Spread the message                     Bible Reading: Hebrews 3:12-19

Dearly beloved, for the past five months, we have been sharing on the topic ‘recognizing the will of God’. We were joyous to receive mails and calls from some of you who testified of how the Lord has enriched you via this message. Also, two gentlemen gave similar testimonies which we would like to share with you; they said they decided to read the whole series again and the understanding they got was marvelous.

We were not surprised to hear this because it was a singular message that came in different sections and reading them together will foster a better understanding. We would like you to emulate the attitude of these two gentlemen and read the message at a time, most especially our new subscribers.

To read a complete series of ‘Recognizing the will of God’, just scroll down.

Romans 15:14 (GW) reads “I’m convinced, brothers and sisters, that you, too, are filled with goodness. I’m also convinced that you have all the knowledge you need and that you are able to instruct each other”. In God’s perspective, you do not need to be a Pastor or Bishop before you can enlighten others. Every Christian should be found in the business of encouraging one another. You will come across many believers who are ignorant about ‘knowing God’s will’ and we admonish you to teach them. Spread the message. You have what it takes.

Lastly, the Bible says in James 2:17 “God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense” (MSG). So, practice what you’ve learnt. Let your life display excellence at all times because nothing less than that is expected from you.

We love you and we are always willing to help …

tope aladenusi

Seek ye first … relationship with Him …      

Bible Reading: Acts 27:9-44

One of the Pastors who have been very influential in my spiritual growth is Rev. Ade Adebayo. He is popularly known as Revo. If you do not love God’s word or you are nonchalant about the miraculous, a meeting with him will challenge your position. I use to attend the Church he oversees i.e. Mercy World Outreach, Ilorin, Nigeria. During those times, I saw him gave copious and accurate words of knowledge.

The most fascinating of them was when Revo gave ‘a word’ concerning me on a subject I had never discussed with anyone. It was a common thing to hear Revo make a statement like ‘there is someone here, ABC thing is going on in your life, and the Lord is saying you should do XYZ thing’. One day, I summoned courage and went to Revo to inquire how he is able to swiftly discern things by the Spirit. His explanation was insightful. One of the striking things he said was ‘when I see it or hear it, I just know that it is God’.

I love that statement. Do you know why? It’s because many other matured believers I have discussed with made similar statements. They may not normally give words of knowledge like Revo, but they just know when God is leading.

One characteristic of intimate couples is that they are able to communicate effectively without speaking; a wink of the eye can pass across a message. Sometimes by just looking at the face of your spouse, you can tell that (s)he is implying ‘it is time to go home’. If someone asks you how you were able to know that, I will not be surprised if you say – “I just know”. How are couples able to decode their body language easily? Did they attend a kind of ‘communicate-without-speeches lecture’? Not really. That is just an attribute of a close relationship.

We are about closing this series and my advice to you is that you ‘seek first to cultivate a good relationship with God, and after that, ‘recognizing His will’ will be added unto you. As you grow in grace and in the knowledge of God, you bask in an atmosphere where you just get to know that … ‘this is God’s leading’.

– tope aladenusi

When the time is right

Bible Reading: Acts 19:8-13

There is a right time for everything. When we fail to act at the right time, we make what is right to appear wrong. When we are convinced God wants us to embark on particular course, it is wise we make sure that we step out at the right time. Visions are always for an appointed time.

I’m sure Moses was not familiar with this when he killed an Egyptian (Exodus 2). God revealed His will to him by placing it as a desire in his heart. Moses hated discrimination. He was also going to be an instrument in the deliverance of Israelfrom Egypt. So when he saw an Egyptian hurting an Israelite, he did not wait for the right time. He murdered the Egyptian. But when the right time came, he led the entire Israelites out of Egypt without hurting a fly. When we want to use underhanded means in order to fulfill God’s will, it may be an indication that our timing is wrong.

Conversely, I’m convinced Apostle Paul understood this concept. God had told him to preach the gospel to the gentiles. One day he attempted to fulfill this mandate inAsia, but the Holy Spirit prevented him from going there (Acts 16:6). Paul exercised patience and went somewhere else. However, when the time was right, Paul went toAsia to fulfill his mandate. Guess what happened? Bible says “all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.  God worked unusual miracles through Paul. People would take handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched Paul’s skin to those who were sick. Their sicknesses would be cured, and evil spirits would leave them” Acts 19:10-12(GW).

