HINDRANCE TO GOD’S COMPASSIONSHIP!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 19, 2020.

SUBJECT:  HINDRANCE TO GOD’S COMPANIONSHIP!

Memory verse:  "One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord, all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple.” (Psalm 27 vs 4.)

READ:  Psalm 23 vs 6; 27 vs 4 - 6: 

23:6: Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

27:4: One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in His temple.

27:5: For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion: in the secret of His tabernacle He shall hide me; h0He shall set me high upon a rock.

27:6: And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me; therefore I will I offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD.

INTIMATION:

One of the hindrances to having God as our constant companion may lie in our desire to be independent. We may submit to Him as Father because we see no other choice. But to invite Him into a closer relationship that culminates into having Him as a constant companion—His being actively involved in every area of our lives, and giving His seal of approval to all we do—is found by many as too intimidating and threatening, apparently because they like their space. 

There are some people who want to be independent and not have others, even God, tell or suggest what they should do. We can be certain if we have any of these tendencies, that the adversary is going to use our weaknesses—our mistrust and self-centeredness—to try to keep us separated from God. Sometimes our lives are clustered that we have a hard time letting the Lord have control. David’s greatest desire was to live in God’s presence each day of his life. Sadly, this is not the greatest desire of many who claim to be believers. What do you most desire? Do you look forward to being in the presence of the Lord? 

Go to God in prayer asking Him to bring you back to basics with Him. Ask Him to strip from you anything which is not from Him and which is not absolutely necessary for your relationship with Him. Demand that He adds anything He wish and ask Him to be first in your life. If you are sincere in this prayer, you will find He will start changing you, taking away your desire for things you do not need right now, or at least giving you the ability to resist their attraction. If God is showing you that there a problem for you in an area, pray something similar to the model of prayer below. Make certain it expresses what you want to say to God:

"Lord, I tend to be independent and want to do things on my own without others interfering-not even You. I know this is wrong, but I will need to give up a lifetime habit of being in control of my life. Help me, Holy Spirit, not only to want to do things Your way, but to have the courage to do whatever You show me to do. Help me submit every area of my life to You. Show me where I have not trusted in You fully and how to resist such doubts from now on. Give me Scripture to counter any enemy attack. Then help me to be happy in releasing all of this to You, in order to keep the enemy from making me feel bitter or resentful. Let me see it as a positive thing. I love You and trust You."

God will begin to fine tune your life in order to strip away small hindrances. These things, even though so insignificant, and may not bother many, are definite barriers to your developing companionship with the Lord. A wise person once said, "When God measures you, He puts the tape around your heart, not your head." So how is your heart doing? At the level of having God as your faithful companion, you should have a more intense desire to spend quality time with the Lord both in prayer and in the Word. 

Becoming a companion of the Lord will give you a hunger for the Word, in part, because that is how to get to know God better. Scripture will become an important resource through difficult situations as He leads you to specific promises to claim in each circumstance. Studying His Word will touch your emotions and give you a greater sense of His care and your security in Him.

Prayer: Abba Father, one thing that I desire; that You may be my companion all the days of my life. Engrace me that I may not be hindered by any faults of mine, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

BE NOT OFFENDED IN GOD AND MEN!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY FEBRUARY 18, 2020.

SUBJECT : BE NOT OFFENDED IN GOD AND MEN!

Memory verse: “And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in Me." (Matthew 11 vs 6.)

READ: Job 9 vs 4; Isaiah 45 vs 9 - 10:

Job 9:4: God is wise in heart, and mighty in strength. Who has hardened himself against Him, and prospered?

Isaiah 45:9: “Woe to him who strives with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive the potsherds of the earth! Shall the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’ 

Or shall your handiwork say, ‘He has no hands’?

45:10: Woe to him who says to his father, ‘What are you begetting?’ Or to the woman, ‘What have you brought forth?’”

INTIMATION:

While preparing your heart to approach God in prayer, one of the things you must guard against is offenses. So many have their conscience ensnared with offenses toward God or man, and all they do in prayer is nothing but complain, and murmur. When you are offended in God, you turn Him against yourself; and if God is against you, who will save you? If you despise Him, who will lift you? Everything that moves you to question the integrity of God, or His love for you must be destroyed, so that the altar of your heart can be prepared for the fire from heaven. 

