PRAYER WALK

PRAYER WALK

So we had an 8KM Prayer walk during the Minister’s Conference at the Redemption Camp today. As we rounded up I began to reflect on things I had seen during the walk. Permit me to share my thoughts with you please.

1.      Follow the Leader as He charts the course. As we were about to commence, lots of people wanted to even go ahead of our Daddy G.O. To effectively walk with God we need to let him chart the course, lead the way, give direction while we follow. Don’t ever try to get ahead of God.

2.      Follow the course. I some a few folks take their own paths, shortcuts and all. My spirit told me it’s a reflection of their character. Short cut takers may get ahead but will be disqualified by God in the end. If He leads through the long way round, just follow Him

3.      Slow and steady does not always win the race, fast and steady does. I watched some people just walked leisurely while others pushed on at a fast pace. Speed is good if it’s steady. Ask God for Divine Speed in your life’s walk.

4.      When you are tired, remember that you can actually take more! At a point my legs said ‘slow down’ I told them ‘boy, you can take more’ and then pushed harder. No matter what life throws at you as you walk along, believe you can handle it and even more. Be determined never to let go.

5.      So some ‘senior Pastors’ were doing their own thing. I saw some in a car that was blocked by our march!  (No judging, just lesson learning). You will always find those who do their own thing. Pursue their personal agenda (instead of Kingdom agenda) If you are in an organisation and you can’t obey the leader, get out. Don’t stay there and be disobedient. Do you know some did not even show up at the programme at all and they want their congregation to obey their instructions and support their ministry – you can’t end well with that kind of attitude.

6.      Be a finisher! Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith. Some folks just didn’t finish the walk, they got close to the finish line and then diverted into the auditorium. It’s a character issue. Learn to be a finisher. Many folks have so many abandoned projects – books, programmes, relationships etc. Go finish what you started.

7.      On daddy’s shoulders. Woa! My best moment was the sight of this little child on its father’s shoulders looking fresh while the dad was worn out with the walk and the weight! I said to myself ‘Lord I’ll rather be on your shoulders all my life long’. It’s restful and peaceful over there. Sure He heard me!!

8.      My Wife added this: keep the focus on your race not on others. Was she talking to me? I was minding my business, but couldn’t help but do some observations. I think she actually means never to be distracted by other people’s walk, never to be in competition with other people’s walk and that sort – just face where you are going and make sure you get there.

So we walked for about 1 hr 30 mins and covered about 8km. The Christian walk is a personal marathon: God leads by His spirit and word, you follow till the end. Grace!

DIGGING DEEP - POSSESSING THE LAND

Surprised by God

This note is written as part of the weeklong 7 Nights of Possibilities Programme taking place at RCCG National Headquarters with the theme: Surpassing Surprises. Please join us.

The Music stopped and the preacher mounted the pulpit – a make shift wooden platform, and began to preach ferociously to the large crowd that had gathered. It was in the town of Gadara near the Sea of Galilee. The crowd was surging forward; it seems they were more interested in seeing the preacher than hearing what he had to say.

Someone asked, ‘is he not the demoniac that lives at the cemetery?’ another answered ‘it looks like him, but how can that be?’ He was madly mad! As I listened, he told the story of how he became mad and was fully possessed by thousands of demons. How he was tormented to cut himself with sharp stones, the sleepless nights, the nightmares etc.

So he is the popular demoniac after all, but how come he is fully cleaned, properly dressed and preaching? He said he met a man coming from the Sea of Galilee, he was a Rabbi, or so it seemed, with his disciples.

In his own words he said “for a moment I went forward to attack him as I would do to every man that crossed my kingdom, but I don’t know what came over me, in a flash I saw that He was the Son of the Living God. All the demons in me were terrified at His presence, they bowed - I bowed, and cried for mercy. All he said was “come out of him” and all the demons inside of me fled, I became sober in an instant. All of you listening to me, if you believe in Him, this Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah that is to come, you will have all your problems in this life solved and you will find eternal life”

Many believed that day and regretted that they had sent Jesus away from their land for sending the demons into their herd of swine which drowned in the Sea of Galilee. They longed for the day he would come again. Others went in search of Him. The preacher quickly finished his sermon and moved to the next town in the 10-city territory of Decapolis. He was eager to tell of his surprised encounter with the God of Surpassing Surprises. The popular mad man of Gadara became the popular preacher in the Decapolis. What a surpassing Surprise our God can give.

