BELIEVERS DIGEST ARTICLES SERIES 1 - 3

BELIEVERS DIGEST (SERIES 1)
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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1.1 REVELATIONS ABOUT HELL AND HEAVEN

The special revelations of heavenly things to men by God through the ministering spirits (Angels) is to convince men of the truth of eternal things not by faith only but by sight also. We are to learn and be prepared, by our reading or hearing of these special revelations, for what is ahead where we would spend eternity.
JOHN BUNYAN in his revelation asked the ministering angel of a dark spot he saw getting less and less as they mounted higher and higher, when translated. The angel told him: “The little spot is the world. Here you may see how little all that world appears, for a small part of which so many do continually labour, and lay out all their strength and time to purchase it yea, this is that spot of earth, to obtain one small part thereof so many men have run the hazard of losing, nay, have actually lost their precious and immortal souls; so precious that the Prince of Peace has told us that though one man could gain the whole, it could not recompense so great a loss.”- (Matt. 16:26). John Bunyan was shown things happening in hell where he saw wretched souls being tormented continually in liquid fire and burning brimstone. He saw that those who are companions upon earth in sin shall be so too in hell in punishment. And though on earth they love each other’s company, they will not care for it in hell.
A woman who on earth had enough without satisfaction was seen in hell tormented by flaming sulphur forced down her throat by a tormenting spirit; which he did with horrid cruelty and insolence. “Since gold was her god in earth, is it not just that she should have her belly full in hell?”, said the tormenting spirit. But the woman in question answered, “were it but gold I never should complain. But he abuses me, and in the stead of gold he only gives the horrid, stinking sulphur.”
A wretched soul lie on a bed of burning coal, almost choked with brimstone; who cried out as one under dreadful anguish saying: “undone for ever, for ever! Will not these thousand years suffice to bear that pain¡­ No, my misery will never have an end; after the thousand years it will be for ever still. Oh, helpless, hopeless state indeed! It is this forever that is the hell of hell. Cursed to all eternity! How willful have I undone myself? Oh, what stupendous folly am I guilty of to choose sin’s short and momentary pleasure (of fornication) at the dear price of everlasting pain! How oft have I been told it would be so! How often pressed to leave those paths of sin that would be sure to bring me to the chambers of eternal death! But I, like the deaf adder, lent no ear unto those charmers though they charmed so wisely. They told me often that my short-lived pleasure would quickly issue in eternal pain; and now too sad experience tells me so, it tells me so indeed, but it is too late to help it for my eternal state is fixed for ever”
One of the miseries of hell is the loss of the presence of God. That is what makes the dungeon hell. “Though we had lost a thousand worlds, it would not be so much as this one loss. Could but the least glimpse of His favour enter here, we might be happy; but we have lost it to our everlasting woe” says a lost soul in hell. But a tormenting devil shouted furiously at him and said, “How often were you told of this before, but would not then believe it? You laughed at them that told you of a hell¡­ you know yourself, you had salvation offered you, and you refused it; with what face then can you complain of being damned?”
The awful thing is that those devils that tempts men on earth to do evil are the same that torments men that are lost forever in hell telling them they are paying them their reasonable wages of what they were tempted to do and which they did. “You spend your days in the pursuit of sin, and wallow in your filthiness, and you would go to heaven when you die! Would any but a madman think that would ever do? No, he that in good earnest does intent to go to heaven when he dies must walk in the ways of holiness and virtue while he lives.”
The truth is that men will not allow themselves to think what the effect of sin will be, nor what an evil it is while upon the earth. It is inconsideration that is the ruin of so many thousand, who think not what they are doing, nor where they are going until it is too late to help it.
AN ATHEIST CONFESSION IN HELL :- (An atheist is one who denies the existence of God). “ I am now changed in my principles, though changed too late to do me any good. For now I know there is a God. I do confess I was His foe on earth, but now He is mine in hell. It is that wretched confidence I had in my own wisdom that has thus betrayed me.”
THE FIRE OF HELL
All the fire in hell, are in utter darkness! The fire on earth is of a preying and devouring nature; for whatever it takes hold of, it consume to ashes; and when it meets with no more fuel it goes out. You can again kindle and quench it whenever you will. But the fire of hell is like a stream of brimstone that burns for ever. It burns with that tremendous fierceness which none but those that feel it know.
Yet it does not consume and it will never. Lost souls shall be burning in it and not burnt. It is a tormentingbut not a consuming fire. A liquid fire!
Not only will the souls of lost men and women be tormented eternally by literal fire, but they will also be tormented by the sins and vices that caused them to be lost. Over yonder I saw the greatest gambling games that could ever be imagine. There were great piles of gold, and silver and precious gems; and these lost souls were gambling with them. They gabled furiously. Every-time they touched the money, it burned and they drew back; yet some irresistible force drove them to gamble again. They hated it and wanted to get away from it, but they could not. They were held to the spot as by some magnetic force. In another section of hell, I saw an eternal dancing going on; these lost souls were so utterly, abjectly worm and tired. They pleaded, “Oh can’t we stop for just a moment?” - but there was no stopping. The eternal dance went on and on. The earthly modern dance hall is one of the devil’s biggest trap doors leading directly into hell.
In another place, an eternal drinking party was going on. I witnessed the wild drunken orgies that go on eternally in hell, and they can’t stop it. The sin that took them to hell, torments them continually throughout all eternity. The memory of those opportunities they had of being saved and how in vain they spent their precious time torments them. The thoughts that might be of service to you on earth if you had heeded them, would turn to torment you in hell at last more than all the torment by whips of burning steel.
I saw millions of people who were too fearful to publicly and openly confess Jesus Christ. Their fears of families, friends, parents, business colleagues, etc had taken them to hell. They were lost, filled with an abject fear that tantalized them, as the flames of hell burned endlessly on.
I witness a form of religion in hell. No worship of God, but a form of religion. Multitudes that once had a form of religion but who denied the power of the Gospel. Only the blood of Jesus, applied by faith to the heart, can save a man or woman from being eternally lost.
Oh, I wish I had power to make HELL as real to you as God made it to me. It is ten thousand times more horrible than I can describe. Are you saved and on your way to Heaven? Or are you bound for HELL?
A Wesleyan lady went into a trance and was conducted by an Angel to have a view of Hell. She recognized many in the place of torment whom she had known on earth¡­ Princesses and Peasants, rich and poor, learned and unlearned, wailing together in a dreadful and unquenchable fire; where all earthly distinction and titles were forever at an end. The punishment of lost souls is directly related to the respective sins which had occasioned their condemnation. She saw a woman who was condemned for her love of money, robed in a garment of gold, all of fire. She saw many others who had cups of fire, out of which they were drinking down flames, and others who held cards of fire in their hands, and seemed to be playing with them, proving that the sins they delighted in once, now torment them.
“Oh, that mortals were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end”- Deut. 32:29.
Reader, to which place does the road that you are traveling lead? Many believe the Bible to be the word of God but few really believe it enough to fear God. Whatever God said in His word will take place, and judgment will begin in the house of God! “If it begins with us ­what shall the end be for those that obey not the Gospel?” The wages of sin is death - eternal separation from God in a place that God prepared for the devil and his angels and for all that follow the devil. Sin will be judged by eternal fire and torment.
All these visions of different people confirm that in whatever state you are in when you die, you will be forever in that condition. The Bible clearly teaches that Hell and the Lake of fire are real and will be the eternal abode of the damned souls who refused to obey the Gospel and live holy and righteously in this present world. Jesus can be your saviour now. But if you don’t live for Him now, you will face His wrath forever. Repent of your sins now for the next hour may be too late! “Today, if you hear His voice, harden not your heart”- Heb. 4:7.
Pastor Renus Olson gave a report of an heavenly revelation to him at the time of burial of a woman in his church. He saw the woman first taking to the bookkeeping department: one of the departments in heaven whose walls and shelves were made of transparent steel that one could see through them. The woman had gotten an indescribable beauty in heaven. An angel checked a big book on the shelf and saw the woman’s name written there in. This woman could still not realized that she is in a different world as she tried to pay the angel for helping her. But she could found no pocket in the spotless white robe she was wearing. The angel said to her “you need no pocket up here, not even for you handkerchief, for God has wiped the last tear from your eyes.”
This woman was led to the coronation room with transparent shelves full of gorgeous crowns: some with more jewels than others and some no jewel at all. However they were very beautiful. The angel said to her, “Gem are souls that you win for Christ. A crown was placed on the woman’s head and it fit perfectly.
From there the angel led the woman to her mansion along the most beautiful street any eye could ever see. The street was decorated with all kinds of palm shrubs and flowers. Beautiful homes abounds, and no two were alike, all inviting as the other. The angel said to the woman, “­don’t you remember that Jesus said, ‘In my father’s house are many mansions?’ These are all the free gift of God. You did not even help to pay for them, no one can.” This woman asked the angel why some mansions were much better furnished than others. The angel answered, “you remember that Jesus told you, Lay up for yourself treasurers in heaven. These furnishing are the treasures that each have sent up from year to year, remember? Remember, even a cup of cold water in my name?”
This woman saw large beautiful painting in some other mansions and she requested to have one of such in hers. The angel said to her: “Those are only created by much sacrifice, too late now; your opportunity is passed.” Then she requested the angel to let her go back to the earth to tell her friends about all these. “No” said the angel, “that is impossible, there is a great gulf between heaven and earth.” The woman answering said, “well then, tell that preacher down there to be more urgent in his message to the people. Tell them not to neglect these vital things.”
Later on there was singing “like the voice of many waters.” The singing became louder and louder as she was getting closer. The Great White Throne was seen: “dazzling white and sparkled like diamonds.” Even from a great distance, this throne could not be looked upon for its brightness. Great throng was singing around the throne and this woman was gathered with the multitude, and she sang beautifully as them even though she could not sing a single note on earth. The most beautiful sound of bells were heard in heaven as soon as the woman was lost in the great multitude. The angel concluded, “There is joy in heaven when a pilgrim makes it home.”
CONCLUSION:
The last tear was wiped away from that woman¡’s eye because her name was found written in the book of life. “And I saw the dead great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. If anyone¡’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”- Revelation 20:12-15.
Now is never too late for you to repent and flee from the wrath to come. Bring forth fruit meet for Repentance. Eternity is ahead of you, get prepare to meet God before it is too late. “Who has ears to hear, let him / her hear.”
(¡­Extract from compilations of Evang. M.A. DAOUD)
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1.2 THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST

Jesus gave us the assurance of His second coming when he said “In my father’s house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. I will come again, and receive you unto myself that where I am, there ye may be also.” - John 14:2-3. He said He will come again to take the believers to heaven.
Two Angels gave us the assurance of Christ’s second coming as well. “And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, which also said, ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”- Acts 1:10-11. Two men dressed in white apparel is a common description of angels. They gave us assurance that as Christ was taken up into heaven so shall He come down from heaven.
The third assurance was given by one of the Apostles (Paul) in the book of I Thess. 4:16-17: “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” Apostle Paul wrote elaborating on how Christ’s second coming would be, with the shout of trumpet of the Archangel. Then the believers that are alive shall meet the Lord in the air and to be with him forever. This is what is called the Rapture: the taking away of the believers from the earth, at the second coming of Christ into the clouds.
When will the Rapture take place? Jesus declared, “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no not the angels of heaven, but my Father only”- Matt. 24:36. But Jesus spoke further of the signs that will accompany his second coming. He said it would be as in the time of Noah when people did not give attention to the Gospel of salvation until the flood came upon them. Remember that the people were warned and invited to come into the Noah’s Ark. Were they caught by the flood unnoticed? No. They heard about it and probably read about it, but the concern for the things of this world took hold of their lives and prevented them from getting into the Ark of Salvation. They were to be blamed for their destruction.
All the signs that Jesus gave are coming to pass. The Electronic gadget are taking hold of men’s heart and gives men pleasure in the things of the world. Men’s hearts no longer sets on things of heaven but on things of this world. If you are really a Christian “What manner of person ought you to be” in this present world?
The second book of Peter admonishes us to “live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.” For “that day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in heat.”- II Pet. 3:11-12(NIV). The second coming of Christ will bring about the destruction of those things that now take the hold of men’s hearts.
God that planted men in the earth, will one day harvest men out of it: “And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, thrust in thy sickle and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.”- Rev. 14:14-15. The Earth is ripe for harvest. Men’s attitude of rebellion towards God by way of various acts off sin, is daily hastening the ripening of the world. Sin is always the event that leads to the ripening of the earth for judgment. Remember the time of Noah and of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance”- II Pet. 3:9. God is still expecting men’s repentance from evil works. But if men refuse, the harvest of the earth would take place. And that would soon come to pass. What kind of person ought you to be?
After the taken away of the believers with Christ, the time will set for the antichrist to rule the earth. All the inhabitants of the earth will worship the antichrist -those whose names have not been written in the book of life (the unconverted) - Rev. 13:8. He, who has mind to understand, let him understand.
The Antichrist will force everyone to “receive a mark on the right hand or on the forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he has the mark”- Rev. 13:16-17: This is also called the mark of the beast. Whosoever that refuses the Gospel message that is now being offered freely by grace, and receives that mark (666) on the hand of forehead, “will surely drink of the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulphur in the presence of the holy angels and of the lamb.”- Rev. 14:10 (NIV).
If you neglect salvation now, and you are alive at the time of antichrist, DO NOT TAKE THE MARK OF THE BEAST. It you refuse the mark by all means, you can still be saved but by shedding your own blood for your salvation. “­And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshipped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands”- Rev. 20:4 (NIV). The question now is, if you refuse salvation now at this time of grace, how can you receive salvation then at the time of tribulation, the time of antichrist?
The world system of numbering man in Schools, Hospital, Banks etc. is preparing man ahead of time to easily receive the number of the beast. Man is already made used to numbering system. This calls for understanding of the events of the last days “He who has an ear to hear, let him hear.” Christ’s second coming is bringing along the judgment of man according to his deeds. “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”- Rev. 20:15. Where would your portion be? If you are preparing for the second coming of Christ, live everyday of your life in expectation of his coming “for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.”- Mt. 24:44. Therefore watch!.
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1.3 EVANGELISM: BRINGING BACK THE LOST SOULS
(GLIMPSE FROM THE BOOK “SOUL WINNING” BY T.L. OSBORN)


If we don’t do more than pray, if we never visit the lost and witness to sinners, they will never hear Christ invitation to be saved. We must pray, but then we must Rise and Go out after souls. Sinners will go to hell if we keep praying for them in our churches, without our going to them. The Gospel must be taken to them personally. We are only making God an errand-boy when we keep telling Him to do all that we suppose to do - Going out to meet sinner.
You are the church. The church is the body of Christ. You are Christ’s body today in your community. The Holy Spirit wants to speak to souls about Salvation, to convict them of their sins and convince them of the Gospel. But the Holy Spirit is in you. He would work through your lips, your body. If you don’t go and witness or speak the message, your community will be lost. Christ can no longer stand in the public and preach the Gospel; he needs you to do that. Christ’s love can only be manifested through your life. His compassion and concern for lost souls can only be exhibited through you. Jesus Christ visits your community every time you do. Are you confining Him to your house? Are you selfish? Have you ever let Him speak to your neighbors? Have you ever allowed Him to tell them the way of salvation? Have you ever permitted Him to offer your neighbors His life? Do you accuse them of living in sin while you never let Jesus Christ tell them the truth?
It is not the church or congregation that Christ will use to get to the lost souls. It is you, if you are a real Christian. As far as God is concerned, you are the church, the body of Christ because Christ is in you. You will stand personally to give an account of your deeds and all you have done or failed to do. You will not be judged in the light of what your church did or what your congregation has done or failed to do. The ministry is not for a particular group of believers - the youth movement, Men’s Fellowship, Evangelism group, etc. It is your personal ministry. Christianity is a personal thing.
Evangelism is seeking for the lost sheep. “For the son of man is come to save that which was lost. How think ye? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine; and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which Is gone astray?”- Matt. 18:11-12.
Christianity is letting Christ seek out the lost through you. Witnessing makes you grow deeper in Christ. Christ will become more real to you than ever as he ministers through you. This is the heart of true Christian living and of soul winning.
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1.4 PREACH THE WORD OF GOD

