₦airaland Forum

Now Israel went out to battle against the Philistines... And when they joined battle, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men of the army in the field. And...the elders of Israel said, “Why has the LORD defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD from Shiloh to us, that when it comes among us it may save us from the hand of our enemies.” So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from there the ark of the covenant of the LORD...And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. And when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel shouted so loudly that the earth shook. Now when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, “What does the sound of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews mean?” Then they understood that the ark of the LORD had come into the camp. So the Philistines were afraid, for they said, “God has come into the camp!” And they said, “Woe to us! For such a thing has never happened before....Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness. Be strong and conduct yourselves like men, you Philistines, that you do not become servants of the Hebrews...Conduct yourselves like men, and fight!” So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and every man fled to his tent. There was a very great slaughter, and there fell of Israel thirty thousand foot soldiers. Also the ark of God was captured; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died. - 1 Samuel 4:1-11

Everyone living being has the breath of God in him or her, otherwise they won’t be alive. But that does not mean that everyone living can operate in the power or anointing of God. The ability to do that is largely dependent on the eligibility of each individual, based on his/her relationship with Jesus Christ.

In the passage above, the Israelites found themselves routed at war, so they decided to bring the Ark of Testimony (a symbol of the presence of God) into their camp with the hope that it would help them to overcome their enemies. When the Ark eventually arrived, they jubilated, as they then expected an easy run over their enemies. The Ark had made them prevailed over similar challenges in the past, it would definitely aid them again this time. How wrong they were.

However, the Ark could not deliver them from their enemies because it was carried to the camp and was in the care of two unworthy vessels – Hophni and Phinehas, the sons of Eli – who were both notorious in eyes of God for their excesses (1 Samuel 2:12-17, 22-36).

Their contact with the Ark rendered it ineffectual, and it could not fulfil the purpose for which it was brought. In fact, it was taken captive by the Philistines and could not prevent 30,000 of the soldiers from being slaughtered. That means the Ark – a symbol of God’s presence and power – is only as effective to the extent of right standing of the person bearing it.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

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The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep... Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day. - Genesis 1:2-5

The above passage captures the process of creation. For there to be a creation or production of something, there must first be a Conception (imagination) of its image in the mind of the creator. It takes an imaginative mind to create. God is the Father of all dreamers; that was why He could see the Light that existed in the formlessness, the voids and the darkness that was upon the deep.

The second step in the creative process is Speaking It Forth. Words are substance; the spoken word has creative power. Appraisal is also one of the processes of creation. God didn’t just stop at the appearance of the Light. He appraised it and adjudged that it was good. But He didn’t stop there; He went ahead to Divide the Light from the darkness, thus Fine-Tuning the good product He had created to make it even better.

Another creative step derived from the above passage is Definition. After "refining" Light from darkness (that was the first refinery to be done in world history!), God gave each an identity, calling the light Day and the darkness, Night.

After all these, He went ahead to create humans after Himself. That means you and I have the capacity to function and create things like Him.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

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AMEN!

switdil: Dear GoD.
Pls give me the strenght to SEEK u diligently everyday of my life cus ur presence brings peace . I really need ur presence, m nothing without u.

Now the Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he...did not seek the Baals, but sought the God of his father, and walked in His commandments and not according to the acts of Israel. Therefore the Lord established the kingdom in his hand; - 2 Chronicles 17:3-5

The passage above presents us with a principle that attracts the company of God in the journey of life. In summary, the Scripture says Jehoshaphat was not given to idolatry; but he sought God and walked in His commandments. Those were enough reasons for him to have God as company.

Life can be tough even for people who are committed to God, not to talk of those who do not have an ongoing relationship with Him. The latter have no divine cover and are susceptible to all forms of troubles and afflictions.

Jehoshaphat made himself attractive to God because he shunned idolatry by not seeking another god apart from the Almighty God. In this context, “sought” portrays a sense of conscious, deliberate and sustained efforts. That means, Jehoshaphat consciously, deliberately and regularly sought to understand God; how He reasoned, what He wanted, how He wanted it and when, then he disciplined himself to abide by the dictates of his findings.

He also chose not to do the popular things of his time. The Scripture says he did not walk “according to the acts of Israel.” He did not allow himself to be influenced in the opposite direction of God; instead, he shunned the distractions and followed God’s counsel all the way. Those were enough considerations for God to stay with him and establish his kingdom. And God doesn’t stay anywhere without impacts. Perhaps, we can learn from his example.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

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Wisdom will multiply your days and add years to your life. - Proverbs 9:11 (NLT)

As seen above, longevity is one of the benefits of wisdom. Wisdom is an inroad to multiple days and long life. Being wise helps you to make wise decisions in areas of your health, body care, and personal hygiene, among other important physical and emotional factors that will yield long-term benefits. Some of these benefits include robust health, agile body and balanced living.

Wisdom comes to play in making choices as to what to consume, in what quantity, at what time, and what frequency. In addition, wisdom is responsible for the discipline of choosing to do stretching but high-yield activities over pleasurable but low-benefit ones. The length of days that wisdom adds to one derives from tough decisions, informed choices and screened indulgence.

Wisdom is a key factor in your making decisions and outlining action plan that will prove beneficial to your wellbeing in the short, medium and long term. In addition to availing you long life, wisdom also helps you to make the most of your days. Wisdom helps you become productive within the confines of time, and on a daily basis. Loafing and idling time away are foolishness, not wisdom. Wisdom is both proactive and productive. A wise person is an achiever who is able to appraise the resources at his disposal and manage the variables to a fruitful effect.

Wisdom also has a bearing on long life by reducing the risk of making rash decisions that could prove disastrous and increase the chances of high blood pressure. Wisdom thrives on following the course of peace and harmony, both of which are important for productivity and longevity.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

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Author Unknown

And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish. - John 21:6

Very early in life (almost from birth) we are trained to be successful according to the world's definition of success. We are driven by goals and accomplishments from the day we take our first steps and ride our first bike. As we grow older, we are pressured to accumulate knowledge and "things" in order to prove our success.

In our Christian walk, Jesus calls us to a new definition of success - one determined not by what we accomplish, but by our obedience. The disciples walked and talked with Jesus, but they still faced many challenges with faith and obedience. One morning after fishing all night without a catch, Jesus called from the shore. John 21:6 "He said, 'Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some {fish}.' When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish."

The disciples were successful that morning. But we must understand that the large number of fish did not define their success. They would have been successful even if the nets remained empty. They were successful the moment they were obedient and threw out the net. One thousand years earlier, King Saul was told to "attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them," (1 Samuel 15:3). But Saul allowed the Amalekite king and the best livestock to survive. He tried to cover His disobedience by saying the calves and lambs were for a sacrifice to God. "But Samuel replied: 'Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.'" (1 Samuel 15:22).

