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Showing posts from 2011

As We Match Into Year 2012… Part 2

As the year closes so many of us have done a soul searching of the year in retrospect and scored ourselves low, thus, hoping and praying to do very well in 2012. This hope will only become a reality if we can truly stand up and begin to adjust in areas of our lives that we did not please God. You might wonder how you would know if you had pleased God. You will know if you are truly born again. Not just mouthing it but living the experience of being born again. We are told in 1 Corinthians 2:15-16 that we have the ability to evaluate everything because we have the mind of Christ. So as not to go through the same route of spiritual, physical and emotional defeat, we must endeavor to remain in the premises of God for the blessings to come. Know this: each blessing of God carries a premise or condition. Once the condition is not met then the blessing is a counterfeit and time will tell it. The Lord is not promising us a problem free year but He tells us not to forget that through the whole

As We Match Into Year 2012…

It is tragic to watch children of God draw plans and resolutions for God on how He will bless them come 2012; so many have even started fretting concerning them. They have drawn up long plans and resolutions for the Lord, hoping that He would bless it. I can hear you argue you are doing this because you want to please the Lord. A good thing, but remember, Hebrews 11:6 clearly states that He rewards those who seek Him diligently, who come to Him . You don’t go into your mind to dig up ways you think is best to please Him come 2012, He must show you or your works will become idols detestable to Him! Romans 8:14 states clearly that only those led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God. If I may ask, who led you to draw up those plans and resolutions for the year 2012? Over the years you have done this ‘good thing’, how has it prospered in your hands? Remember, a good thing is not necessarily a godly thing! God has no problem blessing you in the year 2012 if He tarries. It had been writt

Temporary Residents

Have you ever given it a thought that when all these around you passes away and you close your eyes in the sleep of death, you are actually going and ending somewhere? The truth is the time you arrived this world and the time you will be exiting it you have no idea, but you will leave one day no matter how you feign ignorance or try to plan it! Whichever way, the question is: where will you be when you wake up? The Bible talks about eternity – earth is just a point in eternity it is not the destination. Whether you agree or not is immaterial; every man will end up there either to spend it in Heaven or Hell. The choice of where to spend it is not made after one embarks on the sleep of death but is a conscious choice the person makes whilst still alive. One amusing but sad theory is that when people die, they go nowhere as they end up as manure or reincarnate in the form of an animal, become one of the angels or even the stars. This is a terrible deceit of the devil. So many that hold on

The Father’s Heart

The Heart desire of our God is to dwell amongst us, such that He will be our God and we will be His sons and daughters. This heart desire is clearly demonstrated in the parable of the Prodigal son found in Luke 15:11-32. We saw the heart of a Father that is not judgmental, that only sees what we were made to be. When the youngest son decided to leave his father’s house with what he had inherited, the father did not scold, argue or get angry with him. I am sure the father felt that the teachings and trainings that the son had received in his house should kick in at this crucial time. However, the young man’s heart never pondered on those teachings and trainings he had received from his father. The Bible says, based on the younger son’s request, the father divided his assets amongst his two sons happily without any prejudice. He did not feel sad, that his beloved son would ask for his inheritance whilst he was still alive. After all, you inherit a man’s possessions after his death. By hi

Remain…

How would you feel if the Lord tells you that the reason He had allowed you to go through some nasty experiences this year was to teach you lessons on being tenacious in your relationship with Him? Tough one! As the year runs to a close, how would you gauge your level of faith in light of these experiences? Are you waxing stronger or you have become faint? If you had become faint, don’t lose heart! The Lord knew you would come to this point that was why He said in Luke 18:1 - it is very important that we pray and not get discouraged, faint, or give up. In areas where it looked as if the situation got tougher as you prayed, don’t give up; it is only a smokescreen of the enemy to make you feel nothing was happening. Unfortunately, so many at this point feel unworthy because they feel they have failed God. That is not true! Friend, you have been chosen before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in the sight of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ according to Ephesians 1:3-4

