So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days. - John 11:17 REFERENCE John 11:11-26, 43-44 Death is defined as the cessation of life; it connotes an end to something, finality, and most times, a hopeless situation. However, for a believer, death does not always mean you have come to the end of a matter, because we have Jesus, our Resurrection and Life. He restores, and makes alive that which was dead, as can be seen in Lazarus’ case. Two key phrases in this verse are JESUS CAME and FOUR DAYS....
He who tills his land will be satisfied with bread, But he who follows frivolity is devoid of understanding. - Proverbs 12:11 REFERENCE Proverbs 12:11,27 Continued… The 6th thing you need to do in refining your gift, is to learn to add seasoning i.e. flavor to what you do. Develop your own style and put proper finishing touches to whatever you do in order to create a better appeal. The next thing, is to dedicate a lot of time thinking about better ways to use your gifts; plan your business in your mind. Strategize! Finally, pray about your...
He who tills his land will be satisfied with bread, But he who follows frivolity is devoid of understanding. - Proverbs 12:11 REFERENCE Proverbs 12:11,27 Yesterday, we concluded with the thought that, for everything that is raw, there is a potential for it to become something useful after it has gone through the process of refining; this is how life operates. Those who refined their God given potentials stand out from the crowd; those who cannot be bothered, are seldom known because just having a gift doesn’t guarantee success. If you choose to refine your gifts therefore, you...
The lazy man does not roast what he takes in hunting, but diligence is man’s precious possession. ~ Proverbs 12:27 REFERENCE Proverbs 12:27 The bible describes the hunter who kills a game but does not roast it as a “lazy man” because in the act of hunting, the only effort the hunter puts in, is to search and kill the animal. It was God that made the animal, provided their needs to that point and brought them across the hunter’s path, so there is nothing special the hunter does. In the same way, all our native skills, congenital...
The lazy man does not roast what he takes in hunting, But diligence is man’s precious possession. ~ Proverbs 12:27 REFERENCE Proverbs 12:27 Today, we begin a mini series on an issue that is relevant to fulfilling our God-given purposes in life. Everyone has a purpose and mandate God placed on their lives (Genesis 1:28 confirms this). We all have a side of God that we should show to our world; and they come in form of hidden talents and hidden potentials that God has given us so we can live fulfilled and successful lives. No one is...
Now Martha said to Jesus, 'Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.' - John 11:21-22 REFERENCE John 11:17-22 Many a times, you find yourself living in retrospect, looking back and blaming certain events for your present predicament. You wish you can undo or redo certain things from your past, you suffer for bad decisions or the loss of a loved one and you have totally held them responsible for how things are today, e.g.,: – If I hadn’t...
Those who are planted in the house of the LORD Shall flourish in the courts of our God. – Psalm 92:13 REFERENCE Psalm 92:12-15 Continued from yesterday… In Matthew 13:3-6 & 18-23, Jesus gave the parable of a sower who went out to sow seeds. Interestingly, the seeds fell on four different places, but only in one place was harvest produced, i.e those that fell on good ground because their roots went deep and got nourishment from the underground waters; the others didn’t survive because they couldn’t develop roots! This further buttresses the point, that it is your...
Those who are planted in the house of the LORD Shall flourish in the courts of our God. – Psalm 92:13 REFERENCE Psalm 92:12-15 The root is that part of a plant that attaches it to the ground and conveys water and nourishment to the rest of the plant. Every physical thing we see, e.g. trees have an unseen root that sustains them; their durability, strength, sustenance, survival and the health of their fruit is ultimately determined by how deep their roots go into the ground. In the Bible, trees are used to refer to man (Psalm 1:3,...
…Indeed, satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you… when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren. - Luke 22:31-32 REFERENCE Luke 22:31-33 This is a message of hope to every backslider (any believer who has become cold about the things of God, i.e. lost the desire to seek God), that God never gives up on them, neither does He write them off. The future He desires for every backslider is a return to the Lord; that no matter what allures of life draw them away from...
The keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under Joseph’s authority because the Lord was with him; and whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper. - Genesis 39:23 REFERENCE Genesis 39:5-23 Joseph’s prosperity and victories were not based on his intellect or position in life, they were not based on connections or capital, it was because of his relationship with God, i.e. the Lord was with him. The passage clearly shows, that Joseph honored God in all he did, and depended solely on Him to make his dreams come true. That was why...