As such, “whatever” position you find yourself as a child of God, you must behave yourself in a way that will not jeopardize the fulfillment of your purpose there. Thank God that young slave girl behaved well whilst waiting on Naaman’s wife. Had it been she was a lazy girl or a thief, Naaman’s wife would not have listened when she spoke to her about the prophet in Israel. Thank God Joseph of Arimathea was a responsible man. Had it been he was irresponsible, Herod would not have granted him audience talkless of release the body of Christ, a treasure of inestimable value, to him. We thank the Lord for the life of Queen Esther. She was a humble woman who never took the king for granted. Had it been that she behaved like her predecessor Vashti, she would not have been able to save her people. Please note that all we have been talking about only applies to children of God. As a child of God, if you find yourself in a position you don’t like i want you to know that your Father in heaven knows about it, and He will work things for your own good (Romans 8:28). However, if you are yet to give your life to Christ or you are living in sin and you find yourself in a situation you don’t like, it could be the devil punishing you for fun since you are in his camp. Today, you can change camp by confessing with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believing in your heart that God raised Him from the dead (Romans 10:9).

QUESTION: How are you behaving in that position God has put you? Are you behaving in a way that will jeopardize the fulfillment of God's purpose for having you there? 

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

THE PRINCIPAL THING

MEMORY VERSE: They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's. Matthew 22:21

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Proverbs 31

Proverbs 4:7 says, “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.” The word “principal” means first in order of importance; main. There are a lot of important things. One of them is knowledge. They have a saying in the secular world “Knowledge is power “. Hosea 4:6 says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.” To destroy means to damage or to ruin. Hosea 4:6a says, “My people are destroyed (ruined,damaged) for lack of knowledge". This should give you an idea of how important knowledge is. Yet, the bible says wisdom is the principal thing. Another important thing is vision. The elders have a saying, “In the country of the blind, the one eyed man is their king.” In other words, it is better to have little vision than no vision at all because a man with little vision will rule over a nation of blind people. Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” To perish means to die, especially in a violent way or sudden way. This definition summarises the importance of vision. Yet, the bible says wisdom is the principal thing.

There are several reasons why wisdom is the principal thing. For instance, you need wisdom to make difficult decisions. Two women, who had just put to bed, brought a very difficult case to King Solomon (1 Kings 3:16-28). While they slept, one of them rolled over her baby and the baby died. She picked the other woman's living baby and claimed it was hers. Mind you, at that time there was nothing like DNA test. Solomon ordered a soldier to divide the baby into two. The real mother begged the king to give the baby to the other woman because she didn't want the soldier to kill him.  The fake mother, on the other hand,  wanted the child to be cut into two at all cost. Solomon automatically knew who the real mother was and gave the baby to her. You need wisdom to avoid the traps of the enemy. In Matthew 22:17-22, some Herodians asked Jesus, "is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?" They asked this question to trap Him. If He said it was lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, the Pharisees would accuse him of being against the Jews. If He said it was unlawful to pay taxes to Caesar, they would accuse Him of being against  Caesar and report Him. He deployed wisdom; He requested for a coin and asked whose inscription was on the coin. Matthew 22:21 says, “They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's.” Also, you need wisdom to get out of tight corners. The Pharisees brought a woman caught in the adultery to Jesus and said the Law of Moses commanded us to stone such women to death but what do you say (John 8:1-10). If He told them to stone her, He will be working against Himself because He came to save sinners. If He told them not to stone her, they would accuse Him of going against the Laws of Moses. He said to them, “he that is without sin let him cast the first stone”. On hearing this, they all left quietly. The real reason why wisdom is the principal thing is this: you need the wisdom of God to make heaven. Jesus is the wisdom of God. 1 Corinthians 1:24 says, “But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.” Jesus is the way to the Father (John 14:6).

PRAYER POINT: Father, please fill me with your wisdom. 

