Brighter Life Ministry

(Mark 2:1-12) Mark  2:3 And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four. In the verse above we have four burdened men,  who cares so much about the healing of their friend. Not much was know about them,  like their names,  age,  and positions in life But we do know they were concerned about  a sick friend They believed Christ would meet his need and so they were burdened enough to go, Approaching the house with their friend in his bed,  the house was already crowded to get in.  There will  always be obstacle in our ways, This four men looked up,  and found a solution,  though costly as the roof will be broken,  but they never hesitate.... *These four men were  great stretcher bearers* How far can you go in helping others? How much can you sacrifice in securing  solutions for others who needs it. ? Many wouldn't have died,  if you had lend a helping hand Many wouldn't have be in poverty,  if you had used your influence in securi

Isaiah  41:10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. This is the subject that anticipate our needs in our daily life God want to trade His fellowship for your fears. ... Fear this not: for I am with thee... Fear stalks us all The four basic fears in include  *Fear of death,  fear of failure,  fear of losing security and fear of the future.* God answers all of these fears .. Death : to die is gain (Phil  1:21) ...Failure: I can do all things (Phil 4:13) ...Security: My God shall supply all your needs (Phil 4:19) ...Future: "lo I am with you always" God wants to trade His comfort for your confusion. God wants to trade His strength  for your weakness God wants to trade His Help for your helplessness God wants to trade His righteousness for your unrighteousness  Come and exchange your problems for God's solu

Esther  2:2 Then said the king's servants that ministered unto him, Let there be fair young virgins sought for the king:  2:3 And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the fair young virgins unto Shushan the palace, to the house of the women, unto the custody of Hege the king's chamberlain, keeper of the women; and let their things for purification be given them: It was a time for King Ahasuerus to choose a new bride after Queen vashti lost her place in the palace. Just as the custom,  the king requested for beautiful maidens,  spotless,  presentable and also who are still virgins.  There should be a call to reason  as to why the  king was so specific in  his quest for the kind of bride...  This is a point to note that,  just anybody cannot stand before the king talk more of becoming the bride.  The same is applicable to God the king of kings.  If the king of this world  could be so specific,  how much  m

John  7:37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. For all who are spiritually thirsty, Jesus beckons, Believe, come  and drink. He who drink from this water, Spring of water shall flow from withing Him. Are you still struggling with sin? or finding it difficult to glue to your faith in Jesus? You need Holy Spirit, who can strengthen and lighten up your life all around. For inner fortification in preparation for outer manifestation, drink the water of life and be filled with the Holy spirit. God bless you.

Haggai  1:2 Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the LORD's house should be built. What is that thing God has placed in your care to do?, and said it is not yet time. What is that work God has told you to do?, but you said you are not ready yet. How often have you satisfy yourself instead of considering God's work first ? Whenever you postpone God's work, you unknowingly postpone your blessings and breakthrough. whenever you abandon your divine post, you make yourself vulnerable and accessible to negative experience.  You may not need to take a bell, Bible and start walking the street to preach... It may be your ability to help others in need, it may be for you to change your behaviours.... Because through you character, many will be drawn to Christ. CONSIDER YOUR WAYS TODAY. God bless you. 

1 Timothy  6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. The Bible calls us to allow our convictions, not our circumstances, to govern our sense of contentment .  Biblical contentment is a conviction that Christ’s power, purpose and provision is sufficient for every circumstance. We are to learn how to walk through all kinds of adversity believing in and experiencing Christ’s sufficiency. We have to choose to rest on God’s good promises despite what may be going on in our lives. Many of us are trying to fill a void of some kind in our lives, and unfortunately we try to fill that void with things that can’t satisfy. We look to fill the void with possessions or money, but we only end up wanting more. We try to fill it with relationships or sex, but we end up feeling even more empty and depressed than when we started. All of these things we try to fill our lives with aren’t necessarily bad things, but when they become the end goals, and the reason for our being, we end up b

1 Peter  5:10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. Many people ask the pondering question. " can Christians today be restored to full time Christian ministry such as Peter was after denying the Lord three times?" The answer is yes. Our God is a forgiving God, He will not only forgive but also forget your past wrong doings. It is only difficult for man to bring back a betrayal friend to his/her former state... But with God, He even works better than He has done in the past. Apostle peter disappoint Jesus... Denied Him three good times, yet God still work wonders through him as the leader of the apostles. Have you disappoint God in the past?, are you living below expectation of God?, are you seeing yourself as useless after falling out of grace into the pit of sin? Do not condemn yourself yet... GOD can still make use of you, He

