Be Repositioned

 Luke 12:15 Then He said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.” How true is that? Life indeed is not measured by how much you own...something that a lot of people fall into a trap with. They find themselves willing to steal, kill, cheat, bribe and do all sorts of things so that they can have more money and possessions . Indeed,  that is being greedy. Remember the bible tells us that the money is not the problem, but how people view it and glorify it, that is the problem. God understands that we have needs, which is why He says seek My kingdom first, and all the other things you need, will be taken care of (According to Matthew 6:33). Thus, one does not have to chase after these things, because when you die, you leave everything here on earth. But if you chase after the kingdom of God, best believe they'll be a reward waiting on you when God calls you back home. This is explained nicely few verses from this verse, in the book of Luke

 Mark 13:33 And since you don’t know when that time will come, be on guard! Stay alert! We don't like talking about this subject, as it is touchy, but it is critical to note and prepare for. In this verse, Jesus was preparing us, giving us a heads-up that we do not know when we will be called back home, nobody knows the day or the hour. Therefore, the best thing we can do, to safeguard ourselves, is to stay ready, be prepared for any day, anytime. This means, we need to have our houses in order, firstly having accepted Jesus as our Saviour, to ensure that we see the kingdom of God. This is critical. Jesus says no one goes to His Father except through Him (John 14:6), that He is the way, truth and life. Hence if we are not aligned with Jesus, we cannot go and have an entry with our Father. Therefore, this is a warning, to ensure that you have sorted out your issues with the Lord. Secondly, we need to ensure that what God has entrusted us with, the gifts and talents, we use them for

 Matthew 7:1-2 “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged.  For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged." The Lord cautions us that we must not judge each other, because that is not our role, Should we find ourselves judging others, that  would be the same measure that is used to judge us. The Lord is the only judge, because He sees everything, He knows everything and He is the Creator of everything. We are limited. This reminds me of the story of Saul, the one described in the book of Acts, where this man was persecuting Christians, killing and jailing others. However, the Lord interevened and changed him completely through an intervention that led to his blindness and the Lord spoke to him in Acts 9. This is when a turnaround took place and Saul changed and became the follower of Christ  and started preaching the word of the Lord. In this case, judging Saul in one season when he was going to be a

 Matthew 6:9-13 “This, then, is how you should pray: “’Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name, Y our kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us today our daily bread.  And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.  And lead us not into temptation but  deliver us from the evil one.’ One of the well-known prayers... We went through a series for a couple of weeks at church, where they were unpacking the meaning of this prayer, which indeed opened my eyes. One of them was that what Jesus was referring to here, is not that we should pray this prayer word-for-word, but it serves as guidance on what we should pray about, when praying. Where the first part, we should glorify God, praise Him for who He is. Secondly ask Him for His will to be done in our lives, because in the end, what matters and what would be, is His will. In this case, we should pray that we should have hearts that accepts  His will and align with it. Thirdly , we should reco

 Matthew 9:37-38 He 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.” We are all different, with unique gifts and talents that God has blessed us with, in order to be blessings to each other. Ones that we need to us, as alluded to in the parable of talents found in the book of Matthew 25:14-20. However, the greatest commission we have been assigned by Jesus, is found in the book of Matthew 28:19-20 that says: " Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Basically,  Jesus commissioned us to make more disciples, to grow God's kingdom and to ensure that more people are saved. To tell them the good news, so that they never have to experi

 1 Corinthians 3:7 It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. This verse is so encouraging. In the kingdom of God, we are called to make disciples of God, through our lives and through  the gifts that God placed in us. Now, God made us unique for a reason, that we would complement each other. Therefore, the role we play is different. For example, a preacher  who teaches the word of God to someone who has never heard anything about the Lord, plays a different role to someone who gives prophecy about what is still to come, because the seed of the word of God had already been planted to that person, now revelations are made about something else. However, the message is one, about Jesus and His kingdom. Which is why this verse says it doesn't matter who played which role to get that particular person to find salvation, what matters is that God is the one that would make that seed that was planted to grow. This i

 Hosea 10:12 I said, ‘Plant the good seeds of righteousness, and you will harvest a crop of love. Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the LORD, that He may come and shower righteousness upon you.’ God is instructing us on how to reap a harvest of love. By ploughing out the hard ground of our hearts, by seeking the Lord and allowing Him to have His way in our hearts and in our lives. This means we seek the Lord in prayer , asking Him to reveal and remove anything that is not of Him, such as seeds of hatred, bitterness, anger, resentment, jealousy  to name a few. These cannot be associated with reaping a harvest of love; hence we need to get rid of them as soon as possible, so that our hearts may be pure and filled with good things and most importantly the love of God. We need our hearts to be filled and overflow with love , so that what comes out of it, is love. Afterall, God is love (1 John 4:8) and if He is our Father , we need to follow on His footstep

