PROVISION BEFORE PROVIDER?

MEMORY VERSE: the Lord is not slow about His promise, as some men count slackness; but is long suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance, 2 Peter 3:9.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Deut 19, Ps 106, Isa 46, Rev 16

BIBLE STUDIES: Exodus 32:1-10

There is only one provider and that is God. John 3:27 says a man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. Whatever the Lord has given to you e.g. gifts, ministry, employment, business, ministry, life partner, please do not show off with it. They are for His glory not for you to show off. Ecclesiastes 9:11 says the race is not for the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding nor favor to men of skill but time and chance happen to them all. Also it is your responsibility not to abuse whatever He has given but to serve Him with it.
As the Lord had promised, the children of Israel left Egypt with great wealth or great provisions. Exodus 12:36 says and the Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians. When the Lord provides for you, His provisions should not take His place in your heart. The Lord’s provision must not replace Him in your life. In our bible studies we read how the Israelite abandoned their provider and made a god out of the provisions their provider had given to them. If for not the strong intercession of Moses, the Lord would have consumed the whole nation.

It is a dangerous thing for God’s provision to replace Him in your life. The job, education, life partner e.t.c. should not take His place in your heart. The ministry should not replace Him. It is sad that a lot of activity has taken the place of bible study or personal retreat. Your soul is more important to God than the ministry He has given to you. Don’t spend hours preparing sermons and just minutes in personal worship. That is not too good. Whenever anything replaces God, challenges and God’s anger beckons. Has His provisions replaced Him in your life? Would you rather obey your Boss than God? Has the Love of money replaced the love for souls and evangelism? Death physically, spiritually, mentally, academically, financially e.t.c is inevitable when anything replaces God. God is not interested in the death of any but all should come to repentance, 2 Peter 3:9. Repent today!

PRAYER POINT: Father, from now on nothing will take your place in my heart please help me.

PHYSICAL ATTRACTION … A CRITERIA?

MEMORY VERSE: for we walk by faith, not by sight, 2 Corinthians 5:7.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Deut 18, Ps 105, Isa 45, Rev 15

Believers are spiritual beings not sensual beings. Sensual beings depend on their five senses but Spiritual beings depend on the Holy Spirit. To grow spiritually you need to cut down your dependency on your senses especially sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch. Not only that your dependency on the Holy Spirit needs to increase. Our senses can’t pick spiritual signals. Many a time our senses do fail us. This is why the bible admonishes that that we walk not by our senses i.e. sight but by faith, 2 Corinthians 5:7. If you are waiting for physical manifestation before you know the Lord has answered your prayers then you have missed it. Mark 11:24 says therefore I say unto you, what things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. The bible says believe that you have received them not wait for physical manifestation before you know you have received them.

Should physical attraction play a role in my choice of a life partner? Is it a must that I must be physically attracted to the brother or sister before proposing or before saying I do? I am yet to find that verse of the bible that says there must be physical attraction before you propose or say I do. First of all physical attraction is a function of our senses – sight. If we do not walk by sight then the subject of physical attraction should not come up when making life changing decisions such as the choice of a life partner. Adam did not choice eve based on physical attraction, he choose who his creator (God) brought. Isaac did not have a say in who he married, he simply accepted who the Holy Spirit brought through the servant of Abraham. It was only Jacob who decided that the lady God brought was not good enough. To him Leah- God’s choice was not good enough because she had delicate eyes i.e. blear eyed but Rachel was beautiful and well favored in her shape and stature and in her complexion. He succeeded in marrying Rachel but Rachel brought her father’s household gods into his family, Genesis 31:19.

The reason why many are yet to hear from God concerning the choice of a life partner is because they have given God the specification of sisters or brothers they want. If that’s what you are doing, you are only wasting your time. Whether you believe It or not, whatever it is that you’re physically attracted to will not be there forever. People get old and beauty will fade away. This is why the bible says your adornment should not be merely outward but hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God, 1 Peter 3:3-4.

ACTION: Character should be the criteria not the beauty.

PURSUE PEACE WITH ALL MEN

MEMORY VERSE: pursue peace with everyone, and holiness—without it no one will see the Lord, Hebrews 12:14

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Deut 17, Ps 104, Isa 44, Rev 14 

Matthew 5:9 says blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Why are peacemakers referred to as sons of the living God? Peace makers are referred to as sons of God because God is a God of peace, Romans 15:33. Everything that pertains to God has an element of peace. The dove is the symbol used to depict His Spirit – the Holy Spirit. His residence – Heaven is the most peaceful place. Romans 14:14 says for the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. Nine of ten when God speaks there is always this feeling of peace in your spirit. Anywhere peace is absent, God is absent.

