WHY WORRY?< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>Mark 8:1-10

ÒIn those days, the multitude being very great and having nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples to Him and said to them, 2 ÔI have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. 3 And if I send them away hungry to their own houses, they will faint on the way; for some of them have come from afar.ÕÓ (Mark 8:1-3) It is not possible to continue with Jesus and be condemned unto lack. The multitude continued with Jesus and nothing possible could have left them uncared for. It is true that continuity is the rule of every race while a purposeful heart is the official in the race of life. Jesus cannot and will not look away from every kind of need in the life of those who follow Him. He is a God of provision and preservation and no matter how small your concern or need may be, just trust Him that He is there. Time will not determine how or when He will respond in meeting your need, but trusting in Him for your need will always provoke His hand in meeting your need. Are you having any reason for concern in Him meeting certain needs in your life? What is it that you are worrying yourself about? This is what Jesus has to say in Matthew 6:25: ÒTherefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?Ó Does this proclamation serve as an encouragement to you? As He was, so He is today. Jesus is alive and still doing what He did when He was on the face of this earth as a man. Jesus knows exactly what you need and all that you are asking for. From the smallest to the biggest, He is aware of all your concerns.  Jesus knows how soon you need it and what purpose it will serve in your life. When Jesus requested for the feeding of those who were with Him for days, His disciples had a few concerns among which were presented to Him in the question of, ÒÉHow can one satisfy these people with bread here in the wilderness?Ó (Mark 8:4) Jesus will not only meet your need to satisfaction, but He will meet you at the point of your need with abundance. He never gives less except to give more. Jesus, having provided seven loaves for four thousand, still had a leftover of seven large baskets of loaves of bread. These leftovers were not small baskets. He asked in Matthew 6:27, ÒWhich of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?Ó  He was talking about just 18 inches addition to where you are now in terms of growth. Can you add to yours? You cannot add and you cannot take away so why donÕt you take all to Him in prayer? He knows what you need, but He will only move by your prayer. Today if you will turn from worrying into praying, heaven will no doubt respond on your behalf. He is a compassionate God who will always be faithful to all of His followers.

TRANSFORMATION OF ZEAL< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>Acts 9:1-9

Saul went and sought for power and authority to make him an unrestricted agent with permission to persecute any believer on his way. As a result, he went and he received letters that granted him the permission to bind any believer whether man or woman. In his evil desire, he encountered the power that elevated him to a higher ground of operating for the glory of God. In his encounter, he had a zeal transformation. SaulÕs zeal for persecuting believers was transformed to presenting and promoting the kingdom of God. It is worth it to pray that every trace of unrighteous zeal be transformed to righteous zeal. Before Saul entered into his journey of encounter, he had routed himself through the route of darkness that would have enabled him to persecute believers. This was a route that was rooted in an evil mindset. As God would have it, the shining light arrested Saul. ÒAs he journeyed, he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven.Ó (Acts 9:3) The light that shone around Saul brought him down and opened up his ears and he heard the Word. ÒAnd he said, ÔWho are You, Lord?Õ Then the Lord said, ÔI am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.ÕÓ 6 So he trembling and astonished said, ÔLord, what do you want me to do?Õ Then the Lord said to him, ÔArise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.ÕÓ  (Acts 9:5-6) At that juncture, SaulÕs lifetime journey was rerouted and he had his name changed from Saul to Paul. Above all, Paul never experienced any lights out all the days of his life. With the light on him, he never had a misstep in the calling that was laid upon his life and no darkness could harass or threaten him without him overcoming them. Any force or agent of evil could not put out the light that brought out Saul from darkness. Also, the light that shone up on Saul blinded all that did not represent God in the life of Saul and it gave him new spiritual eyesight. Paul did not walk with Jesus like the disciples did, but he was privileged of God to walk on every ground that Jesus walked. The light became PaulÕs road map and he operated heaven on earth. By virtue of all that was recorded in the pages of the New Testament of the Bible, it can be said of Paul that he was more sensitive to the Holy Spirit than all who actually walked with Jesus. God is still in the business of miracles and as long as you still have breath in your being, it can never be too late or too early to ask for the same light that shone on Paul to shine on you. It was a transformation of zeal for Paul the apostle.

SIMON THE SOCERER< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>Acts 8:5-25

