“Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know
not a man?”
LUKE 1:34-35 (KJV)
So
often, we allow our minds to mislead us through unbelief
and so lose the blessings of God for our lives. God’s answers come
so easy. “Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we
might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them,
This is the work of God that ye believe on him
whom he hath sent.” John 6:28-29 For humans who trust in
what they can do to get what they want, this can hardly be an
answer.
The Angel said to Mary in answer to her question over the puzzle of
having a baby: “...The Holy Spirit 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.”
Luke 1:35
How often we have been overshadowed by the Holy Spirit, totally
overwhelmed by this sweet influence? How often we have known and
felt His power, but never allowed the Spirit seed to bring forth the
Son in us?
Oh, that like Mary, we can just believe what the Angel says to us
through the Word and so we can see a performance of the Promise. For
it is said, “And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be
a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.”
Luke 1:45
Hear me saints. If we trust in God’s revealed Word to us, if we
agree that no Word of God is void of power, we shall have whatever
things which God has promised us!
Be not misled
by what you think you see; the eyes see, but the mind
visualizes.
Reprobate minds see
delusions!
“But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee
for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of
these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which
I will appear unto thee;” ACTS 26:16 (KJV)
G
ift
Forfeited:
Improper Handling -Poorly Packaged. Have you ever been
excited by the anticipation of receiving a gift/present
(especially during a holiday) only to be disappointed?
Sometimes the packaging/ wrapping is sparkling and bold,
neatly and carefully wrapped until the curiosity overtakes
us. We rip it open only to find either the box is empty or
contains what we least expect, may not even like, or not
even want? On the flip side, we may receive a package that
has been battered/worn by misuse or abuse, and badly
damaged. We are often reluctant to receive these gifts and
are quietly upset, even before we decide to open them. They
don’t look like what we hoped for, nor do they meet our
preconceived ideas.
Just think about how God Almighty must feel when someone
rejects HIS gifts and stamps them as misfit. We grumble and
complain about the blessings that HE has so generously
lavished upon His people because the gift did not come in
the desired wrapping, size, or avenue/resource we expected.
God’s people could not possibly be so selfish, ungrateful,
and negative, or could we? God has given numerous ministry
and spiritual gifts for the perfecting of the body of
Christ. It is by His Divine Will according to His purpose
that each person was created with one or several unique
gifts to give Him glory, honor, praise, and for the
edification of His people. He called some as apostles, some
teachers, some prophets, some evangelists; then there are
those that encourage others, some with the gifts of mercy,
hospitality, etc. (1 Co. 12:4, 28) According to God’s
Holy Word, “For the gifts and calling of God are without
repentance.” Romans 11:29
We, as believers, must be very careful not to throw away/forfeit a
gift of God simply because it has not been delivered and presented
in the “right or acceptable packages.” Let us be slow to judge and
quick to repent if we have rejected those that God has deemed
acceptable and worthy in HIS sight. God sees the heart, while man
sees the packaging! Accept God’s gifts that are placed in your life!
CONVICTION Sister Cheryl
Ford Velasquez
What makes life difficult is not the presence of problems but the
absence of God.
"And do not (for a moment) be frightened or intimidated in anything
by your opponents and adversaries, for such (constancy and
fearlessness) will be a clear sign (proof and seal) to them of
(their impending) destruction; but (a sure token and evidence) of
your deliverance and salvation, and that from God.”
PHILIPPIANS 1:28
(Amplified Bible)
O
rdinary
People.
Men and women who made headlines were ordinary people who decided to
attempt great things with the supernatural power of God which comes
on their ordinary attempts to make them super-ordinary. They know
they must fight. They know to fight is not enough, but they must
win. They have 3 characteristics.
1. People of Courage. Courage is an act of determination and
stickability (persistence, perseverance). Courage does not mean
there is no obstacle. The enemies (of God) will always be there. But
a person of courage keeps on going, enemy or no enemy. You cannot
win in this season without courage. Every man's life has seasons.
God has a place and an assignment for us, no matter our season in
life. You and I will always be needed by someone. (Isaiah 41:6)
Respond to this need today with courage. (Deuteronomy 31:6, Psalm
31:24)
2. Be Conscious of His Presence. They are people who are
conscious of God's presence. You cannot pass through the shadows of
life alone. You cannot confront any obstacle without God as your
Source. University certificate or Diploma becomes impotent at the
presence of a mountain. Go out today with the consciousness of God's
presence. (Joshua 1:9; Hebrews 13:5)
3. Know God fights with us. They know God will fight for
them. God is the one who marks life’s scripts, not your enemy or His
enemies. As Born-again Christians, we can confront the enemy (our
enemies and the enemies of God) knowing it is God who fights for us.
(Joshua 10:25)
GODSPEED
“How can I repay the LORD for all His goodness to me?”
PSALM 116:12
(NIV)
S
acrifice. A newly
married young woman
removed her ring from her finger and laid it in the church offering
bag. After the service the Pastor searched her out to commend her
and return the ring, explaining that the offering had been larger
than needed. The woman looked up and said, “I didn’t give the ring
to you, but to the Lord.”
The lady teaches us two important lessons:
First,
true giving is sacrificial. True giving is sacrificial, in gratitude
for the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. “He died
for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves,
but for Him who died for us and who was raised again.” 2Corinthians
5:15
“Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him,
Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that
thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have
treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.” Luke 18:22
True giving means giving our lives to Christ.
