FROM DISTRESS...TO GREATNESS

…Every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men (1 Samuel 22:2).

Our opening verse describes the condition of the Isrealites who gathered themselves unto David; a rendezvous of broken people; they were down and out when they came to David. They were behind in their finances, dissatisfied, unhappy, uncomfortable and discontented. Before then, David had been anointed by the Spirit, through Samuel the Prophet (1 Samuel 16:12- 13). These men gathered to him, because they knew the anointing of God was on him. They knew that the anointing of the Spirit could change their situation for good.

When you read further into the twenty-third chapter of second Samuel, you’d find that, several years later, their hitherto disgruntled state had changed. From being in distress, debt, and discontent, they became David’s mighty men (2 Samuel 23:8). When it was time to give for the building of the temple, these same men who were once in debt, had become so prosperous, and gave bountifully for the construction of the Temple (1 Chronicles 29:6-7).

The same thing happens today as we minister the Word to many around the world. Those who receive the Word we share, no matter how miserable and dire their circumstances had been, the Word takes them out of obscurity to greatness. The anointing is on the Word to transform lives and set men up for greatness. It reminds me of when we first started out years ago. Those who came to us were those who some thought were too carnal, broken, dejected or lost to be transformed. However, we had the anointing that made the difference. Today, their stories have changed, and the same people are doing great and mighty things for the Lord all around the world.

Isaiah 32:15, says, "Until the spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest." The Holy Spirit brings the anointing into your life and makes you productive, through the Word. He turns your wilderness into a fruitful field; He causes water to spring up from your desert. With the Holy Spirit, your experience will be that of productivity, growth, increase, expansion and progress in every area of your life!

THE EFFECTS OF GRACE.

Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord (Acts 11:23).

Luke, by the inspiration of the Spirit, explains in the verse above, how Barnabas and Paul went to visit the brethren, and they saw the grace of God. What does it mean to “See the grace of God?”

“Grace” is from the Greek word “charis”; it refers to the divine influence on the heart reflected in the life of a man.

It’s the outward expression, or the outworking of an inward divine influence in your heart. Simply put, it’s the inner working of the glory and the power of God in your life that radiates, shines, and reflects on the outside. So, what these Apostles saw was an outer reflection of the inner working of the power, and life, and nature of God in them—they saw the effects of that grace.

You only see the outworking of the grace of God. It’s like saying “We saw the winds blowing.” You really don’t see the wind; what you see are the effects of the wind. The effects could be moving objects, or the branches of a tree moving to and fro; then you can immediately decipher that it’s a strong wind. You don’t see the wind; what you see are the effects!

It’s the same way with the description in the opening verse.
The grace of God on its own can’t be seen until you see what it produces. So, the Lord impresses on your heart, through His Word and the Holy Spirit, and whatever is deposited by that influence, is seen on the outside; it shows or reveals itself on the outside. Then we can say, just like the early Church, “We saw the grace of God on them.”

That’s why it’s important to grow in grace. 2 Peter 3:18 tells us, “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ….” The word “grow” is taken from the Greek word “auxano”; it means “to give increase to.” To grow in grace is to increase in the workings of the power of God in your life. And as you grow in grace, more of the glory of God shines, radiates, and is seen through you. Halleluiah!

PRAYER
Dear Father, I thank you for the knowledge of your Word that causes me to walk in an overflow of grace. That grace which is the power of promotion, reflects on the outside,
producing favour, beauty, goodwill, loveliness, perfections, glory and ability in my life, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Wisdom, Knowledge, And Understanding

Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established: And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches (Proverbs 24:3-4).

Our theme verse highlights wisdom, understanding, and knowledge as three vital ingredients needed for building a successful life. It says with wisdom, a "house" is built; that house could be likened to your life, business, career, or family. It goes further to say that the "house," once built, is established by understanding; and then by knowledge, you bring riches into it.

