2016: THE YEAR OF GRACE FOR GRACE

John 1:16 And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.

I heard a woman of God say recently on a Christian Television "there is so much healing in God that you would be embarrassed to be sick". Those were some of the most beautiful words I heard in 2015.

Now apply that statement to other areas of life.

There is so much righteousness in God that you would be embarrassed to sin.

There is so much wealth in God that you would be embarrassed to be poor.

There is so much knowledge in God that you would be embarrassed to be ignorant. 

Grace and Truth came through Jesus Christ.

Grace is the Reality of Christ.

Another translation of the scripture above reads;

[NLT] John 1:16 From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another.

Talking about the blessing we have in Christ, Paul the Apostle said in Ephesians 1:3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ"

2016 is that year that you will revel in the blessings of God.

It will be so well with you you will be embarrassed.

When many are being cast down you will be lifted up. Job 22:29.

Welcome to 2016.

Welcome to Grace.

- Adeolu Olumodeji

POLITICS: ORIGIN AND THE NATURE OF GOD AND MEN. PART ONE

POLITICS: ORIGIN AND THE NATURE OF GOD AND MEN. PART ONE

Man is said to be a social being. God affirmed this when He declared in the beginning in Genesis 2:18 AMP
'Now the Lord God said, It is not good (sufficient, satisfactory) that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper meet (suitable, adapted, complementary) for him'. We find a corollary of this in Scriptures when the Teacher said in  Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 AMP 'Two are better than one, because they have a good more satisfying reward for their labor; [10] For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!' So man was not created to be alone.

Aristotle said “ Man is by nature a social animal; an individual who is unsocial naturally and not accidentally is either beneath our notice or more than human. Society is something that precedes the individual. Anyone who either cannot lead the common life or is so self-sufficient as not to need to, and therefore does not partake of society, is either a beast or a god"

Truly, only God is self sufficient enough to be alone. But God Himself who has that right to be alone by virtue of His status as Creator, exists in some form of Trinity. All through the Scriptures we see God relating to some kind of Peers. For instance, in Genesis 1:26 KJV 'And God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth." '. 'Let us'?! But to show it was no slip of speech, God said it again else where in Genesis 11:7 KJV 'Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.' So it is in God's nature Himself to be sociable. He is no loner even at that lofty realm. As a man, the Lord Jesus Christ was mostly in the midst of people and then He chose twelve to be with Him. God is neither alone nor aloof. Okay.

Man is a political being- whether he was originally designed to be, we shall consider later. Politics is a product of the society. No matter how we generalise Democracy, a society will evolve her own politics. So, is man not a political being? Just how far can a person go social without being political? What exactly is Politics? Politics is an art of engaging the society. It is the process where man (or a group of men) uses (an)other men to advance his own interest. Wikipedia defines Politics (from Greek: πολιτικός politikos: "of, for, or relating to citizens") is the practice and theory of influencing other people. And the moment two or more people are gathered together, there is politics in the midst of them. It is in the nature of every human to seek his own interests first. So where and when interests align, a people exert subtly on the others. That is politics and that is why politics is found in friendship, in families, in companies and in chirches. It has been said that there are no permanent friends but interests. That is politics 

Where you will not find Politics is in God- at least, not the way we understand it. Neither The Father, The Son nor The Holy Spirit seeks to sway the the Other to suit His own interests. They all seem to have one common interest always or the Son and the Spirit simply allign with the Father's interest.

See what Jesus Christ says about Himself and the Father;

John 5:30 KJV
I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

John 8:28 KJV
Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he , and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.

See what Jesus Christ says about Himself and the Holy Spirit;

John 16:13-14 KJV
Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. [14] He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

Hebrews 10:7 KJV
Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.

And then He said this about Himself, the Father and the Spirit;

John 16:15 KJV
All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

The Three Persons of God seem to be very secure in their divine placements or roles. No scheming, no politics. Does it then mean Politics is scheming? How do use do Politics without scheming?

The first and last time Politics happened in Heaven, God reacted fast to stamp it out- along with all the schemers. The Chief Schemer was a being called Lucifer. He had become envious of Christ and carried alomg with him a third of the angels to rebel against God. Let us see;

Revelation 12:3-4 KJV
And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.

[4] And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.

Isaiah 14:12-14 KJV
How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

[13] For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:

[14] I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

Ezekiel 28:2 KJV
Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyrus, Thus saith the Lord God ; Because thine heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou art a man, and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God:

Revelation 12:7-9 KJV
And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, [8] And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. [9] And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

Politics ended there and then in Heaven God's Throne. Now how did Politics enter the world of men? Lucifer. Please ne patient. This piece is not going to say Politics is evil. In fact, it will teach how to play it the God way. After all, all God's leaders emerged through some kind of politics. We shall see all of these later.

So Lucifer introduced Politics into the world of men. It happened that in the beginning when God made man, He gave him a duty and a commandment. He gave him a wife too. God equally defined the woman's place- to help the man. So God made them social but not political. Man answered to God, the woman answered to her man. It would be politics if the man had a different idea from that of God and sought to influence the woman. And it would equally be politics of the woman had a different idea from that of God or her husband and sought to sway her man. That was exactly what happened.

Lucifer came to the woman with a different idea. Subtle; sounded not too different from God's commandment and looked even beneficial to the couple. Unknown to her, it was all to satisfy Lucifer's interest. Man fell for Lucifer's scheme. If only Man had known that Lucifer was a schemer. The Scriptures warned us in Ephesians 6:11 AMP 'Put on God's whole armor the armor of a heavy-armed soldier which God supplies, that you may be able successfully to stand up against all the strategies and the deceits of the devil.'

We are to be heavily dressed up like a combat ready soldier all because of Lucifer's schemes. This is exactly how every politician is. And if man is a political being, every man is suspect. What a world we are in! Scriptures told us this about the heart of men.

Jeremiah 17:9 AMP
The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly perverse and corrupt and severely, mortally sick! Who can know it (perceive, understand, be acquainted with his own heart and mind)?

Proverbs 26:25 AMP
When he speaks kindly, do not trust him, for seven abominations are in his heart.

I will leave you here in this first part to check your own heart. Are you indeed a political animal? Driven by your interests and where they allign with some other people? In your father's house, in your office and even in your church? What are your schemes- conscious and unconscious? Examine your self and we will take it from there in the second part.

In Part 2 we shall see how God's people tried over time to legitimise politics and how to circumnavigate this murky waters in line with God's will.

See you next time.

- Adeolu Olumodeji

THE PRAYER OF THE UPRIGHT

THE PRAYER OF THE UPRIGHT

Proverbs 15:8 KJV
The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord : but the prayer of the upright is his delight.

The reason many Christians do not pray often is that they think prayer is only a way to get your needs met. So when they do not have pressing needs they see no real need for prayers. The Lord's disciples saw that their master prayed a lot and they told Him to teach them to pray. Jesus prayed at every opportunity. And He did say that 'men ought always to pray and not to faint'. (Luke 18:1). Paul the apostle said we should 'pray without ceasing' (1 Thes 5:17). In other words, a believer is either praying to guage or he is fainting. Prayer is what sustains a believer in his most holy faith. (Jude vs 20). Today we shall examine an aspect of prayer that would motivate us to pray.

Prayer delights God. That is exactly what our main scripture says. Now, not just any prayer delights God; the prayer of the upright. Another scripture tells us 'the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much' (James 5:17).

When a righteous man prays, he is ministering or attending to God. (See Acts 13:1-3). Prayer (often with fasting) is a spiritual posture of the man who waits on God as a waiter waits on his host. There was a woman who did that most of her life. It was recorded that Anna 'served God with fastings and prayers night and day'. (Luke 2:37).

