2021
The Secret Of Diving Lifting
“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God (set aside self-righteous pride), so that He may exalt you (to a place of honor in His service) at the appropriate time” (1 Peter 5:6, AMP).
Humility is the secret of divine lifting. Humility is associated with the word ‘humus’ which means coming from the earth. Human beings were made by God from the dust of the earth, and in comparison to God we are nothing. In His magnanimity, He chose to share His glory with man by breathing into him His breath and making him the zenith of His creation. Below are some truths on humility:
Humility is Simplicity: The book “Good to Great” by Jim Collins researched companies who transformed from ordinary companies to extraordinary companies. The book highlighted that all the CEOs of these Good to Great companies were executives who combined humility with professional will. Because of their humility and simplicity, they were able to motivate their work force to take the companies to higher heights. They were not charismatic or larger-than-life personalities. King David in the Bible was well loved and accepted because he was a simple and accessible leader (1 Samuel 22:2).
Humility is Meekness: Meekness is power under submission. The horse is a very powerful animal that was and is still used to drive carriages, wagons, etc. Motor vehicles’ capacity is called horsepower. An untamed or unsubdued horse is very dangerous. For horses to be useful and serve worthily, it has to be tamed, subdued and submitted to the will of the owner. Jesus Christ though very powerful submitted to the will of God the Father in Heaven and on earth. Because of His submission He was raised to the right hand of God and given a name higher than all names. Before honor comes humility. (Scripture reference: Philippians 2:5-11).
Humility is not thinking less of oneself; it is thinking of yourself less: People usually equate humility with low self-esteem. Humility is not low self-esteem; humility is low self pre-occupation. The difference between a proud person and a humble person is that the proud is very self-centered. The proud is very quick to brandish their achievements, wealth, knowledge, pedigree, etc. and leave God out of the equation of their success. The mantra of the humble is “everything I am I owe to God.” The Bible says, “For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?” (1 Corinthians 4:7, NKJV).
Humility is having regard for the lowly, despised and non-consequential: The humble regards all humans as God’s creation made in His image and likeness. The Bible says, “Though the Lord is on high, yet He regards the lowly, but the proud He knows from afar” (Psalm 138:6, NKJV). God is not class nor race conscious. He regards people who society despises and disregards because every man was made in His image. The humble person sees all humanity with the lenses of divinity. Though God is the Most High, yet He has regard for the lowliest of the low.
Humility is purging oneself regularly before God: Just like the body purges itself from toxins and contaminants, so does the humble purges his/her soul before the Almighty God. The Apostle Paul, a very humble man says that even though he walks in a clear conscience that does not mean he is entirely innocent before God (1 Corinthians 4:3-5). He acknowledges God as the Judge and the Person to whom he is answerable to. The humble doesn’t seek to always justify themselves. The prayer of the humble is, “search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life” (Psalm 139:23-24).
CONCLUSION: There are several other things humility is besides the aforementioned. Humility and pride are both attitudes and issues of the heart. Issues of the heart are usually difficult to decipher. Only God can adequately judge the heart of men. The Bible admonishes us to cloth ourselves in humility. It is a garment that attracts God to us. Pride on the other hand repels God from us. Receive fresh grace for humility in Jesus name.
2021
The Kingdom In You
“Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come by observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ FOR INDEED, THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS WITHIN YOU” (Luke 17:21, NKJV).
The root word for Kingdom in the Greek language is Basileia, which means authority, rule, kingship especially of God both in the world and in the hearts of men. The kingdom of God is distinct from the kingdom of Heaven. The kingdom of God is God’s influence in the earth, it is God’s sovereign will being done on earth through men. The Great Britain colonized about a quarter of the entire world, changing cultures and establishing the will of the Queen in several major countries. This colonization was done by agents of the British colony. God wants to spread His will and the culture of Heaven to the earth through His children who are His agents and are empowered by the Holy Spirit (the Main Agent) (Matthew 6:10). Below are some ways we help extend His kingdom on earth:
The Greatness within: Every child of God carries greatness within them. God put in us inherent abilities when we were born, and also gave us spiritual endowments and gifts when we became born again. For instance, God put in Gideon the ability to deliver Israel from their strong enemies (the Midianites and Amalekites). Gideon never realized the greatness he carried within until it was revealed to him. Greatness is a seed resident in the child of God. Greatness has to be connected to purpose for it to fully manifest. To unleash the greatness within is to serve humanity with the gifts and endowments of God (Acts 13:36). Greatness done within the will of God glorifies God and furthers His agenda on earth. How well are you serving the world with your God-given gifts?
