FOUR THINGS, PEOPLE DO WITH GOD'S INVESTMENT

"After a long absence, the master of those three servants came back and settled up with them. The one given five thousand dollars showed him how he had doubled his investment. His master commended him: 'Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner'." (Matthew 25:19-21, The Message). 

God has invested into every living being He created. For each of us, there is something that God has made available to you - gifts, talents, skills, abilities and opportunities - which God expects you to use in bringing glory to Him. God’s investments in our respective lives may not be equal but it is equitable and adequate for each individual. The righteousness and justice of God guarantees that. There are at least four things people could do with God's investment in their lives. 

You can waste it. That is the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15. The Bible says that after receiving his portion of the inheritance, he went away from the presence of the father and wasted it through a very irresponsible lifestyle. I want you to note a peculiar characteristic of this group - they live their lives away from the presence of God. God is not in their thoughts at all, except and until they have their backs against the wall. All those who live irresponsible, reckless and careless lives fit into this category. 

The second thing people do with God's investment in their lives is to sell it. Balaam merchandised his spiritual giftings and took money to work against the purpose of God (Jude 1:11). Sometimes money may not be involved in the sale of God's investment in a man's life. Samson for instance sold heaven's investment in his life on the laps of Delilah. The key characteristic of this group is that personal pleasure and profit are more important to them than the fulfilment of God's purpose. The welfare of God's kingdom can always be sacrificed on the altar of lust. 

The third thing people do with God's investment in their lives is to hide it. The servant that was described as wicked, slothful and unprofitable kept heaven's investment in the ground. Those in this group are typically the lazy type and their wickedness consists in the fact that they just won't be bothered about making gains for the kingdom of God even if they were presented with quality opportunities. Friends, it is important to be diligent and find out what God has invested into your life, and then go on to use it for His glory lest your slothfulness turn you into a wicked person before God. 

Finally, there is the glorious category who profit with the investment of God in their lives for the good of the kingdom of God. Such are the good and faithful servants referred to in today's text. Such are the Abrahams of this world, the Davids, Peters Johns and Pauls of this world. They are characteristically consumed with a passion to see the will of God come to pass in their generation. Of David, for example, the Bible says he "served his own generation by the will of God" (Acts 13:36). 

God’s plan, provision and expectation for your life is that you would be a member of the last group, the category of those who profit for God with their talents and giftings. Let me close with a strong warning: please never use whatever God has graciously given you to work against God or the things of God. To do so is to incur the wrath of God here and in the hereafter. 

CARELESS LIFE PRODUCES CHEERLESS FUTURE

Don’t live carelessly, unthinkingly. Make sure you understand what the Master wants (Ephesians 5:17, The Message). 

You were created to live a life of purpose. God ordained for you a life that will touch others positively and be a plus to your generation. In order to achieve this, today's Scripture verse admonishes "Don’t live carelessly, unthinkingly". Friends, careless living will eventually produce a cheerless future, a frustrated life and a wasted destiny. If you want to have a happy future and a fulfilled life, you must quit living carelessly. Your family life, business and career prospects depend on it. And of course, your eternity depends absolutely on it. 

I find too many unthinking people around in the modern world, people who don't consistently engage their mind, people living thoughtlessly. Too many people live for profitless, unedifying and undignifying pleasure, which the Bible says are not even convenient (Romans 1:28). For example, my mind is yet to capture what meaningful pleasure could be in a man sleeping with another man or with a dog when God has not taken women out of the world. Senseless vanities have become the order of the day, and should this trend persists, it's going to really hurt our world in the not too distant future. 

One important thing that careful thinking will do for you is that it will bring you into a knowledge of God's purpose for your life - your reason for living. In other words, as our verse for today puts it, you will come to an understanding of what the Master [God] wants. As a preacher and teachers of the Gospel who is in daily interactions with all manner of people, my discovery is that there are just too many people in today's world who live aimless, purposeless and thoughtless lives. Even when some claim to have goals in life, you find that such goals are either frivolous, narrow or selfish. But God has created you and me for greater, better and positive global impact. 

Careful thinking about your life and purpose should also bring you to the point of thinking about eternity and your relationship with God. Sadly, for most people in today's world, eternity is not in their thoughts. Yet it is common knowledge that we are not going to be here in this world forever. All human beings have seen people die around them and gone into the world beyond without a chance to return and re-do things. The average person has seen the departure of age mates, older and younger people from this world. But most people still carry on as though life on earth is forever. 

I like the story of a man who was personally known to me. One day, as he told me, he sat in his office and thought about life. He thought about religion, after-life, and God. He came to the conclusion that the religious belief he was professing gave no hope of the kind of eternity he felt should be desired. He said to himself, "the Christian faith offers the kind of life and eternity I desire". Thereupon, he rose from his seat and went home to his wife to whom he announced, "henceforth, this family is a Christian family. From today, we cease to practice our former religion". 

