DANGERS OF FINANCIAL STORMS II

But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. 1 Timothy 6:11

Read: 1 Timothy 6:6-11

6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.

6:7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

6:8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.

6:9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.

6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

6:11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

Message:

On the 23rd of this month, we established that financial storms can breed hatred and discrimination against the poor, and even make them contemplate suicide. Beyond these, financial storm can lead to a situation where people would resort to doing unimaginable things to survive a few more days, weeks or months, just like it happened in Samaria, where people began to eat their own children (2 Kings 6:26-29). When you speak of such scenarios, some people think this can never happen; but not too long ago in Nigeria, a woman was caught after selling her child just to get some money for food. This is almost the same as eating one’s child. When she was arrested, she begged everyone to listen to her story first before judging her. She said she decided to sell her child because she could no longer afford to feed herself and her child. She reasoned that whoever bought the child would feed her, thereby increasing her chances of survival. She explained that if she kept the child, they would both die of hunger, and that from the proceeds of selling her child, at least for a while, her own chances of survival would increase also. She probably never thought that her child could be killed and used for rituals!

Moreover, financial storms drive some people to consult the devil and swallow charms in their desperate bid to prosper. Some of such people are compelled to go to the graveyard at a specific period every month to eat there in order to sustain their wealth. The fear of poverty has really led many people into unthinkable and damnable things they would never have attempted with a sane mind. It is most unfortunate that many believers have allowed themselves to be caught in this same evil net. 1 Timothy 6:9 says,

“But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.”

God has a plan for everyone who comes to Him. In that plan, there is provision to meet all of their needs. However, to partake of the benefits of that divine provision, every child of God would have to follow certain divine principles. In Matthew 6:24-34, Jesus gives the blueprint for this, based on which you would have to focus on God and His Kingdom. If you do this faithfully, then God will make you His focus. It is unfortunate that several people prefer to focus on their needs at the expense of their relationship with God; they keep drifting further away from God’s sure place of provision. If you have drifted away from God in your search for bread, retrace your steps today!

Prayer Point:

Father, by Your mercy, terminate every financial storm in my life and family today.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
1 Kings 8
Ezekiel 17: 11-24

SITUATION-DEPENDENT SERVICE

And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions? Daniel 6:20

Read: Daniel 6:18-23

6:18 Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting: neither were instruments of musick brought before him: and his sleep went from him.

6:19 Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions.

6:20 And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?

6:21 Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever.

6:22 My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.

6:23 Then was the king exceedingly glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God.

MESSAGE:

If you desire to see exploits from the Almighty God, you must know Him personally and believe that He is alive. Unfortunately, when some believers are going through very tough times, you will think that their God is dead. They lose their trust in God, just because they could not feel Him doing anything about their case while putting their trust in Him. Some of such people will no longer confess Him before men because they are afraid He might disappoint them. Hebrew 11:6 says that if you want anything at all from God, you must believe that He is alive and well. You must believe that He continues to exist and that He is in control. No matter how bad your situation may appear, God is still alive and He is in charge. Nothing happens in your life without His knowledge.

After Daniel was set up by some fellow leaders in the government of king Darius, He was thrown into the lion’s den. What the King said to him while he was in the lion’s den is very instructive:
“And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?” Daniel 6:20

In other words, this king recognized that the God of Daniel was the living God. Do people know your God as the living God? Also, King Darius observed the quality of worship Daniel offered to his God. Daniel not only served God in times of plenty, blessings and answered prayers, but also in times of persecution and unanswered prayers. If you truly want to see exploits, you must be ready to serve God continuously. Do you know that many people allow situations and circumstances to affect or determine when they serve God? Some people decide to down tools in God’s house just because a particular pending request has not been granted. Some even “threaten” God that if He doesn’t answer their prayer, they will stop pastoring, winning souls or doing some specific assignments that God has given to them. Can you truly threaten God? Is your love for God dependent on your situation in life? If you have downed tools in God’s service, repent and get back to doing the work that God gave to you!

