All posts by Tunde Soniregun

SEPTEMBER 2020 FAITH MAIL

Monthly Newsletter

ALWAYS PREPARE BEFORE GOD

Preparation means the actions taken to get set for the manifestation of expectation.
With preparation to engage the presence of God is to put in a proper state of mind that is prepared to listen. 
Listening is the evidence of understanding gained for knowing to go further in the journey of life. 
The word of Jesus confirms listening as the solution to gain understanding. (John 8:43)
It is possible to say that planning is the step, and preparation is the sequel (the consequence) of expectation. The truth is, you can plan all you want, but if you do not prepare, you will still not be ready to receive your expectation.
Preparation can be described as the level of readiness and with no interruption.
In this season, what are you looking from God to do in your life, to the glory of God?
Receiving from God can be the evidence of preparation physically, spiritually, and emotionally.
In the journey of life, seeking God is evidence of how much you prepare to see God.
Abraham had an encounter with the Lord when he planned to prepare for engaging the presence of God. 
Abraham, in his plan for preparation to receive, he told his wife, “Quickly, make ready three measures of fine meal; knead it and make cakes.” (Genesis 18:6)
After getting his wife to prepare for the Lord, Abraham went to do his part as Genesis 18:7-8 records, “And Abraham ran to the herd, took a tender and good calf, gave it to a young man, and he hastened to prepare it. So he took butter and milk and the calf which he had prepared and set it before them, and he stood by them under the tree as they ate.” 
Preparation from the depth of heart will always count before God as your integrity to engage the presence of God, and God does not look away not to acknowledge preparation.
The plans and preparation granted Abraham favor before God.
For Abraham, God answered the pending challenge of the bareness of his wife (Sarah). The Bible records, “And He said, “I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son.”
God did not look away from the preparation of Abraham. He is not a partial God to look away from your plan and prepare before Him for your expectation.
What is it that is lacking in your life?
What is your expectation that is pending for years, without manifestation?
Do you know to plan and prepare to receive from God?
Understand and know that:
Plan and preparation before God is the evidence of hallowing God.
Plan and preparation before God is the action that weighs before God, and it counts to experience God. 1 Samuel 2:3 buttresses, “…For the Lord is the God of knowledge; And by Him, actions are weighed.”  
Plan and preparation before God will gain to be a partaker of the presence of God.
Are you with the plan and know the preparation to be build up before God, to inheritance among the sanctified?
Acts 20:32 records, “So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.”
With plan and preparation to build you up to receive an inheritance from God, give time, and by studying the word of God. 
With time, study, and let the word of God gain entrance into your heart.
Plan and preparation before God enable David to build for God through his son. 1 Chronicles 22:5 records, “Now David said, “Solomon my son is young and inexperienced, and the house to be built for the Lord must be exceedingly magnificent, famous and glorious throughout all countries. I will now make preparation for it.” So David made abundant preparations before his death.”
Plan and preparation is faith demonstration.
Repeatedly, through the pages of the Bible, the word of God identifies that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17). Take to mind that the Word of God which comes can also cease from coming when there is disengagement from hearing the Word of God. All that pertains to living life is living by the Word of God (living by faith). 
Plan and preparation before God should be a way of living not to become a victim of wickedness.
Plan and preparation will provoke God to remember you with favor and visit you with salvation. 
For example, Jesus could not command for Passover without having preparation in place.  Matthew 26:19 records the testimony of preparation before Passover as Jesus asked, “So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover.”
Ask God to IMPACT you with having preparation before Him continually.
The plan and preparation of Abraham to have an encounter with God granted him the remembrance and visitation of God.
In your plan and preparation before God, ask that God will remember you with favor, and visit you with salvation. 

GET UNDERSTANDING

Devotions

FAITH CAPSULE: Understanding is not of the mouth but the heart.

Psalm 106

In the journey of life, lack of understanding of the wonders of God is so critical to terminate arrival at the promise of God.
With the lack of understanding of the wonders of God, one will not remember the mercies of God. 
One that does not remember the mercies of God is bound to become rebellious to the word of God.
Psalm 106:7 records the testimony of the lack of understanding of the wonders of God by the Israelites, “Our fathers in Egypt did not understand Your wonders; they did not remember the multitude of your mercies but rebelled by the sea-the Red Sea.”  Lack of understanding is the root of rebellion and the complaint, particularly a negative confession.
For example, Numbers 14:1-4 records the complaint of the Israelites,“…And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness! Why has the LORD brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt…?”
As the Israelites were with the lack of understanding, are you of the same that is complaining negative before God? 
The complaint before God is a sin that will provoke consequences like that experience of the Israelites with the complaint with negative.
God responds to the complaint of the Israelites, “Say to them, ‘As I live,’ says the LORD, ‘just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you: The carcasses of you who have complained against Me shall fall in this wilderness…” (Numbers 14:28-30) 
Are you with the understanding of God not to live a life of waste?
Understanding is not of the mouth but the heart. 
Understanding is critical to living life for the glory of God.
Understanding of God’s wonders will cause one to remember and eliminate rebellious nature. Proverbs 16:22 testifies that “Understanding is a wellspring of life to him who has it…”  
Wellspring is a source of abundant supply. With understanding, you will have an abundance of life that Jesus brought for all. 
The Israelites lack the understanding to become wasted in the wilderness.
Forgetting the works of God cannot be separated from the lack of understanding of the doings of God. 
As regards to the Israelites, Psalm 106:13-14 points out that, “They soon forgot His works; they did not wait for His counsel, but lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tested God in the desert.”  
One that is not mindful of the works of God will forget the doing of God to become of sin before God. The Israelites forgot; they could not wait on God but died in sin and did not get to the Promised Land.
One with the lack of understanding of the doings of God will not remember, forgetful but will fail to believe in what God has done and what God can do. 

