GOD USES THE FOOLISH THING OF THIS WORLD TO CONFOUND THE WISE.

TEXT: 1 CORINTHIANS 1: 25, JUDGES 6: 11- 16

The dictionary defines foolishness as having or showing a lack of good sense, judgement, or discretion. Foolishness entails acting in a way that does not portray someone as being sensible. Foolishness is acting, thinking, or doing things at a lower standard or percentage when compared to others.

When God is set to make use of a vessel, He empties you of “yourself” and fills you with “Himself.” Therefore, it does not matter your level of intelligence, it is God that qualifies the chosen ones. He is not looking for the qualified, eloquent, neither is He looking for supper intelligent ones. The scripture says, “He frustrates the devices and schemes of the crafty, so that their hands cannot attain success or achieve anything of [lasting] worth” (Job 5: 12).

For God to use you, you need to rely on His wisdom and acknowledge that without Him, you can do nothing. All God wants from us is our availability and He will equip us for every good work, even beyond our expectation. Do not get me wrong, I am not saying wisdom is not necessary, neither am I saying being intelligent is a waste of time. What I am saying is, peradventure life thew you lemon and you had no opportunity to go to college, or not that intellectually sound, do not write off yourself. God can still use you even in the capacity that people that are wiser than you will be wondering how you are doing it.

In the same vein, if you are blessed with wisdom and intellectual abilities, trust not only in your intelligence and wisdom, because it does not cause God anything to render a proud heart redundant if he fails to acknowledge him.

There are Bible characters that wrote themselves off because they felt they are not worthy to do great exploits- example are, Moses, Jephthah, and Gideon. Moses gave God an excuse that he could not be used to deliver the Israelites because he stammers (Exodus 4: 10). Gideon told God that he was from the smallest clan of Manasseh and could not be used (Judges 6: 14- 16).

God saw strength were Gideon saw weakness! God saw a great man full of strength- God saw Gideon as a mighty man of valour, not as he saw himself. Jephthah was the child of a prostitute, and his siblings sent him away so that he would not share from their inheritance. However, they came looking for him to help them fight the Ammonite and they promised to make him their head- This was someone that was once rejected!

In a nutshell, please do not write yourself off, neither should you look down on yourself- with God, you can do great and mighty things. Let me finish with this scripture, “but the people who do know their God shall be strong and do exploits” (Daniel 11: 32b).

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DO NOT LEAVE GOD OUT OF YOUR PLAN

 

TEXT: JOHN 15:5

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.”

At the beginning of every New Year, we come up with new year plans, visions, and goal (short, medium, and long term). We propose in her hearts to be more effective and productive- we focus on making the most of the new year without wasting and time or day on any endeavour that would not add value to us.

We want to strive to turn a new leaf in any areas of our lives that we feel we need to improve on, and what we are doing well, we want to be at the best of our game in that regard. There is nothing wrong in planning and setting achievable goals to guide us through the year and our entire lives. In fact, we all know that whoever that fails to plan is planning to fail. Therefore, planning beforehand is a very vital tool to achieving success.

When people make plans, goals, and their vision for the new year, it may be in written form so that they will be ticking the boxes as they year progresses, and some keep their plans and goals in their hearts, and they follow it throughout the years. Whichever way we choose to document our plans and goals, we should not leave God our of our plans and goals.

It is good to have the mindset to start the year with great desires and expectations. People have high hope and aspiration to make their lives better as they journey through every calendar year. However, by the first quarter of the year, the aspiration, and the zeal we brought to the new year may start to dwindle or decline. The reason for this is that people tend to relax and go back to their old ways of life. This is normal as human beings. That is why the scripture admonishes us in Matthew 26: 41 that we should watch and pray, for the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. There are things we really want to do, but our flesh may debar us from achieving them. let us look at what Apostle Paul said in Romans 7: 14- 16… “We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.”

The verse above is mostly used in the context of living in sin and struggling to put the flesh into subjection. In the same vein, we can use it to explain how our flesh through procrastination or complacency hinder us from fulfilling all the goals and aspiration we planned to achieve. Therefore, we need the help, the support and the leading of God through the Holy Spirit during the planning and implementation of our set goals and vision.

You may be wondering, what about unbelievers? Do they not achieve their goals without God? Yes, they did, but I am talking of good success here- the one that God gives without adding sorrow. Many of the rich and successful unbelievers are depressed and frustrated because the “God factor” is missing in their lives.

Our anchor scripture says we should abide in God for without Him we can do nothing because He is the vine, and we are the branches. When a branch falls from the vine, it dries off because it lacks the source of nourishment. This verse has just summed up all the explanations I have been talking about.  As believers, without God we can do nothing spectacular. To avoid frustration, never leave God out of your plan.

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DO NOT BE A LONE RANGER

 

TEXT: 2 CHRONICLES 11: 10-15

“10 Now these were the heads of the mighty men whom David had, who strengthened themselves with him in his kingdom, with all Israel, to make him king, according to the word of the Lord concerning Israel.