The Anointing within: The anointing is the power and influence of the Holy Spirit resident in the child of God (1 John 2:20,27). It is usually defined as the yoke-destroying and burden-removing power of God. It is God’s power exclusively given to His children to solve human problems. A story was told of John G. Lake, a missionary to South Africa in the early 1900s. While he was serving there, the bubonic plague, a deadly plague was on rampage, killing many people. He was quoted to have said, “As long as I walk in the light of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, no germ will attach itself to me.” He requested that the germs be placed in his palms and under a microscope, it was seen that the germs died in his hands and he was never infected. He had a revelation of the working and operation of the anointing within that also flows out through him. When the anointing is displayed the influence of the kingdom increases. Jesus said unless people sees signs and wonders they will not believe; in other words, they will not allow the kingdom of God in their hearts. The anointing is displayed as we become intentional and careful with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30).
The Righteousness within: Righteousness is being right with God and doing right with His help. God’s kingdom is founded on righteousness and justice (Psalm 89:14). Righteousness is a force that exalts and impacts positively on society. Righteousness is a seed implanted in the heart of the believer when he/she gets born again (1 John 3:9). We are to allow the seed of righteousness within to grow and impact our world for the better. The more righteous people there are in a society, the better for the society. The twin cities of Sodom and Gomorrah was destroyed because God couldn’t find ten righteous people there (Genesis 18:16-33). Righteous people practicing righteousness further the cause of God on the earth.
CONCLUSION: Everything in its raw state has little or no value. As we begin to nurture and allow the treasures within (as exemplified above) to find expression through us we, further the kingdom of God here on earth. This should be our focus because then and only then does our life become impactful and significant.
2021
Healing Is The Children’s Bread
“But Jesus said to her, “Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” (Mark 7:27).
The above scripture was Jesus’ reply to a Greek woman who had approached him and pleaded for healing of her demonized daughter. Jesus insinuated that healing was the exclusive right and privilege of children – referring to the Jews. Non-Jews were not included in this blessing. He further insinuated that non-Jews could be likened to dogs. This woman persisted in her plea and eventually got the miracle she desired for her daughter. Below are some vital points to note:
Healing is the children’s bread: By Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross of Calvary, those who believe in Him and accept Him as Lord and Savior are now God’s children – whether Jews or non-Jews (i.e. Gentiles) (Galatians 3:7-9). Healing is the right and privilege of all such people who are born again by the grace of God. This is so because God in His love for mankind afflicted Jesus to purchase healing for mankind and particularly to those who are His children. “But He was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole, He was whipped so we could be healed” (Isaiah 53:5, NLT). God afflicted Jesus and made healing available in abundance to His children.
Expectation brings Manifestation: In the scripture above the Greek woman left Jesus with healing for her daughter because she will not accept a “No” from Jesus. In Acts 14 verses 8 onwards, we read the account of a crippled man who had never walked before receiving his healing through Paul. He was enraptured by Paul’s preaching, and Paul seeing his eagerness and attentiveness to the Word commanded him to stand up on his feet. This lame man got up and walked. The songwriter echoing John 3:14-15 says, “Look and live, my brother live, look to Jesus Christ and live, it’s recorded in His Word Alleluia, it is only that you look and live.” A childlike faith in God that brings salvation to our souls will also produce healing in our bodies.
