YOU ARE THE BEST

Scripture: Isaiah 43:1-17

“Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him
for my glory, I have formed him yea I have made him.” Isaiah 43:7 (KJV)

Feedback: Share the faithfulness of God over your life with others.

The moment you get born again, God gave you the ability to become the best that you can be. The bible teaches that though you are in the world, you are not of the world. Meaning you shouldn’t be subject to the circumstances of this world. In 1 Peter 2:9 the Bible says:

HIS ATTENTION IS ON THAT SITUATION

Scripture: Matthew 14:22-32

“Who hath believed our report?
And to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?” Isaiah 53:1 (KJV)

The Scripture says when He had come into the ship the wind ceased. Immediately Jesus stepped into the ship, He stepped in with the anointing. Once the anointing enters the ship the contrary wind ceases. God brought you so that the anointing will enter into your boat He will cause that contrary wind to cease, whatever the wind is called.

ANCHOR ON HIM

Scripture: Matthew 14:22-32

“For without faith it is impossible to please Him…” Hebrew 11:6 (KJV)

In the book of Hebrews chapter 4 Verse 16 the bible says, “Come boldly to the throne of grace and obtain mercy and find grace to help in the time of need.” Do you have a need? There is grace to help, you can also obtain mercy; ‘sometimes you may say I can not pray as much as the other person does.’ But remember that there is something called the mercy of God; you can start from that point and begin to build on it.

CONTROL OVER ALL SITUATIONS

Scripture: Genesis 37:1-11

“And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren:
and they hated him yet the more” Genesis 37:5 (KJV)

Even in the midst of confusion and commotion, God is still in control. Is it not amazing that Sarah was doing all the things she did in Abraham’s house and yet God was still in control. It was Sarah who caused all the trouble but God still told Abraham listen to her because He was still in control.

MY SHIP WILL GET THERE

Scripture: Matthew 14:22-32

“And Jesus spoke to them at once.”Courage!” he said.”
It is I. don’t be afraid!” Mathew 14:27 (Good News)

When the Lord told the children of Israel to leave Egypt, He described to them the other side, He said it is a land that flows with milk and honey, the land that waters itself and it is a land of abundance, as a matter of fact a cluster of grape in that land was so robust that you needed two able bodied men to carry one of it on a pole. That is the more reason why the Devil wants to prevent you from stepping into that other side.

TRUST IN THE LORD

Scripture: Joshua 3:1-17

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart;
and lean not unto thine own understanding.” Proverbs 3:5 (KJV)

Anything that God asks you to do, know that He is ready to back you up and has already made provision for it. God will never give you an instruction and watch you fail in it. A lot of people receive instruction from God and yet ask God how possible it would be. God has a thousand ways to do whatever he tells you. If He has asked you to step in, don’t question Him that is a sign of unbelief. Obey Him immediately and take action.

LEARN TO TAKE RISKS

Scripture: Daniel 3:19-30

“Then the king promoted Shedrack, Meshach
and Abednego in the province of Babylon” Daniel 3:30 (NKJV)

Life is all about risk. In fact, it is more risky when you don’t take a risk. I have realized that, people that make so much impact and progress in life are risk takers. Some people give flimsy excuses like “I am from a poor home so I can’t go to school; my family is cursed so I can’t make it in life.”These excuses will be detrimental to you.

IT SHALL BE WELL

Scripture: Isaiah 3:10-15

‘Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him:
for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.’ Isaiah 3:10{KJV}

Feedback: Ponder on how it feels to walk uprightly and morally before God.

A righteous person is one who fears God, departs from evil, walks according to the testimony of God and expects and prepares for a glorious immortality. For such a person, it shall be well in all circumstances of life – in prosperity, in adversity, in sickness, in health, in death, in judgment and through eternity.

RETAIN YOUR INTEGRITY

Scripture: Job 2:1-10

“Then said his wife unto him, dost thou still retain
thine integrity? Curse God and die. Job 2:9 KJV

A major motivation for living a life of integrity no matter the situation or circumstances that surround you whether negative or positive is that you‘ll never die. God shows us through Job that retaining your integrity will guarantee your life. Unfortunately many do not understand this. The devil could not kill him because he maintained integrity.

COMPLETE INTEGRITY

Scripture: Job 1:1-12

“Then the Lord asked Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job?
He is the finest man in all the earth a man of complete integrity.
He fears God and will have nothing to do with evil.” Job 1:8 NLT

I sat down one evening watching the news on TV as the citation of one of our politicians was being read, as a university was conferring on him an honorary doctor’s degree in science. Amongst other things said about this politician was that he was a man of integrity. The word integrity caught my attention as I picked up my “Queens English dictionary and thesaurus to confirm if the meaning of integrity as I knew was being used rightly in this context.

