​OCTOBER 22 : COUNT IT ALL JOY  

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

DAILY READING Romans 1:16-32; 1 Samuel 9:1-10:16; Psalm 55
Chan and fellow Australian Myuran Sukumaran, gained international attention, for turning to God during their decade-long stay in an Indonesian prison. Though arrested for drug trafficking, while in prison they encountered Christ and became believers. One of them Andrew Chan, became a Christian while in solitary confinement. After reading through the New Testament four times, he was on his knees and cried for the first time in years. He studied theology and was ordained.

In prison, Chan and Myuran rehabilitated themselves to become upstanding members of the prison system. Even in jail they made positive contributions to the lives of other prisoners. They corresponded with Brian Houston, pastor of Hillsong Church in Sydney. Pastor Brian said he spoke almost every day with Andrew Chan, whose faith and strength under extreme duress, inspired him.

However, despite their change of life, the Indonesian Government still insisted on the death penalty for them. Just before their execution, they sang praises to God. A pastor who witnessed the execution told an Australian Newspaper, that it was the first time he witnessed someone so excited to meet their God. Chan died singing “10,000 Reasons” by Matt Redman. The song includes the words, “And on that day when my strength is failing/The end draws near and my time has come/Still my soul will sing Your praise unending/Ten thousand years and then for evermore.”

In his final letter Chan said he was glad he didn’t die a sinner, but had the joy of salvation by accepting Christ as his savior even while in prison, for him that was the greatest gift of all. 

Apostle Paul was sharing the Gospel, when he was arrested and put in the prison. But Paul wasn’t defeated and depressed by his situation. When he couldn’t speak publicly, he began to write letters. In Rom 5:3-4 Paul wrote `we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us.’ While moving from one prison to the other Paul wrote over half the New Testament from his prison cells. They thought they were stopping him, but they only ended up amplifying  his voice. 
James tells us to consider it pure joy whenever we face trials, of various kinds. The message translation says “Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.” (James 1:2-4 MSG) 

This seems like a hard thing to do, but the joy that James is talking about here is pure joy – the word pure means all, every, and whole or thoroughly, not just a surface joy, but a joy that is all encompassing. A joy that is real, a joy that is pure, a joy that can pass all understanding, that kind of joy can only come from God. 

Sometimes in life, we will be hurt, disappointed, challenged, and overwhelmed by the many different trials that come our way, but we are to count it all joy in the midst of our trials. We should react to things with the understanding that God is in control. 
When we walk with God, we will be passed through refining fires. We may not like the process that makes us  Christ-like  because it may involve pain,  but the end result is the product of spiritual maturity. God knows every setback and challenge you have ever had to face. And He sometimes allows the storms as  part of the process of making us stronger. Instead of short-circuiting the process, let us stand strong in the face of trials, knowing we will come out of it better, more mature and more developed. When we have been tried we shall come forth as gold.  

Therefore quit focusing on the trials that come your way, rather use every such opportunity to praise God. No matter how difficult the road may be, God alone has the final say over your life. If God doesn’t turn it around the way you thought, be certain that He is working it all out for your good.  

The most important thing is to always ensure we are in the will of God, and not that we are suffering as a consequence of sin or ignorance. When we are in God’s will, His grace will always be sufficient for us. You’ll never come to a hill where you won’t have the strength to climb it. You will never come to a night so dark, there will be no star in it. Every trial we face should culminate in giving Glory to God. The very thing the enemy thinks will steal our joy, should be the very reason why we praise God. No matter what happens be assured that Jehovah alone has the final say in your life. At the end of his life Paul said I have finished my race – with joy. Let us determine to finish our course with joy, knowing that indeed God is in perfect control of our lives. 

Let us therefore rejoice always, in everything giving thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning us. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).” 

PRAYER:  Lord please help me to know that everything is working out together for my good. Help me to build my life upon the solid foundation of Your Word, knowing indeed it is all working out well for me  in Jesus Name.

 QUOTE 

Nothing liberates like truth, the truth you know and act upon will make you free. – WORDBITE 222.  

 [ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK FAITH CLASSICS]

​OCTOBER 21 : WHAT ARE YOU FEEDING YOUR MIND..  

Gal. 6:7-8 
Do not be deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man sows, that will he also reap. For he that sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption; but he that sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

• DAILY READING Romans 1:1-15; 1 Samuel 8; Psalm 54

It takes strength to soar. To rise to a greater height you need power. An air plane uses a greater amount of fuel at its take off point.

When we wait upon The Lord, in The Word we receive strength to soar, and mount up like eagles. In order to fly, one must be strong. An eagle’s strength to soar, is as a result of his diet. Eagles do not just eat anything. Eagles feed only on freshly killed prey, they do not feed on dead things. Also an eagle feeds well. It has such a voracious appetite that it can consume half a kilogram of fish in about four minutes.

In the same vein, in order for us to soar in life, our spirit must feed right and feed well. It takes a strong spirit for a man to rise in life. This is why we wait upon The Lord, to feed on His Word, so that we can receive the needed strength to overcome oppositions and rise.   

