Revolving the Word Bible Reading: Joshua 1
Apostle Paul once prescribed a principle to Timothy that would lead to his spiritual growth and maturity, and this principle has been effective in every generation:-
Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. (I Timothy 4:15 – KJV)
I really love the way The Message Translation described the effect that meditation will produce. It says “…The people will all see you mature right before their eyes!”
Do you want to see yourself mature spiritually? Then you cannot shy away from meditating on God’s word.
The root word for meditate in Greek and Hebrew language can also be translated as “to ponder”, “to imagine” or “to revolve in the mind”. When you revolve something, you can see how it looks like from different sides. You can appreciate the effect it can have when handled from different positions just like the earth experiences different effect when it revolves. Many believers read the bible, but they do not think about what they read. It’s like eating food without digesting food; you will not grow physically that way. Likewise, meditation on God’s word is to our life what digestion of food is to our body.
When you take in the word, you have to continuously revolve it in your mind. One way to do this is by asking the right questions and trying to answer them with scriptural proofs. I am really finding it difficult to explain meditation in few lines. So I want to try to simulate it, perhaps you may get a clearer picture of what I mean.
Let’s try to revolve Colossians 1:12-13 – Giving thanks unto the Father … Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.
Okay, this is an instruction to Christians. Why? Because Verse 2 of the chapter says the book was written to saints and faithful brethren. We are expected to give thanks to the father. Who is this father that I should give thanks to? My earthly father; my father in church; or my father in heaven? Perhaps the preceding verses, subsequent verses or the remaining part of this verse can tell us. The later part of the verse tells us why we should give thanks. First; the father has delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath transferred us into the kingdom of his son. Whao! I have been delivered from the power of darkness. But what does it really mean to be delivered from the power of darkness? Does it mean that I was once subject to the direct influence of the devil and his cohorts and right now they do not have power over me? Which other verses of scripture is saying the same thing? But sometimes I am afraid when people talk about witches or cultist; isn’t that really wrong for a child of God? Yes! I remember one pastor once said that one Christian sister was a witch? Could that be true? How can she be delivered (free from evil) and yet be under the devil’s sway. Whose report should I believe? But that’s not all; the later part of this verse says we have been translated into the kingdom of God’s son. This sentence connotes a past tense and it talks about something that has already happened. That means right now I am in the kingdom of Jesus Christ. But I am still on earth. So what does this kingdom really mean? What is the effect of being in this kingdom and how should I conduct myself now that I reign in the kingdom of Christ?
Hmn! Based on this my understanding, henceforth I will no longer be afraid of the devil and his cohorts. In fact I am on the offensive side and not on the defensive. When evil spirits saw Jesus, they ran away and sometime negotiated with him that he should cast them into swine. I am now in the Kingdom of Jesus and in this empire; all powers are subject to us … and so on … and so forth.
Beloved, by the time you go through such spiritual exercise of revolving the word in your mind, you will be amazed at the changes that are happening gradually in your life. There are times that I feel charged up after meditation and it is as though I should strike my head on the wall. You may also come to that point. But at such times, take it cool and don’t smash your head! The body of Christ needs that head. From experience, the next day may present you with a challenge to test whether you really believed what you read.
I desire you make a decision that henceforth, you will give yourself over to meditation on God’s word. It has a 100% success rate. It will inevitably lead to your spiritual growth. “I am now entrusting you to God and to his message that tells how kind he is. That message can help you grow and can give you the inheritance that is shared by all of God’s holy people” Acts 20:32 (GW)
– tope aladenusi
Usually, disciples (followers) act in the same manner as their masters. They talk like their master and do the things they see him do. This explains why the disciples of Jesus spoke and taught with authority after His death just as their master used to do while He was with them. (Acts 4:13). In our contemporary society, one can easily know the denomination a Christian belongs to either by the way he/she dresses or the way or things he/she says. In most cases, for example, the women in a church emulate the pastor’s wife in dressing and fashion. This means that a minister’s lifestyle go a long way to affect other people’s lives. If so, it then follows that a minister of God must live the kind of life that God wants his followers to live. The only way to achieve this is to be a doer of the Word yourself.
I once heard a preacher telling his listeners to do what they hear him say and not what they see him do. This is ridiculous and does not conform to what our Lord Jesus taught us. In the book of Acts Chapter 1 Verse 1, we saw what the life of Jesus was and how that of a minister of God should be. “…of all that Jesus began both to do and to teach”. Note the Scripture above didn’t say he began both to teach and to do, rather He started by doing it, then He taught others to do the same thing. That is a minister. “…but whosoever shall DO AND TEACH them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven”. (Matthew 5:19). Apostle Paul is another example of a typical minister of God, and he is always bold to tell the churches to do the things they see him do. “Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me; those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard and seeing in me, do” (I Corinthians 4:16, Phil. 4:9).
