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

Mark 14: 22-31

It is only salvation, not determination that will see any believer through in this journey of life. No matter what you determine, it only becomes established when it is backed by the Spirit of God. It is good to desire because God will deposit and make desire become a manifestation. Through the pages of the scripture, there are evidences of where men have taken to determination but the end result was a failure. However, this is not a suggestion that man should not have determination, but to make it clear that manÕs desire by looking up to God will always prevail. Peter walked with Jesus, prayed with Jesus, ate with Jesus and witnessed stunning miracles with his two eyes. What he received from Jesus was not in written form but in direct contact while he traveled from city to city, over land and water. With PeterÕs entire walk with Jesus, he confidently assumed determination to operate after Jesus. At the LordÕs Supper with His disciples, Jesus made known what was going happen, including His resurrection. Jesus went further by mentioning that all His disciples will stumble. Peter was too determined to reject the LordÕs revelation. Mark < ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>14: 29-31, ÒPeter said to Him, ÔEven if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be.Õ 30 Jesus said to him, ÔAssuredly, I say to you that today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.Õ 31 But he spoke more vehemently, ÔIf I have to die with You, I will not deny You!Õ And they all said likewise.Ó Peter was determined that He will not stumble. But it was clear to Jesus what was going to happen. Peter stumbled and he denied Jesus. Are you facing your mountain with determination? Do not forget: determination will fail, but by the Spirit of God only will your mountain be moved.

SELL IT ALL< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

Luke 18:18-27

A certain ruler approached Jesus to ask about what he needed to do to inherit eternal life. Jesus responded that the young ruler should know the commandments. JesusÕ response was good for the young ruler because he had kept the law from his youth. Just like the rich young ruler, you also have kept all the law from youth. Above all, you have been constant in the church, you know all the praise and worship songs, and you and your pastor are very close. This is JesusÕ answer to the rich young ruler: Luke 18:22, ÒSo when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, ÒYou still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.Ó One thing, just one thing, is enough to terminate the journey into eternal inheritance. The rich young ruler had it all except for one thing which is difficult. It was difficult for him to sell all and then follow Jesus to receive all that it takes to inherit eternal life.  What or how many things do you lack? God cannot be deceived because His eyes go to and fro. Be honest with yourself in identifying what you lack. Jesus requested from you and the young rich ruler to go and sell all that you have. Selling all means that you will have to follow Him fully and nothing should hold you back. After selling all, you we also give your attention to the neediest ones. The determination to sell all and follow Him will not prevail except by the spirit of God. Ask God to deliver you from anything that will deny you from your inheritance in His Kingdom. Be encouraged; you can do what Jesus requested if you will always remember Luke < ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>18:27, ÒBut He said, ÔThe things which are impossible with men are possible with God.ÕÓ

NOT BY LABOR< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

Psalm 127

A building without its foundation in God will not stand. Disciples that followed Jesus did not find Jesus; it was Jesus that found them and He called them to follow Him. In following Jesus, they were built by His word; they had foundation in the Lord and they were committed to the Word of God. As a < ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>temple of God, who is building you? Whatever is in place that is building up a believer for the kingdom glory should not be outside of God. Psalm 127:1, ÒUnless the LORD builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the LORD guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.Ó It is clear that any one who does not have foundation in the Lord cannot be built in His word and whatever is considered a building will not stand. Paul, the apostle, also recognized the need to be built by the Word of God when he made a recommendation in Acts 20:32, ÒSo now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.Ó Give the Lord a chance to build your house. He will not come down to build you, but He has sent forth His Word to build each and every one that He has called. Are you giving yourself to His Word? There is only one way to be built outside the Word of God; it is a way no one wants to be and the end of that way is destruction. When He builds you, you will be like a city; a city that has no need for watchman. Give time to the word of God and allow His word to build you. Give way to sacrifice and no way to laboring in vain. 

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

Psalm 143

King David prayed in Psalm 143:8, ÒCause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, for in You do I trust; cause me to know the way in which I should walk, for I lift up my soul to You.Ó In this prayer, he was not asking God to help him; he was not asking God to teach him neither was he asking God to instruct him. He was rather asking God to cause him that is to make him, regardless of whatever. King DavidÕs prayer was a demonstration of total submission to the hand of God. He was asking for effectiveness of God in his hearing and knowing. This kind of request is a testimony to the fact that King David had personalized God. There was no consideration of what the course of being caused (made) by God to go through an unknown path. King David was saying that whatever it may be, let me hear your lovingkindness in the morning; let me know the way to walk. As a believer that knows God to be a merciful God, it is worthy to ignore and not consider what it will take or cost to be under the hand of God in causing us to hear or know what, where, or how He is going to do it in our journey. How God is going to take us through what He wants for us is not important but what matters is the end result. He is not for evil, but for good. DavidÕs course of request might have been challenging but the end result could not be traded for anything or position. Hearing His lovingkindness in the morning will set us up for great exploit. Knowing the way in which to walk will cause us not to fall where the rest of the world is falling. However, the price of being in the course of journey of being caused by God to hear and see might be sacrificial–that is it might be costly. Are you willing to ask God by praying, cause me (make me) to hear Your lovinkindness; cause me to know the way? It is all about trusting Him and looking up to Him. If you are willing for God to do it His own way, you will not miss it when He makes you to go and be made to hear and see in His way.

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

Jonah 1, 2

Disobeying the word of God is denying the presence of God. Disobedience is a destroyer. At anytime we refuse to be obedient to the word of God, we have denied His presence. The Word of God is God and God is His Word. Jonah 1:1-2, ÒNow the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2 ÒArise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.Ó Jonah did not obey the word that came to him but he rather fled from the presence of God. Jonah 1:3, ÒBut Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish  from the presence of the LORD.Ó The Word of God is His presence. Jonah set himself up for destruction because there is no way on earth to fail in obeying God and then pass into being safe from destruction. Glory and thanks be unto God because despite our inconsistency, He remains to be consistent. He is a merciful God and will always hear us when we call back to Him to help us from our own self destruction. Jonah could not run nor hide from the hand of God. Just like Jonah, in your running away from Him it will only take some time for you to end up in the stomach of a great fish. Jonah ran from the presence of God and the disobedience that was set to destroy him landed him inside a great fish. Jonah called on God for deliverance from his own self destruction. Have you been swallowed up by any situation because of your disobedience? The ground where you are now standing is not a familiar one and it is not where you want to be as a child of God. Go and humble yourself.  Pray; seek His face and turn from the path that led you to be swallowed by your situation. God will answer your prayer for it is never too late for Him to answer.