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Showing posts from July, 2023

He is indeed able to do more than we ask or think!!!

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 Ephesians 3:20-21 Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us,  to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. The power of God is at work within us, that is exciting! With this work that He is doing in us, we  can expect great things to come, for He says He is able to do immeasurably MORE than we can ask or imagine! We can trust that we serve the God of abundance (John 10:10), the One who owns everything (Psalm 24:1) and is not confined or limited by anything! This means, He expects us to come boldly to Him with a big ask, knowing that He is not limited and that He is a Father that will never withhold  anything good from His children. This gives us confidence! Just a caution though that when you have made that big ask, do not be disappointed  if it doesn't happen in your time, but to understand that God's timing and ours, is n...

Seek the Lord and you will find Him!

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 Jeremaih 29:13 If you look for Me wholeheartedly, you will find Me. We are called to seek th Lord with all our hearts. This leads us to be in the safest place, as we will not be leaning on our own understanding, but we'll be operating from the will of God (Proverb 3:5). The bible in Matthew 6:33 says: " But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." This means before you pursue something, seek the will of God, if that thing is aligned with His plans for your life or not. It means the first step is checking with God, about your decisions, to know His righteousness  in that particular area. This means, our will and desires might have to be put aside, where they don't align with what God is saying. God will show the way that leads to life. The verse for today confirms that if we seek Him diligently, we will find Him, we will find His ways, His truth and His presence. This will bring peace, prosperity and calm, as you...

We don't live off bread only, but by the living word of God!

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 Matthew 4:4 But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Jesus was emphasizing the importance of His word, being part of our life. So much that we can't live without it, just like the actual food we eat. I never understood or appreciated what this verse meant, until I was drawn in, to God's presence and the Holy Spirit started making the bible make sense to me. Before, reading the bible was an ordinary thing to do, where I used to enjoy hearing of the bible stories etc. However, there came a time when I started understanding the truth about the  word of God, which is not just about their story (eg Moses, Job etc.) but a point where I recognized that these are meant to be stories that we can identify with, learn from and get the assurance  that if God was able to do it for them, He certainly can do it for me! This is one aspect of it. The second aspect of this, is actually what Jesus...

God will never fail you!

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 Luke 1:37 "For the word of God will never fail.” In the  midst of chaos, uncertainty and storm, we can stand secure on the word of the Lord, for we know that it shall never fail! It is during such times that the enemy would want to come and steal the word that the Lord has placed in your heart, so that you start doubting what you heard and know, in order to stop believing  and throw-in the towel. But we have already been equipped that the enemy only comes to steal kill and destroy that which is praiseworthy  (John 10:10) , hence we won't fall for those schemes, instead we will declare and decree the word of God as a sign that we can never be shifted,  and we still believe. Numbers 19:23 says: " God is not a man, so He does not lie. He is not human, so He does not change His mind. Has He ever spoken and failed to act? Has He ever promised and not carried it through?" This further confirms that His word never fails, because He is not man that He would lie, and th...

Do what the word says...

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 James 1:22-24 But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.  For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror.  You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. The word of God instructs and teaches us (2 Timothy 3:16), hence, in this verse today , the Lord is cautioning  us not to just hear the word and leave it at that, but to be doers of the word. What the Lord teaches us through His word, we must do what the word says. Otherwise,  the purpose would be defeated, in that it meant to teach us something, but because we didn't do what it said, we don't learn and grow at all. It's like as a parent, you give your child instructions on how to behave in  the house and in general; if they don't apply what you taught them, then you would've wasted your time as the teaching didn't accomplish what it was meant to. This verse explains it that it is like...

God cares for you!

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 Psalm 147:3 He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds. Oh, what a wonderful Father He is! He cares so much for us, that He will not leave us in a weak state, where we are wounded and brokenhearted, instead He takes it upon Himself to heal us and bandage our wounds. These could be wounds from the past, childhood , current or perpetual. He sees all and He knows all. He sees the heart that is bleeding that is in need of care, and He comes in and bring healing. We must never run away from Him when we are hurting, saddened or feel broken. He is our Father and He wants us to bring everything to Him. There are a couple of bible verses where He invites us to cast our burdens to Him, because He cares for us (Psalm 55:22, Proverbs 16:3, 1 Peter 5:7, Matthew 11:28). We need to trust Him with our hurts, our pain and He will bind up the wound, and bring healing in our lives. It is comforting to know that when we find ourselves in a season where we feel broken because  of the tr...

