Shepherds Guide (February 2012 EDITION 12B)

Wow! It’s February already…Let’s thank the covenant keeping God for keeping us, Lets thank the Merciful God for having mercy on You and I, for making it possible for us to see another month in 2012…..remember Zechariah 4:6 its not by our power nor by our might  …we shall by the grace of God see the end of this year 2012 and beyond. May the LORD keep You, may the LORD preserve You.  And May you continue to abound in the Hope that’s in Christ Jesus Amen.

Once Again Welcome to Shepherd’s Guide February 2012….a calm, short and comprehensive Bible Study Daily Devotional Guide…Short and not too preachy….Shepherd’s Guide your steady reliable companion revealing and possessing the overwhelming Power and Love of Christ.  The purpose again is to strengthen, comfort and support one another through beautifully short and motivational verses and inspirational fragments of the Holy Bible- – Ivan Ukiwah (Founder/Coordinator Christian Drive Network)

 

FEB 1^ST -2^nd 2012    PRAYER FOR CHRISTIANS IN TROUBLED SPOTS AROUND THE WORLD

This week is not just about us, it is a time to rethink and refocus our prayers and plead the cause of our Christian Brothers and Sisters scattered around the world especially in troubled spots in Nigeria, Pakistan, India, Iraq, Iran and those in distress many other unsettled parts of our world. It is good that we share their burden in prayers, it inevitably undermines our faith and prayer of intercession if we fail in our responsibility to stand alongside those who suffer in the burden of afflictions and persecutions, we must learn to share their burden and persecutions through prayers.

Abraham approached God and said: “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? Abraham was abundantly blessed yet he interceded for souls and salvation of others. Let’s pray for the LORD to heal their land and preserve our brethrens in these countries from the cruelty of men. Pray for the LORD to strength them in their afflictions and cause them not to waver but to hold fast the profession of their faith in Christ Jesus. Comfort them that needs comfort, pray for God to wipe away their sorrows and rekindle the hope of the hopeless and stretch forth His hands to them that are down and needs lifting up. Let’s ask God for His peace to reign in these countries.

Pray for the LORD to hear them speedily, to heal the broken hearted in these troubled spots and bind the wounds of them that are afflicted in Jesus name.    

FEB 3^{rd –} 7^th 2012    PRAYER POINTS FOR CHRISTIANS IN TROUBLED SPOTS AROUND THE WORLD

• Pray For Healing In the Land

• Pray For Peace To Reign In These Countries

• Pray For the Lives Of Our Brethren to Be Preserved

• Pray For God To Comfort Them That Needs Comforting

• Pray For God To Strengthen Them In Their Afflictions & Persecutions

• Pray For God To Rekindle The Hope Of The Hopeless

 

 FEB 8^th -11^th 2012    DON’T CAVE IN AND DON’T GIVE UP….HELP IS ON THE WAY

Isaiah 46:9 Remember the things I have done in the past. For I alone am God! I am God, and there is none like me. And in Isaiah 45:5 His limitless strength and infinite permutations of His many promises, rescue, relief and deliverance are unparalleled. 

God is undoubtedly who He says He is. His infinite strength lies in His compassionate, loving-kindness character and great Mercy. Remember because of His great love we are not consumed, His ubiquitous compassion never fails-They are new every morning. He is not out of touch with our problems, neither is He out of reach whenever we need Him. Our God is omnipresent

The Psalmist said “As for me I will call upon GOD and the LORD shall save me.”  When afflictions, trials and temptations, troubles and persecutions comes knocking at the door – we have a deliverer and a refuge in God. Hence the Psalmist said Deliver me O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man. He is there to do what is best for us…He rightly told us so in Jeremiah 29:11 “He has plans to give us a hope and a future”  

So it is the mark of God’s compassion and mercy, if He has promised, then He will do it. He is our defence and our rock of refuge Psalm 94:22 (KJV). He can bring you through bizarre and ludicrous situations like He did in the fiery furnace with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Hopeless and incredulous challenges and situations faced by Paul and Silas in jail house. Remember Peter’s escape from Prison. God is there with you all the way no matter the situation or challenge you are stuck in or that which you think you won’t survive. He can make you comfortable in the most uncomfortable places, and give you peace in the midst of trauma. In the beginning it may not look like God is aware of what we are going through, the meltdown, the persecutions and all the afflictions,  it may not look like our prayers are being answered at all but note this God’s colossal presence is everywhere….Jesus himself said so, he said I will not leave you comfortless. You may have heard incredulous stories of salvation, healing and deliverance. How they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and He delivered them out of their distresses. Note this because the LORD is mindful of us He will not leave us hopeless. The Psalmist said in Psalm 118:6 The LORD is on my side; I will not fear; what man can do unto me.

Situation may roar in your face, don’t cave in and don’t give up. Hey, you may think you are in some imponderable situation, the worst possible situation you can imagine definitely not as bad as Job who lost everything! I mean everything! He had nothing left to live for. Valuable assets and properties, his wealth, his Children, Job had nothing left except the advice of his friends who wanted to exploit the loopholes in his afflictions even Job’s wife questioned Job’s integrity. His wife said to him, “Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!” Job 2:9 (KJV) Job suffered multiple unimaginable string of afflictions, he was a broken man, I mean broken yet he believed God for a better day he manifestly believed…. weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. Hey don’t pack your bags yet, help is on the way, perhaps you are involved in something too controversial or in a long-running battle with your boss, your business partner or your marriage partner or some sort of disappointments. The Psalmist said I cried unto the LORD and He heard me.  

May the LORD our God plead your cause, deliver you and quicken you according to His promise concerning you. God Bless you.  

 

 

Shepherds Guide (January 2012 EDITION 12A)

 Happy New Year! Welcome to 2012 Edition of SHEPHERD’S GUIDE.  

Wow! It’s 2012…Let’s thank the covenant keeping God for keeping us, Lets thank the Merciful God for having mercy on You and I, for making it possible for us to see another year 2012…..remember Zechariah 4:6 its not by our power nor by our might  …we shall by the grace of God see the end of this year 2012. May the LORD keep You, may the LORD preserve You.  May you continue to abound in the Hope that’s in Christ Jesus Amen.

Once Again Welcome to Shepherd’s Guide 2012….a calm, short and comprehensive Bible Study Daily Devotional Guide…Short and not too preachy….Shepherd’s Guide your steady reliable companion revealing and possessing the overwhelming Power and Love of Christ.  The purpose again is to strengthen, comfort and support one another through beautifully short and motivational verses and inspirational fragments of the Holy Bible- – Ivan Ukiwah (Founder/Coordinator Christian Drive Network)

 

 JANUARY 1^ST – 5TH 2011      FAITH – A REAL CHALLENGE

Our Faith is a challenge, we knew it would be and that’s how we should see it. Why? You might ask. Well because the Christian walk is a faith based walk – on a practical level liberation from our old sinful nature and lifestyle as long as we continue in the word of God. Hence this very refreshing verse of scripture in Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” And again another suitable and very reassuring scripture in the Bible is 2 Corinthians 4:8 “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair” So how long before we snap? No we aren’t no matter the depth or height of troubles or how hard pressed we are because God is never going to allow you to be tempted beyond what you can bear or endure. NLT translation puts it this way “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure” This is particularly reassuring because of its simplified nature.

1 Corinthians 1:9 “God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful”

How much we are willing to travel in our faith-walk depends on how much we are willing and prepared to stomach while we are waiting on the LORD – Hence Isaiah 40:31 “but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” An outstanding or unusual (extraordinary) faith produces an outstanding or unusual result.

To have as successful faith-walk we must maintain a committed relationship with God in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses – 2 Corinthian 6:4. And again, according to His desire not our desire. Faith walk is living in the promise, expectation and fulfillment of the God’s word. A strong belief in grounds (divine power) for feeling hopeful about the future because the Bible said faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Now faith is not mental delusion, presumption or self-deception as many may think, faith is a simple constructive walk with God who gives grounds for expectations on the basis of His steadfast warm affection, unfailing allegiance and loving kindness to those who are birthed into the body of Christ (the new creation)

True faith requires that we believe, trust and continue to steadfastly believe and look up to God in great endurance; in troubles and disappointments, in hardships and distresses even when our situation is not looking like it’s going to change. True faith is the resurrection of hope by faith when hope dies. Remember how Abraham’s faith stood out amongst the faithful, despite obvious circumstances he was seen as a trailblazer for many in his generation and our generation, his faith stood out even it was obvious his hope of ever having a child birthed by Sarah was very slim because her biological clock was ticking this grilled Abraham’s faith and whatever hope he had left in him. But Abraham refrained from doubting God, alienated his thoughts and trusted God implicitly despite the fact that all scientific, medical evidence showed contrary, but he went on hoping in faith, believing that he would become “the father of many nations”.  We must learn to allow God’s word to override any report we have or have been given, override any certificate of inadequacy or any source of disappointment. Always strive to alienate doubt and  work on learning to trust God, He said in Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” Remember it’s never hopeless with God there is always a Future. Happy New Year!

