ELKANAH MY HERO!

And she made a vow,saying, “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life,and no razor will ever be used on his head.” 1Samuel 11

The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘If anyone makes a special vow to dedicate a person to the Lord by giving the equivalent value. Leviticus 27:1-6

But if her husband nullifies them when he hears about them, then none of the vows or pledges that came from her lips will stand.Her husband has nullified them, and the Lordwill release her
Numbers 30:12

We all grew up with the story of how Hannah made a vow and fulfilled it and God saw her faithfulness and gave her 5 more children..

Today's bible reading should tell us that ELKANAH is (as footballers call it) the real GOAT (Greatest Of All Times). Why? How?

The answers are in Leviticus 27 and Numbers 30..... they explained how a husband can accept or refuse the vow of his wife even unto God and how the to redeem a VOW and the value attached to each type of object to be redeemed. Meanwhile an offering cannot be redeemed (vs 28).

Instead of requesting that his wife redeem her vow with money, he told her in 1 Samuel 1 vs 23  that "do what seems best for you".  It today's language, it means " will it make you happy my love? Then okay"

Yes, Hannah made the vow that was to bring the great Prophet Samuel, but Elkanah's refusal (because this is the only child from his beloved wife Hannah) would have aborted his arrival.

Rather, Elkanah's love for his wife and acceptance of her decision to give Samuel to God was what brought the fruitfulness of 5 more children to Hannah.

NOTE:
1. Elkanah's consent took the priesthood from the tribe of Levi to the tribe of Ephraim.

2. Elkanah's consent ensured that God had a replacement when all seeds of Prophet Eli's loins were not God-quality.

Elkanah, the real MVP  (Most Valuable Player).

Elkanah my hero!!!

Prayer
When I get to a junction in my life where I am to make critical decision(s).... Holy Spirit, let Your decision supercede the decision of my heart/head in Jesus name.

Shalom! 

IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT 2.0

 

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;   Ephesians 6 : 12-18

IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT 1.0 (see here http://olufunkeayorinde.blogspot.com/2021/08/its-all-your-fault.html ) saw me laying the blame of this falling world at the feet of believers everywhere (including me). I asked us to "be the salt, be the light" so our land can be healed.

This is the sequel to that write-up.

Verse 13 of today's bible passage is something every interceding christian would have experienced a few/many times. There would have been evil reinforcements when you start interceding for others. When you start taking territories from the kingdom of darkness for Christ. Unprovoked attacks, false/true accusations, gang-ups, hatred, etc.

Verse 13 made us understand that there will be "evil day",  despite your prayers, despite your evangelism, depite your faith+works, despite all that is required that you have done,  things will go wrong around us.

Why? Verse 12 points to it..... because there are powers whose wickedness is "in high places". Wickedness of a higher level. They are protecting a territory they were thrown to when they were defeated in heaven and they have only 2 rules in their battle......it's "do or die" and "by hook or crook".

Facing such adversaries, the bible gave us the "rules of engagement" from verse 11 to 18 of chapter 6, the marching order (as soldiers) is to WEAR YOUR ARMOUR, STAND, PRAY AND WATCH.

Don't forget, WEAR YOUR ARMOUR, STAND, PRAY AND WATCH.

Don't be weary, don't be tired, don't turn back. 

Remember John 16:33

Shalom!

IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT

 

IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
2 Chronicles 7:14

You gave your life to Christ. You got the baptism of the Holy Spirit. You pray and God answers. You follow all the do's and don'ts of God......YET your neighbourhood is run by children of darkness....... It's all your fault.

The bible says "faith without works is nothing". This could mean praying without putting the effort is fruitless.

Do an audit now....you prayed today/yesterday.....analyse what you prayed for.

You prayed for yourself 95% (self, siblings,friends) and prayed for Nigeria and the world 5%.

And you wonder why thieves are disturbing your neighbourhood. The king of Glory has not been invited to take charge. You invited Him into your home ONLY. You will not attend community meetings to make suggestions and pray for the leaders (it's not your thing to go or you don't like the calibre of people there)

It's all your fault.