This same Jesus is about to surprise you even as you read this. Lift up your voice to Him and say “Father, surprise me with your deliverance right now in Jesus name”

I went on in my journey and came to the City of David. As I walked about I saw a crowd gathered and they seemed to be arguing among themselves and dragging a middle-aged young man along. As I came close I heard some say “he is the one” others said “no he is not”, a few said “it looks like him but we can’t be sure”.

Upon further enquiry I began to fix the pieces of the story together. There is a man known to have been born blind, he normally begs by the way side. He was however sighted close to the Pool of Siloam walking and seeing clearly or so it seems because some in the crowd argue upon their Father’s graves that it is not him. The man himself said to me “don’t mind them, I am the one, I used to be blind, but this morning a man I don’t even know met me where I sit to beg and then he put something like clay on my eyes and asked me to go and wash in the Pool of Siloam. People around me said his name is Jesus from Nazareth, they urged me to do as he said. I just gave it a try and to my greatest surprise – as I washed the clay from my eyes, I could see for the first time in the 40 years of my life.”

Well then let’s accept his testimony, but the crowd will have none of it, so they dragged him to the Temple and handed him over to the priests, his parents were invited and all testified that he was their son that was born blind. They told him Jesus was a sinner and could not do such surpassing surprises, the man was adamant because no theology or threat could change the fact that Onise iyanu which is by interpretation - Miracle Worker; had met him and surprised him with a miracle.

I prophesy to every reader of this message that, a miracle that will surprise everyone around you is on your way right now in Jesus name. Lift your voice to God and say “Lord Jesus, please give me a surprise that will surpass everything anyone has seen before in Jesus name”

Time will fail me to tell you of my encounters with this God of surpassing surprises. I would have told you of when He opened the Red Sea for His people to walk on dry ground. And when their enemies pursued after them, the waters closed them in and drowned them all. If you don’t know why the civilisation of Egypt was lost, I tell you it was because most of their men of renown either died in the plagues or were drowned in the Red Sea! This God will surprise both you and your enemies. Lift your voice to God and say “father, please give my enemies the kind of surprise you gave Pharaoh in Egypt in Jesus name”.

The Surprise packages of the Almighty God come in different shapes and sizes. He surprised Israel and Goliath of the Philistines with teenage David and his sling. He surprised Israel in the wilderness with manna for 40 years. He pleasantly surprised Hannah with Samuel, Elizabeth with John the Baptist. Money in the mouth of a fish was a surprise for Peter.

My surprise package will surpass everything you have ever seen or heard! This week it will show forth. If you also believe that for yourself then open your heart with faith and great expectation. Pray and don’t stop until you are pleasantly surprised beyond measure.

Welcome to your season of Surpassing Surprises!

I must not strive!

I must not strive!

“And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient”, (2Ti 2:24 KJV)

On my way from the Redemption Camp today a lorry driver was recklessly trying to push me off my lane for no just cause. I moved ahead of him and raised my hand to him to be more careful. Thereafter he deliberately broke my side mirror and tried to run away. Unfortunately for him the traffic on his side slowed and I moved ahead and blocked him. He suddenly stopped fearing the worse from me, but nudged by my inner voice I waved to him and moved on. Thereafter he stopped his reckless driving and even allowed other vehicles to come in between his truck and our vehicle.

As I mediated on the event the above scripture came to mind and I suddenly realised that strife led to my broken mirror. I should have let him have his way since and most likely I would have suffered no harm. This scripture verse is full of lessons.

Be willing to suffer wrong. Man cries for justice all the time. We expect life to be just. We expect others to treat us fairly and when there is an attempt to deprive us of our legitimate rights we stoutly defend ourselves. This shows up in traffic situations in our cities and in many other human interactions. When God say not to strive, He says to be willing to suffer wrong.  We must willing, at times, to let the evil go on with their evil even at our expense. This is especially in cases where nothing more than our ego will be bruised.

