The Word

Theme: Your Chains Will Fall  Text: Psalm 102:19-20 19  For He  I )" data-cr="#cen-NKJV-15541I"> looked down from the height of His sanctuary;  From heaven the  Lord  viewed the earth,  20  J )" data-cr="#cen-NKJV-15542J"> To hear the groaning of the prisoner,  to release those appointed to death.  God has been God even before creation and has continued to be God till date. He is a God that makes use of all His senses; sight, hearing, taste, touch and feel. He created us with such senses so we can be each other's keeper. The Lord is enthroned in heaven in His Holy sanctuary but His eyes move to and fro on those who are faithful to Him (2 Chronicles 16:9). His eyes are on you too and He knows perfectly what you go through in life whether good or bad. Whatever your troubles are in life, it is already known to God. His ears are attentive to hear your cry for help. The psalmist said, God's eyes are on the earth and His ears  to hear the...

Theme: You'll Never Lack  Text: Joshua 21:43-45 43  So the  Lord  gave to Israel  AO )"> all the land of which He had sworn to give to their fathers, and they  AP )"> took possession of it and dwelt in it.  44  AQ )"> The  Lord  gave them  AR )"> rest all around, according to all that He had sworn to their fathers. And  AS )"> not a man of all their enemies stood against them; the  Lord  delivered all their enemies into their hand.   45  AT )"> Not a word failed of any good thing which the  Lord  had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass. God has promises for each child of His and He has a perfect way of making these manifest no matter how long it takes. Usually it's not a long time before God as thousand years are like a day before Him and He brings His promises to pass in His own time (2 Peter 3:8-9; Ecclesiastes 3:11). The seeds of Abraham have been promised the land of Canaan through ...

Theme: Don't Lose Your Reward!  Text: Matthew 10:40-42 40  “He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.   41  He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.   42  And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.” Reward is given to enforce, encourage and promote good deeds. For everything done here on earth, there's always a reward that comes with it either privately (enjoyed or experienced by the doer) or publicly (made know to others). It pains to lose a reward than to work for it, so don't ever try to give excuses while doing the right thing. If no one notices it, God has and will surely crown you in glory. The text for consideration is about Jesus addressin...

Theme:God Will Provide! Text: Genesis 22:6-8 6  So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid  it  on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together.  7  But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!” A nd he said, “Here I am, my son.” Then he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where  is  the lamb for a burnt offering?”  8  And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” So the two of them went together. Abraham the father of faith is tested by God to sacrifice his beloved son Isaac to Him. On the way, his beloved son asked a very good question concerning the lamb to be used for the sacrifice. The other items were available but the main thing (lamb) to make the sacrifice complete wasn't with them. Abraham gave a reply which later manifested (vrs 10-15) that, God will provide. Many people have never been abl...

Theme: God, My Best Trainer!  Text: Psalm 144:1-2 Blessed  be  the  Lord  my Rock, A )"> Who trains my hands for war, And  my fingers for battle—  2  My lovingkindness and my fortress, My high tower and my deliverer, My shield and  the One  in whom I take refuge,  who subdues my people under me. There's no warrior who wins without training. If training helps in the success story, then a trainer is required to measure the level of performance at every stage of the training. For the believer, the ultimate trainer is God. No wonder the psalmist says, the Lord trains his hands for war and fingers for battle. Skills are acquired by making use of your hands and fingers: how to use the spear, sword, javelin, bow and arrow, hold your shield, gun and how well to position yourself into battle. In your life's journey, you will also need to equip your hands and fingers to be able to defeat the enemy in battle. The hands and fingers get wel...

Theme: The Christian Life  Text: Romans 12:14-16 14  AA )"> Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.  15  AB )"> Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.  16  AC )"> Be of the same mind toward one another.  AD )"> Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. In the dispensation of the Apostle Paul, persecution of the believers was very rampant. He encouraged his fellow believers in the Lord not to curse their persecutors. His admonishing is based on the perfect example of our Lord Jesus Christ and the wonderful experience he had of Stephen when he was being stoned to death (Luke 23:34; John 20:22-23; Acts 7:59-60). He understood from there that, the foundation of the Christiandom is built on love and forgiveness. In our dispensation we equally face persecutions in our cummuntiy, workplace and even in our family for choosing to serve God. Don't curse your per...