Often, you find people whose lives are, as it were, out of joint; they’re frustrated and unhappy, for the simple reason that they lack wisdom. Some others have things going on well with them, perhaps, in their job or career, but they’re unfulfilled because their families are disorientated. Why? Because they lack understanding; it’s with understanding that a family is established and made strong. They had enough wisdom to start the family, but lacked the understanding to establish it.

Some others have enough wisdom and understanding to organize their families or businesses aright, but lack the requisite knowledge of how to make consistent progress from glory to glory. Wisdom, understanding, and knowledge must go together; they’re needed for a life of all-round success, prosperity, and fulfillment. Proverbs 4:7 tells us that wisdom is the principal thing; it’s your capital: "Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding." Notice it didn’t stop at enjoining us to embrace wisdom; it goes further to say, "…with all thy getting get understanding," letting you know that understanding is just as important.

Then in Proverbs 15:5, we’re cautioned not to despise knowledge; it says, the one who ignores knowledge is a fool. Wisdom, knowledge, and understanding come to you through the Word: "For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding" (Proverbs 2:6). You need all three to be effective, and to live the extraordinary life of success, dominion, victory, and excellence that God has ordained for you.

Good Character – A Rewarding Asset!

Good character is the best insurance; crooks get trapped in their sinful lust (Proverbs 11: 6 MSG).

Imagine you got home one day and found one million dollars left at the corner of your house, and just the day before you had asked the Lord for money. But now, here you are, with a bag of one million dollars, probably abandoned by someone you don’t know. What would you do? I can imagine what a terrible difficulty some people may have, deciding what to do. “Do I take it and keep it, or do I alert the police? Do I hide it somewhere else?” These and some other thoughts may run through your mind.

Some won’t have any problem deciding what to do with it; they’d simply keep it. They may justify their action by saying ‘If God didn’t want me to have it, why then did He put it there?” Now, they’re holding God responsible.

It reminds me of my growing years. Back then, if you found something that didn’t belong to you, you took it to a repository called “Lost-and-found,” where it would be kept until the owner reclaimed it. It never crossed your mind to keep whatever you found that didn’t belong to you. It was part of your character. There were no questions as to whether or not to keep it; you knew exactly what to do! You either returned it or found some authority figure to give it to, who would do something about it.

So today, if you found a million dollars beside your house, the right thing to do is to get witnesses and take the money to the police. That’s good character. Now, having done that, don’t expect anyone to reward you, for nobody needs to reward you for character. It’s life itself that rewards good character, and when it does, it does it in a big way. So train yourself with good character, for it is a rewarding asset indeed

MORE THAN BLESSED

“And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing…” (Genesis 12:2-3).

If you’re born again, you’re more than a blessed man or woman: you’re actually a blessing. Most of God’s people need to grasp the greater truth that they have become the blessing! Not only did God bless Abraham, He also made him a blessing: “And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing” (Genesis 12:2).

This didn’t end with Abraham, for the Bible says “…If ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:29). To be in Christ means you’re born again, thus all the blessings God endowed Abraham with are now your present-hour possession, making you a package of divine blessing. I would to God you’d realize what a blessing you are as a Christian. No matter the health condition a person may have, just touching you in faith could heal him or her. That’s because you carry something inside you: “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels…” (2 Corinthians 4:7).

The Bible says you’re the temple of the Holy Ghost (1 Corinthians 3:16); that makes you the embodiment of the fullness of the blessings of God. That’s why it’s a blessing in itself to all those who are acquainted with you; they’re blessed, just for knowing you! Living daily with this consciousness will eradicate every sense of need or lack from your life. You shouldn’t suffer or put up with sickness or live a beggarly life, for you’ve been called to inherit a blessing.

Live up to your calling. You’re full of the blessings of God. There’s no blessing in this world or in heaven that you should be asking God for, because all things are yours (1 Corinthians 3:21). You ought to be basking in superabundance! Others who come in contact with you should partake of the goodness of God in your life.

MONTH OF MOVING FORWARD

“…And the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward” Exodus 14:12-16

“… Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the LORD blessed him. And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great: For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him” Genesis 26:1-4,12-14

In our theme scripture, God told the Israelites to move forward. He did not recognize any limitation. God thinks differently and this should be our mentality. God wasn't looking at the sea like it was a problem. God told Moses to tell the people to go forward and that Moses should divide the sea.

