Word of God: July 2012

Tuesday 31 July 2012

Don't let beauty blind you

One day when I was a young boy, for some reason I remember picking a peony flower and excitedly bringing it in to my mom. I was so happy that I could do something nice for her. My mom initially smiled but then shrieked, opened the back door and tossed the flower out onto the driveway.

Obviously I was crushed and although I do not remember, I imagine I started crying. I do remember my mom telling me thank you for the beautiful flower, but how she had to throw it out for it was full of ants. She urged me to put some water in a can and keep the flower outside to look at.

I have thought of that incident with the peony many times over the years. Many times we see something that looks beautiful and appears to be God’s way of blessing us. Assuming this to be true, we let down our guard and enjoy “God’s blessing”.

Far too many times we grab hold of something simply because it looks, sounds, smells or tastes good. Far too many times we allow our knees to grow feeble as we are taken in by the beauty of someone or something and lose the ability to look objectively, think rationally or exercise vigilance.

Just because something looks pleasant does not automatically make it Godly. Just because something appears to be too beautiful not to be from God, does not mean it really came from Him. Just because we want something because of how it looks does not mean God wants us to have it.

Eve saw the fruit and how beautiful it was and assumed it was a blessing from God. We all know how that ended. David saw the lovely Bathsheba and assumed she was God’s way of rewarding him for all of his hard work. Throughout history, wonderful people have fallen into horrific traps because they fell prey to the mistaken assumption something beautiful was automatically from God.

Sometimes the beautiful flower is a present from God but other times it is full of ants ready to cause great havoc in the house. Sometimes the door that opens up in our lives appears to be God’s way of blessing us, but in reality it may end up tripping us up so badly we cannot serve God. Sometimes the person who enters our life appears to be an angel in disguise, but in reality is a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

We must never be so naïve as to believe everything that appears good is always from God. The enemy is able to transform himself into an angel of light so he is able to present beautiful things in our sight in hopes we grab them blindly.

Just as peonies are beautiful but must be washed off before bringing them inside, so we must always remember to subject anything we believe is a blessing from God to the authority of His Word. If indeed something is from God, it will not have any ants and will in no ways cause us to stumble or fall.
By blessings2you

AT THY WORD

Read Luke 5:1-10
But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.”Luke 5:5
The Most High God is particular about how we treat His words and His name.
Names are very important, Proverbs 22:1 says a good name is to be chosen rather than great riches. Psalm 105:3 says the name of the Lord is Holy. Proverbs 18:10 calls His name a strong tower where the righteous runs to and he is saved. There is safety in His name, Joel 2:32 says whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. According to Philippians 2 :9-11 , His name is above every other name and at the mention of the name every knee whether in heaven, earth or underneath the earth should bow and every tongue must confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Demons are driven out with the name and miracles are performed too – Matthew 7:22.
In Acts 3:1-14, Peter and John used the name to solve a forty years old problem. Just by applying the name of Jesus to the man’s situation, he went from been invisible to someone the whole community sought to see. A man who had been stagnant all his life suddenly began to make progress. The man who had never had any reason to be happy talk less of dance suddenly began to dance and rejoice. I apply that name to your situation in Jesus mighty name, Amen.
According to Psalm 138:2, He has more than one name and the kind of names you call Him will decided what He will do for you. He says in Number 14:28 as you have spoken in mine ears, so I will do to you meaning He will act according to what He has heard you call Him for example if you say He saves from enemies –Psalm 18:3, He will save you from your enemies; If you call Him the Hope in the day of doom- Jeremiah 17:17, He will be a hope in the day of your trouble; If you call Him the great Physician according to Psalm 103:3, He will heal you; if you call Him your rock, fortress, deliverer, strength, horn of your salvation and stronghold- Psalm 18:2, He will be your rock, fortress, deliverer, strength and stronghold; If you call Him a God of wonders- Psalm 77:14,He will do wonders in your life; If you call Him a man of war- Exodus 15:3 , you can be rest assured that He will drown all your enemies; if you call Him an helper , He will help you. As you have called Him so shall He do to you.
There is something yet greater than His name, it is His words. Psalm 138:2 says God has exalted His words above His name. Once He speaks, consider it done. Psalm 33:9 says for He spoke and it was done. Psalm 107:20 says He sent His words and the words healed them. Hebrew 4:12 says His word is living and powerful, sharper than any two –edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit.
Isaiah 40:8 says grass withers, the flower fades but the word of God stands forever. Jeremiah 23:29 says His word is fire and a hammer that breaks rock into pieces.
The word of God can put an end to long term barrenness. He told Abraham this time next year Sarah will have a baby boy- Genesis 18:10, Sarah laughed but the word of God cancelled her unbelief and she became pregnant at the age of ninety. Hannah cried day and night and Peninah her rival did not help matters. The word of God came out through Prophet Eli and she conceived and gave birth to a baby boy. By the time we got to 1 Samuel 2:11-21, she had given birth to only six children.
His words can also put an end to chronic poverty. In 2Kings 4:1-7, a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets found herself in huge debts and the creditors decided that since she could not pay, they decided to take her sons as slaves. She ran to the prophet of God and he spoke the word. He told her to go and borrow empty vessels and pour the little jar of oil into the vessels. She obeyed and by the end of that day she had settled all her debts and had something left to cater for her sons.
The Syrians besieged Samaria and a terrible famine broke out – 2Kings 6:24-30. The famine was so terrible that the people ate their children. God intervened and spoke through His prophet that in twenty –four hours there will be so much that the price of everything will drop .One of the professors and economist of that time doubted the word of God. Twenty-four hours later, he saw it with his eyes but did not taste out it- 2 Kings 7:1-20
The word can heal sickness. In Luke 5:12-14, a man suffering from chronic leprosy approached Jesus. The bible records that this man was full of leprosy. The man told Jesus there is no doubt that you can heal, if you are willing please heal me and Jesus said be healed and immediately the leprosy left him. In John 5:1-18, Jesus met a man who had been sick for thirty–eight years. He was lying down by the pool of Bethesda. Jesus told him to arise and take his bed and immediately he was healed. T
This word can bring back to life dead cells and tissues. In Mark 2:1-12, four men brought their paralyzed friend to Jesus. He was paralyzed (neck downward). Although the man was alive, his body was dead no wonder they needed four men to carry him. Jesus told him his sins are forgiving that he should stand and go and immediately he took his bed and walked. In Luke 7:11-15, Jesus was visiting Nain when He saw a large crowd of people escorting a widow to bury her dead son. He told the widow to stop crying and asked them to open the coffin. He told the corpse, “young man, I say to you, arise and the boy arose immediately.
With the same words, Jesus conquered the devil when he was tempted in Matthew 4:1-11.He told the devil, it is written quoting the word of God. In Genesis 1 :1-31 , the Lord used His own words to create the world.
Friends, the word of God is alive and living till today. 1 Peter 1:23 says the words of God lives and abides forever. The word of God still carries power and authority. The same God who was during the days of Moses and Elijah is still the same God present today. Malachi 3:6 says for I am the Lord, I do not change:
Do you know your words are powerful too? Yes, they are powerful because we gods. Psalm 82:6 says I said” you are gods, and your entire are children of the Most High. With our words we can create or destroy ,no wonder the bibles says death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will it eat its fruits – Proverbs 18:21. There is power in your tongue and with it you can call abundance out of lack, employment out of joblessness. Romans 4:17 says God calls those things which do not exist as though they did. You too can to do that, call yourself a mother of twins whilst looking to God for the fruit of the womb or Mrs, despite been single.
Anyone who wants to breakthrough in this world needs the word of God. If the Most High God depended on His own words to create the world, and Jesus depended on the word of God to conquer the devil, where does a man without the word stand?
This brings us to the question, how do I deal with a prophecy or a word from God? We will look at how the mother of Samson dealt with the word from God in Judges 13:6-24
·         Firstly, she believed the angel of the Lord-Judges 13:3-5. By believing the angel of the Lord she believed God. Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 10:40 that he who receives them, receives Him and receives God who sent Him. Believing a prophet or man of God means believing in the God who called him or sent him.
·         Secondly, she believed the prophecy –word of God –Judges 13:6-7. She didn’t argue with the angel, she didn’t ask question, she just believed. Peter believed the word despite it made no sense to him. Although he had fished all night and caught nothing, still at the word he let down his net-Luke 5:5.Faith in God is faith in His words. Once He says it considers it done. If He says fear not, for I am with you- Isaiah 41:10, do not entertain fear! He has told you Christ in you the hope of Glory – Colossians 1:27 believe it because as far as Christ dwells in you, you will not know shame.
·         Thirdly, she began to seek the face of God over the prophecy .She also prayerfully put the prophecy in the hands of God-Judges 13:8-9. Many a times we receive prophecies or God speaks to us through a bible verse and we just leave it that; we need to prayerful seek God over the prophecy or dream.
·         Fourthly,she gave an offering to God-Judges 13:19-20. Once we receive a word from God through prophecy or dreams we need to thank Him for that. We need to appreciate and thank Him for speaking to us. This is another area we need to work on. Many a times we receive the word and do not even bother thanking Him.
·         Lastly, her obedience was total-Judges 13:24-25 .She neither touched wine nor eat anything unclean as instructed. Because she obeyed God fulfilled His words and filled Samson with the Holy Spirit.
These are the five things to do when receiving a word from God, be it through a dream, vision, audible voice, prophecy or even reading the bible. Believe God the author of the message, believe the message, seek God prayerfully over the message, thank Him for the message and ensure your obedience is total.
The word will not work for us if our obedience to His word is not complete. God Is a responsible father and he will not reward any form of disobedience to His words. If he says be Holy, for I am Holy please be Holy. If He says this is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased, hear Him – Matthew 17:5, you have to hear what the Son says. The Son says in John 14:6 “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Believe the Son; the only way to the father is through the Son. If you have not accepted Jesus (the son) into your life I will employ you to do so now because that is the only way to Him.
The bible said in Romans 3 v 23 that for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 6 s 23 says for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. The gift was explained in John 3 v 16 , For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. What shall we do to be saved? The bible says in Romans 10vs 9 that if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10 v 10 – For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with our mouth that you confess and are saved.

