MEMORY VERSE: for bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come, 1 Timothy 4:8
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Deut 32, Ps 119:121-144, Isa 59, Matt 9
Many have read and misunderstood the part a of 1 Timothy 4:8 which says for bodily exercise profiteth little. The bible does not say exercise is bad. Exercise is good because it helps controls weight; combats health conditions and diseases (stroke, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and depression, certain types of cancers, arthritis and falls); improves mood; boosts energy; promotes better sleep e.t.c. Exercise is also good for pregnant women. It helps reduce pregnancy discomfort, prepare for childbirth, helps them sleep better, reduces stress and lifts their spirits. Exercise does help you sleep better and it improves your mood.
1 Timothy 4:8 says for bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. Godliness is profitable now and in time to come. If you want your life to become profitable become like God. What is godliness? Godliness is becoming like God in nature, character and ability. When you give your life to Christ, God’s nature is put inside you. All born again Christians have God’s nature. Few have God’s character and fewer still have God’s ability. To become like God you need to have God’s character and ability. God’s character is love. 1 John 4:8 says God is love. 1 Corinthians 13 expands on love (God’s character) and this is a function of the fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). As the character of God begins to dominate your will, emotion and thought God will begin to entrust you with His ability.
God cannot entrust His ability to anyone who is yet develop His character. Having God’s ability without God’s character is like a baby with a sub machine gun; that’s disaster! Godliness is simply becoming like Jesus. John 10:30 says I and the Father are one. When Jesus was on the earth, He operated as a man not God. God is Omni-present and Jesus was not Omni- present when He was here. Jesus grew in wisdom and nature (Luke 2:52), but God does not grow. While He was on earth, He was stripped of His divine nature. The different between Jesus then and us now is that Jesus had the spirit without measure but we have the spirit with measure. This was why Jesus was able to do many things like work on water. Everyone has the potential to have the spirit without measure, even Jesus said we would greater works than He did, John 14:12. God will only entrust you with spirit without measure when you develop His character.
PONDER ON: The more like Jesus you become, the more profitable your life will become.
Thursday 28 November 2013
Tuesday 26 November 2013
WHAT MOTIVE?
MEMORY VERSE: But the Lord said unto Samuel, look not on his countenance or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart, 1 Samuel 16:7
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Deut 31, Ps 119:97-120, Isa 58, Matt 6
One of the most abused bible verses in the scripture is 1 Samuel 16:7c -for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. Many a times when I tell brothers that it is not good for a Christian to fly the collar of his polo shirt because such is not befitting for kings which we are before the Lord (Revelation 5:10); 9 out of 10 the response is always God looks at the heart not the dressing. It is very true that the Lord looks at the heart but the bible also says that by Him actions are weighed, 1 Samuel 2:3. In other words just as He looks at the heart, He weighs the action too.
A woman was shopping in a mall when she noticed that her purse was missing. She looked around and could not find it. She checked everywhere, all to no avail. She began to panic, while walking up and down a young boy walked up to her and handed her purse to her. She was delighted and decided to check if anything was missing in the purse. On checking she exclaimed, before my purse was missing I had a 10 dollar bill but I now have ten 1 dollar bills! The boy said it is because the last time I found a purse, the lady told me she had no change.
Many today are like that boy who found the purse. The boy returned the purse because of the reward not because he cared. If the purse had been empty of dollar bills, he would have thrown the purse in the bin. He knew if he returned the purse with the ten dollar bill, the lady would only thank him and say sorry I have no change so he decided to exchange the ten dollar bill to ten 1 dollar bills .There are a lot of noble activities we do which are for the reward not because we care. Many give their life to Christ not because they want to serve God but because they want eternal life. The question I want to ask you is that in that place of work or school, are you working hard because you love the job or because of the reward which could be in form of promotion or other things. Why do you put so much effort into that ministry? Is it to bring souls to Christ or the reward? Is it because you love it when they call you sir or ma or because you are passionate for your maker? God only acknowledges those who serve Him because they care not individuals who serve Him because of the reward.
QUESTION: Are you doing that thing for the reward or because you are care.
Saturday 23 November 2013
WHEN HE CALLS
MEMORY VERSE: Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest, Matthew 11:28
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Deut 30, Ps 119:73-96, Isa 57, Matt 5
BIBLE STUDIES: Mark 10:46-52
The essence of God’s call is to make your life better not to make it worse or boring. The Lord called Aaron to the office of the priest to beautify him. Exodus 28:2 says and thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and beauty. The proposed garment clearly reveals God’s plan for Aaron. He did not call him to the office of a priest to make his life miserable or poor. He called him simply to beautify him and take glory over his life. The next time the Lord calls you to do something whether to serve or give something, do not hesitate because His intentions are noble and they are to beautify you. Remember the name of the Lord will not be glorified when you fail, so He will ensure at all cost that you succeed.