In life sometimes there are obstructions, crises and seeming limitations. The Solution to that challenge or problem has already been programmed into the one facing it. You’ve got to learn that for some challenges, you can talk to them and they will get out of the way; some you should push down while others, you close your eyes and walk through them

BE PREPARED – HAVE A “MOVING FORWARD” STRATEGY

Deuteronomy 2:3  “Ye have compassed this mountain long enough:turn you northward.”

When the Spirit of God gives us direction, the secret is to learn how to take advantage of it. The important thing is take immediate action, do not procrastinate or postpone it because you will not get the benefits of it early enough for you to build on it.

The challenges that come to us are for our promotion in life. They are some that were predestined to come our way; that's why we must always be prepared. In your life, have no fears. You've got to go forward, make progress and advance. Do not complain about the systems. When God blesses you, you become a blessing and God's blessing is irrespective of where you are. Stop seeing your problems, see God.

Make progress; move forward! Nothing can come against you. Wax greater, gaining and gaining. My life will be an inspiring story of success and victory; a story of what Christ can do in and through the human body. We are born to shine; lights of the world; shining from glory to glory; I come with solutions; I have been impacted with blessings to bless the world; every step I take is a step of blessing; this is my life.

DEFINITION AND OUTWORKINGS OF GRACE – PART 2

  “But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ” Ephesians 4:7

”But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever”. Amen. 2 Peter 3:18

THE 7 OUTWORKINGS OF GRACE

4. Joy.
Grace brings about Joy; joy indescribable and unspeakable. As a Christian walking in grace, let Joy work out through your life. When you take advantage of grace, the world will not be able to explain how you are always up there. Where they let worries and the cares of this life control them, they do not understand how you have become a distributor of joy. With grace in your life, you become dauntless even in seemingly difficult situations. When challenges come to you look inwards for the solution, because you know that: THE BIGGER THE PROBLEM, THE BIGGER THE TESTIMONY.

5. Liberality.
Grace brings LIBERALITY into your life. You have got to recognize that Grace opens a two-way channel; it is called giving and a receiving channel.  Recognize that giving is a Grace. When Grace opens up that passion to give; it also opens up your CAPACITY to receive.

6. Pleasure.
Grace brings about PLEASURE. Do you know that Pleasure comes spiritually and that you can take pleasure in all that God has created? Your life is for Him; recognizing this makes everything in your life pleasurable and yet pleasing to God. Now, Grace brings about a kind and happy pleasure that should make you appreciate the people and the things in your life.

7. Gift.
Grace brings GIFTs into your life. Grace brings about an uncanny ability to do what others cannot do. This can manifest itself by form of a skill, quality and understanding of certain areas. It’s important that you recognize the gift of God upon you and put it to use, it makes God’s power to come upon it.

CONCLUSION - YOUR ROLE WITH GRACE
God expects us to put his Grace to work as each one of us has been given grace. Make up your mind to put to work the GRACE upon your life. The Bible says in Romans 5:17 ’’For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ’’.

Make a firm decision to put to work the grace upon your life and you can be sure that your testimonies will be those of unprecedented manifestations of the Holy Ghost.

DEFINITION AND OUT-WORKINGS OF GRACE

“But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ” Ephesians 4:7

”But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever”. Amen. 2 Peter 3:18

WHAT IS GRACE?

Grace is the divine influence on the heart of a man and it is reflected or expressed outwardly. In other words, it is the out-working of a divine inward influence in your heart through God’s Word and the Holy Spirit. Grace is the glory of God working in a man’s spirit.

The Greek word for grace is ‘Charis’. It beautifies the spirit and would always show on the outside. Grace functions at different levels in our life. It locates you and brings you into the good place at the right and opportune time. Some people do define Grace as “unmerited favor” but this definition is from a negative point of view and is somewhat limited.

