When you go into battle in your own land against an enemy who is oppressing you, sound a blast on the trumpets. Then you will be remembered by the Lord your God and rescued from your enemies. Number 10: 9
There was a story about a Scottish Highlands widow whose only son sends her monthly letter. The old lady was bitter that her son in Australia did not care about her. One day, a visitor asked what her son had done for her. She replied, “He writes to me regularly, once a month, but only sends me a little picture with his letter.” That “little picture” was actually her monthly upkeep money, but her ignorance of the worth of the currency left her wallowing in poverty.
Equally, in our text, God made provisions for Israel, his chosen people that looked simply but had the potency to command his mighty intervention on their behalf. The Lord instructed them to make two silver trumpets that would be used for special occasions – to order their movement, to assemble the congregation, to encourage their armies in battle and on festive priests (the sons of Aaron). However, the nation’s history showed until their enemies defeated them. But whenever they moved at God’s command victory and success came their way.
Believers are privileged to have guiding and shielding instruments such as God’s word, the name of Jesus, his atoning possibilities. The challenge is not whether there is enough to go around everyone but if his children will tap these resources in their hour of need.
To see God manifest his power on our behalf, we must obey his word, remain in faith, pray fervently and continue to sound the alarm of the gospel message to the unconverted. if we do these, no power will stand against us.
Move at God’s pace and get to the right destination at the right time.
Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. 18 (For many walks, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
4 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
7 “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
Welcome to today’s devotion. Strange things never stop happening in a strange world. The Washington post carried this very strange news about a religious man in Euless, Texas, who was often SEEN reading the bible. The 41-year-old man was arrested on the 1st day of October 2021 in connection with the death of three people whose dismembered bodies were found in a burning dumpster. The avid bible-reading man was known to talk about God always, and he often expressed a desire to help people, However, his actions were in total variance with what he purportedly preached and advocated.
Ater being arrested, he was charged with the killings of three people: a 42-year-old man and two other unnamed women. He also allegedly admitted to the killing of two other people in the past. According to the narrative of the Washington Post, the religious man invited the 42-year-old man to his hotel room around mid-September 2021. In the room, he felt that 42-year-old man should be sacrificed. He then proceeded to cut his throat. He dismembered his body thereafter and placed the remains in a plastic storage bin. About two days after he did that, he decided that a female friend who also visited him in the hotel room also needed to be sacrificed. He proceeded to cut her throat and dismembered her body. After another 2 days, he set out again to kill another person. He killed another female visitor, and also dismembered her body. HE transported the remains to a dumpster and set them on fire. During police interrogation, the religious man confessed to the killings and referred to them as sacrifices. Wow! indeed, many people use the name of the LORD IN vain! Some people are using God or his name to do terrible things. Today’s scripture refers to them as people whose God is their belly. They are using God, rather than God using them, BE different!
Prayer Point!
Songs:
Father, in the year 2024, preserve me and my family from those who use your name to do evil.
O lord, let the fore of true repentance and revival come upon your CHURCH AGAIN. Expose every evil commercial pastor this year!
Heavenly Lord, open the eyes of your people discern between good and evil.
I shall not be a victim of a False Gospel in Jesus name.
We show that we are LETTERS FROM CHRIST, the result of our MINISTRY, written not with ink but with SPIRIT of living God, not on tablets of STONES but on tablets of HUMAN HEARTS. 2 Corinthians 3 vs 3
Not that we are competent in ourselves, but our competency comes FROM GOD ministry that brought DEATH = engraved in letters on stones came with glory. (transitory it was)
MINISTRY of the SPIRIT = is even more glorious because it brings righteousness through Christ. The law puts a VEIL OVER OUR FACE (shame tried to cover in the garden) to prevent the end from passing away. So, their minds are made DULL, FOR to this day the same veil remains when the OLD TESTAMENT IS READ. But only in CHRIST is it taken away; the revelation of unveiled glory is in CHRIST; this is why the veil was thorn and the partition was taken away when Jesus died. Matthew 27: 51. This is why the Old Testament veils Christ in characters (in Moses as a deliverer, David as a king who bring the kingdom of God i.e. the church, he reveals himself in man) and the New Testament reveals CHRIST as the son of God. This why a veil covers the hearts of men when the law of Moses is read, but as we turn to the LORD Jesus Christ the veil is taken away.