Jesus was passing by Jericho when He heard a man screaming at the top of his voice, ‘Jesus , thou son of David , have mercy on me’, Mark 10:46-52.Jesus knew from the way the man was screaming that this man was tired of his current situation and the bible says for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved, Romans 10:13. Jesus stood still and commanded them to bring the man. When the man heard that Jesus was calling him, he immediately threw his garment away and ran to Jesus. Although Bartimaeus was blind he was very wise, he knew that you do not go to the presence of kings with tattered rags talk less of going to meet the King of kings so he quickly threw his old garments away.
The Lord has called many and He is still calling. Matthew 11:28 says come unto me; all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. The reason why you cannot see any visible changes in the situation or life of many who had heed the call is because they refuse to cast away their old garments i.e. the life of sin. 1 Thessalonians 4:7 says for God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. Once you give your life to Christ, you need to live a life of holiness. The clubbing every Friday and Saturday night must stop; the little white lies must to stop; the deals in the office that your manager must not know about must stop; even that sexual relationship with that sugar daddy or sugar mummy or boy friend or girl friends must stop; whatever is not befitting for a child of God has to stop once you give your life to Christ.
QUESTION: Are you still wearing your old garments or you have cast them away?
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Deut 30, Ps 119:73-96, Isa 57, Matt 5
BIBLE STUDIES: Mark 10:46-52
The essence of God’s call is to make your life better not to make it worse or boring. The Lord called Aaron to the office of the priest to beautify him. Exodus 28:2 says and thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and beauty. The proposed garment clearly reveals God’s plan for Aaron. He did not call him to the office of a priest to make his life miserable or poor. He called him simply to beautify him and take glory over his life. The next time the Lord calls you to do something whether to serve or give something, do not hesitate because His intentions are noble and they are to beautify you. Remember the name of the Lord will not be glorified when you fail, so He will ensure at all cost that you succeed.
Jesus was passing by Jericho when He heard a man screaming at the top of his voice, ‘Jesus , thou son of David , have mercy on me’, Mark 10:46-52.Jesus knew from the way the man was screaming that this man was tired of his current situation and the bible says for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved, Romans 10:13. Jesus stood still and commanded them to bring the man. When the man heard that Jesus was calling him, he immediately threw his garment away and ran to Jesus. Although Bartimaeus was blind he was very wise, he knew that you do not go to the presence of kings with tattered rags talk less of going to meet the King of kings so he quickly threw his old garments away.
The Lord has called many and He is still calling. Matthew 11:28 says come unto me; all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. The reason why you cannot see any visible changes in the situation or life of many who had heed the call is because they refuse to cast away their old garments i.e. the life of sin. 1 Thessalonians 4:7 says for God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. Once you give your life to Christ, you need to live a life of holiness. The clubbing every Friday and Saturday night must stop; the little white lies must to stop; the deals in the office that your manager must not know about must stop; even that sexual relationship with that sugar daddy or sugar mummy or boy friend or girl friends must stop; whatever is not befitting for a child of God has to stop once you give your life to Christ.
QUESTION: Are you still wearing your old garments or you have cast them away?
Sunday 17 November 2013
WONDERS OF HIS VISIT
MEMORY VERSE: and when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw
Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come
nigh him, Exodus 34:30
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Deut 28, Ps 119:25-48, Isa 55, Matt 3
What is a wonder? A wonder is someone or something that amaze people. A simpler definition of a wonder is anything that makes you wonder. One of the names of our Lord is Wonderful, Isaiah 9:6. Wonderful means full of wonders. Our God is full of wonders. Everything about Him is a wonder. He created the heavens and the earth. The heaven is a wonder and the earth is wonder too. It is cold in one part of the world and at the same time hot in another part of the world. It is morning in one part of the world, afternoon in another part and midnight in another part of the world all at the same time. God is indeed wonderful.
Everything the Lord does is a wonder. When He visits a fellow or a family, that fellow or family becomes a wonder. If you don’t believe check the story of Sarah, Genesis 18. It would be an understatement to say Sarah was barren because at the age of ninety her womb was stone dead. After the Lord visited her, Sarah became a wonder. For a ninety year old woman to nurse a child, that is a wonder! Everyone who saw Sarah knew the Lord had paid her a visit. If you see anyone boasting that He has received visitation from the Lord, they are probably prophesying. You don’t have to open your mouth before people will know that you have encountered the Most High God.
