THE LOST TREASURE, LETS FIND IT

The lip of truth shall be established for ever: but a lying tongue is
but for a moment" (Proverbs 12:19).

Truth is very powerful and it is our greatest asset towards a secured life and future. When we train ourselves to always speak the truth, or as parents we teach our children to always stand for the truth, we are making the best preparation for a secured, peaceful and blissful future. The man who lives in the truth is not only established, his life is also directed aright because following the truth never brings you to a wrong destination in life. Besides, if peradventure something goes wrong in the life of the one who lives in the truth, the truth
has an inherent capacity to fix aright whatever is inconsistent with it.

The truth is always right; the truth always last. The truth always sets free, and the truth brings reward. Whatever is attributed to the truth is also applicable to its possessor, and whatever is attached to a lying tongue is the reward for the one who employs it. The person who speaks the truth and walks in his integrity is ready for an established and positively stable life, while those who deal in lies and live a false life should be ready for an unstable and trouble-filled life, full of ups and downs.

Friends, I want you to know that lies have never really saved anybody because they don't last for long. A lie, when compared to the truth has a very short lifespan. If you make lies your refuge, living under the cover of deception, you have got big troubles coming for you - and that is for sure. When the covering of lies takes its flight, you will
be exposed to needless shame and avoidable ridicule. You would have wasted your time and resources on what does not profit.

Truth has an indestructible foundation, for it is of God. Therefore, whoever is on the side of truth is on the side of God, having the whole of heaven working for him. Though sometimes truth may be opposed, denied or even punished, it always ultimately triumph over falsehood and be rewarded. The story of Joseph and several other Bible characters attest to the fact that no power can stop the triumph of truth. Are you being persecuted for standing for the truth? Please don't back down from that lofty estate because I assure you that you will definitely laugh last, and your laughter will also last till eternity.

Above all, my dearly beloved, please don't be caught dead in a lie, rather live in the truth and die there. You must quit every falsehood,
come out from under the refuge of lies, stop the deception and repent from every dishonesty. If there are restitutions you need to make on this matter, go ahead and set the records straight, even if that will expose you to some momentary ridicule. You just must not die while still under the refuge of lies, for if that happens, you may never, ever laugh again. But if you die telling the truth, you have great hope of rejoicing eternally.

IT IS WELL WITH YOU

"Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth
him out of them all" (Psalms 34:19).

It is no news that the righteous could be afflicted. Indeed, many are the afflictions of the righteous. But the good news is that total deliverance is assured for the man who is in right standing with God and doing the right things in His sight.

It is true that afflictions could arise as a result of sin. That means we are living a life that is at variance to the will of God. Thus when passing through afflictions, it is good to examine our ways, make amends where necessary, and align with the program of God for our lives. However, for the most part, evil comes to the righteous, not necessarily because of their sins, but because the enemy is mad at the righteous for being on the side of God. What is interesting in all these things is how God turns the table against the devil to deliver
the righteous and even uses the afflictions to promote His own. May the Lord turn your trials into testimony,

Some afflictions are necessary for your manifestation. You may not like what I have just said, but that is the truth. Or why do you think the Bible encourages us to rejoice in tribulations and afflictions?
Joseph's case is a classic example. Without the unpleasant things he went through, he could never have ended up as the prime minister of Egypt. Every problem he had was inching him closer and closer to the
throne. He flew on the wings of afflictions into his glorious destiny. I pray for you that you shall not be afflicted in vain. May your afflictions bring the best of God into your life.

Affliction could be a 'school' permitted by God to teach you things you would never have learned otherwise. No wonder that David admitted: "It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy
statutes" (Psalms 119:71). The way it works is that afflictions tend to draw the righteous closer to God, and that is why the devil always ends up the loser when he afflicts a true child of God. Hear David again: "Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word" (Psalms 119:67). Therefore, my counsel in time of afflictions is to learn the lessons and forget the experience, looking forward to the good that God will bring out of it.

Sometimes also, afflictions are allowed by the Lord to actually shield you from more grievous troubles. That reminds me of a Chinese proverb that says "a stumble may prevent a fall". Recovery from a stumble will
be easier and faster, but a fall could be fatal and final. Who knows, the trouble you are passing through may just be some stumbling to awaken your sensitivity to the more terrible potential dangers you  could face in the future.