JANUARY 6^{TH – 7TH} 2011 MAY THE LORD KEEP AND PRESERVE YOU THIS NEW YEAR

There is not anything more important in the New Year than dwelling in the presence and the secret place of the most High God. No rational spirit filled Christian will think otherwise, Joshua said as for me and my house we will serve the LORD. This is a particularly refreshing decision because the reality is the unprecedented and incredible protection you get from having a relationship and serving the LORD. Joshua preferred the safe perimeters and presence of the Most High God, hence he highlighted the need, the obligation and responsibility to continue the relationship even when serving the LORD seemed undesirable to others. Hey, it’s not in our interest not to serve the LORD, without a shadow of doubt we can’t survive or manage against the odds even if we try on our own. Joshua understood the importance of dwelling in the secret place. Serving the LORD is a deserved bit of glory for us too in a world overshadowed by problems and adverse circumstances. May the LORD keep and preserve you under His shadow this New Year in Jesus’ Name Amen! Remember: A shadow screens, cloaks, shield and shelter me from the sun-the scorching troubles of life; it hides-conceals, masks and veils me from my adversaries, my sad and unrepentant enemies; my defeated and disappointed foes. How joyful? I live in an exquisitely friendly fortress, not some delusional worldly protection and false security guaranteed by men that trembles when cruel enemies sound their trumpets.

JANUARY 8TH – 9TH 2012     NEW YEAR RESOLUTION …..NOT BY MY POWER NOR BY MY MIGHT

Wow first week is gone already! Millions would have by now broken or abandoned their New Year Resolutions in this short passage of time, despite trying desperately hard to stick to what was plainly not a valid argument or resolution. The Bible in Zechariah 4:6 says “It’s not by our power nor by our might” but surely and assuredly by the Grace of the Merciful God from whom our strength distils…transporting us in the way we should go, approving us, commissioning and energizing us in the things of the Spirit. Now because we have been set apart, as holy and consecrated infused with the gifts and graces of Him who has called us into his marvellous light we are able to start as we mean to go…because we have the person of the Holy Spirit within us, in-dwelling and bringing to our remembrance all things (John 14:15-17, 25-26). Remember, without God it is impossible to continue as you mean to go…because Him alone bestows the Grace and the strength to navigate our ways through the dark and insecure valleys of life, the weird and dark moments of reality…not by our Power nor by our Might says the Lord of hosts.

 JANUARY 2012  10^TH -11^th MODELING YOUR THOUGHTS IN THE NEW YEAR

The LORD said “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts”

This should be a framework for us to build on, modeling our thoughts constructive in the hope of building up a better lifestyle and successful Christian faith walk. Last year may not have gone quite successfully according to plan, why not try something different? Reinforce your words and thoughts with something that has power to change situations and circumstances.  

 For as the rain and snow come down from the heavens, and return not there again, but water the earth and make it bring forth and sprout, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater. So shall My word be that goes forth out of My mouth: it shall not return to Me void [without producing any effect, useless], but it shall accomplish that which I please and purpose, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

January 12^TH -13^TH 2012 O Give Thanks Unto The LORD – Psalm 118:1

Even if something happened perhaps a personal tragedy and robbed your joy, see through the jaded negativity – the cynical atmosphere and the disparaging motives of the Devil and believe God for His integrity and professed motives….He said”I will never leave you nor forsake you” Hebrews 13:5 These words are very penetrating and probably very inspirational scripture if you are in a situation described in my opening sentence above. Get ready to look up and give Him thanks!  

And again in Jeremiah 29:11 we have another amazing scriptural verse that will give you the grace to look up and give thanks. For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

There is always a seed of promise in every word of God-this is very real and we know this by reading Isaiah 55:8-11. I’ll like you to pause for a minute because it requires some mulling over (a deep reflection), meditate on this short but powerful promise in Hebrews 13:5 this should rekindle your hope, raise your expectations and perhaps it could cut through the atmosphere of cynicism and despair impeding and enveloping the active site of your faith.

Psalm 118:1 O’ Give unto the LORD. Give thanks because the LORD our God will provide a way back to complete restoration of your joy. Don’t give up the required rituals of thanking Him, make it a commitment, reclaim your faith corner and position in the Hall of Praise And Thanks Giving. As a matter of fact, it’s the devils wish to create a cynical feeling of distrust to stop the flood of Praise and Thanksgiving, but your consistent pro-activity (read Psalm 118:12 and Psalm 118:17) and voluntary sense of purpose should keep the flood gate open. God bless you.

JAN 14^TH -15^TH 2012       WAITING ON GOD – DOING IT DIFFERENTLY IN 2012

What does it mean to wait on God? How often do we hear Christians, Pastors and great men of God use the phrase ‘Waiting on God’? How important is it to wait on God? What are the steps to waiting on God? What would you do differently this year 2012 while waiting on God?

Hezekiah’s life is a good reference point and a good example if we are to fully understand the phrase waiting on God. They that wait on the LORD shall not be put to shame. Whenever we are fixated on the LORD the unstoppable forces of heaven are put to work for our sake, our going out and coming in becomes His responsibility, He re-orientates His favour to meet our expectations. He strengthens and emboldens us to face all shades of challenges as they come because He is God and they that wait on Him shall renew their strength.  It is often hard to wait because most times our ability to wait is wasted on analyzing our situations, sometimes because of our untrustworthy commitment and distractions we miss specific instructions while we are busy analyzing, building and creating pictures of how redundant we are instead of listening to hear from God, seeking His face and waiting on the Lord because of the conflicting feelings flooding through us. However, we must remember that WAITING fine tunes our spiritual antenna for better reception of things of the spirit and minimizes our chances of focusing on challenges and maximizing or creating more opportunity and the grace to look up to God. Please read Isaiah 55:8-9The NIV Bible says ‘But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength…’

While waiting we must learn to avoid the ghost of our worries and all invasive distractions tending to redirect our attention by a torrent of thoughts which are counterproductive to the objective of the exercise.    
As you wait on the LORD our God, He will strengthen you. The Bible said “But those who wait on the Lord will find new strength. They will fly high on wings as eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31).

JANUARY 16TH -18TH 2012   YOU WILL NEED THESE SIX THINGS IN 2012

As you enter the month of January 2012 here are six of the things you will need to stand out gracefully in your faith walk and continue with a blend of confidence as you mean to go….

1. There will be need for prayer – for the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous and His ears are open unto their prayers (1 Peter 3:12)

2. There will be need for study – continue to study to show yourself approved unto God…rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15)

3. There will be need to avoid distractions – Therefore let us not sleep, as do others, but let us watch and be sober 1 Thessalonians 5:6, (Colossians 4:2)

4. There will be need to comfort one another – Finally brethren, pray for us that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified even as it is with you  (2 Thessalonians 3:1 and James 5:16)

5.  There will be the need to forgive – Jesus did practice forgives and instructed us to forgive those who have hurt us (Matthew 6:14-15)

6. There will be need to for us to uphold our faith irrespective or regardless of the ongoing global drama – even so faith if it hath no work is dead, be a hearer and doer of the word (Hebrews 11:6, James 1:23, 1 Peter 1:7)

 

January 19^th – 20^th 2012     THE WAITING HEROES (Part 1)

When you are passionate about renewing your strength in the LORD then you should have no problem understanding the standard formula or the rule of thumb – in Isaiah 40:31 these are the standard guidepost or principle that provides guidance when trusting and hoping on the LORD. The phrase “wait upon” is slightly uncomfortable especially considering our culture and the precarious experience and pleasure of the golden age of technology were everything happens at the push of a button. We get really uncomfortable – with a strand of anxiety and stress even when waiting for 10-15 minutes in a queue in a bank or post office or even in a fast food joint. Waiting is an experience that sometimes leaves us with a bitter taste because things aren’t happening as quickly as we want- because we occasionally see this experience as a setback hence we fail to understand the valuable experience God wanted us to have.

 

JANUARY 21^ST – 23^RD   THE WAITING HEROES (Part 2)

Waiting is the gap between expectation and fulfilment, a period of transformation that’s met to refine who we are before we bounce back. Hence the Bible said “They that wait on the LORD shall not be put to shame” In my opinion if my strength is going to be renewed in the cause of waiting, then the chances are God is not in a rush, He maybe fuelling me in preparation for something valuable, perhaps valuable lessons God wants me to learn. The business of waiting is God’s – because the truth is He keeps us waiting in order to get us refined so we can appreciate the giver and have real fulfilment in His gift!  when you are back beneath the promises of His wings, think of nothing but your triumph, nothing but your fulfilment.  People sometimes miss the mark and jump on the bandwagon and deliberately get distracted because they soak up the problem rather focusing on God, the problem solver and the giver of fulfilment.

 

JANUARY 24^TH -27^TH  THE WAITING HEREOS (Part 3)

Waiting could be slow and painstaking hence Galatians 6:9 insists we should not be worried and weary about well doing; we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. The trouble is it is often hard to wait because most times our ability and spiritual enablement are wasted on analyzing our situations, in principle regurgitating the problems and pixilating our thoughts – thereby micro managing it for God thus creating pictures of how redundant God is in our situation.