Theme: Less of Self  Text: Romans 12:9-13 9  R )" data-cr="#cen-NKJV-28255R"> Let  love  be  without hypocrisy.  S )" data-cr="#cen-NKJV-28255S"> Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.  10  T )" data-cr="#cen-NKJV-28256T"> Be  kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love,  U )" data-cr="#cen-NKJV-28256U"> in honor giving preference to one another;  11  not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;  12  V )" data-cr="#cen-NKJV-28258V"> rejoicing in hope,  W )" data-cr="#cen-NKJV-28258W"> patient in tribulation,  X )" data-cr="#cen-NKJV-28258X"> continuing steadfastly in prayer;  13  Y )" data-cr="#cen-NKJV-28259Y"> distributing to the needs of the saints,  Z )" data-cr="#cen-NKJV-28259Z"> given to hospitality. The Christian journey is well defined by love. The love Christ has shown to us all (John...

Theme: Joy in Trials  Text: James 1:2-4 2  My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,  3  knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.  4  But let patience have  its  perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. Trials have both negative and positive sides, the taste (soar/sweet) of it depends on how you handle it. Most often, when you make yourself a victim of a trial than a victor, you're likely to experience the negative sides of trials which will cripple you and won't be able to overcome the trial. Usually, telling people your problems is good  but it's better to look up to God with the problem and seek godly counsel from matured Christians. This approach will make you able to stand tall in the trial and become a victor. James is admonishing us to count it all joy when we as believers fall into various trials. As our Saviour Himself has gone through the pain of...

Theme: Sweet Words! Text: Proverbs 16:24 24  Pleasant words  are like  a honeycomb, Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones . When your day begins with sweet words from those around you, it has positive effect on your day's performance. Likewise unpleasant words ruin the day's performance. It's therefore important to speak good and sweet words to your family, friends, neighbors, colleagues and anyone you come into contact with.  Pleasant words are like honeycomb. Honeycomb contains honey. Honey is sweet so must your words be as a child of God. This does not warrant you to utter sugar-quoted words to deceive others. But rather send the gospel of peace to all: Comfort the sorrowful, encourage the weak, empower the feeble, and show kindness at all times. Your timely kind word to a brother or sister will bring healing, it can even save a soul from suicide. If you fail to watch over your words, you're more likely to traumatize others emotionally and psychologically....

Theme: Fear Not! Text: Psalm 20:1-3 May the  Lord  answer you in the day of trouble;  May the name of the God of Jacob defend you;  2  May He send you help from the sanctuary,  and strengthen you out of Zion;  3  May He remember all your offerings,  and accept your burnt sacrifice.  Selah!  In one way or the other, there's an element of phobia in every human being. The strongest man on earth has something that definitely puts fear in him, making him human. We have fears of loosing love ones, jobs, money, even the fear of danger or uncertainties in the future. But there's a hope for you in the Lord. God's words can give you encouragement to sail through the fear and come out victoriously. When you're faced with your fears, confess Psalm 20 as prayer of assurance and encouragement. The blessings of this psalm are clear and each and every child of God should partake of this benediction. The psalmist says, may the Lord answer you i...

Theme: Call on God Text: Jeremiah 33:2-3 2 “Thus says the Lord who made it, the Lord who formed it to establish it (the Lord is His name): 3 ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’ God is faithful in all things. His Word is Ye and Amen! He created all things and knows the beginning and end of them all. He is able to guide you to end the journey of life in glory. God's requiring of you to call unto Him to help you out than putting your trust in yourself or mortals. Dear beloved in the Lord, it's time to call on God to bring you out of your troubles. For He has assured He will answer and show you great and mighty things which you do not know. God made this know to Jeremiah and amazingly, Jesus also made known to His disciples in John 16:23-24 that; 23 “And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. 24 Until now you have asked nothing in My nam...

Theme: The Worshipper's  Praise!  Text: Psalm 71:6-8 6 By You I have been upheld from birth; You are He who took me out of my mother’s womb. My praise shall be continually of You. 7 I have become as a wonder to many, but You are my strong refuge. 8 Let my mouth be filled with Your praise and with Your glory all the day. We often do not know how our birth took place. Usually people or our parents try to tell us events that happened when we were born. That's the physical perspective of the mortal mind. What about the spiritual happenings? The operations of darkness to hijack your destiny or even kill you at birth. It is something your earthly parents can't see or tell but God has the power to. Even when you were being formed in secret by your parents, God was there. So His presence was there when your mother delivered you. Oh! Beloved in the Lord, there's this birth that's greater than this physical birth. This birth is being born again in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is...

