Daily Devotions - 08

2008
Dennis Daily Word
Dennis Mutuma
Dennis Devotions Inc.
8/4/2008
Dennis Daily Word 2008
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4 August, 2008 Devotion
When it’s all been said and done.
2nd Kings 20: 1- 6
Sometimes we live our lives not knowing what lies ahead of us. We have plans for the future, but remember that” many are the plans of
a man, but God has the final word, he will direct our ways if only we acknowledge and trust Him – Proverbs 3:5-7”
I was listening to the song “when it’s all been said and done – Robin Mark” and I asked myself, what account will I give to God when I
am no more here on earth and I find myself standing at the throne of mercy. Will I have something to remind God that I did for him? If I was
ambushed like Hezekiah was, when I cry to God, can he review His mind?
Hezekiah had done good things for the Lord thus he was added 15 more years, but see what he does with the 15 years; he messes them
up till he was no more. Sometimes we act like Hezekiah, we sin, we ask for forgiveness and God forgives us after we repent, but how do we live
after? We just go back to do the same thing that we had earlier done. Robin Mark asks: Did I do my best to live for truth, did I live my life for you.
The world we live in is full of temptations but we can purpose that it doesn’t matter what comes our way, we won’t compromise with the
world. We will stand on our ground and we shall become victorious. Remember Paul says, we are more than conquers in Christ Jesus. John speaks
of the same in the book of Revelation and says that they overcame by the Blood of the Lamb and the word of their mouth.
Another aspect comes in here: Our Testimony or what we speak: What we speak matters a lot and has got power and impact in it. Remember
every word that comes out of God’s mouth He is after it to accomplish it, thus whatever you utter, God takes it as it is Him who has said it, thus He
follows it to accomplish it.
Let’s live our lives as though we are leaving this world the next minute and strive to please God in all that we do.
Amen!!!
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5 August, 2008 Devotion
Refining/Pruning.
John 15: 1- 8
I believe that in one time or another we have seen farmers doing pruning to the plants or trees. Weeding also falls in this category.
Mostly, you will find coffee or tea farmers doing this when the trees are about to bear fruits or during the winter so that when the fall season
comes, the trees are able to bear much fruits.
In our Christian life, we are just like the trees that need some pruning so that they can produce/bear more fruits. I believe if the plants could speak
when pruning is being done, they would say, leave me alone to be the way I am. Same case applies to us. Jesus Said the he is the Vine and His
father is the gardener, and whichever branch that bears no fruit, he cuts it.
Pruning in our Christian lives is usually painful and we do not like it at all, but unless we are pruned, we won’t be able to bear the fruits
that God wants us to. This pruning includes some leaving and forsaking some of the habits, things and even to an extent of parting with some of
out friends. This is usually not pleasing to us. When this is being done, we usually complain and murmur a lot and we do not like it at all. To some
extent we tend to think that God has forsaken us.
Remember David’s prayer in the book of psalms: “… That Oh God you may purify me, and let me be like a gold that is purified seven times”
Here are some points I want to consider:
1. Purification process: You know when the miners are purifying the minerals (gold), it is subjected to intense heating at high temperatures
and at the end, it comes out pure gold. But note this one thing, Gold is more expensive than a diamond, but a diamond is more pure than
gold. Why? Diamond is put through higher temperatures than Diamond thus it becomes purer. The miners will never believe that the
mineral is pure till they can see themselves clearly in the mineral.
2. The image: Just like the miners see their images on the diamonds and they are content that the diamond is now pure, that how God
wants us to be. He wants to be seen in us. And for this to happen, we have to undergo through the fire so that we can be refined and
purified. This process is not as simple as we may think, but the end result will be better than that of the first. Remember that we are all
like clay in the potters hand and whatever the potter decides to mould, that’s what will come out of the clay. So let’s learn to be
submissive to God so that he can mould us into the vessels he wants use so that we will accomplish his purpose and do His will in our
Generation.
Consider these songs:

Refiner’s Fire - Brian Doerksen
Purify my heart
Let me be as gold and precious silver
Purify my heart
Let me be as gold, pure gold
Refiner's fire
My heart's one desire
Is to be holy
Set apart for You Lord
I choose to be holy
Set apart for You my Master
Ready to do Your will.
Dennis Devotions Inc. Page 2

Bwana Mungu nakuomba sasa,
unifanye kuwa kama upendavyo x2
Unifinyange, unifinyaange,
Unifanye kuwa kama upendavyo.
May this be our prayer:

God, I want to live a life that you will be seen and be glorified in. but because I can’t make it alone, I pray that as you prune me, as you refine
me, give me the grace to bear it all and mould me into the kind of a vessel you want me to be.
Amen.
6th August 2008 Devotion

Breaking the yoke:
Genesis 27:40
Blessing and curses always lay in our tongue. There is so much power in the words that we pronounce. Every word that you utter, know
that it has impact either to your life, someone’s life, situation or circumstance.
Esau was the 1st son of Isaac but Jacob was the beloved son of Rebecca. With her help, he was able to get Esau’s blessings from the father through
cheating. In place of blessing, Isaac places bondage on Esau but with a way out. He tells him “… and it shall come to pass that when you grow
restless, you will break the yoke off your neck” (NIV)
Sometimes, the devil holds us hostage to bondage but we get used to it and we are comfortable and thus we become slaves of the same.
Esau’s descendants (Arabs n the rest) are always in fight with Israel because they want their freedom.
2 Kings 7:3-10 Gives us a story of four lepers who got restless of their state and decided to act. The country was starving because the
Aramean’s had decided to keep all the food to themselves. Listen to what they said “why stay here till we die? If we go to the city, there is famine
and we will die, if we stay here, we will die too, so lets go to the Arameans camp and surrender, if they kill us, we die and if they spare us, we
will live.” Vs3
These lepers took a risky step of faith that all of us aught to take in our lives. The reason why we live in bondage is because we get used
to our surrounding environment and in the long run, we get solutions to the challenges that may arise around us. It is until we get restless and tired
of our current situation, and then deliverance will come our way.
When I look at the four lepers, I see some insights that can help us overcome our bondages too:
a) Risk – Sometimes as Christians we don’t want to put our faith at stake. We ask ourselves, if I do this and it fails, what will people think
about me, what will they say? These and many more questions don’t have any other business, but the are there to make us Doubt what
God can do in our lives. The only way to overcome doubts is doubt the doubt. These lepers knew what stood ahead of them if they went
either way, but they decided to go to the enemies’ camp. I pray that we will all be like Esther and say “I will go to the King, if I die, let me
die” (Esther 4:16)
b) Confidence – These men had confidence that when they go to the camp, they will be spared and if not, they were willing to die. Look at
them when they are in the enemies camp, they are at ease because they knew no one could frighten them then. Again remember God
had amplified their footsteps and they sounded like a great army. Do you have confidence in God? Then go ahead and advance ahead.
c) Minded their fellow brothers – When you get you get your breakthrough, don’t think that you are now free and you live your own world,
and remember that there are other people who are also passing through what you have been delivered from. So take an initiative to help
them also get their freedom. These men took an initiative and they informed the gatekeepers who in turn informed the King.
When you take a step of faith and you risk, God will be by your side. Remember He used the limbs of the lepers to sound like a vast army thus the
Arameans escaped from the camp. So take a step of faith and God will replenish and lead you to victory over your bondage.
Amen.
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7 August 2008 Devotion
Are you ready?
Matthew 25:1-13
Who would like to be caught off guard by a thief? Would you be happy if you missed an event that you had anticipated for long? As
human beings we always prepare in advance for an event that we are invited for. You plan ahead of time for the clothes that you will wear
(children call them Sunday best) and even you extend the invitation to a few friends though they are not invited to the function so that you have
company to the function.
Jesus knowing the signs of age and the season, he starts to prepare his disciples so that get prepared for the mission ahead of them when
he leaves. Matt 24: Jesus tells his disciples about the signs of the age, what will happen before the second coming of Christ. Matt 24:36-51- Jesus
tells his disciples that the hour of the return of the Son of man is not known even to Himself except the father himself, thus he warned them of
being caught off guard. He goes ahead and gives them the parable of the ten virgins, they were all anticipating for the wedding but the bride was
late. Some ran out of oil and they rushed to get some but the bride came while they were away.
The same way, Jesus will appear. The question is, are you ready? Do you have enough oil in your lamp?
We are living in the last days and unless we keep watch just as Jesus said, we will be caught unaware. We are entangled so much with the cares of
this world till sometimes we forget to nourish our spiritual man and keep him ready and with enough oil to keep on burning till the bride comes. I

was listening to a song that said “sometimes we are not able to read God’s word or even pray and when we are faced with temptations, we are
unable to win because we don’t have the power in us to do so” Psalms 119:10-11, David prays gives us a principle that will keep us running till the
end of time. The word of God is the oil that will keep our hearts burning till Christ returns.
When we have hidden the word of God in us, we will be able to overcome temptations and sin in our lives. Remember God will never take
you where his Grace will not protect you. Remember, being tempted is not a sin, yielding to the temptation is the sin. For every temptation, God
will always provide a way of escape. Sin is the only thing that drains our oil (word) that we have in our lamps (hearts). The devil will always try all
means and ways to make us loose our steps, but God is there to bring us back on track.
Remember, he who holds on and runs this race to the end faithfully, a crown and the reward of eternal life will he get (Rev 21:7) My
fellow brothers and sisters, I know that this walk of faith is hard and its becoming harder each day, but lets persevere like Paul so that at the end of
the day we shall echo his words; I have fought a good fight, I have ran the race and kept the faith.
Let’s keep our hearts on fire and let’s wait for the second coming of Christ when we are holy. Let’s keep our garments clean all the time.
Amen.
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What do you want?
John 5:1-14
Jesus walks beside the pool of Bethsaida this Sunday (Sabbath) morning and he meets a man who has been there for the last 38 years.
After enquiry, Jesus learns that this has been his condition for all those years. What used to happen here, beside the pool, people used to bring
their sick relatives and wait when the angle of God would pass by and shake the waters of the pool and whoever was able to get inside while the
waters were troubled, he would get healed. So the relatives of the people used to be there so that they would throw in their people.
Unfortunately, this man had none to throw him in, thus whenever he dragged himself to get himself to the pool, someone was already in and he
remained there.
Let’s look at the pool and the surrounding: we are told that the pool was surrounded by 5 covered colonnades and secondly, it was near
the sheep’s gate meaning sometimes, the sheep cam e to quench their thirst from the pool. Here is the place all sorts of lame people were brought.
It was like a dustbin.
The devil puts us in alcove (colonnades) and we are there lying helplessly with no one to come to our aid and the question we often ask
ourselves is: God where are you when am passing through all this??? Nevertheless, God is always by our side when we are passing through our
most trying moments. Our main weakness as human beings is that we always take the long route to get to what we want. Look at what Jesus asks
the man and what he answers look at the words in red:
When Jesus noticed him lying there [helpless], knowing that he had already been a long time in that condition, He said to him, do you
want to become well? [Are you really in earnest about getting well?]
7The invalid answered, Sir, I have nobody when the water is moving to put me into the pool; but while I am trying to come [into it] myself,
somebody else steps down ahead of me. (John 5:6-7 amplified bible).
We need to learn to be precise and straight to the point. Look at the blind man Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46-52), Jesus asks him what he
wants and he says it straight. I want to see. One thing is sure. God knows what we want but he also wants us to confess it, and when we confess it,
it is a step of faith that we demonstrate to God and then God acts according to our declarations.
Take a look also at Luke 5:17-26 – we see four men who are carrying a paralytic and since the room is full and they can’t get access to
Jesus, they decide to use the roof, and Jesus seeing their faith, he healed the man and forgave his sins.
Remember this:
a) When your miracle is on the way is when thing become hot and there is so much opposition. Look at Bartimaeus, when he starts calling
unto Jesus, people tell him to keep quite he is disturbing the master. But God wants to hear you calling so that he can attend to you.
b) People will always criticize and talk ill when you receive your miracle. The Pharisees and the Jews were saying it was wrong for the man to
bet healed on a Sabbath (John 5:10-13), and also they were questioning Jesus’ authority to forgive sins (Luke 5:22-24)
c) Sin will always land you into more serious and worse problems than what you were before. Jesus meets the man in the temple and He
tells him “Stop sinning, else, you will get into something more serious than this…. John 5:14.
d) FAITH is the only missing link between you and your miracle. Until you pronounce what you want, God will not act. Though He knows, He
is waiting for the step of faith from you.
Let’s learn to activate our faith to move with our words because that’s what God moves after. “…so is my word that goes out from my mouth; It
will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it (Isa.55:11)
Amen.

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Divine connections for a divine season/time:
Gen 37; 39-41
Joseph, a young man dreams and the dreams land him into trouble. This is a story we have all known since the old Sunday school days. I
don’t have to go through what he went through but I want to focus on a few points that show us how God connects events so people so as to fulfill
his will, purpose and Intentions. God always foresees what is to happen and He plans ahead and takes care of it. For Joseph’s case, He knew that
there would be a long spell of drought and famine in the land and He needed to have/raise someone who would be able to take care of what was
at hand
This is where it all starts: Jacob sends his son to go out to his brothers but instead, they plot against him, throw him into a pit, and they
sell him out as a slave to the Midianite merchants. From there, he is sold out to Potiphar as a male slave to serve him. Events carry on and he finds
himself in prison for something that he didn’t do. From the prison, God elevated to the palace to be the second powerful person in a foreign land.
Habakkuk 2:3: A vision is for an appointed time; and though it tarries, it will surely come to pass. It doesn’t matter how long you have
waited for your prayers to be answered, it is clear that God’s timing is always the best and no matter how long it takes, He will fulfill what
promised. Joseph had the dreams at the back of his mind but as a human being, I tend to think at some point he forgot due to the pressure and
what he went through each and every day while Egypt.
Lets look at four P’s to elevation or fulfillment that Joseph went through before his dream was finally fulfilled.
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a) Pit – This is the 1 place where Joseph’s miseries started. Here his patience, perseverance and Faith were put to test. He couldn’t
believe his own brothers whom he loved and thought they loved him back could do such a thing to him. Sometimes in life we have
to go down into pits and when in these pits, we think that some people are supposed to be there for us but on the contrast, they
turn and walk away from us or they start condemning us, reproving us or even tell us that they had warned us against this.
Nevertheless, let’s remember that God is always there with us and has good plans for us.
b) Potiphar: This was his first stop in the long journey that he had started. He never knew what Egypt had for him. This was a place
where his Character and integrity were tested. Remember Portiphar’s wife and her advances? But Joseph decided to flee away. This
was a place where his Diligence and faithfulness were tested and proven that he was worth. God know the plans he has for you and
I and he will have to prepare us for the responsibility he will give us. He knew that Joseph was to handle the store house of Egypt
thus why he was put in-charge of Portiphar’s property to manage which he did with faithfulness and all diligence. Secondly he was to
handle and work with people, thus God favoured and he was put in-charge in the prison. So wherever or whatever God makes you
pass through, make sure you learn the lesson he wants you to learn.
c) Prison: This was his third stage. Here, he found himself there for all the wrong reasons and if justice prevailed, he wasn’t supposed
to be there. But God wanted to mould his leadership skills and for him to learn to listen and seek God. God favoured and he was
put in-charge in the prison so that he could learn how to handle and work with people. This is the place where he met the cup
bearer and the baker. They had dreams and through Joseph listening to God and seeking his face, he was able to interpret their
dreams. This was what connected him to the pharaoh. God will connect you with the relevant people in your life so that they will
propel you to accomplish God’s purpose in your life and the way you will meet them, you can’t explain. Remember one thing, Once
God has finished what He wants you to get from the people He connects you with, they will be taken away from you. See, when
Joseph passed each stage, God brought something so that he could go to the nest stage. So don’t complain when people you meet
and bond with, become close and share so much to build each other are taken away from you, know that their season to be in your
life and share your world is over.
d) Palace: This is the fulfillment stage. The king had a dream that’s the time the cup bearer remembered Joseph in prison. And it was
here that God fulfilled his purpose and plan for his life. He used him to save so many people in Egypt and Canaan including his own
family. Gen 45:7-8 Joseph tells his brothers that it was God who sent him ahead of them so that He could save their live.
You were born and came to the earth for a divine mission. You have people you have to save, reconcile, heal, uplift, encourage, share love with etc
depending on the calling God has called you with. And it is upon you to know which area God has called you and also know the value and purpose
of the people God brings your way and in your life.
Romans 8:28 “…..And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose”
Amen.

The Invisible Mornings:
I consider the athletes or people who wake up in the morning to go for jogging in the early hours of the day. It looks more of a physical
fitness benefit to them and their bodies. But consider this, most of them use the road side to do their jogging and others do their jogging around
the estate. But a time like now when its raining, those who use the main roads shift and they try other areas where there might be no mud, water
or anything that will distract them. If they are not able to do it in the morning, they will always find some other time to do their jogging since they
know what benefit they get.
The bible says in Isaiah 50:4b “the Lord awakens my ear early in the morning to listen from him…..” The question is this...How many
times have you had with God alone and had that intimate fellowship with him? This time, you are not meditating on the His word or praying, but
just having time to hear the direction the Lord is giving you for the day. And if you miss that time in the morning, do you ever find some other time
to be with Him and recover the lost time.
When I mean the invisible mornings, I don't only mean the early morning, I mean the invisible moments when we are all alone and
having nothing much to do. Sometimes when in the office, you find that you have finished all your tasks for the day earlier than expected. With
nothing else to do, you start browsing the internet, reading magazines, chatting with friends and many other things. Has it ever crossed your mind

that you can use this time of the morning to have devotion with God no matter what time of the day it is? These are the Invisible mornings am
talking about because they are invisible to you.
May a times, we have such moments but the devil is so quick to block our minds so that we don't think of such things but I challenge you
make it your habit to utilize such moments as they bring much more impact than when you spend a whole hour petitioning God to do this and that,
asking for these and that but these moments are very useful to edify, build and nourish our relationship and intimacy with God and make ourselves
more closer to him
Psalms 63:1 ...”O lord my God, Early in the morning will I seek you, … my soul thirsts for you in a dry and thirsty land where there is no
water…..” let this prayer of David be our prayer that every day that we may have an intimate and a closer walk with him every day.
Amen.

The Call (Whom do you turn to? How do you react?) :
Kriiiing! Kriiing!! The phone rang....“hallo, I am very disappointed by your products of late….. I bought the anti-wrinkles facial cream
last week hoping that it would help but it has added problems. My face is now full of pimples and rashes….” the voice from the other end of the
phone spoke but the receptionist said...“Please hold I forward you to the relevant person.” The caller thought that with just one call she would
finish her complaints but unfortunately she was addressing the wrong person. Again a screen play was being recorded so that it could be aired in
the national TV. There was a scene where a bride was to appear, but mid-way the play, the production manager got a note from the back stage
...“the bride is set to be on stage but the gown is torn, what do we do? The production manager passed over the note to the Costume manager
and he relaxed.
What do I mean; 1 peter 2:21-23 shows us a perfect example of Jesus. When we look, think or even try to comprehend whatever he went
through on the cross for your sake and my sake, the general conclusion we can make is that he should have retaliated or defended himself, but the
bible says vs. 23(a) says “….that for curses, he did not curse, he was spitted on but he didn't spit back nor did he threaten…” if it was our
generation, someone would have said.. “wacha, nitakushughulikia ama utaniona (wait, I will take care of you, i.e. revenge” but look at vs. 23(b),
“...but he committed Himself to the one who judges righteously” Jesus knew that even if he tried to defend himself, he would only disobey the will
of his father that’s why he turned back to him and said it is only you who can handle this thus I commit my heart in thy hands.
The question I am asking you this day is; who do you turn to when things or situations overwhelm you? Do you remember to turn to
God or the first thing that crosses your mind is how you will get even or revenge for yourself? How many times have you retaliated and tried to
avenge for yourself? How many times have you tried to sort out things your own way? Don’t be like Moses. Exodus 2:11-14. He tried to hurry up
the call of God in his life thus he ended up messing and God had to take him away for 40 years in the wilderness to deal with him.
Remember that God is the best, just and righteous judge and he is the only one who can avenge for you more than what you can avenge
for yourself. Remember God’s judgment is sure and is honest. Also you don't have to pray for destruction of the ones who have wronged you, pray
for their long lives so that if at all not to see what the Lord will do to you, but for them to know Christ as their Lord and saviour.
Amen.