Pray this prayer from your heart today!

Dear Jesus, I believe that You died for me and rose again on the third day. I confess I am a sinner. I need your love and forgiveness. Come into my heart. Forgive my sins. I receive Your eternal life. Confirm You love by giving me peace, joy and supernatural love for others, Amen.

Welcome to Christ brethren, Please join a bible believing church.

Samuel Oluwatoki

Please forward this newsletter to a friend, family or colleague. Remember Matthew 10 v 32 which say whoever confesses me before me, him I will confess before my father who is heaven.

Thursday 26 July 2012

UNFORGIVENESS: a modern day robber

Matthew 6 v 12 – And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

One of the names of God is God-Who-Forgives, Psalm 99 v 8. In Exodus 34 v 6-7, The Most High God called Himself “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering , and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin .

The Lord is merciful, Psalm 103 v 8. The Lord is not only merciful but He is full of mercy, Psalms 78 v 38. Psalm 103 v 11 says as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy –talking about the volume of His mercy. One of the things He does out of mercy is He forgives, Psalm 78 v 38 says but He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity.

We are alive by the mercies of God, the Psalmist says in Psalm 130 v 3 that if the Lord should mark iniquities, who could stand? Lamentations 3 v 22 says through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. We all know that when the Lord speaks, it is considered done. Psalm 33 v 8-9 says the reason why the whole world should fear God is He speaks and it was done. According to Jeremiah 18 v 6-8 after speaking against a nation, He can reverse what He has said out of mercy. Psalms 32 v 1 says blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. If a man whose sin is forgiven is considered as blessed, how about the fellow whose sin is not forgiven?

This brings us to the question, what can I do to qualify for God’s forgiveness? According to Matthew 6 v 14-15, if we forgive men their trespasses, God will also forgive us our trespasses but if we don’t, He will not forgive our trespasses. We sin to God every minute, David says in Psalm 143 v 2, do not enter into judgments’ with your servants, for in Your(God) sights no one living is righteous. People have hurt us, they have messed with our emotions, they have caused us pain and hurt, some have even left scars in our heart, some of these scars are lifetime. Despite all this, the Lord wants us to forgive them. Many have vowed not to forgive regardless but with the help of the Holy Spirit we will highlight the cost of unforgiveness.

· Unforgiveness prevents the manifestation of our dreams and God’s plan for our lives. Joseph like many of us had big dreams and aspirations. In a dream he saw his sheaf arose, stood alright and his brother’s sheaf bowed down to his sheaf –Genesis 37 v6-8. In another dream, he saw the sun, the moon and eleven stars bowing down to him-Genesis 37 v9-10.This dream did not materialize until he forgave his evil brothers. If you study the bible closely, you will notice that the Egyptians did not accept him as their prime minister until he forgave. When famine began, the Egyptians instead of crying to Joseph (Prime minister) went to Pharaoh – Genesis 41 v 55-56.Pharaoh had to tell them to go to Joseph, that whatever he says they you should do. After he forgave, things changed and by the time we get to Genesis 47 v 15-17, the Egyptians had accepted him as the prime minister. They were coming to him instead of Pharaoh. By the time we get Genesis 50 v 7-11, all the elders of Egypt had accepted Joseph as their leader. They travelled with Joseph to bury his Father. When the inhabitants of Canaan saw the people with Joseph; they thought the Egyptians were conducting a burial because of the presence of so many Egyptian generals. You want your dreams to come to pass please forgive

· Unforgiveness causes God to be silent over our issues or matters or challenges. Over the matter of Moses God had never been silent. Pharaoh killed the entire male child born to the Hebrews, when it got to the turn of Moses the Lord acted and he began to live with Pharaoh in the palace – Exodus 2 v 1-9. One day while walking, Moses saw an Egyptian bullying a Hebrew and ran to his rescue. Moses in a bid to rescue the boy killed the Egyptian. The boy began to tell people that Moses had killed an Egyptian and before you know it. Pharaoh heard of it and sought to kill Moses – Exodus 11 v 15. Moses had no choice than to run away but he did not forgive the Hebrews. Because of unforgiveness God was silent over his matter for forty years. When the Lord decided to act on his behalf, the first issue He dealt with was Moses unforgiveness. He asked him to go and bring the Israelites out of Egypt – Exodus 3 v 11. Moses had to forgive them to do this. The Lord was telling him forgive them and go and bring them out for Him. Thank God Moses obeyed and God began to deal with the challenges of Moses. When the Red sea tried to hinder the progress of Moses ,the Lord caused a strong east wind to blow the red sea into two – Exodus 14 v 21.

· Unforgiveness leads to stagnancy. Because of unforgiveness, Moses was stagnant for forty years. During that period , he went from been a prince of Egypt to a common shepherd –Exodus 3 v 1 .All he did was tend people’s sheep, that’s all. A man who was born to be the leader of His people began to sleep and eat with sheep. Immediately he forgave he began to make progress. Within a year, He began to stand In the presence of Kings (Pharaoh) –Exodus 5 v 1. Not only that, Kings began to sought to see him –Exodus 11 v 24.In no time Kings began to see him as their father in the Lord. He became Pharaoh’s father in the Lord and that one began to send prayer request to him- Exodus 12 v31-32.