When you are offended in God or man, you bear iniquities in your heart that inhibits God from hearing you (Psalm 66 vs 18). Many are stranded because of offenses. When they stand in prayer, they justify themselves against God. They say, "Lord, I've paid my tithe, I have done everything that You commanded. Only You haven't done your part." In other words, they count themselves faithful and God unfaithful. But the Bible says, "...Let God be true but every man a liar..." (Romans 3 vs 4.)

Anything that makes you to murmur against God is moving you against your destiny. You can't expect Him to answer your prayers when your heart is full of complains and offenses toward God or man. If you have lost anything, God is the reason you didn't loose everything. May be the enemy's intention was to take your life, but God stepped in and you only lost your car. But there you are, offended, and complaining in prayer. If He withdraws His hand from your life, can you imagine what will become of you?

In our memory verse, Jesus said that those who do not take any offense in the Lord are fortunate and blessed. When John the Baptist was languishing in prison, after a successful forerunning for the coming Messiah, he began to have some doubts about whether Jesus really was the Messiah. John thought in his heart that if his purpose was to prepare people for the coming Messiah, and He ha done well in this regard, then why was he in prison when he could have been preaching to the crowds, preparing their hearts. John expected that the coming Messiah should be able to save him from prison. 

When his disciples came and put his question to Jesus,—"Are you the Coming One, or do we look for another?" (Matthew 11 vs 3.) Jesus knew that he was already offended in Him. He asked the disciples to go back to him with the good news of His exploits—The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. Obviously, that would have offended John the more because he already had heard all those evidence that indicated the real identity of Jesus, and wondered why He didn't want to save Him from prison. 

The wise and right thing to do when you are in doubt because of happenings around you is turn to Him, and not turn away from Him. Remember, it was in the same prison and the same Jailer that held Paul and Silas. They were doing the work of the Messiah when they were arrested and jailed. But they didn't get offended, both toward God or the men, but instead sang and praised God while in there, and God came in His Might and saved them. But forJohn, he was eventually beheaded when the King's daughter, on the advice of the mother, asked for his head in a platter.

The Scripture says in Hebrews 11 vs 6, "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." So, set your heart right before Him. Count Him faithful in all things. Refuse to complain, but rather let God know that you have no alternative beside Him, and that you are ready to hang on till your answer comes from Him. Any attempt to step away from God, is stepping into doom. Certainly, there is no unrighteous with God! (Romans 9 vs 14.)

Let your conscience be as that of the apostle Paul who said, "This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men." (Acts 24 vs 16.) Give your destiny motion by clearing off every offense from your heart, to establish a thoroughfare to heaven in prayers. This is the way to maintain a good communication line with God.

Prayer: Abba Father, You are the Lord, the Creator of all things for Your purposes. All that happen are already known to You, and You allow them for Your purposes. Engrace me with a conscience free from offenses toward You and men, that I may be worthy of Your blessings, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

A LIFE WELL LIVED!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY FEBRUARY 17, 2020.

SUBJECT : A LIFE WELL LIVED!

Memory verse: 

"

But David, after he had served his own generation by the Will of God, fell asleep..." 

(Acts 13 vs 36.)

READ: Acts 13 

vs 20 - 23:

13:20: 

"After that He gave them judges for about four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet.

13:21: And afterward they asked for a king; so God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years.

13:22: And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, 'I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.' 

13:23: From this man's seed, according to the promise, God raised up for Israel a Savior - Jesus -.

INTIMATION:

God created all things to serve His purposes. You and I are created for some purposes. Those who lived purposefully for God were remarkably acknowledged by Him, and that is, "A life well lived." In our memory verse, the Bible strikingly said about David, "But David, after he had served his own generation by the Will of God, fell asleep..." David, in his generation served remarkably in the Will of God. He had, "A life well lived."