Second, a heart full of thanks and praise of God is
the answer to the question posed by our text: “How can I repay
the Lord for all His goodness to me?” The Psalmist continues,
“I will sacrifice a thank offering to you and call on the Name of
the LORD.” Psalm 116:17
It is a God-pleasing act of worship when we devote our lives, our
time, our talents, and our treasures to the Lord. It pleases God
when our love reaches a place of sacrifice, as did the young lady in
the touching story.
John Nyantika Mokua
Bible Teacher, Preacher, Translator Living In Victory International Ministries
P. O. Box 68 50100
Kakamega, Kenya, Africa
Telephone: +254 720 489848
Email:
ministerjn7@yahoo.com
“And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good
thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And he said unto
him, why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is,
God: but is thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.”
MATTHEW 19:16-17 (KJV)
When
Jesus was still in this world, He used to exchange views
with many people from different careers. One of the Pharisees, a
ruler of the Jews, Nicodemus, decided to meet Jesus during the
night. He feared being seen by the Pharisees. Thus he told Jesus:
“…Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God: for no man
can do these miracles that you do, except God be with him.” John 3:2
When we deeply think about Jesus’ teachings, we realize that He
wanted to show people the (real) true, right way (what to do and
what a person could do), to inherit the Kingdom of God.
Another time, a young man came to meet Jesus. He told Him: “…Good
Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?”
Matthew 19:16 Jesus said, “…but if thou
wilt enter into life, KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS.” Matthew 19:17“He saith unto Him, which? Jesus said, Thou
shalt do not murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not
steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness. Honor thy father and thy
mother: and Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. The
young man “saith unto Him, All these things have I kept from my
youth up: what lack I yet? Jesus said unto him,
If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the
poor, and thou shalt have treasure in Heaven: and come and follow
me.” Matthew 19:18-21
Actually, this young man could not follow Jesus’ recommendation
though Jesus had appreciated him and his responses. And now you
personally, are required to sell your property. So what is your
property and how is it? No, it is not your ownership (your things),
but your actions that separate you from God. Put them aside. Human
feelings and actions never please God. If you leave them alone,
surely you will inherit the Kingdom of God. Put God first in all
things. (Proverbs 3:6)
TRUST
Sosthene Maniraguha,
Volunteer Evangelist Association of Pentecostal Churches
Kigali, Rwanda, Africa
Telephone: 00 250 0875 7361
Email: maniso7@yahoo.fr
but the main objective in life is for us to
learn to love others.
“Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to
heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to set
before the multitude. And they did eat, and were all filled: and
there was taken up of fragments that remained to them twelve
baskets.”
LUKE 9:16-17 (KJV)
If
you have ever asked yourself the question, “How much
should I give to the Lord Jesus?” The answer is in this verse. Jesus
was with the disciples, and when the people found Him, there
gathered a large multitude of over 5,000 men plus the women and
children. The disciples wanted the Lord to dismiss the people so
they could go and find something to eat. Jesus then gave them a
better idea. He asked, How many loaves do you have? Go and see. They
found 5 loaves and 2 fish. Jesus took them, looked up to Heaven and
blessing them, brake the bread and all ate and were full. Much food
remained. Why? Because that’s the perfect will of God for our
provision.
Look, the Lord does not need our money, our tithes, offerings, or
sacrifices. He is walking on golden streets and His name is King of
Kings. Our Lord wants us to surrender all that we have to Him (it
may be 5 loaves or 5 houses), so He can bless them and when He
returns them to us, we will be filled and not only us, but all those
that are with us and even there will be a surplus (oversupply).
Trust the Lord, surrender all that you have (not just your finances,
but your family, ministry, job, friends, etc.) unto Him, so He can
administrate it (govern and distribute it) in the most perfect way.
He has everything and He loves to bless and give, so You and all
these around you will be affected for the better by that decision of
yours.
SURRENDER
Genoveva Dimitrova
“Righteousness, Peace and Joy in the Holy Spirit”
Apostolic Center Church
Bourgas, Bulgaria, Europe
Reach out to sinners. Bring Salvation to the
lost.
"Jesus said to him, Today salvation has come to this house, because
this man too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek
and to save what was lost."
LUKE 19:9-10 (NIV)
Jesus
came on this earth with a goal to bring salvation to the
lost, "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was
lost." Luke 19:10
There are many unbelievers across the globe today who have the
desire to know much about Jesus like Zacchaeus did, but they lack
the opportunity. “A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he
was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who
Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd.
So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since
Jesus was coming that way.” Luke 19:2-4
As servants of God, we need not to distance ourselves from the many
lost unbelievers for it was Jesus who first called Zacchaeus before
he came down from the fig tree. When Jesus reached the spot, He
looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus come
down immediately.” So he came down at once and welcomed him
gladly.
The world will not know much about Christ if we fail to reach them.
However Romans 10:14 says, “How then, can they call on the
one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one
of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone
preaching to them?”
It is one thing to separate ourselves from unbelievers and from
their sin, but yet another to win souls for Christ right where they
are in their personal spiritual development. Do the work of Jesus.
Walk the walk of Jesus. Get into the trenches where the sinners
are--bring them to Christ.
REACH OUT
Awudu Razak
Pastor/Evangelist/Author: “A POEM FROM ABOVE” Success Life Ministries
P. O. Box Ks 7421
Kumasi, Ghana, Africa
Telephone: +233-24-3236691
Our Choice Today Determines the Joy of Our Future Generation.
Your Choices Today Determines Our Tomorrow.
"For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by
the obedience of one shall many be made righteous."
