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

1 Chronicles < ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>22:17-19

Whenever a building construction is halted, it suffers stagnation. For you, as a temple of God that is constantly under construction, are you rising or stagnated? David was charging his son Solomon, and the leaders, for the construction of the temple, 1 Chronicles 22:19, ÒNow set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God. Therefore arise and build the sanctuary of the LORD God, to bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD and the holy articles of God into the house that is to be built for the name of the LORD.Ó DavidÕs statement can thoroughly be applied to the life of a believer that desirers to grow in the Lord. As a living temple of God, it is absolutely evident that to lack growth in the things of the Lord is to remain stagnant. Have you examined yourself lately and determined if you can honestly and sincerely identify growth in your life as a believer? Acting impressively in the church is not a growth determinant. Growth is not determined by how long you have been going to church; growth is not only when you are constantly in the church with active and noticeable work. Growth is when His presence in your life is active by powerful demonstrations. Take DavidÕs charge as your own for your growth. Begin to set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God. A heart that is set for God will settle itself for nothing but seeking God in deed and in truth. The grace to set and seek Him will bring a rise in you as a building, a living temple of the Lord. Ask God for a heart to seek after Him.

PRAISE-FULL< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

Psalms 100

To be praise-full is to be God-filled. David, once described as a man after GodÕs heart (1 Samuel < ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>13:14), was a praise-full man. Without doubt, by the testimonies of DavidÕs writings, he was a man that takes praising God into a different level. As a result, God established him on a level that is different from any other Bible character. Psalms 18:3, ÒBut you are holy, enthroned in the praise of Israel.Ó It is in the praising of God that creates His place of habitation. It is evident in the life of David that he will not consider or put anything above how he praises his God. David was once despised by Michal for getting so low in his praise to God. 2 Samuel, ÒNow as the ark of the LORD came into the city of David, Micah, SaulÕs daughter, looked through a window and saw king David leaping and whirling before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart.Ó David was praise-full. He set no limit or bounds to where, when or how he praises God. Praising God is a powerful way of provoking the hand of God. So many battles were won in the Bible by praising God. Remember the wall of Jericho? The wall of Jericho came down flat when God gave the command of praise, and the children of Israel were able to round the wall up by the power of God through praise. How is your praise life? Are you giving praise a serious attention? Consider changing your weapon of offence against your wall of Jericho by increasing your time of praising Him. Psalms 100:2, ÒEnter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His court with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.Ó Giving thanks will only see you through to the gate. Stop yourself from being stopped at the gate, let your praise take you into His courts where He sits and reigns, then you will be God-full.

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

1Kings 17:1-16

Elijah prayed that there shall be neither dew nor rain, and rain ceased for three and half years. After rain had ceased, Elijah was not excepted from the consequence of his prayer. Elijah, being a man who knows how to hear when God speaks, had the privilege of overcoming lack by entering into GodÕs provision. Are you in place where the brook has dried up? 1 Kings 17:7, ÒAnd it happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.Ó There is always a way out for those who know their God. Elijah knew his God, and there was a way for him to get out of lack and get into GodÕs provision. 1 Kings 17:8-9, ÒThen the word of the LORD came to him, saying, ÔArise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to < ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.ÕÓ Elijah was able to escape lack and enter into provision because when the Word came, he listened and followed without question. Elijah rose as he was commanded by the word of God and he had the privilege to see where the provision was placed. Responding to simple commands is not foolishness. 1 Kings 17:10, ÒSo he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, indeed a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, ÔPlease bring me a little water in a cup that I may drink.ÕÓ Elijah followed through with the word and entered into provision. If you will follow through His word you will receive your breakthrough by His word. He is the Almighty God.

WONDERFUL TESTIMONIES

Psalm 119:97-100, 129-136< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

When you remind God concerning the work of His hand, He will react concerning the war that confronts you. Psalm 119:129, ÒYour testimonies are wonderful; therefore my soul keeps them.Ó The testimonies of God are powerful because it is a demonstration of your faith. It is also a demonstration that you are counting on Him for greater testimonies. When David confronted Goliath, his first weapon of attack was remembering and reminding all agents of opposition about what God has done in his life. What God has done is what will provoke what God will do. 1 Samuel 17:34, ÒBut David said to Saul, ÔYour servant used to keep his fatherÕs sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, I went out after 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.Ó David was asked not to go after the giant Goliath while he was talking about how God had helped him in killing a lion and a bear. DavidÕs response was perfect because he that remembers how God delivered from a small confrontation will be delivered from a bigger confrontation. It is a weapon to hold on to the testimonies of God when a challenge shows up like a storm. Indeed, the testimonies of God are wonderful when it is put to use. The testimonies of God will only useful when it is constantly having its place in the soul of the intended user. Let your soul become a keeper of the wonderful testimonies of God, and you will have wonderful testimonies to give.

MISSING POINT< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

John 1:35-51

Whatever you have been missing as believer can only be found in serving Him. In your services to God, time has always been what you use as a determinant. You have always and constantly put into consideration how, when, where, or what you can deliver as a service to the Lord. If you will consider today that the time you are using as a guard post is not yours but is given to you by God, you will begin to give it all to Him.  Let it be registered in you that serving God is not a convenient engagement but a commitment. If you have not denied yourself, your service to Him is conceited; your service is not recorded in heaven; Jesus will declare later that He did not know you. Have you actually denied yourself for the LordÕs service? It is not only when you see believers around you that you should be acting unselfishly. You know it is not true and it is false humility. Man can be deceived but God will see through the heart and He cannot be deceived. Let it penetrate deep in your heart that in serving Him, you have to follow Him. John 12:26, ÒIf anyone serves Me, let him follow Me: and where I am, there my servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.Ó To serve the Lord you have to follow Him. Ignorance is not an excuse. Ignorance will only make a destitute out of a believer; it will ridicule your journey if you fail to master what it takes to follow the Master. Ask God for the grace to follow Him.