The scripture is there to teach, rebuke, correct and train us!

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 2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,  so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. Some wonder who wrote the bible and how does it connect with God. This verse explains  that it may have been written  by people (like you and I) and that what they wrote, was inspired by God. God gave them  insight on what to write exactly. We can be sure that word in the bible, is the word that came from God. The verse for today explains the usefulness of this word that it there to teach, rebuke, correct and train us in righteousness. This, I can fully agree with, as these are my encounters when I read the bible. I find knowledge  that teaches me something, that rebukes and corrects me from my ways to that which God is revealing, and it trains me about righteousness, that I'm not righteous because I do everything right according to the kingdom of God but tha...

God's plans are to prosper you!

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 Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. This is one of the well- known  bible verses that   God  wants to remind us of  the truth revealed in it. The truth is that God has good plans for us, plans to prosper us and not to harm us. We must remember that what God has for us, in the physical  may seem like punishment or backward, but when it finally comes together, it then becomes clear why the negative thing happened. Going through a tough  time like being retrenched  (which I have first-hand  experience in), you may feel disappointed , angry, let down etc. but the truth remains that everything that happens , has a go-ahead from God and God may allow that  to happen, for a reason. That reason obviously being for your good and leading you to a prosperous future. At that moment when it happens, it may feel like a dark cloud, the e...

Forgive and pray for others, you will receive your healing!

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 James 5:16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. Jesus taught us to pray in Matthew 6 and in the prayer, we ask the Lord to forgive us for our sins as we forgive others. This ties-in with the verse for today that as people, we need to confess our sins to each other and pray for one another. If someone has confessed their sins, it doesn't give you the right  to gossip about them, hate them but it is an opportunity to pray for them. This may be hard to do, but it's what  God expects of us. He has already told us that vengeance belongs to Him (Romans 12:19), that's  why we must not hold grudges, but to forgive and pray for them. Matthew 5:44 says: " But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you." By doing so, you will he...

Praise the Lord always!

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 Psalm 113:3 From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the LORD is to be praised. We praise the Lord because He is worthy and He deserves all the honour and glory! In our day-to-day, we may not pay attention on how big and mighty  God is, but the moment we think  about everything that He has created, we then realize that there is no one like Him. He is powerful and mighty. Looking at creation, our bodies included, on how detail they are, on the inside and out, how perfect and parts that are in harmony with one another, we realize that God is an awesome Creator. Also, when we consider the great and mighty things He has done, as reference in the bible and also from our own experiences, we get a good glimpse of who He truly is.  This is what leads us to never stop praising and worshipping Him. There may be trouble, storms of life, but the reality that even in that storm, God is still with us and in control, we get the peace that surpasses all un...

We can depend on God, our Rock!

 Isaiah 26:4 Trust in the LORD always, for the LORD God is the eternal Rock. The sooner we realize and make peace with the fact that life is full of trials and tribulations, the better we would handle it. Life is never a smooth ride all the way, it is described to be a roller-coaster, where it has its ups and  downs. This doesn't mean we are alone, or God has forsaken us, He keeps reminding us (through the scriptures where He was giving the word to His children that were in trouble, that He is with them even in the storm). Examples includes Daniel, Meshack, Shadrack and Abednego and many others. It is the same with us, when we go through the storm, we must never doubt that God is still with us, because He is. Remember the story of Job, where God allowed the devil to test Job. This shows that the devil can't touch us, unless the Lord has agreed to it. He agrees because He trusts us, sometimes it's because He wants to prove a point to the devil about us ...

Be wise and build your foundation on the Lord!