Thereafter, the man went in search of a place of Christian worship and God, whose heart is ever toward those who seek Him in sincerity guided his feet to a living church where he was shown the way of salvation. To the glory of God, the man eventually went on to Bible College, became an ordained minister, and was studying for his doctoral in theology when he passed on to glory. 

"Don’t live carelessly, unthinkingly"! 

THE THESSALONIANS FAITH series

Revd OLUWAMUYIWA OKUSEINDE 

"We are bound to thank God always for you, my brothers, as it is right, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of each one of you abounds toward one another" (2 Thessalonians 1:3, Modern King James Version). 

The Bible speaks about the faith of the Thessalonians which grew exceedingly. And the apostle Paul was so pleased with the reports he got about these saints of God that he felt "bound to thank God always" for the Thessalonian Christians. I think it will profit us exceedingly also to find out the nature and character of the faith that was growing in Thessalonica, and then apply ourselves to developing along the line of such a faith. For surely as we have seen from the reaction of Paul, that is the kind of faith heaven is eager to nurture in the believer. 

The first character of the faith referred to here is love, and the Bible says faith works by love (Galatians 5:6). The faith of the Thessalonians was one that spurred them on to demonstrate the love of God among themselves. Jesus said, by this shall all men know that you are my disciples if you love one another (John 13:35). It was His sacred command to the church (John 15:12). And we know that the primary ingredient of the love of God is giving. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son..." (John 3:16). True, godly love majors on giving. 

The implication of this is that a man of faith is not known by what he has received but by what he has given. The Thessalonians demonstrated that they had faith by showing love one to another. The Thessalonian church was a community of carers, practicing what we saw with the early church in the first few chapters of the Acts of the Apostles. Theirs was not a faith defined only by miracles, signs and wonders. Theirs was not just a 'getting' faith; it was a 'giving' faith. 

Space will not allow us to talk in detail about the patience of their faith, the endurance and the longsuffering it engendered (2 Thessalonians 1:4). The Thessalonians were not intimidated by the tribulations they were passing through. Rather, they held fast the profession of their faith in God through Christ Jesus without wavering. In fact, so strong was their faith that Paul said he had confidence in them that they would be faithful to the end and would not disappoint God (2 Thessalonians 3:4). This is the kind of faith that God is primarily interested in seeing in His children - faith that stands firm with God and shows love to the brethren in season and out of season. 

Let me point out that this message is not meant to reduce the importance of receiving by faith whatever we desire from God. Indeed, Paul prayed for the Thessalonians that God should fulfill for them every work of faith with power (2 Thessalonians 1:11). The idea is that everything God has promised, for which the Thessalonians were believing God would be brought to manifestation through the power of God so that God could be glorified through their lives. When miracles happen in our lives, God is definitely glorified. 

But the believer's faith should not primarily be defined by the miracles he amasses. We know from Scriptures and from present day realities of many who have faith in Christ’s power to heal their bodies, meet their needs, and get answers to their prayers, and yet know nothing of Him as the Saviour of their souls. I personally know of people (and I guess you could know one or two as well) who believe in Christ and want to access every blessing available through Him but strictly don't want to have anything to do with Him as their personal Lord and Saviour. 

So the believer must take responsibility for nurturing in himself the faith that grew in the Thessalonians. For such is the faith that will carry us through in this world and make us heirs of the world to come. 

WHEN PASTORS RESTRICT GOD TO THE GATE OF HIS HOUSE!!!

copied from church watch....

