THE WORD OF FAITH Podcast

Joshua has received instructions from God - be strong and of good courage. His first instruction to the children of Israel is this - prepare yourselves for in three days we are passing over this Jordan to take the promise land. The first city to be taken was going to be Jericho. During this time also the river Jordan has overflowed its banks. How are the children of Israel going to cross this river? Never forget this - the greatest challenge to any great endeavour lies at the beginning and at the end. The first step and the last step is the most challenging. At the beginning, one has to contend with the sweet influences of procrastination but also fear at times. The fear of drowning if you start this project, this endeavour. Israel took three days to prepare. Never start a project without waiting on the Lord for divine intelligence. Joshua got to know how to cross the Jordan at the end of the three days. Let the priests with the ark of covenant move in first and as soon as their feet touches the waters it will part a way for you. Easy! Nothing can and nothing should stand between you and your promise land. They Ason realised that the first city to contend with was Jericho. What did Joshua do? He sent spies to gather military intelligence. People of God, whatever you want to do after praying research about it. Find out more what others have done in that same project, what was their challenge, etc. By intelligence Joshua soon learnt that the walls of Jericho are not ordinary. 12 horses can race on the wall. How are they going to bring this wall down? But you know what? If God has delivered a thing or a people into your hand no matter what you will take it. Joshua and Israel soon learnt that the people of Jericho are afraid even though their walls are thick. His also raised for them an insider to help them. Rahab, an harlot, who no one regarded is the one Jehovah raised as an insider for victory. Precious One this message is for you.

Joshua has now taken over from Moses. The first command God gives to him is this - Be strong and of good courage. Three times God repeats this instruction to Joshua the son of Nun. What does it mean to be strong and courageous? How can one be strong and courageous? Why is it needful for him to be strong and courageous? Remember this - God had assured him expressly that wherever the sole of his feet will tread He (God) has given it to him. Similarly as Christians today to who Hod has given all things that Perrin to life and godliness. If God has given us everything that pertains to life and godliness why do so many Christians suffer? Exactly the same question I would have asked if I was Joshua the son of Nun. Lord, if wherever the sole of my feet would tread you have given unto me why the need to be strong and courage’s? Yes, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Because you are going to do the division of the promise land. Be strong in the Lord and be of good courage because there will be many voices trying to seduce you to turn away from the word of God just as Adam and Eve turned from Him and disobeyed God. They eventually lost everything. Be strong in the Lord and be of good courage because you will have opposition like Daniel did. Precious one, this message is for you and you can’t afford to miss it. Remained blessed and keep shinning.

The children of Israel are now at the border of the promise Land. The spies complained - the land is truly a land of milk and honey though, but the cities are walled and the giants are there. They chose to return back to Egypt. For their unbelief God promised them that they will not enter the promise land. Hence that generation wandered in the wilderness for 40 years until they all died except Joshua and Caleb. Because of walled cities and the giants the children of Israel feared to contend for what God had spoken of or given them. But two things: first the walls of Jericho were walls no one could have comprehended that it can come down. Yet by the word of God it came down without a dynamite. Secondly, when God spoke to the children of Israel after 40 years of wandering to break camp and advance. However, the first warning God gave to the children Israel was concerning the land of Ammon. God said to them, do not contend with the Ammonites for their land because I will not give you their land. It was the land for the Zamzummims (a people great, many and tall) like the Anakims but the Lord gave it to the children of Ammon. Who destroyed the giants and succeeded them. The second warning - the land of the children of Esau don’t contend for it. The giants, Horims were there but they contended for it and the Lord God delivered the giants into their hands. People have contended with giants and have prevailed. Why should you think your giants are a match. No one is a match but he who has God on his side. If God be for you, your giants are no match. This is a message for you.

There are times in life we lose opportunities or fail to cease an advantage. Such that we continue to look back thinking - if there was a, way to turn or go back in time, we'll go back and make some good changes. This was the case of Eve when Cain killed his brother Abel. Abel was a great guy, full of life and the fear of God. He's been raised by his parents with hope. And suddenly his own brother would slay him. It was sad losing Abel but scripture says, after they had mourned they moved past that lose. Eve and the husband kept going. What happened? Adam knew his wife and she conceived and brought forth a son and called his name Seth. For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of (or in place of) Abel, whom Cain slew. I want to admonish you today - God will do it again for you. This message will bless you more.

It is good and acceptable I’m the sight of God our Savior if we pray for all men. Especially kings and those who are in authority. The reason being that if leaders lead well it will make our Christian life easier and our Great Commission work smoother. A typical example is how the church struggles through the Cold War in Russia under a pitiless atheistic leadership. It was a crime to possess a Bible. A crime that could land you in prison, killed or tortured. Yet in fear underground churches sprang up. Bibles were smuggled from other European countries to Russia through car tyres. May our country never get to this state. May we have the liberty at all times to serve our God. But it will require that we pray for all men. This message will bless you.

