Exceedingly Abundantly

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us” (Ephesians 3:20, NKJV).

Exceedingly abundantly simply means overflow or something immeasurable. God is a God of the overflow. Our text says He is able to very much surpass our requests and thoughts. While men think natural, God thinks and desires to do the supernatural. While we think ordinary, He thinks extraordinary. While we think and operate the mundane, He operates the spiritual and superior. Hannah petitioned God for a son, but God gave her six children (1 Samuel 1:11; 2:21). The crippled man at the gate of the temple wanted alms from Peter, but God decided to make him walk (Acts 3:1-10). The widow of the prophet wanted to just pay her debt so that her children will not go into captivity, but God decided to give her a business with lifelong earnings (2 Kings 4:1-7).

Though God is unlimited in His operations, He is often limited by man. He chooses to work with regenerated men who have accepted Christ as Lord and Savior. And our text clearly states that we determine the degree to which God is able to do His exploits in our lives. It is according to the power that works in us. The following are some powers the Christian is to pay attention to in order to see the limitlessness of God:

The Power of Submission: The total yieldedness of one’s will to God will undoubtedly release His power immeasurably. After Jesus prayed and surrendered His will to the Father, an angel was released to Him from Heaven to strengthen and empower Him for the daunting assignment before Him (Luke 22:39-46). After Peter surrendered his boat for Jesus to preach from, he was instructed to cast his fishing nets and he caught a great multitude of fishes and experienced an overflow (Luke 5:1-11). It was when the patriarch Jacob submitted fully to God that the nation Israel was born through him (Genesis 32:22-32). The human will is sacrosanct and independent. God designed us to exercise our wills however we choose to. A deliberate surrender of one’s will to God will release supernatural powers to that same person (John 1:12-13).

The Power of Expectancy: Clichés that are popular have a way of losing their potency and severity. One of such clichés in Christian circles is expectation is the mother of manifestation. We hear it regularly but fail to ponder on its relevance and truthfulness. Often times those who have little or no expectations from God lose out from His generosity and magnanimity. Expectancy and patience (or waiting ability) are Siamese twins (Hebrews 6:12, 15).  Expectancy and paying attention are also blood relations (Acts 3:4-5). Those who have low expectations of God do not wait on Him to manifest. Our expectation commits God to act on our behalf. The prophet Elijah was praying to God to cause rain to fall after three and half years of drought. Seven times he kept asking his servant to check the sky for clouds. For six times the servant came back with ‘no cloud’ answer, until the seventh time he reported seeing the cloud. (1 Kings 18:41-46). Elijah was praying and expectant! May the Almighty enable us to have high expectations in Jesus’ name.

The Power of His Anointing: Every born-again believer has the yoke-destroying and burden-removing power of God resident in him or her (Isaiah 10:27, 1 John 2:20). Apostle Peter was very conscious of the overflowing power (anointing) within him. When the crippled man at the gate of the temple looked up to him and John for alms, he said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk” (Acts 3:6). Peter invoked the name of Jesus Christ and the anointing within to heal a cripple of forty years old who had never walked before. Talk of the exceedingly abundantly! Peter was conscious of what he carried: the yoke-destroying and burden-removing power of God. Are you conscious of the indwelling Holy Spirit within? Do you engage the Holy Spirit regularly by speaking His language, listening to Him and obeying Him?

CONCLUSION: May we all receive grace to cooperate with God in order to experience the exceedingly abundantly this month in Jesus’ name.

