1 Samuel chapter 18 - the Bible says that Saul was very angry at the song he was displeased and

because they had credited David with tens of thousands and he thought with me they've only credited me with only thousands what more can he get but the kingdom

and from that day the Bible says Saul kept a close eye on David.

Friends, I've realized that we become dissatisfied because a lot of times

we're focusing on the gift we have been given in comparison with what someone else has and that takes our eyes away from the giver of the gift.

Saul became disturbed because David was chanted through the streets as the anointed one

but you see David's anointing didn't mean Saul was not anointed

don't be blinded by someone else's gift that you don't see that the giver of the gift has also given you something.

Think about it, Jesus chose the boat of Simon and He didn't mean that the other boat was useless

if you read further you realize how useful the other boat was

it represented partnership and collaboration in the harvest of souls

lost people must be saved, saved people must be pastored.

pastored people must be trained, trained people must be sent

and everyone has their place functioning in their gift and there's a place for you.

Some people are wounded for a lifetime because of the injury caused by comparison

they measure their value by what they have received as gifts but

guess what the giver is wiser.

We sometimes desire what we can't handle just because we have seen it with someone we perceive are like us

if you realize that the giver is wiser, you'll be glad that you have

what you have, I tell you because what you have is relevant and it's relevant in God's eyes

but sometimes is not relevant in your eyes because you're seeing the seed while God is looking at the harvest

you see a seed, God sees the tree that produces more seeds that produces more trees

and sometimes we throw the seed away because we prayed for a tree and this seed doesn't match our expectations but the vineyard that you prayed for can be in the seed that you're rejecting.

God is a giver of small things but his small gifts have bigger effect and you need to realize that all that the harvest is, is the result of the seed

don't shout about the harvest and shy away from the seed

the enemy may not even be after your harvest, he may just be after the seed

so be careful what you throw away, be careful who you throw away

Be careful how you look at small beginnings.

Friends, it started with Abraham, Isaac passed it on, Jacob multiplied it

God looks at the harvest while sometimes you look at the seed. Be careful how you see what is with you

Have a blessed day friends!

For my waking breath For my daily breath

I depend on You I depend on You

For the sun to rise For my sleep at night

I depend on You Yes,

I depend on You

John 15 in verse 1 Jesus says I'm the true vine and my father is the vine dresser

and He goes in verse 4 He says remain in me and I in you

and just as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself but must remain in the vine

so neither can you unless you remain in me

and in verse 7 Jesus says if you remain in me and my words remain in you

ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you

He says in verse 8 that my father is glorified by this that you bear much fruit

and so prove to be my disciples.

Friends our roles are defined. We are nourished by God when we abide in Christ.

Abiding is holding on to the one who has life for your life supply

recognizing that there is life in no other place but in Christ

and God wants you to bear fruit but he wants you to bear His fruit.

God walks all in all so abiding in Christ is the way that the Holy Spirit produces the fruit of the Spirit in you

the qualities Christ wants to produce in us comes in us and out of us by communion with Christ

and then we come into a greater harvest I mean Jesus says that you will bear much fruit

and later he says that your fruit will abide

sounds like a continuous ongoing increasing fruitfulness

Never negotiate on fellowship with God

the goal is not frequently it is unseasonally

Friends, the world is after your connection to your life supply

it is an infiltration and an attack on the mind to begin to contemplate being in control

because we wither quickly when we fight for control

the Bible says abide Jesus said keep my words and remain in my will

you can't abide in Christ if Christ isn't Christ to you

human efforts will not produce the nature of Christ

we don't produce fruit by self-discipline

discipline is futility without abiding in Christ

even with knowing what is good and what is right

the power to do so requires a force within

and many may know what to do but lack the power to do what is right

Jesus said let my words abide in you so nothing shifts you

I mean you rest in the ability and authority and the certainty of God's word

so your needs can shift you and set you up to pursue things outside the principles of scriptures.

Think about it, long before you were born

God made a promise. God doesn't need to write a new scripture for your new need

His promises are older than your problems and your needs

there's nothing more than scriptures

and we must banish extra-scriptural practices and tendencies

and submit to his word and restore in our hearts the superintendence of the word of God.

