Tuesday, March 10, 2009

BELIEVERS DIGEST SERIES 13

BELIEVERS DIGEST (SERIES 13)
A PUBLICATION OF CHRISTIAN PUBLISHING INTERNATIONAL
“FOR THE PERFECTING OF THE SAINTS AND THE BUILDING UP OF THE BODY OF CHRIST.”
Believers’ Digest contains series of messages that can be copied
and use freely for edification of the body of Christ.
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13.1 GO FOR THE SUPERNATURAL
“B
ut Ruth said: Entreat me not to leave you, or to turn back from following after you; for wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you lodge, I will lodge, your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts you and me” – Ruth 1:16-17.
The natural thing was for Ruth and Orpah to leave their mother – in – law after the death of their husbands. Naomi entreated both of them to depart and be free from their marriage ties. Orpah accepted the natural way: she concluded and returned to her people. She committed no sin in making that natural decision, but that
was the end of her story in the Bible. But Ruth went a step further into the supernatural realm. She decided to cling to her mother – in - law in a way that was not natural even after the death of her husband. She decided to serve Naomi’s God and die (away) with her. She opted for an unknown future; she went beyond the natural, she chose the supernatural way. She acted by faith that saw beyond the natural.
People of the world sees supernatural step as a crazy thing at the onset. Abraham’s going out of his father’s house at age 75 not knowing were he was going was craziness to the people of his time.
Acceptance of the three Hebrew boys to be thrown into the furnace, and Daniel to be thrown into the den of lion were contrary to the natural phenomenon.
Why couldn’t they just give up naturally and accept the demand of the king as the order of the day? They just wanted to waste a way their lives, the people concluded. But they opted for the supernatural.
God backs up any supernatural steps that a man takes. No one going the supernatural way ever regrets. Ruth from pagan land found favor with God and was honored to be a mother in the lineage of our Lord Jesus Christ (Matt.1:5). The Hebrew boys and Daniel were supernaturally upheld and God was glorified and worshipped through their supernatural choices.
People go the natural way, but the children of God should go the supernatural. God (heaven) backs up any supernatural steps of man. Christianity is a supernatural lifestyle. A Christian indeed will always go the supernatural way.
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13.2 THE VOICE OF THE LAD
W
hen Hagar, the bondwoman, was cast out of Abraham’s house, she got to a place and put her lad under a shrub and watched at a distance how the boy will die. Hagar lifted her voice and wept because of her situation, and the boy’s gradually dying away due to lack of water. But “God has heard the voice of the lad where he is”- Gen.21:17. Not even the voice of the mother, but the voice of the lad, the small boy with whom God has a covenant of making him to be a mighty nation (Gen.17:20).
Except if you are irrelevant in God’s record and plan will He not hear you when you cry on to Him. If God heard and answered the voice of a lad, why will he not hear your voice when you cry to Him in prayers? For the sake of the lad God opened up a well of water in the wilderness. ″So God was with the lad; and he grew and dwelt in the wilderness ...″ - Gen.21:20.
For the sake of that small boy, God took care of the mother as well. But God’s focus was on the lad just because of His covenant with him. He is a covenant keeping God. He has a focus on you as well, as long as you are one of His covenant children – John 1:12.
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13.3 INTEGRITY OF OLD

“S
o Jacob served seven years for Rachael, and they seemed only a few days to him because of the love he had for her. Then Jacob said to Laban, ‘Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in to her’″- Gen.29:20-21.
Jacob lived with Laban and her daughters for over seven years going in and out with them to take care of Laban’s flock. There was agreement that Jacob will marry Rachael from the onset. This thought could not give Jacob an access to the privacy of Rachael even though they lived in the same compound for over seven years. It was at the end of the seven years bargain that Jacob asked Laban to “give me my wife … that I may go into her.” The going into her was never practiced since Jacob got to that house over seven years ago.
We read of kissing Rachael on the very first day they met at the well where Jacob watered the flock for Rachael. That memory of a kiss did not daily turn Jacob’s head upside down, otherwise there might have been record of raping against Jacob. It was a kiss of greetings and it was forgotten there and then.
Can we be likened with this kind of a record in these last days? Do you practice “holy kiss” or “warm embrace” to welcome new comers into your church? Can any man of today settling afresh in a place live with a family with beautiful daughters without any negative story at the end of the stay in period even if such a one is a “man of God”? Examine your heart and consider your ways.
May God help us.
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13.4 WAITING ON GOD