ROMANS 5:19 (KJV)
Our choices do not only affect us, but also the people around us. The
consequences of our choice(s) or decision(s) can be damnable or life
giving. Choice brings life or death, joy or sorrow, promotion or
demotion, honour or disgrace, and poverty or prosperity. You are
what you are today because of your choice yesterday. Your choice is
so powerful that it (your choice) can affect your life, your family,
your community, your nation and the entire world. (Psalm 25:12)
Considering the above scripture, the choice of Adam in the Garden of
Eden brought death, condemnation, and all forms of calamities upon
the entire human race. The whole world is suffering from the wrong
choice of Adam in the Garden of Eden. The destiny of all humanity
was put into the hand of Adam and his wife. But their choices then
brought calamities upon their generation whom we are. (Proverbs
1:29)
The greatest lesson to be learned is that the joy of the next
generation or your family also depends on your choice today or the
way you live your life today. Will they praise you or curse you?
Will they blame you or sing your praise? (Isaiah 7:15)
All of us, we are suffering from the consequences of sin of which we
do not know. Think about it. Will your family or your next
generation suffer from the way you are living your life now? Will
they cry tomorrow because of your choice or decision today? Always
remember when you want to make a choice that your choice will
determine your choice of joy or sorrow for your tomorrow and the
tomorrow of others.
DECISION
Adeola Adsina Glory
Bible teacher, Exhorter and Writer Glory World Outreach Ministries
Serrehkunda, Gambia
Email: gloryadeola@yahoo.com
In spite of our temptations and our responses to them,
God still loves us!
“And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham,
and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.”
GENESIS 22:1 (KJV)
A
Caring Father. The account here is stark: God tested and called;
Abraham replied. The patriarch and his God had walked together many
years, and the son that God had promised was now a fine young boy.
The time had come for a test of the father, determining whether his
faith and obedience were strong enough.
Today's fathers face many tests. Some may even feel that God is
unfair to them. But our heavenly Father does not mean to vex earthly
fathers. Rather, He wants to strengthen their faith and sharpen
their obedience so that their sons and daughters may be guided and
nurtured. May our response to God's call always be, “Yes Lord,”
rather than “Why me?” In what ways is God strengthening you as a
Father?
Because he obeyed God concerning Isaac, Abraham was blessed beyond
his wildest imagination. But the blessings were not the material
riches some people associate with the word “blessings.” God had in
mind a rich family heritage of countless descendants and a
continuity of purpose through history--the Purpose of blessing all
the nations of the earth.
Though the effects of our obedience may not reach as far as
Abraham’s, we can still be assured that God has a purpose for our
families. Other people can be blessed by our time with God, can
become Christians through our witness, and benefit from our career
choices. For what purpose do you think your family was created?
We must never lose our dependence on the Lord.
Our lives are far more important than what we do.
“But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee
for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of
these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which
I will appear unto thee;”
ACTS 26:16
(KJV)
No one is here by chance on this Earth. The Lord loves you with all
His heart. He sent His Son Jesus Christ to redeem you and give
meaning and essence to your life. That is what our salvation is all
about –
1. Salvation from sin;
2. Healing to our spirit, soul, and
body;
3. Deliverance from the power of the devil;
4. Protection from
all harm;
5. Prosperity in every area of our life;
6. Wholeness, and
7. Total victory in the Lord.
Life itself has three main categories –
Reality, Purpose, and Power.
If a person does not have Reality (appeared unto thee; hast seen; I
will appear unto thee) – that’s not life, but Mere Existence. Life
is an aggressive thing, not stagnant, and apathetic. We have to
press forward always, so we can catch Him – otherwise we might as
well lie down and sleep till we die. Then comes Purpose – what thing
can be called Life, which does not have a purpose? Everything that
God has given life to has a purpose. Every person that has ever been
born on this Earth has been born with God’s Divine and Perfect
Purpose to fulfill a given mandate in life. And again, we have to do
everything we can (pray, fast, seek, knock, praise, worship, adore,
magnify, glorify, ask, consecrate, separate, etc.), so we can touch
God, and find that Purpose for which He has given us our lives
(appeared unto thee for this purpose).
Someone said that he saw a light in the tunnel, and it was the light
from a coming train. Of course, he said that in the negative sense,
but I have a positive comparison - When the train of our Lord hits
you, you’ll never be the same again. But we have to continue walking
in this dark tunnel, because the train is always headed towards us.
The faster we go forward, never looking back, the sooner we’ll meet
Him. We’ll be drawn to a head-on collision with His light, which
will definitely bring Reality and Purpose. And lastly, a life full
of Reality and Purpose will definitely produce Power – Power to
transform us first and then those around us (to turn them from
darkness to Light and from satan unto God).
LIFE
Nikola Dimitrov
Bible Teacher, Preacher, Translator
God loves us in our failures, in our mistakes,
and in our shortcomings.
He knows we are not perfect. He made us;
therefore nothing we could ever do can surprise Him.
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
PSALM 46:1 (KJV)
Years
before I had my own children, I was the caretaker of a
sweet boy named Tyler. My husband and I always thought of him as our
own. He spent much of his early childhood with us. He had just
learned how to walk without falling. One day he was running down the
driveway. He fell. He had tears running down his cheeks and was
crying loudly when I ran to him. I knelt down and picked him up. I
held him close and told him it would be alright. Then I brushed the
dirt off him and stood him up beside me. He cried for me to pick him
up. “Carry me,” he cried.
As I looked in his eyes I
could see his hurt and fear. I knelt down again and said, “Tyler,
you can do it! You have a little boo-boo on your knee but it will
get better. We will put some medicine on it to get all the yucky
germs away so it will not get infected. But you have to be brave and
walk with me.” He swallowed hard and took my hand and we walked into
the house together. I did clean up his knee and put some medicine on
it. Then we prayed for Jesus to fix all the boo-boo’s. Shortly
after, he was ready to go back outside and run again. Outside we
went and he did live to run again. He fell a few more times as well.
