WEAPONS FOR GOD’S SERVANTS : Thursday August 27th 2015

Topic:WEAPONS FOR GOD’S SERVANTS 

Memorise: And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground. 1^st Samuel 3:19

Bible Text: 1^st Samuel 3:19-21

 Bible in one year: Genesis 43-44, John 21:15-25

There are some principles of God that can be used as weapons by everyone, regardless of their faith. Divine principles relating to the natural world are given to all to harness the power inherent in them. For example, the principle of sowing and reaping falls into this category. However, there are some weapons of God that are exclusively for those who have believed in Jesus Christ. In this subset, there are some weapons designed for the use of God’s servants; one of which is prophecy. The Bible in Amos 3:7 says,

“Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.”

God attaches great importance to the words of His servants. In fact, if you walk closely with God, He will personally honour your word, just as He did with Samuel (1^st Samuel 3:19). If only you can work on your relationship with God as His servant, He will become the backbone of your words. In other words, whenever you speak, people will tremble because they know God will back you up. In Ezekiel 37:1-10, God asked Ezekiel if dry bones could live, and he replied that only God could tell. Thereafter, God told him to prophesy: to make simple pronouncement from his month. He did, and God backed up his words. The result was a mighty army raised from dry bones.

Another weapon available to God’s servants, closely linked with prophecy, is decrees. Job 22:21-28 reveals that if a servant of God can satisfy certain conditions, he will decree a thing and it shall be established. When you go through scriptures, you will discover that those who skilfully used this weapon were mainly prophets of God. A heavily indebted widow ran to Elisha in 2^nd Kings 4:1-7, and he gave her certain instructions, decreeing that the little oil she has would continue to multiply until all available vessels she had were filled up. It happened just as he decreed. Notice that He did not say “Thus saith the Lord”. Similarly, a very rich, elderly and barren woman who had consistently taken care of Elisha was told “Madam, nine months from now, you will have a son.” She did not believe it, but it happened as Elisha decreed (2^nd kings 4:16-17). When you hear a prophecy, you need faith in order to receive it and see its manifestation; but when it is a decree, even your doubts cannot stop it. As a servant of God, have you been using those weapons that God has made available to you? 

Action Point:After worshipping God today, decree good things into your life, family, workplace, ministry, etc.

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CRUELTY, EXPLOITATION & STEALING:Wednesday August 26th 2015

Topic:CRUELTY, EXPLOITATION & STEALING

Memorise: Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Ephesians 4:28

Bible Text: Ephesians 4:25-29, 25

 

Although God loves the sinner, He hates their sins. For example, because God hates stealing, He commanded us not to steal (Exodus 20:15). In spite of God’s commandment however, there is still so much stealing going on at workplaces these days. One way employees steal from their employers is by inflating the cost of items they are sent to buy in order to make some profit for themselves. If you were sent on an errand and you have some money leftover, it is your duty to return that money to the one who sent you. Today, many people corner such money into their pockets. =N=2000 for petrol and he buys =N=1500 worth, pocketing the rest. It is also wrong for you to ask for a bribe from your clients or customers before carrying out a task you are paid for. If you do so, you are stealing from your organisation’s reputation, goodwill and position as a credible workplace. What the organisation stands to lose is far worse than what you stand to gain from such a bribe. Are you a thief?

On the other hand, some employers are cruel, exploitative and they steal from their employees. If you detain your employee beyond the normal closing hours and you fail to pay them the stated amount for extra hours of work done, you are a thief. If you pay your workers below a liveable wage, you are exploitative. If you fail to pay salaries when due, it is cruel. If you take advantage of your staff by paying them peanuts just because there are no jobs around, you are exploiting them. If you fail to keep promises made to your staff, you are a thief. Organisations that fail to give their staff at least one day off from a week of work are cruel and exploitative. If you are using your workers without caring about their welfare, family and even the time they have to serve God, you are cruel. When you fail to promote hardworking staff at the pre-agreed time, you are a thief. An employee who goes into an extra-marital affair with a member of staff is exploitative and is a thief. There are some employers or top company executives who recruit young ladies only after they agree to sleep with them. This is cruel, exploitative and amounts to stealing. Are you cruel to your staff or are you stealing from them? Do you exploit your employees or subordinates? As a pastor, are you abusing your ecclesiastical authority over the inheritance of God under your care? It’s time to repent of these before the judgement of God comes knocking.

Action Point:Examine your relationship with your employer or employee(s). Carry out restitution on any act of cruelty, exploitation or stealing.

