All posts by Tunde Soniregun

Receive The Word

March 3, 2011DevotionsTunde Soniregun

FAITH CAPSULE: Word of God terminates struggle.

1 Kings 17, 18:1-19

Just a word of God is enough to terminate struggle or challenge in any area of life. When one that is facing challenges or struggle is able to receive the word of God, challenges or struggle will become issue of the past. Naaman, a commander of the army of the king of Syria, a mighty man of valor must have been in struggle with being a leper. However, when the word to cleanse him sounded in his direction he was not receptive. Elisha told him told him to go and wash in the Jordan seven times so as to be cleansed from his struggle (leprosy) he refused and could not receive the word. The Bible said, “But Naaman became furious, and went away and said, “Indeed, I said to myself, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.’” (2 Kings 5:11) Eventually, the leper commander, later went back to receive and got cleansed. Are you denying yourself a timely deliverance by not receiving the word of God?
Elijah had caused the whole land of Israel big trouble when he prayed for rain to cease. Having placed the whole land in trouble, he fled for his life. Elijah did this for a just cause; he was on the Lord’s side. Elijah became the enemy of the land because he was doing the work of God. Elijah could not present himself as much as he would have liked because he became a wanted man in the government of King Ahab. Are you in a position that is keeping you away from presenting yourself in places where you love to be? Elijah could not present himself because he was facing destruction. Psalm 107:20, “He sent His word and healed them and delivered them from their destructions” What you need is for the word to come into your direction to deliver you from destruction. The Word came forth for Elijah and he presented himself. 1 Kings 18:1, “And it came to pass after many days that the word of the LORD came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, ‘Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the earth.’” The Word of God is undeniable, undisruptive and its power is beyond any circumstance. Elijah went and presented himself to the enemy, but they could not pull a single hair out of his head. Do you really read the word of God as living? Everything that you need to hear for your transformation–from hiding to riding–is in the word of God.

Prayer for today: Ask God to open your ears of understanding so you will begin to move in the direction of His word in healing and in deliverance from your enemies.

Do Good

March 2, 2011DevotionsTunde Soniregun

FAITH CASULE: Allow your concern for doing good to be alive.

2 Kings 4:8-17

It is written, “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” (James 4:17) The importance of doing good cannot be emphasized enough in one daily devotional reading. Evidently, if knowing to do good and not do it is a sin, knowing to do good and doing it must be a blessing. Doing good is listed among the fruit of the spirit, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness.” (Galatians 5:22) Many scriptural passages emphasized the importance of doing good. Romans 12:9, “…Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.” 1 Thessalonians 5:15, “See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.” 2 Thessalonians 3:13, “But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good.” Hebrews 13:16, “But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.”Allow your concern for doing good to be alive. Let your care be activated, and not lie dormant. When you show concern and care for doing good, then your concern is activated with care. To be concerned is from the heart, but to care is by action. Have you been having some concerns about doing good where doing good calls for good to be done? Go ahead and act with care, knowing fully well that what you are doing is in the name of God and for the glory of God.
The Shunammite woman had concern for the man of God that frequently passed by her place. 2 Kings 4:9-10, “And she said to her husband, ‘Look now, I know that this is a holy man of God who passes by us regularly. Please, let us make a small upper room on the wall; and let us put a bed for him there, and a chair and a lamp stand; so it will be, whenever he comes to us, he can turn in there.’” The man of God came and his life was made easier for him. He acknowledged the woman’s concern and care that had been directed towards him and his servant. 2 Kings 4:13, “And he said to him, ‘Say now to her, ‘“Look, you have been concerned for us with all this care. What can I do for you? Do you want me to speak on your behalf to the king or to the commander of the army?”’ She answered, ‘I dwell among my own people.’” Indeed, the man of God spoke on her behalf to the Almighty God and barrenness ceased in her life. The Shunammite woman became a mother in her husband’s old age. Just as the Shunammite woman did, if you surely know that something is of God, invest in it and you will reap from your investment.

Prayer for today: Ask for God’s mercy according to His lovingkindness.

Miracle Of The Third

March 1, 2011DevotionsTunde Soniregun

FAITH CAPSULE: The power of the third day resurrection is relevant to your resurrection this third month of the year.