In any task we undertake for God, it's easy to become discouraged by our apparent lack of success. We often feel inadequate - and those feelings increase when our goals seem to be elusive. But we must remember, the outcome of the task is secondary to our obedience. God doesn't need our "fish" - He wants our devotion and trust. He desires that we love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Let's take our eyes off the accomplishment of the "catch" and what we can produce. Rather, let's focus on walking each step according to His leading. Let's concentrate all our effort on obeying His call to cast out the net.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

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Author Unknown

knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you. - 1 Peter 1:18-20

There once was a man named George Thomas, a pastor in a small New England town. One Easter Sunday morning he came to the Church carrying a rusty, bent, old bird cage, and set it by the pulpit. Several eyebrows were raised and, as if in response, Pastor Thomas began to speak.

"I was walking through town yesterday when I saw a young boy coming toward me, swinging this bird cage. On the bottom of the cage were three little wild birds, shivering with cold and fright. I stopped the lad and asked, "What you got there son?"

"Just some old birds," came the reply.

"What are you gonna do with them?" I asked.

"Take 'em home and have fun with 'em. I'm gonna tease 'em and pull out their feathers to make 'em fight. I'm gonna have a real good time."

"But you'll get tired of those birds sooner or later. What will you do then?"

"Oh, I got some cats. They like birds. I'll take 'em to them."

The pastor was silent for a moment. "How much do you want for those birds, son?"

"Huh? Why, you don't want them birds, mister. They're just plain old field birds. They don't sing - they ain't even pretty!"

"How much?"

The boy sized up the pastor as if he were crazy and said, "$10?”

The pastor reached in his pocket and took out a ten-dollar bill. He placed it in the boy's hand. In a flash, the boy was gone.

The pastor picked up the cage and gently carried it to the end of the alley where there was a tree and a grassy spot. Setting the cage down, he opened the door, and by softly tapping the bars persuaded the birds out, setting them free.

Well, that explained the empty bird cage on the pulpit, and then the pastor began to tell this story.

One day Satan and Jesus were having a conversation. Satan had just come from the Garden of Eden, and he was gloating and boasting.

"Yes, sir, I just caught the world full of people down there. Set me a trap, used bait I knew they couldn't resist. Got 'em all!"

"What are you going to do with them?" Jesus asked.

"Oh, I'm gonna have fun! I'm gonna teach them how to marry and divorce each other. How to hate and abuse each other. How to drink and smoke and curse. How to invent guns and bombs and kill each other. I'm really gonna have fun!"

"And what will you do when you get done with them?", Jesus asked.

"Oh, I'll kill 'em."

"How much do you want for them?"

"Oh, you don't want those people. They ain't no good. Why, you take them and they'll just hate you. They'll spit on you, curse you and kill you! You don't want those people!”

"How much?"

Satan looked at Jesus and sneered, "All your tears, and all your blood." Jesus paid the price.

The pastor picked up the cage he opened the door and he walked from the pulpit.

Jesus has paid the price for our redemption, wellbeing and wholeness with His blood and by laying down His life in replacement for all. That He has paid the ultimate price is not in doubt. The important thing is if you’ll accept Him.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

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Author Unknown

A man was being tailgated by a stressed-out woman on a busy boulevard. Suddenly, the light turned yellow, just in front of him. He did the right thing, stopping at the crosswalk, even though he could have beaten the red light by accelerating through the intersection.

The woman tailgating him hit the roof and the horn, screaming in frustration as she missed her chance to get through the intersection. She was still in mid-rant cursing and throwing tantrums when she heard a tap on her window and looked up into the face of a very serious police officer.

The officer ordered her to exit her car with her hands up. He took her to the police station where she was searched, fingerprinted, photographed, and placed in a cell.

After a couple of hours, a policeman approached the cell and opened the door. She was escorted back to the booking desk where the arresting officer was waiting with her personal effects.

He said, "I'm very sorry for this mistake. You see, I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn, flipping off the guy in front of you, and cussing a blue streak at him. I noticed the 'What Would Jesus Do" bumper sticker, the 'Follow Me to Sunday School' bumper sticker, and the chrome-plated fish emblem on the trunk. Naturally, I assumed you stole the car."

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

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“I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge and discretion. By me kings reign, and rulers decree justice.” - Proverbs 8:12, 15

Wisdom indeed has many benefits, some of which we have been meditating on for some time now (please read some of the previous benefits on our website). One of the benefits of wisdom is effective leadership and administration of justice. Wisdom makes a great leader and an equitable judge. Anyone can occupy a position of leadership and administer justice to people, among other functions of the office. But it is only the wise person who will stand out as a leader or manager of men. Wisdom separates leaders from leaders. Anyone can rule, but not all rulers reign. It takes wisdom to reign in a position of leadership. Wisdom is also required to administer sound justice.

Administering justice doesn’t end at judicial matters and mediating disputes alone. It also includes having foresight and analytical skills toward exercising astute sense of judgement in appraising situations, making decisions and the execution process. Wisdom is significantly required to make the right call in all of these and not blunder through them.

It is difficult to find a wise leader who is a tyrant. The absence of wisdom is what makes tyranny. It takes wisdom to engage people in an atmosphere of cooperation to achieve desired results, rather than arm-twist them into it. It takes wisdom to manage the issues that are peculiar to people and still guide them toward achieving common goals, rather than ignoring their sensibilities and riding roughshod over them to get results.

Many people rule, but few reign. Wisdom is what separates those who reign from those who rule.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

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My son, pay attention to my wisdom; listen carefully to my wise counsel. Then you will show discernment, and your lips will express what you’ve learned. - Proverbs 5:1-2 (NLT)

This scripture tells us another twin benefit of wisdom: it avails someone who possesses it discernment and informed lips. Now discernment as a human quality has its own benefits, as it is the ingredient needed to be able to see beyond the surface or sort through several layers of options to pinpoint at the real thing, whatever that may be in specific context.

Discernment is what you need to have a realistic, if not accurate, appraisal of the real issue in a situation, or the real person behind a persona. The Encarta Dictionary describes it as the ability ‘to see or notice something that is not very clear or obvious; to understand something that is not immediately obvious; and be able to tell the difference between two or more things.’ Discernment is the guard you need to avoid living in errors, with a trail of blunders in your tail. And discernment is only available to one who has wisdom.