I know this will be queried by many believers especially in these days of ‘let all my enemies fall down and die’ prayers. However I invite you to study the Bible with an open mind and discover for yourself. Further reading: 1Cor. 6:7; Pro.20:22; Mat.5:39-41; Luke6:29; Rom. 12:17-19; 1Th 5:15; 1Pet 2:19-23; 1Pet 3:9

Be willing to let God defend you. Sometimes we strive so we can clear our names or claim our rights. Can you let God do it Himself and in His own way. I am learning to understand that

i.                     No man can really work against me except ME!

ii.                   No man can take what God has for me. If I don’t have it then God has not given it to me.

iii.                  I have only one person to contend with and He is my Father – Lord Jesus

Further Reading: Mathew 26:24; Rom. 8: 28, 31; Exo. 14:13-14; Num. 23:8,20, 23; John 3: 26-27; Psa. 118:6; Heb. 13:6

Be willing to let God deal with offenders Himself.  God is the best judge of mankind and when He deals with your enemies you may even beg Him to be merciful. See how God dealt with Pharaoh and the Egyptians. Vengeance is the speciality of God, let Him do it. If you tried you wouldn’t do it like Him.

Further Reading: Deut 32:35; Deu_32:43; Psa_94:1; Nah_1:2, Nah_1:6; Rom_12:19, Rom_13:4; Heb_10:30

If necessary let the Law take its course. There are those who try to take undue advantage of the believer. We must note that there will be times when we will let the Law of the Land take its course against evil doers. In this case we are not the one seeking vengeance but those who break the law must face its consequences. If a man commits murder, my forgiving him does not preclude him from going to jail! Further reading: Rom 13:1-5; 1Kings 10:9

Make up your mind not to be quarrelsome (another word for ‘strive’). It takes gentleness and patience to keep this commandment. Men will take you for a ride, let them do it. God will let you outwit them. Men will cheat you, let them do it. God knows how to recompense you. The ultimate aim of God is that we be lights to the world. Read. Isa. 53:7; Mat. 27:12-14; 

No More Scarcity

“So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink. And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand. And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die. And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son. For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth. And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days. And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah.”(1Ki 17:10-16 KJV)

There was a great famine in the land of Israel because Elijah the Prophet had called a drought upon the land. Now the Prophet himself needed a miracle to survive the farming. And God sent him to a widow who was about to cook her last meal. This God has a great sense of humour! He has unusual answers to complex problems.

When God decides to deal with your issues, you don’t expect Him to do it the conventional way, that is, according to your problem solving template. He is about to bring all your issues to an end. If you believe that, roar an Amen!

The Situation.

The widow of Zarephat and her son were in a precarious situation when Elijah arrived on the scene.

Emptiness: The Widow’s storehouse was empty. Her bank accounts were in red. She was about to cook her last meal. I have been in such situations before with my family on Mission fields when you eat that meal and then look up for what God will do. He never fails. On one such occasion as my wife drove the children to school with the last drop of fuel in the car, there was nothing they were going to eat when they returned from school, there was no fuel for them to go to school the next day. Before noon however, God roared to action as we cried to Him in prayer and without talking to any mortal divine supplies had come.

Are you empty right now, I prophesy into your life, your emptiness is over, receive abundance right now in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen

Helplessness: When you are empty but you have people you can run to or you have some alternatives then your case is not too dire. For this family, there was no option, no alternative. She was helpless. Thank God, He is the helper of the helpless. So if you are in a state of helplessness, you are the right candidate for Divine Help. I therefore prophesy into your life, Help from Above is coming your way right now in Jesus name. Receive it with a roaring Amen!

Hopelessness: They say ‘as long as there is hope, there is life’. However, a combination of emptiness and helplessness yields hopelessness. That’s when one begins to say ‘I think I should just die and forget my sorrows’. Praise God, He gives hope to the hopeless. In the name that is above all other names, you will not get to that point. And if you are already in the state of hopelessness, the Almighty God will surprise you today in Jesus name.

The Solution.

When Elijah arrived the scene, God moved to bring to and end emptiness, helplessness and hopelessness, just as He is about to do today in your life!

The Word: Many times am just awed by God’s way of dealing with difficult situations. He just spoke a word! Whether it is in the valley of dry bones, or at the tomb of Lazarus (dead and buried for 4 days), He just speaks and it is done. That’s why you need to take every word of God written or in the mouth of His servants seriously. Read, study, meditate and believe the Word of God. It is the key to whatever God wants to do in your life. Just that word ‘this food will not finish’ solved this woman’s problems with immediate alacrity!

The Work: The Word had effect for the Widow because she worked the Word. She took action. Do you believe, show me your faith by your actions! The word works for those who work on it. Many folks pray and even fast but won’t do the Word! We want God to move mountains, send earthquakes or do some magical things to solve our problems. However, His method is the Word. Search for the Word in your situation today!

