You will never walk alone (Luke 10:25-37)

You will never walk alone (Luke 10:25-37)

The parable of the good Samaritan teaches us to love our neighbours as ourselves. The question need be put: how do we love ourselves? This is important since it determines how to obey Christ’s command. The man that fell victim of robbers may actually think he loves himself enough but the incident prooved a kind of lacking the principles of life that underscore love for oneself. What did he commit or omit that warrant this? He walked alone. He should have learnt a lessons from others like Elijah.

1Kings 19:3 And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there. 4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.

Elijah walked alone. He fell under depression and nearly commit suicide which would have rubbished all his exploits and ministry.

John the Baptist was alone in prison and almost doubted his Lord, his only message and the prurpose of existence.

Matthew 11:2

Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, 3 And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? 4 Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: 5 The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. 6 And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.

Even when Jacob was left alone he had a serious nightmare that altered his perception of living. Only God’s mercy saw him through.

Genesis 32:23

And he took them, and sent them over the brook, and sent over that he had. 24 And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. 25 And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. 26 And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. 27 And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. 28 And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.

Let us compare all these examples to Paul’s transfer to Caesarea. The chief captain literally flooded the road with soldiers to go with Paul.

Acts 23:12 And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. 13 And they were more than forty which had made this conspiracy.

Acts 23:22

So the chief captain then let the young man depart, and charged him, See thou tell no man that thou hast shewed these things to me. 23 And he called unto him two centurions, saying, Make ready two hundred soldiers to go to Caesarea, and horsemen threescore and ten, and spearmen two hundred, at the third hour of the night; 24 And provide them beasts, that they may set Paul on, and bring him safe unto Felix the governor.

Later in life Paul wrote his letter to the Hebrews and underscored the importance of fellowship.

Hebrews 10:24

And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

It is easier for the devil to corner you if you walk alone. Even our Lord Jesus Christ never walked alone. Check up his account. If he goes to have personal prayers, he returns to fellowship. When he engages in personal prayers there are always multitudes of angels around.

So who do you walk with if you don’t want to walk alone?

Walk with Jesus.

Matthew 28:18

And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Walk with God the father.

John 14:23

Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

Walk with the Holy Spirit.

Rev 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

Walk with men of like mind.

Hebrews 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Walk with your bible as well. Your bible is a living word of God.

Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. 9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

If you do all these, you will never walk alone and you will not fall victim of the prying devil. God bless you.

The winning strategy (II Chronicles 20:1-30)

The winning strategy (II Chronicles 20:1-30)

Jehoshaphat was facing one of the greatest crisis in his life. It was a near impossible situation. He nevertheless acknowledged God the omnipotent. Recognising his helplessness, Jehoshaphat acknowledged God’s omnipotence and sought him through fasting and prayers. He fasted and prayed. He asked others to do the same. God responded through prophecy and assured him of victory. Subsequently, Jehoshaphat’s fear disappeared, faith increased and he gave thanks to God. God is a master strategist, partnership with him can never fail. It will produce amazing positive result.

Proverb 3:3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: 4 So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man. 5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Are you facing any near impossible situation? Acknowledge God, follow Jehoshaphat’s strategy and you will surely smile.

Mar 9:23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

By Jehoshaphat’s actions, it is clear that he depended on God. He could have sought help from stronger nations. He could have called magicians and astrologers of his time like other kings did. He could have just muster his soldiers and go to war anyway. He showed his dependent on God by asking him for help.

Later when prophesy came through one of the Levites, Jehoshaphat followed the instructions to the letter. He moved when he was asked to move. Any winning strategy must take instruction from God. The bible is God’s instructions to all humans irrespective of colour, collar, and calling. Romans 10:12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.

Do you want to win? Follow the instructions.

John 14:21

He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

Take the winning instructions with you. Always read the label. The bible is God’s label for winning in life. Read the label first.

Joshua 1:8

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. 9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

When you have won, remember to say thank you to God.

Luke 17:13

And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.