G
od told Noah to go in to the Ark he was instructed to build, along with all kinds of animals on the face of the earth. The dove that Noah used as an emissary to see if the water has actually receded did not come back to him again. That means the dove has gotten a place of rest suitable to him than the Ark - her natural habitat.
In Genesis 8:13 we read that “…. Noah removed the covering of the Ark and looked, and indeed surface of the ground was dry.” Noah did not concluded to go out of the Ark based on these physical signs showing the end of the flood. He waited until God told him to “go out of the Ark”-Gen. 8:16
May God grant us the grace to wait on His instructions before we take a step in any direction or venture, Amen.
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13.5 GIVING ALL FOR GOD

“A
gain, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it”- Matt. 13:44-46.
The kingdom of God or anything (Work or Act) that belongs to God (or for God) or for the sake of heaven is likened to “treasure hidden in the field” and “beautiful pearls”. These are valuable items to man as the kingdom of heaven is of high value to God Himself. To God, it is substantial for man to sell All the valuable possessions or items (that he has) and ‘buy’ the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God (all that are directly linked to God) is worth more than whatever man can heap up here on earth. Selling all that you have can include giving up your precious certificate or your good job for the calling of God to serve in His vineyard. It may be giving up your only son to be involved in God’s work instead of becoming whatever you intended. It may involve surrendering your life long savings, your land and property for the course of the gospel. It may require you to give that which is so precious to you, even your very life: “but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it”- Mt. 19:25. Some made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven (Matt.19:12). Many that serve God before had this testimony: “. . . they did not love and cling to life even when faced with death – holding their lives cheap till they had to die [for their witnessing]”- Rev. 12:11.
If men of old could not hold back their lives from witnessing (kingdom of God), what then should we of nowadays hold unto that we will not give up our ALL for the sake of the gospel – the kingdom of God? Jesus told a man, “if you want to be perfect, go sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come and follow me”- Mt. 19:21.
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MINISTRY INVESTS MONEY IN GOD’S KINGDOM
NOT IN BUILDING MAN’S KINGDOM.
TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Your comments for possible publication will inspire us to do more. Let us hear from you what the Lord is doing through our efforts.
•••

13.6 MULTIPLICATION OF ERROR
I
shmael was born out of wedlock; out of error made by Abraham in lying with his wife’s maid. Yet because of God’s covenant with Abraham, Ishmael was richly blessed and made to become a nation:
“And as for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall beget twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation”­-Gen. 17:20.
It was said of Ishmael at the beginning: “He shall be a wild man; his hand shall be against every man, and every man’s hand against him. And he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren” – Gen. 16:12.
Once an error is made, it multiplies and its impact may not be wiped away! May the Lord deliver us from the spirit of error.
Remember King David’s error of adultery with (Bathsheba) Uriah’s wife. It led to pregnancy and it multiplied to another error of murder. David tactically arranged for the death of Uriah at war to prevent himself from the shame of Bathsheba’s pregnancy; but above all, he couldn’t hide the sin from God (2 Sam 11:2, 24)
Have you committed an error and you are trying to deny or cover it up? You cannot hide it from God. It will only multiply and make your life so cheap for the devil to operate in. The solution can only be found in Christ Jesus. Confess and forsake your sin to Jesus however worst it might be; He is faithful and just to forgive you. The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous runs into it and is saved. Plug your life into Jesus and stay connected with Him. He will surely deliver.
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13.7 WHOSE HAND?

