Wednesday 26 September 2012

A BEAUTIFUL LIFE

For some, this is an extremely miserable world, and they never anticipate any good thing. They might be right, because it is possible. But not in Christ! As children, we sang, “Beautiful, beautiful, Jesus is beautiful, and Jesus makes beautiful, things of my life.” Yes, in Christ, life is very beautiful and sweet! Ecclesiastes 3:11 says God has made every thing beautiful! It didn’t say that God will make things beautiful later, neither did it say that He made only some things beautiful: no. My Bible says, He hath made every thing beautiful in His time! Wow! Hallelujah! He gives beauty for ashes, strength for fear, gladness for mourning, and peace for the storm! I prophesy to you right now in the name of Jesus, receive beauty for ashes, strength for fear, gladness for mourning and peace for the storms. Receive the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, receive double for your shame, in Jesus’ name! I see the Lord reaching out to you now! It is written, that we were called to inherit blessings. I pray for you, that the windows of Heaven will be opened for you, and that the blessings of God will be poured out to you like rain! And I also pray for you, that from today on, everything in your life will be good, and that from good, it will continue to get better! May all the days of your life be beautiful and may God keep you from all evil. Say Amen!

DIVINE REDISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH

A divine redistribution of wealth has been ongoing for a very long time. God has been transferring wealth from the sinners and the wicked to His children, especially those who will use it for worthy righteous causes. Ecclesiastes 2:26 says, "For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God." Job 27:13, 16-17 says, "This is the portion of the wicked man with God, and the heritage of oppressors, which they shall receive of the Almighty. Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare raiment as the clay; he may prepare it, but the just shall put it on, and the innocent shall divide the silver." Now, if you wish to participate and benefit from this redistribution of wealth, do this: become a helper of the poor and needy. Proverbs 28:8 says, "He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor." Do have a great day.

Monday 24 September 2012

USE YOUR HEAD!

This is not to de-emphasize the need to trust in the Lord with all your heart, but to stress the need for thinking properly about what we want to do before we do them. Wise man, Solomon, wrote: "The eyes of a wise man are in his head." Ecclesiastes 2:14. Sometimes, we erroneously make decisions based on how we feel. At other times, we make decisions based on what others tell us. To succeed, we must patiently analyse, carefully observe, meditate and look deeply before we act. Not everything can be seen with the eyes. Many have run into serious problems with both eyes wide open. Trouble is sometimes well wrapped and beautifully packaged. You need to pause for a while and carefully examine the steps you wish to take before you take them.

WORKING RIGHT

It’s Monday again! Not many people like to go to work, if there were perfect economic conditions, many would prefer to sit idly and do nothing. But work is good, especially when you’re doing something you love. God worked, Jesus worked, Adam worked, and so should we. But it’s not enough to just work, or have a job that you do. There are many believers who are mediocres at their places of work; they do bad jobs, they are not loyal to their employers, they are not committed, and don’t take their jobs seriously. Righteousness simply means right living: are such people truly righteous? There are others who are not just smart. They have good minds and attitudes, but don’t don’t win, neither do they excel. They are faithful but unwise. According to the Scriptures, there are three things that will make any worker or businessman in any field shine and succeed, they are, wisdom, knowledge and skill (Ecclesiastes 2:21). Wisdom is the principal thing: get it! Without wisdom, work will be war. You need wisdom, not only to work, but also to conduct yourself properly! 1 Samuel 18:14-15 says, “And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the LORD was with him. Wherefore when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he was afraid of him.” David was an employee of Saul. Until you behave yourself wisely, you will never earn the respect and admiration of your bosses and peers even if you’re the smartest. Be wise! Finally, you must be knowledgeable and skillful. You must continue to learn and improve your skills. Manufacturers of apps and operating systems continue to upgrade them so we can have the very best experiences with their products. They do that to remain in business and to remain your preferred brand. In the same way, you cannot expect to excel without adding value to yourself continually. Dedicate yourself to continuous learning and skills acquisition. Learn new things and ways of getting things done; that’s what sharpens your axe.