WHEN PASTORS RESTRICT GOD TO THE GATE OF HIS HOUSE!!!
It sounds incredible, but it is very true that the men that God appoints to oversee His house often times end up restricting God to the gate of His house (temple or church)!!!
This is a sad reality that is as real in the church of today (New Testament - NT) as it was in God’s temple among the Israelites (Old Testament - OT). And the principle that restricted God to the gate in the OT is the same principle that applies in the NT today – God’s presence WILL NOT continue to abide in ANY place where His word (commandments) are not exalted above EVERY other consideration (Psalm 138:2). God and His word are inseparable. For “… the Word was God…” (John 1:1).
Let’s start by looking at an Old Testament passage that captures our subject very clearly. We see this in Jeremiah 7:1-3, “The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, STAND IN THE GATE OF THE LORD'S HOUSE, and proclaim there this word, AND SAY, HEAR THE WORD OF THE LORD, all ye of Judah, that enter in at these gates to worship the Lord. Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Amend your ways and your doings….”
Please meditate on those words carefully, and the implication will amaze you. Let’s break it down: God wants to talk to His people. His people usually congregate to worship in His house (temple). So why does God not just address His people in His house? The answer is simple – the leadership of the temple will not allow God’s voice to be heard in the temple! Simple. That was why God’s voice was consigned to the gate. From outside the temple, God, through the mouth of Prophet Jeremiah, tried to reach His people that came to the temple to worship Him. God at the gate!
Perhaps this scenario rings a bell with you? Perhaps you are wondering if you have not seen this exact pattern repeated elsewhere in the Bible? Please let us go to Revelation 3:20, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”
Here again, here is THE WORD Himself now, in person, standing OUTSIDE the door and knocking, seeking entry into any willing heart. Wait a minute, why is THE WORD standing OUTSIDE the church that He PURCHASED with His own blood (Acts 20:28)? The answer is in verse 17 of Revelation 3. In the verse, Jesus describes the condition of His house (the church in Laodicea) in these sombre words, “…thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.” This verdict, delivered by the Owner of the church, stands in sharp contrast to the opinion of the leadership of the church on their condition, “…thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing….”
So there was an impasse! Jesus’ assessment of the church did NOT tally with the assessment of the leaders. Whereas, Jesus was ‘weeping’ over the condition of the church, the leaders were ‘smiling’. Stalemate! So, something had to give way… And according to God’s principle, God will usually be the One to give way – for He has said in His word, “… My spirit shall not always strive with man….” (Genesis 6:3).
He expressed this same divine principle in another way in Luke 13:35, “Behold, your house is LEFT UNTO YOU desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.” These were Jesus’ words, in LEAVING the nation of Israel to do as they pleased when His words were rejected. For the Lord will NOT impose Himself on any man/institution/nation (except in judgment).
When men persist in rebellion, God abandons the house to them. A notable exception to this spiritual truth is when Jesus took a whip and sent the money-changers out of the temple. But in this case, you’ll notice that it is NOT authority figures in the temple that Jesus whipped out. It was just some traders that were out for some fast cash. Jesus DID NOT whip the Priests, the Pharisees, and the Sadducees out of the temple. What did He do eventually? He LEFT the temple for them, and gathered His followers somewhere else, starting from the Upper Room.
In the passages quoted above in Jeremiah 7 and Revelation 3, there is a common theme in the message that God was trying to pass across to His people. A message that the leadership was not allowing to filter through to the people. We see this in verse 3 of the Jeremiah passage, “AMEND YOUR WAYS AND YOUR DOINGS….”. It is similar to what we see in Revelation 3:19, “… be zealous therefore, and REPENT.” And from this, we can infer that REPENTANCE is a subject that unfaithful leadership will NOT want the people of God to hear, and to respond to.
First, God calls these leaders, anoints them, and gives them clear-cut guidelines on how to lead His people. For various reasons beyond the scope of this article, the leaders deviate from these God-given guidelines. And when God tries to recover His people and return them to the right path, the leaders balk and restrict God to the gates. (Pls see Matthew 15:14). And so, FROM THE GATES, God spoke to His own in Jeremiah 7:2. And FROM THE DOOR, Jesus knocks on the hearts of the willing in Revelation 3:20.
As the second coming of Jesus draws near, and judgment looms, the Lord is awakening His people again. He is calling them to repentance. And urging them to return to His word. BUT PLEASE NOTE THIS: the greatest resistance to the work of repentance in the church in the Last Days will come from CHURCH LEADERSHIP! Just like the greatest resistance that Jesus faced came from the TEMPLE LEADERSHIP. It is an evil pattern that recurred again and again throughout the Bible – both in the Old Testament and the New Testament.
In 1 Corinthians 10:11-12, Apostle Paul warned us, New Testament believers, against repeating the mistakes of the Israelites in the Old Testament, "Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and THEY ARE WRITTEN FOR OUR ADMONITION, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall."
Still warning NT believers not to follow the example of the OT believers, he said this in Romans 11:21-22: “For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: OTHERWISE THOU ALSO SHALT BE CUT OFF.”
Brothers and sisters, we are fast approaching the day of this ‘CUTTING OFF’. The day of separation. When the sheep shall be separated from the goats. When the wise virgins shall be separated from the foolish virgins. Behold, the judge is at the door….
In these days, many believers will be forced to make a difficult choice between sitting with unfaithful pastors in the opulent ambience of the church’s circus, or listening intently for the gentle knock of the Saviour calling us all back to repentance. Calling us back to fellowship with Himself and His Father (Revelation 3:20). What will be your CHOICE? Jesus knew that the Last Days will be perilous days. That was why He taught us to WATCH and PRAY. To be watchful means to be observant of all that is going on around us, and to be prepared to take action where necessary. Are we truly watching? Or are we snoozing in the battle that is raging in the Church?
There are practical steps that we can take at both the personal and corporate levels. At the personal level, every believer should begin to loosen his/her allegiance to any man/pastor/denomination; and to pledge the allegiance to Christ ALONE. In these days, there are some things that pastors/
denominations may require you to do, but which are NOT in line with God’s will. Who will you follow? Will you sacrifice your love and obedience to Christ, just to stay in the good books of a pastor/denomination? If the Lord has opened your eyes to the fact that there is a lot of falsehood in the church today, are you going to re-trace your steps, or are you going to tag along with the 21st century versions of the deluded Laodicean church?
At the corporate level, there is ONE THING we can all do together – we can PRAY! We can call upon the Lord to intervene urgently in the deception that is going on in the church today in the name of Christ. God can help His true children to understand His word better. He can expose the wolves that are masquerading as sheep in His fold. He can help us to easily identify unfaithful leaders that are refusing to repent. He can strengthen pastors that are willing to tread the narrow path. There is so much we can achieve together in the place of prayers. 