· Unforgiveness robs us of fullness of joy. Although Joseph had joy – he was made a prime minister, married with children; his joy was not full because Jacob his father and Benjamin were missing in his life. When the opportunity came to take revenge on his evil brothers he forgave them and that opened the door to see Jacob and Benjamin again.

· Unforgiveness leads to loneliness and isolation. Moses who had always lived in the palace and had his family around him suddenly he found himself at the back of the deserts tending flocks alone. No family, no step mum-princess, no friends and family, Just him alone but immediately he forgave he began to have friends again and before you know he had a whole nation around him. Many of us have refused to forgive our wives or husbands and because of this we are lonely. We are at home with them day and night but still lonely.

· Unforgiveness takes us from grace to grass. Due to unforgiveness Moses went from a prince to a shepherd. Joseph went from the son to a slave to a prisoner. Because the brothers sold him , he did not forgive and things began to go bad for him. Even when he was promoted, the people still saw him as slave. They preferred the king to their new prime minister. A Christian brother went into business with another brother. The brother miss-appropriated the funds and the business suffered. The brothers had a disagreement and went on their ways. During a church program, the Holy Spirit fished out the brother that took the money and asked him to go and make restitution. The brother confessed his sins and went to this Christian Brother for forgiveness but he refused. The Lord forgave the brother that cheated and began to prosper him but things began to fall apart for the Christian Brother. At a point, the Christian brother cried to God that how come the man who cheated me is prospering and I am suffering, the Lord told him that He had forgiven the brother because he confessed his sins and changed but for him , his sins have not been forgiven because he has refused to forgive the brother. The brother immediately forgave and things went back to normal again.

· Unforgiveness hinders the move of God. Sometimes last year, the Holy Spirit told me that do I know that a man can pray to God for something and still prevent God from doing that which he had asked of God. How? through unforgiveness. God will not move until you forgive. Sarah did not get pregnant until she had dealt with all forms of unforgiveness in her life. Sarai did not get pregnant until she forgave her handmaid-Hagar-Genesis 16 v 1-16. Her change of name from Sarai to Sarah in Genesis 17 v 15, the visit and promise of a male son - Genesis 18 v1-16 and the birth of Isaac materialize only after she forgave Hagar and took her back.Do you know that Job had to first forgive Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Namathite before the Lord blessed him. Job 42 v 10 says and the Lord restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends .Indeed the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.

· Unforgiveness draws a family backward. When a member of a family abhors unforgiveness, the whole family suffers for it. The lord did not visit Abraham until Sarah forgave Hagar. Sarah’s unforgiveness affected the progress of Abraham in the Lord.

· Unforgiveness determines if God will give us second chance when we offend Him or not. Many people have always wondered why God forgave David and still kept him as king even after committing adultery, killed an innocent man and took his wife-2 Samuel 11 v 1-26 and Saul was rejected for deciding to spare some cows for sacrifice when he was told to destroy everything -1 Samuel 15 v 1-35 .One of the reason is David had a forgiving heart but Saul did not. When you study the life of David, despite all Saul did to him when he had the chance to kill Saul he did not – 1 Samuel 24 v 1-7. Despite all Absalom did, he killed his brother, overthrew David (his father) forced him to flee, slept with the wives of David , David still found a place in his heart to forgive this boy no wonder he warned them not to kill him but bring Absalom to him alive- 2 Samuel 18 v5. Despite what Shimei the son of Gera did to David (cursed him, stoned him while David was running from Absalom) – 2 Samuel 16 v 5-10, When David returned as king and people began to tell David that Shimei needs to die, David called Shimei and forgave him, he even swore to Shimei that he will not die- Samuel 19 v21-23. Saul had no forgiving spirit at all, he passed a decree that no one should eat until he defeats his enemies. When he passed this decree, Jonathan his son was not around. That one saw honey and licked it and Saul decided to kill his son over this matter, it was the people of Israel that saved Jonathan from Saul-1 Samuel 14 v 24-46. If you have problems giving people second chance, God will also have problems with giving you second chance.

We need to forgive everyone, our children, our parents, our friends and families, brothers, sisters, husbands, wives, pastors, enemies even ourselves. Many of us have not forgiven our self. Remember the parable of the two debtors in Matthew 18 v 23-35. A king forgave a servant and wrote off his huge debts. This same servant decided to put another slave in prison because he owed him money and could not afford to pay back. When the King heard he became angry and put the servant he forgave huge debt into prison and freed the slave.

According to Romans 6 v 23, the bible says the wages of sin is death. None of us deserves to live because of the number of sins we have committed. Instead of killing us Jesus died .Romans 5 v 8 say while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. While we were living and eating in sin, Jesus died for you and me. Forgive everyone who has wronged you today not because they deserve it but out of mercy. Matthew 5 v 7 says blessed are the merciful for they shall be shown mercy.

I will end by telling you a story. A pastor and his wife had a quarrel at home and the wife slapped him. The man out of great anger got into his car and drove away. He had an accident and died. When he got heaven, He was sent to hell. He was told because of unforgiveness, everything he had done on earth amounted to zero .He was told that because he died without forgiving his wife who wronged him and slapped him he would have to spend eternity in hell. This man began to beg. Because this man had really labored for the Lord, Jesus out of compassion gave him an opportunity to return and forgive his wife. He came back, forgave his wife, told the story and died immediately.

Brethren forgive everyone who has wronged you now. Contact them and tell them you have forgiven them. You have read this story and you want to think about it, What if you pass away while thinking of it?

If you have not giving your life to Christ please do so and if you have backslidded you can come back to Christ today.

The bible said in Romans 3 v 23 that for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 6 s 23 says for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. The gift was explained in John 3 v 16 , For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. What shall we do to be saved? The bible says in Romans 10vs 9 that if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10 v 10 – For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with our mouth that you confess and are saved.

Pray this prayer from your heart today!

Dear Jesus, I believe that You died for me and rose again on the third day. I confess I am a sinner. I need your love and forgiveness. Come into my heart. Forgive my sins. I receive Your eternal life. Confirm You love by giving me peace, joy and supernatural love for others, Amen.

Welcome to Christ brethren, Please join a bible believing church.

Samuel Oluwatoki

Please forward this newsletter to a friend, family or colleague. Remember Matthew 10 v 32 which say whoever confesses me before me, him I will confess before my father who is heaven.

Sunday 22 July 2012

Launch out into the deep

Luke 5 vs 4 When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”

In our newsletter titled Peter Gifts , we discussed about five things peter gave before he got his breakthrough. He gave his boat,strength,time,freedom and his life. If we carefully study Luke 5vs 1-7, we will notice that after he gave this things nothing happened until he launched out into the deep(as advised by Jesus). What Peter's gift got him was the attention and presence of Jesus . Psalm 62 vs 11 says in the presence of God there is fullness of Joy. Giving what Peter gave to Jesus will earn you fullness of Joy but there is a higher level of Joy as described in Jude 1vs24 called exceeding joy.

Jesus appreciated the efforts and gifts of Peter but He knew that alone will not earn Peter the breakthrough he desired so He advised him to launch out into the deep.

This brings us to the question what is in the deep ? Healing of diseases both curable and incurable. According to Exodus 15 vs 26 , the Lord is the greater Physician / Healer. He can heal the body , soul and spirit. In Mark 5 vs 25-34 , Jesus healed a woman who had the issue of blood for 12 years. I know most of us men might not understand what this means but just imagine a woman who had been menstruating non stop for twelve years. I need not to tell you that after her healing she was filled with exceeding joy. In Luke 13 vs 10-17 , Jesus healed another woman who had a bent back for eighteen years. In eighteen years , she never stood upright or straight for once but the Most High God healed her. In John 5 vs 1-18 is the story of a man who had been sick and been by the pool of Bethesda for thirty eight years. To be sick with fever for two weeks is a lot talk less of sickness that is worse than that for 38 years. I pray today that the Lord will heal every sickness in your body in Jesus name.