11 And this is the number of the mighty men whom David had: Jashobeam the son of a Hachmonite, chief of the captains; he had lifted up his spear against three hundred, killed by him at one time.

12 After him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, who was one of the three mighty men. 13 He was with David at Pasdammim. Now there the Philistines were gathered for battle, and there was a piece of ground full of barley. So, the people fled from the Philistines. 14 But they stationed themselves in the middle of that field, defended it, and killed the Philistines. So, the Lord brought about a great victory.”

A lone ranger is the one who acts alone without consultation or seeking opinion of others. In the journey of life, you need people around you- you need people to travel the journey with you so that when life and situation happens, you will see people to encourage, advice, and give you shoulders to learn on. In addition, we need people of like minds to journey with us, so that they will be there to inspire, commend, correct, support and redirect us whenever there is need to do so.

There is a quote that “if you want to walk fast, walk alone, but if you want to walk far, walk together.” While walking far may seem beneficial to you as you will encounter no delay- as you would be able to walk at your own pace. However, you may be heading fast in the wrong direction! Since nobody is walking along the path with you, getting support or head up from friends or people will be impossible.

On the other hand, if you want to walk far, then you need to walk together with others. Walking together with others may seems slow as you do not have the liberty to walk at fast pace- You will have to wait for others that are on the journey with you and ensure you walk at their pace. Nonetheless, the good side of this is. You will be able to walk far- you will achieve more than you would have achieved if walking alone at fast pace. You will not miss your direction when you walk with others, because the Bible says in Proverbs 11:14 that “but in the multitude of counsellors, there is safety.” Walking with others brings wisdom, resilience, perseverance, tolerance, knowledge sharing, encouragement, and ideas to handle issues of life.

In this new day and age, no one is an island. If you think you are so good and everyone else is bad, you may not go far in life. No matter how efficient and knowledgeable you are, you need the combined effort and support of other people for you to be able to achieve much. Partnership, collaboration, and networking are key factors to success in this new age- No matter what talent you possess, they are limited.

Jesus Christ was not a lone ranger even though he had all the power to do things by himself without needing support from people. Yet, exemplified the need for teamwork by building his team players in form of his disciples who joined him in his service to achieve his purpose on earth. This tells us that in this world multiplicity of talents and wisdom are required to achieve purpose. You must be able to interact, relate with people and learn from them as you CAN NEVER know it all.

Do not be a lone ranger either in your ministry, your establishment, or in your community. You need other people’s support to advance or overcome obstacles that you may find difficult to handle on your own.

Walking together may be slower than walking alone, but it is more beneficial to walk with people of like minds- it will help you to go far in life. No man is an Island. Our text spoke about how God provided mighty men for David to support him during his reign as a king in Israel.  These people helped him to fight his battles against his adversaries.

The second text talks about how God provided help to Moses through the seventy elders of Israel to share in the burden. Are you a minister of God or a head of an organisation? How do you treat the people that the Lord brought your way to lift your hands up and share from your burden? Are you walking alone or walking with them? are you approachable? Can they bring up ideas and suggestions to the table when there is any decision to be made, or do you think their ideas does nor count because you are their leader?

If as a leader, you are leading alone without any input from people around you, it means you are walking fast as a lone ranger, and it may not lead to a successful journey. Do not be a lone ranger- carry the good people that the Lord has connected you with along- walk with them so that they can support, encourage, motivate, and call you back on track with respect. Give them the opportunity to bring in ideas to the table, let them have the freedom to give you godly advice when you need one. God bless you.

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BE ANXIOUS FOR NOTHING

TEXT: Philippians 4: 6

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

The scripture says in Matthews 11: 28 that “Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” The world is full of ups and downs, many times the tide and storm of life toss us here and there that our sense of reasoning and ability to trust God to see us through may be beclouded. When life comes knocking, we tend to forget about the promises of God to see us through every situation, and never to leave nor forsake us. Why do you need to worry and struggle over a situation that God has offered to help you with? Can you do it better than Him? Why are you worrying yourself over a situation you barely have control over? The situation is beyond you power, wisdom, and strength, so give it to God!

The scripture says “And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? (Matthew 6: 27). A secular quote by Ema Bombeck says “worry is like a rocking chair; it gives you something to do but never gets you anywhere.” Instead of worrying and being anxious, please just lay it at His feet! Babies and toddlers do not worry about what they will eat, drink or wear. It is not in their place to figure out “How” these things will come by, because they know “Who” will provide all their needs (their parents).

Children have absolute trust in their parents to provide all their needs, they do not have to think about how the needs will be met. in the same vein, you need childlike faith and trust in the lord regarding all affairs of your life, so that you will not be dealing with anxiety and high blood pressure.

Our anchor scripture says, “Be anxious for NOTHING, but with prayer and supplication, make your requests known to God.” All you need to do, is to make your requests known to God- tell him with your mouth what you want him to do for you and leave it at His disposal and see how He will handle it.

