âO Lord, our Lord, How majestic and glorious and excellent is Your name in all the earth! You have displayed Your splendor above the heavens. Out of the mouths of infants and nursing babes You have established strength Because of Your adversaries, That You might silence the enemy and make the revengeful cease. When I see and consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have established, What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of [earthborn] man that You care for him? Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You have crowned him with glory and honor. You made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, All sheep and oxen, And also the beasts of the field, The birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, Whatever passes through the paths of the seas. O Lord, our Lord, How majestic and glorious and excellent is Your name in all the earth!â ââPsalms⏠â8âŹ:â1âŹ-â9⏠âAMPâŹâŹ
My emphasis today is on verse 4 of the above scripture. Who am I that God is mindful of me? As a new year begins, thereâs so much to glean on from the previous year and so much to anticipate in the new. However it is essential to be present in the moment and give thanks to God for how far He has brought you.
A lot might have worked out in your favour (or not). You might have made mistakes and be nursing regrets (or not). You might have experienced some loss(es) or even chalked some successes (or not). Whatever the disposition is for you though, only the living have a chance to praise God and be grateful here on earth.
Your heart might be swollen with gratitude; Praise God. Yours might feel empty and you may not have words to express it; Praise God. You might be confident in God due to a prophetic word received; Praise God. You might have a game plan and multilayered strategy for this year; Praise God. You may be confused and have so many unanswered questions, still praise God.
As you reflect, as you hope, as you plan, as you work, donât forget your purpose and why you are still here. Also remember to be grateful and thankful for the now, always!!! Have a fulfilling New Year.
In our previous message, we said when losing any kind of battle be it an altar, demonic or foundational issue, one needs to be a regular or consistent sacrificial person. The reason is that the problem you maybe going through may be an age long battle that came into being through a sacrifice. To demolish that altar you need a higher sacrifice made on a living altar. But before you start sacrificing, you yourself must be committed to a holy living otherwise your sacrifice will have no power. So, from the stage of holiness, we can now look at the next thing to do.
Acts 12 : 1 -5 â Now, about that time, Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church and he killed James, the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. ( Then were the days of unleavened bread). And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him, intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people. Peter therefore was kept in prison: but *prayer was made without ceasing *of the church unto God for him. ( KJV)
From the above scripture, the Bible says, Herod (the enemy) stretched forth his hands against certain of the church (not all members of the church) but those who were a threat to him like you or me and he killed James. But when he ( Herod) realized it pleased the Jews, he went further to do more damages by arresting Peter too but the church woke up. Beloved, enough of the ugly situation you see in your life or family. If you donât get up and fight from the standpoint of victory nothing will change in your family, life, health, finances etc..and the enemy will always have dominion over you though you are a Christian but God forbid it shall continue no longer! When the church realized Herod was winning the battle, she prayed without ceasing for Peter. This means they prayed always and all the time for him and an angel was sent from heaven and he delivered Peter from prison. Glory be to God. No man could have brought deliverance to Peter in that prison except God himself. The Lord shall also deliver you! If you really want to move the hand of God and win your battle, learn to engage in long prayers. Please, Iâm not talking of prayers of convenience. No! I am referring to sacrificial prayers. Prayers of convenience or short prayers have their place in the life of a believer but when you want to demolish demonic foundations that have held you captive for years, learn to always be in His presence alone for hours. This is where speaking in tongues becomes very important. Without it, prayer becomes boring and limited. With the baptism of the spirit and the evidence of speaking in tongues, you can journey with God for hours. These kinds of prayers are said by people who are tired with their situations and the only thing that changes in their lives is their age and nothing else.
Precious ones, prayer becomes a sacrifice when you start say in the morning and end the next morning. Because of your work, you may not have that time. In that case find a convenient time for yourself and do that consistently with the word of God that is in line with the issue at hand. Receive grace to pray for 3 hours for 21 days non stop, pray for 6 hours for 6 months, pray at midnight for hours consistently for the next one month and see something. As you do that consistently , your spiritual senses are activated, you ears and eyes open and you will begin to hear the Lord audibly for yourself and you receive direction accordingly. In fact, prayer that moves the hand of God becomes an altar or a sacrifice when you pray for hours nonstop. You may have to join a ministry that prays for hours at the beginning of your journey and also do same personally. You wouldnât be the same again! Remember your prayer will become effective when you are serious and are living a consecrated lifestyle. Oh brethren, there is an answer. Are you ready to pay the price? Donât let the devil fool you into believing that Jesus has done everything already and for that matter thereâs no need for long prayers and you remain at the same level. Did Jesus pay for our salvation? If yes, why are some still not saved? If you donât participate, you donât receive anything from God. The Bible says even Jesus prayed at some point till his sweat became as red as blood ( Luke 22:44).
As soon as Zion, travailled, she brought forth her children (Isaiah 66:8). Do you want to end the practice of sorcery in your family? Travail! Donât say you are not a pastor so you canât pray for hours. You can because you are a believer and you have the power to travail. Jesus asked his disciples, âŚâwhy could you not watch for just an hour with meâ – Matthew 26:40. This statement presupposes that, for Jesus praying for an hour is the minimum time a believer could give himself if they mean business. Most men and women who wield so much power in our kingdom are people who spend time with the Lord in prayer consistently. If you donât do it regularly and for hours, itâs prayer of convenience and not a sacrifice. This kind of prayer (convenience) can give you some results but not necessarily break ancient yokes.
I know of a certain man of God who prayed for 3 hours a day for 6 months and when he went to the crusade ground, untold miracles happened. In fact there was a deluge of signs and wonders. You can do the same thing provided you are ready. No need to wait for 2023 to start. Donât give the devil that time. Start now! Receive grace!
You may start by praying in tongues daily for an hour when going to work and when you come back you do same in the evening consistently and gradually you will ascend. One day, you will attract the spirit of prayer and when he comes, he will send you to a new dimension of prayer that will surprise you. You will have his presence with you wherever you go because of your consistency. He will give you a garment of power and favour. Doors will open for you whenever you find yourself because you will be assisted by His angel. What limits others wonât limit you because you have dismantled the iron gates. You yourself will see the glaring difference. No man does well or wins a battle on this earth unassisted by a spirit. Those assisted may not know it but itâs true. My Father rewards those who diligently seek him so He will reward you if you get serious. You may say I have been praying for years and I have not been seeing any results, I dare challenge you to say you have done well but you have not prayed enough. Pray until yourself you become a living altar to the extent that even in your dream you find yourself praying. –
At this stage, prayer will become a part of you. You will love to pray and a time will come your 1 hour will look like 5 minutes. My God, I feel a strong anointing now! Receive that prayer anointing in the name of Jesus! You wonât lose this battle because you are going into that satanic territory with different tactics and coming out victoriously. I await your testimonies. Praise Jesus!