The Accursed Thing – Part 2

The second poignant point we found in Joshua 6:18 is “… and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it.” The accursed thing will not only bring a man under a curse but the whole camp. Look at the case of Jonah in Jonah 1:1-11, his sin brought calamity upon the passengers that were travelling with him. A bothersome issue in this narrative is in verse 5 the Bible says: “The mariners were afraid and cried every man unto his god and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep.” This shows that Jonah was fast asleep, unaffected and unperturbed by the trouble threatening the lives of the crew and his fellow travelers. Same thing occurred in Joshua 7, Achan was unaffected by the calamities that befell the camp. I’m sure he would have joined the debate of finding out what could have brought such calamity to the nation of Israel. The Bible says, 36 men of Israel were slaughtere

The Accursed Thing Part 1

Do you know nothing happens to a child of God that he had no prior knowledge of? The Bible tells us in John 16:1 that these things the Lord reveals to us so that we will not stumble when we come face to face with them. In Joshua 7:5, the children of Israel were defeated by Ai, a small nation compared to the nations Israel had conquered and destroyed in the past. They were defeated because an accursed thing was found in the camp. Prior to that time, the Lord had given them an instruction concerning the accursed thing in Joshua 6:18 – “And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it.” From the passage you would see that the accursed thing will make a man accursed. Have you not wondered why we are beaten in the face of minor battles, why the struggling in service to the Lord? The truth remains that God cannot dwell amongst an accursed people. Let us see two p

Escape Corruption

The reason God gave us the promises in 2 Peter1:3-10 is not just for us to be partakers of His divine nature, but that we can through them escape by flight the corruption that is in the world through lust. Look around you; corruption is the order of the day all over the world, either physically or spiritually. It is so rampant that it is increasingly looking as if there is no one that can escape it. In the days of the Roman Empire, when a man kills another man, the offender is made to carry the corpse of the dead person on his back as a way of punishing him. In fact he is made to sleep and even eat with the corpse on his back; he goes everywhere with it and does everything with it on his back. Until the stench and the decay of the dead gradually kills him. That is corruption! Same thing is happening with us in the world. The game plan of the enemy is that as we live in this world, the decay and stench of its customs and practices will gradually kill us. No wonder, Christ had to pray fo

Life Of Impact

We read and hear of great men and women that impacted their generation. We judge them on the actions they took or refused to take as a result so many have been adjudged by us before facing the judgment of God. If I may ask, have you wandered what would be said concerning your own tenure in the place you are right now or when your time is up and you are called into eternity? Acts 13:36a says “For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep…” A lot had passed through this world unnoticed and unfruitful to the Kingdom of God. Everyone born of God must not only seek the will of God but must equally make an effort to fulfill it; the will of God is to cover the earth with His glory and righteousness. Thus, there is no glory in just living a life without touching the lives of others. No man was created to just fill a void or brought into this world devoid of purpose. Everything about our God is purposeful neither does He waste His resources; just take a look

Be Encouraged! 2

      In John 14:3, Jesus said “If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come back and receive you to Myself, so that where I am you may be also.” He equally said in Luke 18:29 “…I assure you: there is no one who has left a house, wife or brothers, parents or children because of the Kingdom of God, who will not receive many times more at this time and eternal life in the age to come.” By the time we got to Revelations 22:12, He said: “Look! I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me to repay each person according to what he has done.” With these great promises, what manner of lives are we to live in order not to lose sight and fall short of these great and marvelous promises? We would be the most miserable if our hope is only for this life: to live a rich and great life whilst losing our place with the Father in eternity. This calls for a sober living and like the heroes of Hebrews 11, we must constantly look forward to the City whose Architect and Builder is God. 1 Corinth

Not My Will To Be Like This

Have you ever felt you needed help to get out of what or where you are but there is no one to help you? Unfortunately, when you look around you, you are surrounded by people that are just watching you yet offering no help. It is as if they enjoy seeing you in this terrible condition! They offer palliatives that only make you more painfully aware of your condition. How miserable would one feel, with so much water yet none to drink? That was the situation the invalid in John 5:1-15 found himself. He had an infirmity for thirty-eight long years with no help in sight. He was lying by a pool with other invalids surrounded by able bodied men – elders and Levites - yet no one to assist him into the pool to get healed. The Bible says the pool was by the Sheep gate; this is very significant because the Lord had come for the lost and hurting sheep to bring them back to Himself. At a point, the Lord had so much compassion on the people when He saw how harassed and distressed they were, that He li