Key Point:

Although God can deliver His children from any unpleasant situation, He reserves the right to decide whether and when to deliver them or not, depending on what He wants to achieve from that particular situation.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
1 Kings 5-6
Ezekiel 16:44-58

WHOLENESS IS POSSIBLE

And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole. Luke 17:19

Read: Luke 17:12-19

17:12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:

17:13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.

17:14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.

17:15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,

17:16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.

17:17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?

17:18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.

17:19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

Message:

After reflecting on the goodness of God, David wrote in Psalm 103:1:
“Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.”

The lame man in Acts 3:1-8 must have taken a cue from David in praising God. After his burden of 40 years was lifted, he praised God in a very dramatic way, just like David did in times past. When David praised God, his entire body was fully involved. He went to such great extents as removing his royal robes and dancing before God like one of his subjects (2 Samuel 6:14-16). He was used to leaping in praise and honor of the Most High. Have you ever leaped to give God praise?

After God has lifted your burden, in addition to praising Him, you can give Him generous thanks - not the kind of thanks that has to be squeezed forcefully out of you. Thank Him from a heart overflowing with gratitude. Some people are just too stingy! Not only do they find it difficult to give God a good offering from what He had already provided for them, they also find it difficult to give Him thanks. What such people fail to realize is that stinginess has never helped the stingy. What you hoard will go stale, become useless or be lost. Give God thanks and do it with a heart full of gratitude.

Moreover, if you give God quality thanks, you will definitely receive something in return. In other words, when God does something for you and you thank Him generously, He becomes so impressed that He gives you something else in addition to what precipitated your thanksgiving. When all is said and done, you end up with double blessings. Those who give shabby thanks or do not give thanks at all cannot get a second blessing, and if care is not taken, they may even lose their initial blessings to the devil. If you look at the example of the 10 lepers who were healed by the Lord Jesus Christ in today’s Bible reading, you will discover that thanksgiving opens the door to a very special blessing: wholeness! This is a type of blessing that no gates of hell can prevent. When God makes you whole, everyone will know about it. Wholeness is the height of restoration. It is a return to the original state you were in before a burden was placed on you. As you thank God from today, you shall receive the blessing of wholeness in Jesus’ Name.

Key Point:

Father, as I thank and worship You today, please make me whole.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
1 Kings 3-4
Ezekiel 16:23-43

DANGERS OF FINANCIAL STORMS I

The poor is hated even of his own neighbor: but the rich hath many friends. Proverb 14:20

Read: Proverb 14:20-22

14:20 The poor is hated even of his own neighbor: but the rich hath many friends.

14:21 He that despiseth his neighbor sinneth: but he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he.

14:22 Do they not err that devise evil? but mercy and truth shall be to them that devise good.

Message:

Peace is desirable because it signifies everything that is calm, quiet and in order. On the other hand, storms are undesirable because they bring turbulence, trouble, fear and absence of rest. While all storms are bad, a financial storm is one of the worst storms that can hit the foundation of an individual, family and community. One reason why financial storms are more deadly is because they can trigger off other storms. For instance, Proverbs 14:20 says,
“The poor is hated even of his own neighbor: but the rich hath many friends.”
This means that because of the poverty of the poor, many of his neighbors prefer to avoid him. Some would even develop hatred for him just for that reason. This describes the attitude of many unsaved people to their poor neighbors. It is most unfortunate that some believers also follow this evil trend. This has led to the formation of cliques and factions in places where there should be unity and togetherness. Psalm 10:2 says that only a wicked and proud fellow would subject the poor to such treatment. Some Church leaders cannot stand seeing those who are not well-to-do. As a result, they discriminate against them, using every excuse in the book. They appoint only those who are rich into positions, even when they know that the poor are more ideal for such positions. If you are involved in such discriminatory practices, remember Psalm 12:5 which says that when the poor cry out to God, He will arise on their behalf against their oppressors.
Are you hated by your neighbors because of the financial storms you are confronted with? Fear not! According to Psalm 69:33, the Lord will hear your cry today and bring you out of poverty and reproach. Moreover, financial storms can make an individual contemplate suicide. In 1 Kings 17:12, due to the financial storms that the widow of Zarephath was going through with her son, she decide that they should just take their last meal and afterwards die. Have you found yourself in a similar situation where you are contemplating or have even attempted suicide? Stop right there! Suicide can never solve your problems. It is worse than going from frying pan into fire. See your pastor, tell him your situation and see what he can do to help. However, more importantly, call on the Lord to deliver you from the challenges you are confronted with. I rebuke every spirit of death suggesting suicide to you right now! I pray that hope be restored in your heart right now in Jesus’ Name.