2 Kings 3: 26 -27 : 26. When the king of Moab saw that he was losing the battle, he led seven hundred of his swordsmen in a desperate attempt to break through the enemy lines near the king of Edom but they failed.
27. Then the king of Moab took his oldest son, who would have been the next king, and sacrificed him as a burnt offering on the wall. So there was great anger against Israel, and the Israelites withdrew and returned to their own land.( NLT)
What makes God different from men is the fact that He never loses and has never lost any battle before but men, unassisted by the Spirit of God can and will always lose battles that are beyond their jurisdiction as mortals. Are you tired of life? Are you clueless as to what to do to change your story? Is it really true, thereâs nothing you can do to turn that situation around ? Have naysayers told you from the look of things you will never get married because you are old? My dear brother and sister, say there is a way out! Just believe what you are reading now and put it into practice and see whether that ugly situation wouldnât give way. If you believe thereâs no way, there shall be no way for the Bible says â whatsoever a man thinks so he isâ In other words, if you think you can never be cured of sickle cell anemia, you will never be treated of it so you will remain a sick person forever not because God wants you to be sick but because you have made yourself like that because of your mindset. I speak to you now in the name of Jesus, â have the mind of Christ now!!!â
The King of Moab tried fighting first through the instrumentality of his trained men but he failed. You know why? âŚâŚBy strength shall no man prevail ( 1 Samuel 2:9). You may have also tried solving the health issue with modern and traditional medicine to no avail. You may have even gone to see â herbalistâ without any positive results and yet you know you are sick. You reading now too may have used your human wisdom to think that with your cooking skills, sexual prowess you would sustain your marriage but you couldnât. Things are fallen apart. In fact, the more you try pleasing your husband to make your marriage work, the more you irritate him and the more he doesnât even want to see you. Beloved, another arsenal got to be used and this weapon Iâm talking about is so efficient that it never fails provided you use it with understanding and consistency. I know you are itching to know what it is. Please, get your seat closer and listen oh.
The Bible said when he realized his men couldnât help him win the war, he took his oldest son who would have been the next king and sacrificed him as a burnt offering on the wall. Please, take your time and ponder over what you just read. Picture what you just read for some seconds. How on earth could he do such a thing! Itâs an abomination right! I donât think you or I would have ever done such a thing in the face of a battle we might have been losing. My eldest son? Your eldest son? The apparent heir to the throne. Iâm sure, someone else would have said let me die and my son will take over my seat. But he did the opposite. He sacrificed him as a burnt offering on the wall. Picture it now! And there was great anger against Israel and the Israelites withdrew and the Moabites won the war! Whaaaaaaat!!!! Why was this type of weapon so efficient that it made the Moabite king win the war as soon as he killed his son? Because he sacrificed! Blood was shed for all and sundry to see and that provoked the realm of the spirit to favour him. Ever since, you became a believer, what kind of sacrifice have you made to God to touch His heart to open that door of unemployment for you?
What then is a sacrifice? A sacrifice could be the offering of anything to a god, a consecratory rite or the destruction or surrender of anything for the sake of something else; the devotion of something desirable to something higher, or to a calling deemed more pressing. To sacrifice also means to give away ( something valuable like your time, money, some friends, anything that can serve as a tool of destruction ) to get at least a possibility of gaining something else of value ( such as healing, deliverance, marriage, employment, children, good business etcâŚ) to avoid an embarrassing situation.
Altars, patterns, demonic yokes are humanly speaking difficult to deal with because it took periodic sacrifices to empower them by human beings so if you too must come out of some seemingly impossible situations learn to be a man or a woman of multiple sacrifices.
When you are losing the battle, the first sacrifice God requires from you is not money or any other thing you may think of. Itâs simply U. Before God can receive a sacrifice from you, He must first accept your person and thatâs the reason why we talk about consecration. You that need something special from Elohim, must be accepted first before your transactions can have any effect in the eyes of God. If a man is not accepted, his sacrifice cannot be accepted by God. Men or the church can take the sacrifice but in the realm of the Spirit, it will be rejected. The song writer said â Oh, speak from the heavens and the earth will hear ( 2x) my altar is calling you oh God, my sacrifice is calling you oh GodâŚ.
The Bible said concerning Cain, that God rejected him and his sacrifice. Samuel understood the power of sacrifices for he offered a young ram as a sacrifice in a dry season and rain fell. You must understand the effects of the sacrifice you are offering, what sacrifice to offer under certain circumstances for David said â I wonât give the Lord, that which wonât cost me anythingâ. Have u seen a curse manifest in your family and you desired to change it before? I have seen them and defeated them. Have u noticed patterns? You can pretend and say itâs just natural. Brother, faith does not deny the presence of mountains. Donât think you are walking in faith living in self denial and be thinking thatâs something thatâs obvious doesnât exist. Consequently, some people say â Jesus said itâs finished so why are we still looking for demonsâ? This is my question to you â Did Jesus pay for your sickness? Is that not true? Do you sometimes fall sick? The priesthood of Jesus isnât a substitute for our priesthood. If you decide to be unproductive, Satan will dominate you even though you are a Christian. God wonât do for you what he placed you to do on this earth.
You being a sacrifice goes beyond saying â Iâm the righteousness of God in Christ Jesusâ or salvation which is true. This acceptance has to do with consecration. You can say you are the righteousness of God and live a life style that doesnât honour God at all. You will have to live a deliberate and consistent holy life to attract God as the merciful One. If you want to break the yoke of having children outside wedlock in your life, you must ask God to give you grace to stop fornicating. If you donât, no matter the sacrifice you give to the Lord who is Holy, that sacrifice wonât have any effect in the spirit. This is because, God loves the sinner but hates sin so if you decide to dwell in sin, your sacrifices canât move the hand of God. You canât be happy to be an alcoholic and say everyone drinks so for that matter everyone is like and think without genuine repentance your sacrifice will be accepted by God. No!! You canât be visiting Juju men and send a sacrifice to the altar of God and expect it to work for you. You canât be cheating people, insulting or always criticizing all men of God, stealing or defrauding people, committing abortions and think when you sacrifice without repentance God will accept you and your offering. This is one of the reasons why some people feel their sacrifices arenât producing any results. If we are not living for God, letâs check that. Nevertheless, if we are, letâs wait patiently for God for in His time, He makes all things beautiful. Remember, the purpose of this write up is not to judge anyone but to wake us up to the reality of life and do what is needed to put to shame our enemies and ultimately give God all the glory! I hope you are not angry with me because we are all learning. If you get offended with me and close your heart, you do yourself a great disservice for thatâs the work of Satan. When this basic principle is in place, I mean the life of consecration or holy living you can confidently apply other types of powerful sacrifices that we will discuss in the next write up and win your battles. You just canât miss that one. You will displace the devil and his cohorts with the knowledge you shall receive from God Almighty.