Do not worry about how He is going to solve the problem, take the pressure and frustration off your shoulder- have absolute trust in the Lord your maker. God has given us the heads up in John 15: 33 “In this world you will have problem, but be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world.” In your journey of life, tribulation and problem are non-negotiable. We will go through them, but the good part is that the battle has been won before we started!

Be encouraged that God has not brought you this far to fail you. Let me end with these scriptures, “And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. So do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear? Only people who do not know God are always worrying about such things. Your Father in heaven knows you need all of these (Matthew 6: 30- 32). On final note, the Lord is telling you today that “He will not leave nor forsake you (Deuteronomy 31:6 ).

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CHRIST IN YOU THE HOPE OF GLORY

 

TEXT: COLOSSIANS 1:27, JOHN 15: 5-10

“To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:27).

“5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love (John 15: 5-10).

What is glory? Glory is renown honour won by notable achievements. It is an outstanding achievement that cannot be hidden. Glory is an achievement that announces itself. What do you understand by hope? It is a feeling of expectation and desire for a particular thing to happen (Dictionary.com).

The Biblical meaning of hope is the CONFIDENT expectation of what God has promised. Our text in John 15 says “if you remain in me and I in you, you will bear more fruit. The relationship that would propel us to glory has to be dual relationship (that is, relating with God- getting intimate with God, and he also has a relationship with you). This is when we can be sure that we are on the path of glory. Some people believe they are in Christ while they play religion. There is clear distinction between being a religious person and being saved genuinely- God resides in those that are GENUINELY saved and not those that attend church weekly without any form of godliness in them!

I heard Joyce Meyer saying one day that “staying in garage does not make you a car, neither does going to church makes you a Christian.” Our right standing with God is what guarantees the manifestation of the glory of God in our lives. The question we need to ask ourselves now is “is Christ in me and am I in Christ?”

Our text says, “Christ in you the hope of glory.” Christ MUST genuinely be in you; He must know you and have relationship with you, and you must do the same by cultivating a very sound and genuine relationship with Him so that he can shower you with His glory. The irony of things are some people believe they are in Christ, they work for God, they pay tithe and never missed services in their local churches. However, they are not walking with the lord they are working for, they have no relationship with God, he does not communicate or relate with them on personal level- They are strangers or aliens to God! This type of relationship would not make you enjoy the glory of God.

Cultivate a genuine relationship with your maker, do not play religion. For the glory of God to manifest in us, we must be sure that we are not alone on our Christian walk or journey, we must be sure that God is on the journey with us. How can we be sure that Christ is in us? By constant examination of our heart and examining your life and standing with God. Your heart needs to be renewed and be transformed. You must have a genuine fellowship with God and not “playing church.” God bless you.

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COME OUT AND BE SEPARATE

 TEXT: 2 CORINTHIANS 6: 14-17

“14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 15 What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” 17 Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.”

The believers of old got the name “Christians” from the people of Antioch in the book of Acts 11: 26. They got the name because the people of Antioch noticed something conspicuously different about Christ followers. The believers’ lifestyle was so evident and unique that the name “Christian” was assigned to them because they put into practice all they had learned from Jesus. They emulated Jesus and lived lives worthy of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. They represented Christ and made him known to the whole world even after he had ascended!

We are created in the image and the likeness of God, and as dedicated children of God; washed and redeemed with the blood of Jesus Christ, we are no more of this world even though we live in this world. The salvation we got on the day we chose to follow Christ, means that we are ready and determined to live a sanctified life- that means separation from the world and unto God. This separation from the world is an internal state of separation- it means separating yourself from worldliness and every work of flesh, as well as separating yourself from unbelieving friends and relatives. Separating from unbelievers does not mean you should run away from them or abandon them; it only means that you should be careful how you relate with them. you should stand your ground by maintain the standard that Christ has given us- do not compromise on your faith, do not conform with the standard of the unbelievers and the world at large. Rather, you should be a good example of the believer that will act as change agent to intercede and witness to unbelieves to turn from their sinful ways.

Sanctification has to do with dedication, consecration, purity, and separation from sin. These days, it is difficult to distinguish a worldly person from a Christian. There are many works of flesh and worldliness that has crept into the body of Christ because of what is tagged “Modern Christianity.” These are evident from the choice of clothing (appearance in general), style of dance- (worldly dance steps are reigning in altars of God!), to the choice of music, songs, worldly slangs, and lyrics that have crept into Christian praise teams!

When you examine the lifestyle of some believers, you will marvel to see how difficult it is to see Christ reflected in them! Our text says as believers you should not have anything to do with unbelievers, because there is no correlation between light and darkness. The verse says, “we are the temple of God.” The Spirit of God lives in you, do not grief the Spirit of God with the way you live. Do not emulate unbelievers, you are an agent of change to draw sinners to Christ. Do not let the world change you or draw you out of God’s side to their side. Come out of them and be separate. Let people see Christ in you, do not conform with the doctrines of this world. Come out of them and be separate!