How do you know a child of God? A child of God always seeks for peace. Any believer who is always fighting or quarrelling will be deluding himself if he thinks he is a child of God. Romans 14:19 says let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. As believers we are not to desire peace but pursue peace. Pursue means to go after something or run after a thing. We are not to segregate when it comes to who to pursue peace with. We need to seek peace with all men including those who do us wrong.

Hebrews 12:14 says pursue peace with everyone, and holiness-without it no one will see the Lord. We must do everything to make for peace even when we are well within our rights and the other party is on the wrong. A fellow who is pursuing after peace will not mind being the first to apologize even when the other party is at fault. When you say sorry, you are making for peace. Many will rather justify their actions than say sorry. It is pride to be at fault and still refuse to apologize. Most of the conflicts between couples could have been resolved with a simple sorry but because both party refuse to apologize and say sorry, things get out of hand if care is not taken it could lead to divorce. It takes a loving husband to say sorry when he is wrong. It takes a submissive wife to say sorry when at fault. In the course of pursuing peace you could be insulted but don’t worry because your heavenly father will reward you. For the sake of peace say sorry when you are at fault. Even when you are not at fault, so that the glory of God will be visible in your life, say sorry.

PRAYER POINT: Father , help me to leave in peace with all men.

DANGERS OF REBELLION

MEMORY VERSE: for rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king, 1 Samuel 15:23.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Deut 16, Ps 103, Isa 43, Rev 13

BIBLE STUDIES: Jonah 1:1-7

What is rebellion? Rebellion is simply resisting authority or any kind of control. God does not condone rebellion of any kind. He frowns at rebellion to parents (spiritual or physical); rebellion to authority (government, work, church) e.t.c. When a fellow rebels against an authority, the fellow is rebelling against God who is the author of that authority. As hard as it is to believe, do you know that none of the world leaders today or in the past got into power without God’s consent? John 3:27 says a man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. No one in the world today got into power without God’s knowledge; this is why instead of complaining about a leader you report him to God.

People rarely get away with rebellion against human authority but the One you cannot afford to rebel against is the Most High. Hebrew 10:31 says it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of God. When a fellow rebel against God, everything God created begins to work against such fellow. In Jonah 1:1-7, God told Jonah to go and witness to the people of Nineveh. Jonah refused and boarded a ship to Tarshish. On his way everything God created began to work against him. First it was the great wind on the sea; this wind almost broke the ship into two. When the men on-board found that Jonah was the source of the problem, they bundled him and threw him into the sea. As if that was enough, a big fish swallowed him and tried to digest Jonah. It was while this fish was trying to digest Jonah that he came back to his senses; he repented and asked for mercy.

It does not pay to rebel against God. A popular type of rebellion is refusal to evangelize. Matthew 12:30 says he who is not with is against me. If Jesus says go into the world and preach the good news (Mark 16:15) and you refuse, you are rebelling against God. I feel pity for young boys and girls who rebel against their parents, what they do not know is that they are not rebelling against their parents but God who gave them to their parents. I strongly believe there is someone the Lord wants to show mercy too. Ezekiel 18:23 says He does not take pleasure in the death of the wicked, rather that they should return from their ways and live. If you have been rebellious against authority or Jesus please go to Him now and ask for the forgiveness of sin.

TO PONDER: Has the Lord given you an instruction that you are yet to carry out?

JUST BELIEVE

MEMORY VERSE: Jesus said unto him, if thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth, Mark 9:23

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Deut 15, Ps 102, Isa 42, Rev 12

The key to receiving anything from God is faith. Almost everyone who received a miracle from Jesus got it by faith. Jesus would ask ‘do you believe that I am able to do this’? If they said yes, He would say ‘according to your faith be it unto you’. The same Jesus that raised Lazarus from the dead went to His home town and could not do much because of their unbelief, Mark 6:4-6. Without faith you cannot please God, Hebrew 11:6. James1:6-7 says let not that man (a man without faith) think he shall receive any thing of the Lord. Your faith activates the power of God. Your faith makes the power of God very potent in that circumstances or situations or matter.

After reading messages like this, this first thing that comes to the mind of many is how can I get faith? Many wonder how come some people have faith and others don’t. I want you know that faith is a gift of God. Ephesians 2:8 says for by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves. You do not work to get faith, faith is God’s gift. You also need to understand that every believer has this gift. As far as you have giving your life to Christ, you already have faith in you. Romans 12:3b says but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith in others words every believer has been given a measure of faith. Beloved you have all it takes inside you to tell a mountain to move and go yonder and the mountain has no choice than to obey.
God gets everyone started off the same way. He does not give one person more faith than He gives another. He gives to every man the measure of faith. You may be wondering how come some people have more faith than others. Well the measure of faith can be increased. 2 Thessalonians 1:3 talks about faith growing exceedingly. You are the one who increases your faith not God, but God provides the means whereby your faith can be increased. You can increase your faith by doing two things: 1) feeding it on the Word of God and 2) exercising it or putting it into practice in everyday living. Romans 10:17 says faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. The more of God’s word you feed on the more faith you will have but remember that you need to exercise your faith because if you don’t, your faith muscles will be flabby. They won’t be able to do much spiritually when it comes to moving mountains in your life.