But when he fell the next times he knew it would be okay and he just
got up, brushed himself off, and kept on going.
There are so many truths in this little story. As Christians, we run
our race and we fall down sometimes. Some of those first falls leave
an impression that we often never forget. We must remember that God
loves us. There are times He does carry us through and there are
times that we must take His hand and like Peter we have to walk with
Him back to safety, back to the place where the dust is shaken off
of us and we can get cleaned up. Go and get all the germs out. Start
a healing process, and then go back out there and go again. We all
make mistakes. It is how we respond when we realize we have made
them that God is looking at. He is looking into our heart issues,
much more than our appearance issues. Whatever it is He still loves
us.
He loves us in our sin
and He loves us in our repentance. There will be times that He will
hold us close enough to hear His very heartbeat. And when we hear it
He will then put us down that we might take His hand and walk with
Him. Often we will walk into unknown territory but we can be assured
He will be with us every step of the way. Along the way He will fix
all our little boo-boo’s. He is a faithful God who will keep us, and
when we fall, He will be there to pick us up. He will heal our hurts
chase our fears away with His perfect love. And we will run again.
COURAGE
Gina Sechrist
Covenant Christian Church
Asheboro, North Carolina, USA, North America
“And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and left
his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out. And it came to
pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and was
fled forth, That she called unto the men of her house, and spake
unto them, saying, see, he hath brought in an Hebrew unto us to mock
us; he came in unto me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud
voice:”
GENESIS 39:12-14 (KJV)
Who
is a Christian? And what is a Christian? What is his
duty? What is her duty? What is he or she supposed to do during
their times of trouble? Many Christians think it is enough once they
have been baptized and their names fully recorded in the church
register. Many Christians think it is enough that their presence is
ever noticed and their activities duly appreciated by the
congregation as required. A Christian is someone who has repented
his sins and has been baptized. That righteous person is a traveler
heading to Heaven. Such a Christian makes righteous plans and is
ever of exemplary behavior. He has a good testimony and good actions
in the manner of Joseph in Egypt.
Joseph was sold by his elder brothers, but he behaved very
faithfully in the manner to honor God. Even though he was far away
from his birthplace where nobody was to witness that he was a man of
God, he behaved honorably. Joseph “said unto his master's wife,
Behold, my master wotteth not what is in with me in the house, and
the hath committed all that he hath to my hand. There is none
greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing
from me but thee, but because thou art his wife: how then can I do
this great wickedness, and sin against God? Genesis 39:8-9 (KJV)
So dear brother, the salvation you received is not limited to church
leaders. But we move with it (our salvation) wherever we travel;
shopping, going to school, and anywhere we go. We have not to deny
our Christian position or hide our faith because of change of a
situation. Jesus said: “Also I say unto
you, whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man
also confess him before the angels of God. But he that denieth me
before men shall be denied before the angels of God.” Luke
12:8-9 (KJV)
RIGHTEOUS
Sosthene Maniraguha,
Volunteer Evangelist
Association of Pentecostal Churches
Kigali, Rwanda, Africa
Telephone: 00 250 0875 7361
Email: maniso7@yahoo.fr
No person can work for what God has to give.
They can only receive it.
“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the
sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.”
JOHN 1:12 (KJV)
What
you constantly receive into your heart you will become.
You will become what you constantly receive into your heart.
Whatever any man is today is a result of what he has been receiving
into his life.
Our experience in God is depending on two things:
1. God gives us His Grace
2. Our receiving of that Grace
What you receive, your
life will show. Your life will show what you receive. We do not give
up anything to get what belongs to us in Christ. We just receive it
by faith. You can't earn the blessings of God through works. The way
you receive from God is to simply take His blessings by faith. When
you understand Receiving, then the rest will come. You will not need
to carry that burden to work any more.
Receive His Grace by faith today. No situation or problem can ever
withstand the Grace of God. The earlier you begin to walk in this
light, it will not be long until your story will be like that of
Paul. “But by the grace of God I am what I am; and his grace
which was bestowed upon me was not in vain.” 1 Corinthians
15:10 (KJV)
Grace is power to become what He wants you to be.
GRACE
Kolawole O. Emiola
Word of Righteousness Ministries International
Dominion Impact Church
Ibadan, Oyos State, Nigeria, Africa
Email: deccnig2@yahoo.com
Wisdom is an Authority (Sovereignty) of God
and
we should seek Wisdom in all things as we acknowledge God in
everything we do.
“Happy is the man who is so anxious to be
with me that he watches for me daily at my gates, or waits for me
outside my home!”
PROVERBS 8:34 (Living Bible)
“Blessed is the man that heareth me,
watching daily at my gates, awaiting at the
posts of my doors.”
PROVERBS 8:34 (KJV)
In
this passage from Proverbs, God tells us that He is the
author of Wisdom. Those who find God’s wisdom in life find eternal
life--eternal life in Him. But those who despise God’s wisdom,
suffer injury and death--eternal death.
We need to understand what is meant by wisdom. God is not talking
about mere knowledge. Nor is He talking about experience. Nor is He
talking about having a sense of worldly understanding.
Wisdom is knowing God! “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of
wisdom.’’ Proverbs 9 :10 (KJV) Knowing God as our Father
through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ, has nothing to do with how
smart we are, nor how many classes we have taken, nor how long we
have been a member of a church.
