We all have goals but only few has taken time out to map out and set their goals.
Goal setting has become a very important part of our everyday life as humans and as a matter of fact, we will get little or nothing done if we don’t set a goal for ourselves.
Take a look at an athlete who is currently training for one of the biggest race of his life, hoping to win the gold medal but for that hope to become a reality, he must have plans, plans to finish the race at the lowest time possible, plans to wake up early in the morning for exercises and so on.
The goal is the gold medal but every goal without a plan(setting) will only end up as a mere dream.
Even God, during the creation made plans for each day starting from the first day to the seventh day.
The greatest importance of Goal setting is the fact that it brings our goals into reality, it makes visible our dreams and imaginations.
Goal setting makes the impossible possible. It might look so hard, so difficult but trust me, when you have right plan, it becomes easier to achieve your goals.
One thing a proper plan needs is PATIENCE. In order to make progress with your goals, always have it in mind to take baby steps and not a huge leap. With each step, we get closer to our goals.
Don’t be too anxious or impatient, remember slow and steady wins the race but at the same time, don’t be inactive.
You don't climb a mountain by taking a huge leap neither do you climb a mountain by sitting around its bottom, doing nothing.
Youou start by taking a step and gradually you get closer until you are finally at the top.
Any goal without a proper planning could end up making the goal owner feel he or she isn’t capable thereby making them think low of themselves.
Embarking on a journey without making plans for it could end up in a total disaster or disappointment.
We need to make plans, set our goals in order not to get disappointed, broken and frustrated at the end.
“And God saw everything that he had made, and behold it was VERY GOOD. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day” – Genesis 1
It says in that passage above that all God made was very good meaning perfect, flawless, beautiful but it was all the outcome of a beautiful plan.
When you take time to set your goals, you will end up having a perfect and wonderful result.
You want to have a great result? Take time out to set your goals PATIENTLY and remember to include God in your plans for he is the master planner.
Let him be inactive the first and the last in your plans and trust me when I say you will have a perfect, beautiful and flawless result.
Joshua 1:9 “Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
The Bible is filled with numerous promises of God even to the present day saint. Promises of God’s ever abiding protection and provisions are spread abroad that golden book.
These Promises are real, even more real than the words of man. God ensured they were penned, so generation to Generation would behold it and be strengthened to serve God.
Yet, a saint who just began his journey of faith, might look upon these Promises and even fall into doubt. The same promise which were supposed to produce faith in man, can produce the thickest of confusions in the same.
For the same Lord, who declared that His Saints are surrounded by Angels, can also permit His Saints to be slain by evil forces.
The same Lord who promised to give us everything we ever needed, sometimes, permit us to spend nights with empty stomach.
The same Lord who promises that none among His children shall be barren, for children are His heritage, that same God can also shut the womb of even a devout Hannah.
It is the paradox of the Gospel. That God’s promises of the best, are actually to strengthen us to endure the worst.
Peter called it the testing of our Faith.
In the aforementioned Bible verse, God appears to the servant boy, Joshua, to officially commission Him to serve as a leader.
Among the things that God promised Joshua, are, i. His ever-abiding presence ii. Absolute victory
One might imagine, that these promises would spur Joshua to laziness and laxity. Why fret over the battle when it is the Lord’s? Why train for war, when it shall be fought by the Lord’s Angels?
The Promises are too good to be true. The Almighty God has promised to always be with Joshua. The Servant of Moses must have cast his mind back to his master, and the exploits he beheld his master perform.
From the parting of the red Sea, to the manna from heaven, his master wrought so much amongst the Israelites, with only one secret; The Lord was with him.
This same secret what was The Lord was giving to Joshua.
Yet, amidst these enthralling promises, The Lord issues a command.
Be strong and courageous.
What was the need of strength from Joshua, when The Lord had promised to be His strength.
Has the Lord promised you greatness? Has He promised you dominion? Has He promised you great wealth? Has He promised you the territories of locality and beyond?
Glory to Him. But I would that you also know that the Promises of God also come with a command to be strong and courageous.
This strength isn’t that gotten from hours in the gym. It refers to mental and Spiritual strength. It is the inner fortitude required to possess that which the Lord has promised.
