Reminding 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…

At the end of every trial – lies the blessing of God.

James 1:12 “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”

When temptations, trials and tribulations come into your life you need to be resolute, standing firm, knowing that at the end of every trial lies the blessing of God and the manifestation of His promises over your life.

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Ask and Watch God Arise

Matthew 8:6-7 says: “And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.” Here was a centurion, not even saved, not born again. It doesn’t even say he was a Jew, and yet he asked Jesus for help. He told Him he had someone dear to him who was not whole, someone who was not well. The servant was vexed, tormented, taken captive, and broken. Jesus immediately, without any questions or reservations said, “I will come and heal him.” Jesus wants to make people whole. He wants to come to your home and make you whole. I don’t know if you are broken financially, emotionally, relationally, in marriage, or in body, but Jesus is saying to you right now, “I will come and make you whole.” All…

How long will you slumber, O sluggard? It is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it

READ: Proverbs 6:6-11

How long will you slumber, O sluggard? —Proverbs 6:9

While studying the book of Proverbs in my small-group Bible study, our leader suggested that we change the description of a lazy person from a sluggard to a slacker (6:6,9). Ah, now he was speaking my lingo. I immediately started thinking of all the people I consider to be slackers.

Like the men and women who fail to teach and discipline their children. Or that guy who refuses to help around the house. Or those teenagers who neglect their studies and play Internet games day and night.

If we’re honest, we’re all susceptible to this. What about being a “prayer slacker” (1 Thess. 5:17-18), or a “Bible-reading slacker” (Ps. 119:103; 2 Tim. 3:16-17), or…

The key to success or failure lies in doing things at the word of Jesus

AT THY WORD

Luke 5:5, “And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.”

LUKE 5:1-11

Peter and his companions had been working hard all night. Their efforts had not produced even one fish. They had given up and were headed home. But Jesus told them to try it just one more time.

It would have been easy for Peter to reject Jesus’ command. After all, Peter had been a fisherman all his life. Jesus was just a preacher. What did He know about fishing? Yet something, or rather someone, caused Peter to try just once more.

Many people are like Simon Peter and his partners. They have done all that they know to do and yet…

Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream…. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.

Jeremiah 17:7-9

We cannot separate actions from consequences. Why, then, do we allow our culture to tell us that we can plant seeds of one kind and bear fruits of another? The world tells us that we can plant seeds of promiscuity and carelessness and bear fruits of beauty, happiness and even love. But the results are disease, unwanted pregnancy and unhappiness.

Root and fruit are inevitably intertwined.

Isaiah 32:17 says, “The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever.”

One of the surest ways to change your life for the better is to…

The Wages of Sin

by Bishop Keith A. Butler

In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto

the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and

unto dust shalt thou return.

Genesis 3:19

This verse records the actual death sentence that doomed Adam and

Eve-and you and me-to physical death one day. Death, sickness, disease

and lack were never included as parts of God‘s perfect plan for man.

These are the sad by-products of sin, of Adam’s fatal choice to seek

knowledge and identity outside of and separate from God’s plan.

God never intended for a single human being’s body to be put into the

ground. He created us to live eternally-every our physical bodies. As I

understand it, the cells of the human body appear to be designed to

live forever. Scientists have long been puzzled as…

Sons of God

You received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba,” Father.

Romans 8:15, NIV

What makes you and I  think we can do without a personal prayer life? It’s through prayer that we come into a personal, intimate relationship with our heavenly Father.

Do you long to have a closer relationship with God, but you don’t feel worthy? Are you convinced you are a nobody and therefore would never be accepted, much less welcomed, into His presence?

Praise God! Our entrance into His presence is not based on our own worthiness but on the worthiness of Jesus Christ! When we enter God’s presence in Jesus’ name, we are as accepted by God as Jesus is, because God counts us as His own dear children!

Jesus invites you and I, in His name, to come into His Father’s presence through prayer…

God is more than able to give you what you need and more. He is able to make you rich!

Follow the Directions

by Pastor Andre Butler

Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and

cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when

thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that

take, and give unto them for me and thee

Mathew 17:27

Look at this example of how God is able to provide with abundance, even

for paying tax. Jesus told Peter to take a hook, throw it in the

water, take the first fish that took the hook, open his mouth, and find

four days wages.

Notice two things. First, God gave this fish specific directions. The

fish had to go down to the bottom of the sea, eat the gold coin, swim

Don’t be drawn away by the lust of the flesh.

Proverbs 6:24-29 “To keep you from the evil woman, From the flattering tongue of a seductress.

25 Do not lust after her beauty in your heart, Nor let her allure you with her eyelids.

26 For by means of a harlot A man is reduced to a crust of bread; And an adulteress will prey upon his precious life.

27 Can a man take fire to his bosom, And his clothes not be burned?

28 Can one walk on hot coals, And his feet not be seared?

29 So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife;”

It has become the plague of the 21st century and the strategy by the devil to destroy the family. Marriage and the family is ridiculed and scorned on by the world and Children of God need to make a stand against…

“I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from?  My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. Psalm 121:1-2”

The Lord said to Moses, “Look, I’m going to rain down food from heaven for you.  Each day the people can go out and pick up as much food as they need for that day.  On the sixth day they’ll gather food, and when they prepare it, there will be twice as much as usual.”

God meets daily needs daily!

You look at tomorrow’s demands, next week’s bills, next month’s calendar.  Your future looks as barren as the Sinai Desert.  “How can I face my future?” you ask.

God tells you to look up!

Trust Him.  Make it your day changer.  Give your attention to what God is doing right now.  Don’t get worked up about what may or may…

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…

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

(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

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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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

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…

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 MinisterWinston 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…

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…

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…

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…

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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…