14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. 15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. 17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? 18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. 19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

One cannot help but admire king Jehoshaphat. He started from the church when it was difficult, he ended with thanksgiving in the church when he won. Some would have said goodbye church, I have got what I wanted. Some would have called a party and resorted to a binge drinking as a result of the victory. A winning strategy will always give glory to God. Remember that victories could be reversed and had been reversed in the past.

1Samuel 30:16 And when he had brought him down, behold, they were spread abroad upon all the earth, eating and drinking, and dancing, because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah. 17 And David smote them from the twilight even unto the evening of the next day: and there escaped not a man of them, save four hundred young men, which rode upon camels, and fled. 18 And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away: and David rescued his two wives.

Let us give glory to God to seal the victory. That is the crux of a winning strategy. May this strategy work for you. God bless you.

SERVICE UPDATE

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Positive Prayer, Positive Thinking, Positive Result (John 17:1-26)

Positive Prayer, Positive Thinking, Positive Result John 17:1-26

1Chronicles 4:9 And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow. 10 And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.

The evening before Jesus’ crucifixion he prayed that his disciples will be a holy people, separated from the world and sin for the purpose of worshiping and serving God. They must be set apart in order to be near God, to live for him and to be like him. This sanctification is accomplished by their devotion to the truth revealed to them through the Holy Spirit. The truth is both the living word of God and the revelation of God’s written word. (LSSB)

John 17:14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.

There is no doubt that anyone reviewing the activities and achievements of the disciples will agree that they succeeded in the tasks Jesus left with them. I think this is as a result of this prayer. Jesus knew that the disciples had enemies and that there would be many more enemies, he just focused on the positive and released the necessary strength for them to be able to withstand the coming pressure. They achieved all he prayed for. Positive prayers works wonders.

John 17:25 O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. 26 And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.

Praying like Jesus is the utmost form of praying for result. Focus on the positive. Ignore the enemy when you are talking with your father in heaven. By this there will be no distraction. There would be no fear of attack, oppression, opposition and repression. You are busy with your father. Talk positive and learn the language of heaven.

There is no doubt anyway that such prayer is a direct result of the abundance of the heart.

Luke 6:45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

If you think positive and dwell on the positive, you will doubtless produce positive prayers. This will give you positive result as Jesus himself.

Proverbs 23:6

Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats: 7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.

Positive mindset itself cannot be achieved in a vacuum. The mind will only produce what it is fed with. Just like anyone feeding on junk food suffers from all kinds of unwanted disorders, the mind that is fed on junks will suffer all kinds of negative thoughts and unwholesome inclinations.

Ephesians 4:21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

The bible recommends that we should renew our minds with the word of God on daily basis. Like one of the daily essentials. Breakfast, toileting, showering, news etc, the word of God must be built into our daily schedules and the desired results will follow.

Jos 1:8

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

Do you want to pray and get results? Would you like to be spiritually healthy and wealthy? Feed your mind with the word of God, read the bible regularly, think positive thoughts based on the word of God, pray positive prayers and you will definitely see positive results. God bless you. Let us pray.

SERVICE UPDATE

WEDNESDAY: BIBLE STUDY @ 207 EASTERN ROAD. PO3 6EH TIME 5.30-6.30 PM

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SUNDAYS CELEBRATION @ HAVELOCK. TIME 5.00-7.00 PM

What do you believe? (II Chronicles 20:14-30)

What do you believe? (II Chronicles 20:14-30)

As it were, the world of humans is morally divided between faith and no faith. At least so it seems and so we grotesquely describe it. We hide away from what we think we cannot know and care less as long as it does not affect us directly. Occasionally we came back to reverse the no faith stand and believe in something, love, luck, religion, religious symbols, superstitions, culture, custom, popular opinion - anything. So what do you believe? Evolution? The Big bang? Aliens or some forces? Science? Philosophy? Religion? Human forces? Or nothing?

2Chronicles 20:20 And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper. 21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever. 22 And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.

The passage we read juxtaposed faith, the object of veneration and exploits. The people were confronted by warring enemies. It is not strange that there were wars in bible days even today, as civilised and sophisticated as humans are, there are still wars. Terrible wars. The most frightening part is that it will continue till the end of the world.

