Monthly Archives: February 2012

Your Name is a confession

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Your name is a confession

Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee (Genesis 17:5).

All over the world, people bear names that represent different things, some names represent personalities, landmarks or events, and they’re handed down from one generation to another. Many times, Christians have found themselves bearing names that contradict what they believe. Those names were handed to them by their forbears, and not many ever bothered to find out the meaning of those names to be sure they’re consistent with who we are today in Christ Jesus.

It’s no use answering the name that contradict what you believe about the Gospel and who you are in Christ Jesus, for it can work against you. The name you answer is a major confession in your life. As you answer that name you’re continually confessing the meaning of that name. if you study the Bible, you’ll notice how God changed the names of several people. Before their names were changed, they lived the life of the name they bore. When God changed their names, their destinies also changed.

Abraham, for example, which means father of many, used to be called Abram, meaning “exalted or assumed father” (Genesis 17:5). He and his wife were without a child until their names changed to Abraham and Sarah. Isaac’s son Jacob is another example. His name meant “one that takes by heel; deceiver”. In today’s rendition, that would mean, “swindler, fast guy, or scammer.” Of course, he grew up to answer his name; he deceived his father, cheated his brother, and remained a cheat until God met him and changed his name (Genesis 32:27-28).

To answer a name means that you agree to, confess and endorse the meaning and import of that name in your life. That’s why you ought to answer only names that are consistent with God’s purpose for you; names that glorify God’s Word and are consistent with your identity and position as a new creation in Christ Jesus.

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for giving me a new name according to your divine plan for me. I’m a success, a victor, and more than a conqueror; I’m not just the effulgence of the glory of God, my name is “The Glory of God!” prosperity, divine health, joy and peace are mine, in Jesus Christ Name, Amen!

May Our God The Almighty prosper Nigeria and Israel and defend us from all our enemies in Jesus Christ Name, Amen!

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God is faithful

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God Is Faithful!

His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:22-23, NKJV

Three hundred and seventy-one days after the Flood began, “God said to Noah, ‘Come out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives'” (Gen. 8:15, NIV). We can almost hear the “Hallelujah Chorus” playing in the background! What a day of rejoicing that must have been! God had been faithful to see him through!

God has not changed. If He was faithful to watch over Noah and all those within the ark, bringing them safely through the storm, He will do the same for you. Just as He was faithful to preserve Joseph through thirteen years of slavery in Potiphar‘s house and Pharaoh‘s prison, just as He was faithful to preserve the little baby Moses floating on the Nile . . . God will be faithful to you. Why? Because God is faithful! He cannot be less than Himself! Keep your focus on God’s faithfulness and on God’s greatness!

Blessings

May Our God The Almighty prosper Nigeria and Israel and defend us from all our enemies in Jesus Christ Name, Amen!

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Give Choices, Give Limits

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Give Choices, Give Limits

by Bishop Keith A. Butler

Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with
the rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and
shalt deliver his soul from hell.
Proverbs 23:13,14

Children need a healthy balance of choices made within a few important
boundaries, but parents must be strong on both sides of the equation.
Parents must give children choices, and give children limits. If all
you give them are choices, they will spend the rest of their lives pressing against authority in all of its forms, seeking the limits they
instinctively know are there.

The younger the child, the greater the limits. As the child grows, the
more choices you give him or her while still maintaining God‘s
standards in your home until that child is able to make Word-informed
choices on their own before God. Parents, if anyone lives in your house
and is unwilling to follow the rules you establish for your household,
they have to go. Let them set up their own house, whether they are
sixteen or sixty-six.

The Holy Spirit helps us grow into maturity by encouraging us to make
choices freely according to the truths in God’s Word and the voice of
the Spirit within our hearts. God always preserves our power of choice,
and He delights when we willingly lay down our freedom in order to draw
close to Him as our Father, just as lovers willingly lay down their
freedom in order to commit to one another in marriage.

Prayer for Today

Father,
Thank you for life! Thank you for your Word! You are worthy of praise
and honor for loving the world enough to give us both freedom and
limits. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Think on These Things

* Proverbs 19:18
* Proverbs 28:15

May Our God The Almighty prosper Nigeria and Israel and defend us from all our enemies in Jesus Christ Name, Amen!

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We are the salt of the earth

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We are the salt of the earth

Matthew 5:13, “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.”

MATTHEW 5:13-16

What is it that will be cast out and trodden under foot of men? Is it the salt, or is it possible that Jesus is speaking about the world? If we as believers lose our preserving influence, then there is no other way for the Lord to save the world. It will be dominated by men.