Esther 4, 5

In the bondage of over four hundred years, the children of Israel reminded God when their crying got heaven’s attention and God attended to them. It does not matter how long you have been buried spiritually, emotionally or financially but it matters that your cry to God will trigger your resurrection in this third month. God encourages us to remind Him, “Put me in remembrance; let us contend together; state your case that you may be acquitted.” (Isaiah 43:26) The power of the third day resurrection is relevant to your resurrection this third month of the year if you will remember to remind God. The children of Israel reminded God of His covenant when their crying got to God.
The miracle of third answered to deliver Moses from dying at birth. The Bible recorded how Moses’ mother hid him for three months (Exodus 2:2) and placed him in an ark of bulrushes. After three months of hiding, the ark brought Moses to the attention of Pharaoh’s daughter. It is written, “…She saw the child, and behold, the baby wept. So she had compassion on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children” (Exodus 2:6) Jesus’ resurrection on the third day, Moses’ coming out of hiding and going directly into compassionate hand of one’s that made law to kill him was not magic or luck but miracle of the third.
When Harman’s conspiracy to destroy all the Jews throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus was in place, it was the miracle of the third that answered for the deliverance of all the Jews. Queen Esther was alerted of the impending danger and she took it upon herself with three days fasting and prayer. After the fasting of three days, Queen Esther needed to go into the inner court of the king. Inner court of the king was described in Esther 4:11, “All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that any man or woman who goes into the inner court to the king, who has not been called, he has but one law: put all to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter, that he may live…” Despite Esther’s understanding of what could happen by going to the inner court of the king without being called by the king, she made her way into the inner court after her three days fasting. Esther 5:2, “So it was, when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, that she found favor in his sight…” On the third day Esther found favor where failure is the answer. Trust God for your own testimony in this third month.

Prayer for today: Ask for God’s miracle of third day; third month or third year.

February 2011 Issue

March 1, 2011Monthly NewsletterTunde Soniregun

CONTIUNITY IS THE RULE OF THE RACE

“…Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it…?” (Romans 6:2)

It is written, “Blessed are those who keep justice, and he who does righteousness at all times! Remember me, O LORD, with the favor You have toward Your people. Oh, visit me with Your salvation.” (Psalm 106:3-4) It can be concluded that to be remembered by God and to be visited by God is undoubtedly God’s blessing. As indicated in the above scriptural quotation, keeping justice and doing righteousness at all times (not at our convenient times) will trigger the blessing to be remembered and to be visited with God’s salvation. The requirement for righteousness at all times buttresses the notion that: consistency; persistency; continuity are the rules of the race. The apostle Paul in his illustration of what it takes to faithfully complete the Christian life (which is like running a race) stated, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day…” (2 Timothy 4:7-8) To run a race and be able to get a prize (blessing) is to continue running according to the rules and not give up. To run a race with continuity, consistency and persistency demands that one deny every form of distraction such as sin. Often when sin comes into play, getting back into the race can be challenging. One should always keep in mind that God is a good God who is ready to forgive. (Psalm 86:5) In His forgiveness there is the privilege to get back and continue in the race. It is always good to keep in mind that forgiveness from God is not a liberty to continue sinning and living in sin. The Apostle Paul elaborated further on not continuing in sin despite the forgiveness in place when he stated, “…Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it…?” Understand the need to stay focused in your race, allow God to bless you when you are able to continue in keeping justice and doing righteousness at all times. Have you fallen short in your race? It is time to get back in the race by asking for forgiveness from a good God who is ready to forgive. Throughout the Bible, many stories are documented of those who fell and were not able to continue because of lack of understanding to ask for forgiveness. Also, there are accounts of those who fell into sin, but by virtue of understanding, they regained continuity by asking for forgiveness and were able to complete the race.
The case of Adam:
After the violation of God’s command not to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:16-18) Adam sinned. Adam did not ask for forgiveness when God confronted his doing but he reduced himself by giving an excuse (excuse is an agent of pride) Adam’s response states that, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.” (Genesis 3:12) Ponder and consider Adam’s excuse if you are a man with the self-given gift of excuse before God. There will never be a better excuse in the history of man like that of Adam. However, the best excuse failed. Do you have any legitimate excuse before God? Who knows what would have happened if the man Adam had realized his sin and cried out for forgiveness? Many other cases like Adam’s are found all through the pages of the Bible but all suffered physically or spiritually untimely death.
The case of David:
It is written about David, “…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 a man after God’s own heart and it was evident in how he ran the race of faith. He committed a great act of sin when he committed adultery with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah. After finding out that Bathsheba was carrying a child from his affair with her, he set Uriah up to die at the warfront. When David was confronted for his sinful act, he gave no excuse but rescued himself with instant repentance. David’s blessing was retained but the consequence remained. God is a good God without an iota of doubt but it is good to know that with repentance, forgiveness will come our way and the consequence will stay in our way.
The Bible says, “For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.”(Psalm 86:5) The word of God is true and cannot be broken. God is ready to forgive and bless. If one will understand and know to keep justice and do righteousness at all times the blessing of God will constantly be in place. God will remember with favor and visit with salvation. Remember, continuity is the rule of the race. Do not give up; disallow sin from having the last say.