The period between expectation and fulfillment is the time to fine tune our spiritual antennas for better reception of the things of the spirit, a time to discipline ourselves spiritually speaking to minimize the chances of focusing on challenges and redirect our focus on God. Remember He is a merciful God. He re-orientates His favour to meet our expectation and He strengthens and emboldens us to face challenges as they come because He is God and they that wait on Him shall renew their strength.

Queen Esther is a good example to set she waited on God, here are other examples remember Paul and Silas, remember Daniel in the lions, remember the many afflictions of Joseph and how Joseph kept trusting God, all of these did not happen overnight, it may sound uncomfortable, but He is God, we just need to be consistent. Luke 18:1 Jesus urged us to continue to pray and not give up.  We are not some hopeless folks; we have a merciful God who hears and listen. Hence 2 Corinthians 4:8 says “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;”

Remember to do it God’s way when you are waiting upon Him. God is not moved by the speed of our golden age of technology nor limited by the physical realities of our time constrained world – because His ways are not our ways. He operates outside the sequential perimeters of events and dictates of time hence He is timeless. The Eternal Rock of Ages!  

But Isaiah 55:8 (NIV) “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. If He is choosing to operate in a different way, different from what we anticipated and expected under which each person’s request is considered individual

 

 

JANUARY 28^TH -31^ST 2012     ARE YOU ANGRY AND THINKING OF GIVING UP? DON’T GIVE UP YET

O LORD how great Thou Art! My God My LORD righteous in all His ways, my mouth shall speak of Your praises O LORD my flesh shall bless Your Holy Name in all the Earth. How Great Thou Art!  Surely Your thoughts are NOT our thoughts neither are Your ways our ways saith the LORD – Isaiah 55:8-11. The healing of Naaman the captain of the host of the King of ancient Syria, The glamorous Mighty man of Valor but a Leper is not just the story of the healing of Naaman from his disease but it is a rare story of salvation and the way God operates. In 2 Kings 5:1-19 we saw how Naaman attempted to go by the “back door” in an unsuccessful attempt to receive healing. He was a man of great reputation and fame with historical links to the palace, Naaman wasn’t only conscious of his disease which had undermined his health and his status but was also conscious of what he wanted and how he wanted it done. But thank God for God, He is not a respecter of persons – Isaiah 55:8 says our ways are not His ways and our thoughts are not His thoughts. He is a sovereign God independent on man.

2 Kings 5:10 “And Elisha sent a messenger unto Naaman, saying, go and wash in Jordan seven times and thy flesh shall come again to thee and thou shall be clean” But Naaman was angry and went away saying, Behold, I thought he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place and heal the leper. Naaman had prioritized his healing and the healing strategy, unfortunately many of us are in this situation, his overriding concern was seeing the Prophet performed the rituals (waving of his hand or touching of his forehead, perhaps the sprinkling of the olive oil or Holy Water). How God is planning to perform His miracles is up to God not us. Its right we deepen our involvement in knowing God, develop a robust relationship however the job is up to God. Our ways are not His ways! And the Bible said “And Naaman servant said to him my father, if the prophet had bid you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much rather, then, when he says to you, Wash and be clean?”

Great is His counsel and mighty are His deeds. There is nothing He can’t do, He alone is God, faithful and loyal in his steadfast love. Remember Naaman?  His flesh was restored like that of a little child, and he was clean. Notice two things: Don’t give up yet, don’t prioritize your situation and override God’s instructions.  Secondly anger can pave the way for unnecessary delays in God’s plan.

 

FEB 1^ST -4^TH 2012    DON’T CAVE IN AND DON’T GIVE UP….HELP IS ON THE WAY

Isaiah 46:9 Remember the things I have done in the past. For I alone am God! I am God, and there is none like me. And in Isaiah 45:5 His limitless strength and infinite permutations of His many promises, rescue, relief and deliverance are unparalleled. 

God is undoubtedly who He says He is. His infinite strength lies in His compassionate, loving-kindness character and great Mercy. Remember because of His great love we are not consumed, His ubiquitous compassion never fails-They are new every morning. He is not out of touch with our problems, neither is He out of reach whenever we need Him. Our God is omnipresent

The Psalmist said “As for me I will call upon GOD and the LORD shall save me.”  When afflictions, trials and temptations, troubles and persecutions comes knocking at the door – we have a deliverer and a refuge in God. Hence the Psalmist said Deliver me O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man. He is there to do what is best for us…He rightly told us so in Jeremiah 29:11 “He has plans to give us a hope and a future”  

So it is the mark of God’s compassion and mercy, if He has promised, then He will do it. He is our defence and our rock of refuge Psalm 94:22 (KJV). He can bring you through bizarre and ludicrous situations like He did in the fiery furnace with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Hopeless and incredulous challenges and situations faced by Paul and Silas in jail house. Remember Peter’s escape from Prison. God is there with you all the way no matter the situation or challenge you are stuck in or that which you think you won’t survive. He can make you comfortable in the most uncomfortable places, and give you peace in the midst of trauma. In the beginning it may not look like God is aware of what we are going through, the meltdown, the persecutions and all the afflictions,  it may not look like our prayers are being answered at all but note this God’s colossal presence is everywhere….Jesus himself said so, he said I will not leave you comfortless. You may have heard incredulous stories of salvation, healing and deliverance. How they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and He delivered them out of their distresses. Note this because the LORD is mindful of us He will not leave us hopeless. The Psalmist said in Psalm 118:6 The LORD is on my side; I will not fear; what man can do unto me.

Situation may roar in your face, don’t cave in and don’t give up. Hey, you may think you are in some imponderable situation, the worst possible situation you can imagine definitely not as bad as Job who lost everything! I mean everything! He had nothing left to live for. Valuable assets and properties, his wealth, his Children, Job had nothing left except the advice of his friends who wanted to exploit the loopholes in his afflictions even Job’s wife questioned Job’s integrity. His wife said to him, “Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!” Job 2:9 (KJV) Job suffered multiple unimaginable string of afflictions, he was a broken man, I mean broken yet he believed God for a better day he manifestly believed…. weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. Hey don’t pack your bags yet, help is on the way, perhaps you are involved in something too controversial or in a long-running battle with your boss, your business partner or your marriage partner or some sort of disappointments. The Psalmist said I cried unto the LORD and He heard me.  

May the LORD our God plead your cause, deliver you and quicken you according to His promise concerning you. God Bless you.  

Shepherds Guide (November 2011 EDITION 11B)

NOV 1-4^TH 2011  THE LORD WILL KEEP AND PROTECT YOU

 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. See what they spew from their mouths–they spew out swords from their lips, and they say, “Who can hear us?”  Yes your safety and protection concerns GOD because you bear the mark of Christ, you are God’s delight. Most times because we are glued to fear, our relation with God is watered down, and we start to hear slightly strange (weird) voices like ‘I don’t think God really cares…’ this can be the worst thing that can ever happen to you as a Christian, having the wrong spiritual chemistry especially in a very difficult and challenging time in one’s life. A voice like this comes across trying to blur out and censor your faith. Don’t be caught off guard, the Bible said ‘Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.’ And in Psalm 91:9-16

If you say, “The LORD is my refuge,”
   and you make the Most High your dwelling,
¹⁰ no harm will overtake you,
   no disaster will come near your tent.
¹¹ For he will command his angels concerning you
   to guard you in all your ways;
¹² they will lift you up in their hands,
   so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
¹³ You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
   you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

 ¹⁴ “Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him;
   I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
¹⁵ He will call on me, and I will answer him;
   I will be with him in trouble,
   I will deliver him and honour him.
¹⁶ With long life I will satisfy him
   and show him my salvation.”

 

NOV 5-6^TH ARISE FOR OUR HELP ‘O LORD HEAR ME SPEEDILY

MANY A TIME THEY HAVE AFFLICTED ME O LORD because the fool hath said in his heart, there is no GOD. May the Heaven declare the glory of the LORD, may the firmament show forth His handiwork and may the unstoppable force of Heaven manifest itself to those seeking to persecute me. They have learned to push forward their mundane agenda before the will of God, Dear LORD I ask this day that you stretch forth Your hand against the wrath of they that persecute me. Strengthen and cause me to excel me in my job, office, business, education, marriage, relationships with others that men may see your handiwork in me. Hear me speedily O LORD, take this extra weight of burden away from me. The Psalmist said in Psalm 132:14 ‘This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it.’

NOV 7-9^TH 2011 A PRAYER LOG THAT INVOLVES PRAYING WITH YOUR SPIRIT – PRAYING WITH YOUR MIND

Bless your day, lift your hands high towards the host of heaven and say positive things into your day. Learn to lift up your eyes unto the hills towards the maker of Heaven and the Earth. The Psalmist said “My help cometh from the LORD” Psalm 121:1-3 ‘I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD who made heaven and the Earth.

Of course, feeling able to freely admit the truth, in all situations is what makes us good Christians-followers of Christ. We must not fail to start our day by galvanising it with the promises of GOD concerning us. We must learn to link our daily plans to the scriptures undoubtedly to avoid pointless physical or spiritual confrontations from the devil. Psalm 37:23 says ‘The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD.’

