OVERCOMING HINDRANCES OF PROGRESS (PART 2)

FEB. 1ST 2016

TEXT: Revelation 12:10-11. 1 John 1:8-9. King James Version (KJV)

Revelation 12:10-11King James Version (KJV)

10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

1 John 1:8-9King James Version (KJV)

8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Life is full of battles. Praying does not eradicate battles from life, it only equips and empowers the one praying to overcome them. But much more than fasting and praying, is for a fellow to walk in obedience to the commandments, laws and instructions of God. Lack of understanding of the word of God makes a soul easily fall prey to the plans of the enemy.

One of the reasons people continue in sin is because they lack understanding of the divine exchange that takes place. The person who sins losses a lot. You only have access to the blessings of God’s kingdom because you have right standing with Him. Psalms 24:4 says the one to stand in God’s presence is he who has clean hands and a pure heart. So, the person who sins has been cut off already from this divine access by reason of his own actions. You may not have been caught or disgraced, but you have lost something greater than any other thing, which is access into God’s presence and the boldness to talk to Him. 

If you know that sin cuts off the glory God has for your life (see Romans 3:23), you will give up its pleasures. The Bible says the pleasure of sin is for a moment. Why settle for the temporal and for that which will make life so difficult, when you have access to the eternal and limitless blessings of God ? 

Some of us have shut the doors of heaven against ourselves by our sins. Nevertheless, the Lord is so merciful and kind, and He wants to bring you back. You can save your life from wherever it is right now, and rise from one level of glory to another. All you have to do is simply turn anew by taking the bold decision to live wholly for God. 

HYMN- GOD MOVES IN A MYSTERIOUS WAY

JAN. 31ST.

Memory Verse: Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his Judgments…… (Romans 11:33)

TEXT: PROVERBS 16:9; 19:21; ISAIAH 40:28; MATTHEW 10:30

“Good when he gives, supremely good, nor less when He denies,
Even crosses from His sovereign hand are blessings in disguise” – Unknown

The hymn “God Moves in a Mysterious Way” has been acclaimed as one of the finest songs ever written on the theme of God’s providence. This label is made all the more amazing by the fact that the hymn text was written by an English poet who lived a lifetime of mental distress. William Cowper’s emotional upsets included an 18-month stay in an insane asylum and later several attempted suicides. During his time in the asylum, Cowper began reading the Bible. At the age of 33 he had a genuine conversion experience. Yet he was periodically haunted by deep depression, voices, and vision, and the overwhelming thought that God had forsaken him and would doom him to hell.

But between these times of mental melancholia, William Cowper was a gifted decades he worked closely with John Newton in Olney, English, and eventually their combined talents produced the famous Olney Hymns hymnal. In this ambitious collection of 349 hymns, 67 were written by Cowper, including such favorites as “O for a Closer Walk with God” and “There is a Fountain.”

“God moves in a Mysterious Way was originally titled “conflict: Light Shinning out of Darkness.” It is thought to be Cowper’s final hymn text and a reflection of God’s leading throughout his own lifetime. There is even speculation that it was written following a failed attempt at suicidal drowning. Regardless of bring much comfort to God’s people for nearly two centuries:

God moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform; He plants His foot steps in the sea and rides upon the storm.  You fearful saints, fresh courage take: The clouds you so much dread are bring with mercy, and shall break in blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, but trust Him for his grace; behind a frowning providence faith sees a smiling face. Blind unbelief is sure to err and scan His work in Vain; God is His own interpreter, and he will make it plain.

PRAYER POINT: Thank God for the various and perhaps unusual ways he has directed your life to this very moment. Resolve to trust Him more fully in the days ahead. “AMAZING GRACE; 366 INSPIRING HYMN STORIES FOR DAILY DEVOTION”

OVERCOMING HINDRANCES OF PROGRESS (PART 1)

JAN. 30^TH.