"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shall be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children” - Hosea 4:6.
The priests who should have been their teachers had rejected knowledge and forgotten the law of God. Lack of knowledge among the people of God meant a lack of teaching by the servants of God. Are we preaching the word of God? Yet our people are famished-famine of hearing the word of God (Amos 8:11-12). Preaching is plenty but little consecutive teaching, and not too much result in changed lives.
Why do our people starve in the midst of plenty? We indulge too much in “blessed thoughts” and too infrequently teach the word of God in all its fullness. We take our thoughts and hang them on the scripture to control our thoughts. We use a text as a kind of launching platform to be left behind after taking off and we never return to it. Then we say what is in our own mind, which may have no foundation at all in the text itself.
We preach and yet convert nobody. This is because our motives are not salvation but being acceptable by the congregation - pleasing the congregation rather than God. We preach popular themes and avoid essential doctrines of salvation, sanctification and holiness. We denounce sin in the abstract but pass lightly over sin that prevail in our congregation. We even reprove the sins of the absent but make those present please with themselves so that they will enjoy the sermon and not go away with their feeling hurt. We like to preach on the virtue and glory of heaven but not on the sinfulness of sin. We preach on universal fatherhood of God and brotherhood of man and neglect so much the need for the second birth.
Sincere exhortation and a fund of good stories are no substitute for the convincing power and authority of the word of God. Very little of our preaching is exposition of what God’s word says and we may think we are expounding. Do our hearers feel compelled to open their Bibles and do they refer to them when we are speaking? Or have they become accustomed to our “blessed thoughts” that their Bibles sit closed in front of them or worse still, lie neglected at home? The number of those who truly expound the word of God still seems to be pitifully small. Time of our preaching has drastically fallen by allowing time for some other unspiritual events.
Poor preaching invites poor congregation, and poor congregation invites slack preparation. If God’s word is expounded in the power of the Spirit, people take notice and ask for more. The challenge is for those who believe that God still honours his word to commit themselves afresh to excellence in preparation and power in delivery.
As Revival is the work of God to do, we also must Preach and Teach the word of God because it is Bible truth (truth taken into the mind and heart) that God blesses. Repentance and prayer must take place too, but the Lord has promised to honour with His blessing the preaching of His word.
God has sworn not to share his glory with any man. He has no respect for any man no matter how highly placed. He wants the bearers of his word to follow His directives to the letter. (No addition, no subtraction).
The Bible gave a record of Moses as the most humble man on the face of the earth (Numb. 12:3). In spite of his humility, the grumbling of the Israelite made him loose control and acted contrarily to God’s directives at one time. This brought an end to his ministry.
God instructed Moses at one time to “strike the rock and water will come out of it for the people to drink” - Exodus 17:6. The command was that Moses should strike the rock for water. At another occasion God said “Take the staff,­ speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water”- Num. 20:8. Even though Moses was to hold the staff in his hand, he was commanded to speak to the rock. Would Moses say that the people provoke him to act against God’s instruction? He struck the rock twice and water came out. The miracle came about but God said Moses “did not trust in me enough to honour me as holy in the sight of the Israelites” - Num. 20:12. The repercussion was that Moses no longer brought the Israelite into the land of Promise because he rebelled against God’s command at the water of Meribah. Moses entreated God as he used to do for the children of Israel when they sin against Him, but this time God said to Moses “That is enough,­ Do not speak to me anymore about this matter” - Deut. 3:26. God refused to grant Moses forgiveness because he did not act on God’s message according to the will of God.
The Ministry of John the Baptist was to preach “the Baptist of repentance for the remission of sins” - Luke 3:7. There were many noble people coming to him to hear his message. John did not soften his message at the sight of big men, but rather his messages became harder. He challenged men to “bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance” after calling them “generation of vipers.” John performed no miracle (John 10:41), but his message pierced the hearts of his hearers unto repentance just because he delivered it according to the standard of God.
As a minister or teacher of God’s word you don’t have to be carried away by trying to respect the opinions of the congregation to the detriment of preaching the word of God. Even though miracles may be happening, and people may be giving God the glory as they see God using you, as long as there is diversion from the proclamation of God’s message as sent, the result would be your rejection from entering God’s rest. Not all that proclaim Christ as Lord shall enter into the kingdom of God but only those that do the will of the father (matt. 7:21): He that delivers God’s message as it is given unto him yea according to God’s standard.
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1.5 THE COLT TIED AT A CROSS ROAD

"And saith unto them, go your way into the village over against you: and as soon as ye be entered into it, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon never man sat; loose him and bring him. And they went their way, and found the Colt tied by the door without in a place where two ways met and they loose him” - Mark 11:2 & 4.
A crossroad is where two ways intersect resulting in four (4) outlets. This is not a single road turning or a “T” junction, but a cross (┼) road. The Colt in our text was said to be tied; yet at the crossroad. At first the Colt could not decide where to turn, and then the tying down at the prime age of his life: “which no one has ever ridden”- NIV. A divine intervention is needed to make the Colt useful to God, to people and to himself.
Many of us found ourselves at the crossroad of life and at the prime age. A point of making decisions. If making a decision had been the only matter, it would have been better. What of the tying down? Even if the right decision had been made, there would have been no movement: no progress because of the tying down. Divine intervention through earnest prayers is needed to set you free.
Jesus knew about the situation of the Colt from a far distance and sent men to untie and bring it: Our solution lies in Christ who has passed through the cross before. It is at the cross of Christ that we can find solution. That is, when at a crossroad of life, you have to look at the cross of Christ for a solution. At the cross of Christ, whatever bondages that hold men captive are already broken: “Having cancelled the bond which stood against us with its legal demands; this he set aside, nailing it to the cross”- Col. 2:14 RSV. You only have to identify yourself with the cross and pray through your deliverance. Except that happens, there would be no progress. The bondage must first be broken.
The Colt was untied and brought to Jesus who sat upon him. It was then the people knew the value of that Colt. As they cleared the road for Christ, the Colt under Christ also had a clear way to tread. Not even on bare ground, but upon garments of men. There was progress, usefulness and glory of God in the life of the Colt as Jesus also was moving on and receiving applaud from the people. This confirms that until Jesus liberates you by the blood He shed on the cross, you cannot make any progress when you arrive the crossroad of life. It is only after this that you can have clearness for direction, and live a life of purpose that would glorify God.
I Chronicles 4:9-10
Jabez (sorrow maker) found himself at a crossroad of life. All conditions were against him and he could not progress. He was cursed to be sorrowful from birth. He had no honour. He was not to be reckoned with among friends. He was not known; no one expected him to attend any meeting. No matter how good, his contributions will be ignored. He was living in sorrow, in isolation simply because he was poor: “A poor man is shunned by all his relatives; how much more do his friends avoid him” - Pro. 19:7. Jabez realized his condition and prayed earnestly to the God of Israel for blessing, enlargement of coast, protection and deliverance from evil. God answered him and he became more honourable than his brethren.
The GIBEONITES deceived Joshua in order to escape from death and became part of the Israelite generation. At the discovery of truth, they were cursed as “hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the Lord” instead of becoming blessed people for life. (Joshua 9:27). Suppose any one of the subsequent generation of Gibeonite can sit and think of the calamities caused by their slavery under Israel and he begins to pray earnestly unto God for deliverance from this deplorable crossroad of life, how do you think God will answer him? I think he will let him realize the cause of the curse by means of historical account or by revelation. His knowledge of the curse will help him entreat God more earnestly first for his own deliverance and then for that of his brethren. Unfortunately, there is no biblical account of the Gibeonite deliverance. They were poor for life serving at the altar in the house of the Lord. Are you serving in the house of God as a priest? What is the condition of your life? Are you at a financial crossroad even though serving at the altar of God? There is a curse somewhere. Seek for the root of your setback in life from God through prayers, and then pray for your deliverance clinging unto the cross of Christ.
ACHAN was cursed to death and his household suffered with him. The whole of Israel was also affected by the repercussion of Achan’s sin. His covetousness (of accursed silver and garments) brought the nation to a crossroad. This shows that the sin of a leader can bring down curses upon the followers. In order to get out of the crossroad caused by other men’s sin, you have to pray earnestly for your deliverance.
PRAY THESE PRAYER POINTS FERVENTLY AND CONTINUOUSLY
1. Identify you position in line with this message and thank God for bringing you into the light of His word.
2. Lord break any curses (from parental linage or through self indulgence in sin) that ties me down at a crossroad in Jesus name.
3. Pick me oh God from the crossroad of life and set me on for progress to the glory of your name in Jesus name.
4. God bless me, enlarge my coast, and let thy hand be upon me for good, keep me from evil and let not life grieve me in Jesus name.
5. Lord, let me be more honorable among my family members in Jesus name.
6. Lord, uncover any secret of success over my life and wash away any evil covering by the blood of the lamb in Jesus name.
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1.6 ANOINTED FROM THE WOMB


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ohn the Baptist was anointed from the womb, “­he will be filled with and controlled by the Holy Spirit even in and from his mother’s womb” - Luke 1:15 AMP. He was a Nazirite like Samson of old. But Samson messed up his Nazirite anointing by eating honey from dead carcass, polluted his life through lust for women and by allowing razor upon his head. That was not the case with John. John fulfilled the Nazirite laws: and even though he performed no miracle (like Samson), he was spoken of by Christ as the greatest of all those born of women (Matthew 11:11) because he was able to live up to the expected life.
Anyone born through the union of a true marriage is a godly offspring and is anointed for good from the womb. Parents are to take caution! Children that are born out of wedlock must definitely have a mark of a curse from the womb that will be upon them for life. How can they succeed? You that were born of a true wedlock, how do you keep your Nazirite laws? Do you mess up in the beer parlour or with women? Let not God¡¯s anointing upon your life be messed up.
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1.7 TEACH US TO NUMBER OUR DAYS


T
his is a prayer of the Psalmist which we ought to make our daily prayer. That God should “teach us to number our day aright that we may gain a heart of wisdom”
- Psalm 90:12 NIV.
Everyone should know that the number of his days here on earth is few and can suddenly pass away like smoke. Man must not live without the thought of his accountability to God. Constant self-reminder about going back to God one day is wisdom. How are you preparing? Are you living in pleasure or living for God? You may not live to be seventy or eighty and yet live a life of trouble and sorrow, or of pleasure. Which every way, ‘they quickly pass, and we fly away.” In the next 10, 20, 30 or 40 years, they will say of many now living “he once lived”. Where will you be then? In eternity with Christ or in eternal hell?
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1.8 THROW DOWN YOUR FATHER’S ALTAR OF BAAL


“T
hrow down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by it: And build an altar unto the LORD thy God upon the top of this rock”
- Judges 6:25-26.
When a man or woman is born again, the Bible says, “Old things are passed away”. The adamic (sinful) nature in man (inherited from the parents), which do manifest in anger, wrath, malice, fornication, covetousness, inordinate affection, filthy communications, etc., are to be put to death in the believer’s life. “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit” - John 3:6. How can you say you are born of the Spirit and still live a life of the flesh: the sinful nature still in control? The nature of sin which was inherited from the parents must be dealt with for
“our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin”- Romans 6:6. You are to pull down that “altar of Baal” of anger, malice, etc., that was inherited from your father or mother and build an altar to God in your heart upon the rock that is Christ. Destroy the altar of sinful nature and build an altar of love, joy, peace, goodness, gentleness, meekness, temperance, faith, longsuffering that are of great price. These will make you fruitful in the knowledge and service of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
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1.9 WHEN MEN SLEPT


A
n account was given in I Kings 3:16-28 of two prostitutes that lived in the same house and lost their blessings through much sleep: the first lay on her son and the boy died while the second overslept and had her living son exchanged for a dead one. There was war in the following morning. Both of them should have lost their children but because the owner of the living child had compassion for her son at the time of judgment, she was able to retain the ownership of her child.
There is time for everything under heaven (Eccl. Chap. 3). If men are unaware of “the time” of a particular blessing to come in their lives, that becomes a sleeping over the blessing or getting the blessing exchanged by the devil. This is not the normal over-night sleep during which we regain strength for the new day’s business, but a spiritual lethargy: not awakening to, or not “sensing” your blessing at the right time.
Jesus gave the parable of “a man that sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way” (Matt. 13:25). The surprising thing is that, the servants were instructed to delay the wedding of the tares until the time of harvest. Allowing weeds to grow together with your crops results in very low and poor yield. The good plants are prevented from enjoying maximum potentials that aid growth. Why should weeds be allowed to grow together with crops? Christ’s answer was: so as not to uproot the good plants along with the weeds.
It is always difficult, if not impossible, to retrieve one’s blessing if it has, at one time or the other, been overlaid through spiritual sleep or exchange for a counterfeit by the devil. The devil is the enemy that often prevents us from having God’s blessings. Blind Bartimaeus cried out at the time when Jesus the healer was passing by. Imagine what could have happened if he had adopted an attitude of mute indifference at that time. I think his song that day was “Pass me not O Gentle Saviour.”
“He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son”- Prov 10.5. He who sleeps at a time when he should lay hold of his blessing or refuse to understand “the time” a particular blessing of his life is to be grabbed, and neglect or plays off the time, is a son (or daughter) of God that would bring discomfort to himself when he is supposed to be enjoying the blessing. Among the children of Israel, it was the tribe of Issachar “that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do”- (Chr. 12:32) at the time David was king in Hebron.
Have a fervent concern for your needs when putting them before God in prayers. While petitioning to the Almighty King, clearly give your reasons. “Present your case, says the LORD; set forth your arguments, says Jacob’s King” - Isaiah 41:21. Put God in remembrance of His promises; plead together with Him so that you will be justified (Isaiah 43:26). Even if you have allowed the devil to exchange or steal away your blessing, you can wake up to have them back through prayers. “It is better late than never”, they say. It was prior to the departure of the Angel that Jacob got his blessing when he refused to let the Angel go. Awake to the time of your blessing (harvest) and be not “a disgraceful son (or daughter)”.
PRAYER POINTS
1. Lord, let all the blessing I suppose to have at this prime age of mine come my way in Jesus name.
2. Let nothing disturb your plan from coming to stand in its appointed time for my life in Jesus name.
3. Let all coverings over the blessing of my life be scattered in Jesus name Amen Thanks God for granting you grace to come to this realization about His blessings.
Pray God to retrieve for you all that the enemy has stolen and pray God to exchange for you devil’s counterfeit of blessing: Gold in place of Brass, Silver for Iron (Isaiah 60:17).
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1.10 THE WATER THAT WAS MADE WINE


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he first miracle of Jesus as recorded in the second chapter of the book of John can be seen as an allegory: an analogy of the life of man. It is a miracle where he turned water into wine. Human life is like water: unsettled and can be easily disturbed by circumstances just like the face of water can be disturbed by the wind. Man Complies to different doctrinal believes just like water that takes up any colour. Man can persevere and fit into circumstances of life like water that takes the shape of its container. The life of man is a natural gift of God just like water, which is a natural resource.
Jesus came to change the life of man: to give man a new life. The new life in Christ is better than the natural life of man. “Therefore if any person is (in grafted) in Christ, the Messiah, he is (a new Creature altogether) a new creation: the old (Previous Moral and Spiritual Condition) has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come” - II Cor. 5:17 Amp. The old unsettled life that accepts any form of doctrine, and fits into just any worldly circumstances would be changed to a better life altogether. The person involved will surely know and conclude: but God has kept back the good life (wine) until now (John 2:10). The thoughts of the former lifestyle would be a thing of regret considering the joy and bright hopes that fills the heart of a believer.
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1.11 THE MAN WITHOUT THE WEDDING GARMENT


“T
he wedding banquet is ready; but those I invited did not deserve to come. Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find;­ But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was
not wearing wedding clothes” - Matt. 22:8-14.
People that were invited to the wedding banquet refused to come: individual gave selfish reasons why the banquet could not be attended even when the king had spent to make things ready. The king ordered his servants to bring in as many people as they can get on the street for the occasion. At last the banquet hall was filled up. But alas, the king himself noticed a man who had no wedding garment, and ordered him to be thrown “outside into the darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth”.
The original guests are the Israelites but when they rejected Christ, we (Gentiles) were brought in by faith from all spheres of life: adulterers, fornicators, drunkards, 419ers, etc. No one was good: we were all bad. But our King wants us to appear the same after we have entered into Christ. He wants us to put on His own righteousness that is in Christ. Without such righteousness, no man will reign with Christ no matter the number of years spent in the Church. “But seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS” - Matt. 6:33. Righteousness is a garment: “Let your priests be clothed with righteousness (right living and right standing with God)”- Psalm 132: 9 AMP. Do not only seek to enter the kingdom of God, but also seek to live righteously for that will be your garment at the heavenly banquet.