Are you worth the price?
1 Corinthians 6:18-20
Paul writes to the church in Corinth in regards to immorality and sexual purity. He exalts them to live a Holy life worth of their calling.
Corinth was a church that was full of believers who were called by God and were blessed with all kinds of Spiritual gifts but yet they had so many
problems within them. They had lawsuits, one of the brothers in the church was sleeping with his mother and sexual immorality was the order of
the day in the church. Therefore Paul writes to remind them that they ought to live Holy lives.
He tells that not everything which is good is worth for him to do, though he has the freedom to do anything he wants to do. He reminds
them that they were bought at a price. The price you were bought with is so costly that even if you thought of repaying, we can’t be able to pay in
full. Jesus’ death on the cross was an ultimate price to redeem us. But look at how many of us lead our lives, we live care free lives indulging
ourselves in all sorts of unworthy thing, habits and practices. Paul asks a question to the Romans: Romans 6:1-4; 15-18 Shall we then continue
sinning so that God’s grace will abound (increase)? By the fact that we are living in the times of grace and not the law like the children of Israel, we
ought to be careful on what we indulge ourselves in and stop taking for granted the wrath of God. Remember, he says he is a jealous God, Slow to
anger and abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin; yet never will he let any sin
go unpunished; he punishes the children and their children the sin of their father even up to the third and fourth generation (Exodus 34:6-7) would
you like your children to suffer God’s wrath because of your sins? No one would want and since we live in a world where there is too much of the
world in the church and less of the church in the world, we ought to live an exemplary and victorious life.
Paul gives us a solution that can help us do this:

Romans 12:1-2
a) We should offer our bodies as Living Sacrifices, Holy and acceptable to God as our spiritual art of worship. Remember, God told the
children of Israel to be consecrating themselves every time they were to come before his presence, and now, us being the children of
God, we ought to also consecrate ourselves each and every day. Take an example of a bottle with a very tiny hole at the bottom, you fill
the bottle with water but when you leave it, after an hour or two you meet the water level has gone down. If you don know that there is
a hole at the bottom, you will ever live to refill it. Likewise, as Christians we leak each and everyday, and unless we ask God to refill us
each and every single day, at the end of the day, we will find ourselves, dry and void.

b) We should not conform to the world: The world we are in is growing dynamically each and everyday and new things are coming up daily.
Unless we get to guard our hearts, we will find ourselves having been swallowed up into the world. Jesus reminded his disciple that
though they are in the world, they do not belong to the world; they are sojourners in this world. We are also sojourners in this life and
each and every day, we meet challenges but they should make us stronger to face the next challenge in life and not make us fail.
c) Be transformed by the renewal of our minds: What do you see/look at? What do you listen to? What do you think about? Who are your
friends? Just as Jesus said, from the abundance of your heart, your mouth speaks (Matthew 12:34) A tree will be known by its fruits and
unless we be renewed each and everyday, we will think, act, judge and walk led by our canal minds.
d) Let’s always that we died to sin and we are no longer its slaves but we are the slaves of righteousness: (Romans 6) Paul tells the
Romans (u and me) not to allow sin reign in them, so that we do not obey the desires of the flesh. Let’s offer our bodies as vessels of
righteousness and we are now slaves to righteousness and not sin. Check out this: Romans 6:19-23: 19I put this in human terms because
you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing
wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness. 20When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the
control of righteousness. 21What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death!
22But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is
eternal life. 23For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Let’s pray that God will enable us live according to his statues and accomplish his purposes in our lives. Let’s always remember the words of David
in Psalms 1; that blessed shall we be when we walk in God’s will, fulfill and do what is perfect and pleasing in his eyes.
Amen.
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Light your world:
Jesus said these words carefully and meaningfully ….’You are the salt and the light of the world, a city on a hill that cannot be hidden.
One doesn't light a lamp and put it under the bed, instead he puts it on a higher ground where everyone can use the light it emits, the same, you
are the salt of the world, if the salt loses its taste, it has no worth, rather than being thrown out and be trampled by men”. (Mathew 5:13-14)
When Jesus spoke these words, he had just finished teaching about the beatitudes and he wanted to emphasis that you can’t be the
blessed one if you don’t serve as an example to the world at large. Jesus came to seek and save the lost and destroy the works of the evil one (John
10:10), and thus he gave us the great commission in Matthew 20:28. We have a mandate to go out there and be witnesses of him who saved us.
Paul says that we are a letter written and everyone who sees us reads out whatever is written in the letter. 1 Timothy 4:12, Paul tells
Timothy to serve not only as a minister of the word of God but also serve as an example to the people in character, speech, Love, ….., This could not
happen if Paul would not have heeded to the calling that God had called him. Through Paul’s ministry, we see the birth of many young ministers
like Titus, Apollo's, and the young Timothy who was the youngest Bishop in the early church times.
Today you and I are the Paul of today. We have an obligation to mentor and groom up ministers of the gospel of Christ. But how can we
do it if the life we live is so horrible that we can’t have people who can dare to emulate us? Remember, when Paul said that we are living letters to
be read, he didn't mean that once we get saved, the letter is written and that’s all, NO!, we continue to write this letter with our words, actions and
everything that we do in our day to day lives.
Remember ’Enjoy your life here on earth but remember you will be brought to judgment over every thing that you do here on earth
(Ecclesiastes 12). Whatever you do, say, the action you take, your reactions all count and contribute to the writing of the letter and that is you and
your life. Remember to be a legible letter that is good and worth to be read by everyone who is in your world or the people around you as that is
your world.
Amen!!!
th
The complaints department:
Job 2:9-10
Ever wondered why God would allow something’s to come your way? You are tempted to ask God some difficult questions that are in
your mind and basically the biggest question in a human being’s mind to God is Why this God?
Remember that during this time that you are passing through these hard times/situations, some people will desert you and you will find yourself
alone.
Job was one man who went through the hardest times a human being has ever gone through yet he didn’t complain to God. His wife
looks at him and she tells him, there is nothing else left for you in this world, “curse God and die” but take a look at how Job responds….. Job tells
her that doesn’t expect only good things from God; there are times when you will also receive things that will be pleasing in your eyes.
Sometimes God makes us pass through such situation because he has good plans for us.
1. To prepare us: When God wants to use someone or something, He will have to make sure that the person is well prepared for the task
ahead, thus he will put you through circumstances that will help you learn how to handle what lies ahead of you. Take a look at Moses
and Joseph: God had great assignments for them thus he had to make sure that He sends Moses to the wilderness so that he would
prepare him for a life in the desert so that when he would lead the Israelites through the desert, he would be conversant. Joseph had to
go to Portiphar’s house so that he could learn how to handle and take care of someone’s property before he could handle the vast wealth
of Egypt. And note that none of them complained or murmured at all during these periods.
2. Rectify certain things in your life (refine/purify you): Remember King Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 4) God sends him to the fields for seven

years so that he could teach him how to be humble. So, when God takes you through a journey to teach you something, don’t murmur.
3. For you to encourage someone else: Sometimes God will just allow you to go through hard and sour things so that you may be able to
encourage someone else going through the same or similar situation or walk with someone going through a similar situation.
4. Lift up our faith and trust in him: God will not use simple things to build our faith. He will use things that challenge us and are beyond our
thinking and imagination to solve to teach us to depend and trust in him. Daniel 3:16-18), the three young men decided not to bow down
to the golden image and they choose to trust in God, whether he would save them or not. Daniel also finds himself in the same case
when he is thrown in the lions den and there is no one to save rather than to trust in his God.
Looking back at Job, after all his friends and wife had turned away and against him, God lifted him again and He blessed him again. Through it
all, Job didn’t not murmur at all or ask God a question.
Let’s learn to ask God; what is the purpose of you putting me through this rather than asking why me. And when we get to know the purpose, we
will enjoy rather than endure.
James 1:2-4: Let’s always allow God to have his way in our lives so that he can mould us into the kind of vessels and people that he likes.
AMEN!!!!!
1st September 2008 Devotion

Forgiveness:
Luke 23:24
Forgiving is the hardest thing to do for a human being. It is easier said than done. I hear many people say “nimekusamehe lakini
sitasahau (I have forgiven you but I won’t forget)”. In this we make a big mistake. When you don’t forgive, it is like we are tying ourselves at one
place or placing ourselves on quarantine. In simple words, we chain ourselves to what had/has happened to us or someone has done to us.
Forgiveness simply means “to get it out”. Just as you expel carbon dioxide from your body because when you hold it inside your body, it
will harm you, that’s the same way you need to let all bitterness and unforgiveness out of you and breath in God’s Love.
When you don’t forgive you are just like a chained dog. The dog wants to be free but it can’t be because it is chained and the minute it is
freed from the chain, it is the happiest creature at that time. Thus, that’s how unforgiveness is. Until you break that chain of unforgiveness that ties
you, you will never move forward. Forgiveness should not be on condition that the other party recognizes his/her mistake and apologizes, it should
come out freely. Take a look at Jesus – The Jews crucify him yet he had no sin but he doesn’t tell them, I forgive you but…. NO!! He says “forgive
them Lord, for they don’t know what they are doing” He doesn’t care whether they realize that they have made a mistake, he says I forgive you.
This is the same thing Stephen did when the Jews were stoning him.
When Jesus said this, He moved into another level and you can also move into another /realm both physically and spiritually when you
forgive. Remember when Esau and Jacob met and forgave each other, they were both blessed. Unforgiveness is the umbilical cord that keeps you
tied to your past. When you forgive, you break that cord and this has got an impact to the rest of your life. Take a look at a toy car with a remote
mechanism inside, you press the remote button and you can control the car to go wherever you want, but once you remove the mechanism, the
car can’t respond. Thus, unforgiveness works the same. It can be triggered by something small, but once you disconnect yourself by forgiving, you
are free. (Ephesians 4:32). Paul urges the brethren to “forgive one another quickly and thoroughly as God forgave you”
The devil is a thief and he will come to steal, kill and destroy. John 10:10 and unforgiveness is one of the avenues that he uses to enter
and you are the only one who can close it.
Here is what unforgiveness does to you:

1. Steals your peace of mind: You will not be at peace when you haven’t forgiven because your mind will be engaged to think of what either
you will do either to revenge or do away with the bitterness that you feel in your heart. Thus the devil steals your peace of mind.
2. JOY: You can never be happy when someone has wronged you and he/she has not apologized. You will always have a long face. You say
that you will not forgive the person till he/she apologizes to you. Remember your happiness should not be dependent on the other
person’s ability to do the right thing. Forgiveness is you r own choice, whether someone is ready to apologize or not.
3. Self Control: Sometimes the devil tells you that the person did whatever he did intentionally thus you have to revenge and do something
to retaliate thus robbing you your self control
4. Disconnects you: As I said earlier in the illustration I gave about the toy car, the devil will disconnect you from your friends and loved
ones simply because of something small that they may have done knowing or unknowingly and they did not apologize. Thus you are
disconnected. You find yourself in a world of your own with no friends, and this is what the devil likes so that he can be able to hit you
squarely because you will have no support or back up. Someone said that: The test of LOVE is Forgiveness. The much you love is the
much you forgive, no matter how hurting it is.
5. Puts you in a prison: People like this phrase; ‘I forgive you but I will never forget’ by saying this, you lock yourself in a prison. When you
say that you won’t forget, it means that you haven’t forgiven completely, by this you harbor resentments that cause you to keep striking
at others and this robs you off the joy to love and be loved. Remember what you don’t forgive, you are destined to repeat again.
Unforgiveness is the umbilical cord that keeps us connected and tied to the past. In this prison, its jailers are Guilt and Regret and the
best they can do is keep tormenting you with images of what could have been or should have been if you had done this or that.
1 Peter 5:7; Casting all your cares upon him who cares for you: The word here is cast: which in Greek means “Throw it away”. Peter is telling the
brethren that whatever you are dragging from the past – old pains, hurts, old scars, anything, Throw it away and you will be free from your past.
Decide today to live by these three Rs:

1. Repent: The sin.

2. Rectify: The situation
3. Responsibility: Take responsibility of your life.
Once you have done this, close the book and enjoy the benefits of God’s grace and move beyond guilt.
Amen!!!
nd
2 September 2008 Devotion
What do you value the most that you cannot release?
Genesis 22: 1-14:
It is said that human beings are so rigid and it is hard for them to release what they have in their possession. It is said that it is blessed to
give than to receive but may a times we really want to hold unto what we have fearing to lose it all. Gen 22:1-14; we see Abraham being tested by
God. He is told to sacrifice his one and only son, the son of the promise. If it were for many of us and logically, it is hard for a parent to give up his
child. But Abraham is ready to sacrifice his son whom he and Sarah had waited for 100 years. I know for a human being to release or give up
something that has really cost him/her time, money and energy is so hard, but here we see Abraham doing so. It cost him a lot of faith and
obedience that when he obeyed God and sacrificed his son, God would be faithful to reward him. Jesus standing at the temple treasury in Luke
21:1-4, sees a window place two coins in the treasury while others gave out of their abundance. Jesus knowing what was in their hearts said,
“verily verily I tell you, this woman has offered than any of you because she has given out all she had for living but you have given out of your
abundance.” I believe many were annoyed by what Jesus said but it was the truth. Sometime we offer in a manner that God looks at our offering
and likens us to Ananias and Saphira, but what Jesus meant here is that this window gave out what she valued most and she never worried about
what would happen when she gave all that she had.
Many of us worry about the repercussions of releasing what they have in their custody. This reminds me of the Shunamite woman, when
Elisha tells her to make some bread for him and then make for herself and her son, she insists that they are going to make it as their last meal and
then they await death but when the man of God insists, she gives in and brings him the bread. The woman minded so much about what will
happen if she made bread for the man of God and the only flour and oil she had was for both herself and the son, but when she released it out and
served the man of God, the outcome was far much better than what she thought could happen.
What is that you value so much that you can release? What is that that you treasure so much that you can’t give it up for the work of
God?
Let me outline a few benefits of releasing:
1. There is unlimited providence: Abraham when he is ready to slay hi son, God speaks to him and tells him “don’t lay your hand on the lad,
coz I have known you love me” and there he sees a ram in the bush. The same with the window of Zarepath, when she gave the man of God
the bread and water, the oil and flour never finished till the drought was over.
2. God will stretch your resources beyond what you think: its so amazing how God works, imagine you empty your trough and there is no
flour left but when you come back, there is more??? This is how God sustained the window, her son and the man of God during the period
of the drought. The oil and flour never finished. When you release what you have, God will see what God can do. Look at Jesus feeding the
five thousand (Matthew 14:14-20): If the young boy hadn’t released whatever he had, the people would have remained hungry.
3. Your problems and worries end: Remember the wife of the prophet in 2 kings 4:1-7, her husband had died and his debtors came to take
her sons away, but with the little oil she had, God multiplied it, she sold it, paid all the debts and lived on the remainder.
4. Take at a look at Job, the richest man in the east, but with all that he had, he knew that it all belongs to God, and when it is all gone, he says,
Naked I came to the world and naked I will go. In other words, he was releasing all that he owned back to he one who gave him and see in
Job 42, God blessed him twice as much as he had.
I don't have time to explain all the examples and testimonies we have in the bible, but what I want you to realize is that we have to
understand as Job understood and acknowledged that it is God who gave him and released it all back to him, thus when we will receive double
portions of what we have released unto him who owns everything and lacks nothing.
As you start this new month, learn to release all to him who cares about us and you will be overwhelmed with His Majesty and His
Manifestation and our lives will be full of testimonies of him and him alone.
Amen!!!
th
Remove the Shoes:
Exodus 3:1-6:
Who doesn’t like to have Shoes?? I remember my Primary school days when I used to walk to school without shoes. Not because I dint
have them but because I loved to walk bare footed. Sometimes it used to rain and we knew where we could walk and not fall and we would not be
bothered that the shoes will be muddy or anything that would affect other s with shoes. Never the less, I used to be pricked by thorns and get
bruises. Though I used to love to walk barefoot, I later came to love shoes because they use to protect my feet.
Moses has been in the wilderness now for forty years and he knows well the terrain. And this morning, he walks and he sees something
strange that he had not seen before. A bush was in fire yet not consumed. As he draws nearer, God spoke to him. And he said Draw not nigh
hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground” Moses was wondering How comes the bush is not
being consumed.
Sometimes we have issues that are within us. They consume us from within. We know within ourselves we are being cooked and heated

up but we put on a bright face on the outside so that we show everyone that all is well. As much as we try to put up a brave fight, there are some
things that are beyond our control and at one point we have to let go. Even if I loved to walk bare feet, my feet would get burnt during the summer
and I would run for the shoed to avoid getting blisters. This is the point where I mean, you have to let it go. If you look keenly at Moses, you will
realize that he knew God’s call in his life but he rushed it, but God had to take hi away so that he could mould him. His curiosity to know things is
what made him meet with God. Having been in the desert for 40 years, seeing a burning bush, the bible says that he turned back to see why it was
not being consumed.
There are times God will just wait for us to turn back. In our hurts and problems that we have that consumes from the inside, there
comes a time when we look back and guess what do we see?? We see the hand of God working in our lives. And such a time it’s when we need to
pour all our problems at the feet of Jesus. Remember King Nebuchadnezzar, (Daniel 3:23-26) He throws Shadrack, Misheck and Abednego in the
fiery furnace and he sits back to celebrate as they perish, but when he turns back to look, he sees- a fourth person who is Jesus. These problems,
heartbreaks, wounds, hurts are the shoes that we need to remove from our feet. If Moses went ahead with the shoes on his feet, would not have
heard what God was telling him. He had the past issues within him thus why he was telling God he was not worth to go and deliver the children of
Israel. When he looked at the past he had in Egypt, he knew that when he went back, he was an outcast because of what he had done.
What is that in your life that holds you back and you have regrets in whatever you do? Those are the shoes that you need to remove.
When we turn back and look at the past, what we have been through, where we won, where we lost the battle and how God’s grace has been
sufficient, we should be thankful to God. Moses said, ‘I will turn aside and look at this great site….” This means all what our God does in our sight
are great. Whatever God allows us to go through is to Mould us, train us and make us into the kind of vessels that he wants us to be.
Never allow your past to dictate the future for you. Whatever the giant has been in your life, you just have to do one thing: Turn back,
draw nearer and Remove your shoes for the place you are is HOLY: After you meet with God when you don’t have your shoes on, standing in
God’s presence, your situations turn around and everything works out the way you had never thought. Right now, people may look at you and may
not see God working in you but tell them to give time. Turn back, draw nearer to God and remove your shoes thus men will see you and they will
have a testimony about you. When Moses went back to Egypt, they didn’t remember that he left when he had murdered because he had met with
God and God had removed away the reproach of his past. Remember: 1Corinthians 5:17 “if any one is in Christ Jesus, He is a new creature; the
past is gone and beyond new things have come)
So walk in the newness of life and things and let not your shoes deter you from accomplishing God’s purpose in your life.
Amen!!!!
11th September 2008 Devotion
Prayer:
Matthew 6:5-18:
Jesus knowing the heart of men and also their need, He knew that they will ask and many a times we really don’t know how to ask for the
things that we need. James says (James 4:3) that we do not receive whatever we ask because we ask amiss”. Jesus speaking to the Pharisees tells
them not to be hypocrites, rather let them not be eager to please men but rather please our father who is in heaven and He who sees even in the
darkness when no man can see.
At this point, Jesus teaches his disciples how to pray. This prayer has been handed down the generations till us and it will remain. It is a
very simple prayer but when you look line by line you will come to realize that it covers all that we need in our day to day life. But many a times
when we pray, we ask for things that we want but when God looks at us, He knows what we need and that’s what he responds to.
I don’t need to get down into elaborating the Lord’s Prayer, but here are 20 points that we can use as our guide as we pray:
20 GUIDELINES FOR EFFECTIVE PRAYER:

1. Persevere in Prayer (Luke 18:1)
“Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up”. Many of us pray and when God delays to
answer, they quit or find out an alternative means of getting whatever they wanted and this is not God’s intention or will. Let’s learn to be
persistent like this window.
2. Pray With Confidence (Heb. 4:16)
“Let us then approach the throne of Grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find Grace to help us in our time of need”. The devil
always robs us our confidence just by reminding us of the mistakes we have done or sins that we had done, but it is said, when the devil reminds
you of your past, just remind him of his future. Again, we should remember that once we ask God for forgiveness, He is faithful and just to forgive
us.
3. Resist the Devil (James 4:7)
“Submit yourselves then to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you”.
4. Allow God to Work (Ps. 37:5)
“Commit your way to the Lord, trust in him and he will do…”
5. Pray Specifically (Phil. 4:19; 4:6)
Don’t go before the lord with double mindedness. Know that once you submit your requests to God, he knows and you don’t need to be anxious
about it. Just know that God is taking care of it.
6. Pray in Jesus’ Name (John 14:13-14)
“And I will do whatever you ask in My name so that the Son may bring Glory to the Father. You may ask Me for anything in My name and I will do
it”.
7. Pray In Faith (Mark 11:22-24)
“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain: ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in
his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you
have received it and it will be yours.”

8. Pray According To God's Promises (2 Cor. 1:20)
“For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.”
9. Don’t Try To Dictate To God (Isa. 55:8-9)
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord Almighty. "As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways and My thoughts higher than your thoughts.”
10. God Is Almighty (Eph. 1:19-21)
“..And has incomparably great power in us who believe. That power is like the working of His Mighty strength which He exerted in Christ when He
raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, and dominion, and above every
name that is named, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.”
11. Pray According To God’s Will (1 John 5:14-15)
“This is the assurance we have in approaching God; that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us,
whatever we ask, we know that we have what we asked of Him.”
12. Pray With Expectation (Jer. 33:3)
“Call to me and I will answer you and will tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”
13. Praise and Thank God for Answers (Ps. 100)
“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth; serve the Lord with gladness…”
14. Obey God and Live A Holy Life (1 John 3:21-22)
“Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from Him anything that we ask, because we obey His
commandments and do what pleases Him.”
15. Confess And Break With All Conscious And Unconfessed Sin (Prov.28:9; 28:13)
“If anyone turns a deaf ear to the law, even his prayers are detestable… He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and
renounces them finds mercy.”
16. Pray Fervently And Earnestly (James 5:16)
“The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”
17. Pray From Your Position of Authority in Christ (Eph.2:6)
“And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus…”
18. Saturate Your Prayers in Praise And Worship (Rom. 11:33-36)
“Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and his paths beyond tracing out! Who
has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor? Who has ever given to God that God should repay him? For from Him and
through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen”
19. Wait Upon The Lord So That He Can Answer You (Isa.40:31; Ps.145:15)
“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and
not be faint” (Isa.40:31)
“The eyes of all look to you and you give them their food at the proper time.” (Ps.145:15)
20. Be honest with God in your prayers; do not try to hide things or misrepresent things, to God (ps.139:23-24)
“Search me, O God and know my heart, test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way
everlasting.”
“Paul said “……… pray without ceasing for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 1 Thessalonians 5:15-17”
I believe that this will help us out to seek God more even this month of Ramadhan when the spiritual warfare is getting fiercer.
May God richly bless you.
Amen!!!!