The Wow! As this woman worked the word, she and her son were just wowed by God’s miraculous power. The food just refused to finish. Three meals a day, 24/7 until the famine was over! God does not need a fat bank account to solve your problems. He needs you to take Him at His Word and you will only find yourself screaming WOW! I decree into the life of every Word addict, as you work the Word, amazing results will follow you and your family in Jesus name.

Conclusion.

There may be famine or scarcity in the land, but God is ready to ensure that His children are well fed and preserved till He sends rain upon the earth. Just take Him at His Word. No more scarcity for you and all yours in Jesus name. Love ya!

OVERSHDOWED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT

“And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.” (Luk 1:35 KJV)

The Holy Spirit is God! When Jesus was to be born, the Holy Spirit came upon Mary, the power of God “overshadowed” her and she conceived miraculously.  To overshadow means to cast a shadow upon, to envelop, or to embrace. Mary was not the only one in the Bible to have the Holy Spirit overshadow her, many others share this wonderful experience and had great results to show for it. The greatest cry for my life today is that the Holy Ghost would envelop me and never let go till I become all I was born to be! When the Holy Spirit overshadows a man these follow:

Leaders are empowered for excellent prophetic service.  E.g. the 70 Elders (Num.11:25); Othniel (Judges 3:9-10); Saul (1Sam.10:10). Every leader in the home, church, market place, government etc. needs the Holy Spirit to succeed. The failure of leadership in all fronts is a direct result of reliance on human wisdom and abilities. When the Holy Spirit envelopes a man, He gives him supernatural help to influence others positively. He is able to easily mobilise people to achieve great goals. Are you a leader? Why don’t you ask the Holy Spirit to come upon you today?

Ordinary people become extra-ordinary. Gideon (Judges 6:34); Jephthah (Judges 11:29); Elisha (2Kings 2:9, 15); God always picks up ordinary folk (in fact all men are ordinary) and does extra-ordinary things with them. Any man you see doing extra ordinary things for God is a man overshadowed by the Holy Spirit. 1Sam.16:13 is the secret of everything we know about David. The Holy Spirit came upon a shepherd boy who could not even get the recommendation of his father, and history was altered forever. Goliath died. The city of David was born. A dynasty of kings was given. Even the Saviour is still called ‘son of David’. Only the Holy Spirit can make a fisher man to become a Fisher of Men! Only the Holy Spirit can make a persecutor of Christians to become a persecuted Christian! You too can become extra ordinary in your generation. Say it loud, OVERSHADOW ME THOU HOLY GHOST!

Creative Miracles take place. Mary (Luke 1:35); Earth (Gen. 1:1-2) Mary without the agency of a man conceived a child! Many can’t believe this. I do because I have seen the Holy Spirit create new wombs, new eyes, intestines etc. Many still don’t believe that too, well there is nothing I can do for you. Do you however, need something new to be created for you? The same Spirit that overshadowed the waters and created the earth will overshadow you and create it for you.  Lift up your voice and pray: HOLY GHOST, overshadow me now in Jesus name!

There is deliverance for the captives. The Philistines thought it was all over, they had arrested their troubler. He was in chains! Then the Holy Ghost cast His shadow upon him, the ropes melted like wax, Samson simply snapped them off his hands and feet and got up in the power of the Holy Ghost, the captors lay all around dead as he killed a thousand with an ordinary donkey’s bone!  (Judges 15:14)

You can only be held down if you are bereft of the embrace of the Holy Spirit. I’ve never seen flies sitting on top of hot objects. If you are overshadowed by the Holy Ghost, He will set you free from any form of captivity. Much more He will empower ordinary weapons to deadly effect upon your enemies. Shout it loud and clear “Holy Ghost, please embrace me now!”

Conclusion.

The above is not an exhaustive listing of what the Holy Spirit will do when He overshadows you, but it’s an appetizer to stir you up to pray this prayer with all that is within you. I suggest to you that more than anything you need, you need the Holy Spirit to envelope you totally. For the rest of this week, make this your one prayer: Holy Ghost, please overshadow me with your power. Shalom!

Escape from Defeat

The size of the enemy (Challenge) is not the reason why you are defeated. Every problem has a solution! Every enemy can be defeated. Every mountain can be dealt with (moved, tunnelled through or climbed). Every river or ocean can be crossed.  The reason you are where you are is not because your enemies are too strong. You are not down because of the size or strength of your ‘Pharaoh’ or ‘Goliath’. It is not because of the height of the ‘walls of Jericho’.

