Month: April 2013

Morning Dew

 

Key Passage: Matthew 25: 31-46

 

Key Word: Matthew 25:40 – “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.”

 

Perspectives are important in any venture in life. What you see can greatly affects what you do. The bible says that “my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” Hosea 4:6. Again, sight comes in varying degrees. Some have perfect eyesight or 20:20 vision, and some see quite dimly. But what one sees depends on your perspective. If you are at the back of a property, you see the back of the property. If you are in front you see the front. But then someone looks from the top and see the entire shape of the house. Today, there is perfect sight for every believer and this comes from seeing it from God’s point of view.

Today’s passage really gripped my heart many years ago, when it was highlighted to me. I saw that ministry to the poor; or poverty alleviation ministry is quite vital for a believer. I saw the power of visiting the sick, infirmed and those in prison. I saw how the Lord views feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, housing the homeless and relieving the distressed of our society and world. What got me was not the compassion, though you need great compassion to do this type of ministry. It was not necessarily the need, though the need can be overwhelming sometimes and only the extremely hardened will not respond to some of the needs. I was convicted by the simple statement Jesus made, “as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.” I saw that every time you reach out to help the needy, you are invariably ministering to the Lord. This is powerful. It is the greatest motivation I have to minister to the needy. I fully believe I am ministering to Jesus my Lord and saviour.

When we feed the hungry, look into their eyes and you will be looking in the very eyes of Jesus. When you clothe the naked, Jesus is right there in that person. This actually revolutionises the way you care. You do not jus give scraps and treat the needy with ignominy, but you are forced to treat them with dignity and sensitivity.

One more thing I think we all need to bear in mind, is that the Lord has said in Matthew 25, that some nations will be called goats and others sheep. The Sheep nations will be at His right hand and the goat nations at His left. He will reward the sheep nations and cast the goat nations into everlasting punishment. The distinction is in their heart and attention to the needy.

What are you doing to feed, clothe, house and visit the Lord? Remember that He is the ultimate recipient of these deeds and he will repay.

Let’s pray: Father God, please open my eyes to see the plight of the needy around me and give me the compassion I need to reach out in my own little way to help them. Lord help me to always remember that as I minister to the needy, I am ministering unto you and may I never forget this. I ask this in Jesus name. Amen.

Morning Dew

 

Key Passage: Proverbs 25:21-22

 

Key Word: Proverbs 25:22 – “for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you.”

 

The Christian walk seems an impossible walk, especially if one tries without the power and help of the Holy Spirit. There are many things the bible commands us to do, that seem so at variance with how the world does behaves and reacts. A good example is found in Matthew 5:38-41, where Jesus taught His disciples

“You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. 39 But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41 And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.”

It is not easy to turn the other cheek to someone who slaps you, neither is it easy to give your cloak to the person who taken your tunic. It seems more natural to do the exact opposite of these commandments. We naturally would defend ourselves and slap back, hit back, shout back and even injure back as a way of avenging ourselves.

But the Christian is called to walk the high grounds of life; to take the paths less trodden, and walk in the opposite direction to the world at large. That is why we are called peculiar people. The Christian’s behaviour in times of crisis will reflect how much of Christ they have allowed to form in them, and quite honestly, these are the times that the world notices our witness the most. Our actions in these times, speak more eloquently than our greatest sermons.

Today’s passage tells us to do good to our enemies. “If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, 22 for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you.”

I never quite understood this idea of heaping burning coals on the head of our enemies. But as I contemplated, I gained an understanding. Burning coals of fire on anyone’s head must be a most painful and disturbing situation. I can’t even imagine it. But this is what happens to an enemy that one treats well. They are in constant agony over why you are being nice to them. There are tortured by their consciences and thoughts. It must the sheer agony. Just think about it.

Secondly, God would bless you for doing it. This is double pain, because you have used the life of your enemy to gain more blessings from God. They see you flourish and prosper and they agonise even more, but you are free in your heart because you are a blessing and you are being blessed by God, because of the enemy and because you chose to walk the high ground.