Prayer: Lord, I thank you for your word. Thank you for the knowledge I have received. Help me live a holy life from this very day so as to move your hand in my life when I sacrifice. Thank you for answering my prayer in Jesus name! Amen!
âBless and affectionately praise the Lord, O my soul, And all that is [deep] within me, bless His holy name. Bless and affectionately praise the Lord, O my soul, And do not forget any of His benefits; Who forgives all your sins, Who heals all your diseases; Who redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you [lavishly] with lovingkindness and tender mercy; Who satisfies your years with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the [soaring] eagle.â Psalms 103:1-5 AMP
As I picked up the girls from school earlier this week, an incident happened that taught me a little lesson. Iâd usually drop them off and pick them up everyday unless for days when I have so much work to finish up or their father is already in town and can fetch them on his way home. That was the case a day prior to this and they were very excited (especially the older one) that he got them instead.
So on this day, the younger came out first and I strapped her in while we waited for her sister. As soon as the older one came out and saw me, rather than her happy self she broke out in tears. I was taken aback and my first instinct was that something might have happened in school that made her sad. So I tried to probe to understand the reason why she was crying and then she dropped the bombshell; âI wanted daddy to pick me up instead!â I was so surprised how such a little thing (to me) had gotten to her so much. So I tried to calm her down and explained why he wasnât available to make it that day. She wasnât having it. Then I asked her why the preference and she didnât have any reason, all she knew was that, thatâs what she wanted. I was beginning to get upset and I asked if she would rather I left so she found her own way home (hilarious because sheâs just four years old) and she exclaimed no! Then I asked if I should leave her in the school so daddy could get her later while I left with her sister but she didnât like that idea either. I asked her to stop cry and wipe her tears.
As a slowly backed up and exited the school, I had to calm down and process my own emotions because I was getting upset with her tantrum. And then I found the words to say. I told her how when I was her age my parents couldnât afford the âluxuryâ of dropping and picking me up from school every day due to the nature of their jobs. It was either someone they could trust did that for them or I joined a neighbour who also had children in my school. As my siblings and I grew older, we eventually learnt to find our way around.
I further explained to her that she had to be grateful to God that somehow either of us were able to make the time to do this ourselves. As she processed all that I was saying (which was quite a lot frankly), I asked her to say a short prayer with me to ask God to forgive her for being ungrateful. She lightened up as I got them a snack on the way to cheer her up.
So while they enjoyed it in silence, I reflected on the conversation and realized that, her reaction was just a representation of how we individually and collectively as Godâs children sometimes show ingratitude for certain circumstances we donât foresee. Sometimes we expect life to turn out a particular way for us and so when things donât happen as planned by our human strength we lose hope and forget the good things that we are currently enjoying.
Iâm here to remind you (and me âumble self because eno easy laidat ooođ¤Łđ¤Łđ¤Ł), that all things work together for good to them that love the Lord and walk according to His purpose. That second bit right there is heavily important (emphasis intended). If and when youâre walking in the purpose of God for your life, even when the storms are raging high you have have a hope that it will all work out in your favour. When your are out of his will for you then there should be cause for alarm.
âAnd we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and purpose.â Romans 8:28 AMP
Oh, so the story doesnât end there. Later that night while doing our usual routine for bedtime, I took our earlier conversation a little deeper. I attempted to explain to her the benefits we enjoy as children of God. So I asked her if she knew that people had eyes but couldnât see all the beautiful things around us, had a mouth but couldnât talk, had ears but couldnât hear, limbs but couldnât walk and so on. She looked so confused. So I told her that we were privileged to enjoy these things not because we deserved better but only because of Godâs grace and mercy. She still had the confused expression on her face as she admitted that she didnât know people couldnât do all those things. As I saw the look in her eyes while she processed all the information, I realized she felt âluckyâ for lack of a better word that she is able to enjoy all this without a struggle.
Our prayer time that evening was different. She repeated each line of thanksgiving a little more enthusiastically. I felt satisfied because although she may not have grasped the full scope of being grateful, a little seed had been sown.
Below is a link to our new favorite school commute song – 10,000 Reasons by Matt Redmann. I hope it encourages you to be more grateful.
As the Yuletide draws near and the year comes to a close, may we be intentional with our gratitude and remember to be thankful for everything. Bless the Lord oh my soul and FORGET NOT ALL HIS BENEFITS!!!
What does it mean to âbe circumspectâ? A dictionary definition explains it as being wary and unwilling to take risks. The latin root implies to look around, to be careful or cautious. Another definition was âliving by the spirits powerâ. In todayâs exposition, weâll define it simply and being led by the Holy Spirit.
As we read a few scriptures today, I hope they serve as a gentle reminder that our time here on earth is a pretty short journey. Each day you wake up with breath in your lungs in proof that there is still a purpose and mandate that you, in particular, need to achieve.
âSo be careful how you live. Donât live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Donât act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Donât be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.â – Ephesians 5:15-20 NLT
Be thankful for where youâve come from and what youâve been through. Be grateful for where you are today and what you currently do. Never forget however to also honour God for trusting you enough with more time and a future to fulfill that purpose for which you were created. If ever you feel lost, confused or incapable (all deceptions from the pit of hell by the way), donât hesitate to seek wisdom and guidance from the Holy Spirit and through Godâs holy word.
âIf you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.â – James 1:5 NLT
âUnderstand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls. But donât just listen to Godâs word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and donât obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and donât forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.â – James 1:19-25 NLT
The following sentences sum the above scripture up. Be careful what you say and do. Be careful what you see and hear. Be humble to receive and obey the purpose God has mandated you to execute for that is where your blessing will come from.
âAnd it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.â – Luke 2:15-20 KJV
Let people see your works and be witnesses of what God is doing through you to impact the lives of others. The shepherds became witnesses of what they saw after visiting Mary and Joseph. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Oftentimes our âokro mouthâ may endanger us and our purpose/destiny or lead us on a journey of self-sabotage. I digress!!!⌠but itâs the bitter truth. You mustnât always blow your own trumpet.
May the Holy Spirit lead us in all truth, teach us when and when not to talk, what and what not to say, how and how not to live. That we will not be tossed about by the tempest of this world but rather that we might live purposefully for the glory and honour of Adonai.
We continue our lesson on spiritual authority with more in-depth focus on loyalty and disloyalty. What does it mean to be loyal? What does a loyal person do? To whom must you be loyal and more.
Loyalty & Disloyalty What is Loyalty:
The word Loyalty means a number of things such as being faithful, trustworthy, dependable, committed, having an unwavering allegiance, being truthful, dedicated, constant and reliable. Being trustworthy and reliable also means, we are as good as our word.
Examples of loyal people in the Bible
âFor the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.â 2 Chronicles 16:9 KJV
âMost men will proclaim every one his own goodness: But a faithful man who can find?âProverbs 20:6 KJV
God looks for Faithful and Loyal people; those whose hearts are perfect or loyal. Daniel and his three friends were good examples and very loyal when they were in Babylonian captivity. Moses was the meekest man on the earth and was very faithful. Paul the Apostle was very faithful and referred to himself as a bondservant of Christ.