“A
nd so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword” – Exodus 17: 11-13.
There is always a “Moses” to be supported in the work of the Lord (Ministry). Every Ministry (always) has a Moses to be supported to achieve divine goals. If there must be a Moses, then Aaron and Hur are always prepared by God to strengthen God’s servant in pulling down the kingdom of the darkness or to achieve a specific goal by lifting up his hands.
If you are not a Moses, whose hands are you supporting in Ministry? “Moseses” can also support one another serving as Aarons and Hurs in the global Ministry. May we all render helping hands to one another, as He reveals unto us the knowledge of His purpose and will for our lives in Jesus name. (Amen).
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13.8 SENIOR BROTHER OF THE PRODIGAL SON

W
henever we read the story of the Prodigal son, we always consider the waywardness of the younger brother and we are always silent about his elder brother. We exactly are the “elder brother” of the prodigal son.
The elder brother saw in the boy an action that resulted into anger in his heart. Whenever we see our brother offending, we always go angry instead of a loving acceptance and restoration of such brother (Galatians 6:1). Just as their father did to both of them, we tend to angrily do away with our sinning brother / sister. We always separate ourselves from our wayward brother / sister instead of associating and counseling. We would then refer to that person as he / she calls him / her self the son of God. That elder brother said “this son of yours” instead of calling
him “my brother”. Let us watch out, we are actually the elder son. We tend to see the wrong of others and cover up our own fault (Mat.7:2-4).
But thank God for that caring and loving father of us all. He desires not to lose any son of His. I pray we all have that same mind with Him (Philip. 2:5) to love, care and want no one to be lost or slag back behind the house (behind the grace of God).
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13.9 THE FRAGRANCE OF OUR SERVICE


T
hen Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil” – John 12:3.
Mary broke the bottle of the costly oil of spikenard and poured it on Jesus as her service to Him. The bottle was broken and the fragrance of the oil filled the house. Jesus commented, “She has kept this for the day of my burial” – John 12:7. Up till today, we still have the impact of the fragrance of Mary’s costly oil of Spikenard. Mary has gone thousand of year ago but the fragrance of her costly oil could not depart.
What is God’s work costing you? Would that labor of yours be remembered years after you might have departed out of this world? Would the fragrance of your labor be felt and remembered?
Our service here on earth must be felt years after we might have departed. Generations to come should be challenged and imparted with the fragrance of our service unto the master. Except your service is a costly one, the fragrance may not last. Mary’s oil was a very costly one even Judas testified to it. The costlier your service unto the Master is, the more lasting the fragrance will be.
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13.10 MOVING WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE

W
e read of Paul and Barnabas in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord with many others (Act 15:35). But it got to a point when Mark joined this team again after he had departed from them in Pamphylia. Mark did not go through with them to do many works, so Paul did not want to take him along as he planed to revisit those places he had worked. This was contended about for a time and at last Barnabas decided to go along with Mark instead of Paul. Silas joined with Paul for the journey to revisit and straighten the believers. Later we read of Timothy joining Paul’s team.
From that time till the close of the book of Acts, nothing was mentioned about Barnabas. But we read of God’s hand on Paul and Silas, and works done by Timothy even to have a book in the Bible ascribed to him. Barnabas name disappeared out of scripture by his option to walk and work along with Mark who could not endure the hardship of the work.
Who you walk and work with matters. It also determines the termination or fulfillment of your calling or ministry. Man we not go with the anti-growth and ministry killers in Jesus name: people of no good future record; people whose record will disappeared in oblivion.
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13.11 CURSED BY LYING

T
he city of Gibeon was a great and royal one with mighty men (Joshua 10:2). It was upon Gibeon that the Sun stood still when the Israelite came to war against the five kings of the Amorite that war against the city (Joshua 10:12). But the Gebeonite were subjected to slavery all the days of their lives from generation to generation because they deceived the children of Israel as to be one nation together with them – Joshua chapter 9.
No matter what your level of education, finances, fame, position, e.t.c you can still be subjected to slavery through lying, defrauding fellow men / women, stealing from treasuries, deceits, etc. A slave is a slave. “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death or of obedient leading to righteousness”? - Rom 6:16. Only Jesus can set you free: “Therefore if the son makes you free, you shall be free indeed”- John 8:36. You need to know and accept the truth (Jesus), and the truth shall make you free’’- John 8:32.
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TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Your comments for possible publication will inspire us to do more. Let us hear from you what the Lord is doing through our efforts.
•••
13.12 WE ARE NOT DOING RIGHT

