PREPARING FOR THE GLORY AHEAD 2

PREPARING FOR THE GLORY PART 2

“For our light afflictions, which is but for a moment is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, Since we consider and look not the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen, for the things that are visible are temporal but the things that are invisible are eternal" (2Cor 4:17- 18)

In the last episode, we saw that all things works together for the good of man. Hidden in any affliction of man is a seed for promotion unto higher levels of glory. It takes the eyes of faith to see the opportunities for promotions in the examination of difficulties. Pessimists can never see this because a natural man cannot understand the things of the spirit.

It is good for us to know that it’s not every challenging situation that we face that is an attack from the pit of hell. Jesus would have fought against the soldiers who come to attack him if he did not have the understanding of God’s will instead He would have supported peter who was frivolous in his actions. The first thing to do in the face of any challenge is to go to God rejoicing and submitting to His will trusting that He cares about you and will not suffer His Holy One to see corruption (Ps 16:10). It’s the knowledge of God’s purpose in that situation that becomes the basis and spring of joy in our heart. (Jer 15:16).

A pregnant woman despite the pain of conception and pregnancy would never curse God or pray that God should remove the pregnancy. Instead, she will endure the pains and seeming afflictions that accompanies the pregnancy because she knows that the pain is just for 9 months (temporal) and will soon be over. She knows the joy and glory of being a mother hence, the pain to her will be a “pleasurable pain”.

Likewise, whenever the thought of God which is always good and peacable is revealed over any challenging situation, the one in the seeming pain is at peace knowing that God is working out something for his/her good. Just like when Jesus was beaten, battered and crucified for our sake, the knowledge of the glory that was set ahead of him made despise and ignore the shame and pain of the cross. (Heb 12:2)

When you find yourself in any painful or challenging situations, focusing on the challenges in empowering and quickening them. When you take your focus off the problem and fix it on God, you will begin to see the mountain as nothing compared to God. Not only that, God will begin to show you steps to take from the scriptures and by His spirit in you to come out triumphant at the end. When you began to worship Him in the pain, He reveals the gains to you, prepares you for the gain and glory and ensure that your lines falls in pleasant places regardless of your environment and circumstance.

At points like this, what comes out of you determines what’s going on in you. What goes on in you depends on what/who you are focused on (God or the World). While joy and praises draws water from the well of salvation for you to drink; complaints, mummurs and grumblings activates the ministry of demons that makes the situation appear darker & darker and your days of mourning shall extend.

Keep on keeping on!!!

PREPARING FOR THE GLORY

PREPARING FOR THE GLORY

"For our light affliction, which is but for a moment is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" 2cor 4:17.

Many times, we have focused our messages and preaching on how to overcome and navigate through share times, trials and afflictions. We have spent more time for God to remove our pains and cause the hard times to be over without understanding that strength is never gain in idleness. In every conflict, trials and affliction, man gains strength and prove who he is within and with every conquest, man attains to greater heights in life and reality.

Apostle Paul in the scriptures above revealed that every affliction faced by Christians is light and temporary and that the work of these slight distress in time is to prepare for us and prepare us for "an eternal weight of glory". The irony of the matter is that many of us cry that the "afflictions" which are light should be taken away because they are choking. How then are we going to manage the stress and strain of the eternal, lasting "weights" of glory that we anticipate if we cannot endure the light affliction?

For anyone in Christ, all things works together for good. It is just for us to always ask God to show us His will in and for every situation we find ourselves knowing fully well that nothing (no situation) can separate us from the love of Christ. Remember that God used the wilderness to prepare the Israelites for the promised land so that the glory and wealth of the land won't destroy them.

Many people have lost their glorious destinies more by entering into a particular realm of glory they were not prepared, equipped and trained for (e.g Samson , king Saul) than those who lost it because of hardships and trials. How can you convince God that you are fit for the weight of glory when the light afflictions have made you turn your back to God? The wise king said if you faint in the days of adversity and affliction, your strength is small.