When we go to God in prayer with a heart of ministering to 'His needs' not ours, God is delighted. There are always kingdom issues that God wants someone to pray about. Only those who venture often into the place of prayer get the privilege of praying 'God's prayer points'. And of course, God responds swiftly to their own issues beyond their expectation.

Pray this morning for more grace to pray. Ask God to enrol you among His sons that delight Him in the place of prayer.

Teach us to pray, Lord. Amen.

- Adeolu Olumodeji

THE MAN AND HIS MINISTRY AT HOME 1

THE MAN AND HIS MINISTRY AT HOME.

A home is a house where people live. You can then take it further from there to being particular about the kinds of people in the house and what role each person performs.

A home can also be safely defined as any place where you and yours feel safe enough to rest.

Foxes have holes. Birds of the air have nests. Any where a son of man lays his head is home.

For the sake of this discourse however, let me define a home as that house (or place; for sadly, people still live in structures that fall short of being called a 'house') where there is at least a father, a mother and children.

Let's take it from the Scriptures.

Psalm 128:3 KJV
Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table.

The man. The wife. The children.

Psalm 127:1, 3 KJV
Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.

[3] Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord : and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

The man. The wife. The children.

We shall single out the man and see his God ordained role (or ministry) in the home.

Ministry is any service rendered to men on behalf of God.

We shall break it down. The man's ministry to his wife. His ministry to his children.

1. The Man and His Ministry to His Wife.

LEADERSHIP
The man of God gives leadership to his wife.

Ephesians 5:23 KJV
For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.

God made the man the leader in the home. He carries a hallowed title called 'Father'. Father means 'source'.

See the first man Adam. He was the source of his wife. Remember, God drew the woman from his ribs. And of course, the children came from Adam too.

Now the scripture above addresses man's headship to his wife. Let us pull it to the edge, it is man's lordship to his wife. Afterall, Christ is Lord to the Church, His bride.

Sarah called Abraham 'lord'.

1 Peter 3:6 KJV
Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.

So a man takes complete ownership of his wife. He takes full responsibility. How else does one explain this ? Maybe other points mentioned after now will help us better. And it is not a ministry to brag about. It is a very great responsibility. If Scriptures call her the 'weaker vessel' then you must how delicate it could be handling her. She is in your care completely! Be responsible. Lead her into fulfilment. Tell her what to do. Teach her how to live. And because it is a ministry, the Holy Spirit is there to help you. Amen.

LOVE
The man of God loves his wife passionately.

Ephesians 5:25-29 KJV
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

[26] That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

[27] That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

[28] So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.

[29] For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:

Colossians 3:19 KJV
Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.

Love. But what is love, really?
But you know what you felt about her at the time you married her. Now, sustaining it is the true test. If it were true from the beginning it will surely last.

Of course, I know even true love dies if we do not consciously work at it. Hear the Lord Jesus speaking to a people in Revelation 2:4 'Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love'.

God further admonished them to return to doing the 'first works'. (See Next Verse). In other words, to sustain your first love, do the first works. What did you do to win her? Do more to keep her. That's your wife.

HONOUR
The man of God should honour his wife. Now honour is deeper than respect. Respect is what you do openly to her for the world to see. Honour is what you do to her when no one knows to show that you value her.

1 Peter 3:7 KJV
Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.

SEX
The man of God should please his wife with sex.

I am sorry if I disturbed your sanctimony. All the men and women you see on the streets have sex regularly. Okay not all. Most. And I said 'men and women'. I have excused the boys and girls, though you know the facts. Sex pervades our world and for a long time, the single most serious perversion among men is Sex.

But God arranged sex for marriage. Whatever else you do is sin. God approves sex in marriage only.

Hebrews 13:4 KJV
Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.

If God judges adulterers, how greatly fulfilled will He be with the married. We can deduce that the Holy Spirit is handy to teach you to satisfy your wife.

Let me push it with this scripture.

1 Corinthians 7:3 KJV
Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.

Okay.

SINGLE-HEARTEDNESS
The man of God is a man of one wife. Some one said what of David? Let us hear the Lord Jesus.

Matthew 19:4-6 KJV
And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,

[5] And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?

[6] Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

God's original design is one man one wife. The Lord Jesus loves the Church like He loves no other people. Only the Church will make heaven- at least the part of heaven where Jesus lives. I don't know to break it better.

Ephesians 5:31-32 KJV
For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.

[32] This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

[33] Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

Be a man of one wife. In your heart. Don't marry one and check on the other. Don't be with one in body and another in spirit.

See these Scriptures.

1 Timothy 3:2 KJV
A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;

1 Timothy 3:12 KJV
Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.

1 Timothy 5:9 KJV
Let not a widow be taken into the number under threescore years old, having been the wife of one man,

Titus 1:6 KJV
If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.

1 Corinthians 7:2 KJV
Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.

Colossians 3:18-19 KJV
Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. [19] Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.

Revelation 21:9 KJV
And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.

2 Corinthians 11:2 KJV
For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

Thanks for reading. I did say I would not teach marriage with authority until I clock ten years in it. I clocked five in October. Half authority, maybe. Take it as a piece of my mind.

I hope you learned something.

Fulfil your ministry to your wife. Amen.

- Adeolu Olumodeji

GRACE 1

GRACE

2016 is here.
So God gave me the word for that year.
See if it concerns you.

John 1:16 KJV
And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.

Hebrews 4:16 KJV
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Revelation 22:21 KJV
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

Psalm 84:11 KJV
For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.

Revelation is the last book of the Bible. The very last verse says 'The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.' This is to say that after all is said and done, what counts is the grace of our Lord being with us.

There is a Throne of Grace to take advantage of here before we face the Throne of Judgement. Nobody will stand the Judgement of God if he or she does not have the Grace of God.

Hebrews 4:16 says 'Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need'. How much grace you can find is what will count on Judgement Day.

Take for instance the Great Flood. That was  a kind of judgement, is it not? Noah and his family were the survivors. So what did Noah find that others did not? Grace. See it here.

Genesis 6:5-8 KJV
And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

[6] And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.

[7] And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.

[8] But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord .

He found grace in God's eyes at the time when others saw red in God's eyes.

Friends, there is a Judgement Day. That day God will not be smiling. 
Okay.

It won't be fair if I don't show where to find grace. Jesus Christ.

You see, it is of no use dressing the truth. We are all marking time here, eternity will dawn on all of us sooner or later. So if you are sure of your faith, please hold firmly to it. Afterall, some religions keep growing faster the more the animosity against them.

But if you have any doubt, why not stop and think? This is the chance you have to get it right. Is it not?

Grace is found in Jesus Christ.

John 1:17 KJV
[17] For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

Romans 3:24 KJV
Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

John 1:16 KJV
And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.

We say it often in Church 'the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ...'

Grace is essentially of Christ. Period.

I am sorry if all of these sound harsh. Grace is not a harsh word, really. Nothing is scary about grace. Grace is friendly. Very very friendly. And God did tell me there is so much of it in the coming year. Amen.

There will be more for me to say about Grace in the days to come.

Stay tuned.

Stay in Grace.

- Adeolu Olumodeji

SOUND WISDOM

SOUND WISDOM

Proverbs 2:6-7 KJV
For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.

'Wisdom is the principal thing'. These are the words of King Solomon in Proverb 4:7. His own story is one of the best confirmation of this truth.

When Solomon became king of Israel at a very tender age, he went to God in worship. And then God gave him the opportunity to make a request in prayer. Solomon asked for wisdom and in addition to wisdom, God gave to Solomon wealth, riches, honour, power and every other thing that makes life worth living (See 2 Chro 1:6-12). His story proves that indeed, wisdom is the principal thing.