SEXUAL DREAM IS EVIL & DANGEROUS.. NEELO PEARL

A spiritual spouse(spiritual husband and wife)is a problem that many people have.Sex in dreams is one of the signs that you have a spiritual spouse.and nowadays is very dangerous that to some people it attacks them daylight.

This evil sexual spirit is dangerous.It molests and torments people.The saddest part is that many Christians who are born again and tongue speaking are also affected by it.There are two kinds of these demons Incubus and succubus.Incubus is a spirit that has intercourse with sleeping persons,especially women.Succubus is female demon that has sexual intercourse with sleeping men.

Many time women are more afflicted but even men nowadays they are facing the same problem,If you do not pray against them and run away from sin they can impact your relationship,family,finances,business,job,marriage and worst thing your spiritual life.The spiritual spouse demon comes when the person is sleeping.Sleeping time is the most dangerous part of anybody's day because that is the time when the enemy does the most damage to people's live(Matthew 13:25).

Sexual dreams are demonic most people do not know that sex in a dream is demonic.Spiritual spouses use the face of the people you are familiar with,it can be you father,mother,brother,sisters,cousins,friends,celebrities,boss,co-league and worst thing sometimes the spirit comes as your pastor.This is the strategy of the devil to undermine your pastor and make you distract Him.

How this evil spirits enter...impure thoughts ,engaging in sexual fantasies,reading pornographic literature,looking at pornographic pictures and movies, Premarital sex,promiscuity,masturbation,rape and sexual abuse,ancestral worship,inherited from evil family deity,,,SIN.. etc.

The evil effects of the spiritual spouse..difficulty getting married,difficulty stay married,divorce,difficulty having children,hatred by partner,miscarriages,impotence,hardship and financial failure,failure at the edge of a breakthrough,to man of God and women of God it scatter the Church(ministry).and some man or women it makes you always be ready for sex which will lead to you sleep with different kind of women and man not knowing how you doing it etc some man OR women think that they are players ,charmers going around sleeping with every man or women they come across smoking and drinking alcohol all because they think they are cute or beautiful or some looking for money i normally here some man saying they do that because ladies love Him because He is cute or he got money or man of God or from a rich family my brother or sister that is disgusting you are paving your way to hell and you are under a trap and you are working for the kingdom of darkness you are feeding demons with your sinful disgusting ways break the chains before you loose your soul.

DELIVERANCE

If you have spiritual spouse Jesus can deliver you,You must first be born again(John 3:1-21)Use the Blood of Jesus ,the authority in the name of Jesus ,and the word to break all attachments from this spirits.(revelations 12:11) Ask for forgiveness of sins (1 John 1-9).Divorce all your spiritual spouse in the name of Jesus.Then command the souls and sex ties to be broken in the name of Jesus...

Remember to Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm..RUN AWAY FROM SIN..

Pray aloud'' you spiritual spouse ,release and let go of me in the Jesus name.I bind and divorce you permanently until the day of judgment,and everything you have deposited in my life come out by fire ,in the name of Jesus.Amen...

Stay Blessed.

666: Advancement in IT and Telecom Technology

Credit: WWW.ttcmobileworld.com

The concept of 666 from the technology point of view is simply advancement in IT and Telecom. Just as you can imagine the kind of houses we would be living in 50 years from now, the shape and kind of cars we will be driving, take a few seconds to imagine the shopping experience of 60 years from now. At the moment, you need to push your cart to the till when you are done shopping in a store. At checkout, you items are scanned one after the other, and then your card is inserted into a POS for payment, where the new technology (operational in the UK, and I believe the entire Europe and America as well, since May 2015) no longer requires you to enter a PIN.  Your card is simply scanned and payment for items purchased is taken from your account.

