THE HEARTS ISSUES PART 1

HE SEARCHES AND JUDGES THE DEEP THINGS

Many have become frustrated after several sessions of praying and fasting for something from God. They have the engaged the forces of faith prayer, fasting, positive confession and what you have but yet it seems Luke God is far away from them let alone hear their cry. It seems to them that God isn't interested in their situations. To them, they tried all they know to do but it is all to no avail.

While I believe that the first thing some of us will say is that the person in question should check their lives and see if they have not committed sins that needs to be confessed and confess same and represent their case to God, I also know that the scriptures has said that "The Lord is not too weak to save and He isn't getting deaf! He can hear when we call but the trouble is that your sins have cut you off from God". (Isaiah 59:1-2). I believe that sins committed are great barriers between our souls and God. They cause God to turn His face away from us and not to listen to us.

However, while we place much emphasis on the acts of sins committed, I see the Lord pointing at a more fundamental and critical issue. The Psalmist said " If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me" (Psalms 66:18). This issue becomes crucial because of what God Himself said in 1Sam 16:7 " ....... People judge others by what they look like, but I judge people by a what is in their hearts."

God is not confused about the looks of men. While our words, actions and deeds are basis for human judgment; the heart (thoughts, intentions, motives and imagination) is what God judges. He knows the heart of all men since we all naked before His light and Hr judges us according to same what He finds there.

At this juncture, it is good for us to highlight and clarify some words here for better understanding: Sin, sins and iniquity. Sin is the nature of the earth and evil in man. Sins are the actions of sins committed (lying, stealing etc) which is what most of us see and judge. It is in the plural because the acts are much. Iniquity is the thoughts of sins, the thoughts that the nature of sin produces and the desires stirred up by the sinful nature in us.

While we quickly and often judge the acts because that is in the realm of what we can see, know that God judges the heart. It is not just committing sins that offends God but indulging in impure thoughts, pernicious curiosity and inordinate affection are also more annoying to God because in God's sight, you are your thoughts. As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.

It is therefore time for us to check out lives and hearts and see if it aligns with God's standards. It is high time we started our evaluation from the inside out and not just outside in. If we must receive from God in this season, we must be ready to check and purify our hearts and make it fitting for God.

I wish you the best of the season and May the good Lord give you a pure and clean heart as a gift for the season. We shall continue from there.

Solarin T. David

WHERE ART THOU?

Where are you?

Gen 3:9 - But the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, Where are you?

God is so much concern about man that He put into consideration all that concerns him even creating him. He made all that he will need to be available even before his arrival on the earth. The Lord even would not allow rain to fall on the earth because He has not found a man on the earth to manage it (Gen 2:5-6). He was also so careful to make a conducive environment and location for man to live to have fellowship with Him, to exercise his dominion grave and to fulfil the purpose for which he was created (Gen 2:8).

The location and position of man is so important in the heart of God. Hr is always concerned and conscious of where His beloved will be located because where you are located will determine what you will attract. Your location determines your allocation. Your divinely approved allocation will only be brought to you in the divinely expected location where God will have you to be. Your allocation will pass you by if you are not well located or positioned to receive it.

Jonah was sent to Nineveh but he decided on his own to go to Tarshish but by Divine mercy, he was repositioned for the call he has received. Though the Israelites were beloved of God, they could not fulfil the whole purpose of God for them in Egypt as Egypt was harsh on their existence. God knew that for the allocation of a son to come to Abraham, he must leave his father's house and move to another location (Gen 12:1-3). Could it be that Jesus was showing us the essence of divine location when He told His disciples to tarry in Jerusalem until they are endued with power? (Luke 24:49). Why not Samaria, Ethiopia or Egypt? And when the day of Pentecost was come, the Spirit of God was not guessing the location of the disciples because they were in the right location.

Your grace is in your place. When you are out of your place, you will end in disgrace. Your provision, protection, prosperity, peace and all other divine blessings for you will be released to you in abundance in your right divine location. Paul was not permitted to go to any other place apart from Macedonia because that was where God was ready to release grace upon him for.

It is high time you seriously ask yourself the same question that God ask Adam? Where are you? Is this the level you are suppose to be spiritually, financially, academically, career wise and in other spheres of life? Assess yourself under the light of God and of His Word. Wait on His consciously and diligently to ascertain what the Lord is saying about you for with God is the fountain of life and in His light can we see light. Light gives direction and shows destination hence the need to seek the light for revelations.