The book of Proverbs which King Solomon wrote showed how readily God wants to give wisdom to any man who would ask.  Proverbs 1:20 says 'Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets'. If it is in the streets, it must be available for all. There is a general kind of wisdom available for all men. Most unbelievers even do well here than even children of God. (See Luke 16:8).

However, there is a higher wisdom for the believer in Christ. Our main text today distingushes the kind of wisdom God gives to the righteous from the one available for all men. It is called 'Sound Wisdom'. James tells us it is ours for the asking. And he went on to show us how to ask right. (See James 1:5-8). This is the advantage of the believer in Christ. We have unparralleled access to wisdom because Christ our Saviour is the very wisdom of God.

With wisdom, life becomes a regular miracle. With wisdom, a man can hardly be stranded. With wisdom; stress, sweat and tears are greatly minimised. Life is indeed good for the wise.

Go to God in prayer this morning and ask Him for wisdom.

May God grant your request in Jesus' name. Amen.

- Adeolu Olumodeji.

REVERSING A KNOWN CURSE 2

REVERSING A KNOWN CURSE 2

Psalm 107:2 KJV
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so , whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;

Psalm 118:17 KJV
I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord .

Our redemption in Christ dealt maximally with curses of all kinds. Galatians 3:13 says  'Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree'. There is the curse of the law- that which is backed directly by God because of disobedience to His laws. This is the highest form of curse any man can face. There is also the curse pronounced on a person by some other person(s) because of the authority (spirtual or natural) they have over the person.

However, when a man is in Christ, he is a joint heir with Christ in the manifold blessings of God. Curses have no place whatsoever in his life anymore. If any believer feels he is under any curse, the devil is taking advantage of his ignorance. It will take that person to rise up and declare his freedom from such curses. Romans 10:10 says 'For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation'. You will have to declare what you believe. For Reuben, it took a Moses to say 'Let Reuben live and not die'; for David, he himself said it 'I will not die but live'.

Sometimes your pastor's faith may not help - especially as a believer in Christ. You are a partaker of the same grace and God wants you to grow in that grace. (2 Pet 3:18). That same word of faith is in your mouth; speak it! (Rom 10:8). Give the word of God a voice in your life; speak forth your redemption. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so!

Go into today speaking forth all the victories of your redemption including any known curse.

I declare that you will not die but live to declare all the works of God. Amen.

- Adeolu Olumodeji

REVERSING A KNOWN CURSE 1

REVERSING A KNOWN CURSE 1

Deuteronomy 33:6 KJV
Let Reuben live, and not die; and let not his men be few.

Reuben was the first born of the patriach Jacob through whose family God established the nation of Israel. Being the first born, he knew more than all his siblings the issues confronting his family. He knew for instance, that his mother - Leah was not loved by his father. That his mother's sister - Rachel (Jacob's second wife) was preferred above his mother. He was born right into sibling-rivalry (Leah and Rachel) and a polygamous home comprising of four women. It is natural for Reuben to take the side of his mother. However, he went too far in that regard. He went on to sleep with one of his father's wives (Rachel's maid), most probably to spite his father and his mother's rival. (See Gen 30:3; 35:22).

A few years after that, Jacob was ready to die and he called his sons together to bless them. For, Reuben it was more of a curse than a blessing. And Jacob cited the event when Reuben slept with Bilhah as basis for his pronouncement (See Gen 49:3-4). And of course, Jacob died shortly after, with Jacob never having the opportunity to appease his father.

It is a really horrible thing to live knowing one is under a curse. Cain is another example. He was cursed and left alive to deal with it. While Cain never had the opportunity to reverse it, Reuben did.

God has placed His men strategically for such purposes. Like the cities of refuge located across Israel where men could take cover from the avenger of blood, churches  should shield men whose homes have become a snare. A spiritual father can reverse evil order placed by even a biological father. That is exactly what happened for Reuben through Moses in our main text.

Are you under a known curse? Go to your pastor and let him pray for you.

We shall consider another way to reverse a known curse next time.

Lord Jesus, I break every evil order in the life of any reader. In Jesus' name. Amen.

- Adeolu Olumodeji

FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT

FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT

Galatians 5:22-23 KJV
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

A true Christian is the person who being saved by Christ produces fruit consistent with the life of Christ. See Acts 11:26. Mat 3:8-12. Mat 7:15-21. 2 Tim 2:19. A Christian is filled with the Holy Spirit which empowers him to live the life of Christ. Walking in the Spirit is living by faith resulting in the grace to delightfully do the will of God. Psa 1:2. Gal 2:20. Rom 1:17. 1 John 5: 3-4. Hence the fruit of the Spirit as revealed in Gal 5:22-23 are generally visible characteristics of a true Christian.

We shall examine the fruit of the Spirit.

LOVE: 
God is love. Our strongest identity as children of God is love. 1 Cor 13: 1-8. Rom 5:5. 1 John 4:9-13.

How do we experience and transmit the love of God?

JOY:
Christians are supposed to be the 'happiest people on earth'. Our source of Joy is God. Neh 8:10. Isa 12:3. Heb 12:2.  Rom 14:17. Mat 13:44. Jam 1:2. 1 Thes 5:16. Phil 4:4.

Joy. Joy. Joy.  With Joy my heart is ringing...

How do we remain joyful in the face of trials and tribulations ?

PEACE: 
Peace is inner stability and a deep sense of wholeness. Like Love and Peace, nothing else can bring true peace outside God. Isa 48:22. John 14:27;16:33. Phil 4:6-7. Psalm 46. 2 Thes 3:16. 1 Thes 5:23. Rom 5:1.

I have peace like a river...

How do the thoughts of our mind affect our peace ?

LONG SUFFERING:
Or Patience. Patience is our disposition to God and others. How do we tolerate  others? This is a foremost virtue in a world ruled by selfish ambitions. Luk 21:19. Isa 28:16. Mat 18:21-35. Mat 6:12. Luk 6:36-38. 2 Tim 2: 24-25. 1 Thes 5:14. James 5:7-8.

How do we learn or practice patience?

GENTLENESS:
This is how we treat others. The root word 'chrestotes' also means 'useful'. Are we useful to people? How do we treat the weak, the poor, the injured or vulnerable? Luk 10:30-37. 1 Thes 2:7. Psa 18:35. 2 Cor 10:1. Tit 3:2. Jam 3:17.

Is gentleness easier for certain temprament? How can I be gentle and firm?

GOODNESS:
Goodness is a quality of moral excellence. People should see a Christian and see a good person. Mat 19:16-17. Luk 23:47. Act 11:24. Mat. 7:17. Rom 15:4. Dan 6:5. Eph 5:9. 2 Pet 1:5. Mat. 3:11.

What advantages does goodness have or being 'smart' ?

FAITH:
The life of the Christian is a life of faith all through. Rom 1:16-17. Eph 2:8-9. Faith which simply means trust in God is one virtue a Christian must constantly invest in. Jud 20. Heb 1,6. Rom 10:17. Mat 8:10.

How do we strengthen our faith in God?

MEEKNESS:
Meekness is strenght under control. All power is subject to easy abuse. God empowers and blesses a meek man because a meek person would not abuse God's power. Num 12:3. Mat 11:28-30. Eph 4:1-3. 1 Pet 3:4.

How is meekness different from humility?

SELF CONTROL:
Self control is mastery over one's emotions and actions. Prov 25:28. 1 Pet 1:5-8. 1 Cor 9:24-27. 2 Tim 3:1-4. To yield to the Spirit, we must control the self.

How do we practise self restraint?

Conclusion.