All I can say is God is exceedingly wise!

Let’s Pray: Dear Father in Heaven, teach me to walk the high ground and the paths less trodden by human beings. Help me to learn your ways and gain victory in all situations, by doing your will. I ask this in Jesus name. Amen.

Morning Dew

 

Key Passage: Psalm 45

 

Key Text: Psalm 45:11 – “The King is enthralled with your beauty”

 

Today my heart is bursting with joy and overflowing with thankfulness at the simple, but profound understanding that God loves me. It has often been said that when a person is loved and in love they glow and they are radiant. Love is such a powerful force. It is the most powerful force in the universe. Its power transcends all other powers and there is nothing, I mean absolutely nothing, that does not become better when it is exposed to the radiance of God’s love. Why are we surprised? God is LOVE!

Whatever anyone says about you, good or bad, it cannot change one simple fact that God loves you. No matter what you think of yourself. How so self-loathing you may be. If you are God’s child, He loves you. God has decided to love you and I, and nothing we can do can make Him love us more or less. It’s a supreme, sovereign choice He made long ago and has now manifested in all our hearts. God’s love is not a whimsical love that changes with the seasons. His love is ever constant and ever bright. I once heard a simple illustration, that when the skies are very cloudy and the mask the sun, if one can climb higher than the clouds, one would find the sun is still shinning in its brilliance. This is God’s love. There may be clouds, but this love never loses its shine or brilliance.

The entire bible is a love story. It is the compilation of a lover God in pursuit of His beloved. You and I. This is so much better than Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. It is the best love story ever, but much more than this, it is not just a fictional story, it is the truth. It is happening live and it is happening to me. God loves me and I’m in love with Him. I can’t describe the feeling. I can’t shake it off. I don’t want to shake it off. I never want to recover from this smitten, love-struck heart.

Have you met my lover King? Do you know Him? The bible tells us that whilst we yet sinners Christ died for us. God’s ultimate act of love is His condescension to the cross and dying my death and taking my punishment. He loves you and I so much, He could not allow us to suffer, so He took our place. He died our death. Honestly, I want to say unequivocally, I don’t fully understand God’s love, neither do I think that we can fully plumb the depths of this wondrous love, but I love it!

1 john 4:10-11 says “In this is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation (the atoning sacrifice) for our sins.11 Beloved, if God loved us so [very much], we also ought to love one another.”

Some of you would understand quite well, what I am about to say. There is a way you feel, when you are in love. You are excited and confused at the same time. You wonder why you feel so helpless and disarmed and at the same time you really don’t want to change anything. You can’t wait to be with the one love, you are so full of expectation and you play many scenarios in your mind before you meet them. It’s just a mixture of emotions and you really are just wasted. I have been struggling for many years now, not understanding why I am the way I am, why I feel the way I feel, why I want to be in certain places, do certain things and why I don’t like some things. Why am I so happy and joyful, when it’s got nothing to do with any physical evidence! I think I now understand. I’m loved by God and I’m madly in love with Him. I’m wasted.

So my King, here’s my heart, my whole heart!

 

Let’s Pray: Father God, I want you to set the hearts of everyone who reads this post today on fire. Let Your all consuming fire of love so engulf their hearts that they would never ever doubt your love for them ever again. I pray that you would so overwhelm them with the reality of your pure love, that they would be wasted and blasted. I can’t imagine that there is anything greater I can pray for today. I ask this in Jesus name. Amen.

 

 

Morning Dew

 

Key Passage

 

Key Text: 1 Chronicles 14:2 – “And David perceived that the Lord had established and confirmed him as king over Israel, for his kingdom was exalted highly for His people Israel’s sake.”

 

Africa seems to have drawn the short straw when it comes to leaders. This has often puzzled me and I have agonised over this issue for many seasons, hoping to find the root cause, so one can know what to do to change it. If we are to believe John Maxwell, then ‘everything falls and rises on leadership’. So the quality of your leadership will determine how your country will be. If you have great leaders your country will be great and if you have bad leaders, even with all the potential for greatness in that nation, the country will be a bad country. In my quest for the leadership issue in Africa, I have come to discover a simple truth. The word of God has the perfect diagnosis and also the perfect cure as well as the possible prognosis of this issue.