Prayer for today: Ask for the understanding of the doing of God in your life.

SEE GOD IN HIS WORD

Devotions

FAITH CAPSULE: The Word of God is God.

Joshua 6

The Bible speaks that, in the beginning, was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John1:1)
The Word of God is sent for man to behold God in His Word.
The ability to listen to God in His word is what will make man behold (see) God for direction, to live life for God.
The Word of God is God. 
Without a doubt, when one listens to the Word of God, one must behold (see) in the word of God and be built up with boldness and character.
In the Word of God, there is a direction that never fails. For example, Joshua needed to behold (see) the word of God to gain boldness and character for winning over Jericho. 
Jericho posed as an enemy’s attempt to stop Israelites advance to the Promised Land. Joshua 6:1-2 records the calling of Joshua to see (to behold) in the Word of God, “Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none came in. And the Lord said to Joshua: “See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor.”  Until you see in what the Word of God speaks to you, you cannot receive what you see, to become of you.
Joshua listened; he was able to behold (see) direction in the word of God as he gained character and boldness to become winner over Jericho. 
God wants all to see in Him (His word) to engage direction not to be a failure. 
Are you seeking for direction by listening to God’s word to gain boldness and character in the face of challenges? 
Jacob was to engage a journey, his course of running away from his brother, and he needed boldness and charter to succeed in his journey. God responded to the need of Jacob when He commanded him to behold (see) in His word stating, “Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.” (Genesis 28:15) Today, listen to see (behold) in the word of God, to obtain the boldness and character, having trust and hope in God.
To behold (to see) in the Word of God, one shall replace fear with faith that is rooted in boldness and character gained in the Word of God.
God magnifies His word above His name. (Psalm 138:2) 
The Word of God is worthy to deliver; His word is mighty and will preserve one that beholds the word of God.
Do you listen to God?
Listen to see in the word of God, and gain boldness and character that makes one to be a winner for the glory of God.
God is power; God that delivered Israelites is still in the business of deliverance and preservation if one will take a position that one sees (behold) God in His word.

Prayer for today: Ask God to enable you to always you to see in His word.

DO YOU HAVE A WISH?

Devotions

FAITH CAPSULE: The desire for God must be in the mind of all.

1 Samuel 13

Desire is to express a wish to obtain, a strong feeling that compels to attain what the heart set up to have. As a believer, what do you desire?
Do you desire to be a churchgoer believer or to be a believer with sincere for God? 
Do you desire to be a churchgoer believer or to be a believer with sincere for God? 
What you desire is what you seek after. 
One that desires to live heaven on the heart will seek after the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. Jesus declares it, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)
The whole matter that counts and works perfectly in life is to fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)
To fear God and to keep His command is to desire to seek God. 
Listen to word that states about fear of God and heart: “Only fear the Lord, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.” (1 Samuel 12:24)
Does your heart sincerely desire to seek God?
Do you question yourself if you are serving God in truth with all your heart?
God has done great things, and He is doing more for all to the reason to have the desire for God, with heart. 
God only sees and moves by the act rooted in the heart of all. 
God once corrected Samuel in his attempt to make the brother of David as the king, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7) 
Without doubt, the heart of David is what God saw when His word declared, “…The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be commander over His people” (1 Samuel 13:14) 
David was sought by God and saw that his heart desires for His name. 
What do you desire? 
The desire for God must be in the mind of all and not just in the mouth.
If you have a desire for God in your heart, God will deposit the grace to become devoted to Him and become decorated by His presence in your life. 
King David knows what is best to desire when he stated, “One thing I have desired of the LORD, that will I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in His temple.” (Psalm 27:4)
As an acclaimed believer, think if you sincerely desire of the Lord.

Prayer for today: Ask for the desire for God to become rooted in your heart.

SERVE GOD

Devotions

FAITH CAPSULE: Fear God to serve Him diligently.

John 12:23-32

The book of Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 states, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.” 
To fear God and to keep His command is encased in seeking God. 
When all know to seek God, all will serve God. To serve God is to follow God in His word.
Jesus points out, “If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.”(John 12:26)
The conclusion of the whole matter is: Fear God, seek God, serve God, and follow Him so that the Father will honor you.
Seeking God leads to serving Him. 
In serving God is to follow Him. Jesus declares clearly, “If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.”(John 12:26)
Are you serving God fully?
Are you serving God for your material gain?
Search yourself to identify how you are serving God.
Apostle Paul encourages, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.”(Romans 12:1)
With understanding, know to serve God sacrificially, let your serving God be acceptable before God alone. 
Do not serve God casually but to serve God by following God fully as Jesus requests saying, “If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me…” Following Jesus means putting all away to follow him. 
Following Him is stepping after the same way that He stepped while He was on the face of the earth. 
The expectation of Jesus from His disciples to follow Him records, “When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” (Mark 8:34)
Do you have a desire to come after Jesus? 
Jesus made fishermen of those who desired to follow Him. The book of Matthew 4:19 records, “Then He said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” 
Serving Him is following Him. 
Following Him is a sacrifice by giving up everything for Him. 
To follow Him is not to be a spectator but to learn and to become fishers of men. Jesus’ request from man to follow Him does not identify Him as a slave master. 
Matthew 19:28 records the reward for all that follows Him, “…Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”  
Serve Him fully to experience the fullness of the reward for following God.

Prayer for today: Ask God to enable you to serve Him fully by following Him.