So before you grumble against God about your light afflictions, think about all these things, watch for what God might be doing which will always be more powerful than whatever the devil is doing, and which will also outlast the antics of the evil one. Then let Jehovah have your praise and the devil shall be put to shame.
IT IS WELL!

"THE MAGIC IS NOT IN THE FAUCET" A must read to Ministers of God

Matthew 17:14-21
14 And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying, 15 Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water. 16 And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him. 17 Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me. 18 And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour. 19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? 20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. 21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fas ting.

"THE MAGIC IS NOT IN THE FAUCET!"

by Rev. Michael Phelps

INTRO:
Thomas Edward (T.E.) Lawrence was born on August 16, 1888 in Wales. Popularly known as Lawrence of Arabia, Lawrence became famous for his exploits as British Military liason to the Arab Revolt during the First World War.
The desert raids of British officer T.E. Lawrence and his Arab rebels tied down many Turkish troops who could have been fighting the main British armies in the Middle East. Lawrence of Arabia's struggle against the Turks during World War I was a classic of guerrilla warfare, and his personal account has become a classic of world literature. And, of course, many of you have seen the movie about the life of Lawrence of Arabia.
Lawrence wrote about his Arabian adventures in The Seven Pillars of Wisdom.
During the war, Lawrence formed close friendships with many of the Sheiks of Arabia. After the war, he brought some of these Sheiks back to England to show his appreciation for their support against the Turkish domination.
They had a wonderful visit, appeared before the Joint House of Commons and Parliament, had an audience with the Queen.
On the last night of their visit, Lawrence offered them anything they wanted to take back with them to their desert homes.
They led him up to the hotel room, into the bathroom, and pointed to the faucets in the bathtub and said that they wanted to take faucets with them that would provide them with running water in the deserts.
They didn't realize that the faucets were superficial. Behind them was plumbing, a hot water heater, an energy source that heated the water, a city main that supplied the water, and from the city main went a line to an outside source of water!

• The magic is not in the faucet! It is what is behind the faucet that gives the water!

• The faucet can be 24 carat gold, but if its not attached to a water supply, its useless!

• The magic is not in the faucet, the power comes from what is behind the faucet! Things that are not visible to the human eye, but are there nonetheless!

• If the pump, or the plumbing, or the reservoir ever to out of service, the faucet is useless! It's what's behind the faucet that gives it its power!

THE FIRST THING I WANT TO SAY THIS MORNING IS THIS; THE FAUCET IS NECESSARY TO GET THE WATER TO WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE.

• I don't want to minimize the importance of a vessel! God needs faucets!

• God has always worked through human vessels.

• In fact, most of the time, God works through the most unlikely vessels!

God Can Use Anyone

• Moses stuttered.
• David's armour didn't fit.
• John Mark was rejected by Paul.
• Timothy had ulcers.
• Amos' only training was in the school of fig-tree pruning.
• Jacob was a liar.
• David had an affair.
• Solomon was too rich.
• Abraham was too old.
• David was too young.
• Peter was afraid of death.
• Lazarus was dead.
• John was self-righteous.
• Naomi was a widow.
• Paul was a murderer.
• So was Moses.
• Jonah ran from God.
• Miriam was a gossip.
• Gideon and Thomas both doubted.
• Jeremiah was a bullfrog;
• Just kidding -- he was depressed and suicidal.
• Elijah was burned out.
• Martha was a worry-wart.
• Mary may have been lazy.
• Samson had long hair.
• Noah got drunk, and that's not all.
• Did I mention that Moses had a short fuse?
• But God doesn't require a job interview.
• He doesn't hire and fire like most bosses,
• because He's more our Dad than our Boss.
• He doesn't look at financial gain or loss.
• He's not prejudiced or partial, not judging, grudging,
• sassy, or brassy, not deaf to our cry, not blind to our need.

A Christian minister once said, "I was never of any use until I found out that God did not intend me to be a great man."

God needs us to be faucets! John 7:38
38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

• God can have all the plumbing in place, have the pump hooked up, ready to pour out blessings on His people, on the world, but He needs us to be vessels! He needs a faucet!

• In many cases, the only thing that stops a move of God is the lack of a vessel.