Secondly, wisdom gives you an informed mouth. The passage above says that it helps your lips to express what you have learned. In other words, it gives you the privilege of expression. It is not everyone who can boast of that; and not everyone who expresses him/herself does so in a wise manner. Therefore, wisdom is the distinguishing factor between someone who has something to say and whose expression is cherished by others, as against those who just talk because they have to say something, and whose expression holds no water. Wisdom makes the difference.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

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Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth”; and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, the herb that yields seed according to its kind, and the tree that yields fruit, whose seed is in itself according to its kind. And God saw that it was good…. Then God said, “Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens.” Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind”; and it was so. - Genesis 1:11-12, 20, 24

The herb and the trees were all in the earth, covered by layers of soil. The same way abundance of living creatures were buried in the belly of land and seas. But all these creatures did not surface until God called them into being. Until we read about them after the calling forth, we might not have known that they existed.

In the same vein, greatness, success, virtues and solutions abound inside all of us, but unless we put our Godlike nature to bear and call them forth or speak them into being, they will remain dormant, undiscovered or unused potentials. What a waste!

Starting from today, why not cultivate the habit of calling to physical manifestation the greatness that lies within you? You have to say it to see it. So stop whining about the harsh layers of reality and start to say what you really want to see. This may sound like a cliché; but, it is the key to releasing your creative power to get what you want.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

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...our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father. - Galatians 1:3-4

This is another purpose of Jesus crystallised for our knowledge and meditation. He came to offer Himself for our sins so that He might deliver us from the evil of this age. This He did in accordance with the will of God. So, God means well for us, and is not interested in afflicting us with evil.

This scripture further acquaints us with the depth of God’s love for us as well as the utilitarian purpose of the crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, through which He wrought a great deliverance for humankind by saving our souls from certain death, as well as rescuing us from all the evils associated with the age we live in, and possibly the ones to come.

Are there developments you consider evil in this age? The Bible says Jesus has come to deliver you from them. Therefore, there can be no issue of their overrunning you. Maybe they can if you hadn’t known that insulating you from them was one of the reasons Jesus came to earth; but now that you know, they should not pose the same danger that you once ascribed to them in time of ignorance. Jesus has come to deliver us from all evils.

Considering that He had been performing this deliverance function for some ages now, and is not likely to stop with our age, should make you confident that He is up to the task. Otherwise, His name and abilities would have ceased to be so universally acknowledged.

So cheer up, He’s got you covered, provided you are in alignment with His dictates.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

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For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich. - 2 Corinthians 8:9

In continuation of our series on Purpose, which we started some months ago (please read the previous parts on www.daily-dew.com); we are further acquainted with another purpose of Jesus Christ in the passage above. The Bible says He became poor so that we might become rich. In other words, He came to swap our poverty and miseries with His own glory and riches.

A school of thought is not in agreement with the excessive focus on wealth, prosperity and riches in the messages that emanate from Christian pulpits these days. And justifiably so because, while preaching about wealth is not bad in itself, neglecting the more important homily of sanctification, holiness, godliness, purity, spiritual maturity and so on to focus majorly on self aggrandisement is a deviation from the most important course to major on minor things.

Nevertheless, that some people have issue with prosperity message does not negate the fact that liberating people from the shackles of poverty and entrusting them with wealth was one of the purposes of Jesus Christ. He came to take on human abjectness and offer abundance in return (John 10:10). There are innumerable people who would not have amounted to much in life but for their encounter with Jesus Christ.

But then, it would be myopic to limit the riches that Christ offers to financial gains alone. There is more to being rich than having surplus money. Long and fulfilled life, good health, quality relationships, kinetic abilities, emotional wholeness, among others, are equally important in the abundance equation, as money cannot buy those, nor is it a substitute for any of them.

Therefore, since poverty is not limited to finance alone, the enrichment ministry of Jesus is also not restricted to a fat bank account; He enriches all aspects of life as long as they are surrendered to Him. So, how do you want His enrichment? Is it for your finance alone or for your entire being?

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

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Author Unknown

So Jesus said to them, “...for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” - Matthew 17:20

A little girl went to her bedroom and pulled a glass jelly jar from its hiding place in the closet. She poured the change out on the floor and counted it carefully. Three times, even. The total had to be exactly perfect; no chance here for mistakes.

Carefully placing the coins back in the jar and twisting on the cap, she slipped out the back door and made her way six blocks to Rexall's Drug Store with the big Red Indian Chief sign above the door.

She waited patiently for the pharmacist to give her some attention, but he was too busy at this moment. Tess twisted her feet to make a scuffing noise. Nothing! She cleared her throat with the most disgusting sound she could muster. No good. Finally she took a quarter from her jar and banged it on the glass counter. That did it!

"And what do you want?" the pharmacist asked in an annoyed tone of voice. “I'm talking to my brother from Chicago whom I haven't seen in ages," he said without waiting for a reply to his question.

"Well, I want to talk to you about my brother," Tess answered back in the same annoyed tone. "He's really, really sick and I want to buy a miracle."

"I beg your pardon?" asked the pharmacist.

"His name is Andrew and he has something bad growing inside his head and my Daddy says only a miracle can save him now. So how much does a miracle cost?"

"We don't sell miracles here, little girl. I'm sorry but I can't help you," the pharmacist said, softening a little.

"Listen, I have the money to pay for it. If it isn't enough, I will get the rest. Just tell me how much it costs."

The pharmacist's brother was a well-dressed man. He stooped down and asked the little girl, "What kind of a miracle does your brother need?"

“I don't know," Tess replied with her eyes welling up. I just know he's really sick and Mommy says he needs an operation. But my Daddy can't pay for it, so I want to use my money."

"How much do you have?" asked the man from Chicago.

"One dollar and eleven cents," Tess answered barely audibly. "And it's all the money I have, but I can get some more if I need to."

"Well, what a coincidence," smiled the man. "A dollar and eleven cents - the exact price of a miracle for little brothers!”

He took her money in one hand and with the other hand he grasped her mitten and said "Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your parents. Let's see if I have the miracle you need."

That well dressed man was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, a surgeon, specializing in neuro-surgery. The operation was completed free of charge and it wasn't long until Andrew was home again and doing well.

Mom and Dad were happily talking about the chain of events that had led them to this place. "That surgery," her mom whispered, "was a real miracle. I wonder how much it would have cost?"

Tess smiled. She knew exactly how much a miracle cost...one dollar and eleven cents....plus the faith of a little child.

In our lives, we never know how many miracles we will need. A miracle is not the suspension of natural law, but the operation of a higher law - facilitated by the force of faith in little steps and action. Why not take those steps and back those intentions of yours with some action today? They could be all you need to step into your long awaited miracle.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Daily Dew is published by Sons of Issachar Concepts. To subscribe by email or read previous editions, visit www.daily-dew.com.

