Contributor: Odutola Ekundayo

INTRODUCTION
In our study last week, we were taught that only God is the sure refuge. One thing that is common with the examples we learnt last week was that all the people referred to were all doing the work of God. They trusted God even to the point where they said even if God would not deliver them, yet they will still trust HIM – they “abandoned” themselves to God under all and every circumstance of life that appeared to them. There are several ways God can send help from above, but this week we shall be studying how God can send help from above by watching and keeping us. As we continue in our study, may the Lord bless us in Jesus name.

1. GOD IS THE ONLY SURE GUIDE
Ps. 121:5a – The Lord is your keeper. When God guides, He surrounds His own with wall of fire, which will destroy all the weapons of the enemies. He will also lock the door against such enemies. Which implies that you don't need to fear anything.With God you are assured of your safety, what else can we as children of the Most High trust in if not God Almighty?
Ps. 125:2-3 says “As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people from this time forth and forever...”.Wherever we are, at any time, God is our sure guide just as He has assured us in the above passage.
Zech. 2:5 – For I,’says the Lord, ‘will be a wall of fire all around her, and I will be the glory in her midst’.

• God as Our Helper
Psalm 121:1-2 says “I will lift up my eyes to the hills – from whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth”
Looking up to the mountains symbolizes something greater than an individual or human, and affirms that help comes from the Lord. It’s a reminder that while earthly resources may offer some relief, the ultimate source of help is God Himself, the Creator of all. In the moments of uncertainty or fear, one thing we can do is to remind ourselves that God, the Creator, is actively involved and able to bring resolution and peace. It is therefore wise, to develop a habit of turning to God first in times of need and at all times (Hebrews 12:2 – Looking unto Jesus…).

• God’s Strength in Our Weakness
Someone may ask, but how about when my strength is failing or it has already failed, what is the next thing to do? 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 says “…My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness”. Sometimes we may have “thorn in the flesh”, just like Apostle Paul, and how despite his prayers, God did not remove it. Instead, God provided him the strength to endure, assuring all Christians that divine strength often shines brightest when we are at our weakest point or moment. Recognizing that help from above doesn’t always mean immediate relief from trials, it confirms that God’s help is displayed when He strengthens us to endure and grow through difficulties. Proverbs 3:5 encourages us to trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding. When we are weak, that is when we should trust GOD with everything we are. Isaiah 26:4 says 'Trust in the Lord forever, For in YAH, the Lord, is everlasting strength.')

• God’s Protection in Times of Trouble
When we are faced with a crisis, we have to remember that God is our refuge. We should therefore find time in His Word and in prayer to “rest” in this refuge, allowing His peace to renew our strength. Psalm 46:1-3 says “'God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling”
This reminds us that God is not only willing to help us in times of troubles, but also ever present to help in times of distress. With this in mind, we should be encouraged to completely trust in God, because He remains steadfast even when the world seems chaotic.

• God’s Provision for Our Needs
Philippians 4:19 says “'And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus”. This is an assurance to believers that God, who is rich in glory, will provide for all our needs. It is worthy to note that God’s provision goes beyond physical and material necessities, and reaches into areas of emotional, spiritual, and relational needs. Trusting in God’s provision, even when resources seem scarce. Reflect on times when God provided for you in unexpected ways, and let this strengthen your faith in His continued support. Ps. 56:4 says 'In God (I will praise His word), In God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?'

2. OTHER GUIDES ARE IN VAIN
Some trust in chariot, some in horses, while others might put their trust in charms or evil covenants. But all these are vain; God is the only true guide. As parents or guardian, we expect our children/wards to trust us for their daily provisions, so also God said to all His children in Jeremiah 17:5-8 'Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the Lord. For he shall be like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see when good comes, but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land which is not inhabited. Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit”.
The passage above spells out the consequences of trusting in flesh, and the abundant blessings of trusting in God;

• The Consequences of Seeking Help Outside God
God clearly emphasises on the consequences of His children trusting or seeking help outside Him. Isaiah 31:1-3 states that 'Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, and rely on horses, who trust in chariots because they are many, and in horsemen because they are very strong, but who do not look to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek the Lord! Yet He also is wise and will bring disaster, and will not call back His words, but will arise against the house of evildoers, and against the help of those who work iniquity. Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses are flesh, and not spirit. When the Lord stretches out His hand, both he who helps will fall, and he who is helped will fall down; they all will perish together”.
He is a jealous God and does not want to share Himself with anyone in any way.We should also not forget that “unless the Lord builds the house, they labour in vain who build it; unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain”, (Psalms 127:1), and also remember that “those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever”. (Psalms 125:1).

• God Cares for All Areas of Our Life
Ps. 20:6-8 'Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven with the saving strength of His right hand. Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember the name of the Lord our God. They have bowed down and fallen; but we have risen and stand upright.',
God’s care extends deeply to our souls. In 2 Thessalonians 3:3, Paul writes, "But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one." This aligns with Psalm 121:7, which promises that the Lord will keep us from all evil. While life presents challenges, the keeping hand of God ensures that no weapon formed against us shall prosper (Isaiah 54:17). Just as Jesus prayed in John 17:15, "I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one,"
We see that God’s protection encompasses both our daily battles and our eternal destiny.

• His Assurance
Jesus promises His disciples that the Holy Spirit, the Helper, will be with them, guiding, comforting, and reminding them of His teachings, John 14:26. This reassurance points to a personal and constant support system God provides for each believer.
As His children, we are expected to develop a closer relationship with the Holy Spirit through prayer, and pay attention to His guidance. Ask for the Holy Spirit’s help to understand God’s Word and apply it in our life.

Psalm 34:17-19 says that “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. ”
This psalm expresses that God hears and delivers His people when they call upon Him in faith. God’s help is not always immediate, but He is always attentive and involved, working for the good of those who love Him.We should then cultivate a habit of bringing our troubles to God in prayer, trusting that He hears and will act. Practice patience and faith, knowing that God’s timing is perfect, even when it seems delayed.

CONCLUSION
Finally, God’s guide is enduring, lasting from eternity to eternity. Psalm 121:8 confirms this promise, "The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore". Also on our part, Proverbs 3:5-6 encourages us to trust in Him with all of our heart for Him to direct our paths, knowing He is watching. His care is not limited by time or circumstance. Jesus reminds us in Matthew 10:29-31 that even the sparrows are under God’s watchful eye, and we are worth much more to Him than many sparrows. This assurance of divine vigilance invites us to walk confidently, trusting that our Keeper never fails nor falters. Let us therefore hold fast to His promises and live in gratitude, knowing our help indeed comes from above. Amen.

Contributor: Wilson Imade

INTRODUCTION
Last week we looked at the tree planted by the river side, as a benefit of walking closely with God, symbolising the life of a man who does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of the scornful: but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law doth he meditate day and night. We saw that this man shall be blessed indeed and he shall blossom and prosper, but for the ungodly the same does not hold. Today we shall be looking at “Help From Above”, as another benefit of walking closely with God. “Help from Above” simply means help that can only come from God and that is divine. As we continue in this study, may the LORD bless us richly in Jesus name.

Text: "He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber." Psalm 121:3 (KJV)
This verse is split into two parts and they would form the core of today’s study.

1. HE WILL NOT SUFFER THY FOOT TO BE MOVED
God in His ability has the power to deliver and to keep us from falling. God will not only deliver you from the threats of the enemy alone. He has the power to deliver you from yourself equally. In Daniel 6:10-22, we see a mighty deliverance from Daniel’s enemies who wanted him dead, instigating him being thrown into a den of lions but we see in verse 23 that Daniel came out without been hurt.

Other examples of those who experienced God’s mighty Deliverance
• Peter: Peter was arrested and kept in prison, with chains and guided by four quaternions of soldier's. Acts 12: 1- 11.
• Paul and Silas: In the case of Paul and Silas, God didn't need to send His angel. From His throne He thundered and there was an earthquake. (Acts 16: 23 - 30.)

There are several key requirements for a close walk with God. Let us consider some of them briefly.
a) Trust
One thing we must build in our close walk with God is trust. The Word of God admonishes us in Psalm 125:1 to trust in God.
"They that trust in the LORD shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever."
A few examples of those who trusted God. (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego – Dan 3:16-28)

b) Belief
We must believe in whom we serve. Abraham believed God deeply to the point of him willing to sacrifice his son, Isaac. Genesis 15:6 says: “Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.”

c) Intimacy (Close Relationship) with God.
There must be intimacy between you and God. This is a very important requirement if we are to walk closely with God. We must develop a deep, personal, and relational connection with Him.
Here are a few examples of people who walked in deep, intimate relationship with God.
• Abraham (Friend of God): James 2:23 – "And the scripture was fulfilled that says, 'Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,' and he was called God’s friend."

• Moses (Spoke to God Face to Face): Exodus 33:11 – "The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend."

• David (A Man After God’s Own Heart): 1 Samuel 13:14 – "The LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people."

2. HE THAT KEEPETH THEE WILL NOT SLUMBER
2 Chronicles 16:9 says: “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is perfect toward Him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.”

The One who keeps watch over us is the Sovereign God!
• He does whatever He pleases. Psalm 115:3 “Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him.” (Psalm 135:6)

• He is in in control of everyone and everything Psalm 47:7-8 “For God is the King of all the earth; sing to him a psalm of praise. 8 God reigns over the nations; God is seated on his holy throne.”

• He has made the heaven and the earth by his great power and outstretched arm. And nothing is too hard for him. Jeremiah 32:17

CHALLENGES AS BELIEVERS
Job 1:8-10 tells us that God has put a put a hedge around us, our household and everything we have. Isaiah 41:10-16 is another scripture of assurance of God’s ever abiding presence with His people. Zechariah 2:4-5 tells us that God Himself will be unto us a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of us!

But sometimes people face challenges that to the ordinary eyes, it may appear they have been forsaken by God. But God’s Word is Yea and Amen! There are several reasons for this.

a) A Trial of Faith: As we see in Job’s case. The Lord allowed the enemy to afflict Job as a trial of his faith (Job 1:12, Job 2:6)

b) A Fall from Faith: A fall from faith leads to an individual falling out of alignment with God and therefore a change in position. In Eccl. 10:8 the Bible says: “He who digs a pit will fall into it, And whoever breaks through a wall will be bitten by a serpent.” An individual could bring a change in position or fall from faith on themselves by drawing back, partial obedience, or showing a nonchalant attitude.

o Drawing Back: Proverbs 29:5-6. “A man who flatters his neighbour spreads a net for his feet. 6 By transgression an evil man is snared, But the righteous sings and rejoices.”

o Partial Obedience: 1Samuel 15:2-23 tells us of Saul’s partial obedience to the command of God and he became rejected as king of Israel.

o Nonchalant Attitude: This refers to someone who is relaxed, casual, complacent and unconcerned. The key word being “unconcerned.” It often implies a lack of strong interest, or emotional involvement in something. But Amos 6:1a says: “Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria,” 1Samuel 2:27-30, 1Samuel 3:11-18 These two
verses of scripture gives the unfortunate account of Eli’s nonchalance and its consequence.

c) An Attack of the Enemy: The enemy could also be the bedrock to the fall of a believer. John 10:10a says: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy” Acts 1:15-17 & 20 (Judas).

CONCLUSION
Help from above is help from the LORD, and He has promised us, believers in Matthew 28:18-20 that He will be with us always, even unto the end of the world. This is an assurance of divine help to everyone who has a close walk with God. This is why our obedience to God must be total and not partial. Actively walking closely with God does not imply only in church activities, but in all of our endeavours in life. In Proverbs 16:7 the Bible tells us that “When a man's ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.” The Lions were at peace with Daniel, all the keepers in the prison came crawling to meet Paul and Silas after Paul told them not to take their lives when they saw all the prison doors open. And they asked Paul what they must do to be saved.

Contributor: Clem Roberts

INTRODUCTION
Psalm 1:1-3 serves as an introduction to the entire Book of Psalms, setting the tone for a life that seeks and cherishes God’s presence and guidance. It’s a contrast between the life of the righteous and the life of the wicked and invites us believers to pursue righteousness and promises spiritual fulfilment for those who do so.
1. Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 2. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. 3. He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.

Verse 1: The Blessed Man
"Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful."

• "Blessed": This Hebrew word ("’esher") means “happy” or “fortunate.” It denotes a state of spiritual well-being and contentment derived from God’s favour.

• "The man": The psalmist uses a singular term, emphasizing the individual’s choice to live righteously.

• "Walks not in the counsel of the ungodly": "Walking" implies following the advice or ways of those who reject God’s moral standards. The “ungodly” refers to people who live apart from God’s direction.

• "Nor stands in the path of sinners": Standing indicates a more deliberate or active engagement in sinful behaviour. The “path of sinners” refers to a lifestyle or conduct contrary to God’s ways.

• "Nor sits in the seat of the scornful": Sitting suggests a settled state of comfort among mockers, those who actively deride or disrespect God and spiritual truths. This depicts a downward progression: from listening to ungodly advice, to adopting sinful practices, to fully participating in a life that ridicules righteousness.

The verse underscores the importance of avoiding all stages of involvement with sin and sinful influences.

Verse 2: Delight and Meditation
"But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night."

• "His delight": The blessed person takes joy and pleasure in God’s law. This is not an obligation but a deep desire and love for God’s teachings.

• "The law of the Lord": Refers primarily to the Torah or God’s revealed instructions. It can also symbolize God’s entire word and will.

• "Meditates day and night": Meditation implies deep, focused, and continuous reflection. It means filling one’s mind and heart with God’s Word, allowing it to shape thoughts, attitudes, and actions. The repetition of "day and night" emphasizes a continual and habitual practice, signifying a life centered around God’s Word.

This verse emphasizes that true joy and spiritual fulfilment are found in engaging deeply with God’s instructions.

Verse 3: The Righteous as a Flourishing Tree
"He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper."