God flows through His people. It is not our own power that changes people. It’s God’s power in us. But God will not do it without us. It’s a partnership.

Many people spend a lifetime praying for God to move, not understanding that He is going to flow through them. It is not God who is failing to intervene. It is God’s people who are failing to cooperate and let Him flow through them.

Every Christian has God living in them. Therefore we are carrying around other people’s miracles. If we fail to walk in the supernatural power of God, then somone will miss their miracle. We are God’s salt to preserve this putrifying world. Today, get out of the shaker and let the life of God which is in you flow to someone in need.

May Our God The Almighty prosper Nigeria and Israel and defend us from all our enemies in Jesus Christ Name, Amen!

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Praise comes naturally when you count your blessings

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Praise comes naturally when you count your blessings

They shall be fresh and flourishing. —Psalm 92:14

In Psalm 92, the poet begins with a commendation of praise: “It is good to give thanks to the Lord.” Good for what? Good for you and me. It does our soul a world of good to turn from anxious thoughts and fill our days with prayerful praise; good to greet each morning with songs of thanksgiving, for such praise makes us glad. It lifts us out of gloom and replaces our sadness with cheerful songs at the “works of [His] hands” (v.4). And what is that work? The work He is doing in us!

Here’s one of my most cherished metaphors: “The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing” (vv.12-14).

Palms are symbols of towering beauty and cedars of unbending strength. These are the characteristics of those who have been “planted in the house of the Lord” (v.13). Their roots go down into the soil of God’s unquenchable love.

Do you think your usefulness to God is over? Continue in God’s Word, rooted and grounded in Christ, drinking in His love and faithfulness. Then, no matter your age, you will bear fruit and be “fresh and flourishing.” —David Roper

From your heart give God your praise
For His blessings all your days;
Lift your voice to God above—
God of mercy, God of love. —Hess

May Our God The Almighty prosper Nigeria and Israel and defend us from all our enemies in Jesus Christ Name, Amen!

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Reminding people of their failures is not a way to help them

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Jesus H. ChristReminding people of their failures is not a way to help them

In the 4th chapter of John, Jesus found a woman beside a well. She was a Samaritan woman, and Jesus began to speak to her from the wisdom and knowledge of God. He asked her a question, “Where is your husband?” She answered, “I don’t have one.” Jesus replied, “That’s true. You’ve had five, and the one you are with now is not your husband.” Jesus knew where this woman was. Think of how many wrongs she had done according to our standard of righteousness. She was living with a man, committing adultery. But Jesus did not condemn her. He did not rehearse her sins or remind her of her failures. Reminding people of their failures is not a way to help. Jesus was there to save her, not condemn her. Jesus spoke to her, giving her a revelation about what was to come. Her life was transformed, and she was filled with joy, excitement, and expectation. Jesus met her in her greatest failure, knowing how many times she had tried and failed to do it right, and He transformed her life. Jesus is here now for us to do the same. Though we have failed, He is here to do what? To save us. This is what He wants to do for all of us. Maybe success has divorced itself from you, but Jesus is not finished with you yet.

He’s still working!

May Our God The Almighty prosper Nigeria and Israel and defend us from all our enemies in Jesus Christ Name, Amen!

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Allow the Character of God to form in your life daily

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Allow the character of God to form in your life daily.

Proverbs 7:7-10 “I perceived among the youths, A young man devoid of understanding,

8 Passing along the street near her corner; And he took the path to her house

9 In the twilight, in the evening, In the black and dark night.

10 And there a woman met him, With the attire of a harlot, and a crafty heart.”
Young people especially are challenged today to remain pure and not get swept away by the

lusts of the flesh. The enemy has a clear strategy to draw men and women into fulfilling the

desires of the flesh instead of learning the value of putting their flesh on the altar daily and

allowing the character of God to form in their lives.

May Our God The Almighty prosper Nigeria and Israel and defend us from all our enemies in Jesus Christ Name, Amen!

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Do You Believe in Christ Jesus?

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Do You Believe In Christ Jesus?

When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come
unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew
what he would do
John 6:5-6

When it was time for this great multitude to eat, notice that Jesus
didn’t say to Philip, “Where are we going to get the money to buy this bread?” He said, “Where are we going to buy the bread?” The only reason
He asked Philip was to test, to prove, Philip.

