LIVING IN POWER AND GLORY (PART 5)

MAY 31ST

Text: Acts 3:1-8 King James Version (KJV)

1. Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.

2. And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;

3. Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.

4. And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.

5. And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.

6. Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.

7. And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.

8. And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.

The major reason the church is being ignored today is the absence of tangible manifestation of the supernatural in the lives of many Christians.

From our text for today, Peter was simply saying to the crippled man, I may not have money in my pocket, but what I do have, I give unto you. When he said so, he was so confident and went on to demonstrate it. So, what do you have?

This is the truth, if you have the anointing you would know you do. The anointing has nothing to do with skill. Peter said, such as have, I give to you. If you do not have the anointing, you cannot give it. Peter and John did not come to prayer looking for it, they had it before they came.

Some people only come to prayer to get, while others come to release, just like Peter and John. When Peter said, in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up, it is obvious that the crippled did not respond. But because they have no time to waste, he took him by the hand and raised him up.

When he did this, the power that was on the inside flowed and came upon the crippled man and his feet and ankles suddenly received strength and he began rejoice leaping, shouting and praising God. The place of prayer is the place of authority. There should be power when you pray. Power backed prayers produce results because there is a God in heaven who hears and responds to voice of his people. It is time to for us to walk in power and glory. Get out of the flesh realm and you will begin to see God glorify his name in and through your life. 

TRANSFORMED BY LOVE (PART 1)

MAY 30TH

Text: James 2:14-18 King James Version (KJV)

14. What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?

15. If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,

16. And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?

17. Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

18. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

One outstanding factor common to every individual with extraordinary impact upon the lives of many, is love. Mother Theresa, Billy Graham, Oral Roberts and many others touched the lives of many because they were motivated by love. What is your motivation?

CONTEMPLATION

Buried in the heart of every man is the desire to be recognized and celebrated, but not many are willing to pay the price of self-denial. The truth is that if you would let the Lord express His love for others through you, you will dwell in abundant grace, blessings and power. That you are approachable, friendly and lovely, does not make you unholy or less anointed. Many houses of worship want to rise to prominence but only few bother to create the atmosphere that will make the difference.

“In an atmosphere saturated with love you are not motivated by religious sentiments but by intimacy with God. In an atmosphere of intimacy people reach out to God (in a vertical flow) and to man (in a horizontal flow) as they worship joyfully and willingly.” FFPW p106.

There is more that the Father desires to accomplish through us and sometimes the only hindrance to us walking in this realm of glory is our unwillingness to love at all cost. Your life can be sweeter and better if you are willing to do something about it.

PRACTICAL ISSUES

Consider and list out the lessons on love from James 2:14-18.

HYMN – ALL GLORY, LAUD AND HONOUR

MAY 29

TEXT: MATTHEW 21:1-17; MARK 11:10; LUKE 19:37; JOHN 12:1-6

Memory Verse: The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet Him, shouting “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” (John 12:12, 13)

            The triumphant procession began after the disciples obtained the colt (Luke 19:30). They were implicitly obedient in following their Lord’s command, even the key to our effective service to God.

            The Palm Sunday procession also teaches us that our Lord is still leading His people-“bring many sons to glory” (Hebrews 2:10), our heavenly Jerusalem, “whose architect builder is God” (Hebrews 11:10). Our responsibility is to be His faithful follower and to extol His name with our daily praises.

            This palm Sunday hymn was written approximately A. D. 820 by Bishop Theodolph of Orleans, France, while he was imprisoned at the monastery of Angers. Theodolph was well known in his day as a poet, pastor, and beloved bishop of Orleans. When Emperor Charlemagne died in 814, the bishop was put into a monastic prison by Charlemagne’s son and successor, Louis I the Pious, for allegedly plotting against him. A well known legend has long time before the bishop’s death in 821, Louis was visiting in the area where the bishop was imprisoned and by chance passed under his cell. The bishop is said to have been singing and worshiping by himself. When the emperor heard this particular text being sung, he was so moved by the incident that he immediately ordered the bishop’s release.

                All glory, laud and honor to Thee, Redeemer, King to whom the lips of children make sweet hosanna ring: Thou art the King of Israel, Thou David’s royal Son, who in the Lord’s name comest, the King and blessed One!

                The company of angels are praising Thee on high, and mortal men and all things created make reply: The people of the Hebrews with palms before Thee went; our praise and prayer and anthems before Thee we present.