As a minister of God, you ought to do the word of God, and teach others to do the same. That is where the progress and maturity come from (I Timothy 4:15, 16). Do you preach godliness? Then live a godly life. Do you preach healing and miracles? Do it first. Do you preach prosperity? Live a prosperous life first. Do you preach faith? First put your faith to work.
Whatever you are teaching others, make sure they are what you are doing.
– segun eshorun
…It’s a beautiful morning of wonderful brightness!
The breaking of the new day as the cloud starts to clear out!
The long existing darkness has to give way for the dawn!
So the sailors in the boats can now rejoice in the clear sky!
Because they have been troubled by winds all the night long!
Though the gentle breeze on the lake has been interesting…..
But the wind is almost capsizing the boat!
…Now! They have to cross the lake to the other side!
Expected to get there before their master would!
They would not have been so disturbed by the wind, if he was on board! But alas! Here is he walking on the lake…
Incredible, how can he have been walking so confidently as if undisturbed by the wind!
What! He’s walking on the water……against the law of nature…!
What an authority he has even in spite of the blowing wind?
And soon, one of the disciples too feels “I can do the same”
So he has stepped on the waters too, yes fearlessly he could walk too
No, he can’t sink! He saw the master! He has his approval also!
He believed so much in the master, he can’t even fall. It’s the master he saw.
Yes! With Christ present he can prove the Archimedes’s principle to be false!
No! The wind doesn’t matter……!
But what; just in couple of minutes, he has started to sink!
Why? What’s wrong? Has the master left him? Or has he sunk too?
No! Not at all … Peter forgot to keep the rule!
The rule! What rule? Yes it’s the law of faith!
IF YOU DOUBT, YOU WILL SINK! That is the rule!
So peter started to sink because he doubted!
But thank God the trustworthy Promiser!
Friend! Where is your faith?
Verily speaking! The road of life could sometimes be calm!
Sometimes could be sunny or heavily rainy…
While sometimes we are challenged to sail on windy/stormy seas of life.
Where some lives have been crushed and destinies shipwrecked!
And why? Probably because they know not their lord!
Or may be because they doubted…
Because whoever doubts sinks- and that’s the rule of faith?
But why would we sink on the sea of challenges?
Since the father is rightly by our side?
We will only sink when we take cognizance of what is challenging us!
Peter walked confidently when he noticed the master presence, while he could but sink when he noticed the wind.
Friends, how often we feel more of the pains of our trials than we sense the goodness of the lord?
Of course anxiety will kill a man ten times before his death comes,
And fear will put him in grave before he dies!
Yes! Whoever doubt, sinks! The law of faith!
And of course we must not shy away from little doubts that tend to weary our souls, but such fears are balanced by the strong persuasion we received of his promises…!
What an ever present, ever-guiding, ever watching and ever-committed father we do have. The lord of hosts!
So in the face of trials let’s take cognizance of his love and cares than the prevailing circumstances that we do not sink in the rivers of depression and confusions. Ultimately considering to giving up!
Please always remember that whoever doubts will sink!
So Jesus I learn to see when raging storm of life opens their eyes wild against me and him I learn to trust, that I may not sink!
FOR WHOEVER DOUBTS SINK – DON’T DOUBT GOD’S WORD.
– raphael aworinde
Reverence for the LORD is an education in itself. You must be humble before you can ever receive honors. (Proverbs 1533)
Take God out of the equation and what you have left is chaos and disorderliness. Imagine a situation in this world where morals are relative to the individual’s knowledge and sense of what is good and evil. That is, what I regard as ‘sin’ may be ‘good’ for you. Someone has not had any food to eat for a whole day; therefore, he steals a bar of chocolate at the mall. Justifiable, right? You rationalize it thus- the guy probably doesn’t have a job else he would have had money to provide himself food, therefore, picking a chocolate bar out of thousands to satisfy his hunger isn’t wrong. Besides, the management of the mall makes exorbitant profits on a daily basis and this little bar of chocolates is less than ten pennies. When everyone becomes a law for himself there’s bound to be friction and infringement on the rights of other people because the nature of man is intrinsically selfish- self preservation is the name of the game!
However, God did not design us so; His plan for humanity right from Eden was for man to be dependent upon Him for the knowledge of what is good and what is evil. Adam & Eve’s desire in partaking of the fruit was to be able to have knowledge of what is good and what is evil by themselves without relying on God.