Thursday 20 September 2012

WE HAVE OVERCOME

We will not overcome some day, as a song says, we have already overcome! In fact, we overcame the very moment we believed. Hallelujah! I John 5:4 says, "For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." Note that the faith referred to is that of believing in Jesus, for 1 John 5:5 says, "Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth the Jesus is the Son of God?" Now, I want you to think of what the world represents - the prince of the world, its systems, principles, peoples, its lusts, its powers, its ways, and anything else - we have overcome them all! And it was from day one! In Christ, you are a victor! In Christ, you're far above the issues and problems of this world. Here's what we must do: learn to live and operate from a position of rest, authority and dominion (over sin, over Satan, over situations, over sicknesses, and even over self!). Glory to God!

Wednesday 19 September 2012

WHAT IS LOVE?

In my book, Getting Along With People, I defined love as doing something that's in the best interest of another person. Love has feelings and emotions, but love is a spirit. God gave us the spirit of love (2 Timothy 1:7), without which love will be a struggle. Romans 13:10 says, "Love worketh no ill to his neighbour." In other words, love doesn't seek to hurt others, to offend others or to seek their downfall or demise. Love will never lead a man astray, love will never rob a man of his peace, love will never cause a man to sin against God, and love will never cause another to stumble. When you do whatever it is that you do, do you consider it's effects on others? Our words, attitudes, decisions and actions tell how much or how less we love one another. Maybe your faith is too strong, and it permits you to do certain things a weaker brother or sister doesn't understand, if it will cause him or her to stumble or abandon the faith, you are compelled by love to desist from such. Love seeks to uplift others continually. And even when love has to discipline, its aim is to correct and restore. To love like God is the most important thing we should seek to achieve because it is what will give us boldness in the day of judgment (1 John 4:17). We must grow from loving our neighbours as ourselves to loving them as God loves us. Cheers.

Tuesday 18 September 2012

LOVE – THE SECRET OF RECEIVING FROM GOD

We pray, but we don’t always receive – for a number of reasons, one being that we ask amiss (James 4:3). Another reason is unbelief. We must believe that God is a rewarder of them that seek Him (Hebrews 11:6). Impatience is yet another reason we don’t receive from God. With the story of the persistent widow in Luke 18, Jesus taught us to persevere in prayer. Delays are not necessarily denials. Receiving from God becomes very easy when we do things that are pleasing in His sight. 1 John 3:22-23 says, “And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.” If there’s a secret, that’s it! By doing the above, we’re operating in the realm of God because God is love. That’s what John meant by saying that he that keeps the commandments dwells in God, and God in him. When we begin to truly walk in love, God draws nearer to us and will hear us speedily when we pray! If there’s anything we are to gauge often, it’s the level of our love. God is love, and we must continue to grow in love until we become love! Being perfect in love is the greatest level of spirituality anyone can attain! I pray, that God by His Spirit in us, will cause us to be perfect in love as our Father in heaven is. Amen.

Monday 17 September 2012

MANIFESTING THE LOVE OF GOD

The love of God is in us, but sadly, not many of us manifest it. We talk about it, sing about it but rarely manifest it, yet it should be a lifestyle. 1 John 3:18 says, “My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth.” Like we say, action is louder than words. One way to manifest the love of God is by giving to the needy. It’s funny, but many of us give to those who have more than enough or that can afford what we give to them, and ignore those who are in need. The needy should be our first priority. 1 John 3:17 says, “But whoso hath this wolrd’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?” Don’t always wait to be asked before you act; be motivated by what you see! Deuteronomy 15:7&8 says, “If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother: but thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need in that which he wanteth.” If we really can do all things through Christ, then we can reach out to the needy around us. God’s grace, His blessings and promotions are to enable us abound to every good work (2 Corinthians 9:8). By so doing, we’ll be manifesting the love of God. Cheers.

Thursday 13 September 2012

ARE YOU REALLY WALKING WITH GOD?