Draw Near To God

“And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.” Hebrews 10:19-22 NLT

Drawing near to God is a deliberate action emanating from a determined and decisive person. Every move towards God is rewarded and matched by Him also taking steps towards us. God wants to be desired, sought after, pursued after and given priority by His children. Below are some ways to draw near to Him:

Draw near by the blood of Jesus: One major hindrance of men approaching God is a guilty conscience. The high priest under the Old Testament entered the holy of holies in the tabernacle once a year with the blood of bulls and goats to make atonement and secure forgiveness for the Israelites. In God’s kingdom, sin is purged by the shedding of blood. The blood of goats and bulls couldn’t heal a guilty conscience ridden of sin. It was only able to cleanse and purify the flesh and the outwardly, and not the inward where true worship is made to God (John 4:23-24). Jesus became the sacrifice for sins by His death on the cross of Calvary. By shedding His blood, He entered the heavenly holy of holies with his pure blood, obtaining eternal redemption and forgiveness for those who believe in Him. His blood cleanses from a guilty conscience and is the covering for believers as we approach the Most Holy God. The blood of Jesus is our merit and qualifier as we draw near to God. Reference: Hebrews 9:11-14

Draw near by purity:  The Christian in the New Testament is the temple of God. Under the Old Testament the temple of God was the physical building (or some consecrated place) set apart for His worship. Cleanliness, attention to details and observance of protocols were the hallmarks of the worship of Jehovah in these locations. Now that we are the temple of God bearing the resident Holy Spirit within us, we are set apart for a holy purpose and true worship of God. We have been made kings and priests to God. We are to dominate our world and also to intercede for mankind before God. Our roles are very sacrosanct and requires the utmost responsibility from us. There is need for personal holiness as we serve God. References: 1 Peter 2:5; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Draw near with boldness. There were restrictions in the tabernacle in the Old Testament. The people were only allowed in the outer court. Some regular priests were allowed in the Holy place. Only the high priest was allowed in the holy of holies once a year. And while going in, a rope was tied on his leg because if the rules weren’t followed carefully he will be struck dead in the holy of holies. The high priest drew near to the most holy place with fear and trepidation. Jesus is the high priest of the new covenant, securing access to the holy of holies to those who believe in Him. He paid the sacrifice for us so that we can approach God boldly. He is also in the heavenly tabernacle as our perfect high priest, making intercession for us before God. “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16 NKJV

Conclusion: We have access to an unlimited God through Jesus Christ. Are you taking advantage of this access? Are you desirous of being intimate with this wonderful God? Are you taking advantage of the Divine Enabler within to draw close to God? Are your sins washed and forgiven by Jesus? Receive grace to draw near in Jesus’ name.

 

Taking The Limit Off God

“Yes, again and again they tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel. They did not remember His power: the day when He redeemed them from the enemy.” (Psalm 78:41-42, NKJV).

The Israelites, on getting near to Canaan the Promised Land, refused to go forward. Ten out of the twelve leaders appointed by Moses said it was impossible for them to take the land considering the size and humongous nature of the giants who were occupying the land. It was only Joshua and Caleb who were willing to go on and take possession of the land. These two leaders said, “If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us …” (Numbers 14:8). They acknowledged the power of God in the situation.

God is unlimited in power; He has no inabilities or restrictions and can do all things. When we limit God, we restrict His actions in our lives, we bind His Hands and do not allow Him to operate freely on our behalf. Below are some ways to take the limits off God:

Re-new your mind: The Bible enjoins us to renew our minds (Romans 12:2). There is need to educate the mind with the scriptures in order to align our thoughts with the will of God. The battlefield is the mind of man. We are all products of our thoughts. The stronghold of fear, worry, anxiety, doubt, inferiority complex, etc are all products of the mind. God’s wish is that we meditate on His word and be in alignment with Him in our thinking! As we renew our minds we begin to think like Him, change inwardly and reflect His glory. The Israelites had been slaves all their lives and therefore had a slave mentality. They couldn’t see themselves owning Canaan, and in spite of all they had seen God done in Egypt, they doubted when they saw the giants in the land.  Top athletes must exercise daily in order to remain in form and competitive. Neglecting to exercise regularly leads to weakness and loss of competence. Christians must renew their minds regularly in order to take the limits off God.