On the day Israel faced Goliath in battle there was no one to confront the giant! It was not because of the size of Goliath, it was because of the size of their faith! Every man is defeated by size of their faith in God. David was the youngest of the men on that battle field that day, inexperienced in battle, without any weapons or armour of war, yet he defeated Goliath.

David asked the men who were standing by him, "What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? Indeed, who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?" (1Sa 17:26 ISV)

David did not see the size of Goliath he saw the size of his God. He called his God ‘the Living God’. He knew that Jehovah was the only living God; all others are dead, dumb, powerless idols including Satan! This is where many believers are defeated, they see so much of the Devil and his demons that they lose sight of the Great and living God. Satan is fallen and powerless! He was defeated on the cross and remains defeated before every true child of God. Next time Satan tries to intimidate you, call his bluff, and ask him to get lost!

David did not see the size of Goliath, David saw his covenant rights. David knew that Israel has a covenant with God that makes every Israelite God’s special favourite. David knew that Israel was by Divine connection stronger than Philistine! Israel was circumcised as a sign of the covenant (Gen.17:10). The Philistines were not circumcised showing they were not part of the covenant. David knew His God was not only Most Powerful but will fight for and with him against any enemy no matter their size.
Whatever is born of God overcomes the World (1John 5:4). Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world 1John 4:4). My victory lies in this faith I have. The size of the enemy is immaterial, the nature of the challenge is inconsequential, in Christ I am victorious – always!

David saw a dead Philistine even before he went into battle. The result of every battle between a lion and a goat is known even before it starts. The result of any confrontation between God and Satan is known in advance. The result of every duel between me and any Goliath is already known. I am undefeatable, irrepressible, unconquerable, unstoppable … Bring it on Satan, my God defeated you and gave me the victory.

That’s the way every Christian should approach every battle in life. God is waiting to hear your boast about what He is going to do to your enemies. And He will do more than what you ask or think. My enemies are in trouble, God is going to cut off their remembrance from the land of the living.

David was willing to take Goliath headlong! If you don’t dare the enemy God will not show up! He is waiting for us to dare every Goliath. When Elijah dared the Prophets of Baal, God showed up. When Moses dared Pharaoh, God showed up! When Jonathan dared the Philistines, God showed up. God waits for us to rise up so He can back us up.

Dare that sickness with the stripes of Jesus, dare those demons with the name of Jesus. Dare those curses with the blood of Jesus. Knock that door boldly in the name of Jesus; ask for all you need with the confidence of a true child.

Deep inside, many believers (are they not unbelievers) are afraid of the Devil. They are so enemy focused, limitation minded, and demon fixated that they can’t move forward. Listen, the problem is not any enemy outside, the problem is YOU! If only you can have faith: that God is greater than all your enemies, that you are His covenant child, and that your enemies are already defeated.

Then dare!

 

 

Prelude to Defeat.

No child of God should ever suffer any form of defeat because whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world. “Every child of God can defeat the world, and our faith is what gives us this victory. No one can defeat the world without having faith in Jesus as the Son of God.” (1Jn 5:4-5 CEV) So when you find a child of God, a believer in Christ suffering defeat, you know something is wrong somewhere. What can make a child of God to be defeated in battle?

Forsaken by his Ally.

No child of God can defeat his enemies by his personal strength. The source of the believer’s victory is his Strong and Mighty Ally. When Joshua faced Jericho, it was the Mighty Ally that pulled the walls down and gave Israel victory. When they faced Ai, the Mighty Ally forsook them and they were defeated. (Joshua 6, 7, 8). God forsook them because of sin. Any one that sins cannot be defended by God in the battles of life.

In 1Samuel 4:17 the very ark of God was captured in battle by the Philistines! I’ve always wondered why God would allow the enemy to gain such a victory. God would not associate with sinning folks even if they are called by His name. God was and is willing to be defeated if His children cannot represent Him in Holiness. He said the gates of Hell cannot prevail against His Church. But if His Church goes into sin, He will withdraw and let the gates of Hell take over! Go to Turkey and see former Church buildings now being used as Mosques or Museums! The Holy One forsook a sinning Church.