Having established that the responsibility for guarding the hearts of our children at the early formative stages of their lives is in the hands of the parents; I want to direct our hearts to the corner-stone for shaping the heart of your child.
If you miss this, the basis for your instruction, nurture and admonition will be warped and the results will not be desirable. Don’t just hand down instructions to your children which MUST be obeyed BECAUSE YOU SAID SO.
Rather, steer their hearts and young, impressionable minds towards the fear of the Lord as many versions put our key-verse for today. The fear of the Lord does not mean a morbid dread of punishment or trepidation at the mention of God, but a reverence for Him that is borne out of love and adoration for who God is and What He’s done for humanity.
Reverence for God is said to be an education in itself because, it is a well-spring from which good, godly attributes are generated. If you make reverence for God the cornerstone for your home, the task of shaping the future of your children becomes an easy one because they have a reason for their actions which goes beyond the unbreakable codes given by Dad, Mum or the fear of punishment.
To have knowledge, you must first have reverence for the LORD. Stupid people have no respect for wisdom and refuse to learn (Proverbs 17)
*Scripture quotations are from the Good News Bible
– Dr ifelayo ojo
Have you ever been in a situation where you are driving on what you call your sure lane (because over time you have used it and it has always worked) only to discover that taking your sure lane was a terrible mistake. For one reason or the other it just was not your day.
Or have you ever bought a one size fits all shirt only to find out you are an exception to the rule.
If you have been in any of these kinds of situations, I say welcome on board.
We live in a time when people are hungry for knowledge more than ever before. People are seeking knowledge from books, conferences, seminars etc. This is a great development I am really excited and happy about. I see young people in relationships (marriage or courtship), going for counseling programs, seminars and reading books together, in the bid to make their relationship work.
After getting all the information, we want to apply them in our marriage or relationship, but for some reasons we find out that this laws are not working for us. Is it that God’s word is not true anymore or the principles learnt don’t work?
Life has thought me that these principles work but they have to be applied uniquely.
Have you ever been in a Mathematics class where your teacher teaches you a topic and it seemed so simple then only to try applying the principles to the assignment given to you and find out the steps followed are not working anymore. I used to have that problem until God gave me a supernatural break through His word.
Let’s start by sharing the Basics you must know about every type of relationship before applying any counsel.
- Every Relationship involves two unique individuals
- Application of every rule or law guiding relationships, is unique
- Something that worked before in your relationship can fail when tried another time
- Every relationship is constantly evolving.
- Your relationship will become what you want after you have given it time to grow.
Every Relationship involves two unique individuals
Our thumb prints prove the fact that every human being is unique, unique in style, perceptions, reasoning, thinking etc. So also is every relationship because it involves two unique individuals too. No two weddings or families are the same in anyway. Appreciate the uniqueness of your partner and take time out to study it.
Application of every rule or law guiding relationships, is unique
Don’t expect that doing the same thing another person did in your own relationship will bring about same result, no matter how widely accepted and Bible based such rule is. Things always work differently in every relationship. Take for example the two fundamental facts about the place Love and Submission in a relationship.
The husband needs to Love the wife and the wife needs to Submit. Nevertheless Love and submission will not have same approach in two relationships. What a woman in a relationship with a liberal man will have to do to be regarded as submissive will be entirely different when compared to a relationship with a traditional African man. So also the way love is expressed by a westernized man is entirely different from a typical African man.
You cannot say he does not love me because he does not do this and this and that, you need to first check out the person involved and capabilities. As basic as some things may be, they are strange to some others. Our backgrounds are different.
Sometime we even assume too much about our partners.
My prayer is that this few words will mark the beginning of healing in as many relationships as need to be healed.
See you next week for more on this very interesting topic that touches my heart.
Love
Omolola
Different Approach, Better Results Bible Reading: Proverbs 23
Right from my school days, I discovered the time when I have the best assimilation when reading my academic materials. You will hardly find me reading my books during the day or at night, but anytime between 12am and 4am is my time. In fact, I usually tell myself that one hour reading during my time is equivalent to eight hours reading at other times. I religiously followed my “reading time” throughout school and I was able to excel in school. Let me ask you this question – if I want to also excel in life, when do you think is the best time for me to read my bible?
An average believer is quick to conclude that bible reading should be done just after you get up from bed in the morning or just before you go to bed at night. However, I have observed that I encountered greater insights when I read the bible at my time. What is your own reading time? What is the time when you are most mentally alert to assimilate information? Do you read your bibles at such times?