John  12:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.  Brokenness is the process of surrender of our heart, mind, and body to Christ No seed can ever produce fruit except if it has first died to the earth and spring forht again. Only then can it yield more Fruith. To see Christ, to experience him, we need to die to self. We need to remember that we cannot train ourselves to be Christians; we cannot discipline ourselves to be saints; we cannot bend ourselves to the will of God: we have to be broken to the will of God. It takes broken soil to produce a crop, broken clouds to produce rain, broken grain to give bread and broken bread to give strength. It is the broken alabaster box that gives forth perfume. It is the broken Peter, weeping bitterly, who returns to greater power than ever. Brokenness brings Wholeness, it empowers us and makes us who we really need to be i

2 Corinthians  6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?  A yoke is a wooden bar that joins two oxen to each other and to the burden they pull. An “unequally yoked” team has one stronger ox and one weaker, or one taller and one shorter. The weaker or shorter ox would walk more slowly than the taller, stronger one, causing the load to go around in circles. When oxen are unequally yoked, they cannot perform the task set before them. Instead of working together, they are at odds with one another. Unbelievers tend to have different worldviews than those of believers. Those views include things on sin (premarital sex, morals, values, etc.) As a believer in christ Jesus, having d same yoke with an unbeliever is like an unbalance pully, no matter how well you try to make it work, it won't. You will rather be compelled to do things contrary to the laws of chi

1 John  1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: Lying seems to be a way of life for many people in this contemporary world, we feel comfortable each day living our lives in lies and deciet. One of the greatest complaints from those outside the church against those who are church members is that they are all hypocrites.  It is certainly possible that this is one of many misguided excuses for staying away from church, but is it possible that we sometimes help promote that view? Are we the ones whom the Apostle addresses when he warns against saying one thing and doing the opposite when he says, "If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth"? (1:6) If we are going to display this truth outwardly than we have to be truthful about what continues to cling to us inwardly. When we fail to recognize our own sinfulness we put ourselves in a precarious positio

Romans  8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. We are all limited in some way. We may have a physical weakness of some kind, we may be socially awkward, or we could have a weak educational background. Some people deal with past disappointments that try to hinder the development of future success.  Everyone is dealing with something. However, no one has to be limited when it comes to God’s purpose and intention for their life. Moses felt limited by his ability to speak. Gideon felt limited by his 300 men The disciples felt limited with the 5 loaves and 2 fishes Jeremiah felt like he was just a child in Jer. 1 Paul had a thorn in the flesh; admitted he was weak and trembling in I Cor. 2 Yet after the touch of God in the life of these people, they broke the tide of limitation and went beyound their initial imagination God has deposited the fruit of greatness in everyone it is left to you to grow it. If you need to break the l

1 Corinthians  3:18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.  3:19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. Foolishness is often characterised with  poor judgment or low intelligence One of the problems most Christian's face today is thinking to be wise before God. Whoever that will walk and work with/for God must be ready to be foolish for a moment. As much as the foolishness of God is greater than the wisdom of man, no man's wisdom can take him anyware in life. In each step we take in life we tend to predict what God will do or how He will do it, yet man can never understand In the midst of red sea, wars of pharaoh and the mountains, God told the children of Israel to be calm and watch... Foolishness. An ax fell to the river, the prophet took a stick... How foolish... Preparing 5 loves of bread an

John  14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. Countless number of times we thought in our heart that God is wicked, when we are faced with the most difficult situations of life, we thought maybe God is no more existing We most time consider our problems, sorrow, bad situations as a result of our sins, or the mistakes of our past generations. We even thought maybe something is wrong with us, when our friends and colleagues are succeeding and we are not. Our sorrow may increase even when we are righteous before God. I stand to tell you today that... Nothing is wrong with you. Joseph was placed in prison not for doing anything wrong, but for doing something right. Don’t demand to understand, you can come to a time of perplexity even though you have done nothing wrong. 1. Job was perplexed, it was for his righteousness 2. John the Baptist was perplexed while in Prison, it was for speaking the truth When you f

John  14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.  what do you think is the key to God’s heart? Is it humility, perseverance, or faith?,  many of us thought  is praise,  or fervent prayer...  But No The key to God's Heart is obedience... Jesus explained in verse 23 of the chapter above,  if we say we love God,  then it will be easy for us to keep His words.  This also will draw God's love to us Obedience is not optional for believers As a follower of Christ, you have a specific responsibility. Jesus is asking you, just as He asked the apostles, to keep His words. We are to write them on our hearts so as not to sin against God. Obedience is tied in knowing God and loving Him I John 2:5 we read, “But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in Him. This is how we know we are in Him” (NIV) Obedience Brings Blessing Note the