• When Elisha was performing the miracle for the prophet's widow, and the oil was flowing freely, the Bible says:

2 Kings 4:6
6 And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed.
The only thing that stopped the flow of oil was the lack of a vessel!

• Now, don't ask me to explain why God decided to use imperfect vessels to accomplish His work.

• It doesn't make sense to me that this God who can do all things would choose to restrict Himself to moving through imperfect, flawed, inconsistent humanity!

• I don't know why the Creator chooses to move through His creation!

• But God is always seeking for men and women through which to move!

• At the day of Pentecost, God poured out His spirit upon all "FLESH"! Was filling vessels!

In Isaiah 43:18 He said, "I will work, and who will let it?"
God needs a vessel to through which to work!

• Ezekiel said that God was seeking a MAN to stand in the gap and make up the hedge!

• When the Lord struck Saul from his horse on the road to Damascus, He then told Saul, "Go see Ananias, he will tell you what to do!" GOD USED A HUMAN VESSEL!

• In the Book of Revelation, John says that God wept because He could find no MAN to open the book of salvation, so God Himself took on the form of man to bring redemption!

• Do you understand how important you are to the work of God! God will not move without a vessel!

• God will not pour out His spirit without a faucet for it to flow through - you are that faucet!

• God needs you and He needs me!

NOW, THE SECOND THING I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS THIS: EVEN THOUGH GOD NEEDS US, WE CANNOT AFFORD TO TAKE THE GLORY FOR WHAT ONLY GOD CAN DO!

• I am a faucet, but I must remember that there is no magic in the faucet!

• Its what is behind the faucet that counts!

• If the power supply ever gets shut off behind the wall, this faucet is useless!

• I may still look good, may still say the same things, may still appear to be the same, but if my power supply is shut off, I am of no use to anyone!

Romans 7:18
18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

• I must understand that I am only the vessel, the conduit, the faucet!

2 Corinthians 4:7
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

• The power is God's, I am only the earthen vessel! I can't sing well enough, I can't preach well enough to duplicate what God can only do!

Romans 12:3
3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

• No matter how much God moves through us, remember it is God and not us!

• No matter how many prophecies we give, no matter how much anointed preaching and teaching comes forth from us, we must never forget that it is what's behind the faucet that makes all the difference!

• No matter how many good things happen through me, I am only the faucet, there is a power supply behind me, and if that is ever cut off I am useless!

IN OUR TEXT THIS MORNING, JESUS IS TEACHING HIS DISCIPLES THIS VERY IMPORTANT LESSON.

• They had most likely watched Him cast out devils many times before.

• They had heard Him teach about going into the Strongman's house and taking his armor.

• They had probably watched as he sent the legion of devils into a herd of swine.

Numerous times the scripture speaks of Jesus casting out devils, and it is probable that the disciples were witnesses to these events.

• So, now they come across a situation that they feel very confident that they can handle!

• They have watched Jesus do this, they have observed His hand motions, listened to what He said, and how he said it!

• They have the words, actions, motions, and everything else down pat, but there is one thing missing!

• They have no power! There is nothing behind the faucet, and they fail miserably at the task at hand.

And Jesus takes this opportunity to tell them that there is no magic in the faucet!

• In other words, if there is no prayer and fasting, there will be no power!

• There is no magic in the faucet, its what is behind the faucet that makes the difference!

I can:

• Say all the right words

• Do all the right hand motions

• Use the right tone of voice

• But, if there is no prayer and fasting that has taken place behind the wall, there will be no power coming from the faucet! This kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting!

THE DANGER WE FACE IS WHEN WE TRY TO DUPLICATE THROUGH MERE HUMAN EFFORTS WHAT CAN ONLY BE PRODUCED BY GOD!

• Preachers get into trouble when they learn how to preach!

• Singers get into trouble when they learn how to sing!

• Teachers get into trouble when they learn how to teach!

We must never reach the point where we learn how to do what only God can do!

• I am never going to become so smart that I don't need God!

2312 Simpson's Most Valuable Discovery
In the year 1847, a doctor from Edinburgh, Sir James Simpson, discovered that chloroform could be used as an anaesthetic to render people insensible to the pain of surgery. From his early experiments, Dr. Simpson made it possible for people to go through the most dangerous operations without fear of pain and suffering. Some people even claim that his was one of the most significant discoveries of modern medicine.
Some years later, while lecturing at the University of Edinburgh, Dr. Simpson was asked by one of his students, "What do you consider to be the most valuable discovery of your lifetime?" To the surprise of his students, who had expected him to refer to chloroform, Dr. Simpson replied, "My most valuable discovery was when I discovered myself a sinner and that Jesus Christ was my Saviour."