If we can handle the bible studiously and seriously for 6 months the way some of us handle our academic materials, we will be amazed at the spiritual development that will occur in our lives. I recently read a book written by Rev. Ade Adebayo and titled “Enjoying my Bible” and I was really touched by this statement – “… if our serious academic volumes, professional materials, and other valuable literatures were handled the way we handle the bible, many would have experienced uncompromising, dismal and permanent failures”. Isn’t that true? Do we not spend hours burning the midnight candle just to pass a professional exam, whereas we never spend quality time reading the book that addresses all life’s examinations?
My concern for modern day Christians is that they will agree with everything I have written here. Some may even go further to list out scriptural references that I should have quoted. But many are not in the habit of practicing what they have attested to. Beloved, we already have many believers who can only pant and rant these things and we are not interested in increasing their number. We want believers who will take a decision to approach their bibles with more seriousness. We want people who would spend quality time developing a godly mindset in order to exhibit godly actions and experience good success daily.
– tope aladenusi
| How You Must Not Read the Bible – 1 Bible Reading: Ephesians 3
I once scored 68 in a computer science course I took when I was in the university. As soon as I saw my score on the notice board, I immediately became sad and started lamenting. To my greatest surprise, I saw a friend who scored 42 and he was seriously jubilating. To quench my curiosity, I went to him to inquire the reason for his celebration. After chatting with him for sometime, I realized that what led to the difference between my reaction and that of my friend was our motive for reading. My friend’s dad already had a ready-made company waiting for him to come and occupy, and so his father just wanted him to have the ‘school experience’. My motive for reading was to be much grounded in the subject and also prove that by having a distinction in the course. No wonder what I defined as ‘poison’ would be gladly celebrated as ‘meat’ to my friend.
In a similar manner, there are millions of Christians reading the bible regularly, but one thing that distinguishes the effect it has in their lives is their motive for reading. This motive is usually defined unconsciously and it becomes the driver whenever they pick up their bibles. I have noticed several motives why Christians read their bibles and I will share some of them with you. To be candid, I lived like a bad Christian for over 10 years after I became born-again, but my life changed drastically the year I decided to read the New Testament with the right motive. I could not believe the change because I had tried many things to make me grow and gave up along the way, but this particular change I experienced came effortlessly. So bible reading is very good and can lead to rapid spiritual growth if you do it with the right motive.
Why do you read your bible? For many Christians, the reason is simple – to fulfill all righteousness. Bible reading is just seen as “one of the things a good Christian should do”. Therefore, in order to run away from a guilty conscience or not be identified with bad Christians, they read their bibles. They want to identify with the fact that ‘I have observed my quiet time today’. Some of my friends who live in bustling cities like Lagosand London have confessed to me that because they have to leave their homes very early in order to get to work by 8am, they just flip through their bible with sleepy eyes every morning. They do this day in day out and it is becoming obvious that their lives are getting worn out. I strongly believe that a Christian who reads his bible for 30 minutes with the right motive will experience spiritual growth more that someone who has been reading the same bible for 30 years in order to fulfill all righteousness. Your location or work schedule does not matter much like your motive whenever you decide to read your bible.
I know some people who also think they are pleasing God and making him happy by reading the bible. You hear them make statements like “God has been so good to me; I just have to appreciate him by giving him thanks and reading my bible”. Does a good student study his books in order to develop or help his lecturer? Then when we pick up our Bibles to read, we should remember that it is time to enrich ourselves and not a time to thrill the father; it is primarily for our own good.
I Samuel 16:7 – “… man takes note of the outer form, but the Lord sees the heart”. Beloved, let us not focus on having a form of godliness; let’s embrace the power that is experienced in reading the bible with the right motive.
– tope aladenusi
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Last week, I read about a 7-year old Indian boy who could only communicate by chirping and flapping his arms. Guess why? He was raised in aviary by his mum and she did not talk to him at all since his birth till the time he was discovered by social workers. He had learnt to communicate like the birds he’d been exposed to all his life, one can only wonder what kind of experiment his mum was making of her son. However, before you point your fingers to accuse her of child abuse or call her a lunatic; consider what kind of influence you are directly or inadvertently exposing your own children to on a daily basis.
Babies are born with an enviable apparent innocence- pink and cuddly, smiling in their sleep, they appear to be the perfect picture of purity. However, just how pure they grow up to be is a function of what kind of environment they find in the home and the kind of training received from the parents. If you find a little child using swear-words; it is only reasonable to deduce that such words are in the average vocabulary parlance of the parents. This is because language development as with all other forms of development in children is a function of stimulation. What kind of social stimulation do you give your child?