 2 Corinthians 9:6 Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. This is applicable in every career discipline (in addition to farming) and in every area of our lives. For example, if you give only a little bit of kindness, love, that's what you will reap, just a little bit of it. But if you give more, you will get more returned to you, as per the measure that God will use based on what you sowed. Also, this is applicable  to our work areas, where if you cheat your work, God is watching, you won't reap a good harvest out of it as you didn't put in enough. But if you put in efforts in whichever way you can, it doesn't matter if your Manager is mean or doesn't like you, God has a final say and you will reap a great harvest when the time is right! So, don't be discouraged when you do good and people don't recognize you, God sees that and He promised  to give a reward for you

 Deuteronomy 7:9 Understand, therefore, that the LORD your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps His covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes His unfailing love on those who love Him and obey His commands. One thing is for sure, God is faithful and He wants to just lavish His love on us. The key thing is how we see Him and how we feel about Him, that makes the difference. As per this particular bible verse, God says He lavishes His love to those who love Him ! Very important, don't miss out on the unfailing love of God, that He promises not just for you, but your bloodline, which runs to  thousands of generations, imagine! Our actions have an impact on the next generation and the next. You can be the key in your family, the one who say "yes" to God and love God with all your heart, and God favour you and all your descendants! Look at Abraham, through him, as his descendants by faith, we are reaping rewards (read Genesis 12).  So, make a conscious  de

 Psalm 34:14 Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it. The Lord is calling on us to turn away from evil and do good. This could be in any shape or form, anything that is not honouring God or inline with the word of God or the kingdom of light, forms part of the evil or wickedness. Thus, we need not have to condemn ourselves of the evil we've done and run away from God because of shame, instead because His mercy is great, we can find forgiveness from the Lord by simply repenting from our sins and turning away from that. He is merciful and He will cleanse you of whatever evil that  is and make you  a new creation. Ultimately,  we are here to do good and to be blessings to others  (Genesis 12).  May this verse encourage you to turn  a page this year, and focus your energies on doing good, there is a reward for you. Galatians 6:9 says: " So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we d

 Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. Because God loves and cares for us so much, He has become our refuge, our hiding place. When trouble comes, we run to Him like our Father, who will receive us with warm arms and protect us. As our Father, He is willing and able to defend us, with what we may be facing, He is able to take vengeance (Romans 12:19), on our behalf as He wants us to remain with a clean heart. He urges us to forgive and let go, whilst He would handle the matter for us, in His own time and in His own way. What a wonderful Father we have! This is why it is important to know to whom we run to, when (not if) trouble comes. Do we turn our backs on God and seek our own ways of dealing with that trouble, and end up with blood on our hands, or do we run to Him, who is trustworthy, loving and knows all? May 2024 be the year where you shift your focus, see God for who He really is, a loving, kind and protective Father, who wants you

 Isaiah 41:10 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with My victorious right hand. There is nothing as reassuring as a Father confirming that He is with you and will uphold you! This verse, gives us comfort that God is with us and He wants us never to be afraid, but to be confident because He is with us. As we start this new year, this message is on-point as we step into the new year filled with resolutions and goals that we want to achieve. Of course the enemy knows about that, which is why he would come and try to steal those ambitious goals that you may have by instilling fear and doubt in you. But God is telling you  today that do not be afraid, nor discouraged, things will work out. That thing  that He placed in your heart , that seems bigger  than you, press in, go forward , His hand  is upon you! When God reassures  like this, you have no choice but to trust Him and His plan, and go for

 Psalm 27:4 The one thing I ask of the LORD— the thing I seek most— is to live in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, delighting in the LORD’s perfections and meditating in His Temple. This is my prayer as well, to have an honour of being in the Lord's kingdom for the rest of my life. When you have seen the power of the Most High, His goodness and mercy, you would want to remain under His shadow; as alluded to in Psalm 91. In His presence, you get to have a closer look at how awesome He truly is, by the things  He was able to create, the power of His word, His ability to make a way where there is no way, the miracles that He performs from our challenges, you just get marveled  at who He is. Which is why, I'm in agreement with the psalmist here about seeking to be in the house of the Lord for the rest of his life, to delight in the Lord's perfections! The sooner we realize how big our God is, the sooner we would be able to commit to His kingdom and be convinced th

 2 Corinthians 4:16 That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. We live to give God the honour and glory. He is our Creator and our Father, we live because of Him, which is why we lay down our lives as a living sacrifice, so He may be glorified. In the verse prior to this one, it refers to the grace of God reaching more and more people and God receiving more and more glory. Which  is why we do what we do and never give up, because through our lives, more people get to know  God,  and they find the gift of salvation and God receives the glory. It is a privilege  that we may play a role in God's kingdom. Matthew 5:16 says : "I n the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father." Thus, we are urged to let our good deeds shine for others to see and follow Christ as well and glorify Him.  Therefore, make it your goal to be used by God for His honour and glory. T