This strength is faith. Though God has promised you, you will be the one to do the fighting.
Man fights, God grants the victory. Though God has promised, you must wage the war. You must wield the sword of the spirit, and shoot the arrows of prayers towards the camp of the enemy.
Again, I ask. Has God promised you something?
That Promise will never be fulfilled without a brave fight from you.
He promised the Israelites the land of Canaan, but it was already occupied by Giants. It took a brave fight from the Israelites to enter into God’s promise.
Strength is required, to not just fight for your promised Land, but to stand on the word of the Lord.
Strength is required when the Lord has promised you the best, yet, all you see is the worse.
At that moment, if your faith is weak, believing God for the fulfilment of His word will be difficult.
Patience is a form of strength. Patience is very much needed in working with God.
God answers prayers, but He does not answer it at our timing. Sometimes, all it takes is one battle to conquer the land, sometimes, it would take seven days of marching under the scorching sun, around a very wide City wall to conquer it.
Patience is needed to resist the scorning of Penninah and stay pious until the Lord gives the promised Samuel.
It takes strength to stay patient.
I shall proceed to the next command God gave.
Be Courageous, He commanded Joshua.
Courage is needed when facing a visible adversary in the name of an invisible God.
Courage is needed to live comfortably, in spite of the deadly pandemic.
Courage is needed to hold fast unto your faith, even when faced with persecution and threat of death.
Courage is needed to confront Goliath with a sling and a few stones. Courage is needed to say no, to the carnal desires of the wife of one as great as Potiphar. Courage is needed to stand for what God has given you. Divine Health. Prosperity. The Salvation of your Children.
Courage is needed to keep seeking for an answer to these things.
Dearly Beloved Reader, as much as we pray for God’s promises, and His promises alone to come your way, we would be dispensing only a half truth, if we fail to tell you, that the promise of God requires Strength and Courage.
No matter what you are going through, take strength in the awareness of God being with you.
But how come He’s with me and He allowed this sickness to come my way? You might ask.
I do not have a specific answer for that question, but the ways of God are unsearchable and mysterious.
But from scriptures, we can see that there are several men, who faced what you’re facing, even while God was with them.
God was with Joseph when he was thrown into the dry pit and thereafter sold as a slave. God was with the children of Israel when they were suffering for over 430 years in Egypt. God was with David when he lived in severe hunger to the point of going to beg for assistance from a rich fool named Nabal.
God was with Daniel when he was being thrown into the Lion’s den.
God was with Jesus when he was being beaten to a pulp in the public.
God was with Stephen when he was being stoned to death.
God was with Paul when he was being flogged for delivering the possessed slave.
The Presence of God does not subtract us from trials, but it strengthens us in the face of it, and guides us through it, into our promised Land, both here, and in Heaven.
I wrap this up with an admonition to you, as the Lord admonished Joshua, be strong. Be strong in the face of these battles.
Hold onto the Promises of God. Be Courageous. Fear not! No Pandemic shall end your life!
Believe the word of the Lord!
We are praying greatly for you, and we trust that God will surround you with His protection.
The ‘God-figure’ in this generation, I am afraid, has been diluted and reduced beyond what the Personality of God really entails. We now use sensual images to depict the relation of the Holy Spirit with Saints.
We now have Christians who brag about how they relate with The Holy Spirit as their Lover. They speak ecstatically of how they ‘make love’ with Him, and how He hugs them, and even them pet names.
As fanciful as this sounds, it does not correlate with the fatherhood of God which we are given in scriptures. It only appeals to the sensuality of our human self and is highly inaccurate when weighed by the tenets of scriptures.
Some people do not feel they are close to someone unless they can talk to that person anyhow, and jump on that person’s head. That is not closeness, that is mere childishness. Some even relate with God this way. They think it is okay to address God like He is their mate or sparring partner. They justify this wrong culture, by saying it is because God is their ‘Padi’ (Nigerian colloquial term for ‘buddy’).
Some believers see this as a sign of intimacy. Alas, it is not. It is just the culture of childishness.
The mature ones who truly love God, do not rant. God loves all His children, and that’s what makes us His children; but only those who love Him are mature. Loving Him is what makes for maturity.
