All posts by Tunde Soniregun

Genuine Sincerity

Devotions

FAITH CAPSULE: Do not kiss your favor good bye, but rather cling to it.

Ruth 1, 2

What kind of seed have you been sowing on your God given ground? Whatever you sow is what you will reap. The two daughter in-laws of Naomi had decided to move with her back to her country after the death of her two sons which were their husbands. At first, both refused to yield to Naomi’s persuasion for them not follow her. Eventually, Orpah accepted to her mother in-law’s persuasion by turning back while Ruth insisted and refused to turn back based on the reason of her compassion for mother in-law (Naomi). Ruth’s genuine heart and sincerity made her to cling onto Naomi when Orpah returned back just with a kiss. Ruth’s action was a noticeable action before God and man.
At any time we undertake a noticeable action that glorifies God, Heaven will react on our behalf. In this life, there is no good work that will go unnoticeable before God. Are you consciously and sincerely engaging all that is good and not just some? The prayer of Hebrews 13:21 states, “ make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” It is an ideal prayer for every believer who wants to be complete in every good work and not just few work.
Ruth was consciously being sincere when she refused not to turn her back and go away from Naomi. Ruth genuinely and sincerely stood with her mother in-law at the time of loneliness; at the time of she was returning to her land after the death of her two sons. By virtue of Ruth’s act of sincerity, she positioned herself to encounter favor of God through great wealthy man, Boaz. Boaz spoke to Ruth, “…It has been fully reported to me, all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know before. The LORD repay your work and a full reward be given you by the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge. (Ruth 2:11-12) 
Ruth was sincere, sincerity is not stupidity; it is a demonstration of who you are; it is an evidence of genuine heart.The day which Boaz set eyes on Ruth, her story was wrapped with favor of God for good. Boaz put in place an uncommon protection and provision for Ruth. Ruth’s sincerity took her to her promised land when she insisted not to kiss her favor good bye just like Orpah did.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace that will get you to where God wants you to be.

Engage His Command Cosistently

Devotions

FAITH CAPSULE: Hannah engaged the word for her open door breakthrough.
 
1 Samuel 1

God does not waste word. Perceive the word of God (be aware of His word); receive His word into your life; give prudence then understanding will bring forth a knowing edge. With knowing edge in place open doors comes to life.
The word of God declares, “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (Luke 11:9)   
Are you experiencing closed door in any area of life? Hannah experienced closed door. Hannah engaged the word of God, open door answered on her behalf. It is written, “…although the LORD had closed her womb.” (1 Samuel 1:6). Without any distraction, she was able to ask, seek and knock to have her door opened by God’s mercy. Hannah had all the comfort from her husband Elkanah that could have kept her silent from seeking God to have her door opened, but she refused to waste away because she needed to possess her possession in the Lord.
The word of God is a command and it represents a key in our hand to insert, turn and push a door to open. However, when all we can do is insert and not turn nor push, one is bound to fail and not get door opened. God meant all of what He said and the ones He is still saying for those that will take to work the word of God by walking in His word (believing His word).
God wants His word to be received and to be operated for an effective and infallible result that cannot be denied. When God said ask and it shall be given, He knew exactly that there is provision for every need but asking is what will bring forth the provision. He also said seek because He enjoys being sought for in times of desperation because He alone is God. In seeking Him, He will not hide from you if you seek Him diligently. His word commanded, to knock when there is a need for us to gain entrance to a close door in area of life. Many times we have limited ourselves by asking only and not seeking or seeking and not knocking when our situation actually demands asking, seeking and knocking. Hannah was going to Shiloh every year with a pressing need, but her situation changed when, “…her rival also provoked her severely, to make her miserable, because the LORD had closed her womb. So it was, year by year, when she went up to the house of the LORD, that she provoked her; therefore she wept and did not eat.” (1 Samuel 1:6-7) Hannah came out of complacency and stepped up in her asking, seeking and knocking. God opened her womb and she had, Samuel. Hannah testifies naming Samuel meaning, “Because I have asked for him from the Lord.” (1 Samuel 1:20)


Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to constantly engage His word.