• "Like a tree planted by the rivers of water": This metaphor illustrates strength, stability, and constant nourishment. A tree planted by streams has a continuous source of sustenance, representing a life grounded in and continually refreshed by God’s Word.

• "Brings forth its fruit in its season": Fruitfulness signifies productivity and spiritual maturity. The righteous person’s life yields positive, godly outcomes in the right and appointed time, as directed by God.

• "Whose leaf also shall not wither": This points to resilience and enduring vitality. Even in adverse conditions, the righteous remain spiritually vibrant and flourishing.

• "Whatever he does shall prosper": This prosperity refers not only to material success but to spiritual and moral well-being. The righteous person aligns with God’s purposes, and thus his endeavours bear lasting impact and fulfil God’s plans.

Summary
1. Blessedness and Righteousness: The passage introduces the idea that true happiness is found in a life separated from sin and dedicated to God. It highlights the blessings that accompany a life lived in obedience to God.

2. Spiritual Discipline: Meditation on God’s Word is central and essential. The psalm encourages believers to find joy in Scripture and to let it guide every aspect of their lives, resulting in spiritual growth and intimacy with God.

3. Contrast with the Wicked: The imagery of a flourishing tree contrasts with the implied barrenness of the ungodly. The righteous thrive because they draw from the unending source of God’s wisdom, while the wicked, who are not rooted in God, face spiritual drought.

4. Fruitfulness and Stability: The promise of prosperity and fruitfulness underlines that a life rooted in God’s Word will be effective and steadfast. The prosperity mentioned reflects God’s blessing on a life lived in harmony with His will.

CONCLUSION
Overall, Psalm 1:1-3 presents an invitation to pursue a life anchored in God’s ways, offering a vision of true blessedness and the flourishing that comes from a deep, meditative relationship with God.

Contributor: Alex Kokobili

INTRODUCTION
Today’s study focuses on our dependability on God for the manifestation of our wholeness in life. Abiding could be a pain-sticking process that a person requires in other to attain perfection. A person who is independent of God’s authority love, stewardship ship, etc. will be considered an independent spirit in Spanish “espíritu independiente”. Such a person would be in danger of spiritual barrenness despite the evidence of any material success (Jeremiah 17:5-7 Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.6 For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is". The more we abide in Him, the more we attain stature and capacity for our completeness in God. It is through His light that destinies become enlightened to fulfil His will in our lives (John 1:4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men). The more we stay in Him through fellowship – prayer, word, sanctification, etc., the more our imperfection is transformed into His perfection and then we can bear fruits of righteousness and manifest good works (Phil 1:11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God., Ephesians 2: 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do).

CONNECTING THE VINE AND BRANCHES AND ATTAINING COMPLETENESS

1. The branch depends on the vine for its survival or else it would become desolate if it breaks away without the capacity to bear fruit.
It is the Holy Spirit that enables us as the branch to bear fruit because we are expected to be connected to Jesus the vine and nourished by His word. (John 15:1-2 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. John 15:5. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me, you can do nothing".

The vine and branches (s) are both from the same parent plant and coexist for the overall fruitfulness of the tree. As long as the branch is aligned and properly nourished by the vine, it is expected to bear fruits by the Holy Spirit. Just as the Vine depends on the vine dresser so also do we as the branch depend on the vine (John 10:30 I and My Father are one, - John 17:21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me).

The branch is attached to the vine so also are we engrafted to Christ through faith in His Word. The branch connects to the vine for life and drives its ability to function and the capacity to do the things it cannot do by itself. The vine carries the weight of the vine, while the branch is expected to bear fruits. When the branch breaks away from the source, it breaks away from life (John 3:36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them). It is the vine that connects the entire system to the roots which absorbs the nutrients, water, and carbon dioxide required for the survival of the plant. This means that we are deficient in ourselves but need to depend on the virtues of Christ in other to attain perfection in God.
Romans 11: 17 -23 "But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, 18 do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. 19 Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. 22 Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off. 23 And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again."

2. To abide in God is to stay in His love with Him. You are incomplete without the love of God.
God requires us as the branch to stay connected to the vine (faith in Jesus Christ) and this requires that we keep His commandments “John 15: 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love; even as I kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love”. (God expresses His love for humanity through His Son – His love and redemption plan for humanity so that by adoption through faith in Christ we also can become sons of God – John 1:12). The love of God is required to help us love our neighbours and it is this love that brings us into perfection because God Himself is love (1 John 2:5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this, we may know that we are in him).

3. The Holy Spirit enables us with divine power to abide in Him.
1 John 4: 13 This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit.

4. Faith in God gives us victory through the storms of life just like the branch holds on to the vine at all times despite the storms.
We need to continuously activate the word with faith to align with God’s purpose. The word of God gives us faith to stay in His presence and follow His will (Romans 10: 17 So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God). Faith is spiritual and it is the vehicle we need to access God’s promises through the help of the Holy Spirit.

5. As the branch, our lives must portray God’s life (Glory) through good works so that we can bear fruits that are pleasing unto God!
Hebrews 2:10 "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them". We must never forget that our existence as the branch is to bear fruits and as long as we are connected to Christ as the source, we manifest His glory in the marketplace, governance, family, etc.

6. The branch is imperfect without the vine. Perfection starts through our dependency on the Holy Spirit admitting the frailty in our humanity.
Though some people might claim to read the Bible, without the revelation of the Holy Spirit their understanding will be shallow or best as if they are reading Shakespeare; (2 Corinthians 3: 5- 6 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God. 6 who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life). Christians who only go to church without doing what the Bible says would be best described as churchgoers and cannot gain mastery of spiritual insight through the help of the Holy Spirit.

7. God expects us to be in harmony with Him (Full obedience) if we desire perfection.
1 Corinthians 12: 21-27 "And the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of you; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. 23 And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, 24 but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, 25 that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. 27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually".

8. Abiding in God sets the pace for us to ask His will without asking amiss.
When you come to God’s presence don’t be too in a hurry to ask God to meet your needs but first take time to enjoy His presence and until He is glorified then you can ask God anything without asking amiss; (John 15: 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you). This starts with thanksgiving, meditating on His word for direction, fasting, prayers, learning to work in humility, discipleship, etc, then you get to a certain level where you can ASK anything according to His will for you.

9. The grace of God helps us to abide in Him unto perfection without getting weary.
2 Corinthians 12: 8-10 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

CONCLUSION
Our desire to live in perfection should not just be a one-off experience but as God’s nature and desire for all believers (Matthew 5: 48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect). Philippians 3:12 I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.

HYMN: Complete In Him
Verse 1
It’s Not By Works Of Righteousness; But By His Grace Alone. (Repeat x2)
And We Are Complete In Him.

Chorus
Complete, Complete, Complete In Him. We Are Complete In Him. (Repeat)

Verse 2
There’s Nothing More That I Can Do For Jesus Paid It All (Repeat x2)
We Are Complete In Him.

Contributor: Isekhua Evborokhai

INTRODUCTION

Last week, we treated the second topic in the “Divine Source” via a sub topic, titled: “Abiding results in Progress” as we progress in this year’s theme of "A Closer Walk with God". In the study, we saw the Lord Jesus Christ comparing Himself to the Vine and we His Children to the branches. God the Father, the Owner of the Vineyard, looking after both the Vine and the branches. We considered progression in fruit-bearing and how abiding in Christ leads to greater results, and concluded that abiding in Christ is key to our spiritual growth and fruitfulness. Today’s study focuses on the aspect of fruitfulness.

THE PURPOSE OF THE BRANCH - FRUITFULNESS
Verse 2: “He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”
Branches of a tree can serve several purposes such as creating shade from the scorching sun, home for birds, etc., but the ultimate purpose of branches is to bear fruit. It is also not just any fruit, but “good fruit”! (Matthew 7:19).

That is why Jesus emphasized this in John 15:16 where He said:
“You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you and I have appointed and placed and purposefully planted you, so that you would go and bear fruit and keep on bearing, and that your fruit will remain and be lasting, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name [as My representative] He may give to you [AMP]

The “fruit” that Jesus refers to is symbolical. It encompasses the character and good works of Believers that flow from a life abiding in Him. Evidenced by a spiritual manifestation as we see in Galatians 5:22-23, by performing good deeds, (Matt.5:16) and by being productive through the utilization of our gifting (Matt.25:20 & 22).

a) The Fruit of the Spirit: (Galatians 5:22-23) lists the fruits of the Spirit as love,joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These qualities are evidence of spiritual maturity. If we find ourselves lacking in any of these, we should look closely at 2 Peter 1:5-8 

b) Good Works: (Matthew 5:16) encourages believers to let their good works shinebefore others, glorifying the Father in heaven. Our actions and service are outward expressions of an inward connection to Christ.

c) Utilizing Your Gifting Efficiently and Productively: (Matthew 25:14–30) tellsof a master who was leaving his house to travel, and, before leaving, entrusted his property to his servants. The servants who got 2 and 5 talents respectively utilized their talents and where fruitful. (Matt.25:20 & 22).
These three areas are very important to be effective. Ephesians 2:10 tells us that we have been Called unto good works. Unfortunately when some Believers shine their lights as Matt 5:16 tells us to, (by manifesting our gifting and abilities) people are unable to see past the stained glass marred by their bad character and consequently unable to see any good deeds and therefore are not able to glorify God.

PRUNING FOR GREATER GROWTH
Our heavenly Father is a resourceful God. He never wastes resources and will do what He must to ensure that we achieve our highest productivity levels. So He prunes us, ridding us of everything that would makes us come short of His expectations. Pruning is a necessary part of our walk with God. Although it is a painful process, it results in greater spiritual fruit.

Of what benefit is it to anyone if you have the capacity to produce at 100% but you consistently deliver 50%?

Please note that it is not a competition with the next person, of who attains the highest, or who has the most, but always performing at your fullest potential! The servants with the 2 and 5 talents both delivered 100%; they delivered at their highest potential, and their rewards were the same! See verses 21 and 23 of Matthew 25.
They both read the exact same:
“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

DEPENDENCE ON CHRIST
For without me you can do nothing . . . verses 4- 5
“Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

Fruitfulness is not possible outside of Christ. Just as a branch draws life from the vine. It is only in Him, we can draw the ability to be and to do. Philippians 4:13, says, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

As Believers, our spiritual well-being and consequently our ability to thrive in life and be fruitful, is rooted on our relationship with Christ.

Question: How can we correlate this with Romans 11:29 “For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance?

CONSEQUENCES OF FRUITLESSNESS
In verse 6, Jesus warns of the dangers of not abiding in Him. He said:
“If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.”

As we study fruitfulness, it is important to note that there are consequences for fruitlessness.
(a) Separation from God John 15:2a "He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit." Matthew 7:19 also says: "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."

(b)Spiritual Uselessness. Matt.5:13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot."

Question: What other consequences can we find in the following scriptures?
(i) 1 Corinthians 3:13-15 (ii) Matthew 21:18-19 (iii) Luke 13:6-9 (iv) 2 Peter 1:8-9

Many believers, although not completely detached from the Vine, fail to bear fruits for a variety of reasons.
a) Their spiritual state and relationship with Christ (Isaiah 59:2)
b) The influence of worldly distractions and priorities (Luke 8:14).
c) Stunted spiritual growth. (1 Corinthians 3:1-2)

Spiritual growth is essential for fruit-bearing. Without maturing in the faith, believers will struggle to bear lasting fruit.

Question: What other reasons do we believe can cause a Believer not to bear fruits?

ABIDING IN CHRIST
Verse 7 “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.”
In this verse Jesus throws in a bonus as part of the package of being a connected branch that abides in Him as well as His Words abiding in the branch. You will ask what you want and it will be done to you!

How Do We Abide in Christ?
a) By Obeying His Commands: Abiding in Christ involves obeying His teachings. In John 15:10, Jesus says, "If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love."

b) By Remaining in His Word: By reading, meditating, and applying Scripture, we maintain a close relationship with Him. (Psalm 1:1-3, Joshua 1:8) Remaining in His Word entails living according to the Word. Matt. 7:24-27 (MSG) Read

c) By Prayers: Prayer is another key way to abide in Christ. Prayers build your relationship with God and draws us close to God’s heart. (Philippians 4:6-7). Also, praying in the Spirit builds a deeper connection with God. Romans 8:26 “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans”

d) By Walking in the Spirit: Abiding in Christ also involves walking by the Spirit (Galatians 5:16). This means relying on the Holy Spirit for guidance, strength, and direction in our daily lives. Romans 8:14 says “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God”

CONCLUSION
Fruitfulness is a sign of true discipleship. Verse 8 says: “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”
Fruitfulness in the Believer’s life depends entirely on our connection to Jesus. He is the source of all spiritual nourishment, and apart from Him, we can do nothing. By abiding in Christ through obedience, Scripture, prayer, and walking in the Spirit, we will bear much fruit. This fruit not only benefits us but also brings glory to God and proves our discipleship.

Contributor: Folashade Morakinyo

INTRODUCTION

Last week, we began a new series on The Vine and The Branches. We established that our Father in heaven has a garden, with Jesus as the vine in that garden, and we as the branches that stem from the vine. Some branches bear fruit, while others remain fruitless. After a period of grace, the fruitless branches are cut off and cast into the fire, while the fruitful branches are pruned. (“If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.” - John 15:6 KJV).
Pruning is the process of removing, cutting, and trimming to make the fruitful branches grow healthier and bear more fruit. Although painful, pruning is reserved for those already bearing fruit—branches that may still have dead or overgrown parts needing to be pruned so they can bear even more fruit. Today’s study will explore how we can progressively bear more fruit as we continue in our Christian journey.

Abiding Results in Progress - Progression in Fruit-Bearing

What fruit(s) are we talking about?
1. Fruit of the Spirit: The foundational fruit expected of every believer, as outlined in Galatians 5:22-23: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
2. Soul Winning: As commanded in Mark 16:15: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” (see also Matthew 28:19).
3. Greater Works: John 14:12: "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father."