The Lord Jesus is SPIRIT AND WHERE the spirit of the lord is; there is FREEDOM. So, when we see Jesus, we contemplate the Lord’s glory as we are being transformed into Christs image with ever increasing glory, which comes from the LORD, who is SPIRIT.
CHAPTER 4 – the teaching of the (Old Testament) and the preaching of Jesus (New Testament)
The dictionary meaning of teaching is to enact knowledge using examples. Preaching is based on the church, where we bring the kingdom of God (Jesus) down to show who God is. So, we preach Jesus and teach the Old Testament. It is Jesus that is the kingdom of God, because he taught the kingdom of heaven see Matthew 4:17, Matthew 3:2. This is why the kingdom of God is within us, his spirit in us. https://www.dictionary.com/browse/preacher
For example, Matthew 3: 1-2 ‘John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, and saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’
Since we have Christ ministry of life within us, we renounce SECRET AND SHAMEFUL WAYS, we do not use Deception, nor do we distort the truth of the WORD of God. We set forth TRUTH plainly. We commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of ELOHIM. If the gospel is VEILED, it is from those who the GOD OF THIS AGE has BLINDED THEIR minds (making them unbelievers), so they cannot see the light of the gospel.
FOR what we preach is not ourselves, but JESUS CHRIST as lord (what we teach can also be the word of God) but we PREACH Jesus Christ. For God said let light shine out of darkness, so light will shine in our hearts to give us LIGHT of the knowledge of Gods glory displayed in the FACE of Christ. So, we can see Christ who is the face of God without veil.
But we have this treasure in JARS OF CLAY to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not in despair; PERSECUTED but not abandoned, struck down but not destroyed. we carry around in OUR BODY the death of JESUS, so the life of Christ is revealed in US.
Therefore, do not lose heart, though outwardly you are wasting away inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light affliction/troubles is achieving us an eternal glory that far outweighs them ALL. So, fix your eyes not on what is SEEN, but on what is UNSEEN, since what is SEEN is temporary but what is UNSEEN is eternal.
In our human world, we have the ministry of works, ministry of transport and government is on Jesus’s shoulder. Isaiah 9:6. so is the ministry of the spirit and letters. The spirit super cedes the letters of the law.
We see the law is used to condemn or acquit/justify a person and it followed harsh punishment. So, they came to Jesus in John 8:5; saying the LAW commands us to stone such woman. They kept questioning Jesus then Jesus said, “Let anyone without sin, be the first to cast a STONE”. They turned away one after the other. Jesus asked the woman where her accusers were, and she said, “they are gone”. Jesus said no one condemns you and neither do I.
In a sense, we ALL have sins is why we don't have the right to condemn a person by the LAW; we can condemn sin but not the sinner. Jobs friends ended up condemning him than refuting him. Because our righteousness is not based on the LAW, but by grace and grace and truth is JESUS.
We ought to be as Jesus is, the LIGHT of the world to follow him that we will never walk in darkness but have his light of Life. Jesus was teaching us the LAW are a form of human JUDGEMENT/Standards (versus 15), but we should pass judgement on no one as he did with the woman caught in adultery. Because Jesus is the father’s son, and his spirit judges the law of the spirit not the flesh as the spirit searches all things. It is thus true that without the spirit of God, we can’t make sound judgements. Jesus calls him the spirit of truth. It is an element of himself given to us. He then references the human, also that the testimony of two witness is true, why? 1) God the father is Jesus’ witness 2) he testifies of himself. If a person does not know Jesus or believe in Jesus, you will not believe the words he says and therefore not know the father (scriptures say no man cometh to the father except through me) here it is restated in John 8: 9. Notice Jesus confronted them in the temple courts about their judgements, but no one harmed him, because his hour had not come yet. As they kept disputing over who Jesus was, he said they’d die in their SIN (why the same unbelief in him). He reaffirms we are not of this world as Jesus is, we are above as Christ Jesus is seated at the right hand of the throne of God, because that is where our thoughts should linger to. Jesus says this in John 8 VS 23. Thereafter, Jesus refuses to make further discussion on judgement by the law or the spirit because he says his words are from the father and he is not to say more than he heard from the LORD. John 8: 26