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 Proverbs 18:10 The name of the LORD is a strong fortress; the Godly run to Him and are safe. This verse reminds us that God is dependable in whom we can build our strong foundation. In such a way that, when trouble  hits, we can run to Him and be safe. He is our shelter, our protector and our strength , we can never go wrong. Jesus explains in Matthew 7:24-26 about those who hear and put His word into practice , are like a man that builds his house on a rock, that when storms hit, the house will  be standing strong, as it is built on a strong foundation. However, a house built on sand, when storm hits, it will be destroyed. The latter refers to a person whose trust is not on the Lord, but other things. Thus, decide for yourself, in whom will you build your house, your foundation. The Lord is calling on you to do what is wise, and partner with Him, allow Him to be the strong fortress so that you have safety  at all times. Psalm 91 confirms this for the righteous , th...

Humble yourself, pray and seek the Lord!

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 2 Chronicles 7:14 Then if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. God calls His children to humble themselves, not to be boastful or full of themselves but to stay humble. To pray and seek Him and turn away from sin and wicked ways, He will forgive and restore us. The bible teaches us the right way and the ways of the kingdom of darkness. God gave humans a choice as alluded to in Deuteronomy. However, He encourages us to choose life not death. Furthermore, God sent His Son to show us the way, as our model or example that we should aspire to and follow on His footsteps. It may seem like quite a task, but we need to remember that we have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, who will help us every step of the way, to be the best versions of ourselves. Seek the Lord always, for everything. He says nothing is too small or too big for Him. ...

Jesus our Mediator...

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 1 Timothy 2:5 For, There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. The role played by Jesus can never be taken for granted. We have reconciled with our Father all because of Him. He died on the cross, rose again and now He is seated in heaven, on the right hand of God, pleading  our cases.  Through Him, we are forgiven, prospered and set free. Free to be who God has called us to be, from the beginning of time. Jeremiah 1:5 says: “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.” This verse shows us that God knew us before we were even born, He designed our life the way He needed it to be. But of course life happens and we take our own direction, when life has hit us hard, we get woken to who God called us to be. In that process, Jesus mediates  for us, pleads and help reconcile us with our Father. May we never take it for granted, the ...

The blessed hand that gives...

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 Acts 20:35 And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘ It is more blessed to give than to receive .’  There's a say that we are "the hands and feet for Jesus"! This means, now that Jesus has left, we are left behind to complete the tasks He initiated. To continue being help to others. In this bible verse, Paul reminds us that He has shown us an example of working hard, helping those in need. We do this because it gives us a sense of purpose, of impacting someone's life. This gives  us a reason to live. But above that, there's another benefit which is a reward from the Lord, as indicated that God blesses those that give. That is something to celebrate, as we recall that being blessed doesn't only translate to material things only, but it refers to other things as well; where you are just favoured in everything  that you do. That's a blessing! May we go back to the ...

Give Him praise for the Lord is good...

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 Psalm 100:5 For the LORD is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and His faithfulness continues to each generation. This is such wonderful truth, that we know that our Father is so good! That His love continues forever , from one generation to another. He has shown His faithfulness and love for His children, as evident in the children of Israel. But not only can we make reference to the bible only, we have also seen His goodness in our own lives, if we pay close attention. The fact that we are still alive and are protected, shows that He is keeping His covenant He made with Abraham, of His goodness to flow from him to His children and many generations. Personally, I have seen His goodness in my parent's lives and I can testify about His goodness in  my own life and very much on my offspring's. This is evident for example in Him bringing healing that was bothering you for example.  We need to exalt His name, give Him praise, give Him the honour and glory! He deserv...

He is our Source!

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 Matthew 6:11 Give us today the food we need... We need to change our perspective of how we see God, as only our rescurer, where we only go to Him when we are in trouble and  start recognizing Him as our Source  of everything. God created everything that we see and know of (even that which we don't). He owns  everything and everyone, whether we acknowledge that or not. This is confirmed  in the book of Psalm 24:1 and it says: " The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to Him." In this case, everything  that we need, is with Him. Which is why Matthew 6:33 tells us clearly that: " Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need."  This includes our daily bread. God is the Source of our life, the food we need, the resources, the air we breathe, the healing we are looking for, the promotions, the finances, everything is with Him. All it takes, is just a word f...

God is never changing...