Re-member past victories: Every child of God has past victories. Before David faced Goliath, he remembered how God used him to kill the lion and the bear that confronted him in the wilderness. And he voiced these past victories to King Saul (1 Samuel 17:34-37). These became the platform for his faith and courage. There was no recounting of God’s past victories from the Israelites when they stood at the verge of Canaan. They couldn’t remember past victories at the face of challenge; all they could think of at that time was the seeming ‘security’ they had in Egypt. David made his boast in the Lord publicly when he told Saul how God used him to kill the lion and bear. Bold and audacious words coming out of a convinced and persuaded mind will always make God move mightily (Mark 11:22-24).

Re-kindle lost dreams: Many Christians when they first come to faith in Christ are full of lofty dreams and aspirations. But over time they become complacent when their realities don’t match their expectations. The way to always go is perseverance. We are not to be slothful but by faith and patience obtain God’s promises (Hebrews 6:12). Oil drillers never stop drilling when they are assured, through prospecting studies, that there is crude where they are drilling. God’s promises are yes and Amen in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20). Jesus’ blood signed, sealed and delivered all of God’s promises to us.

Re-enact past moves: Literally, all Christians have made a move of faith at some point that glorified God. Moves of faith please God and take the limits off Him. With a renewed mind that puts Him first, God begins to acknowledge every move we make in faith. Signs follow those who believe and move in the name of the Lord! The four lepers at the gate of Samaria that God used to bring deliverance to Syria would have died on that spot if they had not made a move. They moved and the prophetic word by Prophet Elisha found fulfillment (2 Kings 7). Prophecies are realized as believers make moves in the direction of the prophetic word.

CONCLUSION: To take the limits off God, we must seek fresh divine experiences through an intimate relationship with Him. I pray God’s Hands shall be loosed over us all in this new month in Jesus’ name.

The Power Of Imagination

“And the Lord said, behold, the people is one, and they have all one language, and this they begin to do: AND NOTHING WILL BE RESTRAINED FROM THEM, WHICH THEY IMAGINE TO DO” (Genesis 11:6).

The Merriam Webster dictionary meaning of the word imagination is to form a mental image of something not actually present to the senses. In the above scripture, a united humanity was making progress in the building of a tower they envisioned. God had to come down to disrupt the building project else they would have achieved their goal because of their unity and the imagination of their hearts. God Himself said nothing will be restrained from them which they imagine to do.

One of the Hebrew words for imagination is ‘yetser’ which means a form or conception. The human mind is basically divided into two: the memory and imagination compartments. With the memory, we replay events of the past; and with the imagination, we pre-play and visualize the outcomes we desire in the future. The imagination compartment is our spiritual womb. Below are three types of imagination, viz:

Vain imagination: The word vain means useless; something that produces no result. The Bible says because some people refuse to glorify God they became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish hearts became darkened (Romans 1:21). An unregenerate person who refuses to give ample room to God in his or her mind falls into this category. An evil mind that is being controlled by evil forces also fall into this category. This kind of imagination produces evil outcomes that is dangerous and detrimental to humanity.

Fertile imagination: This is productive imagination. This is the mind which has been cultivated and is harnessing the power of imagination resident within. Napoleon Hill, the author of Think and Grow Rich said “whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” This maxim is in line with Ephesians 3, verse 20 which says God can grant to us whatever we ask or think according to the power resident within us. Many don’t receive from God because their words and the imagination of their hearts do not agree. You can’t be healed after praying for healing when at the same time you are thinking death. We produce good outcomes when there is alignment between the images we carry within and the words we speak.

Godly imagination: These are godly dreams and visions. They are images God Himself paints in the canvasses of the mind. He showed Abraham many stars in the night and told him his descendants will be as numerous as the stars of the firmament (Genesis 15:5-6). As a new believer, I was greatly engrossed in playing chess with my unbelieving friends to the expense of my time with God, and God in convicting me to change my company began to show me images of chess board every time I kneel to pray. He communicated with me that the company I was keeping and the amount of time spent playing chess were a hindrance to my walk with Him.