Jesus does only what pleases his father in heaven. Some Jews believed in him: he told them to hold fast to his teachings as they were his DISCIPLES. God’s word is TRUE, and the word becomes FLESH is TRUTH, thus this truth sets us free. They begin to claim that they are Abraham’s seed, but Jesus said only when we are not slaves to sin are we Abraham’s seed. Abraham obeyed Gods word, voice and commands; so, he is not a slave to sin, and this is RIGHTEOUSNESS. Notice murder was in the hearts of those who Jesus spoke the truth to John 8:37. Once there are no room for God’s word to dwell in a person, he will have hatred in his heart for truth and that why men silence the truth (Jesus) by killing it. Jesus backed this up by saying if they were really Abraham’s children, they would do what Abraham did (i.e. obey Gods voice) John 8: 39. Abraham never killed (had murder in his heart, he believed the truth of God’s word, Jesus says Abraham did not do such (John 8 vs 40). He thus tells the Jews they are doing the works of their father the devil who was a murderer (Killing Adam and Eve Spiritually) verse 44-45. Lies kills a person, and the devil lied to eve so she would eat the forbidden fruit (apple) and desire wrongly (see 42 – 44). We can kill someone with our words, Jezebels testimony against Naboth got him killed. This is why God those 9 sins in Proverbs 6:16-19. When one has to kill someone, you will lie against a person, i.e. is slander the person the character; Jezebel did this and then her desire to kill entered (murder). Jesus likens this to the works of the devil. They weren’t able to believe this because they did not believe in Jesus. (John 8: 44).
Jesus says if we obey his words, we will not see death as the devil intended when he introduced SIN. This is why sexual immoral, slanderers, greedy person can enter the kingdom of God. They because of this called Jesus a SAMARITAN and demon possessed but Jesus said he was seeking the father’s honor. Whose HONOR are you seeking today? God or Man.
Before Abraham was, I AM.
SONGS
As the law is applied in our heart Hebrews 10:16, so there is a natural conviction in man, but the TRUTH we tell is what the Lord will use to bring judgement or repentance in a person before the FIRE of God’s judgement (wrath) is revealed.
Isaiah 1:19-20 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: 20 But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.
A testimony came from his fasting program. “It took me so long to actually realize that all my prayers and expectations were seed sown in the previous years”. Insults to Results, have been answered. Not one left, this year God connected her to her husband after their fasting program in church she exclaimed.
God turned her insults to result, her expectation concerning her children and marriage came true. Our expectations come from the Lord, and he will do exceedingly more abundantly more than we could ask. Ephesians 3: 20 This means he will PERFORM, beyond and above your petitions, expectations and imagination, not one shall be left in Jesus’ name. Delay is not denial. If her temporal fasting program could yield her the result she wanted. Short term discipline forms the basis of calling Elohim into our situation.
15 from whom every family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.
God of Another Chance Matthew 26: 64 – 70
Adam and Eve missed it (Genesis 3); Abraham missed it when he went to Hagar their handmaid following the counsel of his wife (Genesis 16); Samson missed it when he disclosed the secret of his strength to Delilah (Judges 16); King David missed it and wandered far away from God when he took Uriah’s wife and killed him (2 Samuel 11). Apostle peter missed it when he denied Christ three times (Matthew 26).
Their stories, however, did not end with the mistakes they made. Each one time found a way and got back to God. They all exploited the opportunity of God’s mercy and made it back to him. This is because God gives everyone who has made a mistake another CHANCE or more chances! Yes, our God is a God of ‘second chances’ (Job 33: 29). Heaven rejoices whenever someone who sinned returns back to God (Luke 15: 4-7, 10). No matter how faraway you have gone from God, His arms are open to welcome your back. Close with Mary Pickford – “If you have made mistakes, even serious ones, there is always another chance for you. What we call failure is not the falling down but staying down.” Return again! Start again! Hold on and hold out.
If we don’t get past, that whether we are worthy or not, or how we feel then it will be hard. It’s not whether we can feel God (that’s flesh), you have to believe that the same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is in you; exercise your faith not by feelings but by prayer. The bible says when we come to God, we should BELIEVE that he hears and will answer. Faith is not a feeling but a BELIEVE. As David says, “take not your spirit from me; restore unto me the joy of my salvation” Speak the scriptures over your situation for restoration.
Prayer
O God of another chance, give me “other chances” is your MERCY! This year 2024, is my year of PERFORMANCE and this is my year of another chance.
No mistake shall swallow me! I am holding on! I am marching on!