Attend to His Word: The crippled man in Acts Chapter 14 who got healed paid undivided attention to God’s Word when Paul was preaching. We are enjoined in Proverbs 4, verses 20 to 22 to pay attention to God’s Word, keep it in the midst of our hearts because the Word is health and healing to our flesh. Many who seek healing do not pay attention to the Word of healing! They will rather pay attention to the disease and total undivided attention to their doctors. We must always realize that it is God that works through doctors and medications to bring the required healing. We must never be like King Asa who ignored God and turned only to physicians when he battled cancer of the feet. He lost the battle over the sickness and died (2 Chronicles 16:12-13). I can personally testify to so many COVID 19 patients who were in ICUs for several days and at the brink of death but bounced back miraculously through prayers and the mercies of God.
Leverage on different ways to healing: While God is the primary healer, He uses different ways to heal. It is foolhardy not to seek healing through medical science with all the awesome innovations and improvements of it. God gives wisdom to researchers, scientists, medical doctors, and natural therapists who daily seek solutions to sicknesses that befall mankind. Isaiah (through God) instructed King Hezekiah to make an ointment from figs and apply it over the boil that was threatening to take his life (2 Kings 20:7). Apostle Paul instructed Timothy to take wine regularly to alleviate his incessant tummy ailments (1 Timothy 5:23). The priests under the Old Testament were the ones to always check and confirm the healing of lepers, and also to certify them fit to live in society. The priests’ role was like that of dermatologists.
CONCLUSION: Healing starts from the inside. A robust, expectant, upbeat, faith-filled, joyful mind will bring healing readily and easily to the physical body. A crushed, defeated, doubtful, fearful and unforgiving mind will bring death easily to the body. Healing is the children’s bread and every good father provides bread when requested by their children.
2021
Wisdom From Above
“But the wisdom which is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.”(James 3:17-18).
The wisdom from above is divine godly wisdom. God’s wisdom is needed in this COVID-19 era. This era is the Church’s finest hour because we have access to the mind of God and His wisdom. The Bible says through the Church God will reveal His multi-faceted wisdom to the powers of darkness (Ephesians 3:10, AMP). Light shines brightest and it’s more impactful in thick darkness. The wisdom of God is a mystery, and not available to all, except those who seek for it diligently. Below are some characteristics of divine wisdom and how to access it:
Pure: God weighs the actions and the intents of the heart of man (Jeremiah 17:9-10). He looks inwards to check motives and intentions. King Solomon’s motives were pure when he asked for wisdom. He needed wisdom to govern the Israelites appropriately. He wasn’t seeking for wisdom for himself to self-serve and for personal aggrandizement. As a result, God was very pleased with his request (1 Kings 3:7-13). The Bible says, “Now God gave Solomon (exceptional) wisdom and very great discernment and breadth of mind, like the sand of the seashore” (1 Kings 4:29, AMP).
Peaceable: Another attribute of God’s wisdom is that it is peaceable. To access it, one must have made peace with God (Romans 5:1-2) and also be a peaceable person. We are instructed to make every effort to live at peace with everyone and be holy in order to see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14). The name Solomon means peace in Hebrew. King Solomon was a man of peace whose reign was largely characterized by peace. His modus operandi was to keep making alliances and building bridges with other kings and enemy nations. He prospered greatly because God favored him and he embraced peace.
Easy to be entreated: God is easy to be entreated. He is long suffering and doesn’t quickly react and fight His enemies. He is a Father who loves like a Mother. He is good to all and gives ample time for people to repent and change their ways. He is the Highest and yet He regards the lowly. At the core of divine wisdom is humility. Humble people are easy to be entreated. At the heart of stubbornness, obstinacy and quarrelsomeness is arrogance. The proud have a fragile ego, while the humble have a secure ego. The proud cannot access the wisdom from above because God keeps His distance from them (Psalm 138:6). The wisdom the proud at heart will access is demonic wisdom. Fathers and authority figures should be easy to be entreated.
Full of mercy and good works: The Bible contrasts between godly wisdom and worldly wisdom. The major difference between the two is that worldly wisdom is self-centered and selfish. Wealthy people in the world have two major temptations which are pride and trust in riches. The Bible admonishes them to be generous to those in need in order to open God’s bowels of mercy on them. We are to reach out and give generously in these unusual times. We are to give hope, encouragement, prayers, material possessions and share whatever we have with the needy world around us.
