And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, 'He told me all that I ever did.' - John 4:39 REFERENCE John 4:5-30,39 Today’s passage introduces us to a woman who may have been suffering from low self esteem, rejection, and shame. She has not had very good experiences in her relationships with the opposite sex. The fact that she went to the well in the hot oriental afternoon (when most people reclined in the shade of their homes), lends credence to the theory that she was avoiding...
But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, 'Go, stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life.' - Acts 5:19-20 REFERENCE Acts 5:12-21 Sometimes, when we pray, expecting God to bring us out of a bad situation or a tight place, our motives for those prayers don’t particularly honor God, and we know God will not answer selfish prayers that do not bring glory to Him (James 4:3). The reason God brings us out of every imprisonment or a bad situation...
But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. - Isaiah 40:31 REFERENCE Isaiah 40:28-31 Most times, when we pray and see immediate results, we testify and glorify God. But when we have to wait for results, we become frazzled. Waiting can be perplexing and can get you to a place of discouragement. However, waiting is part of life, so we have to learn the art of it. The word ‘wait’ in our text is...
Now it happened, when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem were being restored and the gaps were beginning to be closed, that they became very angry. Nehemiah 4:7 REFERENCE Nehemiah 4:1-9 Nehemiah came to Jerusalem to help rebuild her waste places and to restore her former glory, at a time when the children of Israel had only returned from their captivity in Babylon. But the enemy (devil), using two human agents, fought tooth and nail to try and stop the work, because he is an enemy of progress who...
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...