The Word of God contains the complete diet for the human spirit. When you feed on The Word, you will be strong and do exploits. If you eat healthful foods you’ll be healthy, but if you eat unhealthful foods you’ll be unhealthy. You will fly high or remain low, dependent on what you eat. To be a high flyer like the eagle we need to be choosy over the things that enter into our minds. The lion known as the strongest among beasts, also eats only fresh meat. Your spiritual feeding will affect your spiritual size and strength. 
The biggest animals on the planet are baleen whales, their great size is said to be as a result of efficient filter-feeding. They have specialized system of a comb of keratin along the upper jaw instead of teeth. The comb filters massive amounts of food from the water, providing such efficient nutrition that it allows the baleen whales, to get bigger and bigger, until it ends up as hundred-foot-long blue whales. 

What you feed on  will determine how your life turns out. Because the eagles feed on fresh meat, they are strong and fly high. Eating dead things can impair their ability of free flight, so they avoid it.

On the contrary, vultures feed on dead carcasses, they eat what others have left and tend to overeat. Due to this they get intoxicated, such that they can neither move nor fly and thus become prey to wild animals. Because vultures  feed on dead things they are slow, fly low and have their vision impaired often  becoming prey to their enemies. 

Eating dead things can dull a man’s spiritual sensitivity. Feeding on things like pornography, gossip, slander, dirty jokes, dirty scenes in movies are like feeding dead things to the mind. These weighs a man down, and keeps him on the floor, unable to soar until inevitably he becomes an easy prey to the enemy. Sin is a sinker, but righteousness exalts. We must check what goes into our minds. You are what you eat and you are also what you think. Decide today to feed on the strong fresh meat of the Word. And your senses shall be exercised to discern between good and evil. Through feeding on The Word and getting to know God more, you will be strong and do exploits. 

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to feed constantly on Your Word, so that my heart can be strengthened to do exploits. Help me to overcome the temptations of the flesh. By Your grace I will continue to stand strong and never fall despite the strong wind of sin and temptation blowing in the world, in Jesus Name.   

QUOTE : 

For you to enjoy victory in The Kingdom of God, you need to develop a kingdom mind, that thinks in line with The Word of God. – WORDBITE 222. 

 [ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK FAITH CLASSICS] 

OCTOBER 20 : STAND AND SEE GOD’S SALVATION

1 Samuel 14:6  KJV

For there is no restraint to The Lord to save by many or by few.

DAILY READING Acts 28:17-31; 1 Samuel 6-7; Psalm 53

Amazing testimonies in Israel have continually proven that God is the defender of His people. A documentary film titled ‘against all odds’ recounts the various miracles that took place in Israel during the Yom Kippur War in 1973. One of the stories is about what happened when an Israeli tank commander found himself and his men in the middle of a mine field. This group of Israeli soldiers in the Golan heights were carefully making their way to a nearby village on a cloudless October night. But suddenly, the soldiers discovered that they had unknowingly walked into a minefield with explosives buried in the ground all around them. Realizing that they were in grave danger, they halted their movements. They couldn’t keep walking because any wrong step could have triggered any of the explosives, and ultimately lead to their death.

As they contemplated on a solution, their options seemed grossly limited. The only thing left to do was to carefully poke the ground before them with their bayonet, ensure there is no explosive, before putting down their foot to take a step. These would be a very laborious, painstaking and time consuming process, but there were no other options left. As the soldiers began to poke around with their bayonets, one of them offered a prayer to God asking for His help. As he prayed, suddenly a strange unprecedented wind began to blow. This wind was so strong that it blew away 18 inches of topsoil from the minefield, revealing the hiding places of thousands of mines. With the landmines fully exposed, and visible, it became very easy for the soldiers to navigate their way through the dangerous field without stepping on any of the mines. As soon as the mines were exposed, the wind ceased. And so the men unharmed, walked out of the field to a moonlit night. This of course to them was an amazing miracle. The men knew without doubt  that God in His mercy had intervened to deliver them from possible death. What they had just witnessed beat their imagination, it was an option they never foresaw, or even thought could be possible.  Yet again God had proven Himself the faithful in the defense of His people.

Often times when we find ourselves facing challenges, we tend to limit God in the way He can deliver us. In considering the available human alternatives we oftentimes rule out the divine option.

God however, is not limited to save by few or many. He can use options we never even considered. He can suddenly turn around what the enemy meant for evil to be for our good. This is why when you have prayed all you can, and done all you can do, you just stand. Stand? Yes, stand and see the salvation of The Lord.

When the children of Israel were out of options and had their back against the wall, God told them to stand and see His salvation.

This is why you need faith, because by faith you stand. When the storm is blowing strongest, it is faith that will keep you unbending in the face of the fierce winds. Don’t give up, don’t give in, don’t bow. Like the three Hebrew boys, tell Nebuchadnezzar that you will never bow to his image.

Don’t limit God’s means and ways of deliverance. Even when it seems you have been thrown into the fire, still know that with God nothing shall be impossible. Keep declaring in faith, keep proclaiming that your God is able. Faith moves God. The faith of the three boys was a clarion call in Heaven that made God to come down as the fourth man in the fire. Faith honors God and God honors faith.    