Abide in me and I in you

My Father is the vinedresser

I am the true vine, you are the branch

our roles are defined.

Have a blessed day friends!

I say the truth and the lie

you're the well that never runs dry

I'm the branch and you are the vine

draw me close and teach me to abide

When this life of trials tests my faith I set my hope on Jesus

When the questions calm and doubts remain I set my hope on Jesus

For the deepest wounds that time won't heal There's a joy that runs still deeper

There's a truth that's more than all I feel I set my hope on Jesus

Exodus 23 verses 2 - You shall not follow the crowd in doing evil Nor shall you testify in a dispute

So as to join together with the crowd in order to pervert justice

God doesn't rule by popular vote God rules by His voice

And His voice for us is His word

So no matter how many people stand against God's word God's word remains right

So don't let pressure make you deny the lordship of the word of God

The biggest threat I've seen today is not a secular culture or a secular society

It is a compromising church

I mean churches that are compromising on solid biblical doctrines and truth

And this eventually results in raising a group of people professing to be devoted followers of Christ

But with the dangerous potential of turning away from the truth

John chapter 3 verse 16 and 17 the Bible says

For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son

So that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life

For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world

But so that the world might be saved through Him

So God is not trying to take over the systems of the world

God wants men saved

So God's purpose for sending His Son to die for mankind is to save men

And so Paul admonishes in Philippians chapter 1 verse 27

That no matter what is happening around you only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ

So that whether I come and see you or remain absent

I will hear about you that you are standing firm in one spirit with one mind

Striving together for the faith of the gospel

Friend,

the grace of God doesn't lead us to embrace sin as a culture

The intention of God is that if you are in Christ through the salvation of your soul

Then hell is in your past

But outside Christ,

hell is in your future

And anyone who is not born again will one day wish that he was not born at all

Never change the written word or the tone of it to sound accepted or popular

Have a blessed day friends!

I set my hope on Jesus

Though this heart of mine is prone to stray

Give me grace enough to finish

Until I worship on that final day

I set my hope on Jesus

I set my hope on Jesus

By rock my only trust

You set His heart upon me first

I set my hope on Jesus

I set my eyes on what I cannot see

The hope of living right in front of me

Oh I've left the world behind

Now Jesus you are mine

How can it be?

Your death means I'm alive

James 4.4 in the message translation says you're cheating on God if all you want is your own way

Fletting with the world every chance you get,

you end up enemies of God and His way

And do you suppose that God doesn't care?

I love how the passion translation also puts it

It says you have become spiritual adulterers who are having an affair,

an unholy relationship with the world

Don't you know that flirting with the world's values places you at odds with God?

Whoever chooses to be the world's friend makes himself God's enemy

Friendship with the world is about value systems

The values of the world and the values of Christ are never in agreement and are never the same

How we think,

where we go,

how we do life are never in agreement with the world

And so when you adopt the values of the world into your life,

it hinders you from being a bold witness for Christ

Friends,

our morality is not the gospel and it doesn't save men

But it gives us stronger grounds to preach the gospel

Our values either hinder the gospel or enhances the preaching of it

Now you need to understand - God has called us to godly lives

But you see,

a godly life is not a moral life

It includes morality but it is not just morality

The word godly is a confluence of two words,

god-like

And god-like is not only moral,

God is morally excellent but he is also excellent in all things

So you know a godly man not just by his morality but by his god-likeness in all things

And you're either like him or not like him

But you cannot be a part of him and not be like him

Friends,

the world is very deliberate about its agenda

And the agenda of the world is to conform us

And conformity is to get people who are at variance with values and systems to accept and adopt your values and systems through pressure

And the pressure in the world comes with majority, popularity and diversity

Majority because everyone is doing it

Popularity because this is the popular thing now and the truth is this,

much of what is popular is not right

In the agenda of the world,

deception and indoctrination will be publicized and amplified through the media

So a lot of things will be popular

And diversity because it is not just happening in one place,

it's happening everywhere

But hey,

our systems and our values are different because they are of Christ

Never conform to this world

Be transformed by the renewal of your mind through the Word to live in the standards and values of Christ

Have a blessed day friends.