Will God not defend a sinning Child for His name’s sake? His eyes are too holy to behold iniquity. He even turned His back of Jesus Christ when He hung on the Cross carrying our sins prompting the ‘Boy’ to cry, ‘my God my God why has thou forsaken me?’ If you want to defeat all contending enemies, you must walk away from every appearance of sin.

Mind games.

When football teams are preparing for matches, you see their coaches playing all kinds of mind games. They do that because they know that a win or a defeat starts in the mind. Every battle of life is won or lost in the mind. Even when your Mighty Ally is beside you, if you are defeated in your mind, you will lose the battle.

When the 12 spies returned from Canaan, 10 were already defeated in their minds, only Joshua and Caleb had a winning mentality. The same God that brought them out of Egypt was with them. The one who made away though the Red Sea, who brought water out of the Rock and fed them with manna and quails was with them yet He could only stamp what was on their minds – defeat for the 10 and victory for the 2!

On the day David faced Goliath, King Saul and the entire army had lost the mind game (1 Samuel 17). Goliath won the battle without a fight by intimidating the Israelites, until David came with a Champions mind. From the moment David heard Goliath speak, he said ‘I am going to cut this man’s head off’ and he did not even have a sword.

It is in your mind that fear or faith rules. It is in your heart that discouragement or determination rules. Choose what you want to rule your mind now!

Lifted Hands, Bended Knees!

The Mighty Ally is always waiting to be called into action and He remains waiting until He is called. If you don’t call Him it means you don’t need Him. He remains on standby but many children of God don’t call Him until they are defeated. Your responsibility is to call Him. Peter was sinking right in front of Jesus and the Master was just looking at him until he cried out. Then Jesus held his hand and they both walked into the boat (Mathew 14:28-32). If you don’t want to be defeated in life you must learn to pray to God always.

In Exodus17:10-13 we see this principle at work. Joshua defeated the Amalekites as Moses interceded in prayer before God. When hands were lifted in Prayer, Israel prevailed, when hands went down, Amalek prevailed! When we intensify prayer, the enemy is defeated, when we slack in prayer, we are defeated.

Bring it home.

If you don’t want to be defeated in life, don’t do anything that will make your Mighty Ally (God Almighty) to forsake you. And if you have already been forsaken, repent from the depth of your heart and He will return to you. Never yield ground to the enemy in your mind (be full of faith) and learn to pray intensely at all times.

 

 

 

Rich Towards God? Part 2

“And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me. And he

said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you? And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” (Luk 12:13-21)

The ground … brought forth plentifully. This man was a farmer, so he did all that a farmer was expected to do to get a good crop. He tilled the ground properly, planted some seed, cleared out the weeds, applied fertilizer and then waited for harvest. And it came in abundance. His thought process when the harvest came gives us an idea of who this man was and the verdict of the Almighty.

No appreciation for the great harvest. You only appreciate people for what you believe they did for you. This man had no need to appreciate God for the harvest because he did not think God had anything to do with it. As far as he was concerned, it was the result of diligent personal efforts and expertise. How about the rains? Ah that was a natural thing!

Some give thanks to God with their mouths for their accomplishments, but hear them talk later and you know what their hearts really believe – ‘I did it’! No man can receive a thing except God gives him. You can plant, you can water, but only God can give the increase. You can treat, only God can heal. A horse can prepare against the day of battle, but safety is of the LORD! Never forget this: ALL THAT YOU ARE AND HAVE COMES FROM THE LORD.

My fruits, my barns, my goods, my soul.  This man has something! It’s all about ‘me’. God does not give us things so we can take ownership; He gives us things to hold in trust. Man is a steward of God’s world. That was the way it was in the garden. Eden was God’s, Adam and Eve were stewards (caretakers). Since Eden’s fall man has slipped into a possessive animal holding on to mundane things. We don’t own anything. Naked we came, naked we go! When prosperity comes appreciate God for it and hold it in trust, using it only as He wills.

Conserve the harvest. This was one positive about this man though his motive was entirely wrong. Don’t waste the blessings that God sends your way. Some children of God are so wasteful. They believe God will provide, so they are so prodigal with what God gives them. Learn to save, invest and to multiply the wealth in your hands.