We live in a time when many people claim to be christians, unlike in the days of our fathers when most of them were traditional worshippers. Christianity is perceived to be a religion of civilised people, and attending church services, especially on Sundays is a norm. We all claim to be children of God, but the truth is, many are far from God inwardly. 1 John 1:5-6 says, "God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth." God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. What does that mean? Psalm 145:17 says, "The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works." Therefore, God being light in whom is no darkness refers to His holiness and righteousness. Now, Apostle John wrote that if we say we have fellowship with God and walk in darkness, we lie! In other words, it is practically impossible to profess to be a child of God and not live like one. The question now is, have you being lying? Going to church, praying to God, reading the Bible, and even talking about God, but still living in sin? No brother, God is light and in Him is no darkness at all; He is righteous in all His ways and holy in all His works! The essence of this is firstly, for us to judge ourselves, and secondly, to challenge us to live lives worthy of our calling. His grace is sufficient for us. Cheers.

Wednesday 12 September 2012

TRUE STARS

There are many known and celebrated stars in our world today, mostly musicians, actors and actresses. But there are true stars recognised by God, they are the soul winners. Daniel 12:3 says, "Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever." Soul winners might not be celebrated and rewarded by us now, but on Judgment Day, and in the life to come, they'll be the true stars. He who wins souls is wise (Proverbs 11:30). Dearly beloved, there's nothing greater in this life than winning souls for the Lord. Nothing manifests our love for God and for fellow men than this. It also shows we really understand God's purposes here on Earth. It is not enough to serve God, you and I must be very concerned about the eternal destinies of the men and women we relate with every day. When you pray, what exactly do you pray about? There must be people you're praying for; specifically about their salvation. It is God's will that all are saved and we must engage ourselves in evangelism. God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. There's no price that can be too much for a soul. Feel free to go to the highest heights, to the deepest depths, and to the farthest places to seek and save the lost. And remember those closest to you too. Seek to be a true star in God's eyes. Cheers.

Tuesday 11 September 2012

BOLD AS A LION. BANISH FEAR.

Many christians are living in fear; it’s amazing. They fear embarking on a journey, they are afraid of sleeping, afraid of pursuing their dreams, afraid of moving to a new location or where they actually reside, afraid of certain people, or of witches and wizards. There are believers who are actually oppressed by Satan. They sleep and wake up with bruises or they feel a force attempting to strangle them. There is one reason for that: such christians do not know their God. Period. When you do not know God, that is, what He is to you, what He has done for you, what He is willing to do for you, and how dear you are to Him, you’ll live in constant fear of men, circumstances and of demonic forces, and you will be easily subdued. The righteous are as bold as a lion! And they that know their God shall be strong, and do exploits. Our boldness and strength come from a sound knowledge, a true and accurate knowledge of God. It doesn’t matter how many forces team up against you, you are far above principalities and powers in Christ! And if God be for you, it doesn’t matter who comes against you, they will flee before you! Hear me! No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and when you sleep, the Lord surrounds you as the mountains surround Jerusalem! Hallelujah! Satan knows those who know the truth, and he doesn’t dare them! In fact, those who know this truth, boldly march into Satanic strongholds and undo the works of Satan! Jesus defeated Satan and gave us the victory! And as long as we abide in Him, we will always be more than conquerors and overcomers in this world! Give God praise! Banish fear.

Monday 10 September 2012

ABLE GOD

The God we serve has all power. There is absolutely nothing that He cannot do. His power is not limited by time, neither is it determined by circumstances. From generation to generation, He continues to display His power. With Him, nothing is impossible! I’m talking about a God that created the world out of nothing; a God who made an animal speak the language of men; a God who fed thousands with five loaves and two fish; a God who used shadow to heal and cast out devils! His power cannot be fully told or described because we have not seen it all! There is nothing that is difficult for Him to do. What is your problem or challenge? What is it that you’re going through? Are you sick or in need? Relax, just believe! I’m talking about a God who fed me for a month when I had no money or food; I’m talking about a God who has kept me in health for ten years; I’m talking about a God who has never failed me. Have faith in Him. And you know what, He is not just strong and able, He seeks to help you! 2 Chronicles 16:9 says, “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.” What’s your need today? Attract God with your faith! Believe, and you will see the glory of God. He is able.