God’s timing is never too early or too late. It is perfect. Sometimes it may not be according to how men expect it. The whole world may be saying that age is not on your side and you are yet to be in a relationship, but you will experience an unusual miracle at the right time. It may be difficult to break even in your business and you are on the verge of doubting God’s leading. But relax, after you have undergone this training period, your returns will be surplus to the point that thousands of people will be benefiting from it. Dearly beloved, press on in the right direction because when the time is right, you will experience an unusual miracle.

– tope aladenusi

Choosing the means of confirmation

Bible Reading: Judges 6:25-40

One of the challenges faced by many Christians is that they want to be sure they are led by God before they make a move. This is good. In our previous messages, we highlighted some ways of getting confirmation to a perceived ‘leading of God’, e.g. agreement with God’s word, inner peace, prophecies of other believers etc. However, there is a way some Christians like to get confirmation that may not be too appropriate. This style was copied from Gideon. Let’s read about his story:

“Gideon said to God, “If this is right, if you are using me to save Israel as you’ve said,

then look: I’m placing a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If dew is on the fleece only, but the floor is dry, then I know that you will use me to save Israel, as you said.”

That’s what happened. When he got up early the next morning, he wrung out the fleece–enough dew to fill a bowl with water!” Judges 6:37-38 (MSG)

 So it is not surprising to see some brothers say “Lord, if you want me to marry that sister, let her say “hi” to me after church”. Some business men will say “Lord, if you really want me to enter into that business, let that investor visit me again in my office”. Do you know how these sound to me? It’s like Judas Iscariot saying “Lord, if you really want me to betray Jesus, let the High Priest accept the deal of paying me a huge sum after the betrayal”.

What Gideon did may be appropriate in his time because of the level of knowledge they operated in. Moreover, God was not leading them by default like we enjoy today. Something you should also note is that the Bible says the devil is the ‘god of this world’ and so he is able to quickly arrange the circumstances you desire to see as a confirmation. Imagine that when Jesus was fasting in the wilderness, he said ‘Lord, if it is your will that I break this fast, let there appear a loaf of bread’. Of course, the devil will appear and say ‘Since thou hast the son of God, command this stone to be made bread’.

Although we may have used such methods before and it worked, we need to exercise caution as it is highly susceptible to the devil’s exploitation.

– tope aladenusi

Exercising the virtues of faith and obedience

Bible Reading: Acts 8:26-40

In June 2005, God gave me an instruction concerning something he wanted me to do in 2007. By my own projections, I felt it would be too early to make that move and I tried to express my fears. But He said, first obey what I’ve said and after that you will see why it is necessary and you will get to know the next step to take.

Sometimes the way God leads us is similar to driving a car in the dark with your headlamp on. You are able to see only about 100 meters clearly. It is after you’ve moved further that you can then see the next 100 meters. However, some believers do not like it that way. They want to know every tiny detail of what will happen to them from now till they leave this world. But God will always give us the privilege of acting by faith, believing in his ever-present support even when we have no definite word about the end result.

Sometimes God reveals something that will happen in the far future and it is left for you to take steps of faith daily in order to get there. When He led the Israelites out ofEgypt, the best they knew was that they were heading to a promise land. They were not aware of the red sea, the drought, or how they would react when they meet other nations on their way.

Other times, God tells you the next step to take to a destination you may not be fully aware about. A typical example is shown in the verses below (Acts 8:26-30 – MSG)

“… God’s angel spoke to Philip: “At noon today I want you to walk over to that desolate road that goes from Jerusalem down to Gaza.” He got up and went. He met an Ethiopian eunuch coming down the road … He was riding in a chariot and reading the prophet Isaiah. The Spirit told Philip, “Climb into the chariot.” Running up alongside, Philip heard the eunuch reading Isaiah and asked, “Do you understand what you’re reading?”

Phillip had to pass through a series of obeying God’s leading till he got to the point where he knew exactly what God wanted him to do. Verse 35 says “Philip grabbed his chance. Using this passage as his text, he preached Jesus to him”. God will always present us with the privilege of exercising the virtues of faith and obedience even as we desire to recognize the will of God.

