Uncommon opportunities

So David inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?”
And He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.”
1 Samuel 30:8 (NKJV)

King David had recently suffered some devastation, attack and loss in the hands of the Amalekites. The situation then set him up for a 'more than a conqueror' role. When we suffer or experience “temporary setback, losses or failures”, it’s probably an opportunity presenting itself in disguise.

Life will not always present itself as a bed of roses. The seasons and times will change, but we must walk and operate with a different attitude, our response and reaction to life and its challenges thereof must be different from that of the world. Sin may also try to silence and disqualify us for His grace and mercy, yet we must confront them as we do on other issues of life. So in light of the changing times that will come...

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
Romans 8:37 (NKJV)

Taking advantage of these opportunities leads us to exercising total Recovery, total Restoration and total Possession. Never despise your challenging seasons, rather claim the lessons and benefits of the season.

Be encouraged,

Afolabi

The obedience of humility

Friends,

Mankind is constantly in an intense struggle with submission and humility. It doesn't matter what his background is, or what her personality is like. The struggle is universal. And so is God's answer ...

1 Peter 5:6-7 [NKJV]
Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

Have you bowed low before the Lord?
Have you truly acknowledged His might and authority?

No man, save for Jesus, has adequately conquered this foe. But by the grace of Christ, we can day-by-day come closer to the standard our Savior has set for us. It is a mark of true obedience. And therefore, it is the mark of true love.

Be encouraged, Jose

For obedience's sake

Friends,

For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things.
-- Philippians 3:18-19 [NKJV]

What is Christianity to you?

I have heard far too many sermons, radio talk shows, and evangelistic calls that focus on the temporal benefits of following Christ. Follow Christ, they say, and all your troubles will go away! Your marriage will be better. Your career will be better. Your children will be better. You'll be happy.

Nowhere in scripture do these promises appear. There is no verse in the Bible where God declares that our earthly happiness is His priority. And still, we hear these promises in churches all across our land.

Now don't get me wrong. An obedient follower of Christ will live a more moral life, which will often lead to tangible improvements in many areas of life. This is not a bad thing. But, frankly, it's not the most important thing. Not by a long shot. We are to obey the Lord for one simple reason: because He is the Lord. Not because we'll live better, or because we'll be healthier, wealthier, wiser or happier. But simply because He is the King, and because His authority grants Him the right to demand and expect our obedience.

Let today be a day marked by obedience. Be different from the world. Focus on the things above.

Be encouraged, Jose

Good intention

For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.
John 6:38 (NKJV)

My food is to do the will of Him who lives in me. When our obsession and goal is the pursuit of all righteousness and perfection according to God's will, then we move on the path of peace and tranquility never to be shaken by the dynamic and ever changing currents of life. Every day is an opportunity to woo and impress the heart of the Creator. He cherishes our devotion, commitment and attention to His will. Those who diligently seek Him, He will never forsake or cast away.

“Rabbi, when did You come here?”
Jesus answered them and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.”
John 8:25-27 (NKJV)

When we come to Him, we must do so with no specific ulterior motive or with any hidden agenda. God is not mocked, what so ever a man sows, that shall he also reap. When we come, we must come because He's God and not because of what you can get. When we have God in His due place in our hearts and lives, He's able to take care of the rest in our lives.

Be encouraged,

Afolabi

Moving Forward

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7 [KV]

With the financial news, the lost plane, the economic condition, we wonder why we are not all worried sick or having a heart attack.  One main reason is the verse above.  We have God's peace which says to us that we will be OK. God will work out all our issues. He may not step in a resolve the problems to our liking, but He will make sure that we are able to keep moving forward.  That is the most important part.  He will keep us moving for His benefit. 

God is about progress. Not the stuff we read and hear about all the time, but the movement forward of His Kingdom.  Our purpose here is to move God's kingdom forward to cover more people.  We are not just made to get stuff here, but to make sure that God's kingdom grew because of our efforts.  Let us work on doing our part to believe that God will keep us at peace despite all the news around the world that screams  otherwise.

Be Encourage,

Martin 

Stay connected

I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
John 15:5 (NKJV)

Part of our mandate is to flourish and show forth the goodness of the Lord in our relationships, families, communities, nation and ultimately our world. Like a light set on a top place, so must we remain and stay connected to human beings to display and fulfill our vast potential and God ordained purpose. To put a light under a hood is to kill, rubbish, and diminish its power of influence. To detach from the vine is to embark on a destructive and perishable mission.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Phillipians 4:13 (NKJV)

When we stay connected to the source and the vine, we become endowed and empowered to do all things and we are able to influence, impact and spice up our world for His kingdom reign. Stay connected and

Be encouraged,

Afolabi

Under Christ's feet

Friends,

And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
-- Ephesians 1:22-23 [NKJV]

What has "He" done?

Paul, the writer of this letter to the Christians at Ephesus, is telling the believers about one of the most amazing works of Almighty God. Our Lord, our Father, has bestowed great power and authority upon His Son. In these two little verses, we see that Christ has been given complete dominion over all things. That means that every thing we see, and all of the things we do not see, are under the authority and rulership of Christ Jesus. Nothing escapes His sovereignty.

And we, the true church, are His body. We are the fullness of Christ, who fills us with His total presence. And therefore, we have that same authority, under Jesus and in submission to Him.

How are you exercising this authority? Are you using it protect and strengthen your fellow believers? Or are you using it just to make your own life a bit easier?

Use this power wisely, brothers and sisters. It is not to be abused. Nor is it to be hidden away. But it is to be used to advance the Kingdom of God and to defeat the power of hell.

Be encouraged, Jose