THE TEST OF INTEGRITY

Scripture: Job 1:13-22

“All right, you may test him, the Lord said to Satan. Do whatever
you want with everything he possesses, but don’t harm him
physically so Satan left the presence of God. Job 1:12 NLT

God will always prove the integrity, the love and faithfulness of every believer. Unfortunately when test and trials come our way as believers we do not always see them as opportunities for lifting. God will never thrust our lives in the hands of the enemy. With the loss of his possessions, Job’s love for God was tested. Notice what God said (Job 1:12… do whatever you want with everything he possess, but don’t harm him physically. We must learn not to disappoint God by been so attached to our Possessions.

LORD I NEED TO KNOW!

Scripture: Job 13:20-28

“How many are mine iniquities and sins?
Make me to know my transgressions and my sin. Job 13:23

From the day his woe befell him, Job sought to know why he had become a victim of such a series of violent misfortune in spite of his piety. He subjected himself to vicious self examination but could find no personal sin. So after accusations by his friends Job was forced to ask ‘How many are mine iniquities, transgressions and sins’? What is the cause of these vicious attacks?

COMMITMENT - PATHWAY TO GOD’S VISITATION

Scripture: Luke 7:1-10 (KJV)

“Then Jesus went with them…..” Luke 7:6 (KJV)

A Centurion whose servant was sick and ready to die hearing that Jesus was in the city, sent the elders of the Jews to call Jesus to heal his servant. The elders met Jesus and strongly persuaded Him to follow them in order to heal the boy.

SPEAKING IN TONGUES

Scripture: Acts 2:1-4

“I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all;” 1 Corinthians 14:18 (KJV)

It is an established belief that God is a God of order. He puts first things first and will not allow things that matter the most to be at the mercy of those which matter the least. In addition, when beginning a project, the first things that are done are usually foundational in nature. They are critical for the success of the project. Trouble looms when first things are left to be done last.

BLESSEDNESS OF A RIGHT HEART

Scripture: Job 31:1-15

“There is no peace saith my God to the wicked”. Isaiah 57:21(KJV)

Feedback: Measure your level of confidence after obeying God’s word.

God himself called Job a perfect man. In our text today we see yet another reason for his unusual exaltation and the cause of the terrible spiritual conflict between the forces of light and darkness over his life. Job made a covenant not to look with lust upon a girl, he was conscious of the fact that God knows all our secret thoughts, words and actions.

GODLINESS IS PROFITABLE

Scripture: Jobs 31:16-34

“…But godliness is profitable unto all things… meditate upon
these things…. That thy profiting may appear to all” I Tim 4: 8-15(KJV)

Living for God is profitable – it pays off in this life and in the life to come. When you live a life of service to God and man in true devotion to God, He will shower you with blessings both now and forever.

BE RESOLUTE!

Scripture: Job 27:1-13

“My righteousness I hold fast and I will not let go” Job 27:6 (KJV)

The toughest test of integrity is adversity. It is easy to confess righteousness but the real test of whether your righteousness has root comes when unrighteousness presents temptations of the most intense sort. Job was a classic example of such an attack. From his statement in Job 27:6, we can glean why Job passed the tests.

THE DAY OF THE LORD IS SURE TO COME

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

“So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep,
but let us be alert and self-controlled”. 1 Thessalonians 5:6(NIV)

We are told that the day of the lord will come unexpectedly. It is likened to the coming of a thief at
night. We should not be overly bothered about the exact timing of Jesus’ return but we should take Paul’s advice; be sober, be vigilant (and exhibit self control at all times).

JESUS OUR HOPE FOR ALL TIMES

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

“We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that
God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him”. I Thessalonians 4:14(NIV)

It is normal to mourn the passing away of a loved one. But where that loved one is a believer, we should mourn with the understanding that when Christ returns, all the faithful departed will rise from the dead and meet up with him (vs.16).

This Jesus who is the author and finisher of our faith is our hope. His death and resurrection reconciled us back to God and he promised to return for us. Let us remain steadfast in the faith and be encouraged that someday we will be with our lord forever (vs.17).

When you grieve for the faithful departed, grieve with understanding for it is written ‘blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth.....that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them’(Rev 14vs.13).

REMEMBER TO ATTEND: Leadership/Communion Service tomorrow, 5:30PM.

PRAYER: Lord, thank you for your sacrifice that guarantees my eternity with you in glory.

FAITH BYTE: Because Jesus died and rose again for my redemption, I declare that nothing can separate me from God’s love and I wait faithfully for the marriage of the Lamb.

DO YOU SEEK TO PLEASE GOD?