Whenever mature believers feel they have a strong case with God, they do not speak to Him anyhow.
Abraham pleaded with God over Sodom and Gomorrah, because of his nephew, Lot who lived there.
The account is in Genesis 18:23-33. He kept saying “Lord, don’t be,angry, if I ask one more question” He was was called God’s friend (James 2:23), yet, never once did he address God casually. He called God, ‘Lord’.
In Exodus 33:11-23, MOSES had a very intimate conversation with God.
He kept saying “Lord, if I’ve found favour in your sight…”. He pleaded with God over the stubborn Israelites in Numbers 14:1-30. He said “Please pardon them”. God said He spoke with Moses as someone speaks with his FRIEND (Exodus 33:11)
David was a man after God’s heart. Read the Psalms and see how he prayed. When he lost everything in 1 Samuel 30, he didn’t speak flippantly to God. He was greatly distressed, but prayed with thanksgiving, making his requests.
Jesus pleaded with the Father concerning the suffering He was to go through. Even though Jesus is the Son of God. The one who dwelt in the bosom of the Father; He did not sit down, cross his legs, and say “Dad, make you sef tink am. We wee drag dis tin o”. No. The Bible says He knelt down (Luke 22:41) and laid face down on the ground (Matthew 26:31), and said “Father, if it is possible, do this thing for Me. I submit to your will”.
That is how intimacy with God works.
Look at how the apostles prayed in Acts 4:24-31. They started with “Lord, you are God”, not “Daddy, come here!”
Paul in Ephesians 3:14 said “For this cause I BOW MY KNEES TO THE FATHER”.
A ‘modern’, ignorant saint, who read such, would say “Do you kneel down to ask things from your Father? Will your son or daughter kneel down to ask things from you? This is as a result of ignorance about the Fatherhood of God!”
Western political correctness has entered the church as perverted grace gospel.
“God is love. God is not angry with anyone. He doesn’t have any anger. God is not bipolar. He just loves everyone and has forgotten all about sins. Do not talk about sins. God’s Spirit never convicts the believer of sin. Do not call it sin. Just preach “love”. God is not to be feared.”
These are sensual opinions that civilization has created in the Body of Christ today. Civilization has corrupted our thinking.
To raise a child now means to allow them do whatever they want including slapping and insulting you whenever they feel like.
Thanks to civilization, any punishment meted out to kids, which is beyond “you are grounded for 2 weeks” and “no more ice cream” is criminal. Pupils can insult their wards and teachers. and it is tolerated.
Unfortunately, this civilization has also negatively influenced African fatherhood.
To African fathers, the Bible says “Do not provoke, or harass, your children by the way you treat them, or be too hard on them to the point that they are discouraged, frustrated, feel inferior, and become resentful and sullen (Ephesians 6:4, Colossians 3:21)”
To American fathers, the Bible says your children MUST NOT be wild, unruly or insubordinate, but must be under control and must be submissive (1 Tim 3:4; Titus 1:6).
Proverbs 22:15: “Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far away.”
Despite how plain the Bible is, on approving the meting out of physical discipline to children, we still have Saints in the Body of Christ today, who due to being influenced by the evil civilization prevalent in the society, condemn what the Bible justifies.
Proverbs 23:13-14 New International Version
13 Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish them with the rod, they will not die. 14 Punish them with the rod and save them from death.
Physical discipline is not always necessary, and we all pray for children who will listen to gentle but firm counsel. Physical discipline is wrong when done in a reactionary way; but when done in love and in good measure, it is good and right.
Dear friends,
God forbid that we look to Africans to know His fatherhood. And God forbids that we look to Americans to understand His fatherhood.
The BIBLE is our standard. And in the end it will be clear Who is right.
1 John 3:1 says the LOVE of the Father makes us God’s children, and Hebrews 12:5-11 tells us that the DISCIPLINE of the Father makes us His children, and that without this discipline, we are like bastards.
Yet, some will still feel that because they are going through a hard time, they can talk to God anyhow. I haven’t met even one who went through a tenth of what Job went through. At a point, he felt he had been wronged, and demanded an explanation from God.
