2017
The Violent Takes It By Forces
“And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force” (Matthew 11:12, NKJV).
The Ellicott’s Bible commentary described the violent in Matthew 11:12 as men (or women) of eager, impetuous zeal, who grasp the kingdom of heaven—i.e., its peace, pardon, and blessedness—with as much eagerness as men would snatch and carry off as their own the spoil of a conquered city. In the Bible days, there were always spoils of war to be gained after a city conquers another city. Our text suggests that those who will inherit peace, pardon and heaven’s blessings in this dispensation must be believers with candor, zeal, eagerness and Holy Ghost determination. The word “violence,” in the introductory text, is translated in the Greek language as biazo, which means to use and apply force. Below are some key areas of Kingdom practice where we need to apply force and violence viz:
Violence in Prayer and Faith: The Bible says the persistent and heartfelt prayer of a righteous man has tremendous power that is dynamic in its workings (James 5:16, AMP). It is like dynamite that blasts rocks and mountains into pieces. A violent faith is like the one Jacob demonstrated i.e. it is resolute and will not give up even in the face of great physical pain (Genesis 32: 24-32). A violent faith was also manifested by the Syrophoenician woman who was skillful in pleading her case before a compassionate God (Matthew 15:21-28). A violent faith is what the leper had and believed that God is willing to bless (Matthew 8:1-3). Thus, a violent faith is one that knows that faith is activated by loving God genuinely and also loving mankind (Galatians 5:6).
Violence in Giving: In 1 Kings 3:3-5, the Bible states how Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on the altar in Gibeon and that same night God appeared to him in the dream with an open check of blessing. Solomon gave “violently” and this triggered divine reaction. Sometime ago, a young bachelor, who was about to marry, approached me and offered to me his only prized possession (i.e. refrigerator) as a seed. He said he was praying to God to bless him with a car and God asked him to sow his fridge which was all he essentially had. The result was that someone blessed him with an unsolicited car. The Bible says those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy (Psalm 126:5, NLT).
Violence in Praise: In Revelation chapter 4, Apostle John saw a revelation of the praise and worship going on in heaven by celestial beings. And he described that the praise was focused on God; it was continuous, unending, and dramatic. The heavenly beings prostrated and laid down their golden crowns in worship to God. It is God’s will that our personal and corporate worship on earth will reflect this (Matthew 6:9-10). Paul and Silas praised God “violently” in prison and in pain, and suddenly there was a divine response that caused an earthquake and their bonds broken.
Violence in Evangelism: Jesus talking about evangelism said, “And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together” (John 4:36). The woman of Samaria after encountering Jesus’ saving grace went and told her city about Jesus, and many came to seek Him as a result. Phillip brought Nathaniel to Jesus. Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, brought him (i.e. Peter) to Jesus (John 1:35-50). The recurring cliché in these scenarios was come and see the Messiah. And this remains the crux of evangelism, introducing mankind to the Savior.
Violence in Holy Living: Jesus, in warning against temptation, said that if any part of our body causes us to sin, we should cut it off (Matthew 18:8-9). He was underscoring how violent and intolerant to sin we should be. He died to take away our sins and to empower us against sinful practices. We are to develop zero tolerance for sin and compromise. We are to deny the flesh daily, renew our minds with the Word of God, and activate our spirit man through fervent prayers. In this permissive, sinful world, we are to be symbol of purity and holiness.
CONCLUSION: As we become zealous and eager practitioners of the aforementioned points, there will be no limits to our rising in 2017. Receive fresh grace and determination to be a doer of the word in Jesus’ name.
Ade(Gboyega) ESAN
www.rccgpittsburgh.net
http://gboyegae.blogspot.com
2017
A New Dawn
“Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert” (Isaiah 43:18-19).
A new dawn simply means a new year pregnant with many possibilities. Though God lives in eternity and not constrained by time, He allows delineation of timelines and chronology for humans for the purpose of evaluation. The Psalmist said: “Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12). To harness the possibilities that the new dawn will bring, we will need [to do] the following as discussed below:
A new/renewed vision: Because we are made in God’s image, we have the ability to envision the future. A vision is a picture projecting a desirable future. A goal is defined as the end towards which effort is directed. A new year requires vision from us in order for it to deliver. A vision can be sourced from within oneself (Proverbs 20:5), from God (Jeremiah 33:3), or from observing people we admire or aspire to be like. To renew something is to refresh it and make it new again. An old, unfulfilled dream can be renewed or refreshed again. It’s time to pick up old dreams that has been abandoned or buried again.
A new approach: The main question to ask in 2017 is what should I do differently this year? Insanity has been defined as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. Hannah tried a different approach in the yearly Shiloh program which she attended with her family for many years with no result. She had been barren for many years and was desperate for a child. She went to the altar at Shiloh where the high priest Eli was sitting, prayed to God, and made a vow to give the child back to God, if the LORD granted her request. The high priest prophesied over her and God granted her request. Hannah changed her course of action and heaven responded (Scripture reference: 1 Samuel 1:8-18).