Each time the enemy tries to get you into a fix, when he thinks he has locked all doors of escape, remember there is a God in Heaven that rules in the affairs of men. The Bible says that He sits in Heaven and laughs. When there is no way, Jesus says ‘I am the way’, He makes a way where there seems to be no way. Certainly, for Paul and Silas locked up in jail, it seemed as if there was no way out, but God did the incredible, an option they never considered! God caused an earthquake that broke the prison chains. When Peter was locked up in prison to be killed the following day, guarded by soldiers and seemingly no way to escape, an angel came right into the prison and brought him out. God is a God of miracles who can break open prison doors and break you out of any captivity. Nothing can limit God.  He can use anything and anyone to bring deliverance to you.

No matter what the situation may be or the options you think are available to you, do not limit God to your options. If He can rescue the three boys from fire, divide the red sea, shut up the mouth of lions, cause earthquakes and raise the dead, then be assured that He is not at all limited in organizing a rescue for you. What He is asking is for you to keep trusting Him. Faith is the link that keeps you connected to Heaven for a rescue operation, don’t break that link. As long as you can believe God, anything and everything is possible. To him that believes nothing shall be impossible. 

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to make your Word top priority in my life, so that I can always walk by faith, and not limit you in my thinking, because with You nothing is impossible.  

quote :

Nothing liberates like truth, the truth you know and act upon will set you free.- – WORDBITE 222.

 [ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK ESTABLISHED BY GRACE]

 

OCTOBER  19 : GOD IS WORKING IT OUT.

Romans 8:28 KJV

 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose

DAILY READING Acts 28:1-16; 1 Samuel 4-5; Psalm 52

In 1956, five American Christian missionaries travelled to the tropical rain forest of Eastern Ecuador. Their aim was to evangelize the people of the region. But they were brutally attacked and killed by a band of native Auca Indian men.

After the murder, these natives crept back into the jungle to await the massive retaliation which would come from the government of Ecuador. But it never came.  The widows of these five missionaries asked the outraged Ecuadorian government not to send the army against these Indians. These women however planned to continue the work their husbands had died doing. They began to study the language of the Aucas, and to pray for access to the tribe. Within three years some of these widows and their children began living in an Auca village teaching the Indians about a forgiving Christ. Soon a Christian church was established among the Aucas. And some of the very men who murdered the missionaries eventually converted to Christianity. One of them even later became a pastor. A son of one of the killed missionaries would be baptized by this Auca pastor who had once been in the raiding party which martyred his father. This young boy and his father’s murderer formed a special bond, where the Indian played a father’s role in his life. In the years since the missionaries were killed, several thousands in the overall community have dedicated their lives to Christ. In 2005, a drama film ‘End of the Spear’ was released that recounts the true story of these events. Indeed what the enemy meant for evil, God eventually turned all around for good in Ecuador.

In acts 8, the enemy thought he was scattering the Christians. Through Saul he tried to destroy the church of Christ when he launched an intense persecution of the early Christians.  But when the disciples fled Jerusalem to escape persecution, they ended up proclaiming the gospel everywhere they went (Acts 8:4). This caused the church to grow mightily, achieving the very opposite of what the enemy planned.

The scattering of pollen is what causes flowers to grow. Flowers are populated when scattered by the wind. Flowers cannot produce, unless they are pollinated. Once pollination takes place, seeds begin to grow.

Many times what you carry inside, what God has placed in you, will not find full expression until you have been scattered.  God will often allow you to be scattered as pollen so that you can multiply. Until you break out, you may not flow out. Blessings come from the breaking.

If we remain where we are, we will not grow. The comfortable and familiar, has a way of stunting growth. Like the disciples, we can become comfortable in Jerusalem and lack the desire to venture out. So often times, God allows us to be scattered so that His divine deposits in us can find outward expression.

And many times it is after we have been scattered, and find ourselves in unfamiliar and uncomfortable surroundings that our faith grows the most. Turbulence often precedes a change of level. When you are about to grow or go higher uncomfortable movements begin to take place around you. When a child is about to move from the womb to the world, contractions begin to take place.  This is why also just before a plane goes up you are told to tighten your seat belt, because you are about to face turbulence. It is darkest just before the day breaks. Perhaps the discomfort you are feeling now may be a sign that you are about to break out to a new level. Before the mighty army arose in the valley of dry bones there was a shaking and rumbling. In the turbulence, bone came to bone, and things began to take shape. The shakings and rumblings going on around you may be the contractions that precede the birthing of a new thing.  Though the enemy may not have the full details, but sometimes by watching events he can get an idea that a heavy blessing is coming your way.  This is why he begins to fight and overturn things. But all the troubles and problems he brings though it may seem to be scattering you, ultimately ends up, serving God’s perfect plan for you.

This is why we count it all joy when we face trials, because what the enemy meant for evil, our God eventually turns all around for our good. As long as you are in God’s will, trust Him to work it all out for you. And when it seems you are being scattered, know that on the contrary you are being multiplied.

 

PRAYER:  Lord please help me to stand by faith  at all times,, may I always see You at work in my affairs, even if it looks like I am being scattered may I know that You are working out everything together for my good in Jesus name. .

quo te

When you apply The Word of God, it will work for you, anywhere and anytime- WORDBITE 222.