We are known by our fruits.  Every believer in Christ is expected of God to bear fruit. Mat 13:23. John 15:1-8, 16. Rom 7:4. Col 1:9- 10.

- prepared by Adeolu Olumodeji

HOW TO EXPERIENCE GOD'S LOVE

HOW TO EXPERIENCE THE LOVE OF GOD

This is sequel to the series Trial of Brother Lazzie.

I took Sunday School 'Fruit of the Spirit' today and I gathered these truths for you on Love.

I just want to go straight to the point.

Thank you.

1. Believe His awesome love for you.

God is 'crazy' about you. And nobody can help you understand it except you believe it. If  you believe the Scriptures, can you dare believe these ones ? Try.

1 Peter 5:7 KJV
Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

'To care for' is a higher level than 'to care about'. If I care for you, it means that I worry for you, think for you, plan for you, step steps for you and so on.

What manner  of love is this that the Father has for us? Let's go on please.

John 3:16 KJV
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

1 John 3:1 KJV
Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

2 Corinthians 5:14 KJV
For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:

Romans 5:8 KJV
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Jeremiah 29:11 KJV
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord , thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

Luke 12:7 KJV
But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.

Psalm 8:4 KJV
What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?

God thinks about you every microsecond of the day.

Just believe it.

2. Confess your love for Him.

'I love you'.

I am sure you know the value of those words when you befriend a person. A boy and a girl. A man and his wife. A parent and a child. Those words weigh tonnes.

So why do we shy from saying them to God - who so loved us beyond any human love? The least we can do to show we love Him back is to tell Him.

Psalm 18:1 KJV
I will love thee, O Lord , my strength.

3. Brag about His love for you.

John was the 'Discple Jesus loved' - and guess what? Je was the one who labeled himself so.

John 21:20, 24 KJV
Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee?

[24] This is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is true.

Can you beat that?

It is one thing to be one among  the harem who loves the prince, it is another thing to be so sure you are the one the prince loves the most. That's it.

Flaunt it. Brag it.

They say it got Joseph into trouble, but how do you hide a 'coat of many colours'?

Don't blame the lad, just see how his story ended.

Brag it, if you know it.

4. Train your eyes to see God's love.

Listen to messages on God's love. Read about His amazing love for you. Feed on the information till it transforms you. The Scriptures are filled with the love of God. Nature is painted with the love of God. Train your own eyes to see the love of God around you all the time.

Psalm 19:1-6 KJV
The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.

[2] Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.

[3] There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.

[4] Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun,

[5] Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.

[6] His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.

Lamentations 3:21-23, 25 KJV
This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.

[22] It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

[23] They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

[25] The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.

4. Think upon the love of God.

'What you think upon grows'

Jesus told us 'Take no thought...' when He taught us about Worrying. So you can choose your thoughts. Take thoughts of God's love. Just take time to bask in the thoughts of His amazing love for you.

Philippians 4:8-9 KJV
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

[9] Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

5. Practise the love of God to others.

We are so loved of God so we can love people. We cannot love God back so well because we cannot see Him. So He gave us neighbours.

Matthew 22:37-39 KJV
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

[38] This is the first and great commandment.

[39] And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Mark 12:31 KJV
And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

Romans 13:9 KJV
For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Romans 13:10 KJV
Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

Galatians 5:14 KJV
For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

1 John 4:19-21 KJV
We love him, because he first loved us.

[20] If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

[21] And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

James 2:8 KJV
If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:

Use people to master God's love.

Sorry about the word 'use'.

Do not use people. Love people.

These are some of the ways you can open your self up to God's love.

This may be the most important task of your life.

God help us all.

Amen.

- Adeolu Olumodeji

THE TRIAL OF BROTHER LAZZIE 2

TRIAL OF BROTHER LAZZIE 2

Secondly, Lazarus was The One Jesus Loves.

Okay let us establish that.
You will see in John 11:5 that Jesus loved the three siblings.

John 11:5 KJV
Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.

But let us hear from the two sisters themselves in verse 3.

John 11:3 KJV
Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.

Laughs.
So when you say 'God loves every body' just know that everybody knows who God loves when they see him.

Take note also, that the writer of the account is John. John is called 'the Beloved'. He used to refer to himself as 'the one whom Jesus loves'.

John 13:23-25 KJV
Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved. [24] Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, that he should ask who it should be of whom he spake. [25] He then lying on Jesus' breast saith unto him, Lord, who is it? .

John 21:7 KJV
Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord...

John 21:20 KJV
Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee?

Even Peter (with the other disciples) knew the one Jesus loved.

Did Jacob not have 11 sons? How come the 10 knew the one Jacob loved?

Genesis 37:3 KJV
Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children...

Well, God indeed loves all of us. But, all of us indeed do not believe it.

John later went on to exclaim to anyone that could dare receive it;

1 John 3:1 KJV
Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us...

Picture a roundtable gathering (make sure there is food, anyway) where Jesus, John and Lazarus  were present. Okay, it is not hard to find Jesus; He will be at the center. It should not be hard to find John, it was said that '... he then lying on Jesus' breast saith unto him... ' (John 13:25). So who do you think will be on the other breast? Lazzie of course! Maybe I am wrong, but that is what my sanctified imagination tells  me. Okay.

I know you want to say God loves you and you receive His love. Let me give you a simple test. Ready?
This is the test;

God loves you the way He loves Jesus Christ.

Cut!
Stand Still!

I just took a snap shot of your mind.

What did I find there?

'How can God love me like He loves Jesus? Jesus is the first and only begotten of the Father; I am adopted'
Or

'What did I do to merit His love? Jesus died for the world'
Or

'Heresy! Jesus did no sin. What is my own basis for such love?'

Okay. So you see yourself?

One of the best songs of my generation is 'I don't know why... He loves me so... I don't know why...'

But people should sing it like this 'I don't know why... I can't take it... I don't know why...'

You won't be the first to question or doubt God's great love. See this;

Malachi 1:2a KJV
I have loved you, saith the Lord . Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us?

What is in man that can't absorb such great love from God? Ephesians 1:5-6 KJV says
'Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, [6] To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved'.

This means our love was predestinated. Long before we came, back in eternity, He loved us. Maybe you will get it with the Story of the Twins; Esau and Jacob.

Romans 9:11-13 KJV
(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) [12] It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. [13] As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.

See the full version of the scripture we quoted earlier.

Malachi 1:2 KJV
I have loved you, saith the Lord . Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the Lord : yet I loved Jacob,

This manner of love is called 'Election by Grace'.He chose to love you that much! Simple. And you can choose to refuse it! Simple.

Lazarus was loved. Loved by Jesus. And He received every bit of it.

Well, let me not push you beyond limits. I know the part you like. You want to love Jesus. That's okay.

Did you notice it was Peter that Jesus asked to love Him not John? See their conversation.

John 21:17 KJV
He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

There is a reward for lovers of Jesus of course. And all of us should love Jesus. See the reward.

Romans 8:28 KJV
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

We should all love God, I insist.
But I dare you to be the one that Jesus loves. Or to be one who opens up to take it all. Here is the reward for that.

Jeremiah 29:11 KJV
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord , thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

Those that love God have all things work together for THE (not their) good.
Those that God loves, God thinks about them and GIVE them an expected end.

One is better, you decide.

Did I pitch God loves you VS You love God?

If that is how you understand it, I have offended you and I am sorry.

Anyway, Lazarus was the one Jesus so loved.

But wait. Is that another reason that guy was lazy? Oh sorry. He was not lazy. He was just one to whom God would give an expected end; that which everyone else work everything else together for.

Let me divide a scripture without breaking it.