In the passage we read today, It is then not surprising that God testified of David, called him a man after His own heart. The Scripture said, "And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, 'I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My Will." (Acts 13 vs 22.) There is no greater compliment than that statement. Imagine such epitaph chiseled on your tombstone: That you served God's purpose in your generation. My prayer is that people will say that about me when I die. It is also my prayer that people will say it about you, too. The phrase is the ultimate definition of "A life well lived."

A life well lived is all about purpose-driven life, doing God's Will in the world that earns you eternal glory—to live with Him forever. God created you, at this time in history, for a purpose. Neither past or future generations can serve God's purpose in this generation, but only we, in this generation, can. Like Esther God created you "for such a time as this." (Esther 4 vs 14.) God is looking for people to use. The Bible, in Second Chronicles 16 vs 9, says, "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him...." Will you be a person God can use for His purposes? Will you serve God's purpose in your generation? Will God say of you, "He will live his life well, serving My purpose in his generation?"

Any Christian chasing after, "A life well lived," would have the counsel of the apostle Paul recorded in First Corinthians 9 vs 24 - 27, "Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified."

Paul said that he ran straight to the goal with purpose in every step. His only reason for living was to fulfill the purposes God had for him. He said, "For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." (Philippians 1 vs 21.) He was not afraid of either dying or living. Either way, he would fulfill God's purposes. If he lived, it is for good to others whom he labors to teach the ways of Christ. And if he died, he would join Christ to live in eternity with Him. Either way he wins.

The sports race illustration used by the apostle Paul above, explains the required purpose and discipline for believers. As Christians, the required life takes hard work, self-denial, and grueling preparation. We are running toward our heavenly reward. The essential disciplines of prayer, Bible study and meditation, and worship, equip us to run with vigor and stamina. Don't merely observe from the grandstand; don't just turn out to jog a couple of laps each morning. Train diligently as your spiritual progress depends upon it.

One day history will come to a close, but eternity will go on forever. When fulfilling your purposes seems tough, don't give in to discouragement. Remember your reward, which will last forever. The Bible says, "For our light afflictions, which is for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." (Second Corinthians 4 vs 17.) Our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all." 

Prayer: Abba Father, eternity with You is my utmost desire. Help me in my quest for a life pleasing to You, according to Your plan and purpose, that I may come boldly to Your throne of grace, and obtain mercy, in Jesus' Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

BREAKFAST BY THE SEASIDE
Life's Punchlines... (Volume 3).
❤🇳🇬🇳🇬 Year 2020🇳🇬🇳🇬❤.

Preacher: Priest Godsknight O.J

Topic: Be Pleasurable.

Text: Prov 16v7" When a man's ways please the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him."

Life would be easier, if the God-factor is well understood. It's one thing to review the scriptures constantly, it's another thing to know that we're God's new scriptures (2 Cor 3v2, 6).

We converge weekly in order to use worship, scriptures & prayers to refine our body, soul & spirit ( 2 Tim 2v15). Hence, to increase our knowledge of Jesus (Hab 2v14).

Pleasing Jesus doesn't mean our enemies won't fire arrows 🏹 at us, it's just that such won't find relevance in our lives 🤹🏼‍♂🤹🏾‍♀ (Is 60v18).

No demon can function in your life, if you're informed. They will always need your ignorance to spread their wings over your life; your permission to crucify you (Prov 6v4-5 ).

In this generation, opposite sex should be able to bond better in friendship, without abusing emotion. Up the state of your mind towards those who're emotionally weak, that's why you're made strong ( John 8v1-12).

Hab 2v15" Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbor, pressing him to the bottle, even to make him drunk, that you may look on his nakedness."

The literal meaning is not really about alcohol or nudity, it could be those efforts made in order to swindle a minor, or disrupt organizations for profit sake, using fake news, et al (Jer 17v11, Hab 2v12).

Are you abusing children in the creche you work with? Repent now, a lot of Made Pages are in limbo because this evil spirit tormented them.

I prophesy, may the arrows causing such acts in your life be broken now, no longer will you have urge for prepubescents in Jesus name ( Ps 107v20).

Finally, let the devil be too broke to bribe you ( Matt 4v8-11). We're made in honour (Ps 49v20), don't reduce for silver, gold, or fame (Dan 3v16-18 ,Heb 12v1-2).