CONCLUSION: The wisdom Solomon received from God greatly enhanced his intellectual capacity. He wrote 3000 proverbs and 1005 songs. He was a keen observer of the world around him. He had a keen sense of judgement, great insights and great discernment. He understood science and was of quick understanding and comprehension. May divine wisdom that will make us shining stars be our portion in this COVID-19 era in Jesus’ name.
2021
Divine Immunity
A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not come near you, only with your eyes shall you look and see the reward of the wicked (Psalm 91:7-8).
In the wake of the current pandemic caused by the coronavirus (aka COVID-19) which has infected over 800,000, killing over 40,000 people worldwide (till date), it is pertinent to bring some vital Biblical truths to light because essentially the unseen spiritual realm controls the physical realm. The scriptures tell us that in the face of many deaths and many fallings as a result of pestilence, plagues and life tragedies, some people would have immunity against such happenings. In Biology, immunity refers to the ability of an organism to resist an infection or toxin by the action of specific antibodies or sensitized white blood cells. Below are some spiritual truths that produces Heaven’s fortification against COVID-19:
Communion Table: The Holy Communion comprises of [unleavened] bread and wine which essentially represent the body and blood of Jesus Christ. The Bible says the wine that we bless and share at the communion table is a sharing of the blood of Jesus, and the bread we break is also sharing in the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 10:16). In God’s mind, they are not ordinary elements that we eat, but the blood and body of Jesus. And these elements give life, strength and vitality to our bodies. Scripture reference: John 6:53-58.
Obedience to God: This is two-fold. We are set apart for God (Ephesians 1:4), and God expects us to set apart or consecrate ourselves unto Him (2 Timothy 2:19-21). The news has been replete with the need to wash hands regularly so as not to contaminate ourselves and others with coronavirus. Consecration is spiritual cleansing. Cleanliness is next to Godliness. COVID-19 emanated from a filthy and dirty environment. Consecrating and dedicating our bodies and souls to God regularly will guarantee divine immunity.
Vital Faith: This is living faith. This faith doesn’t deny facts but uses the truth of God’s Word to overrule facts. Facts deals with what is seen and rational. Truth (of scriptures) deals with the unseen realm and God’s promises. Many deny that the unseen(spiritual) exists and is superior to the seen (physical). COVID-19 is an unseen enemy that emanated from the unseen realm. Dealing with it just from the physical and rational realm will leave many people dead. Vital faith stands on God’s precious promises regardless of the odds and overrules physical evidence over time. This faith pleases God (Hebrews 11:6).
Infilling of the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit is many things to the Christian. One of the things He is to the believer is that He is a River of Living Waters (John 7:37-39). We see a picture in Ezekiel 47:6-12 how this water heals everything it encounters. Every Christian baptized in the Holy Spirit generates this healing water from within them. Regularly praying in the Spirit revitalizes and thereby boosts the immunity of the Christian (Romans 8:11) and produce healing to his or her surroundings. One requirement for the infilling of the Holy Spirit is that you must be born again.
Delight Yourself in God: It is proven scientifically that the mind and body have serious interactions. When the mind is worried it can produce sickness in the body. And when the mind is joyful, delightful and peaceful, it produces strong immunity for the body. The Bible also attests to this in Proverbs 17:22, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.” The joy of the Lord is a weapon in the arsenal of the Christian because it is strength to him (Nehemiah 8:10). And this joy is independent of current happenings whether good or bad. It is a fruit of the Spirit. It comes naturally as we fellowship with God.
CONCLUSION: The afore-mentioned truths if practiced, together with the health guidelines from the Center of Disease Control (CDC) and with the mercy of God, will keep us from the scourge of coronavirus. By divine immunity, we are exempted from the pestilence of COVID-19 in Jesus’ name.