Conclusion: What images are you forming in your mind? Are they positive or negative images? How do you see yourself? Our imagination is our spiritual womb. Like the mother hen that sits on his chicks before they hatch, we also conceive and incubate things within us before they manifest. God gave us imagination to help in our walk with Him. As we daily imagine His greatness, His Holiness, His acts, He shall become magnified in our lives. Remember that whatever you focus on magnifies in your life. Have a blessed month!

The Power of Light

Then God said let there be light and there was light. And God saw the light that it was good, and God divided the light from the darkness.” (Genesis 1:3-4)

The first statement God uttered in the Bible was let there be light. The first thing He created was light. The Hebrew word translated in this context shows light as illumination, something that clarifies, brightens and brings happiness. The Bible says God saw that the light was good. Darkness is the opposite of light. Darkness depicts evil, something not good, chaos, confusion, ignorance, etc. Below are some of the qualities of light:

Light shines: The believer in Christ is commanded to arise and shine because he has light (Isaiah 60:1). The Bible says the gospel of Jesus Christ is the light of the glory of God. It is this light that believers in Christ receive when they give their hearts to Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:3-4). The gospel makes its recipients to shine in this dark world, because it is the light of God’s glory. Light reigns because it shines and overcomes darkness. However, the extent of the shining and reigning of the believer is determined by the amount of light (revelation knowledge) he or she possesses and walks in. True believers radiate the glory and brilliance of God in this dark world.

Light heals: It is reportedly known that a good number of babies are born jaundiced. Jaundice is a liver disorder that causes the white part of the eyes and skin to turn yellow. Though potentially dangerous, it has an easy cure. The baby is put under a special light. The skin absorbs this light and stimulates the liver to start functioning well. Human beings are morally and spiritually sick because of sin. The truth of the scriptures is the light that heals us of spiritual sickness.

Light dispels darkness: Satan is called the prince of darkness. His agents and demonic spirits are called the rulers of the darkness of this world (Ephesians 6:12). His kingdom is called the Kingdom of Darkness. He majorly rules his dark kingdom with fear, ignorance, hatred and deception. The Bible says light shines in darkness and the darkness cannot understand nor overpower nor extinguish it. Light wins over darkness without a fight.  Faith in God, the love of God and the truth of the scriptures are embodiments of the light of God. These qualities when possessed by the believer make him or her to overcome the darkness of this world.

Light rules: The Bible says God created two great lights on the fourth day of creation. The greater light He created was to rule over the day, and the lesser light to rule over the night (Genesis 1:16-19). To rule is to exercise authority or dominion over something. The believer in Christ rules over sin, sickness and death because of the understanding which the light of God’s word provides him or her. What one understands he gains mastery over. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness but have the light of life” (John 8:12). Our understanding of redemption, forgiveness, sanctification and justification gives us mastery over the deception of darkness.

Light quickens: It enlivens and produces life. For most living organisms, life ebbs or ceases to be when light is no more. Plants live by photosynthesis. They convert sunlight energy into food and produce oxygen for mankind. Life and light are mysteriously inseparably linked. Jesus said those who follow Him will have the light that produces and leads to life. Life means being present with God both in this world and in eternity. Darkness is the absence of God.

CONCLUSION: Light organizes and creates order (Genesis 1:2-5), light exposes (Ephesians 5:13) and shields (Romans 13:12). We are enjoined, as children of light, to walk in the light and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them (Ephesians 5:8-11). Receive grace to become an embodiment of light of God in Jesus’ name.

The Overcoming Christian

“He who overcomes I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name” (Revelation 3:12).

To overcome means to gain victory over a challenge or opposition. The Christian is no stranger to opposition while he or she lives here on earth. The overcoming Christian is the one who appropriates the grace of God and walks in the victory Christ has purchased for His elect (Galatians 5:1). The person whose faith does not fail and endures to the end is the overcomer (Hebrews 10:38-39). The overcoming Christian is the one who uses his faith to obtain divine promises and possess divine inheritances (Hebrews 11:33-36). He is one who regularly looks at temptation or sin in the eye and looks the other way without yielding (James 1:12).