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VAIN IS THE HELP OF MAN

 TEXT: PSALM 108: 12- 13

“12 Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man. 13 Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.”

Help can be defined as making it easier or possible for someone to do something by offering them one’s services or resources (Cambridge Dictionary. Org). A helper may decide to assist his or her beneficiary by embarking on some of the task to reduce stress or workload on the recipient.

Rendering a helping hand to someone may also be in form of providing advice or financial support to someone. As relieving as seeing someone to help with your needs is, it is ideal to know that lasting and genuine help can only be found in Christ. Human beings are limited in what they can do, we have limited strength, resources, wisdom, endurance, temperament and even life span!

Placing your hope and trust on human beings for help may lead to disappointment when they are unable to meet your need, or when they become exhausted in providing help. I am not writing that we should not look around for human help, as we know God will not come down to help us- He sends help through people around us. Therefore, as the scripture admonishes in Hebrews 12:2 “to look up to Jesus the author and the finisher of our faith.” For genuine and lasting help, look up to the ALL-sufficient God. Call on Him to send help to you through vessels that He has prepared for the task. These types of helpers are called “Divine Helpers.” They will not get weary or tired of you, they will not spite you with their help and they will not withhold their help because God has prepared and equipped them for the good cause.

On the other hand, if you seek help from fellow man when God did not lead you to him or her, it may not end well. The person may be willing to help but faced with his or her own human limitations or challenges. A helper that is not sent by God may withhold his or her assistance at any little instance of anger or other reasons best known to him or her.

Hence, our anchor scripture directed us to the right channel or source of seeking lasting and unfailing source of help- which is God, because human help is vain. Do not be going around compelling or soliciting for help from people to the pint of becoming a nuisance. You may be looking into the wrong direction for help. Go to God in prayer and let Him lead you to the vessels He has prepared to help you. May the Lord connect you with your divine Helpers in Jesus name.

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SAVE FOR RAINY DAYS

TEXT: PROVERBS 21:20

There is precious treasure and oil in the house of the wise (who prepares for the future), but a short sighted and foolish man swallows it all and wastes it. (Amplified Version).

God our maker created the heaven, the earth and everything in them out of His resources without having to borrow from anyone. Our God is an ALL-sufficient God. The almighty God told us in Psalm 50 verse 9 and 10 that “I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens, for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills.” He continued in verse 12^b “for the world is mine, and all that is in it.”

The book of Haggai also testifies of the riches of our Lord, “the silver is mine and the gold is mine, declares the lord almighty. (Haggai 2: 8). Despite God’s riches and wealth, He does not squander or waste resources- He is a prudent God. As God’s children, we must emulate the prudence of God. To be prudent is to be careful, prudence is the ability to be disciplined in management, to have good management in the use of resources. To be successful in life, you need to have good understanding or knowledge of financial management.

If your business, job or whatever generates income for you is buoyant and is generating bountiful income for you, do not use them all- do not spend, lavish, or squander all the resources. Remember, the Sun does not shine for 24 hours, there are days of “cloudy or dark weather.” This means that there are times that you may experience a downturn in your earnings or income. If that happens and you have no saving, living may be difficult. "Money speaks only one language: "If you save me today, I will save you tomorrow."

Develop a very good and strong spending and saving plan. Have budget for your money and spend sensibly. Make sure you save for the days that things may not go well. We cannot say because we are believers, we want to receive everything by faith. The scripture says that in this world we will have tribulation… Being financially unstable is part of tribulation.

Our text says the wise will have treasures in his house because he saved for the future. However, the foolish man does not have plan for his future- he spent all he had. I do not want us to act like the fool but the wise that saved for his future. Plan and set goals for the unknown future. Do not be an impulsive spender or buyer, hence you may become broke and have nothing to fall back on later. When Jesus fed the multitude in John chapter 6, there were twelve baskets of leftover food. He instructed the disciples to gather all the leftovers so that nothing will be wasted- that is prudence! The lesson here is, even during your years of overflowing success, do not waste resources! Jesus has the power to multiply and create things. Yet, he did not allow things to be wasted. In the same vein, do not waste resources, do not buy what you do not need, do not deplete all your resources over items that are not assets. Look for any financial investment you can engage in. search for suitable pension plan to help you in your old age. Save for old and rainy days. Shalom!

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BE COMPASSIONATE

 

TEXT: PROVERBS 21: 13

“If a man shuts his hears to the cry of the poor, He too will cry and not to be answered.”

There is a saying that “One good turn deserves another. Another says, what goes round comes round.” This means, whatever you do to others will come back to you in full measure. This is what is referred to as the law of KARMA.

Karma means, that whatever we do; be it in words, thoughts, or actions either positive or negative will have corresponding effect on us- it will come back to us either directly or indirectly.

The scripture emphasises this with the principle of sowing and reaping. In Galatians 6: 7 it says, “Be not be deceived, God is not mocked for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” We are in the end time where OPPRESSION has replaced COMPASSION. The wealthy are not bothered about the needy around them, all they want to do is to oppress them with their wealth and looking forward to being worshipped by the less privileged. This is what the Social Scientists called “Social Inequality.” Gone are the days of empathy and selfless services to humanity.

