THERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT THE NAME OF JESUS

May 31, 2013

There was a testimony of a servant of God travelling on a narrow bridge that could only take one car at a time. Suddenly there was another truck coming from the other side of the bridge. There were two options; either they had head on or one reverses for the other. However, they were both speeding and the option of reversing was out of the game.

The servant of God had his wife beside him. He said that the wife started shouting “Jesus,” until he cautioned her by saying “one Jesus is enough for this situation.” According to him, how the two vehicles went through without any accident still remains a mystery to him.

Names are very important. They are brands. They are ways of distinguishing who is who. Names have meanings. Jokingly there is a Yoruba adage that says that it is the effect of the name in the life of a man named Adeshina that will make him end up as a gateman.

Names establish authority. The acts, the miracles, the healings, the raising of the dead, the casting out of demons – all were done in the name of Jesus.

I looked at the name of Jesus and realized that there is just something special about the name of Christ. Acts 4:10 says “Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.”

The name heals; delivers; saves; blesses; sets free; promotes; raises from the dead and so on and on. There is nothing that you need that is not in the name of Jesus. New wine is there. Better jobs are there. Good spouses are there. Wonderful kids are there. LR3 jeep is there. 5 bedroom duplex is there. The name is an all in one name. It is omnipotent.

Death hears the name and trembles. Sickness hears the name and vanishes. Debt hears the name and disappears. Shame hears the name and turns to double honor.

I speak today that everything you desire in that sweet name of Jesus be granted to you in Jesus Name. Amen!

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WAIT ON THE LORD

May 30, 2013

There is tale about a thirty eight year old jobless graduate who had become a prayer project for his family and church. He had applied to so many places and few of the companies he had interviewed before had told him they will call him as to when to come and resume.

This guy continued holding on for another few years. When he clocked forty, he said he could not take it anymore and was asked to do money rituals which he did. He was told he had just thirteen months to live but those thirteen months to him would be lived in unimaginable affluence. He agreed and left.

As he was getting home that same day after the rituals, a letter from one of the companies where he had interviewed was waiting for him, on opening the letter; he saw an offer of $10,000 per month salary with some other juicy allowances. He quickly Usain Bolted to the ritualisist’s place but met the man dead.

Sometimes in our life, we tend to see God as too slow for us. Because of the fast paced era we are in; fast food; fast cash; fast track education; and all, we want what we want fast fast, as in we want it like yesterday.

Bible says in Isaiah 40:31 that “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” Psalm 37:9b says “but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.”

One of the attributes of those who receive from God is that they are good waiters. To wait means “I won’t let go until only YOU settle me. I don’t care how long it’s going to take; I am ready to do the waiting because I know you have my life in Your hands and my waiting will never be in vain.” Sometimes things won’t work as we plan, but we just must learn to wait. We must learn to work with God’s timing.

I pray that the grace to be able to wait on God always be released on us all in Jesus Name. Amen!

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DO THE DREAM

May 29, 2013

There is a true story about a man whose restaurant business was not doing very well even though it was in a highly populated area with different class of people. This man consulted several business management consultants but all to no avail.

One day he was thinking back to why he choose to go into such line of business and he remembered his childhood dream of having a restaurant where people could come drink garri (I call it cassaflakes – cassava flakes) with anything; fish, groundnut, “kulikuli (made from groundnut), fried bush meat and all.

At that point, he decided to do a “Garri and fried fish” open day restaurant kind of thing. At the end of that day, it dawned on him that if he had started with his original dream, he would never have found himself in such a messy rat race.

A whole lot of us are at the bottom today because we have refused to do our dreams. We all have dreams, but in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, effort and action. The dream temple would not have been built had Solomon not activated the passion in the people of that land by doing the dream.

Dreams will not auto-happen, just so we are clear, you need to make them happen. If your dream is to become the best poet in Nigeria and all you do is write your poems and keep them, then I would advise you change your dream to becoming the best poet keeper in Nigeria.

To dream is good, but to do the dream is better. No matter how colorful your dream is, if not worked at, it remains a dream. Bible says “For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.” (Rom 8:19). The world is waiting for you to explode. Burst forth. Launch out. Come off dreamland and enter into the land of reality.