Fiery Furnace

When all has been said and done, would it be on record that you walked in a manner that brought glory to our Lord Jesus Christ? Take a look around you; there is nothing to encourage us to serve God the more. On a daily basis, the enemy sets up all manner of statues for us to bow to and worship. As a result, so many have lost their identity in Christ. So many bear the name of Christ but refuse to key into the name. The Bible says at the name of Jesus Christ every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord, in Heaven, on and under the earth. Praise God that the three Hebrew men in Daniel 3 did not forget their names and most importantly the name of Whom they bear. These men were surrounded by men that had no regard for God and were seen as strange for not joining the rest of the people in their evil. The Bible gave an account of how king Nebuchadnezzar erected a golden statue and commanded everyone under his rule to worship it. Hananiah meaning the Lord is gracious (Shad

How To Recover Your Lost Relationship With Christ

When you see someone talk about you in the past whilst claiming to know you, one will immediately realize that such a person had lost touch with you. When children of God talk about past experiences and glories with no recent experiences with the Lord, then they have lost contact with Him. As a result, their relationship with the Lord can be related to ash: dead! It only proves that something used to be there. Ash is good, but it cannot remain on the altar as it will put out the fire. The Bible tells us in Leviticus 6:12 that the fire on the altar which symbolizes our relationship with Him must be kept burning. Fresh wood must be added to the fire every morning to keep it burning. The fresh wood symbolizes the study of His Word and prayers: these must not be lacking in our lives or deadness will creep into our souls and spirits. So many yearn to recover the relationship they had with the Master but a lot cannot fathom at what point they lost Him or when they stopped putting fresh wood

What Is Your Testimony?

Have you ever wondered why there is so much darkness in the world? It looks as if darkness is gaining momentum at places of work, neighborhoods, schools etc. The Bible tells us in John 1:5 that the Light shines in darkness, yet the darkness did not overcome it. This simply means the darkness could not cover or extinguish the Light. If this is the case: why is it that children of God, carriers of the Light are either covered or almost extinguished in their places of work, schools or neighborhoods? If the children of God refuses to testify about Who Jesus Christ is at their localities, then it is a matter of time before the Light they carry becomes covered or extinguished. Our testimony is our defence against a dark world, not our pockets or what we own (Revelations 12:11)! As Believers, God expects us to know His will, to see the Righteous One, and to hear the sound of His voice. So that we can be effective witnesses for Him to all people of what we had seen and heard (Acts 22:14-15). F

...And Abram Went Down Into Egypt...

Are you feeling hard pressed on every side, what with the state of the economy, things generally not moving well in the way and manner you felt it should? This was not exactly what you envisaged and you have made up your mind to acquire and achieve some of your dreams no matter what? Besides, you may rationalize; you too must give thanks about the goodness of the Lord by the end of the year no matter what it takes. Maybe you have concluded as it is said in the world system that ‘heaven helps those who help themselves’. The way you feel and your thoughts are not new or strange, the father of faith Abraham felt same too. In Genesis 12, the Lord released a profound blessing upon Abram that cuts through all generations if the Lord tarries. In fact as the father of faith, all his seed will carry this blessing for all time. Unfortunately, by the time we got to verse 10, one would have expected with such great promises, sin and the devil will steer clear of such a man; alas, it was not to be

Guard Your Heart

Friend, when the pressure builds, to whom or what do you return to get refreshed and revitalized? Do you know that it is at this low point that so many had allowed into their hearts things they should not have! What then must we do to guard our hearts especially in such times as this? Luke 21:5-38 gives a record of all that must take place in these times we are in, before the Coming of Jesus Christ. So many of these things have started happening and are shaking the world and the hearts of men. However, in verse 19, it says: “By standing firm, you will win your souls.” Standing firm connotes loyalty and steadfastness. This loyalty speaks of blind devotion whilst being steadfast is the ability to suffer delays calmly without becoming angry or anxious. To be able to do this effectively, we read in verse 34 a warning: to be on our guard so that our hearts are not dulled from carousing, drunkenness and worries of life. If we do not guard our hearts, we will be overburdened and depressed and

Please God!

