LACK OF KNOWLEDGE
Acts 4:32-37, 5:1-11

As much as lack of knowledge can be devastating, so is half knowledge. The case of Nadab and Abihu is a sure testimony that ignorance is not an excuse before God. Also, in every operation of lack of knowledge or half knowledge concerning the word of God, there is a risk that devastating consequences will take place. Leviticus 10:1-2, “Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them. So fire went out from the LORD and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.” There was no time for both sons of Aaron to give an excuse of their grave operation before the fire consumed them. Nadab and Abihu had witnessed the offering many times but that did not qualify them to carry out the offering. Many are witnessing, many are participating or operating certain responsibilities in the church, but it is not a demonstration or confirmation of knowledge required. The business of God is not a toy and God will not overlook sin. If you are operating without a full knowledge, it is time to learn and avoid painful consequence. Ananias and Sapphira exposed themselves to the danger of losing their lives when they operated what could be considered as half knowledge. The Bible recorded in Acts 4:36-37, “And Joses, who was also named Barnabas by the apostles (which is translated Son of Encouragement), a Levite of the country of Cyprus, having land, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.” It is evident that Joses and Barnabas knew well enough to deliver exactly what they received from selling their property. They could not lie to the apostles because they knew the consequences. “But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession.  And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles’ feet.” Ananias and Sapphira had witnessed what the process was, but they lack the knowledge of the consequence not to be truthful. Knowledge is truth and truth is knowledge. Avoid being ignorant in the things of God because ignorance will make a destitute believer. Take time to study the things of the Lord, observe, meditate, and participate before you activate. From the Old Testament to the New Testament, there is no evidence that God ever overlooked sin except that He forgives sin. In every operation of no-knowledge there is a costly price to pay because it leads to sin.

Prayer for today: O Lord my God let the knowledge of Your word have it’s place in my life. Let me not become a destitute believer in the operation of your word.

GRACE AND PEACE
2 Peter 1

The first time that God pronounced blessing was the blessing of multiplication. The Bible records that after God had created sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind and every winged bird according to its kind, “…God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.”” (Genesis 1:22-23) Manifestly, God is the God of multiplication. He is the God that desires to see progress in the work of His hand. Also, as a result of growing, He cannot be a stagnant God; increasing in multiple must be part of His character. Simon Peter, one of the apostles, greeted in his second letter, “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.” (2 Peter1:2) Could it be that Peter was praying with understanding that was rooted in the fact that multiplication is a significant part of God? The prayer of Peter points to the truth that grace and peace also needs to be multiplied in us in the knowledge of God and of Jesus. With the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord and Savior, there will be multiplication of grace and peace. Without the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord and Savior, man is bound to be stagnant and not increase in grace and peace. Have you thought about gaining or finding the knowledge of God? Would you not want to increase in grace and peace in these days of challenges where all kinds of wickedness reign? The Word of God points out simply in Proverbs the source of gaining or finding the knowledge of God. Proverbs 2:5, “Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.” Knowledge of the Lord is not inherited from parents, but rather it becomes inhabited when it is founded in the understanding of the fear of God. The fear of God comes in the beginning of wisdom. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom…” (Proverb 9:10) The Word of God is the wisdom that we need to incline our ear to. When we begin to increase in the hearing and hearing of the Word of God, understanding the fear of God will undoubtedly increase and it will lead to gaining the knowledge of God. Through the journey of Abraham from the time he was called out of his family until he got to the mount of God shall provide, there was no evidence of listening disability to the Word of God. As a result, he knew God and grace and peace could not be separated from every step he took; it only increased in him.

Prayer for today: Deliver me from every agent of listening disability so that Your Word shall have its way in my life.

WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY?
Numbers 14

God made heaven and earth just by the words of His mouth. Evidently, God does have mouth just like we do. The Bible testifies, “He who planted the ear, shall He not hear? He who formed the eye, shall He not see? He who instructs the nations, shall He not correct…” (Psalm 94:9-10) He created us, and at the time of creation He stated, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…” (Genesis 1:26) The word of God is true. When God blesses, He does not bless by accident. In addition, when we speak to His hearing it is never going to be considered as an accident. Have you been very conscious of your communication? The book of Ecclesiastes warns us, “Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin, nor say before the messenger of God that it was an error…” (Ecclesiastes 5:6) Whatever progresses from our mouth under heaven, either in making a vow or praying or careless talk must be constantly positive and productive. The children of Israel, in spite of having witnessed a great act of God when coming out of bondage of over four hundred years, could not confess positive in their response to the negative report of the men who went to spy on their behalf. The children of Israel responded to the negative report with negative communication, “’…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?’ So they said to one another, ‘Let us select a leader and return to Egypt.’” (Numbers 14:2-4) God, who yearns jealously for our faith in Him, responded to the negative that He heard from the mouth of the children of Israel, “…I have heard the complaints which the children of Israel make against Me. 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, all of you who were numbered, according to your entire number, from twenty years old and above.” (Numbers 14:27-29) God hears you every time you communicate. The children of Israel spoke and pronounced death for themselves and death became their portion as they all died and did not get to the promised land; except for Joshua and Caleb. In a journey where the Red Sea could not terminate them, they allowed their communication to terminate them. God will not sleep nor slumber; He will not cease nor stop from hearing what we have to say. What do you have to say?

Prayer for today: O Lord my God, be with my mouth always and teach me what to say.

THE FINAL SAY
Luke 5:1-11

Once, four professional fishermen that knew the right time and the right place to fish failed to catch fish. Though they did not give up until day break; yet they caught nothing to show forth. Having failed in their area of expertise, they were in the process of packing up for that day. While they were washing their nets, the One which is in charge of every creation showed up. “Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.” (Luke 5:3) Despite the fishermen’s lack of success and having suffered long for not catching fish, their kindness was intact as they allowed the stranger to use their vessel without any repudiation. Are you allowing your current condition or challenges to dictate how you relate to people around you or strangers who come your way? After the stranger had finished taking care of His business, it did not take too long for the stranger to turn unto the fishermen and give them His Word to “…Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” (Luke 5:4) In response to the word of the stranger, one of the professional fishermen lamented about toiling all night with nothing to show forth. Are you in any situation where all your turning has turned out wrong? Have you found yourself on a ground where you have been grounded due to lack of positive result? The Word that sounded in the direction of the fishermen is still loud and clear if you will listen and hear. The fisherman responded to the Word and after he had let down where they had been let down by not catching any fish all night, “…they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” (Luke 5:6-8) Is there any area of your life where you have been toiling? It does not matter how long you have been toiling if you will listen and hear the living Word of God. The fishermen listened and heard the Word that terminated their struggle. With God, nothing is too difficult or too late. Whatever you know does not have the final say. Only Jesus has the final say over every situation or condition. Give it all up for Jesus and He will see you through.   

Prayer for today: I ask for the delivering and preserving Word of God to sound in my direction in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

ARE YOU HIS SOLDIER?
2 Timothy 2:1-13

An eligible and qualified soldier for Christ has to be a sold out soul for the cause of the cross that Jesus carried to Calvary when He was crucified. A soldier can be described as a person who contends or serves in any cause such as a soldier of the Lord. Soldiers are to persist steadfastly in one’s cause and to persevere (to soldier on until the work is done). Paul, the apostle, admonished Timothy by using an illustration of a soldier.  “You therefore must endurehardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.” (2 Timothy 2:3-4) The first notable statement in Paul’s illustration for faithfulness is that a soldier (follower of Christ) must endure hardship. Unfortunately, Christian soldiers today do not want to endure hardship, but rather want to enjoy worldly pleasures or live lives of convenience and commitment. Endurance can be painful and can possibly generate unwanted suffering. However, enduring hardship is what qualifies a Christian soldier as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. Every Christian soldier will have to know how to endure because a committed one cannot escape hardship in this world of wickedness. The Christian soldiers who will not have to endure or face any of the challenges of this world are the ones that often entangle themselves with the affairs of this life. The apostle Paul emphasized that no one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life because it is not possible to serve two masters. Are you a Christian soldier by mouth or by act? A Christian soldier need not to be introduced as a soldier because his warlike disposition will always point him out as one who is operating as a sold-out soul for the cause of the Lord Jesus Christ. What kind of a soldier are you? Are you a soldier who will always need constant introduction as a soldier? Are you wondering what could be an affair of the world that is being strongly warned against? 1 Peter 2:11, “Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul.” Without any doubt, fleshly lust is a prime target that every Christian soldier needs not to take for granted because it launches its attack on a regular basis. Fleshly lust will lead to the grave via ever great and small temptation. It is so deadly that it only goes after its target which is the soul of every Christian soldier. Once a soul is captured, the role as a soldier becomes incarcerated in the hand of chief of all wickedness; the evil one himself.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to have your soul be protected from every fleshly lust that you may please One that enlisted you.