In our text today, we read a most profound statement “And David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel, and that his kingdom was highly exalted for the sake of his people Israel. Here lies the issue. Most leaders in Africa are not aware of why they are leaders. They simply take up the positions, to better their own lives and to become important and significant. They never really understand that the position is a position of humility and that they are servants of all. They never really appreciate that they are to lay their lives down for the people they lead. They never really contemplated the cost of leadership and the weight of leading a people. They have no vision, no direction and no heart for anything sustainable and long lasting. They are consumed by their self-image and publicity. They are myopic and totally self serving. They don’t think of the future generations, so they never sow for posterity and God forbid that they ever think about competent succession. They would rather have stooges take up the positions they vacate, so they can still pull the strings from a distance. Shameful.

But David on becoming King in Israel, understood that God had made him king for the sake of the people and as a king he did all he could to serve the people and make the people serve God. He remains the most loved king of Israel. All you need to do is go to Jerusalem and you would see how this king is revered.

One more point, perhaps a sore one. Leadership in Africa derives its foundation from the Kings and rulers of the ancient empires of Africa. Leaders in Africa, believe they are kings and kings in Africa are totally above reproach and are not accountable to anyone. We are not allowed to question the king. So the king does what he likes. Kings in Africa, convert the resources of the state to their personal resources and they use the power of the state for their personal pleasure. Everything and everyone serves the king and his purpose, no matter how selfish they may be. This is probably why a lot of leaders in Africa are embezzlers and looters of the public treasuries. They think the resources are theirs. How sad?

But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.  It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant,  and whoever would be first among you must be your slave,  even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Jesus never once served himself. He lived and died totally committed to the cause of God for the people. He laid His life down to redeem mankind. Even today after His resurrection and ascension, He occupies the position of Our Great High Priest, ever living to make intercession for the saints. In His glorified position, He is still serving.

Why are we so deprived in this continent? Why have godly leaders eluded us. Are we deluded and deceived by these people or are we just not favoured?

Lord please send us Davids, Moses’ and Deborahs and Esthers and Nehemiahs. Send us leaders that will know that they are there in those lofty positions to serve and not be served.

Let’s pray: Our Father in Heaven, you said we should ask and we will receive. Today we pray for all our countries across the world, that you would give us leaders like David, who would serve the people of our nations. Give us leaders that are dead to self and not leading to enrich their personal pockets or find significance through their positions. Please Father, bless us with godly leaders that will serve us and help us to serve you. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. 

Morning Dew

 

Key Passage: John 14:1-11

 

Key Text: John 14:6 – “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me’.”

 

Travelling to foreign countries can be quite an experience. In my estimation, I can safely say, it has been one of the best ways to educate my mind, and develop an appreciation for other cultures and peoples. I love travelling, but it has some incredible risks. One obvious risk is the language barrier. If you can’t speak the language and don’t understand the culture, you can often be misled or hear incorrectly. If you ask for directions to a particular destination, the locals can describe the way to you and tell you in which direction you should be heading, but not knowing the landmarks and even some of the words written on the road signs, you could be driving around in big circles and never get there.

God does not want men to be lost in life and worse still lost for all eternity, because they went down the wrong road, thinking that they were genuinely seeking and serving Him, but are in actual fact, sincerely wrong. Jesus said in today’s key text “ I AM the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE!, If you step on the wrong motorway that takes you in the opposite direction to where you are going, you would end up in the wrong destination, unless someone comes to your rescue and tells you that you are heading in the wrong direction. Then as a wise person, you would immediately do a U-Turn and head in the right direction.