TEXT: Revelation 12:10-11King James Version (KJV)
10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

One of the reasons the move of God fades quickly from our lives is because we did not put anything in place to sustain it.  Some people are unnecessarily making shipwreck of their souls through poor decisions and their unwillingness to completely obey the leading of God. Many have died before their time, and others have suffered serious setback and pain. This is not the will of God. 
When this happens, it becomes the responsibility of leaders and those around to help the person recover quickly, in the spirit of love. It is important for this to be in the spirit of love because the Church has become too legalistic and judgmental. In a legalistic setting, when someone confesses his/her sins, most people in the church make it impossible for such persons to play any significant role in that church. There is more of condemnation than love in such places. The person caught in the act is crowned the biggest sinner. But the one who sins in secret, walks in as a saint and is considered to be more holy than the one who sincerely confessed his sins. 
When people sin, they should be confronted with the truth of the word of God, but all of such discipline becomes mere legalism if the overall goal is not to redeem and restore the fellow. When we get angry with those who miss the mark, put them through the disciplinary and restoration process with the mindset that God can never use them again, we join the enemy to frustrate God’s purpose. So, even when that individual settles with God and is restored by Him, we still think God has written him off. 
Beloved, we must understand that we are not God. One of the most anointed men in the Old Testament was David, when he sinned and repented, God forgave and restored him. When someone misses the mark, though we may be disappointed and angry because we do not condone or encourage sin, we should not make it look like we are working with the enemy to destroy their destinies. Nobody is proud of their sin, please let’s consider one another. 

ACTUALISE YOUR DREAMS AND VISIONS (PART 6)

Jan 29^th

TEXT: Eccl 9:10-11

¹⁰ Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

¹¹ I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.

When a man is dedicated to obeying and following the principles of the kingdom of God, he receives the grace to achieve and sustain success. He also receives the wisdom to be prudent with the resources of heaven upon his life, and he is able to avoid all unnecessary spendings. David succeeded because he was a man after God’s heart, and in turn, God blessed him with a strong administrative strategy. He was able to divide his army into groups with captains over 10, 50, 100, 1000 etc. Such leadership strategy made it less expensive to administer his oversight function, and made accountability for every soul easy. By it, they were also able to quickly disseminate information and to ensure that all is well with his troop spiritually and otherwise. This also ensured that there was no loss; it was less expensive, more effective to manage, and everyone was carried along as they were able to grow together spiritually. In this place, there was healthy competition among the people, and at the same time it promoted deep love and a strong sense of harmony among them all. This wisdom gave great comfort as set goals and objectives were achieved.

A true leader does not live for himself. He is concerned about the lives of his followers; how to get them out the place of struggle for survival. In their spiritual walk, he is able to get them out of the flesh, to continually live by the spirit.

A lot of troubles can be avoided when people are well cared for and they know that they have someone they can easily access in times of challenge. Nobody wants to destroy his or her life knowingly, but the devil has succeeded in employing the strategy of isolating people to frustrate their destinies. If you truly wish to succeed in life, take serious divine principles and see what will follow. 

ACTUALISE YOUR DREAMS AND VISIONS (PART 5)

Jan 28^th

TEXT: Eccl. 9:10-11

¹⁰ Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

¹¹ I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.

It was Bishop Oyedepo who said “Prosperity does not answer to prayer, but to the principles of giving.” I believe this is so true, for I have seen it proven again and again.

Sometimes when you fast and pray, but do not get the desired results, you have to do something to activate the answers you are looking for. As you do, you will see the hand of God moving in strange ways for you. This year, things will not be impossible for you. But before you can get to this point, you would have to position yourself to activate it. Do not see money as something to be worshipped, for that would be a form of idolatry.

When it comes to the beginning of the year, only wise people obey God in the giving of the first fruit of their first income (salary or profit in business). Some people are so scared of this and they hope this is not a Biblical command, but it is, according to God’s word in Deut. 26, and Prov. 3:9. Any giving that touches you deeply and costs you dearly, will often provoke strange blessings from the Lord. As you practice giving your first fruit in obedience to the word of God, doors that you never thought would open, will be opened unto you.

Also, to be able to actualize your dreams and visions, there is a great need for you to apply wisdom in the managing of the resources heaven blesses you with. Ask God for help so you can save enough to be empowered to embark on any project to help actualize your dream. When the hand of the Lord is upon you, people will begin to wonder how you are able to execute projects without much stress. Saving enough of your income enables you to start off ventures that will provide you more income and also empower others, but giving dangerously releases strange favours and blessings beyond what you can save money for. Do something unusual this year.  