It has everything to do with faith. It is Spirit-given faith which
brings us into a relationship with our heavenly Father. Our
reconciliation to the Father was earned at the cost of His Son’s
Blood, shed on the cross; our reconciliation to God and the power of
God for our salvation. That’s the wisest thing of all.
TRUE WISDOM
John Nyantika Mokua
Bible Teacher, Preacher, and Translator Living In Victory International Ministries
P. O. Box 68 50100 Kakamega
Kenya, Africa
Telephone: +254 720 489848
Email: ministerjn7@yahoo.com
“I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who
hast given me wisdom and might,
and hast made known unto me now what
we desired of thee…”
DANIEL 2:23a,b (KJV)
Do you find it easy
to give thanks to God in difficult times? God desires that you and I
live a life full of thanksgiving. Yes, we have to give thanks to Him
for what He has done for us and for what He is yet to do. “Be
careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”
Philippians 4:6
The Word says in Psalms 103:1-5; we must not forget His
benefits, and goes on to list a number of His benefits: He heals,
forgives, satisfies with good things, redeems, executeth
righteousness and judgment. God is merciful and gracious; worthy to
be praised.
Why don't you look at some of the things God has done for you and
give Him thanks? Sometimes we tend to complain about our hardships
and forget about His benefits. Let us not forget His benefits. No
matter what you are going through, there are many good things He has
done—so you have a reason to thank Him. “Giving thanks always for
all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ:” Ephesians 5:20
When Jesus healed 10 lepers, (Luke 17:11-19) only one came
back to give thanks. Jesus wondered where the other nine where. This
shows us that thanksgiving is required of us by the Lord.
“O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for
ever.” Psalm 136:2 So raise a prayer of thanksgiving to
God today. “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.” 2
Corinthians 9:15
THANKSGIVING
Pastor Muyunda
Kwaleyela
International Bible Teacher and Motivational Speaker Principal Of Shalom Bible College
Lusaka, Zambia, Africa
Email: mkwalleyela@yahoo.com
Telephone: 00260 97 772 992
Seek God's direction everyday of your life and
you will find favour with Him.
“Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for
me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids
will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even
though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.”
ESTHER 4:16 (NIV)
When Haman saw
that Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor, he was enraged.
Yet having learned who Mordecai’s people were, he scorned the idea
of killing only Mordecai. Instead Haman looked for a way to destroy
all of Mordecai’s people, the Jews, throughout the whole kingdom of
Xerxes. (Esther 3: 5-6) On the third day Esther put on her
royal robes and stood in the inner court of the palace, in front of
the king’s hall, facing the entrance. When he saw Queen Esther
standing in the court, HE WAS PLEASED WITH HER AND HELD OUT TO HER
THE GOLD SCEPTER THAT WAS IN HIS HAND. So Esther approached and
touched the tip of the scepter. (Esther 5:1-2) Esther’s
cousin, Mordecai, also a Jew, made known to Esther about the
official decree issued by the king, to have all Jews killed. A date
was set when Haman was to have carried this out. (Chapter 3) We will
notice that everything seemed to be working in Haman's favor. He was
selfish, heartless, and full of pride. He was invited together with
the king to a second banquet, by Queen Esther who then told the king
of Haman's schemes to destroy her people, the Jews. His wicked plans
could not be carried out.
The divine favor of God was with Queen Esther. God’s approval was
with her. She, her cousin Mordecai, and others fasted. She then
approached the king. This was against the law unless Queen Esther
was summoned by the king. She had the favor of the king. He was
pleased with her. (Esther 5:2) Another decree was issued by
the king and the lives of the Jews were spared. Wicked Haman was
hanged.
Do you have God’s favor in what you are doing? Stop! Take a moment
and move towards correcting it. “You will seek me and find me
when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13
Favor will bring you success in your undertakings.
FAVOR
Abigail Taylor
Pastor, Evangelist Miracle Temple Ministries
Lodge Project, St. Kitts, West Indies, North America
Email: gladabi@msn.com
Be not like a horse or a mule without
intelligence.
One controls them with reins and a bit.
“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as
shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.”
MATTHEW 10:16 (NIV)
The current worldis full with many types of evil and irreligious people where the law
of retaliation can reign. How does one survive and live in peace? It
is necessary to form a relationship with the Prince of the Peace who
is Jesus, the all-powerful God. He is the One who can communicate to
us the things which can bring us into life, into a life of
excellence, and royalty in His Peace.
This may seem foreign in the sight of the men of this world where
science, academics, and medicine have all made great strides. The
one thing that we need though is wisdom. The wisdom of the world is
madness in front of God. The wisdom of God is madness for this
world, because they are incompatible. No one should be mistaken, if
somebody among you thinks of being wise according to this century,
they must become insane in order to appear wise. “Do not deceive
yourselves, if any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of
this age, he should become a “fool” so that he may become wise.”
1 Corinthians 3:18 Those who are wise are those belonging to the
fact and who know that the Lord is a personal Savior. It is He,
Jesus our Wisdom, our Justice, our Sanctification and our
Redemption.
It is necessary for us to know the characteristics of wisdom. There
are two: the Divine that we seek and the terrestrial, carnal, or
demonic. Demonic wisdom is bitter jealousy, competition, disorder,
bad practices, and pride. The wisdom which comes from God is pure,
peaceful, moderated, reconciling, filled with mercy and good fruits
without partiality, or hypocrisy. The fruit of peace is sown in
peace by the peacemakers. (James 3:14-18)
Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 4:10-13, “We are fools for
Christ’s sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are
strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised.” Being
wise and intelligent is to observe the laws of God and to put them
into practice.