Philippians 2:12-13 KJV
Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. [13] For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

They that love God dwell in verse 12. They work our this salvation. They work out the answer.
Those that God loves dwell in verse 13. They are given the answer. They do all of God's will yet so so effortlessly. The enjoy so much pleasure in God's will. But the Verse 12 believers love to sweat it out. They find so much pain in God's will.

While Peter denied Jesus and even fled. John was the one at the foot of the Cross to whom Jesus committed His mother. Those that receive God's love end up loving God most.

John 19:26-27 KJV
When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! [27] Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.

If you thought I am saying 'Don't love God, just accept His love', I lost you since. But if you got it that we can only love Him acceptably if we accept His love, you got it.

1 John 4:19 KJV
We love him, because he first loved us.

Let us conclude now.

Did I talk about Lazarus today? I doubt it. I talked about the One Whom Jesus Loved. Lazarus was one. John was another. Adeolu is another. Okay.

But here is the part I dread about this Brother Lazarus's story. The part of his trial. The Paradox of Love. The Conflict of our Faith.

John 11:3 KJV
Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.

The One Whom Jesus Loves? Sick? How?

Then the One Whom Jesus Loved even died of that sickness.

No. I can't take that now.

Let's make it another date.

- Adeolu Olumodeji

MOTHERHOOD - Part 3

MOTHERHOOD 3

Mothers have very little time for supervision these days. More so that the era of fulltime housewife is fast fading, children now come home to empty houses and have only the television and the video as their companions. The Blackberry has taken the roles of parent and family. We all need the extra income that comes into the family from the mother's pay packets but we also have the adverse effect. The working class mothers syndrome had really altered the family system. It has promoted the development of 'unattached, uncommunicative, learning impaired and uncontrollable children'.

Dr. Robert Shaw puts it this way; 'the boarding house system is a force that we have to reckon with. Parents send their children to full boarding system before they are nine till they are out of they university. These are the formative years being taken over by various school authorities. Some children start kindergarten or DayCare before age 2 and really do not have much to learn at their mothers' knees. They are collected from schools by 3'o clock during which time the mother is still at work. When she comes, she hurries through dinner and some other activities.

Our children need supervision and they need attention. A good mother has time to listen. When a child picks up courage to say 'Mummy I want to talk to you', please drop whatever you are doing and listen. Give it a little more time and the child may lose the courage.

Get to meet your children's friends. Do not always shoo away your child's friend believing that you have a better idea of who he should befriend. Invite his friends home and you will get to see whether your child is safe in the relationship or to utterly duscourage it. Unfortunately, children now make friends on the internet and we may not get to meet those friends. They are also exposed to pressures and problems unknown to past generations. Mothers should always be curious.

A good mother will be willing to discipline his child in love. The Bible says a boy let on loose will cause  his mother shame. Prov 25:15. If a child is endlessly indulged and never hears the word 'No', he may becomw deliquent. A child must be made  to know other people have lives, emotions and needs. A child who receives no discipline will not be self disciplined.

Effective mothering includes setting limits. Mothers spend more time with the children so they are much involved in that area of discipline. 
'You can go out now but you must be home bu 7pm'. 
'You can watch video but let me know the films you watch'

These are limits without being too strict.

Mothers must however review their methods of discipline and instructions especially as their children grow older and begin to show signs of maturity. Perhaps certain rules or instructions could be relaxed or adjusted in keeping with the young one's ability to act responsibly.

You must open conversation with your children in a relaxed atmosphere. You get to know more about your children during such times.

(To be continued)

- Mrs Grace Ebe Olumodeji

DELIGHT IN GOD'S WILL

STREAMGLOBE DEVOTIONAL

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2015

DELIGHT IN GOD'S WILL

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Psalm 40:8 
I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. [KJV]

Tunde was just in time to see his two year old son putting his hand into the electric socket on the wall. He saw that there may be not enough time to cover the distance, he shouted 'Stop !'. Luckily the boy looked back, excited at the voice of his father. And Tunde smiled back as he approached him and took him away from danger.

Tunde's son was too young to understand the danger in putting one's hand into naked electricity but he was wise enough to delight in the voice of his father above the desire to try something new. Eve faced a similar challenge in the garden. Satan beckoned on her to try something new and interesting, but which God had clearly warned against.

This is the challenge we face each time we get tempted; to enjoy the pleasure of sin or to enjoy the delight of obeying God's voice. When we do not enjoy obeying God, it is a sign that we are rebellious and Psalm 68:6 says 'the rebellious shall dwell in a dry ground'. That is, the rebellious will always find life difficult. But whoever delights in obeying God will be saved from many dangers.

Go into today with a heart that rejoices at God's voice - even His rebuke or correction.

Pray that God should create a right spirit within you. Amen. Not yet saved? Tap: http://bit.ly/1iTOmol

- Pas. Adeolu Olumodeji

Yearly Bible Plan: John 16-18

BBM: 9BF927B | WhatsApp: +2348034420524

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GOD THE SUSTAINER

STREAMGLOBE DEVOTIONAL
streamglobedevotional.com
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2015

GOD THE SUSTAINER

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Malachi 3:6 
For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. [KJV]

God is not just the Creator of all things; He is the Sustainer of all things. It is easier for people to believe God created all things, what we may not actively believe is that He is personally involved in the sustenance of His creation.  Let us consider a few scriptures in addition to our main text.

Psalm 50:10-11: For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. [11] I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine. KJV

Matthew 6:26: Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? KJV

Luke 12:28: If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and tomorrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith? KJV

God cares for animals, fowls, and grasses because He created them. How about man being the star of His creation? Hear what Jesus Christ says.

Matthew 10:29-30: Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? And one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. [30] But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. KJV

God is personally involved in the life of every man, how much more when you have accepted His Only Son as Savior and Lord.

Go about today with rest in the truth that God is with you and nothing just happens to you.

Prayer: Thank God for such great love He has for you. Not yet saved? Tap: http://bit.ly/1iTOmol

- Pas. Adeolu Olumodeji

Yearly Bible Plan: Amos 1-4

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NIGERIA IN PROPHECY

Happy 55th Independence Anniversary to Nigeria.

Okay.
Let's do this.

A few years back, I accessed the prophetic alot.
I will repost some of those words and trust God to revive them in lives and situations, especially for our dear country Nigeria.

Amen.

1 Oct. 2012.
1.
You are an upcoming musician...
You will hit a contract to do a sountrack of a major programme...

God is setting you up for greatness.

2.
God also told me He is setting Nigeria up for greatness.

3.
God just told me He is setting a number of people up for greatness.

4.
This is the prophecy for Nigeria at this point in time...

Psa 52
Psalm 52

1 Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man?

the goodness of God endureth continually.

2 Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs;

like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.

3 Thou lovest evil more than good;

and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah.

4 Thou lovest all devouring words,

O thou deceitful tongue.

5 God shall likewise destroy thee for ever,

he shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place,

and root thee out of the land of the living. Selah.

6 The righteous also shall see, and fear,

and shall laugh at him:

7 Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength;

but trusted in the abundance of his riches,

and strengthened himself in his wickedness.

8 But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God:

I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever.

9 I will praise thee for ever, because thou hast done it:

and I will wait on thy name; for it is good before thy saints.

5.
This is the prophecy for Nigeria at this point in time...

Isa 52
Chapter 52

1 Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion;

put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city:

for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.

2 Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem:

loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion.

3 For thus saith the Lord,

Ye have sold yourselves for nought;

and ye shall be redeemed without money.

4 For thus saith the Lord God,

My people went down aforetime into Egypt to sojourn there;

and the Assyrian oppressed them without cause.