2020
A Better Way To Pray
“Once Jesus was in a certain place praying. As He finished, one of His disciples came to Him and said, “LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY, JUST AS JOHN TAUGHT HIS DISCIPLES.” (Luke 11:1, NLT)
It is from the above scripture that the Lord’s prayer emanated. The Lord’s prayer is a model prayer. It teaches what to pray about and most importantly how to make prayers effective. Below are better ways to pray:
Prayer should be relational, and not religious: Jesus started the Lord’s prayer with “Our Father in Heaven.” It is noteworthy that literally everybody prays but many prayers are religious prayers. Religion is practices man engages in that he or she thinks is acceptable to God. But God wants relationship; He wants people to be born again and be renewed in their spirit man by the Holy Spirit. Then a relationship with God can start that makes the recipient of this grace to commune with Him acceptably (John 4:24). God is Spirit, and He is only truly reached by those who have the Holy Spirit resident within them.
Prayer should be God-focused, and not need-focused: Many people pray because of the myriad of needs in their lives. It is not wrong to approach God with our needs. The model Lord’s prayer shows us that we should take our needs to God. The challenge is that God is very relational. The Bible tells us that God will come in the cool of the day to fellowship with Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:8). This first couple in the Garden of Eden (before their Fall) didn’t have any need. Whenever God came to them, the intent was to fellowship with them. We can infer rightly that Adam and Eve’s dialogue with God was centered around His wonders of creation, and not needs. Everyday they saw a side of God that was hitherto unknown to them and was awe-inspiring. A better way to pray is to magnify God, appreciate Him for His lovely attributes and talk of His wonders (Psalm 105:2).
Prayer should be meditative, and not vain: Jesus said we shouldn’t pray vainly in a repetitive manner (Matthew 6:7). Effective prayers are not recitals, but rather they are heartfelt. It is not just from the head; it is from the heart. Meditation gives substance to our prayers. Taking time to digest relevant scriptures before praying is like the body breaking down food in the stomach and absorbing the its nutrients in the small intestine, while the useless (vain) elements are passed out as waste. Vain prayers lacking substance are ineffective (Scripture reference: John 15:7).
Prayer should be proactive, and not reactive: Please note the subject topic is a better way to pray. By affirming God’s promises, making scripture declarations regularly, and praying in tongues or in the Spirit, we are praying proactively or in advance and ahead of circumstances. A reactionary prayer can be found in Acts 12 when the church was been persecuted. The patriarch James had just been murdered and Peter was arrested thereafter, kept in prison and awaiting execution. The church started praying after the arrest of Peter fearing that what happened to James will also happen to him. The problem with always praying reactively is that it makes us lose territories or at times even lose the battle. It is often rightly said that the best defense is a good offense.
Prayer should be prayed in faith, and not in fear: Just waking up from a bad dream or a nightmare will set many people, including some Christians, into a panic mode. Rather than just praying spontaneously about the nightmare, the better thing to do is to relax and switch to a faith mode. Reminding oneself of scriptures like, “Be still and know that I am God” or “God is our Refuge and Strength, a very present Help in trouble” or pulling out the Bible to assure one’s mind about His promises is a better way of approach. Starting to pray immediately after getting a bad medical report from the doctor will be tantamount to praying in a panic mode. It’s always better after a jolting news to calm down and then strategize. The Holy Spirit is best heard when we are still, and not panicky. It is the prayer of faith that gets the job done, and not prayer of anxiety (Scripture reference: Philippians 4:6-7).
CONCLUSION: It’s my prayer that the Holy Spirit, the Teacher Himself, will teach us better ways to pray and to be effective in prayers. Have a blessed new month!
Ade(Gboyega) ESAN
2020
The Anatomy Of Temptation
“And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and He never tempts anyone else. Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death” (James 1:13-15, NLT).
Anatomy simply defined is the structure or internal workings of something. Temptation to sin has a structure. There is a tempter, there are cravings in the Adamic nature of man, there is a pattern or process that leads to the temptation, etc. Understanding the structure or workings of temptation will go a long way in helping serious minded believers to overcome temptation all the time. Below are some important truths to note:
Temptations are distractions that are attractive: The aim of the tempter is to distract and detour us from a good course we are charting. A temptation is an attractive offer. All of us, as human, have certain things to which we are prone to being enticed. We have different cravings and proclivities. Some people are disposed to envy, whereas others are prone to lust for material goods, power, women, etc. King Solomon was said to love many foreign women (1 Kings 11:1). Things appeal to us differently, but we all have one or two things that catch our attention and have the potential to draw us away from God.