This was the case of Moses. Immediately He returned from the presence of God the whole nation knew that Moses had seen something no eye had ever seen. Exodus 34:30 says and when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him. Moses did not tell anyone what he saw, when people saw the skin on his face shining like the Sun, they put two and two together and came to the conclusion that Moses was in receipt of a visitation from the Bright and Morning Star. Only a visitation from God is needed to transform you and your situation around. How did Saul a sworn enemy of Jesus become a disciple of Christ? A divine visitation .The man who was going from synagogue to synagogue to arrest believers suddenly became an evangelist because the Jesus Christ visited him on his way to Damascus. Paul later became a wonder; demons saw aprons that had touched the skin of Paul and they began to run, Acts 19:12.
PRAYER POINTS: Father, please visit me today so that I will become a wonder in these generation.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Deut 28, Ps 119:25-48, Isa 55, Matt 3
What is a wonder? A wonder is someone or something that amaze people. A simpler definition of a wonder is anything that makes you wonder. One of the names of our Lord is Wonderful, Isaiah 9:6. Wonderful means full of wonders. Our God is full of wonders. Everything about Him is a wonder. He created the heavens and the earth. The heaven is a wonder and the earth is wonder too. It is cold in one part of the world and at the same time hot in another part of the world. It is morning in one part of the world, afternoon in another part and midnight in another part of the world all at the same time. God is indeed wonderful.
Everything the Lord does is a wonder. When He visits a fellow or a family, that fellow or family becomes a wonder. If you don’t believe check the story of Sarah, Genesis 18. It would be an understatement to say Sarah was barren because at the age of ninety her womb was stone dead. After the Lord visited her, Sarah became a wonder. For a ninety year old woman to nurse a child, that is a wonder! Everyone who saw Sarah knew the Lord had paid her a visit. If you see anyone boasting that He has received visitation from the Lord, they are probably prophesying. You don’t have to open your mouth before people will know that you have encountered the Most High God.
This was the case of Moses. Immediately He returned from the presence of God the whole nation knew that Moses had seen something no eye had ever seen. Exodus 34:30 says and when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him. Moses did not tell anyone what he saw, when people saw the skin on his face shining like the Sun, they put two and two together and came to the conclusion that Moses was in receipt of a visitation from the Bright and Morning Star. Only a visitation from God is needed to transform you and your situation around. How did Saul a sworn enemy of Jesus become a disciple of Christ? A divine visitation .The man who was going from synagogue to synagogue to arrest believers suddenly became an evangelist because the Jesus Christ visited him on his way to Damascus. Paul later became a wonder; demons saw aprons that had touched the skin of Paul and they began to run, Acts 19:12.
PRAYER POINTS: Father, please visit me today so that I will become a wonder in these generation.
Sunday 10 November 2013
SONGS OF FOOLS OR REBUKE OF THE WISE
MEMORY VERSE: it is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools, Ecclesiastes 7:5
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Deut 27, Ps 119:1-24, Isa 54, Matt 2
The friends of the wise are always wise. Proverbs 13:20 says he that walketh with the wise shall be wise but a companion of fools shall be destroyed. Not only that, a wise fellow circles himself with people that will tell him the hard truth not people that will tell him what he wants to hear. A wise fellow is always wary of people who flatter him. First of all, the wise don’t use flattery. Job 32:21-22 says I will not show partiality to any man or use flattery toward any person. For I do not know how to flatter, else my Maker would soon take me away. If I were you I will stay far away from people who use flattery. Proverbs 29:5 says a man who flatters his neighbors spreads a net for his feet. Wise sisters will watch out for brothers who use flattery.
Ecclesiastes 7:5 says it is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the songs of fools. The problem with many is that they do not want to be told off, they prefer sweet lies to bitter truth. The rebuke of the wise will save you a lot of embarrassment and shame. It will help you fulfill God’s plan for your life. Naaman received his healing because of the rebuke of his wise servant, 2 Kings 5:2-15. At first he became furious because the man of God told him to go and dip himself in river Jordan 7 times. As he was about to leave, his servants told him that if the prophet had asked him to do something harder he would have done it, so why not just obey the simple instruction of the man of God. He listened to his servant and he was healed.
Uzziah on the hand surrounded himself with fools, 2 Chronicles 26:16-21. He walked in to the temple to burn incenses – something which was abomination for anyone who was not from the descendant of Aaron. Instead of his servants to warn him, they kept on saying long live the king. They kept on reminding him that he was the king of the land and whatever he says was final. When the priest were warning him , the followers kept on reminding him that he was the king and kings do not take orders from anyone. Since he would not listen, the Lord disciplined him and he became a leper. I pray that you will not end up like Uzziah in Jesus name. The psalmist says let the righteous strike me; it shall be a kindness: and let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head, Psalm 141:5. The rebuke of the wise may be harsh and unpleasant but there is a safety in it.