DIVINE WISDOM
Evangelist Jonas Adama
Sawadogo Assembly Church of God
07 BP 5421 Ouagadougou 07
Burkina Faso, Africa
Email:
evangelistejonas@yahoo.fr
Telephone: +226 76595994
Just as breathing is necessary for living,
so is CHALLENGE for Christian life.
“When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest
horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of
them: for the Lord thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out
of the land of Egypt.”
DEUTERONOMY 20:1 (KJV)
The only thing that makes
life as exciting as it is, is the number of challenges we
handle successfully. It is what differentiates boys from men,
girls from women, children from sons and daughters. Do you anticipate growth(s) in the Lord? Then be
prepared to face challenges. “And though the Lord give you the
bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher
will not hide Himself any more, but your eyes shall constantly
behold your Teacher.” Isaiah 30:20 (Amplified) Conflict and
confrontation are an unavoidable ingredient for growth. “A friend
loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” Proverbs
17:17
“Meat that has oil is always proved on fire,” says a Nigeria
proverb. This same way challenges make us to see what we are made up
of: inferior materials or gold. Pressure has come to press out the
treasure in you. For “if you fail under pressure, your strength
is not great.” Proverbs 24:10 (NLT)
Your manhood, womanhood, or childhood is revealed as you handle
your challenges wisely. Challenges are vehicles to reveal how
intelligently you govern your world. “In the day of prosperity be
joyful, but in the day of adversity consider that God has made the
one side by side with the other, so that man may not find out
anything that shall be after him.” Ecclesiastes 7:14 (Amplified)
This next or present challenge is an opportunity to prove your
dominion in Jesus. Today is not a day to run away, stay and win the
war.
CHALLENGES
Kolwaole O. Emiola
The Word of Righteousness Ministries International
Dominion Impact Church
Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria
Email: deccnig2@yahoo.com
Be not complacent. Responsibility is
yours. Trust in God and take action.
“Yet when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, for I am compelled
to preach, Woe unto me if I do not preach the gospel!"
1 CORINTHIANS 9:16 (NIV)
Not long ago I
happened to meet a church layman in front of a bank in India. He
gladly greeted me with a smiling face. He gave me a half-full
handshake. I wondered about the handshake. What was it about? So I
again tried to take a full handshake, but he gave me only a
half-full handshake. Before I could reason it out the gentleman with
me asked him why he always gives half-full handshakes. “I don't
fully like the ministers except one old man who always carries
gospel tracts with him; walking and distributing one to each. I give
a full handshake to none but the old man.” I then asked if he
thought a half-full handshake was right. I also asked him if I could
borrow gospel tracts from him. “I’m not in full-time ministry like
you,” he replied.
The old lay man was a baby Christian, still in need of milk and not
solid food. There are thousands of Christians who are like the
gentle old lay man. I want to tell you what the layman did not
understand in his whole life. If he really knew that preaching the
gospel is a very urgent need for perishing souls, he was late to
expect someone to do what he could have done himself. Take action.
If a boy is breaking up your windows stop him, the need is obvious,
don't expect your relatives to do it if you need your glass safe.
Stop him, resist him! Don’t wait! You need not ask God if you can
stop him or study whether you have the gift of stopping. Friends,
the devil is the enemy and the fight is yours. Do not expect someone
else to fight for you or you will be defeated.
The gentle layman thought that distributing tracts was not his but
the business of the ministers. Friends, we all are invited to work
with Him, not on our own. The gospel is God’s business—and ours
also. Jesus is heading the work. We should work in company with Him,
and it must be done at any cost. Let me remind you of the event
which happened in 1 Samuel 13-14. Everybody was nervous and
concerned, but Jonathan and his armor-bearer decided to walk to take
action against the enemy. Just the two of them. The enemy was there.
The Philistines would settle down in the land forever if something
were not done. Friends take action against the devil. The battle is
the Lord’s, but the fight is ours. Fight evil, preach the gospel.
What are you waiting for?! Amen.
There may be different opinions, but the
truth is one.
“Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I
am God, and there is none else.”
ISAIAH 45:22 (KJV)
“No servant can serve two masters: for
either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will
hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and
mammon.”
LUKE 16:13 (KJV)
Have you asked yourselves
the question why the first commandment of God to Israel
was: “Thou shalt have none other gods before me.” ?
(Deuteronomy 5:7; Exodus 20:3) Obviously the Lord is very wise,
knowing very well that people always have the inclination to create
their own gods; so they can give meaning and purpose to life,
according to their own understanding.
People have not changed during the ages and now they are bowing down
before money, before going higher in society at all cost, before the
perfect body, before idols like singers, musicians and artists. All
these “gods” though, can not deliver us from our sins and give us
eternal life. All these idols do not tell us what is our purpose to
be on this Earth.
The evil powers want to deviate us from the Only One and True God,
and to present to us false gods. Unfortunately, many people, moved
by a hunger for the supernatural, become an easy prey to witches,
extra senses, and the like, not understanding, that satan will not
appear to us as an ugly monster, but as an angel of light instead.
This is because he is the father of lies. His snake type of
craftiness is pointed to the children the most. Children’s comics,
movies, and books glorify the occult, violence, and the physical
revenge, through the image of the “positive” hero. So children are
like virtually under a spell. The devil is not stupid. He is a
creature that has sometimes been a most high creation (Ezekiel
28), a creation that even tried to become God (Isaiah 14).
But there is no place for two Gods in Heaven.