1 Corinthians 1:9 - God is faithful through whom you are called into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

So friends, our invitation to fellowship with God. I mean this divine access is not based on our faithfulness, it is based on God's faithfulness.

So the Bible says God is faithful through whom you were called into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

So if you're going to understand anything about fellowship with God, you have to realize that it does not depend on your goodness. It depends on God.

So you can't come to God with a dependence on your track record. You can't go to God because you're super proud of yourself because you haven't done a certain thing in a little while. You can't go to God depending on the fact that you have been able to keep your mouth from slander or gossip. You cannot bank on your works and your deeds.

Listen. Your access to God cannot be dependent on anything else other than what Jesus Christ has done. Now someone may hear these and say oh, then this means I can do anything I like. I can live any way I want, it doesn't impact my access to God.

Well, you still do not understand fellowship with God. Hey, it is the cure for every evil resident in a human heart.

Sin is powerless in fellowship with God. It is the end of every heart's pursuit. Water becomes wine, oil Is released, Grace is dispensed in manifolds, purpose is lived without gaps. The very fulfilment every man is searching for.

Fellowship with God will transform you before your very eyes because as you interact with Him, you behold Him and you're transformed into the very image of Him as He ordained you to be.

Friends. It doesn't depend on you. God extends his invitation for fellowship with you based on his faithfulness, not on your goodness, so don't let anything stop.

Have a blessed day friends!

The sound of many waters

Calms the sea in me

The voice that ends the silence

Meets me in my need

Like fireworks

Igniting in my chest

The weight of your glory

The reverence

I'm in awe that you would come to me

In awe that I can hear you speak

Speak to me

1 Thessalonians 2 verse 13 For this reason we also constantly thank God

that when you received the word of God which you heard from us

you accepted it not as the word of mere men but as what it really is

the word of God which is also at work in you who believe

Friends, the word of God is Heaven's intelligence

and to allow the word of God to form your mind

and define your values and create your convictions

is the wisest thing to do

It is foolishness to try to make the word of God according to your thoughts

When you allow God's word to form your mind

define your values and create your convictions

you will certainly live a transformed life

The word of God is not just cerebral

reading and understanding

it is spiritual

it transforms us by feeding us

it doesn't just change our perspective

it gives us the power to walk in obedience

to be doers of the word and not hearers alone

I mean you read, you meditate you confess, you obey

when you meditate on the word of God you start to taste it

because tasting is the experience of it

reading is like gathering the grapes

and meditation is putting it in your mouth

where it truly has the opportunity to nourish you

so stop trying to be wise outside the word of God

that is what is called the foolishness of men

Christ, the living word reveals himself in the written word

and so you don't need an extravagant experience

of a sign or a wonder in that sense

and that shouldn't be more important to you

than the revelation of Jesus Christ

through the Holy Spirit and through the word

in fact, no extravagant experience of a sign or a wonder

is more important than the revelation of Christ

through the Holy Spirit and through the word of God

I'm reminded of the story in Luke 16, verses 27 to 31 in particular

and then he talked about the rich man and Lazarus

and how he cried and said

I mean the rich man cried and said

then I beg you, Father,

send Lazarus to my family

for I have five brothers,

let him want them

so that they would also not come

to this place of torment

and Abraham replied

they have Moses and the prophets

let them listen to them

the rich man wanted a sign

he wanted a wonder

he wanted something more than the word for his family

Abraham's response was look,

they've got Moses and they've got the prophets

so if they do not listen to Moses and the prophets

they will not be convinced

even if someone rises from the dead

the rich man was looking for a sign

because he thought the scriptures were insufficient

the word of God when it is applied

will transform the human heart

and change our affections

have a blessed day friends!

Music

Isn't it just like heaven

When you walk into the room

There's not a thing that's here

When every eye is on you

Can't get enough of your presence

It's the perfect point of view

Isn't it just like,

just like,

just like heaven

Mmmh,

come a little closer

🎵Stay a little longer🎵

Mmmh,

I can't get enough of your presence

There are two words that start with the letter R that I want to talk to you about.

The first is realization and the second is recognition.

Realization is to be awakened to awareness.