Temptations are passing pleasures: The Bible says Moses refused to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin (Hebrews 11:25). Temptation is fleeting, not a permanent phenomenon. Just by holding on and exercising restraint a little bit, we can overcome temptation. But yielding to it weakens our resolve. And our resolve can be so weakened that we get captured by the woven fabric of sinful practices. We are to stand and remain standing and not allow entanglements in our Christian lives (Galatians 5:1).
Temptations test our loyalty and love to God: Every time we are tempted, it’s a time to choose between self-love and God-love. Jesus said, “if you love me keep my commandments” (John 14:15). Often, we delight in God’s laws but it’s clear that not all of us joins in the delight. Our human nature, with its desires, is a rebel against the laws of God. It takes a revelation of the love of God to choose the God way over and above the self-gratifying way. Every time we choose to obey and please God, it shows to Him that we love Him over and above ourselves.
Temptations are things within our reach we aren’t permitted to take: The instruction was clear to Adam in the garden of Eden. God told him that he is free to eat from all the trees in the garden except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:17). Every tempting offer is always within our reach. At times just walking away or looking away can go a long way to help us overcome.
Temptation has a pattern: Many tend to eat more when they are disappointed or depressed. Many tend to smoke and do drugs when the weather is cold. Men tend to be more frustrated, unkind and edgy when they are broke. We are susceptible to falling and foibles in particular seasons of our life. This is so because Satan is principally the mastermind behind temptations confronting the believer. He is very strategic and knows our weaknesses, especially when we are most vulnerable. Every believer should understand the pattern and processes behind his or her failings. And because temptation has a pattern, it can be nipped in the bud. We can debar our lusts from getting pregnant and delivering a baby. We can further disallow the baby from growing into adulthood where it becomes a killer.
CONCLUSION: The mature Christian is the one who consistently wins over temptations. And these folks are those who have really taken time with the Word of God, ingesting it until it registers in their subconscious and becomes their default mode of behavior. There is no short cut to winning other than opening one’s heart sincerely to the infallible Word of God and exercising oneself in godliness.
Ade(Gboyega) ESAN
2020
VISION 2020
“And the Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: “Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are – northward, southward, eastward, and westward; for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever” – (Genesis 13:14-15).
In the secular world, many organizations and countries have been counting down to the year 2020. Many have expectations and believe it’s a year visions and aspirations will be realized. The World Health Organization (WHO) in 1999 launched a global initiative that by 2020 all cases of avoidable blindness would have been eradicated. The WHO launched Right of Sight for humans. Eye specialists also talk about vision 2020 as being good sight and use this as yardstick to measure eye deficiencies generally.
As it is in the secular, I believe so it is in the spiritual. The Bible says in the latter times that there will be a preponderance of visions and dreams because of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:16-18). To have a clear vision from God the following are imperative:
Visualize: In our opening text, God instructed Abram to lift up his eyes and see. It’s a spiritual principle that whatever we see (and behold) is what we possess. Vision is a function of the heart, while sight is a function of the eyes. Real faith is a matter of the heart. God wants us to visualize His Word and promises in our heart till they become reality to us. Our hearts can be so flooded with enlightenment from the scriptures that we take a hold of spiritual realities even before they become physical realities. God responded to Abram’s complaint, when he said he has no child of his own, by bringing him outside in the night and asking him to look at the stars. We become what we constantly behold (2 Corinthians 3:18).
Inspire: Visions are often borne out of inspiration. Inspiration means breath. Breath is life, and breath animates. The scriptures say that divine breath in the soul of a man will produce understanding and insight in him (Job 32:8). David was inspired and animated when he saw Goliath. He saw differently than the soldiers of Israel. While the soldiers saw Goliath as too big to hit. David saw him as too big to miss. Inspiration makes one think, feel and act differently. On the other hand, a deflated tire will stagnate a vehicle. As we stay inspired in 2020, we will catch a vision.