                To thee before Thy passion, they sang their hymns of praise-accept the praise we bring, who in all good delightest, Thou good and gracious King!  

ACTION POINT: During this special week, let us consider seriously whether we truly love and serve Christ for any other reason other than for who He is. Let us exalt Him with this Hymn

TAKEN FROM “AMAZING GRACE; 366 INSPIRING HYMN STORIES FOR DAILY DEVOTION”

A DIVINE ROMANCE

MAY 28TH 

TEXT: Revelation 3:14-21 King James Version (KJV)

14. And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;

15. I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.

16. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

17. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

18. I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

19. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

20. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

21. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

Some many people speak and sing about falling in love, and it is amazing how some who you think are very strong can breakdown because something went wrong in their love relationship. But the amazing thing is that many of us Christians hardly breakdown because we are not in touch with the love of the Lord. 

CONTEMPLATION

“In the worship of God, we must go beyond an affair to a love relationship that is genuine and intimate. The devotion of our God to the relationship is with much sacrifice and love that cost Him His one and only Son. That is why it will be unfair for us to respond to it with little or no commitment.” FFPW p.136.

From the Garden of Eden, it was clearly revealed that our relationship with the Lord is intended to be a love relationship. Today most of us claim to love the Lord, but it is obvious that our love relationship is lacking the element of divine romance. When two people are in love, one thing that reveals to others the seriousness of this love relationship is the romantic words (in written or spoken form) or actions they engage in when they relate with each other. The true manifestation of your divine romance is revealed in the content of the song you sing. They are song that addresses God in the first person singular. They make use of words like, “I love you Lord”, “There is none like You”, “Jesus lover of my soul”, “Lord you are more precious than silver” and the likes. If you truly love Him, it will not be strange for you to throw Him a kiss or bow down to kiss His feet.

PRACTICAL ISSUES

When we become too mature to tell the Lord “I love You Lord” then something is wrong in our fellowship with Him. When something is wrong in our love relationship with our fiancé we are not comfortable until it is settled, but we seldom do anything when something is wrong in our relationship with the Lord.    

LIVING IN POWER AND GLORY (PART 4)

MAY 27TH

Text: Romans 8:25-27 King James Version (KJV)
25. But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
26. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
27. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

When a man is sensitive to the Spirit of God, he receives divine help to excel in life.  Too many people are struggling because they are try to do the impossible by their human abilities. One touch from above will transform the destiny of many. In Acts 3, the crippled man spent many years outside the temple gate begging and when he saw Peter and John all he could see was an opportunity for his physical needs to be met, but they knew better.
It is our duty to help spiritually crippled Christians who sit outside the realm of glory begging. Crippled Christians go to church just to beg to meet their selfish, self-centered and egocentric needs. These persons are spiritual parasites, all they think about is what they can get. So, when they come into God’s presence they are not interested in hearing from Him, they are only there for some selfish advantage. But thank God for people like Peter and John who go to church because it is another opportunity to serve the purpose of God. They are the world changers, the salt of the earth and the light of the world.
When Peter and John looked at the crippled man, they saw beyond his beggarly and pathetic nature to his destiny. It was by the help of the Holy Spirit that they were able to see beyond his physical need to be able to do the seemingly impossible.
God will not reveal people’s life’s situation to you if you do not have a burden for them in your heart. But when the Lord reveals this to you, He expects you to travail in prayer. But a lot of us are sound asleep, having no sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. Peter and John were in the spirit and they knew it.
Your fellowship with the Holy Spirit is your greatest asset to greater glory, for it is by the help of the Holy Spirit that we triumph. Let the Spirit help your weakness and you will see yourself walking in power and glory.
Shalom!

LIVING IN POWER AND GLORY (PART 3)

MAY 26TH

Text: Romans 8:25-27 King James Version (KJV)

25. But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

26. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

27. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

Beloved, I want to welcome you today to an access to power and endless possibilities. God has much more for you than you can ever imagine. You are not an unfortunate being. You are the plan and purpose of your heavenly Father and if you will take time to seek his face always in prayer, He will empower you with power and glory to excel in life. Prayer is not meant to be an option in the life of any man, it is a serious necessity because it is the place of divine empowerment. That is the reason why it is a struggle for many to pray. Even for a serious Christian, the flesh does not want us to pray but the Lord has given us a way out. The word of God in Rom. 8 tells us that “the Spirit helps our infirmities, our weakness, inadequacies or unwillingness to pray. Whenever we let the Lord help us, we are plugged into power and in no distant time everything about us will reveal the glory of God.Only people who walk in power and glory can positively impact our world.