I pray that the power that brings dream to pass will overshadow your dream in Jesus Name. Amen! leave

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SATISFIED WITH FAVOR

May 28, 2013

I went to a particular office sometimes ago to see the Director for something very important. Before going there, I had prayed that the Lord would grant me favor before everyone I was going to encounter that day. On getting to that premises, there was an important government dignitary around as such, their car park was closed to visitors.

However, when I got there, the gateman said he loved my car and that was why he was going to open the gate for me. As if that was not enough, when I got to the director’s office, I was made to understand that he was busy and I should come back some other time. I was about turning back when the man came out of his office and shouted “I love this height. What can I do for you?” That was how we entered his office and he gave me what I wanted.

When a man is satisfied with favor, everything about him becomes attractive and lovely. The favor of God makes men love you whether they like to or not. In Esther 2:15, Bible says And Esther obtained favour in the sight of all them that looked upon her. In verse 17, because of the favor of the Lord upon her the King set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.

It doesn’t matter what your qualification or status in the society is, when you are favored, you become the centre of attraction. You become the only choice of everybody, because God by His favor has already chosen you, as such, no man on earth can object to that.

David was satisfied with the favor of God and rose from a shepherd boy to a king. Joseph was satisfied with favor and rose from a prisoner to a prime minister. Esther was satisfied with favor and she rose from obscurity into limelight. Naphtali was satisfied with favor and his entire endeavors were blessed.

I pray for you this morning that God Almighty will perfume you with favor so much that even your enemies will have no choice but to favor you in Jesus Name. Amen!

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BE SPIRITUALLY SENSITIVE

May 27, 2013

Like I always say, man’s greatest source of help is the Holy Spirit. God has given us the Holy Spirit to be everything to us; friend, teacher, helper, director, defender, leader, producer, marketer, savior, advocate and everything that we might want him to be unto us.

There was a period in my life that things were a bit tight and I started wondering what could be happening. At first, I thought within myself that it was just a case of economic depression going on in the nation, but later my spirit was enlightened to know that others might be saying there is a casting down, I must be saying there is a lifting up.

So I did some digging and realized I owed God. Paying God what I owed Him freed me from that tight situation I put myself in.

Do you know that it is not God’s plan for you to always be sick? Do you know that having epileptic sales is not the plan of God for your life? His word says that the path of the just is like a shining light, that shines more and more unto the perfect day. In order words, non-stop shining.

One of my pastors do say that if he is going out and a nail from nowhere pulls his clothe and tears it, he knows something is wrong. Until we are spiritually sensitive enough to the point where can figure out by the help of the Holy Ghost the cause of whatever situation we are going through that is not what we desire, the devil will continue to use us as objects of ridicule and mockery.  

I used to have mouth sore. I thought it happened whenever I was fasting but it happened even when I was not fasting. I thought it was caused by a particular food but I was wrong also. It got to a point that the sore became a weekly affair. At that point, I could not take it no more so I asked what could be wrong and I was made to know it was caused by a certain beverage. Friends, since I stopped taking that drink, the sore stopped.

Jesus said in John 10:10 that I have come that you might have life and have it more abundantly. To have life more abundantly, you need to be in tune with the Holy Spirit to be able to deal with whatever cannot be called life in your life.

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THE WORDS OF OUR TESTIMONY

May 26, 2013

Rev 12:11 says “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.”

In my little journey on earth as a Christian, I have come to see that testimony is one area of our journey that keeps us going. Testimonies are evidence that there is a God who is truly ready to help us at any point in time.

One person that was able to use this to his advantage greatly was King David in the book of 1Samuel 17. Verses 34 – 36 read “And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.”

The first thing that David did was to recall all that God has done for him, and this way he was encouraged well enough to trust in the same God to help him defeat Goliath. What we believe tend to be a factor that determines what we achieve.

When we recall to our memories what things God has done for others, it has a way of energizing or empowering our faith in the same God to even do much more for us. Having heard testimonies of how God blessed people has made me to also know Him as a giver and the One that blesses.

A woman said she started buying baby materials after hearing the testimony of a 55 year old woman giving birth because the testimony made her understand that barrenness was never her portion.

As you key into the testimonies of others, God Almighty will do so much more for you in Jesus Name. Amen!

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GOOD GIVER

May 25, 2013

I have come to understand that it is one thing to give; it is another thing to give good. The other thing I have seen is that humans can be givers, but they are rarely good givers. The only good giver is the Almighty God. Throughout the scripture, we find that God is a good giver.