Learn to develop strength in the valley in preparation for your manifestation on the mountain. Manifestation on the mount without adequate preparation in the valley will lead to destruction and damnation.

LOVE GAVE US VOLITION

LOVE TRUSTED US ENOUGH TO GRANT US FREEWILL

Gen 2: 15-17; Joshua 24:15-16; John 3:16

Even though Love created His objects of love by Himself and with His resources, He did not because of that create a being without a will. He did not create a being that will just be tossed to and fro by Himself regardless of what that object wishes to do. He created a being with a volition who can decide and make choices including the bad ones.

Love gave us the conditions, spelt out the rules and made the standard unambiguous so that there will be no excuse for man to falter in his walk with Him and work with Him. Yet He did not compel man to follow His will and ways. He only wishes man does so and He encourages man to do so. All He did was to show us the repercussions of going against His will and the benefits of doing them.

Even after sending Jesus to die, He did not over ride our will to force us to accept Christ and His finished work for us just like some of us do or wishes to do to our children, spouse, employee et al. Love doesn't force others to change their ways and character against their will. Love only expresses His nature to such so as to help them see reasons by the revelation of His love. What He does is to empower the Holy Spirit to respond to the intercession of Christ and His ambassadors before Him on behalf of men to remove the veil covering the eyes of their mind (2 Cor 4:3-4)

Love rejoices when His will is done. Why not respond to His love and seek to know and do His will. When His will is done, your future is secured.

Prayer: Father please help make good use of my free will henceforth. Let my will be submitted to Your will and let Your will be my delight all my days. Amen!!!

LOVE AND RESPONSIBILITIES

LOVE MADE US RESPONSIBLE

Gen 1:26-31; 2:5, 15, 2 Peter 1:3-4

While many people think love is doing everything for your spouse, children and some loved ones, we can see God who is the true representation of love giving us all we need to get things done instead of doing everything for us. He gave us all we will ever need but He did not spoil us to the point of being spoonfed for everything.

He has given us all things that pertains to life and godliness yet we still have to take responsibility to really appropriate and maximize what He has made available to us. God was not looking for a love object who would be a moron or a robot who is being programmed everywhere. God was and is still looking for responsible beings who can represent Him and showcase His true glory to their world.

The first declaration of blessings and command to man is Be Fruitful. Here God was saying that 'hey, see all that you need have been provided for and all you have to do now is to manage these resources aright and be creative enough to use them. Whatsoever you can ever need can be gotten from everything I have placed in your care. If you need a child use your sperm to fertilise the ovum; when you need a cloth, you can get from wool or animal skin; if you need a house you can get from sand, stones, gravel and water that I have provided. So be responsible enough to make life comfortable for yourself.'

Love did not raise spoilt brats as children, Love did not compel a boss to do all things for an employee who is lazy, Love does not make everything available for a disciple or menthe, Love has not commanded us to make people not accountable and responsible but for us to encourage their initiatives. Though Jesus said it is finished, It does not mean that we do not have work to do it only means that the end of His assignment is the beginning of ours.

Prayer: Father, thank you for not creating me a moron or a robot. Thank you for the spirit of counsel that helps me to take initiatives in situations around me and with resources around and within me. Help me understand the purpose of all that You have created for me and rightly appropriate them for use to the honor and glory of Thy Name, for the fulfilment of my destiny and also for the betterment of mankind. Amen!!

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LOVE DID IT ALL FOR ME

LOVE DID IT ALL

Genesis 1:26-31; 2:8-9; Eph 1:3; Col 2:10

God Himself is the personification of Love and it will be wise for us to glean from His nature and features of love.

Another expression of divine love as expressed in creation is that God created all that we ever will need before we would even need them. He created us to enter into His rest. He created us such that our first day on earth after creating us was His own day of rest so that we can receive strength from entering into His rest before we enter into our work.Our first day of work began after we have received strength from Him as we rested together with Him.