You wonder why your neighbours are always fighting. But you've not befriend the husband/wife (whichever is your own gender) in order to gently and lovingly introduce him/her to your maker. You are even one of those who have judged and tagged the man/woman as the guilty one.

If they maim/kill themselves. It's all your fault.

Do you pray for your colleagues at work? Are you sincerely concerned about them and when you know 1 or 2 of their pain-points do you put them before God OFTEN?

If they get depressed and kill themselves or brings a gun to work and kill others, it's all your fault.

And it goes on and on.....all around us

The bible calls us the light of the world. It calls us the salt of the earth. Imagine the light just lighting himself and not the whole room or the salt just "salting" himself and not the whole food........that's a valid reason for that light/salt to be trashed.

If God wants our salvation to benefit only our family, we will not leave home nor work outside our family business.

From the story of the rich man and Lazarus..... Luke 16:19-31. That rich man was not cruel to Lazarus. Even his dogs licked Lazarus wounds...meaning they were not aggressive towards Lazarus. He was not so irritated and angry that Lazarus was siting in front of his house that he commands Lazarus to go away. To himself, that rich man count himself to be a good man. He  was good to his family also. He loves them to the extent that they were his concern when he found himself in hell.

But heaven saw that he did not do enough for others.

Let Matthew 25:40 be our point of meditation. "And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." If it's Christ, will the rich man just leave him there?

So I call on all armies of the Most High God who have been watching only their homes to arise now and take their neighbourhood,  LGA, State, Nation and the world for the King of Kings.

Heal our land Lord! Use me!

Shalom!

PEACE FOR BABYLON?

 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee. Psalm 122:6 

 Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” Jeremiah 29:7.

The 2 passages are an indication that if you pray for prosperity for yourself and not for the place where you God has settled you, your prosperity is a mirage.

Whatever tag you give the place; either a Jerusalem or a Babylon; either a home to you or an exile; desirable or you can't wait to leave there.

It could be the country you live, your rented apartment, job, church, anything! If you don't pray for its prosperity, you won't prosper. That's what God is saying.

This is awakeup call for those who speak negative words at their current country or place of work, let's start praying for it's peace now and remind God of His word in these bible pasages, then God will prosper us.

It is well with us in Jesus name. Amen.

Shalom!

CHAPTER 1

When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany,he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. Luke 24

Luke 24 started with the resurrection, this brought great joy to his disciples, then He appeared to them and even ate.... I'm sure they would be assured that He is back with them and everything will be as it was before His crucifixion.

Then, He took them on a stroll and that was the last they saw of Him.

Then Act 1: 10-11 said "And while they looked stedfastly 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?"

The disciples were so sure that Christ has risen to stay with them that they stood at that point looking at the sky....waiting that He will come back and continue the conversation.

My lesson from this is that sometimes, what we think is a concluding victory is just chapter 1 of the whole saga.  We will not be weak or weary on this journey to heaven in Jesus name. We receive grace to follow Him till the end. Amen.

Shalom!

HE KEPT ME

She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah. 1 Kings 17: 15- 16.

This morning, the word of God came to me concerning this season we are. The land is in famine and so many people are starving but God still make provisions for His own people.

Elijah was at the brook for a while and he was fed with bread and meat ONLY (morning and night). After a while, he was led to a widow with flour and oil ONLY. This means that it was bread everyday.

Have you been eating the same thing everyday during this season and you feel abandoned by God? Note what Prophet Elijah was eating.

When God was preserving Elijah do you think he was the only prophet in Isreal? I Kings 18 tells us about Obadiah who kept 100 prophets and fed them with food and water. Do you think they had a buffet? They were even in hidding (isolation). God is always mindful of His own.

Note, that God kept them but the bible did not tell us that they were in abundance.

I want us to look at that garri, bread, fish, crayfish stew, same same everyday and thank God from the bottom of our heart because He is keeping us and our home. Who are we that God is mindful of us?

And in our little, let's not forget to look out for those who are starving. Let us sow even in this famine and see God reward us. I am a witness.

