All posts by Tunde Soniregun

CALL FOR THE HAND OF GOD

Devotions

FAITH CAPSULE: The hand of God is power to perform and perfect

Exodus 3

The hand of God upon man’s life represents God’s presence backing man up in every area of life. The hand of God is power to bring all kind of increase which glorifies God. After the persecution of Stephen, the men who continued preaching were not reduced but increased because of the hand of God. Acts 11:21 testifies, “And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.”

Ezra needed to overcome discouragement while in the process of building the house of the Lord in Jerusalem. God who does not disappoint those appointed to build the business of God extended His hand to Ezra. It is written, “…so I was encouraged, as the hand of the LORD my God was upon me; and I gathered leading men of Israel to go up with me” (Ezra 7:28) If you will ask for God’s hand with understanding, God will not deny Himself by answering and extending His hand. The hand of God answered for Nehemiah and he testified about the hand of God as the reason for getting the project of reconstruction through in Jerusalem. Nehemiah 2:18, “And I told them of the hand of my God which had been upon me, and also of the king’s word that he had spoken unto me…” The hand of God is encouraging when locates man to do good for God. Absolutely nothing answers perfect in life when the hand of God is absent.

What do you desire? Psalmist declares in Psalm 27:4, “One thing I have desired of the Lord…” Desire is a choice. Making the right choice will set a man right on the journey of life. If there is anything to desire, it should be for the hand of God. The hand of God is mighty and great in restoration. It was the hand of God that brought the children of Israel out of the bondage of over four hundred years. God knows the end from the beginning when He forewarned Moses in Exodus 3:19-20, “But I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not even by a mighty hand.  So I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with all My wonders which I will do in its midst; and after that he will let you go.”  In the hand of God there is great deliverance. Without the hand of God in operation, it would have been impossible deliverance for the Israelites through Moses.

The hand of God is power to perform and perfect in the life of anyone that engages it for attainment to the glory of God.

Pray for today: Ask God to cause His hand to locate you; to reign and rule over your life.

PRAISE WITH JOY

Devotions

FAITH CAPSULE: Allow joy and rejoicing to be your mark of living life.

Philippians 4

Praising God without joy is like attempting to open a locked up house without a key. Rejoicing at the time of praising God is the way to assess to God’s presence. Praising God can be likened to one who is attempting to open a house that is closed up while joy and rejoicing can be likened to key that opens door into a closed house. To be constantly joyful when praising God is assessing the presence of God. The Psalm 16:11, buttress, “You will show me the path of life; in your presence is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”  God cannot survive a joyless environment because in His presence is fullness of joy. By this virtue, praising Him must be constantly rooted in joy. Praising, not shouting is what it takes to access His presence. Are you a worshipper indeed and in truth? Be mindful of the truth that understand is what it takes to praise God joyfully. It is not possible to praise God with understanding and not be accessible into His presence.

The psalmist revealed, “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.” (Psalm 100:4) Thanking God with understanding will get one as far as to His gates. Praising God with understanding is what takes man into the presence of God. It is never enough to go as far as the gate and not get through into the court. Are you assessing the gate and not enter into His court?

Engaging praise worship with understanding is exposure to the throne of grace because the Bible makes us to realize, “But You are holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel.” (Psalm 22:3) 

Praising God in the fullness of joy is rejoicing in His salvation. Ones who rejoice in His salvation will have their horn (strength) exalted in the Lord. They will smile at every representative of enemies such as failure, sickness, and every other kind of challenges that Paul advised us not to be anxious about. Praise God with joy and engage His presence that will carry man through in the world of challenges. In the world of challenges, the path of life where there is God’s presence, the sojourner will get to their expected end. Also where God’s presence is absent, death will be present. To journey in the path of life successfully, God’s presence will have to be consistently in place.

Apostle Paul did not just ask for joy but he asked for it with emphasis when he commanded, “Rejoice always. Again I will say, rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4) Allow joy and rejoicing to be your mark of living life.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace of God to deposit in you all that it takes to be constantly joyful.

REASONABLE SACRIFICE

Devotions

 

FAITH CAPSULE: A reasonable sacrifice is in steadfast obedience.

Genesis 23

Moses knows the ways of God more than any among the children of Israel. The Bible testifies, “He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel.” (Psalm 103:7) Indeed, Moses knew the ways of God more than the children of Israel when he was leading them to possess God’s Promised Land. Once, Moses was admonished the Israelites about loving God and keeping His commandments always when he stated, “Therefore you shall keep every commandment which I command you today, that you may be strong, and go in and possess the land which you cross over to possess.” (Deuteronomy 11:8) To possess God’s promise demands positioning self in line of God’s command with full obedience. Possessing God’s promise demands no compromise but commitment. The Israelites must keep the commandment because it is the source of strength. Obeying God’s command is what will keep man going in the journey of life. Obedience to the word of God is a sacrifice. A reasonable sacrifice is in steadfast obedience.

In life, there is no possession, without sacrifice. This is to say that, behind every gained possession, there is a reasonable sacrifice invested. Sacrifice might happen in different ways, but sacrifice is inevitable before rightfully possessing.