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Wisdom is the most important thing; so get wisdom... Treasure wisdom, and it will make you great; hold on to it, and it will bring you honor. It will be like flowers in your hair and like a beautiful crown on your head. - Proverbs 4:7-9 (NCV)

Here are some other benefits of wisdom highlighted above. To start off, we are told that wisdom is the most important thing anyone can get. No earthly treasure compares with it in worth and utility. It is applicable in all life situations and is effectual in its ability to deliver results.

Now to the benefits, the Bible says wisdom can make you great if you treasure it and it will bring you honour if you hold on to it; thus dignifying your head (destiny). Let’s consider these one after the other.

To activate the greatness potential of wisdom, God says you must first treasure it. We know the way we seek and handle what we consider articles of great value. What inconveniences we subject ourselves to in order to get them and how we fawn over them, once we lay hold of them, ensuring they are well maintained and secured. Ascribing similar diligence to seeking the counsel of wisdom on every matter is your inroad to greatness.

Secondly, holding on to wisdom is the formula for honour. How do you do that? By earnestly heeding the counsel of wisdom and making a fuss about observing its dictates. Opting to do things the wise way, as against the popular way, will always stand you out from the pack, because wisdom may be a common phenomenon in terms of people’s awareness about it, but its application is not as common. Those who diligently seek and apply it in their daily living are the ones that become great and honourable. They are the models of many and the envy of others.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

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Get wisdom! Get understanding...Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you; Love her, and she will keep you. - Proverbs 4:5-6

Two other benefits of wisdom are highlighted above; it preserves and keeps. In the typical scenario of life where no condition is said to be permanent, wisdom offers anyone who possesses it the stability that stands the test of time, and the dynamism that makes one evolve with trends, thus remaining relevant albeit the changing times.

Wisdom preserves those who operate by it. The word “preserve” gives an impression of freshness, security and functionality. Wisdom preserves those who possess it by insulating them from pollution in whatever form, such that they are able to function with fresh vigour at all times. The preservation power of wisdom also prevents depletion of resources.

In addition, wisdom keeps you from evil. Running your decisions and conducts through the metrics of wisdom will guard you from making the wrong call or going against the grain. Wisdom thus keeps you from danger, humiliation, embarrassment and other undesirable consequences that arise from an error in judgement.

Wisdom helps you kick off on the right footing and maintain a successful run of anything. Not that you won’t make mistakes – there is no mortal who doesn’t; but wisdom de-risks you in a way, such that your mistakes do not prove terminal, but become a learning point for you in the process of becoming.

Those who do not possess or operate by wisdom are doomed to struggles and failings. They may not last long either. When all else have fallen by the side or become extinct, only the ones created and run by wisdom will stand and survive the test of time.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

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The Lord by wisdom founded the earth; By understanding He established the heavens; - Proverbs 3:19

We are back to our series on the benefits that wisdom avails whoever possesses it. One of such benefits is the ability to start something and hit it right at the initial go. Wisdom helps you get started. It doesn’t stop there; it also helps you to start on the right note, while guiding you through the process of sustaining what you start. This is because wisdom doesn’t just launch into any endeavour without first thinking through the process and then counting the cost if it is able to start off with manageable friction and execute with relative success (Luke 14:28-32). It takes care of the pros and cons, but it doesn’t sit unnecessarily long on the analysis that it won’t start what it sets out to do.

From the passage above passage, we are told that God created the earth by wisdom. If you take a flight out of the hustle and bustle of daily human activities and take a look at nature in its raw form, you will realise what a beautiful world we live in. The sheer beauty of the earth is an indication of the ingenuity of wisdom through the hands of God. Aside this, the fact that the earth has lasted for so many years is yet another testimony to the sustaining ability of wisdom. Whatever wisdom creates lasts.

That is why we need it in our day-to-day activities. No endeavour is too mundane for its deployment, and none is too lofty for its application. It helps you put things in perspective; it gets you started on point; and it keeps you going. Few things can set you on such tripartite course. Wisdom has no substitute.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

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You saw me before I was born. The days allotted to me had all been recorded in your book, before any of them ever began. How precious are your thoughts concerning me, O God! How vast in number they are! - Psalms 139:16-17

God’s purpose for your life pre-dates your existence. And every experience you’ve had until now has been preparing you for that grand purpose because God is always at work in you to make you willing and able to obey His own purpose (Philippians 2:13). Your responsibility is to align yourself with what God is doing by having a personal revelation of His plan for your life.

Long before you were born, God already planned your destiny and He has wrapped it up in His thoughts, which are expressed in His Word. He expects you to search it out by the ministry of the Word and the Spirit. The Spirit dives into the depths of God, and brings out what God planned all along (1 Corinthians 2:9-10).

Without a conscious operational knowledge of your destiny, you are like a ghost worker; your access to divine resources will be grossly limited. Your destiny is your identity in the realm of the spirit. In the physical realm, people are recognised by biometrics (face shape, finger prints, etc). In the spirit realm, people are recognised by destiny. That is why the wise men saw a mighty king in Jesus while he was still a helpless baby in swaddling clothes.

Your destiny is your face in the spirit realm. Just like you need to look into a physical mirror to see what your physical face looks like, you need to look into the spiritual mirror of God’s Word to see what your spiritual face looks like. God’s Word is a mirror that helps us discover who we really are. You cannot discover your destiny outside God’s Word.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

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I read in your letter what you wrote about me, And I'm coming to the party you're throwing for me. That's when God's Word entered my life, became part of my very being. So I said, "I'm here to do it your way, O God, the way it's described in your Book. (Psalms 40:7- 8 and Hebrews 10:7 MSG)

God in His manifold wisdom has encoded the destiny of each and every one of us in His Word; and He has commissioned the Holy Spirit to reveal it to us progressively as we fellowship with Him. It is therefore important that we commit to knowing what has been written concerning us in the realm of eternity so we can express it in the realm of time.

As you study and meditate on the Word, you will discover that there is a general destiny for all the children of God as the body of Christ, and there is a specific destiny for each child of God as a member of that body.

However, just like all the cells of your body bear the same genetic pedigree and are in that respect similar, all members of the body of Christ bear the genetic imprint of Christ and in that respect, have a common destiny. That common destiny is to be conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29).

Consequently, as you become more conformed to the image of Christ you become more empowered to fulfil destiny. In like manner, the progressive fulfilment of your specific destiny should cause you to be more conformed to the image of Christ.

