THE POWER OF OBEDIENCE (part 1)

I want to first of all apologise to all our sincere followers for the delay in this post. I know it is long overdue. Please accept my apologies. Today I bring to you something that was laid in my heart by God and I know this message is for somebody and I pray that as you read this the Holy Spirit will help you do that which you are reluctant to do.

Obedience is conformity to a monastic rule or the authority of a religious superior, especially on the part of one who has vowed such conformance. Simply put, obedience is doing the right thing or conforming to the rule even if it inconveniences you. Now there are two examples that I want us to look at.

Jesus' first miracle was at a wedding at Cana. When all the wine had finished he was called by his mom to help with the situation. John 2:1-12. In verse 5 (ESV) Mary  "His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Mary knew the power of obedience; of course she should have, since she was the only virgin to give birth to a baby and didn't refuse when she was called to do so. Just imagine if one of the servants had disobeyed Jesus, the miracle wouldn't have happened. But they obeyed Him and this caused many to believe in him. 

Now Jonah was a prophet who God sent to the people of Nineveh to tell them their evil doings had caught up with them. But instead of going, he decided to flee. When there was trouble in the sea and the lot was cast it fell upon him and he was thrown overboard. Now a big fish swallowed him for three days. And since he was left alone in the belly of a fish he has a lot of time to think and he came to the conclusion that obedience is better than sacrifice and when he was out of the belly of the fish he went to where God sent him and delivered the message (whole story can be found in the book of Jonah).

The lesson in today's message is that, we have to obey our father in heaven if we really believe in Him. What He wants from us may seem hard or impossible to do but the outcome will definitely  be a miracle. The servants at that wedding would have thought what manna of man Jesus was to tell them to fill the pots with water when they needed wine. But it was the word of Mary, who is a master of obedience that gave them faith. Sometimes all we need is to listen to those who have gone

 before us so that we don't make the mistakes they have made.

I may not know what God is asking you to do personally but my advice to you today is "DO IT". Also let us do what God has commanded us to do. 

CONFESSION

"Lord, I ask for the spirit of obedience today. I want to learn to do the right thing as you have commanded. Please help me to overcome the things of this world and follow after you diligently. Thank you for hearing my cry, Amen". 

GOD BLESS YOU

YOU HAVE TO SHOW INTEREST

Luke 19:1-5. 

This is the story of Zacchaeus and how he met Jesus. The first time I read this story with understanding my eyes were opened to something great. Look at what Zacchaeus did, the bible says in verse 3 and 4 "And he was waiting to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way."

Now this was a man that was very rich and people both respected and feared him but he didn't care. He had heard about Jesus for a long time and was desperate to see who he was. Let me draw back here and point out that Zacchaeus was not a born again Christian, in fact most task collectors were considered as cheats. But he knew that there was something different about Jesus and he wanted to see it. 

The size of that crowd would have originally discouraged him but he didn't get discouraged. Instead he climbed a tree like a child and because he did he found favor in the eyes of Jesus. Jesus could sense his desperation and he became one of the people that had the opportunity of hosting Jesus in his home.

Now the lesson here is that you need to show God how desperate you are to have him in your life. Zacchaeus is a good example. He didn't think about his status in the society or what people will say, all he was interested in was Jesus. My friends I want to give you the best advice I can offer, FIX YOUR EYES ON JESUS, show interest in him and his ways and you will see that Jesus will willingly come to into your home. I pray you read this with caution and adopt Zacchaeus as a role model.

ASSIGNMENT 

1) Try and show interest in Jesus and his ways. When He sees how desperate you are he will come to your home.

2) You can only gain the interest of God only when you seek him first.  Therefore determine to put him first from today and he shall add other things to you and even more than your mind can fathom.

YOU ARE MORE THAN WHAT YOU THINK YOU ARE

            WHO AM I? This is a question majority of us humans run away from answering, but have you noticed that as much as you run from it is always staring you directly in the face? Do you really know who you are or do people tell you who you are. For certain if you don’t know people will help you define your existence. Now don’t get me wrong here, I’m not talking about your name or your resume or even your surname, I’m talking about what stuff are you made of or simply put your person and how do you see yourself. In Numbers 13:31-33, the people of Israel saw themselves as grasshoppers to the descendants of Anak and the painful part was that they didn’t only think it but said with their mouth’s, “we looked the same in their eyes”. What a way to degrade the army of the Lord.