 Proverbs 17:17 A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need. God has sent people in our lives, to help us make it through in life. We are not meant to live like an island, but to be a community that cares and help one another. This verse reminds us that friends are loyal and, in this case,  they can be counted on. You may be free to get good counsel and can depend on them when you need them. Also, siblings, whether  blood or not, are there to help you when you need help. This is why they say the company you keep, is critical and these people can either  make or break you. Good friends and brothers can help make your life easier and fruitful, as they'll be able to help and support you. However , bad ones, can lead you astray and get you in trouble. Which is why we ought to assess the people around us, whether they can be trusted and kept close or they are to be loved from a distance. My prayer for you this year, is for the Lord to reveal to you in your ci

 Isaiah 43:18-19 “But forget all that— it is nothing compared to what I am going to do.  For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland. God says we must forget the former things, the things of the past. That we must not be too consumed on the things that have passed but we should look forward, because God is already doing a new thing. I believe starting a new year, is a blessing on its own, an opportunity to start afresh and see what God has in store for us in this new year. In this case, we must not dwell on the negatives of the past years, our failures, disappointments and challenges, but we must keep our eyes on the thing that God is already busy creating for us. We have turned a page and hence we must stay in expectation of what God has in store. For me, the previous year was challenging, filled with ups and downs, which I'm grateful God led me through the

 Romans 12:2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. As the body of Christ, we are meant not to conform to the standards, norms and behaviours of this world, which could lead us straight to the path of unrighteousness. But we are meant to follow the example set by Christ, as our great Shepherd. By so doing, we are meant to lead others to Christ by our behaviours and the way we live life. Jesus as our example, has set for us the standard of living, which  is totally different from the world. For example, the world says be selfish and look out for yourself and don't share with others to preserve your resources. But Christ's way is the very opposite, one of being selfless, being considerate of others and being generous.  This bible verse tells us that when we allow the Lord to transform us, in the way we think

 Psalm 143:10 Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God. May Your gracious Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing. On our own, we are nothing. Which is why, in our prayers we ask that let God's will be done in our lives, not our own. This is important because with God's will, we are certain that we are on the right path and are on the right standing with the Lord. Obedience to the Lord is important. But when we do our own will, that could be contrary to the Lord's, it may be a challenge. Which is why the book of Proverbs tells us that we may make plans, but God will establish the steps. This means, we may have our own plans about something, but if it is not in God's will, it will not materialize but the will of God will. This is God preserving us, which is why we must always commit our plans to the Lord so that we are aligned with Him, also to have that room of change, where things may not go exactly as we plan, but to allow God's plans to overtake.  This howev

 Psalm 119:11 I have hidden Your word in my heart, that I might not sin against You. It is so important to know the word of the Lord, on what He expects  us to do and what not to do, in order to stay clear and not find ourselves sinning. Sinning against the Lord is serious, and God's wrath is seen when someone or people have sinned against Him, He doesn't take it too kind. In as much as God is king, loving, gracious and merciful, He has His limits and it is crucial for us to know what those are. Similar to us as parents, we love our kids and show them love most of the time, but there are things that are a "no-go area" which serve as a last straw, where failure to comply leads to one being angry. It is the same with the Lord. When you read the bible, particularly  the Old Testament , you get to see this very clearly. God does not tolerate certain things, and for those that push past that boundary, have suffered serious consequences. Look at what happened in the days of

 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. God wants us to be obedient to His word. His word is life and it is final. The word of God is captured in the bible, more like a manual that is there to help us maneuver  this life thing. Life can be complex, with all other people around us with their characters and motives, which is why the bible is there to guide us through (read the book of Proverbs). I've learned that everything is in the bible, whatever question or thing that  you may not be sure of, I'm certain it is captured in the bible somewhere. The trick about understanding and enjoying the word, is that you need the Holy Spirit to interpret  it for you. In our own minds, we cannot understand or grasp the lessons that are there for us. As Jesus s

 Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. As we begin a new year, may we remember that we are not alone, but that we have a Father that is sovereign, everlasting and powerful. He is the Creator of the heavens and earth and that should give us an idea of how powerful He is. This should be comfort to us, as we enter into this new chapter, that no matter what, God is still on His throne,  and He is in control. Him being in control give us comfort because even if we may find ourselves in trouble, He'll be there to pull us out; also,  that if we may find ourselves in situations that are dire, we need not have to lose hope because He is never changing, He is the same yesterday, today and forever more. Therefore, we are equipped to face anything that we may encounter this year. May this give you the boldness that the Lord wishes you to have (Proverbs 28:1) so that you may face life head-on. To dream big dreams because you know you have a Big God. To dare to go a