These are the fruits expected of a fruitful child of God. Even after bearing fruit, we may still undergo pruning. This is not necessarily punishment or correction for wrongdoing, but rather God’s way of helping us grow even better.
Pruning also represents God’s call to us to do more and come closer in our walk with Him. As Paul wrote in Philippians 3:13-14, “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” This is progression in fruit-bearing. For example, God might take us through a process that requires a greater level of consecration to produce kingdom results. Perhaps you already fast, but God may ask for deeper commitment to access a higher level of power and anointing for greater works. Or if you already give, He may be calling you to a greater level of giving, leading to prosperity for kingdom advancement. Even in soul-winning, God may inspire us to reach out more persistently, bringing more souls to Him.

From Glory to Glory

Just as a branch can progress from bearing some fruit to bearing much fruit, our faith can grow from weak faith to great faith. God’s plan for us is continual growth, from glory to glory. (John 15:1, Matthew 15:28, Matthew 8:10, 2 Corinthians 3:18)How can we move from one level of glory to the next?
1. Faith in God: Faith opens the door for progressive fruit-bearing (Matthew 8:10).
2. Belief in the Next Level: We must trust God to take us to new levels of glory (Matthew 15:28).
3. Beholding to Become: As we focus on God, we are transformed into His image from one level of glory to another. (“And we all, with unveiled face, continually seeing as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are progressively being transformed into His image from one degree of glory to even more glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” - 2 Corinthians 3:18 AMP)
Abiding in Christ Leads to Greater Results The conditions for bearing much fruit involve abiding in Christ and allowing Christ to abide in us. If we remain in Him, our best can grow even better. Matthew 5:6; Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1:1-3; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; Jude 20; Psalm 23:6; Psalm 91:1, 14-15; Matthew 5:48; John 17:17; Philippians 3:13-14.

CONCLUSION
Abiding in Christ is key to our spiritual growth and fruitfulness. As we remain connected to Him, God prunes us to bear even more fruit, transforming us from glory to glory in character, relationship with God, experience and encounter with God, and greater results in our Kingdom assignments.

Contributor: Peter Folikwe

INTRODUCTION

In the anchor scripture, John. 15: 1-2, 5, Jesus presented Himself as the vine and we are the branches. God Almighty is invariably the owner of the land on which the vine takes its nutrients to feed the branches (you and I). God is the care taker of all: the vineyard, the vine and the branches. While the fruitful branches are pruned and purged, the fruitless branches on the other hand are removed and burnt. Having made available nutrients required the make the branches produce fruits, the Husbandman in frustration discards fruitless branches to make room for the fruitful ones. Reading further in Jn 15:5 Jesus reiterated that: “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” Keep the supply source of nutrient to bear fruits, the branch needs to hold fast to the vine. Without the vine the branch is useless.

John 15:1-2 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it does not bear fruit He takes away; and may bear more fruit.”

HOW DO I HOLD FAST THE VINE?
1. In the place of prayer. Jn 14:13 admonishes us to ask anything in His name. and““And whatever things you 21:22 Mattwe should consider it done by the Father. ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

2. Private study and corporate study of the word (Bible study, Sunday school,Church service, in-reaches and outreaches). Jos 1:8 comes to mind.

3. Supporting the work of God - giving your time and resources to the work of God.Heb. 6:10 tells us that God is not unjust to forget His reward for our labour of love.He is a just God who never forgets our labour of love. Gal 6:7 says whatever a mansows, that he will also reap. Brethren, always look out for a fertile ground to sowupon. This guarantees great harvest.

PRUNING FOR PERFECTION:
Focus is now shifted to the fruitful branches in today’s study:
The moment the branch (you and I) make efforts to be fruitful, the Vinedresser - God Almighty takes delight and interest in us and prunes us. This process of pruning however, comes with some trials, painful sacrifice, endurance, perseverance etc, because of its inherent future benefits. Your patience will be tested to bring out the best in you. This is however different from the temptations from the devil. Jam 1:2-4, encourages us to put up joy and not a sad outlook, whenever you fall into various trials. The experience will produce endurance, leading to spiritual maturity, and inner peace. In the end we will be completely developed in our faith and lacking nothing.

Recall, our discussion earlier on how to hold fast to the vine. God takes special delight in us because He wants us to be spiritually mature; not only for ourselves but for wellbeing of others. Most times when we are going through trials, the devil is quick to presents baits, tempting us to derail from the faith, but we must continue to hold fast to our faith in God, knowing that God is faithful. During the pruning period our focus and gaze should always be on Jesus, the vine. Heb. 12:2 makes that clear.

Always take solace in His word in Is 49:15 “Can a woman forget her nursing child, And not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, Yet I will not forget you.”

Sometimes we mix trials from God with temptation from the devil: Jam 1:13 tells us God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. Abraham after waiting on God for so long to have a child wanted to alter the course of history by presenting Ishmael to God as his heir in Gen 18:17. But God stood by His promises and covenant in Gen 21:2-3 that Sarah will bear to him a son - Isaac.”

Not only does the vine supply nutrients to the branches for fruitfulness, it also holds it against severe weather. Dan 3:24-30 gave a vivid account of how Jesus came to the rescue of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the burning furnace. In the end the three Hebrew boys were promoted to higher positions.

PURGING TAKES US HIGHER AND GREATER.
Successful sportsmen keep their bodies well-disciplined with rigorous exercises, deprive themselves of certain food items and are generally very disciplined. Heb 12:4-11 TPT is such an encouraging read when passing through the pruning season: It encourages us not to underestimate the value of the discipline and training of the Lord God, or get depressed when he has to correct us. In v1 of the same 12th chapter of Hebrews, it says if we stand firmly against sin we so easily fall into, then we will be able to run life’s marathon race with passion and determination, for the path has been already marked out before us. You need to re-examine yourself to identify your area(s) weakness. These are sins we easily fall into. Again, because God has taken delight in you, the grace to run the race of life and finish we land strong is therefore released to you.

2Pet 1:3-4 TPT says everything we could ever need for life and godliness has already been deposited in us by his divine power. And as we partner with His divine nature, we escaped the corrupt desires that are of the world.” The easy path for the devil to infiltrate a life is through the body. Therefore subjecting your body to discipline against sinful desires automatically disarms the devil. I Cor 9:27 Apostle Paul says “But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”

CONCLUSION
The ultimate goal of every believer is to achieve the reward of making heaven in the end. But that reward is premised the pruning process. The pruning process is a life-long experience. The hotter the furnace, the purer the precious metal becomes; so we become when we allow ourselves to go through the pruning process. Mal 3:Himself Jesus .3His father. We must follow His footsteps to get the crown thought us total obedience to someday. Heb. 5:8-9 makes this clear.

Contributor: Isekhua Evborokhai

INTRODUCTION
Last week we learnt that God uses dreams to speak to us, reveal His plans, warn of impending trouble, etc. God gave this promise: “I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions” (Joel 2:28 NKJV). We have established that God uses dreams to speak to us, reveal His plans, enable Spirit-directed communication, warn of impending trouble, establish prophetic revelation, and provide battle strategies. Visions, though comparable, have a different purpose. God uses visions to reveal Himself, His glory, and to make Himself known and revealed.

ABOUT VISIONS
• Vision is the art of seeing the invisible things.
• Visions act as a bridge between the logical and the emotional, engaging the whole person in an experience with a message.
• Visions occur when we are awake. A bonafide child of God that is awake will receive visions from God as He decides. In Numbers 24:4, visions, or “waking dreams,” are given “with eyes wide open.” “He hath said, which heard the words of God, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open”

God used visions to reveal His mind and intent to people such as Abraham (Genesis 15), Samuel (1 Samuel 3), Daniel (Daniel 7-12), Ananias (Acts 9), Cornelius (Acts 10), and Peter (Acts 10). Paul received several significant visions. (Acts 16), (Acts 18), and he also received a vision of heaven (2 Corinthians 12). John received the book of Revelation as a vision that offered greater detail of future events than Daniel had been shown.

TYPES OF VISIONS
There are several types of visions, personal visions (plans), open visions, false visions, and ultimately, God-given visions.
1. Personal Visions (Plans)
The Bible encourages wise planning and preparation, highlighting the benefits of foresight and diligence. Proverbs 21:5, Luke 14:28-30, Proverbs 24:27.
However, the Bible teaches us that while making plans is important, our plans should ultimately depend on God’s will. And we must trust God’s guidance rather than relying solely on our own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

2. Open Visions
Open Visions are visions where God speaks clearly and visibly, sometimes through a prophetic dream, a physical manifestation, or a clear word given to a prophet or leader.
1 Sam 3:1 “And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was precious in those days, there was no open vision”

They often involve a supernatural encounter where a person is able to see or hear divine messages while they are awake, rather than in a dream. God uses them for prophetic revelations to His chosen messengers (e.g., Ezekiel, Daniel, John), for guidance and correction (e.g. Peter and Isaiah), and ultimately to reveal His glory (Isaiah and Ezekiel)

3.False Visions
As with everything the Lord does, the enemy creates a counterfeit with the ultimate aim of deceit and derailment.
Jer 14:14 says “Then the Lord said unto me. The prophets prophesy lies in my name. I sent them not neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them; they prophesy a false vision and divination and a thing of thought and the deceit of the heart."

Also Jeremiah 23:16 says: “Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, filling you with vain hopes. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD.”

Ezekiel 13:2,6,7 “Tell those who prophesy out of their own imagination: Hear the word of the LORD! They see false visions and speak lying divinations. They claim, ‘Thus declares the LORD,’ when the LORD did not send them; yet they wait for the fulfillment of their message. Haven’t you seen a false vision and spoken a lying divination when you proclaim, ‘Thus declares the LORD,’ even though I have not spoken?”

4.God-Given Visions
In this section we will look at the characteristics of God-given visions.
•They reveal His holiness, glory, and power. (Isaiah 6:1-4)
•They expose our humanness and frailty. (Isaiah 6:5) and could leave us astonished andsometimes even numb for days. (Ezekiel 1-3), Ezekiel was astonished and speechless fordays (Ezekiel 3:15).
•Are always followed by its interpretation. “Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.” So he came near where I stood, and when he came I was afraid and fell on my face; but he said to me, “Understand, son of man, that the vision refers to the time of the end.” (Daniel 8:15-17).

IDENTIFYING GOD-GIVEN VISIONS
The more time you spend alone with God, the more you’ll learn how to recognize His voice when He speaks to you and the visions He places in your heart. Be alert for the Holy Spirit witnessing to your spirit. Always remember, the Holy Spirit will reveal truth to you only as you’re able to hear it and as God speaks to you, write the vision and make it plain.

UNDERSTANDING VISIONS
Your Vision comes from hearing Gods voice. To hear God’s voice you need to be near God. In order to be familiar with His Voice we have to be filled with His Word. If you have a vision that you don’t understand at first, seek God’s interpretation of what you just saw by asking the giver of the vision. Prayer is the key to unlocking the mysteries behind dreams, visions, revelations, and the receiving of interpretation, and knowledge. So, the first thing you must do is pray.

a) Pray
Habakkuk himself received (“saw”) a vision from God, I will stand my watch and set myself on the rampart, and watch to see what He will say to me, and what I will answer when I am corrected. (Habakkuk 2:1) Also, Jer. 33:3 AMPC says: “Call to Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things, fenced in and hidden, which you do not know (do not distinguish and recognize, have knowledge of and understand).”

b) Write the vision down
Time can dim your memory. You may forget important parts of what you saw. The Lord told Habakkuk exactly what to do: Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it. (Habakkuk 2:2)

c) Act upon the vision
“Run who reads it” refers to stepping out in faith and acting upon what God has shown you. The instant you begin to act upon what you have seen, you begin cooperating with God to bring it to pass.

d) Wait for it
Even as you step out in faith, you must also realize that God’s timing is crucial: For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it. (Habakkuk 2:3)

A God-given vision will always be fulfilled. However, God is not limited to human time-tables. While you wait for a vision to come to fruition, cooperate with God in every way you can, waiting patiently for His perfect timing to fulfill it.

e) Don’t lose faith
“It will surely come” (Habakkuk 2:2). It may tarry, but “the just shall live by his faith” (Habakkuk 2:4). understand that the enemy of your soul will do anything to keep you frustrated, defeated, and despondent, even taunting you to believe that the vision was a mere illusion.

Home Work
God allows visions for various reasons. Identify them from the following Bible verses.
Exodus 3:1-4; Acts 9:1-4; Jos. 5:13; 6:5; Jude 6:11-21; Acts 9:10; Acts 16:22-24; Luke 1:26-38; Acts 10:9-20; Ex. 3:7-10; Acts 10:1-8; Acts 9:10-15; Is. 6:1-5; Dan. 5:1-5; Dan. 5:25-30.

CONCLUSION
Final thoughts about God-given visions. They will always bring about divine transformation. God uses them to show you His calling for your life. While they may take time, God-given visions for us will surely come to pass, God works within us and with us as He gives us His visions that will edify, exhort, and comfort us. God has supplied us with the wisdom to understand His visions, which are prophetic that will lead us to where He has purposed for us. In God’s Word, we find many of His visions for us. As we continue to walk closer with Him, He will, by the Holy Spirit open our eyes to see all that He has for us.

Contributor: Isekhua Evborokhai

INTRODUCTION
Last week, we started the sub series themed: Knowing The Mind of God, starting off with “How God Guides.” God communicates with His children in various ways, such as the audible voice, vision, dreams, symbolic acts, parables, proverbs, etc. In today’s study we will be taking a close look at Him making His mind, and intentions known to us through dreams. Job 33:14-16 says: 
“For God does speak—now one way, now another—though no one perceives it. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on people as they slumber in their beds, He may speak in their ears and terrify them with warnings.”