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1.12 DIFFERENT TYPES OF GARMENT

T
he garment of the Almighty is light: “He wraps himself in light as with a garment”
-Psalm 104:2 NIV.
There is no darkness in God because He wraps himself with light. No darkness can come near Him. So, if we also walk in the light, we shall have fellowship with Him.
The wicked clothed themselves with cursing. “As he clothed himself with cursing like as with his garment”- Psalm 109:18. That is why blessing is far from the wicked! “As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him, as he delighted not in blessing so let it be far from him”- vs. 17. Whosoever that loves to curse or does not take delight in blessing others is the wicked that clothed himself (or herself) with cursing.
But the Lord enjoins us to be clothed with righteousness as with a garment: “Let your priests be clothed with righteousness (right living and right standing with God” - Psalm 132:9 AMP. Who is a Priest? Whosoever that has been regenerated is “being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” - I Peter 2:5.
God wants every believer to be clothed with righteousness as with a garment. “Let thy garments be always white”- Eccl. 9:8. Your garment as a believer must be “without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish” - Eph. 5:27. Our Lord Jesus Christ gave this command: “Beloved, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed” - Rev. 16:15.
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1.13 THE MINISTER AND HIS PEOPLE

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hy father is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people”- II Sam. 17:8.
These words were spoken to Absalom about King David, his father. David always enquire form God what step to take. He is not only a warrior in battle with men, but also a warrior in prayer to God. A life of separation of the leader from the people. A life of consecration to pray.
“Thy father is a mighty man, and they which be with him are valiant men” (vs. 10). If a minister is prayerful, the church members will be known as men and women of prayer. But if the minister of God’s word is weak in prayers (one who cannot wrestle in prayer to God), the church “Is dead while she liveth”.
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1.14 THE SALT OF THE EARTH


“Y
ou are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men” - Mattew. 5:13 NIV.
Christians are called salt of the earth. Salt is used for savouring, preservation and sterilization, etc. Christians whenever they are are to give savour (Taste) to the world system and to preserve it from decaying. The savour to the world system implies introducing Christ into areas or lives where his impact is not yet felt. Christ is the savour in the life of a man. A person without Christ has no savour of life. A soup without savour is a reject. Any person without Christ is a reject.
As a preservative, the Christian should preserve his surrounding - office, school, home, business area, relatives etc. from decaying. The world is decaying daily: Bribery and corruption everywhere, prevention of peoples’ right in working places, looting of Government treasury through contracts and forged documents, seeking political posts for wealth accumulation, security agents becoming Armed robbers and even Church leaders embezzling Church funds, etc. “Have nothing to do with fruitless deed of darkness, but rather expose them” - Eph. 5:11. Expose the fruitless work of darkness around you; be not partaker in them; preserve their lives from decaying. That is your role in the midst of this wicked and perverse generation. Instead of your sterilizing the world (i.e. freeing the people of the world from deadly germs), you become corrupted though them! A sterilizer that loses its ability to sterilize shall become infected. So it is with you.
“But if the salt loses its saltiness.” If you as a Christian lose your stand with the world, it will be terrible! You are now in the same rank with those you are supposed to sterilize, preserve and savour. They will know actually that you are not as you were before. What else can you tell them to make them tremble when you are partaking in their errors? You are sharing the unjust gain together? You approve corruption to be carried out through your non-challant attitude (you may not be a partaker any way). You only rebuke the national leaders instead of the very person(s) in your presence committing crimes? Your cold complicity and mute indifference imply your approval of those unfruitful deeds. How can you be made salty again? You are no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and be trampled upon by men. Insults from your non-Christian mates would be your share: “and he calls himself a Christian.” You become of no value because they known you now to be a hypocrite.
You have dropped the flag of living a life worthy of emulation. Some of the unbelievers would even say, “I am better than him /her”. You have lost your saltiness. Now you have become something to be trampled upon by people including the unbeliever. Believers again will throw you out because you no longer conform to their norms. “Although he is from us, he is not a part of us”.
Or do you say you are the only one among so many unsaved people to affect them in anyway? Or together with other believers around you, still so few? Can you compare the quantity of salt used in cooking to the entire food cooked? Very small indeed. Your small number or your being alone does not mean Christ’s impact can not be felt “A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump”. Only do your part in salting your environment and allow God to complete the work of changing their hearts by the Holy Ghost. Do you think you are occupying that position of yours for selfish and worldly gain? If you refuse to fulfill the ministry of savouring the earth and to preserve or sterilize it, your saltiness shall be lost”.
HOW TO SALT THE EARTH:
Have salt in yourself (Mrk. 9:50) by getting your heart constantly renewed through the word of God (Rom. 12:2). The word of God is the salt of grace. Be seasoned with the knowledge and grace of the gospel. So that you will be able to render acceptable to God, those that are living in ignorance and wickedness (ready to putrefy).
Be an example of Christ Every where and at any time - I Tim. 4:12; Titus 2:7.
Let no corrupt communication be found in you - Eph. 3:29; Col. 4:6.
Put off corruption from your life first (Eph. 4:22 - 24). You have to remove the beam from your own eyes before removing the speck from the eyes of your neighbour.
Watch your life first. Do not join, but reprove cheating and corruption.
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1.15 CHURCH OR APOSTLE’S DOCTRINE?


A
nd they continued steadfastly in the Apostles’ Doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. And fear came upon every soul; and many wonders and signs were done by the Apostle” - Acts 2:42-43.
The disciples left behind by Christ (Peter & Co.) were called the Apostles: They that were taught directly (physically) by Christ, they that moved in and out with Jesus on this planet earth. They walked everywhere with Christ. They were the Apostles. Paul, who was later added to that number by Christ himself, could not boldly fix himself into that class: he simply said, ¡°unto me who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given” - Eph 3:8.
Paul puts himself behind the other Apostles even though through him, signs of an Apostle were manifested “in signs and wonders, and mighty deeds” - II Cor. 12:1. Apostles were not appointed by men, but by Christ himself. The post of an Apostle is not man made. The Apostles followed the doctrines given to them by Christ. That is the Apostles’ Doctrine: the doctrine of Christ given to the Apostles.
Their holding unto Christ’s doctrine steadfastly in fellowship, breaking of bread and in prayers resulted in “many wonders and signs were done by the Apostles”. Then fear came upon every soul and many were added unto the church on daily basis. The church grew daily. The Apostles followed the teachings of Christ, and Christ confirmed his words with signs and wonders - miracles.
Why are we not getting results today in our churches? Do we continue steadfastly in the Apostle’s doctrine or we have our Church doctrine? As soon as a church formulates her own doctrine which normally puts off some part of the Apostles’ doctrines, the results that followed the ministry of the Apostles shall be lacking. The Apostles’ doctrine is the Biblical doctrine, the doctrine of Christ. Church doctrine can be said to be derived from the Apostles’ doctrine plus or minus some elements according to the desire of men that formulated it. That is why the church is not getting results even in Evangelism as in the days of the Apostles when the Lord Himself “added to the Church daily such as should be saved”. When the Apostles wanted to replace Judas, prayers were made before their casting of lots. The Bible recorded concerning the Apostles that “As they Ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, separate me Barnabar and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away” – Acts 13:2-3.
How do we appoint men and women in the church today? Through prayer and fasting, and allowing the Holy Spirit to lead? How do we send men forth for the work of the ministry: as we saw in them in line with our Church doctrine or as God chooses them? Why are we not getting results from the work of our Evangelists, Pastors and Church Leaders? How were they chosen? What of the teachings in our churches: how do we do it? Do we refer to the Scriptures on every items we teach? The Apostles always make references to the scriptures: “For it is written.” What of in times of Crisis or dispute? It happened at the time of the Apostles too but they always made references to the scriptures and gave the Holy Ghost a chance. They never parted in disagreement. God was always allowed to step in. They were getting results in church planting and Evangelism on daily basis because they continued steadfastly in the doctrines delivered to them by Christ. They did not formulate a “Church Doctrine”.
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1.16 LOOKING FOR MIRACLES?

L
abour not for meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the father sealed” - John 6:27.
Great multitudes followed Jesus in the gospel of John Chapter 6. They followed him, because they saw his miracles of healing the sick that were diseased. The multitudes were later fed with five barley loaves and two small fishes and at the end there was a remnant of twelve baskets of food. What a mighty miracle! The miracle of healing that they regarded as great at first became less surprising compared to that of feeding thousands of people with such a remarkably small quantity of food. The Bible gave the number of the men fed at the occasion as five thousand. It does not say anything about the number of woman and children that usually outnumbers that of men in such occasion. I am of the opinion that in order to have a correct idea of the greatness of the multitude that Jesus fed, the number of men given in the Bible should be multiplied by four or five. This is the only way by which we can have the correct picture of the “great company.” that came to Jesus. The miracle of feeding them free of charge made the multitude wonder: “Why don’t we make this man (Jesus) our king? By doing so, we will no longer have the problem of feeding the masses and healing the sick?” So they summoned courage to look for him and enthrone him as the king that would always supply them daily with miraculous food. Jesus made it plain unto them: “ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled” – vs 26. Why are you serving Christ? What were you looking for or your expectations as you attend Gospel Programmes: miracles of Contracts, of Business, of Car, Husband / wife, of Children, of Good Jobs, etc.? All these are meat that can perish one day. But that which can never perish is the miracle of your salvation that is the meat, which endures unto ever lasting life, which the son of man gives. Jesus spoke of Mary as having chosen that which shall not be taken away from her (Luke. 10:42). Other miracles can be taken away: business can collapse, money can be spent, body can become sick again but salvation that is gotten through Christ shall abide unto eternal life. That is why Jesus proclaimed that we seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness and that all other miracles shall be added unto us. If you are seeking for the miracles first, you will miss eternity at last for miracles are “the meat which parishes” and which can not endure unto everlasting life.
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1.17 CONFIDENCE

“A
nd Jesus said to them, you will all fall away this night (that is,) you will be caused to stumble and will begin to distrust and desert me: for its stands written, I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.­ But Peter said to Him, Even if they all fall away and are caused to stumble and distrust and desert you, yet I will not (do so)! And Jesus said to him, Truly, I tell you, this very night, before a cock crows trice, you will utterly deny me-discharging all connection with me-three times. But (peter) said more vehemently and repeatedly, (Even) if it should be necessary for me to die with you, I will not deny or disown you. - Mark 14: 27 - 31 AMP.
Peter trusted himself so much that he could not believe he would ever deny Christ. He saw himself as bold, outspoken and a “Leader” of the disciples. He saw himself closer to Jesus than others. He so much loved Jesus, and trusted so much in himself. He was self -confident. Jesus saw in Peter a self-glorification and wanted to teach us a lesson so that we do not boast in ourselves. Then Jesus prophesied unto him that peter would deny him three times that same night before the cockcrows twice. Since the Word of Christ must be fulfilled, it came to pass exactly as the master said in less than eight hours after the dialogue. Originally God did not intend that Peter should deny Christ; but because of Peter’s self-confidence (seeing himself as one that can stand all situations) the Master had to pass him through a lesson to abase him and thereby teach us the same lesson.
“Therefore let any one who thinks he stand- who feels sure that he has a steadfast mind and is standing firm - take head lest he fall (into sin)” - I Cor. 10: 12 AMP.
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1.18 RUNNING A RACE


D
o you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize” - I CORINTHIANS 9:24 NIV.
Christianity is a race. The race starts in earnest on the day a man gets into Christ: on the day salvation becomes real in a man’s life. No matter how long you’ve been going to church, if you are not regenerated or converted, you have not yet enlisted for the race. You are still not “in the number.” But as soon as you become born-again, turning from sinful life to Christ by faith and abiding therein, then you are enlisted in heaven as a runner, yea, as a pilgrim. Many get into the track but not all may finish the race. Like the worldly athletic described in the scriptures, many run the race but only one gets the prize. But we are all admonished to run in such a way as to get the prize. An athlete goes into strict training so as to get a prize: a prize that does not last. Another athlete in the next event can win this same prize, yet every one of them goes into strict training. Training to shape the physical body and make it fit for the race. They discipline the body, refusing it some essentials of life. Some become slimmer and get light to be able to move swiftly in the race and so get the prize. If man can do all those to get prizes that do not last, how much more shall we not do even more training for our body and soul as to get a crown that will last forever?
“ Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us"- Heb. 12:1. Putting aside all inordinate affection and concern for the body, the present life and the world. To run the race swiftly, each runner has to put aside any sin that has the greatest advantage against the body by the circumstances we live in. There must also be a focus on Jesus, our perfect example who won that kind of race we are in. He endured dying on the cross, he did not take the shame of dying for sinful men to mean anything and he endured oppositions from sinful men. At the end of the race, he won a place at the right hand of the throne of God in heaven: an everlasting position.
Care must be taken as not to run the Christian race in vain. One may run and not get a prize. We are not to run this race without definite aim.
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1.19 SUFFERING FOR CHRIST
“A
nd they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name” - Acts 5:41.
Can we really suffer for Christ? Christ suffered for all mankind on the cross. His suffering and death brought Salvation, Joy and Peace to all that believe in him. But can we really suffer for Christ in return? Is there any suffering for Christ, that is, suffering in his sake as he did for us?
The book of Hebrews Chapter 11 gave a summary of people who, through their faith in God, passed through the flames and get into the lions’ den. Some were tortured and detained, some faced jeering and flogging; some were chained and put in prison; some were stoned, some were cut in two with a saw; were put to death by the sword. Many wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes. These and more happened to men at one time or the other, nevertheless they stood the test of their faith. The secret is in their faith in God. Unless you give your complete being to Christ, you cannot endure to suffer for his sake. All the heroes of faith that passed through the aforementioned trials had qualifications and positions ranging from labourers to Governors, and from poor to rich. Yet they counted not on what they had.
What denial have you ever made in your life because of the Gospel? Yea, because of Christ? There is no arrest, no putting into prison, no threatening with gun for now but what of denying yourself of some basic needs because of the Gospel? What of putting aside your certificate or your good job for Christ’s service? What of spending your money or time for the gospel work? This cannot be too much. You must pay a price for coming to Christ. What have you ever done?
We blame Peter for denying Christ at the hour when Christ was being tortured.
Is your putting aside suffering for Christ not a denial of him?
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1.20 PREPARATION OF HEART


“F
or Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statues and judgments” - Ezra 7:10.
“The plan of the mind and orderly thinking belong to man, but from the
Lord comes (wise) answer of the tongue” - Proverbs 16:1 AMP.
“To man belongs the plan of the heart” NIV.
It is in the power of a man to prepare his heart towards an issue, occasion or whatever. It is in the power of a man to prepare his heart to serve the Lord or not to serve Him, to shun evil or not. “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king¡¯s meat, nor with the wine which he drank” - Dan. 1:8. It was in the power of Daniel to eat the king’s delicacies but he purposed (he determined) in his heart not to eat it.
Joseph determined in his heart not to sleep with Potiphar’s wife and concluded:
“How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?”-Gen.39: 9.
God would not force anyone to do contrary to the choice of his heart. He leaves us to choose: it is our duty to prepare our hearts to choose whatever we desire. Ezra “prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord” and he achieved that. Nothing can withstand your heart’s desire to serve God. If the wicked could achieve their heart’s desire, why not the righteous? Ezra prepared his heart “to do it”. Doing is obedience unto the Lord. Not doing according to God’s word is disobedience. “TO DO IT”. What is it that prevents you from doing the will of God? It is in the power of your mind to do and not to do. But it is your doing it (the will of God) that will usher you into enjoying God’s promises.
Ezra prepared his heart “and to teach in Israel statues and judgments”. To teach others is a command from the Lord himself: “Go therefore, and teach all nation” - Mt. 28:19. It is what you know and believe, and what you do (practice) that you can teach others effectively. If there is no preparation of your heart to daily learn from the Master and do what He says, what then do you teach others? You should first prepare your heart to seek the Lord and practice all He says before you can teach or influence other people around you with God’s statues and judgment.
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BELIEVERS DIGEST (SERIES 2)
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
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2.1 BEWARE OF FALSE PREACHERS