He created the seed bearing plants throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for our food. He gave us authority to take the plants, animals and even birds as food. He made the garden in Eden for us to exercise authority over even before creating us. He planted all sorts of beautiful trees therein producing choicest of fruits. All we ever needed was provided for even before we were created. What a LOVING FATHER WE HAVE!

While He planned for our recreation, He also made plans that all we will ever need will be found in Him. He gave us Christ in whom is all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge so that we can have all we need.

Beloved, each time we see the trees of the field, the flowers in our garden, the herbs and the shrubs, the animals in their pens and habitats and all other birds of the air, we should give thanks to God for His love towards us. Each time we wake up and remember Christ as given to us, even when we do not have anything on us, we should always celebrate the fullness we have in Him. It is only a love God that can do all these. How wretched are those who neglect such a loving Father as Him! How poor are those who deny Christ in their ignorance! How foolish are those who put other trust in riches forgetting that it was this Father who created all things!

It takes trust on God's side in His proposed objects of love to release all these blessings on Him even when He has not been tested. True love thrive in an atmosphere of trust and faithfulness.

Prayer: Father, I did not know that You love me this way. I did not know that you have honored me this way. Please open my eyes the more to see the riches of Your love and help me to respond aright to these revelations with the right heart of worship and faith. Amen!!!

GET UP TO GO UP 2

IF YOU MUST GO UP YOU MUST GET UP 2

2 KINGS 6:24-25; 7:1-16, EPH 5:14

Faith in God is the key of living a pleasing life before God (Heb 11:6). The unseen controls the seen and if we must have authority in the seen world we must have influence and connection in the unseen world by reason of our faith in the unseen God. The scripture in several places reveals that the life of the Just is that of faith. The righteous cannot survive without faith on the earth because it is faith in God and His word that commits God to work (2Chron 16:9).

However, many of us keep waiting on God for a miracle because we do not have faith in the instructions we have received from Him. Many of us want God to set the stage for us before we take steps in that direction. We always want our circumstance and environment to show that God is at work before we act on what He says. More often than not, God does not act until we act. He said draw unto Me and I will draw unto you. When we move in the direction of Gods words, God is moved to move in our direction to provoke the needed miracles. Until Peter launched in the direction of divine instructions, he did not see the miracles he needed.

Someone said Faith is acting as if it is so even when it is not so that it can be so because with God it is already so. The lepers would have died wretched in their lepers colony if they did not take the bold step of damning the consequence of their actions. Esther would not have been celebrated till this day if she had not taken the bold step of facing the king after waiting on the King of kings. Many of us tarry in the place of waiting on God not because we trust God so much but because we are scared of taking actions on what God has said because to us it does not sound reasonable. The word of the Lord to someone today is this Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.

Until you move in the direction of the instructions you have received from God so far, you are not entitled to the supply of God. The light of God would not shine on you if you will not arouse strength, courage and energy to arise and awake from your present state and position. Until Elijah got up from where He was to go to the house of the Widow of Zarephath, he was seeing hunger and famine but when He got up, God got up on his behalf and when God arises on your behalf, all the angels in heaven have no place to rest until they are through sorting out your case. Get up for the ground is not your place; your rightful place is at the top.

Reflections: What are those things that God have instructed me to do hitherto that I have postponed? Write them down and start to take steps towards knowing that With God all things are possible. Likewise to him that believes on what God says, all things are possible.

Confession: I will arise and take my place regardless of my past, my present circumstances and environment. I will move in the direction of Gods instruction so that I can provoke a move from god on my behalf.

GET UP TO GO UP

IF YOU MUST GO UP YOU MUST GET UP

2 Kings 6:24-25; 7:1-16, Eph 5:14

As much we can never undermine the place of waiting diligently on God, we must also emphasize the fact that every genuine waiting in the kingdom is to receive instructions on what to do and the strength to do the same. Waiting on God is key but more often than not, God is also waiting on us to take actions and steps towards the actualization of the revelations we have received from Him. The first introduction of our God is in the scriptures is that He is an action God and not a passive One. In the beginning, God created and not God slept.