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

WHO YOU KNOW MATTERS

MEMORY VERSE: And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits. Daniel 11:32

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalm 120-121

BIBLE READING: Mark 5:25-34

In the secular world, it is not what you know but who you know. For instance, if there is a request for tender (a formal, structured invitation to suppliers, to bid, to supply products or services) in an organization, and you happen to know one high ranking officer in that organization, you could end up being awarded the contract. Or, if there is a job vacancy in an organization and you happen to know someone who knows the chairman of that organization, you can be rest assured that you will automatically get an interview; if you perform well you will get the job. I have heard many say the concept of 'it is not what you know but who you know' only happens in poor countries;it is a lie. It happens everywhere even in the so-called advanced nations. Hence the need to always pray for divine connection. If you know the right people – men of timber and caliber – and you are humble, the sky is your limit. The Lord will use them to help you.

When it comes to spiritual matters, who you know matters. Daniel 11:32 says, “And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.” It is possible to have a PhD and still be jobless. There are instances of people with ordinary ‘O’ level result employing PhD holders. It is possible to be a medical doctor and be barren. It is possible to be a General Practitioner (GP) and still fall sick. So it is not what you know, but who you know. I don’t think the woman with the issue of blood was a novice when it comes to general health and wellbeing. She had spoken to several top physicians and she had lived with that condition for over twelve years so she must know a lot about her condition and other issues relating to health. Even the so-called doctors who knew a lot about blood hemorrhage could not help her. Thank God she met Jesus Christ. She made contact with Him by touching Him and her condition of twelve years was healed.

Not only was the woman with the issue of blood sick, she was poor. Mark 5:26 says, “And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse.” This woman was poor not because she was wasteful or because she didn't have financial intelligence. She was poor because she was too weak to work and she had spent all her savings trying to get a cure for her sickness. After Jesus made her whole, she was able to seek employment or start a business and tithe and enjoy expansion. Asides from the fact that she was sick and poor, she was also lonely. She neither had a husband nor a child. She was lonely for several reasons. Firstly, she had a flow of blood which rendered her unclean and as far as a woman is unclean, no one especially men will come near her. Even if a man came near her, she couldn’t conceive because she kept on bleeding. However, one day she heard about Jesus and came to Him. After He made her whole, loneliness became a thing of the past in her life. She could now marry and have children. Who you know matters. The word of the Lord says Christ in you, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27). If you know Christ, you are assured of a great tomorrow. How does one know Christ? Accept Him as your personal Lord and Savior. Spend quality time at His feet studying and meditating on scriptures. Also spend time praying and fasting. The more time you spend with Him in the closet, the more revelation He will give to you. Revelation will set you apart in this generation.

QUESTION: Do you know God? If you know God, do you things that He loves?

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EXPECT A CHANGE OF NAME

MEMORY VERSE: Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married. Isaiah 62:4

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Chronicles 21-24

Names are very important. They are so important, the word of God says if you are asked to pick between a good name and great riches; pick a good name. Proverbs 22:1 says, “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.” Why are names so important? Your name can either make your or break you. Bro Jabez – whose name means pain – suffered from pain all his life until he cried unto the Lord (2 Chronicles 4:9-10). His life, from the day he was born, was synonymous with pain. On the other hand, Solomon also known as Jedidah (Beloved of the Most High) enjoyed God’s attention and love all through his life. When he asked God for one thing, the Lord game him two. He asked for wisdom, the Lord gave him wisdom and great riches. Just by changing your name, your lot in life can change. Not until God changed Abram’s name to Abraham, and Sarai’s name to Sarah, the promise of a child did not materialze. What you call yourself matters. This is why you must never call yourself a failure because you failed one exam. Thomas Edison failed several times before he invented a light bulb.If names were not important, the Lord would not have bothered to give Jesus a name.

We live in a world where people prefer to address one by his challenges not name. Everyone knew Elizabeth’s name yet they called her “barren” because she had no child. Luke 1:36 says, “And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.” Everyone knew Bartimaeus’ name. His name was Bartimaeus Timaeus, yet people referred to him as blind Bartimaeus. Jesus healed him over 2000 years ago, yet, many of us still refer to him as blind Bartimaeus. Whilst we were in high school, there was one of our classmates who was nicked name “Egbon Jebete” because he was very short.(Mind you he didn't like the name ). Although he was very short, he was very tough. Most of the junior students who were taller than him could not bully him. Several years after we graduated from high school, he came to the UK and we decided to meet up. When I saw him, he had changed. We were almost the same height. I could not call him by his nickname anymore because he had grown so tall. He is now taller than most of those who referred to him as Egbon Jebete back in high school. Isaiah 62:4 says, “Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married.” I don’t know what name people are calling you but the Most High God will change your situation, and people who used to call you funny names will no longer be able to do so. God turned my short friend's -now very tall - life around so much that we don't even remember "the" nick name. Expect a new name because in this season God will grant your petition and those who have been calling you barren will now be forced to call you a mother. In this season, God will work wonders in your life and those who have been regarding you as Ms 'so and so' will begin to refer to you as Mrs. 'so and so'. In this season, God will change your name from a borrower to a lender.