Why Worry??
Matthew 6:25-31; John 14:1-3:
Last night I was in a matatu and as I sat on the front seat, I was arguing with the driver to change the radio station to a station of my
choice. I somehow thought that everyone was not comfortable as I was with the music that was playing in the station that was on. To kill all this
off, the driver decided to play a CD instead. It happened to be a reggae CD and the first song’s lyrics were “Why worry about them, when you can
pray them off” These lyrics got me thinking of how much we worry about ourselves, circumstances that engulf us, why did things happen the way
they did, what will happen tomorrow, etc and God was challenging me that in all this, I can’t change anything by worrying.
If anything, there are two days in a year that we are not meant to worry about. Yesterday and Tomorrow. Jesus in Mathew 6:27 asks a
very simple question that I want you to answer yourself. How many times have you worried over something and it has changed??Jesus said, your
worry won’t add even a single day to your life. Yesterday is gone and tomorrow is just but a dream of hope. Don’t worry and get yourself worked
up for the mistakes that you did yesterday. What could happen if I didn’t do that? What could happen if I could have done this or that?? If anything,
you won’t add or reduce anything that happened. It’s all done and past. All the same, don’t worry about tomorrow, what will happen, what
will…….?? All these won’t help in any way.
Today is your day. Live it to the fullest glorifying God in everything. Matt 6:33 “seek ye first the kingdom of God, and all its
righteousness, and all other things will be added unto you” Many of us just read the first part of this scripture, seek ye first … and jump and all its
righteousness. We all remember the promise but not the condition that we have to fulfill to get the promise. Part of the things that will be added

unto us is being free away from any worries for our lives.
Let’s learn to leave all our cares at the feet of Jesus because he understands us and cares for us knowing that he will perfect all that
concerns us.
Amen!!!!
th
Faith in the face of Failure:
Luke 8: 40-56:
I know once in our lifetime we have experience defeat or failure in one way or another. We find ourselves in situations that we are not
able to control. We may have planned or planning something but in the long run, it fails. Our hopes that a project/business or an event will succeed
but we are disappointed when all this crumbles down.
Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not yet seen (Heb 11:1). In all these things and whatever we do here on
earth, 70% of it is done with faith. Whether you believe it or not, it is a fact. All you do is you take a risk, and this risk is cultivated by Faith. The
most amazing thing is that Failure knows not the learned or unlearned, rich or poor, experienced or inexperienced, once it knocks on your door, it
has come. Take a look at Peter: (John 21:4-15) after the death of Jesus, Peter loses hope in the ministry of Jesus whom they had ministered with for
3½ years and tells the other disciples that he has gone back fishing. Jesus had called him to be a fisher of man but he decides to go back to be a
fisherman. With his vast experience in fishing, he labours the whole night catching nothing, and in the morning when he is tired and discouraged,
he goes to the shore and he starts washing the net in preparation for the evening. Then Jesus appears and tells him to launch his net again and with
this, he gets a catch of his lifetime till the net was almost breaking. Amazingly, all this time, Peter had not realized that it was Jesus.
What does this mean?? God will always appear in our situation and come to aid when we have reached the end of ourselves. When we
are on the verge of giving up and loosing hope, that’s when he comes and restores us back. Such times, when you are so down, no one is around
you to massage your ego or encourage you, lets remember that God is always there and all he awaits is for us to Turn back and see him working for
us behind the scenes. Remember he is the author and the perfector of our faith.
Such times when you have no one to turn to, you are in a world of your own, just remember this:
1. We serve a God who hears us. (vs. 41)

Jairus comes and he pleads with Jesus to come home and heal his daughter. There were many needy people and sick people in Israel but
Jesus dint heal everyone nor did he visit everyone. But his consent to visit Jairus shows us clearly that we have a God who cares about us
when we call upon him.
2. People will be blessed before you. (vs. 43-48)
Jairus had every reason to tell Jesus that he came first thus he had to be served first. But on the contrast, he is patient with Jesus and he
doesn’t hurry him up to go to his house. You know many of us we want God to rush and attend to our needs and we forget that God
knows everything and his appointed time is always the best for us. May are the times that when someone is blessed before us, instead of
us rejoicing with the person, we start complaining to God and say that he has forgotten us. Let me say this; when one is blessed, don’t
complain at all. Rejoice with the person and give God the praise and remember that “you are NEXT ON LINE”.
3. Delay is not denial.
The fact that you don’t have what you want now doesn’t mean that you won’t have or get it. Remember God know everything and he
sees what we can’t see. When we pray, God always responds not to what we want but he responds to what he sees we need at that
moment; thus why when he respond, he gives either a YES, No or Wait. What does this imply?
a) YES – He will give us what we need right away or after sometime.
b) NO – God looks at the outcome that will be there when we get what we want or the motive in which we are asking with and he
decides that he won’t Honour our prayers.
c) Wait – He will eventually give us what we want but he first has to test our patience and Faith.
d) Let’s Revise – God says yes, this is what you want, I don’t think it fits the way you asked/prayed for it. So let’s use another dimension
or method of prayer.
4. There are many voice speaking to you when you are waiting for your miracle: (vs. 49)
People and news will never cease to come on our way. While Jairus is waiting for Jesus, a message comes from home that the daughter
has died thus he shouldn’t worry the master anymore. But Jesus tells Jairus only to trust and not to have fear. I know even now as you
read this and you reflect on what you are trusting God to do in your life, there are voices speaking to your mind. Some are throwing
doubts; others are telling you that it won’t happen etc. Remember all these voices are trying to give us an alternative solution or to
discourage us but we should set our minds not to listen to this report but listen to what God says concerning us (his report.)
5. Never, Never, Never Ever give up!!
Jairus had all the reasons to give up when he was told that his daughter is dead, but instead he held on. Situations will die in your life;
people will come and discourage you, criticize your faith and trust in God, throw doubts to you while you await your miracle but what you
have to do is be strong and hold on your Faith.
Though whatever you do or what you are aspiring to do seems to be on the verge of failing, just hold on to your faith and God will see you through.
Don’t try once and give up, try again and again.
Amen.

th
The making of a man:
Of late, the Lord has been manifesting himself and speaking out his mind and purpose for our lives in a marvelous way. I remember the
message of the year for me was “If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best fruits of the land - Isaiah 1:18 -19. More to that, the Lord
has been challenging me to be always connected to him, it is only when I am connected to him that I will be able to enjoy the good of the land. I
pose the same challenge to you.
When we are connected to God, He will make us into vessels that will be of Nobel use to him. Remember God uses God made vessels and
entrusts His agenda on earth to God tested people. Indeed it is not that the agenda of God on the earth is delayed but the real issue is that God will
only use certain people to fulfill that agenda. To find, make and prepare those people is what takes time.
In Matthew 4:19 Jesus called the man that would later preach the first message, perform the first miracle and the first Apostle to
establish the first church after the death, resurrection and ascension of the Lord. Peter became the first pillar of the church and his calling came
thus “follow me and I will make you fishers of men” That is what He requires of us.
Making involves Moulding of human attitude and character and the impartation of divine attributes. All God requires of us is to follow.
Following on the other hand entails:
1. (This requires) The turning away from things in our past or present that may hold us back from ascending to the new level. He (Peter) could not
follow Jesus and his destiny while he remained in fishing just because it was familiar to him. He needed to explore new possibilities with Jesus.
2. To follow requires and depends on our ability to establish the direction in which the one you are pursuing is moving towards. To follow God you
need to know which way He is going in your life.
3. Following demands the adherence to certain God given principles. Principles properly and consistently applied change the patterns of our lives
and establish destiny habits. Principles are not habits but principles do form habits. Principles influence our character.
4. Following requires believing what God believes or says. To do this, the prophetic word is released so as to create faith and stir up confidence in
our hearts. What do you believe? Do you believe God can do it through you?
5. Lastly, following requires us to keep up with God’s pace by mastering the courage to step to the level that is ahead of us.
God makes us as we follow. Movement and growth is vital in the making of a man. The effectiveness of any person in the fulfillment of their God
ordained agenda will hinge upon the preparedness and how well they are made.
All this can’t happen if we are not aligned to God. As we move on with the week, remember to align yourself to be made of God!!!!!!
Amen.

Whom do you say I am???
Sometimes as human beings, we tend to follow the tide of events that happen in this world. Some even are not worth the following but
as human beings we find ourselves carried in the waves and the tides of influence. This didn't start with our generation, nor did it start with our
fore fathers, it was there even during the time of Jesus.
We see Jesus having a crusade and at the end of the day, the people have been with him the whole day and his disciples want to send
them away but Jesus tells them to make them sit first and give them something to eat. The disciples tell Jesus that they don’t have enough to feed
the people and you know the miracle. But note what happens the following day, the multitude is far much than it was the previous day.
Luke 9:18-26 - Jesus leaves the multitude and he is with his disciples and he gets into a one on one discussion with them and he asks
them ‘Who do people say I am?’ they give him a range of answers but he gets more personal and asks them “and whom do you say I am?’ Peter
tells him that ‘You are Christ, Son of God”. Jesus tells Peter that he was not revealed this by any man but the Holy Spirit.
Sometimes we follow things and people whereas we don’t know who or what we are following. Jesus understood that he might have
people following him whereas they don't know who he was. After Peter’s confession, Jesus opens up and tells them of what was to befall him at
the cross.
Whom do you say Jesus is to you? When we look at Martha and Mary, we see two people sharing a friend but they all have different
perception of the same. Mary values Jesus and she sits at his feet because she knew that through him she would have what she needed on earth,
she wanted to know Jesus and have a more intimate fellowship with him but Martha is entangled by the cares of the earth and she is upset why
Mary is not concerned but Jesus gives her an answer that I believe should be our prayer this week. Jesus told her “Mary has chosen what is best
for her, and that’s to listen form God”
We have to reach a point whereby we know Jesus intimately. Not just by how people describe him but by the revelation. Peter had been
with Jesus and he knew him well until he had the revelation of who Jesus was. Paul says in Philippians 3:10”That I may know him and the power of
his resurrection and the fellowship of his suffering...” This was Paul’s prayer. After counting and looking at all that he had attained in life, he says I
count it all loss for Christ. Getting intimate with Christ is not a one day event, this is a habit that has to be cultivated in us and we have to do it daily.
David says that early in the morning will I seek you Lord, my soul thirsts for you and my flesh longs for you in a dry and thirsty land without water
(Psalms 63:1). Does your soul thirst for the Lord? You know when you love someone, you miss his/her presence with you when not around you and
you make every effort to be with that person and get to know each other and be intimate. That’s the same thing that we should feel for our God.
The question remains, how intimate are you with Jesus? Are you entangled by the worries and the cares of this world till you forget about
Jesus and you complain that he case not? Matt 6:33 – Let’s seek first the kingdom of God and its righteousness and the rest will come looking for us
and not us following after them.
Amen!!

th
What is dead in your life??
John 11:1-44:
Lazarus, Mary and Martha happen to be one of the best friends of Jesus and he used to frequent their home very much. They had offered
themselves to open their house fro him to come and rest after a hard day out there preaching the Gospel. And this time round, the brother is sick
and they know that it is Jesus alone who can heal him. Mary having spent some time with Jesus and remembering where Jesus had saved him from,
she sends out a message to him to let him know that his friend and brother Lazarus is sick.
Amazingly, when Jesus gets the news, he is not in a hurry to go to their home. Instead, he tarries 4 more days and by this time, Laza6rus
dies and he is buried and even his body starts to rot and this is the time that Jesus and his disciples show up.
Mary rushes and falls at the feet of Jesus and she cries out saying “if only you were here, a little earlier, my brother would not have died”. This was
all Mary could think of and she was a little bit not happy with Jesus’ delay. But Jesus tells her not to worry because her brother would live again.
Martha having been transformed and she had understood who Jesus was; she has faith that she will be able to see her brother again during the
resurrection after the coming of Jesus.
Later on, Jesus is shown the tomb where they had laid him and he orders the tomb stone to be rolled away. It is at this point that we see
Jesus weeping and later on, we see the miracle that happened and Lazarus came back to life again. The weeping that Jesus wept shows us that he is
a God who understands us and he feels what we also feel. That is why, he was born as a human being so that he could also go through what we go
through in order for him to indentify with us. I don’t know what is dead in you6r life and at this point in time it is rotting and stinking. You might be
saying as Mary was saying… if only you were here a little earlier. Remember, God is never late nor is he early. He comes at his appointed time and
He does what pleases him and what he has planned. Remember, your ways are not his ways, thus why the time you want him to appear at your
situation and rescue you or save you, he tarries because he knows what he has in store for you.
When He comes at his appointed time, it doesn’t matter whether whatever is dead in your life; may it be your morals, your faith, your
family, your job, children name them; whether is rotten and stinking, He doesn’t mind the stench, all he cares is to bring back what has been dead
to life again. All you need to do is trust him and open the tomb for him where you have buried whatever is dead in your life and it will come back to
life.
After Lazarus was back to life, Jesus ordered the people to remove the saddle that was wrapped round him and let him go. This means,
when Jesus brings you back to life, He won’t leave of a captive of death, He will set you free and free in deed.
What is that that is dead in your life? Or maybe it is not yet dead it is sick and ailing and you really want Jesus to come over and heal
you? All you have to do is send a message to him and let him know what is ailing you and at his appointed time, he will come. Remember, the
distance between your problem now and your answer is the distance between the ground and your knees.
Amen.

Stand still and know that He is God:
2 Chronicles 20:1-30:
Am torn into two on which heading to give this devotion. Should it be praise your way out or Stand still and know that He is God?? Read
and make the judgment. Every day we are faced by a new challenge in our day to day walk with Christ. A time many of us contemplate giving up
but when we are reminded of God’s faithfulness in the past times, we hold on. King Jehoshaphat was in the same situation with the nation of
Judah. Five kings ganged up and came up against him and he didn’t know what to do. The devil always gangs against us and ambushes us and many
of us freak and loose our steps and we find ourselves defeated. Take a look at what Jehoshaphat does when he gets the report that 5 nations have
teamed up against him. He calls for a fast to seek God’s intervention and help but many of us we don’t remember to turn to God. All we do is try to
remember who can sort us out or be of help to us. Such time is when many of us look for our Godfathers in the high places.
When Jehoshaphat seeks God’s face; God gives him a simple solution; (vs. 15-17) God tells the people of Judah not to be afraid nor
should they be dismayed, because the battle is not theirs, all they had to stand and see God’s deliverance. How many times have you fought battles
that are not yours? And you know the consequence of this? You end up losing the battle instead of winning. Jehoshaphat was given simple
instructions: tomorrow march out against your enemies with the singers in front of the army. What goes in front of you in such circumstances?
Who leads you? Remember Moses and the children of Israel when they reached the red sea, they couldn’t advance on because of the Red sea yet
they couldn’t go back to Egypt and Pharaoh and the army were pursuing them. But God tells Moses the same thing.
When we are in such circumstances, the first thing the devil does is: Bring fear: Exodus 14. The children of Israel are engulfed in a cloud
of fear which the devil wanted to use to intimidate them. It almost worked since they started quarreling Moses only that Moses had faith in God.
The same is what the devil will do to you and it is unless you overcome the fear in you, then you will advance. FEAR simply means: False Evidence
Appearing Real and when you realize that, you will be more than a conqueror. Remember Paul and Silas in Prison. Herod and instilled fear in all the
disciples till they almost retreated back not to preach the gospel. But look at what happened when they praised the Lord at night? God came down
in form of an earthquake. Praise and worship is an appropriate tool to defeat fear. The children of Israel again fear to go out in war against Jericho
but God tells Joshua to go round the city seven times a day for seven days and the last time on the last day, they were to shout in Praise and
Jubilation to the Lord and God’s response was marvelous. This is what happens when God taps his foot in response to our praise. Let’s make it a
habit to praise the Lord out of our situations no matter how hard or harsh they seem to be because it is in this that the Lord manifests himself and
shows out his might and power.
Amen.

th
Do you know who you are?
Luke 15:10-32
Praise the Lord, It is yet another week that the Lord has graced us and has blessed us to have. I really thank God for this far he has
brought me. He is really my Ebenezer. Today I just want to challenge you a little bit. I read this familiar story of the prodigal son that most of us
have read and read again and again. Many of us think that this is a good parable to use while evangelizing to the unsaved but I came to realize this
morning that we also as believers need to be evangelized to by this parable before we go out there to evangelize. We major mostly on the son who
squandered all his inheritance and we forget there was one who was left with the father but he never knew who he was.
We are all sons of God Most High, we are co-heirs with Jesus Christ and partakers in his kingdom, but how many of us are prodigal sons
within the Kingdom? Many of us including me think that the prodigal son is the one who has ran away from the father’s house to a far away
country, but if we are not careful, we might be prodigal sons in our father’s house without our knowledge. The younger son asked the father for his
inheritance and went away to a far country where he squandered everything. The older son was left in the house but he dint know who he was in
his father’s house.
Do you know who you are in your father’s house? If you don’t know, then you are a prodigal son too. Take a look at vs. 25-32. The son
comes from the fields and meets the people in the family are making merry and feasting. When he is told what is going on, He gets upset (vs. 28).
This is one of the characteristics of people who don’t know who they are. They are jealous of others when the father treats them. Take a look at
two children in the family, when you buy something for one child and you leave the other, the other one causes because he/she doesn’t have
anything. And this is how this elder son was behaving. Secondly, when you don’t know who you are in your father’s house, you behave immaturely
even if you are the firstborn. An immature child will never understand anything no matter how hard you explain to him or her. It will take some
time before he/she understands. This is how this son was acting. He asks his father why all this time he has been loyal to him, he has never even
given him a kid (a young goat) to make merry with his friends, thus he was unhappy when the father prepares a banquet for the son who was lost.
When you don’t know yourself and your capacity as a son you never realize that you have an inheritance. This son complains that he has
never been given anything to celebrate with his friends. Little did he know that whatever his father owned was his. In Greek, a son or a child who
hasn’t attained the age of accountability is called a Teknion, A son who has matured is known as Huios. And it is until he (Teknion) attains an
accountable age (Huios) is when all what is entitled to him is released to him. You may ask me, then why did the father release the inheritance to
the younger son? This is what I believe is the answer: There are something’s that we can never learn unless we are released and we are allowed to
do. Then when we have reached the end of ourselves, we come back to our senses and we see our mistakes and shortcomings, then we ask for
assistance where necessary.
God has blessed us in various ways but we live as strangers in his Kingdom. It is true we are working in the vineyard but it is so
unfortunate that many of us are just like this son. They don’t know their rightful place in their father’s house but the good thing with our father is
that He bears with us and he is always there for us till we come to our senses and know who we are in his kingdom and he will help us take up our
responsibilities.
May God help me and you as we realize who we are in His Kingdom and take up responsibilities accordingly. Be Huios and not a Teknion.
Amen.

Are your eyes open???
2nd kings 6:8-23
Since the deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt, they enjoyed peace certain times and its only when they dint sin against God.
Many are the times that God would really punish them because of their disobedience and this was by bringing foreign nations to subdue them till
they repented. But after that, they asked for a king and God gave them kings who ruled over them. Some were good and others not at all.
This time in particular, the king of Syria is planning to attack the king of Israel, but every time he would set up an ambush point to attack,
Elisha used to warn the king not to go that way, thus he was saved from the attack. The bible says that this went on for a while till the Syrian king
got mad and he called his cabinet to discuss this. And he asks a question "Tell me, who is leaking information to the king of Israel? Who is the spy
in our ranks?" but one of the officers whom I tend to believe knew who God is told the king what was happening. This is what he told him “…. No,
my master, dear king. It's not any of us. It's Elisha the prophet in Israel. He tells the king of Israel everything you say, even what you whisper in your
bedroom." This officer told the king the truth.
This is what happens: When you are connected with God, He watches over you. The devil knows that you are a great threat to him and
thus he will set up all sorts of traps to ambush you and finish you, but our God being a loving and a caring God, He keeps you posted on every plan
of the evil one. The bible says in Isaiah 30:21 …That when you turn to the right or left and miss the way, you will always hear a voice behind telling
you that this is the way, walk in it. And this is what God did for the king. Never the less, there are times when God will allow things to happen so
that he can glorify himself.
The Syrian king sent out for the man of God to be searched so that he could be killed but God had some other plans. When he sent an
army to capture him, He manifests himself. The servant rises up in the morning and he finds that the city has been surrounded by a vast army. He is
terrified and he doesn’t know what to do. He rushes back to the house to inform his master the prophet. I know to his amusement, the prophet
was not amused because he knew that them that were with them are greater than the enemy.
This is what many of us do. When we find ourselves in problems we panic and forget that great is He that is with us more than he that is
in the world. But God always is there to save and protect us. The prophet knowing how great his God is, he prays a simple prayer “...God strike
them with Blindness” and God answered his prayers. Sometimes we don’t have to panic; God just requires a little faith in him from us to work out
something great in our lives. Like Gehazi, many of us are spiritually blind. We encounter simple challenges in our Christian walk and Faith but the
best we can do is panic and run around seeking help form people who may not help us. If I may ask this simple question: if you were Gehazi, what

would you have done? Solomon asks when the foundations of the earth are shaken, where can the righteous run to? Proverbs 18:10 gives us a
solution. Run to the Lord. He is a strong tower where the righteous run and they are safe.
When Elisha prays fro Gehazi’s eyes to be open, He sees a vast army in the mountain with chariots of fire surrounding them. You can
never see the spiritual unless your spiritual eyes are open. Michael W. Smith sang and said: open the eyes of my heart oh Lord, I want to see you.
This should be our daily prayer that God will guide us. Remember the psalm of David. Every time I read it, it reminds me that I don’t have to
struggle with situations, all I have to know and trust is that the God of Israel watches over me and not a single day that he will forsake me.
Share with me the psalm:
Psalms 121
1 -2
I look up to the mountains; does my strength come from mountains?
No, my strength comes from God,
who made heaven, and earth, and mountains.
3 -4
He won't let you stumble,
your Guardian God won't fall asleep.
Not on your life! Israel's
Guardian will never doze or sleep.
5 -6
God's your Guardian,
right at your side to protect you—
Shielding you from sunstroke,
sheltering you from moon stroke.
7 -8
God guards you from every evil,
he guards your very life.
He guards you when you leave and when you return,
he guards you now, and he guards you always.
1st October 2008 Devotion