The most valuable discovery that you and I can make this morning is this:

• No matter how smart I am,

• No matter how well I can preach,

• No matter how well I can organize

• I am still just a sinner saved by grace!

• There is no power in me, I am just the faucet, the conduit, the vessel through which His power moves!

• There is no magic in the faucet - I NEED JESUS!

5 CATEGORIES OF CHRISTIANS

"Examine and test and evaluate your own selves to see whether you are
holding to your faith and showing the proper fruits of it. Test and
prove yourselves [not Christ]. Do you not yourselves realize and know
[thoroughly by an ever-increasing experience] that Jesus Christ is in
you--unless you are [counterfeits] disapproved on trial and rejected?"
(2Corinthians 13:5, Amplified).

From the way the Amplified Version of the Bible puts this verse, we can readily identify five categories of Christians. The first category is the genuine believers who have Jesus Christ living in them. Their genuineness is not necessarily in their perfection but rather in the fact that having declared for Jesus, they remain resolutely committed to Him and make no pretenses about their faith. For them, following Jesus is a full time, life long commitment to which they have irrevocably pledged their allegiance, labouring day by day to produce
the fruit of the life they profess.

The other four categories of people professing the Christian faith are identified as the 'counterfeits' believers, the 'disapproved' believers, the Christians 'on trial' and 'rejected' Christians. The constraints of time and space will not allow us to explore the distinguishing characteristics of each of these types of people. But
it is sufficient to say that the Almighty God does not want you in any of these spiritually unhealthy categories.

That is the reason why today's Bible verse urges us in so many words to "examine and test and evaluate" ourselves to see whether we are  holding to the faith and showing the proper fruits of it. Let every
believer take stock of his spiritual experiences, evaluating them to determine how far he has progressed in this heavenly race and taking precautions on the things that need to be done to ensure further progress. Of course, this examination or stock taking must be a continuous exercise, something we must keep doing from time to time for as long as we are alive.

Now, the counterfeit or disapproved believers may continue to draw the praise of men. The Christian who is still on trial before the Lord or the one that is outrightly rejected by Him could be the most popular among men. But the genuine believer must seek only the praise of God if he would not be distracted from the heavenly race. He must consciously put in place structures and boundaries that will help him to stay on track, and keep him producing the fruit of the Spirit which authenticates genuine believers.

The Pharisees who were the undisputed religious leaders during the time of Jesus cared nothing for the approval and praise that come fromGod. They were absolutely content with the honour and respect they
enjoyed among men. Unfortunately, those things went into their heads and prevented them from profitably encountering the Lord. Above all they refused to examine themselves in the face of the anointed, wholesome and convicting teachings that proceeded from the Lord Jesus Christ. But as we continue to engage the word of God, we will keep learning the lessons they failed to learn until we pass the test and become conformed to the image of Christ. May God help us all in Jesus' mighty name.

ATTENTION, MY DEAR PRESIDENT GOODLUCK EBELE JONATHAN, GCFR

"How long will you make unjust legal decisions and show favoritism to
the wicked? (Selah)
Defend the cause of the poor and the fatherless! Vindicate the
oppressed and suffering!
Rescue the poor and needy! Deliver them from the power of the wicked!
(Psalms 82:2-4, NET Bible).

The entire Psalms from which the above scripture verses were taken is written against all leaders who act unjustly in their position as God’s representatives. Those who are charged with the responsibility of administering justice were picked on as case study. Instead of rescuing the helpless poor from the powerful rich who enslave them, they show favour to those with influence and money. When leadership in whatever form is blind to all justice, truth and mercy, the common people suffer and there will be no stability in society .

The Bible tells us that all authorities in the earth are ordained of God so that ultimately, leaders at all levels are in fact representing God to their followers. Whether the leader is the head of a household, a manager in a company, the head of a corporation, the county chair, the governor of a state, or the president of a nation, all are representatives of God to do that which is right for the welfare of the people, prevent disorder, punish wickedness and reward uprightness. Correct leadership must always ensure that justice is served.