God can choose to use dreams as a means of divine communication. Numbers 12:6 "He said, 'Listen to my words: When there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, reveal myself to them in visions, I speak to them in dreams.'"

• Health Warning!
Not all dreams are from God, some come from our anxieties and thoughts, our encounters and challenges. Eccl. 5:3a says: “A dream comes when there are many cares, . . . "
Others come from the father of all lies. Jeremiah 23:32 says: "Indeed, I am against those who prophesy false dreams,” declares the Lord. “They tell them and lead my people astray with their reckless lies, yet I did not send or appoint them."

We should therefore be careful when people claim they had a dream about what direction we should take in life because there is a danger of false dreams leading people astray. As with every other gift, it must align with the Word of God!

Deuteronomy 13:1-3 warns us:
"If a prophet or one who foretells by dreams appears among you and announces to you a sign or wonder, and if the sign or wonder spoken of takes place, and the prophet says, 'Let us follow other gods' (gods you have not known) and let us worship them, you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer."

Discussion: What can we learn from the above warning?
Share any experience you or someone you know have had with strange dreams

Dreams often serve as channels for God’s messages, prophetic revelations, and guidance. God uses dreams to speak directly to individuals, warning them, directing their paths, or revealing future events. They can consist of direct or symbolic messages (i.e. that need interpretation). 

1. DIRECT MESSAGES
In this section we shall consider a few different types of dreams that carry direct messages - those that do not require any interpretation.

a) Guidance Dreams
In Matthew 1:20 the Bible tells us of the dream Joseph had about Mary. When he received a direct message, and divine guidance. "But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, 'Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.'"

b) Revelational Dreams
Daniel receiving from God, Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel 2:1-19. In verse 19, the Bible says: “Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven."

c) Warnings and Instructional Dreams
Dreams can serve as warnings to protect individuals from harm.
i. Matthew 2:12 "And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route." The wise men.

ii. Matthew 27:19 Pilate's Wife was warned about Jesus' innocence. "While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat, his wife sent him this message: 'Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.'"

2. SYMBOLIC MESSAGES
Dreams with symbolic messages are often used by God to convey deeper spiritual truths or future events through images and symbols that require interpretation. These dreams hold significant meaning, but their messages are not immediately obvious, often involving symbols, metaphors, or parables, and therefore require interpretation.

a) Joseph’s Dreams (Genesis 37)
Genesis 37:5-7 "Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. He said to them, 'Listen to this dream I had: We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it.'"

Genesis 37:9 "Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. 'Listen,' he said, 'I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.'"
Joseph’s dreams were symbolic of his position as Prime Minister of Egypt and duly interpreted by his father, Jacob in Genesis 37:10.

b) Pharaoh’s Dreams in Genesis 41:1-7
Genesis 41:1-4 "When two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream: He was standing by the Nile, when out of the river there came up seven cows, sleek and fat, and they grazed among the reeds. After them, seven other cows, ugly and gaunt, came up out of the Nile and stood beside those on the riverbank. And the cows that were ugly and gaunt ate up the seven sleek, fat cows."

Genesis 41:5-7 "He fell asleep again and had a second dream: Seven heads of grain, healthy and good, were growing on a single stalk. After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted—thin and scorched by the east wind. The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven healthy, full heads."

c) Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream (See Dan 2:29-35) Nebuchadnezzar sees a great statue, described as enormous and dazzling, standing before him, composed of different parts, each made from a different material but could not remember, let alone know the interpretation. But God revealed the dream to Daniel as well as the interpretation (Dan 2:36-45).

THE IMPORTANCE OF INTERPRETATION OF DREAMS
The interpretation of symbolic dreams is vital for understanding God’s messages, warnings, and prophecies to reveal their true meaning. In this section we will consider the importance of interpretation of dreams.

a) Through Interpretation we obtain Divine Wisdom and Guidance
Joseph’s interpretation of Pharaoh’s dream was vital because it allowed Egypt to prepare for the upcoming famine, saving countless lives. If Joseph was not able to interpret Pharoah’s dreams, there would have been dire consequences, because without interpretation, the dream would have remained a mystery, and the nation would have been unprepared for the disaster. Genesis 41:28-32

b) Interpretation Prevents Misunderstanding
Daniel, by the revelation of the Almighty interpreted Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream. Without Daniel’s God-given ability to interpret the dream, Nebuchadnezzar would have remained in the dark about the rise and fall of future kingdoms. (Daniel 2:27-45)

c)Through Interpretation we are Given Insight into the Future as a Warning
God gave Nebuchadnezzar an insight into his future when he dreamt of a tree in Dan 4:1-37. The tree was cut down leaving the stump but bound with iron. Daniel interpreted the dream but the warning against pride was however not heeded, and the king learnt humility the hard way

d)Through Interpretation we Discern Between True and False Dreams
Not all dreams are from God, and proper interpretation, especially when led by God, ensures that the dream’s true source and meaning are understood correctly, preventing false prophets from leading people astray. Jeremiah 23:27-28 "They think the dreams they tell one another will make my people forget my name, just as their ancestors forgot my name through Baal worship Let the prophet who has a dream recount the dream, but let the one who has my word speak it faithfully. For what has straw to do with grain?' declares the Lord."

e)Through Interpretation we obtain Clarity and Instruction
When Joseph interpreted the dreams of Pharaoh’s cupbearer and baker, he provided crucial clarity foretelling the futures of the cupbearer and the baker. (Genesis 40:8-13, & 16-19). And in interpreting Pharoah’s dreams he provided crucial instructions Genesis 41:28-32

CONCLUSION
The source of divine dreams is the Almighty and so must be the interpretation. Genesis 41:15-16 "Pharaoh said to Joseph, 'I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.' 'I cannot do it,' Joseph replied to Pharaoh, 'but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.'"
Daniel 2:27-28: "Daniel replied, 'No wise man, enchanter, magician, or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries.'"
There are also some dreams that can be interpreted by wisdom and experience. (Genesis 37:10b) “What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?”
As we walk closely with God, we should be aware that one of the ways He reveals His mind to us, is through dreams. Sometimes direct and other times, symbolic. Without interpretation, the full significance of many dreams would remain hidden, potentially leaving important divine messages for us misunderstood or ignored. It is only through the accurate interpretation, of these dreams that God's will, guidance, and future plans are made clear to us.

Contributor: Adewale Abiona

INTRODUCTION
The Bible in Psalm 27:4 says, “One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple”. 

The word enquire means to ask for information from someone. In todays’ study, and its series, we will be examining how to know the mind of God through various means. Whenever we seek God’s face in prayer or when meditating on His Word, God generally will respond to us. Now, God’s response comes in diverse ways. It could be as an audible voice, in dreams, visions, words of knowledge, and other means of His choice. His response to us are ways by which He guides us into His plans for our lives, and our walk with Him. May the Lord open our eyes and heart tonight in Jesus’ name.

To whom will God reveal His mind to?
1 Samuel 2:35a Then I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who shall do according to what is in My heart and in My mind. We often hear people saying “Thus says the Lord” or “My Daddy said I should tell someone…” or even when men of God declare certain things and say it’s from the Lord. Truthfully, God does give man intel, however, there are those that also hear themselves or the devil. Jeremiah 28:15-17.

Many often wonder how this could be possible, some will even say: “Surely not me because I don’t think people like me are those God will be looking to reveal His mind to. That stuff is for the special people, only few selected people have this privilege from God.” 
This is not true. God is the Father of all, He speaks to anyone who cares to listen and pay attention to Him. Isaiah 42:16.
• John 1:12 - But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.
• Amos 3:7 - Surely the Lord God does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.
• Revelation 1:6 - And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
• John 10:27 - My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

To answer the question: “Who can know the mind of God?”
They are those who:
1. Humble themselves before Him – The meek shall inherit the earth Matthew 5:5
2. Keep His covenant (observe His Word) Joshua 1:8, Psalm 1:1-3, 1 Corinthians 6:15-17, 2 Corinthians 6:17-18, John 10:27
3. Fear Him (Revere Him) – The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10) -Those who honour me will I honour (1 Samuel 2:30) Psalm 85:9 Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him
4. Seek Him in prayer and supplications Psalm 85:8 I will hear what God the Lord will speak, for He will speak peace to His people and to His saints; but let them not turn back to folly 

Various ways by which God speaks or guides us.
There are many ways by which God guides His children, according to His Divine choice. It could be either by the audible voice, dreams, signs, revelations, visions, etc. For example, Isaiah - Visions (Isaiah 6:1-9), Jeremiah - Prophecy (Jeremiah 1:4-7), Joseph - Dreams (Gen. 37:5-11).
The key point is for each one of us to be conversant with how God speaks to us and not to become familiar with Him. Instead, we should continue to honour God and give Him the praise that He alone deserve, so that we can sustain the flow and keep the channel open.

How do I know that a particular word is from God and not from myself or the devil?
• His Words produce life (John 6:63, John 1:1-3)
• It will surely come to pass (Isaiah 55:11, Numbers 23:19)
• It will not go against the written Word (Matthew 5:17-18 (ERV))
• It will glorify Him alone (John 16:12-14)

CONCLUSION
In conclusion, God is willing to reveal Himself to us and to guide us into His plan and purpose for our life. In Genesis 28 from verse 10-15, after Jacob had an encounter with the Lord in a dream, in verse 16-17 after he woke up, he said “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!”
This can also be your experience, if you are ready, willing to humble yourself, pray and seek His face and turn away from your old ways, surely, He will hear you from heaven and reveal His mind to you, He will guide you and keep you in perfect peace. 2 Chronicles 7:14

Contributor: Tobi Morakinyo

INTRODUCTION
In recent weeks, we've been studying Divine Righteousness, starting with how it's connected to God's faithfulness and how important our motives are to Him. We've also looked at the consequences of our motives in relation to His righteousness. Today, we'll go further by exploring how God's righteous nature ensures that blessings are reserved for the righteous, specifically, through the hard work of unbelievers. We will also study how believers can position themselves to receive these special blessings.

CHARACTERISTICS OF BLESSINGS FROM GOD.
It remains hard to figure out where material blessings come from just by using human wisdom. We need the spirit of discernment to tell whether certain ‘blessings’ are from God or from the Devil. The truth is, Satan can give "blessings" too, but they are just traps to lead people to their own destruction. It's important to know what God’s blessings both material and spiritual (Ephesians 1:3-6) look like, so we don’t fall for the Devil’s tricks.

As believers, we shouldn’t be influenced by the so-called blessings of the wicked. “Don’t follow after the wicked ones or be jealous of their wealth. Don’t think for a moment they’re better off than you. They and their short-lived success will soon shrivel up and quickly fade away like grass clippings in the hot sun. Keep trusting in the Lord and do what is right in his eyes. Fix your heart on the promises of God, and you will dwell in the land, feasting on his faithfulness” Psalm 37:1-3 (TPT). Below are some characteristic difference between a Blessing from God and “blessing” from Satan:

The Source and Nature of Blessings: God’s blessings come from His holy, righteous, and loving nature. According to James 1:17, every good and perfect gift comes from God, who is pure and just. God’s blessing maketh rich without any added sorrow (Proverbs 10:22). On the other hand, Satan’s "blessings" are deceptive and harmful because they come from his nature as the father of lies (John 8:44). While they might look appealing at first, they are ultimately destructive, as Satan often pretends to be an angel of light to deceive people (2 Corinthians 11:14-15).

Accompanying Emotions and Impact: God's blessings bring peace, joy, and contentment (Philippians 4:7, Romans 15:13) and are often tied to our obedience and faith (Deuteronomy 28:1-2). They also promote love, unity, and justice (Genesis 12:2-3). In contrast, Satan's "blessings" bring anxiety, fear, and regret (Proverbs 14:12, James 1:15) and often require compromise or sin (Matthew 4:8-10). These false blessings lead to selfishness, division, and harm (1 Timothy 6:9-10).

Purpose and Final Outcome: God's blessings, whether material or spiritual, are meant to bring us closer to Him and help fulfill His divine purposes in our lives, leading to spiritual growth and ultimately eternal life. In contrast, Satan's "blessings" are designed to pull us away from God and lead us into sin and destruction. While they may provide temporary satisfaction, they ultimately lead to spiritual emptiness, ruin (John 10:10), and separation from God.

BLESSED THROUGH UNBELIEVER’S WORKS
As a good and loving Father, God has various ways of blessing His children. He blesses the work of our hands (Deuteronomy 28:11), provides for our needs (Philippians 4:19), grants peace and wisdom (Philippians 4:7, James 1:5), offers protection and healing (Psalm 121:7, Psalm 103:3), multiplies our resources (Luke 6:38), and grants favor (Psalm 5:12). He also gives spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:4) and rebukes the devourer on our behalf (Malachi 3:11). One often overlooked way God blesses us is by using the work of unbelievers to benefit the righteous. In His sovereignty, God can use all things, including the actions of those who don't follow Him, to bless His people and fulfill His purposes. Lets examine some biblical references to establish this:

Genesis 47:1-12: Pharaoh, an unbelieving ruler, gave Joseph’s family the best land in Egypt, demonstrating how God used the resources of an unbeliever to bless His people.

Proverbs 13:22: "A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just." — This proverb reveals the principle that the wealth and resources of sinners (unbelievers) can be transferred to benefit the righteous.

Exodus 12:35-36: God instructed the Israelites to ask the Egyptians for silver, gold, and clothing, which they received abundantly, as a form of restitution for their years of slavery. "And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: And the Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians."

2 Chronicles 20:25: After God granted Jehoshaphat and his army victory over three nations, they spent three days collecting the wealth and resources left behind by their defeated enemies. "And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both riches with the dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away: and they were three days in gathering of the spoil, it was so much."

John 4:38: Jesus explained that His disciples would reap what they had not labored for, benefiting from the work done by others. "I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labor: other men labored, and ye are entered into their labors."

