The path of the just

But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. Proverbs 4:18

If you are reading this and you are a believer, the bible says your path is as the shining light, this means your route in life, the way you are travelling on is as a shining light and not only that your path will shine more and more unto the perfect day.

Well you might read this and not agree because you look at your present condition and conclude this can't possibly refer to me, well it is talking about you if you are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, i.e the just. Who are the just? 

The just are people who have been washed in the blood and justified by Jesus.

Let's study some scriptures......

Therefore being justifed by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ Romans 5:1

Much more then being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. Romans 5:9

In the scriptures quoted above, you have been justified by placing your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, it has nothing to do with good works, it's all to do with what Jesus did.  

You need to believe what the bible calls you, you need to agree with what the bible says you are, you need to consent with it, not look at how your present status looks like. Yes you can see your present status but you choose the authenticity of the word over your physical circumstances

Bible says and your path will shine more and more until you reach the perfect day, I love that.Things can only get better for a believer

Every believer who studies the word and agrees with it will rejoice because there is a perfect day coming up for you and God is guiding your steps towards that perfect day.

How will I get to this perfect day? By abiding in Jesus, why? 

Lets read John 15:4a - Abide in me and I in you, 

then John 15:3,I am the vine ye are the branches. He that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit for WITHOUT ME YE CAN DO NOTHING.

It is in Jesus that we can do anything, it is in Jesus we can see God's word come to pass in our lives.

You are what the bible says you are, what the bible says about you will come to pass if you abide in the one who is the word himself. Outside of him, there won't be performance of his word but if he has said it and regardless of how things might look now, he will perform his word in your life and take you to that perfect day.

I believe what the word of God says about me and my tomorrow, do you?

My Motive

......but the Lord looketh on the heart. 1Samuel 16:7 (last verse)

And Jesus sat over against the treasury and beheld (watched, explanation mine) how the people cast money into the treasury. Mark 12:41a

Jesus watched the people to see how they gave what they were giving.

Why do you do what you do?

Do you give your offering and tithe because you love the Lord or because you are afraid something terrible like sickness might come on you and the devourer will ravage you?

Do you still live the Lord as at the very beginning when all that matters is just loving Jesus?

Why do you go to church?

Is it because you think you must go or because you love the Lord sincerely and you love fellowshipping  with brethren?

Why do you do what you do?

What is your motive?

The Lord knows every one of us. He knows what we are thinking, He sees our hearts, He knows why we do what we do.

Do you seek revenge when others offend you or do you forgive even though you are hurting?

Do you believe that every child of God is blessed and created to prosper hence no need to envy others?

Do you give to people because of an ulterior motive or you give because you know the bible says it is more blessed to give than to receive?

Whatever your reason is for doing what you do, remember every man shall reap what he sows.

It's not God!

Thou therefore endure hardness as a good soldier of Christ. 2Timothy 2:3

Problems are not from God!

People often say things like' maybe God is punishing me for my past sins, God is humbling me by letting me lose my job, when their loved one dies they say God took them away from them! If it's an elderly person, great, they have gone to rest but children?

Well last time I checked the bible, Psalms 136:1 says for He is good and his mercies endureth forever.
Jeremiah 29:11, for I know the thoughts that I think towards you, thoughts of peace and NOT of EVIL to give you an expected end.

So can God do both good and evil towards you, Absolutely never. That's contradictory!

God is good, he tempts no man, all he can do is good. His name is Holy and faithful. Revelation 19:11

Some will compare themselves to Job and say what about Job? Well I say 'what about Job?
First the problem was not from God and two you are under a new and better covenant than Job. Study Hebrews 8 and see what Apostle Paul said there.

You are a royal priesthood, you are peculiar, you are special, bought with a very high price! Some of us when we spend a lot of money buying stuff we take so much care of it, how much more God?

He paid a very high price for you so how will he kill your child, how will he destroy your marriage, how will he take your job from you or your finances?

So where do problems come from then?
John 10:10a.The thief cometh not but for to kill and to steal and to destroy.
Having a correct revelation of the source of problems will help you deal wisely with it.