Exodus  23:2 Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment: Pears are people of equal standing with one another in age or status which forms associates  and  commonly known as "pear groups". pear Pressure,  therefore is the demand to confirm to the prevailing positive or negative attitudes or actions of one's pear group.  The Bible cautions us not to yield to negative pear Pressure. Just because everybody else is doing it doesn't necessarily mean it is  right ... In Noah's day,  the majority were dead wrong,  so Noah had to buck the tide in order to survive.  When pressured by your Pears,  remember your first loyalty is to the Lord and His standard.  Watch out if friendships or relationships cause you to stray from the Lord's standard. Being swayed by the opinions of the crowed can lead to compromise and grave mistakes We as God's children,  must guard against bei

Exodus  14:15 And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward: Most times God fulfilled His promises concerning our life,  but we fail to understand what we need to do as man. We want God to do everything,  yet we have our own responsibility.  Reason some fails today is not that God doesn't answer prayer,  but failure to take steps as man God expect us to  take steps God wants us to move forward,  rather than crying at a point God wants us to have the courage  in  patiently following  His humble guiding. Your responsibility as a man must be fulfilled before success can be guaranteed. God will divide that red sea,  but you need to move out Egypt Do your part,  after God has fulfilled His  God bless you. 

Isaiah  45:5 I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:  45:6 That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else.  45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things. We only know God by the way he treats us,  we can never understand the full act of God The God we know is the one who does wonderful things,  who is the author of good things... But in all our walking with God,  we fail to know His other side. As much as he create peace,  so much He create evil also The God Moses knew was the one forcing him to lead the children of Israel after giving so much excuses,  but the other side of Him was revealed at mount Pisga where moses pleaded just to see the land of Cannan but God refused. When we pray and receive answers to our prayer... That is the God we know and want t

2 Corinthians  11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. Doubt is to mistrust,  or the inclination to disbelieve.  The state of uncertainty or indecision  in regards to truth.  Doubt is one of the devices of the devil used to weaken and destroy every believer in Christ. It's the devil's business to tempt us to doubt God's word and to try to get us to believe his,  just has he did to Eve in eaten the forbidden fruit against the instruction of God. Whenever the devil persuade us to believe his lies,  he gains the upper hand. It is not a sin to be tempted with doubts,  but it is a sin to entertain doubts and yield to them. The devil's lies,  or others' doubts,  don't change the fact of God's truth,  He is not a man that should lie neither the son of man that He should repent. Loss of connection  with the word mostly makes us doubt

Hebrews  13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. Countless  number of times we thought God has changed When we are faced with the most difficult time of life When we prayed and yet life continues to appear hard We begin to say... Was it the same God that gave Hannah a child is the same God silent in my situation? Was  it the same God that raised Lazarus from the dead is still the same God watching my loved one die? Jesus never change.. The same Jesus that raised the dead watched John the Baptist slaughtered. When your finances changed, He remain unchanged When your hope for life changes, He still remain unchanged The same God that parted the red sea is still the same God today The same God that answered Elijah with fire is still the same God today Your level of understanding Him is the level of His operation in your life. The same Jesus yesterday is still the same today and forever. Don’t change your confession because of your condi

Luke  1:18 And Zachariah said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years. Can we really blame Zachariah for being skeptical(doubtful)  after being told he is going to give a son after reaching an old age...? We also have a record of two people who lived before Zachariah : 99 year old Abraham and his  89 year old wife,  when they,  in their old age,  heard God's promise of a son,  they laughed (Genesis 17:17, 18:12) Scripture is full of skeptics that God uses in spite of their doubts.  Moses is one,  He gave all kinds of excuses for not going back to Egypt to lead God's people out of slavery.  But God used him anyway.  Then we have Gideon too, thinking of impossibility of wining a great battle with little force,  in fact the whole nation of Israel was a collection of skeptics..  Yet God used them.  Does this mean  God loves skepticism?.  No.  It means He  loves all   people.  God loves working through people and

1 Timothy  1:5 Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned One of the the major complaints non-believers level against Christianity is that the churches are full of hypocrites.  Hypocrisy  is a pretense of having a virtuous character, moral or religious beliefs or principles, etc., that one does not really possess. So, a religious hypocrite is, by definition, a non-believer, since he is only pretending to be an adherent of the faith. A hypocrite is not a person who commits some sins on occasion (all people commit sin occasionally), but someone who practices those sins on a routine basis. Jesus preaches against being an hypocrite,  and affirm that all who practices hypocrisy will be sent to Hell.  Here are some forms of hypocrisy . Giving to the poor to be recognized by others . Praying in public to be recognized as "God's man" . Letting everybody know you are fastin