He gives strength (Psalm 29:11). He gives the desires of our hearts (Psalm 37:4). He gives grace and glory (Psalm 84:11). He gives life to all things (1 Timothy 6:13). He gives victory through Christ Jesus our Lord (1 Cor 15:57). Most importantly, He gives what is good (Psalm 85:12).

There has never been and there can never be any good giver like our God. I know of humans that give when they feel like or when they are in a good mood. God does not have to be in a good mood before He gives. He gives because of who He is. That’s why the scripture says Ask, and it shall be given you. There is no limit to God’s ability to give. He is always ready to give good gifts unto His people.

Knowing full well that He is a giver gives me uncommon confidence to approach Him and ask for whatever I need. Honestly, your father can be limited as to what to give you, your employer might not be able to grant your desires, and your husband might not be able to meet your needs 100% of the time, but Jehovah Jireh can never under give or run out of resources. As a matter of fact, when it seems like the flow has finished, He makes us understand that it has not even started flowing at all.

God is ready to give you every of your heart desires, but same way you cannot come to my biological father and ask for tuition unless you are his adopted child, same way you cannot approach the Greatest Giver, unless you are His person. If there is one counsel I am giving this moment, it is to develop a relationship with the Greatest Giver that was, is and would ever be and I pray that while you are yet asking, He would have given you your heart desire in Jesus Name. Amen!

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GOD AND MAMMON

May 24, 2013

A whole lot of people wake up very early in the morning, work like jackals during the day, come back home at night tired and worn out and continue like that for years all because of money. Some would eventually breakthrough while some would keep running the same old rat race.

Luke 6:13 says “No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”

Before now, I used to think that mammon means devil or one his cohort. I decided to study about mammon and realized that it means material wealth or greed or to sum it all up – money! In Poland, “Mamona” is a synonym for mammon which means money. In German, the word “Mammon” is a colloquial term for money.

It is plain and simple; you cannot sleep in two rooms at the same time. You cannot be loyal to two political parties at the same time. You cannot serve two masters at the same time. Who you serve serves you. Just like a case of the man that you obey trusts you.

To serve means to work for or to be a servant of. The one that struck me the most is the definition that says to be of assistance to or promote the interests of. Simply put, you cannot promote the interest of God and mammon at the same time.

For every user of this devotional, I would enjoin you to serve God only and stop prioritizing money over God. My question all these years that you have running after money, how much have you made? The truth about making money is that it is God that gives power to make wealth.

Wealth is a reward that comes with serving God and obeying His commands.  As you obey Him and serve Him, you will eat the good of the land in Jesus Name. Amen!

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BE FAITHFUL IN LITTLE

May 23, 2013

Few years ago, my church drama group acted a story about a building engineer that was a friend to a wealthy man. They have been friends since primary school days. One day the wealthy man requested that his building engineer friend should be awarded a contract to build him a four bedroom duplex.

The building engineer was happy and saw it as an opportunity to make money, so he constructed the building with cheap and inferior materials to maximize his gain. Within him, any terrible storm would affect the building. As a cover up, he gave the building rich painting. On the day of handing over the house to his wealthy friend, he was dazed and almost died he told him, “I am giving you this house as a gift for been a faithful friend.”

Luke 16: 10-12 says “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?”

The reason why some people have not progressed to the next level is because they are not even faithful in their current level. As a believer; in your current office/position, are you faithful with that which is committed into your hands? Can you be trusted? Are you reliable?

Do you return phone calls? Is your yes truly yes? If you promise you will be somewhere by 10am, do you call if you are going to be late? Do you habitually forget to follow up? Does your word hold waters before your clients?

Many are in the career path, but few are on the character path. On the Day of Judgment, your career would not speak for you, your character would. Our get it now age has so much affected us that we want more without doing the little. We want the gain without the grind, the sweets without the sweat, and the prize without the pain.

If you want more, then do the little faithfully and you do that, God will reward you with much more in Jesus Name. Amen!

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WHEN YOU FEEL DOWN – 2

May 22, 2013

Another common cause of feeling down is fatigue. There is an old saying that says “you can’t burn the candle at both ends.” Today we have gone from candle power to atomic power, and that old saying seems to be been outdated.

We want bigger homes, fancier cars, fat bank accounts, more exotic holidays and latest gadgets, etc. as a result of all of these desires; we start earlier, work harder and finish later. We stagger home and fall asleep in front of the television, worn out and feeling guilty about spending so little time with the family.