 [ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK ESTABLISHED BY GRACE]

 

OCTOBER  18 : SEEKING GOD’S WILL FOR YOUR LIFE!

 

1 Peter 4:10 KJV

As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

DAILY READING Acts 27:13-44; 1 Samuel 3; Psalm 51

William Wilberforce is known as the man who helped to abolish slavery. He was born into a wealthy family, and in 1768, due to his father’s premature death; he was sent to live with a childless uncle and his wife in London.  His aunt, an admirer of John Wesley and George Whitefield and friendly with the Methodists, influenced him towards evangelicalism. But when he was 13, his mother decided to remove him from this “dangerous influence”.  He enrolled at Cambridge University  where he was exposed from his very first night to men who drank hard and lived recklessly. Influenced by his environment, he became part of the fashionable society, attending clubs, the theatre and races; entertaining and socializing.

After leaving university he was elected to the House of Commons, where he was not active, but rather spent most of his time at the three most important gentlemen’s clubs in London. At this time he was a heavy gambler. However in 1784, the seed his aunt planted years ago germinated as he became converted to Evangelical Christianity. After his conversion, Wilberforce renounced all “things of the flesh”. He resigned from all his gentlemen clubs, he gave up his racehorse, gambling and exchanged his socializing and entertaining, for a life of reflection and re-evaluation. Some of his friends thought his new found belief was madness. As a result of this conversion, Wilberforce contemplated giving up politics for a life as a clergyman, but he was advised by friends that he could serve God better by remaining in Parliament and campaigning for social reforms. He and his evangelical friends were nicknamed “the Saints” by upper class circles, but he won widespread respect. He championed many causes but it was the fight against the Slave Trade and slavery and its eventual abolition that he is known mostly for.

It is amazing how an encounter with Christ can revolutionize a man’s life. Wilberforce’s life was on a road to nowhere when God arrested his interest and his focus. God changed his direction in life. From a clubbing, gambling drinking politician, he turned out to become a reformer who has affected generations.

One true encounter with Christ can change a man’s life forever. God does not meet us and leave us the way He met us. Whenever we encounter Him, a definite change takes place in our lives. He gives our lives new direction and meaning. This is why we do not take lightly our calling, because therein lies God’s plan to turn is into generational blessings. His gifts and callings are His plan to repackage us to our world.

This is why we must value our calling over the mundane pursuits of life. Our calling is what will matter in the end. God will judge each of us according to how well we followed His plan, not our own plans. We are to follow His vision, and not our ambition. You can run after your own plans and make all the money you want and still end up  unfulfilled. What is more important is ensuring we are following God’s preordained plan for us. Once we are following the will of God, we will be fulfilled, Joy will fill our lives. Wilberforce was born into a wealthy home and was rich, but the money did not make him happy. He lived his life in frivolous pursuits, until he encountered Christ. It was only when he located his calling that he found a meaningful life. Jesus rightly said ‘Without Me you can do nothing’. We have to come to the place where we fully realize that our lives can only have meaning and value when we are planted in Christ’s perfect will. Greatness achieved outside of Christ has no value before God. Any pursuit outside of God’s will is eternally unprofitable. Let us not be more concerned with what to eat or drink. In Mathew 10, Jesus told them to take no purse, nor scrip for the journey, why? Because the workman is worthy of his meat. The provision will always follow the vision. Faithful is He that called you who also will do it. What God has ordered He is also able to pay for. Let us therefore step out in faith to follow God’s plan for us. And as we sincerely seek God’s kingdom first, every other thing shall be added unto us.

PRAYER: Lord, your Word is unchanging, and always true. Please grant me the grace to seek after your perfect will for my life, may I never seek ambition, but rather seek your perfect will for me  at all times in Jesus Name.   

quote

God protects and shields us when we are being led by Him. – WORDBITE 222.

 [ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK FAITH CLASSICS]

 

​OCTOBER 17 : PRESS FORWARD TO VICTORY!

MARK 5: 33-34 KJV
33 But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.

DAILY READING : Acts 27:1-12; 1 Samuel 2:11-36; Psalm 50

In February 1991,  American athlete, Gail Devers  was being rushed to a hospital in Los Angeles to have her feet amputated. Her body had been reacting adversely to a radiation medication she was taking, drastically affecting her feet. Amputation seemed to be the only solution. To Gail, it seemed as if her life had  suddenly turned upside down.   

The nightmare had started as she trained for the 1988 Seoul Olympics. She had begun suffering mild hair loss and felt lethargic, and her weight dipped below 87 pounds.  Due to her poor health, in Seoul, she performed poorly, and didn’t make the finals.  The next few months were even harder, as she began to feel worse and her health deteriorated further. Doctors were baffled by her symptoms.  For two and a half years, doctors failed to diagnose her  problem. It was so disillusioning that she refused to go out because her appearance repulsed people. 

But being a pastor’s daughter, and brought up to always trust God, she held on to God in her trials. Finally she was diagnosed with Graves’ disease, an illness of the thyroid gland. When She began radiation therapy for the disease, a few weeks later she found she couldn’t walk and was crawling from the bedroom to the bathroom. The radiation had proved too much and her thyroid was almost destroyed. The doctors later told her she was lucky to have survived. But they still planned to amputate her legs. Being a runner this was most painful. 

