REHOBOTH

TEXT: GENESIS 26:17- 22

When Isaac was in the land of Philistine he was rich and flourishing, they became Jealous of him and the king (Abimelech) sent him away. Isaac encamped in the valley of Gerar to settle. He reopened the wells that had been dug in the time of his father, but the herdsmen of Gerar quarrel with Isaac’s herdsmen. They dug another one but they quarrelled over that one too, he moved on from there and dug another well and no one quarrelled over it, so he named it REHOBOTH saying “now the lord has given us room and we will flourish in the land.”

This account of Isaac made us to know that you cannot be loved by everybody, especially when things are working well with you.

Abimelech and his people became jealous of Isaac’s greatness to the point of frustrating him by fighting him over wells that were for his father. The good part of the story is Isaac’s “I refuse to give up to defeat.” That he displayed. Despite the fact that there was opposition against him, he persisted in achieving what he wanted.

He ended up digging a well and nobody fought with him over it. A great lesson here is, no matter any challenge; don’t give up on your purpose. For you to make it in life you need to be persistent, you should know that failure and problems are part of what will strengthen you to achieve your goals in life. We all encounter different obstacles on the way towards our promise that can make us to think of quitting, but don’t quit because at the end of every tunnel there is always a light.

When the Philistine saw that despite their wickedness to Isaac; he did not give up and his blessing continues, they came back to make peace with him, if he had given up trying may be they would have frustrated him out of Gerar, he would not have been able to eat the good of that land. Whatever problem you may be going through today, do not give up on your dream. Remember that all afflictions, problems, setback, have their expiry date, sooner than you expect you will get to your REHOBOTH a place of greatness, a place where you will flourish.

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YOU ARE A CANDIDATE FOR A CHANGE

TEXT: 1 CHRONICLES 4:9-10

There may be something we need to change in our lives before we can get our breakthrough. To some it may be their names, some may need to change their character and their ways of life, before God will release His blessing on them.

When Abraham and Sarah were childless; it was after God changed their names that the promised child came. Their affliction stayed with them until God renamed them. Jacob experienced exceeding greatness when God changed his name to Israel.

When God changes people’s names, it is for good and the change of names always fetch them blessing. Apostle Paul was known as Saul when he was persecuting Christians. When the lord met with him on his way to Damascus, he was renamed by God so that he could fulfil destiny.

No matter the situation that you are in, it does not matter the names your situation or circumstance has given you, God is ever ready to hear you when you call on Him. He is also capable of changing any negative circumstances in your favour. He will rename that ugly situation; He will erase the negative names that people are using to describe you.

Jabez was named a child of sorrow, he cried unto God and God granted his request by enlarging his coast.

Be rest assured that , that situation, circumstance, affliction that has stigmatise you is not going to be forever, because you are serving a living God, the God of divine turn around that turned scarcity to abundance overnight in Samaria, that situation will be renamed in your favour and to the glory of God.

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VANITY, VANITY SAYS THE PREACHER

Vanity, vanity says the preacher,

What does man gain from all his labour

At which he toils under the sun?

Generations come and generation go,

But the earth remain forever,

The eye never has enough of seeing,

Nor the ear its fill of hearing.

Vanity, vanity says the preacher,

A man may do his work with wisdom

Knowledge and skill, and when death comes,

Then he must leave all he owns to

 Someone who has not worked for it,

There is no remembrance of men of old,

And those who are yet to come will not

Be remembered by those who follow.

Vanity, vanity says the preacher,

Naked a man comes from his mother’s womb,

And as he comes, so he departs,

He takes nothing from his labour

That he can carry in his hands,

This is why doing good is better than riches, because

Man born of woman is of few days.

Vanity, vanity says the preacher,

Time and tide waits for no one,

You do not know what will happen to you tomorrow,

You are a mist that appears for a little while and varnishes,

Death is a price that all mankind will pay,

No man knows when his hour will come.

Vanity, vanity says the preacher,

Let those who are rich in this present world,

Not to neither be arrogant nor put their hope in wealth,

Which is so uncertain, therefore do good and be rich

In good deeds, in this way you will lay up treasure for

Yourself for the coming age, so that you may take

Hold of the life that is truly life.

By -Bolatito

© (Bolatito .c. Peter) (2013)

All right reserved.

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CHASING AFTER THE WIND

TEXT: ECCLESIASTES 2:4-11

Solomon was the richest king of his time, he was the wisest king. His wisdom was great that people use to come from far and near to listen to him. In his days; Gold were common like sand, he had thousands of horses, chariots men and women servants, he could afford everything his eyes saw. “ I undertook great projects , I built houses for myself and planted vineyards, I made gardens and parks, and plant all kinds of fruit trees in them. I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees; I bought male and female slaves, and had other slaves who were born in my house. I also own more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. I amassed silver and Gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces, I acquired men and women singers and a harem as well, the delights of the heart of man. I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me” (Ecc 2:4-9).

All the wealth and wisdom that Solomon acquired were not enough to give him peace of mind; they were not able to add joy and fulfilment to his life. From his utterances in the book of Ecclesiastes, it could be said that he was looking for a better way of having peace of mind, because his wealth and wisdom failed to get him satisfaction. “The sleep of a labourer is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of a rich man permits him no sleep” (Ecc 5:12). If you don’t have riches or wealth like others, but if you have God and you are truly serving Him, you will have peace of mind and your joy will be flowing like a river.

