FEAR THE LORD

TEXT: PSALM 128: 1-4
" Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in his ways.  You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours.  Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your sons will be like olive shoots around your table.  Thus is the man blessed who fears the LORD."
Our God is the omnipotent God that does as He pleases, no one can question or query Him for His actions. He owns both  heavens and the earth and all that are in them (Psalm 24).
By the word of His mouth were the heavens made and all of the host of them by the breath of His mouth (Psalm 33:6). His power and wisdom no one can fathom! He is a supreme and sovereign God that can promote and demote, He has the power to kill and make alive. He can raise the poor up and bring down the rich. He is the God that can make the poor to sit among the princes. In fact, our God is full of doing the unimaginable- He brought out water from the rock (Psalm 105:41), He brought money out of the mouth of a fish ( Matt 17: 27), He parted the Red sea and made the children of Israel to walk on dry land (Exodus 14).
Our God is the greatest Mathematician that can multiply five loaves of bread and two fishes to feed 5,000 men! All glory, honour and adoration to His name forever.
When the scripture admo ish God's children to fear the lord, the scripture is not saying we should dread the Lord or be afraid of Him. Rather we are to love, respect, cherish, honour and obey our God in humble adoration.
Living in the fear of the Lord means that you will not do what would make Him to be angry or upset. When you fear the Lord you would want to obey and keep all His commandments and follow His precepts to the letter.
When you live in the fear of the Lord you would always want to be on His presence knowing fully well that He's your all in all that can vindicate you from all afflictions.
Living in the fear of God is to your benefit. When you reference God and respects Him, there are blessings accrued to people who live in the fear of God that you would benefit from- you will enjoy God's everlasting love (P's 103:17) when God loves you, He would do everything to make you happy and protected.
Another benefit is that God will make abundant provision for you, and you will lack nothing (Ps 34: 9). When you fear the Lord there will always be food on your table. You will always have enough to eat (111:5).
Another benefit of living in the fear of God can be found in Proverbs 14: 26- you will have a secure fortress in God, and your children will enjoy God as their refuge.
Our anchor text outline other benefit of a man or a woman that fears the Lord these are:
- The fear of the Lord will make you a blessing to your spouse and children. Your family will flourish without lacking anything. Your children will excel
- You will eat the fruit of your labour, that is no wasted effort in all your endeavours.
- Blessing and prosperity will be yours.
Living in the fear of God has endless list of benefits. Below are more benefits of living in the fear of God.
1) For divine instruction - Ps 25:12
2) You will spend your days in prosperity and your descendants will inherit the land -  Ps 25:13
3) Enjoy the goodness of God - Ps 31: 19
4) Divine Protection - Ps 31: 20
5) Divine Revelation - Ps 25:14
6) Abundant life - Prov 14:27, 19:23
7) Divine satisfaction -  Prov 15: 16
8) Divine Confidence - Prov 14:26
9) God's Compassion - Ps 103: 13
10) Divine wisdom - Prov 1:7,9: 10
11) Power to live above  sin - Prov 8: 13
12) Life of integrity and faithfulness - Job 2:3
13) The Lord will delight in you - Ps 147:11
In fact! BLESSED IS THE MAN WHO FEARS THE LORD. Live in the fear of God and reference Him al all times so that you can partake of God's unending blessing for these that live fear Him. PEACE!