I will say to my soul, … What a man says to himself is so crucial, it reveals who the man is.

i.                    Life is not about having abundance of goods laid up for many years. Many folks are working hard every day accumulating things. Greed, pride and fear of the unknown is behind much of this. But the ability of a man to meet his needs in life does not depend on his net worth! A millionaire could have a billionaire need. Many want to keep wealth for old age and for great grandchildren, vanity!

ii.                  Life is not about ‘eat, drink and be merry’. A young one goes through school dreaming to come tops in their class. When that is achieved, he thinks of a great pay job. When money begin to flow in he gets cars, houses, wife (or wives), plenty of gadgets, more money stored up in high yielding investments. He can eat and drink what he wants, travel to wherever he wants, party with the high and mighty in society, etc. Is that life?

Thou Fool. Am so glad I did not call you a fool, Jesus did! Jesus did use strong language in dealing with people and we must not shy away from it. But who is a fool?

1.       He is a fool who forgets he will die one day. Many people refuse to think or talk about death. When we die we come face to face with our maker. Prepare for it more than anything else. Mercy time is now not after death. Forgiveness is now not after death.

2.      He is a fool who forgets he can die even tonight! What a difference it will make if we all do things with the thought that we might die tonight! Many know and think of death – but it’s far away, when I am 150 years old! If this fool was aware he was going to die that night, he would have acted differently. Whatever you know you will do if God tells you death is coming tonight do it every day!

3.     He is a fool who forgets that he came naked to this world and will take nothing out! Jesus asked ‘whose will these things be?’ No man takes anything with him when he dies. I see men spending so much on embalmment, caskets, tombs, cemeteries and all the sort when people die. Friends, it’s all a waste of resources that could benefit the living and Kingdom work! You take nothing with you so why all the struggle when you know it’s all going to be left behind very soon. The children you are living it for may kill each other over it or just ‘prodigal son’ it!

So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” The Rich Fool is not alone. He has many siblings who are just like him. They lay great treasures just for themselves. They even use God to achieve their vision. Much of what people do on earth (even becoming church goers) is so that they can get treasures on earth. The wise are rich towards God.

1.       They make all the legitimate money they can make by all legitimate means.

2.      They trust in Jesus and not in wealth.

3.      They only spend on their bare necessities, living as pilgrims and strangers on earth.

4.      They don’t see the wealth as theirs, but God’s.

5.      They use the wealth as God directs to fund Kingdom Expansion.

6.      They prepare for the day of Jesus so that they will not be cast away.

Are you rich towards God? Please find a quiet place to meditate on this and talk with God. Shalom!

Rich Towards God?

“And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me. And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you? And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” (Luk 12:13-21)

Our Lord Jesus has a way of addressing issues that is sometimes baffling. In His encounters with men, He always addresses the root cause of issues rather than the surface symptoms. Here was a man seeking the powerful Teacher’s help to get what he felt was his right, instead he got a rebuke and a lecture. God looks at the heart and not just what a man says or does; hence he is able to answer to the heart cries of man. Come along with me as we reflect together on these thoughts.

What a man thinks is his problem is not the problem at all. (Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me)

This man came to Jesus with a simple request: ‘Master, help me recover my inheritance’. When a man has an opportunity to ask for something from a powerful personality, he would naturally ask for the important issue in his life. This man must have felt this inheritance palaver was the most pressing matter in his life. But Jesus thought otherwise!

What do you think is the most crucial issue for God to handle in your life? A husband, a wife, a child, a good job, a house, a car, healing…? You may be surprised if God should talk with you. For this man, Jesus discerned that his problem was covetousness. For you, God may be more interested is dealing with anger and un-forgiveness in your life. It may be some other manifestation of sin in your life. Generally, Jesus is more concerned about your soul than about your body; about your eternal fate than your earthly state. He thinks more about your spiritual state than your physical issues.

Saul ben Kish was looking for lost asses from God; God was looking for a King in Saul. Saul of tarsus was looking for Christians to destroy; God was looking for a preacher called Paul, the Apostle. What do you think is your greatest need?  I am so sure it is God Himself and not anything God gives.

 

What a man thinks Jesus came to do is not what He came to do. (Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?)

The man came to Jesus because somehow he felt his problem was one of the problems God sent Jesus to solve. Many people still don’t know why Jesus came to earth! Even His disciples thought He came to set up an earthly Kingdom. Others thought he came for free food distribution. He did not come to right every wrong, He did not come to stop every injustice. In fact He is not a Human Rights crusader. Jesus did not come so that He can help your favourite team win the World Cup in Brazil. He did not come to eradicate poverty. He did not come to stop all wars.