The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector in Luke 18:9-14 calls to mind the position of so many children of God to the things of God. This is so relevant now especially with the return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ so near. The Pharisee started a eulogy on how good he had been and rated himself better than the corrupt and sinful Tax Collector. This was sad because the Bible tells us that a man that does this lacks understanding. Friend, our commendation or approval is not based on whether we fared better than the next man. Our commendation and approval will ONLY be based on the standard that God Himself had set. Our daily life and service to God must be geared towards pleasing He that had created and sent us. He alone can adjudge us good or bad. The Bible says that when God created the earth and all the starry hosts, He looked at His work and He declared it good not the creatures. No wonder He declared concerning us in Psalm 139:14 that we are wonderfully and remarkably m

Balance Your Life!

In the world system, a man is said to be prosperous when he has money (lots of it) and can afford whatever money can buy. Biblically however, prosperity is not only seen as increase but strength as well. 3John2 (AMP) says “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in every way and [that your body] may keep well, even as [I know] your soul keeps well and prospers.” This prosperity must reflect in all areas of our lives: spiritual, physical, emotional and material. It is an admonition to live a balanced life. Prosperity of the soul refers to increase of the soul, which must in turn reflect in all areas of our lives. If we would allow this reflection we will indeed live a fulfilled life. How then does the soul prosper, you may ask? Our souls or minds prosper if we allow the engrafted word of God in, and equally allow it to remain, then a renewal, strengthening and prosperity begins to take place. Once this begins to happen in us, we must allow it to affect other areas of our lives. As your sou

God’s Word Is Truth!

So many children of God are walking in half truths or outright lies concerning the word of God and they wonder why there are no changes in their circumstances. A man that walks on half truths about God is walking in a counterfeit spirit. The Spirit of God is the Spirit of Truth any other is a lie. Jesus prayed a prayer for the disciples, that God the Father will purify them by His Truth because His Word is Truth. This Truth is God Himself. Jesus declared that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Please note the definite article ‘the’. Not ‘a’ or ‘some’ truth but THE TRUTH! When we walk in half truths of God’s word then we are walking in counterfeit and the word cannot work for us. The Truth of God is authentic, undiluted, undisputed and real. Whatever God says over any matter is the Truth no matter the seemingly convincing ‘facts’ on ground. No matter how one scrutinizes the Word, we can only confirm it because it cannot be disproved. Rather than His Word be made a lie, every long or

Earth

Abraham dug a well in Genesis 21:25-34 and he made a covenant with Ahimelech the ruler of the land that the well is legitimately his and cannot be taken over at will by the inhabitants of the land. However, by the time we got to Genesis 26:17-22, we saw the Philistines not only claiming ownership of the well but pouring earth into it as well. Friend, this is the state of the lives of so many children of God and the Lord is not pleased with it. When they came to the Lord, He put a seal of ownership on them, the seal being the Holy Spirit. This showed that they belong to Him and have been bought at a price and are now citizens of His Kingdom. It is equally to tell the Kingdom of darkness that the said man is the property of Jehovah, God Most High. However, an interruption occurred in the lives of so many! Galatians 5:7 says: “You were running well. Who prevented you from obeying the truth?” This presupposes that the interruption could have been prevented by the Galatians! Just like the w

Actively Listening

Jokes apart, the instructions that shape your life currently, who gave them to you? The decision you took concerning your job, business, academics, location, marriage, relationships and your general well being was based on whose instructions? Jeremiah 35:1-19 talks about a group of people called the Rechabites. The Lord told Jeremiah to go invite them into the Temple of God. Please do take note who gave the instructions and where they were invited to. They were brought to the Temple to the house of Igdaliah, who was a man of God; the Bible says he lived above the doorkeeper of the Temple. He was not an ordinary man in the business of God.   When the Rechabites came into the house in the Temple, wine was set before them as instructed by the Lord, they immediately went into a narration mode; telling how their ancestor Jonadab son of Rechab had told them not to drink wine or live in houses or cities. As a result, they rejected the wine God instructed them to drink and chose to obey their

Oh Lord, Let Me Not Wander Away…

Would you like to serve the Lord better than you do today? Would you like your relationship with Him be better than it is now? The ball is actually in your court. You can actually determine how far you want to go with the Lord. Once you take the decision, grace will be released unto you by the Lord. Jesus Christ will not force any man nor would He force Himself on any man. The people you admire today in Christ are the ones that have chosen to go further with the Lord no matter what their stations or circumstances are saying. So many will say they will wait until they retire, have more time or leave their jobs before they would be able to serve the Lord satisfactorily. They have concluded that they cannot be effective in the Kingdom because of their tight and impossible schedules. They have become like the children of Israel in the wilderness that told Moses to go listen to God and return to tell them what the Lord had said. They were quite satisfied with the representative ministry, wh