“D
o not listen to what the Prophets are prophesying to you: they fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord¡­ I did not send these Prophets, yet they have run with their message; I did not speak to them, yet they have prophesied. But if they had stood in my council they would have proclaimed my words to my people and would have turned them from their evil ways and from their evil deeds;­ Let the Prophet who has a dream tell his dream, but let the one who has my word speak it faithfully. For what has straw to do with grain? Declares the LORD” - Jer. 23:16-28 (NIV).
A Prophet is one who foretells future events; he is an inspired teacher or revealer of the Divine will. He can foretell (predicting message of the near future) and can forth-tell messages of the present time. By this a Prophet can be said to be a Preacher. What type of preacher (Prophet) do you listen to? Preachers that speak (visions or message) from their own mind or the one that they receive from the throne of God: one standing in the council of God? The basic thing God wants His servants (preachers or prophets) to do is to proclaim God’s word that will affect lives by turning the people “from their evil ways and from their evil deeds”. Of what purpose is a blessing or success foretold which may, or may not, come to pass and the recipient remain in sin? Of what advantage is a message that is “sweet” to the ears and teaches one to “faith” things from God but kept the receivers in unholy living and dull to righteousness? Do not let them fill you with false hopes through their fluent speeches and ability to cite scripture passages. Consider what they are preaching or prophesying in line with the word of God. Are they turning your hearts towards God in righteousness as you hope to live in the abundance of blessing they prophesied? Or they make you complacent in your unholy way of life even with precious promises of God?
God allows both types of prophets (preachers) to function uninterrupted: “let the prophet who has a dream tell his dream.” Let the one who forms words from his mind and the one who sees in line with his canal mind give their messages. “But let the one who has my word speak it faithfully”. Even if people are running away from your congregation, keep preaching the word of God. Even though miracles of prosperity is not taking place, as long as the message is from the throne of God, do not waver. And you listeners, with your conviction that what you are hearing is an undiluted message of God, do not draw back. Keep your stand. All that you want in life shall be yours as you “seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.” Time will tell “for what has straw to do with grain?” Straw is dry grass and God likened it to messages from false preachers: messages that cannot stand the test of fire. It would burn to ashes and be blown off by the wind. But messages that come directly from the throne of God is likened to grain: that which yields results on getting to (faithful) fertile hearts. The sure word of God is itself “like fire”­ and like a hammer that breaks rock in pieces” - Vs. 29. These are messages that abides and stand when tested in anyway and by whatever means.
Have ears to hear message that conform to the righteousness of God and do not develop itching ears by listening constantly to false preachers and / or prophets.
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2.2 SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES
“S
earch the Scripture; for in them ye think ye have eternal life; and they are they when testify of me”. John 5:39.
Jesus gave us this guarantee to study diligently the scriptures for it is through them we can have eternal life. Be like the Berean Christian of old that “receive the message with great eagerness and examined the scriptures everyday to see if what Paul said was true”- Acts 17:11.
Are you given to re-examining the scriptures after you heard a message? It is biblical and Jesus exhorts us to do so. And do you search daily on your own free will to learn of Christ? It is a godly habit that you must possess. This would make you a blessed child of God who prosper in all that he does, and would “keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” - II Pet. 1:8. It is profitable for you to live like the Berean Christian rather than the people of Anthens who spent their time talking about, and listening to the latest ideas (Acts 17:21). Getting the latest information and talking about them is like the physical training which “is of some value-useful for a little”, but searching for, and living by the eternal word of God is a spiritual training which is useful and of value in everything and in every way for it holds promise for the present life and also for the life which is to come.
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FEED ON GOD’S WORD
Read the word, feed on it. Let it become the living word to you, not just columns of truth and opinions of men. Jesus wants to be known as the living Christ coming out of the pages of the Bible to us.
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2.3 SEND OUT THE WORD OF GOD
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he people will curse him who holds back grain (when the public needs it); but a blessing (from God and men) is upon the head of him who sells it” - Prov. 11:26 Amp.
Jesus gave a parable of a farmer who was sowing seeds that fell on different grounds. The seed (grain) is the word of God that is sown on the hearts (ground) of men. The sending out of God’s word is the “selling” of the grain. Sowing of God’s word brings profit. “He who goes out weeping carrying seed to sow, will return with song of joy, carrying sheaves with him” - Psalm 126:6. NIV.
Whosoever that is in a position through which the word of God can be sent out to feed the people of God at the appointed time, and holds back the grains or the means (cash or whatever) of sending forth the grains (God’s message) shall be cursed (not receiving prayers or blessing from men) and shall not be blessed by God. But he who sells out (by preaching, publishing or assisting the sending of) God’s word shall crown himself / herself with blessings.
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2.4 THE MERCY OF GOD
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eceiving from God is not a question of human will or efforts but of God’s mercy. It depends neither on one’s own willingness nor on man’s strenuous exertion as in running a race, but on God’s having mercy on man - (Rom. 9:16 Amp). Not how much you pray with fasting, it depends on God showing mercy. Why don’t you pray for God’s mercy upon whatever you desire from God, and do not rely so much on your prayers or ability.
“Not the labour of my hands can fulfill thy law’s demand.
Could my zeal no respite know, could my tears forever flow.
All for sin could not atone thou must save, and thou alone”
- A.M. Top lady.

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2.5 LET YOUR LAMP BE KEPT BURNING

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ommand the Israelites to bring you clear oil of pressed olives for the light so that the lamps may be kept burning”- Exodus 27:20 NIV.
Continuous burning of lamps of prayer is always required of us by God. Jesus gave us several teachings to make us pray persistently. Our lamps, which is our prayer life, must be kept burning continuously. For this to be possible, our oil must be a “clear oil of pressed Olives”. This is obtained by crushing and pressing out unripe olives. Such oil burns with little or no smoke - perfect burning.
Unripe olives depict uncorrupted lives. Ripening is a series of events that result in ripeness. Ripened life is a life that has been affected by the corruption (events) of the world. To be blind to corruption that is in the world will prevent our hearts from ripening.
If anyone “separates himself from contact with contaminating and corrupting influences, he will be a vessel set apart and useful for honorable and noble purposes, consecrated and profitable to the Master, fit and ready for any good work” - II Tim. 2:21 Amp.
We are commanded to burn with clear oil of pressed unripe olives, and not with oil of ripened olives. The former burns with blue fames producing little or no smoke while the latter will burn with red flames that produce much smoke. It is such that wind easily affects. An uncorrupted life will burn fervently in prayer. Unless our hearts are holy, we cannot pray continuously.
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2.6 THE LAMP OF THE BODY
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our eye is the lamp of your body; when your eye (your conscience) is sound¡­ your whole body is full of light” - Luke 11:34 Amp.
The lamp of the body is the eye, and the light of the soul is its power of discerning between good and devil, truth and falsehood. If this eye of the soul be single (that is, If it sees clearly, if it aims at the truth only and seek it for its own sake) the whole body, the whole soul, will be full of light. But if the eye of the soul is evil, it is sure that the whole body, the whole soul, should be full of darkness. Seek for the truth (the word of God) and hold unto it; be ready to receive the light, love and power of it. It is the truth you know that will make you free (John 8:31) from false teachings of this present world.
“Buy the truth and sell it not” - Prov. 23:23. Seek for the truth, lay hold unto it and refuse to let it go from you.
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2.7 TO MOVE OR TO STAY
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od guided the Children of Israel in their wilderness wandering by the cloud covering the tabernacle. Whenever the cloud settled, they had to settle and when it moved, they had to take off. They were used to the movement of the cloud. “As long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle, they remained in the camp” - Number 9:18 NIV.
God has a design for our lives. We only need to enquire from him whether to move or to stay. Do not move when he wants you to stay, or stay when you are supposed to move. A minute of haste can disorganize God’s plan for your life and a minute delay may bring you a set back.
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THE VALUE OF MONEY
Money is not going to have a whole lot of value except when it is used for God’s work. To those who direct their resources for His work, he will open the channel wide and there will be no limit as to how much He will bless them.
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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.
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2.8 ENTERING INTO GOD’S REST

“S
o we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. Let us therefore fear, least a promise being left us of entering his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it” - (Hebrews 3:19-4:1).
Entering the land of Canaan is different from entering into the rest of God. Only few of the Israelites that left Egypt entered the land of Canaan. Many died along the way because of their unbelief. Not all of them that entered (those that were children when they left Egypt) got into God’s rest. Their entrance into Canaan was not their automatic entrance into God’s rest. They failed God through unbelief: not counting God’s promises a thing of reality to be awaited. Their action of disobedience - doing the dictates of their hearts rather than following God’s order - prevented them from entering into God’s rest.
May be God made promises to you personally apart from your claiming biblical promises or directly from the scriptures? Months and years have passed and those promises seem unreal? You will miss them out if you drop off from your faith stand. May be you have left job or profession, etc to answer God’s call and things seems odd? “So we see that they were not able to enter (into His rest) because of their unwillingness to adhere to and trust and rely on God; unbelief and shut them out”- Hebrews 3:19 AMP. Entering God’s rest is not an easy task. Whosoever wishes to enter therein must labour, exert himself/herself and strive diligently. The promises God made are real and would come to stand. But man must adhere no matter what the circumstances may bring.
“This mention of a rest was not a reference to their entering into Canaan, for if Joshua had given them rest, He (God) would not speak afterward about another day. So then, there is still waiting a full and complete Sabbath rest reserved for the (true) people of God; for he who has once entered into (God’s) rest also has ceased from (the weariness and pain) of human labours just as God rested from those labour peculiarly His own.” - Hebrews 4:8-10 AMP.
God laboured in the Creation Process of the World and He rested (Gen. 2:2). The labour of God in creation could involve designing by way of thoughts or wisdom. To fashion things out orderly as God did involves the work of the brain. It is labour and He rested from the strains and pains involved after six days. If God can take a rest from thoughts of fashioning out the world, then “there remains a Sabbath-rest for the people of God” - vs9 NIV.
Your salvation rest of “come unto me¡­ and I will give you rest” (Mathew 11:28) is like your entering the land of Canaan from your wilderness wandering and Egypt slavery of sin. You still struggle as a believer? There remains a rest for the true children of God. That Sabbath-rest can be entered into through abiding by faith in God’s promises. Rest from financial strangulations, from sicknesses, from anxieties, worries and cares of the life (otherwise known as breakthroughs) need be entered into after the salvation experience. He/she who will enter God’s rest must “make every effort to enter that rest.” Efforts in prayers of perseverance and of patience in faith are the pre-requisite to enter into God’s promised rest. “Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it” - Hebrews 4:1 NIV.

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BE A SERVANT
Behind every face there is a drama going on; tap into at least one person’s drama. Seek opportunities each day to reach out to someone with the powerful love of the Lord Jesus Christ.
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2.9 POSSESSING THE LAND OF YOUR PROMISE

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very place the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you¡­¡± Josh. 1:3.
EVERY PLACE does not refer only to the physical land (or ground) that is mostly understood. Every place can refer to your place of works/business, town or city, the land itself, the heart of people in a denomination (if you are a minister), etc. Any situation through which man can be sustained is hereby referred to as “Every Place” or “Land”. God’s promise to give it unto you is conditional: “If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land”- Isaiah 1:19 NIV. Not only to be willing to obey, but to put obedience to God’s word into practice.
“For it is God who works in you to WILL AND TO ACT according to His good purpose” - Phil. 2:12 NIV.
Obedience is ACTING on (or DOING) what you believe. You are not obedient if you don’t act, no matter how well you believe that instruction. It is possible for you to believe (be willing) and not act (perform any positive action). Then nothing will happen. It is only when “you are willing and obedient” that you will eat the best from the land: your business/work, the town in which you are dwelling, the members of your congregation or people that surround you. For it is God Himself that will give the hearts of men unto you for your possession. Men would desire loving and supporting you wherever you may be if only you are obedient to the word of God. It is not a matter of luck or coincidence when men extend a hand of gift unto you or you get your desired blessing from your “place”. It came by God’s design according to the level of your obedience to His word. “But if your refuse and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it” - (vs20) even though you are living permanently in that place of promise.

PRAYERS:
1. Repent of your disobedience to God’s word and renew your relationship with God.
2. God, let me prosper in the “land”- place or work, town, etc where you have planted me
in Jesus name.
3. Let me grow strong and fruitful in this place (mention it¡­) in Jesus name.
4. Let all my buried blessings come up for me in Jesus name.
5. I nullify every saying against my prosperity in this place in Jesus name.
6. I shall be fat and flourishing: let all leanness go out of my life in Jesus name, Amen.
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2.10 ARISE AND SHINE

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rise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee¡­¡± Isaiah 60:1-4.
This is a command to a man/woman or situation that is either dead, sick, crippled or indifferent to moving forward. The commander (God) has a sure sight of victory for the person involved. There must have been some coverings preventing shining forth of God’s imbedded glory in such a life. You are to arise “from the depression and prostration in which circumstance have kept you; rise to a new life and shine - be radiant with the glory of the Lord” AMP. Give no thought to the prevailing situation, the Lord is with you (your light has come) and the glory of God is risen within you to shine forth upon your life no matter the thickness of darkness that prevails. The glory of God shall overshadow the darkness and many people shall enjoy along with you, the blessing of God that would manifest in your life.
PRAYERS:
1. I shall arise and shine forth in Jesus name. Let all that pull me down be burnt off by the
fire of the Holy Spirit.
2. Let every stronghold of the enemies upon my life be broken in Jesus name.
3. May all devilish things covering my blessings from God be scattered in Jesus name.
4. Oh, Lord, let my light shine forth out of obscurity in Jesus name.
5. Grant strength unto me O God, and let me shine in Jesus name.
6. Let you glory come forth upon me and let others around me benefit therein in Jesus name, Amen.
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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.
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2.11 DEFEATED BY THE ENEMIES
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et us bring the ark of the Lord’s covenant from Shiloh, so that it may go with us and save us from the hand our enemies” - I Sam. 4:3.
It is a pagan idea to identify the deity with the symbol of his presence, and to think of gaining God’s favour. For the fact that sin lodges with God’s people, Israel could not win the battle that day despite their bringing into the battlefield the Ark of the Lord’s covenant. The Philistines rather encouraged themselves against the people of God (vs. 9). It was from that battlefield that the Ark was taken away from people of God.
It is not in the number of day of prayer and fasting or of scripture memorization; not even in attendance in Church Programmes, Revival and Conferences that would bring victory over the enemies. As long as sin lodges with the people of God, the enemies must have upper hand. Remember Achan who brought sin into the camp of God’s people. Sin must be dealt with before there can be victory.
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2.12 ACCORDING TO YOUR LEVEL OF FAITH

