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