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:6)
To train here means to instruct deliberately, to coach, tutor or induct. The main task of a parent is to bring up these little ones in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
And the fathers! provoke not your children, but nourish them in the instruction and admonition of the Lord. (Ephesians 6:4)
Apostle Paul was talking directly to fathers here as the head of the home, to make their instructions to the children such that the child will obey. Although, it is the duty of children to obey their parents, the parent also has a responsibility to maintain such a character and home administration that it’ll be proper for the child to obey.
Do not provoke your children by unreasonable commands, by being unduly harsh or by displaying anger. This is child abuse! Christian parents are allowed to discipline or punish their children if necessary, but not in anger. Do it in such a way that your child will not lose confidence in you but will love you. This love will make your known wishes a law for them; your child will like to bring you pleasure by fulfilling your wishes.
Feed your children with God’s word not swear-words, it is your duty to guard their minds, because at the early stages they cannot do it by themselves. Children are highly impressionable, if you leave them to watch the just any kind of movie or listen to just any kind of music; you may realize too late just how much it does matter!
There’re plenty of good, godly materials in Christian bookshops targeted at helping you nourish your children in the way of God. Take the time to purchase these cartoons, videos, books, sing-along tapes etc. that will positively stimulate your child. Their toys should also have Christian undertones; rather than buy a gun for your four year-old at the toy shop, why not buy him a story-set of ‘The Good Samaritan’? Put up posters with godly characters and verses of scripture in their rooms instead of the heroes of our time who wear revealing clothes and live on drugs. The input you give to your children will determine their output.
(To be continued…)
– ifelayo ojo
An Accident Going Somewhere to Happen Bible Reading: Matthew 6
If you were to select only one of the following gifts, what will your choice be?
- One billion US dollars
- The only bible in the world (assuming only one exist)
- Worldwide fame
I perceive some of my readers will select option 2, i.e. the only bible. However, your genuine choice is not what your “church mind” is telling you right now but what your life experiences is showing you on a daily basis. So let’s take the same test from another perspective.
- How much of your daily time is spent chasing after money and things money can buy?
- How much time do you spend in a day trying to know more about God and his word?
- How much of your time do you spend devising means that will make you famous?
You see what I mean? One way to gauge your love for something is by the amount of invaluable currency (time) you give to that thing. John 3:16 says God so loved the world that he gave Jesus. God’s love was demonstrated by his giving. In like manner, the time you give to the options above is a simple way to let you know the quality of love you have for them. So based on the time you spend with your bible, would you still select option 2?
Today, when some people get born again, their first desire is that ‘old means of cash inflow shall pass away and all streams of cash inflow shall become new’; some begin to desire that they crush all their past enemies with spiritual antiballistic missiles; others immediately desire recognition in Christian meetings. But the bible says in I Peter 2:2 (GW) “Desire God’s pure word as newborn babies desire milk. Then you will grow in your salvation”. Why? Because nearly every other success God expects from you is hinged on your spiritual growth.
The formula is still “seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and every other thing shall be added to you” (Mat 6:33). Imagine you give a baby the options of choosing either milk, money or fame, what do you think will be his first choice? Of course, it is milk, because without it he cannot even spend the money in the first place. The milk is what will help him sustain his life. That is the same way we should see the word of God. It is the pivot on which all other success should be built upon. God’s word is life to our lives. A Christian that does not desire and ponder on God’s word is like an accident going somewhere to happen. He/she may look okay at the moment, but it’s just a matter of time, the crash will come. If you must grow spiritually, you have to always have a burning desire for God’s word.
Notwithstanding, if we are sincere with ourselves, we will agree that there are many people reading their bibles for years but it appears no visible change has occurred in their life. How do we read our bibles in a way that will make us grow? How do we sap nutrients from God’s pure word?
– tope aladenusi
Matthew 19:26
Are you HIV positive? Do you believe your status can change to Negative?
With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
Were your certificates burnt in a fire incident? Don’t you think you can get a good job without certificate?
With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
Have you lost your womb? Haven’t it occurred to you that you can have a miracle baby?
With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
It does not end here.
Have you taken lives and committed so much atrocity? Is it not possible for all you sins to be forgiven and you are accepted as a friend again?
With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
Is it possible you live your youthful life without immorality, not even a thought of it?
With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
Do you doubt you can hit your sales target without lies or deceit?
With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
Do you believe you can live a holy life in this present world?
With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
Can one be perfect in this life?
“And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.” Luke 18:27
Is it breakthrough in our health, daily provision, our spiritual life; no matter how difficult it seems to be, God can do it. “…He hath done all things well:” Mark 7:37
Do not lose hope. Keep “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith;” Hebrews 12:2
“Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of Christ:” Ephesians 4:13.
– okenna obi-igbokwe