Many religions and beliefs are sincere about their pursuit and worship of God. But sincerity of purpose is not enough. One could be sincerely wrong and that can be a tragedy. I don’t believe that anyone would sincerely be seeking to know God and make it to heaven, and then find out the truth and deny it and reject it. So, my heart goes out today to all my friends and acquaintances of other faiths, who are genuinely seeking to serve God, but are completely misled and are going down the wrong path. Also, I am burdened for those of other faiths, who have never really had the opportunity to hear the truth or have been told that what is the truth is actually a lie. God please help us all.

Jesus made an emphatic, unequivocal, profound and completely unambiguous statement in John 14:6. He said “ I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father, except by Me.” Jesus does not want anyone to be in doubt as to the way to eternal life. He didn’t want anyone to be lost. He wants everyone to know God the Father and enjoy the full benefits of being a child of God. So He told the world loud and clear that He is the Way.

Let me state this, Jesus Christ is the incarnate Son of God. He came to this world to redeem man. He lived a completely sinless life, yet He went to the cross of Calvary and died a sinner’s death. He died our death and paid the price for our redemption. He rose from the dead on the third day and opened the way for all mankind to be saved. He opened the way for all mankind to come back to God and receive the forgiveness and love of God the Father. He is the only saviour of mankind. No other Saviour besides Him. No one died for us. No one carried all our sins away. No one quite like Jesus. No one came from Heaven. No one was born by a virgin. No one knows the Father like Him and no one knows the way to God, except Him.

There are many roads, but only one leads to heaven. It is Jesus. There are many ways, but only one is the right way. Jesus. There are many claiming to know the truth or have the truth, but there is only one person who is the Truth. Jesus. There are many promises of life and life everlasting, but there is only one giver of life and only one entrance into eternal life. His name is Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

What are you waiting for? Stop and make that u-turn today and get on the Way> Put your trust in Jesus.

Let us pray: Today I am confronted with the reality and starkness of the truth as uttered by Jesus Christ Himself. He said He is the Way, The Truth and The Life! I want to make this change. I ask Jesus to introduce me to the Father and forgive my sins. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that he is my saviour. I believe that He is the Truth and I put my trust in Him for eternal life. Jesus make me one of yours and let me spend eternity with you. Thank you.

Ps. If you prayed this prayer for the first time, let me congratulate you on you decision to accept and follow Jesus Christ. Please let me know so I can send you some literature that will help you to know how to take the next steps in walking with Jesus and enjoying the benefits of salvation in Jesus Christ. 

Morning Dew

Key Passage: John 4:1-42

Key text: Jonh 4:4 – “He needed to go through Samaria.”

Certain functions in life require special attention. If you are to choose a spouse, you need to be quite deliberate in your process of making that choice. Also, when it it time to choose an area to live in, again many factors come into consideration. So also is the act of winning souls. It takes wisdom and skill to win people to the Lord and many have approached this process without due consideration for the task at hand.

In today’s message, we see that Jesus had to pass through Samaria. In my understanding he was compelled by the Holy Spirit to go through Samaria. The Jews don’t mix with the Samaritans and would do all to avoid going through Samaria, but Jesus was deliberate in His quest to win this woman to His Kingdom.

He went and waited by the well at noon. This was strategic. he positioned Himself where he knew the woman would come to. Why 12 noon and why at the well. This woman was a pariah in town. She had a bad reputation, so she would not come to the well when everyone came there, so she would not be ridiculed. 12 noon would be very hot in the middle east, so no one left the house at that time to draw water from the well. This is wisdom in action by the Lord.

When the woman got there, Jesus did not immediately blurt out the gospel. he asked her a most natural question. Can I please have some water? The lady was a bit puzzled seeing Jesus was a Jew. She had an idea of the customs and knew that it was not culturally right for a Jew to drink from a Samaritan, and even worse a Samaritan woman. But Jesus was crossing boundaries to meet this woman. He then told her that if she only knew the gift of God, she would ask Him and He would give her living water. The woman tried to dodge the issue, by stating that Jesus had nothing to draw water with and how come he can give living water? 