âAnd Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after;â. Hebrews 3:5 KJV
âPaul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,âRomans 1:1 KJV
Loyalty in the Church
To be loyal and faithful in the church is to be in a fruit bearing relationship with Christ and also faithfully carry out responsibilities given us.
We must be faithful in attendance to Church, in carrying out responsibilities assigned to us and this means we don’t come up with excuses. It also means we are truthful in character, not double tongued, double faced or pretentious. Loyalty and being dependable means we come to church early and on time and leave when church closes. Doing things to the best of our abilities makes us dependable and committed.
âNow as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth. And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know. But if any man love God, the same is known of him. As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one. For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and Lords many,)â. 1 Corinthians 8:1-5 KJV
Reasons why we have to be Loyal in the Church
âWherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection. And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen, that he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place. And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.â Acts 1:21-26 KJV
Loyalty is required when choosing people for roles in the church. Faithfulness was a criterion in choosing a replacement for Judas and still is today. Our commitment to Church must not be dependent on certain factors such as who we like or whether we are in the good books of some leaders. It must be total and unwavering. God’s principal requirement in choosing leaders or stewards is faithfulness, not charisma, exciting preaching, gifts of the Spirit, as important and good as these gifts are. Being faithful means loyal, unwavering allegiance.
âLet a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.â 1 Corinthians 4:1-2 KJV
1. God requires Loyalty in every area including Financial Fidelity.
God requires financial fidelity from leaders. God gives us gifts but rewards faithful people. Matt 25 Jesus said âthou good and faithful servantâ. We are required to be Faithful in all our Monetary responsibilities in the house of God such as payment of our Tithes and offerings- If we are unfaithful in unrighteous Marmon, God will not give us true riches. Mal 3:10; Luke 16:10-11
2. God is looking for people with Integrity
God looks at the heart of men and we must be men and women of integrity. Men may admire us for our gifts, but God looks at our heart and motives and therefore we must have integrity. Integrity comes from Integer, whole numbers. Not simple fractions nor mixed ones. What I say must be what I do. Our public lives must be same as private lives. We should not have double standard lives.
3. We close opportunities for Satan to destroy the church from within
Most of the lethal stories about men of God come from those who live with them, from within. Similarly, bad press about the church or ministry normally starts with some disgruntled or disloyal church members being the source of sending out the information. As loyal church members we ought to be disciplined enough to keep confidential information to ourselves. We must be careful not to leak confidential information when we have access to them. Gossiping, Backbiting, foul mouthing are indicative of spirits of unfaithfulness. If we are faithful to others, we won’t say bad things about them.
âA talebearer revealeth secrets: But he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.â Proverbs 11:13 KJV
4. Allows the church to operate in love and unity*
Loyalty is the extreme form of love and commitment. Our first and highest form of Loyalty goes to God, then cascades down in levels to church leadership. In church our loyalty is to our Pastor who serves as the spiritual authority over us. If you are loyal to someone, you will be protective of the person. It is worthy of note that Loyalty brings out our Christian maturity. It takes Christian and spiritual maturity to walk in loyalty/ love.
âBy this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.â John 13:35 KJV
5. It creates limitless possibility for church growth:
Jesus started a ministry and it was continued by the disciples who were loyal to Christ and to His Vision, and today we have a mega church. If you want the church to grow, you need loyalty. We can grow without bounds when there is loyalty. Without loyalty there are church break-offs, disintegration, stalemate, etc due to offence, disloyalty, greed, etc.
Sheep/Goat Members
âand before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:âMatthew 25:32 KJV
People go through three stages when becoming members of churches. The Deer, Goat and Sheep stages. In the deer stage, they are newly converted and swift-footed and difficult to keep in one place and also difficult to track down/handle. Goat members are better than the deer ones, but they do what they want to do and are less likely to follow. It is difficult to have loyal members at this stage although these are a lot friendlier, but these can have traces of stubbornness. Sheep members are more devoted and follow the shepherd. They stay together and move with the group and are easier to pastor. Some characteristics of sheep members are such as: they are devoted, committed, faithful, dependable and loving members. Sheep members are loyal and make the shepherd happy.
How can we be loyal
Firstly, we must be fully persuaded about the person, vision or ministry because loyalty is a matter of the heart. When there are doubts and uncertainties in the heart it is difficult to be committed to a vision or mission. Full persuasion comes with right information and communication.
We must not base our persuasion/decision on information from the grapevine but rather make an extra effort to get information from the right sources.
âFinally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.â Philippians 4:8 KJV
Secondly, we must not withhold information from leadership when the information is needed for the good of the church or ministry. On the Corinthians church, Paul dealt with the situation of fornication and so averted God’s judgement on the people. He also handled reports of contention by Chloe, who was a church member, not even a Pastor.
âIt is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife.â 1 Corinthians 5:1 KJV
âFor it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.â 1 Corinthians 1:11 KJV
Thirdly, loyalty must be to the highest authority. Fourthly, Loyalty must be based on Principle, not Emotion. Emotion is an expression or voice of the soul. Emotions include anger, happiness, sadness, grief, etc. Emotions result from belief systems and vacillate sometimes.
Jonathan did not side with his own father Saul against David even though he was the heir apparent. Jonathan displayed a high level of loyalty by allowing Principle to guide him and not emotion. Jonathan knew it was God’s will for David to be the next king instead of him. Jonathan was loyal to a higher authority which is God, though he had emotions towards his father and possibly towards the dream or possibility of being the next king himself.
Those who follow emotions instead of principle(s) normally perish. Examples are the Israelites who followed Absalom in his rebellion. Similarly, those who followed Korah & Co. on their revolt against Moses. The angels who followed Lucifer in their rebellion against God were cast down with Lucifer and are awaiting their final judgement of being cast into hell fire.
Last but not least, Loyalty will cost us Relationships and Friends You cannot be loyal to everybody at the same time. For instance when you are in a relationship that is not helping you as a Christian, you cut off that relationship. Your loyalty is to Christ 1John 2:15-17; Like 14:26
Loyalty goes both ways, from the greatest to the least and the least to the greatest. The spiritual authority or shepherd has to be loyal to the sheep in order for the sheep to build trust for them. If the shepherd is disloyal towards the sheep and is coercing them to get from them there is no way any sheep in the flock will be loyal to the shepherd, at the slightest chance of opportunity they will leave. If the shepherd also fulfill their portion as a spiritual authority feeding the sheep, leading them beside still waters, etc, the sheep will equally be loyal and will continually stay where they are assured of growth and sustenance.
âAnd when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.â John 10:4 KJV
Jesus said, my sheep hear my voice and the strangers voice they will lot heed. Let he who has an ear hear what the spirit is saying.
