So the five men left. They came to the city of Laish and saw that the people of that city lived in safety… Everything was peaceful and quiet… Also they lived a long way from the city of Sidon, and they did not have any agreements with the people of Aram. - Judges 18:7 (ERV) REFERENCE Judges 18:1-10, 27-29 This story about the people of Laish further buttresses the point we made yesterday, about the enemy seeking that stand alone Christian, who doesn’t want to associate with any group (church), so he can easily devour them. Sometimes, people don’t...
Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. - Hebrews 10:25 REFERENCE Hebrews 10:24-25 Man is a spirit, he possesses a soul and lives in a body. This means, man is a spiritual as well as a social being. So as man feeds his spirit, he also needs to meet his social needs, which is where as a believer, the place of fellowshipping with others comes in. Fellowship simply means companionship. It is a friendly association of...
When the festival was about half finished, Jesus went to the Temple area and began to teach. The Jewish leaders were amazed and said, 'How did this man learn so much? He never had the kind of teaching we had!'~ John 7:14-15 (ERV) REFERENCE John 7:14-17 What ever made these Jewish leaders who were thoroughly trained in the Jewish tradition to be amazed at Jesus’ teaching must have been quite remarkable. They confirmed that Jesus never had the kind of teaching (training) they had, yet He knew so much more! Jesus could teach the way He did because...
Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, 'Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.' - Luke 10:17 REFERENCE Luke 10:1-19 There is unlimited and so much untapped power in the name of Jesus. The disciples discovered it as they went on their mission – sicknesses were healed and stubborn demonic entities heeded their words of command in the name of Jesus. Philippians 2:9-11 shows that the name of Jesus is above every other name, and when mentioned, things on earth, beneath the earth and in heaven bow and confess that Jesus is Lord over...
But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. - Matthew 13:22 REFERENCE Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 This parable of the sower reveals the place of the heart whenever God’s Word is taught. It is the heart that receives the Word, therefore, the condition of your heart will determine how much benefit you get from the Word. If your heart is choked by worries, anxieties, agitations, fears, etc, and the Word seed is sown there, these overpowering...
For as he thinks in his heart, so is he… - Proverbs 23:7 REFERENCE Proverbs 23:7 As Christians, we tend to forget the art of thinking and we spiritualize everything, God gave us brains and minds to think with. It will be difficult to reposition or make any change in your strategies, systems and structures, if the change does not begin first and take root in your mind. True change begins from inside out. Mediocre thinking will not birth excellence, neither will failure thinking produce success. Your thoughts are like the wind, unseen but full of effects, powerful...
Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year; and David inquired of the LORD. And the LORD answered, 'It is because of Saul and his bloodthirsty house, because he killed the Gibeonites.' ~ II Samuel 21:1 REFERENCE II Samuel 21:1-14 The background to this passage is found in Joshua 9, when the Gibeonites entered into a peace treaty with the Israelites by deception. Although the treaty was made by falsehood, God still honored it because the Israelites swore by Him. When king Saul went against the treaty by killing...
For thus says the LORD: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place.- Jeremiah 29:10 REFERENCE Jeremiah 29:10-14 One of the greatest gift God has given to man is ‘TIME,’ it has helped man to plan his life, set goals, make appointments, and has been exchanged for money severally. But, time has been one of man’s greatest source of frustration because he cannot hasten it, delay it or control it. The only person that can control time is God, and...
…One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. - Mark 10:21-22 REFERENCE Mark 10:17-30 From the account of today’s passage, we see that, it is very possible for a man to be very religious and not be generous. However, any religion that has not affected the pocket is no religion at all. Religion becomes empty lip-service, when it does not affect your pocket or place demands...
But Ruth said: 'Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God. Where you die, I will die…' - Ruth 1:16-17 REFERENCE Ruth: 1:6-18 What prompted Ruth to follow her mother in-law, despite the lack of prospects, to an unknown land, to strangers and to a foreign God, when she could easily have gone back to her family – the familiar, and a support system after the death...