When she was taken to the hospital to have her feet amputated, she prayed to God: ‘Not my feet, please. If you save them, I will use them for however long you wish me to.’ And a miracle happened.  After that, she slowly began to recover. A month later in March 1991, she began training.  By August she was competing in the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, where she won a silver medal in the sprint hurdles. A year later she was standing on the starting line for the Olympic 100m final in Barcelona. 

Standing there, set to run in the Olympics, for her, was very emotional, because a mere nineteen months earlier she had been crawling on her  hands and knees. Though in that race no one gave her a chance,  she prayed ‘God, let your will be done.’ And she won that race. She became an Olympic champion and would defend her title four years later at the Atlanta Games of 1996.  She continued in her sporting career to become one of the greatest female athletes in sporting history. 

Her comeback after a disease that nearly took her life, and almost got her feet amputated was miraculous. And she credits God for her healing. 

When faith moves God is moved.  

It is the state of your mind that will determine the quality of the things you experience in life. Gail could have easily given up, the odds against her were much, the medical diagnosis were frightening. But she had an inner tenacity that held on to God and refused to let go. 

This is what the lady with the issue of blood did. She refused to give up, she kept on pressing forward with her faith, despite how discouraging the situation. [Mark 5:25-34]. The doctors said she’d never get well, but she knew once she could connect to Jesus she would  be healed. Faith gets God’s attention. 

Your faith can turn Jesus in your direction. When you stir up your faith it will move  the hands of almighty God. God is bigger than your problem, He is more powerful than the sickness. He is still Jehovah Rapha. And He knows how to trouble your troublers. In 2 Kings 19:35, One angel sent by God, destroyed over 180,000 enemies. God is still the same today and forever. 

What you are facing now is only a test, and God is closely watching you to see how you react to it. Will you react in faith or in fear?  It is what is in you, that will determine how you react. This is why it is important to keep feeding on The Word of God. Until you know what is written you cannot control what is happening. It is absence of light that makes a man a victim of darkness. 

When your heart is filled with The Word it will control what comes out of your mouth, and what comes from your mouth will determine what happens to  you. The woman with the issue of blood released her faith. It started in her thinking. She had expectancy within her, and the Bible tells us that the expectation of the righteous shall not be cut off.

Faith will always birth expectation within you. It will cause you to see possibilities even when the situation looks  impossible. There is nothing you face in life that can be impossible to God. All we need to do is to put our faith to work. Faith is what gets God’s attention. So let us decide today to rise to a new level of faith through increasing our depth in The Word of God. 

PRAYER: Lord, I thank You for a renewed appetite for Your Word,  please grant me the grace to go deeper in my understanding, so that the needed  faith can arise in me to destroy every mountain of opposition before me. .  

QUOTE 

Reading The Bible gives you over view, Studying it takes you to depths. – WORDBITE 222. 

 [ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK FAITH CLASSICS] 

OCTOBER 16 : FAITHFUL IN THE LITTLE ! 2

​LUKE 16:10  KJV
He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much

DAILY READING Acts 26:19-32; 1 Samuel 1:1-2:10; Psalm 49 

Oseola McCarty was an 87 year old poor woman who astounded the world when she gave all her life savings to a scholarship fund to help students. A poor uneducated old woman, who never married, she had spent all her lifetime as a washerwoman, living frugally and saving every penny she could. She never had a car and walked, instead of taking taxis, so as to save money. Mostly her only trips were to her Church and to buy groceries.  Overtime from working hard, living frugally and saving her pennies, at 87 years she had accumulated money in the bank. And during July 1995, she donated to the  University of Southern Mississippi $150,000 for a student scholarship program. She said “I want to help somebody’s child go to college who needs it, I’m too old to get an education, but they can.”

She gave sacrificially without expecting any reward, but God turned everything around for her. She did not want any monuments, any proclamations, but her selflessness donation sparked national as well as worldwide attention. From being an unknown old poor woman, overnight she became an international sensation. The woman who acted in anticipation of death found a new life she could have never imagined. She found herself being honored around the world. The United Nations, the American President, and the Congressional Black Caucus honored her. She would receive more than 300 awards.

Along with all the plaques and trophies or other honors, she received the Presidential Citizen’s Medal, the nation’s second highest civilian award, and also an honorary doctorate from Harvard University. In 1996, she carried the Olympic torch. For the first time in her life, she flew in planes and stayed in  hotels. In her community Sept. 10 was declared the “Oseola McCarty Day. Her name was established in history. Though she died at 91 years in 1999, she had left behind a memorial just from one single selfless act.

In Luke 21:2, when Jesus watched the offering basket, He saw a certain poor widow casting in two mites, which was all she had. He declared that the poor widow had cast in more than everyone else. In Luke 21:3 Jesus said ‘Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all. Why? Because she gave 100% of what she had. She didn’t have much, but she gave it all. 