Also in the deep, fruitless efforts become fruitful. In Luke 5 vs 1-7 , Peter fished all night but there was nothing to show for his effort but when he got to the deep , he launched his net once and he caught a net breaking ,boat sinking catch. Sarah tried like every other women on earth but had nothing to show for her effort. She tried everything to get a child even she went to the extent of try to get a child through her maid and that one decided to despise her for been barren but one day the One who is so deep that no one can completely understand Him came and visited her and she became a mother of nation . Hannah was constantly reminded by Peninnah that she was barren- 1 Samuel 1 vs 6, but one day she launched into the deep and became a mother of six – 1 Samuel 2vs 21. I believe there is someone reading this newsletter at this point who is been reminded regularly that she is barren , I pray that in the name of Jesus , very soon you will be a mother of twins.

In the deep is wealth. Contrary to many beliefs , God does not give wealth He gives you the power to get wealth. Deuteronomy 8 vs 18 says and you shall remember the Lord your God , for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenants He swore to your fathers. He gave Isaac so much ability and power that He sowed in Genesis 26vs 12-13 and became very rich. Actually He was greater than a nation. He gave Solomon ability too and that one made silver as common as stone- 1Kings 10vs 27

Also wisdom can be found in the deep. James 1 vs 5 says God is the giver of wisdom. Proverbs 4 vs 7 says wisdom is a principal thing ;therefore get wisdom , and in all your getting ,get understand. When we talk of wisdom , Daniel was a man of wisdom .The bible says in Daniel 1 vs 20 that Daniel and his friends were ten times better than the intellectuals of Babylons. By the time we get to Daniel 6 vs 3 , the whole nation began to commend Daniel's wisdom , they said they found an excellent spirit in him. Bezalel was another man who was full of the spirit of wisdom. The man was so full of wisdom the Lord recommended him for work -Exodus 31 vs 1-5. I pray that the Lord will give me and someone such a spirit in Jesus name, If you are that person say amen.

In the deep is divine protection .There is no protection anywhere except in the Lord. Proverbs 18 vs 10 says the name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous runs to it and he is save. Psalm 127 vs 1 says a house is only save when the Lord watches over it .Psalm 125 vs 2 says just like mountain surrounds Jerusalem so also He surrounds His people both now and forevermore. In 2 Kings 6 vs13-18 , Gehazi saw that the host of Syrians had surrounded Dothan and he ran to Elisha. The prophet prayed that the Lord should open the eyes of Gehazi and he saw Heavenly host in their multitudes on horses and chariots of fires all around protecting them. This is what I call protection.

Also in the deep is open doors -John 9vs 1-12, deliverance -Mark 5 vs 1-20 ,peace . Jesus said in John 14 vs 27 my peace I leave with you ,My peace I give unto to you;not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled,neither let it be afraid. Isaiah 66 vs 12 talks of God extending peace like a river.

Now the question in most people's heart is how can I launch out into the deep or what does it mean to launch out into the deep ? How did Peter launch out into the deep ? The first thing Peter did to launch out into the deep was obedience. He fully obeyed Jesus .The problem with most of us is half obedience , some of us pay our offerings but we do not tithe, some of us tithe but do not witness or evangelize , many evangelize but do not pay their first fruits. Proverbs 3 vs 9 says Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the first fruits of all your increase. Many of us even pay offerings,tithe ,support other projects in the church and still do dodgey or funny deals at work. All these are partial obedience and God demands full obedience. There are many who sisters who are not submissive to their husbands , there are many brothers who still abhors unforgiveness . The only way to move from fullness of joy to exceeding joy is total obedience.

Another thing Peter did was he stepped up his commitments, he said nevertheless at your word I will let down the net- Luke 5 vs 5. Anyone who wants to breakthrough needs to step up his commitments to God. We have to decide that no more attending church on Sundays alone ( Sunday Sunday tablets) but to attend mid week services,we have to put an end to ten minutes of prayer and step up our prayer lives ,we have to decide that we will not only speak in tongues during church night vigils but everyday , we have to decide that we will read at least a chapter of the bible daily, we have to decide to stop hiding our faith in Christ in our places of work or business or amidst friends,we have to put an end to coming to church late,we have to decide to not to be a church goer alone but a worker in the church. We all need to step up our commitment to Christ , we all need to begin to evangelize.1 Samuel 2 vs 30 says those who honor Me , I will honor. Honor the Lord today and He will honor you.

Another thing Peter did was he stepped up his efforts . Launching out into the deep requires an effort. The effort needed to sail a boat in deep waters is more than the effort needed to sail a boat on shallow waters. Proverbs 22 vs 29 says diligence in business is what makes a man to stand before Kings .Proverbs 12 vs 11 says he who tills his land will be satisfied with bread. Proverbs 31 vs 17 talks of a virtuous wife. The bible says she girds herself with strength, and strengthens her arm. It is a bad thing to be lazy as a lady too. Actually by God's standards a virtuous woman is one who seeks wool and flax, and willingly works with her hands – Proverbs 31 vs 13.

A way of launching out into the deep is completely trusting the word of God. Peter said at thy word, Peter had faith in the word of God. The problem with many of us is we doubt the word of God. Hebrew 11 vs 6 says without faith it is impossible to please God in other words when you do not have faith you are displeasing God. Many of us are in the same place we are last year due to fear and lack of our trust in the word of God. We do not have faith in our ability . Colossians 1 vs 27 says Christ in you the hope of glory. Once you have Christ you can never fail. Make that move today and you will see God in action.

Another thing Peter did was he expected a good result that was what geared him to obey God. Proverbs 23 vs 18 says the expectation of the righteous will not be cut short. You will only get what you expect .If a man expects to fail , he will fail. I expect to succeed in Jesus name. Peter was expectant and he got his rewards .

And finally launching out into the deep means spending more time with Jesus. Peter increased the time he spent with Jesus and it paid off. God is not our messenger we bark orders to .We must learn to first worship Him, thank Him and then table our request or petition before Him. We must be willing to spend time in His presence praising Him, studying the word of God and generally fellowshipping with Him. We cant be too busy to spend time with the One who can solve all our problems.

Romans 6 vs 1 says shall we live in sin and ask for grace to abound ? It is impossible sir. 1 John 3 vs 9 says whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. Anyone living in sin is not of God. Jesus said in John 3 vs 3 except a man is born again He shall not see the kingdom of heaven.

If you have not giving your life to Christ please do so and if you have backslidded you can come back to Christ today.

The bible said in Romans 3 vs 23 that for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 6 s 23 says For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. The gift was explained in John 3 vs 16 , For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. What shall we do to be save ? The bible says in Romans 10vs 9 that if you confess with your mouth , Jesus is Lord , and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10 vs 10 – For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with our mouth that you confess and are saved.

Pray this prayer from your heart today!

Dear Jesus , I believe that You died for me and rose again on the third day. I confess I am a sinner. I need your love and forgiveness. Come into my heart . Forgive my sins. I receive Your eternal life. Confirm You love by giving me peace, joy and supernatural love for others, Amen.

Welcome to Christ brethren, Please join a bible believing church.

Samuel Oluwatoki

Please forward this newsletter to a friend, family or colleague . Remember Matthew 10 vs 32 which says whoever confesses me before me , him I will confess before my father who is heaven.

Thursday 19 July 2012

The Prodigal Son

Luke 15 vs 10 "Likewise , I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

Read : Luke 15vs 12-22

In Luke 15vs12-22 is the story of the prodigal son. It is very popular in children's Sunday school classes. The adults are too big for such story we want to study about how Jesus turned water to wine or how Elisha called fire to roast his enemies or how Solomon gave a thousand burnt offerings and God blessed him to an extent whereby gold became like sands in Jerusalem.