Isaiah 61:6: Isaiah prophesies that the nations (Gentiles) will serve Israel, bringing their wealth and resources to God's people. "But ye shall be named the Priests of the Lord: men shall call you the Ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves."

Isaiah 45:3: God promises to give hidden treasures and riches stored in secret places to His chosen ones, showing that God can bring wealth and resources from unexpected sources, including those controlled by unbelievers, to bless the righteous. "And I will give thee the
treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the Lord, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel."

Proverbs 10:3: The righteous will not suffer hunger, even if it means God providing through the works and resources of unbelievers. "The Lord will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish: but he casteth away the substance of the wicked."

Isaiah 49:23: Isaiah foretells a time when kings and queens will serve God's people, bringing their resources and influence to benefit the righteous. "And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me."

Psalm 2:8: God promises to use the resources and works of the nations (including unbelievers) to bless and expand His kingdom. "Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession."

POSITIONED TO ACQUIRE THE WEALTH OF THE UNGODLY?
To be positioned to acquire the wealth of the ungodly, carnal approaches like jealousy and covetousness are not the way. This kind of blessing is entirely at God's discretion and not based on our efforts alone. However, through the Bible, we can identify characteristics that positions us to receive these divine transfers and apply them to our own lives:

• Seek God’s Kingdom First: Prioritize God's kingdom and righteousness above all else, and all these things will be added to you. (Matthew 6:33). It will also include a commit to a relationship with God that includes a focus on advancing His kingdom

• Ask and Pray for Wealth Transfer: Pray specifically for God's provision and the transfer of wealth as part of His divine plan. (Psalm 2:8)

• Live Righteously and Obey God’s Commandments: Position yourself for God’s blessings by living a life of righteousness and obedience to His commands. (Isaiah 1:19; Exodus 12:35-36; Proverbs 11:3)

• Cultivate Wisdom and Discernment: Develop wisdom and discernment to make godly decisions and recognize divine opportunities. (1 Chronicles 12:32)

• Be Faithful in Service and Tithing: Show faithfulness in your service to God and in your giving, including tithing. (Malachi 3:8; Genesis 41:39-41)

• Walk in Righteousness: Align your life with God’s standards, as righteousness positions you for prosperity. (Psalm 1:1-3)

• Engage in Spiritual Warfare: Be prepared to fight spiritual battles to claim what God has promised, standing firm against opposition. (Ephesians 6:12)
 

CONCLUSION
In conclusion, God's blessings, both material and spiritual, are given with purpose to draw us closer to Him. Unlike Satan's deceptive "blessings," God's blessings bring true richness without sorrow (Proverbs 10:22). Understanding these differences helps us align with God's will. God still transfers wealth, and believers can position themselves for these blessings by living righteously, cultivating wisdom, being faithful stewards, seeking God's kingdom first, practicing generosity, standing in faith, engaging in spiritual warfare, being diligent, and maintaining integrity.

Contributor: Isekhua Evborokhai

INTRODUCTION
During the course of this month, we will be looking at the various facets of God’s Divine Righteousness. Last week we studied His consistent faithfulness using Joseph’s story as a case study.
We saw how God demonstrated His faithfulness to His covenant, working through human actions—both good and evil—to achieve His righteous purposes. We discussed His righteousness, how we can
obtain His righteousness, how we can maintain our own righteousness, the benefits we derive from His righteousness, and finally, the important connection that exists between, God’s righteousness and His faithfulness. In today’s study, still using Joseph’s story as a case study, we will consider how important our motives are to the Righteous One, and what the consequences may be as a result of our motives.

MOTIVE
Motive is the reason (the underlying intentions) behind all of our actions. The interesting thing about motive is that it reflects the true state of a person's heart. To God, our motives count more than our actions, that is why He does not look at the outward displays we showcase, but our hearts. (1 Samuel 16:7)
God examines the motives of our hearts and holds us accountable for them. Proverbs 16:2 says, "All a person's ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the Lord." This shows that even if actions seem right to others, God judges the underlying reasons.

As we walk with God, this must be foremost in our hearts! That Our actions should flow from a heart that is aligned with God’s will, full of love and sincerity, rather than from a desire to merely fulfill obligations, for show, or simply to “appear” righteous.
Last week we learnt the different ways we could obtain righteousness. But we should know that apart
from the righteousness the Lord inputs in us, there is the “show of righteousness”, an external compliance that people put on too. This was addressed by Jesus in Matthew 15:8 "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me."

DISCUSSION
Now, let’s return to Jospeh’s account in the Bible. The dreams of Joseph as we see in this scripture (Gen. 37:5-11) tells us the blessings his father, Jacob received from Isaac in (Gen. 27:22-29), was to be transferred to him.

Questions
• What do you reckon to be Jospeh’s motive for sharing his dreams?
• Was Joseph proud? In what way?
• Did he “learn humility” by the things he suffered? (Hebrews 5:8)
• Did he have to share his dreams with anyone?
• Could Joseph have become prime minister of Egypt without being sold into slavery?
• What lessons can we learn from Joseph’s account?

Why do we do the things we do? And say the things we say?
Are we genuine, or driven by ignorance, foolishness, pride, jealousy or naivety?

BENEFITS/CONSEQUENCES DERIVED FROM OUR MOTIVES
1. The Blessing of Strengthened Relationship with God: (Matthew 5:8) "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." To be "pure in heart" means our motives are genuine, and unselfish, thus allowing us to have a true relationship with God.

2. Reward According to Our Conducts (Jeremiah 17:10) “"I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve." Despite the actions (conducts), God’s reward is based on what we have in our hearts and minds. You can’t con Him!

Let’s look at some examples
a. Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11): In the early days of the Christian church, believers would sell their land or property and donate the proceeds to the apostles, who would then distribute it according to need. They sold their land and secretly kept back part of the money for themselves. If only they had told the truth, they would not have died, but their motive was to deceive the apostles.

3. Vindication by God. (1 Corinthians 4:5) “"He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God." We could be misunderstood or criticized by others, but if our motives are right (pure), God will vindicate us in due season.

Let’s look at three examples in the Bible.
a. Joseph: Was sold into slavery by his brothers and then falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife of trying to seduce her, leading to his imprisonment (Genesis 39). Despite these injustices, Joseph remained faithful to God. And God vindicated him by elevating him to the position of second-in-command in Egypt.
b. Daniel: Thrown into the lion’s den because envious colleagues wanted to get rid of him, but he was a genuine seeker of God and unwaveringly committed to prayer (Daniel 6). God vindicated him by shutting the mouths of the lions, sparing his life. King Darius then decreed that all should fear and reverence Daniel’s God (Daniel 6:25-28).
c. Mordecai: Targeted for death by Haman, a high official who resented Mordecai’s refusal to bow to him (Esther 3-7). God vindicated Mordecai by orchestrating events such that Haman was hanged on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai, and Mordecai was promoted to a position of honor (Esther 8:1-2).

HOW DO WE ENSURE OUR MOTIVES ARE RIGHT?
The Bible in Jeremiah 17:9 says: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” This implies that if we leave our hearts “alone” the natural tendency is deception and wickedness. That is why ensuring our motives are right requires a deliberate and conscious effort of aligning our hearts and intentions with God’s will.

We can achieve this by:
a. Prayers: Regularly ask the Lord to examine your heart and reveal any wrong motives. Psalm 139:23-24 says, "Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

b. Meditating on God’s Words Daily: The Bible is the most powerful tool for discerning our motives. Hebrews 4:12 says, "For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."

c. Humility: The practice of humility helps us recognize our dependence on God and prevents pride or selfishness from corrupting our motives. Philippians 2:3 says, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves."

d. Focusing on Pleasing God, Not People: Make a conscious effort to prioritize God’s approval over human recognition. Galatians 1:10 says, "Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ."

e. Being Quick to Repent: Don’t ignore or justify wrong motives instead, confess them to God, seek His forgiveness, and ask for the help of the Holy Spirit in cultivating pure motives. 1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."

f. Letting Love Be Your Driving Force: Love for God and love for others naturally leads to pure motives. With genuine love (1 Cor. 13), you can never go wrong! 1 Corinthians 16:14 says, "Do everything in love."

CONCLUSION
As we walk with the Lord, we must be reminded that God sees the true intentions of our hearts, and to Him, that is what matters the most. That is why we must be honest in our intentions and be guided by integrity and sincerity of heart.

Contributor: Isekhua Evborokhai

INTRODUCTION
In the last two months we have been considering the benefits of walking with God. So far we have looked at God’s Divine Faithfulness, and His Divine Healing. During the course of this month, we will be looking at the various facets of God’s Divine Righteousness, starting today with His consistent faithfulness.

CASE STUDY JOSEPH (Genesis Chapters 37–50)
Today’s text in Gen. 37:1-18 is simply the starting point of the story of Joseph. The entire account spans several chapters up to Chapter 41 when he was made prime minister of Egypt. The story of Joseph is a testament to God’s righteousness and faithfulness. Despite the numerous injustices and hardships he faced, God’s righteousness was evident in the end and His promises fulfilled. (Genesis 37:5-11 and Genesis 41:41-44). God demonstrated that He is faithful to His covenant, working through human actions—both good and evil—to achieve His righteous purposes.

Today’s study will be divided into five sections – (1) God’s righteousness, (2) How God’s righteousness can be obtained, (3) Maintaining Righteousness, (4) The benefits we derive from His righteousness. Finally, we will consider the important connection that exists between, God’s righteousness and His faithfulness.

1. GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS.
God's divine righteousness is multifaceted, reflecting His just nature, the righteous standards of His law, and the way He imparts righteousness to believers through faith. This righteousness governs His judgments, informs His law, is essential in His plan of salvation, and will be fully realized in His eternal kingdom.

(a) God is Righteous by Nature. The Bible, in Psalm 11:7 says: "For the Lord is righteous; he loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold his face." (See Psalm 145:17 and Isaiah 45:21)

(b) God is Righteous in Judgment. He is impartial and judges according to His perfect standards.
Deuteronomy 32:4 says: "The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he." See (Psalm 9:8 and Romans 2:5)

2. OBTAINING GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS.
(a) Righteousness by Obedience. God's Words reflects His righteous standards and obedience to His Word counts as righteousness on our accounts. Deuteronomy 6:25: "And it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to do all this commandment before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us." Having said that, we still cannot declare ourselves righteous. It is only God Himself who can declare us righteous.

(b) Righteousness through Faith. Another way we can receive the righteousness of God is by faith.
Genesis 15:6: "And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness." Also see Romans 3:22: "The righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction." Righteousness before God is not something humans can achieve on their own. Instead, it is imparted to those who have faith in God, particularly faith in Jesus Christ. Philippians 3:9 says: "And be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith."

(c) Righteousness through Salvation Righteousness is one of the gifts God bestows on us when we give our lives to Christ. It is by grace that believers are made righteous before God. Romans 5:17 says: "For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ." 2 Corinthians 5:21: "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

3. MAINTAINING RIGHTEOUSNESS
Obedience to God’s Words: Obedience to God's commandments is a fundamental aspect of maintaining righteousness. We see from the account of Joseph that despite the injustices he suffered from his brothers (Genesis 37:12-36), the temptation and pressure to compromise from Potiphar’s wife and the injustice that followed (Genesis 39:7–20), he did not concede to the devil. Daniel also remained faithful to God’s laws, even when it meant facing the lions’ den (Daniel 6:1-28)

The Help of the Holy Spirit: Maintaining righteousness is possible through the power of the Holy Spirit, who helps believers resist sinful desires and live according to God’s will. (Galatians 5:16) “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”
Stephen, the first Christian martyr, is described as "full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom" (Acts 6:3). Even in the face of persecution, he maintained his righteousness, forgiving those who stoned him, just as Jesus had done.

4. BENEFITS DERIVED FROM HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS
The benefits of God's divine righteousness impacts all aspects of a believer's life. Such as:

(a) Freedom from Sin and Guilt and Eternal Life: God's righteousness justifies believers. Through faith in Christ, we are declared righteous before God. This leads to salvation and eternal life, offering freedom from sin and guilt. (Romans 3:22-24 & 2 Corinthians 5:21)

(b) Peace with God: Being made righteous by God brings peace with Him. This peace is not merely the absence of conflict but a deep, abiding sense of harmony and reconciliation with God. Romans 5:1: "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Isaiah 32:17: "The fruit of that righteousness will be peace; its effect will be quietness and confidence forever."

(c) Guidance and Protection: God's righteousness guides believers in making right decisions and living in a way that pleases Him. It also protects them from the consequences of sin and the traps of the enemy. Psalm 23:3: "He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His
name's sake." Proverbs 11:6: "The righteousness of the upright delivers them, but the unfaithful are trapped by evil desires."

(d) Spiritual Confidence and Boldness: Righteousness provides believers with confidence and boldness in their relationship with God and in their spiritual lives. They can approach God with assurance, knowing they are accepted and loved. Proverbs 28:1: "The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion." Hebrews 10:19-22: "Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus... let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings."

(e) Fellowship with God: God's righteousness allows us to have a close, intimate relationship with Him. Walking in righteousness brings us into deeper fellowship with God and with other believers. 1 John 1:7: "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin." Psalm 24:3-4: "Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god."

(f) Eternity in Heaven: God's righteousness guarantees us eternal life. After being made righteous through Christ, we are also promised eternal life and a reward in heaven. Matthew 25:46: "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." 2 Timothy 4:8: "Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing."

CONCLUSION
Connection Between God's Righteousness And Faithfulness
An interesting and deep relationship exists between God's righteousness and His faithfulness. God's righteousness ensures that He is always just and morally perfect, while His faithfulness reflects His unwavering commitment to His promises and to His people. These two attributes show us that God’s actions are not only right but also reliable and consistent. His righteousness is one of the foundations of His character, (the other being love), so we can trust in His promises and rely on His steadfast love. Lamentations 3:22-23 says: "Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."
The reason God is faithful is because of His righteousness. Nehemiah 9:8: "You have kept your promise because you are righteous."
His righteousness guarantees that He will always act in accordance with His commitments. Psalm 89:14: "Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you." Deuteronomy 7:9: "Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments."