F
our leprous men at the entrance of the gate of Samaria decided to surrender to the army of the Syrians. They concluded: “If they keep us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall only die”- 2 Kings 7:4.
God has earlier driven away the army of the Syrian by a noise of chariots from heaven. When these lepers got to their camp, they ate, drank and carried Silver and Gold. But they said to one another: “we are not doing right. This day is a day of good news, and we remain silent. If we wait until morning light, punishment will come upon us. Now therefore, come, let us go and tell the King’s household”- 2 Kings 7:9.
We were formerly made leprous by sin before Christ washed us with his blood. If we fail to extend this cleansing opportunity to those outside the faith, we are not doing right. If we did not extend the teachings we are receiving from Christ to help others see the light in Him, we are not doing right. God is a giver of gold and silver; if all we can think of is to accumulate perishable worldly items or hide our resources in banks or in buying shares while the work of God is left undone, we are not doing right. Our churches are spending millions on city church buildings while village evangelism and missionaries are suffering: we are not doing what is good. God will judge man and not the buildings. All we think we have gathered may be lost in a moment as they are perishable things; while souls of men that we ought to have won may still remain in the darkness of sin. We love to quote “I shall not die but live, and declare the works of the Lord”- Psalm 118:17. Which work are we declaring? Do we do it? Our sending out of people to go and not going ourselves is not good. We should yean for spiritual children as a barren woman yeans for a child.
The lepers left all and went to extend the good news to other people. Spiritual lepers are very close to us, and are not only in the foreign countries. They are in the villages, we are to go to them, and win them to Christ. Are we our brothers’ keepers? But we are not ready to preach to them; we are not doing right. What it costs us is what God is looking for. The gospel is not cheap, it is costly. What has it cost you? If it has cost you noting, you are not doing the right thing.
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13.13 HOW MUCH SACRIFICE?
“N
ow it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, ‘Abraham’ and he said, ‘Here I am’. Then He said, ‘Take now thy son, your only son Isaac, whom you love , and go the land of Moriah, and offer him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you’. So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him”- Gen. 22:1-3.
Abraham obeyed God as soon as God told him to sacrifice Isaac. He did not reconsider it. He took off very early the following day. Remember Abraham’s leaving his people to settle in a place he never knew? It was a sacrifice on his part to obey God promptly. He endured pain and shame at the age of 99 to be circumcised as to enter a covenant relationship with God.
We all have to make one sacrifice or the other in other to enter that glory God has for us as to be able to affect this generation spiritually and positively for God. Men that will carry God’s covenant of blessing must be ready to make sacrifices; not once or twice.
The greatness of a man before God is how much sacrifice he has made for God and not how much worldly possession or learning he has acquired. The greatness of a man is a product of how much he has given off for God. You cannot get fatter and hope to have spiritual impact on your generation. A candle that illuminates its surrounding gets burnt away at the same time. God releases His covenant upon Abraham (Gen.22:15-18) and his descendant after he made sacrifice for Him. God is looking for people that will be in covenant relationship with Him to affect generations.
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A MINISTER’S BEST MESSAGE IS LIVED NOT PREACHED.
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13.14 CLOSE YOUR EYES
I
t took about 25 years for Abraham to get his promised child, Isaac, at age 100. Isaac became a kind of glory to Abraham. Isaac would come out into at least one of every five sentences Abraham made. But God had to deal with the man he loved. God requested for Isaac. He said, “Take now your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah and offer him has a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you”- Gen. 22:2.
Abraham had to close his eyes on Isaac. He lost Isaac, whom he loved, out of his heart before he got to the mount of Moriah. Isaac could never imagine that his loving father could ever slaughter him. Abraham closed his eyes on Isaac and was looking unto God. His affection for Isaac was lost. He gave the boy up to God.
He knew Isaac was no more his own but God’s. The bible records that “by faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who received the promises offered up his only begotten son”- Heb.11:17.
God offered up His only begotten for the sins of the world. So also Abraham offered up his only begotten son unto God.
Until you close your eyes away from those things that occupies your heart, before the glory of God can come over you. If you take off your eyes, and all that you ever accumulated as your worldly glory are out of your heart for the sake of God’s Kingdom, then God’s glory shall be revealed upon your life; but if not, all that you think you are doing will be a shadow of what God can do.
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13.15 GOD’S WORD MUST AFFECT YOU FIRST