Being overcomers is what God has ordained for His children. That is when we truly operate in the liberty given to us in the covenant of grace and do not live in bondage to debt, sin, people, worry and anxiety, etc.  God’s plan is for His children not to experience depressing defeat, but to experience exhilarating victory that comes through overcoming. There are three major obstacles the Christian has to overcome in order to live the overcoming life:

The World System: The Bible tells us that Satan is the ruler of this world (John 14:30). He is largely in control of the systems, the culture, the government, the modus operandi of this fallen world. This is, off course, for a time and season after which Jesus will replace the world with the New Earth with all the perfection, glory and righteousness of the Kingdom of Heaven (Revelation 21). Until then, the Christian will have to swim against the tide of sinful enticement, injustice and evil of this world. The challenge of the Christian is trying to impose God’s righteous will in a world that does not know God and is hostile towards Him. However, Jesus is the Chief Overcomer; we follow His example and receive the power to overcome from Him (John 1:12). The Bible says, “For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory by faith. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God” (1 John 5:4-5, NLT). We overcome the world system by appropriating the victory Christ has won for us.

The Flesh: This is the fallen human nature that is opposed to God. Jesus on the cross of Calvary abolished the reign of the human nature when He was nailed to the cross. Mankind was in union with Christ when He hung on the tree (Romans 6:4-6). By virtue of that unity, anyone who believes in His substitutionary work becomes a partaker of His divine nature which is given to believers by the Holy Spirit. Though the flesh’s power is abolished, the Christian still has to rely on the grace of God to overcome the works of the flesh. We overcome the cravings of the flesh by walking in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16). We also overcome the temptations of the flesh by deliberately doing the things that are contrary to the wishes of the flesh. We please God when we walk in the Spirit. We overcome and attain spiritual maturity when we choose to please God over and above the cravings of the flesh.

The Devil: The devil and his cohorts have every genuine Christian on their hit list. We wrestle against evil spiritual forces. The Bible makes us to realize that God has an armor set for Christians by which we are to stand against the enemy all the time. But as typical of God, He has given us free will, leaving us the responsibility to deliberately wear His armor. Salvation, righteousness, faith, truth, preaching the gospel, the Word of God, praying in the Spirit are all part of God’s armor which the Scripture enjoins us to wear all the time (Ephesians 6:12-18). We are not to overrate the enemy by paying undue attention to his cunningness and activities. Rather, we are supposed to submit to God, resist the enemy by exercising our God-given authority against him, and he will flee from us (James 4:7).

CONCLUSION: Those who overcome are made permanent pillars in the kingdom of God (Revelation 3:12), are given authority over more territories (Revelation 2:26), are clothed in white garments (Revelation 3:5), will sit with Jesus on His throne (Revelation 3:21), will be forever branded with Jesus (Revelation 3:12). Be counted among the overcomers today. Have a blessed month!

Arise and Shine

“Arise (from spiritual depression to a new life), shine (be radiant with the glory and brilliance of the Lord); for your light has come, and the glory and brilliance of the Lord has risen upon you” (Isaiah 60:1, AMP).

The scripture above-cited admonishes us to arise and shine. God has ordained His children on earth to be light and shine forth His glory and beauty. Before we can shine forth, we have to arise! Below are some of the things we have to do in order to shine forth in 2018:

Arise from besetting sins: Besetting sins are petty sins that we are susceptible to, enjoy and find difficult to jettison and give up. The Christian journey is like a marathon race, and no marathon runner goes into the race all dressed up. They all appear in light clothing of singlets and shorts in order not to be bogged down, weighed down and slowed down. Besetting sins are weights that slow down the Christian and has the potential to terminate the race for the Christian before getting to the finished line. The Bible admonishes us to set aside besetting sins and run the race before us with endurance (Hebrews 12:1).

Arise from mediocrity: One of the synonyms of mediocrity is average. Average may be defined as the best of the worst and the worst of the best. An average person doesn’t have extraordinary results, and this may be due to failure to exert himself or herself. The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 9:10, “'Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.” We are to give 2018 our best shot ever, and with God’s blessings our results shall be extraordinary.