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 Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. It is so wonderful to live in the kingdom of God, where we know our Father is dependable and never changing. He is the same always. This gives us assurity that no matter what, we can always count on Him to come rescue and save us. We can count on His word, the promises that He gives that we know He will fulfill. Isaiah 55:11 says:  " It is the same with My word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it." The word that He sends out, it will accomplish everything that He desires for it to, it will produce fruit. If God says I will bless you, indeed that is exactly what He will do, He will bless you! He never forgets and He never hold our sins against us. He is worthy to be praised! With such assurity, it is up to us to put our trust in Him, rely on Him and fully depend on Him. Not on our own strength, wisdom, qualifications, con...

Love your enemies!

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 Luke 6:35 “Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. God is asking us to love, not hate our enemies. This may be a big "ask", but we already know that in the kingdom of God, things are done in the opposite. The norm or the world would say if someone slaps you, slap them back, but the bible tells us not to, but to give them the other cheek as well (Matthew 5:38-39). This principle is similar to that one. Do not hate them as they hate you, there needs to be a differentiator between the children of God and the people of the world. God is always leading us on the narrow path, so that we may get a reward. This verse confirms that if someone borrows money, borrow them but don't expect repayment. This will show your kindness that it is not limited to only those that are...

Keep asking, seeking and knocking. The Lord will answer!

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 Matthew 7:8 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. This is one of the basic and simple principles that I missed, which I'm glad the Lord is teaching me and I see the results. It is simple, if you need something, you must ask. If you want an opportunity somewhere, you must knock at the right doors. If you want knowledge , you seek and you  shall find. All three of these aspects are important. God is teaching us to confess it with our own mouth, say it and it shall come to pass. Remember  God created everything with just the word (except for humans). He spoke the word and things came into existence . It is the same with us, we need to speak it, ask for it and God will help. I could never overemphasize the issue of Matthew 6:33 that says seek the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added unto you. This verse bothered me for a long time until God reveled to me what it means. Basically, yo...

People are hungry for His word, be the difference...

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 Matthew 9:36-38 When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.  H e said to His disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few.  So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask Him to send more workers into His fields.” Jesus is so compassionate for us! This verse reminds us on why He allowed the gruesome death to take over, as He had us in mind as His sheep. Jesus  saw the people that were lost, confused and helpless, pretty much like it is nowadays, where people have lost hope, are frustrated and unhappy. Jesus then said to them, the harvest is great; this was referring to those people that are ready to hear the word of God and be consoled, given direction and strength in life. I see this with my own life, that before I was fully conscious  of God in my life, life's challenges were extreme and unbearable , life was just a drag, without an end in mind. But God's pres...

You are called to use your freedom to serve...

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 Galatians 5:13 For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. Jesus died on the cross for us to be free, to live a life of freedom; not bound by sin, condemnation and oppression. We are called to recognize this freedom and use it to serve one another. This gives us confidence to be a blessing to others, knowing that we are free to do so, that it is within  the will of the Lord. Jesus taught His disciples  a principle of serving one another (John 13:2-17). However , we are cautioned not to use this freedom for our own sinful nature, where we now say we are free to do as we please. This freedom is within  the confines  of what is pleasing to the Lord. People can't claim freedom and use it to steal from others, boast and look down on others (just as example). No. This freedom was paid for by the blood, that on its own gives us re...

Remember ALL that the Lord has done for you...

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 Psalm 77:11-12 But then I recall all You have done , O LORD; I remember Your wonderful deeds of long ago.  They are constantly in my thoughts. I cannot stop thinking about Your mighty works. We may have things that we need God to come through for us with, but we the truth is, God has already done so much for us. Some of which it is things we don't even see with our eyes but when we are fair, we would   recognize  that it was the hand of God. This could be as simple as protection  from accidents of all sorts. It is not our intellect or luck that we survive each day wherever we are, it is because God said so. He kept us safe from any harm that could've  finished us off. It's those things that we need to constantly keep reminding ourselves of the role God that plays in our lives, which will humble us and make us to have a grateful heart. God loves a grateful  heart... Maybe instead of always focusing on the negative  things surrounding us, let us be...