            If you don’t know who you are in Christ Jesus, this is the time to ask him that simple question. But first by way of reminder if you have ever thought less of yourself or you’ve seen yourself as worthless just as in the case of Gideon in Judges 6:15, or just maybe everyone you’ve relied on has failed you or perhaps you have been abused and molested or lived a rough and terrible life, God still says “YOU ARE THE APPLE OF MY EYES, YOU ARE INSCRIBED ON THE PALM OF MY HANDS, BEFORE YOU WERE BORN I KNEW YOU, YOU HAVE A FUTURE AND A HOPE, YOU ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD AND A CITY SET UPON A HILL THAT CANNOT BE HIDDEN...God has so much in store for you and loves you dearly with everything even more than you can imagine, let no one tell you differently. Dear friends, there is so much on the inside of you that you have not yet figured out. I’m sure you are always thinking is this where it all ends, is this what life is all about, all the hustle and struggling just for survival is that why I’ve been dumped on this earth? A capital NO is your answer. God is not a wicked God, there’s more and trust me serving God pays a great deal.

            I urge you today get angry, go to God and ask him “Lord who am I” and he would answer you. Also in your spare time please read Judges 6, 7, 8, it will show you how a man (Gideon) who thought he came from the weakest clan in Manasseh and the least of his family was called by God as a mighty warrior and also saved the people of Israel from the hands of the Midianites.

“AND WHAT EVER GOD HAS SAID YOU ARE, THAT’S WHO YOU ARE. AND I LEAVE YOU WITH THIS, HE SAID THAT HE WOULD NEVER LEAVE YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU (DEUTERONOMY 31:6) KEEP HOLDING ON”.

ASSIGNMENT

·         Go to God in prayers today and ask him, Lord who am I and what is the reason for my existence.

·         Lord whatever potential that is in me that is yet to become a reality, Lord Reveal it unto me.

·         Pray for the peace of Nigeria, and decree the exposure of any one or group of people that is determined to sink this nation to the grave in Jesus Name...AMEN.

   

HE CAN CALM THE STORM

This morning I woke up feeling very alarmed due to a nightmare I had. But then I got to study my bible and I came across the story of how Jesus calmed the storm and it brought me a huge relief in my spirit and that’s what I want to share with you so please follow me on this.

Matthew 4:35 - 41.Now Jesus had finished what He was doing in a particular city and He told the disciples that they should leave to another place. When they got on the boat there was a heavy storm that was breaking the boat and allowing water to enter which would have lead them to sink. Then the disciples ran to where Jesus was sleeping and woke Him up asking if He really cared about their lives. And Jesus rose up and said "Peace be still" and the storm calmed and then He turned to His disciples and said "why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?"

Now if you can clearly observe this story you will see that faith has a lot with our everyday living. I thought to myself maybe Jesus wanted to test them because there would have been no way He was unaware of that heavy storm. And the disciples realized that they could do nothing without Jesus. This is one of the reasons we pray in Jesus' name; because His name carries power. The only way you can overcome a storm is through Jesus. Although the disciples did not need to wake Jesus up from His sleep. They would have simply confessed in the name of Jesus and that storm would have been calm but because they didn’t have faith, they failed and had to wake Jesus up.

Faith is the only trigger for the open heavens Of God's blessings. Faith in God is what Causes God to move on behalf of men. I have heard of testimonies of how men and women put their faith in God believing him for a job, fruit of the womb, admission, signing of contracts, promotion in jobs etc. You can be one of these people to share a greater testimony. All you have to do is to take a leap of faith and trust God. But remember faith without works is dead. It's not enough to confess it, you have to put your faith to work. 

I encourage you to build up your faith because it is only when you believe in Jesus that the storm can be calmed. I see this story and I think of many Christians who don’t know the extent to which Jesus can help them so they run to man for help. But there is nothing God cannot do. You just have to play your part which is believing that He can. Note that God who took you to the level you are can protect you from that devil. The storm can be calmed and He is the only one that can calm it. So believe in Him today.

"Even If Your Faith Is As Small As A Muster Seed It Can Move Any Mountain (Say Kilimanjaro) And I And That It Can Stop Any Storm"

CONFESSION

"Lord helps me to grow my faith in you. Help to be able to withstand any storm that comes my way"

ASSIGNMENT

1) Take time out to study the word of God because the bible says that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17).

2) Please pray for Bishop David Abioye today as God adds another to his life today.