SaulÕs active persecution caused the disciples to be scattered and went everywhere preaching. Philip went to the city of Samaria and began to witness Christ. As Philip was witnessing, many people were converted and saw the miracles that he did. The witnessing of Philip brought forth healing over paralysis and it also brought forth deliverance from unclean spirits. Among his converts was a man by the name of Simon who had previously practiced sorcery in the city. Before the arrival of Philip, Simon was regarded as a great man with the great power of God. By virtue of the message that Philip was preaching, the people of Samaria listened to Philip. ÒThen Simon himself also believed; and when he was baptized he continued with Philip, and was amazed, seeing the miracles and signs which were done.Ó (Acts 8:13) With this documentation about Simon, it is safe to arrive at the conclusion that Simon became a born-again believer and a follower of Jesus Christ. As Simon continued to follow the disciples of Jesus, however, he was later exposed. The kind of heart that Simon carried was revealed. What about you? What kind of heart do you carry in your following the Lord Jesus? Time will tell regardless of how long you have been carrying a different mind from that of true followers; one day it will come to light. This passage is a testimony to the fact today that many are followers just like Simon, but their hearts are not after Jesus. As the Lord would have it in the process of time, Peter was in location to expose Simon. Simon was able to witness the apostles giving the Holy Spirit to people by the laying of hands. Simon desired such power demonstration and went forward to offer money for the manifestation of such power in his life, ÒSaying, ÔGive me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit.ÕÓ  (Acts 8:19) The business of God cannot be purchased by money, but is only receivable if you make yourself available for Him. Peter exposed Simon by saying; ÒYou have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God. 22 Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. 23 For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.Ó (Acts 8:21-23) Simon was a believer but yet he carried a heart that was not right in the sight of God and he was poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity. This is serious because he was an acclaimed believer just like us, but his true heart condition was not revealed until he had an encounter with Peter. How is your heart? Can you give yourself a reality heart check and find out where you are? It will not take long before the truth will reveal itself.  Do not be a living Simon the sorcerer. Deception, lying and manipulation can only last for a moment because God cannot be deceived.

APPRECIATE HIM< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

Mark 6:1-6

ÒBut Jesus said to them, ÒA Prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.ÕÓ (Mark 6:4) Having done miracles on every ground that He stepped on, despite having crowds and His disciples who were following Him, Jesus was still rejected at His own city of Nazareth. The people questioned the source of His wisdom and the work of His hand at His own place and among His own people. In His peopleÕs eyes, He was just the son of a carpenter; the mere son of Joseph and Mary. Only God knows all that was thrown at Him in words that were not documented. It must have been so much and the Bible testifies that, ÒÉ He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.Ó(Mark 6:5)  If there was to be a place for Him in regard to greater work being manifested, should that not have been His home place and among His people? Have you been encountering people who are putting you down or rewinding all your past walks in the world that did not glorify God? In that kind of situation, there should be no reason for debate. You should rather just let God operate in you life. JobÕs wife did the worst when she, ÒÉsaid to him, ÔDo you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and dieÕÓ.  (Job 2:9) This statement came after God had testified about Job being a man that holds fast to his integrity. Can your situation be as bad like that of Job? Today, encourage yourself in the Lord knowing fully well that you know your God and your God knows you. Now think of how you have been rejecting Him by the lifestyles you live in the absence of fellow believers. Doing things that cannot be approved or done in the midst of your fellow brethrens is an indication that you are also rejecting Him. The people of Nazareth failed to appreciate the anointing upon the life of the Anointed One. Bishop David Oyedepo (Winners Chapel Lagos, Nigeria) once said, ÒThe anointing that you do not appreciate will not work for you.Ó Let Jesus know that you appreciate Him today. Go the extra effort like Mary, the sister of Lazarus, did when she ÒÉtook a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.Ó (John 12:3). Mary did the unimaginable and it became a record for her from generation to generation and her record is still being spoken of today. What kind of unimaginable can you do to let Him know that you appreciate the anointed OneÕs anointing? God will have mercy. 

ASK, SEEK, KNOCK< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

Mark 5:21-43

Jesus, during His days in His human body, was always passing or crossing from one end to another end. Just as He was doing then, He is doing more especially now that He can be everywhere at every time through the Holy Spirit. Jesus is the Omnipresent and Omnipotent God. In all of His passing or crossing, He always makes Himself available to give life more abundantly. Can you check if you are in position or location whereby He will not pass you by? Your position and location could deny or delay your miracle. Today, if you will take a position or location where the one that is looking and moving around for someone to devour (Satan) will not reach, then it shall be well with you in Christ Jesus. At one of JesusÕ crossing point, a religious man, one of the rulers of the synagogue, named Jairus, whose daughter was at a point of death, was in location at JesusÕ crossing. Mark 5:22-23, ÒAnd behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet 23 and begged Him earnestly, saying, ÔMy little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live.ÕÓ Jairus did not just come as a spectator; he was on a mission to get and to receive more abundantly from Jesus. Getting and receiving more abundantly requires for us to ask, seek, and knock. Jesus laid it as a guideline in Matthew 7:7, ÒAsk, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock and it will be opened top you.Ó Jairus did all three in one spot and all that had pronounced his daughter dead had to give up and the daughter came out of that death pronouncement. Jairus came and asked but not to please the crowd. Every coming to Jesus for solutions to situations is evidently a coming to seek Him. Jairus did exactly this.He came to the face of the One who can give abundantly more than required. The Bible says Jairus saw Him. Seeing Him is the result of seeking Him. Knocking is banging on Him with petition for intervention. Jairus came to ask, he saw Jesus because he sought Him and then he knocked his petition on Jesus by falling at His feet. The best place to knock on Jesus is at the feet where He will not be able to turn away from you. When Jesus moves His feet to the right, left, front or back, there will be no way to move because you are at His feet knocking and He will have no other way but to answer you. If you will mix the word of God with faith, it will produce the result that will separate you from the world. The word of God is true, powerful and brings about deliverance. If you will take to the word, the word will make you to increase abundantly in Jesus name.