That’s why because the Lord loves us and is concerned about us, He
says emphatically: “There is no other God beside Me.” Let us
believe and look to Him only. As a result, the Lord will love us,
bless us, and multiply us. (Deuteronomy 7:12-13)
TRUE GOD
submitted by
Genoveva Dimitrova
“Righteousness, Peace and Joy in the Holy Spirit”
Apostolic Christian
Center
Bourgas, Bulgaria, Europe
“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.
For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
2 CORINTHIANS 4:18 (NIV)
Now faith is a
substance (title deed) of things hoped for…(Hebrews 11:1)
Your faith is your title deed for eternal life. Just as title deed
is evidence of real estate, so your faith is evidence of your
eternal estate in God.
Faith is taking God at His word and asking no questions; Hebrews
11:6. Faith is knowing that: “God causes all things to work
for good to those who love God.” (Romans 8:28) Faith does not
believe that all things are good or that all things work well. It
does not believe that all things (bad or good) work together for
good to those who love God.
Faith has two sides. One side has to do with the intellect; it is an
intellectual conviction that Jesus is God. The other side has to do
with the will; it is a volitional surrender of the will to Jesus
Christ as Master. This is seen when Thomas believed and confessed –
“My Lord and my God.” “My Lord.” – this was volitional surrender.
“My God.” – This was intellectual conviction. Together you have
saving faith. Saving faith is intellectual conviction that Jesus is
God and volitional surrender to Him as Lord (Master) of your life.
By faith the mind trusts God, the heart responds to the love of God,
the will submits to the commands of God and the life obeys in the
service of God.
You are not born with this faith, it comes by hearing the word of
God. “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the
message is heard through the word of Christ.” Romans 10:17 (NIV)
This is why we are commanded to preach the Gospel to every creature,
that they may hear and believe. Therefore, men and women of God, I
personally extend my invitation to all of you to come to
Africa—Kenya and preach the word of hope to Kenyans.
FAITH
Pastor John Nyantika
Mokua
Living In Victory International Ministries
P. O. Box 68 50100
Kakamega, Kenya, Africa
Telephone: +254 720 489848
Email: ministerjn7@yahoo.com
The church is in preparation for the coming of Christ
who desires a spotless church clothed with humility.
“And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and
became obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore God
exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above
every name,”
PHILIPPIANS 2:8-9 (NIV)
“....He gives us more grace. That is why the
Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the
humble. Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he
will flee from you.”
JAMES 4:6-7 (NIV)
To be effective
and to fulfill the purpose and plan of God for the church, some
things must be done away with. The old habits of high-mindedness,
arrogance, or a proud spirit, God will resist. “If my people, who
are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my
face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven
and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles
7:14 But He gives grace to the humble. We must humble ourselves.
(Philippians 2:8)
As leaders, we are called to be an example to the flock. We have the
sacred task of leading others to a closer walk with Christ who is
our example in humility. “I tell you the truth, unless you change
and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of
heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the
greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3-4 (NIV)
There is the need for us to defeat the works of the devil. We must
know his tactics. He draws attention to himself, and seeks worship
unto himself. God says to resist him! As we humble ourselves, and
submit to God, He will give us His grace. (James 4:6-7) All
of us must be clothed with humility. “Young men, in the same way
be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves
with humility toward one another, because, God opposes the proud but
gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore under God’s
mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.” 1 Peter 5:5-6
(NIV)
HUMILITY
Abigail Taylor
Pastor, Evangelist Miracle Temple Ministries
Lodge Project, St. Kitts, West Indies, North America
Email: gladabi@msn.com
It is not what you think or wish to do, but
what you set
your heart and hands to do, that God will bless.
“And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us, and establish
the work of our hands for us;
yes, establish the work of our hands.”
PSALM 90:17 (NKJV)
So many times we
meet with Christians who are disgruntled. They complain that God has
not blessed them to prosper in life. Sometimes the conditions of
these ones are actually deplorable. Everyone may think that God
should give them something to eat, but that only makes everyone
wrong and God right. The very first thing that God assigned for man
to do was to work. Work did not come as a result of the fall; rather
it was established before the fall.
Work is not only just good for our health, but it gives a sense of
achievement that brings joy and satisfaction. There is a certain
sense of fulfillment that you can only have when you have
accomplished some labour. This sense of satisfaction gives taste to
your food. Labour is sweet, but above that it is enjoined by God.
Labour creates an environment for God to bless you. Joseph though he
had been betrayed and sold into slavery by his brothers refused to
be grouchy, but chose to enjoy the work while in captivity; and God
made him the boss. “And his master saw that the LORD was with him
and the LORD made all he did to prosper in his hand.” Genesis 39:3
It was only as Joseph did work that the Lord prospered him. It is
only as we apply ourselves to work that God will bless us. God looks
for some effort that we make so He can bless. As long as the lepers
in 2 Kings 7:3-4 were considering what to do, nothing came
from God. They made a decision when the time was not convenient,
neither the condition of their health. But if they had only thought
of the possibilities and not made a move, nothing would have
happened. But as incapacitated as they were, God was waiting to use
them to save a nation. They chose the option of work and God
prospered their effort.
Beloved saint, God is waiting to bless you if only you will get up
and find something to do for yourself. His word says: “And
whatever he does shall prosper.” Psalm 1:3d. Get up saint, if
you do not know what to do, go work for somebody. When God sees the
obedience in you, He will give you your own ideas.
if you have already surrendered your whole
life to Him.
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of
things not seen.”
HEBREWS 11:1 (KJV)
I want us to focus
on two words: concepts and principles.
Let’s say we want to have a successful life with the Lord. So what
do we usually do? Find all the books that teach us all the
principles of living with God, read them, and try to apply them.
