TOPIC: Be Contented Anchor Scripture: "And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." - Revelation 12:17
Focus Scripture: " But godliness with contentment is great gain." - 1 Timothy 6: 6
Scripture Assist: James 1: 13 - 15
Admonition Greetings to you from the Throne of Grace.
I sincerely apologise for missing in action yesterday. I was overwhelmed by something. So, as Apostle Paul wrote, please, "pray for us."
Today, the Holy Spirit is touching on a very important point which He mentioned briefly in the course of the week. It is the issue of CONTENTMENT, which is the art of being pleased and satisfied with whatever we have, no matter how little it might be. I am aware that this part of the Bible is never read in some churches, but the truth is that it is there for our learning and instructions. Permit me to also say that this is one of the parts of the Bible that the Holy Spirut led me to read and understand perfectly, very early in my Christian race. I bless the Holy name of God for this.
We will be deceiving ourselves if we said we don't know that the opposite of contentment, COVETOUSNESS, borne out of a desire to have more, more and more, has taken over the church today. The pulpit today is awashed with prosperity messages of how God created all things for us and how He asked us to dominate and how He asked us to "ask and it shall be given." The message of "what shall it profit a man to gain the whole world and loose his own soul" is lost and become obliterated.
However, we must not lose cognizance of the fact that one of the greatest weapons the devil uses to ensure that we don't remain wholehearted in God is the lure of material things. And just as the devil today use material things to lure our hearts away from God, he did same to our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, in the book of Matthew 4: 1 -10. One of the responses he got from Jesus Christ was "it is written, man shall not live by bread alone, . . . " and another was "it is written, you shall worship the Lord your God alone." Unfortunately, Christians today are living only by bread and indirectly worshipping the devil in disguise whilst they deceive themselves that they are worshipping God.
Christians today need to be aware that when Satan fails to lure us away by tribulations and other things mentioned in Romans 8: 35-39, he results to the things the Bible warned vehemently against in 1 John 2: 15 - 17. Christians, beware!
As we round off this morning, the Scripture says "we brought nothing into this world, and we will take nothing out. But if we have food and rainment, we ought to be contented with that." We have been warned by Jesus Christ Himself that except our faith shall surpass that of the Pharisees, we should not have the hope of heaven. I wish to make it crystal clear this morning, without mincing words that no Christian who is materially minded shall FINISH STRONG because according to Jesus Christ, "no one can serve two masters." So, as we run the race, let us ALWAYS put in our minds, the third stanza of this hymn, "I have decided to follow Jesus, which reads: The world behind me, the cross before me (4x) No turning back, no turning back If we did, mean it and live by it, we shall surely FINISH STRONG. * * Please, pray for forgiveness for those times in the past when you allow yourself to be drawn away by the things of the world and ask God for the grace of contentment and a heart to follow Him duly to the end in your Christian life, in Jesus' name. Amen. * * * Till Monday when we shall meet again on this beautiful journey of FINISHING STRONG together, please, keep keeping on in Him.
I remain, Yours in Him, Brother Bidemi Oyedele Bible-way Gospel Ministries, Lagos, Nigeria. 07064694037 [email protected]
Wednesday 5th August, 2020
TOPIC: Be Assured
Anchor Scripture: "And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." - Revelation 12:17
Focus Scripture: "For I know that my redeemer liveth, . . . " - Job 19: 25
Admonition Greetings to you from the Throne of Grace.
I wrote in one of the past series that I am a very pragmatic person; I believe only in whatever works and I don't follow no crowd. Maybe that was the reason it took me so long a time before deciding to accept Christ Jesus. But since I finally accepted Him, I have found that He is the surest! I have never had to doubt or have a rethink about following Him for once.!
One would wonder why Job endured so much pain and anguish, insults and disgrace, rejection and desertion, and yet he never "cursed God." as he was advised by his wife. (Job 1: 9) But reading though his work, we saw while his heart remained wholeheartedly resolute in God:. According to our Focus Scripture this morning, Job had some unseen and uncommon assurance in God; He was ASSURED of the Lord, that come what may, He lives! Maranatha!
The Holy Spirit told us in one of our recent Sunday services that what many people in the chirch today want is "see and buy", but the Bible says, "blessed are those who belief withoit seeing." (John 20: 29) The book of 2 Corinthians 5: 7 made it very clear that we walk by faith, not by sight. But as said earlier, what some people, the Thomases amongst us are after is "see and buy".
"See and buy" people have no assurances in God. By implication, they lack faith in God. It then means that they are not wholeheartedly fixed on God. They are like a leave on the sea, being carried here and there by the sea waves. Such people can never FINISH STRONG.