They are all very good stories but once in a while we need to remind ourselves of this story in Luke 15 vs 12-22. There is more to this story than a boy who took his share of father's wealth and squandered it .I pray that the Holy Spirit will speak to each an every reader in Jesus name.

What motivated this boy to approach his father in the first place ? It was freedom . He wanted the freedom to live life in his own terms. The freedom to do things that his father disapproves of. The freedom to go against his father's will . The freedom to dress , talk ,behave and act in a way his father hates . The young man knew that at home , there were do's and do not's. At home there was a standard , there was protocol , there was a way to do things . The young man knew there was someone who he had to answer to and He didn't want that. There were lifestyles he wanted , there were friends he wanted to keep , there were places he wanted to visit ,there were things he wanted to do that he knew would bring shame to his father. He knew the only way to get the freedom is by leaving home for a far country where his father will not see him . Is that not what the devil offers to Christians today ? freedom to disobey God? do things God hates , dress ,talk,behave and act in a way God hates? live lifestyles God abhors ?

Another thing that motivated this boy was fun. The wayward lifestyles , alcohol,the fame,sex and all. He wanted to be like the people of the world . When you look at circular musical videos what is the theme - fun. Half - naked women , nice cars ,tattoos ,parties ,swimming pools ,display of wealth ,alcohol and all . It is a shame that today gospel videos have now headed in that direction too. The devil sold the promise of freedom and fun to this boy and he bought it. Just like this young boy , many born again christian are been sold the sold the same promise daily. We keep hearing the same story , enjoy your life today because you do not know what tomorrow hold. Party now for we know not what happens tomorrow is what they say.

The boy bought the promise and approached his father. Although the father allowed him to leave , he left against his father's wish .The boy knew his departure did not please his father but he left regardless. The old man would have loved to keep him and nurture him but the boy preferred to leave.

What the young man did not know was that leaving home meant leaving the presence of his father. Psalm 16 vs 11 says in the presence of God is fullness of joy. The absence of Joy is sadness. The young man did not know that moving out of the house means moving out of joy . The boy was so impatient about the freedom and fun ahead he failed to consider the implications of his action. When we do things against the wish of God for our life we are walking out of the presence of God unknowingly and the results is always in sadness and sorrow.

He did not consider that moving out of the house meant that he was disconnecting himself from His source. John 3 vs 27 says A man receives nothing except it be giving by God. There is an African adage which says “ a river that forget its source will dry up”. We are alive because of God,all we have is giving by Him. If we disconnect our self from Him by disobeying Him or doing things against His wish we will dry up.

It did not occur to this boy that moving out the house meant he was moving out of the reach of help. His father is only able to help him or send help to him while at home. The Psalmist said in Psalm 121 vs 1-2 , I will look up to the hill from whence my help comes from,my help comes from the Lord who made the heaven and earth. Help comes from nowhere except God. When it comes to offering help , man is limited in what type of help they can offer. Most of them just love to sit and say sorry anyway .Doing things that does not please God is moving out of the reach of God's help.

Also at home , he was under the protection of his father. Their was a protective shield over him at home. No body could rob him of anything, his life was secure and he could sleep with his eyes closed. Because according to Psalm 127 vs 1, God Is the only true guard. Displeasing his father and leaving home meant leaving the protective shield of his father and exposing himself to danger . Engaging in things that do not please God is exposing our self to danger.

The boy moved far to a foreign country. To him it was the best decision but he forgot that the farther to home he was ,the harder he will need to shout for help before anyone could hear him and rescue him. One thing he forgot was the pain he caused his father. The old man after doing everything possible to raise him , keep him and feed him. He did not consider all that at all . He threw all the efforts of the father in a bin. Do we not today after knowing what Jesus went through to get us saved ignore Him? Do we even care about how He feels ? Do we not forget to thank Him for the salvation of our souls ? Do we witness about Him to friends and family to ensure that His death is on the cross was not in vain . Might I humbly ask you Sir /Ma ,what are you doing to ensure that His death on the cross is not in vain . Is it by fornicating when you know that He hates it ?or not even serving Him the way we should ?

Because the young man left home , the old man was sad. He was sad because he could no longer shower him with love again ,he could no longer guide him or advise him, he could no longer carry him in his palm again , he could no longer defend him , he could no longer meet his needs. The old man was really sad just like Jesus is sad today. He looks down on earth with tears In his eyes because the people He died for , He could no longer shower them with His love, He could no longer guide them , carry them, defend them or meet their needs because they have rejected him and moved away from him. The prodigal son rejected his father by moving away from the house.

When he got to his destination he had fun and was free. Life was so sweet and he was enjoying every bit of his time. Because he was rich ,he had many friends which made it better. With time he spent all he had and a famine arose. Things got from bad to worse and he got a job feeding pigs and all. As his situation began to deteriorate he suddenly began to see that he was not really free,he saw that the freedom and fun was all an illusion. He came back to his senses and went back home and he was accepted.

Just like the prodigal son, you are either in Jesus or outside Jesus. We either doing what He says or not . We either give Him our lives and let Him be the master and our father or be free. The devil used the promise of freedom and fun to lure the prodigal son out of his father's house . The devil knew he could not touch this boy under the protective wings of his father so he lured him out of the house. The boy left home and he punished him severely until the boy got into his sense and ran back home.

There is no protection outside Jesus , there is no peace or happiness outside Jesus . The devil has nothing to offer except hell. Many are been lured to hell daily with the promise of freedom and fun. You can have many girlfriends as you want , you can have many boyfriends as you want , drink and smoke and party. Have fun is his message. He uses this circular musical videos to paint a picture of fun. Look at the celebrities in the videos , if they are having so much fun how come they are suffering from depressions,drugs abuse ,cocaine addictions and all. They may look so happy but they are not free, they are slaves to drugs and depression tablets.

When you are outside Jesus you are disconnected from your source and in no time you will begin to fill empty. Is that not what causes addictions and substance abuse ? trying to fill the emptiness with work, drugs, hobbies. None of this things can fill you except Jesus. Colossians 2 vs 10 says in Him we are made complete. A life without Jesus will lead to frustration because such life is not complete. When you are out of Jesus , you move out of the reach of help because no one can help you except Him. Out of Jesus means out of His protective wings. Living outside Jesus means living in a place where He can not shower you with His love,where He can not guide you , where He can not defend you , where when you cry He can not hear because you are far from me.

The only way is to come back home, the prodigal son came back home and was restored. The problem will not be solved until you come back home. Are you like the prodigal son who left Jesus ? Do you need love and affection , do you need to be accepted , Jesus is the way , the truth and life-John 14 vs 6. Come and get your life back, come back get your peace back, your family back. The fun we see is a way to lure people to hell.

Monday 16 July 2012

When He arises

Psalm 68 vs 1 – Let God arise ,Let His enemies be scattered:Let those also who hate Him flee before Him.

First of all , Our God is very powerful. Psalms 62 vs 11 says God has spoken once,twice I have heard this that power belongs to God. Psalm 66 vs 7 says He rules by His power forever. He is so powerful ,David said in Psalm 33vs7-8 Let all the earth fear the Lord; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spoke and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast . All God needs to do is speak and it is done .No wonder Jesus said God is able to bring children out of stones – Matthew 3 vs 9.

When God arises for a man , family or nation every from fear dissapears.Fear which is also lack of boldness hinders people from making progress. The early Christians had this problem , they wanted to preach but lacked courage and besides they were constantly been persecuted for preaching the gospel. They cried to God and He arose for them , the bible records in Acts 4 vs 31 that the place where they assembled together was shaken and they were filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness .

When He arises chains and leashes preventing you from fulfilling His plan for your life is broken. In Acts 16 vs16-30 ,The people of Thyatira put Paul and Silas put in prison for delivering a girl possessed with the spirit of divination.The people of Thyatira did this to put an end to their ministries-careers. At night as Paul and Silas pray and sang to God,He arose and the foundations of the prison was shaken and their chains fell off. I pray today that God will arise for you and that thing preventing you from been what God wants you to be will be destroyed in the mighty name of Jesus , Amen.

When God arises mountains are moved. Psalms 114 vs 6 says mountains skip like rams and little hills like lambs before Him.Many of us have one thing or the other standing between us and our happiness. It could be poverty or debt ,sickness,barrenness but can i assure you that whatever it is will be moved when He arises for you & He will arise today . One of the wives of the sons of prophet had a mountain- debt in 2 Kings 4 vs 1-7. Because she could not pay the debt her creditors resulted to selling her sons to pay her debts. She ran to Elijah the prophet of God and God arose on her behalf. The little jar of oil filled several vessels . She sold the oil and paid off her debt and she had enough money left to feed her children. Remember she obeyed the instructions from the man of God.

In Luke 13 vs 10-13 is the story of woman who was bent and could not stand straight.Most of us will find it difficult to stay bent for six hours but this woman was bent for eighteen years. I do not need to tell you she had a big mountain in her life, Jesus arose on her behalf and she was made straight. If there are any mountain in your life i can assure that the Lord will move them and if it is impossible to move He can burn the mountain according to Jeremiah 51 vs 25 or simply turn them to plain Zechariah 4 vs 7.

When He arises storms are stilled. Psalm 65 vs 7 says He stills the noise of the sea , the noise of their waves and tumult of the people .Many a times the storms of life push us around ,we are harassed and bullied by forces than are more powerful than us .By the special grace of God there will be an end to that in Jesus name,Amen. In Matthew 7 vs 23-27 Jesus was sleeping when suddenly a great wind arose on the sea. The waves began to beat the boat, water began to fill the boat so they woke Jesus up. When He arose , He rebuked the winds and the sea and there was great calm. I rebuke every wind and storms in your life in the mighty name of Jesus.Amen .

When God arises everything the enemy has stolen from you will be restored. Could it be joy ,happiness ,peace of even freedom. Psalm 68 vs 20 says to God the Lord belong escapes from death. in other words even if death has stolen anything from you , If He arises death has no choice than to restore what it took from you. In Luke 7 vs 11-17 , death stole the only son of a widow and she was devastated. On their way to bury this boy Jesus met them and death had no choice than to give up what it took.

The list of what happens when He arises is endless. He arose for the groom at the wedding in Cana – John 5vs 1-10 and his needs were met. On his wedding day the wine finished , imagine water and drinks finishing in the middle of a wedding ceremony and no means of getting more .Jesus arose for him and saved him of embarrassment especially in the front of the bride's family and special guest.

This brings us to the next question , how can I make God Arise for me ?

Through praises and worship,Psalm 22 vs 3 says He inhabits the praises of His people. Psalm 100 vs 4 says enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. God loves worshipers.
Fervent prayer & faith. James 5 vs 16 says the effective fervent prayer of the righteous availeth much. James 4 vs 2 says you do not have because you do not ask. When you ask, do with if faith because without faith it is impossible to please God- Hebrew 11vs 6 .All you need is a faith like mustard seed , if you tell a mountain to move it will -Luke 17 vs 6.
Unusual offering-Luke 6 vs 38 says Give, and it will given to you; good measure,pressed down, shaken together , and running over will be put into your bosom. For the same measure that you use it will be measured back to you. A man of God once said , if you do what no man has ever done to God before , God will do to that individual what He has never done for anyone before. Is it not true with Solomon ? unusual offering births His unusual move.
Living a life of righteousness- Psalm 84 vs 11 says no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly. Psalm 11 vs 7 says He loves righteousness ; His countenance beholds the upright. Psalm 5 vs 17 says for you o Lord,will bless the righteous ;with favor You will surround him as with a shield. Psalm 34 vs 15 says the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are open to their cry. God loves righteousness

The second part of the Psalm 68 vs 1 says and His enemies are scattered. Every time we talk of God's enemies , what comes to mind is demons and anything competing for the glory of God in our lives and we are partially correct.

Do you know there are some of us who although are born again but still acting as His enemies? The reason why He has not acted is because He knows we do not know and that Is why He has made it possible for you to read this ? He said in 1 Samuel 2 vs 30 those who honor me I will honor meaning there are some people who do not honor Him. This is not talking of demons now , this is talking of His own children. He said in Proverbs 8 vs 17 , I love those who love Me which means there are some who do not love Him. The first commandment of God according to Matthew 22 vs 37 ,You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind. If the Lord looks into your eyes and asks ,child have you loved me with all your heart , all your soul and mind what will your response be ? To be able to do this we must put him first , are we putting Him first ?

If we say we love Him , He will ask child when was the last time you gathered with me? Jesus said in Luke 11 vs 23 He who is not with me is against me , and he who does not gather with me scatters. We have been saved and all but when was the last time we spoke to people about Jesus is it a week ago, a month,year or cant even remember ?

The Lord is willing to arise for you but you need to invite Him. Why not make that decision today ,take that bold step to Him and He will arise for you .

Thursday 12 July 2012

God of prosperity

Joshua 1 vs 8 : “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth , but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written to it. For then you will make your way prosperous , and then you will have good success.

What is prosperity? Wikipedia says it Is the state of flourishing ,thriving,good fortune and /or successful social status. Prosperity often encompasses wealth but also includes other factors which are independent of wealth to varying degrees, such as happiness and health.

To say our God is prosperous is an understatement . What He possesses transcends the definition of prosperity.For example , when we talk of health , He is full of it. Malachi 4 vs 6 says in His wings are healing . Healing virtue flows out of Him to cure any ailments or disease ,Exodus 15 vs 26 says I am the Lord that healeth thee. He is so full of health He does not even need to sleep to remain alive , Psalm 121 vs 4 says the keeper of Israel will neither sleep nor slumber.

When we talk of Joy , He is the source of true and everlasting joy . Nehemiah 8 vs 10 says the joy of the Lord is your strength . In Psalms 30 vs 5 ,David after going through few life challenges was able to conclude that weeping may endure for a night , but joy comes in the morning.

Talking of wealth ,His wealth is inestimable. David tried to estimate God's worth in Psalm 24 vs 1,he said the earth is the Lord's, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein. But the Lord out of grace gave John an opportunity to see a glimpse of His real worth in Revelation 21 vs 21 , a city whose streets were made of pure gold ,like transparent glass. Whether you believe it or not, Heaven is far bigger than the earth . How do I know ? The Lord Himself said in Isaiah 66 vs 1 that Heaven is His throne and the earth is His footstool . We are yet to see any man build a house of pure gold but our Lord laid the streets in a whole a city bigger than the earth with pure gold , that is more than wealth. That is why i pray that everyone reading this mail will not miss heaven in Jesus name . There is nothing beautiful on this earth , we will only understand the real meaning of beauty in when we get to heaven.

Looking at our text Joshua 1 vs 8 , we see the Lord addressing Joshua and advising him on how to be prosperous and successful .Contrary to beliefs the Lord wants you to prosper. Psalm 35 vs 27 says He delights in the prosperity of His children. In other words , one thing that brings Him Joy is when His children prospers. He wants us to have good success , Deuteronomy 28 vs 13 says The Lord shall make thee the head not the tail. Lets change this mentality of prosperity takes you to hell , Do you think the Lord will promise to bless you to the extent you will lend to nations and not borrow- Deuteronomy 15 vs 6 , if He knows it will take you to hell ? I once heard a preacher say “If the devil knows that money will take you to hell , He will triple your worth” .