God bless you🤝.
Instagram: @PriestGodsknight.

THE MANIFESTATION OF GOD’S LOVE FOR US!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 16, 2020.

SUBJECT : THE MANIFESTATION OF GOD'S LOVE FOR US!

Memory verse: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." 

(John 3 vs 16.)

READ: Romans 5 vs 6 - 11:

5:6: For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

5:7: For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die.

5:8: But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

5:9: Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.

5:10: For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

5:11: And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

INTIMATION:

The message of the Gospel comes to a focus in God’s love for us. This love of God has to be manifested by the death of the Son for those who were unworthy. If Christ’s death on the cross were the result of debt that God paid for the merit of those who kept law and performed meritorious deeds, then there would be no manifestation of love and grace. Love is not manifested in the payment of debt. However, since the cross came regardless of the spiritual condition of the recipients, then love and grace are manifested. 

Love is God’s nature of love is His most outstanding and obvious characteristics. When you love someone dearly, you are ready and willing to give freely to the point of self-sacrifice. For His love for us, God paid dearly with the life of His Son, the highest price He could pay, and unheard of in history. Jesus accepted wholeheartedly His propitiation for our sins, our punishment, and exchanged His life of inestimable value  with our lives that is completely worthless due to sin. He, in exchange, offered us the new life that He had bought for us. 

God’s love nature caused God to create the world for an extension of His kingdom, and caused Him to send His only Son—Jesus Christ—to rescue us from the slavery to sin an death. When we were weak and helpless because we could do nothing on our own to save ourselves, Christ had to come to our rescue. It is the same love that sends the Holy Spirit to live in us and guide us daily. The power that raised Jesus from the dead is the same power that saved us and is available to us in our daily lives. 

God sent Jesus to die for us, not because we were good enough, but just because He loved us and is passionate about our well being. God is a Passionate Father. In Psalms 103 vs 13 the psalmist reminds us, "As a father pities his children, So the Lord pities those who fear Him." Jesus demonstrated this the day the disciples found themselves on the Sea of Galilee, and a storm was brewing, which is typical of the Sea of Galilee even today. The boat containing these disciples started to take in water because of the turbulence. With the boat beginning to sink, these terrified disciples asked the ultimate question, "Lord, don't You care?" Of course He cares!

Be assured that, having begun a life with Christ, you have a reserve power and love to call on each day for help to meet every challenge or trial. Too often, in our spiritual life, although we may need to love God more, there is a much higher need to recognize just how much He loves us. When our relationship is such that we feel God's love and His passion for His children, we naturally begin to love Him more. You can pray for His power and love as you need it.

In Psalms 145 vs 18 the psalmist tells us, "The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth." What this means is that He is never too busy for you. When you pray, you will never get busy signal. He hears you and ready to meet your real need. Jesus had a very special term He used to describe the personal and passionate nature of God. He called Him, "Abba." The word Abba is an Aramaic word used to describe the most intimate, personal nature of a father. He is never too busy for you. He is never more concerned about a crisis in one individual than another. 

Prayer: Abba Father, thank you for Your love for me. You have daily loaded me with Your benefits, always forgiving me my iniquities, healing me all my diseases, redeeming my life from destructions, satisfying my mouth with good things, so that my youth is renewed like the eagle's, and crowning me with loving kindness and tender mercies. May I not miss my path in You, in Jesus' Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

RESTORING FELLOWSHIP WITH THE LORD!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 15, 2020.

SUBJECT: RESTORING FELLOWSHIP WITH THE LORD!

Memory verse: "God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” (First Corinthians 1 vs 9.)

READ: First John 1 vs 3 - 9:

1:3: That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.

1:4: And these things we write to you that your joy may be made full.

1:5: This is the message which we have heard from Him and declared to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 

1:6: If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 

1:7: But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

1:8: If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

1:9: If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

INTIMATION:

Fellowship is friendship, association, company, partnership with someone. Therefore, in our fellowship with Christ, we become friends, associates, partners, and compassions. The conditions for remaining in a covenant fellowship with the Father and Son are to confess the Son, and to remain in the truth of the incarnation of the Son. When one confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, and thus, allows his or her life to be directed by this confession, he or she will have life. 