I saw and heard hearts that have become unapologetically and wholeheartedly fixed on God in Daniel 3: 17 saying "If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king." Wow! What a statement of pure and assured faith from a people that are whoheartedly in God. Tiny David also displayed his assuarance in God to King Saul and Goliath when faced with the Goliath debacle in 1 Samuel 17.
As we round of this morning, let us know that if we must FINISH STRONG, we MUST be wholeheartedly fixed on God by being assured that He lives and He is able to deliver us from every pestilence as He promised in the Bible.The two words,"He is" in Hebrews 11: 6 means that God lives now and forever more. Until we have this kind of an attitude of Job that is totally dependent on God, we won't be able to stand in Him, wholeheartedly. That is the reason many in the church today, at the slightest provocation by the devil, they begin to run helter-skelter. This kind of response to calamites and other darts of the devil shows that we are not wholehearted in Him. May the good Lord see us through in Jeaus' name. Amen.
Finally this morning, it is a heart that is assured of and in God that remains unpertubed in the face of troubles. It is auch a heart that can declare "I know my reddemer liveth": * When there is no money to spend and there is no food, I know my reddemer liveth * When in bad health and dying, I know my reddemer liveth * When deserted by everybody around, I know my reddemer liveth * When you want to laugh, but all you could do is sigh, I know my reddemer liveth * When there is no helper and you have to face life's hardship all alone, I know my reddemer liveth * When you become a laughing stock to the people around you for whatever reason, I know my reddemer liveth * When the road you are travelling is all uphill, I know my reddemer liveth * When you want to run but all you could do is to crawl, I know my reddemer liveth * When the day turns dark and there seems to be no way out, I know my reddemer liveth * When the debts are and the bills are mounting, I know my reddemer liveth * When you want to lift your head, but you have to bow, I know my reddemer liveth
As true children of God, one way of keeping ourselves assured of and in God is by keeping the Cross and His promises in our sight at all times, being assured that they can never fail. I have many personal testimonies in this respect, but for time and space. I assure you there will be opportunity, soon too, to share them with you. But for now, be rest assured that there is no problem that is greater than God. . . . Please, pray for heaven's strenghtening and that the grace for the race be bestowed on you from above that you may stand in the day of tribulations and trials in Jesus' name. Amen. * * * Till we meet tomorrow again on this beautiful journey of FINISHING STRONG together, please, keep keeping on in Him.
I remain, Yours in Him, Brother Bidemi Oyedele Bible-way Gospel Ministries, Lagos, Nigeria. 07064694037 [email protected]
Anchor Scripture: "And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." - Revelation 12:17
Focus Scripture: "And David was greatly distressed; . . . but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God." - 1 Samuel 30:6
Scripture Assistance: Psalm 27, 121,
Admonition Greetings to you from the Throne of Grace.
Yesterday, the Holy Spirit hammered on a truth that we all know; the importance of foundation to a building and how important it is to have a strong foundation in God in this Christian journey, so that we may FINISH STRONG and make heaven at last!
Actually, what a strong foundation does for us is to keep us firmly rooted in God, even in the face of adversities. That is, having a strong foundation in God does not imply that the devil will not wage war against us, but with our strong foundation, we will be able to withstand and overcome him because we will remain unshaken despite all his dramas. May this be our testimonies in Jesus' name. Amen.
What is said above is exactly what happened to "the man after my heart", as God called David. David went on a rescue mission for some people, but before he came back, another people had come and raided his own home and took away his and his men's household as captives. Faced with this calamity, the love of the men for David waxed cold and their first thought was to stone him. And when his men went cold, the Bible, our Focus Scripture this morning says, "but David encouraged himself in the Lord."
Brethren, this is a reaction that many of us lack, even though we call ourselves children of God. I ask you, when or if a major distress should happen to you, where will or do you turn for encouragement? Will you not turn to your parents, friends or spouse? But Jeremiah 17: 5 - 7 admonished us on what to do.
To encourage oneself in the Lord means putting all of one's hopes in Him and seeing Him as the ONLY OPTION, not one of many options. A person who will encourage themselves in the Lord will turn to Him immediately the tempest came knocking. That was exactly what David did. David did not turn to his men for advice. He did not even seek the Priest's advice. He told the Priest, instead, "consult God for me" as it was the practice in those days.
The book of Hebrews 12: 2 advises us to "look unto Jesus . . . ." I once told us the story a friend related to me of how his friend, who looked unto his Senior Pastor and General Overseer instead of Jesus Christ, lost his wife. And I have said it in umpteenth time that there are many in the church today who are believing in their Pastors, but believe they are believing God.