Honestly speaking, it’s tough to justify not speaking God’s word into your day, not wrapping yourself in the sanctuary and infallibility of God’s word. The Psalmist said in Psalm 5:3
‘My voice You shall hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning I will direct my prayer to You, and I will look up.’

NOV 10-12^TH 2011 PRAY IN THE SPIRIT AND PRAY IN THE MIND

And in another radical approach the Psalmist said Psalm 25:1 ‘To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul’ How often do we pray? Do we have a PRAYER LOG? Our prayer log should help us prioritise what to pray, when and how to pray. How aggressive is your prayer life? How responsive are you to call to prayer? Do you consider prayer too challenging? The Psalmist said I will walk before the LORD with the voice of rejoicing and salvation in the tabernacles of His people. In Psalm 55:17 the Psalmist said “Evening and morning, and at noon, I will pray and cry aloud; and He shall hear my voice.”

You can’t afford to take away the only shred of protection you have by not starting your day on a positive note, a day galvanised by prayer, a day strongly linked to the seat and sanctuary of refuge. The Psalmist said this is my comfort in my affliction, for thy word hath quickened me –Psalm 119:50. When exactly did it become acceptable to swap prayer times with something else? What instruction does God give about prayer? 1 Chronicles 16:11 Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always. The Bible says ALWAYS!

1 Corinthians 14:15
So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind

 NOV 13TH – 16TH  2011   I WILL NOT FEAR, WHAT MAN CAN DO UNTO ME?

The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me? God’s now at my side and I’m not afraid; who would dare lay a hand on me? God’s my strong champion; Far better to take refuge in God than trust in people; Far better to take refuge in God than trust in celebrities. What would you do to someone that’s got his back covered by God, all through the Bible we saw details of shattering repercussions on those who dare to fight against God’s elect. Look at how Esther with her Anglicised upbringing was transformed into a Queen, Esther a resilient young woman fasted and prayed when a message came from Mordechai, remember the perfect picnic she was going to organise and how Haman was slammed when God intervened because Haman tried to wipe out God’s delight. Remember Joseph from Potiphars House to prison (Genesis 39:1-12), what was stylish about these characters is the chemistry of their relationship with God.

It’s enough for me to emphasis here that this is really important, when you have a processed relationship with GOD through Christ, it’s hard for anyone no matter their status or influence, to work against you because you are robed in God’s favour, you bear the mark of Christ an invisible immunity you carry with you where ever you go. When you are connected to God, your strength and sufficiency is derived from Him generating wisdom to survive even when you are predisposed to persecution. Winning becomes part of your life, persecution culminating in victory and promotion, what can man do unto me, greater is he that’s in me than he that’s in the world. All you need to do is to smarten up your prayer life, it feels reassuring when your life is galvanised with prayer. There is a pervading sense of victory when you sow your time in prayers, praying not just for yourself but for others. Get a prayer log, prioritise your prayer timeline, and adapt yourself to it, your success genuinely depends on your ability to stick to the timeline and the implicitness of your faith.

17th-19th Nov 2011     A COMMITTED PROVIDER, A COMMITTED SUPPLIER

Why should a believer be confident that his need will be supplied?  

My Bible tells me that in His presence there is fullness of joy –let’s brainstorm a minute on the meaning of the noun ‘fullness’.  A quick look at the definition of ‘fullness’ in my online dictionary revealed another startlingly impressive attribute of the God we serve.  Online dictionary.com defined fullness as the state of being filled to capacity, plenitude, completeness, lacking nothing, whole and complete joy at His right hand there are pleasures forever more, a reservoir full of His Grace and Glory. Who else would have this amazing, wonderfully astounding perplexing attribute? No wonder in Revelation 1:8, Revelation 22:13 He said “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the Beginning And the End” I think the idea here is I serve a God that is able to reach out to me in my dark moments, comfort,  protect and provide for me. No wonder my Bible said in His presence there is fullness of joy, it’s hardly a surprise there are no limits to what GOD can do if you have a processed relationship with Him. Hallelujah! He is an awesome GOD.  

He is a committed provider, that’s precisely because we are God’s delight, He is forever bound and obligated to supply our needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus. Hence He never fails…. Study and meditate on these scriptures Philippians 4:19, Psalm 16:11, Isaiah 41:4, Isaiah 44:6

NOV 20-24TH     STAYING FIRM IN STORMY TIMES

Note this, the ultimate aim of any enemy fighting you, is to force you to surrender what is most precious to you, in this case Your faith. Why is so important about your faith? Why is your faith so precious? Read Hebrews 11:1, Hebrews 11:6, Ephesians 6:11-18. Without faith it’s impossible to please God, our faith is the ‘spiritual magnet’ that attracts God’s attention, the very idea of our faith is what horrifies the devil because of its diffusing power. Practically speaking all compelling mainstream episodes in the Bible is pitched around high profile faith. Sadly a faithless Christian is spiritually indefensible.  

We have got to remain firmly anchored in the centre ground of our belief system in order to allow God manifest Himself in our situation. Look at Joseph his clear judgment and thinking in the house of Potiphar vociferously accused by Potiphar’s wife. Joseph had the choice whether to step back and prepare for the consequences of his decision or step forward and succumb to her lure and shameful immoral desire. Joseph was quite iconic in so many ways, he was refreshingly straightforward, Joseph never doubted his relationship with God; he stayed firm and reinforced his faith. Genesis 39:2 ‘And the LORD was with Joseph and he was a prosperous man’ And again in Genesis 39:21 ‘And the LORD was with Joseph and extended kindness to him, and gave him favour in the sight of the chief jailer’

Daniel was another interesting character, his high octane faith characterised by toughness and unwavering conviction sparked a predictable indignation (Daniel 6:1-28) by clearly and openly refusing to obey a decree he was a signatory to, a decree presumably established and proposed to ensnare him.

Daniel 6:5 finally these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.”

Daniel 6:7 All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the satraps, the counsellors, and the advisors, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, except from you, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions.

Daniel 6:11 Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.

Despite the outrage over his disobedience the LORD was with Daniel. He was thrown into the lion’s den because he was a defiant and uncompromising character of faith. Their stewardship as men of faith didn’t go unnoticed; in reality they merited God’s attention because of their steely, unwavering and uncompromising faith. Both are larger than life figures because they overcame their storms by faith and because they had a covenant relationship with God.

These were men that redefined standards of Faith and Christianity. They were no strangers to storms and mega-storms, tough times and clever moves of enemies of their faith. However their wealth of experience of who God is as well as their relationship with God influenced the choice of decisions they made. Having a healthy, prayerful unbroken spirit and a faith wrapped in optimism is essential to stay firm. However I like to hear from you if you were blessed by reading this or perhaps you may have suggestions to improve this blog. God bless.      

25th -27th November 2011   THE INDEFENSIBLE

The ultimate aim of any enemy fighting you, is to force you to surrender what is most precious to you, in this case Your faith. Why is so important about your faith? Why is your faith so precious? Read Hebrews 11:1, Hebrews 11:6, Ephesians 6:11-18. Without faith it’s impossible to please God, our faith is the ‘spiritual magnet’ that attracts God’s attention, the very idea of our faith is what horrifies the devil because of its diffusing power. Practically speaking all compelling mainstream episodes in the Bible is pitched around high profile faith. Sadly a faithless Christian is spiritually indefensible.  

The Bible says in 2 Peter 1:3 that as we grow in our knowledge of God, through his divine power he gives us everything we need for life and godliness. The Bible is tremendously liberal about faith and Christianity, explaining the God’s expectations to outclass our old sinful nature (our old man). The excitement is having a faith that is impeccably suited to please God and engaged and overcome Satan on difficult issues such as sin. So it makes sense of us to have the God kind of faith, to be ready to face storms of life – difficulties and challenges that we face in life especially with an outraged and defeated devil roaring like a lion; 1 Corinthians 16:13 ‘Watch ye stand fast in the faith…’

God is super-supportive of us especially when we have faith in Him, a faith that’s bright enough to attract his attention. Hence 2 Corinthians 4:8-11. ‘We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair’.      

THE LORD WILL KEEP AND PROTECT YOU – FEAR NOT

 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. See what they spew from their mouths–they spew out swords from their lips, and they say, “Who can hear us?” When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him. Praise God! Yes your safety and protection concerns GOD because you bear the mark of Christ, you are God’s delight. Most times because we are glued to fear, we fail to see the advantage and benefits of our relationship with God,  and because everything is watered down in this feeble, sore and broken state, we start to hear slightly strange (weird) voices like ‘I don’t think God really cares about…’ this can be the worst thing that can ever happen to you as a Christian, having the wrong spiritual chemistry especially in a very difficult and challenging time in one’s life. A voice like this comes across trying to blur out and censor your faith. Don’t be caught off guard, the Bible said ‘Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.’ And in Psalm 91:9-16

If you say, “The LORD is my refuge,”
   and you make the Most High your dwelling,
¹⁰ no harm will overtake you,
   no disaster will come near your tent.
¹¹ For he will command his angels concerning you
   to guard you in all your ways;
¹² they will lift you up in their hands,
   so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
¹³ You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
   you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

 ¹⁴ “Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him;
   I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
¹⁵ He will call on me, and I will answer him;
   I will be with him in trouble,
   I will deliver him and honour him.
¹⁶ With long life I will satisfy him
   and show him my salvation.”