Action Point:

If your financial storm is so bad that you feel seriously pressured to commit suicide, just know that your turnaround is truly around you. Don’t ever quit, and don’t kill yourself!

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
2 Samuel 21-22
Ezekiel 13:20-14:11

ABANDONING GOD’S ASSIGNMENT?

Ye looked for much, and, lo it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the Lord of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house.

Haggai 1:9

Read: Haggai 1:5-11

1:5 Now therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways.

1:6 Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.

1:7 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways.

1:8 Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the Lord.

1:9 Ye looked for much, and, lo it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the Lord of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house.

1:10 Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed from her fruit.

1:11 And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground bringeth forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labour of the hands.

Message:

"What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?" Romans 8:31

The above scripture clearly tells us that God can be for us. It is so reassuring to know that God can stand for you. Whenever He is for you, anyone against you is in trouble. However, do you know that just as God can be for you, He can also be against you? Yes, He can! If you check through the scriptures, you will see many instances where God stirred up the enemies of his children to fight against them (Judges 4:1-3, Judges 6:1-10). They remained defeated until they realized their evil, repented and ran back to God. Judges 13:1 says,
“And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.”

Every time you turn away from God, violate His word or live to gratify your fleshly lusts, you turn Him against you.

Moreover, God can personally fight or frustrate the efforts of His children. In our Bible reading, because some people refused to complete the building of God’s house, he decided to frustrate their personal efforts. It is frightening to see the extent God can go to in fighting His own children! In Haggai 1:6, it is written that his people worked like elephants but brought harvest of ants. They ate but were never satisfied, and their thirst could not be quenched no matter how much water they drank. No matter how many clothes they wore, they could not get warm. They worked and were paid, but kept losing their wages. Haggai 1:9 even goes further to say that if they managed to bring in any little gain, God would blow it away. God also prevented the heavens from releasing rain and the earth from releasing its increase. He went further to declare a famine on their land. This was God fighting His children and not any devil! Why the fight? It was because they abandoned God’s house and focused on building their own mansions with the resources God had given them. If you abandon God’s assignment or project in pursuit of yours, you are calling for God’s hammer. In any way you have erred, repent today and return to what you abandoned, and the Lord will turn away from His anger.

Prayer Point:

Father, prosper all your missionaries in mission fields across the globe. Back them up with signs and wonders. Help them to win souls and to disciple your end-time army.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:

2 Samuel 15-16
Ezekiel 12:7-20

FOCUSED ASKING

I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.

Luke 11:8

Read: Luke 11:5-10

11:5 And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;

11:6 For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?

11:7 And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.

11:8 I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.

11:9 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

11:10 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

Message:

One of the conditions to be met before one’s burden is lifted is the need to see that burden is an anomaly. You must acknowledge the existence of the burden, and be willing to be helped, before you can be set free from it. In john 5:2-9, Jesus asked the man who had been sick for 38 years, “Do you want to be made whole?” you may wonder why Jesus asked him such an obvious question. Why didn’t he just heal him straightaway? The truth is, not everyone wants to be helped. I have shared the story of a sick woman whom I prayed for many times without results. Then one day, the Lord told me, “Ask her if she wants to be healed”. Initially, I wondered what kind of question that was, but later I asked her, “woman, do you want to be well?’. To my utmost shock she replied, “No”. In my astonishment I asked her why not, and she said, “When I was well, immediately my husband closed his from work place, he would go to club houses, but since I took ill, after work, he comes home to me. I would rather be sick and retain my husband’s attention”. There is also the case of a witch who was brought to us for deliverance some time ago. Although we prayed, she would not be delivered. So, I asked, “Woman, do you want to be delivered?” “She replied, “Do you want me to lose the power I use in controlling my husband? I don’t want to be free.” As long as you are not willing to let go of the burden on you, there is nothing God will do to take it off you. In any case, God does not force things on you against your will, except in very rare cases.
In addition, you must be ready to cry to the Burden Bearer for help like Bartimaeus did in Mark 10:46-52. He cried once and again saying:
“Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me”

