Sunday, January 28, 2018

The Reward of Diligence

‘In all labor there is profit, But idle chatter leads only to poverty’ (Proverbs 14:23).

‘The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it’ (Gen 2:15). Work is a timeless responsibility. Before God created man He worked, after He created man He commanded man to work and even after the fall of man He still commanded man to work. Nothing works until you work it (David Oyedepo). If God worked for six days before He rested on the seventh, you should realize that nothing can be achieved without work, and until you work you don’t deserve rest. The good news is, ‘In all labor there is profit’. Everyone who works receives wages, regardless of their spirituality, be it an atheist or a Christian. The difference is Christians hear God’s voice and have His guidance, giving them an opportunity to work with great wisdom, excellence and productivity. The principle of sowing and reaping remains as long as the earth remains. Spirituality is no excuse for laziness. As a Christian you are supposed to ‘Work as if you were to live a hundred years. Pray as if you were to die tomorrow (Benjamin Franklin).
After God created man and placed him on earth, it already had invisible computers, aircrafts, and all the wonders of technological advancements we find in the present century. Adam would have been blown away with amazement if God had unraveled life in this century to him. But the truth is God had placed all the potentials and ideas to make those developments in man, and He had also placed the resources to make them on earth. So His words to man was, be fruitful (productive), multiply (impart your knowledge and duplicate yourself), replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion (Gen 1:28). Before God gave man this command, He had placed in him all that it takes to achieve all the details of his purpose. But the key to unlocking all these purposes was work.

'Nothing is to be got without labor; and he that is laborious in his calling, whether it be by manual operation, working with his hands that which is good; or by hard study, much reading, and constant meditation, is like to gain much for his own use and the good of others. A man that spends his time in idle talk, boasting of what he can do and does, and yet does nothing, is in a fair way to come to beggary: so all talk about wisdom, and knowledge, and religion, without making use of the proper means of improvement, tends to the poverty of the mind (Gill’s exposition of the entire Bible).

Many Christians are good at confessing the promises in God’s word and that is very wonderful, but the truth is after confessing God’s promises and His will for you, you are to be inspired by those promises to plan and diligently work towards a realization of those promises. Remember, God accomplished His work during His creation by sticking to the plan he had laid down. For six days He worked, creating something specific every day. On the seventh day He rested. The common believe is that people rest after they are tired of labor. The lesson here is diligence, ‘the plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty’ (Prov 21:5).

God has ordained an awe-inspiring purpose for your life. His word to you is eyes have not seen ears have not seen neither has it entered in to the hearts of men the purpose I have for those who love me (1 Cor 2:9). No man, not even you have an idea about the depth of potential God has placed in you, but the key is to remain connected to your maker, discover your purpose, make long term and short term plans for your life, add value to yourself and work diligently to fulfill those plans. Finding one’s true calling in life makes hard work bearable and fulfilling. Confucius, the Chinese philosopher said, ‘Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life’.


Thursday, January 25, 2018

Exercise toward Godliness


‘Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. For we who have believed do enter that rest’ (Heb 4:1-2).

Philosophers say that ‘20% of retention comes from what we hear, 35% of it comes from what we hear and see, 50% from what we hear, see and say, 70% from what we hear, see, say and do, and finally 90% of retention comes from what we hear, see, say, do and believe’ (Lao –Tzu, Chinese Philosopher).  This fact confirms the words of the writer of Hebrews that, ‘the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it’ (Heb 4:2).
 
Christianity is not what we say, it’s what we do.  Although faith comes through hearing the word of God, the demonstration of the power in the gospel is not in hearing the word but in obeying it. Many have been Christians for many years but have not seen significant changes in their lives, all because they have been hearers of the living word but not doers of it.  

The only way to grow in any field is to exercise or practice. Equally, the way to grow in the Christian faith is to exercise your spiritual muscles by obeying the word you’ve heard. Until you take steps to obey the Word of God, you will never experience its inherent power.  Paul told his son Timothy, ‘exercise yourself toward godliness. For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come’ (1 Timothy 4:7,8). Is your faith been tested today? Obey God and you will surly experience growth in faith after the test.