It was not about the volume of what she gave, but the heart with which she gave it. In Jeremiah 17:10 God said ‘I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings’. God is really watching our hearts. When Solomon gave to the Lord out of love, God decided to make him the richest man of his time. When we love God we will be selfless in our giving, we will give whether anyone sees us or not. It is not what we take up, but what we give up that makes us rich. And when we love God no matter the level we are, we will serve Him with all our heart, whether anyone commends us or not. And this is what moves God to favor us. You may not have everything right now, but just be faithful where you are.  Work to please God and the God who sees in secret shall reward you openly. All the seed you have been sowing in secret, God is seeing and He is noting. He is preparing you for a season of open rewards. Just keep being faithful where you are. All the while Oseola was saving money in secret to help poor students; she didn’t know God was preparing to reward her in the open. God can change your story suddenly overnight.

You may say, ‘oh, but I have been here for so long and nothing seems to be changing.’ God’s timing is not man’s timing. God may not be early, but He is never late He is always on time. Anytime He comes is the best time. 

In 2 days God can do what you could not do for yourself in 200 years. It took only 3 and half years of ministry for Jesus to become the talk of the world. 

Psalm 75 says promotion does not come from the east, west or south, it comes only from God. 

Just be faithful where you are, God is seeing you. Your change can come overnight, just like it did for Joseph and David and Daniel. They had been faithful in the low and little place where they were, before God located them for a blessing. Don’t wait until you get to the mansion before you start serving God truly, don’t wait until you get that big break before you start being faithful in your tithe. He that is faithful in the little will also be faithful in the much. Be faithful in the little and God will reward you in the much. 

Matthew 24:45 says ‘Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?

It is the faithful servants that will end up as rulers over God’s household, and the test for faithfulness starts in the little things. Oseola started small by saving her pennies and giving all she had and today God has immortalized her name as an open reward. God says when you do your alms in secret, He that sees in secret will reward you openly. So let’s be encouraged to keep doing  good, even when no one sees it, the God who sees in secret will indeed reward openly. 

PRAYER: Lord, help me to serve You selflessly, and to be a blessing to those around me. Deliver me from self and all the things that keep me from serving You faithfully. I receive grace today for renewed strength to serve You acceptably in Jesus Name. 

QUOTE 

The truth of God’s Word in the life of a believer is always reflective, the results can never be hidden. – WORDBITE 222.  

[ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK FAITH CLASSICS] 

OCTOBER 15 : KEY OF KNOWLEDGE

 

Luke 11:52 KJV
Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.

DAILY READING Acts 26:1-18; Ruth 3-4; Psalm 48

Some time ago in the news, there was a story of a poor homeless 60 year old man in Salt lake City Utah, who had inherited money but didn’t know it. He went about pushing trolleys and sleeping in parks, not realizing he was rich. He had spent almost three decades living rough, in Salt Lake City, pushing all his belongings in a dilapidated shopping trolley. Unknown to him, his rich elder brother on his deathbed had requested that all his estate should be handed over to his homeless brother. But no one knew where he could be found. So a relative engaged private investigators, to search for him. It took the investigators many months before they could locate him. 

The down-and-out man was eventually found by private investigators wandering around a park in Salt Lake City. He was left in shock when he was told he had a great inheritance from his brother, whom he hadn’t seen in 15 years. The investigators took him out to lunch, which would be his first proper meal in 25 years. 

Though this man had come into great inheritance months earlier, he had still lived poor and homeless, simply because he didn’t know he was rich. He had no idea what belonged to him. Though he was wealthy, ignorance kept him from accessing his inheritance.  

This illustrates, how sometimes as Christians, we go about pushing and suffering in life due to lack of knowledge. Hosea 4:6 says ‘My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.’ Knowledge is the key to accessing our inheritance from God. Psalm 82:5 says, because they know not, neither do they understand, they walk on in darkness and all the foundations of the earth are out of course.

That man in Utah was rich, but because he did not know it yet, he could not access it.  A wise man said, there is no mountain anywhere, everyman’s ignorance is his own mountain. Ignorance is indeed a dark mountain that blocks a man’s view of God’s goodness. The story is told of the eagle who grew up among chickens, and never knew he could fly high, but lived, groveling like the chickens on the ground. It was the eagle’s right by nature to soar, but because he didn’t know it, he couldn’t access it.

knowledge is the key that opens the door to our inheritance. In Luke 11, Jesus rebuked the scribes and Pharisees, for taking away the key of knowledge. And in Mathew 16:19, Jesus speaking to His disciples said ‘And I will give unto you the keys of the kingdom of Heaven.’

The kingdom of God is operated by the keys of knowledge. God has so much stored up for us. As His sons we are meant to live a life of Heaven on earth. But access to this heavenly lifestyle is only available for those who by knowledge, have grown into sonship.  Knowledge of The Word is like a special key or code, that grants access. The more you know, the more you can own. Discovery leads to recovery. 

We must therefore search diligently in The Word until we make a discovery. The woman who lost her coin in Luke 15, lit her candle and searched diligently until she found what she was looking for. When we find it, there shall be a reward and our expectations shall not be cut off. 

2 Peter 1:3 says God has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him. It is through knowledge of God that we gain access to all we need to live a glorious life. Everything is available. The question is; are we willing to pay the price of diligent search? It is those that know their God that can do exploits. 

