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THE BLEATING OF SHEEP: HYPOCRISY

"And Saul said to Samuel, "But I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and gone on the mission on which the Lord sent me, and brought back Agag king of Amalek; I have utterly destroyed the Amalekites." ~ I Samuel 15:20   REFERENCE: I Samuel 15:7-21   Our key verse shows the second time Saul told Samuel that he had performed and obeyed the command of the Lord. In verse 13, it appears that Saul is unaware of the implications of his action, but from the above, there is a tone of intentionality. By repeating that he had obeyed God,...
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THE BLEATING OF SHEEP: SELF DECEPTION

"Then Samuel went to Saul, and Saul said to him, "Blessed are you of the Lord! I have performed the commandment of the Lord." ~ I Samuel 15:13   REFERENCE: I Samuel 15:1-14   My mentor, Reverend Sam Adeyemi, once said, "The gap between what you know and what you do is the measure of your self-deception." A.W. Tozer also said, "Of all forms of deception self-deception is the most deadly, and of all deceived persons the self-deceived are the least likely to discover the fraud." Another fact the bleating of the sheep revealed was Saul's self-deception.   The dictionary defines self-deception as the action...
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THE BLEATING OF SHEEP

“But Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?” ~ I Samuel 15:14   REFERENCE: I Samuel 15:1-14   Do you know people who claim to be one thing, but everything around them says differently? King Saul fit that bill when he gave himself laurels while reporting to prophet Samuel on the assignment God gave him. As smug and satisfied as Saul was, something gave away the fact that he did not do what he claimed and did not deserve the laurels – the bleating of sheep....
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TAKE POSSESSION

“Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, ‘Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.’” – Numbers 13:30   REFERENCE: Numbers 13:16-33    Moses sent twelve men to spy out their land of promise – Canaan, which they were to take possession of. Although God had given them the land, Moses wanted them to have a vision of the land to whet their appetite for entering it. Ten of the twelve spies brought back a bad report about the land. The bad report put fear in the people, and they...
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AT EASE IN ZION?

"Woe to you who are at ease in Zion, and trust in Mount Samaria, notable persons in the chief nation, to whom the house of Israel comes!" ~ Amos 6:1   REFERENCE: Amos 6:1-7   This chapter begins with words that sound strange to our pleasure-seeking and vain generation: "Woe to those who are at ease." That is not how we see things; we would rather say, "Blessed or happy are those who are at ease, who never experience the bite of economic hardship, are never worried about tomorrow's needs, and live very 'soft' lives." We consider they are doing well and envy...
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HOPE IN GOD

"The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "Therefore I hope in Him!" ~ Lamentations 3:24   REFERENCE: Lamentations 3:21-25   Today's world struggles with insecurity, uncertainties, and hyperinflation; it is so easy to feel overwhelmed and disheartened. However, amid it all, you can find hope and encouragement in the unchanging character of God. The indicators may not be giving positive signs, but hope in God. Anchor your heart in His faithfulness and ever-sure promises.   Difficult times ultimately come to snuff out your hope because hope is crucial to living. If a man loses hope, why should he still live?...
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THINGS YOU DO NOT KNOW

“Call to Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things which you do not know.” – Jeremiah 33:3   REFERENCE: Jeremiah 33:1-3   As I grow older and learn more, I realize there is so much I do not know. What we don’t know is more than what we know. There is only One who is Omniscient – all-knowing, and that is God. God’s knowledge is bottomless and broad; after all, He manufactured all things, visible and invisible, material and immaterial, and they are all at His command.   Life can be puzzling and is often...
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THE ANGEL’S TOUCH

"Then as he (Elijah) lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an angel touched him, and said to him, 'Arise and eat.'" – 1 Kings 19:5 (NKJV).   REFERENCE: I Kings 19:1-8   What are angels? "Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?" (Hebrews 1:14). Often in the bible, God sent these heavenly envoys to minister to His saints in need, to offer hope, give guidance, protect, and bring messages of hope as in the Messiah's birth. God still has His angelic messengers today, and you are on their mission list.  ...
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IF…

"So he said, "You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so." ~ II Kings 2:10   REFERENCE: II Kings 2:1-10   'If' is a conjunction. It is a word that introduces a conditional clause; that is, on the condition that something will happen; or, in the event that such a thing happens, another will happen. Particular results are expected when the required conditions are met. This conditional clause often governs life. There are things we can have or...
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HELP YOUR BRETHREN

“…But you shall pass before your brethren armed, all your mighty men of valor, and help them.” ~ Joshua 1:14   REFERENCE: Joshua 1:12-16   The measure of true success is not in one’s achievements or accumulation but in helping others to achieve success too. It is the grander vision that many have lost today in a world where things have become tough and self-focus (or selfishness) is unconsciously on the rise. One can hear it in our prayers: “Bless me, give me, heal me.” The thoughts of how we will break free from poverty and the rat race occupy us,...
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