PRAYER POINT: Father, remember me oh Lord.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

BUT BY MY SPIRIT

MEMORY VERSE: David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee. 1 Samuel 17:37

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Deuteronomy 1-3

BIBLE READING: Judges 14:5-6

Zechariah 4:6 says, “Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.” There are several facts we can draw from this popular text. Firstly, with human strength - synonym for might - you are limited. For instance, no matter how strong you are, you will experience tiredness from time to time especially after a hard day’s work. Even the youths (symbol of strength) grow tired and become weary (Isaiah 40:30). You will accomplish very little with your human strength. Hence, the word of God says: “Not by might”. When it comes to dealing with the issues of life and challenges, human strength will avail you nothing. 1 Samuel 2:9 says, “He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.” Secondly, with human will /influence /talent /skill -synonyms for power- you are limited. The centurion whom Jesus healed his servant had power /authority /influence /connection but could not heal his servant (Luke 7:1-10). That centurion, despite all he had, was limited. You will accomplish very little with your human power. If you don’t believe me, speak to people who make New Year resolutions at the beginning of each year. With all their power (physical, mental and emotional), five weeks into the New Year they would have broken their New Year resolutions. Might i add to it, you will accomplish very little with your boldness. The enemy is not intimidated by your boldness. It is only by the Spirit of the Lord that you will emerge as a victor! It is only by the Spirit of the Lord that you will start a project and complete it.

You will only defeat Goliath by the Spirit of the Lord not by swords or Saul’s armour. 1 Samuel 17:37 says, “David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.” David couldn’t have killed the lion and the bear by his power or might. An average adult lion weighs 190kg. The average height of a fully grown lion is 4ft tall and 6ft long. How can a boy, under the age of 16, kill a lion? The average weight of a fully grown bear is 365kg; average length is 7ft long. David stood no chance with a bear talk-less of a 9ft giant. But by the spirit of God, he defeated the lion, the bear and Goliath. Samson couldn’t have killed the lion by his strength. Judges 14:6 says, “And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but he told not his father or his mother what he had done.” Without the Spirit of the Lord, you cannot defeat Goliath. (A goliath is simply anything that is standing between you and God’s plan for your life). Only the Spirit of the Lord can help you defeat that fellow who is standing between you and your promotion at your place of work. Without the Spirit of the Lord, you cannot destroy those lions that are harassing you and roaring at you. Your human strength has yielded no results, why not try Jesus. He saves – not only from sin but - from everything!

NOTE: Human power may fail but Jesus never fails.

PRAYER POINT: Father, deal with every lion harassing me in Jesus name.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

LAZARUS SLEPT

MEMORY VERSE: These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. John 11:11

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Acts 7- 8

Someone once said, “If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change”. What a true statement. There is a need to change the way you look at things. Not until you change the way you look at that situation, it may not change for the better. Firstly, how you see that situation you are facing will determine your confession. 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.” Jesus saw Lazarus as one that slept not a dead man. No wonder He told His disciples that He was going to wake him out of sleep. Your confession matters. 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 will determine how that challenge will end. Numbers 14:28 says, “Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the LORD, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you.” What God hears you say is what you will have. Joel 3:10 says, “Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong.” What you confess is what you will have. When David confessed that he was going to kill Goliath and cut off his head, he did not have a sword talk-less of a knife on him. Actually, all he had on him that day was a sling and some stones. But God heard that young boy on that day and granted his confession. David slung a stone and Goliath went down. He ran to him, grabbed Goliath's sword, the only available sword big enough to cut Goliath's head, and cut off his head with it. 