God is ever happy with leaders that do right, even when they don't know Him, and He often makes arrangements to bring them into the knowledge of His saving grace and truth. A good illustration is that
of Cornelius, the centurion in the book of Acts chapter nine. But when leadership does contrary to its God ordained purpose, God becomes displeased and judges such leaders out of His displeasure. Their
position of high rank, wealth and influence will not  save them on the day when they themselves are judged by the Judge of all.

For leaders to do right, they must first know what is right and true. This is where knowing God and His words become key for every leader. The knowledge of the word of God and the God the word showcases will promote the welfare of all - the leader, the led, indeed the entire society.

IF ONLY YOU WILL REMEMBER

"And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to
go and bury my father.
But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead"
(Matthew 8:21-22).

The basic issue Jesus is dealing with here is not about whether one should conduct funerals or not. Jesus was certainly not opposed to giving the dead decent burial. He was Himself decently buried after His death according to the prevailing Jewish custom of the day. Indeed, just before He died, He took opportunity to specifically commend one of the preparatory steps taken towards His burial. Jesus' flowery commendation of Mary's action when she poured that expensive ointment on Him could be safely taken as the master's endorsement of whatever reasonable and righteous steps we take to give our departed loved ones decent funerals.

What then was Jesus aiming at when He seemed to have dissuaded that disciple from attending to his father's burial? The key word that unlocks the real import of the above verses is the word 'FIRST' in verse twenty-one. Jesus' emphasis was clearly on the question of our priorities. The basic concern of Jesus is, what comes first in your life - is it you or God, your pleasures or His pleasures, your job or faithfulness to the Lord, fulfilling societal obligations or your obligations to the Lord, or is it burying the dead or serving God?

In our passage for further reading, the story is told of how Hezekiah, when he became king, placed priority on the service of God. Before Hezekiah ascended the throne, temple services had been literally abolished, the house of the Lord was under lock and key, and the people of Judah had almost forgotten how to worship the only true God. But in the very first year of his reign and in the first month, Hezekiah opened the door of the house of the Lord which had been closed in the days of his father. Moreover, he ordered the repairs of
all that was broken down in God's house and restored temple worship in Judah with all the accompanying festivals.

Because Hezekiah served God first from the very beginning of his reign and of the year, God adequately rewarded him by being with him in all things. From this, we learn that if we want to enjoy the presence of
God all through the year and for the rest of life, we must place priority on the service of God now. Hezekiah also enjoyed tremendous but unusual favour with God. God prospered him and blessed his people as well. God defended and delivered him from all his enemies. God also answered his prayers in very unusual manners. An interesting example is when he was sick and a death sentence was handed down to him by the
prophet of God. Hezekiah prayed to God, and while the prophet was on his way out of the king's palace, God spoke to the prophet to go back and reverse the prophecy.

My charge to you in this early days of the year is that you should serve God and serve Him first. Whatever you should do for God, do it now and don't put it off till later in the year. God never likes second place at any point in time. This is the morning of the year, use it to serve God so that you may experience His blessings in the afternoon and evening of the year. You may need to specifically ask the Lord what He would have you do. Or you could seek the counsel of your pastor or a spiritual leader on what to do. But whatever you do,
remember that God is first. Do your best to serve Him first.

ARE YOU PREPARED?

"And regarding your speculation on whether the dead are raised or not,
don’t you read your Bibles? The grammar is clear: God says, ‘I am –
not was – the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob’. The
living God defines himself not as the God of dead men, but of the
living” (Matthew 22:31-32, The Message).

The Bible is full of stories about the encounters of the souls of men after death. From Genesis to Revelation, virtually every book of the Bible has something to say or a story to tell us about life in eternity. There is no ambivalence in the Scriptures about the existence of heaven and hell, and that man would end up in either of
these two places after he is done with living on the earth.

Above all, Jesus Christ, the ultimate authority in Scripture to whom all must bow spoke copiously about heaven and hell as the only available eternal destinations from which we must choose. Like it is in our text for today's message, Jesus always sought to put an end to all speculations about eternity, bringing us the reality that must be believed. He told us again and again in very clear language about eternal life, emphasising at every opportunity that He came to show us the way to that eternal life of peace and joy with God.