Satan, you are a liar! I am returning home! I am set up a revival! My best days are yet to come! I shall not miss my SOURCE this year!
Thank God for answering prayers and raise a dedication song to the lord.
Psalm 5:3 New International Version 3 In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.
A horrible fire destroyed a power plant in the tiny village of Akiachak, Alaska, yet there was an active fire truck nearby that could prevent it. Unfortunately, no one knew how to operate the truck. Many losses happen today because people have not learned how to use the weapon of prayer. The power of prayer is always available, yet lives damaged continuously without help.
The Psalmist shows us what effective prayer- the divine- human communication – accomplishes in our text. When we genuinely open God, He steps into our lives and our battles becomes His. The psalmist teaches us how approach him. It must be with reverence based on his mercy. Our morning prayer must come before engaging in our daily chores and responsibilities. Early in the morning, we must attend to Gods word and hear what he has to say before encountering the challenges of the day.
The psalmist gave conditions for God to hear us. We must do away with evil and all wickedness; hate iniquity and abhor foolish acts. We must disengage from the company of deceptive people and desist from speaking lies. We must worship God in spirit and truth. The old nature must give way to the new man for our ours as we show that praise of him who has called us out of darkness into his marvelous light.
We should understand how engage the power of prayer at all times. It is sad that while Satan and wicked forces rampage our homes and communities, the fire truck of prayer remains grounded. We must wake up and activate prayer on all fronts and God will help us as we seek him promptly.
Prayerlessness create room for failure, defeat and bondage.
New International Version By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13: 35
By experience, wherever there are genuine products, there are bound to be counterfeits. These counterfeits tend to appear genuine to the eyes of the undiscerning. This is because they take so much resemblance to the original and genuine. The major difference, however, is that they are of low quality and standard and may not function effectively as the original. Counterfeit products cause a lot of damage. They cause heavy financial loss to manufacturers of original products and a lot of harm and loss to the end users. – By W.F Kumuyi.
Sometimes, we see people tell others that someone they know is not kind. Why, you ask someone will ask. We are all unkind in some moments. They have an expectation of love from that person. They are looking for the nature of God in that person, and God is love and love is patient and kind. The unmet expectation from a person when not realized in action causes people to lose heart. I often heard people say some pastors were rude to them, and their expectation is that a pastor should not be rude, and it is true. but also, our expectation is from the lord, because it is God that dwells in us to do his good pleasure. Once the very nature of God is not inside a person; it will be hard not impossible to walk out love. I once had a foreign friend who when he came to my country to work was very careful not to overspend not because they were poor or something. They just felt they were investing all their money in another person country. The folly was when this person was drunk; they ended up spending more than they normally will spend and even tipping the waiter. And I applied my mind to wisdom that day and realized the folly and madness in human heart. So, I said the righteous and the wicked and all they do are in Gods hand.
As Jesus addressed his disciples in the Bible passage for today preparatory to his departure from them, He departure from them, he commands them to love one another genuinely. Love, according to him is the proof that will identify them as his disciples and attract others to their fold. It is what will mark them out as being genuine and not fake.
When people even get kindness and smear at kindness, it’s because there’s been hardening in the heart probably because of persecution, pain or unforgiveness they have seen from others and can’t see God anymore. So even if they see the love God in someone being kind to them; they can’t recognize it as love any more. We see this in the life of the pharisees and Sadducees. It later turns to jealous or hatred if that heart is not broken down.
It is becoming increasingly difficult to find true. Christians whose lifestyles match their claims. Expectedly, the world is getting more confused about what Christianity is all about because of the apparent contradictions they observe in the lives of so many professing believers because the true proof of the Christian faith is absent.
This does not take away from the fact that there are so many genuine Christians around. One piece of evidence that marks them out that Christ spoke about in the text is pure, fervent, operational, there will be an absence of vain glory, slandering, backbiting, backstabbing, immorality, cheating, hatred etc. Let love be sincere the scriptures say, this kind of love will authenticate the gospel and fuel the spread God’s word.
Love is God and the one Christian dialect that the world wants to understand.
