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! 

FOR GOD

Lessons from today's fellowship.

Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.”Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon. Daniel 3:29-30

The meaning of the word "Harvest" to the world is different from the meaning to the Lord.

The world requires you to save/invest for a harvest that will not cross beyond this earth. The Lord requires that you give/scatter for a harvest that transcends worlds (earth and heaven).

In the world, the weather must be favourable for the harvest to be bountiful. A flood/ thyphoon will destroy harvests. But in the Lord, even a tornado is a tool to bringing about an abundant harvest depending on where we stand.

In order to bring our harvest to physical manifestation, we need to stand for God like Shadrach, Mashach and Abednego. When they stood for God in the face of death, their harvest of promotion came and God was glorified when the King bow down to the King of kings.

When an harvest is about to manifest things might turn upside down as it was also in the case of Apostle Paul who was told that if he embarked on his planned journey to Jerusalem, he will be bound by the authorities (Acts 21) but he insisted on going. If you were given that prophesy will you go or stay knowing that journey was for the glory of God. The bible says if you want to save your life, you will lose it..

Apostle Paul went to Jerusalem and was truly bound, ship wrecked, bitten by a snake, In order to preach far and wide. It was an harvest of souls to the kingdom of God, even the whole nation of Malta. Note: despite his trials, he died at old age.

Missionaries brought Christianity to Africa when we were deep into idolatory. Some were murdered and some died of sickness but more still came to spread the gospel. I know that they did not have earthly riches, but their crown in heaven will be filled with diamonds of souls still being won to Christ today.

Some of their lineage/generations enjoys unexplained favour due to their stand for God.

I ask you, where do you stand? When it's calm or during trials, when you're in good health or in sickness, when you're rich or poor, loved or despised, when God answers you or when He's silent, when God favours you or when He slays you?

Pray for the grace to stand now and always.

Shalom!

WHAT IS IN YOUR HAND

Moses (a shepherd) had a rod as he stood before the red sea

Prophet Ezekiel (a priest ) had his voice at the valley of the dry bones

The widow (mother) had a pot of oil at the point of bankruptcy

They were all at a critical point, desperate for a solution....they looked to God and as Psalm 34:5 said, "They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed."

I ask you, what is in your hand? Use it and you Will not be shamed.

With Christ, crisis becomes breakthrough. 

Only with Christ

IF

The man began to prosper and continued prospering until he became very prosperous. ....so the Phinistines envied him. Genesis 26:13-14

We have read of God's promises all over the bible, we have read/heard of all who have "keyed" into those promises and it has worked for them....these are people of biblical times and also those of our own time. Surely, He honours His word.

Now, we look at our own lives versus the promises we've "keyed" into, the prophesies that has come directly to/for us,  we wonder if God still honours His word or is our case an exception?

So you've been giving your tithe for decades and you are waiting for that "window of heaven" to open and that blessing that will occupy everywhere to manifest (among other blessings)without luck..... have you checked the "if", have you obeyed the "if"?


Some of us with prosperous parents even use their testimonies as a point of contact. I wrote about Abraham's lying and getting blessed despite it http://olufunkeayorinde.blogspot.com/2019/05/discharged-acquitted-and-compensated.html?m=1 in Genesis 20.

Now in Genesis 26, Abraham's son, Isaac got God's blessing for that location in verses 3-4, lies to the same man (poor Abimelech) and lived in that city "a long time" with nothing special to show. What was the problem?

Why the delay in God's word concerning that land?....sin! Unlike Abraham, it took the confession of that sin for prosperity to locate Isaac's household. After the confession, Isaac prospered in a famine to the extent that those who did not notice him before even started to envy him.

For those of us "lifting our eyes to the hills, looking for where our help is coming from", let's do a personal check also with the help of the holy spirit. Our delay could be timing, BUT it could also be sin. May we not be an obstacle to our breakthrough in Jesus name.

Shalom!

MEN PLEASERS

not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free. Ephesians 6: 6-8

The life of Saul and David shows the result of being a men-pleaser or a God-pleaser.

Both were anointed king from being a nobody (even in their own families) without even lobbying/asking for it.

Saul felt so unworthy that he went to hide when it was time to show him as king to the whole nation in 1Samuel 10:22.David was so overlooked that he was forgotten when the priest of the whole nation of Israel invited the family for a national service in 1Samuel 16:5.

Saul was fit only to look for donkeys while David was fit only to take food to his elder ones at the warfront.

There ends the similarities.

Saul was never recorded to seek the face of God before a battle, David is constantly enquiring of the Lord before he goes to any battle.

Saul was first son while David was the lastborn.