The God we serve is a moving God and those who will walk with Him must be ready to move at His pace. You cannot sit down helplessly and expect to win with God. God is looking for men who are ready to take steps in the direction of their purpose in alignment with divine instructions. To get up means to arouse strength, courage and energy for the task ahead. This was what God was saying to Joshua at the beginning of His ministry after Moses death. God was saying to Joshua, you cannot continue to weep and mourn the death of Moses and win the race that Moses started, you have to get up and run the race that have been set before you. Likewise God told Prophet Samuel that if Israel must go up in the fulfillment of destiny, Samuel must get up from the place of mourning for Saul and proceed to go and anoint David as the next King of the land.

The horror of past failures, the phobia of present challenges and the unfriendly environment we have found ourselves, and the fear of the unknown future has crippled many of us on the path of destiny in this earthly journey. Some of us have even concluded that we cannot achieve anything worthwhile in life again yet I can hear the Lord saying to someone reading this piece today that you cannot continue to stay where you are till you die, you have to get up and move in the direction of your desired future. The lepers said to themselves Why sit we here till we die?  They got to a point where they were tired of status quo and they were ready to even take the risk of death for their emancipation.

It is high time we got up from sleep and slumber. It is time to break free from the past and present chain, fetters and shackles around you and race up towards the goal that God has set before you. If we must go up and take the land, we must damn the size of the giants and the strength of their walls and take a bold step of faith acting on what God has told us. Always remember For the Lord God shall help us, we shall not be confounded, so we have set forth our face like a flint (we are resolute and determined, focused in the direction of our vision), for we know that we shall not be ashamed.

Prayers: Father please stir my heart and spirit up. Help me to take a bold step of faith in the direction of my future regardless of the challenges around me. Amen!!!

EVALUATION AND ASSESSMENT

ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION
Gen 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31

Everyone really concerned about success in the journey of life, ministry and destiny must have goals and must also take time at intervals to assess and evaluate himself to check if he is still in alignment with the path and requirements for the fulfilment of the goals. It is oftentimes easy to swerve off the path of destiny journey as we run the race because of the pressure from the race hence the need for us to always go back to the drawing board to see if truly we have aligned with the set goals and rules.

One of the characteristics of a goal is that it must be measurable and time bound. One must be able to look back and measure if we have actually tried our best in the direction of the vision.

We saw the Almighty God as He introduced us to goals settings and assessment in the beginning. He set the goals of what to be achieved per day in the course of creation as recorded in the scripture. Each day, He arises to do what He has set in His mind to do and after each day's work, He looks back to assess and evaluate Himself. We hear Him say to Himself that 'What I have done today is good'. That gives Him a sense of fulfilment and accomplishment. It helps Him to celebrate Himself and be prepared for the next assignment I'm the right track.

This is a new month and it is a good time to check out lives spiritually, maritally, financially, academically and in other spheres and really do critical impartial assessments. While we know that many people fail in their New year resolutions, I believe that this evaluation will help us to align with what God has shown us at the beginning of our journey to destiny.

Prayer: Father please open my eyes to see Your assessment of me for my past years and days and especially for this past month. Amen!!!

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LOVE REDEFINED

LOVE REDEFINED (The motivation for creation)

1John 4:8;16, Psalms 8, Gen 1:26-31

The first book of the Holy Scriptures reveals to us the records of the events of creation. It reveals to us how God lighted the dark places of the earth, gave form to the formlessness and filled up the emptiness of the earth. After all these, we realised that God did all He did just to make the earth habitable for man and for man to be the king and authority over the earth as long as he subject himself to the authority of his creator.

One day, as I was meditating on the concept of biblical creation of man and the earth, I was moved to ask the Holy Spirit for the inner motivation that propel God to create man and grant him such privileges. The Holy Spirit made me realised that actions are reflection of the true nature of the actor. The creation of man was born out of the hunger of God for an object of love by reason of His nature as the Love God. Creation was just a reflection of the Love nature of God. He was hungry for someone upon whom He can lavish His love and resources to prove His Love nature. Love isn't perfect if we have a subject of love without an object of love.