At times God will test believers. He doesn’t test you with sickness and
disease or by causing bad circumstances to come your way, but He will
test your faith so you can see what is in your heart. On what do you
rely when you are under pressure? If you never pass a test, you will
never get to the next level. You cannot get to the next level unless
you allow God to change you.

May Our God The Almighty prosper Nigeria and Israel and defend us from all our enemies in Jesus Christ Name, Amen!

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The Holy Spirit

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The Holy Spirit

John 7:38 says: “He that believeth on Me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”

We understand that this is speaking of the Holy Ghost. Jesus tells us that when we believe on Him, then the Holy Ghost comes into our lives and we are empowered. When it says, “out of his belly shall flow rivers…”, these are rivers of living water.

The rivers include enablement, measures of grace, the things that God enables and empowers us to do with the help of the Holy Ghost. It is not by our own strength, but it is the strength of the Holy Ghost. Jesus wants us to know that we as Christians, when we are born again, when we are saved, we are no longer our own, and it is not we who have to do the work, but it is God who is willing to do the work in us, for us, and through us. Remember, it is God who gave His Son that we might be saved. Here it is expressed that the Holy Ghost comes and empowers us to experience salvation. We are not alone, but we are strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.

Be strong in the Lord!

May Our God The Almighty prosper Nigeria and Israel and defend us from all our enemies in Jesus Christ Name, Amen!

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Praise defeats the enemy

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Praise Defeats the Enemy

I will declare Your name to My brethren; in the midst of the assembly I will praise You.

Psalm 22:22, NKJV

One way to drive Satan to distraction, and to overcome him, is through praise of Jesus. Regardless of whether the enemy is a visible foe in front of us like the Scribes and Pharisees or an invisible foe outside of us like the devil himself or an invisible foe inside of us like depression, praise drives the enemy away. In the very prophecy that describes Jesus’ inmost thoughts and feelings as He hung on the cross, tortured, bleeding, and dying, the psalmist declared, “But You are holy, enthroned in the praises . . .” of Your people (Ps. 22:3, NKJV). In other words, He is enthroned-He rules in power, authority, and supremacy-through our praise.

In some supernatural way, praise ushers the authority of God into any given situation. One practical way to maintain your praise is, every time you pray, to begin your prayer with praise. First praise Him for Who He is. Then praise Him for something He has done for you. Start now!

Blessings

May Our God The Almighty prosper Nigeria and Israel and defend us from all our enemies in Jesus Christ Name, Amen!

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God’s Wise Rules

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God‘s Wise Rules
by Bishop Keith A. Butler

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the lord thy God with all thy
heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the
first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou
shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang
all the law and the prophets.
Matthew 22:37-40

When Christ is king, hearts are changed. That is why Jesus taught the
Jews that only two rules need apply. When man is king, you need an
ever-growing mountain of laws, rules, regulations, limitations,
specifications and legal documentation to keep up with all the vices
the human heart can conceive.

God’s way-the way of choices plus only the most necessary
limitations-is always risky, and it always takes faith. Man’s way of
extreme choice and no limitations (anarchy), or of extreme limits and few, if any, choices (totalitarianism) seems to have few risks, and it
takes and allows for no faith. Its end is always the same-death to the
spirit.
The Christian life is a life of relationship with the living God, not a
life of following a book of rules. Once you know Him and discover
through His Word what He has done for you, you will delight to do His
will. It is no burden to live a righteous life in Christ because your
love motivates you to please Him in all things.

Prayer for Today

Father,
I praise you that your ways are higher! Your ways are wiser! Your ways
bring blessings! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Think on These Things

* Deuteronomy 10:12
* Mark 12:29-30

May Our God The Almighty prosper Nigeria and Israel and defend us from all our enemies in Jesus Christ Name, Amen!

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And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him

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And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
Hebrews 11:6

Faith Alone

Do you have what it takes to please God? Don’t get me wrong; there is nothing we can do to earn His love, but as James 2:17 says, “In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”

Many think that God is impressed by works or by following the law in a legalistic manner. Some believe that if they show kindness or if they are “good,” this will please God. God is clear about what will please him-FAITH.

Do you have faith in God? Do you believe that He will answer your prayers and will provide for your needs? Faith doesn’t come without effort. To be faith-filled you must be in a place where you are growing in God.

Faith goes beyond just saying “God exists.” Faith is following Him all the days of your life. Faith is trusting in Him even in the worst situations, and remembering Him in the best.

Believe that God will bless you as you seek Him and you will witness answered prayers as never before…because God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Further Reading

  • Hebrews 7:19
  • Hebrews 9:9-10
  • Hebrews 10:19-22

God Bless

May Our God The Almighty prosper Nigeria and Israel and defend us from all our enemies in Jesus Christ Name, Amen!