Ruth  1:20 And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. Learn to build your life around your person,  not your role,  otherwise when your role changes you'll lose your sense of worth.  Being a good mother is a Noble calling,  it's also self sacrificing job.  But when your children leave home,  and those demands are over,  it's easy to feel like Naomi did.  Her name meant 'my joy'  but after her two sons died she changed her name to Mara,  which means 'bitterness' Don't allow changing tines to change who you are,  or to make you stop dreaming and give up hope.  God still had a lot for Naomi to do.  In the future she would Mentor Ruth,  who would give birth to as son who was destined to grow up and become part of the lineage of King David and our blessed Lord.  What an honour When your role changes,  remember that your life is not over.  See your own worth as a person,  don't ha

Philippians  4:11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. Everyday we desire a better life,  a better house,  a better job,  a better qualification,  much more fat bank account etc... But sadly enough when we have things we desire another quest began,  another desire to have more the moment we see others who have what we have or more than us. Then I  begin by asking this question,  can we ever be satisfied?.  Yes.  Contentment. Paul, the apostle, wrote, "I don't say this out of need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am" (Phil. 4:11). How could he make such a bold statement? Because he knew that contentment lies not in what he has, but in whose he is. Contentment is the secret of inward peace. It remembers the stark truth that we brought nothing into the world and we can take nothing out of it. Life, in fact, is a pilgrimage from one moment of nake

Genesis  19:26 But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. The command was given, "Flee for your life! Do not look behind you, nor stop anywhere in the Plain; flee to the hills, lest you be swept away." While fleeing, Lot's wife turned to look back, and was turned into a pillar of salt.. Chuck Sligh said 'Looking back in the Christian life is a recipe for failure' God was very explicit in giving His commands,  looking back might seems to be an unrecognised sin to many,  but looking back re-instate the desire of where you left behind. You that have been called out from sin and washed in the precious blood of Jesus Christ has been given a new life in Him. Looking back in a Christian life will break your concentration and communication with God,  thereby sweeping you away from your saviour. Looking back will break your flow in the spirit,  instead of growing you either remain stagnant or keep dieing each day. Looking bac

Judges 16:28.  Then Samson prayed to the Lord, "O Sovereign Lord, remember me. O God, please strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes." A saying goes thus... 'You can't know the value of what you have,  until you loose it' Samson a champion was lured and trapped through lust  , it cost him his power , his eyes ,dignity and destiny. How guided are u over your God given purpose  ? An unexamined life is not worth living. Have u discovered  God's purpose for your life ? Are you taking steps to achieve them? For you not to be a prey to the devil Deploy your potentials towards it, and defend that God-giving purpose. It is your life. Samson lost it all,  because he was too careless,  it was too late before he could regain them back Devil's mission is to steal,  kill and destroy,  he accomplish all over samson.  Let your story be different,  guide your purpose and destiny at all cos

Romans  8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. Life is like a maze; it's easy to get lost.  Pressure comes at us from every direction to keep others happy.  We study the important people in our lives,  trying to decide what they want from us and how to give it to  them,  and in the process we lose ourselves. You need to stop and ask,  "who am I living for?,  why am I doing the things I do?" Those who succeed at being themselves in the Bible  don't allow others to control them because they're led by God.  Don't be upset because people place demands on you,  it's your life,  take charge of it,  the pressure you feel right now may not be coming from others at all,  they may be coming from your own People- pleasing instincts.  There are times when we all do things we'd rather not do,  we do them because we love others,  and in so doing we show... 'the Fruit of the spirit...'  but th

Matthew  18:21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? When people are upset they say and do the wrong things.  At times such as these,  it's easy for you to become critical of them  and arrive at the wrong conclusion.  Instead,  slow down; ask God for patience and understanding.  Don't force others to live by their past while you expect yours to be forgotten Whatever you sow in mercy,  you'll reap a hundred times over. Everybody makes mistakes,  so give them a chance to come back into the relationship with dignity.  How long has it taken you to correct the mistakes in your life?,  aren't you still working on some?,  are you glad people don't know the whole story of your struggles?  So give people time ; give them an opportunity to explain themselves.  Jesus put up with Peter's weaknesses because He knew what Peter would one day become ,  Jesus explained a better way to

John  9:3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. The verse above speaks of a man born blind from womb...  The Disciples were confused as to know if it was as a result of sin.  But Jesus answered,  'it's for the glory of God to manifest' Everything that happens to man is for a reason,  either caused by our actions or reactions. Most at times,  circumstances that surrounds us are programmed by God for a purpose.  God did not give Samuel to Hannah just because she was barren and needed a child so badly,  God gave  Samuel for the purpose to replace Eli. Joseph did not go down to Egypt just to become a prime minster, he  went  to Egypt  to usher the children of Israel to slavery spoken of  by God to Abraham.  Understand the clause that holds your problem.  Everything you are going through is for a purpose... You may be experiencing difficulties just because God wants you to get  c