The nature of God made Him to act out in love. Who you are inside will determine what you will reflect outside. Your heart will determine your acts. Permit me to confront you today with the fact that you cannot claim to love if you do not possess the nature of the Love God in you. God is Love and until you are born of God, you possess the nature of the devil. It is impossible for the devil to love. Even his agents will end up in the fire with him. He does not have the capacity to love likewise you if you are not born again.

May I warn someone reading this piece today that no one can truly love you if it is not Christ that is loving you through such a person. The heart of an unregenerate man is deceitful and full of darkness and the heart will determine the acts. The person may claim to be loving but it is all deceit and wouldn't last. The son of a devil is a devil. Always remember this.

Prayer: Father please help me to understand the true nature You possess and represent. Help me live my life with the consciousness of Your heart within and let Your nature be made my reality
Amen!!!

COMMUNION: FUEL TO LOVE

COMMUNION: FUEL TO LOVE

Rev 4:11; Gen 5:21-24; Heb 11:5-6

While God called forth other creatures to existence, He took His time to create, form and make man to conform into His image and likeness so that He can have smooth fellowship with man with ease at all times. God knew that for man to be able to relate with and commune with Him the right thing to do is to design and make man in His own replica, image and likeness.

God decided to upgrade His style of creation because of the love He has for man even making him. He created man specially for communion with Himself so that we can be fit for dominion on the earth for Him. The strength and authority for dominion on the earth was designed divinely to spring from our communion with God and our communion with Him cannot be a reality if we do not possess within us what will make for a connection, communication and communion with God.

We were created out of love for fellowship with the person of God so as to transmit same to all creatures. In our days, we emphasise the dominion mandate without a good grasp on the Communion requirement. God is still hungry for fellowship with His men till this day and it is with men that create time for God that He is well pleased. (Gen 5:21-24; Hen 11:5-6)

The proof of God's love toward man is the privilege of being conferred with the dominion mandate and mantle but the demand of God's love from man is the appreciation and appropriation of the grace, privilege and platform of communion with God.

Prayer: Father help me to understand the value of the rare privilege of communing with You and please help me to maximise same to bring honor to You all my days on the earth. Amen!!!

LOOK DOWN ON NO ONE

LOOK DOWN ON NO ONE ON THE JOURNEY

Gen 1:26-31; 1 Sam 30:8-11; Acts 4:13; John 4:39-42

When God created man, He did not create some to be superior and some to be inferior. He created all men to be in His image and likeness.  After creating other creatures, He looked and said It was good but after creating man, He looked and said it was very good. Man being the crown of God's creation on the earth was the reason why God moved from the realm of 'good' to 'very good'. Man is the workmanship, best work of art of God and the masterpiece of God.

Alas, many of us despise what God value. We rate ourselves superior to others because we think that they do not possess what we have and so they do not fall into the class of men whom we can associate with you. We assess men by worldly concept of superiority thus causing serious pain to the heart of God. Most times, many of us lose those whom God has prepare to help us fulfil our purpose on the journey of life because we expect too much from those we think God should send to us.

David on his journey of recovering all that the Amalekites have taken from his camp at Ziklag had an encounter with an Egyptian who seems to be of no value to them but David by God's wisdom cared for the man despite the need to recover his people and his goods. On the long run, it was this man that God used to make their journey successful. One would have thought that God would have led Elijah to a rich man in the land instead of the widow of zarephath but God works in mysterious ways. He uses the base things of this world to confound the wise.

Jesus showed us a great example of valuing men. In making the choice of his disciples, He did not go for the elites or the educated of his days. He stooped low to the company of the fishermen, to the sinful tax collector in Matthew and to several men of no significance in the sight of men. The pathway of the gospel into Samaria was paved by a woman who would have been tagged by many of us to be an harlot. No one is invaluable with God and God can use anyone to assist you in the fulfillment of divine purpose.

