Learning God's word deeply.

Whatever you give in charity is not lost. Just as the precious seed cast in the soil is not lost
A seed is anything that can grow and multiply, that can become more and benefit others. A simple smile is a seed. Love is a seed. Money is a seed. A word of encouragement is a seed. These are the things that constitute your strength - moral strength, emotional strength, financial strength and spiritual strength.

In 1 Kings 17:11-16, Elijah directed the poor widow to bake him a cake first. Little did she know that she was planting a seed that would multiply back to her in a millionfold. Imagine the poor widow’s situation at a time of a natural disaster of drought and famine. You will appreciate how great a sacrifice it was for her to share her only and last means of sustenance with a stranger, without a definite promise. But she obeyed. The supply for more came and her life of want came to an end.

LET LOVE LEAD - TB JOSHUA

• Love never gives up.

• Love keeps going to the end.

• Love cares more for others than for self.

• Love is not always ‘me first’.

• Love trusts God always.

• Love does not want what it does not have.

• Love is positive; it does not want anything negative.

• Love is good; it does not want anything bad.

• Love does not strut.

• Love does not have a swollen head.

• Love stoops. It comes down to the level of everyone.

• Love does not belittle anyone. Love does not look down on others.

• Love does not force itself on others.

• Love puts up with anything. Love is tolerant; love is determined.

• Love perseveres for the best which is yet to come.

• Love welcomes opposing views for examination..

Try asking God for blessings that will help you bless others. Or try asking Him to bless others first, rather than yourself. Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” If He is your desire and your delight, it will delight His heart to grant your desires.

He has made us to declare His praises.

Declaring God's greatness is one reason for our very existence. When we praise Him, we fulfill our purpose. He has called us out of the darkness of a meaningless life, and an eternity apart from Him, and into His wonderful, marvelous light. Because we belong to Him, we belong in His light.

The Bible says in Proverbs 17:22 that “a happy heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing….”

Laughter can raise your energy level, relieve tension and change your attitude.

It increases antibodies and strengthens your immune system.

A good belly laugh causes you to inhale more oxygen and stimulates your heart and blood circulation. It’s like internal aerobic exercise!

No wonder the devil wants to steal our joy and get us discouraged, depressed and downtrodden. Remember that the thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy. But we don’t have to give in to him and lose our joy.

Make a decision today to enjoy your life. If you’re too serious about everything, lighten up! Learn to laugh at yourself and the things that normally frustrate you. Remember that God loves you always. He knows everything about you and loves you anyway. We all have things about us and in our lives that need to change, but they will really only change when we’re abiding in Christ, living with the joy of the Lord.

As you go about your day today, make this your goal: Rejoice in the Lord! As the joy of the Lord gives you strength, you’ll be able to face any problems you have to deal with, and you’ll enjoy your life while you’re doing it!

Mark 16:7 “But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.”

And Peter”: Peter was not singled out as the leader of the disciples, but to be reassured that, despite his denials of Christ, he was still one of them.

Here we see the angel telling these women to carry the good news of the risen Christ to the other disciples. Peter was specifically mentioned, because Peter probably believed that Jesus would not want to see him, because he denied Him three times.

Luke 22:31 “And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired [to have] you, that he may sift [you] as wheat:”

“Simon, Simon”: The repetition of the name (Luke 10:41; Acts 9:4), implied an earnest and somber tone of warning. Christ Himself had given Simon the name Peter (Luke 6:14), but here He reverted to his old name, perhaps to intensify His rebuke about Peter’s fleshly over confidence.

“Satan hath desired to have you”: Though addressed specifically to Peter, this warning embraced the other disciples as well.

“Sift you as wheat”: The imagery is apt. It suggests that such trials, though unsetting and undesirable, have a necessary refining effect.

Jesus loved Simon Peter. Satan undoubtedly got permission from God to tempt the disciples, like he got permission to try Job. These disciples did not remain with Jesus when it appeared they might be crucified with Him, they ran. Peter was possibly more severely tried, because he was the rock Jesus said He would build His church on.

Trials come to make us strong, and that is what happened eventually to Peter also. Jesus prayed for Peter’s faith not to fail. Peter would be powerful in helping the others.

Peter himself failed miserably, but his faith was never overthrown (John 21:18-19).

DISCIPLINE YOUR MIND
As a Christian, you must see every minute as important to focus on God and make use of every opportunity that comes your way to move towards the future He has for you. When your mind is occupied with worldly considerations, there is no way you can focus on what God says about your situation. The moment you let down your guard, satan takes the opportunity to strike and attack you with negative thoughts, prompting you to focus on carnal and temporal things. Satan is very subtle in using any slight opportunity to divert our attention when we need to be more focused on our divine cause.

