#WordforToday 11 April 2018 The high and mighty

“I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”” Luke‬ ‭18:14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

It is amazing how the teachings of Christ is contrary to the world. What the world expects is completely opposite what Jesus says is the Kingdom culture.

Humankind glory in the accumulation of material things, the accreditation in scholarly achievements, the demonstration of power - position, wealth. Even in the Christendom, titles (Apostle, Pastor, Prophet, Bishop etc.) are sources of exaltation than the gospel of Jesus.

The Pharisee was a keeper of the law to the mi-nute detail. As a Christian, it is thus easy to become enthralled with our religiosity and fool ourselves with self-justification. Who are you trying to impress with self-exaltation? Let your works speak for itself and let your words glorify God.

No matter how many boxes you tick right; or how God is using. you, remember God resists the proud and give grace to the humble.

Be mindful and alert to the Holy Spirit in you. Stop exalting yourself and lift up Jesus. Walk in the #HolySpirit and stop being led by your five senses.

#PrayerforToday 11 April 2018

Almighty Father, in the name of my Lord Jesus, I reject every spirit of self-justification. I will not glory in earthly things but will be mindful of heavenly things. Help me to remain humble because You resist the proud and give grace to the humble. Give me the grace to be a carrier of Kingdom Culture in every area of my life. Amen

It is the will of the everlasting Father that you may have everlasting life through Jesus. See Him in the Holy Scriptures, believe in Him and He will raise you up on the last day ‭‭John‬ ‭6:40‬ ‭NKJV

I pray this inspires you to be more and do more for Yeshua Ha Mashiach (Jesus Christ).

#AdeolaAkintoye ©

The power of the spoken word

"Let there be Light" and there was light. Yes, those words might have been spoken by the Almighty Himself, nevertheless there is power in the spoken word. 

There are so many promises of Yahweh to His children.

"As you have said in my ears so shall I do"; "Whatever you ask in my name, my father will do"; "Whatever you bind on earth is bound in heaven." And so many more. Read the bible and discover them for yourself.

Of course there are conditions or your words would just be empty without the creative life to bring it to pass. For the people that abide by these conditions, we read great and mighty things that they accomplished just by speaking the word - Moses with signs and wonders. Joshua commanded the sun and moon by his words and they stood still. Elijah caused a climatic famine for two years by his words and many more including Jesus and the Apostles. And in our lifetime men and women of faith performing healing miracles by the spoken word.

I know many of us desire to speak the word and see miracle, signs and wonders. The challenge is meeting the conditions - faith in Yeshua, abiding in the word, prayer and so forth. The most important condition is having the deep, intimate relationship with Yeshua Jesus. A relationship that is so close, whatever you ask for is done because you ask according to the knowledge of His will. 

A relationship that is built on love and obedience. This is not just about going to Church, serving in departments, praying and fasting 24/7. But giving up your life as a living sacrifice - seeking and finding Him, seeking and knowing Him, seeking and obeying Him, seeking and spending quality time with Him in the word and in prayer. Your life is centered on Him. He becomes your lifestyle. His will becomes your life manuscript.

Many desires to have the power of the spoken word become reality in their lives but unfortunately they are not willing or able to pay the price. Only a few people do pay the price. Many of us settle for the little we try. We prefer to go to the pastor to pray for us when we need it and hope that Elohim will answer the prayer. This is living below our capability in Christ Jesus.

Let us seek Jesus to know Him, obey Him and be a living sacrifice, seeking first the Kingdom and its righteousness. Every other thing shall be added and whatever we ask in the name of Jesus shall be done.

Pressing On

“Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me...I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” ‭‭Philippians‬ ‭3:12, 14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Christ laid hold of salvation for us. The upward call of God is a relationship with Him, restoring that which was lost in the garden of Eden.

You have to press on, growing in maturity, being more and more Christlike to make it to Heaven. The way, the right, the access has already been cleared by the finished work on the Cross of Calvary.

It's an upward call. Looking unto Heaven and things of the Kingdom. Not a world call - looking at the here and now. But an upward call, being mindful of the things of the Spirit and of the Kingdom of God.