In Acts 3, the crippled man who was carried to the entrance of the temple everyday had one encounter with Peter and John and his life was never the same again. Before this encounter, he was cut off from the divine fellowship taking place in the temple but after this encounter, he led a worship session that ushered others to the salvation of their souls.  Once he met the Lord, his priority changed. He was no longer interested in charitable alms for his life has completely changed.

There are still many people who have the give-me, bless-me mentality. They see prayer as give-me, bless me because we are spiritually crippled and do not truly know God therefore they are unable to enter into the realm of the Spirit. Get out of the flesh realm today and you will see the power and glory of God become a glorious reality in your life. Shalom!

LIVING IN POWER AND GLORY (PART 2)

MAY 25TH 

Text: Acts 3:1-8 King James Version (KJV)

1. Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.

2. And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;

3. Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.

4. And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.

5. And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.

6. Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.

7. And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.

8. And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.

In Acts 3:1-8, when Peter and John went to pray in the temple, they saw the crippled man who was laid each day at the temple gate to beg for alms. He was carried and left at the entrance of the temple, while others went in.

Many of us are like this crippled man, we get to the place of prayer, but never enter into the realm of power and glory because we are spiritually crippled. It is unfortunate that in the place where we have opportunity to commune with the greatest power in the whole universe some of us are busy seeking for alms. People spend precious time begging God to bless them with cars, houses and jobs when they could have sought the glory and blessing that activates the release of these things.  There is so much made available for the man who is blessed with the presence of God.

A look at Psalm one will reveal to you the immeasurable blessing the child of God is endued with. As you go through, it will occur to you that we are much more than we are manifesting. The part that gets my attention most is the declaration that whatsoever he does prospers. This can become your testimony. Let the glory and the beauty of heaven saturate your life and you will never be the same again.

God bless. 

LIVING IN POWER AND GLORY (PART 1)

MAY 24TH

Text: 2 Timothy 3:1-5 King James Version (KJV)

1. This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

2. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

3. Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

4. Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

5. Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

It is one thing to talk about power and another to walk in power. Many Christians who claim to be godly only have a form of godliness without any evidence of the manifest power of God. The prayer meeting in some places of worship is more of a religious form and only a display of oratory, but in the prayer time of Spirit filled people, the demonstration of God’s power is not hard to find. We need to go beyond having a form of godliness when it comes to prayer. We really do not have time to play around with the various challenge confronting us.  It is unfortunate that many church people would rather have pleasure than the power of God.

In a time when evil is on the rampage all over the world, it is unfortunate that a church is busy spending kingdom resources on entertainment, hoping to reach people for Christ. Only a church on fire for God can bring revival to our generation.

  When people lack the manifestation of the Holy Spirit, they make plans for the flesh to fill in for their inadequacy. A lot of Christians today cannot pray for an hour, it is a torture to some. This is because they are empty on the inside. If you do not have the presence and leading of the Holy Spirit, prayer will become a difficult task.

Those who are so conscious of time as they pray, end up limiting the role of the Holy Spirit in their lives. Jesus said we ought always to pray and not faint. Prayer is not what you do some times, it has to be always. If you know the plan of the evil one, you would pray even while you work. It is consistency in prayer that sets us on fire for God.

Come rain or shine there should not be anything strong enough to stop you from a time of fellowship with Lord. Why? It is your place of divine empowerment.  Do everything you can to walk in the Power and Glory of God. 

WAITING FOR GOD’S APPOINTED TIME

MAY 23RD

Text: Habakkuk 2:1-4 King James Version (KJV)

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.

Often than not, when people say they are waiting on the Lord, they do so with their own time frame in mind. This is one of the reasons why many become discouraged and frustrated. We must all learn to wait for God’s appointed time. If you are confused about what God’s appointed time is, then it is important that you do what the prophet did according to our text. He made up his mind to leave the flesh realm by climbing up the tower of prayer to commune with God. When he did, he got heavens attention. 

Too many people allow situations and circumstances to make them feel defeated in life. If you are going through a tough time, beloved, hang in there, do not throw in the towel. One of the problems why many easily give up is that we want the solution to our challenges in our own time frame.  A lot of us pray a “time based” prayer, asking God to show up within a specific time in order to prove that He is God. But He is God no matter what, whether He does it or not. If you want God to answer you within your time frame, you may end up with something far from your true blessing. If you are experiencing delays, it may be an indication that God wants to do something extraordinary for you.