âLet every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: for he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.â – Romans 13:1-7 KJV
âwho being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;â – Hebrews 1:3 KJV
âAnd lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.â – Matthew 6:13 KJV
âAnd the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.â – Matthew 26:62-64 KJV
The subject of Spiritual Authority is established on the truth that God is the only authority in the universe. That all other authorities are appointed by God and that there is nothing greater than Godâs authority in the universe and nothing can surpass it. If we want to serve God, then we must know and understand Godâs authority. A few principles will help us establish this:
1. Godâs throne is established upon authority and all things have been created by the authority of God. All laws on earth are held together through authority. Hence, the Bible says that God upholds all things by the word, which is His authority (Heb. 1:3b). It does not say that God upholds all things by His power. Godâs authority represents God Himself.
2. God has His appointed authorities in the nation, family and in the church. In 1 Timothy 2:2 Paul admonishes us to pray for Kings and all in authority. He says it is good in the sight of God.
3. In the church the five-fold ministry and elders who lead and establish Godâs flock in the local church are Godâs appointed authority. God commands that all should submit to these in the church. 1 Peter 5:5 Your head pastor or general overseer is Godâs appointed authority in your local church. He is the highest authority and has the mandate to appoint the ordained pastors and ministers in all the church under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We are to submit to all of these.
4. 1 Corinthians 16:15 Paul speaks of those who are elderly in age, while 1 Corinthians 16:15 speaks of the household of Stephanas as âthe firstfruits of Achaia (indicating seniority in the order of salvation), and they have set themselves to minister to the saints.â Stephanas was exceedingly humble and had set himself to minister to the saints. In verse 16 the apostle further said, âYou also be subject to such ones, and to everyone co-working and laboring.â
5. We should see authority everywhere, both in our church groups and departments.
REBELLION TO AUTHORITY IS TANTAMOUNT DISOBEDIENCE
Satan became Satan because he overstepped Godâs authority. He wanted to compete with God and to stand in opposition to God. Rebellion was the cause of the fall of Satan.
âHow art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.â – Isaiah 14:12-15 KJV
âThou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.âEzekiel 28:13-17 KJV
Isaiah 14:12-15 and Ezekiel 28:13-17 speak of the transgression and the fall of Satan. Isaiah 14 tells us that Satan violated Godâs authority, while Ezekiel 28 tells us that he violated Godâs holiness. Violating Godâs authority is a matter of rebellion; it is more serious than violating Godâs holiness.
We can never violate the matter of authority. To do so is to follow the principle of Satan. We can never preach the word of Christ under the principle of Satan which is rebellion. There is a possibility in Godâs work that we can stand in principle on Satanâs side, while we stand in doctrine on Christâs side. All the while, we may think that we are still doing the Lordâs work. This is a very evil thing.
THE GOD-ESTABLISHED SYSTEMS OF AUTHORITY In the World – 1 Tim 2:1-5
There are four signs of submission to authority on earth: (Mark 12:13-17) rendering
(1) tax to whom tax is due,
(2) custom to whom custom is due,
(3) fear to whom fear is due, and
(4) honor to whom honor is due.
For a Christian, abiding by the law is not something done out of fear of punishment but out of the exercise of his conscience before God. If he does not submit, his conscience will be condemned. This is why we have to learn to submit to our local government. Godâs children cannot criticize or revile the government lightly
In the Family – God has established His authority in the family.God has established the husband as the deputy authority of Christ, and the wife as the representation of the church. Unless the wife sees the authority that the husband represents, the authority that God has set up, it is difficult for her to submit. She has to see that it is not a matter of her husband but a matter of Godâs authority. Titus 2:5; 1 Peter 3:1
Children are to obey their parents in the Lord. Ephesians 6:1-3 Servants are to obey their masters, even as they obey the Lord. Timothy 6:1; Titus 2:9-10
I hope this has opened the eyes of your understanding regarding Godâs sovereignty. We will delve deeper into the dynamics of Godâs authority in the church and in our lives. May we acknowledge who God is in order to revere Him in all of his power and majesty.
When a man or woman is called into ministry, he or she becomes a different person altogether because he or she officially becomes a representative or an ambassador of the kingdom of light. Concerning this kingdom, apostle Paul says in Colossians 1: 13 âHe has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his dear Sonâ. Now, this scripture applies to all believers in general and those who are called into the five fold ministry are not an exception. However, these ministers of God who represents Godâs kingdom of light here on earth have been mandated by the Almighty God to âequip Godâs people to do his work (not only limited to ministry) and build up the churchâŚ(Ephesians 4:12). Do you see that? For them to carry out this assignment they must certainly be above the ordinary believer in rank and glory for by strength shall no man prevail.
Despite the fact that itâs true that there are a lot of imbalances in the body of Christ, it doesnât mean we should conclude and say all ministers of God are fraudsters or swindlers. We give to the poor and needy, orphanages and widows and some of us too give to sponsor works that donât give glory to the Lord. So the big question now is when I give to the Lord through his servant, what happens?
The first thing that happens when you give to a servant of God is that, you handover your troubles or battles to him. In other words, your battles become the battles of the Lord since he (the man of God) represents God. He begins to pray for you physically and in his closet. God then begins to reveal deeps things about you to him and shows him what to do for you to be blessed or come out of your battle. Elijah was fed by a widow in Zarephath in 1 Kings 17. In the same verse, the womanâs son died and Elijah was called upon because of the relationship she had with Godâs vessel and he ( Elijah) responded accordingly by resurrecting the lad from the dead.
Do we have to pay men of God for the services they render us? No! But wisdom demands we honour them with our prayers and substance because the gospel rides on the winds of money. So, Ietâs learn to connect to God through His people. What is dead in your life? Is it your marriage, is your business doing badly? Or you have a challenge with your health? Brother, please learn to bail yourself out of that ugly situation by blessing Godâs people. We may not need your money per se but for you to be blessed you need to provoke the anointing. One of the things I find so difficult in ministry is to appeal for funds or teach on giving. Many people close their ears and voluntarily decide not to give thinking they are doing the man of God a disservice. Paul says in Philippians 4: 16 -17 âEven when I was in Thessalonica you sent help more than once. I donât say this because I want a gift from you. Rather, I want you to receive a reward for your kindnessâ. I want you to receive a reward he says. What reward? You have got to do something for someone before you are rewarded. Ever since you got that employment you fasted and prayed for, did you personally honour your man of God with your substance? Donât wait for trouble to come before you begin to honour him. Please, do it now! When you were promoted at work, did you honour your father in the Lord?