Jesus came to save sinners of whom I am chief! Yes he cares for all you care about, but he came first to save you from hell and take you to heaven, the rest they say in Nigeria ‘na jara’. It is only after he has done his main work in your life that he can attend to the ‘addendums’ or “AOB’s”. Jesus always puts first things first in His dealings with people. He has to be your savior (from sin) first before He can become provider and protector.

 

Life is not about abundance of possessions.

Human being generally rate men according to externals: beauty, dressing, wealth, power, position etc. The average man wants to have ‘things’ and to cling to them and to flaunt them. We feel ‘thick’ when we have ‘things’ that we know will make others respect or even envy us. This is at the root of all cravings. It is the foundation for materialism (the desire for material things-possessions). What makes Mr. Man covetous is that when he sees another man having things he does not have, he feels the other man is more important and no one must be more important than Mr. Man. If Mr. Man knows that life is not about possessions, that will make him less bothered about possessions.

So why did Jesus say He came to give life abundantly? Life is about knowing God, loving God and serving God! Life is about doing the will of the master Jesus. (John 4:34). This is what He came to give in abundance. Possessions are means for doing God’s will and not the end or reward of serving God. We don’t serve and worship Jesus to get possessions; we use possessions to serve and worship Jesus! Possessions are only good if they don’t possess us. To be possessed by possessions is the same as to be possessed by demons (mammon is a demon!).

Conclusion

When you don’t know your real problem, when you don’t know what problems Jesus came to solve, when you don’t know what life is all about, then you really have problem. Next week we shall examine the parable of the Rich Fool!

Prayers.

1.       Father, please solve my real problem and not just my perceived problems. Give me what I need and not what I want.

2.       Father, open my eyes to what you really want to accomplish in my life.

3.       Daddy, deliver me every form of materialism.

4.       Father, possess me fully so that what you give to me will not be able to possess me.

5.       In the name of Jesus Christ I deliver myself from every form of demonic possession.

6.       Lord God, please give me everything I need to serve and worship you effectively.

Anointed to Become!

There is something you are designed to be. You have all the potential to become that thing, but sadly you are not that thing yet. Such was Adam when God made him; his body was formed from the dust of the ground, he was a fully formed man, potentially the father of the Human race, but he was just a lifeless carcase on God’s workshop table.

“And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” (Gen 2:7 KJV)

The angels came in to admire what a handsome creature God has made, but it was useless! Then God did something unique – He did a mouth to mouth resuscitation exercise on Adam’s lifeless body and the Man BECAME a living soul.

There is a wide gulf between what you are designed to be and actually becoming that thing. There is a world of difference between Potential energy and Kinetic energy. I am talking about the difference between been full of potentials and realising them. It’s about the gap between dreams, visions, ambitions, goals and their actual fulfilment.

What God did for Adam is what He must do for you. The breath that Adam received from God was the anointing of the Holy Spirit. When the anointing came upon the lifeless body of Adam, he became what God wanted him to be.

Joseph was a dreamer for much of his life. His dreams brought him many troubles. However, Joseph soon became another thing – an interpreter of dreams. This was clearly a work of the anointing of the Holy Spirit. One day Pharaoh saw that this prisoner-slave was full of the anointing and made him Prime Minister. Joesph finally became what God wanted him to be.

“And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?” (Gen 41:38 KJV)

As the Lord God lives, this same anointing will come upon you and you will become what God intends for you to be.

David was a shepherd boy, destined to be the head of a dynasty of Kings (even Jesus is called ‘son of David’), but he was in the bush with sheep. One day, this anointing came upon his life and it began to propel him until he became ALL that God wanted him to be. Without the anointing, he would have died in the bush as a shepherd boy.

Elisha was a farmer turned prophet’s servant. Even the sons of the prophets had no respect for him. He was below them, they were prophets in training, he was their cook! However, the mantle (anointing) fell and all that changed – Elisha became! You too will become!!

Time will fail me to tell you of Peter, the fisherman. By reason of the anointing he became fisher-of-men. The scriptures are full the stories of men and women who became what God wanted, and the key was the anointing.

This week, seek to be anointed by Jesus Christ Himself.

Prayers:

1.       Father, I surrender myself to you, take my all.

2.       Father, please breath into my nostrils the breath of life.

3.       Lord Jesus, baptise me with the Holy Spirit and Fire.

4.       Daddy, anoint me until I become what I was born to be.

5.       Father, let all my great divinely inspired dreams and visions come through.