There are two basic types of prosperity , there is the one from God called divine prosperity and there is the earthly one gotten from earthly wisdom. James 3 vs 14-16 says biter, envy and self seeking in hearts are forms of earthly wisdom , they are sensual and demonic and the result of it is confusion and every thing evil. Earthly prosperity brings confusion and everything evil with it but divine prosperity comes with no trouble attached ,Proverbs 10 vs 22.

Prosperity comes from God not from our ability to calculate or the knowledge of economics or luck or liberating ideas . John 3 vs 27 says a man receives nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. Deuteronomy 32 vs 30 says How could one chase a thousand , and two put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, and the Lord had surrendered them ? If the Lord does not surrender a field of endeavor to you or a business , conquering it or succeeding in it might be impossible. Many times we think we are where we are because of our own doings or because of connections we have or because of this reason or the other . The bible says it is the blessing of the Lord that maketh rich , Proverbs 10 vs 22.

Another thing to learn from Joshua 1 vs 8 is that prosperity is a result of obedience to God's commandment. The last statement in Joshua 1 vs 8 says for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. In others words after we have truly satisfied the conditions ( meditating on the book of the law day and night, observing to do all that is written in it) , only then can we expect prosperity. Isaiah 1 vs 19 says if you are willing and obedient , you will eat the good of the land.After the dedication of the temple in 2 Chronicles 7vs1-22, the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream and told him if he walks before Him like his father David ,and do all He commands,keep His statutes and commandments , He will establish His throne forever.Obedience is the key to prosperity.

Someone might ask , what is reading the bible got to do with been prosperous . Sir ,it has a lot do for example to prosper in today's world takes the grace of God because anyone who lacks the grace of God will automatically be disgraced.How do we get this grace and increase in this grace ? 2 Peter 1 vs 2 says grace and peace is multiplied to us in the knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord.How can anyone really know God without devoting time to study the word of God. Paul says in 2 Timothy 2 vs 15 says study to shew thyself approved unto God.We need to study the word of God.

Knowing God intimately has its own advantages. The only way to know God is to be His friend.How does one become His friend , by obeying His words.John 15 vs 14 says you are My friend if you obey me. When you become His friend, you will fear Him . The reason why most of us do not fear God is because we do not really know God. To prosper we need the fear of God because the fear of God gives us an insight into His secrets. Psalm 24 vs 14 says the secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him,and He will show them His covenants.God has some secrets and we need to tap into them to prosper. Their are some business secrets He has, some inside information you need for to make rapid progress. Unfortunately we will not be able to access this secret unless we fear Him.Do you know Jesus was able to achieve so much in three and the half years because He knew the Father and had access to some secrets? He knew the secrets because of His fear of the Father in Heaven. Isaiah 11 vs 2 says He had the spirit of Knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.

To prosper one needs good health . How does one get good health ? Exodus 15 vs 26 says if you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight , give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you. Healing comes from fully obeying the commandments of God . How does one know God's commandments without the studying the bible ? The bible is not just a book it is the word of God. Psalm 119 vs 11 says Your word i have hidden in my heart , that i might not sin against You. David knew the only One who can ensure His prosperity is God and offending Him through sin is to his disadvantage, because of this He decided to study the word and hid them in his heart.

The road to prosperity is a dark one. Many have tread it and become depressed ,some have even died . How does one tread this part ? through the word of God. Psalm 119 vs 105 says Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.Psalm 119 vs 130 says the entrance of Your words brings light . The road is not only a dark one but filled with dark forces . Ephesians 6 vs 12 says we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities ,against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. How do we fight them ? we need power . Ecclesiastes 8 vs 4 says where the word of a King is there is power. We need to load ourselves with the word but to do this we need to study the word too.

The word of God is a spiritual diet. Jesus said man shall not live by bread alone but every word that proceeds from the mouth of God- Matthew 4vs4. We need this diet to build our spiritual lives. Romans 8 vs 6 says to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Galatians 6 vs 8 says he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. Another might be thinking , what has prosperity got to do with been spiritual ? The prosperity of our soul decides our physical prosperity. 3 John 1 vs 2 says beloved , I pray that you may prosper In all things and be in health just as your soul prosper.God will only prosper you to the level of your spiritual prosperity . God is privy of the fact that if He prospers us beyond the level of our soul , we will mess up . That was the reason why the rich man messed up and missed the opportunity to become Jesus's disciple ,Matthew 19 vs 16-25. The man had prospered beyond His soul that was why He had problems giving all He had to follow Jesus .

To prosper one needs wisdom.Proverbs 4 vs 7 says wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom, and in your getting , get understanding. One of the secrets to God's prosperity is wisdom. Proverbs 3 vs 19 says the Lord by wisdom founded the earth;By understanding He established the heavens. Anyone who wants divine prosperity must be wise.God only prospers the wise because committing riches into the hands of the unwise is dangerous. Proverbs 11 vs 30 says he that winneth souls is considered wise. In other words , how does God rate wisdom ? By the number of souls we win.

Anyone who fears God will win souls because soul winning is not a plea but a commandment from our Lord Jesus Christ. Mark 16 vs 15 says and He said to them, “ Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. When Jesus says Go into all the world ,He meant Go without excuse . Jesus stresses this point in Matthew 12 vs 30 ,He says he who is not with Me is against Me,and he does not gather with Me scatters abroad. The reason God will prosper anyone is to populate His kingdom not to oppress or show off.

When we study Luke 5 vs 1-7 , we will notice that Peter got his breakthrough because he allowed Jesus to use his boat for witnessing about the kingdom of heaven. Breakthrough comes from witnessing for Jesus. If we have not started witnessing for Jesus we need to start very soon because when we get to heaven Jesus will specifically ask you how many people did you tell about me?

God does not prosper everyone, only those that obey Him.Remember the devil also prospers people and gives them a sickness or condition to go along with prosperity. God will only prosper His friends not His enemies. John 15 vs 14 says you are my friends if you do what I command. Only the brothers and sisters of Jesus can expect God to prosper them. Matthew 12 vs 50 says for whoever does the will of My father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother. If you only you can join the family of Jesus today , you can be rest assured that the Most High God will prosper you.

If you have not giving your life to Christ why not do so now because tomorrow might too late. If you have once giving your life to Christ and backslidded why not come back to Him because He is waiting to receive you.

Sunday 8 July 2012

Peter's gift

Read : Luke 5 vs 1- 8

The bible passage above is a very popular story about Peter . He had fished all night and caught nothing ,while he was washing his nets Jesus paid him a visit. Later Jesus asked him to let down his net for a catch and he obeyed. He caught so much fish his nets began to break.

When we carefully study the above passage , we will notice that before Peter received his breakthrough there was an exchange. Peter parted with something to get his blessings. Many a times,when we hear of giving and what comes to mind is money - offering and tithes . It is not only about money , there are things God wants you to give to Him that are more of value than money and I pray that as you read along , the Holy Spirit will inspire you in Jesus name.Amen

Looking at Luke 5 vs 1-8 , Peter gave five things to Jesus in exchange for his breakthrough. The things he gave came at a cost . David says in 1 Chronicles 21 vs 24 , I will not offer burnt offerings with that which costs me nothing. David knew the essence of giving a costly gift to God no wonder by the time we get to 1 Chronicles 21 vs 26 we see God answering from heaven by fire on the altar of burnt offerings. God was so pleased with the offering that He sent fire from heaven to consume the offering.

The first thing Peter gave was his time . Time Is one of the most valuable resources. Business moguls will tell you time is money. Time is so important God works in it . Genesis 2 vs 2 says and on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. The Lord created the world in six days and rested on the seventh. This is an example of God working in time. When we study the whole bible we see God working in time and with time. Time is so crucial, when the mother of Jesus told Him the wine had finished , He replied My hour has not yet come -John 2 vs 1-11.