You cannot do your own thing and expect to get extraordinary results. It may be taking longer than expected and others may seem to be ahead of you, but don’t worry in God’s appointed time all will be well. 

HYMN – JESUS PAID IT ALL

MAY 22ND

TEXT: ROMANS 3:24-26; 1 CORINTHIANS 6:11; EPHESIANS 1:7-9

Memory Verse: “Come now, let us reason together,” says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” (Isaiah 1:18)

            It has been stated that all religious system can be spelled with just two letters – D O. The gospel of Christ, however, is spelled with four letters – D O N E! This hymn text, written by a lay woman named Elvina Hall, speaks pointedly to the basic truth, which is the very basis of our Christian faith.

            Mrs. Hall wrote these words one Sunday morning while seated in the choir loft of the Monument Street Methodist Church in Baltimore, Maryland, supposedly listening to the sermon by her pastor, the Rev. George Schrick. One can imagine a conversation something like this following the service:

Pastor Schrink, I must confess that I wasn’t listening too closely to your message this morning. Because, you see, once you started preaching about how we can really know God’s love and forgiveness, I began thinking about all that Christ has already done to provide our salvation. Then these words came to me, and I just had to get them down on paper. And the only paper I could find at the time was the flyleaf of this hymnal. SO I scribbled the words on that.

            The pastor recalled that the church organist, John Grape, had just previously given him a copy of a new tune he had composed, which he had titled “All Grape’s tune fit perfectly with Elvina Hall’s words scribbled on the flyleaf page of the hymnal. Since its first appearance in 1874, this hymn has been widely used in churches, especially for the communion services.   

                I hear the Saviour say, “Thy strength indeed is small! Child of weakness, watch and pray; find in me thine all in all.”

                Lord, now indeed I find Thy pow’r, and Thine alone can change the leper’s spots and melt the heart of stone.

                For nothing good have I whereby Thy grace to claim – I’ll wash my garments white in the blood of Calv’ry’s Lamb.

                And when before the throne I stand in Him complete, “Jesus died my soul to save, “ my lips shall repeat.

                Chorus: Jesus paid it all, all to him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain – He washed it white as snow.

ACTION POINT: Breathe a prayer of thanksgiving even now that our eternal standing with God is dependent only on the redemptive work of Christ. Seek to share this good news with someone who may be confused about this.

TAKEN FROM “AMAZING GRACE; 366 INSPIRING HYMN STORIES FOR DAILY DEVOTION”

LOOKING UNTO JESUS

MAY 21ST

TEXT: Hebrews 12:1-2 King James Version (KJV)

1.  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

2.  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

It is practically impossible for someone to be in love and not be excited to focus on the one they claim to love so dearly. This is the reason why many idolize their obsession by keeping a picture of their love in their wallet, bed side, on their phone and computer as screen saver. If most of us will be conscious of the Lord this way, we will be very spiritual.

CONTEMPLATION

Nobody has been able to burn with the flames of glory by focusing on sectional theology, doctrine and tradition. It has always been by some divine revelation as they focus on the Lord. Until we look away from all that distract we will never be able to comprehend the divine agenda. All through the Scriptures the Lord called the prophets from the tradition and patterns of man into a fresh revelation.

“Our number of years in the ministry has nothing to do with the realm of worship we occupy. The degree of our hunger, vision, and intimacy with the Lord will determine how far we can go with God in each encounter. The more you know Him, the more the fascination and admiration you receive to worship. Whatever happens to your vision will determine the passion you express in worship.” FFPW p112.

PRACTICAL ISSUES

How often do you fan the flames of your love for the Master? List out some of the things you can do to keep your mind on Him.

All around you is competing for your attention but whatever gets your attention is your decision.

If those around you are confused about Jesus, it is an indication that you have not be able to show them a true reflection of the Lord, because you are far from Him.

RUN WITH UNDERSTANDING

MAY 20TH 

Text: Ecclesiastes 9:11 King James Version (KJV)

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.

 Life is full of opportunities but all that some people see is difficulties and impossibilities. From the concluding statement of our text for today, it is obvious that everyone of us have been given equal opportunity, but our problem is our inability to be sensitive enough to recognize and maximize such opportunities.