Arise from procrastination: Procrastination is truly the thief of time. It is true many people will miss heaven because they keep on postponing the time of salvation to a future time. Procrastination can have very disastrous consequences. This is why the songwriter Andrae Crouch sang, “count the years as months, count the months as weeks, count the weeks as days.” By so doing, we maximize time and opportunities. Successful people are acutely aware of the brevity of life and they maximize every moment. The Bible says we should overcome the evil in the day by redeeming the time and stop acting thoughtlessly (Ephesians 5:16-17).

Arise from shame: Mephibosheth, the grandson of King Saul, lost his father Jonathan and grandfather on the same day. He fell as a five-year-old and became lame in his feet the same day his forebears died. He later was abandoned in a desolate place called Lo Debar. Kind David showed magnanimity and kindness to Mephibosheth by bringing him to live with him in the palace at Jerusalem. He lifted him from a disgraceful condition to a graceful one. And this depicts the grace and mercy of God. The grace of God is a lifter from deplorable conditions (Psalm 40:2-3). It is the kindness and benevolence of God that removes reproaches from our lives. In 2018, exercise faith for more grace.

Arise unto godliness: What will make a remarkable difference in 2018 is our consistent and daily walk with God. Christians who do well walk consistently with God. They daily meditate on scriptures, pray, and make investments in the spirit by obeying God. Enoch the patriarch was said to walk in close fellowship with God and then one day he disappeared because God took him (Genesis 5:23-24, NLT). People who walk closely with God are a blessing to their world. A godly person is one who has a dynamic relationship with God that is unaffected by worldly pleasures and fleshly appetites (Galatians 5:24).

CONCLUSION: 2018 is a year loaded with divine opportunities. Arise and make it a glorious year by the grace of God. Have a blessed year!

Be Of Good Cheer

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world”(John 16:33, NKJV).

The above-cited scriptural quote from Jesus is very instructive. As Christians, we are supposed to abide consistently in Christ, so that we would have His peace which exceeds human understanding. In the world, there are many troubles; but our triumph over them is certain, if we abide in Christ.

Below are some principles we should live by in order to be of good CHEER:

Count your blessings: The human nature is much more inclined to lament over issue than to testify and recount God’s goodness. Many are quick to call up friends and family members and complain when a misfortune happens; but they rarely call up the same people to testify of God’s goodness. Many crave for pity and sympathy from others; hence, the propensity to lament. And many refuse to testify of His goodness because they feel God hasn’t done enough. They fail to realize that testimonies beget testimonies because they fuel faith in both the sharer and the hearer. Lamentation, on the other hand, begets more lamentations because it fuels unbelief. David said we should recount all His benefits, whether we deem them inconsequential or not (Psalm 103:1-5).

Hold onto your dreams: It is true that hope deferred discourages the heart (Proverbs 13:12). There is no better option to holding on to one’s aspirations, hopes and dreams even when they delay in coming through. The prophet Habakkuk wrote: “this vision is for a future time, it describes the end, and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed” (Habakkuk 2:3, NLT). The patriarch Joseph was able to maintain a good attitude and was cheerful in his thirteen years long ordeal, because he held onto his dreams. If God said it, it will surely come to pass.

Engage faith in the Word of God: To engage something, in this sense, means to activate and deploy it for one’s benefit. To be cheerful in this world, we must give premium to the inspired and infallible word of God. We should stop allowing what our senses perceive determine what our hearts believe. Faith in God is of the heart. The basis for our faith is the Word of God. The Apostle Paul, under divine inspiration, wrote: “So we don’t look at the troubles that we can see now, rather we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever” (2 Corinthians 4:16, NLT). We can be cheerful amidst difficult times when we develop eyes of faith which envision and practically keep in view the Word of God.