 We forget what we have done or attained in the past, but look forward to those things ahead. Our holiness yesterday can not prevent us from falling into error tomorrow. We must not boast of our righteousness of today but press on to that of tomorrow. 

If you did not sin yesterday, glory. Forget yesterday. Focus on not committing sin today. Continue to press forward towards the goal. You can do it through a life sold out to Jesus.








image attribution https://clipartfest.com

Soar like an Eagle

“So Sarai said to Abram, “See now, the LORD has restrained me from bearing children. Please, go in to my maid; perhaps I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram heeded the voice of Sarai.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭16:2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Isn't it interesting that when we want to do something we know is not right, we conveniently blame God for our problems. To justify her actions, Sarah told Abram God has prevented her from having children. It was thereby justifiable to seek an alternative. Despite God's promise to Abram he accepted. For a man who was quick to make sacrifices there was none recorded that he did between the ages of 85 and 99 years. God himself was quiet. I wonder why? Lack of trust in the word of God leads to a barrier in our relationship with Him.

Waiting might be difficult, but going out of the will of God will bring difficulties into your life.

Are you about to give up in God's promise concerning your situation. Don't! He is never late. Taking that step out of faith will destroy many lives and generations to come.

Those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength. Or those who waits on the Lord shall fly with wings like an eagle.

#LifeLessons: The Cancer that you can control

(The forgiveness Series 1)

22 May 2016

Un-forgiveness is like cancer. Once the seed is sown, it starts growing and spreading like a bush fire; consuming, destroying and killing all things in its part. The only way to stop it is to uproot it from the root. The only way to prevent it is not to let the seed be planted in the first place.

Not too long ago, I was hurt. I had un-forgiveness threatening my life. Yes, that is what it does. It steals your peace and joy, and most importantly your relationship with God.

I was hurt! It was not even one incidence but a series of incidences by the same person. Those incidences, I felt were meant to humiliate and deliberately hurt me. It was even more painful because it was in an environment that I expected to be full of love. I flirted with bitterness and nearly took the pill of offence.

What saved me was the fact that I had Jesus Christ in my life. I kept remembering He forgave me, why would I not forgive this person. I lost respect for this person. I mistrusted anything they said. I found myself reading meanings into what they do. Through this, I opened myself to battlefield of the mind.

I knew I was in trouble because the Holy Spirit kept convicting me through my conscience. On judgement day, would I use the person as an excuse for not forgiving? Was their own action powerful enough over my life to dictate my actions?

I knew I was fighting a spiritual battle because I know what the God I serve says about forgiveness (Matt 6:14-15, 18:21-22, Luke 6:37 examples). I was in this battle for about a year.

So I started fighting it. No one was going to make me miss my eternity. I prayed consistently for the Holy Spirit to help me to forget the pain, that when I see this person, I will not remember the pain.

I started taking control of my thoughts by confessing Philippians 4:8. It became my favourite verse;  Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

Anytime I see the person I recited the verse, to keep away any negative thoughts. It worked.

I prayed to be filled with agape love – not the ordinary flesh inducing love but the love that covers all sins, one that does not anger; that sees through Christ eyes, the love that comes from above. I prayed to love this person with agape love. I then started working it out. Whenever I see the person, I will greet and hug them. I went out of my way to help them. I was determined to love them. Agape love does not depend on feelings but based on decision.

Gradually the feelings of hurt died. I see them now I feel love. I have also come to know and understand their character and nothing they do now could hurt me again because I shrug off their weaknesses and focus on their strengths. I want to put my energies in working on my own weaknesses – there is a lot of that already!

I came out of that experience having a deeper understanding that forgiveness is not easy but it is not impossible. The Holy Spirit is there to help us work it out.

How about you?

A prayer they wished they had never made

 'As I live,’ says the Lord, ‘just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you' (Numbers 14:28 NKJV)

And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness! (Numbers 14:2 NKJV)

Be careful, be very careful of what you desire in your heart. I was amazed how the children of Israel could easily forget what God had done for them, to the extent that they readily believed the bad report from the ten spies sent to the land of Canaan.