No one looks down and go up. You only move in the direction of your vision. When you look down always on men, you cannot go far in life because your focus and vision will always be downwards. You lose the opportunities around you and ahead of you when you despise men and look down on them. If you must go up, look up and see the best in men around you.

Prayers: Grant me Father the true understanding of the fact that You created men in Your image and likeness for Your pleasure and glory that I may live aright with men around me. Amen!!!

GOD OF THE CONTRAST 4

GOD OF THE CONTRAST 4

In the last episode of this topic, we saw the biblical injunctions as to our rightful attitude during each season of any of the extremes of the contrast since our attitude determines how profitable or otherwise the situation will be for us.

In this episode, I want to highlight some of the steps to be taken especially when we find ourselves in the negative extreme of the contrast of life.

1) CHECK YOUR LIFE UNDER GOD'S LIGHT: Whenever it seems that hard times strike us, we must strive to quickly place ourselves under Gods searchlight and see if there be any iniquity in us that has attracted the challenges to our lives (Psalms 139:23-24). Having done this and we see ourselves free from any sin or guilt, that is when we can stand confidently in God waiting for His time and purpose. The wages of sin is death. Death is not just a cessation of life but a reality of being cut off from the rightful environment where one belong. When Adam was sent out from Eden, He was dead to Eden and alive to the forest . When a child is born, he is dead to the womb and alive to the world of men.

Likewise whenever we sin, the result of sin may be our being cut off from our season of prosperity and translation into a season of adversity. Thanks to God for the blood of Jesus that cleanses us from all our sins whenever we confess them with a genuine contrite and repentant heart. (I John 1:9)

B) UNDERSTAND GOD'S UNDYING LOVE FOR YOU: Read Isaiah 48:10-11, ROM 8:31-39.
Always remind yourself that whatever a love God does to His own children are acts of love. Our God is love , loving and lovable and can never do any wicked or harmful thing to His beloved. He does things in love in His own way and for His Name sake.

When we understand His love in any situation, it'll be difficult for us to complain or murmur in His hearing. Our revelation of His love towards us propels within us a strong love for Him that makes the situation work for our good. Paul the apostle noted that nothing can seperate us from the love of Christ . This means that our situations does not regulate Christ's love for us I.e either we are rich or poor, His love for us is intact. This means that even if we are feeling pain because of the circumstances we are facing we should have a rest, assurance and succour in the truth that in all these, Christ still loves me.

The loving God of the mountain is still the caring God in the valley !!!

GOD OF CONTRAST 3

GOD OF THE CONTRAST 3

"Enjoy prosperity whenever you can (I.e. Be joyful in thy days of prosperity) and when hard times strikes, realize that God gives one as well as the other - so that everyone will realize that nothing is certain in this life." [Eccl 7:14]

In the last two episodes of the article on this subject, we outlined the acts of the God of Contrast and how these contrasts works in alignment with Divine purpose for our lives. No one of these extreme experience is meant to be permanent. Just as God permits one of the extremes of the contrast so also does He ordains the other extreme for the balance and maturity of man.

In the scriptures quoted above, we saw the reactions that is expected of man in responding to any of these two extremes of life. The wise preacher said that when we are on the mountain of prosperity and plenty, we should rejoice and enjoy its season maximally. To rejoice and enjoy one's self in times of prosperity is not difficult; it's so natural to rejoice and be glad when things are working out fine for us. It seems so natural and spontaneous for anyone who has what he needs per time to be glad.

However the instruction did not stop there. He proceeded by the inspiration of the Almighty God to say that our season of adversity, scarcity and hardship should not become seasons of murmuring and complaints but should be season of contemplation, consideration, retrospection and introspection. Elder James in his epistles came so strong on this issue in His opening chapter when he said that we should "Consider it great joy whenever we experience various trials." [James 1:2]

While the instructions seems so simple but it takes an understanding mind to respond accordingly. He didn't just say that we should count it a joy but that we should count it great joy when we are faced with various trials and not just one trial. This response demands serious meditation that will bring us into the light of divine perspective and purpose.