5 Now therefore, what have I here, saith the Lord,

that my people is taken away for nought?

they that rule over them make them to howl, saith the Lord;

and my name continually every day is blasphemed.

6 Therefore my people shall know my name:

therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I.

7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace;

that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation;

that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!

8 Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice;

with the voice together shall they sing:

for they shall see eye to eye,

when the Lord shall bring again Zion.

9 Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem:

for the Lord hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem.

10 The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations;

and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.

11 Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing;

go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord.

12 For ye shall not go out with haste,

nor go by flight:

for the Lord will go before you;

and the God of Israel will be your rereward.

13 Behold, my servant shall deal prudently,

he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.

14 As many were astonied at thee;

his visage was so marred more than any man,

and his form more than the sons of men:

15 So shall he sprinkle many nations;

the kings shall shut their mouths at him:

for that which had not been told them shall they see;

and that which they had not heard shall they consider.

6.

This is the prophecy for Nigeria at this point in time...

Isa 18:7
7 In that time shall the present be brought unto the Lord of hosts

of a people scattered and peeled,

and from a people terrible from their beginning hitherto;

a nation meted out and trodden under foot,

whose land the rivers have spoiled,

to the place of the name of the Lord of hosts, the mount Zion.

7.
This is the prophecy for Nigeria at this point in time...

Psa 18
Psalm 18

1 I will love thee, O Lord, my strength.

2 The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer;

my God, my strength, in whom I will trust;

my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.

3 I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised:

so shall I be saved from mine enemies.

4 The sorrows of death compassed me,

and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.

5 The sorrows of hell compassed me about:

the snares of death prevented me.

6 In my distress I called upon the Lord,

and cried unto my God:

he heard my voice out of his temple,

and my cry came before him, even into his ears.

7 Then the earth shook and trembled;

the foundations also of the hills moved

and were shaken, because he was wroth.

8 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils,

and fire out of his mouth devoured:

coals were kindled by it.

9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down:

and darkness was under his feet.

10 And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly:

yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind.

11 He made darkness his secret place;

his pavilion round about him

were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.

12 At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed,

hail stones and coals of fire.

13 The Lord also thundered in the heavens,

and the Highest gave his voice;

hail stones and coals of fire.

14 Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them;

and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them.

15 Then the channels of waters were seen,

and the foundations of the world were discovered

at thy rebuke, O Lord,

at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.

16 He sent from above, he took me,

he drew me out of many waters.

17 He delivered me from my strong enemy,

and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me.

18 They prevented me in the day of my calamity:

but the Lord was my stay.

19 He brought me forth also into a large place;

he delivered me, because he delighted in me.

20 The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness;

according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.

21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord,

and have not wickedly departed from my God.

22 For all his judgments were before me,

and I did not put away his statutes from me.

23 I was also upright before him,

and I kept myself from mine iniquity.

24 Therefore hath the Lord recompensed me according to my righteousness,

according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.

25 With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful;

with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright;

26 With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure;

and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward.

27 For thou wilt save the afflicted people;

but wilt bring down high looks.

28 For thou wilt light my candle:

the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.

29 For by thee I have run through a troop;

and by my God have I leaped over a wall.

30 As for God, his way is perfect:

the word of the Lord is tried:

he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.

31 For who is God save the Lord?

or who is a rock save our God?

32 It is God that girdeth me with strength,

and maketh my way perfect.

33 He maketh my feet like hinds 'feet,

and setteth me upon my high places.

34 He teacheth my hands to war,

so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.

35 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation:

and thy right hand hath holden me up,

and thy gentleness hath made me great.

36 Thou hast enlarged my steps under me,

that my feet did not slip.

37 I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them:

neither did I turn again till they were consumed.

38 I have wounded them that they were not able to rise:

they are fallen under my feet.

39 For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle:

thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me.

40 Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies;

that I might destroy them that hate me.

41 They cried, but there was none to save them:

even unto the Lord, but he answered them not.

42 Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind:

I did cast them out as the dirt in the streets.

43 Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people;

and thou hast made me the head of the heathen:

a people whom I have not known shall serve me.

44 As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me:

the strangers shall submit themselves unto me.

45 The strangers shall fade away,

and be afraid out of their close places.

46 The Lord liveth; and blessed be my rock;

and let the God of my salvation be exalted.

47 It is God that avengeth me,

and subdueth the people under me.

48 He delivereth me from mine enemies:

yea, thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me:

thou hast delivered me from the violent man.

49 Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the heathen,

and sing praises unto thy name.

50 Great deliverance giveth he to his king;

and sheweth mercy to his anointed,

to David, and to his seed for evermore.

1 Oct 2011
8.
20 And I will make (Nigeria) unto this people a fenced brasen wall: and they shall fight against (her), but they shall not prevail against (her): for I am with (her) to save (her) and to deliver (her), saith the Lord. 21 And I will deliver (her) out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem (her) out of the hand of the terrible. -Jeremiah 15

1 Oct 2010
9.
celebrate NIGERIA. celebrate Greatness.

1 Oct 2009
10.
Quo Vadis, Nigeria?

- Adeolu Olumodeji

TRIAL OF BROTHER LAZZIE - Part 1

LESSONS  FROM LAZARUS

I have this idea that I believe is grand.

Please feel very free to take it if you have the means and you are sufficiently inspired. We are all working for one kingdom ultimately, so we should have one vision; one goal.

I have this idea to write Christian fiction. And I want to focus on all the silent characters of the Scriptures. People like the Hebrew maid in Captain Naaman's house. People like the man whose house Jesus and the Twelve used for the Lord's Supper. People like Deborah the nurse that stayed with Jacob's household. Okay so, you get the idea. Those guys who featured like guest stars in the Bible Series. I want to trust God to use sanctified imagination to do volume about their lives. I mean, full scope of their lives. I once wrote a piece about Matthias, the disciple that replaced Judas. I will post that soon. By the way, I would do Christian Film Series too on those characters.

So take note. If you caught the vision and you got the means, please do it! Just make sure your imagination is Spirit filled. Okay.

Today, I want to pick on Lazarus.

That guy's name and life looks like he would have earned himself the nickname 'Lazy'.  For instance see this hint in John 12.

John 12:1-3 KJV
Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead.

[2] There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him.

[3] Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.

Now that is a portrait of this family friends of Jesus Christ. Martha is always catering for Jesus. In fact she does the invitation and makes sure Jesus gets the best of meals. Mary is always at Jesus' feet. Always listening to Jesus. She is one other person's life I should explore in my santified imaginary journey. Anyway, Mary was always at Jesus' feet. So where will you always find Brother Lazzy, sorry, Lazarus? At the table. Laughs. Where the food is, there Bro Lazarus is. I hope my imagination is still sanctified. But you will soon discover I am a serious fan of Brother Lazarus. Okay.

Let us use this account of Dr. Luke to compare or confirm all my assumptions about these siblings above.

Luke 10:38-42 KJV
Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.

[39] And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.

[40] But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.

[41] And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:

[42] But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

Did you see Lazarus here? Did you see food? Laughs. Relax bro. Learn to find some fun and laughter in the Scriptures. Its a Whole Book. Everything is there, including Comedy.

Okay let me stop this Trial of Brother Lazarus. His name is not Lazy. His name is Lazarus. And it is such a beautiful name.

Before we go into Names and Meanings, let me point out that of the 3 people Jesus raised from the dead, only one was named. And that person is Lazarus. Other's were described and not named. Jarius' daughter. Widow's son.

So that Lazarus was named, means there is something to see there. If you have been blessed with the gift of studying Scriptures, you would know the excitement when you get a revelation about a name in the Bible. Not one name in that Book strayed there.