There are time God deliver us from suffering and challenges that comes our way but there are other times He does not. Not because we are wrong but because suffering for righteousness is part of the Christian life equation. Job was a perfect man and eschew evil yet he suffered for his faith and confidence in God. Precious One. Jesus said,”Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Our generation of Christians have been made to believe that suffering is out of a Christian life. This is not true. However, it pleases God any time we confidently stand for righteousness, suffer for it so that righteousness prevails. At the work place should not God and righteousness reign there? Are you afraid that you will lose friends, face and ease with your career progression so you are silent on speaking out the truth. Like Esau so are many Christians, who for a mosel of bread sold his birthright. Today, you can find many Christians doing the wrong things - living in fornication, adultery, equally yoked with unbelievers, accepted the person of the unrighteous. etc. Others are offended, murmuring and chiding for their suffering of righteousness, But how can the gospel go far without suffering or leaving our comfort zones to reach the unreached? How can others believe our report of the gospel is we cannot suffer for what we believe. It is the will of God that we pick our cross daily and come after Him. God bless you.

It is the will of God that you live a sanctified life. This is because whatever belongs to God he sanctifies. Not only that, those who are associated with God must be sanctified. God is the supreme One. Everyone who comes near must come to him sanctified. Sanctification brings holiness. It is interesting to know that it is sanctification that makes way for wonders. Joshua said to the children of Israel,”sanctify yourselves: for tomorrow God will do wonders among you. By this time, Precious One, you should know that you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation. Out of the masses God has chosen you. You are special to him. Will you not sanctify yourself to Him? It is the will of God to live a sanctified life. How must I sanctify my life? Take a listen this podcast and you will be blessed like never before. Keep shinning.

Shall not a man understand and walk in the will of God? Sure definitely. Had Adam and Eve continued in the will of God they wouldn’t have lost the garden of Eden. Neither would they have had to till the ground to put food on the table. As a child of God, until you understand what His will is, you may be wandering in the wrong places and struggling with the issues of life. So Paul wrote to the Ephesians church. “...do not be unwise (or do not be a fool) but understand what the will of God is.” What is the will of God? To the Thessalonian church he told them - In all things give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Precious One, where you are today, and what you are going through give thanks to Him. It may not be the best yet but He who is the only wise God knows why. Give thanks. You have life today - Give thanks. Do you have strength or food to eat today? - Give thanks. Have you lost your job, your business or friend? - Give thanks. For the good and seemingly not good happenings in our lives and around us - give thanks. Why? For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. This podcast will bless you more.

In the armoury of God, the most powerful weapons are very small. Actually, in Christ the most effective things are not big, the most powerful weapons are not complex, etc. Paul and Silas were cast in prison because they did cast out a demon out of a little girl. They were placed in the inner part of the prison with chains on their hands Abd feet. Additionally, guards were placed on them to watch them carefully. There was no way out for Paul and Silas. What happened? Scripture says, “at midnight instead of complaining and crying they began to pray. After a while they went into praises and worship. They sang hymns, psalms and spiritual songs. Then suddenly...Suddenly there was an earthquake. Glory to God. Because God dwells in the praises of His people. In order words the presence of God filled the prison room. His presence and power were invoked by praises. Then the prison doors opened by themselves without anyone’s effort. Their chains fell off without anyone’s effort. Those gates and those chains of limitations are no longer there. Precious One, praises and worship puts God in charge of your situation. He will blaze through ahead of you. Jehoshaphat used this armour before. And scripture says he went to war against three kingdoms and he appointed singers to praise the beauty of God’s holiness. What happened? The battle was the Lord’s. He didn’t even shoot one arrow. What have you been doing precious one about the challenges that confronts you? Crying? Complaining ? Looking for man to help you? I say unto you return unto God. Worship him in the beauty of his holiness and see the salvation of the Lord. Glory to God.

You know, Isaac said to Esau "your brother with subtilty has taken your blessing. I have blessed him and he shall be blessed. Esau wept and asked his father - Do you have only one blessing? In other words, speak and declare another and heavier blessing for me. But Isaac knew that blessing Esau won't be easy. The reason is that he had already made Jacob's brethren servants to him. So no matter how much Esau is blessed he will be a servant to his younger brother. Eventually, his father blessed him and placed the key to breaking his younger brother's dominion over him. Isaac said, "... And it shall come to pass when you shall be restless you shall break his yoke from of your neck". Precious One, if you can manage your present circumstances, it will definitely be your future. However, the day you will become fed up or restless with your challenging situation that same day it will be over. The scripture says Hannah went to Shiloh year after year to pray about her getting a baby but it didn't happen for her. Her husband told her, I still love you more than your rival so why should you care. But the day she got fed up with her situation she prayed like mad. She decided not to leave Shiloh until she gets change. When Eli realized the frustration, desperation and restlessness of Hannah he spoke to her - change is yours; go home. Exactly a year Hannah brought forth a child. What is also beautiful is that challenges brings out the best in you. By the time Hannah become a mother she was already a praying bulldozer. Don't you think such a mother will raise giants? Precious One, God gave Hannah a child but Hannah gave God a prophet. This message will bless you.