John  2:3 And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. In biblical times, offering wine to your guests at a wedding was an expected courtesy. It was also a sign of respect, so running out of it would have been considered a social disaster. But observe how Mary handled it. Instead of looking for someone to blame, or making excuses, she took her problem to Jesus. That’s always the move. 'O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear. All because we do not carry, everything to God in prayer', Jesus told the servants to fill the jars with water and give some to the headwaiter. When he tasted it, the Bible says... 'The water had become wine...' But notice, it happened after they had obeyed Jesus, not before. Some times when prayer is suggested before the start of some things, some will ask 'is it necessary? Or ‘as it come to that? Or ' must we pray about everything? But we fail to know that God knows a

John  21:17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep. Sometimes ago,  whenever it's time to sleep,  my Dad would ask if I had lock all the doors,  I would reply yes,  because I already did.  But even when everyone is one bed,  my Dad would stand up,  and check again,  just to be very sure the doors were actually locked.  Jesus asked Peter do you love me more than the time they enjoy together,  not once,  but three consecutive times,  and Peter replied yes.  At some point,  God want us to double check our faith in  Him,  He wants us to double check our love for Him,  Are we not  cleaved to Jesus only for the  good times,? Have we not forsaken Him even when we thought we are still with Him?  He said : He that thinks he stand,  should take heed les

Ephesians  6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Satan uses people and circumstances,  but they  are not our real enemy, he is.  He works through people and  circumstances,  then delights in watching us react without ever realising that he is the source.  When Satan used Peter to try to prevent Jesus from going to the cross to complete the task God had sent Him to do.   Jesus  turned away from peter and said to him,  "Get behind Me,  Satan"... Satan  used Peter,  but Jesus knew that Peter was not  His problem,  so He turned away from Peter and addressed the source of the problem - Satan.  So,  first identify the source of your Problem. At the cross, Jesus prayed... 'Father forgive them,  for they do not know what they do'... When you understand that Satan's strategy is to use Other people to tear you d

1 Samuel  1:5 But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah: but the LORD had shut up her womb. Sometimes the door will open only when you understand why it was shut in the first place.  Consider the story of Hannah,  she wanted a son but God wanted a prophet.  When she prayed,  'if you... give me a son,  I will give him back to you all his life...',  God not only gave her Samuel,  but also six more children.  When you pray for harvest God will ask you to sow a seed.  That seed may be something you love and want to cling to,  but don't  rather,  surrender it to God. Hannah discovered she couldn't be satisfied with less than God's will.  Elkanah had two wives,  but he loved Hannah the most and granted her a double portion of his possessions...  When you're not doing what you know God has truly called you to do,  the love of people and material things won't satisfy you.  Ordained people are not just those in pulpits,  Hannah was ord

2 Timothy  4:16 At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge.  4:17 Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. Until I am committed there is hesitancy,  a chance to draw back.  But the moment I definitely  commit myself,  then God moves also and a whole stream of events begin.  All manner of unforseen incidents,  meetings,  people,  and material assistance of which i never dreamed,  begin to move towards me.  So,  commit yourself when others refuse to go with you,  commitment means going on alone.  Daniel dined and prayed alone.  Elijah sacrificed and witnessed alone,  Jeremiah prophesied and wept alone.  Paul said,  ' No man stood with me,  but all men forsook me...  Notwithstanding, the Lord stood with me,  and strengthened me...  And I was deliver

Psalms  139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: Our character is not revealed just by our actions,  but our reactions.  Actions can be planned,  but reactions are spontaneous.  They gives us a glimpse of what's really in our heart.  At that point we can look at it and deal with it.  Who among us would really admit that at times we're greedy,  lustful,  controlling or insecure?  Or resentful of the blessing of God that's evident in the lives of others? When the psalmist prayed,  'Try me,  and know my thoughts',  he was inviting God to create the circumstances that would bring to the surface in him all the 'junk'  at the bottom of the lake of his subconscious,  hidden from view not only from the  eyes of other people but also from his own eyes.  Paul writes to the believers in Galatia and says,  'My dear children,  I feel as if am going through labour pains for you... And they will continue until Christ is fu

Zechariah  4:10 For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth. Everything big begins with something small,  and your attitude in the beginning often determines your success at the end.  The Bible says,  'who despises the day of small things?'  delight in what God gives you to start with,  because He does,  thank Him for your small beginnings.  Before the draught ended and the rains came,  Elijah saw a cloud the size of a man's hand (1kings 18:44),  that's very small,  but he rejoiced over it because it was a sign of bigger things to come.  Don't destroy your seed by doubting it's potential. God gives you a seed of hope,  something small but something is better than nothing.  Take that seed and plant it,  pray over it and believe in God for increase.  A lot of us throw our seed awa