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he Lord God called unto Moses to send spies ahead of all the Israelites to view the land of Canaan, the Promise land. God assured Moses that the land of Canaan would belong to them. Twelve men were sent forth to spy the land of Canaan. They spent forty days and came back with some fruits of the land that confirmed the fertility of Canaan: two men had to shoulder a single cluster of grapes. There was a division however among the spies: Ten of them agreed to give a report according to their negative level of faith, while two men gave their good report according to their positive level of faith.
REPORTS: Ten men spoke first; “the land to which you sent us, it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large¡­ we can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.­ The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size;­ We seemed like grasshopper in our own eyes, and we look the same to them” - Numbers 13:27 - 33.
But two of them, Joshua and Caleb, cried out: “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it”- vs. 30.
One of the reports was without an element of faith - the majority report. The minority report was a report that was prompted by faith in God. Different people saw the same thing with different views because of the differences in their level of faith. Other thief saw the same Jesus that was seen as powerless and mocked like a criminal by one of the thieves on the cross, at the same time as sinless and as a saviour who saves people into His kingdom. Their different views stemmed from their levels of faith. It led to eternal destruction of one, and eternal salvation of the other. The same problem, under which you are dying, is what is making another man to triumph and give testimonies. The difference is the level of faith that you applied. God deals with us according to each man’s level of faith. He however expects all of us to walk with Him in believing faith. Walking with God without faith is sin. “See to it brothers (and sisters) that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God” - Hebrews 3:12 NIV.
The ten spies caused all Israel to sin against God in the matter of spying out the land of Canaan. Since death is the wages of sin, all of them had to die according to the word that came out of their mouths: “If only we had died in Egypt or in this desert! Why is the LORD bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword! Our wives and children will be taken as plunder” - Numbers 14:23.That was the conclusion of their unbelief in the promises of God as to give them the land of Canaan. To their level of faith in saying these negative words, God said Amen: “As surely as I live, declares the LORD, I will do to you the very thing I heard you say. In this desert your bodies will fall;­ For forty years - one year for each of the forty days you explored the land - you will suffer for your sins and know what it is like to have me against you” - vs. 28-34.
This was why the Israelites had to wander in the wilderness for forty years: a day of spying the land of Canaan for a year. God made sure that all of them died off, leaving behind their children to possess the land of promise. The ten people that gave bad report died immediately while others that agreed with the report, except Joshua and Caleb, died in succession over the forty years of their wilderness wandering.
God that promised is able to fulfill only when we walk with him by faith. No matter how precious God’s promises might be unto us, if we fail through unbelief, those promises will be of no effect. God will no more do a thing in line with His promises but will rather do unto us according to the level of our faith or rather in line with our choice by faith.
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2.13 DIVINE INTERVENTION

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n breeding season I once had a dream in which I looked up and saw that the male goats mating with the flock were streaked, speckled or spotted. The Angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob’. I answered, ‘Here I am’. And he said, look up and see that all the goats mating with the flock are streaked, speckled or spotted, for I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you” - Genesis 31:10-12 NIV.
The record is put straight is Genesis 30:25-43. It is an account of Jacob coming out of Laban’s servitude. He served Laban for almost 20 years before he requested for his freedom. Laban admitted that God’s blessing came to him through Jacob’s services and so he wished to keep the man with him by increasing his wages. But Jacob, who had been a deceiver all his life, in taking other people’s blessings, gave a request to which Laban agreed to his own advantage. Jacob requested for spotted, speckled and dark-coloured animals as his wages so that all others with plain colours would be for Laban. That day, I believe that the spotted animals were not many; so Laban quickly admitted to Jacob’s
‘trickish’ suggestion for he also, was a cunning man.
The Bible recorded that Jacob placed spotted poplar branches in the watering arena for Laban’s animals to see when they were mating. The result was that Laban’s animals gave birth to spotted, speckled and dark-coloured young ones, which automatically belonged to Jacob by agreement (controversy clearly removed).
There is no scientific approach to Jacob’s logic of his gaining upper hand with Laban in this case of his livestock multiplication. It was only a divine intervention: A supernatural interplay by God to assist Jacob gain blessing out of Laban’s possessions. An Angel made this known to him in a dream. God produced spiritual male animals that were spotted or speckled to mate in the Laban’s flock. The semen from Laban’s male animals becomes recessive while those of the divinely produced male animals dominated. Let me say God divinely assisted Jacob to get blessing from Laban because of the way Laban treated Jacob: “­for I have seen all that Laban had been doing to you.”
Are you being cheated or prevented from receiving your due blessings or are you under a bond and need deliverance? Or do men assume you can’t make it and keep you aside? Divine intervention from God is what you need for God to spiritually intervene on your behalf, and for the blessing to be physically manifested. Jacob left Laban with abundance of blessing and God appeared to the man to “be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.” God divinely put off adversary from Jacob’s pathway of blessing so that he could enjoy his divinely accumulated blessings.
God intervened again in the life of Jacob as he was approaching Esau who vowed killing him. Since Jacob had made peace with God, his enemy (Esau) was also at peace with him. He could do him no harm.
The bed-rock of God’s divine intervention in the life of Jacob could be traced to the fact that God loved Jacob even before his birth: "Yet, before the twins were born or had done any thing good or bad in order that God’s purpose in election might stand: not by works but by him who calls, she was told, ‘the older will serve the younger’. Just as it is written ‘Jacob I love but Esau I hated’”- Romans 9:11-13 NIV. For the fact that God knew you before being formed in the womb, and while in the womb before delivery (Jeremiah 1:5), you are loved by God and destined to prosper. The devil and his human and demonic agents are always against man’s success so, a divine intervention is always needed to make man become what God intends for him.
PRAYER POINTS
1. Lord have mercy on me and repay me all that I have been robbed off in Jesus name.
2. God, send me provisions by your divine ways that no man would hinder.
3. Oh Lord, Intervene for my blessings and shut up controversies against me.
Make clear-cut line for my blessings.
4. Replace all intimidation against me with your blessings in Jesus name.
5. Intervene O Lord, and keep my adversaries off my ways. Let them not be able to do me bad again in Jesus name.

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2.14 REPENTANCE AND FRUIT BEARING
“P
roduce fruit in keeping with repentance” - Matthew 3:8.
Repentance is turning away from sin unto righteous living. It comes by the conviction of the Holy Spirit. It is not a mouth confession exercise only, but from a ready heart to do right things in the sight of God.
Fruit bearing must follow repentance: that positive physical action to be taken as to prove the genuiness of the repentance. For example: If you repented from un-forgiveness towards a fellow brother or sister, you must have to go to him/her in person to make reconciliation. You can go with gifts or follow up your meeting with tangible positive action. If you repented of not attending weekly programmes in your church, you have to start attending those programmes without delay. If you repented of not doing God’s will, positive actions must be taken in line with God’s will for you. And if you repented prayerlessness and refusal to study God’s word on daily basis, you have to start off immediately to study the Bible and to go into prayers. Your repentance at whatever state, must be followed with fruit bearing: a (physical) positive action that shows genuine repentance.

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2.15 WHEN MEN’S EYES OPEN
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hen the eyes of both of them were opened” - Genesis 3:7.
Adam and Eve were created in God’s image: with minds to reason, with eyes to see, etc. They had eyes to see the beauty of God’s creation in Eden. Pure uncorrupted eyes to see as God sees. They saw the glory of God upon each other: “they were both naked and they felt no shame”- Genesis 2:25. They felt no shame because they were covered by the glory of God. Their eyes were righteous and so were their minds. They could not see any form of nakedness on each other until they sinfully ate the forbidden fruit. God’s glory had to disappear and they saw that they were naked.
Sin opens up men’s eyes. Without sin, dealings in the home, office, church, etc would remain good and okay. But as soon as sin is allowed to enter through the senses of the eye, feelings, and so on, the eyes would see those same beautiful things in a less admirable way. The eyes would be open to see errors and not beauty. For instance, if a man commits adultery with another woman or lady outside marriage, he would begin to see fault in his wife. Those faults were there before, but they were not seen because love (God’s glory) covers them all. But as soon as the eyes open to sin, God’s beauty disappears only to uncover the deficiencies in his wife. This is also true of a wife that sins.
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2.16 ONCE GOD HAS SPOKEN
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alak the king of Moab invited Prophet Balaam to curse the Israelites on his behalf. It was not the will of God for this prophet to accept the king’s contract; but because of financial gain promised by the king, Balaam entreated God several times and at last God permissively granted his request.
The Psalmist says, “God hath spoken once: twice have I heard” - Psalm 62:11. Balaam wanted God to speak twice for him to hear once. God had earlier said: “Do not go with them, you must not put a curse on those people because they are blessed”- Number 22:12. God is not man that He should change His mind on whatever He says or allow. Your incessant praying after God has spoken will only lead you away from His perfect will into your own desired will.
God was not pleased with Balaam and so an Angel was sent to obstruct his way. The Angel said to him: “I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me. The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If she had not turned away, I would certainly have killed you by now.” An animal gave attention to the presence of God but Balaam gave no attention to the voice of God.
If you aim at satisfying your heart’s desire against God’s will in view of a benefit to be gained, then you should expect an irreversible disaster. Do not desire to hear God twice; once He speaks, He has spoken.
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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.
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2.17 GIVING YOUR BEST TO GOD

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od knew the state of man’s heart over whatever he has. To Abraham, God said: “­ take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest.”
The best item on Earth in the life of Abraham was Isaac, and God requested him to be offered as a burnt sacrifice! This was a trial of faith. But because Abraham “believe even God who quickeneth the dead, he offered up Issac; and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son.” Romans 4:19, Hebrews 11:7.
That which God did earlier in the lives of Abraham and Sarah in giving life (quickening) unto their dead loins to produce a seed (Isaac) was what strengthened Abraham’s heart. He believed that God could make Isaac live again if He wished even after slaughtering the boy as sacrifice to Him. This was what God saw in Abraham that proved the genuiness of his faith towards Him. God stopped him from using the son for a sacrifice: yet the Bible concluded that, “by faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac; and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son¡­ According that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead from whence also he received him in a figure”- Hebrews 11:17,19.
God accepted the state of Abraham’s heart towards the sacrifice. God deals with the heart of man. Every external behaviour of man comes from the heart. The unseen God deals with the unseen heart of man. Love from God starts from the heart. It is only God that can know the heart of man. That is what God deals with first before the externals.
What has God given to you that you think is too great to be given back to Him: Money, Education, Time, etc? Any child of God is liable to testing by God in different ways, and at different times. The trying of faith is what keeps a believer growing in obedience, righteousness and in faith.
Without such trials, there would be no prove of the genuiness of man’s faith towards God. It is the trial of man’s faith that would bring praise, honour and glory to Christ at His appearance (I Peter 1:7). We show forth our faith towards God by giving to Him the best of our lives.
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2.18 HEARING FROM GOD

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od does speak to man. He does this through the Holy Spirit who relates the message to the spirit of man via the conscience. God’s message is always in line with the scriptures. A verse can be expounded in the man’s spirit (the inner man). In some cases, it might be as turbulence in a man’s spirit directing him to carry out some specific instructions or move in a particular line of action. The message can be direct and audible in a gentle, still small voice as it was with Elijah and Samuel.
“And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying: This is the way, walk ye in it”- Isaiah 30:21. The phase “thine ears shall hear” does not refer to the hearing by the external ears. It is the hearing by man’s spirit through the Spirit of God. This depends on how much you are being strengthened with might by the Spirit of God.
God does speak but man doesn¡¯t always hear. Desires and anxiety are weapons of obstruction against hearing from God. The devil also obstruct by giving man worldly (sinful) suggestions. Your daily meditation on the word of God, prayers and giving of thanks will develop your inner being and usher you into a mood of hearing from God through the Holy Spirit.
God’s messages don’t normally come in haste, expecting man to act almost immediately. The Holy Spirit would relate to man in a loving and gentle way, allowing grace upon man to exercise patience before carrying out the directive. This brings peace and joy to man.
The mind of man also speaks to him by way of reasoning. This is the desire of the flesh. Man’s reasoning was corrupted through the eaten of the forbidden fruit in Eden. Man cannot live by his sense knowledge but have to walk in the Spirit of God so as not to fulfill the instinct of the flesh. Allow God’s Spirit to dominate your thoughts. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God”- Romans 8:14.
The desire of man is another factor that can obstruct hearing from God. “Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart”- Pslam 37:4. Delight thyself first in the Lord: This means to take great pleasure in the Lord and to have God’s word dwell in you richly in all wisdom, and be a doer of his words. If this is so, your desires will not dominate your heart but rather you would be able to pray for the will of God in your undertakings. Desire means what you wish to have. By claiming your desires, your mind can speak to you when you pray and you would think you have heard from God.
Your wishes may not worth desiring. They may not be in line with God’s plan for your life. If you receive answers to your requests in line with your heart desire, it might be that God inspired your desire according to His plan or that God granted you permissively due to your persistency in seeking. You don’t have to claim your desires when you pray: develop a heart to pray for the will of God (Matthew 26:39).
Sin closes the door of hearing from God. Even at the time of temptation, God still does speak; but for the lust and enticement in the heart of man, there would be no hearing. Sin renders the Holy Spirit dormant! King David cried to God: “cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy Holy Spirit from me¡±- Psalm 51:9-11.
Disobedience to the voice and word of God hinders man’s hearing from God. Obedience is doing something (positive) about what you know God is saying either in the scripture or through the Holy Spirit. Obedience is the primary factor of hearing from God. “If any man love me he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him”- John 14:23. That means the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit will make your heart their home just by your obeying the word of Christ.

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2.19 LET JESUS SEE YOUR FAITH
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he case of a paralytic man was recorded in the gospel of mark chap. 2. There was no way to bring the man before Jesus. So, they had to open the roof to bring him before Jesus through it. “When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, son, your sins are forgiven.” That is, when Jesus saw their confidence in God through Him, He healed the man. Their faith was seen in their action.
A Canaanite woman said to Jesus­ “but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table” when Jesus told her it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it the dogs (Mtt. 15:21-28). Jesus commented “woman you have great faith! Your request is granted.” The faith of this woman was seen in her speech.
The woman who had been subjected to bleeding for twelve years came up behind Jesus to touch His garment believing that: “if I only touch His garment, I will be healed.” Jesus asked, “Who touched my clothes?” Power got out of Jesus with the touching of faith of the bleeding woman. Several others touched Jesus as people were crowding around Him, but the woman’s touch was different; it was a touch of faith. Jesus said to her, “your faith has healed you.” - Mtt. 9:20-22. It was such a touch on Jesus that brings result. Let Jesus feel your touch of faith.
A Centurion who had a servant sick at home said to Jesus: “I do not deserve to have you come under my roof but just say the word and my servant will be healed.” Jesus commented about the man and said, “I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith”- Matthew 8:8-10.
That is, even the Israelites could not show forth such a great faith. God is a God of faith. Without faith, we cannot receive anything from him and we cannot please him. Whatever you want from God, your unwavering faith is the only means of getting it. Jesus admonishes us, “Have faith in God” - Mark 11:22. Let God see your faith in speech, in prayers of thanksgiving in action and in patience.
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2.20 IN TIMES OF ADVERSITY

“I
f thou faint in the days of adversity, thy strength is small”
- Proverbs 24:10.
“In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider. God hath set the one against the other” - Eccl. 7:14.
God allowed Satan to test Job in a very hard way. In our present day life, we find it hard to imagine that kind of a trial: a millionaire to lose all that he has in one day, and to be afflicted with a disease that defies cure! Such a man would be left desolate: all friends and relations would desert him. No wonder why Job’s wife advised him to curse God and die! God is looking for a man that will stand his integrity like Job. The first word of Job at that trying time was “Naked I came from my mother’s womb and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the LORD had taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised” - Job 1:21.
How do you react to adversities? Do you say “God why me?” Do you give God reasons why you should not be tried by the unexpected circumstances of human life? The Scripture says, “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweigh them all”- II Corinthians 4:17. Whatever the adversity may be, God says it will be for a short moment and its after effect will be eternal glory. Was Job not better off in the end than in the beginning? God designed good and adverse times for us as human beings so that we can know Him better. Job said, “Though he slays me, yet will I trust him. Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him” - Job 13:15 NKJV. God controls all situations concerning us. Only be upright before God. Job maintained his uprightness even in the face of affliction. He would never curse God or speak perverse word against the Almighty.

•••
TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
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These series of messages are published by the CHRISTIAN PULISHING INTENATIONAL,
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Believers’ Digest contains series of messages that can be copied
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BELIEVERS DIGEST (SERIES 3)
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.
Email: info@cping.org; christianpubint@yahoo.com,
Tel: (+234)-8036121781; (+234)-08051109976).