PRAYER: Father, please give me the grace to turn at the rebuke of the wise.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Deut 27, Ps 119:1-24, Isa 54, Matt 2
The friends of the wise are always wise. Proverbs 13:20 says he that walketh with the wise shall be wise but a companion of fools shall be destroyed. Not only that, a wise fellow circles himself with people that will tell him the hard truth not people that will tell him what he wants to hear. A wise fellow is always wary of people who flatter him. First of all, the wise don’t use flattery. Job 32:21-22 says I will not show partiality to any man or use flattery toward any person. For I do not know how to flatter, else my Maker would soon take me away. If I were you I will stay far away from people who use flattery. Proverbs 29:5 says a man who flatters his neighbors spreads a net for his feet. Wise sisters will watch out for brothers who use flattery.
Ecclesiastes 7:5 says it is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the songs of fools. The problem with many is that they do not want to be told off, they prefer sweet lies to bitter truth. The rebuke of the wise will save you a lot of embarrassment and shame. It will help you fulfill God’s plan for your life. Naaman received his healing because of the rebuke of his wise servant, 2 Kings 5:2-15. At first he became furious because the man of God told him to go and dip himself in river Jordan 7 times. As he was about to leave, his servants told him that if the prophet had asked him to do something harder he would have done it, so why not just obey the simple instruction of the man of God. He listened to his servant and he was healed.
Uzziah on the hand surrounded himself with fools, 2 Chronicles 26:16-21. He walked in to the temple to burn incenses – something which was abomination for anyone who was not from the descendant of Aaron. Instead of his servants to warn him, they kept on saying long live the king. They kept on reminding him that he was the king of the land and whatever he says was final. When the priest were warning him , the followers kept on reminding him that he was the king and kings do not take orders from anyone. Since he would not listen, the Lord disciplined him and he became a leper. I pray that you will not end up like Uzziah in Jesus name. The psalmist says let the righteous strike me; it shall be a kindness: and let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head, Psalm 141:5. The rebuke of the wise may be harsh and unpleasant but there is a safety in it.
PRAYER: Father, please give me the grace to turn at the rebuke of the wise.
Saturday 9 November 2013
LEARN TO ASK FOR DIRECTION FROM PEOPLE WHO KNOWS
MEMORY VERSE: where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counselors there is safety, Proverbs 11:14
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Deut 26, Ps 117-118, Isa 53, Matt 1
BIBLE STUDIES: 1 Samuel 9:5-16.
A lot of people are stranded in the journey of life because they pretend to know but they do not know. There is no man that’s knows it all. A wise man once said, ‘the day you stop learning, you start dying’. No one knows it all except the Almighty God. A young man called Saul from the tribe of Benjamin, set out one day with his servant to look for some missing asses (donkey), 1 Samuel 9:5-16. After several efforts with no recorded success, he decided to go back home. As they were about to go back, his wise servant humbly suggested that they visit a man of God who hears from God regularly to get direction. They went to the man of God and within minutes the asses were found.
There one or two lessons to learn from this passage. First of all I want you to know that God has positioned angels around you to help you and assist you. The angel could be a colleague at work or in school or someone close to you or your pastor. When you refuse to take advantage of the angels God has positioned around you, you waste resources and struggle unnecessarily. It was obvious that Saul did not know the whereabouts of these asses. Instead of Saul to go and get direction from the angel (Samuel the prophet of God); he decided to do it on his own. In the process of doing it on his own, he wasted a lot of resources. The bread that should have lasted them for days finished within hours. If not for his servant, he would have return home empty handed frustrated and unhappy. When you refuse to ask for direction or get counsel from people who know about things, you become frustrated and unhappy.
Secondly, if you learn to ask questions problems will be solved faster. Not only that, you will get to your destination quicker. Because Saul failed, to ask for direction he began to go around in circles. A lot of people give up at the edge of success because they fail to ask for direction or ask question. You may fail at the edge of success if you don’t ask questions. I pray that will not be your portion in the mighty name of Jesus. Your journey will be faster if you will ask questions or get direction from people who know. Lastly Saul left home an ordinary boy but returned a king because he asked questions. There is a king in every man. It is in humbling yourselves and asking questions or getting direction from people who know that you will become the king the Lord has made you. You will only reach your potential in the Lord when you ask questions or get counsel from the counselors.