In the passage above we are admonished to endure hardness, yes trials of our faith will come to help us put things in the right perspective, help us lay our treasure on things above not on this earth where things do not last, help us be focused on this race we are running and put God first.

However God does not tempt you by killing your loved ones,  he does not humble you by taking your finances away, he is not wicked. He is a loving God.

Yes there are people who are so stubborn that they will only learn through the hard knocks of life, through challenges but that's not the best way to learn. Learn by studying what God says in his word and avoid a lot of trouble. Learn to stay under his wings where there is safety. Learn what is really important in life.

When problems come, face the devil squarely and command him to leave your property.

How many people will allow a kidnapper into their home who knocks on their door and say I came to steal your kids away from you? You will not only shut the door in his face you will call for help immediately.

You should deal with the devil exactly like that too. Fight the real person bringing the problem with the weapons of warfare God gave you. 2 Corinthians 10:4

God is not the one behind your problems.

The Spirit of God

Even so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God. 1 Corinthians 2:11b

But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned. 1 Corinthians 2:14

Every child of God has the Holy Spirit living inside of him or her. The Holy Spirit doesn't leave you, Jesus  promised that when the Holy Spirit comes, he will be with you forever. John 14:16

Yes you may be too busy with the cares of this life that you can't even hear him speak anymore or you might grieve him with constant disobedience that you barely recognise he is still with you or if you are ignorant about the scriptures you might not even know he resides inside of you but he never leaves a believer.

However my point today is in the scriptures above, Apostle Paul says only the Holy Spirit knows the things of God!
If you understand this clearly as a lifeline you will desire him above your daily food.  You will take no step until he gives you the green light.

Have you ever wondered why 'that thing' as we refer to it tells you to do something or not to do something and you refuse simply because it sounded ridiculous to you and you end up getting into trouble or missing out on something or taking a very costly decision you are still paying for today.

For some they went into the wrong relationship and they are still paying today, some lost all their savings because of a wrong decision, some almost paid with their life all because it looked good in their eyes though the Holy Spirit warned them. They didn't feel right about it but still they went ahead.

Verse 14 says in your natural way of thinking you can't understand the things of God, its impossible to discern the ways of God.
God is a spiritual God, Bible says his ways will be foolishness to you so don't even try to analyse it with your brain as you won't get it.

For example bible says 'give and it shall be given to you', there is he that scatters yet he increaseth but there is he which withholds more than is meet but it leads to poverty. Proverbs 11:24.
This is God's way but if you look at it from man's perspective, it is foolish. How can I increase by scattering, how can holding on to my money make me poor?

Analyse it from now till eternity, it will  not make sense to you because bible says in Isaiah  55:8-9, my ways are not your ways.
God is big, God is 'all knowing', God speaks and it is done, he established laws and they cannot be broken.

All the intellectuals of this world cannot do anything about it, in fact bible says the wisdom of this world is vain 1 Corinthians 3:18 if anyone thinks he is wise with this world's wisdom he should better become a fool, that is seek heavenly wisdom, earthly wisdom will never allow you obey the laws of God  as they will never make sense to you.

How wonderful to have advance information, how good it will be to know what to do, how blessed to know what decision to take when others are second guessing and failing.

Verse 13 says 'Now we have received not the spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God that we might KNOW the things which are freely given to us of God.

Listen more to the Holy Spirit living inside of you, don't shrug away that impression in your heart. Only him knows what God has in store for you and as you listen and do his bidding, he will take you to your destiny.

He knows

But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. Mark 10:30-31.

Jesus  was the one who spoke these verses. He actually spoke it as he was sending his disciples out to evangelize.

His disciples were vulnerable, they had lived everyday with Jesus,  he was their backbone, he shielded them from the Saducees, the Pharisees and the religious leaders, Jesus didn't allow anyone bully them. He was always there for them.

The disciples enjoyed protection, physical presence of Jesus, provision and daily encouragement from the Lord himself but now he was sending them out 'on their own' without hisphysical presence. Now that's frightening.

Jesus knew their heart, he understood their fears and he knew what they were up against and see what he told them in the verse above. Every strand of hair on your head is numbered!