The days where believers used to “break bread” with other less privileged believers had long gone. What is seen in churches and the society at large these days is “survival of the fittest” in which no one cares about the poor, the needy or the less privileged amongst us,

In the days of Jesus Christ, he had feeling and compassion for the sick, the oppressed and the poor. He did not only lead them to God, but he ministered to their physical needs.

The “god” of these age has blindfolded some believers to the point of not having human feeling anymore. They preach the word to win people to the kingdom of God, but they cannot minister to the physical needs of their converts.

“suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food, if one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? (James 2: 15- 16). Your act of welldoing and benevolence would go a long way in winning souls for Christ than your empty word without corresponding action.

Our text says, if you refused to listen to the cry of the poor, that you also will not be heard on the day of trials. As believers, we should let our light shine in every dimension. As believers, we should be agent of positive change. If the world is oppressing the poor and the less privileged, they should be able to come to the midst of believers to find comfort and solace. Let us be our brother’s keeper, let us not be weary in doing good, for in proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up (Galatians 6:9).

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MAKE A COVENANT WITH YOUR EYES.

TEXT: JOB: 31: 1-6.

1 I made a covenant with my eyes
    not to look lustfully at a young woman.
2 For what is our lot from God above,
    our heritage from the Almighty on high?
3 Is it not ruin for the wicked,
    disaster for those who do wrong?
4 Does he not see my ways
    and count my every step?
5 “If I have walked with falsehood
    or my foot has hurried after deceit—
6 let God weigh me in honest scales

The above passage was the account of Job the faithful and blameless follower of God. When calamity befell him, he lost all his wealth and children. In his quest to know why that should be his lot after he had followed the doctrine of righteous living.  He started to soliloquise recounting how he lived a good and holy life, how he made covenant with his eyes not to see what would cause him to sin.
Job mentioned that he decided not to allow his eyes to cause him to sin, why did he mention his eyes out of all his body parts and out of all the five senses? The answer is simple. Our eyes play a vital role in our lives. No wonder the scripture says in the book of Matthew 6: 22 says " The eye is the LAMP of the body."
The verse means that the eye is the metaphorical window in which light enters into your body. The eye is the channel  that communicate ideas ( either good or bad) to the rest of your body. The rest of your body or the remaining four senses takes action according to what your eye sees.
When your eye sees, it sends signal to your brain to evaluate what the eyes saw, then your mind takes over by thinking of what to do, the next step to take. If the thought lingers on and becomes established in your heart, then action follows with the use of other body parts. This act, either good or bad came as a result of what the eyes saw!
Can you see why it is very Important to make a covenant with your eyes not to see evil that would cause you to fall?
"  For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world." (1John 2: 16).
If you do not caution yourself to "discipline" your eyes, you may fall to the sin of the lust of the eyes which will lead to other sin like lust of the flesh (fornication/ adultery/theft) and pride of life (amassing wealth even in an ungodly way just to boost your status/ seeing yourself better than every other person as a result of the blessing of God that is evident in your life.).
Do not let your eyes and what you can see around you cause you to miss eternity. Be disciplined in your spirit, ask God for the grace to live above lust of the eyes. Make covenant with your eye which is the lamp of your body, that it will not cause you to fall into temptation and evil. There are tempters and temptations everywhere around the world, your immediate environment,  the social media and so on are places that can cause someone to fall into the sin of the lust of the eyes. We need the grace of God to abide with us to sail through the voyage without wrecking our ship. Many glorious destiny had been destroyed through lust of the eyes. You will not be an addition to this list in Jesus name.  Make a covenant with your eyes, activate your spiritual sight more than the physical. Shalom!

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VENGEANCE IS THE LORD'S

TEXT: PROVERBS 20: 22

Do not say, “I’ll pay you back for this wrong!” Wait for the Lord, and he will avenge you.” (Proverbs 20:22).

The dictionary defines vengeance as the punishing of someone for harming you, your friend or your family. It is an action against someone to punish them for hurting you (dictionary.com).

The scripture made us to know that as human beings living together in a community or a society we cannot do without offending each other. Offence and conflict resolution is part of living. That is why the Bible admonishes us that we should not pay evil with evil, we should live in forgiveness. If you think someone offended you and you want to retaliate or you will not forgive, have it in mind that you are not perfect, you might have offended some in the cause of your relationship with people. This is why we should find excuse for people and let go of any record of wrong you have against them.

“So watch yourselves.” If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them.” (Luke 17:3).

Only God can fight a perfect battle- He is the best avenger. Have you been maltreated or cheated unjustly? Try to forgive and move on, let God avenge and vindicate you. It is not in your place to take revenge hence you don’t fall into sin yourself.

The Bible tells us to pray for those that persecute us (Matthew 5: 44). Don’t get me wrong, it is not easy to forgive and let go; it takes the grace of God. To fulfill the commandment of God, you must learn to forgive.