So what does Lazarus means ? Where do we go ? Don't be shy jor. We all know Pastor's secrets. Internet. Yea. But before Internet, we did Strong's. Let's do Strong's today.

G2976

Original: Λάζαρος

Transliteration: Lazaros

Phonetic: lad'-zar-os

Thayer Definition: Lazarus = "whom God helps" (a form of the Hebrew name Eleazar)

an inhabitant of Bethany, beloved by Christ and raised from the dead by hima very poor and wretched person to whom Jesus referred to in Luk 16:20-25

Origin: probably of hebrew originH499

TDNT entry: None

Part(s) of speech: Noun Masculine

Strong's Definition: Probably of Hebrew origin [H499]; Lazarus (that is,Elazar), the name of two Israelites (one imaginary): - Lazarus.

That was Strong.
So Lazarus was not lazy afterall. He was just The Man Whom God Helps. Hmmm.

Eleazar is Hebrew. Lazarus is Greek. Ezer-Li is God.

They all have same root word.

Let's focus on God for a while.

Elohim Ezer-Li. God is my help. Or God our Helper. It is the divine instinct of God to help. He made man complete with all things and then said it was not good for him to be without help. What was it that Adam needed help for? Laughs. Companionship. As complete as Adam was he was alone. Alone. Allone. All one.

It is not good for man (or woman) to be all one. That is the reason for Family. That is the essence of Community. No man is an island. It is the human instinct to need help.

For God to help is divine. 
For man to need help is human.

But why do we do like we don't need God?
We do as if we don't need help.

One of the best songs of this generation is 'My Helper o . . .'. You know it? Sing it please. Thank you.

There is this other old song too. I know the chorus more. 'My help! My help! All of my help cometh from the Lord'. I think that was the story of Lazarus. A man whom God helps. What a way to describe a man! Imagine someone asking about you from another. And the response is 'You mean that man whom God helps?' So beautiful!

Are you the man whom God helps?
Or you are the man who helps God?
Okay, the man who helps himself?

Hear what the Scriptures say about how much God wants to help you and guage yourself how much of this help you get daily - or should I say, microsecond-ly?

Psalm 46:1 KJV
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Deuteronomy 33:26 KJV
There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun, who rideth upon the heaven in thy help, and in his excellency on the sky.

Psalm 54:4 KJV
Behold, God is mine helper: the Lord is with them that uphold my soul.

Isaiah 41:14 KJV
Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the Lord , and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

Hebrews 4:16 KJV
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

John 1:16 KJV
And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. (And help for help)

Psalm 121:1-2 KJV
I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. [2] My help cometh from the Lord , which made heaven and earth.

Genesis 49:25 KJV
Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb:

Let me just stop here. I was about to leave the flow and go online - no, offline.

But we know God wants to help us, just that we don't want too much of it.

Grace is an integral part of our Faith. But we like the Faith and leave the Grace. So we struggle to even believe, for you need Grace to even have Faith. You were designed to need help. Take it or take it.

Grace is unmerited help. SomeOne wants to help you even when you don't deserve it. No. We want to deserve it. And those who dared to receive all the help from God, we call Lazarus, sorry, we call 'Lazy'.

So we got the first clue into the person of Lazarus.

Secondly, Lazarus was The One Jesus Loves.

Oh! You can't take that now.

Let's break it. 
Watch Out for Part 2.

*Wink*

- Adeolu Olumodeji

MOTHERHOOD 2

MOTHERHOOD 2

Motherhood simply means the state of being a mother.

Mother means the female parent of a child.

It is the aspiration of every mother to be a successful mother. A mother who brings up a child that is approved by God and the society. A child who becomes the 'Father's Child'. A Yoruba adage says 'Omo to ba dara niti baba re'. (A good child is his father's). Simply put, a mother has the responsibility of bringing up an acceptable child.

Children begin to learn at their mother's knee. That is to say that very early in life, children begin to learn right from the time they are on the knees. At this position children learn the language of love. They are cuddled, petted, lullaby songs and rhymes are sung to calm them down. Their first words, rhymes, songs are learnt mostly at their mothers' knees.

Unfortunately the world is getting too busy for these 'first roles' of a mother. The knees are being replaced by other man made things like all kinds of baby chairs, cots, play pens etc. So that the mothers can attend to other matters. The pre-recorded rhymes on the television and laptops now replace the mothers' nursery rhymes or songs.

In recent years, the computer has taken on the prominent role as a moulder of young minds. These things are good as longs as they are probably controlled and channeled in such a way as not to replace the appropriate love and attention a mother should give to her child.

A good mother must first of all give love and proper attention to her children and not allow other things to take her position. Not even a good housemaid. People say 'Oh my housemaid is good. She can manage well'. The love of a househelp cannot be compared to that of a mother to her child.

A good mother has time for her growing children. Be involved in what they do. A mother should really bond with her child. Let his interests interest you. Where they are bad, discourage them in love and let him know why. Some mothers  use the 'stamping your feet' method which does not always work out. It should be last resort especially if such interest is harmful.

How much time do we spare to know their interests, where they go, what programmes they watch, what subjects on thw internet interests them, what they have in their possession, who their friends are? I said a mother is supposed to be all things. A mother is sometimes a private investigator especially where the child is not forthcoming. (A friend taught me this).

It has been confirmed by a study that violent music lyrics promote violent thoughts and feelings. Some of our music videos are so graphic and sexually explicit that they leave  little for imagination. We cannot imagine the extent our children's behaviour are affected by these things around us. Lack of sufficient parental supervision (or investigation) is an invitation to trouble.

(To be continued)

- Mrs. Grace Ebe Olumodeji

EFFECTIVE WITNESSING

EFFECTIVE WITNESSING

Proverbs 14:25 (ESV)
A truthful witness saves lives,
but one who breathes out lies is deceitful.

One major assignment the Lord Jesus Christ gives to every believer in Him is to bring another person to Him. Just before He ascended into heaven, He told His disciples to go into all the world and make other people His disciples. This is known as the Great Commission. (See Mat 28:18-20; Mar 16:15-18). The Lord also sent the promised Holy Spirit to empower us to be His witness to the world. (Act 1:7-8). So our most important personal and coporate obligation to the Lord is to witness for Him. How then can we be effective witnesses ?

To be a witness is to have or claim to have  first hand experience of an event. So there are two kinds of witnesses in a broad sense; a true witness and a false witness. Our main text assures us that a true witness would save lives. Who can be said to be a 'true witness' for the Lord ?

A true witness for the Lord is someone who has had a genuine personal encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ. That kind of testimony is backed with spiritual evidence and power is communicated to the hearers. An example of a true witness is found in John Chapter 4. A Samaritan woman had encountered the Lord Jesus and she went to town with such compelling message that many Samaritans believed in the Lord Jesus because of her testimony. (John 4:39). The villagers then requested that the Lord should stay with them so they could also have that first hand experience and be effective witnesses too.

We must examine our selves whether we actually had a personal encounter when we 'claim' to be saved. And we must keep the experience fresh and ongoing by the Holy Spirit. This way, our witnessing is empowered and more souls are won for the Lord.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to know you deeply and personally. Let my words, actions and life compell others to seek you. Amen.

- Adeolu Olumodeji

For Streamglobedevotional.com

HOLINESS 2

HOLINESS 2

Exodus 15:11 (KJV)
Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods? 
Who is like thee, glorious in holiness,
fearful in praises, doing wonders?

Holiness is not a scare word. A scare word is a word chosen to instill fear and alarm in one's audience. And that is what most preachers have made Holiness to sound like. Holiness is a glorious word. In Isaiah 6:3 the seraphims cried and said, 'Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory'. And in our main text for today, we see that God is glorious in holiness.

