THE WINNER IS?< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>2 Chronicles 16

The winner in the race of life is the one who runs accordingly to the end. The race of life is not about running to some extent, but about running it to the end mark. It is not all who start are winners, but the one who runs it to the end will be declared as winner. It does not matter how far and good you run, but it does matter to complete the race. Many started well and good, but halfway through or during the last leg, they failed in getting to the end of the race. The title that you carry will not represent a pass mark, but it is rather the task that you engaged yourself with. The race of life is a very serious issue and it is worth checking everyday if we have crossed outside the line or if we are still within the line. Crossing outside the line for long and failure of not crossing back into the line will cause one to be permanently disqualified. Asa, king of Judah, started his race wonderfully and he was way above and ahead in every footing in the race. God intervened and blessed him with rest and he was right on top of the crowd. Asa did all that was right before God and he did not allow even his family to contaminate all that he was doing to the glory of God. 2 Chronicles 15:16, ÒAlso he removed Maachah, the mother of Asa the king, from being queen mother, because she had made an obscene image of Asherah; and Asa cut down her obscene image, then crushed and burned it by the Brook Kidron.Ó This testifies to how far Asa went for the Lord.  Asa was running the race so well and did not experience war until his thirty-fifth year as the king of Judah. In the thirty-sixth year when Baasha, king of Israel, came up against him he sought help outside of God who was the One that had been keeping him in all areas for years. Asa sought help rather from the king of Syria. As a result of him seeking help outside of God, he lost his footing inside of God and could not recover in the race. God sent the seer to Asa, ÒAnd at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said to him: ÒBecause you have relied on the king of Syria, and have not relied on the LORD your God, therefore the army of the king of Syria has escaped from your hand.Ó (2 Chronicles 16:7) How could Asa faltered after going so far in the race and never turned to check to see how he was running the race of life? It is a puzzling question and it demands a constant meditation. A man who has done so much nevertheless had much challenge to keep up in the race of life. What is it that you are doing to keep yourself in check as you continue in the race? We cannot afford to shift focus, priorities and purpose of running. The race of life is for the one who gets to the end mark. Let us run this race in such a Godly manner so that we too can say as the Apostle Paul said, ÒI have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faithÓ. (2 Timothy 4:7) God will have mercy in Jesus name.

REST ON GOD2 Chronicles 14

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At the early reign of Asa through a reasonable long period, he had rest from God. As a result of the rest from God, Asa was able to build and to prosper. 2 Chronicles 14:7, ÒTherefore he said to Judah, ÔLet us build these cities and make walls around them, and towers, gates, and bars, while the land is yet before us, because we have sought the LORD our God; we have sought Him, and He has given us rest on every side.Õ So they built and prospered.Ó  There is absolutely nothing that can be compared to having the grace of being at rest. With the rest of God upon onesÕ life, every other force that causes man to be rusted will have no place in the life of the one who is having the grace of rest. Asa, the king of Judah, at a point in time during his reign had rest from God. AsaÕs blessing of rest was not accidental, but it was rather directly rooted in the steps and move that he took in direction to the Word of God. The Bible records that, ÒAsa did what was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God.Ó (2 Chronicles 14:2) Are you having the rest of God in your life? Having rest can be measured with how you are building and how you are getting prospered. Building and getting prosperity can be summarized as not lacking in any area of life. The Apostle Paul had the rest of God; he built and prospered in the calling of God for his life. He was able to encourage others with his testimony by saying, ÒAnd my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.Ó (Philippians 4:19) Are you thinking of building and prosperity in material? God is bigger than materials! If you will seek Him; you will reap from Him the grace of no lack. All that Asa did to gain the grace of rest is recorded in 2 Chronicles 14:3-5, Òfor he removed the altars of the foreign gods and the high places, and broke down the sacred pillars and cut down the wooden images. 4 He commanded Judah to seek the LORD God of their fathers, and to observe the law and the commandment. 5 He also removed the high places and the incense altars from all the cities of Judah, and the kingdom was quiet under him.Ó Asa had rest all around him when he placed God and all that pleases God first in his position as king of Judah. What are you doing to enter into His rest? What is it you are doing to be restless in your living? God has not finished with the business of answering prayer and if you will call on Him to intervene in you life, He will surely lead you to the way everlasting. Today, settle down and learn from Asa because it is written for our learning and the difference will become glaring for you and to all who know you. The rest of God will become your portion in Jesus Name.