Delight thy self in the LORD, He will plead you cause against the gathering of ungodly, the deceitful and and unjust. Remember Psalm 46:1 GOD is our refuge and strength, A VERY PRESENT HELP IN TROUBLE. So the battle is the LORD’S….God bless you

LET YOUR LIGHT SO SHINE AND BRING OUT THE GOD-COLOURS

There is so much exposure these days; right now we are in an era of ‘self media marketing’ or ‘social networking and instant communication’. An era where people are show-casing their skills and talents so it’s not out of place to see stuffs like-music videos, short movies, commercials on YouTube, Facebook, Friendster, MySpace, Twitter, Xanga and other social networking sites. People are putting themselves on YouTube, because they feel really confident in what they are doing, they regurgitate their skills and talents, patronising others in a bid to sell whatever they have at all cost no matter the outcome ignoring the possibility of intimidation that may result in eventuality of a compromising and inappropriate images, statements and information. They are fuelled by the number of hits (popularity with people). Thanks to social networking sites, meeting someone in person is now a thing of the past, making friends and renewing old acquaintances is easy. Poking has become the new hand shake.

Matthew 5:14-15 echoes a similar rendition and tactics Jesus said “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.”

Here is another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colours in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.

We are in the business of leading others in a crooked and depraved generation (Philippians 2:15) by shinning our lights and showing casing the richness of His glory through Jesus Christ, seeking imaginative ways to effuse the richness of Christ and his light in us and providing lifeboats in the form of leading them to Christ. We must be imaginative, we must pray and we should ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom and direction and in the ways to bring out or effuse the God-colours to the world. The Bible said in Proverbs 4:18 ‘The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day’

Dearly beloved, You are the light bringing out God-colours in the world. May you shine even brighter this day and in the forthcoming days and may your light be a lifeboat and the spiritual ‘satnav’ to  many that come your way in Jesus Name Amen.

Go unwrap your light, you are on top of the world, be ecstatic about it start show casing the beauty of your light for others to see and pray they experience it, so they may become blameless and pure children of God. Don’t discard your obligation be alive with your light let it shine even when it’s unappreciated, remember it’s unquenchable and it cannot be hidden…..

God Bless You, keep effusing your light till we meet again on this platform

Copyright © Ivan Ukiwah, 2011 Coordinator and Founder Christian Drive Network

Shepherds Guide (October 2011 EDITION 10B)

1st -3rd October 2011 YOUR STEPS ARE ORDERED

God is deeply involved in navigating the steps and steering the directions of the righteous. Our relationship with Him provides us the perfect ‘spiritual momentum’ to drift around maintaining a straight course with an expected end (a life of fulfilment with true and last joy and peace).

The Bible un-wrapped another thoughtful, loving and compassion inherent attribute of God in Jeremiah 29:11 one of my favourite, inspirational and uplifting verses of the scripture. For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” He is there to make our journey through life as smooth as possible to avoid any more sliding into the painful realm of anxieties, worries and uncertainties and the point of dysfunction, fear, sorrow, sickness and afflictions, depression and emotional or marital challenges…. Remember Joseph in the foreign land, sold by his brothers to slavery. God steered him through every minute and hour of his turbulent life and brought him to a conclusive end. In Genesis 50:20 Joseph said “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive”

4th – 7th October 2011 OUR STEPS ARE ORDERED

God is our source, our ever present helper even in the middle of an unsettling storm, even while you’re trying hard to counterweight your storm He is there with you as He was with Joseph, the three Hebrew Boys thrown into the furnace, as He was with Esther in a strange land and many other too numerous to mention here. His input may not be felt immediately, however His impact is there to cushion and keep you above the storm to lead and guide you to a safe territory – your intended destination.  

The steering input of God is designed to take the righteous in Christ Jesus to an expected end-the realisation of full and complete joy and an unending fulfilment. The Bible tells us ”…steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.”

How different are the steps of the good man from that of the ordinary man? The good man described in the scripture above refers to you and I – to all those who acknowledged the love of God, confessed and accepted Christ as the True Son of the Living God. Those justified freely by grace through redemption that is in Christ Jesus. The Good man above refers to ‘Anyone or person purchased by the blood of Jesus – processed clean and secured in the transaction of salvation. A person engrafted in the true vine-Jesus Christ; any person with an on-going relationship with the Son of God, redeemed and perfected by the finished works of Christ through grace.

Hence every leap or turn we make, every step we take are to our ‘spiritual advantage’ because they cannot go undetected by God’s radar. And without raising and resurrecting our expectations, because we know they are ordered, perfected and engineered to bring us to our expected end and in return allowing God’s name to be glorified.

8th October 2011 JUST A SIMPLE PRAYER FROM ME TO YOU

 ”May the God we serve, the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you continue to trust in Him this day, may you experience His awesomeness in what ever you do today and overflow with hope that’s in glory and the power of the Holy Spirit.” God bless you

9th – 12th October 2011 YOU ARE AN OVERCOMER IN CHRIST JESUS

The Bible admonishes us with commendable bravery to bless those who persecute us given the scale of persecution we face in our circular world especially from those showing blithe unconcern and prejudices (callous and improper attitude and toxic discriminations against us) which are in direct conflict with our faith. As children of the living God, ambassadors and able ministers of the gospel rejoicing in the Truth and the Hope that is in Christ Jesus, the Bible very stately oblige us not to abandon the deeply held principles of God’s word hence Romans 12:19 states ‘Dearly beloved avenge not yourself…’ Persecution is one tiny example of a broader problem that should give anyone concern not alone erode our confidence or the profitable Hope of our calling.

2 Corinthians 6:4 ‘but, as servants (the delights) of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses…’

Our faith is not shrouded in mystery that cannot be explained, persecution will come and the Bible acknowledges in this inspiring verse 2 Corinthians 4:9 ‘We are persecuted but not forsaken; cast down but not destroyed…’ the verse clearly opens the door to the possibility of our expectation and the assurances of what is to follow…one of the appealing aspect of the verse is that you are beyond destruction (you have an indestructible life, a new life engrafted in Christ) because you are a partaker in Christ Jesus, you and I cannot be forsaken. Jesus said “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

For as many as a led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons and daughters of God. Learn to see through the prism of your faith and Hope that is in Christ Jesus, you have been successfully approved by God because you are in transactional relationship with His Son Christ Jesus whom has called you out of the darkness of this world into his marvellous light of Hope encompassed in a glorious future. Remember to study the word yourself, reinforce your faith and expand its perimeters. Don’t give up because God is not giving up on you. God bless YOU! 

13th – 15th OCTOBER  MAKING YOUR ENEMIES TO BE AT PEACE WITH YOU 

When a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes his enemies to be at peace with him. (Proverbs 16:7)

Therefore whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him. 2 Corinthians 5:9 (NLT)

Pleasing the LORD may seem like an impossible task but should be principal ambition of all new creation. But how do you please someone that has and own everything? He is the LORD Almighty, Maker and Creator of Heaven and Earth, He is the Eternal Rock of Ages, Our rock and salvation, Our refuge and strength, THE ONE WHO SITS ON THE THRONE OF HOLINESS AND IN THE MULTITUDE OF INFINITE RICHES. He alone owns everything seen and unseen, the GOD of total and complete sufficiency. What would you give to please the LORD? Pleasing the LORD has its rewards-we are recompensed for our deeds according to what we have done whether good or bad.

The Bible says ‘When a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes his enemies to be at peace with him’ (Proverbs 16:7). The Bible in Matthew 3:17 said ‘This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased’. Notice the phrase ‘well pleased’ God must be well pleased with His Son Jesus. And Jesus must have been special and done something extraordinary to please the Father. Perhaps we need to examine the character, compassion, commitment, passion and the heart of Jesus-everything done by him was done with a fully surrendered heart ‘according to God’s purpose and desire’. What God did in Christ is the measure of what He will do in us to make us perfect and enable us walk the walk, talk the talk and please Him. Here are simple prayers we should pray as we desire to excel in our faith walk and please the LORD. May he equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him. All glory to him forever and ever! Amen. Hebrews 13:21 (NLT)

16-18th October LET YOUR LIGHT SO SHINE AND BRING OUT THE GOD-COLOURS

There is so much exposure these days; right now we are in an era of ‘self media marketing’ or ‘social networking and instant communication’. An era where people are show-casing their skills and talents so it’s not out of place to see stuffs like-music videos, short movies, commercials on YouTube, Facebook, Friendster, MySpace, Twitter, Xanga and other social networking sites. People are putting themselves on YouTube, because they feel really confident in what they are doing, they regurgitate their skills and talents, patronising others in a bid to sell whatever they have at all cost no matter the outcome ignoring the possibility of intimidation that may result in eventuality of a compromising and inappropriate images, statements and information. They are fuelled by the number of hits (popularity with people). Thanks to social networking sites, meeting someone in person is now a thing of the past, making friends and renewing old acquaintances is easy. Poking has become the new hand shake.