Before Abraham could possess his land of choice he paid a price. After Sarah’s death, Abraham needed land to bury Sarah. Abraham requested a land from the sons of Heth to bury his wife. The sons of Heth responded to Abraham, “Hear us, my lord: You are a mighty prince among us; bury your dead in the choicest of our burial places. None of us will withhold from you his burial place, that you may bury your dead.” (Genesis 23:6) Abraham insisted and requested for the price to be paid. Abraham got a quoted price for the land to bury his wife. It is written in Genesis 23:17-18, “So the field of Ephron which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field and the cave which was in it, and all the trees that were in the field, which were within all the surrounding borders, were deeded to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the sons of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city. And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah, before Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. So the field and the cave that is in it were deeded to Abraham by the sons of Heth as property for a burial place.””  The land did not become Abraham’s possession until he paid a reasonable sacrifice (price). Every reasonable sacrifice is costly, and could be in different forms. Also, obeying the commandment is a sacrifice because it will take man out of his way into God’s way.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to give a reasonable sacrifice which grants grace to possess all possessions.

SEPTEMBER 2013 ISSUE

Monthly Newsletter

BE STEADFAST

One that is asleep is not active in his or her duty. Also, one that is awake is alive in his duty. The church is asleep.  During the days of the early church, a sick person will not walk into the church sick and leave sick for the hospital. There has to be a healing touch. Today, the church often fails to deliver in areas of duty. Jesus said in Mark 16: 17, “And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”  In most cases, signs are no longer following believers as supposed to. It is the believers that are following the signs. As a temple (church) of God, a believer, how do you respond to Mark 16:17?

Are you aware of the practices of the early church? The practices have to be right before you get the right results. In most churches where the practices are not right, the results are not right. The early church was doing it right and they were getting the right result. However, we are the church because the bible states it, “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.” (1 Corinthians 3:16-17)

Do you, as a temple of God desire the right result in your walk with God?
The practices which gave results were identified “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.” (Acts 2:42)
Two practices that worked perfection for the early church were: Steadfast continuation of the apostles’ doctrine; steadfast continuation of the apostles’ fellowship.

The early church steadfastly continued the daily teaching about God and how to live for God. Teaching about God was on a consistent basis. In the early church, breaking of bread was also done with consistency at every fellowship gathering. In most of today’s church, there are defined times in keeping some of the doctrines. The doctrines today are mixed up or substituted with the doctrine of this world.

Every change in what the word has said is the result of lack of power in the changed word. To be able to maintain the power of the word of God, the word should never be substituted. Imagine a glass of Coca-Cola which is mixed with two glasses of water. Definitely the color might not be fully changed but the taste shall never be the same. The same case applies to mixing the word of God when believers claim it loudly with no power manifestation because it has been mixed; diluted and not powerful to deliver true taste (result).

Fellowship
The word of God makes us realize that, the early church steadfastly continued daily with one accord sharing with gladness. Family operates in union, they were not in divisions. They were sharing what they have and not showing off what they have. There was commitment not convenience in serving God. Divisions were not documented for the early church as it is today. The early church fellowship demonstrated and expressed like-mindedness, it is evident that the early church communicated acceptance among believers. It is recorded that steadfast fellowship of the early church enabled growth and sharing in good times or tough times. Above all, the true meaning of fellowship was fully demonstrated unlike the fellowship today where inconsistency and lack of steadfast commitment is foreign.

In any fellowship where sound doctrine and steadfast fellowship can be identified, the power of prayer and its effectiveness will not be found missing. Sound doctrine and fellowship flows together with the power of prayer. It is always evident and clear because miracles are always having its way. In the days of early church, the fear of God was in place and centered upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles (Acts 2:43). Where there is fear of God, miracles and wonders will never cease. As a temple of God, do you fear Him enough? Is any sign following you or you are following the signs? Steadfastness and faith cannot be separated. Every walk in the word of faith demands steadfastness. To be steadfast in line of the word is a commitment which builds up to reasonable sacrifice. Be awake; be alive and fear God steadfastly.

KNOW TO FEAR GOD

Devotions

FAITH CAPSULE:  With hearing in place, learning to fear Him shall have its place in man.

1Thessalonians 4
To fear God is to love God. To love God is seek Him. To seek God is to know and understand God.

Without any compromise, the will of God for man is to fear God. Hearing and learning the word builds faith and faith in place is fear in the heart. The word of Deuteronomy 31:12-13 clearly points out hearing and learning as the way to fear God, “Gather the people together, men and women and little ones, and stranger who is within your gates, that they may hear and that they may learn to fear the LORD your God and carefully observe all the words of this law, “and that their children, who have not known it, may hear and learn to fear the LORD your God as long as you live in the land which you cross the Jordan to possess.” The word of God remains forever the same. He is the unchanging changer. Also, what He has spoken to them He has also spoken to us. The will of God is for man to fear Him. Man could not fear Him in the past and most especially today because man no longer hear and learn from the word.

It is written, “Now therefore, fear the LORD, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the LORD!” (Joshua 24:14) Where there is failure to hear and learn from the word, no one can fear Him and serve Him reasonably.

The book of 1Thessalonians 4:3-8 documents, “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit.” Everyone who fears the Lord will take to the word of 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8 as stated above. What the Old Testament is saying about the fear of God is nothing different from what the New Testament is saying. However, it is important for every believer to understand and know through hearing and learning that the fear of God is crucial to not missing their heaven. Do you fear God? With hearing in place, learning to fear Him from all of His word and work cannot be displaced in the life of a believer.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to fear Him in every area of living life.