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.

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

Numbers 13

Every believer who confesses the Lord God is in debt of constant and consistently calling and requesting for the mercy of God on a daily and regular basis. The Bible declares in Romans 3:23, ÒFor all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.Ó Indeed God is a merciful God and the Lord sits as King forever. How on earth can we not take Him for His word on a regular basis? ManÕs way of not taking Him for His word on a regular basis is a demonstration of taking Him small at heart. Have mercy Lord God! Since the pollution of man in the Garden of Eden by the deceiver, man has continued not to take Him for His word the way He desires for us. Also, it was a demonstration of not taking Him for His word when the children of Israel failed to move and possess all He had ordained for them. Numbers 13:1-3, ÒAnd the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 ÔSend men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the children of Israel; from each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, every one a leader among them.ÕÓ Moses played his role by relaying the message as delivered unto him to the children of Israel. God Himself spoke in regard to the land that He was giving them. God did not lay any condition for giving the land unto them because it was His promise to Father Abraham that He wanted to fulfill as a faithful God. All the children of Israel needed to do was to go and spy out the land that God was giving them. A simple direction with a simple heart of reception will result in a simple, but yet grand manifestation. Likewise, a simple direction with a stony heart of reception will bring forth a destructive manifestation. Have you received any direction from God? All His directions are simple because He that gives direction is the One who will also see you through by His grace. The spies went and checked out the land and came back with a negative report. Giving a negative report of His promise was a demonstration of lack of faith and indirectly reporting God to be a liar against the fact and the truth that He has never told a lie and never can. The summary of the report was, ÒÉÓThe land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are great men of great stature. 33 There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we are like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we are in their sight.ÕÓ (Numbers 13:32-33) When God calls you a winner and you call yourself a looser, you do not just lose, but you also become dead. All the people who received and believed a report that contradicted the promise of God died with the reporters of negativity. In gaining entrance into His promises, see through the LordÕs eyes by seeing it in His word. Do not see through manÕs eyes or manÕs word. What God promised He would do has already been done; just wait for the appointed time. He will enable you in Jesus name.

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

Mark 5:43

ÒNow when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a great multitude gathered to Him; and He was by the sea.Ó (Mark 5:21) It is demonstrated here that Jesus was always crossing over while those who were seeking Him were always positioning themselves where they could catch up with Him. Today, He has not stop in crossing over, but His crossing over has taken a greater dimension by the move of the Holy Spirit. Jesus presence is instant and available more than when He was here on the earth in person. He is the living Word of God that will never delay or be late. In one of His crossing over, ÒÉBehold, 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 daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live.ÕÓ (Mark 5:22-23) Jairus put aside his religious title that could have built an empty pride in him. This title did not measure to the task that was at hand as he went to meet with the only One who is true. Jairus needed to have his daughter delivered from the point of death. Do you have any concerns that need to be delivered from the point of death? Will you be willing to learn from Jairus? Jairus did three things to have his daughter delivered. First, he met Jesus at the right location, which was the crossing point. Your crossing point could be at the ground of fellowshipping. Many times you have been at the crossing point, but you could not receive from Him because of your title (pride) and when the altar call was made, you made up your mind not to take a step of faith. It does not matter how often you have stepped out in the past, as long as the need continues to resist you, you have to persist because God have insisted to bless you. Secondly, Jairus saw Jesus by stepping out to Him. JairusÕ stepping out caused him to have a direct contact with Jesus. Jesus knows all things and JairusÕ need was not strange to Jesus. His stepping out and seeing Jesus was a renunciation of being a multitude to being one who was on purpose and not flowing with the crowd. Let Jesus see you in your need and not just in the crowd. Finally, Jairus fell at His feet. He laid it all unto Jesus. Imagine Jairus begging earnestly for the life of her daughter saying, ÒHere I am, a poor religious leader, have mercy on my dying daughter.Ó While begging at the feet of the Master, he made his request without paying attention to who might have been listening. Have you been concerned about not letting your neighbor hear your request? It is all about pride and fear. ÒPride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.Ó (Proverbs16:18) Apply and execute the three steps that Jairus took and failure will not be your portion in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth Amen.