True success is when we live according to God’s ordination and fulfil His plan for us rather than our personal ambitions. It is only within this context – the context of living out God’s script for our lives – that we can bring glory to God.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

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“Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” - Luke 18:8

An aging king woke up one day to the realisation that should he drop dead, there would be no male in the royal family to take his place. He was the last male in the royal family in a culture where only a male could succeed to the throne - and he was aging.

He decided that if he could not give birth to a male, he would adopt a son who then could take his place. But he insisted that such an adopted son must be extraordinary in every sense of the word. So he launched a competition in his kingdom, open to all boys, no matter their background. Ten boys made it to the every top. There was little to separate these boys in terms of intelligence, physical attributes and capabilities.

The king announced, "I have one last test and whoever comes top will become my adopted son and heir to my throne." Then he said, "This kingdom depends solely on agriculture. So the king must know how to cultivate plants. Here is a seed of corn for each of you. Take it home and plant and nurture it for three weeks. At the end of three weeks, we shall see who has done the best job of cultivating the seed. That person will be my heir-apparent."

The boys took their seeds and hurried home. They each got a flower pot and planted the seed as soon as they got home. There was much excitement in the kingdom as the people waited with bated breath to see who was destined to be their next king.

In one home, the boy and his parents were almost heartbroken when after days of intense care, the seed failed to sprout. He did not know what had gone wrong with his. He had selected the soil carefully, he had applied the right quantity and type of fertilizer, he had been very dutiful in watering it at the right intervals, he had even prayed over it day and night; yet his seed had turned out to be unproductive. Some of his friends advised him to go and buy a seed from the market and plant that.

"After all," they said, "how can anyone tell one seed of corn from another?" But his parents who had always taught him the value of integrity reminded him that if the king wanted them to plant any corn, he would have asked them to go for their own seed. "If you take anything different from what the king gave you, that would be dishonesty. Maybe we are not destined for the throne. If so, let it be, but don't be found to have deceived the king," they told him.

The d-day came and the boys returned to the palace each of them proudly exhibiting a very fine corn seedling. It was obvious that the other nine boys had had great success with their seeds. The king began making his way down the line of eager boys and asked each of them, "Is this what came out of the seed I gave you?" And each boy responded, "Yes, your majesty." And the king would nod and move down the line.

The king finally got to the last boy in the line-up. The boy was shaking with fear. He knew that the king was going to have him thrown into prison for wasting his seed. "What did you do with the seed I gave you?" the king asked. "I planted it and cared for it diligently, your majesty, but alas it failed to sprout." The boy said tearfully as the crowd booed him.

But the king raised his hands and signalled for silence. Then he said, "My people, behold your next king." The people were confused. "Why that one?" many asked. "How can he be the right choice?"

The king took his place on his throne with the boy by his side and said, "I gave these boys boiled seeds. This test was not for cultivating corn. It was the test of character; a test of integrity. It was the ultimate test. If a king must have one quality, it must be that he should be above dishonesty. Only this boy passed the test. A boiled seed cannot sprout."

Similarly, our character and integrity are often called to task in various life situations. While our own tests may not necessarily lead to being crowned a king over a kingdom, every time we passed the test of character, we go several steps up in the estimation of God and are established in reign over our destiny.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

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Author Unknown

Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ - Matthew 25:34-36

I sat with two friends in the picture window of a quaint restaurant just off the corner of the town-square. The food and the company were both especially good that day.

As we talked, my attention was drawn outside, across the street. There, walking into town, was a man who appeared to be carrying all his worldly goods on his back. He was carrying, a well-worn sign that read, “I will work for food.”

My heart sank. I brought him to the attention of my friends and noticed that others around us had stopped eating to focus on him heads moved in a mixture of sadness and disbelief.

We continued with our meal, but his image lingered in my mind. We finished our meal and went our separate ways. I had errands to do and quickly set out to accomplish them. I glanced toward the town square, looking somewhat half-heartedly for the strange visitor. I was fearful, knowing that seeing him again would call some response. I drove through town and saw nothing of him. I made some purchases at a store and got back in my car.

Deep within me, the Spirit of God kept speaking to me: “Don't go back to the office until you've at least driven once more around the square.”

Then with some hesitancy, I headed back into town. As I turned the square's third corner, I saw him. He was standing on the steps of the store front church, going through his sack.

I stopped and looked; feeling both compelled to speak to him, yet wanting to drive on. The empty parking space on the corner seemed to be a sign from God: an invitation to park. I pulled in, got out and approached the town's newest visitor.

'Looking for the pastor?' I asked.

'Not really,' he replied, 'just resting.'

'Have you eaten today?'

'Oh, I ate something early this morning.'

'Would you like to have lunch with me?'

'Do you have some work I could do for you?'

'No work,' I replied. 'I commute here to work from the city, but I would like to take you to lunch.'

'Sure,' he replied with a smile.

As he began to gather his things, I asked some surface questions. 'Where you headed?'

'St. Louis.'

'Where you from?'

'Oh, all over; mostly Florida.'

'How long you been walking?'

'Fourteen years,' came the reply. I knew I had met someone unusual.

We sat across from each other in the same restaurant I had left earlier. His face was weathered slightly beyond his 38 years. His eyes were dark yet clear, and he spoke with an eloquence and articulation that was startling. He removed his jacket to reveal a bright red T-shirt that said, 'Jesus is The Never Ending Story.'

Then Daniel's story began to unfold. He had seen rough times early in life. He'd made some wrong choices and reaped the consequences. Fourteen years earlier, while backpacking across the country, he had stopped on the beach in Daytona. He tried to hire on with some men who were putting up a large tent and some equipment. A concert, he thought.

He was hired, but the tent would not house a concert but revival services, and in those services he saw life more clearly. He gave his life over to God. 'Nothing's been the same since,' he said, 'I felt the Lord telling me to keep walking, and so I did, some 14 years now.'

'Ever think of stopping?' I asked.

'Oh, once in a while, when it seems to get the best of me. But God has given me this calling. I give out Bibles. That's what's in my sack. I work to buy food and Bibles, and I give them out when His Spirit leads.'

I sat amazed. My homeless friend was not homeless. He was on a mission and lived this way by choice. The question burned inside for a moment and then I asked: 'What's it like?'

'What?'

'To walk into a town carrying all your things on your back and to show your sign?'

'Oh, it was humiliating at first. People would stare and make comments. Once someone tossed a piece of half-eaten bread and made a gesture that certainly didn't make me feel welcome. But then it became humbling to realize that God was using me to touch lives and change people's concepts of other folks like me.'