“N
ow a certain man of the sons of the prophets said to his neighbor by the word of the Lord, ‘strike me, please’. And he refused to strike him... And he found another man, and said ‘strike me, please’. So the man struck him, inflicting a wound. Then the departed and waited for the King by the road...”- 1 King 20:35-38.
Giving out correct message from God may first cause injury on us. That message must first affect us. We must need to experience it first before giving it out.
How has giving affected you before you preach it out to others? If you have not experience salvation, what do you want to preach? If your life is full of pit falls into sin, how can you preach on holiness and righteousness? When you don’t have absolute trust in God for your supplies how can you preach on faith?
The massage we preach or pass on to people must first pass through us. We must be wounded by the message first. This will make us pass across correct live impacting messages rather than funfair or theory messages. Correct preaching can cause us many things before it can produce desired results. Ezekiel was to lie on one side for three (3) months before being able to pass across a particular message. The prophet had to be injured before he was able to give the king correct message. If we are to be correct messengers of Christ, we must bear the mark (a memorial of suffering) of the gospel (Gal. 6:17). We need a correct life style to match the message we preach.
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13.16 BUSY HERE AND THERE

A
Prophet confronted King Ahab and said to him, “your servant went into the midst of battle and there, a man came over and brought a man to me, and said, ‘Guard this man; if by any means he is missing, your life shall be for his life, or else you shall pay a talent of silver. While your servant was busy here and there, he was gone’. Then the King of Israel said to him, ‘so shall your judgment be, you yourself have decided it’ ”- 1 Kings 20:39- 40.
Our business or whatever that we take part in must not prevent us from giving attention to God’s work and His people. As our brother’s keeper, our attention must not be drawn away from caring for the members of the body of Christ. Our daily activities must not cloud our vision of rescuing the perishing. The soul of a man is more precious in the sight of God then the much we can accumulate in our daily businesses. If we are busy here and there, and the souls of men escapes from us from hearing the gospel and they are lost eternally, heaven will not take it lightly with us- it would be life for life!
•••
CPI SUPPORT COMES FROM GIFTS OF PARTNERS. WE ARE NOT FOUNDED BY
ANY GROUP OR DENOMINATION.
•••

TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Your comments for possible publication will inspire us to do more. Let us hear from you what the Lord is doing through our efforts.
•••

13.17 A MAN AFTER GOD’S HEART

“T
he Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be commander over His own people...”-1 Sam.13:14.
When Saul failed God as a King over Israel, God sought for David, another man to reign over the people of God. God’s yardstick of appointing David was “a man after His own heart”. What is the nature of this heart of God? Did Saul not have that type of a heart? God is referred to in Psalm 23 as our Shepherd who leads us to lie down in green pastures and beside still waters. His rod and staff are not to beat or maltreat us (His sheep), but to comfort us. Saul’s rod was for the back of the Asses of his father. It was when he was looking for the lost asses that he got to Prophet Samuel who installed him king over Israel. The heart of Saul in the use of his rod and staff on the back of asses was not changed. He acted rashly on the people (the sheep of God) instead of with the heart of a shepherd (directing and comforting).
David on the other hand, used his rod or staff to defend and direct the sheep while he was tending them. He used his rod on the enemies of the sheep to tear them in pieces. That is the heart of God: to protect His own, lead and comfort them; but to let His rod of rebuke fall on the wicked, the enemies of the Lord. David was the man after God’s heart because he has a caring heart and will not strike the sheep with the rod but protect and lead them in the right path.
It is that heart that God is looking for till today to choose who so ever would be installed to lead His people. From the beginning of the world, that has been God’s standard: to choose one who has a caring and tending heart towards Him and His people.
Abel was chosen instead of Cain because he had a heart of a shepherd. Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground – Gen. 4:2.
Jacob was chosen instead of Esau because he also was mild (plain) man dwelling in tents but Esau a skillful hunter in the field killing various types of animals with spear and arrow God preferred a mild man to a skillful hunter.
Moses wanted to lead the Israelites with the heart of a King: A man raised up in the palace must surely have a Kingship heart. But God sent Moses to learn shepherding in Midian for forty years. It was at the end of that period of God’s training Moses the heart of a shepherd that he was qualified to lead the people of God.
Ministers of the gospel must have a heart of a shepherd; they are to be servants to serve the people, and not to be Kings and be served by the children of God. The people can upgrade, or elevate the man of God, but it is what the minister as a servant has done for the people that God counts.
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13.18 DO GOOD TO YOUR ENEMY