Jesus was trying to tell them ' no need to fear' I am a very detailed God. I know everything about you even to the number of hair on your head. I know your fears, your worries and insecurities but listen to me you are very valuable to me, you are a precious jewel, everything that concerns you concerns me and I won't allow any thing touch you or touch whatever matters to you.

People fear different things. For some it's about tomorrow - the fear of the unknown, for some it's about their children, will my children make it? Will they mix with the wrong group, will they take care of me when am old and weak, for some it's the fear of being jilted by loved ones, for some it's the fear of being left alone, for some it's the report they received from the doctors, for some it's about job security, for some it's nothing they can place their hands on but they are afraid, for some it's really the fear about whether their prayers will be answered or not and for others someone or something is threatening them and on their own they can't fight back.

Whatever it is, Jesus  said in his word in John 10:10-12, that even though the devil comes to kill, destroy and bring all these fears but he is the good shepherd.

Why did he describe himself  as the good shepherd and not something else?
This is because the sole responsibility  of a shepherd is to look after the sheep. That's all.

The shepherd  doesn't take any other job with his role as a shepherd. He doesn't multi task. He is focused on just taking care of the sheep. He doesn't take his eye away from the sheep.

In Yoruba language, a shepherd is calked the one who watches the sheep.

Jesus said he is not an hireling, an hireling is hired/employed to look after the sheep, he doesn't own the sheep so he is not committed to the sheep, when trouble comes an hireling  will run away and leave the sheep to be destroyed.

Jesus is your shepherd, his eyes is on you, he won't allow the floods of life overwhelm you. He will take care of your today and tomorrow, he will sort out your fears. If you think deep and look back, even you can say surely those times I had almost lost all hope, he had sent help to me.

Listen to what he said in John 10:13-14,

The hireling flees because he is an hireling and careth not for the sheep but I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD and I know my sheep and they know me.

He knows you.

Good morning

Give Him Praise

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Psalms 150:6

From the scripture above, the only one exempted from praising the Lord is the one with no breath, in other words the dead. If you are reading this, it means you are alive so Psalms  150:6 is talking to you.

As long as you are alive and breathing you have to give praise.
Why do we give praise?

Firstly because we were created to give praise, we were made to give God pleasure. Revelation 4:11

Even the distractions of life through cares, worries, anxieties must not stop this God given assignment. 
We must not allow at any time the praise of God to depart from our lips. Psalms  34:1

When we praise the Lord we are acknowledging that we belong to God and that we are the sheep of his pastures. Psalms 100:3.
This means you are not fatherless or a bastard. Someone owns you and that person is responsible for your upkeep and he will take care of you.

When we praise the Lord we are acknowledging  what Ecclesiastes  9:4 said. A living dog is better than a living lion. Only those who are alive can make plans for tomorrow because there is hope for the living but a dead man no matter how big or influential he was is now history.

Praise God because he is good  to you, praise him because he has a goodly  plan for your tomorrow, praise God because today's  story is not the final story. Praise God because he is a true and faithful God who will bring to pass the beautiful plans  he has for you.

Above all Praise God because you are alive.

Let everything  that has breath praise the Lord. Alleluia.

A word away

He sent his word and healeth them and delivered them from their destructions. Psalms 107:20

There is a word for every situation we might find ourselves in.

Every issue of life is just a word away.

God is not in heaven trying to fathom how to solve that problem you have, He is not confused at all, he is not wringing his hands thinking of what to do.

He is a big God, He made the heavens and the earth. The problems might be huge to you but to God, it is nothing.

Acts 15:18 says known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.
As far as God is concerned,  nothing is a surprise to him. He knows all about everything right from the beginning.

When he told his disciples in Mark 4:35 to go to the other side he knew there would be a storm on the other side, yet he constrained them to enter the boat because to him, a storm is nothing. He has the word to speak against any type of storm, He is the word himself.

In verse 39, he spoke a word 'Peace be still' and there was a great calm. 

The storms of life cannot withstand the word of God, it must bow to the word.
After Jesus spoke to the storm, he then said to his disciples  in verse 40 'Why are you fearful, how is it that you have no faith?'