Most of the time we focus on certain factors, like the degree we have acquired, the people we know, our ethnic advantages or disadvantages and other such excuses as the reason for not accomplishing destiny. We seem to forget that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong. It is not whatever you have acquired, it is your sensitivity to divine timing that matters and when it comes to this then everybody has equal opportunity. That is why it says “but time and chance happens to them all.”

  Every one of us have been given 24 hours each day, seven days a week, but what you do with it will determine where you will find yourself. Opportunities would always pass by, but it is the person who is sensitive enough to recognize it and bold enough to seize it by acting right, that is able to stand out.

We do not need a crowd to make a difference and change our world. Jesus once had a crowd following him but he took time to distinguish those he needed for his assignment from the crowd. All he needed was just twelve and they were the ones he called. To succeed in life we must distinguish the necessary individuals we need from the crowd.

We have so many great opportunities but if we must excel we must run with understanding. May you find the understanding to dwell on high in Jesus name. Amen.  

REMAIN OPEN TO DIVINE INSPIRATIONS

MAY 19TH

Text: Job 32:8 King James Version (KJV)

8.  But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.

It is said that ideas rule the world, and this is so true. In actual reality, only a few persons have been able to receive and put to full use bright idea that has revolutionized our world.

Everybody does receive one form of idea or the other but the distinguishing factor has always been the source of their inspiration.

The end product of every idea will often than not reveal the source of that inspiration. When we look into the clear sky at night and behold the starry host, we are forced to exclaim, Only God could have done this! But when you see the destruction of lives and properties by some wicked acts of man, you immediately acknowledge that this must be the work of an evil being.

God is the source of all glorious inspiration. When our hearts connect with Him, we are inspired to see things that don’t exist. As we grow our personal relationship with the Lord, He begins to open our understanding. Except the Spirit of God is in you, you will struggle to get extraordinary results. This is simply because the Spirit of God is the source of beautiful inspirations. If you go the normal way, you do normal things and you will end up with normal results.

It is very important that we keep our hearts open to divine inspirations. There is no limit to your access to inspiration if your walk with God is intact. 

 Too many of us are blind to the abundance of concepts all around us because we allow too many misleading distractions. Often than not, the particular kind of inspirations that flood your soul are a pointer to your calling and destiny. Those who are conscious of this have often from one opportunity to the other to accomplishing purpose. Do all you can to position yourself in the place where heaven can open your eyes to see opportunities.

To excel in life, you need the divine grace of God to inspire you unto significance. People often struggle to find godly inspiration because there is problem in their relationship with God. I encourage you to ask God for restoration.  Acknowledge Him as your source and you will be amazed the glory that will follow as you are reconnected to the source of divine inspiration, who is God almighty. Don’t give up. God has great plans for you. 

WHEN YOUR HEART CRYS OUT FOR GOD

18TH MAY

Psalm 63:1-9 King James Version (KJV)

1.  O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;

2.  To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.

3.  Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.

4.  Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.

5.  My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:

6.  When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.

7.  Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.

8.  My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.

9 . But those that seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth.

“The rest of our lives unto eternity will never be enough to show Him how much we love Him. So don’t let one more hour go by without expressing your love to Him. Let your worship rise to Him as a sweet fragrance of love, for He is worthy of our worship.” FFPW p128.

CONTEMPLATION

Often than not we worship by just going through the routine. We say words we are  not fully committed to. When most of us pray over our meal it is just another religious obligation, and sometimes we cannot even remember what we said. The kind of prayer that changes circumstances and situations are often very sincere, heartfelt, and soul stirring. They may not have all the flowery words, heavy vocabulary and poetic rhymes, but they produce the desired results. 

“If the shedding of tears does truly convey the deep-seated feelings of our hearts, then there will be times when the expression of our tears should count as worship. More often than not, tears are indicative of an emotional relationship between one person and another.” FFPW p.129

PRACTICAL ISSUES

It is possible for someone to seat in a worship experience without saying a word, but the tear drop from his eyes will reveal that so much is happening on the inside, much more than words. So, don’t be quick to judge.

The man who has often felt the precious, loving and gentle embrace of the Lord, is expected to be more tender and sensitive from the heart. They are different from others. 

UNDERSTANDING SCRIPTURAL PRINCIPLES ON GIVING (PART 10)

MAY 17TH

TEXT: 2 Corinthians 9:6-14 King James Version (KJV)

6.   But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

7.    Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

8.   And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:

9.   (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever.