A new perspective: The way we see things in life is mainly shaped by the information we take in and the association we keep. Twelve leaders were asked by Moses to check out the promised land of Canaan, and to report their findings. Two of them (Joshua and Caleb) saw opportunity in difficulty, whereas the remaining ten (majority) saw difficulty in opportunity. Don’t allow majority report to influence your perspective in 2017; rather, let God and His word influence your worldview and perspective. The justified ones in Christ are required to live their lives in a manner consistent with their confident belief in God’s promises (2 Corinthians 5:7, AMP).
A new spirit: Apostle Paul stated that he was able to do everything he purposed to do through Christ who strengthened him (Philippians 4:13). He was always infused with Holy Ghost inspired determination. He had a can-do and fired up spirit. When an astute prophet relayed to him the peril he was going to suffer if he traveled to Jerusalem, Paul was unperturbed. He determined against the prophecy to go to Jerusalem. A can-do spirit will brave all odds to accomplish what he set out to do. Joni Eareckson Tada, a quadriplegic, paralyzed from the shoulders down overcame all odds to author over forty books and earned many honorary degrees. She also painted with her mouth, recorded many albums and starred in an autobiography movie of her life.
A new diligence: A wise man once said the only place success comes before work is in the dictionary. In real life it isn’t so. We all have comfort zones we are unwilling to relinquish. However, to enter a new dawn, some great deal of effort is required on our part. To make the most out of a new dawn, there will always be need for diligence and favor. God is committed to blessing the work of our hands. Diligence is work directed to the proper channel. Proverbs 12:27 in the Amplified Bible says: “The lazy man does not catch and roast his prey, but the precious possession of a (wise) man is diligence (because he recognizes opportunities and seizes them).” Diligence is the wise man’s precious possession.
Conclusion: Receive new grace in this year of perfection in Jesus’ name. May Jesus, the Morning Star, arise anew in our hearts and birth a new dawn for us all (2 Peter 1:19). Happy New Year!
Ade(Gboyega) ESAN
www.rccgpittsburgh.net
http://gboyegae.blogspot.com
2016
Building A Tower
“For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, “This man began to build and was not able to finish” (Luke 14:28-30, NKJV).
As the year begins to come to an end, many are already reflecting on year 2016. The year, thus far, may have been great for some and not too great for others. Regardless of where you may find yourself, this period is actually the time to begin to project and plan for the future. Doing such an endeavor is like building a tower.
Building a tower is far different from putting up a shanty. It could be akin to starting a new building project, starting a new line of career, starting a new business enterprise or becoming an entrepreneur. It could also be a spiritual assignment; every believer, in conjunction with the Holy Spirit, is building a spiritual edifice (1 Peter 2:5). It could also be committing to raising up godly children in an era of increasing decadence. Thus, building a tower is like doing something of significance. The following are some truths of how to BUILD:
Believe in God: “Most assuredly I say to you, he who believes in Me the works that I do he will do also, and greater works than these he will do because I go to My father” (John 14:12). The quoted scripture is Jesus’ word to believers. Having faith in God is very crucial to doing mighty works. It activates the divine in the life of the believer, making him or her to see the possibility and attainability of anything. That is why Jesus categorically said: “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes” (Mark 9:23). Towers are built by believers who believe in a mighty God, with whom nothing shall be impossible.
Understand your assignment: To build a tower, it is imperative one knows and identifies the tower he is assigned to build. We are only divinely empowered to do things in line with our God-given assignment. Nehemiah was assigned to rebuild the broken walls of Jerusalem. He was burdened, passionate and restless about the broken walls. What is your assignment? What are your burdens and passions? What arouses godly anger in you? They are pointers to your assignment.
Incline your ear to hear: Building a tower isn’t a child’s play. You must have a word or inspiration from heaven that will enable you to continue, especially when the going gets tough. God is always willing to speak as long as we are willing to listen. God will speak as long as we are focused on seeking Him wholeheartedly and patiently. God will also speak in line with our prompt obedience (Scriptural reference: Jeremiah 29:12-13).
Leverage on what you have: You can’t build a tower alone. To build a physical structure of that magnitude, many experts will be needed. For example, to build a great career, business or ministry, mentors are needed. Identify your resources and leverage on them. Leveraging means laboring with wisdom. It means using other people’s talents, resources, experience, money, time, etc. Nehemiah leveraged on his connection with King Artaxerxes to get materials for the building of the wall (Nehemiah 2:7-8).
Do your due diligence: Our main text says we should count the cost of building. In this modern day and in secular parlance, it means do due diligence. Failing to plan is planning to fail. A man of God said “it is prayer and planning that makes us co-laborers with God.”
Conclusion: The Bible says we should lay up treasures in heaven. In other words, build a tower in heaven. To make heaven and reap dividends there, all the afore-mentioned points are important. Have you received Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior? Are you building your tower in heaven? With the help of the Holy Spirit, you can build towers here and in heaven.
(Ade)Gboyega Esan
www.rccgpittsburgh.net
http://gboyegae.blogspot.com