Contributor: Okwudili Prince Isaac

INTRODUCTION:
In the last part of this series, we see that healing could come through the laying on of hands. Today, as we conclude this series on Divine Healing, may any sickness or disease left in our system vanish in Jesus Name, Amen.

Acts 10:38
“How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.”

One of the ways that people physically expressed a spiritual connection that has lasted for centuries is the laying on of hands. It is when a person or people put their hands on another person or group of people as part of a blessing or a prayer.
On the most surface level, a part of the significance of the act of laying on of hands is that it creates human connection. This basic truth is supported by modern science, as studies show that touch increases oxytocin, can facilitate increased well-being, and communication. Jesus used touch to assure the Apostle John when He appeared to Him at Patmos in His full glory,
“When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, ‘Fear not, I am the first and the last’” (Revelation 1:17). Contact is a part of how some people connect, though not everyone.

• SPECIAL CASES OF SICKNESSES AND DISEASES
All sicknesses and diseases come from the devil. However, there are some special cases, which are because of demonic oppression and bondage. There are signs by which the special instances may be recognised.
1. John 10:10 -……the thief comes to steal, kill and destroy
2. Luke 13:16 – …a daughter of Abraham under Satan’s bondage
3. Luke 11:14 – …demon cast out of a dumb man
4. Matthew 12:22 –…healing of demon-possessed, blind and dumb
5. Matthew 9:17-27 – …dead daughter of a Synagogue leader
6. Job 1:14-17 –…the Sabeans, the Fire, and the Chaldeans

• HOW JESUS DELIVERS
Sadly, Satan is the thief, whose mission of solely to steal, kill and destroy. Joyfully, Jesus Christ is the Restorer. In-fact He came specifically to destroy the works of the devil by His special anointing.
1. Acts10:38 -…Jesus went about…. healing all who were oppressed by the devil
2. John.10:10 - …the thief comes to steal, kill and destroy
3. 1 Jn3:8 -…the Son of God came to destroy the work of darkness
4. Mt.28:18 - ….I have given you all authority in Heaven and on Earth
5. Luke.11:21-22 -… a strong man guards his house…until someone stronger
6. Mt.8:16 - …he cast out evil spirits with a single command
7. Mk.16:17- ..these miraculous signs shall follow… who believe…cast out demons
8. Jam. 4:7.- ..humble yourselves before God, resist the devil and he will flee

• PRECEDENCE
Placing hands on persons in need of healing has a strong biblical precedent as well. Although there had been times when Jesus healed the sick without necessarily laying His hands on them, He certainly laid His hands on many of those He healed. Instance of Jesus laying on His Hands:
1. Mark 6:5 – ……….even in the midst of unbelief, albeit few sick people
2. Mark 8: 22-25 – spitting, laying hands “outside the village”
3. Luke 4:40 – at sunset, villagers brought family members
4. Luke 13:13 – at Sabbath Day healing (Abraham’s daughter) crippled 18 years

• OUR MISSION
Laying on of hands is one of the ordained ways to heal the sick (Mark 16:18) “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover”.

And Jesus promised that any believer could do this, including you. You can lay hands on the sick and see them get better. You just have to open yourself up to God and allow Him to heal through you.

• CAVEAT
But when you look carefully at Mark 16:18, you will notice that Jesus promised recovery.
That recovery could be instantaneous, or it could be a process that is prolonged over a period. This lets us know that all healings do not occur instantly; some of them take place over a period. But Jesus’ promise is that if we will follow His example and lay our hands on the sick, God’s power will be released into the body of the afflicted. If we are releasing our faith and believing for healing power to flow from us to the recipient, healing virtue will be deposited into the sick person’s body. Just as medicine slowly works to reverse a medical condition, the power of God that was deposited with the laying on of our hands will begin to attack the work of the devil and progressively bring that sick person back into a state of health and well-being.

Mark 16: 18 (in some Greek texts) could be translated, “…they shall progressively feel themselves getting better and better, until finally they are well and healthy.”

What did Jesus do for these people?
He laid His hands upon them, and He healed them. In such cases, Jesus was giving the perfect example of how believers would later lay their hands on the sick —including the terminally ill — and see them be restored back to health because of their obedience.

CONCLUSION
Jesus promised that any believer could do this! Any believer, including you, can lay hands on the sick and see the sick get better and better until they are finally restored back to health. All that is required for God to use you in this way are three basic criteria:
1. That you have a desire for God to heal through you
2. That you have hands to lay on sick people; and
3. That your faith is released to activate the power of God to heal.

If you can fulfil these three requirements, you’re ready to get into the healing ministry! Healing the sick is part of your responsibility as a believer. You cannot do it alone, but the Holy Spirit is present to impart His power when you act in Jesus’ name. So rather than look at sick people and feel pity for them, why don’t you pull your hands out of your pockets and go lay them on those sick people, just as Jesus did when He was ministering on the earth? The Word of God guarantees that God will work with you to bring healing and health to those who are in need.
Why don’t you get started healing the sick today?

Contributor: Isekhua Evborokhai

INTRODUCTION
In the last few studies, we have been learning about “Divine Healing” as a consequence of walking closely with God. We were taught how this divine healing could be received by God sending His Word (Psalm 107:17-20), and by the stripes of Jesus (1 Peter 2:24). In today’s study, we will be discussing obtaining divine healing through prayers.
In John 14:14 Jesus said: “If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.”
James 5:14 -15 says: “Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.”

In our previous studies, we were taught to look at divine health from a holistic point of view. It thus implies that we should look at healing from the same holistic point of view; encompassing the physical, emotional, and spiritual. Before going into the study, I would like to cite two important truths.
1) From Jesus’s own Words, we know that it is only the sick that need healing. Mark 2:17
2) The Bible tells us how to live in divine health. In Exodus 23:25 the Bible says: “And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee".
Today’s study is broadly divided in two parts. How to pray for and the hinderances to healing.

I. RECEIVING ANSWERS TO OUR PRAYERS FOR HEALING
Our Heavenly Father is a principled God and He has put processes in place that we can, by faith employ to receive our healing.
1) Praying from a place of relationship with the Father
John 14:14 says: “If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.” But for prayers to be answered, they must be rendered acceptably. Remember James 5:16b (MSG) says: “The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with.” Not the prayer of a sinner or the ungodly.
Psalms 66:18 says: “If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear.”

First, three disclaimers:
• Disclaimer #1: When the Bible says: “God will not hear”, I believe it means, God will not answer the requester. (Proverbs 1:28a) “Then they will call on me, but I will not answer”

• Disclaimer #2: When the Bible says: “God will not hear”, I believe it does not include the cry for mercy. (Luke 17:13-14) “And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”14 So when He saw them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed."

• Disclaimer #3: When the Bible says: “God is Sovereign”, I believe it means, He will show mercy to whom He will show mercy. (Exodus 33:19) “And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.”

God hears. Period! Isa.59:1-2 tells us that the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. 2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God

So, when we pray from a place of relationship with the Father, He hears us and answers us according to His sovereignty.

2) Praying According to His will
1 John 5:14-15 says: “This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.”
His will is that we are in health, 3 John 2 says: “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.”
We also see this manifested when Jesus healed a man with leprosy in Matthew 8:1-3 “When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. 2 A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” 3 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy.”

3) Praying with the Scripture
Jeremiah 1:12 tells us that God is actively watching over His Word to fulfil it. When we pray using specific Bible verses related to healing, it reinforces our faith and aligns our prayers with God’s promises. His Word also does not return to Him void. (Isaiah 55:11). The Lord Himself says in Isaiah 43:26: “Put me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified.”

Therefore pray for healing with scriptures such as:
• Isaiah 53:5 says: “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.”
• Jeremiah 17:14 says: “Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise.”

4) Praying in Faith
Stand on the Word of God such as James 5:14-15 that says the prayer of faith will heal the sick. Mark.11:23-24 says: “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

5) Praying in Agreement
Align with fellow Bible believing and sincere believers and agree in prayers. Matthew 18:19-20 says: "Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them."

II. HINDERANCES TO ANSWERED PRAYERS FOR HEALING
The Bible in Isaiah 59:1-2 tells us that the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. 2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God;”
He is more than able to do exceedingly abundantly beyond what we can ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20). So when things don’t go right. It is not His fault. Here are a couple of things that we may engage in that may cause unanswered prayers for healing.

1) Doubt and Unbelief
James 1:6-7 says: “6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.”

2) Ignorance (Lack of Accurate Knowledge) on the Subject of Healing
It is difficult to believe what you are ignorant of. We are not sick people looking for healing, we were healed over 2000 years ago by the stripes of Jesus. The Word of God is the antidote to ignorance. Psalms 119:130 says: “the entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding to the simple.”

There are people (even believers) in the world today that do not believe in healing. Cessationists for instance, believe that the miraculous gifts of the Spirit, such as healing, prophecy, and speaking in tongues, ceased with the apostolic age. They fail to realize that when Jesus said in John 14:12 that we will do greater works, healing was included.

3) Negative Confession
The Bible in Proverbs 18:21 tells us that death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. The words of our mouths also reveal our faith. It is important that we say about ourselves is what God's Word says about us; If God says we are healed, we must confess that healing, regardless of our feelings. Prov. 11:11 (MSG) says: “When right-living people bless the city, it flourishes; evil talk turns it into a ghost town in no time.”

4) Sin/Iniquity
While sin and iniquity both refer to moral and spiritual wrongdoing, iniquity often denotes a more serious, intentional, and ingrained pattern of behaviour,
Whereas not all sickness is due to sin, a lifestyle of sin can prevent the healing of sickness. Psalms 66:18 says: “If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear.” The NIV renders this verse thus: "If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened."

To "cherish sin" means to hold onto, delight in, or refuse to give up sinful thoughts, attitudes, or behaviours. It implies a conscious decision to prioritize sin over obedience to God. The verse clearly indicates that harbouring sin can impede communication with God. God values sincerity, humility, and repentance in those who seek Him. When Jesus healed a man that was sick at the pool of Bethesda in John 5:8-9, in verse 14, Jesus said to him, “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.”

5) Unforgiveness
Unforgiveness creates a barrier between us and God, blocking the flow of His grace and blessings, including healing. Mark 11:25 “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” Forgiveness of sin many times precedes healing (2 Chron.7:14). Also, holding onto unforgiveness can lead to emotional stress, and has been known to manifest in physical sicknesses. That is why Ephesians 4:31-32 calls believers to let go of bitterness and anger, which are detrimental to both emotional and physical health.

CONCLUSION
Not all sickness is due to sin, but any sin can prevent healing of sickness.
Prayer changes things! It is a potent weapon in the hands of believers. It can change doubts to trust, weakness to strength, hopelessness to hope and surely sickness to health. Healing can be obtained simply by asking for it in prayers from the One who said that He would do whatever we ask for in His name, as long as we are in His will and believe in the finished work of Christ.

Contributor: Ayomide Oladipo

INTRODUCTION

Last week we started our series in the topic Divine Healing through the Word of God. Divine healing as we learned in the study, is healing from God Himself through His written or spoken Word, and how sin robs us of good health. Psalm 107:20 “He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.” The desire of God for our health in 3 John 1: 2 “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” revealed to us that God wants us as believers to look at health from a holistic point of view of the spirit, soul and body, and anyone living below the standard of perfect health in all areas of our being needs ‘Divine Healing’.
We concluded the study by looking at 3 prescriptions from the God the Great Physician for a healthy life which are: (a) Regularly feeding on the Word of God (Pro 3: 1&8), (b) Exercising our spirit (Jude 1:20) and (c) Regular visits to God in retreats (Mark 4:35).

Today we will continue the series by looking at Divine Healing through the stripes of Jesus. Romans 3:23-26 “23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”

Since the fall of man in the garden of Eden, all mankind became guilty of sin, and in Roman 8: 23 the scriptures tell us the consequence of sin is death. So, if all men have sinned, this means all men should die because of our sins. God knew the price for the sin of the world must be paid for, Heb 9:22 “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.”
Out of His benevolence as a merciful God, He sent His Son Jesus who had never sinned to be the Lamb that would take away the sin of the world John 1:29.
The ‘stripes of Jesus’ symbolises the price that was paid for our sins, as we looked at last week how God sends His Word either spoken or written for our healing, today we would examine how God gave Himself for our healing.

WHY DID JESUS GIVE HIMSELF FOR OUR SIN?
Because of the Father’s love for the world – John 3:16 “For God so love the world, that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him will not perish but have evaluating life”.

By law, the world is guilty of death, because the entire world has sinned and come short of the glory of God. God is merciful, but just. Because of His justice, the scripture in Roman 6:23 “The wages of sin is death” must be fulfilled, which means all souls were required to pay for their transgressions against God with everlasting death, but for His mercy, He provided a way out for everyone. John 1:29 “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

1 John 3:8 “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose, the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.”
We were all created by God, imagine God having created us, and from the moment we were born, knowing He will never have us again because, we would have to pay for our own sins, and for the rest of our lives He would have to watch the devil afflict His hand work and He can’t do anything because the devil now owns them.
Because of God’s faithfulness, commitment and love as our Father, He gave Jesus to die, not for His own sins but the sin of the world, now anyone that accepts this love will be redeemed from eternal guilt of death to eternal life.

Romans 6:8-10 “Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.”

Jesus came to pay the debt of sin of the world so that no one will have to end up in everlasting death by default because they were born into the world. He ended the reign of the devil and provided a path to salvage the world form death to life.