Revelation 21:8   But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”, The phrase 'Rest in peace'  is often said to express the hope that someone's spirit has found peace after death.  ... 'she was a decent and compassionate woman,  May she rest in peace.' But the question is,  do they  actually rest in peace?,  do they all actually found peace after their death? No one has ever gone to the world beyond and brought stories of how the after life is,  but God gave a revelation of how our end will surely be.  Living our life in His will till death can guarantee us peace in the after life. Death is not the end of life,  but the beginning of eternity,  death is just the end of time. With the way you are living your life now,  do you think you will ever have peace afte

  Luke  10:19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Has the devil singled you out for attack?  Are you wondering,  'why would he even, bother  with someone like me?' ...  The answer is influence.  Job's influence was a constant irritant to Satan.  One day God said to Satan,  'Have you considered my servant Job,  that there is none like him?'...  Shortly after that conversation  Satan attacked job's health,  his children,  his marriage and business.   You can't get God's attention without getting Satan's too,  whatever glorifies God,  enrages our enemy.  But you have the power to overcome him.   Jesus said,  'I saw satan fall like lightening from heaven.  I have given you authority to overcome all power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.  (Luke 10:18) You have not been called to defeat Satan ; Jesus already did t

Genesis  30:27 And Laban said unto him, I pray thee, if I have found favour in thine eyes, tarry: for I have learned by experience that the LORD hath blessed me for thy sake. There is a principle in the Bible we all need to learn if we are to enjoy God's best in life.  Blessing comes by association,  the Bible says,  'He who walk with the wise men will be wise.... The story of Israel entering the promised land teaches us that we can keep company with people like Joshua and Caleb and go in and possess it,  or hang around with the other ten spies who believed it couldn't be done and die in the wilderness When Joshua entered Potiphar's house,  he brought great blessing with him,  when he went to Pharaoh's Palace,  the entire nation prospered.  When Jacob wanted to return home to his own family,  Laban,  his father-in-law said,  'please stay... For I have learned by experience that the Lord has blessed me for your sake'. The Philippian church had a

2 Peter  2:19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. They promise joy,  yet they inflict suffering They promise happiness,  yet they are source of agony and pain. People look unto them as men of dignity,  yet they are men of dishonor Little did  they know,  God will bring vengeance on every man that lie,  that deceive others,  that oppresses the poor.  No matter how you know how to deceive others,  you will eventually be deceived too. Jacob deceived his brother of his blessing,  but he was eventually payed back in his own coin while choosing a wife.  If you are in the same category,  it is time for you to repent,  before the anger of the Lord caught  up with you.  It is not too late,  God bless you. 

Luke  19:17 And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities. Money will buy you a bed but not sleep,  books but not brains,  food but not an appetite,  a house but not a home,  medicine but not health,  luxuries but not happiness,  image but not character,  and religion but not salvation.  You say,  'Does this mean God doesn't want me to have money?'  No.  He will actually trust you with more money when you demonstrate that your trust is not in your money but on him alone. The Bible teaches three things about money.  One,  when you become a good steward of what you have,  God will entrust you with more... (Luke 19: 15-17 ) Two.  When your focus is on serving others,  God will entrust you more , when Job took the focus off himself and began to pray for others,  God gave him twice as much as he had before (Job 42:10) Three. When you can walk away from material th

James  5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. It feels good to live without shame,  that doesn't mean you'll never stumble,  it just mean that by God's grace you'll get back up.  Do you remember when you had to get a permission slip to miss school?,  some of us have given ourselves permission slip to be weak,  because we've become weary in the fight.  Yes,  it's long fight,  but you can win if you wan to...  Here is one of the keys to victory... Confess your faults one to another,  and pray one for another,  that ye may be healed.  If you are struggling to break a habit that's trying to break you,  God never intended you do it alone. Whatever your Habit or struggle may be,  the moment it comes tell it on,  talk about it,  when you do,  it begins to lose its power.  You say tell who?...  Someone who's been thr

John  13:4 He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. Do you worry about that if people knew the 'real'  you,  they wouldn't like you? Or that if you let down your guard you'd be left in the wind? The Bible says that Jesus laid aside his garments... To wash the disciples' feet.  He was willing to become transparent and let them see who He really was.  Jesus taught a powerful lesson,  He rose from supper and began to disrobe in front of men who were  still fully clothed.  Our problem is... We don't want to be seen as the only one with problems and needs.  But fear of being different can lock you in a prison of pretence. Jesus took a step few would dare to.  He laid aside His garments (image)  before those he'd laboured to inspire.  Real ministry, relationship and friendship starts the moment we stop trying to impress each other and say,  "This is who I really am". stop impressing oth