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Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad: for great [is] your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you

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Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad: for great [is] your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you

HE WILL SHARE HIS REWARD

MATTHEW 5:10-12

Jesus is saying that persecution should actually cause us to rejoice. There are many positive things about persecution but one of the best reasons to rejoice is because of the reward awaiting us in heaven.

Jesus takes the persecution of His saints very seriously as can be seen during the Damascus road experience of the apostle Paul. The Lord asked Paul (then Saul), “Why are you persecuting me?” (Acts 9:4) He didn’t say, “Why are you persecuting my people?” but “Why are you persecuting me?”

It is not actually us that people are rejecting but they are rejecting the One we represent. Therefore, Jesus promised to share His reward with us. All the glory and honour that Jesus has and will receive will be shared with those who have suffered shame for His name’s sake (Rom. 8:17). What a great reward!

Focusing on the reward instead of the persecution can actually make us rejoice when people speak against us (Acts 5:41). Paul actually longed to experience the fellowship that Jesus provided to those who suffered for His sake (Phil. 3:10). God‘s reward is infinitely greater than any suffering we will ever encounter.

May Our God The Almighty prosper Nigeria and Israel and defend us from all our enemies in Jesus Christ Name, Amen!

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need

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Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. —Hebrews 4:16

During World War II, the British Isles represented the last line of resistance against the sweep of Nazi oppression in Europe. Under relentless attack and in danger of collapse, however, Britain lacked the resources to see the conflict through to victory. For that reason, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill went on BBC radio and appealed to the world: “Give us the tools, and we will finish the job.” He knew that without help from the outside, they could not endure the assault they were facing.

Life is like that. Often, we are inadequate for the troubles life throws at us, and we need help from outside of ourselves. As members of the body of Christ, that help can come at times from our Christian brothers and sisters (Rom. 12:10-13)—and that is a wonderful thing. Ultimately, however, we seek help from our heavenly Father. The good and great news is that our God has invited us to come confidently before Him: “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16).

At such times, our greatest resource is prayer—for it brings us into the very presence of God. There we find, in His mercy and grace, the help we need. —Bill Crowder

God has given you His promise,
That He hears and answers prayer,
He will heed your supplication
If you cast on Him your care. —Bernstecher

Don’t let prayer be your last recourse in time of need; make it your first.

May Our God The Almighty prosper Nigeria and Israel and defend us from all our enemies in Jesus Christ Name, Amen!

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When we call on Jesus in a time of need, He will take that which is ordinary and transform it into something supernatural for our benefit

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Jesus H. ChristWhen we call on Jesus in a time of need, He will take that which is ordinary and transform it into something supernatural for our benefit

In the 2nd chapter of John, Jesus went to a wedding feast, and while there He turned water into wine. This miracle is symbolic of one of the benefits of our salvation. We know that Jesus came to save, but how could this be a part of salvation?

When we call upon the name of the Lord and receive salvation, with it we receive something amazing. We can call on Jesus in a time of need, and He will take that which is ordinary and transform it into something supernatural for our benefit. In other words, Jesus can take ordinary things, touch them, and transform them into something that meets our need, brings joy to our lives, and helps complete what we are involved in.

Water is the most ordinary thing, but Jesus made it far more than it was. Think about the things you are involved in right now. You may be in a struggle that looks very natural and ordinary to you. Or maybe you are in the midst of a storm that you believe has natural causes, or you may even believe you caused it yourself. It doesn’t matter. There could be a hundred causes, but Jesus is with you right now, and He can touch what seems so natural, so ordinary, and He can make it have a supernatural outcome. He wants to touch your life and cause everything you are involved with to be the best it’s ever been.

Let Him touch your life!

May Our God The Almighty prosper Nigeria and Israel and defend us from all our enemies in Jesus Christ Name, Amen!

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Grounded in the Word of God

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Grounded in the Word of God.

 

Proverbs 6:32 “Whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding; He who does so destroys his own soul.

v33 Wounds and dishonour he will get, And his reproach will not be wiped away.”

When men are grounded in the Word of God, and are filled with the Fire of God they will not allow sexual immorality to come near their lives. They will realize that it is a tool by the devil to destroy them and their families and ultimately to distract them from accomplishing the purposes of God in their lives. There is no way to hide this sin. It may seem as if no one knows but eventually it will come out and ruin everyone involved.