ACTUALIZE YOUR DREAMS AND VISIONS (PART 4)

Jan 27^th

TEXT: Ecc. 11:6, Prov. 11:24

Eccl. 11:6

⁶ In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.

Prov. 11:24

²⁴ There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.

The secret of prosperity is not how much you have in your bank account, but how much of a blessing you have become. Whenever you take time out to be a blessing, you activate that which releases the blessing of heaven over your life. In this place you cannot experience lack, because, you have activated some spiritual laws that can only be released by being a giver.

One of such laws as established by our Lord Jesus himself is “Give and it shall be given unto you…” and that verse closes with the words “shall men give unto your bosom”. So, if people are not giving to you, it may be very possible that you are tight fisted.

The fact that you are a Pastor does not exonerate you from the principles of the word of God. If a pastor refuses to give, he is not qualified for this blessing.

 If you see someone whose life bears evidences of the grace of God that you desire, wisdom demands that you sow into his life, especially financially, and in so doing, you connect into and activate the release of that grace into your life. This may be with or without the knowledge of that individual. You cannot do this and stay stranded in life. Some aspects of your life will begin to experience strange favours as the Lord will ensure that you are well taken care of.

The blessings that follow this principle can be in different forms. For example, obeying the laws of giving saves you unnecessary spending on sickness and disease. There are those who went through a year without stepping one foot into the hospital.

The Bible says when you tithe, God will rebuke the devourer and open the heavens to you with blessings, that there will not be enough room to receive them. Ish 1:19 says if you are willing and obedient you will eat the good of the land. Beloved, you have to understand that recognition of spiritual principles, and living your life in obedience to them, activates the release of heavenly blessings. Do something to move your destiny forward today!

ACTUALISE YOUR DREAMS AND VISIONS (PART 3)

Jan. 26^th

TEXT: Eccl 9:10-11

¹⁰ Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

¹¹ I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.

When we talk about actualizing your dreams and visions, most people are oblivious of the potency of giving. So many things in life are activated by the various principles that govern life. There is the giving to widows, orphans, less privileged, poor, parents, family members, churches, pastors and others. But it is so important that we do our giving with understanding because not all soils are fertile enough to cause your seed to germinate. From Biblical examples we can tell that each time we give, we are actually sowing seeds. If we truly understand that we are sowing our seeds when we give, we will be very careful to ensure that we are giving to a ground that will not waste our seeds. When the Lord said, Give, and it shall be given unto you, He did not limit the giving to just money, He simply said “give.”  Therefore, whatever you give, it shall be given unto you, and it is coming back as good measure, pressed down, shaking together, running over. But the amazing thing here is that you don’t have to trouble yourself on how it will be done. Once you have done your part, the Lord will stir up men to give it unto your bosom. So when you give to a church or ministry, whatever is happening there will determine what is coming back to you. If the ground is not fruitful, it will affect your harvest. In the same vain, when you give to any man of God, you must see and then believe that there is the grace of God upon his life deserving of your seed, otherwise, your giving will be like you throwing your money away.

There are some things you cannot get by skill or by perspiration, they are intangible and have to be transferred, like grace. You cannot buy or pay for it, but you can attract it, for example you can attract grace to be released upon your life. Each time you choose to sow a seed into the life of someone filled with grace, your life cannot remain the same. The privilege of giving does not imply that you must have a huge sum of money saved up somewhere. Greatness does not mean or come by how much you store. According to the Scriptures, withholding what you should give will tend to poverty. God blesses you so others can be blessed; He makes you a channel of blessing. If you want to be poor, be tight fisted. 

ACTUALISE YOUR DREAMS AND VISIONS (PART 2)

Jan. 25^th

TEXT: Eccl 9:10-11

¹⁰ Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

¹¹ I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.

It is amazing how most of us limit the power of God in our lives by limiting ourselves to a particular status quo. There are many ways people earn a living in life. Some do so through their skills or ideas, while others do so by being impactful through their spiritual endowment, by the grace of God upon their spirit. So you can earn a living with your body, soul and spirit.

People who earn a living by their skills include craftsmen, footballers and other sport men, hair stylists, carpenters, etc.  Others make their earnings through their minds or ideas; they include writers, film producers, counsellors, psychologists, comedians, motivational speakers and the likes. While others can earn a living through the grace of God upon their spirit, spiritual leaders fall into this category by virtue of the impact they make in lives around them. This category is real, and if the ministry is genuine and of God, it is unlikely that such persons will lack because God will not fail to take care of His own.