The current stage of this technology is to have a single number that will indentify you on the banking system. Rather than carry all your several cards made up of debit and credit cards from all your bank accounts, driver’s license, voters card, international passport, etc. a single card that links you to all these other cards would be all you need to carry. This single card becomes your global ID.  This is the idea of the BVN, a local concept by the CBN.  The BVN card links you to all your financial records in all the banks in Nigeria. Just by entering your BVN, the system will show your nakedness, in terms of your financial standing.

The next stage is to have a global version of the current central bank BVN. The banks will be able to take payments from any/all accounts linked to the chip on the card, such that instead of entering your multiple card information at different times, you simply insert this card at all times.  The only requirement would be to have completed a form earlier that tells the system the order and preference your various bank accounts should be checked for money removal.

Once that stage has been achieved, the next stage would be the introduction of a technology called RFID.  This technology is currently being developed in the lab.  When released, it will allow machines to wireless and remotely scan product barcodes, as well as your universal ID card without need to take items off the card or take wallet out of your pocket respectively. Come to think of it, the real thing important thing on your card, as far as the scanning machine is concerned, is the chip.  So, why cant this chip be reduced to a very tiny bio chip and then infused into just beneath the foreskin so there will be no excuse to deliberately lose it in order to avoid detection, or to impersonate another.  The most glaring place where all machines will easily see and scan the bio chip is the forehead. So, it will be inserted on the forehead.

Thereafter, there is no hiding place.  Wherever you are in the world, whatever you do, you are practically broadcasting yourself.  At that time, it will be no longer convenient for financial institutions to offer you credit facility to those who cannot be traced – those without the 666 mark.  Even mere shopping will become so cumbersome for anyone not carrying the 666 mark; after items are scanned as you roll your shopping trolley towards the door, the ‘theft alarm’ goes off because payment cannot be scanned off your forehead. While the 666 complaint people will be having access to all the good things because they have been tagged and can be tracked for payment wherever they are in the world, the non 666 compliant will have really tough time doing business in the ‘new’ world.

666 may not happen in this generation but it is sure around the corner.  If does not happen in our time, it will happen in our children’s time or our grand children’s time.  This is where the IT and Telecom technology of the future is taking us.

Copied from WWW.ttcmobileworld.com

DON'T WORRY

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God" (Philippians 4:6, Modern King James Version).

Human beings like to worry about many things. We worry about important things, we worry about mundane things, and we even worry about things that don't concern us in any way. Sometimes our anxieties may appear justified, but many times they are simply needless. But whether you think your worries are justified or not, the Bible teaches that you don't need any form of anxiety in your life because it never solves any problem. 

Worry changes nothing from bad to good; it would rather injure your soul. Many have worried themselves into high blood pressure and hypertension, and God does not want you in any of these. That is why the Bible is emphatic - "Do not be anxious about anything". The Authorized Version puts it this way: "Be careful for nothing". It is your wisdom to heed the word of God. 

It is not that God does not want you to show some care or concerns about your life. Surely, God is not asking you to be careless with your health, family, business and finances. That would be irresponsible of you. However, the problem is that sometimes it is not easy to tell when legitimate, rational concerns have graduated into worry. But one test to conduct is to find out whether what you call rational concern has led to fear and taken away your peace of mind. Fear and lack of peace are sure signs that worry has set in, and at that point you need to deal with it before things get out of hand. 

Legitimate concerns should lead you to pray and not to fear. You are in the right mode when your care and concerns for your health, family and business pushes you to depend more on God and draw nigh to Him in trusting faith. Concerns or carefulness that unsettle your mind and take away from you the desire to pray and rob you of the initiative of seeking God have only one name. They are called 'anxieties'. All things considered, you always better off without them. 

So, here is God's recommendation, nay, command: "Therefore I say to you, Do not be anxious for your life, what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor for your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?" (Matthew 6:25). Instead of worrying about it, pray about it. The wisdom in this is that the same amount of time and energy expended in fruitless anxieties could be put to more profitable use in the place of prayer. And Jesus has taught us how to pray so that we don't end up worrying even in the place of prayer. 

COME ON-WE ARE ALL EQUAL

: 

"“You all have a single Teacher, and you are all classmates” (Matthew 23:8, The Message). 

For leaders to have peaceful, effective, impacting, and successful tenure, and for that success to endure, leadership must be seen as a privilege, a grace given by God. Whether in the home, at work, in the community or in the corridors of government, leadership is ever a privilege. Even if you were born with your name written in gold as the next leader in any estate, you would be getting there because God made the grace of life available to you. 