In other words, why are you afraid of storms when you have the antidote to storms, believe in the word and speak it  and there will be calm. That's all Jesus did,  He got up and spoke the word and commanded the storm to be still.

Hebrews 4:12a, for the word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two edged sword.

The word of God in your mouth will move mountains.

Shalom.

Born again to rule

It is true that through the sin of one man death began to rule because of that one man. But how much greater is the result of what was done by the one man, Jesus Christ! All who receive God’s abundant grace and are freely put right with him will rule in life through Christ. Romans 5:17 (GNB). KJV says they will reign in life.

In the original plan of God, there was no death, it was supposed to be heaven here on earth, however after Adam disobeyed God and sin entered, death began to reign.

Death is not just physical death where someone passes away and he is buried, any condition of life where the peace and joy of God is not reigning and enjoyed is death. For example, depression is death. 

When people say they are depressed, they are going through unpleasant periods in their lives which is usually an accumulation of unchecked lingering on the negative things happening in their lives or around them. 

A child of God must not be depressed. Why? The Bible say in Isaiah 26:3 ‘Thou will keep in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusteth in thee.

A child of God who is trusting and whose mind is fixed on God and stayed on the word of God cannot be depressed because he is not dwelling on the bad things happening, he is not allowing situations of life to dictate his or her mood.

Dictionary defines depression as feelings of severe despondency and dejection, self doubts creeps in and swiftly turns to depression. 

Synonyms include sadness, low spirits, gloom, despair, discouragement, sorrow etc.

If you experience any of this as a child of God, you have allowed death to creep in. 

Our verse above says if you have received God’s abundant grace and you have been put right with God (and you have as a born again child of God) then you will RULE in life through Christ Jesus! Alleluia. Death may reign in the life of unbelievers not you, child of God.

You are born again to reign in life because of what Jesus has done, that’s what Apostle Paul explained in the Book of Romans. If the disobedience/sin of one man (Adam) could bring in death and death ruled over humanity so that we were born into sin and our sinful nature began to dominate over us, then the obedience of one man (Jesus) and his death on the cross has put you over in life.

You may look around and say everyone gets depressed, it's hard to stay happy as the economy is not booming, things are hard, everyone is just managing to survive, everyone has their own share of problems so depression is common among everybody.

Not for you child of God, you are not everybody!  You are special, you carry God's mark on you, you are sharing inheritances with Jesus Christ and through him you are qualified to reign in this life.

A king can only reign over a country if he takes charge and exercises control. Exercise your right in Christ Jesus today over every death that has crept in knowingly or unknowingly. The problem of today is the platform to tomorrow's victories.

Just you and Him

My two sons came to ask me as I laid on the sofa if they could have some particular snacks, I replied no for some obvious reasons but before I could finish what I was saying they had already left. They were watching some children's programme on TV and were very keen to get back to it.

I was still talking, I was actually saying ‘no you can’t have that particular snack you asked for, but you can have this other one but they didn’t wait to hear all I had to say to them. If they had waited they would have known I was actually offering them something better than what they had asked me for. Their conclusion that day was 'Mummy said no' though that was far from the truth.

Today I want to talk about waiting in God's presence to hear what he has to say to you

Be still and know that I am God. Psalms 46:10a

When was the last time you were still in His presence to just hear what He has to say to you?

Do you love to be alone with the Lord or you value the time with friends and families more? Do you treasure his presence above all? Job said in Job 23:12,  I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food. For him to be able to do that he must really love spending time in his presence to hear the words of his mouth. 

What is hugely popular amongst believers is to barge heaven with our prayers day and night. There is nothing wrong with praying day and night but oh what peace and joy when we tarry in his presence and just worship and then be quiet to hear what he has to say? What enormous blessings we deny ourselves when we don't stay for a while in his presence. 

We live in a fast paced world, eveeything has to be done in a hurry and sadly we manifest same attitude when it comes to being with the Lord. Get up in the morning,  quick scan at your devotional, pray and commit the day to the Lord and off we go.