Matthew 24:6

And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

The people in question recognised their inability to face their adversary so they turned to God for help. They did the most foolish thing any general or war commander would not do. They appointed singers in front of the soldiers on battlefield. Whatever your judgement of that strategy may not matter as it worked. The enemy started blasting one another. The faith strategy worked. May your faith or no faith work for you in the day of difficulty.

Mar 11:22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.

Do you think your faith or no faith strategy will save you in the day of trial?

Romans 10:8

But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

The outstanding counsel of the bible is that you should believe in God.

Mat 10:41

He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward.

This is the faith that withstand the test of time and eternity. Would you like to review your stand in regards to faith or no faith?

Mar 10:29 And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's,

Mar 10:30 But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.

As you believe may the light of the gospels of the Saviour Jesus Christ shine on your way in the name of Jesus. Let us pray.

Three noble characters in the book of Esther. (Esther 5:1-14)

Three noble characters in the book of Esther. (Esther 5:1-14)

We have looked at two of the three noble characters in the book of Esther. With the postures of the two characters we could agree that they are noble. They have the same mindset and work for the good of others. Both of them took risks when necessary and did all important assignments including fasting and prayer. So who could the third noble character be?

Acts 17:22 Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. 23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. 24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; 25 Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; 26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; 27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: 28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

Both Esther and Mordecai have done their parts only they depend on external, stronger, more benevolent providence to sail through. They fasted, they prayed. They believed their help will come. Even Mordecai warned Esther that if she did not take risk, help will arise from different quarters. Which other quarters could help rise for slaves in a strange land?

Esther 6:1

On that night could not the king sleep, and he commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king. 2 And it was found written, that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's chamberlains, the keepers of the door, who sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus. 3 And the king said, What honour and dignity hath been done to Mordecai for this? Then said the king's servants that ministered unto him, There is nothing done for him.

Esther prayed for favour, she got favour. Mordecai foiled the coup and did not even ask for rewards. Haman hated Mordecai to the point that he doesn’t care for his life. In fact after making consultations he prepared Mordecai’s death bed. He only needed to cajole the king to sign the death sentence. The night preceding Mordecai’s execution date, the king could not sleep. He asked his attendants to read some records to him. The only one that interests him was the account of the foiled coup. To his amazement no reward was given to the faithful servant who saved the king’s life.

Galatians 6:6 Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. 7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. 9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. 10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

As providence would have it, the day Mordecai supposed to die became the day of his promotion. The agent of honour is his arch-enemy, Haman. What a turn around of fortune. Although the book was written over a period of time, a lot happened too quickly. Most of what happened might be more than chance. Lets rehearse a few of them. At the time Vashti was rejected, Esther was available. She obtained favour both with the king’s servants and even with the king. Then Mordecai saved the king’s life but was not rewarded for a long time until when his life was on the line. The very day he was supposed to die, he was honoured for saving the king’s life. The minister that hated Mordecai and planned his death was given the assignment to honour him. Then the Jews supposed to be destroyed. The decree was irreversible. Esther arranged a trio meeting with the king, herself and Haman. In the meeting, Esther revealed Haman evil plot. Right there, it was decided that Haman himself should be hung on the gallows he prepared for Mordecai. What a nemesis, what a deserved punishment, a reversal of fortune. Then the king wrote another irreversible decree to counter the first one. Whatever the source of all these incredible but pleasant happenings is worth our note.

Psalms 19:1

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. 2 Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. 3 There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.

Your guess might be right. Even though God’s name was not out rightly mentioned in the book of Esther, his deeds was manifest beyond an iota of doubt. So as you have guessed right. The third noble character in the book of Esther is God. He is so noble that even when you do not out-rightly know him as you should, he still works for you, helps you and cares for you. This is amazing.

Romans 5:6

For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

But now that you have known, won’t you reciprocate the love? All you need to do is accept the love and appreciate his gift.

John 3:16

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

God bless you