Encounter fresh grace: There is grace for every new season of life. Yesterday’s grace may not be sufficient for today’s challenges. The Israelites were instructed to pick the manna only for one day, except the day before the Sabbath, when they were allowed to take enough for two days, since the Sabbath ordinance forbade them to work on that day. Those who disobeyed and picked for two days (except for the Sabbath) had their manna turned stale and spoilt the following day. God was emphasizing to them - and by extension, to us – that daily walk and communion with Him ought to be our lifestyle. There is grace for every day, every new assignment, every new year, every challenge, etc. To be cheerful, it is mandatory to lean entirely on God and His grace. By strength shall no one prevail (1 Samuel 2:9).

Respond to divine ability: The word responsible is from two words, viz. response and ability. Spiritual maturity occurs as we respond to the divine ability within us. In other words, we yield to the Holy Spirit and not the dictates of the flesh (Galatians 5:16-17). An irresponsible person is the one who responds wrongly to God, life opportunities, his talents and abilities, etc and then, in turn, blames others for his mediocre life. We can be cheerful in this evil world when we respond correctly to God, His Word, divine abilities, etc. The Holy Spirit enhances our ability to respond correctly to life.

CONCLUSION: As 2017 comes to an end, the word of Jesus, though spoken many centuries ago, is still relevant. Jesus is our Overcomer! Strong and unwavering faith in Him makes us overcome in this evil world (1 John 5:4-5). Be of good cheer!

The Blessings Of Giving

“……And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, it is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).

Below are some benefits of giving:

Giving delights God: Because of generous givers who give to the less privileged, many praise and thanksgiving go to God (2 Corinthians 9:11-12). God is glorified in our giving. Generous givers reflect the nature and character of God, and this is partly why God loves cheerful givers (2 Corinthians 9:7). Giving also delights Him because giving blesses His mankind, solving human problems such as hunger, homelessness, nakedness, eradication of diseases, etc.  “And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God.” (Hebrews 13:16, NLT). Giving to His work also advances His Kingdom.

Giving destroys the power of greed: The human nature is inherently selfish and greedy. Generous and regular giving is painful to the flesh and breaks the selfish streak of the human nature. It makes us die to the flesh, and makes us more God like. Giving in God’s economy is counted as righteous work and good works that delivers divine promises in this world and the world to come (2 Corinthians 9:9, 1 Timothy 6:17-19).

Giving trusts in God’s provision: Many people don’t give often and regularly because of fear that they will run out of resources and supply. But great givers trust in divine provision. They believe Luke 6:38 that says “Give and it shall be given to you”. It takes faith and courage in God to believe the divine principle that he who scatters shall yet increase and the generous man shall be prosperous and enriched (Proverbs 11:24-25).  This divine principle does not make sense to the natural and rational mind. Faith in God for divine provision pleases Him.

Giving brings satisfaction and health: The Bible in talking about the generous man says those who refresh others will in turn be refreshed (Proverbs 11:25). There is great fulfillment in being a blessing to others and helping to relieve their challenges. Covetousness and greed on the other hand can bring a curse (Proverbs 11:24b,26). John D. Rockefeller at 53 years old was the world’s richest man. At this age, he developed a strange and unyielding sickness, and he was given less than a year to live by doctors. This condition changed him and he began to give tons and tons of money to churches, schools, hospitals, etc. Miraculously he became healed of this terrible ailment and lived for another 40 plus years eventually dying at 97 years old. When we touch God’s mankind with our generosity, we also touch heaven.

Giving provokes divine intervention: Giving is a gracious act that qualifies the giver for divine intervention. The story was told of Dorcas in Acts 9: 36-43 who was a generous giver who was fond of making clothes and giving to widows. This woman suddenly died, and somehow because of her good deeds her church in Joppa refused to accept the verdict. They sent for Apostle Peter who was in a neighboring city to come and pray for her. And the apostle eventually raised her from death. Examples abound in the Bible of giving provoking divine intervention! Reference: Malachi 3:10-12

CONCLUSION: God does not judge us based on what we give but on what we could have given (Mark 12:41-44). Receive grace to be more generous and to have faith for divine provision. The blessings of giving is ours in Jesus name.  Have a blessed month in Jesus name.