He works very hard in distracting your focus, causing you to lose sight of what God says about your situation. That is why you must allow God’s Word in the midst of your heart continuously, for using God’s Word in our daily lives is the secret of faith. It is our failure to give Christ His proper place in our hearts that is actually responsible for the crises of our faith and future. Life is not fun and games. The church is not fun and games. It is serious and full of challenges. It is a warfare where only the serious minded are victorious. Therefore, pay any price to protect your focus because no one else can do it for you. Use every proper means to guard your heart because no one else can do it for you. Don’t wait for a more convenient day to discipline your mind!

Psalm 134:2 "Lift up your hands [in] the sanctuary, and bless the LORD."

When you lift up your hands to the Lord, you are recognizing Him as the object of your worship. It shows our humbleness of heart to the Deity who is above all. When you do this, open your hands with palms upward for the LORD to fill your hands. The angels in heaven cry Holy, Holy, Holy. The saints in the church here can do no less. He is my God, and I will praise Him. God inhabits the praises of His people.

Sometimes God uses unusual circumstances to test a person’s faith.

He told Elijah to go to an unlikely place, “Zarephath”, the very center of Baal worship and the home of Queen Jezebel (1 Kings 16:31; 17:9).

At an unlikely time, when the king of Israel (Ahab), was hunting him with the intent to kill him. Then the Lord sent him to an unlikely person, a poor Gentile “widow” from a Baal-worshiping nation.

In addition to testing Elijah’s faith, the circumstances provided an opportunity for God to demonstrate His power and His compassion to those outside of Israel (Luke 4:25-26).

Are you enjoying the journey of your life?

The truth is, God wants you to enjoy your life every day. Did you know that? If you didn’t, or maybe you just aren’t sure whether God approves of people enjoying their lives, take a look at John 10:10. It says, “The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).”

This is an absolutely amazing scripture because it clearly tells us that God doesn’t just want us to be alive, but He wants us to enjoy being alive. He wants us to live with joy – abundant, overflowing joy!

Colossians 3:1 “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.”

Seek those things which are above”: These “things” include

1. deeper knowledge of Christ,

2. closer fellowship with Him,

3.experience of His resurrection power,

4.victory over sin;

5.the development of godly virtues;

6.the fulfillment of domestic and social responsibilities; and

7.effective prayer life;

8.fruitfulness in witnessing.

FAITH RELATES TO THE INVISIBLE

HEBREWS 11:1-3 – “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.”

Faith is related solely and exclusively to two realities – to God and to God’s Word. Faith in the actual sense takes us behind the visible to the invisible. Faith relates to the invisible. That vital point is that faith sees the unseen. Faith sees the unseen and thus, encourages us to endure when the world offers us no hope or encouragement. Truly, faith believes the impossible, sees the invisible and receives the incredible. When you walk by faith, you don’t need sight but when you walk by sight, you cannot walk by faith.

CREATE TIME FOR GOD
Psalm 103:2, 17-18, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children’s children, to such as keep His covenant, and to those who remember His commandments to do them.”
When you are caught up in the whirl of everyday activities, it is difficult to make a good decision. In the same way, you cannot think well while on the run. In the hectic, busy rush of daily life, don’t allow your life to get so full that there is no room for God. We must find room in our hearts to bless the Lord always. You will never find a convenient time to develop your relationship with God, you must create it. God is most honoured in our sacrificial offerings but dishonoured in our offerings of convenience. All offerings of inconvenience are sacrificial. While making time to read the Word of God and talk to Him, do not forget that to dialogue with Him, you also need to make time to sit back in faith and listen to what God has to say. Even when He seems to be silent, God is still saying something.

Obedience to the “truth” known produces a godly life (“righteousness”).

The gospel gives peace to the believer, freeing him from anxiety though he advances against such a powerful opponent.

“The shield of” (which is) “faith”, means taking God at His word by believing His promises. Such trust will protect one from doubts induced by Satan.

Devil will attack again and again.The battle sometimes stops for a day or two, but it starts up again when you least expect it. Our job is to be ready and then stand.

The soldier's job is to stand and remain standing regardless of what the enemy sends your way. Our strength in this battle must come from within. Christ in us gives us the strength to stand firm in the battle.

Some believers have done everything well in the Lord’s work, but they do not continue to stand firm. The issue is not in what a believer has done, but, when the battle is over and the smoke clears, whether he is found standing true to the Savior.

The Father has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son (read Col. 1:11-13). No Christian is any longer in Satan’s domain and every Christian has the resources of God’s own Holy Spirit within him to free himself from any demonic entanglement, no matter how severe. Where sin is confessed and put away, Satan and his demons are expelled.