Be Safe. May God continue to keep us. Amen.

Shalom

MYSTERIOUS GOD

You must not bring the earnings of a female prostitute or of a male prostitute into the house of the LORD your God to pay any vow, because the LORD your God detests them both. Deuteronomy 23:18

The actions of King Darius and King Artaxerxes from the book of Ezra spoke to me loudly once again about the supremacy of God....Kabiyesi (who can question Him?).

The bible passage above tells us God does not want offerings from an unholy work but the book of Ezra tells us about heathen kings who funded (with gold and all taxes due to them), the rebuilding of the temple at Jesrusalem.

The world is quick to criticize a pastor that collected money from a yahoo boy/corrupt employee......yes, the bible says that it is wrong..... (just as the bible passage above said it, just as God asked the Israelites not to work on Sabbath and Jesus did)......still, Ezra collected from a gentile.

You can't box God that "He always acts this way and only this way". God commanded King Cyrus of Persia to build the temple in Ezra 1. He did not ask a Jew to fund it....God asks the person who He has given His wealth (though a gentile).

Ask yourself before you make that criticism ....will this comment save me or kill me? If that person you criticize is acting from Godly instruction, you just killed yourself o.

May our utterances always be Holy-Spirit-led so we don't speak in the flesh and perish. .....for His ways are not our ways.

Afterthought: Is God giving you instruction and you are busy saying its against the word of God? Uncle/aunty, if you can confirm that it is your shepherd's voice, obey now.

Shalom!

DREAMS

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. Isaiah 55:8

When we pray for breakthrough, most times we have a picture of what the pattern might be.

You work for the government so you pray to end your career as a top guy

You work for a private firm, you want to be MD.

You are an artisan, you pray for government contracts.

You are a student, get highest CGPA and work for a multinational

And so on.

Today's bible passage tells us that we will never be able to guess where God will take us to.

My mind went to Joseph; if he was praying for deliverance, it will either to be set free from jail which means he will go home empty handed or that Potiphar will see the truth and reinstate him as chief servant which means he is not free to go home.

But God has a better and bigger plan. Joseph will never (in his wildest dream) have imagined that end.

The General Overseer of RCCG wished to be the youngest Vice Chancellor in Africa....but look at who he is now with Christ.

It's good to dream but it's better to also be busy while you wait on God..... And as you wait, walk with God, be diligent in your works, be the salt, be the light, be holy and God himself will rise for your sake and you will be THE miracle.


Shalom!

SAFE IN CHRIST

Come unto me and I will give you rest Matthew 11:28


We all know that water dissolves flour. But flour inside a bowl can float on water safely. Even when the bowl is transparent and the flour can see the water....it is still safe.

Same applies to we humans. Trials, tribulations, challenges destroys/derails destinies that are not inside Christ. But when in Christ, even when it's staring you in the face, you are assured that it won't destroy you.

But when flour is half in and half out, it WILL get soaked and spoilt and when man is half in and half out of Christ, he will be destroyed.

When you are fully in and face challenges that makes you run out, it's certain destruction. Without Him, you can do nothing John 15

Decide this day whom you will serve Joshua 24 :15  Because of you are neither hot nor cold, He will spill you out. Revelation 3:16

Shalom!

MOCKERS

When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites. Nehemiah 2:10

I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to me. They replied, “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work.But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us Nehemiah 2:18-19

But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the people of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem’s walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry. They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. Nehemiah 4:7-8

When the mockers heard that someone wants to do good to the Israelites, they were disturbed, they now looked for a way to make the Israelites stop, make the Israelites ashamed, the mockers started laughing at the Israelites. When they saw that their mockery yielded nothing and the job was being done, they showed their true colours and planned an attack.

Beloved, are you being laughed at on that task God laid in your heart?  Don't let their actions sway you. They are not your friends, they are enemies, they are not giving you wise counsel, they are discouraging you. Encourage yourself in the Lord like David, let the word of God build your faith in Him who sent you.

You are on the right path, be diligent, you will finish well to the glory of God.

Shalom!