ONLY THOSE THAT HAVE ACCEPTED JESUS ARE TRULY HEALED!
You might ask what has this got to do with healing, this sounds like a salvation message to me. Well, you are right it is indeed a salvation message. The truth is anyone that has not been redeemed by accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour is ‘sick’. Remember we said sickness is deviation from normalcy, in the sight of God it is abnormal for any soul He created to be afflicted by the devil because of sin.
Psalm 107: 17- 18 “Fools because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, are afflicted. 18 Their soul abhors all manner of meat, and they draw near unto the gates of death.”

This passage shows us that a soul guilty of transgression and iniquity (sin) is living in affliction. Bible says in 1 John 3:8 “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose, the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.”

The Devil only comes to kill, steal and destroy. An unsaved individual can be assured this is all they get from the devil. The Bible says the soul that sinneth shall die Ezek.18: 20.
An unsaved individual is physically and spiritually dead. Ezekiel 18:20 made it clear “The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.”
Which means that an unsaved person will bear the brunt of his sin while on earth and even in eternity. God sees an unsaved person as a sick person because such individual is willingly forfeiting his right to life.
The good news is it does not have to remain that way, healing by the stripes of Jesus is available of all men, but exclusively heals those that have accepted the redemption these stripes paid for.

HEALING BY THE STRIPES OF JESUS
1. Physical Healing By the Stripes of Jesus: 1 Peter 2:24 “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.”
Physical affliction was inflicted on Jesus so that we don’t have to surfer physical sickness. Isaiah 53:5 “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”

This scripture shows us Jesus already bore our burden, sickness, affliction and paid the price for our healing. All we need do if we have already been saved is believe Him for our physical healing.
The Bible already told us the desire of God in 3 John 1: 2 “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.”
Jesus was hung on the tree for us to be healed from the curse of affliction to a life of wholeness Gal.3:13 “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”,

The wounds and bruises are physical afflictions Jesus suffered which lead to the gushing of blood from His body, by the risen of the blood of Jesus and by faith, we can administer physical
healing into our body, Jesus being hung on the cross healed us from every curse, and Him dying and rising again healed us from eternal death to eternal life. God chose the stripes of His only begotten Son to give us an opportunity to experience His desire for our physical health to prosper.

2. Spiritual Healing By The Stripe Of Jesus: By the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, our spiritual healing was bought and paid for. Through the finished work of Jesus, we can receive the Holy Spirit which is the Spirit of God Himself living in us. Romans 8:11 “And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.”.

The redemption of God through Jesus when accepted quickens the life and power of God in us ‘The Holy Spirit’. This passage tells us that the Holy Spirit was the One that raised Jesus Christ from the dead, Jesus had the Holy Spirit in Him which is the Spirit of the Father because He was without sin, so He could not remain dead. The chastisement of Jesus was for us, and by those stripes our spiritual healing was also provided for. As God has expressed His desire for us to be healthy in all areas of our lives, it is important for us to lay hold of the finished work of Jesus for our spiritual healing. Accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is not the end, but God desires for us to be healed in our spirit so we can be sons and daughters of God.

Romans 8: 14-17 “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.16. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.”

Our spiritual healing obtained by the suffering of Jesus, ends the reign of the devil over our lives and adopts us back into sonship of our Heavenly Father. James 2:26 “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” Our spiritual health reflects on our physical health.
The Word of God here guarantees that if our spiritual life is healthy, our mortal (physical) health will be simultaneously. How? The Spirit of God living in us is the power of God within us, when we invest in our spiritual health, we are simultaneously releasing the power of God into our mortal body.

CONCLUSION
Envision the finished work of Jesus as a trust fund account that our Heavenly Father opened and funded for us. It’s the path He made for us at any given time we decide to come back to Him, to be able to do so.
Even though our healing had been provided for by the stripes of Jesus, accepting or refusing it is our choice. Even though the account is fully funded, doubting its legitimacy, delaying withdrawal from it or even receiving it is all choices of ours.
The question is why suffer for what has been paid for?
Revelation 3:20 (NIV) “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.”
To someone opening the door means accepting Jesus, to another it means accepting the finished work that He has given to you.

Contributor: Ayomide Oladipo

INTRODUCTION
Last study we learnt about God’s faithfulness relative to our commitment as believers to fulfil God’s divine purpose for our lives. One of the things we were taught are the two sides to God’s faithfulness. The first side is God’s faithfulness of His fatherhood to us, and His commitment to His Word. 1 Corinthians 1:9: “God is faithful He is reliable, trustworthy, and ever true to His Promise He can be depended on, and through Him, you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”
The second side is our own path, where God expect us to be faithful to Him so we can attain His promises to us as demonstrated in the life of Abraham when God commanded him to walk before
Him faithfully and blamelessly.

Today we would be looking at the subject ‘Divine Healing’ by the Word of God. Divine healing is healing from God Himself through His written or spoken Word.
Psalm 107:20 “He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.”

For someone to need healing, it means the part of them they need healing in is defective. Sickness is defined as a deviation from, an interruption, a cessation or a disorder of a body, system, organ structure or function (Medical dictionary), characterised by symptoms and exhibitions.
Healing on the other hand is the reversal of a sick body, system or organ back to normal. As believers, God desires for us is that we be in perfect health 3 John 1: 2 “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospered.”

Today relative to us as believers, we would look at what sickness means, what causes it and how the Word of God can heal us.

WHO NEEDS HEALING?
Anyone or any part of our spirit, soul and body that is sick. Someone will say well am physically healthy, what about your spiritual health? What about your soul’s health? Are they healthy too? In 3 John 1: 2 God expressed His desire for our health that He wishes they all prosper. This means that God does not desire for us to be healthy is one area of our life and be defective in another. As children of God, we should not look at health from a physical point of view alone but from a holistic point of view of physical and spiritual health.

REASONS A BELIEVER CAN BE SICK
1. When a believer falls into sin: Psalm 107: 17- 18 “Fools because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, are afflicted. 18 Their soul abhors all manner of meat, and they draw near unto the gates of death.”
This passage shows us that one of the ways a believer can open him/herself to affliction is through transgression and iniquity (sin). Why would sin cause me affliction you may ask, bible says in 1 John 3:8 “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose, the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.”

The Bible says the soul that sinneth shall die Ezek.18: 20. Now sickness is no other thing but a representative of death. When a believer commits and remains in sin, he forfeits his right to life, in John 3:16 “for God so love the word that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life”
Either physically or spiritually, sin kills!! As explicitly written in Ezekiel 18:20 “The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.”

This Bible verse explains to us that a sinner is the one that bears the brunt of his sin while a righteous person is the one that reaps the reward of his righteousness.

2. For the glory of God: - John 9: 1-3 “And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. 2. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? 3. Jesus answered, neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.”

Based on this passage, we can establish God sometimes manifest His glory through situations such as sickness. The disciples based on their knowledge knew that for a man to be afflicted as such as being blind from birth, sin must have entered through him or his parents, however Jesus told them that sin was not the cause of this man’s affliction, it is for God to manifest in him, and we could see that Jesus went on to heal the man by His Word in the later part of that scripture.

Remember the story of Lazarus in John 11:1-44. Lazarus was a friend of Jesus; it is safe to assume that the man was not a sinful natured man for him to be God’s friend. But he became very sick that his sisters sent message to Jesus to quickly come and heal him before he dies, but Jesus responded in vs 4 “But when Jesus heard about it, he said, Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this 5. So, although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, 6 he stayed where he was for the next two days.”

This explains to us that as believers sometimes we may have sickness and affliction, sickness and affliction does not have us! Lazarus tasted death, but death could not hold him, even Jesus saw death, but death could not hold him. This is because, as righteous children of God, we are of God not of the devil, and it is the will of God that we prosper in health, meaning God will never afflict His children without a cause.

DIVINE HEALING BY THE WORD
1. Physical healing by the Word: Romans 8:10-11 “But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. 11. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.”

As earlier established that sin kill the body, the word of God provides a remedy for this illness, ‘righteousness’. The Word of God provides healing to a sick sinner when such sinner repents of his sin and adopts righteousness through the finished work of Jesus. Now the same Spirit that made Jesus taste death, yet death could not hold Him, will recover such repentant individual from death to life.
Again, God’s desire is that we be in health, but when a person choses to forfeit a chance at life and health through righteousness, and instead choses death and affliction through sin, God’s hands are tied sort of.

Isaiah 59:1-4 “Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear 2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you, that he will not hear.”
God already provided a remedy for an afflicted soul which is everlasting life, and this life can only me ours when we chose to accept Christ and remain in Christ.

Psalm 107: 19-20 “Then they [Afflicted cause of sin] cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he[Lord] saved them out of their distresses. 20. He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.”
Jesus already bore our burden and paid the price for our healing - Isaiah 53:5 “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”, all we need do is to accept Him and remain in Him.

2. Spiritual Healing by the Word

Isa.40: 31 “Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall. 31. But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary and they shall walk, and not faint.”

The passage describes the symptoms of a sickened spirit ‘fainting and weariness’, and even ‘fall’, but did provide a remedy to this spiritual illness ‘waiting on the Lord’. As believers it is equally important to pay attention to our spiritual health. There is no physical health without spiritual health.

James 2:26 “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” Our spiritual health reflects on our physical health. Romans 8:11 “And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.”
The Word of God here guarantees that if our spiritual life is healthy, our mortal (physical) health will simultaneously be too. How? The Spirit of God living in us is the power of God within us, when we invest in our spiritual health, we are simultaneously releasing the power of God into our mortal body.

CONCLUSION
Medical practitioners would advise good diet, exercise, regular checkup among other precautions as steps we can take to keep our body in good health.
Our great physician also advises us to feed our spirit with good diet which is the Word of God

Pro 3:1&8 “My son does not forget my law, but let your heart keep my commands. 8. It will be healthy to your flesh, and strength to your bones.” God’s Word, spoken or written has the power to bring healing and deliverance from affliction, restoring wholeness to body and soul.

James 5:14-16 “14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he shall be forgiven.”
He also advises us to exercise our spirit
Jude 1:20 “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost”. Another method our great physician advised us to keep our spirit in health is to pray in the Holy Ghost to edify our spirit.

Regular visit to Him in retreat, prayer and fasting Mark 4:35 “And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.”
Divine health is our God given right administered to us through His Word, therefore it doesn't matter how weak or sick you may be, if you accept His Word and believe, you will be made whole.

Contributor: Alex Kokobili

INTRODUCTION
God’s faithfulness can be expressed in two sides. The first is God’s faithfulness as our Father who is faithful to His word (1 Corinthians 1:9 God is faithful He is reliable, trustworthy, and ever true to His Promise He can be depended on, and through Him, you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord). The other is God’s expectations for Christians to stay faithful to him. God expects us to be faithful to Him to attain His promises. For instance, Abram was ninety-nine years old, when the Lord appeared to him on the need to be faithful to Him, Genesis 17:1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me faithfully and be blameless”).

Today’s study will dwell on faithfulness which involves the commitment of believers in journeying with God in order to fulfil His divine purpose in our lives. It is also important for us to be informed that God’s presence has a key role in the journey of faithfulness. The discussion will draw on the life of Joseph and then the latter part will engage on the expectation of the church in regards to faithfulness towards God.

PART A: JOSEPH’S FAITHFULNESS TOWARD GOD
1. Faithfulness is always associated with a test which could either be before or after a blessing.

Gen 39: 7 And it came to pass after these things that his master’s wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, “Lie with me.”

The previous verses 1- 6 told us about God’s favour in the life of Joseph and how he became the manager of Potiphar’s house, and soon after Joseph’s test of faithful resulted from Mrs. Potiphar's immoral sexual desire toward him. Your faithfulness to God will be tested so that He can make you the showpiece of His glory. The test of faithfulness is a test of your love for God and full adherence to the word. There is some test that we cannot pray against but must happen as a way to examine our work with God (Job 2: 3 Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason). We must always pray for God’s grace to overcome all forms of tests that might put our faith in God into question (Mathew 6: 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil).

2. Holiness as the bedrock of faithfulness is not a weakness, but a strength and also a defence.

Gen 39: 8 But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand”.

Joseph feared God and realised that he was God’s regent in Potiphar’s house. Surprisingly, an average Christian today would not think twice before accepting such an offer that Joseph turned down and would even give an excuse of blaming Potiphar’s wife for causing them to sin. Some other Christians will also blame Mr. Potiphar for not always being at home and they would say they were doing Potiphar a favour and that they would later ask God for forgiveness. Unfortunately, so many believers are ashamed to speak about the emphasis on holiness when in regards to things such as lying, fornication and adultery, pride, drunkenness, hatred, selfish ambitions, ingratitude, etc. (See also Gal 5:19-21, Rev 21: 8, 2 Tim 3: 1-5). Our commitment to faithfulness in God as Christians after salvation must be followed by a lifestyle of holiness which is a sign that we fear God (Prov. 8: 13 The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride, and arrogance, and the evil way, And the forward mouth, do I hate. Job 28:28 And to man He said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, And to depart from evil is understanding).

Some Christians seem to have an excuse for every action in self-defence by making assertions such as “I still have a struggle and I believe I am a work in progress or I need some therapy”. Sometimes some people even say things like “Nobody is perfect or God understands,” Why are you judging me?” etc. We must realise that trying to validate any actions of unfaithfulness through emotions, theology, philosophy, tradition and culture, personal opinions, or social perceptions does not change the absoluteness of God’s word (Psalm 119:89 Forever, O Lord, thy Word is settled in heaven. God's Word, or Law, is eternal and unchanging - fixed and established forever in the heaven of heavens).

3. Forgetfulness of God’s faithfulness is a betrayal of His trust

Gen 39: 9 There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?

Joseph remembered the goodness of God in his life and how He caused Potiphar to favour him and on that premise, Joseph decided to stay faithful to God. So many people forget how God came through for them including how he used specific people to shape their destiny. Those who forget God’s goodness are unfaithful and cannot withstand the test of time. Have you not wondered how possible it was that Judas forgot all that he saw Jesus Christ do (the miracles and healings) and yet he betrayed his master? The carnal man is always ready with an excuse or a blame game as a defense of embracing something that God forbids.