ACTION POINT: Start from where you are and begin to grow your faith

PONDER ON: It is God’s responsibility to give you faith but it your responsibility to grow it.

OVERCOMING EVIL WITH GOOD

MEMORY VERSE: be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good, Romans 12:21.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Deut 13-14, Ps 99-101, Isa 41, Rev 11

James 2:26 says for as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. Our works, actions, conducts etc must reflect Christ. Acts 10:38 says Jesus Christ went around doing good. A fellow who is not doing good works is not Christ like i.e. Christians. We are not worthy of been called a Christian if we only show kindness to those who show kindness to us. According to Matthew 5:43-48, if we only love those who love us then we are like the wicked too because wicked people only love those who love them. If we only greet those who greet us then we are no different from pagans because pagans too greet only those who greet them. As believers, Christ expects us to love everyone even our enemies; He expects us to be good to everyone even our enemies; He expects us to greet everyone even our enemies. He expects us to greet people who don’t even greet us.

The only way to overcome evil is by doing good. Don’t repay evil with evil because the Lord says vengeance is mine; I will repay, Romans 12:19. Don’t say heaven helps those who help themselves and go and take revenge. First of all ‘heaven helps those who themselves’ is not biblical. You will never find this quotation in the bible; it is from the pit of hell. Secondly when you repay evil with evil, you are evil.1 John 3:7 says little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. Another reason why you must not return evil for evil is that evil begets evil. This leads to circle of violence, you hurt me and Il hurt you and before you know it escalates into something else.

When you repay good with evil, the Lord disarms your enemy. When you repay good with evil, the Lord turns evil into good. A brother was sharing his testimony of how the Lord used him to bring an evil uncle to Christ. This evil uncle belonged to a satanic secret society. This evil man was responsible for the death of his senior brother (brother’s dad). He did that with the intention of possessing all the properties – houses, lands e.t.c that belongs to his senior brother. The whole family hated this uncle but this brother drew close to him and began to witness to him. Later the uncle gave his life to Christ, confessed and forsook his evil ways. He apologized and returned all he had taken. This ex-evil uncle could have killed more people but the love this brother shew to him changed him.

PRAYER POINT: Father, please give me the grace to repay good for evil.

LISTENING HUSBANDS HAVE AN ADVANTAGE

MEMORY VERSE: but God said to Abraham, ‘do not let it be displeasing in your sight because of the lad or because of your bondwoman. Whatever Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice; for in Isaac your seed shall be called, Genesis 21:12

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Deut 12, Ps 97-98, Isa 40, Rev 10

BIBLE STUDIES: Genesis 21:8-13

The role of the leader is to serve the people not to boss them or lord over them. The role of the head is to serve the body. While every other part of the body is sleeping, the brain is busy working just to ensure that all is well with the body. The greatest leader the world ever knows was Jesus; He spent his entire life serving the poor and washing the feet of his disciples. The difference between a dictator and a leader is that leaders serve while dictators don’t. Mark 9:35 says and he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, if any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.

As a husband you are the head of the family. Ephesians 5:23 says for the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the savior of the church. The role of the husband is to serve not boss over his wife. The role of the wife is to submit to her husband, Ephesians 5:22. Good leaders listen to their subordinates, but tyrants or dictators don’t. There is nothing wrong in a husband listening to his wife’s wise and godly counsels. Whether you believe it or not women are more intuitive than man, listening to their wise and godly counsels has its advantages.

Pontius Pilate could have been guilty of crucifying Jesus if not for the wise and godly counsel of his wife. She said to him ‘have nothing to do with that just Man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him (Matthew 27:19).’ Immediately Pilate heard that he washed his hands off the case of Jesus. The husband of the great woman of Shunem would have died without a child if not for the wise and godly counsel of his wife. She told the husband that they needed to build a house for the man of God and that one agreed (2 Kings 4:8-13). A year later he became a father. In Genesis 21:8-13, Sarah had an insight on a personal family matter and Abram felt that she was wrong. God told Abraham listen to the voice of his wife. Arrogant husbands who refuse to listen to their wives because they think they know it all will fall flat on their face.

ACTION POINT: Listen to wise and godly counsel of your wife.