Another lesson from the statistics above is that; as a leader, the best way to make an impact is to practice what you teach. By that, your followers will see the fruits of what you teach, be inspired and easily learn from you. So Paul said to Timothy, ‘be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity…’ (1 Tim 4:12). Do you want your family, church or business to be molded by the word of God?  Then begin to practice the word before them. Remember it is easier to preach ten sermons than to live one.  The facts are clear; add feet to your faith. Results only come through obeying the Word of God.  Anyone born of God overcomes the world and the key is faith (1 John 5:4).


Sunday, January 21, 2018

The Place of your Fear, the Place of your Victory

“So He said, “I am God, the God of your father; do not fear to go down to Egypt, for I will make of you a great nation there. I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again; and Joseph will put his hand on your eyes.” (Gen 46:3, 4). 

Many people have not been able to maximize their potential in life because, they are seeing the place of their victory as the place of their fear. A classic example is when the disciples of Jesus were in the midst of the storm. Jesus came walking on the stormy sea and there is every indication that His motive was to calm the storm at the end of the day. However, instead of rejoicing his disciples were crying, seeing their deliverer as a fearful ghost (Mat 14:24-27).

There can never be growth without change. It is said that, the best definition of insanity is trying to get different results by using the same procedure. Sometimes for you to grow to the next level, you need to stretch yourself a little bit more and do some things you have never done before, which you are afraid to do. Paul the Apostle said, ‘forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus’ (Philippians 3:13-14). Bob Gass calls this ‘The rubber band principle’. And he says that ‘all rubber bands work on the same principle; they must be stretched to be effective. Anybody who has achieved anything of note has been stretched to their limit. There are no exceptions.

One of the most common mistakes is, thinking that success in life is due to some genius or some ‘special something-or-other’ you don’t possess. Get rid of that thinking, success comes when you stretch to meet the challenge; failure comes when you shrink back from it’. Always remember that, the difference between extraordinary people and ordinary people is the little extra. There are many people going through life with a go-easy attitude, waiting for doors to be opened. But remember, for some doors to be opened you sometimes need to go and knock on them. Jesus said ‘Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you’ (Mat 7:7).

What are the places of your victory that have become the place of your fear? Today, ask God for strength and guidance, and stretch yourself a little bit to get there, go the extra mile, and through Christ you shall conquer those giants. Do your best and leave the rest to God. God’s Word for you today is, ‘I am God…do not fear to go down to Egypt, for I will make of you a great nation there. I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again;’ (Gen 46:3, 4).




Friday, January 19, 2018

Keys to Effective Planning

‘Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties’ (Mark 6:29-40).

Effective planning is essential for longevity. It is man’s responsibility, in maintaining the blessings of God. There is a remarkable lesson in the story of the feeding of the over five thousand people by Jesus. Before the miracle of the multiplication of the five loaves and two fish, Jesus commanded His disciples to make the crowd sit down in ranks, in groups of hundreds and fifties, in preparation for the miracle. Due to this effective planning by Jesus and His disciples, the over five thousand people were all well fed, with twelve baskets of food left over. Without effective planning, there would have definitely being chaos, even though God multiplied the food. A lot of miracles and divine interventions are short lived because of lack of wisdom and proper planning. Many people who have experienced divine encounters are still living in lack due to improper planning, where as they would have had enough and even a surplus to bless others, if they had planned well. 

Clearly, Jesus believed, practiced and taught effective planning. It is said that, getting to the top is not as challenging as staying at the top. In his message entitled ‘Heaven and earth Mix’, E. A. Adeboye writes, ‘plans must precede program of action. Live a well–planned and thought-out life. You must have a plan for your spouse and for each of your children…When you fail to plan your family, you allow them to fit into the enemy’s plan. Whether you believe it or not, the enemies have a plan for every member of your family. So it is either you have a plan for them and destroy that of the enemy in their life, or you see them dancing to the tune of the puppet master’. Effective planning is not only needed in our homes but in all spheres of our lives, in the church, and other facets of the society, more importantly in our individual lives.

Below are tips for effective planning.
1.             Set a clearly defined purpose or goal.
2.             Know the time and resources available for that purpose.
3.             Divide things to be done into necessities (most important), more important, important and less important things (leisure).
4.             Through prayer, make a mental plan to achieve your purpose.
5.             Make reasonable and achievable plans not unrealistic plans.
6.             Put your plans on paper and make a time table.
7.             Discipline yourself to follow your time table; the secret of your future is hidden in your daily routines.
Finally remember, ‘the horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the LORD’ (Prov 21:31).


Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Wise planning

‘Any enterprise is built by wise planning, becomes strong through common sense and profits wonderfully by keeping abreast with the facts’ (Proverbs 24:3-4).

‘If the last few years have taught us anything, it's this: jobs end and companies close; stocks fall and banks fail. That doesn't mean you should avoid planning, investing or working. No, it just means after you've done all that wisdom demands; trust in nothing but God! He's your provider, your protector, and the giver of every good income-producing idea you'll ever have’ (Jentezen Franklin)

“If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” Although you won’t find it put just that way in the Bible, you will find many stories of both wise and unwise planning. Planning is part of all of our lives. The only question is, if in all our planning, we ever consult God’s perfect and eternal plan. The Bible teaches that, God is a God of both purpose and planning. In the book of Genesis we learn that, God had a purpose and He had a time table or plan to fulfill that purpose within six days. God’s purpose is to draw all humanity to Himself through Christ, and He has had a plan from eternity past till now, to fulfill that purpose (Rev 13:18).   

God has a unique purpose for every individual, He told Jeremiah that, before he was a clot of blood in his mothers womb He new him and He had a purpose for him (Jer 1:5). Like a manufacturer manufactures a car with a function or purpose for each part of the car, so does our God have a purpose for each of us (Rom 8:28). Failure to plan wisely leads to failure in fulfilling God’s purpose for ones life. ‘Any enterprise is built by wise planning…’ (Prov 24:3). This scripture is a master key for success. It is interesting to note that, many unbelievers and circular companies have been made successful through the application of this scripture. 

However, to be successful as a Christian you just don’t make your plans; you need to seek the guidance of God. This is because; your plan has to be in line with God’s purpose for your life. As a Christian, you save your self a lot of trouble if you seek God’s direction before making any plans ( Prov 3:5-6). There can be nothing like success outside God’s purpose and plan. Fulfilling God’s purpose and plan for your life is what brings fulfillment in life. God’s word lights your way, giving directions for each step (‘to your feet’) and giving wisdom for long range plans (‘to your path’) Psalm 119:105.

After seeking the face of God, your plans can be divided into long term plans and short term plans. The short term plans are supposed to be a time table of what to do, to fulfill the long term plans. Every one needs long term and short term plans in marriage, finances, education, ministry, etc. God will bless your plan; if you have one for Him to bless. Do you?

‘Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight’ (Prov 3:5-6).

The next study is on ‘the keys to effective planning’.

Tuesday, January 16, 2018

15 GOLDEN NUGGETS FOR MARRIAGE PREPARATION


“Develop your business first before building your house” (Proverbs 24:27-NLT)
“Great marriages do not happen by accident.”[1] Marriage is the only institution in which one gets a certificate before entering into it. But the truth is that like every other institution marriage is an institution that requires a great deal of preparation. Sadly enough, many enter into marriage without any preparation and their dream of enjoying marriage is tossed into the deep blue ocean. Marriage was ordained by God to be enjoyed and not endured, but the key to enjoying marriage is adequate preparations and continues improvement through continuous learning. Success in marriage is not achieved and maintained by accident, those that stumble upon success cannot enjoy it if they don’t know how to maintain it. When preparations meet opportunity there is success and this principle applies to marriage.
In every marital relationship falling in love is the easy part but staying in love is not equally easy, it requires knowledge, understanding, preparation and maturity. Christian marriage is not like buying a shirt and returning it if it doesn’t fit. So choosing a marriage partner is one of the greatest decisions one can make in life, apart from one’s decision to serve Christ and choose a vocation.

The following golden nuggets will help both men and women in preparing for blissful marriages.

  1. Make sure you love him or her
Love is an indispensable element in every marriage. Without love there is no marriage. In Genesis 24:67 when Isaac saw his wife Rebecca it is recorded that he loved her. Paul the apostle also admonishes men to love their wives as Christ loved the church (Ephesians 5:25). Marriage relationships that are solely based on dreams or ‘prophecies’ can crumble due to another dream or prophecy, but love never fails. It is important not to just marry someone because a man of God told you to, even if you don’t love the individual.  A minister can only confirm what God has already placed in your heart. All the different kinds of love are crucial for a marriage relationship to work including the Eros; sexual or passionate attraction or love, Philia; the friendship kind of love, Storge; the familial love, which pertains to love between parents and their children and the Agape or unconditional love.