GOD BLESS YOU

ENTER INTO YOUR PROMISED LAND

Whatever you do not possess, you cannot access. If God has given you a territory, a place, a location as your own or a promised land, all you have to do is to rise up and possess it. Understand dear friends that God cannot rise for you to possess for you what he has already placed into your hands or put differently given to you. You have a part to play and that is possessing your possession or inheritance.

Set out now and cross the Arnon Gorge. See I have given into your hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his country. Begin to take possession of it and engage him in battle.

Deut 2:24

Someone reading this might just ask; how do we possess or take possession of our inheritance or our promised land given to us by God? The simple answer is you possess by engaging in battle or you can as well call it a spiritual warfare by the word of God. Looking at the lives of the people of Israel coming out of Egypt towards the Promised Land, we understand that;

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It is very possible brethren that God can give unto you what is still in the hands of the enemy; Joshua 12:1-24.

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It is very possible that what rightfully belongs to you is still arrested by the devil.

Until you rise up from your slumber, sleep, coma or captivity to possess and contend with it, it never leaves the hand of the devil. Some of us think that the devil goes on vacation most times and so we just relax and let him have a field day...hmmm. It took the people of Israel 40years to get to the Promised Land but even in it their welcome party was a battlefield.

Dear friend there’s really no time to relax. Bishop Abioye says that “For every new level there is a new Devil”. For every Jordan you cross there’s a bigger one ahead of you. Never ever let your guard down. In Video games, you notice that every next stage or level (easy, medium, hard) you get into, you havetougher opponents and greater obstacles well is the same with the battles you face to get into your promised land. Your destiny might not look promising at the moment, in fact it might even look lower than it but stay put and keep on pressing on.

But thus saith the LORD, even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.

Isaiah 49:25

When you lift a step to possess your inheritance God moves ten steps ahead of you to make every crooked way straight and eliminate what so ever wants to stand in your way. “He brought us out to bring us in”.

Assignment

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Take a step today to possess what God has already delivered unto you.

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Always stay prepared for the next level with the word of God.

 

KNOWING THE ABILITY OF GOD

Someone was preaching last week in my church and he said something that caused me to think deeply. He said and I'm paraphrasing that, this God we serve, has He changed? Remembering the times of old when men of God will speak into the atmosphere and the enemy will tremble and fall at their feet. Why is it now like God has changed, because many Christians who command things to happen for then end up not happening. 

I sat In my chair and wondered about this. I know my God has not changed, He is the same yesterday, today and forever. So meaning the challenge is from us (I call it a challenge because it can be dealt with). While thinking about this I discovered that the major problem is that we don't realise the greatness of the power of our God. Not that we are not aware, because we hear millions of testimonies; but that we do not fully realise that there is nothing God cannot do. Sometimes when the devil attacks, people make the mistake of thinking it's the will of God thereby not putting into practical all they have been thought about the power of God.

Lemme tell you something, the God you serve is a God who fed Elijah by ravens. He is the God who made manna fall from heaven in the desert. He is the God who fed Five thousand men. He is the God who the hem of his garment healed the sick. He is the one who has put you where you are today. I can go on and on about who He is, my question to you is that do you believe in His ability. The things He has done before do you believe he can do it to you or through you. 

If you don't I advice that you start now. John 14:12 says "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father". 

I have good news for you today. You can do all things. You don't even need to disturb the spiritual leaders in your church. Philippians 4:13. 

Assignment 

1) Don't just say you know what God can do, also believe he can.

2) Start commanding those things that be not as though the were. 

3) Creat a relationship with God. He won't give you more than you can chew. 

MAKE A DECISION TODAY

If you have been to a buffet where you have so many delicacies of food to choose from and most times you get as confused as to which to actually dish out first to begin with. Some people might even take a little bit of everything and fill up their plates...lol. But understand that it’s a choice you have to make, either to choose a particular meal or to choose everything laid out for you at the buffet and come out looking ten times bigger. “Life is a choice” and nobody would be blamed for whatsoever decision that we make but ourselves. Are you not sick and tired of saying over and over again that ‘I was not helped by my uncle who is a millionaire that’s why I never hammer (not yet rich) till now’ or ‘my parents didn't train me that’s the reason I can’t make it in life’. I challenge you today that you lift up yourself today, take a stand for yourself and make a choice. If nobody can eat for you or bath for you then certainly nobody can make that decision for you. You and I have that responsibility to make decisions and to stand by them. God clearly stated it saying;

See I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction...this day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. NOW CHOOSE LIFE...