A person no less than Jesus said, "you are all classmates". In other words both the leader and the led are equal. Jesus is eminently qualified to tell us this because He was the one who created both the leader and the led, and he was the one who placed them accordingly. It follows therefore that it is wisdom for leaders to see themselves only as first among equals. It is like the popular saying that all animals are equal, only that some are more equal than others. 

In the light of the above, the exercise of leadership must be carried out with a sizeable degree of humility. Since Jesus said we all are classmates, it means that the leader is no more than a class captain who is subject to the same rules that govern activities in the class. He must write the same exams as other members of the class and of course study hard if he must pass like others. 

The simple meaning of all the above is that leaders must remember that they are not angels or supermen from another world. They are humans just like the other men they are presiding over. The leader that fails to take heed to this truth will soon be out of sync with reality and could thereby cut short his effectiveness, and indeed his leadership tenure and legacy. 

Even though Jesus was addressing the disciples, the lessons taught are universally applicable. Leadership should not be seen as a tool for domination, or worse still, oppression as it is common among ungodly leaders. God created leadership as a vehicle for service. Wherever you have found yourself as a leader, use the occasion to serve those who are under you and never to use the people to serve yourself. 

HOW BEST TO IMPRESS GOD

"How can I stand up before God and show proper respect to the high God? Should I bring an armload of offerings topped off with yearling calves? Would God be impressed with thousands of rams, with buckets and barrels of olive oil? Would he be moved if I sacrificed my firstborn child, my precious baby, to cancel my sin? (Micah 6:6-7, The Message). 

The prophet Micah wondered what would be the most appropriate way to "show proper respect to the high God". He considered a number of options - "an armload of offerings", several "yearling calves", "thousands of of rams", or "buckets and barrels of olive oil". Then he considered something more extreme - a sacrifice of his firstborn child. But Micah soon discovered, just like the Psalmist, that the primary requirement of God is not sacrifice or burnt offering (Psalms 40:6). 

Like Micah, many devoted God-worshippers have all through the ages wondered what impresses God. Whether it is in showing respect for His almightiness and unquestionable sovereignty, or conveying our deepest appreciation for His goodness and mercies to us, or showing remorse for our offenses, it is important to know what exactly God requires of us so that we won't worship in vain. Jesus once labelled the Pharisees vain worshippers because they formulated man-made worship patterns and required God to flow with it (Matthew 15:7-9). God does not want you to be a vain worshipper. 

To show us His ways and what is required of us, God engages His people in Psalms 50. Hear Him: 

"I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he goats out of thy folds. 

For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. 

I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine. 

If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof. 

Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? 

Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High" (Psalms 50:9-14) 

The summary of the above is gratitude and obedience. And so God concludes, "Whoever presents a thank-offering honors me. To whoever obeys my commands, I will reveal my power to deliver” (Psalms 50:23, Easy English Version). That is greater than all the offerings you could give to God. 

Micah also eventually came to the same conclusion: "God has told us what is good. This is what the Lord wants from us: 'You must be fair to other people', God says. 'You must want to be kind. And you must be careful to do what I show you' (Micah 6:8, Easy English Version). Obedience to God’s commands, coupled with a thankful heart is worth more than all the offerings and sacrifices we could ever bring to God. 

Note that God is not disinterested in our offerings perse. Indeed, He commands us not to appear before Him empty-handed (Exodus 34:20), and we are to cheerfully give quality, bountiful offerings to Him at all times (2 Corinthians 9:6-7). But of what use is an offering from an ungrateful and rebellious fellow? That is why God says offerings and sacrifices are not His primary requirements from us. Our very selves, our hearts in joyful, grateful subjection to the Lord is our greatest offering (Romans 12:1). 

I know that some churches and nations have thanksgiving day, maybe once a year. But what about the rest of the year? Since we receive His blessings and mercies all year round, aren't we supposed to be thankful at all times? Indeed, the Bible says we should give "thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 5:20). And then, whereas we may have 'thanksgiving day', do we have 'obedience day'? You know that would be preposterous to have a day of obedience to the Lord and live the rest of the year in disobedience. 

The import of this message is that gratitude and obedience must be a permanent way of life for the man or woman who wants to please God. May the grace to continually flow in gratitude and obedience come into our lives and never depart from us for ever and ever. 

METAMORPHOSED CHRISTIANITY

"His people have been unfaithful to him; they have not acted like his children – this is their sin. They are a perverse and deceitful generation" (Deuteronomy 32:5, New English Translation). 