3.1 GIVING TO GOD

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ecause you have not withheld from me your son, your only son, I will surely bless you” - Gen. 22:12-17.
It took Abraham 25 years after God called him out of his Father’s house into the ministry to get the promised child (Isaac) from God at the age of hundred. God tested Abraham by requesting for that child as an offering for sacrifice: to be slaughtered and burnt by fire. Abraham did not withhold his son from God; he rose up and went for the sacrifice. God, who would not accept human sacrifice, replaced Isaac with a ram. Then God re-affirmed his promise of blessing unto Abraham. Do you believe that if Abraham had indulged in an attitude of grumbling and complaining to God who gave the boy and who can take him back, he would have missed the promises of God? He would have failed to have his faith credited to him as righteousness (Gen. 15:6).
What has God requested from you: your resignation from your lucrative job to take up the work of the ministry, the leaving behind of your beloved wife/husband and children to “a land that I will show you”, giving off your savings towards a particular family project as an offering to God? Donating your vehicle for the work of God? Or going into the Seminary as against your becoming a professional in the secular field? Whatever God’s request from you, He is putting you to a test to see if you really fear Him and ready for His promised blessings. God swore by Himself to Abraham to bless him because he acted promptly to His request.
Your prompt action of obedience to God’s leading in any area of your life is what God looks for in your giving to His cause. It is not a part but the whole of your giving that God wants. Abraham believed God to provide Himself a ram for the sacrifice as he was going to sacrifice his son; and God really did.
Whatever you are trusting God to do for you, as you promptly obey Him, be sure you will have it from Him. It is then you will know God as “the Lord that provides”. Jehovah Jireh.
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3.2 12-YEAR STOMACH ULCER CURED

PERSONAL TESTIMONY OF REV DAVID AREMU (cparemu@yahoo.com)
Founder of Christian publishing International, Nigeria.
I grew up to realize at the age of 11, that there was a kind of problem in my stomach that is symtomized by frequent hunger, spitting and scratching pain at the upper part of the stomach. All these happened concurrently. I would immediately look for something to eat as to calm me down only for sometimes. The sickness persisted despite all forms of medication from the hospital. I became a regular hospital attendant wherever I happened to be within two months. Valium had no more effect on me due to regular intake. By then, I come across drugs and I spent a lot on them. All to no avail.
At the age of 23, I got saved. God granted me the grace to grow in faith through His word. I held unto God’s word claiming that, “if any man be in Christ he is a new creature: old things are passed away” - II Corinthians 5:17. I held unto God’s word concerning my healing. I did not give up claiming and confessing God’s promises about my healing: “and with his stripes we are healed”. Several times the symptoms would strike for days but I kept speaking the word of faith and telling the devil that my body is the temple of God, Christ died for me on the cross, and that I have been healed through the stripes of Jesus. My confessions were backed up with prayers and fasting: a thing I never did before my conversion due to the attack of the ugly spirit of ulcer. By faith, I do engage myself in fasting. Jesus took part of the flesh and blood so that “through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil” - Hebrews 2:14.
God strengthened me to overcome a problem known be to aggravated by hunger, through frequent fasting. The last time I purchased a drug in line with ulcer problem was before my conversion in 1995.
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3.3 THE UNCIRCUMCISED PHILISTINE

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od instituted covenant of circumcision with Abraham by telling him to circumcise every male child who is eight days old. Not only born by him, but whosoever male living with him whether bought with his money or whatever. They all must be circumcised. “This is my covenant with you and your generation after you¡­ My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant. Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people, he has broken my covenant.” Abraham was commanded to keep this covenant and his descendants after him must do likewise, even generations to come (Genesis 17:1 - 14). It was at this time that God changed the name of Abram to Abraham (A father of many nations) and of Sarai to Sarah (the mother of nations). Abraham was ninety-nine(99) years old when he was circumcised along with Ismael (who was thirteen) and every other male in his household.
Circumcision is the cutting off of the male foreskin. It is to be done physically on the flesh using surgical knife. It brings out blood. It is a surgical procedure. It was a mark of consecration to the LORD. A covenant with blood. Moses failed to circumcise one of his sons and God wanted to kill him after he was called to speak before Pharaoh. His wife, who was the one opposing the boy’s circumcision, seeing that Moses’ life was in danger quickly performed the circumcision on the young son, and “the LORD let him alone”- (Ex. 4:21-26). Other nations also practiced circumcision, but not for the covenant reasons that God instituted with Abraham.
This fact of circumcision became a faith lifting inspiration to such a one that understand and recons with it at the time of battle with the uncircumcised enemies. God must arise to help fight the battle for he was held in honour: his people recognized him and affirms this covenant. Jonathan, the son of King Saul, said to his armor-bearer when he was about to attack the Philistines. “come let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised fellows: Perhaps the LORD will act in our behalf” - I Sam. 14:6 NIV. This is a statement of contempt which draws attention to Israel’s covenant relationship to the LORD, and by implication to the illegitimacy of the Philistine presence in the land. That battle was won that day. God fought for his covenant people.
David said of Goliath when he was boasting of his power and gods: “who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?”
David sees the issue clearly. This sets him apart from Saul the King of Israel and all the other Israelites on that battlefield. Goliath disdained David and took him for a dog chaser. But David continued to build upon faith in the LORD: “I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, who, you have defile”- I Sam. 17:45. It was a double attack on Goliath: to classify him as uncircumcised Philistine and to tell him boldly that his (David’s) weapon of war is in the name of the LORD Almighty. Goliath had already been knocked down at that point. He only needed a slight physical touch which David did with his sling.
If physical circumcision is so powerful that it can be used as a foundation of attack in battle (offensive weapon), how much more powerful is the stand on circumcision by faith which is of the heart by the Spirit, and not by the law?
“For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. And if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the Glory of that which lasts” - II Cor. 3:10- 11.
The circumcision of our hearts by faith in Christ has superceded the circumcision by surgical knife through the law. The true sign of belonging to God is not an outward mark of circumcision on the physical body, but the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit within. Has your heart been circumcised by the Holy Spirit? Are you regenerated? Has your old life style passed away? Then you have a better stand of circumcision before the uncircumcised Philistines than David and Jonathan of old. If you have your stand of circumcision, the uncircumcised Philistines (the unbelievers) around you would have no ground to embarrass you and cause you to shake. Unless you don’t know your right or position, or you have not been regenerated, they cannot prevail against you. God will open your eyes to see and know your rights that is by faith in Christ Jesus, Amen.
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3.4 THE BATTLE IS THE LORD’S

T
he enemies of Israel usually come out in large numbers that the scripture always says “as numerous as the sand of the seashore”. The Philistines came against Israel with great number of Chariot and Charioteers while the Israelites hid themselves trembling without a single chariot! The Bible recorded that, “So it came to pass in the day of battle there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan” - I Sam. 13:22.
Jonathan summons courage in the Lord of Host, and called his armour - bearer to come up to battle against the uncircumcised Philistines for ¡°Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving whether by many or by few” - I Sam. 14:6. It was only Jonathan and that young man that attacked the Philistine and “panic struck the whole army,­ and the ground shook.” It was a panic sent by God: The Philistines struck each other with their swords and God granted victory to the Israelites.
At the battle between the Midianites and Gideon, God told Gideon to reduce the number of his fighting men “in order that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her” - Judges 7:2. At that battle, only three hundred Soldiers of the Israelites army were used. They were blowing their trumpets and saying “the sword of the LORD, and of Gideon”. The host of Midianites that were “like grasshopper for multitude”. The Lord set every man’s sword against his fellow. That was how God granted victory to the Israelites. God fought the battle himself and not by the hands of men.
At the time of Joshua, it was by the shout of Victory that the wall of Jericho fell flat after the Israelites went round the city seven days as directed by God.
It was God who fought for Israel when five kings of the Amorites gathered their host against them. God cast down great stones from heaven upon the enemies. It was God who fought for Israel When King Ahab, who was wicked in the sight of God by setting up foreign gods, faced Benhadad the King of Aram. God fought for his people. The Bible recorded that, “the Israelites camped opposite them like two small flocks of goats, while the Arameans convered the country side”. But the Israelites inflicted a hundred thousand casualties on the Aramean foot soldiers in one day. The rest of them escaped to the city of Aphek, where the wall collapsed on twenty-seven thousand of them-I King 20:27-30.
The battle is not your, it is of the Lord God Almighty to fight. God said this concerning you, as he told the Israelites at the Red Sea: “Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you: you need only to be still”- Exodus 14:13-14. That is the word of God to you: for whatever the battle that confronts you belong to the LORD to fight. You only need to tell God about it in earnest prayers. There is nothing physical you can do about those battles, they are to be fought Spiritually: “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds” - II Cor. 10:4. That is, your earnest prayer of faith has power through God to pull down strongholds of the enemy. The battle is not yours, but it is of the LORD: “if God is for us, who can be against us”- Rom. 8:31.

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3.5 THE COMMON SALVATION

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eloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation”- Jude 3.
The Collins English Dictionary defines common as something “Shared by or belonging to all, or to several”. Salvation is common: that is, it is the same for man or woman, rich or poor, white or black. Whoever that believes in Christ. Salvation is the same everywhere as water is available and is the same everywhere. Without water, there is no life. So also without salvation, there is no life beyond your living on this earth: “but he that believe not is condemned already” - John 3:18.
This common salvation is what Jesus is calling every man and woman into: “come to me, all you who labour and are heavy-laden and over burdened, and I will cause you to rest I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls” - Mattew. 11:28 AMP.
This is a call to rest from worries and cares of this world. A call into real joy, peace, happiness and victory. It is a call into a life of meaning; a break form a life of no purpose and direction. It is a call into a life of fulfillment. A call into miracle experiencing life. It is a call into a life of true prosperity. A prosperous man has all needs met - (Psalm 34:10). It is a life of separation from worldly influences, a call to be special for God’s use. It is a call to surrender to Christ everyday and to be obedient to His words- (John 14:15). Salvation is a call into a life eternal; away from the wrath of God and to reign with Christ forever. Salvation is happening everywhere, it is so common. It is that which brings joy into the presence of the angels of God in heaven -Luke 15:7.
As common as salvation in Christ is, DO YOU HAVE IT?
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3.6 THE PERMISSIVE WILL OF GOD
God refuses to answer us many a times when we make requests because such a request may not be His will for us. A times if God permits such a request to be granted because of man’s persistence, it may be God answering permissively: something man gets out of God’s perfect will.
The Israelites lustfully asked for meat in the wilderness: “if only we had meat to eat! We remembered the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost¡­ But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!- Num.1: 4 - 5. They complained about the daily provision of manna. This grieved God. But God granted their request. God gave them quail in abundance for meat. But while they were enjoying their lustful desire, God plagued them: the meat came out of their nostrils as they ate. God granted the lustful desire permissively, and that became the source of their death.
Had not the Israelites livestock with them in abundance out of which they made sacrifices to God? Could not they slaughter some of them for meat? They must have been eating from their animals, but the lust of their hearts prompted them to provoke God concerning meat.
“There is a way that seems right to a man and appears straight before him, but at the end of it are the ways of death” - Prov. 16:25 AMP. If God allows your worldly lustful desire to come by, they may be snares unto you. Lustful desire can lead to Spiritual and physical deaths. “For if you lives according to (the dictates of) the flesh you will surely die. But if through the power of the (Holy) Spirit you are habitually putting to death-making extinct, deadening - the (evil) deeds prompted by the body, you shall (really and genuinely) live forever Rom. 8:13 AMP.
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3.7 THE BEARER OF GOD’S MESSAGE

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here are three categories of God’s messengers (The preachers). There are those that God actually called out of their people, out of their jobs, etc. to bear his message to his people. They are those that face hard times in the ministry but remain undaunted for they know that faithful is He who has called them. They always look ahead into the future for the work of God to progress in their hands. They have visions for God’s work. When you meet with such a preacher, you will know that God sent him. God’s word from such a one is always confirmed with signs following. They are ready to leave all and follow the cause of the gospel. Nothing can hinder them, Yea, they have the message.
The second categories of God’s messengers are those that the church, parents or friends called or appointed: “We have seen how God is using you; why don’t you go to the Seminary? We shall assist you”. The man immediately concluded that, “the voice of man is the voice of God”. These ones will carry on for sometimes and later remember the cucumbers and garlic they left behind for “this manna”. They will grumble at the slightest hardship that comes their way: Am I called into the ministry to suffer? What of my wife and Children? These groups of minister have no message because God did not call them; their preaching would not lead a heart to repentance. They are full of stories. They may not have any Personal encounter with God to convince the hearers. They take up a passage only to end up with their favourite messages of caring for the men of God. At times they manipulate the minds of their invited guest minister to preach for them to win the hearts of the congregation. The Savour is lost many a times from the ministry of such “men called ministers” of the gospel. Actually, they have no message.
The third group of God’s messengers are the self-called ones. This group has the conviction that they are capable of ministering God’s word. They are full of pride in their hearts and sees themselves as able men to dish out the unique message of God. Many gets into this group when their papers could not carry them further in education or some of them sees the ministry as a way of making it. Pride is the number one factor for their “self call” into the ministry. They do not give up easily but looks for strategies that will make them continue in the ministry. But any one who is filled with the spirit of God would discern that God has not actually called the so - called “Man of God”. Such a person can do better if he had remained under a preacher and occupies a place as a Sunday School or Bible Study Teacher. He will prefer to invite others to preach in his Church because it is obvious that he has no message. The oil of the anointing he came in with has dried up! Since God had not called him, how can He readily provide a fresh supply? He will be occupied with plans and strategies of how to run the ministry. Yea, there is no message. All is mechanical.
Now let us consider two men from the scripture: Ahimaaz and a Cushite - II Sam. 18:19-32. At the dead of Absalom the son of David who drove his father out of throne, Ahimaaz said to Joab the commander of the army, “Let me run and take the news to the King that the LORD has delivered him from the hand of his enemies”. Joab said to him. “You are not the one to take the news today”. Then Joab said to a cushite, “Go, tell the King what you have seen”. The cushite ran off to deliver the message. Then Ahimaaz again pleaded to be sent: “please let me run behind the Cushite” Joab replied, “My son, why do you want to go? You don’t have any news that will bring you a reward. Ahimaaz said, “Come what may, I want to run.” So Joab granted him his request. Ahimaaz out ran the cushite and came first to the King but he had no message according to the King’s demand. The King said to him, “stand aside and wait here”. He had no option than to stand aside because he has no message. The cushite that was actually sent came and reported to the King the victory over the enemies in line with the King’s demand. The King got the message clearly from the cushite and acted upon it but Ahimaaz was forgotten where he was told to stand.
The Church-called and self-called ministers are just like Ahimaaz. They can outrun the God-called ones but they have no message. They are full of noise and does things in haste in the ministry. They can make big posters about themselves, yet God has not called them. But the God-called ones will walk with God to work for God according to God’s order. They don’t make much noise and the message come from them with power because they are anointed for the errand.

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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.