In 1 Samuel 16, God made it very clear that He works with our hearts, not our faces or shennanigans and razzmatazz that we put up to deceive men like us. God is all knowing.
In closing this morning, encouraging oneself in the Lord is the hallmark of those who want to FINISH STRONG and make heaven on the Last Day. I have said it before that God is only interested in full-timers, not part-timers. In Psalm 121, David said what he played out in 1 Samuel 30: 6. Where you turn in times of challengea is a compass to where your encouragement lies. This invariably determines how wholehearted you are and will remain in God in the face of adversity. I pray the Good Lord upholds us to the end in Jeaua' name. Amen. * * * Please, pray for forgiveness for those times in the past when you drew your courage elsewhere other than God and ask Him for that grace in your Christian life, in Jesus' name. Amen. * * * Till we meet tomorrow again on this beautiful journey of FINISHING STRONG together, please, keep keeping on in Him.
I remain, Yours in Him, Brother Bidemi Oyedele Bible-way Gospel Ministries, Lagos, Nigeria. 07064694037 [email protected]
Monday 3rd August, 2020
TOPIC: Build A Good Foundation
Anchor Scripture: "And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." - Revelation 12:17
Focus Scripture: "If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?" - Psalms 11: 3
Admonition Greetings to you from the Throne of Grace.
Our Anchor Scripture this week is making a mess of another lie we have been fed from time that because Jesus died for us, Christianity is a bread and butter religion, thus, we have nothing to worry about. That may be true for the lukewarm amongst us; those that really don't have a part in Christ, but are hiding in His body to cover up their evil ways. And that is why my Teacher have always maintained that being born into a Christian family, belonging to one Christian denomination or the other or any other qualification we may have consideration for are just not enough to be a Christian because until push comes to shove, it would be difficult to know who is really standing. About two weeks ago in one of our lessons, the question was asked that "if all the trimmings of life you are enjoying today are removed, as it was done to Job, will you still remain in God?" Answer that question within yourself and don't deceive yourself.
If you have not faced the wrath of Satan on this journey, and overcame and remain standing, please, you may not have qualified yet, for the Christian title. Or better still, you may be a Christian, which has become an umbrella name under which many are hiding, but you are not yet a believer.
The wrath of the devil is against those of us who hold the testimony of Christ Jesus. And that is why we have been forewarned that many of us shall be put through fire. The stories of Heroes of Faith and those saints matyred for their beliefs in Christ Jesus confirms the veracity of that earlier warning.
So, how do we expect to overcome the scourge of the devil when it shall come because it shall come to each and everyone of us who are TRUE BELIEVERS. Be warned that if yours have not come, it shall surely come one day. So, when it shall come, how do we overcome?
The surest antidote to ensure that our love don't wax cold in the face of adversity is to have a sure foundation in the Lord. Our Focus Scripture this morning asks a very important question, "if the foundation be destroyed, what can the righteous do?" The truth of the matter is that we are the Lord's building; He lives in us. There is no building without a foundation. But different materials are often used to build foundations. So, what determines whether a building will stand when tempests billows against it is the material with which the foundation was built. A popular adage of my people says "a house built with saliva shall be brought down by dew." That is a fact!
In Matthew 7: 24 - 27, Jesus Christ distinguished between two builders; a wise one and a foolish one. I want to put it across to you this morning that if you don't have a strong foundation in God, you may qualify for the latter. If God permits, that may be our next series.
As we round off this morning, the kind of foundation you have will determine whether you will remain wholeheartedly in God when tempests shall come. One of the major reasons people backslide and or blaspheme when thay are faces with stubborn problems as Christians is because they had no solid foundation in God and in His Christ from the world go in their Chrsitian race. They have been part of the crowd. But when a situation arose that told them "Paul I know, Jesus I know, who are you?" (Acts 19: 15) They faltered without a tangible answer; the reault was a terrible fall. I pray that will not be our testimonies in Jesus name. Amen.
Finally this morning, our FINISHING STRONG in God is a function of the kind of foindation we have in God. I will not deceive you, even if many others are doing so, if your foundation in God is based on the popular bread and butter Christianity, you may not FINISH STRONG. That position is based on the fact that such foundations cannot stand the test of time. The Bible, (1 Corinthians 15: 19), calls such people, the most miserable. I pray the Lord will help us all in Jesus' name. Amen. * * * Please, pray that God will be the foundation of your Christian life, in Jesus' name. Amen. * * * Till we meet tomorrow again on this beautiful journey of FINISHING STRONG together, please, keep keeping on in Him.
I remain, Yours in Him, Brother Bidemi Oyedele Bible-way Gospel Ministries, Lagos, Nigeria. 07064694037 [email protected]