“God, where are you, how could you let this happen to me? How could you do this to me, it is unfair! Where were you when this happened? You are unfair!!” He said to God, repeatedly.
Just an answer from God, and he repented saying, “I’ve been foolish. I have been really foolish. I take it all back. I repent in dust and ashes.”
St. John 8:3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group
St. John 8:4 And said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery.
St. John 8:5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?”
St. John 8:6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger.
St. John 8:7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”
St. John 8:8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
St. John 8:9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.
St. John 8:10: Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
St. John 8:11 “No one, sir,” she said.“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
It was never really about adultery. It was beyond immorality. It was bigger than sin and iniquity. It was actually a domicile nature. A state of the heart, the posture of the soul.
Caught in the very act of adultery, she was humiliated, dragged into the public to be stoned, facing shame in the sight of all, but it was much more than falling into a sin.
But her accusers could not see beyond her act. They condemned her from the outside, not knowing that a fruit is only an offspring of the tree.
We have some clergymen who do the same thing today. In their attempt to preach against sin, they address the act, point to the fruit, but neglect the inward cause of it
St. John 8:12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
In John 8:12, Jesus revealed to us, that the root cause of the sinfulness of mankind was the darkened state of their hearts.
Hence, in order to save them, we must turn on the light, we must do as Jesus did, pretend not to see reasons to condemn the accused, look away from the darkness, search for light, and then rise up to dispel, expel and send darkness into extinction.
So when we preach to sinners, we do not dwell on their sins, rather, we partner with Christ and trust Him to flood their darkened hearts with His divine light.
Once their hearts receives the Light, their acts will reflect the same.
Thus, we ought not to be among the crowd to accuse the woman caught in the very act of adultery. Rather, we imitate the love of Christ, who refused to condemn her, and gave her a chance to live rightly.
Jesus said to her,
GO AND SIN NO MORE.
This was a certification that her nature had been changed, from adultery with men, to adoption with God. She became born again. She became the living testimony of ll Corinthians 5:17.
‘Go and sin no more,’ That was a powerful charge. It was a command, verdict and a law. An inscription upon her soul.
Friends, that woman represent every sinner around each and every one of us, they need help, they need Christ, they know they are wrong but they are confused as to what to do.
Beloved, would you help them?
Doo something before they’re ‘stoned to death,’ I mean the second death, eternal damnation.
Defend them and reveal Christ to them. (John 8:1-12)
It is written in the scriptures that: strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it (Matt 7:14)
There is therefore a GATE, and a WAY.
A gate is a crisis point, requiring one to pass through. You are either on this side of the gate, or the other side.
Passing through a gate is not a gradual process, it occurs at once. A way on the other hand, is traversed gradually.
Walking on a way does not occur at once. Rather, we make progress over time. We have gate experiences and way experiences. And both are essentially distinct, though connected.
From the scripture above- the gate comes first, then the way. There is that hymn (To God be the glory) that says Jesus yielded His life an atonement for sin and opened the life-gate THAT ALL MAY GO IN.
That’s the truth.
When people ‘give their lives to Christ’ over and over again thinking they did not do it well the previous time, or because the meeting is intense, or because of the things they have done since the last time they received Christ.
When we rededicate our lives to God several times, and confess sins and ask for forgiveness regularly, especially before bed- jolted and even scared by messages of the appearing or coming of Christ and messages of hell.
When we feel guilt about past sins and even go ahead to say things like ‘we are all sinners, except for the blood of Jesus.’ When we are always stumbling over the same sins and repenting of them….
We are trying to walk upon the way without acknowledging that there is a gate to pass through.
It will never work.
We need to know what happened to us at the gate. Without the gate, we will struggle to make heaven- an impossibility in itself.
Until we see the gate, progress upon the way will be impossible, and we will keep going back to start point- repenting again, starting again, instead of moving on to perfection.
There is nothing as frustrating as trying to enter into a room you are already in.
THEREFORE, there is a GATE
At the gate is Christ, at the gate is the Cross, at the gate the Lamb was slain, and our sins forgiven, and guilt rolled away.
At the gate Christ met us- He loved us, He took us unto Himself. He died for us and rose again. When He died, we died with Him, and when He rose, were raised together.