Matthew 5:14-15 echoes a similar rendition and tactics Jesus said “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.”

Here is another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colours in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.

19th October Continue To SHINE EVEN BRIGHTER

We are in the business of leading others in a crooked and depraved generation (Philippians 2:15) by shinning our lights and showing casing the richness of His glory through Jesus Christ, seeking imaginative ways to effuse the richness of Christ and his light in us and providing lifeboats in the form of leading them to Christ. We must be imaginative, we must pray and we should ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom and direction and in the ways to bring out or effuse the God-colours to the world. The Bible said in Proverbs 4:18 ‘The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day’

Dearly beloved, You are the light bringing out God-colours in the world. May you shine even brighter this day and in the forthcoming days and may your light be a lifeboat and the spiritual ‘satnav’ to  many that come your way in Jesus Name Amen.

Go unwrap your light, you are on top of the world, be ecstatic about it start show casing the beauty of your light for others to see and pray they experience it, so they may become blameless and pure children of God.

God Bless You, keep effusing your light till we meet again…

20th-21st October 2011         FEAR NOT, NO WEAPON AGAINST YOU…

No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me,” declares the LORD.

As long as the LORD liveth, all orchestration, all machination and incantations against me will fail. The storm may gather but their gathering shall come to nothing (because they gather in vain). Every storm that’s brewing will be scattered for my stake because He has given His Angers charge over me. All plotting and scheming, all conspiracies and wiles will come to nothing in the mighty name of Jesus.  

Fear Not, even the winds and the stormy waves obey him. They cannot resist or contend with his command.

FEAR COMES IN WHEN FAITH IS LITTLE: He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. What manner of man is Jesus? Even the winds and the stormy waves could not contend, resist or ignore his command. We serve an awesome GOD who shows forth His might (His great and impressive power & strength) even in the midst of STORMS. He is A GOD that expresses possibility even when it seems impossible. Read Isaiah 55:8-11.

When they up their battle plan, you downgrade every element of fear and up your faith. He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” You are afraid because your faith is little, you are afraid not because GOD is too small to deal with the situation but because your knowledge of GOD is small and shallow

 22nd -24th October 2011 THE OLD ME MUST GIVE WAY TO THE NEW ME

 It was like discovering a gold mine when I found this sudden and exciting window on the way God thinks, beneath the cover of His infallible word in Isaiah 55:8:11. It was this discovery and realisation that most unsettled my thoughts, the way I think and discern things and the way God wants us to relate and realign our thoughts. He hopes to see us change, He is keen to see us think like Him, talk like Him. Walk like Him. As if awakened from my thoughts, I felt a relief God telling me my thoughts are not His thought, something in me which shouldn’t be and it must change, articulating my thoughts the way God wants me to, knowing I’m not going to mope around anymore. Knowing I’m a new creation, knowing that I have the Truth and the newness of life in me and that I am justified by faith (Romans 5:1). Knowing that I have been justified by His grace and that I am no longer under condemnation (Romans 8:1), lightened my heart and removed the fog of uncertainty around me, with a quick surge of confidence. My old ways of thinking must go, the newness of life must now begin to reflect in the cockpit of my heart, all memories of my sore and bruised old life and thoughts must be swept away. 2 Corinthians 4:16 ‘For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.’

What I wanted most was for my old filthy and complicit life to vanish, the outward man to perish and for me to embrace the strength in the newness of life that’s in Christ Jesus. For me to live is Christ, to die is gain.

25th -29th Nov 2011    HE IS A COMMITTED PROVIDER, A COMMITTED SUPPLIER

Why should a believer be confident that his need will be supplied?  

My Bible tells me that in His presence there is fullness of joy –let’s brainstorm a minute on the meaning of the noun ‘fullness’.  A quick look at the definition of ‘fullness’ in my online dictionary revealed another startlingly impressive attribute of the God we serve.  Online dictionary.com defined fullness as the state of being filled to capacity, plenitude, completeness, lacking nothing, whole and complete joy at His right hand there are pleasures forever more, a reservoir full of His Grace and Glory. Who else would have this amazing, wonderfully astounding perplexing attribute? No wonder in Revelation 1:8, Revelation 22:13 He said “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the Beginning And the End” I think the idea here is I serve a God that is able to reach out to me in my dark moments, comfort,  protect and provide for me. No wonder my Bible said in His presence there is fullness of joy, it’s hardly a surprise there are no limits to what GOD can do if you have a processed relationship with Him. Hallelujah! He is an awesome GOD.  

He is a committed provider, that’s precisely because we are God’s delight, He is forever bound and obligated to supply our needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus. Hence He never fails…. Study and meditate on these scriptures Philippians 4:19, Psalm 16:11, Isaiah 41:4, Isaiah 44:6

30th -31st November 2011   THE INDEFENSIBLE

The ultimate aim of any enemy you fight is to force you to surrender what is most precious to you, in this case Your faith. Why is so important about your faith? Why is your faith so precious? Read Hebrews 11:1, Hebrews 11:6, Ephesians 6:11-18. Without faith it’s impossible to please God, our faith is the ‘spiritual magnet’ that attracts God’s attention, the very idea of our faith is what horrifies the devil because of its diffusing power. Practically speaking all compelling mainstream episodes in the Bible is pitched around high profile faith. Sadly a faithless Christian is spiritually indefensible.  

The Bible says in 2 Peter 1:3 that as we grow in our knowledge of God, through his divine power he gives us everything we need for life and godliness. The Bible is tremendously liberal about faith and Christianity, explaining the God’s expectations to outclass our old sinful nature (our old man). The excitement is having a faith that is impeccably suited to please God and engaged and overcome Satan on difficult issues such as sin. So it makes sense of us to have the God kind of faith, to be ready to face storms of life – difficulties and challenges that we face in life especially with an outraged and defeated devil roaring like a lion; 1 Corinthians 16:13 ‘Watch ye stand fast in the faith…’

God is super-supportive of us especially when we have faith in Him, a faith that’s bright enough to attract his attention. Hence 2 Corinthians 4:8-11. ‘We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair’.      

Shepherds Guide (September 2011 EDITION 09B)

1^ST -4^TH SEPTEMBER 2011 WE HAVE THE SHIELD OF SALVATION

There is an unquenchable lamp and light in the unfolding word of GOD, it illuminates brighter with a blast of hope as you delve deeper into His word, enlarging every step you make ensuring they are on a firm foundation. It’s through this quintessentially salvation path of a higher Life in Christ that we are not consumed but have hope. The Psalmist said in Psalm 18:35 ‘Because Thou hast given us the shield of Thy salvation…Thy gentleness hath made me great’ He is our unbroken SHIELD, a protection against the wiles of our enemy-the devil, against blows and missiles of the ungodly in battles and danger, that we may continually have the voice of rejoicing in our salvation. Psalm 33:20 ‘…He is our help and shield’

You will walk in dominion and with boldness of that same Spirit which was in Christ Jesus, when you have the precious shield with you…the Bible says because He delights in us… our steps are ordered, because your steps are well ordered in His word iniquity will flee from you. This is our comfort! No wonder the Psalmist said ‘Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip (Psalm 18:36). The unfolding word of God is all that He has revealed to teach and guide us in the way we should go in order to overcome in a troubled world and to experience a higher life of fulfilment in Christ Jesus.  Say this short prayer with me “I will meditate on thy statutes O LORD, trust in thy word and hope in thy judgment and keep thy law continually forever and ever in Jesus Name, Amen” Please don’t go without a message for me in the comment box if you have been blessed today. God bless.

 

 5^TH-7^TH SEPTEMBER 2011 HE CALMED THE STORM (1)

There are storms everywhere, all around us that needs calming, mega-storms threatening the economic, geographical and political stability of our world…we now live in an era of frequent storms, unending war in Afghanistan, Debt ceiling crisis in the United States, Hurricane Irene, Japanese earthquake, stormy financial and economic crisis in the European Union, Arab Awakening or Arab Spring in the East, instability in Libya, Famine in the Horn Of Africa, crisis in Sudan the list goes on all these are largely indistinguishable from Biblical storms. They have become a testament of our generation, dispiriting and non-discriminatory mega-storms transforming both humanitarian and political landscape of our planet. But the Bible said ‘He maketh the storm calm, so that the waves thereof are still….so He bringeth them into their desired haven’ (Psalm 107:29)

I think you will agree that something is amiss; I can confidently say historically our generation is the only generation with a strong evidence of prolonged storms, in very limited circumstances I don’t expect these to settle anytime soon except we change our attitude, our ways and seek GOD. We have twisted and pushed aside the will of GOD; we have pushed greed and the will of men beyond its breaking point with no residual and sincere respect for the will of God hence the chaotic world we live now. A world where mundane society values have eroded peoples willingness to act with the simplicity of the knowledge of our creator, a world where merit of God’s existence is openly debated, flogged and criticised to cast doubt and demean God. Please don’t go without a message for me in the comment box if you have been blessed today. God bless.