Recognition is to be able to acknowledge.

Now the realization of the presence of God comes through the recognition of it.

There are some people who believe that God is there.

There are some others who believe that God is here.

But God wants you to live by the experience of his presence.

Because God doesn't touch and go.

He is here and you can have as much of him as you desire.

Now you don't need to wait for a supernaturally overwhelming moment to experience God.

Don't live short of the desire of God and the design of God and the new covenant.

So God invites you to a continuous, glorious, blissful, all-satisfying exchange with him.

I mean an interaction that completely satisfies the heart.

Because the joys of the earth are as inconsistent as the earth.

Romans 8, verse 26 says that now in the same way, the spirit also helps our weakness.

For we do not know what to pray for us we should.

But the spirit himself intercedes for us with groaning stood deep for words.

Now the emphasis is on the spirit.

And the emphasis on the spirit is an invitation to leave our inadequacies and give attention to the Spirit.

So if I want to pray effectively,

I must give attention to the Spirit.

Now if you believe these words,

then these words will have power in your life.

Faith in the word gives you an experience of the word.

2 Corinthians 1, verse 21 and 22 Now he who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God,

who also sealed us and gave us the spirit in our hearts as a pledge.

Friends, the Holy Spirit is down payment of what is coming.

I mean I like how the hymn writer describes this experience as the foretaste of glory divine.

Friends, you can taste the world to come.

The world that is free of oppression, that has the radiance, the splendor, the excellencies of Jesus Christ radiating and illuminating.

The Holy Spirit enables you to hear Christ and see him with your spiritual eyes.

He enlightens your eyes, awakens your senses unto the life of Christ and illuminates the eyes of your Spirit.

How beautiful is this?

That God himself through his spirit and his word has made himself edible, sensible and tangible in the Spirit.

And if you recognize this truth, then you come to the realization of it.

The presence of God in you is a foretaste of the world to come.

Have a blessed day friends.

I just want more of you.

I just want more of you.

I just want more of you.

I just want more of you.

You don't know who you are until you know who God is,

and you don't know how to live until you've settled the question of what will I live for that is worth dying for?

And there's an old joke that went around, and it says,

in the beginning, God made man in his own image, and since the fall, man has been seeking to return the compliment to God.

And there's a Jesus that has been created by the wandering minds of humans, and sadly, Christians included.

But this Jesus is not a person, it's an illusion.

Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and he doesn't need a makeover.

A Christian way of thinking is not just thinking Christian thoughts, singing Christian songs, reading Christian books, and going to Christian schools.

It is learning to think about the whole spectrum of life from the perspective of a mind that has been trained in truth, and the truth is God's word.

The Bible says, let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ.

Now unfortunately, many preachers have distorted God's word, and sometimes it comes from a sincere desire to soften the hard hearts of people.

But hearts are not changed by compromise, they are changed by an encounter with the truth.

So if you tamper with the truth of God's word with a desire to get people saved to God, then they will be saved, but not to God, but to an illusion.

We are lampstands. Christ is all the light that the world needs.

We exist in order that Christ may shine through us. The world needs to meet Christ, and not you.

Have a blessed day friends.

Prayer is relational communication with God, and the key component of prayer is the relationship.

Now, God doesn't answer your prayers because your prayers were perfect, but because you're His child.

Never pursue anything outside the understanding of your relationship with God because your prayers are heard because you're a child of God.

So don't make prayer just about your needs. The purpose of prayer is way bigger than your needs.

If prayer is relational communication with God, then it means the primary purpose of prayer would be to strengthen your relationship with God. And the last time I checked, it is your experience of that relationship that needs strengthening.

And so prayer communicates our trust in God, and this is why we pray in faith. It keeps us where God wants us to be, being aware of His presence and being attentive to His voice.

And so the communication of prayer began with God. God gave us His Word, and the Word of God is the beginning of the conversation. And this is the reason you cannot pray effectively outside God's Word.

Bible study is like breathing in, and prayer is like breathing out. Never exaggerate one over the other.

Prayer may be simple in nature, but sometimes not easy in practice. And because it is not easy in practice, people complicate it.