' Galatians  4:30 Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. Ishmael was born as a result of Abraham attempting to hurry up the plan or God and fulfil it through human effort. Are you doing that?,  we all have our 'Ishaemel'  a good idea that was not God's idea,  can complicate your life.  You say 'But didn't God love Ishmael too?'  yes,  and He blessed him.  But God said He would only fulfil His plan through Isaac.  When you run ahead of God,  or try to replace His will with your will,  not only do you suffer,  but the people you love suffer too.  He is saying,  it is time to deal with your past,  and clean out your cupboard,  Like Ishmael and Isaac,  sometimes your miracle and your mistake can grow together under the same roof. Things can be so bad in one area,  yet so good in another. Today,  God may be saying to you,  'Becau

Psalms: 27.13   I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.(NIV) Whenever a player begins to score,  the opposing team assigns their best players to block him.  So the attack you are experiencing right now could be an indication of your value to God.  Apostle Paul wrote ' I've had to struggle with friends,  struggle with foes.  I have been at risk in the city   at risk in the country,  endangered by desert sun,  and sea storm,  and betrayed by those I thought were my brothers... .. I have known drudgery and hard labour,  many a long and lonely night without sleep,  many a missed meal,  blasted by the cold,  naked to the weather.  And that's not the half of it,  when you throw in the daily pressures and anxiety of all the  churches... '(2 Corinthians 11:26-28TM). How did Paul handle these experiences?,  by forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead.  Now Paul didn't forget any

Job  22:21 Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee. A wealthy businessman was upset to find a fisherman sitting beside his boat. Why aren't you out fishing?  He asked.  'Because I've caught enough for today',  replied the Fisherman.  Why don't you catch more fish than you need? The businessman asked.  What will I do with them replied the fisherman.  The business man said,  'You could earn more money,  buy bigger boat,  catch even bigger fish and make more money.  Soon you'd have a whole fleet of boats and be rich like me.  The fisherman said, ' then what would I do? ' the businessman replied, ' You could sit down and enjoy life.'  The fisherman said,  'what do you think I am  doing now?. Contentment comes from two things : great relationships and God-given purpose.  The first great relationship you must have is with God.  In the book of job we read,  'Acquaint yourself with Him,  a

James  2:23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. After losing everything he held dear,  job looked back and longed for the days when God's friendship graced his home,  his children were around and everything was going fine.  Maybe you can remember days like that in your own life,  we've been conditioned to think of friendship in terms of the benefits it confers,  but being God's friend comes with a price.  It costs time,  selflessness,  thoughtfulness,  absolute trust and very often suffering.  Those who are intimately close feel the hurts and joy of the ones they love more than anyone else.  True intimacy means a death to our own selfish desires.  Abraham was called God's friend but the friendship came at a price.  We read,  Abraham believed God,  when He was asked to leave his father's house to an unknown location, At age 93 he believed

Daniel  7:25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. Satan uses two strategies,  first 'he will defy the most high',  Satan will always attack God's plan,  God's principles and God's people,  so be on guard. Secondly,  'he will oppress the... People of the most high',  weariness is a weapon Satan will use against you.  When you're worn out,  you're vulnerable.  At that point temptation can lead to compromise,  compromise to indulgence,  and indulgence to defeat.  Make no provision for the flesh,  don't give Satan an inch or he will take a mile.. Your mind is where the real attack takes place.  Satan will wear you down in order to wipe you out,  so you must take time to replenish your strength in God's presence. It's easy to get caught up in th

Genesis  35:18 And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin. When people label you,  those labels can cause you to shrink instead of to stretch to your full potential.  But God who gave Jacob a new identity can give you one too. Are you struggling with the old names people called you and the old images you have of yourself?  Nothing will change in your life until it first changes in your mind.  Jacob's wife Rachel died in the desert in childbirth.  Just before she died  she named her son Ben-Oni,  which means 'son of sorrow' When the midwife handed him to his father Jacob,  he said,  'He shall not  be called Ben-Oni,  the son of my sorrow,  he shall be called Benjamin, ' the son of the right hand' (son of power).  Guess which name prevailed?  Benjamin.  Hear this,  you are who God says you are,  not who others say you are,  if God didn't give you the name

Matthew  5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. In the tabernacle,  there was a large washbasin called the laver (Exodus 30:18).  It is bronze Base acted like a mirror letting the priest see the dirt on his feet.  Before he could approach God he had to stop and be cleansed,  otherwise he would die.  The psalmist writes,  ' who may stand in your Holy place ?  He who has clean hands and a pure here... He will receive blessing from the Lord' ... (psalm24:3-5). God's blessings are contingent upon  the condition of your heart. Does that mean you must be sinless?  No,  it means you must be conscious of your sin and deal with it right away. Why the big deal about purity?  Because Jesus said,  'Blessed are the pure in heart ; for they shall see God.'  . The problem is not God's inability to be seen,  but our inability to see Him,  No wonder David prayed,  ' create in me a pure hear'... (Psalm 51:10). The word pure is from the