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NOT BY LABOUR BUT FAVOUR

TEXT: LUKE 5: 1-7
“So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, 2 and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets. 3 Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat. 4 When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” 5 But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at your word I will let down the net.” 6 And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. 7 So they signalled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.”
One day of God's favour supersedes many years of labour. No man can make it without the help and favour of the Lord Almighty. The scripture says Paul plants Apollo waters but it is God that gives the increase (1Cor 3:6). You may work and labour hard and have nothing to show for it. Your intellectual skills, your human effort and knowledge can take you nowhere without the favour of God!
Labouring with human knowledge and effort can be frustrating if the favour of God is absent. This is why many people toil around the shore of life engaging in different unproductive businesses, careers, and projects. Once one project is not productive as they planned, they switched to another one and another and continue in that pattern of failure until they get frustrated, weak, weary and depressed.
From our text, we can see the result of frustration in the statement of Simon to Jesus "But Simon answered and said to him” master, we have TOILED ALL NIGHT AND CAUGHT NOTHING... " (v5). Simon was a skilled fisherman; he had been in the business of fishing years before that very day of toiling without anything to show for it. In utmost disappointment he gave up and was washing his net to go back home empty handed.
However, the favour of God located him when Jesus chose to go into his (Simon) boat. Jesus turned Simon's disappointment into a net breaking miracle- FAVOUR!
When the favour of God located Simon who was preparing to go back home defeated, he was able to catch net breaking fish that he could not carry alone, but beckoned to the people around to come and help him. Favour moved Simon from level of failure to supernatural success without struggling and toiling for it.
The lesson of this story is that your human effort, skills and expertise may not generate the "net breaking success" you are expecting. It is the favour of God that can cause you to be successful without much labour or toiling.
Jesus said to Simon “launch out into the deep and let down your net FOR A CATCH." (v4). Simon was directed towards where his success lies without having to do trial and error with his net. Another lesson from this story is that ONLY GOD CAN DIRECT YOU TOWARDS YOUR SUCCESS AND ACHIEVEMENT. Hence, you need to be a beneficiary of God's favour for Him to help you. Do you realise that Simon was not the only fisherman around on that day of his divine favour and change in destiny? Yes, there were other fishermen around when Jesus chose to favour Simon. Therefore, you need to ask for the anointing of favour that erases the yoke of unproductive labour. For someone to be a partaker of God's favour, he or she must be obedient. Simon did not argue with Jesus that he was a skilled fisherman. He did not damn Jesus by saying “what do you know about fishing?" Instead he decided to obey in humility he said “nevertheless at your word I will let down the net." (v5b).
If you want to make headway in life, you need to be obedient to the leading and direction of your maker. God is our maker; therefore he has the instructions of our lives in His hand. To be successful we must adhere to these instructions.
I pray that the favour of God will locate us and terminate every yoke of hard and unfruitful labour in our lives in Jesus name. Amen.Image: Google Image

VOID YOURSELF OF PRIDE

TEXT: JAMES 4:6

But He gives greater grace. Therefore He says: God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. 

Pride is the weapon the devil is using against people of God. Satan does not want to see anybody fulfil his or her God given purpose. He would make all effort to rid them of the glorious future that the Lord has prepared for them. This he would achieve by enduing them with the spirit of pride, the devil wears pride like garment on people.

The bible says “God RESISTS the proud and gives grace to the humble.” If a proud man is resisted by God, tell me how the person will fulfil destiny.

There are many that God have the plan of taking to a height they least expected in life, but after some success stories in their favour, the spirit of pride begin to manifest in them. Not knowing that the success that is making them proud is a tip of iceberg compared to what God has in stock for them.

However, instead of them to keep going higher on the ladder of success, they will be coming down until they are relegated to nothing! Did you just ask why? Because pride is a heavy burden and nobody can run or climb successfully at a faster rate having a load with him or her. That is why Hebrew 12:1 admonish us to throw of everything that hinders and the sin that easily entangles…

The bible warned about pride in several verses of the scripture. Pride goes before a fall (Proverbs 16: 18). King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon suffered from the sin of pride and he lost his kingdom to pride (Daniel 4). When Nebuchadnezzar came back to his senses and exalted God rather than exalting himself for his greatness and wealth, God reinstated him back to his throne.

His statement after he was reinstated showed that he had learnt his lesson that God is capable of subduing any proud heart. “And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.” (Dan 4:37^b). Without God we can do NOTHING. That is why we should not allow the devil to fill our hearts with the spirit of pride. Apostle Paul knew this, so he wouldn't have to learn humility in the hard way like Nebuchadnezzar.

Paul understood that it is God that promotes and not human wisdom and effort. No wonder he said “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect.” (1 Corinthians 15:10).

Whatever position you may be occupying, no matter the height you find yourself on the ladder of success, no matter the level of your achievement and greatness. DO NOT forget that it is by the GRACE of God that you achieved everything. Always have it in mind that you cannot do anything without God (John 15:5). Do not let pride disconnect you from God, because the result could be disastrous. I pray you will not lose your destiny to pride in Jesus name. Amen. 

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BY STRENGTH SHALL NO MAN PREVAIL

TEXT: PSALM 127: 1

Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labour in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.

God talk to His children through different means and channels. He relates with you with what you are conversant with, for instance; God can communicate the same message to people in different professions with examples and illustrations in line with their profession. For example, God can use different illustrations to explain a message to a teacher and a doctor. If you love playing golf, His illustration to you will be golf related. God’s illustration will always be from what you know and can relate with, He will not use something that is out of the blues to explain things to you, because He wants you to get the right understanding of what He is talking about. Therefore God has His way of expressing Himself to people by using different illustrations best known to the person He’s communicating with. God’s wisdom is unfathomable!