When others shouted him down, he raised his voice even higher. He kept calling until the Lord heard him. If you are weighed down by a burden and you pray lackadaisically, it simply shows that you are not really concerned about that burden. If you are, you will throw caution and decorum to the wind and call upon the Lord with your whole heart, and He will answer you. Some people call on God for a little while and stop. Such people may not get the answer they seek because they are not desperate enough. If you want results, call on Him and continue calling on Him. Use every opportunity you have to call on Him. Let Him see that you have resolved not to give Him rest until he answers you. When He sees that the answer to your prayers means everything to you, He will answer. As you call on Him this season, the Lord will answer you speedily in Jesus’ Name.

Key Point:

If you are not ready to petition God repeatedly until He has no breathing space, you are not desperate enough for your desired change.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
1 Samuel 12-13
Lamentation 4:2-18

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 4: THROUGH THE LOVE OF GOD OUR SAVIOUR

Through the love of God, our Savior,
all will be well;
free and changeless is his favor,
all will be well;
precious is the blood that healed us,
perfect is the grace that sealed us,
strong the hand stretched out to shield us,
all will be well.

Though we pass through tribulation,
all will be well;
ours is such a full salvation,
all will be well.
happy when in god confiding,
fruitful if in Christ abiding,
holy through the Spirit's guiding,
all will be well.

We expect a bright tomorrow;
all will be well;
faith can sing through days of sorrow,
all will be well;
on our Father's love relying,
Jesus every need supplying
in our living, in our dying,
all will be well.

WHY YOUR HEALING IS NOW

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John 1:14

Read: Jeremiah 32:26-27

32:26 Then came the word of the Lord unto Jeremiah, saying,

32:27 Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for me?

Message:

In Jeremiah 32:27, God said something very profound:
“Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for me?”
In this scripture, God introduced Himself as the God of all flesh. Similarly, in Ezekiel 18:4, He said all souls are His; so we can correctly say that God is also the God of all souls. Also, Hebrew 12:9 calls Him the Father of spirits; we can therefore correctly say that He is the God of all spirits. Considering all these, we can confidently say that God is the God of the spirit, soul and body (the flesh). It therefore means that He knows everything about spirit, soul and body, and being the Owner of them all, he can work on any part of you. Praise God!

As the God of all flesh, God is genuinely interested in whatever happens to your body. John 1:1&14 reveals that the Word was God, and He eventually became flesh. So then, what are the implications of the Lord being the God of all flesh? First, He can change any damaged flesh and make it brand new. A particular brother was taken on a visit to Heaven many years ago, and there he saw a particular store-house with spare body parts of all types, sizes, colors and shapes. These are not needed in Heaven but meant for people on earth. He said with faith in Jesus Christ, you can pull your required body part(s) from that store into your body. Does any part of your body require replacement? Receive it now in Jesus’ Name! One individual who benefited from this truth was Naaman. His skin was so damaged and ravaged with leprosy that God had to give him brand new skin (2 Kings 5:1-14). All he had to do was to obey God’s instruction, and his skin suddenly became like that of a new born baby. In Jesus’ Name, receive that miracle of brand new part you need for your body now! The level of destruction experienced in the flesh cannot hinder the God of all flesh from doing His job. Some people look at how certain afflictions or sores have ravaged their bodies, and they conclude that there is no more hope for them. No, don’t give up! Job had an understanding of this when in Job 19:26, he said:
“And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:”
There is a user of this devotional who is afflicted by a sore that has refused to heal. The God of all flesh says He is doing something about it right now. When you are healed, go and testify to God’s glory. Call on God today, worship Him because he is in charge of all flesh and thereafter ask him to replace your damaged body with brand new parts.

Prayer Point:

Father, you are the God of all flesh, solve every problem I have with my body today!

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
1 Samuel 10-11
Lamentation 3:37-4:1