  1. Be sure of your partners Christian faith
It is crucial not to enter into a marriage relationship with an unbeliever. Don’t just ask him or her “are you a Christian” and take their answer for it. Entering a relationship with an unbeliever is beginning the relationship on a wrong premise. “Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?” (Amos 3:3). In every relationship there are negotiable and nonnegotiable issues. One issue that is non-negotiable is the faith of the other person. It is a fallacy to think that you can change the person’s faith and marry them (2 Corinthians 6:14). They can ‘change’ to win your love but after winning your love they can do the same in the opposite direction. True conversion comes through a spiritual encounter with God but not human manipulations.

  1. The man needs to be actively working on a God-given vision  
Marriage is for matured men and not boys. Maturity is about insight and discipline to make the right decisions and not necessarily age, even though on the average age is usually proportionate to wisdom. Marriage is all about growing up. In the book of beginnings, Adam was already a busy man before God gave him a helper in the person of Eve. Before Eve came into Adam’s life to help, Adam already had a vision and was working hard to realize that vision, he had already named all the animals as God instructed him to and was still working the land and taking care of it (Genesis 2:20-24).  If a man is idle or depending on others, it is a signal that he is not ready for marriage because he cannot meet the basic requirement of being a provider for his family. God’s prescription according to Genesis 2:24 is that the man is supposed to leave his mother and father to be united to the wife. If a man is still depending on parents financially he is not ready for marriage.

  1. Be a virtuous woman with both inner and outer beauty
Sometimes Christian women miss the balance between physical and inner beauty. It is crucial to have both. It is important to note that one’s beauty should not only be outward but more importantly inward (Proverbs 31:10-31). However, a Christian woman cannot look grungy with the excuse of being spiritual.  Even God appreciates physical beauty. Ezekiel 16:9-14 reveals how God adorned Israel His bride with jewelry, bracelets, a necklace, nose rings, earrings and a crown. Also, in Esther 2:12 queen Esther together with the other women that were vying for the heart of King Xerxes went through 12 months of preparation physically which included, “six months with oil of myrrh, followed by six months with special perfumes and ointments.”  Also, a reflectively analyses of Ruth 3:3 reveals the role physical preparation played in Ruth gaining favor before Boaz and being married to him. It reveals that Ruth took a bath put on perfume and dressed in her nicest clothes in preparation for Boaz. 

However, it is important to note that, just as Esther was a God fearing woman, Ruth’s character and work ethic was also highly spoken of in the community. The New Testament admonishes Christian women that, “don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God. This is how the holy women of old made themselves beautiful. They put their trust in God and accepted the authority of their husbands.” (1 Peter 3:3-6 NLT). The bottom line is, Christian women need to be of noble character and men need to be industrious and of great integrity, in preparation for marriage.  It is important that young men and women preparing for marriage look beyond the physical beauty of individuals when choosing a partner.  A good wife or husband has nothing to do with physical beauty but all to do with character.

  1. Find out about the person's temperament, character and family  
It is common practice that before marriage two people in love usually focus on the strength of their partners, but after marriage they focus on each other’s weaknesses. No one is perfect, regardless if you notice negative traits in your partner that are non-negotiable to you, then it’s time to ‘re-think and re-pray’ about the person you are considering for marriage. Remember, you can’t change the person after marriage. “If we do not change our direction, we are likely to end up where we are headed.” (Ancient Chinese proverb). Don’t ignore warning signs, they are real. Most of the time “Unexpected information is ignored or twisted to fit old notions.”[2]  Personality compatibility is also another area to pay attention to. Knowing your partner’s temperament helps you understand their nature better and know what you are in for and how to adjust. That can help both of you to develop a more balanced and healthy relationship when you work together as a team. You cannot change the personality of a partner but can work together and use the strengths that each person brings to the table. This happens as you look for the strength or positive traits in your partner and build on them.

  1. Do not propose or accept a proposal before asking God if it is His will
Putting the cart before the horse does not work. While preparing for marriage it is important to pray to God with an open mind and sincere heart. Many young women have been devastated because young men broke their hearts. Some even become suicidal or get mental and emotional challenges due to marriage disappointments. Regardless, it is expedient to clarify that breaking a relationship is better than divorce, God hates divorce due to its negative ripple effects on both parties, children and the community.