Eventually after some theological discussion, Jesus asked her to go and call her husband and come to Him. The woman said she had no husband. Jesus affirmed her answer and told her she had had five husbands and the one she was with was not her husband. She was surprised and thought Jesus was a prophet, and she proceeded to ask some more theological questions. Jesus then revealed Himself as the messiah, and immediately the woman left her pot and went into the village, telling everyone that she had met Jesus and could he be the Messiah?

The point of this whole dialogue, is the care and skill Jesus deployed to winning this woman. He was sensitive, tactical and very wise. he did not chase her away by calling her a sinner who would rot in hell. He instead, came to her level, discussed with her and then helped her to reach the conclusion of Jesus being the Messiah. 

If we are to win souls, we must be exceedingly wise. The fisherman or hunter must have the right bait and he must cast his hook in the right waters. Soul winning is a wisdom function and always think about your strategy for winning souls to the Lord. God will give you wisdom, if you ask Him.

Let us pray: Father God I thank you for the wisdom to win souls. Lord, please help me to be sensitive, careful and wise in soul winning in Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Morning Dew

 

Key Text: “And he who wins souls is wise.”

 

 

Wisdom the bible says is the principal thing. But so many are going through life professing to be wise, yet they are most foolish.  Being smart is not necessarily being wise. And certainly not chicanery. Many so-called ‘wise’ people are really just cunning and sly and have the capacity to get the better of others. This does not qualify to be called wisdom.

Today, this simple scripture tells us quite plainly that whoever wins souls is wise! Why such a profound and final statement? Well, Solomon was one of the wisest men to ever live, so if he came to this conclusion, I can assure you it was not without much thought and divine guidance. Soul winning is probably the greatest venture man can commit himself to on earth. It is the purpose of all purposes and it is one that has a sure reward way beyond this life. Wise people know how to invest. They know how to manage time and resources. They know how to build lasting legacies. So when Solomon said a soul winner is wise. He must have factored in all these ramifications.

Let’s look at the investment. If you invest your life in winning souls, the rewards and returns are not just limited to this life; they go with you into eternity. Almost all other investments stop yielding on this side of life. They don’t last forever. How about using time and resources well. We have a limited time here on earth. Someday this will be all over and we then are faced with eternity. So what we do in this limited time, has irreversible consequences in eternity. So if you spend your time in frivolity and dissipation, you would have nothing to show for your life in eternity. A soul winner on the other hand, will have used their time on earth so wisely that they are honoured in eternity, forever and ever.

How about building lasting legacies? Jesus said in my Father’s house there are many mansions. I can say that these mansions will be of varying sizes and the number of rooms will differ. I believe a soul winner’s mansion will be much larger and better decorated that that of a non-soul winner. Some will be in charge of neighbourhoods, some in charge of cities, some nations, some continents and some planets. So soul winners are not foolish, but wise.

Souls are the currency of heaven. That is what God counts everyday. Not how much money we’ve made of how many houses we’ve built or how many cars we drive? God looks at a life and looks at the soul winning value of that life.

Another very wise man in the bible, Daniel was told this by God – Daniel 12:2-3 “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.”

God told Daniel, that there is a hereafter and that life does not end here. He then told him, that those who are dead will rise up someday and some will rise up to shame and everlasting contempt, whilst others will rise and shine like stars forever and ever. Those who turn many to righteousness are called wise and they are the ones that shine in God’s firmament and they are those who shine like stars forever and ever. Don’t be a fake star, that shines only for a season and is extinguished and never shines again. Be a star for all eternity.

Be wise. Win souls.

 

Let’s pray: Father God, thank you for reminding me of my primary purpose in life today. I want to be wise not foolish, so Lord help me to prioritise soul winning and help me to give more time and attention to this wise activity. Father, send people my way who need to hear of your saving grace and power and help me to lead them to you. Father, make me a wise soul winner, in Jesus name I pray. Amen.

 

Morning Dew

 

Key Passage: 1 Samuel 17

 

Key Text: 1 Samuel 17:40 – “Then he took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones from the brook and put them in his shepherd’s pouch. His sling was in his hand, and he approached the Philistine.”

