All posts by Tunde Soniregun

The Name

Devotions

THE NAME
Exodus 6:1-8

In God’s direction that was given to Moses for Pharaoh to release of the children of Israel out of bondage, God also gave power to Moses. The power that was given to Moses was the name of God: the LORD. Exodus 6:2-3, “And God spoke to Moses and said to him: ‘I am the LORD. 3 I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name LORD I was not known to them.’” The name worked. In the end, the children of Israel came out of the bondage of over four hundred years. Pharaoh, an agent of the devil, put up all opposition in his attempt to disapprove the effectiveness and the power that is in the name of God. Moses, sent of God, moved at the word of God to make the name of the Lord God become approved to all generations. Can you think of any other name that is above the name of the Lord God? It has not been documented by anyone that the name of the Lord God is a failure. The same name yesterday is still the same name today and tomorrow and it has not stop working miracles. The name of God will not fail you if you do not fail to wait for Him to move on your behalf. It can be seen across all the pages of the Scriptures what the name of God has done. By virtue of evidences, it is clear what the name of God is doing and it is a testimony to what the name of God will do. The forces of the wicked will throw all weapons at you and the goliath in your life will come at you with every destructive weapon. Goliath in David’s life meant to kill David before David’s time was up on the face of earth. Goliath threatened, “…come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!” (1 Samuel 17:44) David was not ready to become food for the birds of heaven and as a result, he responded to Goliath with the greatest weapon on earth. David stated, “…you come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.” (1 Samuel 17:45)Can you think of where to run or hide? In this world, there is no hiding place that is safe except in the name of the Lord. Proverbs 18:10, “The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.”  If you have Christ, your righteousness is in Christ Jesus. Take the name of the Lord as your shelter and He will cover you. Enter into a new month with the name and you shall overcome.
 
Prayer for today: Glory and honor be to the Almighty name of our Lord God for He alone is God, Mighty indeed and great in battle. In this new month , all round victory shall be your portion in Jesus name.

May 2009 Issue

Monthly Newsletter

 “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony…”             (Revelation 12:11)

If there is any ground a believer needs to be standing on in challenging days that are here, it should be on an overcoming ground. The Bible helps us realize that there are two major overcoming powers that are in place for every believer that will take the position of an overcomer. Revelation 12:11, “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony…” Two overcoming powers that can be identified here are: Blood of the Lamb and word of testimony.
Blood of the Lamb:
Jesus is the Lamb of God that shed His blood on the Calvary for those who will receive and believe in Him. John the Baptist referred to Him, “…Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is He of whom I said, ‘after me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.’” (John 1:29-30) Have you received Jesus and believe in Him as your Lord and Savior? Truly as lamb, He shed His blood on the Calvary and that is the reason why He stated, “…I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10) If you will get yourself in the flow of His blood you will be set for overcoming.
Word of Testimony:
Testimony can be defined as an open declaration or profession. As a believer, what are your open declarations concerning the greatness and might of God? In most cases, whatever you declare is what will decorate you. The word stated that they overcame by the word of their testimony. As a believer, when your testimony to great and good things He has done and those that He is doing becomes consistent in the word of your mouth and your meditation, great and good things will become your decoration. Inhabited in every testimony is positive or negative confession. Through the pages of the Bible, there is evidence of what positive or negative testimonies delivered into the lives of the testifiers.
Evidence of Positive Testimony: King David by the word of his testimonies had a great and mighty deliverance when he overcame Goliath. In his attempt to go and fight Goliath, King Saul was discouraging when he said to David, “…You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.” (1 Samuel 17:33) David refused to be discouraged but gave account of what he was able to do as he responded to King Saul, “…Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, 35 I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it.” (1 Samuel 17:34-35) David was not intimated by the confronting challenge that was posed by Goliath neither was he slowed down. Instead, David dwelt on what The Lord his God had enabled him to do in the past and he gave a testimony, “The LORD, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” (1 Samuel 17:37) David, by the word of his testimony, was able to overcome the giant challenge of Goliath that was before him. 
Evidence of Negative Testimony: The children of Israel experienced the great miracle when they were coming out of their bondage of over four hundred years and passing through the Red sea on a dry land. However, by the word of their testimonies they shut down their Promised Land. In responding to the spy’s negative report after investigation of the Promised Land, they had no better testimony but to confess, “…If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness! 3 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?” 4 So they said to one another, “Let us select a leader and return to Egypt.” (Numbers 14: 2-3) God distinctively heard the children of Israel’s request of death in the wilderness and He responded by sending Moses, “Say to them, ‘As I live,’ says the LORD, ‘just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you.” In truth, entire numbers from twenty years old, except Caleb and Joshua failed in getting down to the Promised Land because of negative testimony.
What are your testimonies? Which words are being produce in you and being released by your tongue as testimony? Proverbs 18:21, “Death and life are in the power of tongue…” David saw challenges; he testified to the power of God and he overcame. The children of Israel saw challenges; confessed negative and could not have life. In facing your challenges ahead, think of the great testimonies in His word and the ones in your life; meditate, confess and you shall have life and overcome.
 