I see you moving to your high and right locations and position in life, ministry and other sphere of life in Jesus Name.

God bless you!!!

The Beginning of Wisdom 2

SO IT WAS FOOLISHNESS!!

2Chronicles 16:1-9

1. IN THE thirty-sixth year of Asa's reign, Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah, and built (fortified) Ramah intending to intercept anyone going out or coming in to Asa king of Judah.
2Then Asa brought silver and gold out of the treasuries of the house of the Lord and of the king's house and sent them to Ben-hadad king of Syria, who dwelt at Damascus, saying,

3Let there be a league between me and you, as was between my father and your father. Behold, I am sending you silver and gold; go, break your league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may withdraw from me.

4And Ben-hadad hearkened to King Asa and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel; and they smote Ijon, Dan, Abel-maim, and all the store cities of Naphtali.

5And when Baasha heard it, he stopped building Ramah and let his work cease.

6Then King Asa took all Judah, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber with which Baasha had been building, and with them he built Geba and Mizpah.

7At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him, Because you relied on the king of Syria and not on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Syria has escaped you.

8Were not the Ethiopians and Libyans a huge host with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet because you relied then on the Lord, He gave them into your hand.

9For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong in behalf of those whose hearts are blameless toward Him. You have done foolishly in this; therefore, from now on you shall have wars.

In the last article, we discussed about the fear of God as being the foundation and the first fruit of wisdom in the life of any man. While in our own human judgment, we classify as wise, men of expertise, experience, vast knowledge and high intelligent quotient but as we press through the Scripture we saw that God's view of wisdom is different from ours.

In the passage above, we saw a king who employed a very powerful strategy in handling the challenges of his domain. Looking at the strategy, it seems innocent and yet powerful. I was glad when I saw that the strategy won fit him what he desired. The enemy of his kingdom was overpowered and rendered helpless and he seemingly became a winner.
However, we saw that God is more concerned about the means than the end. He checks the means to reward the end. After the victory won, the Lord spoke pointedly to this king saying that "even though your strategy was perfect and productive yet all you have displayed before Me is utter foolishness. While you could have looked up to Me for help in reverence for Me, you acted in your strength forgetting that human efforts (the flesh) profits nothings before God. It's only His Spirit that quickens.

This verdict of God became an issue for me as I studied. So I could labored ceaselessly and produced results and yet God is saying I have been foolish. I could have used several methods to drag men to my church for increase all in the name of Church growth and yet the One I am suppose to be serving could be saying that I have been so foolish. I could have been moving from mounts to mountains to pray against some family demons and God is saying that I have been foolish.

The folly to God may be what other men around will revert and honor. The principles employed might have even worked for someone else yet I heard Jesus saying that "I must only live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord to me per time". The word of God from the mouth of the devil can be destructive hence you must be sure that Gods words from God's mouth is what you follow per time.

Alas! The Lord rewarded his folly by declaring that his kingdom will not experience peace. Could it be that the fact that you have not been experiencing peace in life and business is because you have acted foolishly? Could it be that the recent quarrels in your church committee is because of a foolish step you have taken which might have even produced a seemingly good result? How I wish you will check your life thoroughly under God's light so that He can help you as you respond to Him.

Prayer: My Father, I am very sorry for neglecting You and acting and taking steps in my own wisdom. I plead that You forgive me and help me to live my life always placing You as first in all things about and around me. Amen

The Beginning of Wisdom

How confused and confusing we can become if we do not learn how to see the scriptures from the light of God. It's so easy to misconstrue what the Spirit us saying to us through His words in print.

It seems that It's not a tough thing to distinguish between a fool and a wise man in our world, however from the little light I have received from God into His word I have come to see that our way of judging who is wise and foolish is different from how God views same. We use to think that it is how vast and deep a person's knowledge base is or how confounding he applies and practices truths that makes them wise before God. High intelligent quotient, success and achievement, eloquence speech and powerful philosophical depth are all good but doesn't really basically define wisdom with God.

While all these may also be a part of the components of wisdom, they are not the basic parts. Wisdom according to the scripture has a foundation that it lays in the life of any man who would be called wise. The scriptures reveals that wisdom would be justified by her fruits. Hence, the wise king Solomon revealed to us that the first fruit, foundation and the first installment of wisdom in the life of any man is the fear of God. (Proverbs 9:10). This truth was also confirmed in Psalms 111:10 thus giving us a basis for the witness of truth.