Put away the old man/nature:
Ephesians 4:22-32
For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son Jesus Christ, that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal
life through him (John 3:16). This is a common verse that you and I learnt in Sunday school and we can recite it any time we are called upon to. But
do you know that once you became the child of God you ought not to remain as a child but you should grow up from just being a child of God into a
son whom He can entrust with his agendas here on earth to be fulfilled, but many of us still remain as children in the kingdom rather than maturing
up. 1 peter 2:1-2 “Laying aside all…… as new born babies, let us crave for the pure milk of the word that you may grow.” It is until we have grown
up when God can entrust us with his wealth which is our inheritance. Even if you were God, you would not like to entrust your wealth to your
daughter or son who is not mature enough to the age of accountability.
You may ask me, how mature should I be? Paul writing to the Ephesians tells them to Put away the old conduct that they had which
grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts of the flesh and Peter echoes almost the same words in the scripture above. You may tell me or look
at yourself and say that I do not walk in the flesh, but there are small things that entangle us and they drag us behind. Paul lists these things down
that drag us back:
Paul and Peter tell us to put away:
i. Lying/deceit: vs. 25…let each one of us speak the truth with his neighbour”- How truthful are you in your life? In the stories you tell people,
do you give the right account or you add some few lines of yourself to make the story sound interesting? In your place of work, are you
truthful with the money/accounts you manage? When late what excuse do you give? Remember everything that is started by lies has to be
kept alive through lies. But then, will you lie till Jesus comes back??
ii. Anger vs.26: Paul says do not the sun set while you are annoyed lest you sin. Anger always leads to sin. Anger opens a door for the devil to
come and preach to your mind and once you allow him, before he leaves, he will have done more harm than before. Take a SWOT analysis
of your life especially in the area of anger: How do you react when someone annoys you? What words do you utter to that particular
person? What action do you think you can take at that particular moment?? All this will show you where you stand when it comes to anger.
Paul says, be angry but sin not.
iii. Corrupt talk/Evil speaking/careless speaking vs.29: There some words as a believer that are not expected to come out your mouth. Some
of us are so fast to pronounce/hail nasty words to someone or something that disrupts you. Some of us are fond of using words like Shit!
Damn it! Stupid, Idiot etc such words are not supposed to be found/be heard from your mouth. Parents on the other hand are so fast to
hurl some words to the children, for instance you will hear a parent tell a child: sijui wewe ni mjinga kama nani (I don’t know who is foolish
like you) or say this: wewe unafanana na mama/baba yako (You resemble your Father/mother in what you do) and in this context, not
that the child has done something pleasing. Parents, remember that what you pronounce upon your children is what they take in and they
build on it. So when you tell your child that he/she is foolish, that is what she will take in.
iv. Bitterness vs. 31: Somebody does something bad to you and the best that you can do is hold a grudge against that particular person.
Remember forgiveness is not dependent on the ability or the response of the other part to apologize for the mistake done but it should be
voluntary and from your heart, whether you are asked for forgiveness or not. Stephen while being stoned by the Jews, he didn’t care to

know whether they will ever ask for forgiveness, but he prayed Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do (Acts 7:59-60) and
Jesus did the same thing on the cross.
v. Hatred/Malice vs. 31b (1 peter 2:1): Do you dislike someone or do you have a negative feeling towards someone? This will bring you down.
Hatred leads to jealousy and when jealousy is fully grown, it gives birth to death. Jesus said “when you see someone killing is brother, know
that he didn’t kill him that specific moment, he killed him long time ago in his heart” So Guard your heart against this vice.
vi. Jealousy/Envy (1 peter 2:1) Jealousy starts when you see that someone ha got what you don’t have or is way ahead of you in some way.
You may say that it really doesn’t catch your attention but am sure it does and when it does, it is never your intention. Take a look and Cain
and Abel, they were both offering sacrifices to the Lord and no one had any form of jealousy towards each other, but when God accepted
Abel’s sacrifice, he got jealous and he killed his brother. That’s why Jesus said “when you come to offer your sacrifice at the altar and your
fellowship is not right with your brother, leave your sacrifice there and go first and reconcile with your brother then come and offer your
sacrifice (Matthew 5:23-24)”
vii. Grieve not the Holy Spirit vs. 30: This is so critical and that’s why I have put it being the last. Jesus said that he won’t leave us as orphans
but he will give us a helper and that is the Holy Spirit. The Spirit leads us and acts as a guide to us. Nevertheless, most of us grieve the Spirit
through lying to him. There are three people that you can never deceive (i) God – Trinity (Three in one). (ii) The devil and (iii) yourself. Look
at Acts 5. Ananias and Sapphira decide to lie to the Spirit if God and the consequences were bad – Death. The small and simple things that
we do and we think that’s they don’t really matter, just know that God sees all and the most important of all is your Attitude. What was
your intention to do what you decided to do or what you are doing?
Having laid all these away, Paul tells us that we replace the above with: Love, Kindness, tenderheartedness and Forgiveness. Peter adds and
tells us that we should crave for the pure milk which is the word of God so that we may grow. Remember, David said Psalms 119:11 “that I have
hidden your word in my heart that I may not sin against thee” when we saturate our hearts with the word of God, the above 7 things that bring us
down will have no room to occupy. If you don’t fill up the space they occupy when you cast them out, Jesus said, it will come back with 7 more
which are more powerful than itself thus you become more worse.
May God help you us as we do a SWOT analysis of our lives and deliver us from these little foxes that damage our vineyards.
AMEN!!!
2nd October 2008 Devotion

Fighting the Giants of life:
1 Samuel 17:4-7; 20-51
Verily verily I say unto you this day, my mind has blown up just because of what God can do. I have read this story again and again since I
was a Sunday school kid in the mid 1980s, but this time round, I have realized something I never realized all these years.
The children of Israel are in battle with the philistines and David’s brothers are part of the army that is fighting the army and his father
Jesse tells him to go and take some food for his brothers in the battle field. There David meets the army of God being challenged by the philistine
giant. David’s anger burns in him and he asks a question that I believe each one of us should ask him or herself vs. 26b “who is this uncircumcised
philistine that he should defy the armies of the Living God?” You and I are soldiers in the army of the Lord and our common adversary is the devil.
The question should be “who is the Devil that he should defy me the soldier in the army of the living God?” David’s Holy anger was wholly focused
on the philistine who embodied everything that violated David’s life, Faith and identity and this was enough to fuel him into action.
David approaches the giant even without a sword and at the end he uses the enemy’s own sword to behead him. David had Faith in God
and in himself to attend to the task at hand no matter how daunting or impossible it seemed to those around him. Likewise, we are often faced by
giants today. These giants come in terms of expectations of others from us, prejudices and biases from people, our own weaknesses that have
grown up to be mutant problems against us, addictions, past failures or relationships. Others are in form of chronic habits that we struggle with.
Maybe some are the ones I shared in yesterday’s devotion. But like David we must be willing to face and know what the real/true battle requires of
us. Many of us try to use some of the armor and ammunitions foisted to us by others/people who advise us in that case. No matter how we trust,
love them or well intended they are, we must remain true to our own strengths and giftedness. We must look to the simple, unadorned tools that
will serve us best, the ones that we have tried and tested even if others look and laugh at their simplicity or lack of sophistication.
David’s tools may not be your tools, but the principles can be transferred. His time and life spent as a shepherd boy taught him to
appreciate his simple tools of trade and battle no matter how unconventional they seemed to the soldiers, the techniques and the tools he had
were more effective and proved to be more effective to accomplish his goals.
Sometimes we get easily distracted from the core conflict of a problem we ought to deal with when there is a giant in our lives. It seems easier to
deal with other things rather than looking inside our hearts at the real battle. One of the ways that we are easily caught in this trap is:
a) When we try to become who other people want us to be. David is taken to King Saul and he is given Saul’s royal armor to wear but David
is so precise and clear to say I haven’t tested this. He dint care to know whether Saul would get annoyed with him or not, all he didn’t
want was to be what Saul wanted him to be. How many times do we accept someone else’s weapons to fight someone else’s battle
instead of picking up our own tools and facing the enemy who stands before us? How many times have we done things just to please the
people around and let them know that we can also do what they are capable of and at the end we end up regretting?
b) Some of us are trapped in the armor of a career they do not enjoy. A life that gives them no happiness and sooner or later, one will
reject the armor and face off the giant before him or her dressed in the armor of his neglected simple tools.
Get me right, not that am saying that we shouldn’t get or ask for advice and guidance, all I simply mean is that; some hurdles may require the
assistance of others and you may benefit form the advise and counsel of those around you, but when it comes right down to it, you must slay down
the giant your own way. In a giant fight, it is either you are killed or you kill and giants are killed by right choices and these choices we have to
make them alone. A choice will either lead you to a good or bad consequence depending on the choice you make. It is not always easy to make
good choices but if we have faith in ourselves, we more often make the right decisions. In this, David knew that he must be himself. He simply

needed to be himself and bring and awareness of his purpose to the situation. Be committed to be who you are at all cost. Stick to what you know
and know best and say this “I haven’t tested these, thus, I must use my own tools of battle that I know and I have tested”
Based on David’s utilization of his natural weapons, let me share FIVE SMOOTH STONES PRINCIPLE for the giants in life:
1. Confront what is threatening you: Don’t pretend that the giant will go away just because don’t think you can bear to face it. Don’t be
intimidated by it just because it is bigger than you are. Always focus on how big is your God rather than how big is the Giant.
2. Level what you have learnt in the past against what you face in the future: Do not look to be rescued by others or find a secret
somewhere beyond your reach. Recall yesterday’s trials and how you’ve slain the giants form your past.
3. Don’t let the spectators and speculators break your focus from the real villain: It is tempting to look away form the eyes of your
problem and seek advice, counsel and solutions from others. While there is certainly a place for the wisdom of your friends and
colleagues, when you are in the midst of a fight, don’t lose sight of the real problem and its source.
4. Never assume the problem is dead because it’s dazed: Make sure you kill your giant and don’t simply leave him unconscious to return
and sneak up on you another day. Conquer the problem once and for all with a permanent solution and not a short term fix. Remember
when it comes back, it comes back, seven times stronger than it was before.
5. Use the enemy’s sword against him. Kill him with his won sword. Without stooping to unethical practices or immoral behavior, you
should be willing to fight with the same intensity level as your opponent. Learn what you can from your enemy and then apply it against
the weaknesses of your opponent.
I have a feeling that right now as you read this, you have some giants in your life that you are fighting with. Some are half dead yet you think
that they are dead. If you truly know who you are, a soldier in the army of the Lord, then you must be willing to fight the giant in your life. You
must be willing to carve your way round the stumbling block on your way. Do not overlook your dependence on God for awareness of what he has
called you to do and when to exercise your gifting. Commit yourself to prayer and to studying his word to learn who He says you are and why you
are here. If David didn’t realize who he was, then he couldn’t have done what he did.
It doesn’t matter what has brought you down over the years, you can look yourself in the eye and dare to hope again that your dead dreams
are still alive and attainable. Uncover your buried treasure chest of talents and risk them in God-honouring ways. Be prepared to use your
unique tools of your past.
Amen.
3rd October 2008 Devotion
What God knows about me.
Acts 15:16-18; Isaiah 45:21; Amos 9:11-12
Sometimes we think that God has really forgotten about us especially when we are in hard/harsh situations where we have reached our
end. We go before God in prayers and the best thing that we can do is ask God questions. Why me? Why have you left me alone? But such a time is
when he is ever close to us more than we ever thought that he is.
Take for instance our brother Job. He had all the reasons to ask God such questions but he chose not to. Instead of murmuring, he chose
to go and worship the Lord. (Job 1:20-21). How many times have you found yourself worshiping God when you are engulfed in situations that you
have no control of? How many times have you charged God or judged him wrongly? These are the times that we forget that God knows us and he
cares all about us. He says that he knew you even before you were formed in your mother’s womb and he chose you. Jeremiah 1:5. And this is what
many of us forget and we find ourselves blaming God for no reason, instead we should always find this time a God time to bond with God and
know his mind, will and purpose for our lives.
He is a God who knows what to do every time. It doesn’t matter in which position or condition or what you are passing through. He is the
Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, He was, He is and He will ever be. He knows from the end from the beginning of everything. But many a
times we doubt him. We become like Thomas who had to literary see and touch Jesus’ feet and hands so that he could believe that he is really
alive. Let’s learn to take God by his word. When He says he will do, take it that way. Num 23:19 “God is not a man, that He should tell or act a lie,
neither the son of man, that He should feel repentance or compunction [for what He has promised]. Has He said and shall He not do it? Or has
He spoken and shall He not make it good?”
Let me share a few things that God knows about you and me:
a) He knows your name: Isaiah 49:16 “Behold, I have indelibly imprinted (tattooed a picture of) you on the palm of each of my hands; [O
Zion] your walls are continually before me”. Imagine God having a tattoo of your face in his own hand? Thus it means you don’t have to
worry. Every time God looks at his hand, guess what he sees? Your name and there He remembers you.
b) He knows your days: Psalms 37:18-19 – God knows your days and if you live blameless before him, your heritage will live forever. Above
all He will never let you be put to shame. You shall never lack even in the days of famine.
c) He knows the plans he has for you: Jeremiah 29:11-13; Jeremiah 1: Before you were even conceived, God knew you and He had a
purpose for you to accomplish. It is up to you and me to seek His face and know the purpose for which He created us.
d) He Knows how to deliver you: 2 peter 2:9; 1 Corinthians 10:13 – From the day you became a child of God, He knows how to keep you
safe and away from the traps of the enemy and in the case that you are caught up in one, He provides a way of escape for you. But not in
the case that you made your way into it. If you give in to temptation, you can be sure He won’t be there for you.
Let’s learn to trust God in all that we do and He will be there for us.
Amen!!!

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Monday, 6 October Devotion:
Break the Camp!!
Deut 1:6-8; 2:2-3:
God being the leader of the children of Israel in the wilderness, He leads them through the wilderness giving them victory and every
supply for their needs. When they complained of anything, God always provided. Remember them complaining of food and God supplies them with
manna? They complain of water and God gives them water from a Rock? That’s the kind of God that we serve. Nevertheless at all this, they become
comfortable and forgot that they were on a journey to a promised land. They got contented to eating manna in the wilderness, but God is not
ready to them to settle down in a land that is not theirs.
Many of us are just like the children of Israelites. When we are supposed to be moving ahead that is when most of us are getting
contented with the surrounding. We are contented with the glory and victories of yesterday till we forget that we have more battles to fight and
new land to possess. Take a look at what Peter tells Jesus at the mountain of transfiguration (Matthew 17:4) “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if
You wish,)I will make three tabernacles here, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah." Peter forgot that Jesus was on a mission and He
had to complete it. That’s how many of us forget that when God saved us, he didn’t do it so that we could just be there and enjoy being sons of the
Most high, he gave us a commission to fulfill (Mathew 20:28).We have to bring others back to his marvelous light from the darkness.
God doesn’t want us to rely on what he did yesterday, Paul told the Ephesians (Eph 3:20), that God can do exceedingly, abundantly more
than we could ever think or ask for. That’s the God we serve, and he feels bad when we bask in the victories of yesterday. Sometimes God has to
stir us and shake up the foundations that we have laid down so that we can advance. Take a look at Joseph – God had to send him to Egypt so that
he could mould him and hence he could accomplish his purpose on earth. God knew if he had stayed at his father’s house, nothing could have
happened since they would have discouraged him instead. Disciples – Herod and the Jewish council had to start to persecute them so that they
could scatter and spread all over the world so that the gospel of Christ could reach all mankind. There are many examples you can give in regards to
these.
Let me feature Abraham for a moment. Abraham was commanded by God to leave his native land Haran to a land he neither knew nor
knew the way. He was comfortable at Haran and he had even acquired wealth and even a family for himself. But amidst all these, God tells him to
set out for an unknown land. And from this portion of scripture, (Gen 12:1-3) I derive a few things:
When you are comfortable in the place you are:
a) You don’t get the blessings that God has placed ahead of you: God tells Abraham that He will bless him and his descendants. If Abraham
stayed there, he couldn’t have received his blessing.
b) You will never possess what is rightfully yours: God had already set a land for Abraham and his descendants to inherit i.e. Canaan. A land
that had all what he could need for his well being.
c) You are destined to be great; Advance and move out of your comfort zone and see what God can do through you. Don’t be like Gideon. A
mighty man of valour/war, yet hiding in the caves grinding wheat to hide. (judges 6) Arise from thy hideout and advance.
d) The lord will lead the way: You don’t have to struggle finding your compass once you get out of your comfort zone. God tells Abraham
where to move to next. vs. 8
What is that which is making you feel comfortable where you are now instead of advancing? Is it your Job? Family? Marriage? The Lord is saying,
you have dwelt here so much. Advance and possess more land or yourself.
Make it your prayer this week that “God, I wont wait for you to shake my foundations so that I can advance, help me not to dwell in the glory
and victory of yesterday, teach me to wait on you and be guided by you..”
Amen!!
Tuesday, 7th October Devotion:

The wilderness university!!
Exodus 2:1-15:
There is nobody God has ever used without the experience of the wilderness. (Acts 7:20 -30) Moses was a man who was born in a time
when there was so much cruelty. All the male children in the families of the Israelites were being killed. But his mother saw that he was a Godly
and she hid him for three months (Exodus 2:2). Mothers, be sensitive to the Holy Spirit when he speaks about the purpose and destiny of your
child.
Moses was learned in all Egyptian wisdom but God knew that he lacked something that was more important than the wisdom that he had
gained from the Egyptian literature. And this could only be instilled into him or he could only learn it through God taking him through the
wilderness. God being the master architecture of our lives, He has a plan and a purpose that he has created us for and He wants us to fulfill his
purpose in our generation and in the span of life that he has given us under the sun. In the view of this, He also knows our strong points/areas and
also our weakness. He works with us to blend us so that our weaknesses will be brought at par with our strengths. When you know your purpose in
life, (acts 7:25), you shouldn’t hurry it up. Let God work out his way for you.
Before this or the fulfillment of your purpose, God will make sure that He has dealt with all your weaknesses till you are fit for your
mission. You know before a soldier is commissioned, he has to go through rigorous training for sometime till the trainers are satisfied that he is fit
to go to war. The same, God has to take you through the training (wilderness) so that He can deal with you. During this time, let me tell you that
there will be changes that you will undergo but they are all for your benefit. Moses had to forfeit some of the good things he was used to and
conform to the wilderness lifestyle. These changes experienced by Moses were:
1) Change of residence – From the palace to the wilderness.
2) He was a learned man who is now in the wilderness later turned shepherd.
3) There was a change of status – he stood a chance to be the next pharaoh but now he is here in the wilderness and a murderer.

Many of us never like it when we are going through the wilderness or tough times, but remember God takes us there for our own benefit. It won’t
be an enjoyable time while there but after it all and God is through with you, you will come out refined a better you than you were before. Let me
look at the benefits of the wilderness university:
1. You are trained to be a better servant of God character-wise.
· Your character is your power and that is what God is interested in.
· Character development comes before ministry. God had to deal with the character of Moses first before He could release him
into ministry. In the wilderness, God dealt with Moses in the following ways:
i. Moses learnt to be patient with God. – He could climb up Mt. Sinai and wait for God to speak for him for forty days
and nights without complaining to God.
ii. Humility: God brought him down from somebody to nobody. From a prince to a shepherd. Many of us value our
status very much and when we are supposed to humble ourselves, we forget and instead exhort ourselves. James 4:6
“God sets Himself against the proud and haughty, but gives grace [continually] to the lowly (those who are humble
enough to receive it). (The Amplified bible)
iii. Perseverance: God knew that the journey for Moses and the children of Israel won’t be easy. There would be times
when he will be discouraged and annoyed by the Israelites but God had to train him to be tolerant and bear with
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them. James 1:3-4 “ Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and
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steadfastness and patience. But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work,
so that you may be [people] perfectly and fully developed [with no defects], lacking in nothing.”
2. You are trained to be more dependent and focused on God. (Exodus 2:15-22)
Moses always depended on the provisions of the king while he was at the palace, but now here he is in the wilderness where nobody
knows him and he doesn’t know anyone either. But while he sat at the well, God works out his way and he brings along the daughter of
Jethro the priest. God wanted to teach Moses to depend on Him so that He could use him. Some of us know our calling in life but we
want to take it our own way. Lets surrender all to him who called us because he knows where, when and how he will use us. It is during
the time when he (Moses) was alone in the wilderness with the flock when God came and spoke to Moses. Same case applies to us, when
you are in isolation and all alone, that’s the best time to know God personally and seek his face.
3. God becomes the only companion. A close friend during the time of the wilderness university. You can never pass through the
wilderness, depend on God alone and remain the same. This is the time you come to know God personally and unless you are not
sensitive, then you remain the same.
Brethren, lets learn to allow God to have his way in our lives and mould us into the kind of servants he wants us to be. That’s the only way we can
be effective in the call that God has called us into. Jeremiah 18:6.
Amen!!
Wednesday, 8th October 2008 Devotion

Wiping out the Ashes of Discouragement.
Numbers 13:1-3; 17-20:
Moses sends out 12 people to spy the land of Canaan which was the promise land for the children of Israel. This a land that God had told
them that it flows with milk and honey and never lacked anything, and I know and can figure out the anxiety that the people had while they waited
for the spies to be back from the mission. Never the less, 10 out of the 12 spies sent out come back with a discouraging report rather than an
encouraging report as the people had expected. The report that they bring is that they cannot conquer the land but thank God for Caleb and
Joshua, they had a different report for the Israelites (vs. 30).
The 10 spies had the FEAR in them. Fear in itself is a crippling Spirit. (vs. 31-33) Fear gets into you and you see yourself as nothing in
regards to the situation. These spies saw themselves as grasshoppers in the eyes of the giants. Remember what you see or take yourself to be is
what you eventually become. Paul tells Timothy (1 Timothy 1:7)” that we have not been given the spirit of fear, but of Power, love and of sound
mind.” Nevertheless, the other spies being fearful, the Israelites dint cast them away, the still had them in their midst.
Many a times we trust God for something and something new in our lives and the devil is there preaching another gospel of doubts in
your mind. Remember his work is to make you doubt God. Remember what he asked Eve in the Garden of Eden? Genesis 3:1…he asked did God
say? .... His statement was doubtful, and this is the tool the devil has used against most of us and we eventually fail to believe in a God who fails
not. A God whose promises are yea and Amen, a God who follows every word out of his mouth to accomplish it. But many of us are just
discouraged by something small that stumbles us in our way and we end up giving up. If the children of Israel chose to believe the report of the
majority, they couldn’t have reached the Promised Land.
For you to fight the discouragement and the doubts that the devils brings you doubts, first doubt the doubt that he has brought to you.
Discouragement is a tool the devil uses to fight the faith of a Christian, here is what you need to do to fight and overcome discouragement:
1. Believe the promises in the word of God. Joshua 14:9 – Forty years down the line Caleb still remembers what Moses told him. How many
of us remember God’s promise to them when the devil brings doubts your way? Caleb and Joshua were people who walked in the Spirit
and the Spirit of God has three products: It hears from God, It sees through Faith and retains the message and the vision. No matter
how long it will take, it will surely come to pass. Habakkuk 2:3
2. You should have an inner motivation. This depends on your character individually and not corporately but as an individual. Numbers
14:24 When God looks at you, can he give a testimony on your behalf?? When I look at Caleb, I can derive several character traits he had
from God’s testimony of him and these are the characters that we should also have:
Ø Should have a spirit of servant-hood.
Ø Follow the Lord whole heartedly.
Ø Have a different spirit from others.