ACTION POINT: Humble yourself and get counsel.
Friday 8 November 2013
COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS
MEMORY VERSE: bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name, Psalm 103:1
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Deut 22, Ps 110-111, Isa 49, Rev 19
BIBLE STUDIES: Psalm103:1-12
Many of us have forgotten how faithful the Lord has been to us and our family, when we face little challenges we begin to ask if there is really a God. A lot of people complain when they ask God for just one thing, and don’t get a response immediately. They begin to doubt the power of God, some even threaten to stop going to church or stop paying their tithes. The question we should ask ourselves is how about the countless numbers of things we have asked and He has given to us? How about the countless numbers of things we did not even deserve that He gave us? Many sleep and wake up and think it is normal, there are many who sleep and don’t wake up. There are one or two grumbling to God right now because of their situation, what they do not know is that there is someone right now this minute who will gladly swap position with them. There is someone right now who will give an arm to be in the situation you are in just to show you how worse their situation is.
There are some stories I do not like sharing but I will today so that you will count your blessings. Sometimes ago I was sharing our church flier during my lunch when I met a man who I used to work with. With joy I tried to shake him but I noticed this brother was reluctant and I asked what the problem was. He showed me his palms and I saw several small blisters in his palms. This blisters had pus in them and he had a like a thousand in each of his palms. These blisters are very itchy and every time he touches them they will burst open and spread. I have never seen anything like that in my life. He told me it has spread to his back and virtually every part of his body. When the sun is out it is worse. He has been to the doctor and there is no cure. Because of his condition, He cannot carry his daughter or play with her. I said a short prayer with him and he left. As I began to ponder about this man’s predicament, the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said that is someone’s dad, brother, son, uncle, friend, husband e.t.c
As from that day I promised the Holy Spirit I will always be grateful. All the doors in this world had been shut on this brother. He told me that all he wants in life is to get well and nothing else matters. There are many who are petitioning God for promotion at work; life partner; new job; fruit of the womb e.t.c but this brother can not even think of such things. You might now have a car but you have your two legs; you might have a job but you have your two hands; you might be single but you are alive and not under life support; your children might be misbehaving but at least you have a child; your marriage might not be going the way you want but at least you are not a patient in a mental institution. We are not better than the people in these places but it is just the mercy of God.
ACTION POINT: Count your blessings and be grateful to God for the things He has done.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Deut 22, Ps 110-111, Isa 49, Rev 19
BIBLE STUDIES: Psalm103:1-12
Many of us have forgotten how faithful the Lord has been to us and our family, when we face little challenges we begin to ask if there is really a God. A lot of people complain when they ask God for just one thing, and don’t get a response immediately. They begin to doubt the power of God, some even threaten to stop going to church or stop paying their tithes. The question we should ask ourselves is how about the countless numbers of things we have asked and He has given to us? How about the countless numbers of things we did not even deserve that He gave us? Many sleep and wake up and think it is normal, there are many who sleep and don’t wake up. There are one or two grumbling to God right now because of their situation, what they do not know is that there is someone right now this minute who will gladly swap position with them. There is someone right now who will give an arm to be in the situation you are in just to show you how worse their situation is.
There are some stories I do not like sharing but I will today so that you will count your blessings. Sometimes ago I was sharing our church flier during my lunch when I met a man who I used to work with. With joy I tried to shake him but I noticed this brother was reluctant and I asked what the problem was. He showed me his palms and I saw several small blisters in his palms. This blisters had pus in them and he had a like a thousand in each of his palms. These blisters are very itchy and every time he touches them they will burst open and spread. I have never seen anything like that in my life. He told me it has spread to his back and virtually every part of his body. When the sun is out it is worse. He has been to the doctor and there is no cure. Because of his condition, He cannot carry his daughter or play with her. I said a short prayer with him and he left. As I began to ponder about this man’s predicament, the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said that is someone’s dad, brother, son, uncle, friend, husband e.t.c
As from that day I promised the Holy Spirit I will always be grateful. All the doors in this world had been shut on this brother. He told me that all he wants in life is to get well and nothing else matters. There are many who are petitioning God for promotion at work; life partner; new job; fruit of the womb e.t.c but this brother can not even think of such things. You might now have a car but you have your two legs; you might have a job but you have your two hands; you might be single but you are alive and not under life support; your children might be misbehaving but at least you have a child; your marriage might not be going the way you want but at least you are not a patient in a mental institution. We are not better than the people in these places but it is just the mercy of God.
ACTION POINT: Count your blessings and be grateful to God for the things He has done.
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