 

 

8^TH-10^TH SEPTEMBER 2011 HE CALMED THE STORM (2)

Before I was afflicted I went astray; but now have I kept thy word

 If anything at all our fight back must be matched by the redeemable word of God, if not it would amount to sticking plasters over gaping wounds-merely redecorating the problems. The Bible in 2 Chronicle 7:14 said ‘if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land’. The question is do we have the determination to confront all of these and start afresh with God? Do we have the grace to humble ourselves as in James 4:10? It’s possible for us to rise from the debris of our storms, the bands of the wicked, the trouble and anguish that have taken hold on our generation by transformation in attitudes which has to begin in our homes, our community and in places of worship. The Psalmist said before I was afflicted I went astray; but now have I kept thy word. We are rattled because we have gone astray; there is always going to be the wilderness moment with elements of real mega-storms, followed by joy and testimonies of God’s grace. Please don’t go without a message for me in the comment box if you have been blessed today. God bless.

 11^TH -12^TH SEPTEMBER 2011 BE FRUITFUL AND MULTIPLY… TAKE THE GOODNEWS TO OTHERS

Before you start with today’s study, I like you to pause, reflect and write down what it means to be fruitful, without doing so you just won’t be in that formation and explosive mindset that this sequel require, because it’s my sincere joy for you to be totally tapped into the Bible study and be richly blessed as you bless others. ‘Be ye fruitful…’ what exactly does it mean to be fruitful? It doesn’t really matter if your explanation is weak, your English is average, I often struggle to write, to communicate my thoughts into writing I understand how devastating this can be, I sometimes feel like my skin is almost crawling off my body however what matters is the strength of our understanding-how handily equipped we are with the knowledge of what is expected of us. My inspiration comes from understanding the Bible not from the post on this blog and my other websites. Back to the question ‘Be ye fruitful…’ what exactly does it mean to be fruitful? Sweaty? Okay here it is…producing good and helpful results, producing much of fruits. Fruits for Who? Yourself? Thankfully the answer is no, for you and others, this why we are essentially disparate and unique in the body of Christ. Please don’t go without a message for me in the comment box if you have been blessed today. God bless.

 13^TH -14^TH SEPTEMBER 2011 BE FRUITFUL AND MULTIPLY…TAKE THE GOODNEWS TO OTHERS

Isaiah 52:7 “Beautiful are the Feet of those who bring good news, proclaim peace, bring glad tidings of good things, proclaim salvation…”

“Have you no wish for others to be saved? Then you are not saved yourself, be sure of that.” Charles Spurgeon. Let me rephrase it this way “Every believing believer engrafted in Christ is an ambassador of Christ must propagate the gospel by taking it to the unbelievers” Being fruitful in the body of Christ is an integral part of gospel propagation, we have a broad array of rare excellent opportunities to preach, teach and dissect the gospel for easy encapsulation, in our offices, on the streets, neighborhood, internet Facebook, Twitter, Youtube just name it.  We don’t have to be rigid or chronological about our channels for ministration….take the original material from God’s word to the world using whatever established means you deem fit. Go out there and be fruitful. God bless you. Please don’t go without a message for me in the comment box if you have been blessed today.

15^TH -18^TH SETEMBER 2011 HE WILL GIVE YOU REST

Jesus said “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28)

Rest, can we really have rest from our turbulent world-saddened by the appalling negativity of the media world, financial crisis, depression and recession, staggering unemployment figures, soaring statistics of divorce, wars etc? Yes we can! Whatever the situation, he wants us to cease from the throbbing mass of worry, anxiety and the dark troubling tales of our world. He very firmly wants us to experience rest, but ultimately the decision is ours, because the rest we seek substantially relies on us honouring his invitation, his request is perhaps an allurement to understand his demeanour and learn of him so we can be like him, the fullness and totality of God. Despite the complicated subject matter, the perceived meaning of this verse of the scripture is best understood with references to the things he did, the miracles he performed, the lives he changed and ultimately the phenomenal price he paid for our salvation.

 I’m sure the best thing about this invitation is the emphasis on rest, what we all need, what we all seek and what we all want. His invitation is good deal for us-, Jesus said “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened…” To have Jesus is to have REST! He dissipates our worries, anxieties and fears when we are hopelessly naive about our situation. Matthew 8:27 “The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!” Jesus was fearless and calm in the midst of the maddening storm surge, even as the disciples whispered witheringly about their safety ambushed by the stormy weather. Jesus said to the storm “Peace, Be Still!”  And the winds and the waves obeyed. This was something super extraordinary but it was a replay of what God the father in the Old Testament (Please read Shepherds Guide September 5^TH-7^TH 2011 Edition). His real desire is for us to have absolute control over situations, instead of the usual devastation and numbness we feel.  

A precondition for rest is honouring his invitation, which is the real commitment we have to make. Remember, He wants an enduring relationship so we can understand his demeanour, hence He said “….my yoke is easy and my burden is light” His rest marks a period of cessation from a throbbing mass of worry, anxiety and the dark troubling tales of our world. None of these can be achieved without Jesus. To have Jesus is to have REST!

 

 

TO HAVE REST IS TO HAVE AND TO HOLD HIM

Jesus said “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28)

Rest, can we really have rest from our turbulent world-saddened by the appalling negativity of the media world, financial crisis, depression and recession, staggering unemployment figures, soaring statistics of divorce, wars etc? Yes we can! Whatever the situation, he wants us to cease from the throbbing mass of worry, anxiety and the dark troubling tales of our world. He very firmly wants us to experience rest, but ultimately the decision is ours, because the rest we seek substantially relies on us honouring his invitation, his request is perhaps an allurement to understand his demeanour and learn of him so we can be like him, the fullness and totality of God. Despite the complicated subject matter, the perceived meaning of this verse of the scripture is best understood with references to the things he did, the miracles he performed, the lives he changed and ultimately the phenomenal price he paid for our salvation.

 I’m sure the best thing about this invitation is the emphasis on rest, what we all need, what we all seek and what we all want. His invitation is good deal for us-, Jesus said “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened…” To have Jesus is to have REST! He dissipates our worries, anxieties and fears when we are hopelessly naive about our situation. Matthew 8:27 “The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!” Jesus was fearless and calm in the midst of the maddening storm surge, even as the disciples whispered witheringly about their safety ambushed by the stormy weather. Jesus said to the storm “Peace, Be Still!”  And the winds and the waves obeyed. This was something super extraordinary but it was a replay of what God the father in the Old Testament (Please read Shepherds Guide September 5^TH-7^TH 2011 Edition). His real desire is for us to have absolute control over situations, instead of the usual devastation and numbness we feel.  

A precondition for rest is honouring his invitation, which is the real commitment we have to make. Remember, He wants an enduring relationship so we can understand his demeanour, hence He said “….my yoke is easy and my burden is light” His rest marks a period of cessation from a throbbing mass of worry, anxiety and the dark troubling tales of our world. None of these can be achieved without Jesus. To have Jesus is to have REST!

BE FRUITFUL…THE CHANGING FACE OF EVANGELISM

Before you start with today’s study, I like you to pause, reflect and write down what it means to be fruitful, without doing so you just won’t be in that receptive formation of mindset that this sequel requires. I dare say it’s my sincere joy for you to be totally tapped into the Bible study and be richly blessed as you bless others. ‘Be ye fruitful…’ what exactly does it mean to be fruitful? It doesn’t really matter if your explanation is weak, your English is average, I often struggle to write, to communicate my thoughts into writing I understand how devastating this can be, I sometimes feel like my skin is almost crawling off my body however what matters is the strength of our understanding-how handily equipped we are with the knowledge of what is expected of us. My inspiration comes from understanding the Bible not from the post on this blog and my other websites. Back to the question ‘Be ye fruitful…’ what exactly does it mean to be fruitful? Sweaty? Okay here it is…producing good and helpful results, producing much of fruits. Fruits for Who? Yourself? Thankfully the answer is no, for you and others, this why we are essentially disparate and unique in the body of Christ.

Isaiah 52:7 “Beautiful are the Feet of those who bring good news, proclaim peace, bring glad tidings of good things, proclaim salvation…”

“Have you no wish for others to be saved? Then you are not saved yourself, be sure of that.” Charles Spurgeon. Let me rephrase it this way “Every believing believer engrafted in Christ is an ambassador of Christ must propagate the gospel by taking it to the unbelievers” Being fruitful in the body of Christ is an integral part of gospel propagation, we have a broad array of rare excellent opportunities to preach, teach and dissect the gospel for easy encapsulation, in our offices, on the streets, neighborhood, internet Facebook, Twitter, Youtube just name it.  We don’t have to be rigid or chronological about the channels of gospel ministration and evangelism….it is absolutely up to you to take the original material from God’s word the Bible to the world using whatever established means you deem fit. If you don’t take the gospel to the world, the world will take their fallible perception of godliness to your doorstep! It’s a leap of faith, mean it, plan it and then do it by preaching it… Go out there and be fruitful. God bless you. Please don’t go without a message for me in the comment box if you have been blessed today.

 Copyright 2011 By Ivan Ukiwah (Founder Christian Drive Network CDN)

Shepherd’s Guide (AUGUST 2011 EDITION)

Hello and welcome to online daily devotion Shepherd’s Guide August 2011 Edition. Once again I am thrilled to share this with you and it is an exciting opportunity to put the spot light on the infallible flawless and dependable word of God in our month of Submission, Resisting and Overcoming. Please stay put in the word, Keep praying until something happens. Be a blessing and remain blessed.