With the above character traits, you can be sure your motivation will be high when added to the empowerment of the Holy Spirit; you
are destined to be more than a conqueror.
3. Patiently but persistently wait for your position to come: Joshua and Caleb didn’t rush to give their report to Moses, they waited first so
that the rest could air their report first, then they gave theirs because they knew they had a report from the Lord. After that, Moses
proclaims a blessing upon him and his descendants; it takes 40 years for it to be accomplished. Caleb doesn’t rush to tell Joshua to give
him the portion allotted to him by Moses, but he is patient. Are you patient?? There are 4 steps to accomplishment:
Ø Plan purposefully
Ø Prepare prayerfully
Ø Proceed positively
Ø Pursue persistently.
When you do these four things, you can be sure that you are destined to succeed and overcome every stumbling block that comes your
way.
Lastly, there are three groups of people in the world today. Let’s take it we are climbing a mountain:
1. Quitters – They give up easily. They start the journey but when they reach a certain point, they quit. They never reach even halfway the
journey. When asked, they can’t miss excuses.
2. Campers – They are stagnant. They are better than the quitters. They do their best till half mark but when you rest for the night, when
others are proceeding, they remain in the camp and not proceed on.
3. Climbers – They press on. When everybody has given up and quit, they move on till they attain their goal. This is the group most of us
want to be but the devil will work day and night in every way and dimensions to make sure that we do not make it to this point. To see
that we do not achieve our targets.
May God help us to be Climbers and not to be either campers or quitters.
Amen!!!
Thursday 9th October 2008 Devotion

God is looking for a man.
Ezekiel 22:30; Jeremiah 5:1:
Since the time Noah, God has been looking for a man to stand in the gap on his behalf. In Isaiah 6:8, God asks a question, “Whom shall I
send and who shall go for us...” God always accomplishes his purposes on earth through men. Sometimes as human being we mess ourselves with
sin and we annoy God but because of his loving kindness, he always seeks a man to stand in the gap that he/she will intercede for the forgiveness
of he human race. Remember when God wanted to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah? He comes to Abraham and Abraham pleads with God for
Sodom. But it is so unfortunate that every time when God seeks for a man to stand in the gap, we are always found wanting and He finds no one.
In the scriptures listed above, God is seeking for a man so that He can relent his judgment on them but the unfortunate thing, God says
that He found none. The question that you might ask yourself is why does God not find somebody to work with? God always looks for the inner
man and not the outer man. Remember when Samuel went to anoint David to be the king of Israel? Jesse thought that his older sons qualified to
be the king but God said no, till the shepherd boy came from the wilderness. When God chooses to work with you, regardless of who you are,
where you are and the circumstances that surround you, He will use you.
Then, what kind of a man is God looking for? Here are some qualities that God looks for in a man that He intends to use.
a) Lives and walks in the truth of his word before Him: God is a truthful God, thus he needs someone truthful. We should be sincere and
faithful in our Christian walk. We should be strong in holding unto the faith (Eph 6:10). Our works, words and everything we do should
also match with our behavior. Psalm 84:11 – When you walk faithfully and uprightly before God, He will also be faithful to you.
b) One who walks in Humility before Him: God honours a humble heart. Pride always comes before a fall. (proverbs 16:18) And God always
hates a proud heart. The solution always is James 4:6. Do not let God humble you himself because when he does it himself, it is not sweet
as we may think. We do not have to live a life like that of Uzziah (2 Chronicles 26).
c) A man who will be willing to stand in the gap and make intercession for the country and others: You and I are called to be there and
stand in the gap for others. We do not have to be pushed to do this, but this is part and parcel of God’s calling in our life. Esther stood in
the gap on behalf of his Jew brethren even to a point of risking her own life. But how many of us are willing to reach to such a point? We
need people like Esther and Jeremiah who are willing to stand in the gap and offer up their all despite the resistance they get.
d) One who will dare to trust in his word: Prophets are people who really dare to trust God and what He says. We have to be confident
with God that He who gives us a promise, He will be faithful to fulfill it. Elijah dared the prophets of Baal to a duel at Mt. Camel and he
trusts that God will answer him with fire and God does.
Are you the kind of man God is searching for to use? Even though you may not be prefect, He is a God who doesn’t work with perfectionists. He is a
God who works with the vessels that are willing to be used of Him and are ready to be molded into the kind of vessel that He himself wants. May
God help us to be kind of people that He wants us to be.
Amen!!

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Friday 10 October 2008 Devotion
Walking in the Spirit of Caleb.
Joshua 14:6-13; Numbers 14:24:
Someone said “out of sight, out of mind”. I have been finding for the validation of this statement and I came to realize that it is true.
Sometimes you exchange contacts with someone but the minute you are scrolling down your phone book contacts is when you see his/her contact
and you remember the person. Whatever/whoever is near you most of the time is the one you tend to think about more. The same principle
applies in the spiritual world. You can’t get or have something that you have not conceived about. Your thought will always direct you to the place
where you think you ought to be. What kind of thoughts so you have this moment as you read this devotion?? Do you see yourself in a place of
elevation or you see yourself doomed? Do you see victory or all you see is defeat??
Moses sends out 12 spies to the land of Canaan and each one of them was in the land and he saw for himself how the land was. You
know it is very amazing that when people are in a group out for a mission with a common goal, not everybody will see what the other person saw.
Though there maybe similarities at some point, each person sees what his/her mind wants to see. I can’t force you to see what I see. All these
spies entered the land but whatever each of them saw had one thin in common – Defeat. They couldn’t see themselves inheriting the land that
God had promised to their fore-fathers long time ago. But thank God for Caleb and Joshua, two men who had a different spirit and they saw what
others didn’t see.
What you perceive yourself to be will greatly influence what you see. Caleb knew God and his promises and he trusted in him and this
helped him to see that despite the Anakites being the occupants of the land and despite them being giants, he knew that God is not a liar and he
will give them the land as their inheritance. When others saw themselves as locusts in the eyes of the giants, Caleb saw a big God on his side, who
would deliver the giants into his hands and inherit the mountain in which they lived. We should always have positive thoughts and perception of
ourselves and also others (Genesis 13:14-15) God told Abraham to lift up his eyes and see the vast land that I will give you as an inheritance. If
Abraham kept on arguing with Lot in regards to the land, they would have remain there forever but immediately they parted ways, God blessed
him and Abraham didn’t even think ill of Lot.
Looking at the life of Caleb, I want to derive a few points that can help us live and walk in his Spirit –
1) He always saw ahead of others: When others saw defeat, Caleb saw victory. Numbers 13:30 Caleb knew that the Lord who had saved
them and guided them since they had left Egypt would give them victory even this time. He tells them that we are well able. You are also
well able to overcome the circumstances and situations in your life that are a stumbling block to you.
2) He was determined: Joshua 14:12 despite him being of old age, Caleb still wants to be given the mountain so that he can fight the giants
and possess the mountain. 1 Kings 7:3-5 we find some 4 leprous men who were determined to pursue their dream. Esther 4:16 Queen
Esther is determined to go and face the king, whether she dies she dies and I the king spares her, She lives. Let’s have such a risking faith
trusting our God who fails us not.
3) He anticipated opposition: He Says (Joshua 14:10-13) that he will drive the Anakites away from the mountain of which he did. Many of us
think that everything will come unto us in a silver platter; we don’t expect opposition at all. We should be ready to be opposed by others,
else, we won’t grow. Despite the opposition, we should be confident that we are guaranteed victory to be on our side. Rev 12:11.What
you confess is what becomes your portion.
4) He followed God whole-heartedly: Numbers 14:24 God himself gives a testimony of Caleb, that he is s man who followed God whole
heartedly. Luke 10:27 Jesus gives us a commandment that we ought to love God with all our hearts, soul and mind. When we commit our
minds and souls to follow God, our hearts will be at ease to follow and thirst for God.
It is my prayer that God will help me and you to thirst after him and follow after him.
Amen!!
Monday, 13th October 2008 Devotion
Stay in the camp!!
Exodus 16:13-14
Many a times we really worry about our lives so much until we really forget that God is there taking good care of our hearts, soul and
body and we have nothing to worry about. The children of Israel are in the wilderness and they are on transit to the Promised Land. While here in
the wilderness, their food supply that they had from Egypt runs out and they start complaining to Moses. They forget that it was not Moses who
delivered them from Egypt but it was God, but the best they could do at that time is complain to Moses. Moses then turns to God and tells him of
what he is going through and he promises to rain food down from heaven. The condition was that the people had to be in the camp and they
should collect what is enough for them that day and not more.
That is how many of us behave. After God delivers us from a situation, we get give all the glory to ourselves rather than giving back the
glory to God. Through this, most of us warder away from God and forget him until they find themselves in another fix, that’s the time they
remember God again. The good thing is that our God hears us when we complain. The children of Israel complain to Moses and Moses forwards
the case to God and in turn He responds.
The most significant thing is that when we are out there away from God, that is the time the devil strikes us very well and severely that
we are un able to pick ourselves up and continue but God’s grace is always sufficient for us. This morning I want to encourage you to stay in God’s
camp no matter what happens or the situation. Sometimes the situations may not be favourable for us to stay focused on God but I encourage you
to remain and strive to be in the God’s camp no matter what comes your way. From this story, we can learn several lessons of staying in God’s
camp.
No matter what comes our way, let’s learn to stay in God’s camp because:

1) God visits the camps only. He says that “where two or three are gathered in my name, I will be there in their midst”. (Matthew 18:20)
2) God stretches his hand to minister to the people in the camp. Healing, provision, salvation and blessings are all found in God’s camp only.
3) In the camp we have fellowship and we shall encourage each other and God becomes our father.
4) Our Faith grows and our trust in God is strengthened.
5) There is assurance of protection in the camp. “… if Christ is in our camp, who can be against us?(Romans 8:31)
6) We receive power to overcome in the camp (Acts 2:1-3)
7) We develop the fear of the Lord in the camp and we have life. (proverbs 24:26-27)
8) God moulds our character when we are in the camp.
When we are outside the camp, Solomon says that we ensnare ourselves to death. This is what happens when we are outside God’s camp:
a) We develop doubts whether God is with us or not.
b) There is no security and thus we are open to succumb to the attacks of the evil one.
c) You are deceived by the enemy and falling into sin is very easy at this point.
d) You do not accomplish God’s will in your life. Take a look at Samson. When he went away from God, his life came to an end and left the
children of Israel in captivity rather than delivering them.
It is my prayer that all of us will stay in God’s camp this week and days to come.
Amen!!
th
Tuesday, 14 October 2008 Devotion
Whom have you invited???
Many a times we face some situations that challenge us and others push us into a corner that we are unable to rescue ourselves from.
But the challenge comes, “Where is your FAITH in such a time? I was being perplexed on how I deal with such situations. Some of us react in
diverse ways. There are some who will run to seek help from relatives, bosses, colleagues at work and many other places name them. Take a look
at John 2:1-10. Jesus and his disciples are invited to a wedding in Cana of Galilee and in the course of the celebrations, wine runs out. If it was in
the modern setting, we would start sourcing for more money to go and get more wine from the distributor, but look at the reaction of the host of
the wedding. He knew he had invited Jesus in his wedding thus he goes to Mary the mother of Jesus and explains the case, and the rest is a miracle
that left people wondering how one would give the bad wine and save the best wine.
Moses when he is leading the children of Israel from their bondage in the land of Egypt, they come to the red sea and to the human eyes,
there was no way to advance ahead and yet they were being pursued by pharaoh and his armies. The Israelites start cursing Moses telling him that
it was better if they remained in Egypt and died there where there were graves to be buried in. (Exodus 14:11-12) and this is how many of us react.
When the Christian walk becomes tough, we wish that we were not saved because we could find some alternative ways of solving the crisis we are
in, but Moses turns to God and God directs him on what to do and they get victory.
David sang in psalms 121 and said that he knows where his help comes from; it comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.
This is the question I pose to you, where do you seek your help from? whom do you turn to when things aren’t working the way you expect? It
matters very much whom we invite in our functions. When I say functions, I don't mean the earthly functions; I mean the running of our day to
day spiritual lives. The host of the wedding would have invited even the mayor of the town and also the ministers of the time, but they could not
save the situation at that time, only Jesus would and thus why he asked His mother to talk to him.
Sometimes we worry too much when we already have the help we need on our side. Remember the disciples of Jesus in the storm? They
were crying for help when they had Jesus with in the boat, but when they woke him up, he came to their rescue. (Luke 8:22-25) One thing we have
to understand is that Jesus will never come to our aid until we ask him to. He is a gentleman if you like to put it that way.
In your function, whom do you invite? Invite Jesus today and he will come to your aid whenever you call him. When you invite Jesus to
your house, salvation will be definite just like it happened to Zaccheus and his household.
Amen!!
Wednesday, 15th October 2008 Devotion

What do you have in your hands???
The children of Israel have been in bondage for 400 years in Egypt. Remember they had gone to the land of Egypt running away from
famine in Canaan when Joseph was the 2nd powerful man there. A ruler came who never knew Joseph and he mistreated the children of Israel and
made them slaves. In this agony of slavery they cried out to God and God heard them and came to their rescue. In short I believe you know how
Moses was born and the story surrounding him. After God has brought them out of Egypt, they come to the Red sea and they are stranded. The
Egyptians are behind them and here is the Red sea meaning that they can’t run away. Here they start complaining to Moses. They wanted to go
back to Egypt where there were graves to be buried, but Moses tells them to stand still and see what God can do. (Gen 14) They forgot that they
had cried out to God for help and he had delivered them.
Moses cried out to God asking him what to do but God asks him a question that some of us may regard as a silly one; what do you have
in your hand? And Moses answers that it’s just a stick, note in the eyes of God, it wasn't just a normal stick, it was the shepherd’s staff, but he
forgot that the same staff had turned into a snake before pharaoh, touched the waters of Nile and they turned into blood and performed many
other miracles.
Sometimes in our lives we act just like the children of Israel or even Moses. God has delivered us from so many traps of the enemy and
He has blessed us numerous times but we still don't trust Him when we get into a tough situation. Instead as the children of Israel, all we
remember are the things we used to enjoy in our land of slavery. Imagine the children of Israel, the chosen of God wish that they died in Egypt and

be buried there. Remember that the devil will always remind you of the pleasures and the sinful things that you used to enjoy while you were in his
slavery. One thing is sure, win is very sweet and enjoyable when in it but the consequences are bitter and hard to be in.
What do you have in your hands? What has God blessed you with? Many times we cry to God for help when we are just a few inches
away from our solution. God has blessed you in diverse ways and with many gifts and talents that can help you get out of the problems you have,
out of poverty etc. God has blessed you with brains, big ideas and above all remember your Father in heavens owns everything.
So every time that you face something that is heartbreaking, discouraging and you seem not to know what to do, always remember what
you have in your hands, in other words, God in heaven, what he has done for you in the past days and use it to encourage yourself.
Amen!!
Thursday, 16th October 2008 Devotion

How to receive a miracle from God
Luke 5:1-11:
Many are the times that we labour in-vain in our endeavors trying to make things work out our own way, and we fail to recognize that
some things require the intervention from above. I believe one time or another we have been in such situation and when we asked God for
intervention, things turned out well.
Peter, a master in the fishing world labour the whole night and they caught nothing for the night to take home for breakfast.
Disappointed, they come back to the shore and start washing their nets in preparation for the evening. Jesus comes along and asks him to row back
a little into the sea and launch his net again into the deep. Peter hesitates but he makes a statement that still baffles me on how disobedient we
can be at times. He says “Master; we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.”
Many a times God speaks to us but we do not listen. We are busy doing some other things that entangle us and we do not hear his voice.
Other times we hear the voice but we assume that we know much about what we are being told and we don’t heed to the command we are given.
When we do not hear and hearken to the voice of God, I tell you that you will not receive a miracle from God. If Peter never hearkened and did as
he was told, he wouldn’t have had the hefty catch of fish that he had that morning. To Peter, this was a miracle because in the fishing world, you
can’t fish during the day; you can only fish during the night and here Peter and his friends have labored the whole night catching nothing.
Then how do we/what should we do so as we receive our miracles from God?
a) Learn to listen/hear from God. Hebrews 4:12 – God may speak to you through his word, Visions, dreams, nature, name it; the most
important thing is for you to be attentive. When he speaks to you through his word; a) It may be a general word – Maybe in a church,
conference, revival meeting. b) The word can also be a specific one for a certain situation. Luke 5:5. Peter was a fisherman but struggled
the whole night catching nothing, but Jesus gave a word “Launch into the deep”
b) Have Faith in the word: Heb 11:6 Peter said…. Because it is you (Jesus) who said, I will do” He had faith in what Jesus told him.
c) Obey the word by doing what it says: If Peter didn’t launch into the deep, he wouldn’t have succeeded. It is one thing to hear and
another thing to do what you heard.
d) Share your miracle with others: The catch was so big that they had to call other people to help them. Do not hold back what you have
received. Share it freely as freely you have received, so freely also give.
e) Discipline yourself in prayer to receive that specific word for the situation you are in and even what you plan.
I believe with these 5 points, God will help us to listen unto him and get to know what he requires of us.
Amen!!!.
Friday, 17th October 2008 Devotion
Stages of prayer:
Matthew 7:7
“Ask and it will be given unto you, seek and you will find, knock and the door shall be opened unto you”
Everything that we do is in levels and stages. When God created the world, He did so in stages. When Jesus suffered and died at the cross, He also
did so in stages. The furnishings at the tabernacle were arranged such that the worshiper advanced from one stage to another beginning from the
brazen altar or altar of sacrifice to the golden censer or altar of incense, which was the last stage before entry to the Holy of Holies.
In Matthew 7:7, Jesus tells his disciples to do three things that mark the three stages of prayer:
1) Ask and it will be given to you: Asking is the request for something or to express a wish for something. Basically, asking lays the outcome
of the request on the willingness of the giver to give things you request or ask for. The predisposition and attitude of the giver is the
predominant determinant. After asking, one can only hope that the giver will find it in his Heart to give. You are given what you ask.
2) Seek and you shall find. Seeking is the next level of asking because of the level of expectation involved. Seeking is to look for or to try to
get, obtain or achieve something. This therefore includes some level of personal involvement. To seek assumes four things:
a. You know what you want.
b. You know where you can get it.
c. You believe you can get it.
d. What you want is hidden or concealed.
Seeking involves confidence that I can get it. No one seeks something if they think they cannot find it. While God gives to those who ask,
he rewards the seeker. Giving is determined by the liberality of the giver but reward depends both on the giver’s liberality and on the
giver’s recognition of the seekers initiative and effort. Hebrews 11:6 “but without Faith, it is impossible to please Him; for he who comes
to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him”

3. Knock and the door shall be open: This stage of prayer sees a marked increase in determination and desperation. It is called knocking.
This literally means to hit a door firmly in order to attract attention. It also means to hit at something so that it moves or breaks. This
means raising the din of your prayer till you draw the attention of God. 2 Samuel 22:7 “In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried out
to my God; he heard my voice from His temple, and my cry entered His ears. This also means there is a hindrance or obstacle. Knocking
here means buffeting the obstacle with prayer until it falls or breaks. The children used a battering ram to KNOCK down enemies gates.
Isaiah 45:1-2 “Thus says the LORD to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand have I held-To subdue nations before him and loose the
armor of kings, to open before him the double doors, so that the gates will not be shut: I will go before you and make the crooked places
straight; I will break in pieces the gates of bronze and cut the bars of Iron.
Brethren, this is the level of “Taking it by force.”