If anyman is in Christ therefore- He is a new creature. The gate is not about what we have done or what we should do, but about what God has done in Christ. Changes here are instantaneous.
God has done everything in Christ, and then put us in Him. The moment we believe it, we receive it, and we become it- not in a hidden way, but manifestly.
It is credited to our account as righteousness.
Therefore at the gate we are free, at the gate there is therefore now no condemnation. At the gate old things are passed away. At the gate all things are become new, at the gate we have passed from death to life. At the gate we are a new creation, at the gate we have been healed by His stripes. At the gate, we are seated with Christ in heavenly places.
It does not occur gradually- but if anyman is in Christ, He is- not that he will be, but he is.
Not that old things are passing away, but they have. Not that all things are becoming new- but they have.
That is the strait gate.
LIKEWISE, THERE IS ……A WAY.
Sometimes we focus on the gate, and forget the way.
Sometimes we don’t know the difference between where we are seated, where we are walking, and where we are standing.
We forget that while we are seated with Christ in heavenly places, we are pressing towards the mark for the prize of the upward call of God in Him.
We forget that we are seated with Christ in heaven, walking in Him on earth, and standing with Him against hell.
And that while our seating position is fixed on high, it does not change the fact that progress has to be made here in this realm.
We claim everything has been already done and there is nothing left for us to do.
But faith is both he who comes to God and he who diligently seeks Him.
A W Tozer says to have found God and to pursue him is the sweet paradox of Christianity.
Those who pass through the gate must be prepared to walk the way.
At the gate God found us, on the way we find Him.
At the gate- God loved us, on the way we love Him.
At the gate- we are planted in Christ, on the way Christ is expressed through us.
At the gate victory is delivered, but on the way battles will be fought.
At the gate inheritance has been entrusted, but on the way the heirs will be tested.
At the gate- we are forgiven, on the way- we must forgive others.
At the gate- we are perfected, on the way- we learn perfection.
At the gate- we are born again, on the way- we live again.
At the gate- we are justified, on the way-we are sanctified
At the gate- we repent as sinners, on the way- we repent out of righteousness.
At the gate, faith is received…on the way we add to our faith.
At the gate- the Cross carried us once…On the way we carry our cross daily.
At the gate- the old man is crucified with Christ; on the way we mortify its members which are on the earth
At the gate- Christ died for us; on the way, we live for Him
At the gate- Christ becomes the Author of our faith, and on the way- He is the Finisher
At the gate- we become children of light, on the way, we walk in the light.
At the gate is the new birth, on the way is the new life (the new and living way)
At the gate- we become sons by birth, on the way- we become sons by (training, which is by) adoption
At the gate- we receive eternal life as a seed (the seed of God); on the way, we develop eternal life as a fruit
At the gate- we receive (as some like to say) God’s DNA, or genotype; but on the way, we develop God’s phenotype
At the gate- we are made partakers of the divine nature; on the way, we are made partakers of His holiness
That is the narrow way.
And at a time when some of us have indeed constituted ourselves super-teachers, we need someone to again teach us the elementary principles of Christ and have become dull of hearing and for all our verbosity, are unskillfull in the word of righteousness and unable to discern good from evil.
For he that does not make progress, being waylaid by the inertia, it seems these days, of false doctrine; is shortsighted, and cannot see afar of; and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his past sins as well as other ‘gate experiences’ though he makes a great noise about them.
Let as many therefore who claim to have entered in at the gate know that the one proof thereof, and the only,
Hebrews 11:1: Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”
Faith is confidence in God’s promises. It is a strong persuasion that God will fulfill everything He has promised.
The Life we live is a life of faith. It is a life of absolute trust and dependence on God. Faith is the pillar of Christian living.
This is why Satan is desperately after the faith of believers. The reason he stirs men against them is not mainly because he hates them. He would never have disturbed them that much if they were in the world.
Satan is after you, because of your faith in God. Everything he does against you, is done to cripple your faith. Because once your faith has been crippled, Satan finds it easy to dominate your life.
Churches were locked up, and many believe it is because of the Pandemic. The question is,
Ever since the churches got locked up, has the pandemic’s mortalities increased or reduced?