My concept was changing, too. We finished our dessert and gathered his things. Just outside the door, he paused. He turned to me and said, 'Come Ye blessed of my Father and inherit the kingdom I've prepared for you. For when I was hungry you gave me food, when I was thirsty you gave me drink, a stranger and you took me in.'

I felt as if we were on holy ground. 'Could you use another Bible?' I asked.

He said he preferred a certain translation. It travelled well and was not too heavy. It was also his personal favourite. 'I've read through it 14 times,' he said.

'I'm not sure we've got one of those, but let's stop by our church and see.'

I was able to find my new friend a Bible that would do well, and he seemed very grateful.

'Where are you headed from here?' I asked.

'Well, I found this little map on the back of this amusement park coupon.'

'Are you hoping to hire on there for awhile?'

'No, I just figure I should go there. I figure someone under that star right there needs a Bible, so that's where I'm going next.'

He smiled, and the warmth of his spirit radiated the sincerity of his mission.

I drove him back to the town-square where we'd met two hours earlier, and as we drove, it started raining. We parked and unloaded his things.

'Would you sign my autograph book?' he asked. 'I like to keep messages from folks I meet.'

I wrote in his little book that his commitment to his calling had touched my life. I encouraged him to stay strong. And I left him with a verse of scripture from Jeremiah, 'I know the plans I have for you, declared the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you; Plans to give you a future and a hope.'

'Thanks, man,' he said. 'I know we just met and we're really just strangers, but I love you.'

'I know,' I said, 'I love you, too.'

'The Lord is good!'

Yes, He is. How long has it been since someone hugged you?' I asked.

'A long time,' he replied.

And so on the busy street corner in the drizzling rain, my new friend and I embraced, and I felt deep inside that I had been changed. He put his things on his back, smiled his winning smile and said, 'See you in the New Jerusalem.'

'I'll be there!' was my reply.

He began his journey again. He headed away with his sign dangling from his bedroll and pack of Bibles. He stopped, turned and said, 'When you see something that makes you think of me, will you pray for me?'

'You bet,' I shouted back, 'God bless.'

'God bless' And that was the last I saw of him.

Late that evening as I left my office, the wind blew strong. The cold front had settled hard upon the town. I bundled up and hurried to my car. As I sat back and reached for the emergency brake, I saw them... a pair of well-worn brown work gloves neatly laid over the length of the handle. I picked them up and thought of my friend and wondered if his hands would stay warm that night without them.

Then I remembered his words: 'If you see something that makes you think of me, will you pray for me?'

Today his gloves lie on my desk in my office. They help me to see the world and its people in a new way, and they help me remember those two hours with my unique friend and to pray for his ministry. 'See you in the New Jerusalem,' he said.

‘Yes, Daniel, I know I will...’

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

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But when I turned to look at all that I had accomplished and all the hard work I had put into it, I saw that it was all pointless. It was like trying to catch the wind. I gained nothing from any of my accomplishments under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 2:11 GWT)

Man is created for eternity and nothing short of this will satisfy the deepest longing in his soul. Where do you think the concept of immortalisation came from? Why do we have monuments like Lincoln Memorial and national holidays like Martin Luther King’s Day? Why do we name our institutions after dead people and print their pictures on our currency notes? We do all these simply because, deep within us, there is a part of us that wants to live forever – because we are designed to live forever. Eternity is our destiny.

From the Tower of Babel through the days of King Solomon until now, men have attempted to substitute many things for this call of destiny. People in every age have experimented with achievements, materialism, subjugation and conquest, spiritism, cultism, drugs, sex and other forms of hedonistic pleasures as possible alternatives to the call of destiny. But like King Solomon, they have discovered that it is all vanity upon vanity (Ecclesiastes 3:9-11).
Every human being is born with a divinely implanted sense of purpose and cannot find fulfilment/lasting satisfaction outside that purpose. The height of success in life is to discover God’s specific plan for your life and to effectively live it out. No matter how much wealth, fame and earthly comfort you have, there is a deep sense of satisfaction that comes ONLY from being exactly who God has made you to be, doing what God has made you to do and knowing that you are in alignment with the eternal Spirit.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

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He has made everything beautiful in its time. He also has planted eternity in men's hearts and minds [a divinely implanted sense of a purpose working through the ages which nothing under the sun but God alone can satisfy], yet so that men cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. (Ecclesiastes 3:11 AMP)

Man (the human race) was not created for time as we know it; man was created for time as God knows it because man was created to live in the realm of God. God did this because He desired (and still desires) to fellowship with man and fulfil His purpose on earth through man. God intends for humanity as a whole to carry out His purpose and execute His grand design on the earth. To this end, God being an eternal Spirit, created man as a replica of Himself and made him His representative on earth.

God’s original intention has always been to exercise His dominion on earth through humanity – and He has not changed His mind. God wants to establish His kingdom on earth just as it is in heaven; and he has chosen to do it through us. Needless to say, this is a very big assignment that is beyond any single person.

So, God in His infinite wisdom has apportioned various portions of this eternal assignment to every human being in every age and time. This unique individual portion of eternity – packaged in the capsule of time and assigned by God to every man – is what we have come to know as destiny, a divinely implanted sense of a purpose working through the ages which nothing under the sun but God alone can satisfy. It is the conscious discovery, consistent pursuit and continuous fulfilment of this destiny that gives life a meaning.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

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But Jeroboam caused an ambush to go around behind them; so they were in front of Judah, and the ambush was behind them. And when Judah looked around, to their surprise the battle line was at both front and rear; and they cried out to the LORD, and the priests sounded the trumpets. Then the men of Judah gave a shout; and as the men of Judah shouted, it happened that God struck Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. – 2 Chronicles 13:13-15

Secondly, the priests among them sounded the trumpets in praise. They did not sing tunes of distress; the praise instruments of God are not meant for that purpose. They blasted the trumpets in praise. Worship is an acknowledgement of God’s sovereignty; and when you worship Him in the face/midst of troubles you are saying that He remains sovereign and far more important than the issue at hand; hence your giving Him your attention and not the problem that is threatening to wipe you out. There is no how you will accord God such honour and He will not honour you back by wrecking a mighty deliverance for you.

Lastly, the men of Judah let out a shout. They did not cower or give up the fight. They let out a shout of defiance and got ready to battle. Having prayed and praised, they were assured of divine partnership and were ready to face anything. So their shout was literally saying, “Bring it on!”

They did not need to fight the battle themselves, as they had done enough for God to unleash terror on their enemies and caused a great rout that left 500,000 of Israel’s pompous army dead, while the rest scampered across the wilderness for dear life. Thus the terrifying challenge that was about to swallow up the people of God became another milestone of victory for them and a testimony to God’s faithfulness.