Knowledge, intelligence, brevity, time management, mentoring, acumen are all powerful attributes of wise men but the foundation that carries all these loads and benefits of wisdom on it is the fear of God. Anyone who appears to be wise but doesn't fear God is a very big fool. Even though he may seems to possess worldly characteristics of wisdom but before God he is nowhere to be found.

The basis attitude that a wise man has is the recognition of the sovereignty of God by revelation and responding to this God with humble reverence not out of fear but out of a revelation of divine worth and love.

CLIMB UP HIGHER

COME UP THE MOUNTAIN

“And seeing the multitudes, He went up into a mountain: and when He was set, His disciples came unto Him: And He opened His mouth, and taught them, saying, (Matthew 5:1-2)

Everyone can be on the ground or jump into the valley to meet with Jesus but very few can pay the price of climbing the mountain to have a close fellowship with the Lord. Multitude can throng after Jesus for what they want if Jesus is still on the ground with them, but only disciples can sacrifice their all to ignore what they have and who they are to climb up to meet the Master.

Jesus, who could not be confused, gave a little test to the crowd who were thronging after Him. He knew the hearts of men and so He refused to be confused with numbers, He proceeded to be sure of who His disciples really are. Multitudes want things and goods but the disciples want God and His righteousness. The crowd wants bread for free but the disciples wants the living bread and they are ready to pay any price to climb up the hills to meet with the One who is the living bread. 

Jesus was sent to come down to our level of humanity so that He can raise us up to His own level of spirituality and divinity. He does not have to continue to pamper us at the state and level we are, He must take us to several heights per time until the heights becomes our normal habitation (Ps 15, 24:4-6). If He must bring us up to His level, He must not continue to make us feel like the plain is our place, He does have to stretch us and take us out of our comfort zone into His own comfort zone so that His own comfort zone can become ours.

Men who will be made by God and who will represent God in this generation are men who are ready to leave the congregation of the multitude and despise the pain and agony of climbing the mountain to meet with Jesus. They are men who find no peace and comfort without being with their Master. They do all they can to return to Him each time they realise that they have left their mountain state of fellowship with the Master. These are men who are ready to distinguish themselves from the crowd and they are ready to damn the consequences of persecution from their colleagues.

However, it is good to note that no one will climb this mountain top with Jesus and will have his time wasted. Immediately they got to the mountain top with Jesus, He began to speak to them. Jesus cannot afford to waste the time of those who pay the price of climbing the mountain top with Him. He will always open His heart up to them because they are men that can be trusted with the oracles of God. The men are the plain just wanted to see miracles, but men at the mountain want to see Him and hear His words. Moses was a man of the mountain little wonder God made His ways known to Moses and His acts (miracles) to the children of Israel. Men who have the ways command the acts.

I charge you this day to despise all the comfort of the plain and the valley and come up higher because Jesus is seated waiting for you to come and hear His words and fellowship with Him so that He can show you great and mighty things which thou knowest not.

START FROM WHERE YOU ARE

IF YOU MUST GO UP, START FROM WHERE YOU ARE

Acts 1:8, Joshua 1:1-8, Gen 13:14-17

It is so natural for most people that immediately they receive the vision of where God has in mind for them, they began to savor the beauty and the reality of the place. As much as this is not bad, it is a tricky and slippery for those who cannot manage same. Most times, many lose the joy and peace of the present in search of the future. This is why some Christians while still alive become of no earthly relevance because they are too heaven conscious. God’s plan is for us to bring heaven to earth and hereafter enjoy the full realities of heaven. The plan of God is that our journey to the top must start from appreciating where we and moving from there to where we ought to be.

Every journey has a beginning and that is why God is both the beginning and the end and not just the end. If you miss the place of your beginning, you may lose your glorious ending. There is no short cut with God in the race of life, ministry and destiny. Even though God’s plan is for man to have dominion over the earth, He did not create million of men at several places but just one man in one location from where he will rule and reign over the rest of the earth. Even though Adam had the mandate for the whole earth, his assignment was to begin at Eden. It is as you manage Eden aright that the capacity to expand and advance will be released unto you.

God looks at what is in your heart to release gifts into your hands. Starting from where you are is a kingdom principle that must be imbibed by all who wants to be used greatly of God in this dispensation. You must be able to run the affairs of the sphere where God has placed you effectively so that you can be placed in greater spheres of influences. Despite the fact that God is desperately hungry that the gospel of salvation should spread quickly all over the world, He also did not scatter the disciples immediately after their empowerment into all the nooks and crannies of the earth, He instructed them to start from where they were.