Many of us waste away our season of trials and tribulations because we are not so calm to wait on God to receive the understanding the purpose of same. God is a God of order and gives to each of us what we deserve per time for us to learn and grow into maturity as our faith is being tested.

The preacher noted that God sends both happiness and trouble (Eccl 7:14 GNB) I.e. they happen to us by His permission or approval. He noted also that God made one extreme side by side with the other (Eccl 7:14 AMP) and no one has the right to determine which of the extremes he will experience per time. He however opened our eyes to know that God does all for us to know that no one of these extremes is permanent in life. (Eccl 7:14 LB).

Our hope in times of challenges and hardship should come from the understanding that neither good times nor bad times are meant to last forever. They were meant to pass away and not to stay forever. God only permitted them in time to test and train us and also to strengthen our endurance. The fact that we experience bad times does not necessarily means we have sinned (while that may be the case) but it just means that God reckons with us as individuals.

When we get to the level of carefully considering the acts of God in our hard times, we will definitely end up with revelations that will give us joy and the joy that comes from God to us will strengthen us to navigate through and endure the rough and tough season without offending God with our murmuring or complaints. We will be so sure that God is still God in all situations.

To be continued!!!

GOD OF THE CONTRAST 2

GOD OF THE CONTRAST 2

When God declared that His ways are not our ways, little did I understand the gravity of those words until light began to dawn on me from the scriptures by the Holy Spirit. Often, our definitions, views and perspectives on several issues in life are far different from God's. This we must always be conscious of so as to remain humble before Him to be able to receive His Grace.

The scriptures reveals that the path of the just is a progressively shinning light till the perfect day. However, most of us do not understand God's view of progress and setbacks. At times, waiting on God with no obvious forward movement is heaven's best definition of progress. God has designed that all things will work for the good of His beloved be it darkness or light, night or day or even the valley or the mount.

The God who created the mountain is also He that created the valley and He uses both for the good of His people. Life is in cycles of ups and downs, highs and lows, valleys and mountains. Reality reveals these Contrast as instability but faith defines them as progress. God uses both the valley and the mountains to make us into who He created us to be. More often than not, the valley is the place of hiding, fasting and making while the mountains is the place of manifestation, feasting and testing.

When we are on the mountain, we often talk of our faith and the result of our faith. Talk comes so easy on the mountain when life is at its best. That is when we have all the advice to give to those who seems to be struggling around us. Those are times when we are tempted to think that we are better than those who are in the plain or in the valley, we feel like if they know and apply the principles that we used they would also have made it and we forget that life is about times and seasons. However, God is just that He would not allow us to remain permanently having the mountaintop transfiguration experience just like Peter without having a taste of the valley.

The valley is where our faith is being tested just like with Jesus in the wilderness. It's a place of trials and temptation. Oftentimes, it is a place of loneliness. Friends surrounds you on the mountain when all seems to be going on well but friends desert you in the valley. Yet all these lessons are meant for our good and balanced Christian living on this earth.

Know that often great adversity is the womb of great prosperity. Great trials, tests and tribulations are wombs of great triumph, testimonies and jubilation. The lower the depth of the valley and the challenges therein, the higher the value of trophy to be won. One extreme seems to give birth to another extreme. Problems give birth to progress and vice versa. (Job 2:10, 30:26)

However, in all these, count them all joy for we are more than conqueror. The experiences are temporal and are meant for our good but the rewards are eternal (Romans 8:17-18). Always remember that the God on the mountains is still God in the valley!!!

To be continued!!!

Solarin Temilola David

Facebook: David Solarin
Twitter: bishopdave111
Phone: 08030796789
E-mail: bishopdave111@yahoo.com, solarindavid@gmail.com

GOD OF THE CONTRAST

GOD OF THE CONTRAST

The power authority and efficacy of the Most High God cannot be put to question for it has been tested and trusted over the years from eternity past till now. He is the ultimate and greatest authority who dwells in the heaven and doeth that which pleases Him. However, with all His powers and authority, I saw Him make a decree which seems to be violated. I was so shocked when I noted that after that God declared light on the earth (Gen 1:3), there was still darkness thereon.