God is still in the business of wrecking deliverance and rescuing His people today. The Bible says He is a “very present help in times of trouble” (Psalm 46:1). The issue is that we usually accord our problem more attention than we give God and we focus more on ourselves – bemoaning what will become of us – than we engage Him on our issues.

Having read this, you should change the order of your attention henceforth and accord God a prior thinking, not your problem. He is ever ready to save.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

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But Jeroboam caused an ambush to go around behind them; so they were in front of Judah, and the ambush was behind them. And when Judah looked around, to their surprise the battle line was at both front and rear; and they cried out to the LORD, and the priests sounded the trumpets. Then the men of Judah gave a shout; and as the men of Judah shouted, it happened that God struck Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. – 2 Chronicles 13:13-15

The passage above presents us with three classic principles for getting out of danger and desperate or life-threatening situations. Jeroboam, king of the majority nine tribes of Israel with his 800,000 army had come up against the minority tribes of three in Judah which God had reserved for David’s descendants. Numerically, the men of Judah were outnumbered by ratio two-to-one by Israel. To make matter worse, before Judah could even set out to battle, the enemies had surrounded them front and back and were ready to pounce on them and finish them off. What Judah did in that dire moment is the focus of our meditation today and a possible principle we can apply when we find ourselves in similar circumstances.

Firstly, the men of Judah cried out to the LORD in prayer. When they sighted their adversaries in front and behind them, they did not start to wail in self-pity, bemoaning their lot for coming out that day and expecting a certain death. No, they cried out to God for help. The Bible says the name of the LORD is a strong tower into which the righteous run and are safe from peril (Proverbs 18:10). That was what Judah did. By calling upon God, they activated His fortress and opened up His strong tower for their refuge. When you find yourself in similar situation, will you pray or moan?

Secondly, the priests among them sounded the trumpets in praise. They did not sing tunes of distress; the praise instruments of God are never used for that purpose. They blasted the trumpets in praise. Worship is an acknowledgement of God’s sovereignty; and when you worship Him in the face/midst of troubles you are saying that God remains sovereign and far more important than the issue at hand…

We’ll continue tomorrow.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

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Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding; for her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, and her gain than fine gold. – Proverbs 3:13-14

The Scripture says the person who finds wisdom is fortunate because wisdom yields more than silver in profits and offers something higher than gold in gain. And therein is another benefit of wisdom. Its value is greater than money, silver or gold. There are numerous things in life that money and gold cannot fetch you, no matter how much of them you possess, but which you only need the deployment of wisdom to acquire. That is on one side. On the other hand, the returns that wisdom offers are far more than the interests you get from investment of money and valuables. Wisdom itself is the highest treasure you can boast of.

It doesn’t just end there. Reading that passage further, the Bible says that, in addition to the above, wisdom also offers length of days, riches, honour, pleasantness, peace, and life to those who retain it (Proverbs 3:!5-18). Please note the choice of word here, as God doesn’t use words just for the fun of them. These highlighted benefits of wisdom are only promised to those who RETAIN wisdom, not those who merely display flashes of it occasionally and then relapse back to their normal way of thinking and doing things.

Wisdom is more beneficial to those who court it in the long haul, and not those who only flirt with it. The latter are those who get enthralled when they see the effect of wisdom anywhere and immediately covert it, but are not willing to pay the daily price to have wisdom as a companion in all they do. These people only have wisdom as an occasional visitor, and not as a daily companion. To enjoy the values of wisdom, you must pay more than a lip service to it.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

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Author Unknown

“For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” - Mark 8:38

One day a woman named Louise fell asleep and had a very fitful dream. She dreamed that someone in Hell wrote a letter to her, and it was to be delivered to her by a messenger. The messenger passed between the lakes of burning fire and brimstone before he could make it to the door that would lead him to the outside world.

Louise dreamed that the messenger walked to her house, came inside, and gently but firmly woke her. He gave her the message, saying only that a friend had written it to her from Hell.

Louise, in her dream with trembling hands, took the letter and read:

My Friend,
I stand in Judgment now,
And feel that you're to blame somehow.
Never did you point the way.
You knew the Lord in truth and glory,
But never did you tell the story.
My knowledge then was very dim;
You could have led me safe to Him.
Though we lived together on the earth,
You never told me of the second birth,
And now I stand this day condemned,
Because you failed to mention Him.
You taught me many things, that's true.
I called you "friend" and trusted you,
But I learn now that it's too late,
You could have kept me from this fate.
We walked by day and talked by night,
And yet you showed me not the Light.
You let me live, and love, and die,
You knew I'd never live on high.
Yes, I called you "friend" in life,
And trusted you through joy and strife.
And yet on coming to the end,
I cannot, now, call you "My Friend."
Marsha

After reading the letter, Louise awoke. The dream was so real in her mind and sweat dropped in pools from her body. She swore she could still smell the acrid smell of brimstone and smoke from her room.

As she contemplated the meaning of her dream, she realized that as a Christian, she had failed in her duty to "go out to all the world and preach the gospel." As she thought of that, she promised herself that the next day, she would call Marsha and invite her to church with her.

The next morning she called Marsha, and this was the conversation:

"Hello Bill, is Marsha there?"

"Louise, you don't know?"

"No, Bill, know what?"

"Marsha was killed last night in a car accident. I thought you knew."

Fellow Christian, is this your testimony? Are you witnessing to your relatives and friends who you are with everyday? Or will there be relatives friends of yours in Hell, asking you why you did not tell them about Jesus?

As your friend, if you don't know Jesus, here's how to be connected to Him: If you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that Jesus died on the cross for your sins and God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9 - 10)

If you have not done so, simply pray this prayer:

"Dear God, I confess with my mouth and believe in my heart that Jesus is your Son and that He died on the cross for my sins. Jesus, forgive me of all my sins, come into my heart and become my Lord and Savior. And help, from this day onward, to live a life that is pleasing to You. In Jesus' name, Amen."

You shouldn’t keep Jesus to yourself, you've got to tell somebody about Him and the love of God!

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Daily Dew is published by Sons of Issachar Concepts. To subscribe by email or read previous editions, visit www.daily-dew.com.

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You're welcome.

Author Unknown

What is desired in a man is kindness, And a poor man is better than a liar. - Proverbs 19:22

I am a mother of three (ages 14, 12, 3) and have recently completed my college degree. The last class I had to take was Sociology. The teacher was absolutely inspiring with the qualities that I wish every human being had been graced with. Her last project of the term was called, 'Smile.'