You know what? The man of God has a covenant with the Lord that surmounts certain levels of battles so as you give to him, you allow his covenant to bail you out of your challenges. So, for some of us we donât have to spend all monies that we receive. Out of the monies we receive is a seed that can be sown and eventually produce good fruits for us tomorrow. I pity those who steal from the house of God. Anything that is for the man of God or is in the house of God belongs to God so if we touch it dishonestly we steal from God and that action can attract Godâs anger on us. Some months ago, someone came to our church and stole one of our flatscreen TVs and bolted away. That fellow didnât know what he did. The articles you see in Godâs house do not only belong to God but are Godâs peopleâs expectations. Gehazi attracted leprosy to himself by dishonestly taking money from Naaman. Some people are struggling in life and in destiny because they took that which belonged to Godâs servant or the church and thought it was nothing. The curses that follow such people canât be averted because itâs God Himself dealing with them.
Besides, when you give to a man of God or a ministry, you open up yourself to marvelous possibilities. Even in the dark world, when you give to fetish priests or people who serve dark altars, you receive something from them which is always a negative reward. How much more when you give to the Lordâs servant. The Bible says in support of this point that âAnyone who receives a prophet as one who speaks for God, you will be given the same reward of a prophet. And if you receive righteous people because of their righteousness, you will be given a reward like theirsâ – Matthew 10:40. The reward the Bible is talking about is a product of what you do. Without sowing you donât reap in any realm or whatsoever. You can receive an unction or a new one if you had one already, a grace or favour when you give to Godâs men. When Moses laid hands on Joshua, the Bible says he ( Joshua) received something from Moses which was the spirit of wisdom. As you give, donât give up, continue till you begin to walk in the realm of wealth. In fact, itâs in these hard times that you have to dare God by giving. Your faith must be at work if you want to ascend higher realms. I have personally received several graces by giving to men of God, ministries and even believers. I started giving when I was not even financially stable and the Lord never disappointed me. Hallelujah!
When it was time for Isaac to bless Jacob, he said to him âmake me venisonâ. Was Isaac that hungry? Wasnât his wife around? Why call a man to prepare you food to eat when a woman, in fact your wife is around and sheâs hale and hearty? Think about it!!! He simply wanted to release something on his son! There are mantles that are hanging in the realm of the Spirit that need to be caught but most of us arenât ready. Mantles for leadership, finance, administration, ministry among others are available. Itâs true that itâs not only giving that attracts such mantles but brethren, a sacrifice from you can bring upon a mantle that took years for your pastor to have. What are you waiting for? Do you want to follow naysayers and disdain men of God by not honouring them when the need arises? The choice is yours though.
I know without a shadow of doubt that you are a wise person and for that matter you will become wiser after reading this write up by doing kingdom business. I see you become a kingdom financier. You will be so rich that you will lend to institutions and even individuals because the wealth of the unbelievers shall be transferred to you because you put the word of God into practice. â If you know these things, happy are you when you do them – John 13: 17
We are in difficult times around the world. Several things have happened concurrently. Nations rising up against each other, the death of prominent World figures and the ongoing recession in many countries. Times are not as rosy as they have been in the recent past however our poverty may be our greatest blessing. Because of how tough things currently are, we are looking up to God more for our sustenance. This draws my mind to the Israelites and their wilderness experience.
âKeep and live out the entire commandment that Iâm commanding you today so that youâll live and prosper and enter and own the land that God promised to your ancestors. Remember every road that God led you on for those forty years in the wilderness, pushing you to your limits, testing you so that he would know what you were made of, whether you would keep his commandments or not. He put you through hard times. He made you go hungry. Then he fed you with manna, something neither you nor your parents knew anything about, so you would learn that men and women donât live by bread only; we live by every word that comes from Godâs mouth. Your clothes didnât wear out and your feet didnât blister those forty years. You learned deep in your heart that God disciplines you in the same ways a father disciplines his child.â Deuteronomy 8:1-5 MSG
What can you exchange for your soul? Sometimes the seemingly bad things are in place so that you recognize God as your source. Certain lessons are only really understood through tough experiences. Crises teach you how to be more humble and test your tenacity . How do you react when you are at ground zero? Being in a low place allows you to think deeply about situations and acknowledge that you are not indispensable.
You need to always be thankful for all the things that you have been through. It could be a painful heartbreak from a relationship you had hoped to have a lasting future. When you remember how ill-treated you were by the person or perhaps you were made a mockery of after all the sacrifices and investment of time and resources you made only to be cast away. God probably wanted to let you know that your sweet face, educational certificates or affluent family background is not a guarantee of receiving good things or being favoured. He is teaching you some virtue and to truly appreciate when something better comes your way much later.
A doctor once had to carry out a postmortem on a beautiful woman who had recently died. She had been placed on a trolley in the mortuary. The standard in that mortuary was that two bodies share one trolley. The dead womanâs nails looked freshly done before her untimely death. As her remains lay on the trolley, the body of the man that lay next to her in the opposite direction had its foot in her mouth. The thought that crossed the doctors mind was how this very clean, prim and proper looking woman might not have even associated herself with such a lowly and dirty looking man had she still been alive.
âAnd now I have a word for you who brashly announce, âTodayâat the latest, tomorrowâweâre off to such and such a city for the year. Weâre going to start a business and make a lot of money.â You donât know the first thing about tomorrow. Youâre nothing but a wisp of fog, catching a brief bit of sun before disappearing. Instead, make it a habit to say, âIf the Master wills it and weâre still alive, weâll do this or that.ââJames 4:13-15 MSG
When God takes you through an experience which brings you to ground zero, just let it make you grateful. The reality is that in our our âbignessâ, with all we say and do we are just fleshâŚnothingâŚdust. One might say, âbut I have never even been in a relationship before. I am so lonely and no one ever takes me seriouslyâ. Whether you have had heartbreaks in relationships or not, both situations are experiences. All things work together for good.
You may have had so many people breaking your heart, using you or taking advantage of your kindness. You might also not have ever been dated/courted since you came of age. God has a unique reason for making you go through what you are going through. Those who have many experiences with bad relationships may be learning to appreciate a good thing when they finally receive it. A person on the other hand who might not have had any relationship experience is being saved the situation of comparing their past relationships to what God has in store for them so that they donât mess it up.
Someone might be able to still excel in life even after suffering several heartaches. Another person after just one major heartbreak could lose themselves in depression or literally go mad. You need to always be thankful for the paths and journey that your life takes especially when you are relying fully on Godâs grace and guidance. Remember that God will never give you more than you can handle. He always knows what is best for you.