We save ourselves unnecessary pain and heartaches in marriage when we seek the will of God before entering into relationships. God reveals His will through different circumstances when we seek His will. Jesus said, My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). The reality is that, even though two people may like each other, it is only God who knows what will happen in the next millisecond and the fact that two people are attracted to each other does not mean that they are meant to enter into a relationship leading to marriage. The safest place to be in the universe is in God’s will. So taking crucial life decisions like marriage without God’s guidance can be suicidal. God knows the best man or woman for you. When you serve Him faithfully and seek His will He grabs a good one for you. This brings up the issue of dating numerous people with the pretext of looking for one that is compatible with you. Some even go to the extent of living together to test “the waters” or compatibility, and that is clearly against God’s divine ordinance. Prayer is one of the bedrock foundations of a successful marriage not dating multiple people.

  1. Wait for God’s divine time  
Many people rush into courtships too early in life, at a stage when they don’t even understand their purpose and vision in life clearly. Later on in life when they get a clearer understanding of their purpose, they realize that the person they choose was not the best fit in terms of common goals and interest in life.

Consequently, it‘s crucial to be careful about extremely long relationships. Even though there may not be hard and fast rules about how long to be in a relationship before marriage. Extremely long premarital relationships can result in unnecessary temptations and stress. “Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires” (Song of Solomon 8:4).

  1. Get good premarital counseling
Marriage is a lifelong journey and should not be ventured into unadvisedly or lightly. The importance of premarital counseling cannot be overemphasized. This is because the best way to gain wisdom is through knowledge and the experiences of other people but not your own mistakes. Premarital counseling based on biblical principles can save couples from many future difficulties. It can reveal temperaments and outline the roles of the husband and wife as they relate to each other and to their prospective children (Ephesians 5:22—6:4; Colossians 3:18–21).

“It is an excellent way to clear up misconceptions about marriage, set goals, and distinguish between God’s standards and those of the world” (1 Timothy 3:4–5; Titus 1:7). It offers couples an opportunity to raise questions pertaining to the management of finances, family traits, temperaments, household chores, disciplining children, sex etc.  “Solid, biblical premarital counseling may well be the difference between a couple who knows how to work through their problems successfully and a couple who struggles with nothing more than human viewpoints and worldly standards to guide them.”[3] It is critical that a couple commits to premarital counseling with the aim of modeling their marriage after God’s ordinance.

  1. Men should treat the young women as sisters
Paul the Apostle admonished Timothy to treat “younger women as sisters, with absolute purity” (1 Timothy 5:2). One mistake that some young men make is going ahead of God and themselves to propose to a young woman and be attached before the right time. Even when it is the will of God for two people to be together, timing is still crucial. Doing the right thing at the wrong time defeats the purpose and affects maximum productivity. The key is treating all your Christian sisters as sisters with pure motives and respect and not rushing to make a commitment before the right time.

  1. Set limits
God created man with natural sexual instincts. But they are supposed to be only unleashed in the context of marriage. So Paul said in 1 Corinthians 7:9 that if one cannot control him or self, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion. Because God created man with natural sexual desires for the opposite sex, putting yourself in a compromising situation like enclosed places alone with a person of the opposite sex can lead to sin no matter your spiritual maturity. It’s important to set limits and discuss and clarify them when you are in a relationship. “Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned?” (Proverbs 6:27)

  1. Make sure your motives are right
True love gives. For God so love the world that he gave. Pride, ego and selfishness is the enemy of marriage. If you are not ready to sacrifice and submit to another person then you are not ready for marriage. The moment you marry life is not about you anymore but about two people and later on the future of precious children with unique destinies. Many enter into marriage with wrong selfish motives of not giving to build the other person but only seeking their selfish interest, and fail in their marriages. Simply put, marriage is not a business venture but one of giving to build another person.

  1. Understand your future role in marriage
Having a clear understanding of your future role in marriage as a man or woman is critical to a successful marriage. In marriage, man is called to lead and love. The man is called to lead by means of providing for, protecting and guiding his family. This role of the man can only be achieved or maximized through love and sacrifice.  A man that is not ready to sacrifice for his wife and kids is not ready for marriage (Ephesians 5:25-27).

Conversely, according to Genesis 2:18 God created the wife to be her husband’s helper.  To be effective in her role as a helper the wife needs the grace of God to submit to her husband’s leadership and respect him at all times.  As a woman preparing for marriage, don’t say yes to a man whom you don’t respect and whose leadership you cannot submit to.