At my free time, when I feel like taking a break from work, I love to unwind by playing a particular game. The game has different levels, to move to the next level, you have to perform well and score high point. I do not play the game constantly, but only when I needed to have a break from writing or typing. There was a particular level that I got to that requires unlocking a key before I would get to the next level. I tried all I could to unlock this key, yet I was unable to do so, despite my effort and high scores.

I spent weeks (since I don’t play the game often) trying to achieve my purpose, with high scores, yet I was unable to unlock the key despite all effort, and techniques devised. All was to no avail. As I was determined to unlock the key to go to the next level, the Holy Spirit ministered to me using the game!

The Lord used the game to explain to me how human beings struggle to achieve greatness with human efforts and wisdom, with little or nothing to show for it. I was trying all human wisdom and effort to get to the next level, yet my effort was thwarted because I could not unlock the key that will take me to the next level. The Holy Spirit made me to see how human beings struggle to get to the next level of their life, by applying all human strength and wisdom, coupled with the best instrument, tools, and technique. Instead of getting to the next level, they meet with obstacles and walls of limitation.

The Holy Spirit made me to see that human effort is futile without the help of God. You cannot get to the next level of your life without God. It is God that will give you the key that will unlock your passage to the next level. Without this key, progress will be impeded regardless of the effort, tools and techniques. Ask God for the master key that will take you to your next level. I pray that the key that will unlock the door to our will not be stolen by Satan and his cohorts in Jesus name.

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QUERYING GOD?

(JOB 9:15-19)

"For though I was right, I could not answer; I would have to implore the mercy of my judge. If I summoned him and he answered me, I would not believe that he was listening to my voice. He would crush me with a storm and multiply my wounds for no reason. He will not let me get my breath, but fills me with bitterness. If it is a matter of strength, he is mighty! And if it is a matter of justice, who can challenge him?”
God is all sufficient, the all knowing God that cannot be queried or questioned. The scripture says “God does as He pleases (Job 23:13). God can decide to promote the poor and make him sit among princes, and He can demote kings and princes and relegate them to nothing. Nobody can challenge the decision of the Lord Almighty, He cannot be taken to court, and nobody can judge Him because He is the judge of all judges. In fact, He is the chief judge of the universe!

There are some circumstances that had caused people to query where God was when their lives were in shambles. Some can even take it to the extent of saying “if God is truly existing; why are evil things happening to good people? The answer to these questions are not farfetched-   He is God of all flesh, His ways are not our ways, He decides who He wants to have mercy on (Romans 9:15).

Job was a man that did the will of God, he was steadfast and God was boastful of him. Yet the devil with the permission of God; attacked him to test his faith and loyalty in God. Job was upright and yet afflicted by the devil, however, Job did not query God, and instead he pleaded for mercy. “Though I was innocent, I could not answer Him, I could only plead with my judge for mercy.” (Job 9:15).

The lesson here is that no matter what you are going through, don’t query God, and don’t be angry with Him. All you need to do is to plead for His mercy. God cannot be taken to court, He cannot be flogged or beaten, and since you cannot fight God; the best thing to do when life is tough and difficult is to ask for His mercy and wait patiently like Job, and watch God elevating you to a greater height after your trial of faith.

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ENVY NOT THE WEALTH OF THE WICKED.

PSALM 73: 3-5, 16-19

For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. They are free from common human burdens; they are not plagued by human ills. (v 3-5).

When I tried to understand all this, it troubled me deeply till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny. Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin. How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors! (v 16-19).

The world is full of mysteries that only God can unfold, the world is full of “the good, the bad and the ugly situations.” Many are living in affluence; some are averagely okay while some are living below average. Some people are working tooth and nail to make ends meet; hence, some are acquiring wealth without having to struggle for it.

Many people that are walking in the way of the Lord; people that are living the totality of their lives to please God are struggling to survive hardship. However, those that have sold out their souls to the devil are flourishing and swimming in the river of affluence!

As human beings, we may be wondering why this is so, that is the irony of life that only God can unravel. In curiosity and maybe in anger, we may be asking questions as to why unbelievers should be flourishing in their evil ways, and why believers are wallowing in poverty despite their righteous living.