However, the fellowship is impaired as a result of sin. All people are sinners by nature and by practice. At conversion, all our sins—past, present, and future—are forgiven. Yet, even after we become Christians, we still sin and still need to confess. This kind of confession is not offered to gain God’s acceptance but to remove the barrier to fellowship that our sin has put between us and Him. Impaired fellowship does not break the relationship, but it mars it and robs that relationship of its richest blessings and benefits. 

Christ is the light of the world (John 9 vs 5), and as long as you are in fellowship with Him, you are in the light. As long as we walk in the light—as long as we are in fellowship with Him—the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses all the blunders and mistakes that we make. But sin impairs our fellowship with Him. The moment we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, cleans us from all unrighteousness, and restores our fellowship with Him. We need not fear confessing our sins to the Lord, He knows them already. He will not push us away, no matter what we have done. Instead, He will draw us to Himself. 

Restoring fellowship is restoring joy; restoring power with God, and working in love with God which is the greatest commandments. The richer the fellowship, the deeper one gets into the Word. Deep, rich fellowship means that we go far below the surface in this mine of wealth—the Word. To walk in love is to walk in fellowship. To live the love life is to live the fellowship life. It is bringing joy to the heart of the Father. This fellowship with Him is the sweetest, biggest, and richest thing the world ever knew.

There will be no growth in faith, in grace, in knowledge, nor growth in joy, with impaired fellowship. Every person who has lost power with God has lost it through loss of fellowship. If their faith has been impaired so is their prayer life, and it is because fellowship has been broken. If joy has all seeped out, it is because the vessel that held it—fellowship with the Father—has been cracked. When their usefulness and testimony has lost its grip and power, it is mere empty words; it is because fellowship has been impaired. If you want your testimony to be rich and full, then you must have fellowship that is rich and full. Fellowship in full with the Father puts the world in your pocket. 

Prayer: Abba Father, My desire is to continually be in fellowship with You. Though the human factor may cause the fellowship to be impaired from time to time, I pray that You endue me with the spirit of confession and repentance of any sins I may commit, that You will restore my fellowship with You, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

BREAKFAST BY THE SEASIDE
Life's Punchlines... (Volume 3).
❤🇳🇬🇳🇬 Year 2020🇳🇬🇳🇬❤.

Preacher: Priest Godsknight O.J

Topic: Regard St. Valentine🏇🏽.

Text: Eccl 4v9 "Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦."

St. Valentine's Day is one of the most powerful celebration on Earth, & it's worth the hype. It flags Christmas color for identity, except, green & gold.

Valentine was a patron saints of lovers, epileptics & beekeepers. A priest & a physician who befriended his jailer's daughter, & healed her from blindness before suffering martyrdom.

Due to his Noble exploits; like saving marriages from war front, today should be set aside to mend relationships, heal broken homes, bruised friendships, et al. It's a day the LORD made, it's marvelous in our sight.

Today, virtues such as: "Resilience, Truth, Faith in God, Dignity, Benevolence", should be added to our feathers as humans, so that our relationships can be blessed (1 Pet 3v7, Prov 5v15-23 ).

Students should play novelty matches; visit hospitals, carry out charitable works in their environs. All hands should be on deck, to make today worthwhile.

For Adults, it's a time to reflect on your love life. Do check & balance, defy lust, build trust, crush pride (Eph 5v22-25). Be of help to others whether they'll marry you or not, someone next to them might be your heartthrob (Prov 18v22 ).

Birds 🐦 will surely kiss👄 on trees 🌲& roof tops today, because they feel us. Let God see beautiful moves among couples & love birds, when He looks down today 👩‍❤‍💋‍👨 (Eccl 4v11-12 ).

As we celebrate Val in grand style, you won't be a victim of ritualists in Jesus Name. Love all, trust a few, do no wrong. Your Val should be your gaurdian Angel, someone you trust👫🏾.

It's a Val with harmattan, let it count wherever you're. The God of Christmas is at work to fix homes, don't be left out ( Eph 2v14) 🌹. Happy Valentine💃👠.

God bless you🤝.
Instagram: @PriestGodsknight.