  1. Do not contaminate yourself
God’s word is clear about the need to preserve one’s self sexually until marriage. The Bible clearly forbids premarital sex or fornication.  1 Corinthians 6:18 is one example of scriptures that speak to the negative consequences of premarital sex. It states that “flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body.” Oral sex, video sex etc. all defile the unmarried. In the words of Jesus in Matthew 5:28 he says, “but I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Engaging in premarital sex results in both negative spiritual and physical consequences. The consequences include soul ties, unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases and eternal damnation (1 Corinthians 6:16, Ephesians 5:31).

  1. Get the blessing of your physical and spiritual parents
Both in the Old and New Testament parents were actively involved in their children’s marriage and parental consent during marriage is essential. In Genesis 24 Abraham requested his oldest servant to find a wife for his son Isaac among his own people.  Jeremiah 29:6 also talks about God instructing the people of Israel to give their children in marriage. 1 Corinthians 7:38 and Matthew 24:38 are New Testament references about parental consent in marriage.  Physical parents and the church have a duty to forbid marriage of their children to unbelievers (Deuteronomy 7:3 and 2 Corinthians 6:14).

  1. Be honest to each other
Honesty to one another is crucial during preparations for marriage, many marriages go through unnecessary complications because of dishonesty to each other during courtship. Genesis 2:25 teaches that “Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.” The main lesson here is transparency to each other. Secrets about one’s past life, finances and other sensitive issues can create problems in a future marriage if not dealt with in wisdom during courtship and premarital counseling.  It is usually better to be honest and deal with issues sooner than later, instead of sweeping them under the carpet. Issues swept under the carpet can become a mountain of dirt creating chronic and poisonous problems in marriages. 
Remember, the only place “Success” comes before “Work” is in the dictionary. In real life work precedes success. Begin working on yourself today, as you prepare to enjoy your blissful marriage (Ecclesiastes 9:9).



[1] Ronald E. Hawkins, Strengthening Marital Intimacy, (Michigan: Baker Book House Company, 1991).  
[2] Charles A. Kollar, Solution-Focused Pastoral Counseling: An Effective Short-Term Approach for Getting People Back on Track (Zondervan. Kindle Edition), Kindle Locations 104.
[3] https://www.gotquestions.org/premarital-counseling.html

Sunday, January 14, 2018

The Blessings in Intercession

‘And the LORD turned the captivity of Job , when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before’ (Job 42:10). 

‘It is said that the Lord turned the captivity of Job when he prayed for his friends. He had suffered much through the unkindness of these friends; they had criticized his conduct without feeling or mercy; and he had a just cause to be irritated against them: and that he had such a feeling towards them, several parts of his discourses sufficiently prove. God was now about to show Job his mercy; but mercy can be shown only to the merciful; Job must forgive his unfeeling friends, if he would be forgiven by the Lord; He directs him, therefore, to pray for them, (Job 42:8). He who can pray for another cannot entertain enmity against him: Job did so, and when he prayed for his friends, God turned the captivity of Job’ (Clarke’s Commentary). He received twice as much as he had before.

The blessings in intercession are clearly revealed in the outcome of Job’s prayer for his friends. Until one learns the mystery of intercession, his victories will not be fully realized. Job had already won the victory over the devil by overcoming all the temptations to curse or deny God during the troubles of his life; when he lost all his children and belongings, not forgetting his health (Job 2:9). However, for his victory to be realized and for him to experience total restoration, it took intercession that is born out of selfless love. ‘The LORD said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Till I make your enemies your footstool”’ (Psalm 110:1, Mat 22:44). This scripture clearly confirms the power of intercession. Even though Christ had already triumphed over sin and death and ascended into heaven, it took His ministry of intercession at the right hand of the father to experience a realization of the victory that he had already won. May you experience a manifestation of every spiritual victory, as you begin to intercede for others in prayer.

Job proclaimed that, ‘My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes’ (Job 42:5). This clearly reveals that he experienced spiritual growth through his storms. This growth was now tested when he had to intercede for his friends regardless of their wrong doing and his present predicament. Selflessness that is rooted in love is the greatest test of one’s spiritual maturity. Finally, after his spiritual maturity was tested, Job received double for his trouble.