1st-2nd August 2011 BE GRATEFUL THANK HIM ALWAYS

When life gives you a 100 reasons to cry, show life that you have 1000 reasons to smile and be thankful. Face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence. Prepare for the future without fear. Keep the faith, drop the fears and emotions.

The Psalmist David said “It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD …” Psalm 92:1 and in Psalm 63:5 He said “My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise Him with joyful lips”

A man was walking by a blind boy. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the boys’ hat. He then took the sign by his side, turned it around, and wrote some words. He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by the blind would see the new words.

Soon the hat began to fill up. A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy. Dearly beloved please read the next day study to continue.

3rd-4th August 2011 YOU CANNOT THANK HIM ENOUGH

When God steps into your trade, profession and circumstances the atmosphere changes

, the extraordinary begins to happen because His unstoppable super morphs your natural into supernatural. Remember how He propelled Joseph from his place of bondage in the pit to the ranks of the very best in the business of public administration as Prime Minister in Egypt and how God dethroned Queen Vash’-ti and crowned Esther as queen over a hundred and ninety provinces  in a foreign land despite her immigration status. In Psalm 23:3 David said “He restores my soul; and leads me in the paths of righteousness for His names sake” Wow God is a restorer of hope and life; restorer of dreams and ambitions and restorer of homes and marriages, businesses and finances. And again David said “Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou are with me; thy rod and staff they comfort me”

That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were. The boy recognized his footsteps and asked, “Were you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?”

5th-6th August 2011 LEARNING TO SEE THROUGH THE EYES OF FAITH

The man said, “I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but in a different way.”

I wrote: “Today is a beautiful day but I cannot see it.”

Both signs told people that the boy was blind. But the first sign simply said the boy was blind. The second sign told people that they were so lucky that they were not blind.  Should we be surprised that the second sign was more effective? Notice this God sees your own situation differently, facts may be facts, reports may be obvious and correct but by His loving-kindness and grace we are not confounded but delivered Psalm 22:5

Be thankful for what you have… and the breath of life. Nevertheless be creative. Be innovative. Use your skills! When people see limitations in everything around them, tell them who you are-a child of possibilities who sees possibilities in everything moved by passion to produce results. Think differently, see differently and stay positive!  

7th-8th August  2011 I ’LL STOP MOANING AND GET ON WITH IT

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. John 15:16

Amazing! What so ever you ask in my name then the Father will give you; that sounds like an open cheque book or a posh credit card with unrestricted limit. Your endorsement is a big deal because it comes from God with a fabulous treat! He said “I chose you and appointed you…” When you are chosen by God it implies you have been predetermined to fit in easily with all existing supernatural arrangement-a new lease of life-more healthy energetic and active than before. Remember Moses, how he moaned, whined whinged and complained about his suitability because he wanted God to use another person for the assignment. Moses even said “My God, my LORD have you forgotten I have speech problem…and you know fully well there are no speech therapist in this wilderness” His was a spectacular misjudgment of God’s ability. He must have told Moses “….relax I have worked on the sound quality, the bass rich voice and vocals are clear. Moses I am the LORD is there anything too difficult for me?”

9th-10th August 2011 STOP MOANING! PRODUCE RESULTS THEN ASK

God doesn’t consult your past to determine your future. Our past was an era of misinformation, facilitated by murky motions of sin and graced by the lustful desires of the flesh. A graceless era full of disappointment and choruses of disapproval! Thank God we don’t have to deal with that anymore because we have a new beginning opening up to new possibilities. The Bible said “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature….” Your present and the future cannot do without the covenant and dispensation of grace. Moses’ self assessed himself using past indicators but God assessment is now-the present and the future. So it’s important you excuse yourself from the veil of the past; it is not about casting difficult situations in a positive light it is about walking with God and asking Him for the seed.

12th -13th August 2011 HAVE YOU FOUND A BETTER MASTER?

My lips will continuously disperse (distribute, spread, broadcast, disseminate) the awesome and imposing knowledge of the LORD our GOD-declare the length and breadth of God’s infinite mercies and His loving kindness and the revelation of the comprehensive promise of covenant of Grace and totality of salvation. This declaration of God’s reality and grace through Christ is an assignment of faith to the church the body of Christ. True worship must be rooted in the heart and must spring from the heart of believers to the world. Jesus wanted us to advertise, publicise and create publicity for the gospel hence he said “go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them…and teaching them to observe all thing I have commanded you…” Matthew 28:19-20. We are referred to as a chosen generation; the engrafted in Christ, a Royal priesthood and a holy nation. This is essentially a priesthood responsibility and nevertheless it should also be looked upon an assignment of faith.

Dear Lord Jesus I am re-surrendering, rededicating and recommitting myself fully to the work of your gospel, the fulfilment of your work to teach and preach the finished work of the cross-good news to all nations of the world. Lord my spirit is open to receive your instructions and heart is inclined to you and remains teachable. Cause me to listen more, to advance and flourish in the full realization of your word. Amen

14th -15th August  2011 HAVE YOU FOUND A BETTER MASTER? (PT 2)

How often do we (God’s very own possession) publicise Christ? How often do we (a holy nation, a chosen people) talk about our salvation? Salvation they say is personal but we must make it desirable hence the need to go public and be ready to make its beauty widely known, that is why we are chosen to declare His works 1 Peter 2:9. What else can you do that will be more important than serving the LORD? Or have you found a better master or god who service is more pleasant and profitable? Joshua understood how important serving the LORD was for which undoubtedly he had good reason. Who would you rather serve? Who would you rather fear?  Joshua made this very decisive statement “…but as for me and my house we will serve the LORD” this was Joshua’s resolution as far as he knew God; he had an outstanding, promising and profitable relationship with God who revealed and expressed Himself to him in Joshua 1:1-18. The obvious message here is we must remember that for God’s promise and the fulfilment to go hand in hand we must truly surrender ourselves to the worship and service of the LORD.  

17th -18 August  2011 I LACK NOTHING THE GRACE CAN’T PROVIDE.

I lack nothing that His grace can’t give. I am unique and one of a kind because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. I live not according to the ambitions of man but according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus. I have a sound mind because I have received the Spirit of Adoption and I am led by the Spirit of the living God.

Stir up the gift of God which is in YOU! Accentuate positivity, no matter the situation be bold when you step out, get going don’t look back until you reach your destination. Nevertheless go for it!

When the Lord is your strength you become bold as the lion because you are secured in Him.

Stand up and be strong for yourself 2 Timothy 2:7 “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.”

19th-21st August 2011  GROWING COLD?

 Don’t allow your salvation to grow cold, be excited as you were when you first found Christ, then people wanted to know what all the excitement was all about, they wanted to know the reasons behind your new found confidence. Remember the three Hebrew Children they didn’t suddenly grow cold because situation changed. No, no, no and no but rather they confronted those persecuting them with un-believable confidence because they knew they were a treasured possessions, they never forgot the fact that they were a chosen people, a royal priesthood hence to them this was an opportunity to glory in the name of the LORD. Daniel 3:18 they said to the King “But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

Are you still with me? Rough times, persecutions and difficult times cannot and should not be allowed to stop us from reaching our goal, the Bible said we are a treasured possession hence all things negative or positive work together for our good.

22nd August 2011 IF YOU FALTER UNDER PRESSURE

Proverbs 24: 10 says “If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.” The New Living Translation puts it this way “If you fail under pressure, your strength is too small.” And another translation of the Bible says  ”If you falter in times of trouble, how small is your strength!”

23-25th August 2011 BE EAGER TO PREACH THE GOSPEL

It is obvious the Lord Jesus desire us to be effective in the ministration of the gospel-the good news; as it is written, “How beautiful are those who bring the good news! ‘That’s why I’m so eager to preach the gospel (Romans 1:15) and again in Romans 15:20 It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known. To preach is to proclaim in a public manner as a crier does. Thank God we live in the age of technology, the era of Facebook, Twitter, MySpace just name it they are all there for a reason, to communicate- to impart or exchange information-the good news. The aim is to reach out to souls, wean them off sin by winning them for Christ. It’s our responsibility to take the gospel of Christ to the new generation using the internet to our advantage. Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ said in Matthew 28:19 ‘Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit’

26TH August 2011   MY PRAYER TO ASK AND NOT ASK AMISS

Dear Lord Jesus, I ask this day that you teach me to ASK and not ask amiss, let your humble spirit impact my life and tone my asking, so that I can receive and live in fulfillment that expresses God’s Glory. Amen

27^TH-28TH August 2011    THIS LAND SHALL BE MINE

Dear LORD, we want to express how thankful we are for thy faithfulness and the promise in thy word which says “Every place the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that I have given you….” Lord let your favour go before my entire household this day and cause men and women to grant us the desires of our heart. Plead our cause in this land and be thou our strong habitation, I know you shall bring it to pass because my trust is on you LORD who order the steps of a good man, who delights in his ways. Let me not be ashamed in Jesus’ Name AMEN.