What about creating a time and place to just worship him, just you and the Lord? No disturbances from anybody and no thinking of tomorrow's problems and fears. 

You always pray and ask from him, now you should decide and be willing to hear what he has to say to you, not stay for a little while timing it so you can quickly go to watch your favourite TV programme or go do some house chores or some other things but quality time with God, your father.

Isaiah 30:15, says in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength.

Get away from the ups and downs of this life and find a quiet time just so you can hear what the Lord has to say to you.

The cares of this life, pursuit after mundane and vanities of life will not allow you hear from God, the things you are running after will run after you if you seek first the Lord, only the Lord knows where the right fish that has the coin in its mouth is out of the million fishes in the ocean. He alone has the solution to life’s problems, He is not confused like human beings over what decision to take, He is not thinking of what to do or not to do. He knows what to do always. All wisdom belongs to him.

Be still in his presence and know that he is God.

All shall be well

No guilt in life, no fear in death 
This is the power of Christ in me; 
From life's first cry to final breath, 
Jesus commands my destiny. 
No power of hell, no scheme of man, 
Can ever pluck me from His hand: 
Till He returns or calls me home, 
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.

The above is an extract from a song. It says no power of hell, no scheme of man can ever pluck me from his hand, till he returns or calls me home. This is the declaration of a child of God.
There is no combined forces however strong they might be that can overcome you or take you out of the plan of God for your life except you allow them. How? if you listen to the enemy's words of discouragement and agree with it, then he has won.

Isaiah 8:10 says 'Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought;speak the word, and it shall not stand; for God is with us.
God is with you child of God, no evil shall overcome you, no forces of hell shall defeat you or frustrate God's divine purpose for your life for you have an assignment here on earth to fulfil and until you have achieved purpose, no power is permitted to cut you short.

Go and prosper, go and fulfil God's divine assignment here on earth, go and do well and the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ which has been released upon you will see you through.
Knowing this that no power of hell can stop you, be strengthened and aim high. 
You were born again to succeed so go and prosper in all you lay your hands to do.
The beginning of a matter is not the end, how it looks now is not how it will end. Your life's story now may be bitter but it shall receive the Master's touch and become sweet.

All shall be well.

You are right in his sight

For I am not ashamed of this good news about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes, the Jews first and also the Gentile. This GOOD NEWS TELLS US HOW GOD MAKES US RIGHT IN HIS SIGHT.
This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the scriptures says 'It is through faith that a righteous person has life. Romans 1:16-17 (NLT)

The meaning of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is 'too good to be true' news.
Think about it, in the verse above we are told God makes us right in his sight.

You simply believe it. It is so simple a lot of believers struggle to understand it, they still go about like the Jews trying to establish their righteousness. 

You and I were heading for hell but Jesus paid the price of redemption and saved us and when we then place our faith in Christ and in what he did then we become the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus 2 Corinthians 5:21. It's too good to be true!

Each time God looks at you, he sees Jesus and this is why the bible says there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus for the law of the spirit of life in CHRIST JESUS has made me free (Romans 8:1-2) not because you are perfect but because you are in Christ Jesus.

This is a powerful truth that is very liberating. However if you don't know this or fully understand the work of grace which Jesus wrought for you, the enemy can keep you in condemnation. Each time something not too pleasant happens to you he can quickly remind you of your past and that you are paying for your sins. He can tell you the Lord is not pleased with you and you should 'do' more, truth is our performances are nothing, they won't score you brownie points before God.

No man can ever be good as all our righteousness are like filthy rags. If you keep all the commandments and you are guilty of one, bible says you are guilty of all. You might not commit adultery, murder someone but what about your inner thoughts that no one can see or the words you spoke about someone else.

To be acceptable in the sight of the Father is to simply place faith in his son Jesus Christ and not by 'doing' things. Of course grace doesn't say continue living in sin, rather when you understand the power of grace that is available to you, you simply depend on it to live a holy life which was why Apostle Paul said in Galatians 2:20, the life I live now, I live by the faith of the son of God who loved me and gave his life for me.

God is pleased with you if you are a believer and you are right in his sight.