Posted in FAITH, GLORIFY GOD

CALL UPON THE LORD

Psalm 50:15
And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. KJV

Mark 2:17, Jesus said “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick”. The sick needs the doctor. He must recognise the need for someone who can help him. In other words, any person who wants to be saved must first recognise that he needs a saviour. Why do we spend lot of money to equip the Police? We believe they can protect our communities. Everybody wants them to respond fast. My point is we believe those guys can protect us that is why we rely on them for our safety. If we, believers, could trust in the police for our safety and security, then I believe we should trust in God‘s power to deliver us in the day of trouble.

One thing I want us to know is God has infinite power to deliver. He is Jehovah-Mephalti – Lord our Deliverer – Psalm 18:2.
He is the ONLY PERSON who can deliver us. The three Hebrews could face the fire because the saw God as the Only Person who could deliver them. Daniel also saw Him as His Deliverer. The reason, I believe, most believers in our days don’t see God’s power to deliver is that they believe their resources could save them in the day of trouble.

Matthew 14:30-31 says But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

When Peter cried out, “Lord, save me!”, Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him. Here is what I have learnt;
when trouble comes, we don’t have search our senses for solution. Secondly, We don’t have to move around seeking for answers. What we should do is to cry out to our Maker for help. In the movie The Pilgrim’s Progress, when the Pilgrim cried out “Help! Help!!” Help came from an unknown source.

Friends, anytime trouble comes, or we are afraid of the storms of life, we must LOOK UP for help. Let us call upon the Lord and he will deliver us.

I will close with this;
Isaiah 30:19
O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How gracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will answer you.

Posted in CONTROLLING SELF, DO NOT WORRY, FAITH

DO YOU SEE WHAT I SEE?

Two people may be looking at the same thing but from different perspectives. King Saul and his men saw Goliath as a giant who no one could stand, but David the shepherd boy saw him as one of the animals he kills in the forest. Life is about how you see it. Some see life as being unfair. It is no surprising that nothing, including their own actions, has been fair to them. I see life as an amazing gift from God and I am enjoying every bit of it. I don’t know what you see when you look at yourself in the mirror.

My question is; DO YOU SEE WHAT I SEE?

I heard a story about two people who were sent to do a research for shoe (manufacturing) company. When they got to the place, they realised that not even a single person wore shoes. The first person sent a telegram that the location should not be a target for the company as everybody walks barefoot. The second person sent a message that the location was a perfect place for a shoe manufacturing company. Two people, the same thing, different views. This reminds me of what happened in the OT when the twelve returned from the spy. The twelve people saw the same thing but from different perspectives. Joshua and Caleb brought a good report.

The world is in crises. Banks are collapsing; the Europe is worried about the future of the euro. China is advancing. US and UK are both recovering. When you look at Africa, Middle East, Australia, and other places, what do you see? Do you see yourself as among people who are worried about the future? Or do you have HOPE in God, through His beloved Son Jesus Christ? The scripture tells us we are in this world but we don’t belong to this world. We are on transit. Heaven is our Home. Although everything around us tells us the future is uncertain, we must look up to God. They that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits. Daniel 11:32b

Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognise what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. Romans 12:2 MSG

Don’t follow the multitude because you belong to Zion. You source is God, the Creator of the universe. When people around are worried because they don’t know what to do, you must rejoice for God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all you ask or think. In school, at the office, in the market, church, among friends, etc, our God is our Provider. He is Jehovah Jireh.  Do you see what I see? Do you see God as your Provider?

Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. Isaiah 53:4-5.

Jesus paid the price. The world is faced with so many sicknesses and diseases. Most people, including Christians, are suffering from cancer, hepatisis, HIV, asthma, diabetes, etc. Do you see yourself as a person of Fear or a person of Faith? Jesus paid the price. His blood has made us free. When you pray in the Name of Jesus, every sickness and disease has ONLY option; they have got to run and leave the body. It’s all a matter of how you see it. Your Faith can produce the result you need. In Act 3, Peter said “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazarene, get up and walk” NLT.  The Bible says he took the lame man by the right hand and helped him up. And as he did, the man’s feet and ankles were instantly healed and strengthened. God is our HEALER. Do you see what I see? Do you see God as your healer, or you believe your doctor and medicine can cure you? It’s all a matter of perspective. What you see is what you get. A man is not different from his thoughts.

I don’t know about you today. Maybe your spouse is treating you unfairly, you have been cheated, rejected, people don’t appreciate your efforts, your heart is broken, etc. No matter what you have been through, The Holy Ghost is the Comforter you need. God is our comforter. Jesus took our sorrows away, and The Holy Spirit has occupied that place. Most people only become happy when the turn on their PCs, Phones, TVs, etc to listen to music, watch movies, or probably listen to one comedian. Hey! That is not true happiness. True happiness could be found when all your heart, your strength, and everything about you have been given to God, and His Spirit has come into your heart, your spirit, and your body.

Another thing about the World is death. People are dying every day. Through terrorist attacks, plane crashes, motor accidents, earthquakes, wars, etc. But the Lord is a shield around His children. His angels are guarding us daily. Have this mentality that God is protecting you. He would guard you when you go out, and He would guard you when you come in. In time of trouble, call on Him and He would be right there for you. “Call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you…” Psalm 50:15. The Lord protects His children daily. Do you believe that? Psalm 91 would help you.

I want to encourage you today with these words; “Don’t talk like the rest of the world. Don’t walk like the rest of the world. Don’t follow what other people believe. Cast all your cares on Him. Believe God’s power to perform. Trust Him.”

If you should ask me about what I see, my answer would be; I see HOPE in the future. I believe everything is POSSIBLE with God. Nothing is too HARD for him. I see Him as my STRENGTH, PROVIDER, HEALER, BANNER, SANCTIFIER, SHEPHERD, RIGHTEOUSNESS, etc. God bless you.

Posted in SOUL FOOD

Stop dwelling on the Past

This is what the Lord says­­- he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters…Forget the former things; do not dwell on the pastIsaiah 43:18

Do not dwell on your past success, business, happiness, friendship, relationship, etc. Do not dwell on the past life. Stop blaming yourself for what couldn’t go on well in the past. And do not keep the pains of yesterday.

If things didn’t go on well (probably last year, last month, last week, yesterday), let them go. Don’t start your day worrying about bad things that happened the day before. Remember what the psalmist said “this is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” psalm 118:24.

You can’t do anything about the past. However, you can make plans today to have a better tomorrow. God knows your future more than you knew your past. The only truth about the past is it hinders you from receiving the best from the Lord.

Paul said in Philippians 3:13 that “…But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” NIV

In verse 19 of Isaiah 43, God said “see, I am doing a new thing (in your life)! Now it shall spring up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland” God will not say what He can’t do. As a matter of fact, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE WITH HIMMark 10:17. He is what He says He is. If He says He is doing a new thing in your life, it means He is doing a new thing in your life. He is faithful. Where your strength ends is where He begins. He will never leave you, nor forsake you. Where there is no Hope, He brings hope. Where there is no Joy, He brings joy.

I know the God I serve. He is I am that I am. He is the first and the last. I know what He can do in just a minute. He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think. He can do it for you.

He is telling you today to forget the former things and focus on what He can do for you today and tomorrow.

God bless you as you leave the past behind in Jesus’ Name. Amen.