Boy oh boy was God furious with them and He was ready to 'strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them,...'(Numbers 14:12 NKJV). Their complaints and whinging was even worse because ... they had experienced the Glory of the presence of God and the signs He did in the land of Egypt and in the wilderness (Num14:12), yet.. they kept putting God to the test (ten times since they left Egypt) by refusing to listen to God's voice (Num14:22).

What did God do? He granted them their heart's desire. Talk about a prayer that you wish was not answered. 'As I live,’ says the Lord, ‘just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you' (Numbers 14:28 NKJV). Basically, ‘you wished you had died in the wilderness - your wish is granted’. All the people who complained from twenty years and older would all die in the wilderness. Not only that, they would spend in the wilderness, the equivalent years of the number of days they spied the land - forty days will become forty wilderness years.
It is a terrible thing to fall into the hand of the LORD.

After hearing this, the Israelites went into mourning and wanted to now go and fight the Canaanites. Still they did not listen and they were attacked by their enemies (Numbers 14:45). Talk about stubborn fools!

Help me LORD not to let my circumstances and situations birth evil desires in my heart. Help me to trust in You instead of complaining, in Jesus Mighty name, Amen.

This story has also highlighted the need to teach our children not to complain about anything and everything. A child that learns to be grateful for what they have and be thankful in all circumstances will avoid the trap of wrong desires.

How about you? Do you let your circumstances birth the wrong desires in your heart? Say the prayer above.

Shalom.

Why is obedience so difficult?

I continue my spiritual journey with the study of the story of the Israelites as detailed in the Old Testament. Every time I read their story I'm always stunned by the consistent cycle of disobedience – punishment – repentance – forgetfulness – disobedience and the cycle continues.

These were people that had real life experience of the love of God, yet it takes very little for them to forget. Whenever they become comfortable, they turn their heart from God. As I read the books of the Prophets, I could hear the pain in God’s heart. He only asked for their obedience – “But this is what I commanded them, saying, ‘Obey My voice and I will be your God and you shall be My people….. Yet they did not obey or incline their ear but followed the counsels and the dictates of their evil hearts..” ( Jeremiah 7:23,24).

Why am I so different from the Israelites of yester-years? I know that Jesus is alive and his blood continually cleanse me; yet, every time I incline my heart to the dictates of self centred ungodly desires, aren’t I bringing the same pain that the Israelites caused God? Especially, as He has sacrificed His precious Son to make me clean in His sight.

One of the things that made me stay away from God for so long was the incorrect assumption that it would be too much sacrifice. What crap! The expectations as I understand it in my journey, is to worship only God Almighty and do what is right & just to other people. Jesus said it all.. ‘Love God with all your heart… and love your neighbour as yourself,’ (Mathew 22:37-39) Simple commandment or is it?

Why is it so difficult to obey God’s simple instruction I wonder? I can’t imagine why the Israelites would turn time and time again to the worship of idols. Why would I abandon the Living God and turn to man-made stones/wood/crafts? Is it because man has to ‘see’ before they can believe?

I know we have expanded the definition of idol to include anything (image, material things, thoughts etc) that takes your love/time/focus away from God. I need the Holy Spirit to help me to keep my focus on God all the time; He must be my number one priority in all areas of my life. I must ensure I check my words, behaviour, attitude, thought process against His commandments, and learn lessons from the story of the Israelites’ relationship with God.

Loving people takes a conscious determination and effort. It is easier to love people we know and who are ‘good’ than strangers and difficult people or those we don’t get along with. I am challenged with this daily, so I need even more abundant grace. A lesson I have learnt along the way is to treat people the way I want to be treated; fairly, justly and with kindness – isn't this what love is about?

What about you? Is obedience to God a priority in your life? Or are you like the Old Testament Israelites – going back and forth in your relationship with God? Let's not be as God said, like  'this evil people, who refuse to hear My words, who follow the dictates of their hearts...' (Jeremiah 13:10)

 

Shalom

Adeola Akintoye.

PS: If this article has encouraged you, do share with someone else to encourage them.