Keep on knocking.
Amen!!!!
Monday, 27th October 2008 Devotion

Daring to trust God:
Daniel 3:17-18
Sometimes it is hard for us to really trust God or his word. We find ourselves in situations which demand us to act intelligently and when
we refer to God’s word, it needs us to act otherwise. I know I am not the only one who has ever been caught in such a dilemma. Someone said that
the line between Foolishness and faith is very thin. When you act in faith, someone may think you are foolish and yet you may act foolishly and
think you are acting in Faith.
The story of the three young men is familiar to all of us. They are posed by a big tussle ahead of them but they choose to believe in their
God. After they are brought before king Nebuchadnezzar with accusations that they haven’t adhered to the orders, they tell the king that they are
not afraid to die. The fiery furnace is stirred 7 times hotter. Remember 7 is always a number of completion to God and still the three young men
still are not afraid to be thrown inside. I know if it were some of us in this generation, we would have said, let me go free and worship the image
and I will ask God to forgive me. In other words, some of us would compromise, but these men choose not to.
Take a look at Daniel, (Daniel 6) he is also in such a fix and he has to choose between his life and God, he chooses to loose his life for God
and stand for him. Daniel trusts God while in the lions den and God delivered him. Daniel is not frightened by the decree of the king not to pray.
Instead he goes ahead and opens up the windows so that people can see that he is praying. How many of us would dare to do such a thing today? A
simple rule is published and all of us coil back and we do not stand. God needs someone who will single himself out and stand for him.
It is until we take that bold step of faith and trust in him that we will see him work in our individual lives. When we trust God:
a) You are open to hear God’s voice: When you trust in God, your spirit and mind are in tune and you will be set to hear for God’s leading
and direction.
b) You obey him completely: Abraham trusted God’s word that He would give him a son in old age and God did. When God asked him to
sacrifice the son, Abraham had no objection to it since he knew whom he had put his trust in.
c) You will make whatever sacrifice he requires: Same case to Abraham. The sacrifice that Shadrack, Misheck, Abednego and Daniel had to
pay was to put their lives at stake and when they did, God acted and responded to their sacrifice.
d) You trust him to meet all your needs: The three young men tell the king that they are not afraid because God will save. They had the
assurance that God would save them. And they say, still even if He doesn’t, know that we won’t bow down to your idol god.
e) You will celebrate his faithfulness: The king looks inside the fiery furnace and what does he see? He sees 4 men dancing round in the fire.
The three young men were celebrating their victory and God’s response to their trust in him. Remember Paul and Silas in the Prison? In
the middle of the night they praise God and he comes down in honour of their praise and worship and rescues them. Whenever you trust
God fully, you will always come out with a testimony of his faithfulness.
Dare to trust God today and see his response to your trust in him. He has never failed in the past nor is He going to fail you neither will He ever do.
Amen!!!

th
Tuesday, 28 October 2008 Devotion
The principle of bouncing back:
Ever failed in your life and you though that you will never ever make it again in life? You look at what you have passed through and you
feel that God has neglected you? All you see around you is failure, people have even given you a name or they give you as an example of a failure?
You have reached the end of yourself and you don’t have any hope for tomorrow? The time for you to rise up again is now. You can always bounce
back and move forward.
Samson having failed in his calling as a judge to the Israelites, he falls to the hands of the philistines whom he was meant to finish and
they gorged out his eyes and made him a slave to grid maize and wheat for them. During one of the parties that they held to one of their gods,
Samson prays a very simple prayer Judges16:28 “oh Lord that you may remember me I pray and strengthen me I pray, just this once oh God”
Samson had reached his end and he had had enough of the persecution from the philistines after they gorged out his eyes. He asks God for a favor
that he may revenge for his eyes and God honours his request and strengthens him.
Jonah is sent to Nineveh to deliver God’s judgment over the city but he disobeys and goes to Tarshish. God decide to bring a storm and
Jonah gets caught up in the storm. Later on, we find Jonah in his lowest point when he finds himself in the belly of a fish. He had reached his rock
bottom yet God lifts him up again and He still used him to deliver his message to the Ninevites despite his disobedience.
Sometimes we make ourselves to hit the rock bottom in our lives because of some mistakes that we make. Jonah finds himself in the
belly of the fish simply because of his disobedience. Nevertheless, may it be because of our own making or due to circumstances, there is always a
purpose for everything. The way we look at the situation matters a lot. The attitude you have also matters a lot. If you take it positively, you will
bounce back from the rock bottom victorious rather than defeated.
You should never get discouraged when you hit the rock bottom because when you hit the rock bottom:
a) Your direction changes: because you can’t go down anymore, the only direction to go is up. This is the time that you learn to depend
on God because there is no one else to help you while you are there. David says “in my darkest moment I called unto the Lord and
He answered me...” In such moments, our help can only come from God and it is only till we look UP and say; Lord, help me. Psalms
121:1-2 “I look up to the hills, where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, maker of heaven and earth”
b) You discover God’s grace in your life: Samson and Jonah in their solitude and darkest moments cry unto God in desperation and God
hears them and responds back. God gives us another chance to make up for our past mistakes. This is a clear indication and display of
his love and grace towards us.
c) You see his loving kindness: if God wanted to do away with both Samson and Jonah he could have because they had all gone against
his will, but because of his loving kindness, He still spares them and gives them a second chance. When Adam and Eve sinned, God
chased them away from the garden of Eden but still he works out a way to restore back the fellowship that was cut off between
Himself and man; thus the death of Jesus on the cross.
d) We experience and see God’s faithfulness: There is not a single day or time that God will leave us nor forsake us when we are at our
rock bottom. He is always there to make sure that we come out victorious rather than losers.
e) God awakens our potential and talents: Samson remembered that God can still give him another chance to work through him with
the potential that he had given him, and with that in mind, he asks God for forgiveness and God revives what he had put in him. God
will always open up your eyes to see what you are capable of doing when you seek him or when you are in your rock bottom. Jonah
was afraid to go to Nineveh and deliver God’s message because he feared, but after staying in the belly of the fish, he comes out bold
and he delivers God’s judgment over Nineveh.
It doesn’t matter how deep you have sunk or how far you have gone astray from God, once you call upon Him.
Amen!!!!
th
Wednesday, 29 October 2008 Devotion
Know your Accuser:
John 8:42-46; Rev 12:10
I believe in your early childhood, you once came into a situation whereby you were accused of doing something may it be you were guilty
or not. In one way or another I bet you tried to rescue yourself from the situation. The same thing happens to us as Christians. Our chief accuser,
the Devil is always accusing us. But many of us fall prone to his schemes and we find ourselves in the mud of sin just because of a thought, action or
an accusation that the devil brings to us.
An Accuser means false witness; slanderer; liar. As we Christians we should know that from the very first day when we decided to stand
for Christ and with God’s promises, we became the target of the enemy. Jesus talks about who the devil is and warns the Jews who had believed
against the enemy who was the father of all lies. There is not a time when the devil will always lack something to accuse you of. He is like a restless
lion that roams round and about looking for someone to devour.
We need to guard ourselves from the evil one who is the accuser. See in Zechariah 3, the devil comes to accuse Joshua before the God
but the Lord rebukes the devil on behalf of Joshua. We need to rebuke the devil for us to remain victorious over our accuser; we also need to
understand his schemes as our enemy and strategize on how we will beat him in his own game. We need to know who he his and his names too:
a) 2 Corinthians 4:4 - The bible calls him the god of this world and age.
b) John 8:44 – Murderer.
c) John 12:31 – He is the ruler of this world.
d) 1 Thessalonians 3:5 – Tempter
e) 2 Timothy 3:13 – Deceiver

f) Matthew 4:4 – The devil tempts Jesus our saviour.
Despite all this, we are assured of victory through Christ Jesus. James 4:7 “resist the devil and he will flee away from, Draw nearer to God and He
will draw nearer to you.” Resisting is not a one time thing to do, we need to continuously do so as the devil is our enemy and he never gives up, so
why should you give up when God has assured you victory.
Let me sample some of the weapons that the enemy uses against us and when we are not careful, we fall prey and we are defeated.
i) Our past sins Proverbs 28:13: - Covering our sins gives the devil a footstool and an opening to come to our lives. Repentance is the only way
that will close that door. 1 John 1:9 Conviction brings us to repentance.
ii) Bad decisions and mistakes that we had done in the past. The devil capitalizes on this especially if we still feel guilty of something that we
ever did and regret. Ask God to clear away all the guilt conscious of everything that you might have done in the past that is still haunting
you.
iii) Condemnation Romans 8:1- If the devil manages to keep you under condemnation, then you will always live under defeat. Romans 14:22;
Isaiah 44:22; Psalms 103:12 – these scriptures give us the authority not to live in condemnation as long as we have repented our sins to
God.
iv) Our pruning season John 15:1-3 – Whenever we are undergoing molding, pruning and God is taking us through a process so that we can be
better, the devil will try to take advantage to discourage us and make us see that God has deserted us.
v) Deception. – The devil will try all ways and means to deceive us to move away from the love of God. Remember he is the father of all lies
and that’s his language.
I pray that God will help us to know and reveal unto us all the plans of the enemy so that we will not fall prey of his evil plans.
Amen!!!
Thursday, 30th October 2008 Devotion

Don’t give up
Galatians 6:9
Many a times we do something and we do not get someone to congratulate us or even say thank you. That’s the human tendency. You
may do something good to someone but he/she forgets to appreciate. The Galatians were just people like us and Paul was encouraging them not to
give up in doing good deeds or works for in due time, they would reap out of their goodness or their deeds. Paul tells them that whatsoever a man
sows, so shall he reap. The measure that you use to plant shall you receive.
It is not alone in the spiritual world that this principle applies, even in the secular world, it does work. If you help someone when he/she is
in a need, the person will always seek an opportunity to do the same to you. Many a time we tend to get weary of doing this. Paul urges us not to
become faint because God is not mocked and He sees all that we do, no matter how little it is. Jesus said that whatever you do to these little ones,
you have done it to me. God always sees what we do and he keeps a record of all that we do.
Sometimes we really want to do good thing and deeds but we find ourselves not able to. Reasons; we can not really say it is because of
this or that but sometimes we just feel that weak, we don’t have the grace and other times we don’t know what wears us down. I have been in
such situations and I tried to flash back and reflect and search my heart to get to know why it had happened and why it happens. Let me share with
you my findings.
Why we give up:
1. Discouragement: Sometimes we are very low and down because of some of the things that we are passing through and we feel that
we are not able to do anything substantial both in the spiritual world and even in the worldly platform. This is the tool that the devil
uses so much to wear us down. He reminds us of the past failures when we tried to do something and thus we get discouraged. God’s
purposes will never be accomplished when we get discouraged. What we do in God’s ministry is a seed we are planting and in the
appointed time of God, we will reap.
2. We say that it is hard work: Jesus never promised that serving him will be an easy task, but he promised to be with us till the end of
b
ages (Matthew 28:20 ). He encourages us to be of good cheer because since he overcame the world, so shall we. Nehemiah 4:10It
was hard for Nehemiah and the Israelites to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem but God saw them through till they saw the completion of
it. God’s grace is sufficient for you no matter how hard the situation you are passing through seems to be. Be strong and take
courage.
3. Opposition: There is not a single day that the devil will let you prosper. He will always mount up opposition against you and fight you
till the end of time. People will try also be against you whenever they see that you are headed the right direction but always be
assured of God’s victory in everything. Nehemiah face the opposition of Tobias and Sanbarrat but his trust in God was un-waivered
thus he was able to go ahead with the rebuilding of the wall.
4. Fear: Psalms 78:9 – This is another tool that the devil uses to make sure that your faith and willingness to pursue your vision and
dreams is killed. Fear simply means “False Evidence Appearing Real” Note that it is disguising itself to be real but it is not. Fear is a
crippling spirit and if not careful, it can cripple your soul for ever. Remember the children of Ephraim went back home on the day of
battle because of fear. When God used Gideon to deliver the children of Israel, He told Gideon to first send back home those who had
fear in them. How I pray that you shall not be among those who are sent home from the army because of fear.
5. God’s discipline: Heb12:5-11- God disciplines the child that he loves, just like a parent does. The chastening or discipline from the
Lord is not sweet but there after, its fruits are worth and admirable.

Having known what causes us to be faint and grow weary, all we need is to act vice-versa of the same. These few points can help us:
a) Trust in the Lord Isaiah 40:30 – But those who TRUST in the Lord, he shall renew their strength. It is only until when you trust in the Lord
that He will revive you and give you a fresh start of everything and give you a new breath of life and renew you. When you are tempted
to give up, lift up your eyes and look up to God and he will renew you.
b) Have faith Hebrew 10:38 – The just shall live by faith. Without faith, no one can please God. We do live by faith knowing that He who
called us is faithful and in due time he will not tarry but he will come back to reward us.
c) Remember what God has done to others Hebrews 11, 1 Samuel 7 – If God did it for these men of faith in the Old Testament, you are not
different from them and he can also help you out and give you the grace jus as He did to them.
d) Look up to Jesus Hebrews 12:1-2 – Jesus is the author and perfector of our faith and when we look up to him when we are weak, He is
ready to lift us up and see what He started being completed in us.
I know we serve a faithful God who has never failed and never will he fail. If you put your trust in him and him alone, you can rest assured that he is
going to appear n sort you out at the point of your need.
Amen!!!!
Friday, 31st November 2008 Devotion

Changing the circumstances around you
1 chronicles 4:9-10
What is surrounding you that you don’t like? You are not pleased with the way things go on around you. You have the power to. All you
have to do is cry out to the Lord. In the Old Testament, a name had a meaning and someone was usually was given in regards to:
a) Circumstances around the child’s birth.
b) Grand parents.
c) Situations that the mother passed through the pregnancy etc.
The name determined the nature of the child and not alone in the Old Testament, we see this also applied to our traditional setup during the
times of our forefathers and even today there are some communities who believe in the same and practice. A child is named after someone and if
you observe carefully, the child tends to take after the character of the person named after. Many people don’t really know the power behind the
names that they have. Here are a few names and their meanings from the bible:
a) Isaac – laughter
b) Esau – Heir
c) Jacob – Deceiver (Later Changed to Israel)
d) Jabez – great pain
Jabez understood that his name never meant any good for him thus why he cried to God. We also should fight for our salvation. Many of us
get content with what we are and where we are. You get contented with the Job you have and you don’t even think of advancing. Jabez said I am
tired of living in pain as his name depicted. You have to get tired of where you are and move on. You should not die where you are but you should
rise up and move ahead with the power of God. Your past failures should not make you stay where you are. Instead they should serve as a morale
booster for you and me. Remember every time you fail makes you see the mistakes that you made and gives you another chance to amend and
move on.
How do you change the circumstances around you?
Matthew 7:7-8 – Jesus said that when you ask – You will receive; you Seek – You will find and when you Knock – The door shall be open. The
distance between your problem and the answer is the distance between the ground and your knees. Jabez understood this and applied it and it
served the purpose for him. You need to ask God in prayer, seek earnestly and knock the door with persistence till you get where you want to.
1 Corinthians 2:5 – Stand not in your own wisdom. The wisdom of men is like foolishness to God. James says that whoever lacks wisdom let him ask
of God. Our power comes from God and that the power that we should move on with. What other people say about you is not necessarily what
God says about you. Instead we should walk in God’s word and follow him and always seek his opinion. Psalms 70:5b – God is the only one who can
take you where men can’t take you.
Jabez prayed a simple prayer with two requests (a) God that you may enlarge my territory. (b) That God you will bless me. If God heard
Jabez and answered him, why not you? You are son of God just as Jabez was, all God needs is faith in your prayers.
Amen!!!
Monday, 3rd November 2008 Devotion
Revival is coming your way
Ezekiel 37
There comes a time in our lives when there is nothing that is working. Nothing seems to work the way you want them to. The only thing
that there is that every plan that you make or you have backfires and there is no life left in them. The best thing/solution that you can think of at
this moment is giving up. The children of Israel had reached such a situation when they were being oppressed by other nations to an extent that
they almost gave up on God. They thought God had forsaken them. Remember, God says that He will never leave us nor forsake us. (Romans 8:28)
Every time that you are almost on the verge of giving up, that’s the time when god comes by to manifest himself.
God speaks to Ezekiel and takes him in a valley full of dry bones. Bones make the skeletal frame of every living creature here on the face
of the earth. When a framework of anything collapses, it means that that’s the end of that particular thing. I tend to think that this valley was used

by the Israelites as a cemetery. At one time or another, we all have died. The dry bones represent the dead or ailing situations in your life and mine
too. There some things which have died and you have buried them in the grave with no hope of that particular thing to resurrect again. You have
given up in the quest to achieve some things in your life, you had a dream or a vision which has tarried to be fulfilled and in the event of it you have
given up walking on that road. Remember “God makes things beautiful in his rightful time” Proverbs… You don’t rush ahead of God’s time neither
are you supposed to lag behind.
In the valley, God commands the prophet to prophesy to the dry bones and speak life to them. As he spoke to the bones, there are
several things that happened:
Ø The rattling of the bones – God is going to move in your situation and when he begins to move all the people will see and hear his
movement and his work in your life. When god moved in Paul and Silas’s situation, there was a great earthquake that shook the prison
foundations.
Ø Each Bone came back to the corresponding bone – The missing links will be brought back. All the areas in your life that have been
wanting, God is going to bring them back to the right position where they are ought to be. May it be your life, ministry to God, work,
family etc; God is going to bring back to its rightful position. You family, life relationships have been wanting simply because of a lack of
peace, unity; God is going to bring back what has been missing.
Ø Flesh covering the bones – God is going to cover up your shame and reproach. You have been ashamed in many areas of your life but
God is going to take away your reproach and cover you with his Glory and favour. Isaiah 54:4
Ø God is going to turn your weaknesses to be your strengths. You may have something small but at the end of the day, God will make it
big. The bones were dry and scattered, but when they joined, they became a vast army.
Ø New life and new breath - Revival can never be until you have a new push/strength to push you through. God will breathe his life into
you and you will have the strength to go an extra mile that you would not have covered on your own strength. He created Adam and
breathed into his nostrils to give him life, thus what He will do to you again. Remember God’s breath is life to you.
Revival that God is bringing comes along with:

1) Renewal of life unto us. (Resurrection) vs. 9 – There are areas in our Christian life that are dead, God will command the winds to come
and breath into us and bring us back to life. His new breath into our situations and life will bring us back to life.
2) Restoration vs. 12-14; 21-22: After God brings us back to life, he will place us back in the land of Israel. By this time the children of Israel
were in captivity and god promised to restore them. There are some bondage’s in your life and God will break them and give you new
life. The grave is a sign of bondage and God is going to deliver you from their yoke.
3) Unity vs. 16-1: God promised to bring back the unity of the children of Israel and take away the hatred that was between them. There are
areas where you have separated, god is bringing back unity and thou shall be one thing again. May it be marriages, relationships, families,
God is going to bring you back together and knit you together with his love in Jesus name.
4) Forgiveness and Deliverance vs. 23 – in our sinfulness, God still loves and he promises to deliver us from our sinful lives and restore us
back, cleanse us and purify us and promises to keep us away from sin. Imagine this kind of love and commitment from God.
5) Peace vs.26a – God is going to make a covenant of peace with you and it will be an everlasting covenant. You shall enjoy peace now and
forever more.
6) God’s presence vs.26b-28- God shall establish his sanctuary in your midst. Paul said that your body the temple of the Holy Spirit and the
spirit is God himself. God shall make you His inhabitation and through you, the nations of the earth will know that He is God.
The question is; are you ready? Just as God asked Ezekiel, son of man, can these bones live? God is simply asking this morning; are you ready for
the restoration and the revival and sending back to you?
It is my prayer that God will find me ready for his inhabitation as He restores me.
Amen!!
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Tuesday, 4 November 2008 Devotion
The Fruit
John 15: 1-10
I love fruits and every time I take my meals, I do find some fruits to finish up the meal and I know you also do the same. Fruits medically
have a lot of importance in ones meals. Most important is the place where they do come from. A fruit will be sweet depending on how healthy the
tree that it had grown from was. There is not a single time that you can compare a fruit form a tree in the jungle to be sweeter than that of a tree
from the highlands. The highland one is more nourished and sweeter since it had time and place to acquire nutrients from the highland fertile soil.
Jesus says that He is he tree and we are the branches. God who is our father is the gardener and he makes sure that every branch that
bears fruits continues to do so and even bear much more. You and I are branches in three Jesus if I may use that term. Jesus is a tree that is fully
nourished and has got all the nutrients that we need so that we can bear tasty and sweet fruits. God expects us to bear much fruits after He ha
taken care of us. He has pruned us, gave us the appropriate manure/fertilizer and what he expects of us is fruits.
If I may ask, what is the importance of a fruit in a tree? Let me look at few of these importances:
a) The fruit indentifies the tree: Jesus said that you will be known by your fruits. There is not a day that you will go to any tree and expect to
get a certain type of fruit. If you want and avocado, you will search for an avocado tree and the avocado fruit is the one that will let you
know that that’s an avocado tree. Jesus told his disciples that God our father expects us to bear much fruits because he is glorified and
pleased with that and this also makes the world know who we are in him. Our works, talk and walk will either bring or repel people to our
faith because this is what indentifies us as children of God.
b) Fruits make sure there is the continuity of the tree: After the fruit is eaten, the seeds are planted and when they die, they sprout up
again to bring up another tree and the continuity of the tree’s species is ensured. God expects us to multiply. Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus

gave us the command to go all over the world and multiply and make sure that Christianity continues and it doesn’t die. Have you
reproduced of late? How many souls have you won to Christ?
c) Fruits beautify and attract people to a tree: Let me go back a little bit to standard five Science. When fruits are budding, they start as
flowers. The flowers attract bees and other animals and people like you so that fertilization can take place. The flowers attract you to the
tree. That’s what is supposed to happen to us. We are flowers that decorate the Christian walk. Our walk, talk and deeds represent the
fruits in making. These should be there to attract people to us and when they come, it is an avenue for s to introduce them to Christ and
let them meet the life changing saviour who has made our lives attractive. Purpose today to be an attractive flower for Jesus.
d) Fruits nourish our health and bodies. A doctor will always advise you to eat a fruit a day so that your immunity is built up and many other
things. For us Christians, bearing fruits should be a joy and a lifestyle. Galatians 5:22 gives us a list of all the fruits that should decorate
our lives. These fruits will attract people with all sorts of needs and require different types of fruits to nourish their health. Someone will
come in need of Love and because you have love in your life, you will share. Someone else will come without patience in his/her life and
you will be able to share because you have it. You will be an instrument of peace, a propagator of joy in the lives of those discouraged
and hopeless you will bring hope. Bring healing to the broken hearts and lift those downcast.
You are attached to tree Jesus and you trust in him daily and he feeds you daily with his word. When people taste you as a fruit from this tree, what
taste do they get? Bear fruits that resemble and reflect what you feed on.
Amen!!
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Monday, 1 December 2008 Devotion
Who told you?
Genesis 3: 8-11
Fear! Fear! Fear!!! False Evidence Appearing Real – This is my simple definition of the word Fear. Many a times we find ourselves
engulfed in fear just because of something small that has come our way. Sin is one of the major contributors of fear. We see Adam and Eve after
they have eaten the fruit which they were told not to running away from God when they heard his footsteps coming for their evening fellowship
and they say that they were afraid of him. But God asks them a simple question that I want you and me to ask ourselves today as we start the last
month of the year. God asked them... “Who told you that you are…?”
Many of us have been living a discouraged life the better part of the year simply because somebody somewhere told you something that
undermined you, hurt you or even discouraged you. Some may even be events or situations that you have passed through this year. These words,
situations or events have made you hide yourself from God or live a life that is below your standard. God comes searching for you but you are
nowhere to be found simply because you have hid yourself from Him because of this. Paul said that we are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus.
What is that thing that you did that makes you guilty to enter God’s presence with Joy? Every time you come into his presence you are jus
repenting instead of having a good time to bond with God and get to know him more and more? Gideon was in the same situation. He had his
reasons which were very valid of why he was hiding just as Adam and Eve had, but God had a different story all the same. Look at what Gideon was
able to do after arising from his hideout? He did exploits and delivered the Israelites from the Midianites bondage.
Un-repented sins will always haunt you and keep you away from God, but who said that when you confess them and repent you won’t be
forgiven? The mistake that Adam did was to throw the blame to Eve and eve threw the blame to Satan. They didn’t recognize that they could have
obtained forgiveness from God if they confessed their sin and asked for his forgiveness. That’s how many of us act. You don’t remember that God is
a just God who never leaves any sin unpunished yet He is a merciful God.
Discouragement is another great factor and tool that the devil uses to pull you down. I remember when I was in primary school; one of
the teachers told me that Dennis you are to thick upstairs to ever make it in life. I went and shared this with my mother and she encouraged me
telling that I was bright and I will make it no matter what people say. She encouraged me to shoe the teacher that I wasn’t thick as he thought and I
can make it and after KCPE, I was the second best pupil in the school. The teacher was the first to call and congratulate me. What am I saying in
this; the words that people talk about you are not the ones that determine your future or who you are. God hold your destiny. Jeremiah 29:11
“see… the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans not to harm you but to give you a hope and a future” You don’t have to be discouraged by
what people think, talk or even perceive you to be, trust in God who is your creator, he who knew the purpose that made him bring you to this
earth.
Failure or Fear to fail is another big animal that we wrestle with. Who said that when you fail the first time you won’t make it if you try
again? David was in the battle and when he came back and he met his camp was ambushed and everything gone including his own wife. He trusted
in God for victory and when he pursued the enemies, he caught up with them and he fought and defeated them. Try again and again when you fail.
You don’t have to give up. If David gave up and said, God am tired from the war, he wouldn’t have rescued his wives and the property. In simple
words; don’t give up easily, press on.
Whoever said anything or any situation or thing that you have done that is making you hide yourself in anyway, is not worth in any way.
Just ask yourself this simple question: “who said I…” and fill in the dotted line with the situation that is making you hide yourself.
May you have a blessed week ahead and Stay strong Holding on.
Amen!!!