There is such a thing as to increase in grace, to grow (Auxano). As Christians, the Bible admonishes us to grow in grace even as we grow in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Don’t work against Grace in other people; acknowledge, respect and help grow it when you find it manifesting in others around you.

The Grace of God can be seen in what it produces; as much as Grace is a divine working on the inside of a man, it manifests itself on the outside of a man in diverse ways:

GRACE PRODUCES THE FOLLOWING:

1. Acceptability.
There always is something about a man/woman with Grace that attracts people to him/her. Grace singles you out; they just don’t know why they are attracted towards you. Grace has got nothing to do with one’s status, profession or gender. You can turn on grace in your life; God gives you more Grace as you put to use the Grace He already made available to you. There are levels of Grace at which different Christians function. It should be your desire to function at the highest level of Grace possible.

2. The Advantage.
Grace brings and gives you the Advantage. As a Christian, you need to ALWAYS be conscious of the Grace of God upon your life, this is what makes it work and you need to recognize that you have got grace working for you. You do not need to struggle for/with anything in your life, if you put the Grace to work, it will deliver them to you, on a platter. Hallelujah! Grace is the glory of God working in a man’s spirit and it beautifies. Only the man with Grace recognizes Grace. Never try to work against Grace in a man’s life; one who does it, fights against the Source of Grace; Deity.

3. Favour.
Grace brings you FAVOUR. Good is turned towards the man with Grace and forgiveness always knocks at his door. Even when he seems to have made great mistakes, the Grace of God speaks for him. To walk in Grace means to walk in and with divine influence. It makes you have the mentality of “if I want anything, I will get it!” You are God’s trophy, and He wants everyone in the world to know how much he loves you. He is the ‘I am’ and you are the ‘in Him’. There is no need for the struggles and the worry wrinkles. Grace is available to deliver favour to you. Favour that comes by Grace comes by divine influence. Hallelujah! All He says is “yield to my Word”.

The Scripture is laden with accounts explaining how God has given us the measure of Grace. Much more, we have a huge role to play in making sure that the purpose for the Grace is accomplished. God expects us to put his Grace to work by careful study and meditation of His Word, which is the Word of Grace.

It's our Month of Increased Grace! There's increased grace for growth; for ministration; grace to do all things. You can do more for the LORD.

"EVER-INCREASING GRACE"

But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever: Amen (2 Peter 3:18).

Grace is the outward reflection of the inner workings of the power of God in your life. It's of the beauty and influence of the Holy Spirit, and the Word of God in you, producing acceptability, advantage, favour, joy, liberality, gift and pleasure. Every Christian has received grace in abundance (Roman 5:17); but the measure or degree to which it's seen and reflected through you is dependent on you.

You have the responsibility to see to it that the grace of God upon your life increases in greater measure. 2 Peter 1:2 shows you how the grace of God can be multiplied in your life; it's through the knowledge of God and the Lord Jesus: "Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God and of our Lord Jesus Christ." As the knowledge of God and His Word increases in your life, you'll walk in increased grace. Your testimony then becomes like that of the Apostles in the early Church: "And with great power gave the Apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all" (Acts 4:33).

The greek word translated "grow" in our opening verse is "auxano" and it means to give increase to, or enlarge. Notice that the Bible didn't say for you to pray to God for increase grace , rather it shows you how to "enlarge" or "give increase" to the grace that's already been available to you in Christ. You do this through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

The Greek word for knowledge in 2Peter 1:2 is "epignosis." It means full knowledge that transcends, mere awareness; an esoteric knowledge-a discernment or full understanding of God and of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Recognize, perceive, and become fully acquainted with God and His living Word- Jesus Christ-and you'll walk in ever-increasing grace. That way, the grace of God that brings acceptability, advantage, beauty and excellence will function in you in ever-increasing measure in Jesus name, Amen!!!

Shout "Amen".

DON’T IGNORE THE SPIRIT!

The indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives is one of the greatest blessings we have as Christians. He is our advantage and the secret to a glorious and successful life. Thus, you must recognize and take advantage of His ministry in your life. Some Christians ignore the ministry of the Holy Spirit, hence their lives are out of joint; full of ups and downs.