While teaching the disciples about prayer in Mat 6:9-14, Jesus gave them a model prayer. That prayer can be divided into eight parts in the following manner;

1. Our Father in heaven,
2. Hallowed be your name.
3. Your kingdom come.
4. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
5. Give us this day our daily bread.
6. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
7. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
8. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen’.

Out of the eights parts of this prayer, only one of them is a direct petitions for a personal physical need. However, it is important to note that even there; Jesus said, ‘give us this day our daily bread,’ the pronouns used throughout the prayer were ‘us’ and ‘our’ but not ‘me’ and ‘my’. Clearly we can see from this model prayer that, self-centeredness does not have any place in prayer. The kind of Prayer that moves heaven is one that is approached with love and reverence for God and man, not forgetting an intercessory heart. The blessings in intercession are countless. In 2012 may you live as an intercessor and you will live as a spiritual giant and an over comer, recovering all that the enemy has stolen from you. This is your year of Jubilee - your time of recovery.



Friday, January 12, 2018

A Call of Duty

‘Come, follow me, Jesus said, and I will make you fishers of men’ (Mark 1:17).

The word Church is known as ‘KURIAKOS’ in the Greek, meaning ‘belonging to the Lord’. Another Greek word for it is ‘EKKLESIA’ denoting assembly; ek means out and klesia means to call, therefore the Church means ‘the assembly of the called out’. Thus, the Church is made up of individuals belonging to the Lord who have been called out of the world. Just as every part of the human body has a unique function, every Christian has been called for a particular purpose. The call of the first two disciples is a model or pattern for our individual callings. Three important keys stand out in this scripture, 'Come, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men' (Mark 1:17).

‘COME’ (The Call):
Just as Peter and Andrew were called by Jesus, every Christian is also called into the Christian faith. How does God call?
·                By his grace; ‘we are saved by grace through faith…’ (Eph 2:8). Rom 8:29,30 also teaches that ‘whom He foreknew He predestined, whom He predestined He called, whom He called He Justified and whom He justified He glorified’
·                Through Christ who is the power of God (1Cor 1:24).
·                Through the gospel, the spirit and the bride or Church (2 Thess2:14, Rev 22:17).
·                According to His purpose (Rom8:28).

‘FOLLOW ME’ (Discipleship):
After responding to God’s call through faith, the next step is to follow Christ. Peter, Andrew and all the other disciples followed Jesus both physically and spiritually. As we follow Christ and develop our relationship with Him, the old sinful man is transformed unto the image of Christ (Rom 12:2, John 10:34, 35).
·                Before they could follow Jesus they had to leave their old life and desires behind.  Salvation is a free gift but discipleship comes with a price (Matt 16:24 Mat 22:36, 37).
·                As they followed Jesus, He had fellowship with them and taught them (Mark 4:1, Acts 1:1, 2). A disciple is defined as a learner, an adherent to the teachings of another.
·                God calls you just as you are, but He does not use you just as you are. He calls the foolish but does not use them in their raw state (Titus 3:3-8). Grow in wisdom and understanding, all creation is waiting for your manifestation.

‘I WILL MAKE YOU FISHERS OF MEN’ (Fruitfulness and Multiplication):
Fruitfulness and multiplication becomes automatic when one ‘follows’ Christ. The primary duty of the Church is to reveal Christ unto the world, redeem it and restore men to God’s original plan for creating them. Every Christian is called for this purpose and possesses gifts for this commission. These gifts are usually grouped in this manner; Ministerial gifts (Eph 4:11, 12), Spiritual gifts (1 Cor 12:1-11), Grace Gifts (Rom12:6-8).


The question is, are all these gifts in full operation in our church? If not what are the reasons? God is counting on us to use our gifts to impact and transform our world. The lord is not going to accept any excuse for not putting your gifts to use. A plant that does not bear fruit is regarded dead (John 15:2).

Sunday, January 7, 2018

Expressing Faith in Love

‘But we who live by the Spirit eagerly wait to receive by faith the righteousness God has promised to us. For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, there is no benefit in being circumcised or being uncircumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love’ (Gal 5:5-6)

Faith works through love; it is made fruitful through love for God, and benevolence to our fellow men. ‘It is not a mere intellectual belief, but it is that which reaches the heart, and controls the affections. It is not a dead faith, but it is that which is operative, and which is seen in Christian kindness and affection’ (Barnes New Testament Notes). Love is the medium through which faith can be fully expressed and made fruitful. The world that we see was birthed out of God’s love and it is also sustained by God’s love. It was by faith that the seen world was birthed out of the unseen (Heb 11:3). However, love was the driving force behind that medium of faith.