10.   Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)

11.  Being enriched in everything to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.

12.   For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God;

13.  Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men;

14.   And by their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you.

As we bring this study on the principles of giving to an end, I want to draw your attention once again to some of the areas covered so far. The word of God in 3 John 1:2 says, “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper even as thine soul prospereth.” This openly tells us that it is true that God wants us to prosper but that this can only be possible as we prosper in our soul. What is that talking about? You need to be well informed and live your life in obedience to the word of God. This is what determines your prosperity. This has drawn our attention to a lot of areas about the principles of giving. We have been told that giving has to be cheerfully, willingly, not of necessity or grudgingly, that the Lord loves a cheerful giver. That he who gives sparingly, will reap sparingly and that he who gives bountifully, will reap bountifully. 

That when we give to the poor, we must not let our left hand know what our right hand is doing. This is so that you do not ridicule or embarrass the poor. But that it is not the same thing when we are giving to the things of God as the bible has record of many of such giving. It is very important to add that the word of God makes us to understand that when we give to the poor, we are lending to God. And there is no way a man will lend to God and not be mightily blessed (Proverbs 19:17). 

We must not also forget that giving to widows and orphans is one serious way of giving commanded by God in his word. It has been proven to activate strange blessings for many.

In fact, it was Cornelius’ alms giving that activated for him a special angelic visitation to both him and the apostle Peter (Acts 10:1-6, 19-21,34-35and 44).  

There are some aspects of our text today that I need you to take a look at seriously because they hold the key that unlock the door to a higher dimension of blessing for anyone who give in obedience to the principles of giving. This calls for a more careful look at the following verses;

Verse 8 speaks of the blessing unlimited grace and supply

Verse 9 speaks of an abiding righteousness,

Verse 10 reveals to us that God on purpose give seeds to sowers

Verse 11 to 14 reveals to us outstanding result and far reaching impact of a giver in the community of faith and the attending blessings that follows the sower.

There are so many treasures embedded in the word of God on the principles of giving. It is obvious that there is lot more than what we have covered so far. In the words of the Lord in verse 15, I bring this study to a close, “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.” 

God bless you.

UNDERSTANDING SCRIPTURAL PRINCIPLES ON GIVING (PART 10)

MAY 17TH

TEXT: 2 Corinthians 9:6-14 King James Version (KJV)

6.   But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

7.    Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

8.   And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:

9.   (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever.

10.   Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)

11.  Being enriched in everything to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.

12.   For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God;

13.  Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men;

14.   And by their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you.

As we bring this study on the principles of giving to an end, I want to draw your attention once again to some of the areas covered so far. The word of God in 3 John 1:2 says, “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper even as thine soul prospereth.” This openly tells us that it is true that God wants us to prosper but that this can only be possible as we prosper in our soul. What is that talking about? You need to be well informed and live your life in obedience to the word of God. This is what determines your prosperity. This has drawn our attention to a lot of areas about the principles of giving. We have been told that giving has to be cheerfully, willingly, not of necessity or grudgingly, that the Lord loves a cheerful giver. That he who gives sparingly, will reap sparingly and that he who gives bountifully, will reap bountifully. 

That when we give to the poor, we must not let our left hand know what our right hand is doing. This is so that you do not ridicule or embarrass the poor. But that it is not the same thing when we are giving to the things of God as the bible has record of many of such giving. It is very important to add that the word of God makes us to understand that when we give to the poor, we are lending to God. And there is no way a man will lend to God and not be mightily blessed (Proverbs 19:17). 

We must not also forget that giving to widows and orphans is one serious way of giving commanded by God in his word. It has been proven to activate strange blessings for many.

In fact, it was Cornelius’ alms giving that activated for him a special angelic visitation to both him and the apostle Peter (Acts 10:1-6, 19-21,34-35and 44).  

There are some aspects of our text today that I need you to take a look at seriously because they hold the key that unlock the door to a higher dimension of blessing for anyone who give in obedience to the principles of giving. This calls for a more careful look at the following verses;

Verse 8 speaks of the blessing unlimited grace and supply

Verse 9 speaks of an abiding righteousness,

Verse 10 reveals to us that God on purpose give seeds to sowers

Verse 11 to 14 reveals to us outstanding result and far reaching impact of a giver in the community of faith and the attending blessings that follows the sower.

There are so many treasures embedded in the word of God on the principles of giving. It is obvious that there is lot more than what we have covered so far. In the words of the Lord in verse 15, I bring this study to a close, “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.” 

God bless you.