When Jesus got into the boat in Luke 5 vs 3 , He began to teach the multitude from the boat.Meanwhile Peter had fished all night and he needed rest but instead of going home to rest, he stood with Jesus . While Jesus was teaching , he was awake on the boat to carry out instructions for Jesus , spending time with Jesus. The time he could have used to do a million and one things , maybe visit his family , friends, look for other means of getting money , complain about he tried all night and caught nothing or sleep but he gave it to Jesus .It was a very inconvenient time for Peter because he was tired and exhausted. Anyone who is wants a mega breakthrough must be ready to first give their time to Jesus. Brethren God needs our time for a lot of things, for evangelism, for caring for the sick,poor and widows , for interceding , for praying , for praising Him. God will always reward every second we spend for Him. A few minutes with God can solve a life long problem. God is only ready to spend time with us when we spend time with HIM.

Another thing Peter gave was his boat . We all know that the most important thing to a fisherman is his boats. Peter's boat was a prized asset to him but He had to let go off it to Jesus. The question is this if Jesus decides to borrow your house , will you lend Him? We know our Lord is rich, Haggai 2 vs 8 says silver and gold belongs to Him,Genesis 14 vs 22 calls Him the Possessor of the heavens and the earth, Psalm 24 vs 1 says the earth is the Lord's and all its fullness. To enjoy God and His abundance we must be ready to part with our prized possessions. Because Abraham was willing to part with Isaac- his only son , God swore to him , He said in blessing I will bless you and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the sea-shore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies- Genesis 22 vs17. You want God to bless you beyond limits , be ready to part with your prized possession. The widow of Zarapheth gave her last meal and the Lord fed her through famine – 1 Kings 17 vs 7-16.

Another thing Peter gave was strength. We all know that after fishing all night , by the next morning Peter will be left with virtually no strength. Luke 5 vs 3 says then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon's and asked him to put out a little from the land. Peter had brought his boat to the shore because he was finished for the day but Jesus asked him to push the boat back into the lake. This was not an easy task ,to make it worse Jesus was sitted in the boat which made it heavier. Peter had to summon the last strength he had to push the boat to the sea. Many of us call ourselves christians and we can not remember the last time we spent our strength for Jesus.

A way to use your strength for Jesus is by becoming a worker in your church. Join the ushers, greeters , choirs, cleaners or other departments. The church of God needs workers. We can not expect the pastor to clean the chairs, hoover , be an usher and choir at the same time. We need to support the work of God. A true child of God will be a worker in the house of God. Jesus says in Luke 11 vs 23 , he who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters. Are you with Jesus by working with your pastors and church or scattering what Jesus has gathered ? It is God that fills the church but he needs workers to make the church clean and conducive for those He is bringing .

Another thing Peter gave was his freedom. He became a servant in His own boat by giving all his freedom to Jesus. The reason why many do not want to give their life to Christ is because they do not want to give up their freedom. They want to smoke , make filthy jokes , enjoy their bottle of alcohol and all . They do not want to be told how to live their life. They want to live their life the way they want. Peter served Jesus well , Jesus told him to put the boat out a little he did without question. He asked him to launch into deep , he complied ; Jesus told him to let down his net he obeyed.

Anyone who wants God to move for him must first give up his freedom to Jesus. Once you give your freedom to Jesus , He controls what you do . He tells you can not go to clubs , betting shops or womanize. Once you give your freedom to Jesus , you are not free to live a reckless life ,part of giving your freedom will include giving up your life styles . You have to give up the way you dress ,no more tight fitting skirts and blouses,no more micro mini skirts, no exposure of body parts that needs to be covered. Once He has your freedom , you will not be able to attend parties during church services. If we submit our freedom to Him , we will fulfill our destinies in no time. The secret of David's success is found in Psalm 23 v 5 , He leads me in the paths of righteousness . If the Lord leads you , it is obvious you can not go wrong.

The fifth thing he gave was his family. Anyone who is ready to have a breakthrough that the world will be called to come and see must put Jesus first. Peter fished all night and you will expect him to go home and see his children and wife but he stayed with Jesus. We will not enjoy Jesus to the fullest until we put Him first in everything we do . A disciple of Jesus told him please let me first go and bury my father and Jesus told him “follow me let the dead bury their own dead”. Our God is a jealous God -Deuteronomy 6 vs 15 , that is why He will not take the second place in any life.

He is either the first in your life or He is not there. Is the Lord asking you to do one thing or other and you are considering what people will say ? Or what your family members will think ? Luke 17 vs 33 says whoever seeks to save his life will lose it and whoever loses his life will preserve it. Abraham put God first , that was why he was able to go and sacrifice Isaac before the Lord provided a substitute. The widow of Zarapheth put the prophet of God first before her son . She fed the prophet first before she thought of her son. Every time we put God first He works wonders for us. David put God first before His throne, fame, respect and honor and began to dance in the presence of the Lord. David danced to the extent Michal complained and the Lord got angry and closed the womb of Michal that she died without a child- 2 Samuel 6 vs 22-23. Put God first and you will not be last.

When an individual gives his freedom,time,strength,prized possessions and his family , what is he left with ? Nothing . What makes an individual's life is his /her freedom, time, strength, prized possession and family. To experience God in a way you have never experienced Him, you need to give your life to Christ. A life without Christ is an empty life . People take take drugs , engage in a reckless life to fill an emptiness within them. Money can not fill the emptiness , so also is status or fame . We have seen the rich and famous die of substance abuse because they were trying to fill a void within them. The only way to fill the void is accept Jesus. Colossians 2 vs 10 says and ye are complete in Him, which is the head of principality and power . Without Him we can do nothing , Philippians 4 vs 13 says I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Without Him strengthening you , you will achieve nothing no wonder Psalm 60 vs 12 says through God we will do valiantly, For It is He who shall tread down our enemies.

Wednesday 4 July 2012

Are you alone or forsaken?

Forsaken what a lonely word. Forsaken defined means, deserted or abandoned. There are thousands of people in this world who have been forsaken in their lives. Whether it happened as a child by losing a parent through death, abandoment, or rejection, it feels the same. Lives are sometimes scarred forever.

“My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Those exact words were used twice in biblical times. David, the man “after God’s own heart cried those words out to God in anguish in Psalms 22:1 (NIV) when He felt God had left him, and he felt God was so far removed from him. Those exact words were said again in two of the four gospels. In Matthew 27:46 when Jesus, after hanging on the cross for many hours cried out to God, ” …my God, my God, why hast though forsaken me?” God had made the final move, laying the sins of the entire world upon Jesus’ shoulders in order that He could carry them to the bowels of Hell, leaving them forever, never to be remembered again.

What anguish was felt by both David and Jesus Christ. They felt, in those moments, God had abandoned them, left them in their time of such distress and physical and emotional pain. But, God was there!

Do we forsake God today? Yes, many times. Does God forsake us? No! He does all he can to teach us to remain close to Him. He will heal our wounds, soothe our pain, and wipe away our tears. When we have been forsaken by all, He is there to carry us through the tough times. But, we must have faith and believe that He is a “constant” in our lives. If we live our lives by faith and not by sight, we will never feel alone or forsaken. When you need someone to talk too, He is there. When we need a shoulder to cry on, He is there. When we think we have been abandoned or forsaken, He is there.

We may forsake God many times while we walk through life, but He is always standing there, waiting for us to turn and take His hand again and continue our journey toward heaven. If we miss heaven, we have missed it all. What is the reason for living if all we have to look forward too is darkness, intense pain beyond belief, and an eternity of finally calling on the name of the Lord, when then it is too late. Remember, “every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess” that Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God, Philippians 2:10-11 (NIV)

Think about this today as you continue your daily walks in this world. Have you abandoned God? Are you in the desert, or are you in the oasis of God? The choice is always there for us. If we take up our cross and follow Christ each day, abandoment and the feeling of being forsaken will be gone forever.

by yesvirginiathereis