When you avenge yourself you are saying “God is not capable of fighting your battles” you are therefore replacing God in your life.

In “normal circular society where laws and orders are respected and followed, no one is allowed to take laws into his or her hands by punishing any offender. Protocols have to be followed by calling on the law enforcement agents of the society.

Consequently, in the kingdom of God, there are rules and regulations (commandments). If you cannot violate the laws of your society you shouldn’t violate God’s decrees. When God avenges for you, you will marvel at the extent He would go to avenge for you. You will be pleading with God to be lenient in His judgment over your adversaries because He will give them more than their requests!

LET GO AND LET GOD. Shalom.

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WHERE IS YOUR TREASURE?

TEXT: MATTHEW 6: 19-21.
19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
What is treasure? The Merriam Webster dictionary definition for treasure is "something of great worth or value."valuable (such as money, jewels, gold, or silver) that is hidden or kept in a safe place. something that is very special, important, or valuable.
What does it mean to store up? It means to keep a lot of something so that you can use it later.( Macmillan Dictionary).
Now that we know what treasure and storing up means. I will like to ask you as a child of God that what are your treasure? What do you place priority on?  What do you place value on? Are your treasure based on the worldly possessions or do you mind the things of God.
As God's children, your treasure or what you place paramount importance on should be what will add value to your walk with God. Don't get me wrong, I don't mean you should not aspire to be rich and be great in life, but do not forsake God in the quest to amass wealth. The scripture says in Matthew 6: 33 that we should seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all other things shall be added into it. Some have forsaken God in their adventure of treasure seeking. It is the blessing of God that gives riches without adding sorrow to it (Proverbs 10:22).
Our text says we should store up our treasure in heaven where nothing will destroy it. What does this mean? It simply means that you should engage in positive things that can be credited to your "heavenly bank account." Where it will be preserved and be remembered for good reward when we get to heaven.
Remember that the scripture made us to know that whatever we do here on earth will be accounted and rewarded accordingly. Therefore, do good to people, help those that are in need, ask for the grace to live godly life without spot or wrinkle, do not forsake the assembly of believers so that your spiritual life can be lifted.
Let your life be pleasing to God.
Make sure that your name will be written in the book of life. That is the greatest place to store up treasure in. Making heaven is the best treasure, the most valuable treasure that every believer should desire.
Worldly treasure cannot stand the test of time. What you see as treasure this year, will be out out date over time. If it does not go out of trend, it may be broken, stolen or destroyed. That is what our text is talking about. It does not worth it to run helter skelter over Worldly treasure that last but for a moment, and lose our heavenly treasure.
1st Timothy 6:9-10 says " Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. 11.But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.
 None of the wealthy people that died, took their wealth with them. All the treasure in keep will automatically becomes someone else's. If they did not do any good work while living, their "heavenly safe" will be empty without any good things to be rewarded for. What will their testimony be when they get to heaven?  What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul? ( Matthew 16:26).
"Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment." (1Timothy 6:17).
These worldly possessions or treasure are not eternal but temporary. Desire the eternal treasure, store up treasure in heaven, be good to people, love the "unlovable" touch lives positively, walk and be blameless before God (ask for the grace). Live in the consciousness of heaven so that the worldly pressure and pleasure will not swing you off course. Shalom.

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ARE YOU THE PERMISSIVE PARENT?

PROVERBS 19:18

“Discipline your son, for in that there is hope; do not be a willing party to his death.” (Proverbs 19: 18).

The Cambridge dictionary defines discipline as “The training that makes people more willing to obey or more able to control themselves, and there will be punishment if these rules are broken.”

Many things have gone wrong in our society today as a result of “civilisation, modernisation or Westernisation” or whichever name is given to the moral decadence in this new age.

Moral values, decency and respect are things of the past; they have long gone into extinction! Our policy makers devised rules and regulations in favour of moral decadence. Laws are in place to make parents to become handicapped in inculcating moral values into their children. Parents are afraid of their children being taken away from them if 911 are called.

Through the policy makers the devil has planted “designated persons” that children can report the “misconducts” of their parents to.

The irony of life is that these policy makers were brought up with standardised moral values and proper decorum. Hence, their opportunity to be among the high calibres in the society.  Surprisingly, these people are now advocating against the values that made them to become voices to reckon with.

As parents, are you going to fold your hands and watch the society to take over your parenting obligation and your divine mandate from you?

When the chips are down, when the unwanted happens, who will fill the heat the most? It consequences falls on the parents and the child. Although in the long run it will bounce back on the society at large.

Parents do not let your children be among the negative statistics of your society. Train them, in still godly fear in them.

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22: 6).

Correct them in love then they go wrong, punish them if need be. If the law of the state can punish an offender, I don’t see any reason why such state should pass any law that would make parents to become permissive to allow the children to do whatever they like, even when they know it could lead to their destruction!