Spiritual Intelligence: By deepening our walk with the Holy Spirit we become spiritually intelligent. Spiritual intelligence means we are able to evaluate and discern things from within our spirit man (1 Corinthians 2: 14-15). The Bible says because of the anointing within us we are able to know stuffs because the anointing teaches us all things (1 John 2:20,27). Many times, we don’t look for the witness of the Holy Spirit; rather, we are always prone to look for the spectacular (open visions, audible voices, etc) as God’s methods of communicating to us.
Insight: Foresight (ability to see ahead) and Far-sight (like God was recommending to Abram in our text) are critical and very important. Hindsight on the other hand is said to be 20/20 vision, because we have the benefit of clarity of vision after the event has taken place. Foresight and far sight are all based and hinged on insight. The light has to be turned on inside first before it can begin to shine all around. This light is the light of the scriptures. The Psalmist said in Psalm 19 verse 8b in the NLT version that “the commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living.” May we all receive grace for ardent study of the scriptures in 2020.
Ownership: To have clear divine vision in 2020, we have to take ownership of the impulses and convictions of our hearts. We take ownership by journaling what we think the Spirit is ministering to us in times of prayers, worship, biblical meditation and other spiritual activities (Habakkuk 1:1-2). When Heaven sees we are diligent in wanting to know and understand, more visions and revelations are released. On the other hand, when we are carefree and careless about Heaven’s downloads, the visions are withheld.
New Perspective: Our perceptions usually are our realities. How we see colors what we see. The kind of sunglasses and goggles we put on will certainly color what we see. The new and better way to see and adopt is seeing through the lens of redemption realities wrought for us by Christ Jesus. To hear Heaven correctly it must be through salvation in Christ and also through the baptism and sanctification of the Holy Spirit. These are perilous times that Satan shows up as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14).
CONCLUSION: Happy New Year! Our Year of Perfection!
Ade(Gboyega) ESAN
2019
God And Time
“But beloved do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” (2 Peter 3:8)
God operates in eternity (Isaiah 57:15). God operates out of time but yet He is in time. God created time; He put time in place at creation (Genesis 1: 5,8,13,19,23,31). At the end of each day of creation, the day was announced. He created time but He isn’t bound by time. One of the definitions of time in the dictionary is the duration in which all things happen or a precise instant that something happens. This definition encapsulates both times and seasons (Ecclesiastes 3:1-12). A season is a process of time, while time can be defined as a point in a period. The scriptures say a thousand years with God is just as a passing day as brief as a few night hours (Psalm 90:4, NLT). Though God operates in timelessness, He still regards time (the times and the seasons of humankind). One resource that when lost is out of man’s control is time, but God has control over time. Below are ways that God can handle and control time:
God can collapse or compress time: “…. And Ahab mounted and rode (his chariot) and went (inland) to Jezreel. Then the hand of the Lord came upon Elijah (giving him supernatural strength). He girded up his loins and outran Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel (nearly twenty miles).” (1 Kings 18:45b-46, AMP). God collapsed time for Elijah and gave him supernatural strength to bare-footedly outrun chariots. Elijah made the journey from Mount Carmel to Jezreel in record time because God facilitated time for him. May we all receive divine speed this month in Jesus’ name.
God can stagnate time: The Israelites who came out of Egypt’s captivity went around and round in circle for many years because they refused to learn the lessons God wanted them to learn. A journey of eleven days took them forty years, and a whole generation (except Joshua and Caleb) didn’t enter the land God promised them (Deuteronomy 1:1-3). If one refuses to use time well and appropriately God can stagnate time. When people think they have time, they take their time. We are enjoined to redeem the time and not trifle with it (Ephesians 5:15-17).
God can expand or extend time: “After this Job lived one hundred and forty years, and saw his children and grandchildren for four generations. So, Job died, old and full of days.” (Job 42:16-17). After Job lost his seven sons and three daughters in one day, God gave him a new set of seven sons and three daughters, and also gave him long life (after healing him of a satanic affliction). God expanded Job’s time, allowing him to live till 140 years and to see 4 generations. It is God that determines when the sun sets for the righteous.