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An Error from 21st-26th

We want to say sorry to all our post followers, there was an error in our post from 21st-26th of August

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DIVIDENDS OF HOLINESS : Sunday July 26th 2015

Topic:DIVIDENDS OF HOLINESS 

Memorise: Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you. Hosea 10:12

Bible Text: Lamentations 3:22-25

Bible in one year: Ezra 1-3, John 4:46-5:18

Everyone saved by the precious Blood of the Lamb is called to a lifestyle of holiness (1^st Thessalonians 4:7). Believe it or not, a lifestyle of holiness pays great dividends. Proverbs 11:19 says:

“As righteousness tendeth to life: so he that pursueth evil pursueth it to his own death.”

There is therefore a link between righteousness and life, just as there is a link between sin and death (Romans 6:23). Although God has promised you long life in Psalm 91:16, it is only when you live holy that this promise can be fulfilled in your life (Psalm 91:14). If you look close enough, you will discover that most of God’s promises have conditions attached to their fulfilment. If you live holy, you will easily have access to long life, but if you live in disobedience or secret sin, you have moved from life to death. Are you holy? Are you still secretly living in sin? Repent today and turn a new leaf!

Another dividend of holiness is mercy. If you sow holiness, you will reap a harvest of God’s mercy. Hosea 10:12 says:

“Sow to yourself in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.”

Holiness is a seed. If you sow holiness, mercy will definitely be part of your harvest. If there is one thing all men need at all times, it is the mercy of the Most High God. Lamentation 3:22 says we are alive today not by our efforts or power but by the mercy of God. Just as holiness is a seed, sin is also a seed. If you sow sin, you will reap judgement and death (2^nd Corinthians 5:10). Mercy makes God to relate with you not on the basis of your sins, but on the basis of Christ’s sacrificial death and shed blood. Mercy makes God not to give you the punishment you deserve, but sin ensures you are served what you sowed. Sin ensures God relates with you only on the basis of your crimes or evils. God has said that the soul who sins shall die (Ezekiel 18:20). If God were to relate strictly with us on the basis of our sins, everyone on earth would have died by now (Psalm 130:3). If you want to live long and enjoy God’s mercy on a continuous basis, live holy. Live to please God and God alone.

Key point:The wisest people on earth are those who live according to God’s commands.

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HOLY LIVING & HEALTHY LIVING : Saturday July 25th 2015

Topic: HOLY LIVING & HEALTHY LIVING

Memorise: The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 1^st Corinthians 15:567

 Bible Text: 1^st Timothy 4:6-9

Bible in one year: 2^nd Chronicles 35-36, John 4:16-45

At the time of man’s creation, there was no notion of sickness. There was indeed nothing like sickness. There was no expectation of death either. The human body was created to be self-sustaining through regular contact with God’s glory, and maintained by the foods provided by God. But when man fell, he lost so much, most importantly, the sustaining power of God’s glory. He had to begin to virtually rely on food for sustenance. As good as food is, it is limited in its ability to keep a man healthy. Although a daily diet of good food, vegetables, fruits and exercise is very important to living healthy, the final result will depend largely on the spiritual lifestyle of the fellow involved. For instance, if an individual is born-again and living a righteous life, this healthy lifestyle will work well for him, but if a fellow is living in sin, the result may be in bad taste. The reason is because sin itself is a killer (James 1:15). Sin does not often kill drastically but subtly, gradually and surely. Sin kills spiritually by sending the sinner to Hell, and it also kills physically.

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Romans 6:23

Never underestimate the power of sin! Believe it or not, sin serves the sinner a cup of death. Every sin an individual commits dishes the fellow a dose of death, working against his or her health and gradually killing him or her. Take for instance a believer who eats the best meals but refuses to pay tithes; such a person will provoke God to curse him. No medicine or healthy meal can cure the effects of such a curse! Always remember that the spiritual always controls the physical. What unhealthy meal did Miriam eat that made her leprous for seven days (Numbers 12:5-15)? She only spoke against Moses, and that sin served her leprosy. Beloved, to consistently live in good health, it is important you place spiritual considerations side by side with healthy lifestyle choices. If you want to continue in sin, you are not serious about staying healthy. While some sicknesses are caused by poor eating habits, others are caused by sinful indulgences or violation of divine laws. Ensure both sides are properly taken care of. It is well with you. 

Key Point:Healthy meals + exercises + holy living = Good health

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SETTLED :Friday July 24th 2015

Topic:SETTLED 

Memorised: for he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast. Psalm 33:9

Bible Text: 33:8-11

 Bible in one year: 2^nd Chronicles 33:10-34:33, John 3:22-4:15

Whenever God says a thing, you can be sure that it is already done. That is why Psalm 33:8 commands the whole earth to fear this great and awesome God: whatever He declares is done, and His commandments are always established. For Instance, when John the Baptist by divine revelation announced Jesus as the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29), he was only announcing something that had already been planned, decided and concluded before the foundations of the earth. The Bible clearly states this truth in Revelations 13;8

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