Friday 7 September 2012

SUPER AND EXTRAORDINARY

I am passionate about excellence and I believe I should excel in whatever I do, not because I was born a genius or extremely talented but because the Spirit of God dwells in me. It makes no sense to me that there’s no difference between a man who’s got God and the man without God. The presence of the Holy Spirit in us makes us super and extraordinary! Here’s what written about Daniel, “There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers; forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and shewing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar.” Daniel 5:11-12. The Holy Spirit in us is not for speaking in tongues only! He’s in us to complement us. By Him, we can and should do great things! You must let the Holy Spirit quicken your mind. David wrote that he had more understanding than his teachers. God will be glorified when men notice that we have excellent spirits; we have sound minds! You are not average, you are not ordinary, you are not common, neither are you a mediocre! If the Holy Spirit be in you, you are a super man! Hallelujah!

Thursday 6 September 2012

NO TURNING BACK

When Nebuchadnezzar made the image of gold and decreed that everyone bowed done to it at the sound of the trumpet, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused. Their refusal isn't what intrigued me, it was the fact that they said that even if God didn't save them, they still wouldn't bow down to his image! They had crossed the bridge and they weren't going back. We used to sing, "I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back." Dear brothers and sisters, we must get to that point in our lives when we decide to never turn back to the world and to our old ways. The truth is that until we make such decisions, we are yet to really begin our races. It's a matter of who or what we love the most. It's also a matter of where we have stored our treasures. What gets your attention? What are you devoted to? Who's got your heart? What will you be willing to bow down to in this world? I have decided to follow Jesus I have decided to follow Jesus I have decided to follow Jesus No turning back, No turning back

Wednesday 5 September 2012

PREPARE FOR GREATNESS

Daniel 1:3-4 says, “And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king's seed, and of the princes; children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans.” Notice that the king asked Ashpenaz “to bring” people; those guys were already skilled and able for the job. The only training they were to receive was on the language of the Chaldeans. You’ve been confessing greatness and asking God to make your dreams come true, but brother, how prepared are you for what you want to be? Patience doesn’t suggest idleness. While you wait for your dream job or position, or whatever it is you desire, you’re meant to continually improve yourself. Learn new skills, increase your ability, keep yourself fit, attend seminars, read books, acquire relevant information about where you’re heading to, and learn from others who are already living the life. In summary, prepare for greatness; take calculated steps towards your goal and be ready for opportunities. Cheers.

DO IT FOR GOD

It’s not uncommon to hear stories of pastors and christians caught doing wrong. It shouldn’t be. We are representatives of God all the days of our lives here and all our words and actions are meant to glorify Him and not otherwise. We should always be conscious of that. Romans 2:24 says, “For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you.” I meditated on this verse years ago and resolved that I’ll never be one of those through whom God’s name will be blasphemed. We were created for His glory and not for His shame! Do whatever you do for God’s sake! “Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed.” 1 Timothy 6:1. Do your work well for God’s sake; avoid disputes for God’s sake; don’t do crime for God’s sake; be law abiding for God’s sake! Don’t give the world another reason to curse God, don’t make it difficult for sinners to be saved and don’t grieve the Spirit in you. Do it for God.

Monday 3 September 2012

A LIVING EXAMPLE

I like to read the biographies of great and inspirational christians who once lived. Such heroes and heroines of faith are fantastic examples for us to follow. They inspire us to pray, to study and to engage actively in evangelism and revival. But it's not only the dead that should inspire us, neither should it be only our General Overseers and other christian leaders today. You and I should be living examples of believers in the world today. And it has nothing to do with age or how long a person has been saved. Paul wrote to Timothy, "Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity." 1 Timothy 4:12. Whether you're in a leadership position or not, in the office, school, at home or in your neighbourhood or in transit, you're expected to be a good example. The next time people talk about christians in your area, I hope they talk about you too.