Lack of knowledge can keep a man grounded when he should be flying. Ecclesiastes 10:5, describes an error where servants ride, while princes walk. Why? Because the  princes lacked knowledge. Not growing up into sonship through knowledge will cause heirs of the kingdom to walk like servants. Galatians 4 says an heir as long as he is a child [a spiritual babe] is no different from a servant.

It is knowledge that differentiates between sons and children. No right thinking father will hand over his company to a six year old child to run. The same way God cannot entrust certain things to a believer who is still a babe in Christ. Apostle Paul in 1 Cor 3:1 says ‘and I brethren could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.’ He refers to spiritual babes as still carnal. And the carnal person is not subject to the laws of God, he is still full of envying, strive, divisions. [Rom 8:7,1 Cor. 3:3]. He needs spiritual maturity to handle certain level of blessings. If God gives a million dollars to a spiritual babe, He may lose both the believer and the money. Because the prosperity of fools, shall destroy them. God doesn’t want what was meant to bless you to destroy you. so He waits until you grow to where you can handle the blessing before you can have access. So when we think we are waiting on God, He actually may be waiting on us to grow up in knowledge. When we are due, we will not be denied. We must therefore grow up in Christ to enjoy the privileges of sons. We must revolt against ignorance. We must settle down to seek the truth. And when we know the truth, we shall be set free from every bondage and oppression.

PRAYER: Lord, I know your Word is always true, please grant me the grace to access the faith I need for my inheritance to be delivered to me. May I never be a victim of spiritual ignorance in Jesus Name.    

QUOTE 

Nothing liberates like truth, the truth you know and act upon will set you free.- – WORDBITE 222. 

[ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK METAMORPHOSIS] 

OCTOBER 14  : GUARD YOUR MIND..  

2 Thessalonians 2:3 
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come except there come a falling away first, 

DAILY READING – Acts 25; Ruth 1-2; Psalm 47

It is quite baffling that majority of scientists tend not to believe in God.  The very people who study the wonders and intricacies of creation should be the very first to believe in a great creator, yet they don’t.  That is indeed baffling.  In the early 20th century, studies showed that scientists were less likely than the general population to believe in the existence of God. A survey conducted, showed that 35% of scientists did not believe that God existed, while in contrast about 90%of the general population believed in God.  Another recent study designed to look at differences in belief among scientists and other academics, was quite revealing. The new study shows that for many scientists their unbelief in God is rooted more in their upbringing and background than anything else. It was found that scientist who were brought up by Christian parents tended to believe more in God than those who weren’t.  

Influence is important. Seeds of unbelief planted in early years in these scientists have grown to blind their minds. These has stopped them from seeing God in creation. How can anyone believe that the perfection of creation came from a catastrophic big bang? Even the simplest mind should know better. Where there is a design there must be a designer. No wonder Apostle Paul says in   2 Corinthians 4:4 ‘in whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, who is the image of God should shine unto them.’ The blindness in these scientists’ hearts has kept them from the truth. Ephesians 4:18 also says that their understanding has been darkened because they have been alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them. 

These scientists, though academically intelligent, are by scriptural standards considered unwise. The Bible says in Psalm 14:1 ‘the fool hath said in his heart there is no God.’ Unbelief in God will ultimately lead to foolishness. Is it any wonder then that they have come up with warped ideas as evolution theory and the big bang theory? A wrong mindset will birth a wrong concept. Jesus said a corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit, neither can a good tree bring forth corrupt fruit. Simply put you cannot give what you do not have.  

In this end-time, the enemy is looking for where to sow his tares. And even as Christians we constantly need to keep our hearts with all diligence. We must renew our minds through the Word of God so that we do not fall victim of wrong mindsets. Be careful the things you expose your mind to. You can’t even afford to be  ‘open minded’  in this generation, rather be ‘scripture minded.’ Let your thinking and decisions always be guided only by what The Word of God says. That way you avoid the enemy’s subtle traps.  It is amazing how some Christians have already fallen to deception. Some fine preachers who started out preaching the truth have now fallen victim to wrong doctrines. Christians who end up believing such wrong doctrines are those who refused to renew their minds to the truth, until eventually as grasses will grow on uncultivated soil wrong things begin to grow on their minds. 

How can a Christian embrace a grace message that gives him license to sin? That can only be the result of a wrong mindset. We must continually renew our minds to avoid the tares the enemy is sowing in the minds of many in this end-time. Some of the messages are so subtle that if you are not careful you may slip before you know it.  We have already been warned that in the end-time many shall give heed to seducing spirits, rejecting sound doctrine. So to avoid being a victim keep your mind constantly renewed by The Word. Don’t look at others who have fallen into this traps and think yourself incapable of falling. We can only stand by grace. You will only keep standing in this end-time if you keep renewing your mind with the Word of God. The Bible said the deception would be such, that even the elect will be deceived. And it also said if the righteous scarcely be saved what shall the end be for the unrighteous.