âSo itâs paramount that you keep the commandments of God, your God, walk down the roads he shows you and reverently respect him. God is about to bring you into a good land, a land with brooks and rivers, springs and lakes, streams out of the hills and through the valleys. Itâs a land of wheat and barley, of vines and figs and pomegranates, of olives, oil, and honey. Itâs land where youâll never go hungryâalways food on the table and a roof over your head. Itâs a land where youâll get iron out of rocks and mine copper from the hills. After a meal, satisfied, bless God, your God, for the good land he has given you. Make sure you donât forget God, your God, by not keeping his commandments, his rules and regulations that I command you today. Make sure that when you eat and are satisfied, build pleasant houses and settle in, see your herds and flocks flourish and more and more money come in, watch your standard of living going up and upâmake sure you donât become so full of yourself and your things that you forget God, your God, the God who delivered you from Egyptian slavery; the God who led you through that huge and fearsome wilderness, those desolate, arid badlands crawling with fiery snakes and scorpions; the God who gave you water gushing from hard rock; the God who gave you manna to eat in the wilderness, something your ancestors had never heard of, in order to give you a taste of the hard life, to test you so that you would be prepared to live well in the days ahead of you. If you start thinking to yourselves, âI did all this. And all by myself. Iâm rich. Itâs all mine!ââwell, think again. Remember that God, your God, gave you the strength to produce all this wealth so as to confirm the covenant that he promised to your ancestorsâas it is today. If you forget, forget God, your God, and start taking up with other gods, serving and worshiping them, Iâm on record right now as giving you firm warning: that will be the end of you; I mean itâdestruction. Youâll go to your doomâthe same as the nations God is destroying before you; doom because you wouldnât obey the Voice of God, your God. * * *âDeuteronomy 8:6-20 MSG
The mistake we usually make is to forget and think that our own strength has brought us to where we are. And oftentimes when we are blessed we have the tendency of being proud and ungrateful. Remember why God is making you wealthy so that you will support His work and be a blessing.
God wants to really bless you because He wants to establish His word throughout the nations. He will bring you into a good land after going through the miry clay of life. You only need to trust His direction and timing. A time is coming when you will be surrounded with abundance so much that you will not just be blessed but be a blessing to many others.
Glory be to God in the highest. Itâs been an amazing year of sharing the word of God through the lenses of our individual experiences walking with God. It takes humility to receive the spirit of revelation and wisdom from the Lord. God has been good to us. As we progress in life we need to be careful to show off a thankful attitude/ posture. We must be thankful to God, to those who help us and to our parents for the many things God does for us. When you are not thankful and grateful you develop four problems.
1. The problem of forgetfulness. You cease to remember how you came to where you are. You do not remember circumstances others similar to you are dealing with and how God has delivered you from similar things. You tend to forget all these realities and this makes you unthankful.
2. The problem of deception. You become deceived. You tend to think of yourself as the author and engineer of your blessings. A man can have nothing except it be given to Him from above. If God does not give you something you cannot have it.
3. You develop a problem of pride. People who are unthankful, forgetful and deceived are always proud. Pride is the insidious killer of Christianity. It drives out and drowns out the word of God and what you receive from God. Scripture says that except you become like a little child you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven. This means that you need to become as simple minded as a child to enable you get saved or enter salvation. A child may be nothing or nobody and they believe and listen and live freely without the nuances or biases of life. When they are nurtured or schooled with certain specific dictates and doctrines then they become proud as they grow. Children are typically not bothered or concerns about who they are or what they have achieved. They just flow and hence why God says unless you become like that you cannot be saved or have the baptism of the Holy Spirit and speak in tongues.
âHe called a child to him, stood him among them, and said, âYes! I tell you that unless you change and become like little children, you wonât even enter the Kingdom of Heaven!â ââMattityahu (Matthew)⏠â18âŹ:â2âŹ-â3⏠âCJBâŹâŹ
You cannot enter the ministry unless you are like a child. When God instructs, you need simple childlike behavior in order to obey. People may even wonder whether you are okay or sane. Children rarely ever think about the future. The just glide through life until they reach the age of consciousness to the dictates of this world. Recently I saw a lady jokingly interview her two little nieces (obviously she didnât expect much from this little exercise) who were busy jumping around watching television and playing. She was asking them how the depreciation of the Ghana cedi has affected them and how they are coping in such hard times. Their response: they just looked at her blankly for a moment and went right back to skipping around the room and watching their TV show, clearly unbothered about what she had asked and how it affected them.
You suffer from pride when you are unthankful. Pride is a very terrible disease. Children rarely think about the future. Except you become like a child you cannot receive the provision that God has and his promise of a great future. It is only when you are in a place of dependency that you are humble enough to receive. Once you have the mindset of independence, you block out the channels or sources of reception and only then do you decide to fend for your own self. You cannot even have visions and dreams that are Holy Spirit inspired because you need to be like a child to receive such things. That is why the Bible says, you cannot enter the kingdom of God except you become like a child. As soon as we become proud, we are shut off and cut off from Godâs greatest blessings.
4. You suffer from rebellion when you are unthankful. You become rebellious toward the Lord. Remember Saul, the king of Israel?
âShâmuâel said, âDoes Adonai take as much pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying what Adonai says? Surely obeying is better than sacrifice, and heeding orders than the fat of rams. âFor rebellion is like the sin of sorcery, stubbornness like the crime of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of Adonai, he too has rejected you as king.ââ ââSh’mu’el Alef (1 Samuel)⏠â15âŹ:â22âŹ-â23⏠âCJBâŹâŹ
So then, who are we supposed to be thankful towards:
Obviously we need to be thankful to God Almighty for the things we do not notice because without them we wouldnât be able to live . Eg.Water, the air we breathe and even our very lives.
Our parents; you usually appreciate their value when they are already gone. We realize that the training and the discipline we suffered in their hands modules us into who we become in this life.
We donât appreciate churches. We deem them as institutions that just collect money from poor people to buy expensive things for themselves. You never understand the value of something until itâs taken away from you. If you want to know if something is valuable, imagine if it was gone forever.
God wants us not to be forgetful, deceived and proud. One of the greatest things in this life is for God to humble us. May we learn to humble ourselves on our own accord and for our own good. I pray that we become Christians who are filled with gratitude and are thankful.
Praise the Lord Jesus Christ the One who was, Who is and is to come. Hallelujah !
We live in difficult times now where our faith in God is being tested day in and day out. The ability to go through the day effectively and maintain a sound mind requires faith. I believe the year 2020 has been a prelude of main situations that have tested the faith of believers. From Covid to lockdowns, to masks, vaccines – single, double, triple doses with booster shots, global financial difficulties, wars, rumors of wars ⌠and many many happenings that have overwhelmed the world. This is Matthew 24 playing out before our eyes.
âAnd Jesus answered and said to them: âTake heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, âI am the Christ,â and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. âThen they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My nameâs sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.â Matthew 24:4-14 NKJV
With all that is going on around us. A believer needs to maintain his/her faith in God so as not to be overwhelmed. Because thinking on these happenings will put fear in you. Our faith towards God and His promises must be be shaken in order to remain in perfect peace. Yes perfect peace. The peace of God is a reality in the midst of storms.
