All posts by Tunde Soniregun

October 2012 Issue

Monthly Newsletter

                                GIVE THANKS DO NOT GET ENTICED BY EVIL

Enticement and temptation means the same. One of the weapons of the enemy’s most deadly weapon is “enticement.” To be enticed is to be lured away from the point of focus. Temptation is not sin but falling for temptation will cause man to rise in sin. King David did not accidentally fell for the sin of sexual immorality which he committed with Bathsheba (Uriah’s wife). It was through seeing (which is the anchor of enticement) that King David entrapped himself into sin. The Bible recorded David’s avenue to sin, “Then it happened one evening that David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king’s house. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold.” (2 Samuel 11:2) Besides the truth that David was at the right place at the wrong time, David’s fell for sin when he became enticed as a result of seeing the woman bathing. David could not resist the temptation but went on to inquire for what does not belong to him. Seeing and getting enticed is a deadly avenue to be avoided and not fall in to sin. David, a man after God’s own heart fell through enticement. Are you paying attention to avoiding wrong place at the right time and paying attention to what does not belong to you?
Eve supposed to focus on not eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil as commanded by God. When the serpent showed up on her ground, she was cunningly enticed and lost her focus. The moment she lost her focus, she saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. (Genesis 3:6) Like David, Eve’s attention was directed to seeing and getting enticed. Seeing and enticement cannot be separated but man can operate by not getting lost for everything that is see-able for sin to reign. Eve was enticed; she lost focus of God’s command. The enemy is the master of deception and he has been around long before man. He attempted Jesus but failed because Jesus, the word was full of word that was more than enough to deny devil. Be assured that if he could attempt Jesus, we are no exception for him to attempt. Thank God for the word of deliverance.
If one’s focus is not properly fixed on God (Word of God), the enemy’s enticement will tie one down for destruction. It does not matter how strong you are standing in the Lord, the enemy will knock on your door with the purpose of knocking you down. The enemy knocked on King David’s door but he was too careless to give devil’s enticement all the room to occupy. He knocked on Adam and Eve’s door and all Eve saw was good in evil and the enemy achieved his goal. He knocked on Jesus’s door but Jesus was too full or word and denies devil a space to occupy Him.
Samson, as strong as he was, was enticed, and was brought down from where God placed him. It is written, “And the lords of the Philistines came up to her and said to her, ‘Entice him, and find out where his great strength lies, and by what means we may overpower him, that we may bind him to afflict him; and everyone of us will give you eleven hundred pieces of silver.’” (Judges 16:5) Samson was a miracle child born with special instructions from heaven. As regard to Samson, the Bible documents in Judges 13:5, “For behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. And no razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.” The man, Samson, ended up blind, because he could not be obedient according to the word of God. Enticement produced a hole in his strength. The hole in Samson’s strength caused his power to become deflated from what God had pumped into him before he was born. God will answer our prayer today, in Jesus’ name. Pray and ask for God’s hand of deliverance in every area of life where you have become a victim of enticement.
Which of your need is leading you to becoming a victim of devil’s enticement? Did the word not promised that, my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus? (Philippians 4:19) Do you believe? Then take to Paul’s admonition as stated in Philippians 4:6-7, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”  Abstain from seeing the wicked world; take to the word of God. Today, open your mouth wide and begin to give Him thanks for all He has done; that entire He is doing and all that He will do. Give thanks and do not get enticed.  

FAITH CAPSULE:
Enemy’s enticement will tie one down for destruction.
Which of your need is leading you to becoming a victim of devil’s enticement?

Know To Provoke Heaven

Devotions

FAITH CAPSULE: Provoke the hand of God against all that is provocative to you as a child of God.

1 Samuel 1
 
Hannah, the wife of Elkanah, was barren. Hannah’s challenge was not enough to discourage her from going to worship God. Hannah kept going to the ground of worship with her husband and her husband’s second wife (Peninnah). In her going to the place of worship, provocation, mockery, aggravation for not having a child did not cease from flowing from Peninnah. Despite the Bible’s documentation of Peninnah aggravating approach to Hannah for not having a child, Hannah gave no reason or excuse not to go and worship God. Hannah did not make any excuses not to go worship and offer sacrifices to the Lord of hosts at Shiloh. What is your excuse when it is time for fellowship? Going to church only on Sundays is not enough to carry you through yet you do have piles of unreasonable excuse not to go worship.
The Bible recorded Hannah’s situation, “…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)It is important for a believer to know and understand that when provocation follows one to the house of God,it becomes evidence that it is time to provoke the hand of God against one that is provoking us. Hannah sought the hand of God to divert provocation from her life. It is written, “And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish. Then she made a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.”(1 Samuel 1:10-11)Hannah could not be silent in her seeking God but revealed her countenance as she prayed.She made a strong vow, calling on God to look on her situation she asked God to remember her and not forget her. God is a precise God. Hannah was precise in her request. She made it clear to Him that she desperately wanted a male child. Year after year, she went back and forth to Shiloh. Finally, God granted her request and gave her a son, Samuel. It could be that God is waiting for you to provoke His hand for your request. Take a lesson from Hannah’s approach, insist and persist on having your mockery converted to miracle. God is a faithful God.

Prayer for today:Ask God to deal with you according to His mercy.

Just Ask Him

Devotions

FAITH CAPSULE: What exactly is stopping you from lifting your voice in asking Him?  