It is therefore important to mention that any serious and focused individual should be able to earn a living making the most of their God given abilities in at least one of the three ways God has empowered us to make a living. Those who desire to excel in life are able to make use of two or all three divine graces to earn a living. So many people are waiting to get a job with their certificate, while others without a certificate are making great progress in life. Don’t limit your success in life to just one dimension of life. Ask God for the wisdom to make the most of the divine opportunities around you. If we will open our hearts and eyes to the divine guidance of God, we will be amazed the ideas the Lord will give us. When we do so with a sincere and pure heart, we will not defraud our employers or do anything shady. It will not be robbing ‘Peter’ to pay ‘Paul’ because it will be clean and clear. Your vision for yourself and your family can become a great reality if you will open your eyes and heart to God’s leading. Don’t try to be unnecessarily smart, let God lead you. Time and chance happens to everyone. It is not by might. 

HYMN – HE LEADETH ME

JAN. 24^TH

MEMORY VERSE: He maketh me lie down in green pastures, he leads me besides quiet waters, he restores my soul. Psalm 23:2)

TEXT: PSALM 23, 139:10, 24: ISAIAH 41:13; JOHN 16:13

The blessedness and awe of being led by Almighty God himself so impressed the author of this text that he wrote beloved words spontaneously – and these exact words have been sung by believers around the world for more than a century. Although Joseph Gilmore became a distinguished university and seminary professor, an author of several textbooks in Hebrew and English literature, and a respected Baptist minister, he is best remembered today for this one hymn, hurriedly written when he was just 28.

Gilmore scribbled down these lines while visiting with friends after preaching about the truths of the 23^rd Psalm at the Wednesday evening service of the First Baptist Church in Philadelphia. He left this account:

At the close of the service we adjourned to Deacon Watson’s pleasant home, where we were being entertained. During the conversation the blessedness of God’s leading so grew upon me that I took out my pencil, wrote the text just as it stands today, handed it to my wife, and thought no more of it.

Without telling her husband, Mrs. Gilmore sent the verses to the Watchman and Reflector magazine, where it first appeared the following year. Three years later, Joseph Gilmore went to Rochester, New York, as a candidate to become the pastor of Second Baptist Church. He recalls.

Upon entering the chapel I took up a hymnal, thinking – I wonder what they sing here. To my amazement the book opened up at “He Leadeth Me”. And that was the first time I knew that my hurriedly written lines had found a place among the songs of the church.

Williams Bradbury, an important American contributor to early gospel hymnody, added two additional lines to the chorus: “His faithfully follower I would be, for by his hands he leadeth me”. Does that describe you?

He leadeth me, O blessed thought! O words with heav’nly comfort fraught! Whate’er I do, where’er I be, Still ’tis God’s hand that leadeth me. Lord, I would clasp thy hand in mine, nor ever murmur nor repine; content, whatever lot I see, since ‘tis my God that leadeth me! And when my task on earth is done, when by thy grace the vict’ry’s won, e’en death’s cold wave I will not flee, since God through Jordan leadeth me.

Chorus: He leadeth me, He leadeth ne, by his own hand He leadeth me; His faithful foll’wer I would be, for by His hands he leadeth me.

ACTION POINT: Visualize a loving shepherd tenderly leading his sheep. Then be especially responsive to God’s guidance. “AMAZING GRACE; 366 INSPIRING HYMN STORIES FOR DAILY DEVOTION”.  

ACTUALISE YOUR DREAMS AND VISIONS (PART 1)

Jan. 23^rd

TEXT: Eccl 9:10-11

¹⁰ Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

¹¹ I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.

 Many of the time, most people are unable to actualize their dreams and vision because they have poor and sometimes, terrible financial policies. Too many Christians read their Bible with religious lens and as such are unable to see the lessons on finance and other aspects of life. A careful study of the Bible will reveal to you that Jesus spent time talking about financial principles than several other subjects of life. This is one reason why we need to pay attention to our attitude with finance. One problem with most people is the inability to control their spending habit.  Any one who does not want to end up in poverty, will not raise his expenditure to or above his income. The reason why so many of us are poor is that we have a bad spending habit. When some of us get a pay raise, or stumble on expected income, we quickly raise our expenditure to the same amount of increase or even beyond it. Worse than this, is the mentality to just buy things that we can live without. We do this because we have the buy now and pay later mentality. If you have this habit, you have entered into a covenant with poverty, for the Bible tells us that, “the borrower is a slave to the lender.” You take on the reputation of a slave when you borrow or buy on credit.