This is therefore not the time at all to leave your mind unguarded. Daily take a spiritual bath in the Word of God to dislodge any wrong thing from getting a grip on your mind. And the peace of God which passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ. [Phil. 4:7]

 

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to draw closer to Your Word, to be guided by Your Spirit, so that I do not become a victim of wrong teachings in this end-time. Keep my mind sound in Your Word at all times in Jesus Name.  

QUOTE :

For you to enjoy victory in The Kingdom of God, you need to develop a kingdom mind, that thinks in line with The Word of God. – WORDBITE 222. 
[ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK  SUPERNATURAL LOVE OF GOD]

​OCTOBER 13 : LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE!

Romans 11:29 KJV
For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance

. DAILY READING – Acts 25; Ruth 1-2; Psalm 47
Michael Faraday, was a British chemist and physicist in the 17th century, who contributed greatly to science. Though he came from a very poor family, he rose, against all odds, to become one of the greatest scientists in history. His achievement was remarkable especially at a time, when science was the preserve of mostly the rich and privileged.  By society’s standards, Faraday really had no chance at success. His father was a sickly blacksmith and his mother formerly a maid. Michael hardly had formal education, because his family couldn’t afford it. He only attended a local school until he was 13, where he received a basic education. When he was 14, to earn money for the family, he was apprenticed to a local bookbinder, as a delivery boy for his bookshop. However working in a bookshop became a blessing as young Faraday used the opportunity to educate himself. And during the next seven years, he educated himself on a wide range of scientific subjects. Faraday was a devout Christian and he would later by divine orchestration come in contact with a great scientist, with whom he worked as his assistant. Through divine favor and hard work, he would grow to become a great scientist himself, recording many remarkable achievements. His discoveries greatly helped technological advancements. 

In the study of science, the unit of electrical capacitance, with the symbol F, is named ‘the Farad’ in his honor.

It is indeed amazing how an obscure boy from a very poor family with no hope, could end up being one of the world’s greatest scientists. This proves that poverty can never be a limitation to greatness. As long as you have God  and you are willing to pay the price of diligence and hard work, you will accomplish great things. 

Faraday could have had good excuses not to be successful, after all  his background had already set the pace of poverty for him. Yet he refused to accept the sleight of hand fate handed him.  He dared to believe that with God he could break the limitations.   

Isaiah 1:19 says ‘If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:’

Anyone willing to obey God and pay the price of diligence, will surely eat the good of the land. The manifestation of the spirit has been given to every man to profit withal. There is something God has put in each of us to manifest to our world. Yet only few in every generation are  willing to pay the required price.

Billions of people have passed through this earth, but only a few have left behind a mark. Civilization has been moved forward just by these few percentage.

Myles Munroe said the richest place on earth is the graveyard because of the many who carry the treasures embedded in them back to the grave.

When God calls a man it is for the benefit of a people. The talents and abilities that God has embedded in us are  for the benefit of our generation.. Romans 8:19 tells us that the world is awaiting the manifestations of the sons of God. The world is waiting for us to bring forth the divine deposits embedded within.  

The manifestations of the sons of God is the manifestation of  glory. The sons of God  are to bring solutions to the dying world. When Jesus first manifested forth His glory at Cana of Galilee, He brought solution. By turning the water into wine, he saved a newly wedded couple from shame. When Jesus manifested forth the power of God many were delivered. He brought solution to the world. And He said to us in John 20:21‘As My Father hath sent me, even so send I you’. He also said in John 14 ‘he that believes in Me, greater works than these shall he do’. 

The question is, what greater works are we doing?  What contributions are we making to our generation? It is not just about you alone, many destinies are at stake. There are people whose deliverances are tied to your manifestation. The solutions the world needs God has placed within us. And if you don’t manifest what is in you, many may never experience their deliverance. This is why it is important to pay whatever price it takes. Make up your mind to bring forth the gifts and callings within you. Don’t leave them lying dormant, unexplored, don’t keep procrastinating. The world is waiting.  Are you perhaps wondering how it can be done? Well, all you need is God. Through Christ you can do all things. Keep looking to Him and keep moving forward. 

Perhaps you may feel as if you’re stuck right now, as if nothing is working and you can’t  even see your way forward . Within you perhaps you feel, you could never accomplish anything significant in life or overcome the problems plaguing you. Well, with God nothing is impossible, it doesn’t matter how difficult it may look, God is still in the business of turning lives around. He can do exceedingly abundantly above all you could ever think or imagine. As you remain faithful in the little, there is coming gradually a tipping point. One touch of His favor can tip you into the reward of hundred years of labor. One good break, one idea, one person God divinely connects to you, can suddenly change your story. Things will just fall into place. You won’t fathom or understand how it may happen, but that is the goodness of God in manifestation. There is nothing He cannot do. So don’t limit Him, keep trusting Him, and what He did for Faraday, He can certainly also do for you. 
PRAYER: Lord, please help me to manifest the divine deposits You have placed within me, enable me to pay whatever price it takes to accomplish Your will for my life. Please guide me every step of the way as I go on in this journey of destiny in Jesus Name.  

QUOTE : 

For you to enjoy victory in The Kingdom of God, you need to develop a kingdom mind, that thinks in line with The Word of God. – WORDBITE 222. 

 [ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK SUPERNATURAL LOVE OF GOD]