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Tuesday, 2 December 2008 Devotion
Can you see the way God sees?
Judges 6: 11-16
“I can’t do it…. Mamie, please understand I can’t!! No, I said you can do it, why do you doubt?? You have what it take to do it” That’s a
part of an argument I overheard yesterday evening as I was headed home form my office. I didn’t know who the parties arguing were, but it is
evident that there was a tussle of one of the parties didn’t have the courage and motivation to carry out as task that he/she was given. That’s how
Gideon behaved and bringing it more closely down to us, that’s how we behave.
Gideon’s story is familiar with us and when many people speak on this particular story, they talk about overcoming discouragement,
trusting in God and many more that you have heard. Yesterday, I shared about “Who said that….. (I hope you filled in the dotted lines) and today I
want to go ahead and encourage you to see the way God does. Many a times we diminish ourselves and look down up ourselves, yet when God
looks at us in heaven, He sees that we are well able to accomplish the task or the mission that he has called us to. Take a look at verse 15; Gideon
lists down the things that he thought disqualify him from being what God wanted him to be. The reasons were very genuine and if it was me, I
would have acquainted him and go ahead and look for someone else, but that’s not the way our God works. When he calls us, He makes sure that
he equips us to be perfect for that particular job and task He has called us to accomplish.
For us to be what he wants us to be, He takes us through a series of experiences, teachings and various things as He sees worth for us.
(For more insight on this, check out this devotion: http://dennisdailyword.wordpress.com/2008/11/28/tuesday-7th-october-devotion/) These
experiences are not sweet as you may think but when you come out of the God’s Wilderness University, you are qualified for the task ahead of you.
What are those reasons that you are giving God that you can’t be what he has called you to be? I remember a certain lady in our church
when I was leading the praise team; I informed her that she was to lead worship in one of the Mid-week services and the response she gave was
very amazing. This is what she told me: “ever since I was in school, I have never even lead prayers in the class meetings, secondly, I have never stood
before more than three people to speak, for real, I cant make it, please ask saw and saw to do it” It took me a while before I could convince her that
she could sing and when she believed it, she made it and now she is a powerful worship leader.
Take a look at Moses. When God appeared to him at the burning bush, (Exodus 3:2-14) he also had his own reasons. He tells God of how
he doesn’t know how to speak well, will the people there accept and believe him? Furthermore God, I am a murderer. By human standards, Moses
would not have been fit to be the leader of the children of Israel, but God looked and saw that he was the one who was fit. Take a look at Jeremiah
too (Jeremiah 1: 4-8), he complains and tells God that he doesn’t know how to speak and yet he was a child; but look at God’s amazing answer…
“..Before you were formed in your mother’s womb, I knew you and set you apart as my prophet...” This shows us clearly that God knows us even
into the inner details that we think he doesn’t.
What’s my message today? Stop giving God excuses of why you can’t be what he wants you to be. He knows you have those
weaknesses and He knows how he will compliment them to fit into the mission and ministry that He has called you to do. I want to charge you
today just as God charged Gideon… you are well able and you can make it. Go forth and God will give you victory over whatever excuse you have
for not being what God wants you to be.
Judges 6:14 “And the LORD looked upon him, and said, go in this thy might, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I
sent thee?
Today, henceforth, go out in the strength of the lord.
Amen!!!
Wednesday, 3rd December 2008 Devotion
What do you think about?
Philippians 4:1-9
God has been so awesome and has been speaking so audibly since Monday. Let me start with sharing my experience with God since
Sunday. The message during the Sunday service was becoming a man of impact and I prayed a simple prayer to God. I said, “God I want to leave an
impact wherever I go and in whatever I do, so help me know what is hindering me to be of impact in my generation and help me deal with them”. In
the evening, I attending an evening of hymns fellowship where God started speaking. He reminded me that many times I do forget that He loved
me till He gave up his life for me on the cross and I ought to love Him back more that He did. On Monday, God was asking “who said….” and I
believe you filled in the gap of whatever is said of you. Yesterday, God was challenging us to see the way he does see us. This morning God has
challenged me in an area that is really critical in my life and I know it is also to you; the mind.
Your mind holds and controls what you want to do. It is the central processing unit of your life. God asked me a simple question: Yes! You
want to make and leave an impact in your generation, but how do you think? Through this, He reminded me of the scripture above. Paul tells the
Philippians that he was happy that they took care of him, but above all else, they should rejoice in the Lord always. Besides that, he urges them not
to be worried of anything but in prayer and supplication to surrender everything to God. The core of the challenge came up in vs. 8. He says;
“finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure,
whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
What do you think about? Paul said in Romans 12:1-2 “let us offer our bodies as living sacrifices unto God…. And let’s not conform to
the world but let us be changed and transformed by the renewal of our minds” It is until our minds are transformed, it’s when we can discern the
perfect and pleasing will of God. David in Psalms 1:2 said that a blessed man finds his delight in the law of the law of the Lord and it is on this law
that he does meditate upon day and night. Many of us spend a lot of time thinking and meditating on things that just make us worried and stressed
for nothing. If I may ask you, how many times has your worry changed the circumstance, issue or situation that you are worried about? Many
times you get stressed and think of things that shouldn’t be of your concern. Jesus talking to his disciples in Matthew 6:25 told them that you don’t
have to worry about anything. Check this link for more about worry (http://dennisdailyword.wordpress.com/2008/11/26/12th-september-2008-

devotion/)
What do you see? What do you listen to? What do you read? Who are your friends? Remember from the abundance of the heart, the
mouth speaks. Whatever you feed yourself with is what will definitely come out. The media today has less of what we need to know and more of
what is not needed. Paul gives us a good evaluation structure to weigh what we feed our lives with. For you to make that impact in your life,
generation, community, home, Christian life, to your children, in your workplace, you have to apply Paul’s principle of thinking if I may call it so.
Let’s evaluate whatever comes into our minds, heart, emails and even the company that we have and when you and I put this into check, I know
we are destined for impact.
Amen!!
Thursday, 4th December 2008 Devotion

It’s not by might, nor by power
Zechariah 4:1-10
What a week. I mean, who is like God, no one can compare to him and He is so awesome and amazing . Today am actually amazed by
Him. He speaks out his mind in a clear manner that you can hear audibly what He wants and what He wants of you. Today comes the best
encouragement that I have ever had. After believing God’s report on Monday, Tuesday I started seeing through God’s eyes. Yesterday I changed
my way of thinking and what I think about. Today, God says; it’s not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit. What do I mean? I have realized
that the journey to making an impact isn’t that easy and simple. If you take it with your own knowledge and might, you won’t make it but with God
by your side, you are destined to make an impact.
Zechariah was sent by God to encourage Zerubbabel who was rebuilding God’s temple and amidst the struggles that he had, God tells
him to relax since it is not by his own strength that the rebuilding was to be accomplished. The same case to you and me; There are some things
that we want to get rid of in our lives which are stumbling blocks to our growth and impact in our day to day Christian walk of Faith; nevertheless,
God says that it is not by might nor our own strength, all he needs is us to trust him and depend on him.
Dependence on God makes us have victory no matter how strong our enemy is or the situation we are in is. Lets look at a few people who
put their hope in God and they did exploit;
a) Gideon – In Judges 6:11-16, Gideon is met by the angel hiding in the caves from the Midianites that he is supposed to fight. At first, he is
adamant to believe that God has called him to deliver the children of Israel but when he did, see what God used him to do. Judges 7:1-7,
with only 300 men, God gave Gideon victory over the Midianites. Sometimes we lack faith in God just as Gideon did, he had to put God into
test so as to get to know that truly he would give him victory. God doesn’t need too many people to accomplish his intended purpose;
neither does he need too much of your ability, all He needs is your commitment and trust in him.
b) Jehoshaphat – 2 Chronicles 20, he is faced by an army force comprised of 5 nations and he doesn’t know what to do. Like many of us
wouldn’t have done, he turns back to God and he declares a day of prayer to seek God’s intervention on this. Its there when God tells him
to relax and see how he works. God tell him that he didn’t have to worry; all he has to do is stand still and see the deliverance of the Lord.
Sometimes we are really worried because of petty thing in our lives that we struggle with when God is there to help us through. At times
you just need to relax and watch him fight the battle for you. You don’t have to struggle. Trust him and He will sort you out.
c) David – 1 Samuel 17:40-51, David faces goliath and he defies and undermines David simply because he was small and he insults him asking
whether he was a do that he came to fight him with a stick, but David having confidence in God, he tells him that despite the weapons that
he had, he knew that God would give him victory over him. Sometimes the giants we are fighting in our lives pose a great challenge to us
until we are drained and filled with fear just like that army of Israel was, but it just demands a little courage to face the enemy and the
situation face off. When you do this, you have full trust in God and He is right behind you.
d) This is the woman who really makes me feel that I can do more than I have done. Esther. Faced by the challenge as the queen in a foreign
country and her race is on the verge of being finished, she says, “I will defy the rules and go to see the king myself, if I die, let me die” This
is regarded as one of the best sayings ever made in the Christian circle for a person who wanted to risk her life for the sake of others. She
went ahead after having three days of prayer and fasting for her, her maidservants and even the other Jews in the land. God honoured her
risk taking and the king favoured her. Some things in your life will demand you to risk. Other than risking for your own life and situations,
you might also be required to stand in the gap for your fellow believers and friends.
Withstanding all what we are supposed to do and fulfil on our part, there is an assurance of God being on our side no matter what we are going
through. All we have to do is trust in Him and have faith in Him and His promises and because He is not a man that He should lie. He will fulfil his
word.
Amen!!!

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Friday, 5 December 2008 Devotion
Move out of your comfort zone
Deuteronomy 1:6-8; 2:1-3
Making an impact is our ultimate goal this week. The Lord has taken you and me through a journey to make/prepare us for impact in our
generation and time. I believe when we apply what God has revealed to us this week and we follow them whole heartedly, we will be of impact and
be reckoned in our time. It shall be said of us as it was said of David “that he served God’s purpose in his generation”
Moses and the children of Israel have come out of captivity in the land of Egypt and they are enroute to the promise land. In the
wilderness, God has taught them several things and at some point, they rebelled against God and God decided to let them warder in the
wilderness. They came and built their tents around Mt. Horeb and Sier. Here, they got contented and they were very happy with life around the
mountain, but God wasn’t happy either, thus God speaks to Moses and tells him to break the camp and advance Northwards of the mountain.
God tells them “behold I have set the vast land of Canaan in front of you. Go ahead and possess it”. This is the word God is telling you
this morning. He has set in front of you the whole world before you. Jesus said the “the fields are white with harvest. The harvest is plenty but the
labourers are few”. The world is there ready and thirsty for you to go and impact. But the problem is that most of us know where God has called us
to serve and make an impact but yet we are busking in the success of yesterday. The children of Israel forgot that they were heading to Canaan and
yet they were contented staying in the mountainous parts of the wilderness where it was conducive for them.
Where have you dwelt so much in your life and you have gotten contented? What is that you are doing that you don feel like leaving it
and advancing on to try on a new thing? Has the business that you have so successful that you don’t want to venture into a new line of business
regardless the doors that you are seeing open? Are you contented with the education you have and the job that your certificates have given you till
you do not want to further your education? You don’t have to not to stay where you are and wait for God to come and speak to you audibly. Teach
yourself to move out of the comfort zone.
People who made an impact, used of God and did mighty things in their time were people who were not contented with where they
were. Let me sample a few of them.
a) Abraham – Genesis 12:1-7 God calls Abram and asks him to leave his native land and go to a land that God would show him. God tells
Abram that he would be blessed and his descendants would be like the sand of the sea. Abram obeyed and when he moved from Haran
to Canaan, God blessed him and changed his name from Abram to Abraham. God demands obedience when it comes to blessings. If you
are careful you will note that in all the blessings and promises that God has given in his word, they are all preceded by a condition to
fulfil before you get the promise thereof. Abraham became the father of faith simply because he obeyed and followed what God
commanded him to do. The question is; are you willing to obey? For some of us, this might be the price we have to pay to make an
impact.
b) Moses – God had a purpose with the life of Moses and because God knew his weaknesses and the plan he had, he had to make him pass
through the hand of Pharaoh so that first he co9uld learn how the government operates. Secondly to learn the wisdom and the
knowledge of the Egyptians and be equipped for the task ahead of him. Do not be deceived, God also likes to use people who are
learned. Nevertheless, Moses had to leave the comfort of the palace and go to the wilderness where God had to make him pass through
the second part of the training that He wanted him to have; the wilderness experience simply because he knew that He would have him
lead the Israelites through the wilderness thus why he had to learn the ways of the wilderness. In this, God knew that if he would speak
to Moses and tell him to leave the palace, he wouldn’t have agreed to, thus why he had to bring up a situation that had to make him
leave the palace. God will use some situations to make you leave your current comfort zone so that he can train you and make you ready
for the next stage of the mission.
c) Joseph – Joseph had a dream and he knew that it was God who had called him. Nevertheless, his brethren were always discouraging him.
This way, just as Moses, God created a way for him to get away from all the discouragements that were ahead of him and He sent him to
where he would fulfil his calling. You know your calling but yet there are people who are there just to discourage you, scorn you, make
you feel that you are doing the wrong thing, i.e. their best work to you is discourage you, you don’t need to be told, Move away from
them and trust God for people to help you accomplish your purpose in life.
d) Jonah – We started with obedience and we end with disobedience. Jonah’s story is very familiar to all of us. He was sent but he decided
to disobey and instead went to Tar shish. God had to cause a storm in the sea to awake him from the sound and peaceful sleep he had
down at the deck of the ship. Will you disobey and allow god to make you fulfil the call that He has given you by force? NO!!! I would
not. Let’s all strive to be faithful servants to the call that we have been called to.
God has called us and He doesn’t feel happy and contented when we die while we haven’t made an impact or accomplished our mission and
purpose on earth. It’s my prayer and belief that this week God has revealed His mind to us and the things that might be hindering us from being of
impact and how to deal with them. Let’s ask God for the grace and power to be victors over these stumbling blocks that we encounter on our way
to imparting the world.
Amen!!!

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Monday, 8 December 2008 Devotion
Uzziah must die
Isaiah 6:1-13
Here comes another week. Last week was so awesome having God sorting us out and preparing us to make an impact in our generation
and others to come. I believe that you are now set to leave a legacy to be reckoned when you are long gone into the grave. Still majoring on impact
making in our lives and generation, I have been wrestling with God on a few issues and it has been so amazing how God has been responding. The
last two days it has been more of a personal dealing. God has challenged me still in this area of making an impact and I want to share the same with
you.
Uzziah has been the king of Israel when Isaiah was the prophet and Uzziah did some things which were detestable before the eyes of God
and this made God’s glory to depart from Israel. Remember, God had said that He would make Israel his dwelling place, but the sins of the people
made his glory depart the land. In this chapter, when Uzziah dies, that’s when the eyes of Isaiah were opened and he saw God in his glory. When
this happens, Isaiah is able to see his uncleanliness before God and repented.
Sometimes we act in the same manner. It doesn’t necessarily have to be sin in our lives but also some habbits, attitude, our talk,
decisions, priorities, friends, relatives, business, jobs name them that make us not to see God in our lives. The question this morning is; who/what
is your Uzziah? We ought to have/put these things on check so that they won’t be a stumbling block to our relationship with God. Many a times we
find ourselves before God’s presence only to realize that we are unclean and we have dwelt in the tents of the unclean just as Isaiah said. The good
thing is that God is always merciful and always ready to pardon and cleanse us once we ask for pardon. We see that when Isaiah realized that he
was unclean, he said, “woe unto me for I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of people with unclean lips”. We also need to realize
that we dwell amidst a generation of people which is unclean and evil. When we do this, we will be able to live with caution of what to do and what
not to, where to go and where not to, people to be intimate with and those not to etc.
After Isaiah’s lips were cleansed, thus the time that he was ready to be sent of the Lord. Many of us have been called and we know this
but why haven’t we been effective? The answer is very simple; we have entangled ourselves with the civilian affairs of this world till they have
blocked and veiled our eyes from seeing the Lord and made our ears deaf to hear God’s voice calling out for us. God tells Isaiah to go and tell the
people that they hear yet they do not understand, they see but they do not know. Seems like God was pronouncing a curse on the house of Israel
but Isaiah asks God until when will He do so and God said till all the unjust generation is wiped out and the Holy generation is left.
Just like Isaiah, we do not have to let God get annoyed and wipe out the unjust generation from the face of the earth so that he can
relent his anger, we need to stand in the gap and pray for the Uzziah’s in our life, nation, families, and workplaces etc to die instead thus God can
move in our midst. God has called you and me to be instruments of change wherever we are. How else will we make an impact in our generation if
we won’t stand in the gap and pray for them? This is our call; just as Isaiah did, let’s all rise up to the occasion and call God on behalf of others and
when we do this, I know God will hearken to our prayer and relent his anger.
1 Chronicles 7:14 “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their
wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land” This is your call and mine too, to seek God’s face on
behalf of our nation so that we can receive healing.
Amen!!!
Tuesday, 9th December 2008 Devotion

Repentance
I have been struggling in my heart and soul whether to share this or not but I wasn’t at peace when I decided not to. It was so clear to me
that God wants you and me to know and understand this. This issue has been running in my mind since last week and I told God to deal with me
individually but it wasn’t enough. I pray and believe that as you read through, God will speak and touch your spirit and soul just as He did to me.
Repentance: It has many definitions and I don’t know on which to pick on. In simple words, it is a feeling of regret/remorse/contrition
for one’s past conduct, misdeeds or sins. I have tried to blend three definitions to fit into one; you can try and get another definition of the same.
Again, repentance is the act or process of repenting. Jesus’ mission on earth wasn’t to come and perform miracles, heal the sick, revive the dead,
die on the cross and ascend to the father again; NO!! His main mission on earth was to bring back the fellowship between man and God through
repentance and forgiveness of sins but as it is recorded, “He came unto those who were his, but the rejected him” John 1:11 Nevertheless, as
many as received Him through Repentance and believing in Him, they were given the power to be the Sons of God John 1:12 You can’t feel guilty
for something wrong you did unless you believe in the object of focus in the misact or misdeed, and Jesus being God and the object of our Faith, we
believe in Him and thus why when we sin, we have to repent.
Many are the times that we find ourselves in sin, not because we wished to be there; circumstances surround us and eventually we find
ourselves on the wrong side with God. We shouldn’t let the guilty conscience break us down, 1 John 1:9 says that “if we confess our sins unto him,
He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” This is the hardest thing for a human being to do. To stand out and say,
I sinned or I did this wrong, please forgive me, we find it so hard to say it; why? We fear what people will say about us. Sometimes could find
myself in the same situation. God speaks out to me very clearly and I know verily that it is me that God is speaking to, I am afraid of what the crowd
will say about me… Let’s stop worrying about people who will talk about you for a day or two and then keep quiet, let’s mind about God who
sees us and at the end of the day, He will judge us. He is the one who holds our lives.
Now that we know that it is God whom we are supposed to reverence or fear rather than man, what are we supposed to do so as we
mend and put our ways in order with God? There are 6 steps to repentance:
a) Feel Godly sorrow – “For I will declare my iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin” Psalms 38:18 As I had said earlier, repentance starts with
acknowledgement of one’s sins then confession. You have to recognize and own up the sin you have done. Mainly, most sins fall under
disobedience and this is not to human beings alone but to God’s commands. Your sins also touch people and some are hurt. Take for
example you are entrusted with the position of a treasurer and you steal, the people who entrusted you that responsibility are hurt by

your deeds and you ought also to feel sorry for hurting them too and ask for their forgiveness.
b) Confess to God – Confession should be the next step. 1 John 1:9 says that when we confess, we receive forgiveness and we are cleansed.
Confession should be voluntary, it shouldn’t be because you fear to be discovered but it should come out of your heart if you truly feel
the Godly sorrow inside of you in regards to the sin that you commit. Read these scriptures to see more: 2 Samuel 24:10, 17; Ezra 9:4-15;
Nehemiah 1:6-9; Job 7:20; Psalms 32:5.
c) Ask for forgiveness – After owning up your sins and confessing them, you then ask for forgiveness from God. Our God is just yet He never
th
leaves any sin unpunished even up to the 4 generation, but when we ask for his forgiveness, He relents his anger and wrath upon us and
pardons us. Jesus is our forgiveness; by the virtue of His death on the cross, He declared that all is finished, so you can have confidence
that when you ask him for forgiveness, He will forgive you.
d) Rectify what caused the sin – “And if it be stolen from him, he shall make restitution unto the owner thereof” Exodus 22:12 There is a
cause for everything to happen on the face of the earth. The best way to deal with the situation is to follow up the traces and indentify
the root cause of it and deal with it. Remember the sin affects not only the spiritual part of your life but affects you also physically,
emotionally and mentally. When you rectify and you know the root of the sin, ask for forgiveness of those you wronged and try to find
another way to show your change of heart.
e) Forsake the sin – “he that covers his sins shall not prosper; but whosever confesses and forsakes them shall prosper” Proverbs 28:13. You
make a resolution to leave the sin and turn away from it completely. Make a promise to God and yourself not to; nevertheless, so not rely
on your own ability to make yourself stay away from sinning, Ask God to give you grace and guide your steps.
f) Lastly but not the least, Receive the forgiveness. God is a faithful God and his promises are yea and Amen. When he promises to do, He
will do. When you repent with a sincere heart, be assured of his forgiveness. “If a man is in Christ Jesus, he is a new creature, the past is
gone and behold the new has come” 2 Corinthians 5:17 you also need to allow his forgiveness to come upon you. This is followed by a
feeling of peace inside you and you feel and assurance of forgiveness. Do not hold onto your sin and sorrow you have felt; let it go by
truly forgiving yourself, just as the Lord has forgiven you. Read through these scriptures, they give you God’s assurance of forgiveness:
Ephesians 1:6-7; Psalms 85:2; Psalms 103:12; Hebrews 8:12; Isaiah 55:7; Psalms 32:1-2; Isaiah 1:18; Jeremiah 33:8; Colossians 2:13.
Through Christ’s Atonement we are able to repent and be cleansed from our sins. Jesus was our atonement sacrifice on the cross and we do not
have to do it the Old Testament way. I know that each one of us can be forgiven and receive peace because when repentance is done with sincerity
from the heart, there is the promise of peace in our lives. Let me finish with this, if you may feel that you don’t feel as if you have been forgiven, go
and share out with your prayer partner or a close friend and ask him/her to pray with you.
James 5:16
“Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth
much”
Amen!!!
Wednesday, 10th December 2008 Devotion