CONCLUSION: As 2019 ends and a new year approaches, we must be assured that our times are in God’s hands. He controls the times and seasons. Even though He operates in timelessness, He still regards us who live in the realm of time. As we cooperate with Him, He will compress time for us by blessing our labors and enable us to achieve more in a shorter period of time. He can also choose to expand our time by giving us more opportunities to fulfill life and ministry. Receive grace to end 2019 strong in Jesus’ name.
Ade(Gboyega) ESAN
2019
Breaking Bad Habits
“Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage” (Galatians 5:1).
The dictionary defines habit as a settled tendency or usual manner of behavior. It is an involuntary act that we do without exercising control. Human beings are creatures of habit. We create our habits, and our habits in turn determine the course of our lives. Great and successful people create good habits which bring them success and good outcomes, while less successful people create habits that bring failures and unfavorable outcomes. Bad habits are disastrous and create addicts, alcoholics, lazy, indulgent, miscreants and the likes. Below are some ways to break the yoke of bad habits:
Be Born again: Being born again is having an encounter with the word of God (1 Peter 1:23) and the Holy Spirit (John 3:6). A genuine encounter with God totally transforms and converts sinners into saints; weak and indulgent people into powerful and decisive individuals. It is a spiritual rebirth that changes the tastes, inclinations and proclivities of the individual. It is God coming to take up residence in a hitherto dead and unregenerate spirit man.
Renew your mind: As the mind goes, so does the man. The mind of man is very powerful. Habits are formed when the brain registers a particular event or action. If the act is repeated and it is pleasurable, it becomes reinforced in the brain. As this act is repeated the brain continues to reinforce it until it becomes a stronghold in the mind. This is essentially how people become addicts. Exposing the mind to large doses of the word of God continuously renews it and shatters negative strongholds in the mind. The word of God converts the soul (Psalm 19:7). God was able to deliver the Israelites from Egypt (Spiritual deliverance) but He couldn’t get them into Canaan, the Promised Land because of their unrenewed and slavery mindset. Mental strongholds, at times, are more difficult to deal with than spiritual strongholds.
Engaging the help of the Holy Spirit: It is by the Holy Spirit that we put to death the desires of the human nature (Romans 8:13). Without the Holy Spirit there cannot be permanent victory. Engaging the Holy Spirit by praying regularly in tongues is a must, if we want to overcome bad habits. The Holy Spirit is fire that destroys the yoke of sin and destructive habits. We also stir up the anointing of the Holy Spirit when we actively engage Him; it is the anointing that destroys yokes and undo burdens in our lives. Bad habits are yokes that are to be destroyed.
Affirm yourself constantly: One of the downsides of bad habits is that it makes us lose confidence in ourselves and taint our self-image. After doing something for a long time the tendency is for us to define ourselves as such. We are not what we do; we are what God, through the scriptures, say we are. A healthy self-image is a sine qua non to breaking bad habits. We will always rise or fall to the image and picture of ourselves that we carry within. It is vital we constantly affirm who we are in Christ regardless of our circumstances. Just like (in Christ Jesus) we aren’t our past, so also, we aren’t what we repeatedly do. As Christians we are God’s righteousness and we carry the seed of righteousness within us. As we affirm ourselves with the scriptures the hold of destructive habits will be broken.
Keep standing: To keep standing is to continuously maintain our victory in Christ. Our opening scripture in Galatians 5:1 lends credence to this. Freedom always comes with a cost. After colonized countries fight and obtain their independence, they have to keep maintaining their independence and seek total independence from their colonizers; otherwise, they will fall back in some bondage again (neo colonization). The Amalekites were a recurring enemy of the Israelites; from the time they came out of Egypt till the time of Haman the Agagite (an Amalekite), they constantly were a thorn in their flesh. There is need to totally exterminate and root out all evil habits in our lives, else they will be detrimental to our eventual success and wellbeing.
Conclusion: Other vital ways to break bad habits are to avoid idleness, to create good habits to replace the bad ones, and to have worthy mentors and accountability partners that you will open your lives to unashamedly.Have a blessed month.
Ade(Gboyega) ESANwww.rccgpittsburgh.nethttp://gboyegae.blogspot.com