Theme: Break me Lord!  Text: Psalm 119:106-109 106 I have sworn and confirmed that I will keep Your righteous judgments. 107 I am afflicted very much; Revive me, O Lord, according to Your word. 108 Accept, I pray, the freewill offerings of my mouth, O Lord, and teach me Your judgments. 109 My life is continually in my hand, yet I do not forget Your law. As we come to the Father in worship, all He ever desires of us is a contrite spirit. When you affirm your faith in the Lord in baptism to follow Him faithfully to the end, be informed it won't ever be a rosy road. There'll be ups and downs. Don't always desire for the ups, make time to also seek the downs and that's where your lifting will come through. The psalmist says, he has sworn and confirmed to keep the Lord's righteous judgments. In the same manner have you also surrendered to Christ never to go back into darkness. But are you really fulfilling this calling? The pleasures of life often cloud your mind and sen...

Theme: Accept Chastening  Text: Hebrews 12:7-12 7 If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? 8 But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. 11 Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. 12 Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed. It's  sometimes hard to accept discipline but when ...

Theme: Grace and Grit Text: Isaiah 26:3-6 3 You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. 4 Trust in the Lord forever, for in Yah, the Lord, is everlasting strength. 5 For He brings down those who dwell on high, the lofty city; He lays it low, He lays it low to the ground, He brings it down to the dust. 6 The foot shall tread it down— The feet of the poor and the steps of the needy.” A relationship with the Lord shouldn't be a lip service as many have taken it to be. Coming before the Lord to serve must not be a stage performance or gymnastics to bring a wow to the worship. There's the need to understand the essence of your relationship with God. It is in this, your grit (courage) comes to play through your passion for God, and the willingness to persevere in difficult times so as to please the Lord. Grace (undeserved favour) is given to you, but you'll need to have grit (courage) to make good use of the grace.  When your mind is...

Theme: Endorse the Word of God  Text: Deuteronomy 11:18-21 18 “Therefore you shall lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 19 You shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. 20 And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, 21 that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land of which the Lord swore to your fathers to give them, like the days of the heavens above the earth. God's word must be wherever we find ourselves. It must sink in your heart, soul, imprint on your hands and forehead as well as your children. What you often see is what you register in your mind and soul. That's why children must be led to the Lord in the early years of their life if not, it will be difficult for them to accept to do the Father's...

Theme: Jesus, the Author and Finisher of Our Faith  Text: Hebrews 12:1-3 12 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. The Christiandom is build on none other than Jesus Christ. Without Him, it will be difficult for the Christian to live a fulfilled life abiding according to God's plan and purpose on this earth. He is a perfect example to emulate in walking the talk of faith. Having come to Christ as His follower, you're the light to many in this dark world. You have other believers too to kee...

Theme: God's not Dead!  Text: Psalm 115:2-9 2 Why should the Gentiles say, “So where is their God?” 3 But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases. 4 Their idols are silver and gold, The work of men’s hands. 5 They have mouths, but they do not speak; Eyes they have, but they do not see; 6 They have ears, but they do not hear; Noses they have, but they do not smell; 7 They have hands, but they do not handle; Feet they have, but they do not walk; Nor do they mutter through their throat. 8 Those who make them are like them; So is everyone who trusts in them. 9 O Israel, trust in the Lord; He is their help and their shield. Sometimes, storms hit the believer so hard that, those of the world in ignorance ask questions they shouldn't even dare asked; "So where is their God?" The psalmist gave a good response, "But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He please". Yes, the fact that a believer goes through the storm doesn't mean our God is dead. He...

Theme: Glory Revealed in Prayer Text: 1 Kings 17:17-24 17 Now it happened after these things that the son of the woman who owned the house became sick. And his sickness was so serious that there was no breath left in him. 18 So she said to Elijah, “What have I to do with you, O man of God? Have you come to me to bring my sin to remembrance, and to kill my son?” 19 And he said to her, “Give me your son.” So he took him out of her arms and carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed. 20 Then he cried out to the Lord and said, “O Lord my God, have You also brought tragedy on the widow with whom I lodge, by killing her son?” 21 And he stretched himself out on the child three times, and cried out to the Lord and said, “O Lord my God, I pray, let this child’s soul come back to him.” 22 Then the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came back to him, and he revived. 23 And Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper room in...