Punishment shouldn’t only be beating and flogging, you can deprive them of some things they like playing with, time out or sitting them down to talk to them and encourage them from the scripture. Don’t always be in approval of everything they do, just to be in their “good book.” They need to be corrected when they are wrong, we are in their lives to guide and direct them to greatness.

Our text says “You should discipline your child for there will be hope in them- if you raise them properly and they amount to greatness in future, you can be sure that your old age is safe and secure.

The later part of the verse says “Do not be a party to his death!” this implies that if a child is not trained in the right way, it can lead to an untimely death. The child may engage in drug, drink-driving, and other dangerous things that can shorten his or her life.

The Bible says there is a way that seems right to a man, but the end of it is destruction (Proverbs 14: 12).

Permissive parents always allow their children to have their way so that they can avoid trouble or problem. This parenting style may not end well because it is not good for children to have their ways at all times.

Let there be a time that you will say “NO” to the children. Do not allow your children to take the driver’s seat in your home.

Put your feet down firmly and train them in the way they should go.

Be an authoritative parent- strike a balance between what the children want and what you as the parent wants for them.

I pray that our children will not bring shame and reproach to us in Jesus name.

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ASK UNTIL YOUR JOY IS FULL

TEXT: JOHN 16: 24

“Until now, you have asked nothing in my name. Ask and you will receive that your joy may be full.”(John 16:24).

The scripture tells us that whatever we ask in the name of Jesus shall be given to us (John 14:14). Matthew 7: 7 also promised that we should ask and it shall be given to us.

As sweet as these promises are, they do not come to pass at our own timing but according to God’s timing.

God is not a God of “promise and fail.” Whatever He says He will do, He will surely do- He is not a man that he should lie- He’s too faithful to fail, Hallelujah!

However, God’s ways are not our ways; he does things as He pleases, without permission from us or without explanation to us.

God can never make mistakes or commit blunder- Never! He is a good God. Whatever he’s doing (even if it doesn’t make sense to us) will always be in our favour in the long run.

All we have to do is to keep trusting him and lean not on our own understanding- don’t try to figure out what He’s doing, just trust and follow him “sheepishly.”

Somebody once told me that to walk with God; you have to leave your brain behind! Yes, you have to leave your brain (Human wisdom) and be dependent on His directions.

The scripture says in Ecclesiastes 3:1 that “to everything there is a season, and a TIME TO EVERY PURPOSE.”

If God tells you to ask for anything in His name that He would do it for you- if you ask in His name and the answer is delaying, that does not mean God is not going to bring His promise to pass in your life.

You will receive the answer to your prayer, the only reason why you think it’s “delaying” is that the appointed time has not come (Eccl. 3:1).

When the set time comes, the Lord will fulfil His promise in your life.

Sadly, some people give up on God at their “near success.” At the verge of breakthrough they get fed up of asking and they retrieve to fate- They stop asking for God’s favour while their joy is yet to be full.

The anchor scripture today is encouraging you not to stop asking for divine favour- continue asking, seeking, knocking on heaven’s door till your prayers will be answered and your joy will be full and overflow.

Be patient, learn to tarry in His presence, learn from Jacob that “abandoned” himself with God saying “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” (Genesis 32:26b).

You too can tell God “I will not let you go and I will not keep quiet until you answer me.”

Do not allow the devil to seal your mouth and hinder you from receiving from God, you have no other place to go. Don’t be weary in your request, continue asking and at the appointed time He will bring His promises to pass and your joy will overflow in Jesus name. Shalom!

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ANY EXPECTATION?

TEXT: PROVERBS 23: 18

“For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.”

Expectation is defined as a strong belief that something will happen or be the case. The Cambridge dictionary defines expectation as “the feeling of expecting something to happen.”
Having known the definition of expectation, I want you to earnestly answer this question “what are your expectations in life?”

Ephesians 3:20 talks about how our great and mighty God is able to do exceedingly and abundantly above what we can ever think or imagine. Praise God!

Whatever your expectation is, the Lord is capable of multiplying it for you and make it measure up far beyond what you are expecting.

On this note, we should be very careful what are expectations are. Are your expectations full of negativity because of the situation at hand? Have you lost hope and has given in to fate because of your present situation?

Is the devil making you to expect the worst that things cannot get better again?

Don’t blame God when the expectation of your heart becomes evident in hundred folds more than you envisaged.

Some people pray for a change in their situation, but in their inner mind they have lost hope and did not believe that the situation can change for the best. Although they still pray and do other spiritual exercises, but they have the mind-set that the situation cannot improve (The devil made them to be expectant of negativity).

On the other hand, some people may be at the lowest ebb of their lives, yet they will be optimistic that things will get better- they are expectant of positive change even in the midst of calamity and confusion.

As the Lord has spoken in Proverbs 23: 18 that” the expectation of the righteous shall not be cut short.” The Lord will honour His word in their lives and bring positive solution to the challenging issues.

Whatever your expectation is, that is what the Lord will work with- He will grant you the desires of your heart.