“T
herefore if your enemy hungers, feed him; if he thirst give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head. Do not be over come by evil, but overcome evil with good” -Rom12:20-21.
The king of Syria sent horses and chariot and a great army to capture Elisha because the man of God was exposing the secret plan of the Syrians to the king of Israel (II king 6:8-14). Elisha was to be dealt with first so that Israel could be captured. As the army surrounded the city were Elisha dwelt, the man of God prayed unto the Lord to strike them with blindness. The great army was led as blind men into Samaria to the king of Israel. The King requested to execute this great host of enemies, but the man of God forbids him. Instead Elisha commanded the king to feed the host of army he sent to destroy him: “Then he prepares a great feast for them; and after they ate and drank, he sent them away and they went to their master. So the bands of Syrian raiders come no more into the land of Israel’’ -II king 6:23
The band of Syria raiders (the enemies of Israel) comes no more into the land of Israel. The good deed done to the enemies of Israel at the instruction of the man of God silenced them for life. “Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men” (Romans 12:17) thereby your good deeds will overcome and transform the evil doer.
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13.19 LUST IS NOT LOVE

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he wife of Potiphar said to Joseph day after day, “lie with me, I cherish you, I love you…” The bible says, she “cast longing eyes of Joseph.” At last “she caught him by his garment saying, lie with me.” But the boy (Joseph) “left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside” – Gen. 39:7-12. Then the woman who loved Joseph only for sex (lust) cried out to retaliate Joseph’s denial of her lust: “… He came in to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice… that he left his garment with me, and fled and went outside.” - vs 14-15. She did not care if her action could lead to Joseph’s execution by the Egyptian officer – her husband. Her lust turned to hatred overnight. If it had been love truly, she will endure, bear along and wait patiently for days, for that love to bear fruit. Love will not change overnight to hatred.
A boss sacked his secretary because the lady refused going to bed with him. He treated the lady as a queen at first: for a very long time showing (lust and not) love at all time with a smile. The lady thought that the man loved her naturally; but when the man brought forth his hidden agenda (lust), he was turned down. The following day, the lady was laid off duty. True love will never do that. Lust always has hidden agendas. Lust is not love.
Examine any act of love shown to you in the light of the word of God in 1Corinthians 13: 4-8. If it is actually true love, it will stand a test of time. But if it is lust in whatever way it comes up, it will not last. Once the hidden agenda is carried out, Lust comes to an end.
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13.20 MY SISTER

I
n Genesis 18, we read of Sarah been old, one that has passed the age of childbearing (verse 11). After that record, we read in chapter 20 of Abimelech king of Gerer who took Sarah into his chamber to be married unto him. The bible recorded that Sarah was a beautiful woman.
I believe she also took good care of herself apart from her God given beauty.
How do you take care of yourself my sister? How does your husband see you daily - still as ‘under’ sixteen even though you have passed forty or fifty? Or do you look older than your age?
Take good care of yourself for our God whom we resemble is an embodiment of beauty and purity.
•••
TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Your comments for possible publication will inspire us to do more. Let us hear from you what the Lord is doing through our efforts.
•••
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