Listen friends, no matter what God has instructed you to do, never be in a hurry. Starting from where you are means start at your level and more often than not your location. Always learn to move at God’s timing. However, God may exclusively instruct to move away from your location. However, even in that location you have got to learn to start at your present level then God will move you to the next.

Prayer: God help me to enjoy and maximize the present so as to create a better future for myself and my generation in You. Amen!!!

STRENGTH FOR THE JOURNEY

STRENGTH FOR THE JOURNEY

Eccl 10:15; 7:8; Prov 24:10; Isa 40:28-31; 1Kgs 19:4-8

It is not just enough to embark on a journey, it is wise to embark on the right journey in the right direction and getting to the destination strong. Jesus said '♍Y̶̲̅ will is to do the will of Him that has sent me and to FINISH His work'. (John 4:34). It is no more news that the journey of the year 2014 is another work that the Almighty God has given to us and we are under a strong obligation to finish well and strong for better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof.

One of the major need for us as we embark on this journey with the aim of finishing well is STRENGTH. It is good to note that even though the joy of a new beginning, the ecstasy of new dreams and visions and many motivational talks and charges around might have generated a seeming fresh kind of enthusiasm within us but the true test of strength is when it passes through trials and challenges without quitting. Solomon the Wise said 'If you faint in the days of adversity, thy strength is little.'

Strength generated from without us (from motivational talks, circumstances, environments etc) can only take us so far. There is a need for a reservoir of strength released from above and generated from within to really win in this race of life. The fools get confused early in the journey because they have their strength exhausted early as they proceed. God told Joshua to be strong because HE knows that it takes strength to fulfil divine purpose. If you must fulfil divine purpose in 2014, you must receive strength from the true source of God. The Psalmist affirmed 'The Lord is the strength of ♍Y̶̲̅ life', little wonder He finished well.

Prayers: ♍Y̶̲̅ Father, I acknowledge You as the strength of ♍Y̶̲̅ life. Please grant me Thy strength that I may the purpose for which You have enlisted me for the journey of this new year. Amen!!

LOOK UP TO GO UP

IF YOU MUST GO UP, YOU MUST LOOK UP

Psalms 121:1-3; Heb 12:1-2; John11:41; Mark 6:41

Every upward journey demands an upward focus. God specializes in giving us vision in the direction of our destination in life according to His plans for us and He expects that we look in the direction of this destination irrespective of the challenges we face on the journey. Little wonder, Jesus said that if our eye be single, our whole body will be full of light. Heaven places much value on those who value them enough to look up to them in points of needs instead of looking in other directions.

Challenges on the journey are normal occurrences for anyone who will finish strong and receive the trophy at the end of the journey. The greater the challenges, the greater the value of the trophy to be won after the contest. Likewise, challenges are not to mar or break us, they are designed on our path to make us fit for the next level of the journey and assignment. However, where we look up to in times of challenges determines if truly we would be made or marred after such challenge. The Psalmist said ‘I will lift up my eyes to the hill. From whence my help comes?’ where you look up to in times of challenges reveals who you trust in.

At a point in the ministry of Jesus on the earth, He was faced with the great challenge of feeding 5000 men in a location where food cannot be bought and where there was no food available to be served. He got just 5 loaves and 2 fishes for the great multitude yet He was not moved. When He took the loaves and the fishes, he shifted His gaze away from the little resources and also from the great resources and fixed it upon Him who dwells in heaven with whom all things are possible. When He looked up to God in heaven, God looked down to him in mercy and miracle was birthed.

Many of us have lost our various miracles because we shift our focus away from the one who can help. Our help comes not from abroad but from above. We should have faith strong enough in God to always look up to Him all circumstances. Likewise, Jesus faced with the tomb of Lazarus also shifted His gaze away from the deadness of Lazarus neither was He focused on the crowd of professional mourners. He looked up again and another miracle was birthed. Friends, if you must enjoy miracles on the upward journey of life, never be tempted to take your gaze away from God who above you.

When you look down, you would feel relaxed because you will have a sense of accomplishment that you are still better than others. When you look around you, you would the distractions and side attractions of no worth just like Peter on the stormy seas. When you take off your eye away from Jesus to the world around you, you would start to sink but when you look up to Him with whom is your help, you will win and share your testimonies.

Prayers:  In spite of all the challenges around, fears within me, Father help me to keep fixing my gaze on You and Your Christ.