“And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.” Mark 4: 39
Charles Wesley penned the following profound words of confidence titled “Almighty Shade” that must remind the disciples of Christ about his superintending oversight on his own as they face the stormy sea: “I rest beneath the Almighty’s shade, my grief expire, my trouble s cease; Thou, Lord, on whom my soul is stayed, Wilt keep me still in perfect peace.” Wesley, himself, having faced different vicissitudes of life came to that realization that it was only the assurance of God’s abiding presence that helped him sail through those stormy and windy days.
In today’s passage, the disciples faced a massive storm that shook the very foundation of their faith though they had been with their master for some time and had witnessed several miracles performed by him. It was powerful, boisterous storm, so intense that they feared for their lives. While the Master lay asleep in the rear, the storm arose. The disciples had to call upon him when the situation went out of their control. Jesus stood, rebuked the wind and there was a great calm. Life on this side of eternity is fraught with life-threatening experiences. We often encounter storms in our life journeys from time to time. These storms could come in the form of unexpected turn of events, persistent unpleasant experiences, challenges with our children or partners and besetting sin, which may lead to devastating outcomes if not quickly brought under control.
Whatever is the nature of the storm you are facing now, the master over the storms can bring calmness if, like the disciples, you call his attention. But you need to bring him on board by accepting his love and surrendering your life him as your personal lord and savior.
Jesus is the Master over every storm of life. He is asking you to just come.
Songs:
Just call on him to come on your boat.
Every time I hear this song; I recall Simon peter in Matthew 14:28-32 “And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. 29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus”.
Walking on water is very challenging for us, but when we have a savior who catches us when we fall, we can walk on water, and he will be there to catch us. And I guess this is the story behind this song for me.
Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: but every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. James 1: 13 -17
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. Psalm 23 vs 1
But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. James 1: 4
Now we have several lusts tied to human desires – lust of the eyes, the flesh and pride of life. Most of our human wants are tied to the eyes (what we see)- I see luxurious house my friend is living in, and discontentment enters, Flesh – I want to marry, everyone having a girlfriend and pride – I am better than him even though the bible clearly tells us no one is to think of themselves more highly than other Romans 12:3. Why should I forgive he offends me. when God tells us to. And we have appetite for many things, new cars, a good wife and nice shirt but only our heavenly father knows what is good for us (Matthew 6:32); because only he can tell us what is good: why?
Because we are corrupt and thus forces us to do evil. Matthew 7: 11-12, Genesis 6:5.
Also, we know Good and evil, but can’t discern good and evil and to discern means to recognize what is good and what is evil. Take for instance, I have a data algorithm that wants to classify animals into amphibians and birds, they have to have features and most likely there will be amphibians that have features like birds and vice versa. So, there has to be an all-encompassing criterion that is distinct that helps me recognize birds from amphibians or amphibians from crustaceans. I can know that crab is a crustacean but can also classify it as an amphibian because they both live in the sea.
And Abraham said, my son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so, they went both of them together. Genesis 22: 8 He is still Jehovah Jireh the one who provides, Matthew 6:26
The have a common habitat. I could easily call a guinea fowl an amphibious animal because it stays in swampy areas as amphibians but it’s not. So, knowing the animal doesn’t mean recognizing what class it belongs to. I love statistics by the way. Genesis 3: 5
We have emotions and thus pride enters from there. Obadiah 3: 4 from the moment eve wanted to eat the apple to BE LIKE GOD knowing what was good and evil. Genesis 3:5 and this replicates the devil’s nature which says Isaiah 14:14.
No one is that wise to know the future. James 3: 13, Ecclesiastes 8: 11, 1 Corinthians 3:18.