With all the above, it remains very strange to me that eternity seems so very far from the thoughts of so many. Some don't even believe in life after death. They think that for man, death is the end of everything. That is very foolish because nature itself shows us that nothing created ever comes to a finite end. That is where we get the idea of recycling from. Life is continuous, it only changes form. This mortality must necessarily hand over the baton to immortality. Please don't join the foolish to live in this world as though everything will
end here.

Let me admonish you to make peace with God. Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life is ever prepared to help us. When you live by His words, then you will be able to say like Victor Hugo, "When I go down to the
grave I can say, like so many others: I have finished my work, but I cannot say I have finished my life. My day’s work will begin the next morning. My tomb is not a blind alley. It is a thoroughfare. It closes in the twilight to open in the dawn".

Friends, we are not yet in the land of the living, but we are here in the land of the dying. Someday, we shall be in the Land of the Living, where we shall live to die no more. Are you prepared for that phase of your life? Your time here in the land of the dying is given you to prepare for the land of the living, whether in heaven or hell. Hear it again, perhaps for the umpteenth time - heaven is real, hell is also
real.

WE, DO NOT KNOW!

"As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones
do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest
not the works of God who maketh all" (Ecclesiastes 11:5).

Over the centuries, man has made incredible advancements in scientific discoveries, covering the different areas of human activities from anatomy to psychology, astronomy to ecology and from the economy to
technology. But in spite of all that we know, we must be humble enough to admit that there is so much more yet to be known. Even of the things we claim to know, the relative nature of the knowledge we possess should make us to beat our chest with caution.

It was Thomas Edison, the greatest inventor of the modern era that said, "We do not know one-millionth part of one percent about anything. We do not know what water is. We don't know what light is. We do not know what electricity is. We do not know what gravity is. We don't know anything about magnetism. We have a lot of hypotheses, but that is all". How very true those assertions are.

Also, Albert Einstein, in a discussion over one of his inventions (Einstein's sailboat), was quoted to have said, "We know nothing about it at all. Our knowledge is but the knowledge of school children. Do you think that we shall ever probe the secret? Possibly, we shall know a little more than we do now. But the real nature of things that we shall never know, never".

Since human knowledge about human inventions is so relative and limited, how much less can we claim to know the work of God who makes everything. How far can man claim to know the path of the wind, or how
the bones form in the womb of a pregnant woman? Since all we know about life and its various components in the world we live in are at best speculative, I think that we should complain a lot less and be thankful a lot more to God Almighty who makes all things well.

My beloved, I think that it will be wisdom on our part to be slow to blaming God for the things we don't understand and be quick to appreciating Him for the ones we understand. We should also be willing to trust Him more for those things that we do not know, turning to Him for light to illuminate our darkness. That was the ultimate lesson that the patriarch Job learnt at the end of his affliction.

HIS IS THE FIRST

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all
these things shall be added unto you" (Matthew 6:33).

I want to encourage you to practice seeking God first in all things. David in Psalms 63:1 said, "O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee". As it were, he was saying that he would seek the Lord early in the year, early in the day, early on the project at hand. David would not wait till later in the year when things are almost getting out of control before seeking the Lord. Concerning the project he was engaged in, he would not wait until he got to a mid sea situation when the enemy is buffeting him before seeking the Lord. He would rather seek the Lord from the very beginning so that he could receive strength and direction for the rest of the journey. That is great wisdom, for God knows the end from the beginning.

In our Bible verse for today, Jesus urges us to place God, His Kingdom and His righteousness above and before temporal blessings (like food and clothing). Remember that the verse starts with a 'But'. It all began in verse twenty-five. The whole essence of Jesus' teaching in this passage is that seeking God must take priority over seeking things. Don't forget that there is an assurance that God rewards those who seek Him.

A good illustration would be that of Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah who sought the Lord early in his reign. God rewarded him immensely, first by establishing his kingdom and securing his reign. God brought him into favour with people and everyone around him were seeking him with all kinds of gifts. In Jehoshaphat, we can confirm the truth that if you seek the Lord, men would seek you.

God also gave him peace all round, for the Bible says that "the fear of the LORD fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were round about Judah, so that they made no war against Jehoshaphat" (2Chronicles 17:10). And when much later a group of three nations besieged Judah to make war with Jehoshaphat, God defended and delivered him, giving His people supernatural victory.

