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

HE STILL CONSUMES!

MEMORY VERSE: For our God is a consuming fire. Hebrew 12:29

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Kings 15-18

The Bible puts a premium on knowledge. The lack of knowledge can lead to one’s destruction. 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.’ If the lack of knowledge is bad, half knowledge is worse. A story that comes to mind is that of a woman who thought that ‘LOL’ meant ‘Lots of Love’. One day, the mother of a dear friend of hers passed away so she sent a text message to her. The text message read, ‘Sorry to hear about the death of your dear mother, LOL.’ For some reason, her friend did not respond. As God will have it, one of her sons was visiting. She showed him the text message she had sent to her dear friend. ‘Mum, what is the meaning of ‘LOL,’ he asked. ‘Lots of love,’ she responded. He explained to her that ‘LOL’ means ‘laugh out loud,’ not ‘Lots of love’. You can imagine how embarrassed she felt on realising that she had used the wrong abbreviation. The lesson is, don’t use a word you don’t know its meaning.

God is a mystery. He is the Lamb upon the throne (Revelations 5:13). Also, He is the Lion of the tribe of Judah (Revelations 5:5). How can one be a lion and a lamb at the same time? According to 1 John 4:8, He is love. Also, He is a consuming fire. Hebrew 12:29 says: ‘For our God is a consuming fire.’ How can a loving person be a consuming fire at the same time? That is the mystery of God. The men of Bethshemesh committed a terrible sin by opening the ark of the Lord to see what was inside (1 Samuel 6). Verse 9 says: ‘And he smote the men of Bethshemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the LORD, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because the LORD had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter.’ Many of us have forgotten that the Lord is still a consuming fire. You can't fornicate and come to church to lead praise and worship or play musical instruments.No! Anyone who does that is offering a 'strange fire' to God; let it be known, God does not take such lightly.

PRAYER POINT: Father, please have mercy on your church.

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

twitter@BroOluwatoki

LOSING YOUR SALTINESS

MEMORY VERSE: Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Matthew 7:13

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Kings 11-14

Jesus makes it abundantly clear that it is possible for salt to lose its saltiness. Matthew 7:13 says: ‘Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.’ It is possible for a believer to lose his influence. We can lose our position as God’s agent of influence or change on the earth. Actually, sadly, it is already happening. Our ability to influence the world is dependent on our connection with the source of influence (God). We are able to influence the world as long as we remain in Christ. John 15:16 says: ‘Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.’

Salt loses its saltiness once its chemical composition is changed or altered. A believer who is influenced by the world will lose its saltiness. Also, the moment a believer begins to question his Christian values, belief, and principles of Christianity, he begins to lose its saltiness. A believer who refuses to live holy will lose his saltines. It is a terrible thing for salt to lose its saltiness. Asides from the obvious fact that the Lord will cast such salt away - Matthew 7:19 says: 'Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire'; men will trod upon such salt under foot.

PRAYER POINTS:
• Father, please help me never to lose my saltiness
• Father, please give me the wisdom of a serpent to know how to live as salt on the earth
• I come against every agenda to destroy my faith.

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

twitter@BroOluwatoki

INSULATION, NOT ISOLATION

MEMORY VERSE: Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Matthew 7:13

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Kings 7-10

According to the Salt Institute, ‘the multiple chemical and physical properties of salt make possible 14,000 known uses. Its largest use is invisible to the public: about 40% of salt worldwide is used as the raw materials that chemical companies transform into chlorine and soda ash, the foundations of inorganic chemistry.’ Therefore, the usefulness of salt transcends common domestic use we know of to science and industry. In the same vein, believers' influence transcends the four wall of a church. No wonder, Jesus called us the ‘salt of the earth.’ Matthew 5:13 says: ‘Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.’ We are the salt of the earth i.e. salt of families, educational institutions, business organizations, communities, governments, and nations. Just as Joseph and Daniel were positive influences, believers must be positive influences in their families, school, at work, and any other place they find themselves.

As useful as salt is, one cannot realize any of its benefits unless it is applied. For instance, you need to add salt to food to experience its seasoning benefits. The further salt is from the food, the further is its ability to season it. As believers, to influence the world we need to interact with the world. The further we are from the unsaved world, the further our ability to positively influence the unsaved world. A lot of us have adopted the posture of isolation in our bid to avoid being negatively influenced by unbelievers. As genuine as this concern is, the isolated Christian is not an influential Christian. Remember, although salt mixes and dissolves in the food, the food does not influence the salt; rather, the salt influences the food. If you are really a salt and you are determined to maintain your saltiness, no one will succeed in influencing you. Besides, what we need, as the salt of the earth, is insulation, not isolation. Insulation comes through staying continually in the presence of the Lord.

PRAYER POINTS: Father, give me the wisdom to be all things to all men so that I may win some.

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

twitter@BroOluwatoki

SALT: PREVENTIVE AND PROTECTIVE SUBSTANCE

MEMORY VERSE: And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake. Genesis 18:32

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Kings 3-6

Salt can be obtained from salt rocks; as such, it is classified as a mineral mined. Also, salt can be extracted from sea water. The most common use of salt is to add it to food to improve its taste; however, it has other uses. Salt can be used as a preventive substance. For instance, if ants are beating a path to your home, you can intercept them by sprinkling salt across your door frame or directly on their paths. Ants will be discouraged from this barrier. Salt can be used to prevent grease from splattering while frying. If you don’t want to be burned by the grease splattering while frying something like bacon, what you can do is add few dashes of salt to the pan before beginning to fry foods that can splatter. Besides being burned by grease splatter, you won’t have to worry about cleaning grease off your cooktop. Iodized salt is considered as the national preventive measure of goitre.

Salt can be used as a protective substance. For instance, you can sprinkle it on weeds and pour very hot water on it to kill off weeds. In addition, it can be used to keep away fleas from dogs by washing their doghouse, blankets with salt water. Matthew 5:13 says: ‘Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.’ As believers, we have all the properties of salt; therefore, we are able to influence the earth in the same way, as salt does. A believer can act as a protective covering against every attack from the enemy. The active presence of a believer provides a protective covering for everyone, everything and every place the believer is linked to. A believer, in other words, can keep away all forms of evil. An example that comes to mind is the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18: 20-32). Verse 18:32 says: ‘And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake.’ God promised that He will not destroy the city for the sake of ten righteous people.

NOTE: Know, believe and enforce today this truth that because you are a believer, your family, company, and community can experience a certain degree of protection against evil.

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

twitter@BroOluwatoki