It’s the ministry of the Holy Spirit to guide and lead in all affairs of life; it’s His ministry to grant you the wisdom and counsel you need to win every day in life. Consciously acknowledge His presence with you and in you, and learn to yield to Him always. Never ignore His counsel. The Bible says in Isaiah 30:21, “And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.” Whose voice do you think that is? It’s the voice of the Holy Spirit. He speaks to us daily on life’s issues through God’s Word, but many ignore His counsel because His voice is never strong and harsh against us. It matters that in whatever you do, you honour the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life. Don’t wound his tender compassion by consistently rejecting His counsel.

Perhaps you talked to someone rudely and the Holy Spirit corrected you, be quick to heed His correction and make the necessary amends. Otherwise, His voice that used to be clear to you may soon become faint and distant if you continually ignore Him. Live your life in a way that brings honour to the Holy Spirit; appreciate His presence in your life and you’d be glad you did. Praise God!

Joyful Confessions

"We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak". 2 Corinthians 4:13

For the divine provisions of the Gospel made available to you in Christ Jesus to become your vital experience in life, you must acknowledge what God has done for you and in you, and confess it. Many live beggarly lives, far below their calling because they don’t know how to make these “joyful confessions.” A joyful confession is declaring what God has said about you; rejoicing over who you are, what you have, and what you can do in Christ, and confessing it!

Others may say you’re boasting when you joyfully confess God’s Word about you, but it makes no difference. You’re what God says you are!

2 Corinthians 8:9, “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.”

1 Corinthians 3:21 says “Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours.” Also,

1 Peter 2:24 “Who his own self bare our sins in his body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”

Thus, on the basis of these scriptures, you ought to make your joyful confessions and say “I refuse to be broke, poor or sick!” Say this today and every day; make it your language. Remember, Jesus said you shall have what you say (Mark 11:23). Therefore keep talking right! Learn how to use your mouth to take possession of that which is already yours in Christ Jesus. Keep declaring who you are in Christ. Testify to what God has done for you, in you and through you!

The Psalmist said “I believe therefore have I spoken” (Psalm 116:10); and in our opening scripture we read that “We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak.” That’s because our confessions rule us. So keep making those joyful confessions of God’s Word that reveal your identity, ability and inheritance in Christ Jesus.

Carriers Of His Grace, Power And Glory

So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them” (Acts 19:12).

The Bible talks about handkerchiefs and aprons, taken from the Apostle Paul and placed on people who were sick and diseased in their bodies, and miracles took place. The handkerchiefs contained the power of God, and the moment they made contact with a need, the power was activated. The handkerchiefs and aprons were inanimate; they had no intelligence, but they transmitted the power of God.

If such inanimate materials could contain and transmit the power of God, how much more the human body! You’re better than an handkerchief. Being born again and having received the Holy Spirit, there’s an anointing on your life. You’re not an ordinary being. You’re a God-carrier; the dispenser of His grace, power, and glory. God seeks to manifest His glory and power, and establish His righteousness in the earth, through you. His anointing is in you (1 John 2:27). Stir up that anointing always.

How do you stir up the anointing? It’s by getting yourself filled again and again with the Spirit. The Bible says, “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:18-19). Speak, sing, and make melody of the Word to yourself continually; it’s something you have to do consciously to maintain the glow of the Spirit and experience His manifestations in your life always.

You could be evangelizing in a commuter train or bus, or at the mall or in the street, and all those listening to you would be electrified by the Spirit: “While Peter yet spake
these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word” (Acts 10:44). This is the day of God’s power; therefore, be bold to do the Word. Get in the flow of God’s Spirit.

PRAYER
Dear Father, I thank you for the anointing of your Spirit in my life. I’m a carrier of your grace, power and glory. I’m your extension today, and through me, you carry out your divine purpose in this world to touch, bless, heal, uplift, strengthen, and inspire others, in
Jesus’ Name. Amen.