Whether we accept it or not, it doesn’t deny the fact that the locking up of Churches is part of Satan’s attempt to weaken the faith of believers.
Because our Faith is strengthened when we gather as a Body in fellowship.
But there’s little we can do to get our churches opened back in times like this, other than to pray.
So how does one build up his faith. How does one stay strong even when there is no reason to be strong.
How does one keep living, when everyone he’s ever loved, are dying?
1. THE WORD OF GOD IS OUR FAITH FEED
Romans 15:4 “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope”
God’s word is the feed of faith. God’s Word feeds our faith. It strengthens it and makes it to blossom.
HOW TO STUDY THE WORD
A. Study the lives of those who have been in similar conditions as you are. Are you facing persecution for your faith? Are you living a place where Christianity is banned, and the punishment for bring a Christian is torture or death?
There are people in the Bible days who experienced the same thing.
People like James, who was killed by Herod.
People like Peter, who was arrested and thrown in jail for the Gospel.
Stephen, who was stoned to death for preaching the Gospel.
Or shall I speak of Paul, who suffered from several assassination attempts because of his resolve to preach the Gospel.
The Book of Acts is full of stories about the travails of the Early Church. Create time to read it; it will bless you beyond doubt.
If your faith isn’t wavering because of persecution, but because of the harsh conditions and circumstances of life. The Life of David and that of Joseph is worth reading.
Joseph – Genesis 35 down to the end
David – 1 Samuel – 1 Chronicles
No matter the situation you find yourself in, God’s word has something to say about it. Spend time digging it up.
B. LISTEN TO SERMONS
God speaks faith to us through His Prophets.
1 Thessalonians 2:13: “And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.”
The Word of God that we receive from genuine men of God, has a way of working faith into our spirits. When you’re depressed, confused, not knowing what to do, instead of listening to the complaints of your mind and emotions, listening to the word of faith from your pastor.
But, be careful the kind of Pastors you listen to. The Bible instructs us to, ‘Test all spirits’.
The true word of God will make you love God more. It will boost your faith and make you cling unto God. It will instruct you and guide you in the path of light.
Only Pastors whose teaching can work this into your spirit should be given ears to.
2. SATURATE YOUR ATMOSPHERE WITH GODLY AND INSPIRATIONAL MUSIC
Music is one of the greatest gifts of God to man. Good music has a way of lifting the heavy burdens of grief away from our souls.
Good Music puts our thoughts and our emotions in order. It is like a good mistress, that massages our turbulent emotional storms into tranquility.
Good Music helps, Godly music helps better. Godly music doesn’t just soothe our soul, it edifies our spirit.
Godly music is like the balm of Gilead that heals the broken hearted. When your faith is weakening, and you’re falling into despair, saturate your Atmosphere with songs of praise and worship to God.
This was David’s secret to surviving the greatest of his challenges.
He had a lifestyle of singing Melody to the Lord. He strengthened himself through his songs.
Act 16:25: “And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.”
Paul and Silas were beaten severely for casting a demon out of a slave girl.
Have you ever been tortured for doing the right thing? Have you ever been persecuted just because the right thing you did negatively affected other people?
Paul and Silas were in such condition. They were not just beaten, they were thrown into a dark prison and held bound by chains and painful cuffs.
Imagine Paul and Silas, two educated preachers of the Gospel, in the prison, with criminals.
Picture the blood flowing from their lips, the stripes on their bodies and the swelling on their legs.
Yet, in the midst of these, at the midnight, they lifted up their voice and sang unto the Lord.
They had the option to complain and wail faithlessly. But they heard songs in their spirit, and they released these songs of praise to the Lord.
When you are the depressed, and weak in faith, that is the time to praise God more. That’s the time to play songs of worship and sing along with them.
Because Praise exalts God above our condition. The Psalmist called it, ‘Magnifying the Lord’.
Praise makes us see the light in the tunnel. And nothing strengthens faith than seeing God in the midst of darkness.
3. AVOID THE VOICE OF UNBELIEF
1 Kings 18:41: “Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.”
1 Kings 18:42: “So Ahab went up to eat and drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; then he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees,”
1 Kings 18:43: “and said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea. So he went up and looked, and said, “There is nothing.” And seven times he said, “Go again.”