In most cases, whatever you declare is what will decorate you.
Inside the route of suffering there is also the route to blessing.
‘Tunde

Hold On To Him

Devotions

HOLD ON TO HIM
Exodus 5:1-14

If you cannot hold on to the Lord, you will give up from Him. Continue trusting in your hanging on to Him. He has eyes to see and He has ears to hear. He can see through all your pain. The children of Israel were in bondage for over four hundred years. When it was close to the time of freedom, it then seemed like they had just started in bondage. When it was close for them to begin to move to where God had planned for them, affliction was intensified. After the Lord God had given the mandate to Moses for the deliverance of the children of Israel, it was then that the situation became more painful with no gain in sight. Moses and Aaron approached Pharaoh as the Lord directed, Exodus 5:3, “So they said, ‘The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please, let us go three days’ journey into the desert and sacrifice to the LORD our God, lest He fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword.’”  The message of God did not settle well with Pharaoh, but it settled the children of Israel who had just received a ray of hope for freedom from God through Moses. Pharaoh’s heart was hardened; he could not receive the request for the freedom of the children of Israel, “Then the king of Egypt said to them, ‘Moses and Aaron, why do you take the people from their work? Get back to your labor.’” (Exodus 5:4) Whenever the heart of man is hardened, the eyes of the heart will remain blinded. Such a heart will not see and it will fail to recognize God and the moves of God. God became unknown to Pharaoh because of the hardness of his heart. Not knowing that freedom was already on the roll, Pharaoh intensified the pain of labor on the children of Israel. Exodus 5:9, “Let more work be laid on the men that they may labor in it, and let them not regard false words.” Thesituation changed for the children of Israel because the message that Moses brought unsettled Pharaoh and he added more to the hard labor. Exodus 5:13, “And the taskmasters forced them to hurry, saying, ‘Fulfill your work, your daily quota, as when there was straw.’” Taskmasters in your life are not excluded from bringing more pain, but they are a process to your gain. Your long awaited breakthrough is at hand but the enemy has intensified a way to break you down before it arrives. It might get tougher when you expect your breakthrough, but do not allow a break down in your daily journey. Confess your breakthrough always and be rest assured that your miracle is at hand in Jesus name.
 
Prayer for today: Father I thank you because you have given me victory and my breakthrough is here in Jesus name.

Costly Sacrifice

Devotions

COSTLY SACRIFICE
Exodus 3:13-22

When God called on Moses to go as a messenger of deliverance to the children of Israel, it was with a consistent command of bringing the children of Israel out of bondage so they could go and sacrifice to God. Exodus 3:18, “Then they will heed your voice; and you shall come, you and the elders of Israel, to the king of Egypt; and you shall say to him, ‘The LORD God of the Hebrews has met with us; and now, please, let us go three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.’” All through the encounters of Moses with Pharaoh was a striking message of letting the people go and serve (sacrifice) God. By the hand of God through Moses the children of Israel were brought out of bondage of over four hundred years. Like the children of Israel, believers today have been brought out of the bondage of sin and iniquities by the blood of Jesus Christ. The life of a believer is to be a life of service (sacrifice) unto God as the journey of life continues. The grace of salvation is to enable believers to be consistent in walking with God. He is a God with good plans for His children who will serve Him in all of their walks. As a believer, you have not been redeemed to serve or sacrifice to the god of this world. The children of Israel eventually gained freedom from the house of bondage (Egypt), but they entered into self-bondage in their journey. They failed in their service and could not pass unto the promise of God. It is not enough that you have come to the saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus. You also need to begin to live a life of sacrifice in serving the Lord God. Could it be that you are living a sacrificial life at your own convenience? Serving God should always be at the level of commitment and not just at our own convenience. In serving God, a line for reasonable service should been drawn from an unreasonable service. Once during the reign of King David, a free ground was offered for a sacrificial offering to God by Araunah. King David responded to the free ground of offering, “…No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price; nor will I offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God with that which costs me nothing.’ So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.” (2 Samuel 24:24) As a believer, turn yourself right unto God with reasonable sacrifices that cost you and He will return unto you with a priceless blessing.

Prayer for today: Ask the Lord to enable you in your serving Him in truth and indeed.

Seperated For Encounter

Devotions

SEPERATED FOR ENCOUNTER
Genesis 32

With a separation unto God comes an encounter with God. Do you desire to have an encounter with God? Take a step of faith in expecting Him to visit you; be separated to Him indeed and in truth then you will have an encounter with God. Also, if His choice is to have an encounter with you, He will separate you to Himself and in His separation there will be an encounter. When Jacob was about to come in the way of Esau after years of his deception, he attempted to avoid trouble for all his possessions by separating from all, “And he arose that night and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven sons, and crossed over the ford of Jabbok. 23 He took them, sent them over the brook, and sent over what he had. 24 Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day.” (Genesis 32:22-24) At the time of separation from all of his possessions, he was not actually planning for an encounter with God but God planned an encounter with Jacob. In Jacob’s encounter, he had his name changed from Jacob to Israel. His encounter was a demonstration of a new chapter on the course of his life journey. The time of separation from every form of distraction and delay is a time of encounter with the move of God. Among many other encounters in the Bible was that of Saul on his way to Damascus, in his attempt to commit murder against the disciples. “As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. 4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” 5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”(Acts 9:3-5) In Saul’s encounter, he was not alone and there were people around him but yet he was separated to God. Saul alone had a light shone around him; Saul alone fell on the ground and Saul alone had a conversation with Jesus. It was only Saul that received direction of where to go from the ground of his encounter. Saul’s encounter was the one that led to the change in name from Saul to Paul the apostle. Just like Jacob, the encounter of Paul eventually placed him in the center of his divine assignment on the face of earth. In the journey of life, if we seek Him we will find Him and if God’s choice is to use us for His divine assignment, there is no where to run or hide from being separated unto Him.
 
Prayer for today: Ask Him to separate you for His name to be glorified in your life.