The piece is titled "METAMORPHOSED CHRISTIANITY". I got it from one of my pastors. I wouldn't know whether he wrote it himself or he also got it from someone else. But I am sharing it because it clearly underscores how far today's church has departed from the faith, having completely lost the identity of the early church. It shows how indeed, the Christians of today have not acted like God's children, being so different from the examples that our Lord Jesus Christ and the early apostles left behind. But God wants us to follow Him, not just as His children, but as "dear children" (Ephesians 5:1). 

Please read and meditate:  

"The modern Church has metamorphosed [into] something different from the early Church.

The thrust in the early Church was moral purity and piety, today it is material prosperity and possessions.

They sought GRACE to fulfil God’s requirement, today we seek FAVOUR to obtain our requirements.

They sought to be transformed by the Gospel and please God, we seek to transform the Gospel and please ourselves.

The early Church sought obedience to God, today the Church seeks abundance from God.

The original goal of DEVOTION and sanctity has now been replaced by the modern goal of DERIVATION and success.

“What shall I render to God?” [has been] replaced by “What shall I receive from God?”

Before, the giver was the more blessed; today, the receiver is the more blessed.

The old Church sought brokenness before God, today’s Church seeks breakthrough from God.

Before, ministrations gripped people with penitence; today, ministrations grip people with excitement.

Their holy prophets spoke the agenda of God; our costly “prophets” speak the agenda of man.

The old Church sought after God for sacrificial worship, today’s Church seeks after God for beneficial relationship.

The early Church fought to differ from the world, today’s Church begs to conform to the world.

The God of the early Church was the Judge of all, the “God” of today’s Church is judged by all.

They would obey God rather than men; we would obey men rather than God.

Are we still the Church of Christ and His Apostles?" 

We could go on and on, but the above is sufficient to show that we need to repent urgently before the wrath of God comes upon us. The piece ended by urging us all that it is time to seek the Lord and save ourselves from this perverse and crooked generation (Act 2:40). I pray that we will all hear what the Spirit is saying to the church today.

IF YOU CARE TO KNOW - WHERE IS GOD'S SECRET?

"What man is he that feareth the LORD? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose" (Psalms 25:12). 

"The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant" (Psalms 25:12, 14). 

The primary thing God does for those who fear and follow Him is to teach such people His ways and let them in to the secrets of His covenant. He wishes above all things that their souls would prosper in the knowledge of His ways and understand how to have a living, dynamic relationship with the Most High. As far as God is concerned, relationship between humanity and divinity should always transcend pecuniary matters, even as there is more to life than material blessings. This is where Jehovah is unique and cannot be compared to any other being that men give their worship. Relationship is the distinguishing mark of Christianity - the worship of the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

However, it is sad that today's church is most disinterested in that which is most paramount in the heart of God. Today's pastors, in their rabid lust for the crowd, wealth and fame have told us that our relationship with God is just for one end - to get His blessings, and by that they mean the material blessings. As they invite us to come to their gatherings, they advertise to us all the good things of life that money can buy and tell us that is the purpose of seeking God. They introduce to us a mercantile gospel (which is no gospel), and a capitalist Christianity (which is no Christianity), wherein personal profit is the overriding motive. 

And so today, people come to church never having any intention to know God; we only want His blessings, no more, no less. The few who come with a genuine desire to walk with God, to know Him and learn His ways soon lose such desires in the deluge of worldliness that has overtaken the church. Thus the prevailing contemporary attitude is that God should keep His ways to Himself and release the goodies in His hands. Our attitude also confirms that we don’t want to know any secret about how to please God or walk with Him. But we are very much interested in knowing the secrets of how to loot the divine treasury for our selfish ends. 

Where are the Moses of today who would be more interested in knowing Him and His ways rather than His acts? (Psalms 103:7). Where are the Paul of today who will count what would have been gains to them dung and resolutely declare: "That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection"? (Philippians 3:10). But know assuredly that until today's believers understand that only those who are learning His ways are truly His, we cannot make real progress in our spiritual sojourn. We will never be serious in our pursuit of the knowledge of God and His ways until we realize that those who only know His acts and benefit from same are ever in danger of perishing, just like the Israelites who saw His acts and still perished in the wilderness. 

What is the conclusion of this matter? 

"Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: 

But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD" (Jeremiah 9:23-24). 

THE UNIQUE QUALITIES OF THE NAME 'JESUS'

"Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 

That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth" (Philippians 2:9-10). 

Men may continue to argue among themselves, but the good book affirms that the name of Jesus Christ is the name above all names. That name is infinitely higher, marvelously greater and exceedingly superior to every other name in all realms of existence. I want to share with you a few unique things about the name of Jesus that directly concern you. 