Deut 30:15-19

This might come as a shocker to most of us reading this but there are people that have either chosen to be poor and to remain poor and there are others that have chosen to be rich. I was at my office during the week and a frustrated man walked in saying that God is a partial God and that why is it that some people are rich and some are poor, hmmmmm what a way to bring down a curse upon your entire life and destiny. It became obvious to me that some people have chosen curses and death and don’t even know it by the words they gush out of their mouths. I’m sure you remember the story of Noah’s ark; he had to make a choice to either obey God or build the ark against the flood or to disobey God and join the crowd to die. It also looks to me that Noah would have told them about the great flood coming and invited them to come on board the ark but they made a choice not to. Dear friends, it is your call, you either reject it or you pick it up. It all depends on you.

My great question to all the youths, mothers, fathers and teens reading this is WHO AND WHAT DO YOU DECIDE TO CHOOSE TODAY?  Do you decide to give/take that bribe in order to attain that promotion, do you decide to use that fake WAEC result/BSc holder certificate so you can get a job and lie to your parents or do you decide to study hard and become outstanding in life. Bishop David .O. Oyedepo said that “it is better to suffer the pain of success now than to suffer the pain of regret”. I leave you with this that whatsoever decision you make in this life either warrants for a great life, prosperity, curses or death, it is up to you. Make the right decision today by choosing life (Jesus) if you have not made any and if you have made a wrong decision God’s arms are still wide open just for you, all you have to do is to choose life.

Now for as many of us that decide this minute to choose life eternal, I want you to say this prayer below:

“Lord Jesus, today I make a decision to choose you forever as my Lord and personal savior. You are the only reason I’m alive today, therefore I ask that you become the Lord and Master of my life. Save me Lord from every wrong decision that I've made in the past. I CHOOSE YOU LORD IN JESUS MIGHTY NAME...AMEN!!!

ASSIGNMENT

·         Make a decision today that you would choose the awesome life that is Jesus and never to go back again.

·         Make a decision today to rewrite every wrong that you made in the past.

·         Make a decision to do something about your current situation.

GOD BLESS YOU

DO YOU LOOK LIKE YOUR FATHER?

I have been thinking seriously about this and I ask myself, do I really look like my Father? Can someone just take a look at me or listen to me for a minute and say that I am a child of God? I always ask myself this because I know that we are in a world where it has become very hard to say who is a child of God. I saw the story of Peter and John in Acts 4:13 and it got me thinking about my identity. When people saw them they knew that they had been affiliated with Jesus because they had his boldness that only Jesus was known to carry. People knew that these two men were illiterates but still yet they could see how bold they were just by observing them.

When I saw the story, it tickled something in me that made me wonder if people know that I am affiliated with Christ. Sometimes, and I know this happens to a lot of youths, we go to certain places and we are shy to talk about Christ. We can't even say "I Thank God" in front of some of our peers so that they won't call you "Spiri-coco" or names like that.

Let me give an example of something that happened to me. There was a day I was invited to hang out with old friends to catch up on old times. When I got there they asked me what I wanted to drink and I said il just have a bottle of coke. Everybody there including the waiter began to laugh at me and then an old friend said "ahh, this one is now a pastor o, she doesn’t drink". Now,, not that I felt bad that I didn’t drink but I was not happy that I was singled out like that. I felt a little bit bad but on my way home the Holy Spirit said to me "would you have preferred they had said bring 10 bottles for this madam, she can drink more than anyone I know". When I heard that, I agreed with Him.

In Acts 11:26, the bible tells us that this was the first time the disciples were referred to as Christians because they were acting and doing like Jesus. Meaning that, it was very obvious because they were alike with Jesus Christ. If you are truly a child of God people should see it in you. You don’t have to tell people who you are. If people know your biological parents and they see you, they will see a sense of resemblance between you and your parents. That’s how it should be with our heavenly Father.

We are ambassadors of Christ. Wherever we go, people should see us and see God in us. Let me also point out that your representation of Christ can win souls into the kingdom of God. If you show fort the God in you, people can be touched and will want that same thing working in you to work in them. DON’T JUST PREACH GOD, SHOW THE GOD IN YOU.

I want to leave you with this, 1 Timothy 4:12 (NIV) "Don’t let anyone look down on yu because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity". PLEASE LET SEE OUR FATHER IN US.

CONFESSION

"Lord, I ask that you give me the grace to be able to show forth who you are in my life. Help me to be a good ambassador to your kingdom and give me the strength to overcome all distractions of the enemy to make me mis-represent you".

