DO NOT FOLLOW THE CROWD
"When Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house and he kneeled on his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did before." (Dan 6:10 NHEB)
Daniel is a prominent figure in the Bible, well known for his wisdom and faith in God. The hard times he faced as an individual and the challenges he faced together with his friends are not what anyone would wish for.
Daniel had the choice of eating the king's delicacies or eating vegetables. He chose vegetables. Daniel said, "Test your servants for ten days; and let them give us vegetables to eat, and water to drink." (NHEB Daniel 1:12)
On another occasion, Daniel was faced with a choice between turning his back on God and being eaten up by lions. The condition is, ask anything from any other entity apart from the god carved by the king, then, you risk being fed to the lions. Surprisingly, Daniel did not mind being thrown into the lions' den.
Daniel 6:10 says, "When Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house (now his windows were open in his chamber toward Jerusalem) and he kneeled on his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did before." (NHEB)
Daniel was determined not to defile himself with the king's delicacies. He also chose to serve God despite facing the danger of being devoured by lions. These are foolish choices, you would say. I too do not understand why one should be 'so irrational' to make those choices. But do you know what? God always came through for him.
As in the times of Daniel, people still face challenging circumstances. If you are a child of God, you cannot follow what seems good in the eyes of the crowd as against the counsel of God. You need to learn to choose wisely as Daniel did. Choose to follow God and His Way, and He will come through for you as in the case of Daniel. DO NOT FOLLOW THE CROWD.
By Bro Obaloluwa Ayo-Makinde
THE POWER IN THE WORD! (2)
“Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live.” (Ezekiel 37:5 ESV)
Last week, I expounded on the importance of The Power Of The Word, emphasising that we should be mindful of what we say, lest the negative pronouncement we make become a trap and ensnare us. But, this is not just about the negative things alone; another dimension is, the power we hold with our words should be utilised for the glory of His name.
Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him.” (Mark 11:23).
Truly, what we say carries weight, but it must be paired with faith. I mean faith in the Word of God! If we truly believe that what we say will come to pass, as long as it aligns with the will of God, then it will.
Hebrews 11:6 states that, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that comes to God must believe that he is....” This is where it all begins. We should not do it half-heartedly or with any doubt. If we do, we doubt His existence, let alone His power. That cannot be!
Moreover, Jesus is the Living Word of God. He conquered death and showed what it meant to have true victory over the enemy. This should resonate strongly with us as we explore the relevance of the Word and truly mean it when we talk of its power. It is not just about what we hear in church; it is real, and more powerful than we can imagine.
The power of the tongue is real and alive; we must not neglect that fact. We must stand on the Word God has spoken over our lives and destinies for it shall surely come to pass. We should also be aware of the power we carry. Remember: The Word opened the blind’s eyes, healed the sick and even, raised the dead. There is nothing that is out of the realm of possibility when you speak His Word in faith. I pray we will always remember the power we hold and use it to glorify Him in Jesus Name. AMEN.
- By Sister Nancy
THE POWER IN THE WORD! (1)
“Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live.” (Ezekiel 37:5 ESV)
These are the words of God. They were spoken by Him, and they came to pass. When God says a thing, that thing will happen. No force, power or entity can stop the fulfilment of God’s Word. His Word cannot be overturned or overruled by anything in Heaven, on earth or below the earth. His Word is so powerful. It can give sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, a voice to the mute and life to that which is dead. There is no limit to the power the Word holds, and there is no power that can limit the Word.
“Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not?” (Lamentations 3:37).
Again, from this verse, we are reminded that our God has the final say over all. Hallelujah!
When we read more of the context of Ezekiel 37, we come to realise that God commanded Prophet Ezekiel to speak. The word he spoke was the Word of God, because it has divine backing. This underscores the power of the tongue.
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.” (Proverbs 18:21).
In the book of James, we are instructed to be mindful of what we speak. Why? What we say has the tendency to manifest in an unfortunate way. If we say things like, “I’ll never be able to do this” or “I’ll never be free from this sickness,” we are unintentionally speaking damnation into our lives. We must be careful not to fall into unhealthy habits of saying such things. Many people in the world may say that “It’s no big deal”. But as children of God, we must stay spiritually alert and not let our guard down.
Brethren, don't fall into that trap. Before you make your next statement, remember The Power In The Word. God bless you.
- By Sister Nancy
SING UNTO THE LORD A NEW SONG
"O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory." (Psalm 98:1 KJV)
The psalmist encouraged us to sing a new song. Pay attention to the last part – His right hand has gotten him the victory. Right hand is a symbol of power, victory, salvation, strength, triumph, etc. Now, ask yourself – Does God need any of those? God is All-Powerful who does not need to get involved in a battle before He wins. He is sovereign. If He secured a victory or the likes, it is not for Himself but for you and I. Think about that!
Being called by the Name of God is a wonder with no comparison! The Bible says, "For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called" (1Co 1:26 KJV). We often forget the relationship He called us unto. The song that the world sings is what we adopt. We think, it's just normal, after all. Unnoticed, what we hear is remoulding us outside of the counsel of God; forgetting that what you hear is how you think. And how you think is what you become. Proverbs 23:7 says, as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.
While singing a song of thanks to Him may be evidence of God giving you a miracle, singing a new song is evidence that He has done the unusual. But do you realise that every blessing you receive, no matter how common, is custom-made for you and so should be considered unusual?
Are you a member of God’s family? Has God secured you victory over satan, sin and its reward? Has God kept and protected you and your household from January to September? Do you have hope for the future? Do you have the ultimate hope of reigning with Him after departing this sinful world? Then, you owe Him a new song.
You do not have to be a music expert before you sing a new song. New Songs emerge as a reflection of the state of your heart. If you have caught the vision, let the music start from your heart, and without delay, let us SING UNTO THE LORD A NEW SONG. Shalom.
Experiencing the TRUE GOD.