What befuddles me in the aforementioned text, is that when Elijah told Ahab that there was the sound of rain (Verse 41), there was no evidence of rain anywhere.
Normally, it is the downpour of the rain that causes the sound. But in this text, Elijah was hearing the sound, even before there was any evidence of rain.
This is what Faith is all about. In the midst of the drought, famine and hunger, he heard in his spirit, that it was about to rain.
He sensed it in his spirit.
He sent his servant to check the clouds for any sign of rain, while he prayed.
But his servant checked six times and saw nothing.
Sometimes, your can be in a situation where your spirit is bubbling even when there is complaining all around you.
God’s word in you at that moment, could be rising up to keep you strong, that something better is coming.
But when you talk to your neighbors or even church members, their statement almost renders you hopeless.
Like Elijah, you heard the sound of the rain in your spirit,
You heard God’s word in your spirit, that you will not be struck by the plague.
But no other person could feel what you felt in your spirit.
Every other person claims there is no sign of hope.
The clouds are empty,
as well as our stomachs,
And our bank accounts
They wail.
In conditions like this, be like Elijah. Choose not to let listen to the voice of people when it is contrary to the voice of your spirit.
Those things only cripple your faith. Know how to look into your spirit and hold unto what the voice of the Lord is speaking to you.
1 Samuel 17:11 “When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.”
1 Samuel 17:37 “David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.”
1 Samuel 17:43: “And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.”
1 Samuel 17:44: “And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.”
1 Samuel 17:45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.
1 Samuel 17:46: “This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.”
1 Samuel 17:47: “And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give you into our hands.”
I was studying Genesis 1, and the Lord began to speak to me some things about the power of words, I desire to use this post as a means to share those lessons the Lord taught me, with you.
When God was about to create this world, He spoke. He said it and it happened. Everything God sought to create, He conceived within, and birthed out through His Word.
Words are powerful. When a sorcerer desires to conjure a powerful charm or release a powerful spell, his most potent weapon is his words. Spells are nothing more than words released with the accompaniment of a spirit t accomplish a desired task.
The spirit realm is governed by the power of the tongue and even God operates this way. God always speaks before He acts, that’s why there’s something known as Prophecy.
The Art of Speaking is something that even the Saints of old were masters of. They knew how to speak like God even in the toughest of situations.
In 1 Samuel 17, a Philistine Giant named Goliath came to trouble and intimidate Israel. Goliath wasn’t an ordinary giant, he was a large and powerful one. He was ten feet tall, with the largest of weapons.
The size of his spear tip alone weighed fifteen pounds, his armor weigh a hundred and twenty pounds. He was intimidating in size and stature.
Day and night, he ridiculed the armies of Israel and none of them dared oppose, none but a little shepherd boy.
While everyone hid in cowardice, David walked to the center stage of all where the giant stood and challenged him.
I believe you must known the story before now, but there’s something I want to show you from that event.
When David challenged Goliath, Goliath cursed him and said to him, 1 Samuel 17:44 “Come over here, and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and wild animals!”
For standing up to intimidation, Goliath promised to end David’s life. Some times, God’s people find themselves in such situation.
Intimidated by Giants; political Giants, economic Giants, academic and financial Giants, and when they chose to stand against such intimidation, they’re threatened.
When they refuse to accept such Injustice, they receive real threats to their lives and their businesses.
David faced such a threat, but instead of panicking and speaking out of fear, he spoke out of Faith.
Look at the reply of David, 1 Samuel 17:45 David shouted in reply, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord Almighty—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
1 Samuel 17:46 “Today the Lord will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel!”
David never held any sword of matchet with him, yet, he promised to cut off Goliath’s words.
If you read further, you’ll see he did cut Goliath’s head off. This is the power of the spoken word. When you speak out of Faith, God responds.
God responds to the re-echoing of His word. He took Ezekiel to the valley of dry bones and commanded Ezekiel to speak, as Ezekiel spoke God’s word, the bones came back to life.
Do not talk based on circumstances, talk based on God’s word. Don’t talk based on your fear, talk as a man of faith.