Finally, because Jehoshaphat sought the Lord early, God prospered him exceedingly, giving him riches, wealth and honour in abundance. He had unusual business sense and mercantile understanding which fetched him
tremendous profit.

ATTITUDE IS ALMOST EVERYTHING

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" (Philippians 4:13).

Attitude is almost everything. Aptitude without the right attitude won't achieve much. The right attitude, even with poor aptitude will still take you far. Paul's attitude here is what can be described as a 'can-do' attitude. Such is the attitude necessary to win the battle of life and put the devil to shame. The man who maintains this 'can-do' attitude will go very far with very little resources.

In leadership for instance, skills and expertise are very important. But the attitude of the leader more than his skills and expertise will tell whether he would be successful and effective or not. The leader with the right attitude gets things right more effectively than the leader with the right skills but with a wrong attitude.

Attitude has to do with your general disposition to life. It is all about the way you think and perceive issues. Your attitude is the real you, for as a man thinks, so is he (Proverbs 23:7). If you have a bad attitude, either generally or on a particular issue, you will likely be seen as a bad person in that direction. If you have a good,
positive and cheerful disposition to life, people will see you as a good person, and fun to work with.

In time of crisis, your attitude will determine whether you will get through successfully or be overcome by the crisis. It was the right attitude, more than anything else that accounted for David's victory over Goliath of Gath. It was the right attitude of faith that endeared Joshua and Caleb to the Almighty God, making Him to declare that only these two shall make it to the Promised Land among their generation.

Attitude is like a lift. A right attitude takes you up and keeps you there, but a wrong attitude brings you down and keeps you down. However, just as that lift could be operated to suit human purposes, so also can our attitude be worked upon or shaped to suit our life goals. The kind of influences you expose yourself to, the people you company with, the books you read, the music you listen to, the programmes you watch on the television, whatever you feed your mind with - all these and more will determine the type of attitude you go
about with and how far and how well you go in life.
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FURTHER BIBLE READING - NUMBERS 14:1-38.

NEVER UNDER-ESTIMATE 'THE POWER OF ONE'

"These are the three sons of Noah: and of them was the whole earth
overspread" (Genesis 9:19).

After the flood waters had dried up from the earth, Noah and his family came out from the Ark. You could imagine the sight the world would greet them with a massive wasteland full of debris. But out of the confusion and the wreck that the world must have been, the three sons of Noah built a new world, raising families to repopulate the earth, creating values to redefine the world, building cities and civilisations, and laid the foundation for a new generation. They made positive constructions out of the massive destructions that pervaded the earth landscape of the time. Just the three of them.

Rebuilding the world of that time must have been a very daunting task. There would have been so much to do but few hands to confront the challenges. But the sons of Noah did it all the same, in spite of
their limitations. 

Friends, I am persuaded that if three people could rebuild the world made up of six continents and now with more than two hundred countries, one person is more than enough to rebuild a city or even positively turn around a whole country. And you could just be that one person.

I have found out that sometimes, it really does not require much to accomplish much. With the little that you have, you can change your life and impact your environment positively. The story of the three sons of Noah teaches us that few can create many and so little can generate so much. That is why the Bible says we should not despise the days of small beginnings.

The sons of Noah had three things going for them. First, they had God on their side. 

Second, they had breath within them. 

Third, they had the whole wide world before them. Everyone of us have exactly those same things the sons of Noah had with which they turned around the world from an empty wasteland into cities and built civilisations.
They didn't have money, and if they did, it was completely useless, for there was nothing to buy with it and no labourer to hire with it.
They had no connections in high places for there was nobody to connect with other than the potentials that laid within them. So then I came to the conclusion that if you don't have money or helpers, but you have those three things that the sons of Noah had, you can change your world positively. Yes, with God on your side, your breath intact within you, and the world before you, you can create wonders and birth a new world.

Surely, with God on your side, your little shall become thousands and your smallness shall be transformed into greatness. Your worst shall become your best, and your least shall provide you with a lift from
the dungeon of defeat and depression. No matter the depth of your fall, you can and will rise again. You will arise and shine because your light will shine again. It is not going to be by your might, nor
by your power. But the Lord who is mighty and strong will help you through. He's all you need to make it through. Hold on to Him, tightly.