 Saul was brutal in pursuing his ally-turned-enemy but David was busy avoiding any form of harm to Saul through his own hand or command.

Saul ordered the killing of 83 priests and a whole city because they helped David but when David had Saul at his grasp, he did not touch him because of the fear of God.

In all the aggression and self-will, Saul, despite being king without the input of man, lost his kingdom because he was more interested in what men want and discarded what God wants.1Samuel 15:21, 30

David, despite several opportunities did not listen nor act on people's desire for him to harm Saul....No because he can't, but because he identifies that vengeance belongs to God.

We all know whose throne God established FOREVER.

So, I ask you.... after God has favoured you into a position you NEVER thought you can ever attain in life, what do you do next.... think of how you will please men (which has caused many to sin) or how to please God?

This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live. 

Choose now, for a better nation for us all.

Shalom!

QUIT FIGHTING WARS

Lessons from today's fellowship.

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. 2 Corintians 4:17.

What are wars? These are the challenges that we face as human beings....poverty, unemployment, sickness, delay in childbearing, accumulating bills,etc. It is not for us to fight these wars as God allows them before they can be there ( Job, Rachael, etc). People of great destiny go through a lot of tribulations but it's all to the glory of God. Examples are Elizabeth and Hannah who were mothers to great men,even Apostle Paul himself,etc

When God has a plan to make an individual great in a particular way, such an individual will face great torment in that aspect of his life as the devil will want to make sure God's plan fails. If you will be great and be mightily used by God at that career, the devil will make sure you don't even graduate.etc but we should not forget that God is still The Almighty and is in control. No matter what size the war is, at the right time, it will cease....so, why would you allow such trials steal your peace and take you away from God who has the final say? 

* Joseph did not take his gaze away from God, that is why he left prison to the palace. If he had decided to fight the war, his highest victory would have been freedom and back to his father's house.
* David did not take his gaze away from God, that is why at last, all other tribes of Israel came that he should rule over them.

When we look at our challenges, we take our eyes away from the fact that we are already victorious in Christ Jesus. Let us not be like Rachael in Genesis 30 who told her husband "give me a child or i die". She was robbed of her peace and joy already and eventually died before her son fulfilled destiny. Her husband who trusted God saw and ate from the fulfilment of God's word. She was fighting a war she should not.

Everything God allows brings us to Him and teaches us to be compassionate like Him but we are not enjoying God because we actually don't trust Him to take care of us especially those who don't know Him.

What to do while the war rages
1. Give your life to God
2. Study His word to know Him and His promises for you
3. Praise Him always
4. Keep company with people that know and love the Lord

 This is another opportunity to give our life to this God so that we can know Him and have rest from our troubles. Tomorrow might be too late. Matthew 11:28-29 summarised it all.... Come, drop your burden and take up His own, that's all!

Shalom!

RIGHT ATMOSPHERE FOR GOD'S PRESENCE

Lessons from today's fellowship.

For the second quater of this year, God said He will visit us and He did but some of our homes are not in order and so, God could not come in.

This quarter, He is coming with laughter but if our homes have not been put in order, He still won't be able to come in.

Designate a place outside the camp where you can go to relieve yourself. As part of your equipment have something to dig with, and when you relieve yourself, dig a hole and cover up your excrement. For the Lord your God moves about in your camp to protect you and to deliver your enemies to you. Your camp must be holy, so that he will not see among you anything indecent and turn away from you. Deuteronomy 23: 12-14


1, The spirit of God will not come into filthy environments. Keep your body and homes clean. Laziness is not attractive.

Some of our homes and bodies are dirty, unkept, smelly, unarranged and rough. This is a hindrance to answered prayers. These environment also attracts cockroaches and rats which brings diseases that causes sickness!!!

Let us wash, wipe, tidyup, arrange, dry, air out, shave, cut, make, repair, etc as needed in our homes and bodies. Don't leave till tomorrow what you should do today.

2, And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.Acts 2:1

The apostles were in one accord.....some of our homes are not united. Individual-living within a home. Unity is very key to God; let us all be in one accord so the spirit of God can dwell in the home.

The spirit of God does not dwell where there is chaos. This means quarrels and strife must stop in our homes and businesses for God to dwell with us and joy/laughter to abound in us.

Even if the other parties in the home are not acting right, look unto Jesus and obey God completely. Let the love of God flow from you as Jesus did to a sinful generation. This counts towards God reigning in our homes. Ask for the grace if you need to and you will be given.

Enough of anger, hatred, malice, bitterness, animosity, hostility, moodiness, resentment, etc. and the King of Glory will come in and LAUGHTER will fill our homes.

Shalom!