 

Undoubtedly, you must have had of David and goliath. This is such a fascinating story and it really captured my imagination as a child. How a little boy killed a mighty giant with a catapult, or a sling and a stone. I always marvelled at the bravery of this kid and in some way, feel I too could be a David someday. It had this ring of fairy tale about it. It seemed hyperbolic. But as I grew up and learnt the bible, I realised this is a true story and the whole battle between David and Goliath is an illustration of how we can defeat the enemy in our souls.

I could talk about David’s courage, his faith in the Lord, his understanding of the enemy, his sense of purpose, his motivation etc; but I am going to focus today on something I called the “five smooth stones from the brook”. David went to the brook and picked five smooth stones from it and put them in his shepherd’s pouch and with one of them he brought the giant down.

Prior to David going for the smooth stones, he had been offered Saul’s (the king) armour and sword. He tried them on but had to drop them, because he was not comfortable in them and he was not used to fighting with those weapons. Let me say, that most of us try to fight spiritual battles using human weapons. We put our trust in earthly systems and believe they would bail us out in times of trouble. Honestly, some of the issues we face have no known natural remedies. We should stop depending on natural means to solve spiritual problems. If David had fought Goliath with Saul’s weapons, I don’t think we would be celebrating him today.

The five smooth stones from the brook are symbolic of the word or promises of God from the bible. The flowing brook is a symbol of God’s word and David went for God’s method, rather than man’s understanding. He put these stones in his shepherd’s bag and used a sling to send the stone into Goliath’s forehead. What does this mean for us? David is a type of Christ and also a type of a believer. When we are facing difficult and humanly insurmountable issues, we are to go into God’s word and pick pout the promises of God. I recommend at least five per issue. Meditate on them and make sure they are sown in hearts. This is the shepherd’s bag. Then we must use our sling or catapult to send the word of god out. This is our tongues and mouths. We must confess and proclaim the truth about God’s word over the circumstance and situation and we shall undoubtedly see the change come to pass. God’s word in our mouths is as powerful as God’s words in His mouth.

Isaiah 55: 10-11 – For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

IF THE WORD OF GOD CAN ENTER OUR HEARTS ABOUT A MATTER, IT PRODUCES THE FAITH OF GOD IN OUR HEARTS. ONCE FAITH IS IN OUR HEARTS, WE CAN SPEAK TO THE SITUATION AND IT WOULD CHANGE TO CONFORM TO THE WORD OF GOD. GOD’S WORD CAN NEVER RETURN VOID. IT HAD TO PERFORM WHAT IT WAS SENT TO DO!!!

 

Get your five smooth stones from the word of God and take your giant down. God’s word is the most powerful weapon in His creation.

 

Let’s Pray: Father God, I thank you for showing me the power of the five smooth stones from the brook. I will hide your heart in my heart and deploy these to destroy any opposition to my life. Thank you for the power in your word, in Jesus name I pray. Amen.

 

Morning Dew

 

Key Text: 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

 

Moving into a new house can sometimes produce some strange experiences. For a few days, you find yourself reaching for things where they were in the old house. You wake up thinking you are still in the old house and people have sometimes found themselves closing from work and driving to the old house. Its strange, but it happens and quite often too, until you mind adjusts to the new reality. Actually man does not like change and we would rather stay with the old and familiar, than move on to new things.

Today’s passage tells us something quite profound and I wonder how many Christians truly believe and live in this reality. The passage says, If anyone is in Christ Jesus, he is a NEW CREATION! What does this mean? New Creation? Yes New Creation? This means exactly that. Christians are a totally new order of human beings. A new race of mankind. Before us, there never existed human beings in the order or type of Christians.

Adam was created buy God out of the dust of the earth, Christians are born or begotten by God from above. That is why we are born-again. Adams race never had the Spirit of God dwelling in their spirits, He came upon them and used them, but only believers in Christ have the Holy Spirit indwelling them.