If you have all the wealth in the whole world and you don’t have Christ, you may be struggling to have peace of mind despite your riches. Peace and happiness can only be gotten from God and not from any material things (John 14: 27) Solomon was rich and wise to the point that the riches and wisdom became a problem for him. Though it took him time to know that everything in the world is vanity, but he eventually realised and quickly turned back to God. “Therefore stand in awe of God.” (Ecc: 5-7). To the man who pleases Him God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner He gives the task of gathering and storing up to hand over to the one who pleases God” (Ecc 2: 26). This implies that if you continue struggling to acquire wealth and you leave God out of your plan, you may find it difficult to make it. while a person that is pleasing God in all his or her deeds, will make it more than you, because God will bless him more than his or her efforts.

Do not allow the treasures of this world to deprive you of your eternal inheritance. What shall it profit a man, if he gains the whole world and lose his life? Or what can a man give in exchange of his soul? (Mark 8: 36-37) After all he had toiled to achieve, Solomon said “Everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind, nothing was gained under the sun.” Lay up your treasure in heaven, for treasures laid here on earth is meaningless.

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EMPOWERED TO EMPOWER

TEXT: EPHESIANS 4: 11-12

Empowerment means to be given authority, to allow and to enable somebody to carry out a particular task or job. As God’s children we have been empowered in different ways, so that we can empower others. God created us and put seeds of greatness in each and every one of us, to that we can impart lives. He does not want us to be useful for ourselves alone, but to be useful to others.

The virtues He deposited in each of us are more than what we can use for ourselves alone. Ephesians 4:11-12 says God gave some to be Apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists and some to be pastors and teachers. To prepare God’s people for works of service, so the body of Christ may be built up. This verse buttresses the fact that God has empowered His children from the inception of the earth to occupy one place or the other. He is not an idle God; therefore He cannot be delighted to see His children idle.

Don’t underestimate yourself that you cannot impart lives, don’t think you have nothing to offer to your generation. Pray to God to open your eyes of understanding so that you will see where He wants you to function to impart your world. No matter how little you think you have, it will still be a breakthrough to those coming behind you.

You are a problem solver; you are a solution to somebody’s problem. Find that problem you can solve today, you need to add value to people’s life. God created you not to be blessed alone but to be a blessing to your generation (Genesis 12:2).

If you don’t take action; you may not be able to do exploit for God. The scripture says “These signs shall FOLLOW them that believe….. (Mark 16:17). If you stand still the signs would not manifest, because He says the signs shall “follow” this means that you need to move for the sign to follow you. Nothing moves until you move it. Stand up today; activate the great power of empowerment deposited in you and do exploit for God. Remember you are born to empower.

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MY GLORY I WILL SHARE WITH NO ONE

I am the Lord; the lord of host is my name,

From the rising of the Sun to the going

Down of the same; I remain unchanged,

I am the lord that is my name,

I will not give my glory to another,

Or my praise with idols.

I am God, and there is no other,

I am God, and there is none like me,

I make known the end from the beginning,

I am the lord of all flesh, what I have said

That I will bring about,

What I have planned that I will do.

I am the Lord mighty in battle,

I say my purpose will stand and

I will do all that I please

To the faithful I show myself faithful,

To the blameless I show myself blameless

Who among the gods is like me?

I am God that is my name, I strengthen,

The feeble hands, steady the knees 

That gives way; I will instruct you and teach

You in the way you should go,

I will counsel you and watch over you,

Honour me always for my glory I will share with no one.

By -Bolatito

© (Bolatito .c. Peter) (2013)

All right reserved.

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THE TRUE VINE

TEXT: JOHN 15: 1-5

Jesus is the vine, he is the true vine, the root is the Holy Spirit, and believers are the branches of the vine. As the root of a plant is unseen; yet it gives strength and nurtures the tree to grow and bear fruits, the root bears the tree. A tree cannot grow without the support of the root; Holy Ghost is the root in which Jesus Christ is able to grow as a vine that can sustain branches that will bear fruits.

 To achieve fruitfulness; these three parts of a tree are inseparable (root, vine, and branches). The vine cannot sustain itself without the root; neither can the branches live to bear fruit without the root and the vine.

As believers, we must always abide in Christ who is our vine, because he has not disconnected himself from his root (Holy Ghost) so that all the nourishment that the branches (believers) need to bear fruits (achievement) can be gotten from him.

If a branch that is very rich and green falls from the vine, within some days the branch will dry off and die, because it has disconnected from the channel that brings nourishment to it. Also as believers; if we disconnect from our source (Jesus) we would be spiritually dry and weak. Jesus is our source of strength and achievements through God. We cannot say because we are progressing and successful, that we don’t need God again.

When Jesus came as human being, he never did anything without God. Acts 10:38 tells us that Jesus waited to be anointed with Holy Ghost and power before he started his ministry, and through out his ministry on earth; he did not disconnect himself from God and the Holy Spirit.

In our text; Jesus said God is the gardener; He is at alert to cut off any branch that is not producing fruits. This shows that God did not create us to stay the way He created us, He wants us to be productive, and He loves fruitfulness! He said we should be productive and subdue the earth (Genesis 1:28) He does not want the earth to subdue us. Go ahead now, continue to be fruitful and let your fruitfulness be to the glory of God. Do not allow success to disconnect you from the true vine, there may be other “vines” but Jesus is the only TRUE VINE.

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