– tope aladenusi

Using circumstances to label God’s will       

Bible Reading: Acts 8:1-8

A brother once came to me for counseling. He said he was convinced God wanted him to embark on a particular project but all his efforts to actualize it had yielded no result. He then asked this very common question: If it is God’s will for me to do it, why am I experiencing difficulties along the way? Many Christians have found themselves in similar situations. They throw away God-given projects just because they experienced some difficulties along the way. In fact, I’ve noticed that when some believers share their difficult experiences in the projects they have embarked upon, the next suggestion you will most probably hear is – “may be it is not God’s will for you to do it”. Adversity is now popularly regarded as an indication that you are walking out of God’s will. Usually, this is not true.

Favorable circumstances don’t always mean you are walking in God’s will. For example, things went well initially for the prodigal son – His father granted his request; he traveled safely abroad; he met nice friends as soon as he landed in another city. But what was the end of his story? Similarly, Jonah was having a swell time until he found himself in the belly of a fish – he had a safe trip to Joppa even though God instructed him to go to Nineveh; when he got there, a ship heading to Tarshish was waiting for him; while on the ship, he was having a sound sleep in the midst of a raging storm. So the fact that things seem to be going on well now is not a sound basis for confirming that you are in tune with God’s will.

In like manner, unfavorable circumstances may not necessarily mean you are out of God’s will. Sometimes they even accelerate the fulfillment of God’s will in your life. The brothers of Joseph were the ones who attacked him, though they indirectly hastened his advancement towards the throne. Apostle Paul suffered betrayal from some of his closest pals in ministry. When the early believers were preaching, Bible recorded that they ‘faced a great wave of persecution’. Sometimes such circumstances are necessary to show and strengthen our conviction even as we walk in the will of God. Proverbs 24:10 says “If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small”.

May be you should look back into your life to identify those areas where you easily chickened out from divine guidance/projects just because you faced a difficulty. If it is not too late, get back on track. Refuse to be a victim of circumstances. Instead, let the word of God be a lamp to your feet (Ps. 119:105) and ‘the peace of Christ guide you in the decisions you make’ (Colossians 3:15).

– tope aladenusi

The litmus test in labeling God’s will     

Bible Reading: Colossians 3:9-17

As a student, I remember the first time my science teacher came to the class to coach us how to differentiate between an acid and a base. Among all the points she gave, the most fascinating was when she dipped a moist litmus paper into an acid and immediately it turned red. Right away, I felt like having a bag of litmus paper so I could apply this indicator on any liquid I see. Many believers have asked the question similar to – ‘how do I really know that it is God’s will?’ I wish I could hand them a bag of “God’s will litmus paper”. Although such a thing does not exist, there are two powerful indicators that can easily let you know if your heart messages or the prophecies from other believers are in line with God’s will:

1. Is it in agreement with God’s general will revealed in Scriptures? – A young vibrant employee once took money from his company’s purse to donate to the poor and when he was accused of stealing, he said he was led by God to do so. Whereas the bible says “steal no more” whether your intention is wrong or right. A Christian lady once described her fiancé like this – ‘oh! You need to meet him; he is such an amiable, charming and caring gentleman. Though he is not a Christian, I believe God that he will change soon’. Whereas II Cor. 6:14 (GW) reads “stop forming inappropriate relationships with unbelievers. Can right and wrong be partners?”

Let’s learn from Apostle Peter. In II Peter 1:17, he narrated that he was present at Jesus’ baptism when a voice sounded from heaven saying ‘this is my beloved son’. However, in verse 19-20, he said beyond the voice, we have ‘a more sure word of prophecy in the scriptures’. It is very unlikely that God will lead you to do something that contradicts his will and nature as revealed in scriptures. So if we do not have a thorough understanding of scriptures, we will be ranking very high in the list of gullible Christians.

2. Is there peace in your mind: There are times when it is not an issue of black and white, but it is of cream and white? For example, “don’t marry an unbeliever” is so clear in scripture. But amidst all believers, who exactly should you marry? In such cases where you want to know what is right for you among the goodies around, thenColossians 3:15 (GNB) gives a perfect instruction – “The peace that Christ gives is to guide you in the decisions you make”. As a matter of fact, I believe that all other ways God leads believers have a way of working in line with peace in your mind as a confirmation. Where there is unrest and anxiety in your mind, it may be an indication that you should exercise caution. Although sometimes we have unrest as a result of fear and not necessarily because God is saying ‘No’, it is good that we always draw a line between the two.

I believe if you make use of these two indicators, it will help you a lot in telling if a message is from God. In situations where it still appears difficult to label God’s will after using these indicators, then you should apply patience. This is because for every genuine Christian, it’s just a matter of time for you to get back to the right track.

– tope aladenusi