···
3.8 THE FOUNDATION THAT MATTERS
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herefore everyone who hears these words of mine and put them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the steams rose and the winds blew and beat against that house, yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who build his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the wind blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash. When Jesus had finished saying these things the crowds were amazed at His teaching.”
- Mattew 7:24-28.
Every aspect of a man’s life has a foundation. The Church of God has a foundation; Jesus Christ. There is nothing on earth that has no foundation. The only thing is that there are always two types of foundations: the one on the solid rock and the other on sand. It is this teaching that Christ gave us in the above quoted scripture. The Bible concluded, “the crowds were amazed at his teaching”. The Crowds ought to consider and apply his teaching not only to be amazed. That is the problem with us. We know the teachings of Christ, we sing most of them in songs daily but we don’t consider and apply them. We would think we are building on the rock but behold, it is on the sand and later we would come up with strategies to make things work.
“If the foundation are destroyed, what can the (unyielding) righteous do, or what has he wrought or accomplished?” - Psalm 11:3 AMP. The problem with we children of God is that we always fall into problems because we do not consider and apply the teaching of Christ to build on Him (the solid rock), as our foundation. Why are many businesses, homes, even ministries in jeopardy? The answer is simple: they were not built on the rocky foundation; They were built on sand!
Can you consider how your marriage, business, ministry or church started? Was there any specific word from God backed up by the scripture in the beginning? Did you get into the ministry, marriage or whatever through another man or prophet’s vision? Is this the foundation upon which the building (marriage, business, ministry) was laid? If this foundation be destroyed at the beginning, what can you do; no matter how righteous you may be? Nothing. Because the foundation was broken from the very beginning; it was actually built on sand and not on a rock.
Do not be amazed at this teaching of Christ but consider your ways: have you built or are you trying to build your marriage foundation, etc on God’s revelation through prayer and scripture references? Know for sure that on whatever you build, the rain, stream and wind would come around to test it. It is the type of foundation it has that would determine its durability.
What of your call into the ministry or the take off of what you are doing at present for God? Remember that God is not a respecter of persons: Bishop and members are alike. Can you say God led you into it? How and on what foundation? The Psalmist says, “all the foundation of the earth are shaken” - 82:5. Does that include ministry task sent by God and with God’s approval? That depends on what foundation you have allowed the work of God to be built. If you fail, God is still God. The failure or success will only be with you, O man of God. The business you are pursuing or the one you are doing my brother or sister, is its foundation on the rock of God’s word? On honesty or fraud? How do you get the cash involved: loan from unholy sources or money through fraudulent practices? What of the car you have just bought or have been driving; how came the motor or its purchase? Are you encountering a problem about the vehicle? What was its foundation? Even the very food you eat with your family members, how did you come by it? What is the foundation of your income that you call blessing?
“If the foundation be shaken.” There would come a time for that foundation to be shaken, yea to be tried with rain, streams and winds: then what will become of you and your undertakings?
Do not be amazed at this message; Do not give credit to this writing. Consider your ways and apply the wisdom of God’s word to your undertakings. Always think and consider the foundation because it is the only thing that matters. There is nothing on the earth that has no foundation. Of what sort is that of your life or of your undertakings? Be the righteous that will always have an everlasting foundation (Prov. 10:25).
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3.9 WALKING WITH GOD AND WORKING FOR GOD
“A
nd Enoch walked with God.” - Gen. 5:22. The first man spoken of in the scripture that walked with God was Enoch: seventh generating from Adam. Adam and his succeeding five generations could not walk with God. They lived for so many years was the record against their names. It was in the seventh generation that we read of Enoch who walked with God. After him, two other generations passed before we read about Noah who also “was a just man and perfect in his generation, and Noah walked with God”- Gen. 6:9.
Walking with God is different from working for God. It is easier to work for God even if God has not called you. Many are working for God at least to safe others. And that is why their ministration never yield tangible fruit. They are full of work here and there in the service of God, but are actually doing nothing! No one can actually work for God without first walking with God. Walking with God makes you get acquainted with Him: you know who He is, what He likes and dislikes (His laws). You love and fear Him at the same time and you obey Him whole heatedly. That is the qualification for working for Him.
Paul entreated us in Romans 12:1 to first of all present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God which is our reasonable service. That is, it is unreasonable for you to be full of God’s service without first giving your life to God or first walk with God. The first qualification of Noah was that he was a just man and perfect in his generation, and walked with God. It was this stand he had with God that qualified him to work to save lives. All that were used by God or that worked for God in the scriptures were always found walking with God. They were chosen people due to what God saw in them.
Moses was chosen to work for God in bringing out the Israelites form Egypt because at first, Moses chose “rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasure of sin for a season” - Heb. 11:25. He refused to be identified with the Egyptians but with God’s people. If you are in close association with the Egyptians (un-regenerated), doing all that they love to do, you are not walking with God and so you cannot work for Him.
Whatever you do in the service of God without first giving your life to Him, you will only be found working for God and not walking with Him. It is our walking with God that qualifies us for His work and for heaven.
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3.10 BE A MARY
J
esus visited Martha who has a sister called Mary. Mary sat at Jesus’ feet hearing His words. She was attentive to His teachings. But at the same time, Martha was busy in the kitchen preparing dishes to entertain Jesus. At a point, Martha could not bear the services alone and confronted Jesus to release Mary for an assistance. The unexpected answer came; “Martha, Martha¡­ you are worried and upset about many things; but only one things is needed, Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her” - Luke 10:38-42. What was it that Mary has chosen? To sit at Jesus’ feet and learn from Him. That is needed from us as children of God. All other activities that we do in church which takes greater part of our time are only worrying and upset about many things: going through rigorous practices of Songs and Drama, involving oneself in taking and counting offerings during services, cleaning and clearing of the church and its surrounding, etc. For “Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made”- Lk. 10:40 NIV.
The one thing that is needful must not be left out: sitting down and learning at the feet of Jesus. What profit is it for you to be so much involved in church activities and not able to get a message that will build you up, refresh, bless or set you free from bondage? Of what use are all your “Marthanistic” services? If you don’t get transformed at the end of a worship service, then all you have done to make that service a success is “Marthanism”. Do not be found entertaining people. Martha was said to be entertaining the Lord, and that is even better, but yet Jesus could not rate her action as “the one thing that is needful”.
Be a Mary; get settle to learn from Christ daily even in your home, apart from during services.
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3.11 RIGHT TIME FOR GOD’S BLESSING
T
he Lord God assured the children of Israel that he would make them posses their land of promise only when their population was large enough to take possession of the land. The land they would posses is large and were occupies by their enemies. God said he would not drive out the enemies at once: “by little and little. I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased” - Ex. 23:30. This is to prevent wild animals from multiplying in the land and become another group of enemy. Their possessing the land shall be gradual until they were “mature” enough to possess it.
Coming to fulfillment of God’s blessing can take time. “For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it because it will surely come, it will not tarry” - Hab. 2:3. God knows the right (best) time you can handle what he has for you. A time you will be adequately fit and able to handle it. Be it position or possession, you need to be adequately mature (physically and spiritually) for it. Possessing something before God’s appointed time may cause envy against you which you may not be able to handle. Enemies can come up against you, and because you are not fully mature they may prevail. God’s design is to bring you up and make you possess your blessing little by little.
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3.12 GOD’S ANOINTED
“W
hy were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?” - Num. 12:8.
Miriam and Aaron (the high priest), spoke against Moses for his marrying another woman probably after the death of his first wife. Miriam’s name coming first in the account suggests her being the principal actor or initiator of the arrogant challenge against Moses. Why could it be that it was on her, leprosy was found as a result of God’s judgment?
Whosoever that is truly called and anointed by God for service must not be spoken or acted against. This was the understanding David has when he was persuaded to kill Saul. He said. “The Lord forbid that I should stretch forth mine hand against the Lord’s anointed” - I Sam. 26:11. Remember that Saul was anointed by God as the king but because of his departure from God, he was later rejected. Yet, that did not give David a chance to act against Saul. As long as Saul was still living, David could not harm him despite Saul’s plot against him. The anointing and calling of God are irrevocable (Rom. 11:29). Despite Cain’s offence of murder against Abel, God still put a mark on him so that he who kill him will fall into judgment. There must have been a kind of anointing upon Cain.
Korah, Dathan and Abiran rose up in Number Ch. 16 and spoke against Moses and Aaron: “you have gone too far! The whole community is holy everyone of them, and the LORD is with them. Why then you set yourself above the Lord’s assembly?” Was it Moses that set up himself or Aaron had chosen himself for the service of leading and guiding the people? None of those men knew about God’s calling on Moses and on Aaron to be Moses’ spokes man. They never knew what sacrifice they made as to accept God’s call upon their lives.
Those that were called and anointed by God may not be recognized by men even in the church. But whether men recognizes them or not, God’s hand of anointing is surely seen in all they do. A doubter may later condemn himself. To this kind of anointed priest, you must be careful not to talk against them. Whether men accept them or not, God’s eyes are upon them until the fulfillment of their ministries.
Moses instigated the three rebels and their 250 men associates to act contrary to God’s order if they felt they can act for God. He told them to stand before God to burn incense: The service that belongs to Levites that fulfills certain fundamental regulations (Not all Levites can presumptuously burn incense). As stubborn as they were, they agreed to stand and burn incense before the Lord. God allowed the ground to swallow the three gang leaders and all that belonged to them. Their 250 men associate went ahead since they had put their hands unto the plow of destruction. As they were burning unauthorized incense before the Lord, God answered them with fire that consumed them. Fourteen thousand and seven hundred others died along with them by plague for grumbling against Moses and Aaron because of God’s judgment on those rebels.
God’s elects are not to be spoken against. Is it anyone that calls himself a prophet that is actually anointed by God? By their fruit you shall know them. What are their messages and what do they request from you? If they go against the law of God, no judgment shall come upon you if you go against them because such might not have been appointed by God. A true prophet of God should neither request for a personal gain nor for a sacrifice. He would fear God and honour Him, and teach people to do likewise. He is not a man-ordained prophet. Moses was God-ordained and so God acted immediately on his accusers as to prevent other people from falling into such an error. You will know God-ordained men by their works. Work along with them to get blessing rather than speaking against them and be condemned.

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3.13 THE BLESSING OF GOD
“I
f you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God” - Deut. 28:1-2 NIV.
God’s blessing are not automatic you don’t just receive them freely as you wish, they can only be received when you fulfill the conditions attached to them. Yea, God’s blessings are conditional. The basic condition to receiving God’s blessings is to fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all His commands. That means if you refuse to obey and follow God’s commands and decrees, instead of blessings, curses shall come up (Deut. 28:15).
There is no human love giving that is without a condition. Why do you love him or her? Answers can be different from one person to the other but at the end, there is always a condition: at least “God puts the love in my heart, and I felt led”. It is only the love of God towards us for our salvation that is not with a condition. “For God so loved the World that He gave His only begotten Son” Why or for what purpose? “That whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” - John 3:16 “Not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as atoning sacrifice for our sins.” I John 4:10 NIV. Does that imply that the whole human race for which Christ died will be saved? No. It is only whosoever that believes in Him. Then salvation is not automatic, there is a condition to be fulfilled, and that is to BELIEVE IN CHRIST.
God admonished us in the book of Joshua 1:8 that the book of the law (the Bible) “shall not depart out of thy mouth: but thou shall meditate there in day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written there in: for then thou shall make they way prosperous, and then thou shall have good success.” Your having good success and prosperity are not just without a condition. It is your studying (reading) the word of God, and your obeying what God instructed. It is until after you have fulfilled this conditions that you will be prosperous and successful. Reading or hearing and obeying the word of God is the pre-requisite, the condition or rather the basic for receiving God’s blessings. You don’t just wake up and found yourself loaded with God’s blessing. You have to work for it, believe the word of God and act on it. It is your believing and acting upon God’s word that proves your obedience and brings you success and prosperity.
Jesus said to Peter after he had worked all night and caught no fish: “put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch” - Luke 5:4 Peter replied: “Master we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing; nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.” Peter wanted bountiful blessing and worked hard all the night: but behold he got nothing, Jesus then intervened and instructed him on what to do. Peter let down his net with obedience: “when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake”.
What was their fulfilled condition? When they HAD ACTED ACCORING TO Jesus’ command. They believed the word of Christ and they acted upon it. Remember, “for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success”.
Have you ever tried reading through the whole Bible? How would you know what God wants you to do if you don’t read His word? Do not only listen to messages, but also sit down to read and meditate (consider) upon the word of God. Take delight in studying and obeying the word of God more than your daily duties. Job said, “I have treasured the word of His mouth more than my daily bread” - Job 23:12. Let the habit of reading your Bible and obeying its words take the best part of your life. Even the Psalmist says that blessed is the man/woman who takes delight in the law of the Lord to meditate day and night upon it. Such a person is likened to “a tree planted by rivers of water, that bringeth froth his fruit in his season: his leaf also shall not wither and whatever he doeth shall prosper” - Psalm 1:3.
Your diligence towards bible reading would make you familiar with the whole Bible. Do not just read the Bible here and there, but follow a specific order of reading and you will grow in your desire to know the word of God. Believe what you read, pray about it and obey all that it teaches and commands “For then you shall make your way prosperous and then you shall deal wisely and have good success.”
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TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
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3.14 CHOOSING FOR YOUR SELF?
L
ot chose his safety place of Zoar at the destruction of Sodom. The angel told him to “escape to the mountain”. But he preferred to escape to the city of Zoar. There was no time for the angel to argue with him so, he was allowed to have his way: To chose his own “safety place”. Lot was used to making his own choice. He chose Sodom at first when Abraham allowed him to make a choice of settlement (Gen. 13:7-13). Whenever Lot was given the privilege of making a choice, he always chose wrongly. His choice always ended in error. It was Sodom (and Gomorrah) that God rained fire and brimstone upon for destruction because of their evil/wicked acts. That was where Lot chose! His wife also perished with the destruction.
Later, Zoar was no longer conducive to Lot and his daughters so he made another choice, a cave in a mountain. They were there alone for a long time. The daughters concluded that there were no men on the earth again except their father and something must be done to preserve seed of their father (Gen. 19:32). Lot was intoxicated for two days. Each of the daughters had their father in succession (an abomination: a sin of incense - Lev. 18:6. These led to the generations of Moabites and the Amorites the enemies of Israel! Remember that Lot always make his choice, but none ever favoured him. How do you make your own choice?
KING DAVID: One of the characteristics of David was his enquiring first from the Lord before taking an action: “therefore David enquired of the Lord saying shall I go and smite these Philistines?” - I Sam. 23:2-4). Several times before David attacked his enemies, he asked for God’s direction. Even when deciding to settle in a place, God was not left out. “And it came to pass after this, that David enquired of the Lord: saying shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? And the Lord said unto him, Go up and David said, whither shall I go up? And he said unto Hebron” - I Sam. 2:1. Not only to any of the cities of Judah but to the particular one God intended for him.
Where has God intended for you to settle? In the Urban or rural place? Your abiding in God’s choice for you is what shall bring you blessings. Making your own choice, no matter how bright or benefitial that may look like, shall doubtless result in your ruin. How do you choose (or are making a choice of) your wife or husband, work, location, Ministry, e.t.c.?
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3.15 OF TITHE AND OFFERING