“Is the earth and its fullness not God’s? What about the cattle on a thousand hills, are they not for God? Did He not promise to supply ALL my needs according to His riches in glory? Did He not promise us the wealth of the Gentiles? Why are Gentiles flourishing while obedient believers are languishing in abject poverty?”

It is normal to feel this way because we are human. That was the predicament of the Psalmist when he wrote Psalm 73. Our God is a good God that promise His children good and expected end (Jere. 29:11). The bible tells us that it is only the blessing of God that make riches without adding sorrow to it (Prov. 10:22). The wicked that are flourishing with wealth amassed from unclean source are placed on the slippery ground (Ps 73:18). Wealth gotten from unclean source will not last, but the sorrow and trouble that the wealth will bring to the owner of the wealth will last forever! Their final destination as explained in our text is destruction, the Lord will cast them down to ruin, and they will be completely swept away by terror!

The success of the wicked will only last for a short period, and they will have their portion in the lake of fire (Rev. 21:8)

“Do not fret because of evildoers or be envious of the wicked, for the evildoer has no future hope, and the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.” (Proverbs 24:19-20)

Do not envy the success of the wicked; do not run after material things at the expense of your righteous living. Do not race against heavenly things because of earthly things that are perishable. What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and lose his own soul (Mark 8:36). The Lord knows the best thing for you, He will fulfil His promises for you, wait upon His promises, ENVY NOT THE WEALTH OF THE WICKED.

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AVOID INSTANT GRATIFICATION

TEXT: GENESIS 25: 29-34

Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished!” (That is why he was also called Edom)  Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.” “Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?”

But Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob.  Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left. So Esau despised his birthright.

Everybody wants to get things done without having to wait or to be delayed. We live in the world where everything is expected to be done “instantly,” nobody wants to wait any longer. The world has become a “quick fix society” where instant gratification is needed for everything.

Gone are the days of slow and steady wins the race, in fact, people finds it difficult to wait on the queue at the till, drivers are always in a hurry, pedestrians can’t wait for traffic because they want to get to their destinations within a twinkle of an eye. Everybody wants to get everything done NOW without having to wait.

The new age of technology and the advancement of science, has made people to always be in a hurry to get things done like microwave. The world is creaming “I want it done now, I must have it now, and I don’t care what the future holds; all that matter to me now is “NOW.”!

Instant gratification is the desire to enjoy pleasure or fulfillment without delay or deferment. Instant gratification has caused some people to indulge or engage in unspeakable acts that has caused them irreparable harm, due to their lack of patience.

People are getting involved in various crimes, fraud, sexual immoralities and other sinful acts in other to attain or achieve a purpose. We all need to understand that life is not a bed of roses, and nothing good comes cheap. Consequently, whatever you get cheap or easily may not last. Our text explains how dangerous it could be when we want to get our desires met instantly without waiting for the right time. If you eat your fruit without waiting for it to ripe, you are setting your teeth on edge!

Esau was hungry; he wanted food at all cost at that particular time. He could not wait to prepare his own food; he went to ask for his brother’s food. The brother demanded for Esau’s birthright in exchange of the food. Esau allowed the hunger to overrule his sense of reasoning, he did not see any importance of the birthright at the moment of hunger, the birthright was meaningless to him, after all he could not eat the birthright to satisfy his hunger; and he was dead hungry!

Esau decided to trade his birthright (his future) for an immediate satisfaction that would last for a moment. Many people are like Esau, they are interested in their now and do not mind what become of their future. They look for instant gratification (what satisfy their now) the devil will use small thing to rob them of their glorious future like Esau! They trade their glory to acquire worthless materials.

Delayed gratification will not kill you; it will only give you the opportunity to get the best, because delayed gratification is equal to greater rewards. If Esau had endured the hunger; and waited to cook his own food, he would have eaten more that what he sold his birthright for, and he would not have lost his birthright too. However, because of impatience and love for instant gratification, he lost his glorious future! The blessing that belonged to him was given to his brother.

As a child of God, don’t let the challenges of life push you out of your patience to wait for God to act. Do not destroy your TOMORROW because of TODAY. Endure hardship; wait patiently for God your time of joy is coming. If you delay your gratification you will not regret it. Instant gratification will cost you something, you may get what you want now like Esau, but you will pay dearly for it in future. “See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. Even though he sought the blessing with tears, he could not change what he had done.” (Hebrew 12:16-17). Wait for God’s time and avoid INSTANT GRATIFICATION

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