There was a period of time that my father would have worked so tirelessly that by the time he came back home and we needed to talk to him, he would have slept off. There was a time that I had a nail injury underneath my left feet, and I could not tell him because he slept off immediately he came back home. It was in the middle of the night when the pain was too much and I was crying that he managed to wake up to attend to me.

Fatigue saps our creative energy, distorts our outlook, diminishes our joy, erodes our confidence and drains us spiritually making us feel terribly down. Elijah is a great example of this, he single-handedly defeated the prophets of Baal in 1Kings 18, later he outran a chariot by foot, he was a great prophet but despite his level of spirituality, he got so tired and worn out that he asked God to take his life – 1Kings 19:4.

However, being a good Father and Great Physician, God diagnosed Elijah’s problem and prescribed three things; proper diet, adequate rest and a good assistant – Elisha. After the prophet put all these in place, he had a smooth and peaceful ride to heaven. Many of us hide under the umbrella of “I love what I do for a living” and we tend to overload ourselves till we get out of balance. A fatigued person can neither read the word of God nor pray.

Psalm 23:3a says “He restoreth my soul.” Restore has two parts; “rest” and “store”. Relax physically, and replenish spiritually. That’s what to do when you feel down and your strength will be renewed.

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WHEN YOU FEEL DOWN

May 21, 2013

A church member after a Sunday sermon asked the pastor, “Sir, I am just a little curious as to whether you ever feel down?” “Sure,” the pastor responded. “So what do you do about it?” asked the member. “I get up again” replied the pastor, “Being down is not my problem, staying down is. I’m either up, or I’m getting up, I’ve learned not to park in between.”

The truth is sometimes you will feel down, you will feel like the entire world is crashing down on you.  Although feeling down is universal, sociologists warn against its two most common causes: fear and fatigue.

In 2Chronicles 20, when the Edomites army marched against Israel’s king, fear gripped him and his nation. This goes to tell us that even the rich sometimes cry. However, whenever we are scared of something, we should do what the King did. He turned to God and prayed: “If, when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in thy presence, (for thy name is in this house,) and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help.) – 2Chron20:9

Don’t allow fear to cause you to abandon your hope and your vision, instead stand in God’s presence, talk to Him and watch Him rescue you. Throughout the Old Testament, we read God reminding the Israelites of the track record of His goodness towards them. He wanted then to remember and be encouraged, but most times, fear would cloud their memory and they would begin to doubt.

So God told them in verse 15, “Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's.” In order words, you don’t have to worry about defeating the enemy, that’s My job. He is saying that I am in charge so trust me to work it out.

Anytime you have a feeling of being down, just remember that He is charge and as such you are not permitted to feel down.

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HOPE

May 20, 2013

God has a way even when there looks like there is no way. Every dream that’s in your heart, every promise that has taken root, God put them there with the intention to bring them to pass. The attitude you need to develop is the attitude of perseverance. Never compromise knowing full well that God is able to do exceedingly and abundantly, above all you may ask or think according to the power in the name of Jesus.

Maybe you are living in a small rented apartment and all your friends have nice homes. Just tell yourself, I am not discouraged, I know my time is coming. Maybe you want to get married but have not met the right person. Believe that your time is coming and that at the right time; God will bring the right person.

If you would let go of everything, never let go of hope for it is the bridge upon which faith travels. King David said, “I have pitched my tent in the land of hope.”

Move out from Discouragement Avenue. Pack your things out of that dead-end neighborhood. Move into a land of hope, faith, possibility, a land where you know your time is coming. Never lose hope. Keep hope alive. Always have the mentality that your time is near.

Maybe you have reasons to just let go of those beautiful dreams that God has put in your heart as a result of the disappointments and failures you have encountered, but I am asking you to let this simple but powerful phrase take rook in your heart; “My time is coming.”

Discouragement would come. Negative thoughts may come, telling you; It will never come to pass; You can never be debt free; That business can’t work. Just shake those off and tell yourself, “I know the thoughts of God towards me, they are the thoughts of good and not evil, to bring me to my expected end”, Tell yourself “For surely there is an end; and my expectation shall not be cut off.”