Keep Your Sight On Him

We are but a few days to the end of the year 2011 and when you look back to the beginning of the year, it takes so much from you to truly tell the Lord Jesus Christ thank you. The state you are in right now is so disheartening and you are almost giving up on God. You may have been told that it is near impossible for what you are expecting to come because you are not qualified. You may have even lost confidence that you could ever pull through not with what is on ground. Maybe you have taken your eyes from this year and focusing on next year and have started planning what strategies to employ since you failed to realize your aspirations this year. But I am here to tell you that the year is not over yet! If God had given His word He will bring it to pass and nothing will stop it except You! Psalm 87:1 reminds us that God is the Supreme Authority; all other authorities were instituted by Him not the other way round. So who is the ‘authority’ that is telling you that it is impossible for G

The New Order!

After Jesus was tempted of the devil for 40 days, the Bible says in Luke 4:14 that He returned to Galilee in the Power of the Holy Spirit and news about Him spread throughout the entire vicinity. The news about Him had spread throughout the vicinity before a single miracle was done. That is the Power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus’ primary purpose was not to heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out demons or perform other miraculous signs. All these were only signs that the Kingdom of God had come to earth. Jesus’ ultimate assignment was to make way for the coming Kingdom by introducing men to the Power of the Holy Spirit; transforming and regenerating Power of God! The Holy Spirit is the connecting link that links us back to the Father and His glorious Kingdom. He is the down payment of our inheritance for the redemption of the possession of this glorious inheritance. No wonder the Bible tells us in Acts 3:26 that Jesus was sent by God first to bless us by turning us away from our evil ways

The Character Of The New Man

If as New Men in Christ, we have taken off our former way of life that is corrupted by evil desires, it is of paramount importance that we develop the character that is created in the likeness, righteousness and purity of God. Our Lord Jesus Christ enjoins us as chosen, holy and loved ones of God to put on heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Loving and forgiving one another as the Lord Jesus Christ has forgiven us. This character according to our Lord in John 15 is what will set us apart from the rest of the world. To have this God-like character we must remain, abide and joined to Him. The character profile of the New Man must be like that of God and is evidenced in the man’s bearing of fruits that lasts for all eternity. Friend, the only way we can do this effectively is to remain attached to Jesus, there is no shortcut. Only then can nourishment from the True Vine (Jesus Christ) flow into us and we will bear good fruits that will last. Galatians 5:22-2

Do You Truly Believe?

God has called us to a life of purity. This call cannot be compromised nor can the standard be lowered by the Lord no matter what the Scientists are doing or saying. So many come to the Lord wishing to bear His name, follow and serve Him on their own terms. As a result they are unfulfilled, empty, false, falling and rising at the whim of the devil. The truth of the matter is that the natural state of a man is selfishness and until this state is put to death the man cannot live out his full potential in Christ. Friend, if truly you believe in God and has made Him your personal Lord and Savior then the time to remain standing has come. You cannot swing between two opinions: whether you should obey God completely or succumb to the temptations of the devil. Once you succumb to the devil as a Believer, something is very wrong with your inside. The Bible tells us that when we believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths that Jesus Christ is Lord we are saved. Salvation like life starts

The Unspoken Word

You were pre-planned, prearranged and prepared by God to seek Him and do exploits for His pleasure. You were not created on the spur of the moment. The Bible tells us in Ephesians 2:10 “For we are His creation – created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them.” Unfortunately, so many live their lives as if they were a mistake or misfits upon the face of the earth. This is not true as you have a purpose for being here! You only need to find it and walk in it. You might argue that you had being searching and asking the Lord for awhile but you are yet to get an answer from the Lord. This should not be. Friend, He is speaking, the question is: do you agree with what He is saying? We saw the same thing play out with Abraham in Genesis 17:15-17, the Lord gave him awesome promises that looked preposterous at the time. The Bible says, he fell on his face in worship but in his heart he stood in opposition to the word he just heard. The