Although the Lord has the power to do and undo, yet He loves it when we trust Him absolutely. God promised to grant the desire of the righteous (Proverbs 10: 24). If you faithfully believe the promises of God regardless of any situation that is bothering you, all will be well with you (I can testify of this in my life).

When the Israelites complained that they would have preferred to die in Egypt than suffering in the dessert (Numbers 14). The Lord said to them that He would do to them as they have spoken into His ears (Numbers 14: 28).

Guess what? God granted them the desires of their heart and their expectation- they all died in the wilderness!

Conversely, Abraham showed his faith and his expectation in God when he was told to use Isaac as sacrifice. The boy asked the father “Where is the animal for the sacrifice?” The father replied him that the Lord shall provide, and the Lord surely did! His expectation was not cut off as the Lord promised him.

On the final note brother and sisters, what is your expectation from God? I have good news for you today, no matter what the situation is; keep hope alive, be expectant of positive change and the Lord will show Himself in your favour. Be hopeful, let your expectation be positive expectations because God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all you can ever think or imagine. May the peace of the Lord rest and abide with you, may He calm every storm in your life in Jesus name. Amen.

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ZEAL WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE?

TEXT: PROVERBS 19: 2

“It is not good to have zeal without knowledge, nor be hasty and miss the way.” (Proverbs 19:2).

Knowledge can be explained as having the facts or having the right information. It can also be explained as skills acquired through experience, practice or education.

Knowledge is having an understanding of a subject matter in a given field.

It can be explained as having first-hand experience or idea.

To excel in life you must have a very good measure of knowledge in your chosen field or sector. Knowledge is what illuminates your mind to see things beyond their real form.

Knowledge transforms your mind from being a novice to a genius in your field of expertise. Knowledge takes people from the level of mediocrity to become experts and helps in the improvement of their lives.

Formal education is not the only avenue to have knowledge for everyday life. Some knowledge are gained informally outside the four walls of school.

In fact, there are some hand on experiences that one may need to learn outside formal setting that would be a bed rock to the experience needed to excel in your chosen field. Formal education may teach the theoretical aspect while non formal setting could be where your “hand on experience” would come from. This is why you have to have an open mind and not to be in a hurry to get things done- take your time to gain knowledge from different angles- knowledge can be gotten from the least expected channel and it may be imparted to you unconsciously (for example; during a casual discussion with someone).

Knowledge makes you to be rightfully informed and makes you to be skilful in your endeavours.

If anyone dabbles into a business or a career without having prior knowledge of the field or venture, if he or she does not know the nitty gritty and what it takes to be successful in such field, failure and frustration is inevitable!

Knowledge is power. The simplest task in the world could pose a problem to someone that does not have the right information and the required knowledge on how to perform such task. Hence, the “simple task” becomes a “mighty mountain” of problem to the ignorant person.

Out text told us that it is not good to have zeal without knowledge. Yes! Some people are so passionate and zealous in their endeavours, but as much as they invested all time and energy to this cause; nothing good is being recorded for them as success. Why? This may be because they fail to add knowledge to their zeal and passion.

I have heard people investing in businesses they know nothing about, but because they have the money to finance it and they heard it is lucrative, they ventured into it without equipping themselves with a little measure of knowledge to run the business. They will hire and expert to run the business, invariably, the life of the business is in the hand of the hired expert. Any negative move from the expert may be the end of the multi- million dollar business!

Rather than their expectation of recording success, they are faced with difficulty and disappointment because they lack the “KNOW HOW” – No prior knowledge of how the business works.

Our anchor text also said “it is not good to be hasty and miss the way.”

Some people are going the wrong direction so fast- They are in a haste going the wrong direction. Mind you, it does not matter how fast you are going, if you are heading toward the wrong direction.

I watched a viral video on Facebook where there was marathon race between some children. The girl that took the first leg of the race ran so fast that she was miles ahead of her competitors. She got to the next leg and gave the baton to the next person in line to continue the race. However, as soon as the boy in the second leg of the race collected the baton, he continue running with the speed of the lightening; but guess what? HE HEADED TOWARD THE WRONG DIRECTION! Instead of running to the finish line, he ran back to the starting point while other competitors that were slow at the first leg of the race continued the race to the finish line.

It is so sad to see that despite the massive distance between the girl that started the race on the first leg and the other competitors, success was not recorded at the end because of the boy that ran to the wrong direction.

At the end of the race, the girl and the boy that could run with the flash of lightening lost the race to the slow competitors!

The message the Lord is passing across to you today is that you should not be zealous for nothing- zealousness without knowledge will amount to failure, frustration and disappointment.

Be rightly informed before you engage in any endeavour. Seek knowledge in any field you want to go into- ask for assistance from those that are successful in the field, do your research, study and read books and journals.

Be very sure you have equipped yourself with enough information and skills before venturing into any field.

Do not be hasty and miss the way- slow and steady wins the race. Don’t join the group of those that are going fast in the wrong direction.

LET YOUR ZEALOUSNESS BE BASED ON KNOWLEDGE.

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