MORNING DEW, SEPTEMBER 23, 2014

HE HEART THAT LOVES GOD
For I desire loyalty and not sacrifice,
the knowledge of God rather than burnt
offerings. Hosea 6:6
No amount of activity for God will ever take the place of a heart that is right with Him. Through the ages God's people have been persuaded that they could please Him
through their service and their offerings, regardless of their heart condition. King Saul offered generous sacrifices, hoping God would overlook his disobedience
(1 Sam. 15:22–23). David may have assumed that after all he had done on God's behalf, God would overlook his sin (2 Sam. 12:7–15). Ananias and Sapphira thought that
their generous gift to the church would compensate for their deceitfulness (Acts 5:1–11). Paul was certainly one who had thought his zealousness would please God.
After his conversion, however, he concluded that even if he had faith to remove mountains, gave all he had to
feed the poor, and offered his body to be burned for the sake of God, and yet had a heart that was not right, it would all be for nothing (1 Cor. 13:1–3).
We are susceptible to the same misunderstanding as all of these people were. We can be deceived into assuming
God is more interested in our activity for Him than He is in the condition of our heart. God has consistently made it clear that He will not be pacified by even the most generous offerings and zealous service if our hearts are not right with Him (Mic. 6:6–8). No matter how much we
do in God's service, regardless of how active we are in our church, no matter how honorable our reputation in the Christian community, He will not overlook a sinful
heart. His desire is that we devote ourselves to knowing Him and loving Him with all of our hearts.

GOD will compel them!

"Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me. But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to
Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with
them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD" (Jonah 1:1-3).

The city of Nineveh was in problem. She had sinned greatly and God was angry. The wrath of God was advancing. Judgment was
about to fall. But even so, God was merciful, not willing that any should perish, but
that all should come to repentance and be saved. And so, He sent a deliverer to bring the people a message of hope, his name, prophet Jonah. The plan was that when the Ninevites hear the message from God,
they turn from their evil ways and God would bless rather than punish them.
But God's messenger ordained to bring help to Nineveh turned the other way and ran away from the assignment. Many times, we
experience delayed response to our prayers, not because God is unwilling to
answer us but because the human agents that should be involved refuse to align themselves with God’s programme or agenda.
Here, God was ready to help the Ninevites, but the man God considered fit for the job ran away.
I pray and prophesy, my God shall discipline every reluctant messenger assigned to bring you help. In the same way that God visited Jonah, the helper of your joy that is dragging his feet shall be heavily
visited today. Just as God compelled Jonah to deliver to Nineveh, so shall the Lord compel the helpers of your destiny to deliver without further delay in Jesus Christ's name. The angel of God shall push
those that needs to be pushed, pull those who needs pulling, and force those who must be forced to ensure that the help you
require is delivered. I decree that your Jonah shall be made to abandon the
voyage to Tarshish and hurry to you heaven sent assistance.
But I must warn you. As you say "Amen" with excitement, you must understand that the word of God is a double edged sword;
it will cut both ways. This means that if you also have been sent to bless another person and you are delaying to deliver for whatever reason, get ready to be disciplined by God. For you never can tell, maybe that other person might also be reading this message or a similar message, and is perhaps saying a more passionate "Amen", louder and better than yours!

don't just talk

"When you talk, don’t say anything bad. But say the good things that people need—whatever will help them grow stronger. Then what you say will be a blessing to those who hear you" (Ephesians 4:29,
Easy to Read Version).
Words are powerful. The ability to speak and sustain meaningful and intelligent conversation is a gift from God to the human race. The purpose of this unique communication capacity is not just to
distinguish us from the lower animals, but God gave us the gift of speech that we might be a blessing to one another.
I have found out that in life, using the words of your mouth to merely prove a point or to win an argument is not half as
important as being
a blessing through the words that you speak. The Apostle Paul shared this perception when he declared that he would rather speak five words that would instruct, edify and profit others, than ten thousand words to prove a point (1 Corinthians 14:19). Great wisdom, if you ask me.
When you concentrate on being a blessing to those who hear you rather than winning an argument, your words become gifts that
others will treasure and long to hear.
In the gospel accounts, we find that people always gathered to hear the words of our Lord Jesus Christ because His words were always a blessing to them. On one of such occasions, the Bible records that all His listeners "bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth" (Luke 4:22). The people saw clearly that Jesus was totally different from the Pharisees and the other teachers of the law that they knew who seemed to always
only want to prove a point through their teachings.
The Christian is called to be like Jesus even in the way he employs his speech. So watch the way you talk. Let nothing foul, vain or dirty come out of your mouth. Let your mouth be a fountain of blessing, saying only what helps, each word a gift. Strengthen
others with your words and let your speech provide answers to their life's questions so
that theWasears that hear you will bless you.

Twice I have heard Him

: "God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God" (Psalms 62:11).

Several years ago, while studying this verse, the Holy Spirit of God quickened it in my heart that "twice have I heard" does not quite mean two times but repeatedly or many times. Recently, I came across some
other freer translations of the Bible confirming that line of thought.
For instance, the New Century Version says, "God has said this, and I have heard it over and over: God is strong". The Good News Bible also puts it this way, "More than once I have heard God say that power belongs to him". And so we are safe to conclude that the point of that scripture verse is to emphasise to us that God has spoken
it once, but we hear it repeatedly. As it were, it reverberates continuously through our entire lives that power belongs to God.
You hear it in the light of reason when you remember Him as the Creator of the universe. To the best of our individual and
collective knowledge, no one else, no other being has created anything else apart from God. Every invention of man has been no more than a mere discovery of what God already created by His awesome power. The very ability of man to create is from God. All the powers of all creatures are derived from Him, depend upon Him, and are used by Him as He pleases. His is the power, and to Him we must ascribe it.
And we hear it every morning in our uprising. When you wake up in the
morning and you realize that your uprising has not been by your power or your might but by the grace of God, you know that
power properly so called, the ability to do anything, belongs to God. The
Psalmist, in apparent reference to this truth said, "I laid me down and
slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me" (Psalms 3:5).
We have also heard it that power belongs to God in the various manifestations of His intervention in the affairs of men. Countless
numbers of people have tasted the power of God through diverse miracles, signs and wonders. Ilike millions of others, can
personally testify that power to save, heal, deliver, prosper and bless in all ramifications belongs to God. He is almighty, and He can do everything, and with Him, nothing is impossible.
Friends, I want you to know that the God with whom we have to do is infinite in power. In reality, no one else has power over your life.
Let no one fool you: your promotion, success, health and all the issues of your life are subject only to God and His infinite
power. If
any other person other than God exercises power over you, then itaqmeans that you gave such powers to such a person.
This week, I pray that the Lord shall intervene in every aspect of your life by His great power in the name of Jesus Christ. If
truly, power belongs to God and you also belongs to Him, I decree that all that belongs to you shall be released by the power of God this week, in the mighty name of Jesus. God's blessings be upon
you.