Secondly, how you see that situation you are facing will determine how you  will react to it or tackle it. When Jesus got to the tomb of Lazarus, He called him out like one who was calling a friend who was fast asleep. He didn’t ask them to bring the corpse of Lazarus and lay hands on it. The reason why a lot of us cry when we face challenges is because we think it is over or we think it is beyond God. When Herod threw Peter into prison, what did Peter do? He slept (Acts 12:1-12). He slept because of his confidence in God. He slept so deep that the angel of the Lord had to punch him at the side before he woke up. Even at that, he wasn't fully awake until the angel led him out. In Matthew 8:23-27, Jesus was fast asleep when the storm arose and beat against the boat He was in. Friend, it is not over. Why did Saul and his men run from Goliath? They saw him as an indomitable lion. David on other hand saw him as a dog. Hence, he charged at him with a sling and a stone. The reason why you are running from that project is because you think it will crush you. Others who did the same project and completed it are not in any way better than you. The difference between you and them is how you see the project.Some brothers are afraid of approaching some sisters to propose to them despite the fact that they have prayed and gotten a go ahead from heaven. Maybe because they think the sister is too good for them or they are not in her level. If God is leading you to her then you must be in her level. Brother, don't be afraid to approach that sister. You will be shocked that God has already spoke to her and she is only waiting for you to make the move. 

 

PRAYER POINT: Father, i receive boldness to take on my Goliaths.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

THE WORD OF WISDOM

MEMORY VERSE: For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:8

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Hebrew 8-10

What is wisdom? Wisdom is the application of knowledge. Just as there are four kinds of knowledge, also there are four kinds of wisdom. Firstly, there is the “natural human wisdom” which is simply naturally applied knowledge. This kind of wisdom is obviously on the increase, since knowledge is so much on the increase. Of course, compared to God’s wisdom, man’s wisdom is foolishness. The wisdom of the natural man will one day pass away. 1 Corinthians 1:19 says, “For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.” Secondly, there is the “fallen world’s supernatural wisdom.” The enemy in Genesis 3 used the fallen world’s supernatural wisdom and knowledge to tempt the first man and woman to disobey God's commandments. Genesis 3:6 says, “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and ‘a tree to be desired to make one wise’, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.” This kind of wisdom was, and continues to be, forbidden by God. Man already had natural wisdom, which was good, but now he opened himself up to supernatural evil knowledge, and the application of it, evil wisdom, which until then existed only among the fallen angels. Astrology is an example of counterfeit wisdom today.

Thirdly, there is the true intellectual wisdom. The Book of Proverbs and King Solomon’s wisdom are good examples of this. We are told to get this kind of wisdom (Proverbs 4:7). This wisdom comes by respecting the Lord and the Word of God. Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.” This wisdom also comes by studying God’s word which can be understood only as it is revealed by the Holy Spirit. In other to do this, you must first receive Jesus Christ, who is the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24). The fourth kind of wisdom is the supernatural gift of the “word of wisdom”. It is the sudden and miraculous giving of wisdom to meet a particular situation, or answer a particular question, or utilize a particular piece of knowledge, natural or supernatural. This kind of wisdom is not a human ability, but the sheer gift of God. An example of the “word of wisdom” is found in Genesis 41. Joseph’s interpretation of Pharaoh’s dream was not natural wisdom or wisdom through study and preparation;he was given an immediate supernatural answer. Joseph was on the spot. He had been let out of prison just long enough to be given a chance to interpret this dream. However, the wise counsel – the need of appointing a wise leader and officers, and how to store the needed food for the time of famine- was true intellectual wisdom that God had given Joseph, and which he used continually. Another example of the “word of wisdom” is found in Matthew 22:15-22 where the Pharisees tried to entangle Jesus in His words by asking if men should pay tributes to Caesar or not. Jesus answered with a word of wisdom: "Render therefore unto Caesar which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.” There are other examples in the scriptures. For instance, Apostle Paul was certainly not trained in seamanship, yet when he was involved in a shipwreck, he so took command of the situation that even though he was a prisoner being taken to Rome, the Roman officer listen to him with respect ( Acts 27:21-35).

PRAYER POINT: Father, please fill me with Your wisdom

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world