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-10

“…. Our purpose is to please God, not people”. 1 Thessalonians 2:4(NLT)

When you have people under you or are leading a team, your expectation for these people is that they should be faithful to your vision for the organization i.e. they should obey instructions. When they obey, you are pleased with them.

WHEN THE UNGODLY PROSPER

Scripture: Psalms 37:1-10

“The house of the wicked shall be overthrown:
but the tabernacle of the upright shall flourish.” Proverbs 14:11 (KJV)

We find ourselves in a period of time where the quest for riches drives many into unimaginable and abominable actions. Satan is always available to lure many into the depths of wickedness with the promise of fame, wealth and power. Many die in the process and are lost forever, while others succeed and become affluent and a source of envy to both the righteous and the unrighteous.

FEAR THE LORD

Scripture: Proverbs 14:23-35

“In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence: and his children
shall have a place of refuge. The fear of the Lord is a fountain
of life, to depart from the snares of death”. Proverbs 14:26-27

Feedback: Ponder on how preaching the good news to others made you feel.

To fear the Lord is to reverence God and keep to His word in season and out of season (i.e. whether you feel like it or not, you must obey and do His word all the time). It is one powerful force that restrains us from sinning against God.

A NEW BEGINNING

Scripture: Exodus 12:29-30 (KJV)

“And it came to pass that at midnight…”
Exodus 12:29 (KJV)

How does it feel to be freed from a problem that has held you bound for so long? How do you think Nelson Mandela or Olusegun Obasanjo felt after being freed? Not just were they freed, they were also made the number one citizen of their countries.

CALLED TO LIVE A HOLY LIFE

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12

“For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life”.
1 Thessalonians 4:7(NIV)

All believers should strive to lead lives that are pleasing to God. We call God our father and God is holy, so if we call him father, we should aspire to be holy like him for we are a people who have been set apart for his pleasure. When we reject holy living we reject God himself (vs.8)

THE PROFIT OF WISDOM

Scripture: Proverbs 3:13-35

“For the Lord will be your confidence and will keep
your feet from being snared”. Proverbs 3:26

In our Bible lesson today, the Holy Spirit, who authored the Bible (2tim 3:16) emphasizes the paramount value of wisdom and understanding above all other virtues. The one who finds wisdom and gets understanding will be happy; enjoy length of days, riches and honor. Also, the wisdom and understanding of God discovered and at work in your life will bring peace, direction and pleasantness to you.

AWAKENING

Scripture: Proverbs 2:16-22

“Thus, you will walk in the way of good men
and keep to the paths of the righteous” Proverbs 2: 20

The advent of Pentecost brought much change as many people came to Christ in faith, and many repented with deep sorrow for their wicked ways, experiencing God’s forgiveness and power to live new lives. Many repenting of their previous apathy towards God became fervent in the Spirit. Church attendance grew, the society became transformed by the studying of the Bible, and parents taught their children the ways of the Lord.

SEARCH FOR IT

Scripture: Proverbs 2:1-15

“And you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding
if you look for it as the silver and search for it as for hidden
treasure” Proverbs 2:3-4

In getting the wisdom that the book of proverbs talked about, you must be ready to exercise the diligence to search and search for it. This reminds me of the incidence of the kidnap of oil workers by some youths in our country due to youth unrest a while back. The kidnappers threatened to kill the workers if their company did not yield to their demands.

LISTEN TO HIM

Scripture: Proverbs 1:20-33

“but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease,
without fear of harm” Proverbs 1:33 (NIV)

God is always calling on us his children to listen to Him, but sometimes the cares of this world blind us from seeing and hearing His voice. His foolishness is wiser than man’s knowledge; wisdom calls aloud in the street, raises her voice in the public square, cries out at the chief place of the noisy streets, and makes her speech in the gate way of the city. It would be of a great disadvantage to the believer to ignore that voice.

COMPLETE OBEDIENCE

Scripture: Judges 2:6-15

“So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this,
make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and
at peace with him”. 2 Peter 3:14 (NIV)

Feedback: Ponder on the result you got from releasing your faith.

Esau lost his birthright because he lacked the fortitude to endure the pains of hunger. King Saul lost the throne because he lacked the moral courage to obey God completely. He yielded to the lust of the eyes and of the flesh. David sinned with Bathsheba and eventually became a murderer because he yielded to momentary pleasure in disobedience to God.

UNHOLY COVENANT

Scripture: Judges 3:1-11

“They took their daughters in marriage and gave
their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods.”
Judges 3:6 (NIV)

A man of God once said that any Christian who marries an unbeliever has made the devil his/her father in-law thereby bringing him/her under the perpetual influence of darkness. God commanded in Exodus 34:16 that His people should not go into marriage relationship with the gentile nations.