Philippians  4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Are you afraid you won't have enough for your needs? Jesus gave us understanding through the story of  feeding the five thousands..  Observe three things about the disciples.. First,  they tried to escape the problem.  They told Jesus,  ' send them away, that they may go...  And buy themselves bread' ( Mark 6:36).  But He said no. Jesus understood that you grow by dealing with problems,  not avoiding them.  Your faith increases only as you place  a demand on it. Laziness and inactive faith will fail you in the hour of need., so you must feed on God's word and exercise your faith regularly.  Secondly.  The Disciples thought what they had wasn't enough.  'There is a lad here who has five barely loaves and two small fish,  but what are they among so many?' (John 6:9) God will ask you to look at what you've got becau

Job  11:16 Because thou shalt forget thy misery, and remember it as waters that pass away: Tarmar the daughter in-law of Judah suffered marital humiliations,  she  was accused of playing  a harlot,  but her future was greater than her past,  so she gave birth to a child who became a progenitor of our Lord Jesus.  What an honour. Are you wounded?  You can come through this painful experience and sing the song of the Overcomer.  By God's grace,  you can learn to live in the present and let go of the past,  By spending time in God's presence and allowing His love to touch the hurting places withing you.  Give all your secrets to God and leave them there,  He can take the misery out of the memory like you take the poison put of an insect bite: then your healing will begin. .. Job, who lost his health,  his wealth and his family, Iived to see these words fulfilled.  'You shall forget your misery : you shall remember it as waters that pass away.' Go ahead,  st

God says Wait Psalms  37:23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. What should you do when doors you thought God had opened Suddenly slam shut? You are thinking,  Lord,  I did the right things.  Why is this happening? Be at peace,  God is still directing your steps. When your hopes seem crushed and your plans have altered,  rely on His superior wisdom and unfailing love.  God has already planned your life from the beginning to end,  so trust Him to work things out for your good If you give it a little more time,  your pain will turn to praise as you realise that He just closed  a lesser door to open a greater one.   Timing is important,  as you begin to understand God's timing you will be better able to cooperate with Him Whenever you don't know,  learn to wait with Confidence one the one who does.  The problem most of us have is that we attempt to take the lead role in our relationship with God and it doesn't work. 

John  20:18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the LORD, and that he had spoken these things unto her. God can take the broken pieces of, the mistakes, the injustice, the shame, sins, of your life    and make something good out of it. A woman possessed with evil spirit in one time now becomes the bearer of the good news. no matter how broken your life may be,  God still loves you and can bring something good out of it. Just give Him the pieces of your broken life,  and let Him remold it. invite God into your life and see the new change in you. Today,  your life will not be difficult to remold in Jesus name. God bless you. 

Mark  6:31 And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat. No one had a greater assignment than Jesus,  and no one was busier,  not even you,  but He knew the importance of relaxation.  He understood the balance between work and rest,  which is why He was able to accomplish  so much  in just a little time The more successful you are,  the greater the demands on your time and energy will be.  People are wonderful,  but they can be draining.  As your career and calling grow,  this will only become more so. Renewing yourself will require constant attention.  Work hard,  but play just as enthusiastically. Schedule yourself,  take one day off and totally relax.  Focus on something other than your job. If you do that,  your mind will be clearer,  you will make better decisions ,  you'll see life through different eyes,  and you'll accomplish  far more

Mark  5:28 For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. This was the story of a woman who had haemorrhage  for twelve years and spent even penny she had on doctors,  but to no avail. This condition made her suffer in different areas of life... .. Sexual, she couldn't touch her husband ... Maternally,  she couldn't have children ... Domestically, whatever she touched was consider unclean ... Spiritually,  she couldn't go to the temple. Physically exhausted,  socially ostracised,  and spiritually depleted,  she thought,  'if I can just touch Jesus,  I'll be made whole' Her miracle started when she thought about Jesus.  But first she had to get through the crowd that stood between her and Him.  The crowd has its arguments and reasons,  but not one of them is worth missing Jesus for. When this woman finally got to Him... ... She discovered that our faith gets Jesus' attention every  time.  Many people in t

1 Peter 3:3-4  (NIV)   Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes.  4.Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. The world's best fashion designers are concerned with the total look  of the models they send down the catwalk. They must have the perfect accessory and the right hairstyle,  makeup etc.  And it's the same with God. He created you as a whole person with specific features,  personality traits,  and emotional strengths.  He designed you to be a vibrant,  thinking,  feeling and fully functioning human being with your own unique attractiveness, But He endowed you with more than just physical appearance. He gave you talents and spiritual gifts- inner qualities He wants you to develop and use for His purposes. .. What you are on the inside should determine how you