GOD BLESS YOU

TURN ASIDE

Understand that every man, woman, boy or girl whether old or young born of a woman has a past. No man can have a future without having a past, so understand that the actions you take today it’s a determinant of the results you experience in the future but your future can be far much better. Please stay with me on this.....Someone might say “Well I don’t think my life can be sweeter or better than it already is since my past was as ugly as hell, I just have to accept my fate”. Another might even say I’ve been a cheater, a drunkard, a smoker, a prostitute and even a murderer...nothing good can come out of my future. If you are in that situation right now and you are reading this I urge you just “TURN ASIDE” like Samson did.

“The Spirit of the Lord came upon him in power so that he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as he might have torn a young goat...sometime later when he went back...he turned aside to look at the lion’s carcass. In it was a swarm of bees and some honey which he scooped out with his hand and ate as he went along...”

JUDGES 14:6-8

Wow!!! Honey from the carcass of a lion, think about that for some seconds. Why not vultures on top of the lion tearing the flesh of the lion apart and flies everywhere but the most unthinkable thing was there “the producer (the bees) and the product (the honey)”. God the producer of everything sweet, perfect and everything priceless is saying he is stepping into that dead business, career, ministry, relationship and even that health in Jesus Name. But you have a responsibility to turn aside or look again. A seed must die first in the ground before it sprouts up and produces fruit that are sweet and tasteful. Samson had to turn aside on that same road before he could see the honey in the carcass of the lion, if he didn't he wouldn't know have known forever. Moses also turned aside to look at the burning bush that wasn't burning in Exodus 3:3 and there his destiny took shape. What God is saying to every reader today is don’t give up on that project, don’t pull the life plug just yet, don’t give up on that brother or friend, don’t fold up that business or ministry, don’t give up on that marriage and don’t give up on yourself....just take one look back again and ask God to open your eyes to see that honey in that dead and bitter circumstance.

You may not be able to change your past but your future is a whole new chapter and has a chance to write off your ugly past. God is offering you that honey today, all you have to do is to turn aside, look again at the scriptures and listens to what God is saying. And for as many that have never given God a chance into their lives and you want to be saved in order to access this honey that he is offering you, please say this prayer below;

“Lord Jesus I know I've tried to help myself but it’s not working, I realize that I need your help because I cannot help myself. Save me Lord Jesus, come into my life and be the Lord of my life and every of my affairs. Thank you Lord for saving me in Jesus Name....AMEN!!!

ASSIGNMENT

From today, cease to be in charge of whatsoever situation you are going through and allow God step in to make it sweeter.

GOD BLESS YOU!!!

   

SALVATION; THE ONLY PERMANENT THING

When this message came to me for the first time, I started to understand things better. My dear friends, I am sure we all know that nothing last forever in this world, not even our lives. When I read the book of ecclesiastics, I see how Solomon refers to the things of this world as vanity and I think to myself, 'this king is absolutely right'. Nothing lasts forever. The only thing that a man can hold unto that can guarantee an eternal life is salvation (According to Matt Slick, Salvation is being saved from the righteous judgment of God upon the sinner. A lot of people think that salvation means being saved from yourself or the devil.  But that is not accurate.  All who have sinned against God are under the judgment of God.  This judgment is known as damnation where God condemns to eternal hell all those who have offended Him by breaking His Law).

Let me give you an illustration; you buy a car that is very expensive and it’s the latest of its kind. No matter how you preserve it and clean it, it will one day become old and newer ones will come out. What I am trying to make you see here is that nothing in this world can last forever, everything will go away one way or another. Even humans don’t last. Our salvation is the only thing that can last.

Not to be misunderstood, I am not saying that it is not good to have material things (Psalm 24:1) or want them but you must be sure that those things you desire are not to the detriment of your salvation. You must not give up your salvation if it means you having earthly gains, because as children of God we should understand that this is not our final destination in this race.

If you desire, you can keep your salvation, work on it and try to spread what you know to the people around you so that they can also be beneficiaries to the only thing that lasts forever. Salvation is what everyone should desires as it is the only thing that can make us win this race.

ASSIGNMENT

If you are saved today, I want you to say "Lord Jesus, u thank you for saving me. Thank you Lord for the salvation of my soul and give me the grace to share your word and win souls for you"

And if you are not yet saved, I want you to pray this prayer, "Lord Jesus, I come before you with the whole of my heart and I ask that you forgive me all my sins and take me as your own. I ask that you give me the grace to walk with and in you because on my own I can do nothing. Send your Holy Spirit to guide me and teach me your ways. Thank you Lord for answering me"