Jesus made a very profound statement in Matthew 11:11 “Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”  Jesus was talking about you and I. he said John the Baptist was the greatest of all men born of woman, but the least of those born of God is greater than John the Baptist. WOW! Think and meditate on this a bit.

Beloved, I know that you are still struggling to move into the new house. The old house is still in your mind and heart. But, we are now new in Christ, old things have passed away. They are no more. As a child of God, you are a new order of human being, born again and given a status in Christ that is higher than all the powers of this world. You are seated in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, far above Rule and authority, power and dominion. You have the life of God in you. You are born again by the imperishable seed of the word of God. You have been given power over serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the evil one. You are to lay your hands on the sick and they would recover! You are to speak in other tongues. You can take up serpents in your hands and if you take anything poisonous it would not harm you. You can speak to mountains and they would move. You have unrestricted access to heaven and unlimited access to the resources in heaven.

We are a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people. A people belonging to God. We have the God DNA.

God is our Father and we are His sons. We are new creations! New Race! New order of human beings!

Let’s Pray: Father God, I thank you for recreating me in Christ Jesus. I believe and affirm that I am a new creation, old things have passed away, behold all things have become new for me. Today, I take possession of my new estate and walk in it, to the glory of your name. I declare this in Jesus name. Amen

Morning Dew

 

Key Text : Jeremiah 23:29 – “Is not my word like fire, declares the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?”

 

There are times that we come up against stubborn challenges that just simply refuse to budge to the pressure we apply. We try all our human wisdom and ingenuity, but the results remain the same. There are stubborn problems and sometimes the way through is not as hard as we may think.

I can say categorically, that there is no problem on this earth that we live in that will not bow to the word of God. Please just follow my thread of thoughts and see if you agree or disagree at the end of this.

In the scripture above, God says “ Is not my word like fire”. Fire has been known to consume even the most resistant elements. I know they design materials and say they are fire proof, but please don’t let that fool you. There is nothing that is totally fire proof. Most of these materials will melt to fire at certain temperatures. I remember once trying to buy a fireproof door from Germany for our house. It all looked great until my German friend told me, that these doors are only fire proof up to a limit of certain degrees centigrade. The bible tells us that the entire earth will melt under the fire of God. So whatever the problem is, the word of God can rise to temperatures way out of this world’s calculation and burn off that problem. Cancers, tumours, HIV and whatever else they may call these problems, they would all be burnt off by the intense heat of the fire from the word of God.

God also said “is not my word like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?” No matter how big or hard the problem is, God has a hammer fit for the destruction of the rock-like problem. Think about this for a second; how big is God? How powerful is He? How big is the problem? How powerful is the problem? In answering these questions, it become quite obvious, that our so called big problems are like so little in the eyes of the Almighty God. Imagine this, an ant comes to you and says he needs you help in breaking through a small tiny 5 millimetre wall it is trying to get through. Would you just simple blow the rather inconsequential wall with your breath? You don’t need a hammer to break that wall; just a simple gust of air from your mouth will scatter it all. That’s what happened at the walls of Jericho. To Joshua it was a great wall, to God it was a small inconsequential thing and He just blew gently from His mouth and that was the end of the wall.

Another point we should be aware of is that everything is held together by God’s word. There is nothing that is that is not by the word of God. So if God should withdraw His word from something, it simple stops to exist. So God’s word can give and remove existence.

Finally in 2 Peter 1:3-4, we read ‘His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. ‘

God has given us all that we need to be victorious in this life. He has given us His word and we would do well to keep His word in our mouths and in our hearts. Because in speaking the word continuously from our mouth, we are doing what God will do to anything. He speaks and it is done. So as we speak the word of God over our circumstances, we can be sure these circumstances will respond to the living word of God from our mouths.

 

Let’s Pray: Heavenly Father, Thank you for your powerful word. I believe that you word is more powerful than any other power in your creation and I submit to it. Today, help me to fill my mouth with your word and apply your promises to difficult situations, so that your word can break them in pieces like a hammer or burn them to cinders like fire. Thank you for the victory in your word. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.