There are people who speak in tongues and can even command the fire of the Holy Spirit, but they are financial slaves. Do not use the flimsy excuse of not having enough income, because there are people whose income is far less than yours, but they are wise spenders. On the average, you should be able to generate some income, even without depending on a job, because sometimes, depending on a job could also give a slavish mentality.

We must go beyond thinking within the box to thinking outside the box.

You have a glorious destiny, don’t die a disgrace. Live! 

BREATHING LIFE TO DREAMS AND VISIONS (PART 6)

Jan. 22^nd

TEXT: Job 33:14-18. Numbers 23:19-23.

Job 33:14-18 King James Version (KJV)

¹⁴ For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not.

¹⁵ In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed;

¹⁶ Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction,

¹⁷ That he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man.

¹⁸ He keepeth back his soul from the pit, and his life from perishing by the sword.

Numbers 23:19-23King James Version (KJV)

¹⁹ God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

²⁰ Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it.

²¹ He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the Lord his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them.

²² God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn.

²³ Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought!

In life, most of us expect to have an easy ride to our destiny without any form of challenge or opposition. But the truth remains; in the real world wishes, desires and dreams must pass the test before they are allowed to stand as a glorious testimony. As you journey in life, refuse to allow setbacks stop you from pursuing your dream.

From the two biblical text from today’s reading, it is obvious that a God given dream is a divine message to awaken us from the slumber of life and cause us to seek greater relevance and impact in life. Some times, terrifying dreams have become the reason why many who have been passive about their dreams are stirred to active life. If all our dreams are smooth and peaceful, we would likely become insensitive to impending dangers and serious tragedies of life. Once a man becomes aware of eminent challenge, he has the advantage of foresight and is able to equip himself to overcome.

The man who has heard from God is bold to stand on the promises of God as found in our text taken from the book of Numbers. If you know that God is not man for Him to lie, then you have the hope of seeing that ugly circumstance transforming into glorious celebrations. Whatever God has promised you He is able to make a reality. If He said it, he will certainly do it. Just make sure you are living according to His word, and you will be amazed what will follow. No satanic power or activity is able to stop you from becoming what God has destined you to be. Live in the presence of the Lord, and soon it shall be said of you, look at what the Lord has done. Hold on to your dream, because our God is too big to fail. 

BREATHING LIFE TO DREAMS AND VISIONS (PART 5)

JAN 21^ST

TEXT: Job 33:14-18. Habakuk 2:1-4

Job 33:14-18

¹⁴ For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not.

¹⁵ In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed;

¹⁶ Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction,

¹⁷ That he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man.

¹⁸ He keepeth back his soul from the pit, and his life from perishing by the sword.


Habakkuk 2:1-4

1      I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.

 

2     And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.

 

3    For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

 

4    Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.

Whatever your dream is in life, there is an appointed time for it to become reality. If it seem as though God has forgotten you, be encouraged with the testimony of people like Joseph. If it seem as though you are doing your very best but nothing is working out as expected, don’t give up. Let the word of God in Habakuk 2:2-3 be your motivation. Whatever you receive from God can never die. Refuse to accept any other report or conclusion. Stay focused and resolute on seeing the promises of God becoming a reality. Continually decree the promise. Say it again and again against all odds as you call it into being by your confessions and decrees. Tell yourself and all who care to listen that you are convinced that the word of God is true. Remember and stand on the word that says “Whatever is born of God overcomes the world, even our faith”. Know that your dream/vision is born of God, and not of your own making, and for this reason, see it overcoming all odds. Decree to it that you refuse to relent in your faith. Be stubborn against discouragement and stand on the promises of God till you see your expectation become a reality, and you will not be disappointed. Go beyond just reading this devotional, by taking out time today and other times to speak life to your dreams and destiny. God has something glorious for you, go after it until it manifests to His glory.