Theme: An Act of Kindness  Text: 1 Kings 17:8-16 8 Then the word of the Lord came to him, 9 “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to feed you.” 10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, “Bring me a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.” 11 And as she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, “Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” 12 And she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. And now I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it and die.” 13 And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said. But first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterward make something for yourself and your son. 14 For thus says the Lord, th...

Theme: Divine Provisions  Text: 1 Kings 17:1-7 17 And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.” 2 Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 3 “Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. 4 And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.” 5 So he went and did according to the word of the Lord, for he went and stayed by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. 6 The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook. 7 And it happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land. The prophet Elijah comes before king Ahab who has gone contrary to God's plan. In confronting him and telling him what awaits his kingdom in the years...

Theme: Faithful Witnessing  Text: Luke 2:36-38 36 Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; 37 and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. 38 And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem. Yesterday, we looked at Simeon who happened to be promised life to see the birth of Christ and having been led by the Holy Spirit came to the temple just when Jesus was to be dedicated. Another special person at that dedication was Anna the prophetess. There's a lot to learn from her character too. No one ever dreams of loosing a partner so soon after marriage. Unfortunately Anna became a widow seven years after marriage. That's really traumatizing but she did what will least be expecte...

Theme: Be a Simeon Text: Luke 2:25-32 25 And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, 28 he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said: 29 “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word 30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation 31 Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, 32 A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel.” God has been true with His promises with mankind from one generation to another. Simeon had a great relationship with God and he beheld God's promises for his life. The birth of Jesus has not been...

Theme: Divine Instructions  Text: Proverbs 19:20-23 20 Listen to counsel and receive instruction, that you may be wise in your latter days. 21 There are many plans in a man’s heart, nevertheless the Lord’s counsel—that will stand. 22 What is desired in a man is kindness, and a poor man is better than a liar. 23 The fear of the Lord leads to life, and he who has it will abide in satisfaction; He will not be visited with evil. Every passing day is a learning process in life. To be successful in learning you need to heed to instructions. You need to listen to good counsel so as to be guided on the right path. It's prudent to associate with spiritually mature Christians so they can provide you insight of the Christian journey and how to walk it faithfully in the days to come (future). Your aspirations could either keep you focus in the Lord or otherwise. If your plans do not conform to God's plan for your life, you're more likely to waste your life pursuing dreams that won'...

Theme: Dwelling in God's House  Text: Psalm 84:10-12 10 For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. 11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly. 12 O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man who trusts in You! There's always a place of convenience for everyone. It could be a quiet place in the house, the club, the gym, playground, place of worship, amongst others. For you as a believer in Christ Jesus, the courts of the Lord should be your most cherished place. The psalmist say, a day in God's court is better than a thousand elsewhere. He further says, being a doorkeeper in God's house is preferable above the tents of the wicked. If you spend your time to do God's will and bringing people to the Light, there's a great reward for you than in the company of the wicked that take d...

Theme: Adduce the Potency of Fasting Text: Ezra 8:21-23 21 Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions. 22 For I was ashamed to request of the king an escort of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy on the road, because we had spoken to the king, saying, “The hand of our God is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him.” 23 So we fasted and entreated our God for this, and He answered our prayer. Tough moments reveal where really you stand and gives meaning to what you profess. Ezra has just finished telling the king how powerful and mighty God is amazingly permission has been given for them to return to Jerusalem. However, their opposers lie ahead of them in ambush to make an end of them. If only some soldiers and horsemen (physical protection) can go with them, their adversa...

Theme: Flickery Dethrones  Text: 2 Peter 3:17-18 17 You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen. Most believers are taken off guard because, they often think they are steadfast whereas there are loopholes of flicks in their relationship with God. Flickery is the act of  change frequently, suddenly or unexpectedly. Some Christians know God when the waves or tides are calm, however when the tides become very high, they turn to seek protection from idols who cannot save themselves. Some also practice the reverse, when the tides are calm, then they take to worldly pleasures believing "You Only  Live Once (Yolo)" or  forthe "Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)". Once the tides become high, they quickly start drawing to God to calm their storms. If y...

Theme: Godly Meditation  Text: Philippians 4:8-9 8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you. Meditation is good for everyone both physically and spiritually. The more you meditate, the more you understand yourself and everything therefore around you. Due to the quest to possess power, position, fame, attention, love, money and earthly things, you're more likely to have thoughts that do not please the Lord. The meditation that is godly and acceptable is what the Apostle Paul has outlined in today's text of consideration.  As a child of God, your meditation should focus on things that are; true, noble, just, pure, lovely and of good r...