âYou will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.â Isaiah 26:3 NKJV
The secret to having peace in the midst of hardship is to keep your mind on Jesus. Your mind is the gateway to your soul, and all your emotions, will, intellect emanate from there. For you to be in perfect peace (balanced peaceful life, emotional, physical, psychological etc) requires you keep your eyes on Jesus. For as long as Peter maintained his eyes on Jesus he walked on the Sea of Galilee. When he looked at the storm he begun to sink. Hallelujah LORD my eyes are on you only. Because You are the King over the storms.
There is a measure of faith God gives to any one who is born again. To be able to believe in Jesus as the Son of God requires faith. And so the measure of faith you need to believe in God is already deposited in your heart. You need to exercise it to see the salvation of the Lord.
The Bible talks about God dealing with us according to the measure of our faith. This means God does not deal with all of us on the same level. The extent to which you can get Godâs attention depends on the faith you posses.
âFor I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.â Romans 12:3 NKJV
Great faith. There are some who possess great faith towards God. For these people we see the salvation of the Lord.
âWhen Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, âAssuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!â Matthew 8:10 NKJV
If there is Great faith then there is also weak faith. And if your faith is weak towards God you cannot attract any good thing from Him. Weak faith walks with doubt and doubt makes you a double minded person. And Bible says such people cannot receive any good thing from the Lord.
âReceive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things.â Romans 14:1 NKJV
In order to move from the realm of weak faith to great faith you will need to grow in the word of God. For faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Studying the Word, listening to preachings, podcasts, feeding your spirit will increase your faith from weak to strong and then to Great.
From the scripture below Apostle Paul was admonishing Timothy on the consequences of not having Faith towards God or rejecting faith towards God.
âhaving faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck,â I Timothy 1:19 NKJV
When you reject faith, the outcome of your life becomes like a shipwreck. The danger of weak faith is that doubt can make you loose the little faith you have. And when you loose the little weak faith you have you can easily compromise and compromise some more until you conscience pricks you no more. Remember the thief come not but to steal to kill and to destroy. John 10:10
When you lose your faith in God and His word you set your self on a path of shipwreck. Please remember that God will deal with you accordingly to the measure of your faith. Unfortunately itâs not automatic. There is effort required on our part to receive what we need from God.
May the Lord help us to hold on to faith and a good conscience so we are steered far from dangers that can cause us shipwreck.
This past Sunday on our way to church while negotiating onto the exit to Spintex from the the Accra mall we realised there were a few pot holes and all cars before us were maneuvering in a particular way. When we got to the pot holes filled with water, I drove straight towards that pot hole. My wife said to me âAll the other cars are going left around the pot hole and you are going right at it?â. My response to her valid comment/question was âWe live by faith and not by sightâ. Now I can tell you are considering all the various outcomes for this scenario. My response was not premeditated or even thought. The response came right out of my spirit and not from my mind. The expectation was that going through the pot whole would present a rough or uncomfortable ride but we didnât not even feel a bump in the road. This got me thinking on how as children of God, many of us live mostly by sight only and not by faith daily.
One other time I had closed from a Friday prayer meeting and was heading home, that day i planned on buying fuel on my way to church but totally forgot to do that. There was unusual traffic that Friday night for some reason. Just as passed Preset High school and got off the Atomic flyover the heavy traffic started all the way to Madina. There was no way to turn the car around, so i thought to myself, the traffic will move eventually. Just as the thought came to me I saw the empty tank light come on on my dash with the display telling me I had only 10 miles to an empty tank. Now i donât know about you but to run out of petrol in the middle of heavy traffic with no gas station in sight is not a pleasant situation to be in. I was alone and was driving a heavy Volvo XC90 4×4 which is too heavy for one person to push. Everything that could possibly go wrong crossed my mind. In the midst of that I remembered I had heard a preaching of Pastor E. A. Adeboye in which he gave a testimony that one time on his way back from preaching in a far city, his car run out of fuel while he was driving and the WORD OF THE LORD came to him saying KEEP DRIVING AND DONâT LOOK AT YOUR GAUGE. He testified that he drove for over 150KM until he got to his house, and as soon as he parked his car the engine when off. By this time the smile on my face had become very big, I said thank you Jesus for your faithfulness towards your servants. I said Oh Lord as you did it for your servant, please do same for me. Almost immediately the car fuel display unit changed from 10 miles to 20 miles, i begun to pray in tongues hahaha, the thing moved on from 20miles to 30 miles. I exclaimed âMy Godâ, kept praying the more and it moved from 30miles to 50 miles. At this point I was singing praises in the car and blessing the Name of the Lord. I was in traffic at Madina for more than an hour and guess what? The fuel did not run out. The God of Adeboye had done it again.
The essence of these testimonies is the let you understand that in life we are all faced with challenging situations day by day. Our response however cannot be the same as those who are not saved. They have only one option that is they live by sight, but we have a greater option that is walking by faith.
What then is this faith?
Quite often when we go out and are offered a seat, I doubt anyone inspects the seat before sitting. When we jump onto a trotro or an Uber the last thing that we think off is if the driver has a license. For some reason we believe things should be as we wish them.
The Bible says:
âNow faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.âHebrews 11:1-3 NKJV
Breaking it down
1. The things we hope for has to have substance. It should not be fleeting or wasteful. What we hope for must be worthy of the hope itself and must exhibit a solid and tangible presence (substance)
2. The evidence of things not seen. The display of faith results in God getting all the Glory. Things that are impossible for Man are possible with God. He does exceedingly, abundantly above all we can ask or think, or even imagine.
3. To obtain a good testimony requires the God kind of faith. Nothing good in the kingdom comes by wishing them into being. Obtaining great testimonies requires a measure of faith that places you above your circumstances.
4. The complexity of what we see and how they came into being can be believed only by faith. The world did not come into being by any big bang. That is utter nonsense to any person of faith. Things we see were made of things that did not exist.
Applying faith to our day to day lives can have its foundation on Biblical examples. The Bible says there is nothing new under the sun. So your situation is not peculiar to only you. Take a look!
Hebrews 11:8-11 (NKJV). 8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; 10 for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. 11 By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised.
So you see the kind of faith God requires from us cannot entertain any kind of doubt or unbelief. God himself who became flesh and dwelt among men said have faith in God.
Mark 11:22-24 (NKJV) So Jesus answered and said to them, âHave faith in God. 23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, âBe removed and be cast into the sea,â and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. 24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
The foundation of your faith in God is believing in Him and His word. God cannot lie, so if He has said He will surely bring it to pass.
Romans 1:17 (NKJV) 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, âThe just shall live by faith.â
The more faith you have in God the more you experience His righteousness with encompasses His faithfulness. The faith you have in God can grow. And faith grows only by the word of God. Bible says faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. The God kind of faith does not come from any other source except the word of God.
As you meditate on these things may the Lord help you to come to a place where your faith and trust is in Him and His word. The Lord bless you and keep you and show you His Salvation.
Virtuous Living 