August 2013 Issue

Monthly Newsletter

                                 RUNNING THE RACE

The word of God admonishes in Hebrews 12:1, “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” The journey of life is a race of life. Running the race is not by strength or by determination, but only by the grace of God. There is no strong man in the race of life and that is why the word declares, “…For by strength no man shall prevail.” (1 Samuel 2:9) Despite the truth that the race can only be successfully run by grace and not by strength, there should be no reason to abuse the grace to run through. To run the race through, two things have to be avoided as mentioned in the scriptural verse above are: weight and sin.
The action we take in living life is the evidence of our faith. It is faith that propels action and action is what God sees to determine how He is pleased with us. The book of 1 Samuel 2:3 states it better, “For the Lord is the God of knowledge; and by Him actions are weighed.” What’s the weight of your action before God? Weight is the unnecessary thing that adds nothing to man but take away from man by slowing man down. Weight is major hindrance which is often considered as minor. Weight is what man should fully let go and not carry along while answering to God’s calling in running the race of life. Weight is heavy and that makes it burdensome. It is written, “Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved. (Psalm 55:22) Engaging any burden instead of casting burden on God is enough to move a believer outside of walking in line of righteousness. It is also the evidence of asking God to withdraw His helping hand. Burden often comes inform of unnecessary religious weight which can only make a believer to look good but not complete in every good works to do the will of God. A failure not to let go weight is the avenue not run successfully. What is it that can be considered weight in your race? Do not ignore nor excuse the representative of weight in your life but seek for it to be terminated.
Sin is the evil which man often engages consciously or unconsciously. Sin is missing the mark of God’s will by choice and because of human weakness. It is when man’s action or attitude disobeys God and it always brings pain. The major root of sin is pride. Where pride reigns humility is absent and sin in abundance exist. When sin takes control in man’s life, his/her action becomes rooted in it. Which sin reigns and rule your life? Is it manipulation, unforgiving, lying, deception, malice, fornication, adultery, stealing and all kinds of race terminating baggage?
The race is already set for everyone born of a woman and there is no choice but to run it. To run the race requires endurance through the grace of God. In this world of challenges, running with determination will not be enough but running with endurance is what it takes to run successfully. Running the race with endurance can only be engaged by looking up unto Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith. Jesus occupies the position at the starting and end point on the race track. Those in the race should remain focused from the beginning of the race to the end by holding on at a steady pace. For effective and successful running, Jesus paid the price on the cross with His blood. The Blood of Jesus never runs out or short of supply, therefore take to the word by “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2) In the race of life, it is not palatable to look away from Jesus, the One who has been at the beginning of the race and will be waiting for us at the end of the race.
Are you getting weighed down in the race of life? Be encouraged; keep pace in your race and do not be discouraged in the race of life. Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith already stated, “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) Hold on to Him by keeping your eyes on Him and He will see you through.
Remember that, the race is not to the swift but those who run it from the beginning to the finish line. It is important to know and run the race without any weight or sin because weight will slow any runner down. Slowing down will bring forth the temptation of abandoning the race; abandoning the race will lead to eternal damnation.

FAITH CAPSULE:
Be encouraged and do not be discouraged in the race of life.
With Jesus, you will run with peace and find rest.

It Is Not Over

Devotions

FAITH CAPSULE: God is a God who is more than able to reverse the irreversible.

Judges 11

After the killing of Goliath by David, King Saul’s jealousy and fear of David caused him to place a mark of termination upon David. King Saul marked David for death but David checked out with the aid of four hundred men who were referred to as drifters and debtors, trouble makers and those who were troubled. (1 Samuel 22:1-5) For David to continue the journey of life to the center of God’s divine assignment for his life it was the group of rejected and hopeless ones that God used for David. With God there is no impossibility; with God it is not over except God calls it over. As a believer, where are not to take the position of judging or condemning others. Jesus admonished, “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned…” (Luke 6:37) It is written, “And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye?” (Luke 6:41) David could have judged or condemned his liberating force unconsciously. Are you taking the position of judge by unconsciously writing off your support?
Are you being judge or being written off by your brethren? It is worth to always remember that God is a God who is more than able to reverse the irreversible.
Jephthah, the Gileadite, was referred to as a mighty man of valor, but before he became a mighty man of valor, he was a castaway among his brothers because he was the son of another woman. Jephthah was driven out by his brothers and, “then Jephthah fled from his brothers and dwelt in the land of Tob; and worthless men banded together with Jephthah and went out raiding with him.” (Judges 11:3) To his brothers, he was worthless and none of them wanted to have him as part of the family. He was rejected and condemned as a non-entity but to God there is always hope in life. When the people of Ammon made war against the children of Israel, the same Jephthah who was driven out of the city became the one to be sought after for his help. Judges11:4-6, “It came to pass after a time that the people of Ammon made war against Israel. And so it was, when the people of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob. Then they said to Jephthah, ‘Come and be our commander that we may fight against the people of Ammon.’” Jephthah a castaway became commander over his people. With God it is not over and we should never call it over for no man except God calls it over.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace not to write any man over when God does not say it is over.

Being Evil

Devotions

FAITH CAPSULE: Being evil takes away or destroys that which is good.  
 
Judges 6:1-10

It is only the fear God that will make man to depart from evil. With the lack of fear for God man is set to be bound in evil doing. Being evil or doing that which is evil does not add up for any man even when it seems to be adding up. Being evil takes away or destroys that which is good. Do you truly fear Him on the ground which He has positioned you for blessing? Not to fear Him where He has positioned you to be is a direct route to fall, fail or falter and eventually lost of ground of blessing. Once in the days of Judges, the children of Israel turned to evil when they fail to fear God. As a result of their failure to fear God, God passed them to the evil hand in the very land which He gave them. It is written, “Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD. So the LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years, and the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel. Because of the Midianites, the children of Israel made for themselves the dens, the caves, and the strongholds, which are in the mountains.” (Judges 6:1-2) The children of Israel departed from fearing God and entered into evil. As a result, the Israelites left behind a God-given land and made for themselves a hiding place in dens, caves, and strongholds. For the Israelites, it was not supposed to be. They had a God-given land and could not retain it because they had attended and attained what is not of God.
When God gives, He does not give sparingly so do not spare yourself from serving Him indeed and in truth. When He bless, he does not add sorrow. Anytime there is a move from God-made to self-made it is evil and God will withdraw His hand. God withdrew His hand, “So it was, whenever Israel had sown, Midianites would come up; also Amalekites and the people of the East would come up against them. Then they would encamp against them and destroy the produce of the earth as far as Gaza, and leave no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep nor ox nor donkey.” (Judges 6:3-4) They suffered greatly because they withdrew from God by their evil act. Are you experiencing unexpected, unceasing attack on your God given ground? Cave or any other kind of hideouts is not your portion on the ground He has placed you. Will you search and see if there is any wicked way in you? No man is perfect except God and He alone knows every man’s heart.

Prayer for today: Ask God to search you, try you, fix you, and lead you from all kinds of wicked ways into the way everlasting. He is faithful and He answers prayer.