HIS TIMEJohn 11:1-26

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LazarusÕ case was a closed one until an encounter with Jesus took place. Lazarus was dead and had already been pronounced dead. He was packed in the grave and four days had gone by with all hope lost. The Bible records in John 11:3, ÒTherefore the sister sent for Him, saying, ÒLord, behold, he whom You love is sick.Ó Those who knew Lazarus called on Jesus because they knew Him personally; not because they were following the crowd as spectators. LazarusÕ people were not only followers, but they also had fellowship with Jesus and Jesus knew them not as strangers. Yet in the time of emergency, Jesus did not see in the same way they were seeing. They saw their situation as emergency, as death, but Jesus did not see death. Your case is not closed. Every situation that has sent you packing will pack itself out of your life if you will believe that the same Jesus that was, is the same One who is alive and in the business of answering prayer and doing miracles just as it was then. Jesus is a prayer-answering Father and will not fail to answer the call of His children. John 11:6, ÒSo, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was.Ó Jesus heard the call, but did not move by their time calculation. Many times we call, but many times GodÕs response was not on our own timing, but at the best as He has timed it. Jesus is not limited by our time neither can He be controlled by time. Most times when we call on Him, we continue to run where we are rather to be walking; also we walk where we are to run. Are you rushing when you are to be resting? Any situation that has been committed to Jesus should be bound with expectation for manifestation and there should be no reason or need for anxiousness when we call for His attention to our situation.  Be encouraged by Philippians 4:6, ÒBe anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.Ó The word of God is true and if only we can be true to His word, it will deliver unto us all that He has spoken for our healing and deliverance. This was not the case in the life of Mary and Martha when trouble knocked and entered into their home. Mary and Martha were in pain and agony; they lost hope and peace was not on their side. They had committed it unto God by calling on Him, but by their timing it was too late. Before time Jesus has been and after time, He will continue to be. It is time to give up from every unconscious and every conscious way that we have been limiting the move of God. You shall overcome in JesusÕ name if you will keep waiting and not doubt Him.

BE KNOWN IN HIM< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

Exodus 3:13-19

ÒFor whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.Ó (Romans 10:13) The word says whoever calls and whoever could mean anyone. Many respond to situations by screaming ÒOh my GodÓ and sometimes you hear people say ÒOh JezÓ, but it is not an indication or demonstration of knowing Him or being known in Him. Anyone who does not know the Name of the Lord will not receive the benefits or privileges of whoever calls on Him. Many people know about His Name and some know His Name.  There is a significant difference. Knowing about the Name of Jesus will not qualify one to be saved. Knowing about the name of Jesus is different from knowing the name of Jesus. Knowing the Name of Jesus is not enough and it will not do if the one who claims to know Him is not known in Him. To be known in Him is to be living the Word of God daily. It may sound impossible or challenging to be living the word of God, but it is possible to live the word. If the word of God were not live-able, God would not have the expectation for us to live by His word. The grace of God is sufficient and it will make it possible to live the word of God. Whoever knows His Name shall be saved and this salvation is not maybe or could be salvation, it is the certain salvation that comes with knowing His name. It is impossible to know the Name of God if there is no spending of adequate time in His presence. Spending time in His presence is spending time in the Word of His grace and salvation. Which of His Names do you know? Is it the name you have heard Him being called or His Name that you have encountered in the pages of the Bible? He has so many names that no any other god shares with Him. It is good to know who He is because it is the name that you call that will answer for you. Moses inquired from Him about His Name and He responded, ÒAnd God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. 15And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, the LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.Ó (Exodus 3: 14-15) His Name has not changed. His name will not change and His name will continue to make changes because His Name is for all generation. Do you know Him? Are you known in Him? Call on His Name and you shall be saved.

RECEIVE AND BELIEVE< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

John 1:1-18

ÒBut as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.Ó(John1: 12) The words to be attentive to in this Scripture are  ÒreceiveÓ and ÒbelieveÓ. It is great to receive Jesus, but it is grace to be able to receive and believe. When He has been received, then the ones that receive Him have the right to become the children of God. Many have rights, but they do not use or activate the right they have because of failure of taking it to the level of belief. Have you been passing in a downtown area where invitations to a promotion or sales activity are being handed out? Every one that has received such invitation and are able to attend and the one that received the invitation and decide not to go and attend the promotion have the same right to claim a spot or sit at such promotion. The difference between the one that receives the invitation and believes in it enough to attend is different from the one that receives the invitation and did not believe in it to attend, but both will claim to have been invited. This applies to anyone who actually received Christ as Lord and Savior, but chooses not to live the life of a believer. Carrying invitations to be lifted up and not letting the one who invited you to carry you will not lift you to receive the privileges of being invited. To receive Jesus and not believe Him is not complete and it will not save the receiver when it is time for judgments. Neither will only believing Him and not receiving Him deliver salvation unto such one. John 12:42, ÒNevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue;Ó Can anyone confess what has not been received? The statement testifies to the possibility of believing and not receiving Him. This is evident that to believe and not confess Him has always been since His time on earth and today it is still among many of the crowd to believe and not receive Him or to receive and not believe in Him. As a claimed believer, does you way of living demonstrate the life of a believer? By virtue of your conduct, can you be identified as a believer of Christ without you verbal introduction as a Christian? If not, you have to check if indeed you have received the Lord. Jesus, at the time of rounding up of His ministry on the face of earth, stated ÒFor I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me.Ó (John 17:8) JesusÕ statement shows that receiving and believing is what testifies knowing Him. To receive and not believe or to believe and not receive is incomplete knowledge of the Lord. Do you believe but have not received Him into your life or do you only receive Him as Lord but not believe in Him? Consider where you are standing in the Lord.