In my own little mind, I thought that immediately God made a decree of light on the earth, there should not be any iota of darkness on the earth again. However I still saw that darkness remained. While meditating on this, I realized that God later reckoned with the darkness (Gen 1:5). This was when I realized that even though God is Light and the Father of lights (James 1:17), He still has plans and purposes for darkness.

I observed later in the scriptures that God promised Cyrus the King "the hidden treasures of the dark places" ( Isaiah 45:3). He also spoke to the elders of Israel from the midst of darkness (Deut 5:23). Also, I saw that God made darkness as coverings and canopies around Himself (2Sam 22:11).

In view of all these, I realized that God in His infinite wisdom purposely left darkness on the earth to serve His own purpose to the honor of His Name and for the good of mankind. Alas, it is painful that man has greatly misconstrued the place and purpose of darkness and has made darkness synonymous with evil. The same God who is Light is also God over darkness. If there was no need of it, He would have in His omnipotence removed it completely but in His love and mercy has left it on earth for the welfare of man.

Looking inwards and around, I see us, especially Christians, complain and murmur in dark times of life when all seems not to be making sense and confusion seems to reign because we cannot see How a loving God will use darkness to serve His own purpose for our good. Darkness to man symbolizes evil and confusion, yet with God both light and darkness appears brightly and plain. It takes a man of meditation and understanding to learn and know that for a Christian, good times and bad times are either ordained or permitted by God for His own purpose in man and on earth. He would not permit a seeming tough time for His own if there is no purpose for it and benefit in it.

Always know that the God who created the mountain is He who created the valley, He who created the day also created the night, He who created the rain also created the sun and all these are to serve His purpose all for your good. God is still God in all these situations and circumstances. He is Love and His love nature permeates His creatures.

Oh the God of the Contrast!!!!

To be continued!!!

kingdom realities: THE HEART ISSUES (PART 2)

kingdom realities: THE HEART ISSUES (PART 2): THE HEART ISSUES 2 The heart of man is the center and crux of his life for as he thinks in his heart so is he and it is out of the abundan...

THE HEART ISSUES (PART 2)

THE HEART ISSUES 2

The heart of man is the center and crux of his life for as he thinks in his heart so is he and it is out of the abundance of his heart that his life follows and expresses. God Almighty keeps searching to and fro the earth in search of men whose heart are upright and stable towards Him that He may show Himself strong on their behalf.

In the previous article, we emphasized that God's basis for evaluating man is the state of their hearts. In furtherance to that, we saw another striking part of the scripture that pointed strongly on God's view of our heart again. "If I regard (treasure, cherish, appreciate) iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me". (Ps 66:18).

How striking these words are to me! It seems as if all our cries, fasts and prayers can be hampered not just by committing sins but by appreciating and cherishing them in our hearts (where no man can see into). There are some sins that perhaps because of our status, they may be difficult to commit for us, but deep inside us, we have high regards for them. We sometimes wish and desire that we commit them but it seems that societal view of us would not permit us. You may not be a thief by act but you appreciate the fact that a fellow brother stole government funds and you whisper to yourself that 'how I wish I could have done that too' and sometimes you seem to say it jokingly. In God's sight and evaluation, you are already a thief.
The verdict of the scriptures reveals that though the acts of sins are abomination to God yet it shows us that a heart corrupted with a regard for iniquity  is irritation to God. The danger is that quietly it takes you off from God and strip you off His glory wears. God refuses to hear your supplications because of your heart condition and you end up in destruction.

Could it be that those secret thoughts and desires of yours have been the cause of your set backs and failures? Could it be that you have become a spiritual toothless bulldog because of these acts? Why not set your heart straight in this new year so that this year should not be added to your wasted years on earth. May God give you understanding!!!.