And so Jesus speaks to us about the complications of man in Matthew 6, 7-12. In the message translation of the Bible, He says that the world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They are full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God.

Don't fall for that nonsense. This is your father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need.

So prayer communicates that you trust God. Trust that His answers are wiser than your prayers.

Trust His wisdom and His decisions because all of God's decisions are based on His will.

The Bible says in Psalm 84 verse 11, For the Lord God is a sun and shield. The Lord bestows favor and honor, and no good thing does He withhold from those who walk blameless.

Now, no good thing will He withhold. The question is who determines what is good for you?

Many times it looks as though we go out there seeking for what is good for us, and then we come to God in prayer to tell Him what we have found as good for us, and we want His power to perform what we have called good.

Friends, it's almost as if we believe that God is powerful enough to perform for us, but not good enough to determine what is good for us, and that is not prayer.

Prayer communicates that you trust God.

So, friends, prayer is a relational communication with God, and it communicates, first of all, that we trust Him. He's our Father, and He knows better than us what we need.

Have a blessed day, friends!

2Corinthians 5.15 - He died for everyone so that those who receive this new life will no longer live for themselves instead they live for Christ who died and was raised for them

Friends, in an era of selfishness and self-centeredness, It is a virtue not to live for self

A lot of people live for the possibility of having a comfortable life - money for retirement, a successful career, climbing up the corporate ladder, A great marriage, finding the right person - It pretty much sounds like me, me, me and me

Sadly Christians are not so different, we invest more in ourselves, in our marriages, our desires for life, our goals. We pursue blessings and God wants to do great things for us

But the purpose of Christ dying doesn't revolve around living for ourselves. Sometimes we act as though we are the center of the universe and everything and even God revolves around us

Listen to me, this may rock your boat, But God is not interested in your plans for your life. God is not committed to your plans for your life, God wants you to follow his plans for your life

Christ died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves

And these days it's so difficult to give up anything. To give up sleep, give up comfort, and how can we even give up ourselves?

We need to come to terms with the demand of God. You cannot live for yourself anymore, So those who live no longer live for their comfort, for their security But to live for him alone

We're committed to living safe when God wants us to live brave and we can't live both ways

It wasn't safe for Jesus to come to earth to redeem us. Immediately he was born, a king was hunting for him to kill him

As a result over 1,000 innocent babies were killed. He was taken to Africa to hide like a refugee and when he returned, a whole institution was dedicated to frustrating him and eventually killing him

They tried to stone him, they tried to push him off a cliff, they flogged him, they ridiculed him, they spat on him. They made him carry a heavy cross His heart was heavier than the cross because of his assignment

Eternal damnation had been compressed into a few hours like a bitter drink and he had to take every drop. They nailed his hands, nailed his legs, they pierced his side. They put a crown of thorns on his head

Was it safe my Lord? How did you come to this unsafe world? Was I worth the sacrifice?

Friends, it is bravery to live in the will of God selflessly

Living safe is living a disadvantaged life. Acts 4.29 - And now Lord, take note of their threats and grant that your bond-servants may speak your word with all confidence

The apostles were not asking God to take away the persecution. They were asking for a greater level of boldness. Give us a greater level of boldness that is greater than the threats because we never retreat in this kingdom, we only seek to live brave

In 2 Corinthians 11.23-28 Paul begins to recount and says, I have worked more harder, I have been in prison more frequently, I have been flogged more severely, I have been exposed to death more often, I have 5 times received 40 lashes save one from the Jews

Friends, living brave is obedience to Christ no matter the cost. Taking a step of faith outside your comfort zone and God doesn't have to explain himself to you before you obey him

God doesn't have to ask your permission before he touches your life. If you demand that God explains himself to you or asks your permission to allow trials and troubles your way then you and I don't serve the same God

The God that I serve says in Psalm 115.3 - My God is in heaven and he does whatever pleases him

Friends, God is trustworthy. God proved his love on the cross. He doesn't need to prove himself again and again to you. If your greatest desire in life is to live safe, you will - But you will never see God the way he chooses to reveal himself to you

It is bravery to live the will of God selflessly and living safe is actually living a disadvantaged life

Have a blessed day friends!