May Our God The Almighty prosper Nigeria and Israel and defend us from all our enemies in Jesus Christ Name, Amen!

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Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age

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Jesus H. ChristGo therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age

(Matthew 28:19-20, NKJV).

Jesus said that we are to go, and as we’re going, to make disciples. That involves walking with Him and sharing Him with others. Here are some tips to help you get started:

1. Understand that your own life is a great part of your witness. If my relationship with Christ isn’t vital, then I really don’t have a lot to share. People not only listen to your words, they look at your life. We still fail and aren’t always a good example, so our only hope is to come to God and surrender to Him. It’s nothing that we can do. It’s God’s work.

2. Realize that we earn the right to be heard by sincerely listening to others. Everyone has a story. You can’t just blunder into a situation and callously share without listening. The Bible says that Jesus was a friend of sinners. That’s our example—to be a friend, to listen to people, see where they are, and then take them where they need to go.

3. Recognize that people are looking for a cure. When you go to the doctor, you don’t say, “I have cancer.” Instead, you describe your symptoms. That’s where most people live. They only see symptoms. “I’m lonely. I’m suffering from a broken relationship. I’m stressed.” … We know the ultimate cure. It’s Jesus Christ. Jesus didn’t die for their symptoms. He died for their sins. Yet, people don’t wake up in the morning and think, You know, I need to accept Jesus. They wake up with the symptoms, and so as people who are attempting to rescue those who are lost, we need to start with their symptoms, show them the disease (sin), and take them to the ultimate cure (Jesus)

May Our God The Almighty prosper Nigeria and Israel and defend us from all our enemies in Jesus Christ Name, Amen!

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God can do things that you never thought would happen

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God can do things that you never thought would happen

For I am the LORD: I will speak, and the word that I shall speak
shall come to pass; it shall be no more prolonged: for in your days,
O rebellious house, will I say the word, and will perform it, saith
the Lord GOD
Ezekiel 12:25

In Scripture, we see that God has many ways to prosper people
financially and to get wealth to them. God has used kings, lepers, and even fish. God has used waterpots, estranged family members and a boy’s
lunch. God has numerous ways to get your blessing to you. God can do
things that you never thought would happen. He can cause income to show
up in a way that you never knew could occur.

As a believer, it doesn’t make sense for you to try to figure out how
God is going to do it. When you do that, all you are doing is
wondering. Wondering is wavering, and wavering means you are going to
do without. So instead of wondering how God is going to bless you, lift
your hands and believe God is going to do it!

He’s the Most High God, and whatever He says always come to pass.

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Knowing God in a personal and permanent relationship is the ultimate human experience.

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Knowing God in a personal and permanent relationship is the ultimate human experience

Created to Know God

“Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”

John 17:3, NIV

What is life in the image of God? It is life with a capacity to know the Creator in a personal relationship. It is a soul that communes with God and has eternal value in His sight. Man was created

to walk and talk with God,

to love and obey God,

to listen to and learn from God,

to glorify and enjoy God forever!

Jesus defined our meaning for existence when He prayed, “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” Knowing God in a personal and permanent relationship is the ultimate human experience. Knowing God is the meaning of human life. It is the reason for our existence. It was the completion of all the changes God made in the environment in the beginning. And it is the completion of all the changes God is making in your life at the present.

Get to know Him and discover the real meaning of life.

May Our God The Almighty prosper Nigeria and Israel and defend us from all our enemies in Jesus Christ Name, Amen!

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The One Choice That Led to Death

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The One Choice That Led to Death

by Bishop Keith A. Butler

And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the

judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many

offences unto justification.

Romans 5:16

The first instance of God saying something and it not being done

occurred after God gave a limit to Adam, and satan challenged Eve about

whether God had really said it. In the end, Adam openly disobeyed the

one limit God placed on his existence and purpose in Paradise. As a

consequence, Adam and Eve were ejected from the garden and gave up

their crowns for the yoke of death.

Again, it wasn’t God’s choice; it was a human one. It is still that

way. Our choices always have consequences. God chose to risk everything

by giving us the power of choice in the hope that we would choose His

way freely and from the heart.

God gave Adam one boundary and countless free choices outside that

boundary. Humankind tends to set up countless boundaries and provide

only a few limited choices-especially when God has been removed from

the center of their lives.

Prayer for Today

Father,

I praise you for loving me enough to set boundaries, for loving me

enough to show me the good path which leads to life. Thank you for your

Word which gives light to my way. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Selah: Think on These Things

* Galatians 3:10

* James 2:10

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