Principles in this area would of course include: reading the Bible,
prayer, fasting, going to Church, and so much more.
Now all these things are perfect, but if our concept of God is that
if we ask of Him bread, He will give us a stone; all these
principles will not profit us. In other words, if we follow all the
principles with a wrong concept (perception, substance), it will not
work. On the other hand, if our concept is right, applying even just
one of these same principles we know, will be extremely productive.
The same is true in the area of having a successful family,
ministry, business, or whatever else. We can always find the
principles easy, but what we must focus on is our concepts. If our
concept of our life partner is wrong; if our concept of our ministry
or business is that we will be a failure, no matter what principles
we apply, we will not succeed.
Faith works in our concepts. Faith is the concept, perception, and
substance of all we want from the Lord – our hopes in Him, our
desires, and our prayers. Faith is the evidence that we will
succeed, because we see things with the right perspective. Without
faith, it’s impossible to please God. (Hebrews 11:6a)
CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES
Nikola Dimitrov
Bible Teacher, Preacher, Translator
Worry will get you to a place where you
will find there
is more worry.
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these
things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about
tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough
trouble of its own.”
MATTHEW 6:33-34 (NIV)
Worry is one thing
that many people fail to get rid of. Worrying
about certain difficult issues at hand, the future, or any number of
things is an every day experience in many people’s minds. But the
Lord’s desire is that you and I should not worry because He knows
exactly what you are going through and He is the answer to your
situation. “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what
you will eat or drink; or about your body; what you will wear. Is
not life more important than food, and the body more important than
clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or
store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are
you not much more valuable than they?” Matthew 6:25-26 (NIV) The
Lord Jesus told His disciples not to worry about anything because
the Heavenly Father knows what we need. As a matter of fact, He told
them that by worrying you can not add even a cubit to your stature.
“Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?”
Matthew 6:27 (KJV)
What is it that causes you to worry? Remember that you are of more
value than any other created thing on the face of the earth. Instead
of worrying, begin to put your trust in the Lord. “Who of you by
worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry
about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not
labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his
splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes
the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown
into the fire, will he not much more clothe you. O you of little
faith?” Matthew 6:27-30 (NIV) Do not look at your situation; look to
God. Stand on His Word. Never allow worry to consume your life.
DO NOT WORRY
Pastor Muyunda Kwaleyela
International Bible teacher and motivational speaker Principal of Shalom Bible College
Lusaka, Zambia, Africa
Telephone: +00260 97 772 992
Email:
mkwalleyela@yahoo.com
What do we do then?
Be concerned for people who need us?
““What should we do then?” the crowd asked. John answered, “The
man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one
who has food should do the same.”
Luke 3:10-11 (NIV)
If you have two jackets and somebody has nothing, what do you do
then? You give one to him. If you have food and somebody has nothing
to eat, what do you do then? You give it to him. What wonderful
words flowing from the mighty man of God, the forerunner.
It's clear what John the Baptist means. John’s message was a stern
warning for the rich, the money maker, the cruel, and the violent
military to repent, so that we all can share what we have with one
another. Let us remember that sharing what we have and giving away
is not repentance. Let us be concerned about people who need us.
When we read the verses, we can get a clear mental picture of all
the suits and jackets we have hanging in various places. But yet
again we are planning for new ones. We are not greedy to have more
and more. But we do not know exactly how much we need to have,
because we do not want to know and we have not heard what John has
said. God will judge us not for what we have done, but what we have
not done.
Friends, God requires us to bear good fruit. It’s really not enough
to say that we do not bear bad fruit or that we are not doing
anything wrong. But do we continue to bear good fruit? If not, it
will be cut down and thrown into fire. “The ax is already at the
root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit
will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” Luke 3:9 Let us make a
God-like decision to determine what we are going to do about the
suffering people around the world who need us. God bless us all.
Amen.
COMPASSION
Sandesh Raul
Evangelist, Missionary Independent Church
www.lightofhopeassociation.org
“But looking at them, Jesus said, “With men it is impossible, but
not with God; for with God all things are possible.””
MARK 10:27 (NKJV)
Always remember
that God’s ways are not our ways. “For my thoughts
are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, as the heavens
are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and
my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9 We must continue to
trust Him completely when things do not happen the way we want them
to. We must allow God to answer our prayers anyway, anytime,
anyplace He chooses.
There is a story in the New Testament that shows us a man who was
able to take limits off of Christ and see Him as He is. (Matthew
8:5-13) This centurion at that time was not a follower of Jesus
Christ. He was a Roman soldier, a captain in the army. His
allegiance and his loyalty was to Caesar, to Rome. He also had a
need. His servant was very sick with palsy and was in a great pain.
He brought this need to Jesus. Jesus told him, “I will come and heal
him.” (Matthew 8:7)
The centurion looked at Jesus and said, “Lord, take a look at me I
am not worthy that You should come under my roof, speak the word and
my servant will be healed. For I am a man under authority having
soldiers under me: and I say to this man, ‘go’ and he goes, and to
another ‘come’, and he comes and to my servant ‘do this’ and he does
it.” Matthew 8:9
What this man actually was saying to Jesus was: “I see You as You
really are. People are watching you perform great miracles. They
really don’t understand You, but I do. Act like who You are—the
Lord. Speak the word.” When you find yourself in a situation in
which you don’t know what to do, see God as He is.
SEE GOD
submitted by
Pastor John Nyantika Mokua
Living In Victory International Ministries
P. O. Box 68 50100
Kakamega, Kenya, Africa
Telephone: +254 720 489848