“B
ring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this, says the LORD Almighty, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saint the LORD of hosts” - Malachi 3:10-12.
It is a command for all children of God to bring into the Church (storehouse of God) their regular tithe and offerings. Tithe is not a matter of debate, it is one tenth of every calculable blessing a child of God receives. It may be on daily, weekly, monthly or yearly basis depending on the type of blessing. If the blessing comes once in a year, then it would be yearly. But if it comes on daily or weekly basis as you do your businesses, your tithing would also be daily or weekly. Those of the salary earners would be monthly as they receive their payments. This is to let food be in the storehouse of God regularly. The important thing is to be faithful in tithing just as you are faithful and careful in removing the bile from
your slaughtered Fowl of Goat. You would not want to spoil your meat with the bitterness. Refusal to remove the WHOLE tithe from your income / blessing render ALL of your blessing to be affected with bitterness (Devourers). A little leaven that you refuse to remove would leaven the whole thing that you have. Your tithe is not to be used for any purpose than putting it in God’s storehouse as tithe: not as a special offering or harvest offering or whatever. It is not yours. You have no right to send it in fragment to places of your choice. This is an area where the devil gets most people who are even faithful in tithing.
Can Tithe be divided and given to men of God? NO. Tithe is not your own, you can only give that which belongs to you: “Now therefore perform the doing of it: that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that, which ye have. For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not” - II Cor. 8:11-12. Except on very rare occasion by the leading of God, your tithe can be use otherwise. Do not let your mind lead you against God’s instruction. You can give gifts to men of God out of what belong to you, and not of tithe.
The first thing about Tithing is for you to remove the WHOLE, and not a part of it. If you like you may test God by putting in more than the actual tithe and paying everything as tithe. God says “Test me in this, and see”. It is fraud to pay less than the actual tithe. God says, “you rob me”. You say how? He says, “In tithes and offerings”.
Part tithing is no tithing. It is an ALL or NOTHING law. Paying part of tithe is just as not paying at all..
Secondly, you take the tithe to God’s storehouse. Where? The church of God. Which Church? The place where you receive God’s instruction. The Church to which you are identified: where you fellowship and receive God’s instruction and prayers. God says “into my storehouse” and not storehouses. Many put their tithes in storehouses. They divide the tithe into parts and pay it here and there. You are missing it. On very rare occasion would God accept that from you, yea by His leading. Normally, your regular tithing should be to your place of worship.
Can I send part of my tithe to the church in my Town so that I may have a good record at home? NO. There are worshippers in that Church of your Town, their responsibility is to pay their tithes into that church. Your responsibility is to tithe into the church in which you worship (in the Town where you live). But the Pastor of my Town do receive the tithe and prays for me. Yes, there is no man of God that would reject such an offer even if he knows it is your tithe. “Be very careful, then how you live not as unwise but as wise” - Eph. 5:15.
You are not a citizen of this earth to care so much (with your tithe) for the church of your Home Town. You are only a stranger and pilgrim on earth, your citizenship is not of this earth; you have a better country that is the heavenly one. Where you are today is where God designed you to be and therefore be faithful. Let the people in the church of your Town be faithful as well. You cannot give your tithe to another Ministry or Church in the town where you live either. It is for your church. You can only send gifts as offerings to these other places (including the Church of your town) and that is rewardable.
Your Tithe is your insurance-physically and Spiritually. Your tithe serves as a wall of protection around you. When your tithing is at fault, the wall gets crack-there is a broken hedge: “and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him” - Eccl. 10:8. God said and sealed it with an oath that if you test him by tithing faithfully, He will rebuke devourers for your sakes, that they shall not destroy the fruit of your labour, and your vine shall not cast her fruit before the time in the filed. Many of the problems people have are as a result of defrauding God in tithing: loss of money; attacks by the enemies or armed robbers, sicknesses, accidents (fire, motor, domestic, industrial or whatever type that takes away money (if not life) and leaves indelible marks), delay of blessings even of pregnancy, premature births and miscarriages (the vine casting off fruit before maturity), project uncompleted, and getting to a cross-road in life and not knowing where to turn. All these and many more devourers are allowed by God to afflict whosoever that defraud God in tithing. If only you can repent and pay your tithe regularly, God promised to “restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I send among you. And ye shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God” - Joel 2:25-26.
OFFERINGS
“Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, where in have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings" - Malachi 3:8.
Not only in tithe can you rob God, but also in offerings. Offering is giving to God (through the Church or Ministry) out of what you have after tithing. It is usually a fragment of what remains. It is not calculable so you can give it freely as you wish. Only “Remember this: whoever, sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” - II Cor. 9:6-7 NIV.
Offerings are to be given cheerfully. May be that is why we give it along with singing and dancing. Offering is usually not announced. It is between the giver and God: “Do not be deceived God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” - Gal 6:7 NIV. The more offering you give, the more of blessing you shall receive.
There are different types of offerings: The first can be termed Regular Offering. This is the offerings we give in church regularly. It can be a fixed or unfixed amount. As you go to Church, you know you have to go with an amount of money for offering: “­and they shall not appear before the LORD empty. Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee” - Deut. 16:16-17.
The second type of offering is spoken about in the book of Haggai Chp.1: “Go up to the mountain; and bring wood, and build the house, and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified saith the LORD. Ye looked for much, and lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? Saith the LORD of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house. Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed from her fruit” (8-10). An offering for specific work in the house of God; to build or equip, sending forth of Missionaries and Evangelist, Publishing God¡¯s Word, caring for the needy, etc. Such an offering has no fixed amount. You give it generously. When this kind of offering was not given at the time of prophet Haggai, God shut the heaven and there was no rain of blessing: “Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye have not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm: and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes” vs. 6. God told them to consider their ways if only they will repent.
The third type of offering is a yearly offering. This is the type Elkanah and his household gave: “and this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto LORD of hosts in Shiloh” - I Sam. 1:3.
This can be Harvest offering, Christmas or New Year offering, Birthday offering, or offering for whatever you want to put in remembrance. All these will work together to make food available in the storehouse of God.
Offering is not compulsory; it should be done willingly. Not giving it, is robbing God.
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3.16 DO IT IN THE NAME OF THE LORD
“A
nd whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus” - Col 3:17 NIV.
That is an injunction for us as Christians. The name JESUS is to set the tone for every thing a Christian does. What is it that you will do that JESUS would condemn? Or ask yourself: “This thing that I am doing, will Jesus give an approval of it? Can I say I am doing it in Jesus name?” Whatever a Christian does, it must be in line with what Jesus can approve. If you judge yourself rightly, God will not condemn you. But if your own heart or conscience condemns you, do away with such action. It becomes a sin unto you if you do it.
Always remember to ask yourself. “would Jesus approve this my action or doing?” Whatever you do in word or action, always do it in the name of the Lord.
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3.17 WRITE DOWN YOUR DREAMS

“D
aniel had a dream, and vision passed trough his mind as he was lying on his bed. He wrote down the substance of his dream” - Dan. 7:1
Writing down your dreams and vision is biblical. We were not told whether Joseph wrote than his dream or not; but we have the record of his dreams that came to pass. Joseph never forget his dreams for he lived a life of separation unto God. This was a basis for the fulfillment of his dreams.
We are told in Habakkuk 2:2-3 to “write the vision¡­ for the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.” Joseph waited (even in prison) for a long time before the fulfillment of his dreams. Though the dreams tarried, yet it came to pass.
You are to form the habit of writing down your visions along with your prayers. God can give a revelation of that which is months or years ahead. Write it down and pray along. Write down the date as well. As the vision tarries, go through your Write-ups and pray, expecting God to bring about the fulfillment of the dreams. Surely it will come to pass. You need to keep watching to see to the fulfillment of the vision. Habakkuk stood to watch: “I will stand upon my watch; and sent me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me” - 2:1. Keep watching to see the fulfillment of the vision. That means to have no peace day and night, not to keep silent about the vision in your prayers.
Prophet Isaiah said: “And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth” - Isaiah 62:7. That Jerusalem can be you. Till He makes you a praise on earth, do not be silent given God no rest.
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3.18 RESOLUTION OF HEART

“B
ut Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the Wine which he drank”- Dan. 1:8.
Daniel and three others were among the captives from Jerusalem to Babylon. Babylon was a land of idolatry and all other vices. These four Jews led by Daniel recognized that even though they were in strange country, they had to hold unto the God of heaven and not go against his law. They purposed to keep themselves pure from contaminations in their land of bondage. All others could not realize that along with Daniel and his colleagues. As soon as they made that resolution, God was standing by them to make sure that they were not put to shame. They requested for pulses (herbs and fruits, parched peas and lentils) and Water. At the end of their ten days trial on this diet, they were found to be fairer and fatter in flesh than all those who fed on the portion of the kings rich dishes. Not only that, God gave them knowledge and understanding to supercede their colleagues in learning and discernment: and they were ten times better than all the magicians in the land. The special blessing of God was there: He made the trivial and despicable things a great deal better than the highly rated thing of this world.
You are always in the midst of the society, the world. How do you present yourself? To go in line with them? Conforming to their standard - the King’s meat to the detriment of your spiritual relationship with God? “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approved what God’s will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will” - Rom. 12:2.
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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.

3.19 WILL YOUR ANCHOR HOLD?

“I
f we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand o king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, o king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up” - Daniel 3:17-18.
Shadrach, Meshaek and Abednego faced one of the trials of life - to deny their God. But they stood and hold unto their anchor - The Lord Almighty. They believed that the living God is able to save them: and if and only if God allowed them to be killed by the King in the blazing furnace, they believed they were still safe in the hands of God. In other word, dead or alive they have nothing to lose. No bowing to the King’s god.
Man is liable to be confronted at any point in time by circumstances of life. These are normal storms of life. Without such storms, man cannot live a genuine Christian life. Storms of life are normal and necessary. The only question is whether your anchor, your connection with God, will hold? There are drivers kinds of storm: denouncing your faith silently in your place of work or among friends? Denials of your body of some “essentials” of life? Storm of barrenness? Of financial hardship? Storm in the Ministry, in the home, of health, e.t.c.? Whatever it may be, do you still hold unto God as your Anchor? Your denial of God will make you sink down into the ocean of life. But your holding tenaciously by faith unto God through His words will keep you floating and make you triumph in the circumstances of life. People of God passes through the sea of life on dry land but when the faithless ones try to do the same; they were swallowed up (Heb. 11:29).
“Will you anchor hold in the storms of life? When the clouds unfold their wing of strive
When the strong tides lift, and the cable stain; Will your anchor drift, or firm remain?
We have an anchor that keeps the soul; Steadfast and sure while the billows roll,
Fastened to the Rock which cannot move, Grounded firm and deep in the Saviour’s love.”
- A Song by Priscila Owens.
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3.20 DANGERS OF THE LAST DAYS

“N
ow the spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth” - I Tim. 4: 1-3.
There is nothing that begins without an end. Only God abides forever because He cannot die. He created a season and a time for every purpose under heaven (Eccl.3: 1). God does not make us ignorant of the dangers of the latter part of our existence here on earth. The earth itself is gradually rolling away, and those dangers foretold are revealing themselves. They are dangerous things, hence, the children of God need to guide against them. We need to be watchful as not to allow any of those dangers to render us unprofitable at the end of this world. The spirit of God speaks expressly to unfold these dangers as to enable us stand against them. You have to constantly examine yourself daily as not to fall into any of these dangers. One can lead to the other. Only be watchful.
THE DANGER OF BACKSLIDING:
“­ That in the latter times some shall depart from the faith.”
This points to backsliding by an individual. When you find it hard to pray even in the spirit, and it becomes uneasy for you to study the scriptures, then it has stated. It will grow to make you stay off God’s people and their gathering, and that would end in neglect of Christian duties. Your type of Christianity would be cherished by the people of the world. Jesus says, “If you were of the world, the world would love his own” - John 15:19. Has your experience of the in-burning and in-filling of the Holy spirit deteriorated? You always feel guilty when listening to the striking and challenging sermons (although you may not show it)? You see it unnecessary and a shame to tell others about Christ? May be you now faint and doubt God when praying. You could not help smiling at the performance of any unfruitful work of darkness instead of your rebuking them. You even lust for sins! Your case has grown wings and it is only the word of God that can unfold your situation to you. This is the time you need to amend-consider your ways and go back to your first love. That is the only solution for your condition. Take hold of your first love and be thou faithful unto death, then you will have your crown of life when you depart from this earth (Rev. 2:10).
GIVING HEED TO SEDUCING SPIRITS:
Seducing Spirits are the ungodly spirit that entices anyone into doing that which is contrary to God’s word. These are spirits of the devil. “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God; because many false Prophets are gone out into the world” - I John 4:1. Do not be carried away by the sayings of the false Prophets; they are lead by the spirit of the devil. Try every spirit that ministers to you in the light of God’s word. “Believe not every spirit”. Follow not every pretender to the spirit of God. Seducing spirits attempt to imitate the divine spirit that gives beneficial messages and inspirations. By their fruits and utterances you will know them. Giving heed to seducing spirits (Prophets) is a danger. If you hold fast to the spirit of God and give no heed to the seducing spirits, not denying your faith, you will be an overcome in the end. (Rev. 2:17).
GIVING HEED TO THE DOCTRINES OF THE DEVIL:
Doctrines of the devil are false doctrine. Believers are to take care as not to give heed in what so ever way to the devils doctrine. So many of doctrines of the devil have filled the earth especially in the area of dressing. The devil is fast winning souls at this latter days than ever through different styles of dressing. Should you as a believer be without a difference from the people of the world? Can you evangelize people with whom you are dressing in the same worldly fashion? Would your dressing not be stumbling block to such a person as to accept the Gospel? You always claim that your conscience is clear at any discussion in line of dressing even if your dressing does not give glory to God. You have hardened your heart. Christian dressing should be with “modesty and appropriately and sensibly in seemly apparel” - I Tim. 2:9 AMP. This should be a kind of moderate or simple dressing. You may read the vanity of a person’s mind in the gaiety and gaudiness of his habit. Extra time and money is spent on hair making rather than on meditation over God’s words and praying. Hair is fast becoming idol to many. Any extra make-up of women is likely to result in Jezebel affairs - men seduction (Rev. 2:20). Women adornment should be of “the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price”- I Pet. 3:4. As many as have not the doctrine of the devil, and he that overcomes and kept the works of God unto the end, shall receive power to rule over nations (Rev. 2:24 - 28).
THE DANGER OF SPEAKING LIES IN HYPOCRISY:
At the rejection of God’s doctrine, God himself shall send unto men, strong delusion that they should believe a lie (II The. 2:11). It is what you believe that you shall speak. Lies are of the devil, for he is the father of lies (John 8:44). If there is backsliding from the heart, it becomes easy to believe lies. It is God’s word that puts light into man, but when such is rejected, the lies of the devil comes in and man would walk in darkness. Since you are no more in the light, you will keep speaking lies that you acquire through the wisdom of the world. You’ll show yourself to the world as a believer and you will make confessions as a child of God in the public but really within you, it’s a lie. Consequently you become hypocritical, putting up a face in voice, action of prayers etc. especially among the children of God. Your Hallelujah is always at the top of your voice; your Amen alone is supposed to wake up the dead assuming it is from a sacred mouth; you are always eager to pray in the public but in your closet 5 minutes is okay for you to pray. Your facial expressions are unnatural but you put up the face to impress people that you are spiritual. This is a danger; beware! Give not the devil the chance to deceive you. Stop deceiving your own self. You are promised a crown of life at the end if only you abide faithfully (Rev. 2:10).
THE DANGER OF HAVING THE CONSCIENCE SEARED WITH A HOT IRON:
The danger of giving heed to the doctrines of the devil would make man to be perfectly lost to the very first principles of virtue and moral honesty. The heart becomes hardened and the conscience becomes seared, then there is a departure from the faith. When the conscience is seared, there is not any glory that God would receive from such a heart; for man would be vain in their imagination and their foolish heart, shall be darkened. Then God will give them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient since God is no more retained in their hearts (Rom. 1:21-28). This is a terrible danger. It starts when your zeal to study God’s word and to pray fails. It is a gradual process, stemmed from backsliding in the heart. The devil would make haste in giving you delusions (lies) which you will receive since the word of God has little or no place in your heart. The conscience is already seared. You no longer feel guilty of sin. You have to hold on to faith and a good conscience (I Tim. 1:19).
Those that put away a good conscience will soon make a shipwreck of their faith. Hold fast unto the sound doctrine of Christ with a good conscience which thou has, that no man take thy crown (Rev. 3:11 ¨C 13).
THE DANGER OF FORBIDDING TO MARRY:
God instituted marriage and he blessed it: “Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled; but whore mongers and adulterers God will judge” - Heb. 13:4. Marriage is first ordained by God in the Garden of Eden. Marriage wasn’t planned by man from the beginning. Apostle Paul gives a sound teaching on marriage in I Cor. Chp.7. There in, he makes it clear that one can remain unmarried only if such a person has a proper gift of God, and it is good for them if only they can abide. But it is better to marry than to burn with passion. It is better to marry than to remain single and live with impure and lustful desires. Any doctrine that teaches Celibacy is not of God. It is a danger. Impure thoughts and secret sexual practices leads to hell. God instituted marriage, and it is a good thing: “whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing and obtaineth favour of the Lord” - Prov.18: 12.
THE DANGER OF COMMANDING TO ABSTAIN FROM MEAT:
Under the law, there was a distinction between clean and unclean meat. All this is now taken away by the new covenant through the blood of Christ. We are to look upon our food as that which God has created and provided. We have it from him, and therefore must use it for him. We must not refuse the gift of God¡¯s bounty, nor be scrupulous in showing a difference where God has made none: but receive them and be thankful. God’s good creatures are then good and doubly sweet to us, when they are received with thanksgiving: “Every creature of God is good and nothing to be refused, if it be receive with thanksgiving”¯- I Tim.4:4. The blessing of God makes every creature nourishing to us, and therefore we need to sanctify the creatures we receive by prayer.
CONCLUSION:
Any preacher that puts the brethren in remembrance of these last days dangers shall be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine (I Tim. 4:6). Believers are apt to forget, and slow to learn and to remember the things of God. The best way for ministers to grow in knowledge and faith is to put the brethren in remembrance: while we teach others, we teach ourselves.
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