One thing that we must do to fight against our enemy, is to learn who he is and, what are his tactics.The enemy that you cannot see with your physical eye is the most dangerous, because you do not know when he is on the attack, or just which way he is coming from.

This is a spiritual battle. The devil (old Lucifer), and his angels (demons, or devil spirits), are the enemy. His tactics are to tempt the flesh of man. The flesh of man is earthy. These are real battles.

Exodus 19:6 "And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation. These [are] the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel."

This message that God had given Moses, was to be told to them in total. God wished to bless them and have them for a special people set aside for Him, but they had to live holy lives. He wanted to make them all priests to fellowship with Him. Jesus is the High priest. They could reign with Him as His subordinates. Their part was to stay holy.

When Amalek came to fight with Israel in Rephidim, Moses beseeched the Lord for divine intervention. He went up a hill and, holding the rod of God, raised his hands up. Israel prevailed (Exo 17:8-16). Who are we looking to for victory? Who is holding our hands up when we struggle?

One of the benefits of a spiritual covering is divine promotion, Psalm 75: 6-7 says “For not from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south come promotion and lifting up. But God is the Judge; He puts down one and lifts up another.”

The enemy loves to distract and divide us through the methods of judging others and fault finding. When we become involved in meddling or gossip and have a critical spirit toward someone with another assignment from Heaven, we are opening ourselves to an attack from the enemy. Our spirit has become critical, judgmental, and arrogant. The enemy loves to divide and to bring pride into our lives. The person spreading strife gets a rush of excitement, but that thrill is not from the Lord.

Solomon was considered wise because he sought God for wisdom to fulfill his specific calling (2 Chronicles 1:10). Peter was rebuked because he wanted to know what John would be doing (see John 21:21).

When we get out of our role (the assignment God has given us) we let danger into our lives and our spirit. We must walk in the path that our call prescribes to us.

It is dangerous, however, when Christian leaders get “puffed up” and see themselves as kings and queens over a kingdom

In a moment of time, Saul realized he was not Samuel and had no right trying to do what God had called only Samuel to do. Saul’s rebellion to do what Samuel had asked him to do caused a downward spiral in Saul’s life.

Many ignore and neglect their own walk as God has revealed it to them and focus instead on another person’s mission. In doing this, they often distract, confuse, and even injure the unique calling of others. Our primary focus and loyalty should be to fulfill our personal calling. Are we a reliable husband, father, wife, mother, pastor, citizen, etc.? We are responsible to God for how we fulfill the role He assigns us. Others are responsible to God for themselves.

Pastors (and others) can suffer because of unjust criticism and divisive people who attack them in any number of ways. These attackers often think they know more than the pastor or that they could do the pastor’s job better than him or her. Pastors have a unique calling and sacred trust to be servant leaders to their congregations.

The Bible is full of verses that tell us how the Lord protects His leaders, such as, “Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven with the saving strength of His right hand” (Psalm 20:6),

“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still” (Exodus 14:14),

“The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles” (Psalm 34:17),

“Now this I know: The Lord gives victory to his anointed. He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary with the victorious power of his right hand” (Psalm 20:6).

Satan attacks through “schemes” or “wiles.” The word “schemes” refers “cunning arts, deceit, craftiness, trickery in a planned way.” Satan’s primary method of attack is deceit. It is well-planned out deceit, strategic lies.

The devil is a slanderer who is the father of lies. John 8:44. Satan is by nature a liar and his primary method with which he attacks human beings is through lies to deceive them into believing something false.This is how he attacks us – through lies.

These “schemes” or “strategic deception or lies” are ones that will be effective against us if we do not stand against them and give the proper defense.

Satan attacks Christians first in the mind.

When pastors and their wives step out as ministry partners all hell breaks loose. When the Word of God is preached with power and boldness, the devil attacks.

Rely on God's faithfulness when people whispers behind your back.

"Everything starts with the mind; In the Garden of Eden, when Satan first attacked humans, he did it with thoughts". "The same thing with Jesus; when the devil attacked Him in the desert, he attacked His thoughts.

“Christians are engaged in spiritual warfare, and the weapons of this warfare aren't carnal. That's why Romans 12 tells us to let God transform us into a new person by changing the way we think."

"Renewing your mind doesn't mean a slight change, it means a total change, a drastic difference from the world's type of thinking. The process of changing your mind means allowing the Word of God to have authority over our thoughts and allowing it to transform us from the inside out,"

The seed we sow today can create the future God Almighty has promised us. What you already possess has the potential to produce an incredible harvest as long as you recognise God as your Source. When we recognise God as our Source, our seed will move our faith and our faith will move God for the harvest.

Keep sowing in His time, in His way, for the best is yet to come.