First, the name of Jesus is the only name given to humanity (Acts 4:12). It is a gift that God has given to mankind. Or have you heard of any other name given to man by God for any kind of purpose for that matter? None whatsoever. But the name of Jesus has been given that by this name, all men might be saved. It is His name that gives life (1 John 5:13). No other name guarantees forgiveness of sin (1 John 2:12). The name Jesus is the Greek for the Hebrew 'Jehoshua' or 'Joshua' for short, which means "Jehovah saves". For the angel said, you shall bring forth a son and call his name Jesus, because he shall save his people from their sins (Matthew 1:21). That is why it is only to them that receive that Jesus gave the power to become the children of God, even to them that believe on his name (John 1:12). 

The name Jesus is the only one that commands respect and reverence in all realms of existence, being the most excellent name (Hebrews 1:4). It is at the name of Jesus that everything must bow in heaven, earth and beneath. It is only at the name of Jesus that we can get the attention of heaven and obtain answers from God when we pray (John 14:13-14). So if you want the knees of problems to bow to you and you really want God to answer your prayers, subscribe to the name of Jesus by accepting and following His person. 

The wonderful name of Jesus is the only name whose bearer is as close as the mention of His name at all times, in every place and to all persons who call upon Him in faith (Psalms 75:1). This is possible because He is God and consequently omnipresent. He is not a God that is afar off; He is nearer to you than your skin! No wonder He assured the disciples,  "lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen" (Matthew 28:20). 

Finally, Jesus is the only name that can shelter you. The Bible says that the name of the Lord is a strong tower into which the righteous may run be saved (Proverbs 18:10). Isn't it interestingly unique a name could function as a house, a refuge and indeed, a fortified strong tower? I have written extensively about this in my book titled "Understanding Spiritual Equations". That the name of the Lord being referred to in Proverbs 18:10 must be pointing to Jesus is very clear from a number of scriptures. Acts 2:36 says that God wants us to know assuredly that He has made Jesus both Lord and Christ. Philippians 2:11 says God has decreed that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. 1 Corinthians 8:6 says for us as Christians, there is only one Lord - and that is Jesus. And Romans 10:13 says that whoever will call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved, and we already know the name by which we are saved. 

So my dear friends, get connected with Jesus and take His name with everywhere you go. That name will bring life, joy and comfort to you all the days of your life and guarantee you admission to heaven when you have finished doing His will on the earth

YOUR REPORT - THINK OF THIS!

This is a report of Noah. Noah was a good man. He was the only man at that time who obeyed God. The people who lived near him could not find anything wrong with what he did" (Genesis 6:9, Easy English Version). 

The above verse is one of the most challenging testimonials in the Bible ever given about any mortal man. Noah was the only man who obeyed God in his time. God testified to Noah, "for thee [only] have I seen righteous before me in this generation" (Genesis 7:1). 

The first lesson to learn here is that you can choose to be different in your generation. It was a personal choice that Noah made not to be part of the corruption and depravity that characterized his era and environment. In the midst of a crooked and perverse generation that walk on in darkness, you can choose to shine as light. You don’t have to do what they do, you don't have to speak as they do, and you don't have to go where they go. You can always choose to be faithful to God. When the rest of the society goes against the Holy Book, you can choose to stick to what the Bible say. 

Secondly, today's Bible verse says, "This is a report of Noah...". Friends, I want you to know that the report of your life and mine is also being written right now. And I am not talking about your corporation's annual report where you are eulogised as the best performing director or manager. No, neither am I talking about your biography where all the nicest things in the world are said about you. I am not talking about the things that men who cannot see beyond their noses are saying about you. 

Rather, I am talking about the report of heaven concerning your life. You may not know this, but celestial scribes are ever taking notes of your thoughts, words, actions and reactions. I only wonder what would be the content of that report. Would it also indicate like that of Noah that you obeyed God or that you obeyed men, or worse still, that you obeyed Satan? Would that report indicate that you did the things that are pleasing to God or that you pleased yourself and danced to the tune of the world? Would that report testify to your faithfulness to God or your utter indifference to the Most High? 

Finally, I want you to know that a day is coming when your report shall be read and you shall be judged based on the contents of the report, essentially in connection with your relationship with the Lord God, your Maker. John the Revelator said, "And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works" (Revelation 20:12). On that day, it would not matter what position you occupy in the cabinet, or what you are worth in material assets, or the number of company boards you seat as director, or the international appointments you have had. All that would count is the record of your obedience to God. 

Fortunately, now that you still have your breath, you can change the content of your report. You can alter the inputs that go into the book that is being written about you simply by spending the rest of your life in obedience to the Lord. By the grace of God which is available through Christ Jesus, you and I can live the Noah kind of life whereby it shall also be written of us, "This is a report of XYZ. XYZ was a good man. He was the only man at that time who obeyed God. The people who lived near him could not find anything wrong with what he did".