Paul the Apostle teaches in 1 Cor 13:2 that, if one has faith that can move mountains…but has no love he is only making useless noise. Without love all that a man does is done out of self-centeredness. A man who lives a life of self-centeredness cannot maximize his potential. In order to serve God you must focus on God and others, rather than yourself alone. ‘Much of what we do is self-serving. We serve to be admired, or to achieve our own goals. Some of what we do is more manipulation than ministry. We’re really thinking about ourselves and how noble and wonderful we are. We even use serving as a bargaining tool: “God, I’ll do this for you if you’ll do that for me.” No, true servants don’t use God for their purposes; they let God use them for His’ (Bob Gass).

Peter the Apostle talks about ‘the additions to faith’ in 2 Pet 1:5-8. He says that love enables us to share in God’s divine nature and it helps us escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. He then admonishes us that, for that reason, we should make every effort to add to our faith numerous virtues and ultimately love. Below is a discussion of Peter’s message.
         Add to our faith, goodness or moral excellence: This means being continuously good to others.
         Add to our goodness, knowledge: This refers to knowing God more, and it comes by yearning and learning to know Him more. It also includes growing in wide-ranging knowledge apart from the knowledge of God’s word.
         To knowledge, add self control: The lesson here is that when dealing with the less knowledgeable, come to their level by being gentle with them. This may sometimes call for putting aside one’s knowledge, desires and preferences.
         To self-control add perseverance: The lesson here is that patiently endure even as you try to help others.
         To perseverance add godliness: As you patiently endure suffering for the sake of the gospel, you grow into maturity and the nature of God in you is revealed.
         To godliness add brotherly kindness: This means enjoy other people and like them. You can't be closer to God than you are to the people you love least.
         To brotherly kindness add love: Love is truly the greatest commandment and greatest virtue every Christian should desire for.
Finally, Peter adds that, the more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Today, may your faith be expressed through your love for God and your fellow men.


Friday, January 5, 2018

The Power of Gratitude

‘Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted’ (John 6:11, 12).

Many relationships have been destroyed due to ungratefulness. One of the worst experiences one could ever have in a relationship is to give out your best and not be appreciated. Simply put ungratefulness hurts. One of the keys to getting the best out of every relationship is showing appreciation. Many businesses institutions periodically appreciate the work of their hard working employees. Wouldn’t it be a great idea to appreciate your spouse, kids, parents, pastor, etc today? Showing gratitude to a person gives the person a sense of fulfillment and empowers the person to go an extra mile and give more. Our relationship with God is not any different.

Different keys open different doors and one of the keys to living in the abundance of God is acknowledging your blessings and expressing your gratitude to Him. In John 6, Philip considering the thousands of mouths to be fed declared, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!” To his utter amazement the five thousand people were miraculously fed with five loaves and two small fish. The key to that miracle was not a lengthy prayer and fasting but the simple act of showing appreciation. After Jesus received the five loaves and two little fish, He gave thanks to God for the little available and the heavenly father multiplied the little into abundance.

The Bible teaches that PRAISING GOD IS OUR SPIRITUAL RESPONSIBILITY. It declares that we are to be ‘the praise of God’s glory’ (Eph 1:12). ‘Let everything that has breath praise the lord’ (Psalm 150:6).

The following examples in scripture clearly reveal the power of gratitude.
  1. Through praise, the foundations of a maximum security prison were shaken, the   doors opened and the chains of Paul and Silas were broken, setting them free from their bondage (Acts 16:26).

  1. Through praise the impregnable walls of Jericho came crashing down, regardless of the fact that they were doubled, 15 ft apart, about 30 ft high, inner wall was 6 ft thick, outer wall was about 12 ft thick. (Joshua 6:20bible-stories-library.com)

  1. Through praise the tenth leper who came back to Jesus, had his healing sealed (Luke 17:18, 19).
‘Praise is the spiritual medium through which God takes over our battles’ (D. Oyedepo). Today, may you experience the wonders of praise. Remember, your praise is your strength and out of the mouths of the seemingly weak has God ordained strength or praise (Psalm 8:2). May your praise be contagious and may it bring blessings to others. May you overcome the enemy by the word of your testimony (Rev 12:11).