The class was asked to go out and smile at three people and document their reactions. I am a very friendly person and always smile at everyone and say hello anyway. So, I thought this would be a piece of cake, literally.

Soon after we were assigned the project, my husband, youngest son, and I went out to McDonald's one crisp March morning. It was just our way of sharing special playtime with our son. We were standing in line, waiting to be served, when all of a sudden everyone around us began to back away, and then even my husband did.

I did not move an inch. An overwhelming feeling of panic welled up inside of me as I turned to see why they had moved. As I turned around I smelled a horrible 'dirty body' smell, and there standing behind me were two poor homeless men. As I looked down at the short gentleman close to me, he was 'smiling.' His beautiful sky blue eyes were full of God's Light as he searched for acceptance.

He said, 'Good day' as he counted the few coins he had been clutching. The second man fumbled with his hands as he stood behind his friend. I realized the second man was mentally challenged and the blue-eyed gentleman was his salvation. I held my tears as I stood there with them.

The young lady at the counter asked him what they wanted. He said, 'Coffee is all Miss' because that was all they could afford. (If they wanted to sit in the restaurant and warm up, they had to buy something. He just wanted to be warm).

Then I really felt it - the compulsion was so great I almost reached out and embraced the little man with the blue eyes. That is when I noticed all eyes in the restaurant were set on me, judging my every action. I smiled and asked the young lady behind the counter to give me two more breakfast meals on a separate tray.

I then walked around the corner to the table that the men had chosen as a resting spot. I put the tray on the table and laid my hand on the blue-eyed gentleman's cold hand. He looked up at me, with tears in his eyes and said, 'Thank you.'

I leaned over, began to pat his hand and said, 'I did not do this for you. God is here working through me to give you hope.'

I started to cry as I walked away to join my husband and son. When I sat down my husband smiled at me and said, 'That is why God gave you to me, honey; to give me hope.'

We held hands for a moment and, at that time, we knew that it was only because of the Grace we had been given that were we able to give. That day showed me the pure Light of God's sweet love.

I returned to college, on the last evening of class, with this story in hand. I turned in 'my project' and the instructor read it. Then she looked up at me and said, 'Can I share this?'

I slowly nodded as she got the attention of the class. She began to read and that was when I knew that we as human beings share this need to heal people and to be healed. In my own way I had touched the people at McDonald's, my son, the instructor, and every soul that shared the classroom on the last night I spent as a college student.

I graduated with one of the biggest lessons I would ever learn: UNCONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE.

Each of us must learn how to love people and use things - not love things and use people.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Daily Dew is published by Sons of Issachar Concepts. To subscribe by email or read previous editions, visit www.daily-dew.com.

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That He would show you the secrets of wisdom! For they would double your prudence. - Job 11:6

Another benefit of wisdom is its ability to make you more prudent; or – to put it in the exact words of the Bible – it will double your prudence. The Dictionary defines prudence as ‘having good sense in dealing with practical matters’; ‘using good judgment to consider likely consequences and act accordingly’; and being ‘careful in managing resources.’

Those sounds like good character traits to have as you journey through the turns and twists, the highs and lows of daily living. The Bible says wisdom has the capacity to inject you with a double dosage of these qualities, thus availing you added savvy to deal with matters, increasing your good judgement plus decision making as well as enhancing your ability to manage resources.

By increasing your good judgment, wisdom gives you the advantage of being able to appraise issues and situations more realistically and accurately, such that making a decision afterward on what course to take is easier and your call will be on point.

In terms of dealing with matters, wisdom gives you the needed edge to be practical, forthright and effective in the way you handle routine and important matters. Wisdom helps you to be less sensational and more calculated in your approach to life. It makes your steps sure-footed and reduces your mistake ratio.

Wisdom also helps you to be a better manager of resources, such as time, money, talent, yourself, people and other materials at your disposal. Your productivity level is directly proportional to your ability to optimally manage what resources your have. And that is a leverage that only wisdom can give you. The more reason you are encouraged to go all out for wisdom.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Daily Dew is published by Sons of Issachar Concepts. To subscribe by email or read previous editions, visit www.daily-dew.com.

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Soon after Rehoboam had control of his kingdom, he and everyone in Judah stopped obeying the Lord. So in the fifth year of Rehoboam’s rule, the Lord punished them for their unfaithfulness and allowed King Shishak of Egypt to invade Judah. - 2 Chronicles 12:1-2 (CEV)

This passage offers us an insight on how to make yourself impregnable and not vulnerable to enemies’ attacks. According to the passage, Rehoboam, king of Judah, got to a point in his reign when he felt he didn’t need God anymore. So he started to do things his own way and disregarded God and His laws. It didn’t take him long to discover he had made a terrible mistake, as another king from another country invaded Rehoboam’s kingdom with devastating effects.

This is a lesson for us in success management. No matter how big or high and mighty we become, we should never get to a point that we feel we can do without God or that we have all the answers. At the start of his reign, Rehoboam contended with an insurrection that divided the nation of Israel into two nations, leaving him with a paltry two out of the 12 tribes to govern. In the heat of this, he must have been a regular face at the temple and a prayer warrior of a sort pleading with God not to subject him to shame, as he could have ended with no kingdom at all.

Even before he became king, Rehoboam might have been very devoted to God praying earnestly that he would be the one to succeed Solomon, his father, among the numerous sons he had. Meanwhile, once he became king and survived the civil war, Rehoboam abandoned God and started doing things contrary to God’s counsel. And this made God remove the hedge of protection He had cast around him all this while, which had helped him to become king and survive the rebellion.

Immediately that hedge was removed, Shishak, the king of Egypt, saw the vast resources that were in Judah and mobilised his army to invade the land. He carted away all the treasures and gold that Solomon his father had amassed for years and left the land empty (2 Chronicles 12:9-10). But for Rehoboam’s sins, Shishak or any other enemy would have remained blind to the treasures in Judah. Sin exposes.

But for Rehoboam’s disregard for God, he and his people would have continued to live in peace, with no external aggression whatsoever. But, because he allowed his success to get into his head, and thus started feeling he could handle anything and had no need of God, he became exposed, vulnerable and inadvertently opened up himself, his people and his land to the invasion of the enemies.

We ought to learn from his example, and note that no matter how successful we become, or how secure we feel, there can never be any substitute for God.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Daily Dew is published by Sons of Issachar Concepts. To subscribe by email or read previous editions, visit www.daily-dew.com.

You can now download the Daily Dew app on your Blackberry device. Please click here: http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/29262893

Please share with your loved ones. God bless You!