Forget the former things
Isaiah 43:18-19
Great is the Lord and He is worth of praise. He has been speaking so audibly and revealing His mind to us since last week. This week
started with a bang with God reminding us on Monday that we need to let the Uzziah’s in our lives die. Yesterday God dealt with our unrepentant
heart and how we should do it. Today God was reminding me that He is a loving God and He cares for us. The fact that He gave Jesus, His only
begotten Son to come and pay the pardon and bear the shame, pain and humiliation that me and you could have suffered is a clear indication of his
everlasting and never ending love for us. I have come to realize that God is ready and willing to move with us, work with us and work through us
but it is us who have closed the door on Him to do so. You may ask me how, our unbelief, lack of faith and trust in Him and the promises that He
has given are clear indicators. It is until we learn and we are ready to trust God no matter what the circumstances dictate, thus the time we will
see Him move mightily in us and through us and we will be of impact.
The Uzziah’s in our lives having died and we have repented our sins and shortcomings, we are now ready for what God has in store for us.
God speaking to the children of Israel tells them; "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs
up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland” Isaiah 43:18-19. The Israelites had been unfaithful to
God and forsaken him yet God still cared for them and was merciful to them. He tells them that He is their creator, King and Redeemer, a God who
loved them, had mercy and compassion upon them and had them in mind all through despite their unfaithfulness.
Sometimes you and I find ourselves in the state the house of Jacob was; having forgotten all about God and what He has done for us,
where He has saved and delivered us from, yet He is still in love with us and cares about us. His love for us is everlasting. Once we repent our sins,
he blots our sin away and he remembers it no more. He says I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not
remember thy sins. Isaiah 43:25. You know one thing that the devil likes to capitalize on and pin us down is guiltiness. He makes sure that
whenever you go to God’s presence, he brings condemnation in your heart that you find yourself unworthy before God’s presence. John reminds
us that God is faithful and just to forgive us and not only to forgive us but also to cleanse us from our unrighteousness (1 John 1:9) After we have
been forgiven and cleansed, we should walk with our heads high knowing that our sins have been written off. Paul says that “If any man is in Christ
Jesus, he is a new creature; the past is gone and behold the new has come” 2 Corinthians 5:17. Again Romans 8:1 reminds us that there is no
condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, for we no longer walk in the flesh but in the Spirit. The devil has no authority or stand to come and
accuse you of the sins that you did long time ago; if you repented, you just have to remind him that Jesus died on the cross and His blood blotted
away all your sins.
Picture this: when I think of the underlined words above, I figure it out this way; maybe you have your own way; before Jesus came and

died on the cross, I assume there was a scroll or a page with my name on top and whenever I sinned, it was recorded on that scroll, but with the
death of Jesus on the cross and Him declaring that it is finished, His precious blood came and covered all the record that there was on the scroll
with my sins. That’s how it used to be in the Old Testament, in the time of Moses. There was no atonement without blood. Thus why the children
of Israel used to go with an animal for sacrifice so that when the blood of the animal was shed, it was a sign that the sins of the person were
forgiven/washed away by the blood. And it is recorded that the death of Jesus is the ultimate sacrifice that supersedes that of animals.
What else would we have to worry for if Jesus blood blotted away our sins and now we can walk free. Isaiah says Come now, and let us
reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they as red as crimson, they shall be as
wool. Isaiah 1:18 Forget the former thing and embrace the new thing that God is about to do in your life. Do not walk in humiliation simply
because of what happened yesterday (past), look ahead and see a bright ray of hope and the new thing that is springing up in your life.
Amen!!!!
Thursday, 11th December 2008 Devotion

Deal with Pride
Jeremiah 13
The lessons that the lord is giving us are getting better and better and also hard for us but it is for our best to make us ready to make us
ready for a mighty work ahead of us. Yesterday we were reminded to forget the former things that we did while we were yet sinners and should
not live in guilt or condemnation. Many times when we are forgiven, we tend to go out bragging saying that the person involved didn’t do us
anything or punish us and we forget that it is through God’s grace that we are forgiven. In simple words, our hearts become proud. But this is not
the desire of our God; He himself was humble and He intends us to also be humble. Remember James says that “God resists the proud but gives
grace to the humble” James 4:6. Many a times we tend to see other people who are proud but we do not see ourselves and when we are told of
the same, we tend to defend ourselves.
God speaks to the nation of Judah and tells them to repent of their pride or else they will be destroyed. God gives Jeremiah an illustration
with a linen waist belt. He is told go and hide it underground for some days and when he goes to take it back, it is marred and worth nothing. The
same way, God sees our pride. We exalt ourselves do high regarding ourselves and yet our downfall will be greater than even the height that we
had gone in our pride. Remember Jesus’ parable of the two builders? One never counted the cost and just built his house in the sand and when the
winds and the rains came, great was the downfall of the house, but the other house was intact simply because it was built on a rock and the
foundation was strong. Same to our lives with pride; we see as if we have a strong base when regarding ourselves high and boasting, but lol! Let’s
remember to look ahead of what will happen because of our pride.
What are the simple causes of pride? God outlines a few of the things that had made the people of Judah to be proud. He lists them
down and warns them that if, they shouldn’t change, and then God would bring punishment upon them. These included:
a) Disobedience – vs. 10a. God tells the people of Judah that they had refused to hearken to his commands and they had followed their own
ways. Proverbs says that the way that seems good to man at the end leads to destruction. They walked in the ways that seemed right in
their eyes and according to their imagination but little did they know that they were nor pleasing God at all. Their ways were detestable
before the eyes of God. How are your ways? Do you follow your heart or you ask God for God’s guidance and direction in anything that
you do.
b) Self esteem or worth - vs. 10b God tells the people of Judah that the imaginations of their hearts had led them to stray away from Him.
Self worth is good but if not taken well into account and brought under control, it makes us be proud without our notice. We usually
don’t intend to boast ourselves off but it comes out automatically. Pride is the same thing that made the devil and his angles be cast away
from heaven. He was the worship leader in the heavens and when He saw that God was pleased with his, worship, he also decided to be
like God.
c) Idolatry - vs. 10c The Israelites had forgotten about God and his commandment. God had warned them not to worship any other god
apart from Him alone but they had forgotten Him and they were following after foreign gods and worshiping them. They had been
carried away by the gods of the Amorites, Hittites and other nations that were surrounding them. You may not be having a carved image
that you have placed somewhere and you worship it, but what are your priorities in life? Where have you placed God in your life? If he
doesn’t come 1st in your life, thus know that whatever else comes first is your idol.
There are many causes of pride in a human being. I know you can analyze your life and see what else brings on pride and pray that God will
help you deal with it. Reading through the book of proverbs, I realized that it talk so much about pride. I hope you won’t mind if I gave you a small
bible study homework on the same. Here is the study:
Bible Study on Pride

Pride: An overly high opinion of oneself; exaggerated self-esteem; conceit; haughtiness; arrogance.
1. The first thing we need to consider is God’s view of pride.

a. According to Psalm 138:6 how does God look upon those who are Prideful? ______________________________________________.
b. According to Proverbs 3:34 what does God do to the proud mocker? ____________________________________________________.
Can you think of how this might happen? __________________________.
c. According to Proverbs 8:13 what does God say he thinks about pride and arrogance? _______________________________________.
What does that mean for those who are prideful? ___________________________________________________________.
d. According to Ecclesiastes 7:8 what is better than pride? _______________.
Which one of these do you practice the most? ______________________.
e. According to James 4:6 what is God’s disposition toward the Proud? _____________________________________________________.

Can you identify some areas of your life where God may be opposing you because your pride? __________________________________.
2. Next we will look at what pride does to people and who they become through pride.
a. According to Psalm 10:1-3 what do the arrogant do to the weak? _______________________________________________________.
How do arrogant people treat greedy people? _______________________.
How do prideful people act toward God? __________________________.
b. According to Proverbs 26:12 what does a prideful person tend to think about himself? ________________________________________.
c. According to Romans 12:16 what attitude does prideful people develop toward other people? __________________________________.
Can you think of people you won’t associate with because you look down on them (be honest)? _________________________________.
d. According to 1 Corinthians 13:4 what is a very important characteristic of love that has to do with pride? __________________________.
So if someone is very proud what does that show a lack of? ___________.
3. The next verses will consider what results occur when people live in prideful ways.
a. According to Proverbs 11:2 what comes along with pride? ____________.
Can you write down a time you acted in pride and it brought disgrace? ________________________________________________.
b. According to Proverbs 16:5 what does God promise will happen to people who are proud in their hearts? _________________________.
c. According to Proverbs 16:18 what comes after pride? ________________.
What comes when someone has a haughty spirit? ____________________.
Can you write down a time when you fell because you were doing something in pride? _________________________________.
d. According to Proverbs 29:23 what does pride do to someone? ___________________________________________________________.
What is something a person should examine if they are low? ___________.
e. According to Isaiah 2:12 what will the Lord do to people that are proud, lofty, and exalted?_____________________________________.
Can you think of some ways that God might humble someone? _______________________________________________________.
f. According to Malachi 4:1 what will happen to the arrogant people on the day the Lord comes? _______________________________.
g. According to 1 Corinthians 8:1 what is one thing that causes people to be puffed up and prideful? ________________________________.
Can you think of anyone who thinks a lot of himself because of what he knows? __________________________________________.
h. According to 1 Corinthians 8:2 what does the prideful man really know when he thinks he knows a lot? ___________________________.
What is it that such a person ought to know? _______________________.
i. According to Revelation 3:17 some people become proud because of what they have and they think they do not need anything else. What
does God say about such people? _________________________________________.
What is it that keeps people from seeing themselves for who they really are? _______________________________________ _______.
Do you have any areas of your life where you may not be seeing yourself for who you really are because you are blinded by pride? _____.
4. Finally we must look at what we need to do in order to not be controlled by pride.
a. According to Acts 8:21-23 what is wrong in us if we have this pride? _____________________________________________.
What are two things that we need to do to correct this condition? ________________________________________________.
What are we captive to if we let this condition continue on? __________.
b. According to James 4:10 what do people need to do in order to deal with pride in their lives?_______________________________.
What will God do if we humble ourselves before him? _______________
___________________________________________________________.
5. In what areas of your life do you have pride (your talents and gifts, your looks, your wealth, your friends, your family, your car, your house, your
knowledge, your social status, etc.)? _____________________________________________.
Amen!!!
Friday 12th December 2008 Devotion
Living a life of impact.
Obstacles to a life of impact.
In the past two or so weeks, God has been ministering to us in regards to living a life of impact and He has outlined some of the things
that we ought to deal with so that we can live a life of impact. I do believe that you have been blessed as I have been blessed. Nevertheless, we still
have to strive day by day so that whatever we strive to do may be of impact to those around us, we face obstacles in the process. These should nit
deter us from moving ahead to our destiny; we shouldn’t lose focus on the target or the goal and the price ahead of us. As Paul said, that one thing
I do is forgetting the past and pressing on to the mark of perfection; our mark of perfection here is leaving an impact in all we do.
One thing is sure in this world; when you are long gone, either you move from one place to another or you go to rest; you will be
remembered for either of these two things; the problems you caused or the problems you solved; the good you did or the bad things that you did.
This is very sure and you can't change this. Even today, there are some people in your life you don’t wish to remember because of the things they
did and there are others that you wish they would still be there. It is said that “it counts so much what you leave/add to the world more than
what you gain from it”. One thing that is sure is that the devil is always on our back trying to pull us back, and every door that God opens our way
attracts the devils attention (1 Corinthians 16:8-9)
The biggest battle ever fought on the surface of the earth by man is the battle of the mind. The devil always tries to use the mind of a
man more than anything else. How does he do this? Paul tells the Corinthians that Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we
do not lose heart. Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the
contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled,
it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of
the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. (2 Corinthians 4:1-4) The devil, who is the god of this world fights to block the minds of the perishing

that they won’t hear the gospel thus they perish without making an impact in their lives.
In the lieu of this, there are six ways in which the devil uses to block our minds so that we are not of any impact in our generation.
a) Sin – Sin corrupts the mind. Ezekiel 18:4 “For every living soul belongs to me, the father as well as the son—both alike belong to me.
The soul who sins is the one who will die” After sinning, there is something that dies in our lives. Sin kills the fellowship we have with god
through the Holy Spirit. God is Holy and thus since He can’t dwell in a filthy place, His spirit leaves our lives and thus we end up being
empty vessels walking. People who made and impact in the bible, were people who hated sin and we also have to hate sin and flee
from its appearance for us to make an impact. Take a look at Joseph, Daniel – he purposed not to defile himself at all. Hebrews 6:12,
Paul challenges the Hebrews not to be lazy but they strive to imitate people who persevered and received God’s promises in their lives.
b) Accepting the status quo: The devil tries to cheat you that you have reached your destiny and thus you become comfortable where you
are and you don’t strive to move ahead. Proverbs 4:18 Solomon encourages us that the sun rises in the morning and continues to be
brighter and brighter, that’s how our walk of faith should be. There is always a room for improvement in everything that we do. The best
of you is yet to come.
c) The past - Never dwell in your past; always focus on your future. Guilt is the worst enemy of advancement. When we sin and ask God for
forgiveness, the devil capitalizes on the guilt that we feel and reminds us of our past. God told the children of Israel this after they had
strayed and God was reminding them of his promises to them; “This is what the LORD says— your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: "I
am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go. If only you had paid attention
to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your righteousness like the waves of the sea.” Isaiah 48:17-18 Nevertheless,
he still loved them and cared for them. Isaiah 43:18-19, God reminds us of the new things that He is doing in our lives. The good thing
with our God is that when we fall down, He is always more than willing to help us rise up again. Proverbs 24:16, Micah 7:8: Let me share
these quotes with you: “The future holds more happier days more than the past you can remember”; “if you dwell on the colourful
past, the greener future loses its colour”; “Those whose yesterday was big, they are doing nothing today” The question is, are you
going to let your past deter you from reaching your destiny?
d) Pride of the past achievements: We have seen in the earlier point that we shouldn’t dwell in the colourful past since the future may lose
its colour. What then should we do? Praise god because of your past whether good or bad and never dwell there. These scriptures really
get me on toes when I tend to dwell on my past; Micah 2:10 “Get up, go away! For this is not your resting place, because it is defiled, it
is ruined, beyond all remedy.” As good as your past is, it is not worth to dwell there. David said that even in his old age, he had never
seen the righteous forsaken; so don’t think that when you bask in your current achievements, you will not be able to achieve more in the
future, no Psalms 92:14 says “They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green.” Let your past achievements always be
a stepping stone to your greater tomorrow.
e) The spirit of Comparison: The spirit of comparison controls you in two ways; (a) Those below you make you feel proud. (b) Those above
you make you feel discouraged to move on. Paul told the Corinthians “We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who
commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.
13We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the field God has assigned to us, a field that
reaches even to you.” 2 Corinthians 10:12 There is always a lane that God has for you to follow so that you can succeed. Always
remember that you have your own life to live and your own predestined purpose to accomplish on earth. The guiding principle is Learn to
be faithful wherever you are and you will definitely prosper. Remember “God doesn’t need to look at your past so as to bless you;
neither does he need a committee to inquire”.
f) Fear of curses: Most of our families have been affected by this simply because we fear that the curse that our great grandfather
pronounced may fall on us. Colossians 2:13-14, Jesus died on the cross and took away the curse of the law and now you don’t have to
walk in fear of being cursed, Jesus died and became a curse for your sake so that you can walk free. Now that you have known the truth
and received the forgiveness and you are redeemed by the blood of Jesus, you can walk with your head high knowing that you are
uncursable and Jesus took all your curses on the cross and declared them null and void.
When we deal with this six obstacles and we have cleared them form our paths, be sure you are destined for impact in your life provided you also
walk in God’s will. Knowing God’s will and purpose is the most important and the foremost thing to be done before even yearning to be of impact
in our Christian life even in the world that we live in.
Amen!!!
Monday 15th December 2008 Devotion

After Tribulation, What next?
Romans 8:18-39; Isaiah 40:31
The year is quickly coming to an end and I know that everyone of us can give a testimony of how the Lord has been faithful to us in
diverse ways. Personally, as I remember the word that God gave me at the beginning of the year, I reflect back and I can surely say that God is my
Ebenezer. Some things that have happened, I couldn’t have done them on my own, but God has remained faithful even in times when we have
been unfaithful to him.
I know you can bear me witness that the sail hasn’t been smooth and sweet all along the way. There have been tribulations, tests and
trials here and there till to some point you may have asked a question just as I did one time; I asked God, Are you really involved in all this?? I
don’t know how it has been for you whether you reached such a point in your life. The good and encouraging thing is that despite all that, God has
been there for us and we still remain in his love.
Paul the servant of God speaking to the Romans asks them; what or who shall separate us from the love of God? Shall trouble or
hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? All of us at one point or another have gone through these challenges and we
were/are on the verge of almost giving up in life and we think that God is nowhere near us. This is actually the time that he is near us the most.

These things, i.e. trials, temptations name them; they all come with a purpose. James says that “God will never allow you to be tested beyond
what you can bear” 1 Corinthians 10:13 some come to rebuke us, encourage and strengthen us, teach us and enlighten us in the walk of faith.
If we look at the apostles, none of them didn’t pass through a hard time but they all kept their faith. None of them except John died a
normal death; some were crucified on X crosses, sawn into two, beheaded and even the martyrs of the early church all faced these challenges yet
they were steady in their faith. Sometimes we pass through trying times and we are easily overcome by the situation. Paul says that “I consider
that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the
sons of God to be revealed. Romans 8:18-19. Through these trials, God manifests himself and when we are through, we come out refined and we
are revealed as the sons of God thus he receives all the Glory.
There are benefits in trials. You may wonder what do I gain when I am passing through hard and tough times in my life; but there are
several things that God develops in us when we are passing through these trials, hardships and sufferings: Looking at James 1:2-16, we see the
following:
a) Patience/Endurance/perseverance – vs. 2-4 when we pass through trial and temptations, James tells us that the testing of our faith
produces patience. Patience is very vital in our Christian walk since we have to bear much through this walk of faith. Jesus when praying
for the disciples said that he knew that the world would not love us but He prayed that God would give us grace and patience to endure
all. When patience has fully grown in us, it completes the work thus nothing is left. Patience is the mother of all virtues. You can’t love if
you are not patient. When someone hurts you again and again, it is hard to love that person but you need to bear the hurt and in the long
run due to the patience you have with the person, love grows ups for the same person.
b) Dependence on God – vs. 5-6 During this time that we are undergoing hard times, many of us tend to think that God has deserted us. I
tend to differ with that in some way… I might be wrong but I stand to be corrected, James says that it is our faith being tested and our
dependence on God is one of the aspects that entail our faith in God. Many are the times when we think God has deserted us and we run
to seek help in other sources… this is lack of wisdom and as James says, we should ask God for wisdom. When we turn to God to ask of
his wisdom, it shows that on our own we can’t do anything and thus we wholly depend on him for guidance and help.
c) We develop stable and focused faith/mind – vs. 7-8 James says that for us to receive anything from God, we should not have double
minds. This implies that when in our trials we turn to God, we should not have alternatives incase God doesn’t answer our prayers in our
favour; but many of us have second alternatives incase it doesn’t work out the way we thought it would be. God demands full
dependence, faith and trust in Him alone and not divided attention. As much as a human being would hate to have somebody give him
divided attention, that’s the same feeling God has when we are double minded.
d) Humility – vs. 9-10 Trials sometimes come to show us our flaws and point them out for us to deal with ourselves. Sometimes God will use
a situation in your life to show you something that you may need to deal with in your life. God reminds us that we are like a flower; so
bright in the morning but as the sun rises up, the flower withers. So does our lives… we exalt ourselves at some point in life but when
passing through a certain season in our lives, God humbles us until the vice of pride in us withers down.
e) Elevation/reward/Approval – vs. 12 blessed is the man who endures the trials because there is a reward for him. In schools, after every
term, there comes an assessment test to check whether you understood whatever you were taught and when you pass the test, you are
approved to advance because you have qualified in the previous lesson or term. The same case to God, before He blesses you, he
prepares you for what He has in store for you and when He is almost blessing you, He might decide to test you and see whether you are
ready for his blessing. Remember Jacob wrestling with the angel? When the angle saw that Jacob would not let him go, he had to bless
him… same to us, we have to hold on with God and prove to him that we are ready for his blessings in lives. The crown of glory is the
promise that every one of us yearns to have when Christ comes back.
In the light of this, let us not complain when we pass though trials but instead, let us get to see beyond the trials and ask God to let us know what
He intends of us through what we are passing and I know that when we know God’s mind in our trials, we will be able to hold on, persevere and
receive the crown of life which is our promised rewards.
Amen!!!

Daily Devotions - 08

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2008

Dennis Daily Word

Consider these songs:

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May this be our prayer:

6th August 2008 Devotion

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12th August 2008 Devotion

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13th August 2008 Devotion

14th August 2008 Devotion

Paul gives us a solution that can help us do this:

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1st September 2008 Devotion

Here is what unforgiveness does to you:

Decide today to live by these three Rs:

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20 GUIDELINES FOR EFFECTIVE PRAYER:

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May God richly bless you.

12th September 2008 Devotion

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1. We serve a God who hears us. (vs. 41)

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17th September 2008 Devotion

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26th September 2008 Devotion

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30th September 2008 Devotion

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1st October 2008 Devotion

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2nd October 2008 Devotion

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Tuesday, 7th October Devotion:

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Wednesday, 8th October 2008 Devotion

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May God help us to be Climbers and not to be either campers or quitters.

Thursday 9th October 2008 Devotion

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Wednesday, 15th October 2008 Devotion

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Thursday, 16th October 2008 Devotion

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Brethren, this is the level of “Taking it by force.”

Monday, 27th October 2008 Devotion

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Thursday, 30th October 2008 Devotion

Why we give up:

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Friday, 31st November 2008 Devotion

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Revival that God is bringing comes along with:

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Today, henceforth, go out in the strength of the lord.