Lk.17:11-19
 
Jesus was speaking in John 14:12-14, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.  And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.” We serve a God that is not only true to His name but also magnifies His word above all His name. (Psalm 138:2) What else does a father need to give to his son that God has not given to us that we may live life abundantly? Jesus said, “…I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10) Indeed, by virtue of Jesus’ testimony, He already brought all that it takes to live life more abundantly, and not that He is yet to bring it. What a mighty God we serve! He said in John14:14, “If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.”  He has never failed in His Word. He said that His Word will not come back to Him void.
Do you believe Him and His Word? So, what exactly is stopping you from lifting your voice in asking Him? Is it your distance, or your condition? The ten lepers had everything against them in asking for their miracle. In Luke 17:12, “Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers who stood afar off.” They stood afar off because they were supposed to be isolated by virtue of their disease. In that part of the world, they were regarded as unclean. Despite their dilemma, keeping quiet was not their portion. Luke 17:13, “And they lifted up their voices and said, ‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!’’’ The lepers could not keep quiet when they spotted the Word of God. Almost every moment the word is in your face yet you have remained silent on that particular challenge that is facing you. You just cannot identify the reason why you have not been taking that concern to the Lord as you have been doing with other difficulties. The enemy is hard at work trying to steal from you and deny you. There is no problem that is too difficult for God. Perhaps you are wary of dealing with challenges. However, when you begin to take on your challenges–by ignoring every hindrance and constantly lifting your voice — He will answer you. Have you been asking for God’s help as much as you should be? If you truly believe in His word, be persistent, resist the enemy and insist on your miracle.
 
Prayer for today: Pray as the Psalmist: Deliver me in Your righteousness, and cause me to escape; Incline Your ear to me, and save me.(Psalm 71:2)

Attend To God’S Intention

Devotions

FAITH CAPSULE: God called Moses to attention for His intention.

Exodus 3
 
God is purposeful in all of His operations. It was not an accident that Moses was born at a time when Pharaoh made a law that all Hebrew male sons should be killed at birth. Moses did not only escape death but was also raised on the ground where the law was made (Pharaoh’s palace) When it was time for Moses to engage the route of destiny, a situation that was beyond his capability caused him to flee to the center of his divine assignment. It is written, “Now it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out to his brethren and looked at their burdens. And he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren. So he looked this way and that way, and when he saw no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.” (Exodus 2:11-12) The killing committed by Moses caused him to flee to his center of divine assignment (ground of escape).
While Moses was at his ground of escape God called Moses to attention for His intention. Before his calling he became a shepherd. As a shepherd, he needed an exposure to know how to use a rod. A man who was not exposed to a rod for forty years became a rod-specialist. For forty years, the rod was his number one companion at work. He would not go to work as a shepherd without the rod in his hand. God wants to use you and what you have closest to you. What is in your hand? Consider what is in your hand as God’s weapon or tool of service. A failure to consider what is in our hand for serving God can possibly cause one to miss the entire journey of life? Moses, after training for eighty years (forty in the palace, forty as a shepherd), needed to give attention to what was in his hand on order to serve the intention of God. Moses’ attention began to turn around when he turned aside to the burning bush. The Bible recorded in Exodus 3:4, “So when the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, ‘Moses, Moses!” And he said, ‘Here I am.’” After hearing and answering God, he later found out that what was in his hand was to be used for God’s intention. “So the Lord said to him, ‘What is that in your hand? He said, a rod.’” (Exodus 4:2) Moses had a rod for his journey for the Lord. Do you ever wonder what is in your hand? Maybe He has called and you did not pay attention to His intention.
 
Prayer for today:Ask Him for mercy to be able to identify what He has deposited in your life that is meant for the fulfillment of your destiny.

Time To Draw A Line

Devotions

FAITH CAPSULE: Those agents that do not represent God in your life need to be permanently terminated.

1 Kings 18: 20-40
 
Elijah needed to draw a line between the Lord God and the Baal god,“And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lordis God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word. Then Elijah said to the people, “I alone am left a prophet of the Lord; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men. Therefore let them give us two bulls; and let them choose one bull for themselves, cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it; and I will prepare the other bull, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it. Then you call on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord; and the God who answers by fire, He is God.” (1 Kings 18:21-24)Just like Elijah we can also draw a line against our enemy.
Indeed God answered by fire. After it had been clarified between the God of Elijah and the prophets of Baal that the God of Elijah is the Lord God, and there is none to worship but Him, Elijah declared war against the prophets of Baal. 1 Kings 18:40, “And Elijah said to them, ‘seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let one of them escape!’ So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the Brook Kishon and executed them there.” Where are you? Where is your location on the ground of God? Have you accepted Him as the only God that is God, the Lord of Lords, the Eternal Creator, and the One who was, who is and who will always be? If you have been able to accept Him on that ground, you are in tune with heaven and you are on your Mount Carmel. Just like Elijah did, take your stand and call on God today that all agents of confusion, disturbance, and wickedness be seized just as were the Baal prophets at the Brook of Kishon. Pray that they will not escape the hand that seizes them. Those agents that do not represent God in your life need to be permanently and eternally executed so they will have no life in them to work against you ever. Do not spare them. Go ahead with your weapon (the Word of God) to invade them, raid them, disable them, unmake them; do not spare them. Pray a standing prayer and let God work on your behalf and victory is certain in Jesus’ name. Amen.
 
Prayer for today: Pray the prayer of the Psalm 129:5-6, “Let all those who hate Zionbe put to shame and turned back.Let them be as the grass on the housetops,which withers before it grows up.