Faith Capsule: The requirement for righteousness at all times buttresses the notion that: consistency; persistency; continuity are the rules of the race.
Tunde

March 2011 Issue

March 1, 2011Monthly NewsletterTunde Soniregun

MIRACLE OF THE THIRD

“…It happened on the third day that Esther put on her royal robes…” (Esther 5:1)

Something about the third has to do with redemption, breakthrough and resurrection. The life of Moses, Nehemiah, the resurrection of Jesus Christ of Nazareth and the deliverance of the children of Israel from the conspiracy of Harman through Esther testifies to the miracle of the third.
It is written, “And the LORD said: “I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey…” (Exodus 3:7-8)
In the bondage of over four hundred years, the children of Israel reminded God when their crying got heaven’s attention and God attended to them. It does not matter how long you have been buried spiritually, emotionally or financially but it matters that your cry to God will trigger your resurrection in this third month. God encourages us to remind Him, “Put me in remembrance; let us contend together; state your case that you may be acquitted.” (Isaiah 43:26) The power of the third day resurrection is relevant to your resurrection this third month of the year if you will remember to remind God. The children of Israel reminded God of His covenant when their crying got to God.
At the time Moses was born, the death sentence of Pharaoh for every son born by Hebrew women was in effect. As a result Moses, mother decided to hide him. Moses mother, “…Hid him for three months.” (Exodus 2:2) On the third month of hiding Moses from the death sentence of king Pharaoh, Moses ended up in the compassionate care of the murderer’s palace when his mother, “… Took an ark of bulrushes for him, daubed it with asphalt and pitch, put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds by the river’s bank.” (Exodus 2:3) On the third month, Pharaoh’s daughter saw the ark of bulrushes at the bank of river and when she opened it, “…She saw the child, and behold, the baby wept. So she had compassion on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children” (Exodus 2:6) Moses came out of hiding, redeemed on the third month.
Nehemiah, heard about the great distress and reproach of his people; he also heard about the breakdown of the wall of Jerusalem. By virtue of the negativity of the news, he took it upon himself to enter into prayer and fasting. As the Lord will have it on his behalf, “…It came to pass in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, that I took the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had never been sad in his presence before.” (Nehemiah 2:1). In the month of Nisan (March-April) the attention which Nehemiah gained from King Artaxerxes delivered into his hand all that was needed for him to move forward in the quest for rebuilding and redeeming the damages incurred at the hand of enemies over his land and his people. In the third month the motion to redemption was activated.
Among all the number of days, it was on the third day that Jesus our Lord and savior chose to stun the devil when He resurrected. The miracle of the third cannot be undermined, God does nothing by accident.
Jesus’ resurrection on the third day, Moses’ coming out of hiding and going directly into compassionate hand of one’s that made law to kill him was not magic or luck but miracle of the third.
When Harman’s conspiracy to destroy all the Jews throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus was in place, it was the miracle of the third that answered for the deliverance of all the Jews. Queen Esther was alerted of the impending danger and she took it upon herself with three days fasting and prayer. After the fasting of three days, Queen Esther needed to go into the inner court of the king. Inner court of the king was described in Esther 4:11, “All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that any man or woman who goes into the inner court to the king, who has not been called, he has but one law: put all to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter, that he may live…” Despite Esther’s understanding of what could happen by going to the inner court of the king without being called by the king, she made her way into the inner court after her three days fasting. Esther 5:2, “So it was, when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, that she found favor in his sight…” On the third day Esther found favor where failure is the answer. Trust God for your own testimony in this third month.

FAITH CAPSULE: The power of the third day resurrection is relevant to your resurrection this third month of the year.
Tunde