As you keep hope alive, our God will not fail you in Jesus Name. Amen

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TOMORROW MAN

May 19, 2013

There is a story of a man that would wake up each morning and stack up the letters he’d write…tomorrow. He would think of the friends he’d fill with delight…tomorrow. It was too bad, indeed; he was busy today and had no time to stop on his way. “Just a bit more of time and I’ll give to others,” he’d day…tomorrow. But suddenly someday, he died and faded from human view and that he left as possessions for his children was a truck load of things he intended to do…tomorrow.

Many of us have PhD in procrastination. We are always tomorrow people. Everything that we want to do is always being scheduled for tomorrow, next month or next year. Someone said that procrastination never won a race, received a promotion or changed the outcome of any situation.

2 Corinthians 8:10 -11 say “And herein I give my advice: for this is expedient for you, who have begun before, not only to do, but also to be forward a year ago. Now therefore perform the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have.”

Apostle Paul was talking about the collection for brethren that they had promised to do a year ago but they still hadn’t done it and Paul was encouraging them to complete what they started. That’s what happens to some of us, we talk we don’t do. We plan, we don’t execute. I will start saving next month. I will start midnight prayer next week. I will give my life to Christ when I buy a car.

British ambassador Nolbert Quayle said, “Tomorrow is the excuse of the lazy and refuge for the incompetent.”

Even our God hates laziness and procrastination is the middle name of a lazy person. Miracles are delayed sometimes because what we are supposed to do (pray, read the word of God, meditate on the word of God, pay tithe etc) are been postponed till tomorrow.

May procrastination not make you useless in life in Jesus Name. Amen!

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START THAT ENGINE

May 18, 2013

Most times in our lives, we tend to spend so much a time trying to figure out where to start a project from, how to start it and all. Sometimes a project as simple as writing a one pager to a friend might take some people like 5 days to compose.

There is a song that is common among western believers in Nigeria. The song says “Holy Spirit, where do I start praising you from?” Whenever I hear people sing this song, I jokingly say, start somewhere.

The trip from Lagos to Abuja by road starts with the driver starting the engine and driving. There is no progress without movement. Even the fastest man on earth knows that to win a race, he needs to take the first step.  The first step towards achieving anything in life is to take a step of faith. Peter knew this when in Matthew 14, he saw Jesus walking on the sea, he made us know that to go forward, you must take a step.

That wise man in the book of Proverbs advised twice in Prov 6:10 and 24:33 that “Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep will lead to penury. The distance between here and there is a step. Many of us waste so much time trying to figure out all the pros and cons. Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that planning or weighing options is bad, but spending too much time on this is only an invitation to frustration and depression.

The best lesson I have come to learn in this few years of mine on earth is to start the engine now. Why delay? Start now. You will be surprised how much you can do when you start. Peter would never have believed that he could walk on waters until he took the first step.

Take that first step. Start that business; write that application; fill that form; approach that client; talk to that sister; make that move and you will be so dazed at how much you have been losing by not starting all these while. Every step of faith you take henceforth will take you to the top in Jesus Name. Amen!

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WORRY 101

May 17, 2013

I am one of the people who have heard that statement “don’t worry” countless number of times.  Truth is, most times, my appearance would say “don’t worry” like the smooth surface of a calm pond, but my inner world could be like a room filled with screaming children.

Come to think of it, the first thing we all do when someone tells us not to worry is to be more worried, right? Some of us are so good at worrying that having nothing to worry about becomes a source of worry for us. I checked online and found out that worry causes dry mouth, dizziness, rapid heartbeat, irritability, muscle aches, diabetes, stroke and heart attack, not to mention a variety of mental illness, damage to relationship and bad decisions based on fear.

The corporate world is also not helping some of us as we tend to always say “worst case scenario”. Don’t get me wrong, I am not against having plan B, but my point is why can’t more energy go into “best case scenario”.

As children of God, we are supposed to be God’s answer to the worries of the world; hunger, clothing, shelter and all.

Please take a moment and write on a plain sheet of paper “WORRY LIST” and write all the things you worry about in there. Guess you are done, right? Look at that list again and you will see that they are things that Christ has made provisions for.  Many of them don’t really matter though. Some of them we can’t even control. Also, how will worrying help? Worry comes in place the moment we shift our gaze away from Jesus.

Worry my friend, is the opposite of faith and without faith, it is impossible to see those things which be not as though they are. Because His word says “Casting all your care upon him; for He careth for you”, take a moment and just give that worry list over to the Holy Spirit in prayer and I assure you, He will fix them for you in Jesus Name. Amen!

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