Holiness is the intrinsic nature of God. It is the most important ingredient of being God. God is holy. The Lord Jesus Christ is holy (Luk 1:35; Luk 3:34). The Spirit of God is called 'Holy Spirit'. To be holy is to be 'separate' or 'set apart'. It is the quality of being distinct and of superior moral excellence. That is the quality that makes God eternally dependable. And we should be glad our God is holy.

As children of God therefore, God wants us to share in His holiness. That should really excite us! He told the Israelites as they left Egypt in Leviticus 11:45 'For I am the Lord that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy'. We are told in Hebrews 12:10 that God being our Father disciplines us primarily for our own good so that we can be 'partakers of his holiness'. It is a glorious thing to share in God's holiness. What is fearful (according to our main text) is to attempt to share in His praises.

Let us as children of God seek to display the beautiful holiness of our God. When we are holy we contrast the filth of sin and worldliness and expose the unholy nature of the devil. In words and all our conducts, let us bring glory to God's name by being holy. We have the Holy Spirit in us to help us overcome whatever hinders us.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, please help me. I want to be holy. I want to represent you well every where I am. Thank you for Your help. In Jesus' name. Amen.

- Adeolu Olumodeji

From Streamglobedevotional.com

ETERNAL SALAH

ETERNAL SALLAH

How is the holiday going ?
Thank God for the muslims. We get a lot of holiday from them. Happy Eid Kabir. Assallamu aleikum!

By the way, that topic was just to get your attention. Today I want to share my thoughts on Eternal Security. I know it has already created arguements in your mind. Luckily, I am not even in the mood to argue right now.

I think we will all be right at the end of the day. Because those of us who kick against Eternal Security have good intentions. We believe the doctrine will make believers throw caution to the wind. And I discovered that all of us quote from Scriptures. I am almost tired of arguing with a fellow well meaning believer. Just believe what is working for you as long as you are saved by Christ Jesus. Paul and Peter did not behave so much like they always agreed. Even John the Baptist and his cousin Jesus did not relate so much like they were sync on many fronts. We can disagree and both be right. That is how God uses the foolishness of our preaching to produce His manifold wisdom.

But let me tell you this secret. I became saved sixteen years ago. Since that fateful day in November on the campus of Obafemi Awolowo University Ile Ife, I knew in my heart of heart that I was on an eternal journey and I was bound to a destination. You cannot convince me that I will not make it to be with Christ forever. I cannot convince myself that I can lose what I found that day. Okay, did I tell you about Olumide ?

Olumide was a friend on campus. He knew me shortly before I got saved. We both were active sinners and our nature was sin. I met the Lord some time later and Olumide was present in one of the gatherings where I gave a testimony about my past and how the Lord had saved me. After the meeting, Olumide came to me and said 'Deolu, don't be too serious about this thing. I myself have been saved over and over. I keep going back. You will soon find out it does not last'. I cannot remember my exact response that day. But it looks like I could say something like this 'Lummy, what I know is something very real has happened to me. About what happens later, I will have to wait to know'.

But you know, Olumide did strike a chord that day. I myself knew a number of 'so-called believers' who 'turned back' to their vomit. I do not want to be one of that number. If this is not going to last, whats the point? If there is no assurance of reaching the destination, why begin the journey? What now makes this God so different if He can not keep what is given to Him? Anyway, like I told you I may not say some things exactly back then, but I know a few things for sure. One of them is that; that night after Olumide said those words to me, I went to pray to God. And I am sure I must have cried to God with desperate tears. I said things like ' Lord Jesus, keep me till the end. I do not want to ever return. Please Lord... Please Lord... Please oh Lord... '. I prayed till I felt some peace in my heart or till there were no more tears dropping, maybe.

Men and brethren, this is just 16 years out of Eternity. And I can tell you I have fallen a number of times. Laughs. Go ahead and judge me. When you are through, judge yourself. If you have never fallen since you met Christ then you are among the 144,000. Laughs. (Oh Jehovah! These witnesses will not kill us). So there have been times I struggled and a number of times I stumbled. But I have never for a fraction of a second lost my assurance of being eternally saved. Say what you like.

Now I know the scriptures to quote. In fact I just finished a series on 'Jesus Christ, our High Priest' in Sunday School. With all my scriptures and passion, I still felt a thick smoke of resistance in the air. Believe what you like, bro. Just make sure you make it at last. Then we will compare notes. And like I said earlier, I think we will both be right.

Let me confess really, this gospel (or doctrine) of Eternal Security is what is mentally keeping me in the faith. I would have reasoned my way out if I had believed that I could somehow eventually not make it to God even after believing His Son. I would have asked 'If His priesthood could not be forever, why did He bother to come?' (Please forgive my audacity). I would have just prefered the annual Feast of Atonement. I would at least be eating ram and on a pilgrimage to the Holy land. I would not bother leaving Egypt if He could not take me to the Promised Land. Yes. That's me reasoning. What now is the difference between the Old and the New Testament? The best the Old could do was to take only two people through among the multitude that left. Oh dear, if it is meant for two, I won't join the rat race. Leave me where I was and let me just revel in my vanity. I can not sacrifice that for a venture that is not sure. No sir. Not me.

But I know better. I knew it early in my Salvation that Jesus Christ will ensure my eternity once I become born again.

Okay. One Scripture. Maybe two.

John 17:12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.

Laughs. You see, that John Chapter 17 was a prayer Jesus prayed for our eternal security. So when Paul said in Hebrews that He ever lives to intercede for us, you have an idea what His prayer points are.

Now take note  of that scripture above. Jesus said we are the ones God gave Him and He keeps us. None of us will be lost except the son(s) of perdition. Anyway, if you ever gave your life to Christ, you can take it back when you like. But if God gave you to Jesus Christ by saving you, and you ever miss it, just know today that your surname is Iscariot. Son of perdition. Doomed for destruction. Read Psalm 109 to understand the forces that sealed Judas' fate. And see if they apply to your life. Good luck to you.

Another scripture.

John Chapter 6:

 37  All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

 38  For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.

 39  And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.

 40  And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

Jesus said again that whoever comes to Him was given to Him by His Father. That He neither casts them away nor loses them. He went on to say that it is His Father's will that He loses none of us. And that we all (who have believed in Him) be raised on the Last Day.

Anything else you have believed or have read in the Bible that does not allign with these clear words of Christ is a result of your misunderstanding of the Truth of the Gospel of Grace.

I knew I cannot convince you. I only wrote because I felt led to.

If by chance you are liberated by what I have shared, just before you get excited, please check if you were saved  indeed by Christ. Once you have that witness  of the Spirit, go ahead; shout.

Halleluyah. Glory to Jesus! Amen.

- Adeolu Olumodeji

GOD OUR GUIDE

GOD OUR GUIDE

Psa 48:14
For this God is our God for ever and ever:
he will be our guide even unto death. [KJV]

The Scriptures gave account of an insightful conversation between God and a young prophet, Jeremiah. The following extract is found in Jeremiah Chapter 1:4-8;

LORD: Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

JEREMIAH: Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.

LORD: Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee.

We can see from the LORD' s statement that He knew Jeremiah long before Jeremiah knew himself. Our journey started before we were born and continues even after death. Our main text today assures us that we have an eternal God as guide. Like Jeremiah, we who believe in Christ have the privilege of being called into His eternal purpose- and being guided into fulfillment. After which He guides us into eternal rest.

Go into the day knowing you have a great purpose to fulfill and you have a great God to guide you through.

Prayer: Pray that God gives you a humble heart to stay under His guidance.

- Adeolu Olumodeji

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