The secret to God is not desiring anything but allowing God to give you what you need, and to know this is to discern through his word. Solomon the first discerner discerns through a sword which is the word of God. We have appetite for a whole lot of things, a good wife, a good life and a good car but only God is good, and only from a good God can we receive good, not from ourselves. The moment we desire something God knows and so does the devil and the devil can equally present you with something as God presents you with something else, but the difference is the word far desirable – Genesis 3:6; when something is what you desire and as James says you don’t check if its godly desire for the things of God which are not seen because they vanished at the garden of Eden, and you eat it; you will die (i.e. sin). I was speaking to a relative yesterday. He told me a family friend of us went to America for visiting and got permanent residence. I am like how, now men have faith for bad things around here. Because they believe they have suffered the most. So, I am like how he did he do it? It the doing that undid me. He remarried to get a paper, and his wife in fear that they’d be arrested went back to her Country. So, he said she was lazy and remarried the third time. And has bought a house and a car there. Well, the devil will bless you sometimes when you are rebelling against God, he had broken two of Gods commands to get ahead in life; do not divorce you wife for any and every reason and the second is breaking a nations law. He may get away with it in the short run but will pay dearly for it in the long run. Why, I know a guy who had the same story, he claimed that when he divorced his wife (who was supposedly the source of his problem), he got a position in America and left for 2 years (this guy didn’t explain that he divorced his wife because of another woman, and that woman was his wife’s friend, making his wife unhappy and you know what the bible says when you wife is unhappy; nothing works as it hinders your prayers). 3 years on I met him again he had lost everything; the investment he made didn’t go, he had no job and was asking the church to pray for him without fully confessing. Rock of ages, till today the guy has sold his car and his life is doing far worse than when he travelled. Accountability to the father is necessary. So, in all our appetite for the good things of life; it is important to remember that the lord is our shepherd, and we shall NOT WANT. Let patience have our way in us that we may be entire WANTING NOTHING. To want is not good, to ask is good and to need is the lord. I have to close with this :
Proverbs 14: 12
There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.
we can’t see the garden of Eden today because we choose wrongly; I have set before you, life and death. Now life in Christ is death to SELF and life to self is death to the body (damnation). The word of God spoken in that garden that day was ” do not eat of this fruit” and we ate and “the word of God spoken to us in his commands” is love the lord your God with all your heart, soul and might. We may not see God because of our mortal bodies that sin (1 John 1: 8- 10) but we see through the eyes of his spirit that dwells in us. Thats why when we enter the holies of holies; it reminds of Eden; where the presence of the lord is; we hide as Adam hides because we recognize our sins that makes us unworthy and thus see Jesus that covers us.
But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19
For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.” Matthew 6 32
Our appetite for things is food, In the garden it was called apple, now it appears in various forms. The heart of a father is his son, and that exactly what gave to us to redeem us. Where is your heart today.
Songs:
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." (Philippians 4:6 ESV) "Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16 ESV) "Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7 ESV)
And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord: “If you give the Ammonites into my hands, 31 whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the Lord’s, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering.” - Judges 11: 30, 31
In our passage, we are confronted with the story of Jephthah, who vowed that if he defeated the ammonites, he would sacrifice the first thing that came out of his house of God (much like Abraham and Isaac) when he returned home. His daughter, who was his only child, was the one who greeted him on his return. This was highly regrettable to Jephthah, as his only daughter remained unmarried and knew no man until her death.
Today, there are many people who in the heat of emotion or personal challenges have made a hasty promise to God, which they later find difficult to fulfil. However, once they get what they want, they forget and pile up excuses why they won’t be able to keep their vows.
It is instructive to note that tough the vow was difficult for Jephthah, but as a man of integrity, he fulfills his vow. God is not pleased with us when we make promises and do not keep them. We must make vows we find difficult to keep (Deuteronomy 23: 21; Ecclesiastes 5: 4).
Joshua 24:15 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
At 16, Environmental activist Jadav “Molai” Payeng saw hundreds of snakes dead (much as believers not alive). Jadav left his formal education to give all his attention to the forest. His consecration to reviving the snake forest made him vow that he will plant till his last breadth” saw it all.
This kind of exemplary consecration to a worthy cause, which will always make a difference in life and ministry is what we find in the life of Joshua. In this passage, the children of Israel were excited at the time, having defeated all their enemies and settled in the Promise Land.
But it was also a tempting time for them, given the possibility of forgetting God and adopting the idolatrous lifestyles of their Canaan Neighbours. Hence, Joshua called them to ponder on God’s faithfulness right from the Patriarch’s time and confronted them to choose to serve God exclusively or the gods of the Amorites while declaring his own personal resolve to serve the Lord with his household. Their promise to cleave unto the Lord made Joshua to make a covenant with the people that day.
It is often very easy for people to make promises to serve God, not money; only to renege and return to their old ways due to challenges. Are you fully persuaded about your decision to follow the lord to the end? (and we are told men don’t persuade women, but God persuades us, hence why his mercy is unlimited to persuade us he loves us). Our commitment to serve God should be for our lifetime, with no strings attached.
A wholesome consecration is one that can stand the test of time.
![Maranatha! - I Love You Lord [with lyrics]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/SYV0ce3ybEA/hqdefault.jpg)