Release God’s word into your family and business everyday.
God has promised you so much in his word, it’s time to echo those promises.
Psalm 23:1: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want”
We quote this Psalm as a closing benediction, but this was the Confession of a man who had mastered the art of faith speaking.
Mat 17:20 KJV “verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.”
Speak to that mountain facing you! Could it be sickness? Declare that you are healed by the stripes of the Lord. Could it be debt, declare that you’re a giver and not a borrower. Don’t keep silent. Don’t live in this world casually.
Before studying, speak wisdom and understanding to your mind, Befor going for that job interview, speak favor unto it.
At first, it might seem to be a waste of time, but the more you speak with faith, the more potent your words become.
Here are some Bible promises from God to you, declare them daily
Psalms 27:2 “When evil people come to destroy me, when my enemies and foes attack me, they will stumble and fall.”
Psalms 18:2: “The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the rock of my salvation, and my stronghold.”
Psalms 1:3: “They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season without fail. Their leaves never wither, and in all they do, they prosper.”
One of the great qualities a of Medical doctor is that he pays absolute attention to his medical books.
Whatever he sees in the Book, he practices in the Theater, whatever he sees in the theater, he goes back to study in his books.
The same with a law student. A Law Student does not joke with his books because he knows his success is tied to the knowledge he gains and practices from them.
Do you know that Christianity is far greater than these professions. Paul referred to Christianity as a ‘high calling’.
It is being called out of the world to have a relationship with God. Everything you ever need to succeed as a Christian is in a Book.
That book is called the Bible. The Bible is God’s manual to us on how to succeed even in the midst of darkness and enemies. It is one of the commonest, yet, neglected books.
Take a stroll within your church hall after the Sunday service and you’ll observe several Bibles littered on the ground, neglected by their owners. This shows the value that they place on their Bible.
The Bible is God’s letter to Believers. The Epistles of Paul, Peter and the Apostles are not really their Epistles, they’re simply the Epistles of God written to His Church through those men.
Neglecting your Bible is the same as neglecting the voice of God. This is because the Bible came as a result of God speaking to men.
God said to Joshua, ‘…. Ye shall meditate therein day and night, for it, thou shalt obtain good success’
God was telling Joshua, if you want to be successful, meditate on my word, that is the textbook for success in this Kingdom.
In turbulent times like this, the media is throwing poisonous diets to us through their news. They’re ever reporting news of death, tragedies going on around the world.
If you’re not careful, these things can cause weeds to grow within you and choke up your faith. Instead of giving yourself to negative news, why not give yourself to God’s own News.
Hallelujah!
The Media calls theirs, News Feed, Well, after getting their News Feed, make sure you flush it out of your system and take in God’s own News Feed, the Bible. Every day with the Bible offers new information, new Instruction, new insight that has never been seen before.
Update your spirit with God’s Word. Hold onto it. Let God’s word become more real to you than even your situation. Everything you’re going through has already been spoken about through His Word, it’s left for you to search it out and believe in it.
Act 27:25: “(Paul speaking) Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.”
Paul was in a ship being taken on a journey. But on the way to their destination, a severe storm began. It was thunderous and frightening.
The men in the ship with Paul began to panic. From the look of things, they were going to lose both their properties and their lives. But at night, the Angel of the Lord appeared to Paul and gave Him a Word from the Lord saying, ‘Neither you nor the men with you shall lose their lives’.
This is a tough season for many, we’ve never had deaths like this in history. Here in Nigeria, death is becoming like a trend. In the US, Covid deaths keep getting higher. This is like a storm; a storm so frightening, that it seems we might all be destroyed in it.
You might have lost a loved one to it, and you’re wondering whether you’re next, do not be afraid. God has said in His word that He will shield you from the arrows that flies by day and the plagues at night (Psalm 91).
Like Paul, declare, ‘It shall be even as I was told’. Believe that this situation shall end up as God promised in His Word.
In all, get addicted to God’s word, feed on God’s promises, hold onto them as an anchor, and in time, you’ll pass through this storm Hale, hearty and more stronger than ever.
God Bless You!
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KOINONIA ART 