Rev 21: 8 But people who are cowardly, unfaithful, detestable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars will find themselves in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur.

Israel often forgot God’s goodness when they were confronted with unpleasant situations and in return displayed actions of unfaithfulness towards God. Judges 8: 34 And the children of Israel remembered not the Lord their God who had delivered them out of the hand of all that afflicted them round about. We have to also realize that unfaithfulness is as good as unbelief and instability of purpose in life. Psalm 78: 42
"They refused to listen and failed to remember the wonders You performed among them. They stiffened their necks and appointed a leader to return them to their bondage in Egypt”.

4. The temptation to be unfaithful might continue for a while but we must genuinely God's intervention not to fall into sin.

Genesis 9: 10-12 And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her. One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.

Longsuffering is a fruit of the spirit that requires that we persevere amid temptation without giving in (Gala 5: 22).
Some people have failed the test of faithfulness because of situations such as business contracts, challenges with their health, marriage, etc. This shows our level of commitment to God

Daniel 3: 16-18 "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. 18 But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up."

We must realize that we need the strength of God to over temptations over and over again “1 Samuel 2: 9 He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail”.

James 1:12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

Mathew 5:11-12 Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

PART B: FAITHFULNESS IS THE PREREQUISITE FOR A GLORIOUS CHURCH
Without the glory of Christ, the church ceases to exist and even if it pretends that it exists, it will only be a building without glory. Ephesians 5: 27 "that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish."

Revelations chapters 2 and 3 describe the state of the end-time church. For instance, out of the seven churches mentioned; five were considered unfaithful to Christ and were described as the Loveless Church, the Compromising Church, the Dead Church, the Corrupt Church, and the Lukewarm Church. The two that stood out and were commended for their faithfulness were the Persecuted Church and the Faithful Church. We will notice that the Persecuted Church was recognized. (Rev 2:10c “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life”.), and also the Faithful Church (Rev 3: 10 “Because you have kept my command to preserve, I will also keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth).

King Solomon was faithful in building a temple for God so that could worship God and his heart during that period in harmony with God’s presence, and during the dedication of the temple, God’s glory overwhelmed the place (2 Chronicles 7: 1-3). There is no shortcut to holiness when we talk of faithfulness. However, despite Solomon’s magnificent temple, God still required that His people would present themselves before Him in humility and repentance from evil before He hears our prayers or fellowship which we further saw in 2 Chronicles 7:14 that God promised to only hear the people when they faithfully pray to Him).

God is seeking Christians to be fully aligned with His word because we are the church. The church seems to be becoming too apologetic in trying to gain social acceptance. The fear of not offending people might lead us to things that have brought a load of imperfection upon us. We have to stay faithful to God whether it is socially acceptable or not because Christ wants to present the Church to Himself as a perfect bride. We have to understand that as long as we fail to get serious with the business of holiness, the church stands the risk of becoming spiritually disabled with no power to command God’s kingdom on earth (Hebrews 12: 14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord), (Mathew 5: 8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God).

CONCLUSION
There is no shortcut to faithfulness and purity as two important variables in sustaining God’s presence. We need the grace of God to stay faithful to His word and not by our physical ability ( 1 Samuel 2:9 He will keep the feet of his holy ones, but the wicked shall be put to silence in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail). Holiness is possible, when we genuinely desire perfection and then allow God to fill us with grace for the race (Mathew 5: 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled). See also
“2 Corinthians 4: 17-18 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal”.
“Mathew 25: 21 His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness”.

It is God’s presence that guides us to work according to the pattern that He has set for us to follow. Faithfulness is like a mirror that reveals God’s purity in accordance with the Bible which overrides our perception of analyzing good and evil.

Contributor: Folashade Morakinyo

INTRODUCTION
Since the last two weeks, we have been learning about God’s divine faithfulness. Last week, the focus was on the sub topic: “promotion comes from God,” and why and how God promotes. Today, we will dig further to shed some light on what happens in God’s presence.
From the very beginning of mankind, God has desired for us to be in His presence (fellowship with man). In fact, that was the purpose for which man was created. God would come in the cool of the day to have fellowship with Adam (Gen. 1:26-30). Man enjoyed God’s presence regularly until the deceiver crept in and man had to hide, moving away from God’s presence (Gen. 3:1-6). Having fallen from that level of grace through disobedience, since then, man has to be more intentional if we want the warmth of fellowship and to be in God’s presence (Gen. 3:8). Why is this? God cannot behold iniquity/unrighteousness (Isaiah 59:1-2). Therefore, we must submit ourselves as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable (Rom. 12:1-2). May the Lord give us further understanding as we study today, in Jesus’ name.

Where is the Presence of God?
Presence is the state or fact of existing, occurring, or being present.

• God as Omnipresent (Psalms 139:7-8) - He created the whole world, the heavens, the earth, andother planets; He is everywhere - we can see His works.

• He resides in Heaven - He operates, exists, and has His throne in heaven (Rev. 4:2-3, Deut. 26:15,Isaiah 57:15); this is where His administration is. There, we are close to seeing Him in His form(Rev. 21:10).

• He is Spirit; therefore, He has the liberty to live inside anyone who believes in Him and has acceptedthe work of salvation that Jesus did (Romans 8:11, Colossians 1:27) - in the person of the Holy Spirit. As a result, we have His abilities, His greatness, and enjoy His goodness.

•God’s presence as a time of fellowship - personally, with family, in a group, and in the church.

Attributes of those who embody the presence of God
This section addresses the question: Who embodies the presence of God, or how can I be a carrier of God’s presence? (Gen. 39:1-3, Ps. 1:1-3).

• Joseph was a carrier of God’s presence: Gen.39:2-9: The Lord was with Joseph and he was a successful man.

• David was a carrier of God’s presence 1 Samuel 18:14: David succeeded in all he did because theLord was with him. 1 Samuel 23:4-5, 10-11; 1 Samuel 30:8-9; 2 Samuel 5:17-21: David constantlysought the Lord for strength, strategy, instructions, and victories. 2 Samuel 2:4; 2 Samuel 12:13; Psalm 51; Psalm 32: When David fell, he demonstrated true repentance and sought to restore his relationship with God.

• Moses was a carrier of God’s presence: Joshua 1:17: Moses led with God's guidance and presence. Numbers 12:3: Moses was known for his meekness. Exodus 33:11, 18-20: Moses sought God'spresence and guidance directly and intimately.

Blessings/fruits/Blessedness of carrying the presence of God
God is the Creator, He is Light, He is the Way. We cannot be carriers of God’s presence without our lives reflecting His abilities. There are fruits attached to carrying God’s presence: Pro. 3:33, Ps. 5:12, Pro. 10:6, Pro. 28:20, Pro. 12:2, Ps. 75:6-7, Job. 17:9, II Chr. 26:3-5, II Chr. 31:20-2.
Potiphar was blessed because the presence of a righteous man in his house focused God's attention on his estate. Meanwhile, Joseph obtained God's blessings in the form of favor and rapid promotion because he carried the presence of God. If we all are carriers of God’s presence, He will surely bless us because of His faithfulness (Psalm 37:23-40).

God’s Presence is Reciprocal

It is important that we remember that God’s Presence is Reciprocal. And that we can cultivate His presence.
James 4:8a: "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you"
John 14:23: "Jesus answered him, 'If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.'"
Matthew 18:20: "For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them."

CONCLUSION
A place is called the presence of God because God is already there. The invitation to God’s presence is for all; God desires this, which is why He created us in the first place. As we do away with sins that easily beset us and come boldly to His throne/presence, every aspect of our lives will bear fruit. God’s presence is reciprocal—meaning blessedness. "Abide in me, and I will abide in you. Just as the branch cannot produce fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me" (John 15:4).

Prayer: Father, take away anything hindering me from Your presence.

Contributor: Peter Folikwe

INTRODUCTION
Last week, our teacher and contributors at the day’s teaching highlighted the benefits that come with having “a closer walk with God”: the theme of our Bible study for this year. The study x-rayed God’s divine faithful benefits through ‘the law of harvest’.
In summary, the study elaborated on God’s faithfulness to keeping His promises, when we fulfil our part through righteousness and total obedience to God’s instructions.
In today’s Bible Study, we shall be reviewing the subtopic under God’s faithfulness - ‘Promotion comes from God’.

THE TRUTH ABOUT GOD’S PROMOTION
Before we delve into the anchor scripture for today, I want us to be guided by a statement of truth in Psalm 75:6-7 “For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. 7 But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.”
Meaning no one can promote you, except God. Promotion from any other source – the devil, leads to failure in the end.
Another truth is in Lamentations 3:which says 37 “Who is he who speaks and it comes to pass, When the Lord has not commanded it?”
Brethren, this passage reminds us to always boast in the Lord, not in our achievements in -It is by His mercies we are not consumed. life.
Finally, James 1:17 tells us that “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”
• this tells us that promotions or progresses we make in life are gifts from God. He never waivers. He stands by His promise.
• As the unwavering, dependable and reliable God, once you meet His conditions for promotion, He will promote you.

WHY AND HOW DOES GOD PROMOTE? A CASE STUDY OF JOSEPH
1. Life Without Bitterness.
Gen 39:1-6 tells us that:
The Lord was with Joseph in Egypt because He led him there in the first place. After Joseph’s dreams that he innocently relayed to his brethren, his environment became toxic unknowingly to him. His brothers planned his death which eventually led him to becoming a slave in a foreign land, but he was not bitter at all. He became a candidate of God’s blessings and promotion.

Gen 50:19-20:

• By this time he was the Prime minister of the most powerful and influential country in the world at the time.
• He could have chosen to dissociate himself from his family and hid his identity.
• Not only was he not bitter, he forgave with ease.
• In one of Pastor’s teachings, he noted that the first thing Joseph would have requested soon as he became prime mister was to demand for Potiphar’s wife to tell the truth and offer a public apology. But he did not. Potiphar’s wife lived and died with a wounded conscience.
• Hebrews 12:14-us to admonishes 15 pursue peace with all people…….lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled.
• Bitterness is birthed when we are in contention with people. It develops stubborn roots when we harbour unforgiving in our hearts towards same people.

2. Righteous Living:

• Ps. 1:1-3 - Joseph’s righteous lifestyle kept him overcoming every huddle of life he had to pass through. He refused to deny God.
• In Gen 39:9 Joseph told his master’s wife “There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back anything from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? “  
  • Here he turned down the enticing offer of his bosses wife, focusing more on his right standing with God than offending his master.
• His brothers ought to be happy for him and encourage him, instead they detested him and hated him. This is common in the world we live today.
• Cain orchestrated similar behaviour towards Abel in Gen 4:8-9.
• Potiphar was blessed because of the presence of a righteous man - Joseph, in his household. This focused the attention of God on his estate.
• Proverbs 10:6 The righteous will be unable to hide God’s blessings/ promotions because it will be in the glare view of all, but shame will keeps the mouth of the wicked/sinner shut. As a slave, Joseph was uniquely favoured by his master. Even in prison Joseph was a superstar.
• II Chronicles 26:3-5. Similar to Joseph was the young king Uzziah, whose reign was interrupted for 52 years simply because he made God his priority in all his decisions.
• II Chronicles 31:20-21. King Hezekiah also prospered because he diligently obeyed God’s commandment and sought the face God before embarking on any plan.
• Proverbs 3:33 “The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked, But He says comes under the curse of God An entire household blesses the home of the just.”. Conversely, blessings pursue and overtake a home ways because a man’s wicked where justice and equity prevails.

3. Focus on God’s Gifts With Patience:

• Joseph unwaveringly held unto his dreams and aspirations to the end despite consistent pitfalls along the way.
• He was not deterred despite being thrown into a dry well, sold to slavery in Egypt and thrown into prison. He lived his dreams; dreaming all-over again and again.
• Joseph looked up to God, just as we are admonished in Heb. 12:2 “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” He relied on God’s blessings and not that of man. Many are today men-pleasers with eyeservice, sycophants satisfied with prises from men.
• 1Pet 1:7 states “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:” Reward for honest service to God is promotion here on earth and a crown of glory after our earthly sojourn. 1Pet 5:4.
• It takes a lot of perseverance and patience to wait on God sometimes. But 2Pet 1:5-7 admonishes us to be patient and godly; and also have brotherly kindness and charity

GOD IS STILL IN THE BUSINESS OF PROMOTING

• Psalms 113:7-says “He raises the poor out of the dust, And lifts the needy out of 9With the princes of His people. —the ash heap, That He may seat him with princesHe grants the barren woman a home, Like a joyful mother of children. Praise the Lord!”
• He specializes in turning things around.
• The poor and down trodden written off by men are elevated unto enviable positions in life by God. The barren is made mother of children.
• Song: I can see everything turning around….
• Psalms 37:25 “I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread.”
• Proverbs 12:2 “A good man obtains favor from the Lord, But a man of wicked intentions He will condemn.”
• Psalms 112:2-1 ““Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, Who delights greatly in His commandments. 2 His descendants will be mighty on earth; The generation of the upright will be blessed.”

CONCLUSION:
Enduring promotion is the reward for consistent commitment to God’s will and purpose for our lives. Anyone who lives outside of God’s will and purpose and seem to be enjoying the worlds promotion is simply being set-up by the devil for filure.

Contributor: Isekhua Evborokhai

INTRODUCTION
From today and to the end of this year’s Bible Study, themed “A Closer walk with God.” We will be studying the various benefits we get from walking with the Father. There are several of these benefits such as God’s Divine Faithfulness which we will consider for this month under various sub topics, starting with the sub topic, “Law of the Harvest”. Our God is a faithful God. Psalm 100:5 tells us that His faithfulness continues through all generations, and part of the faithfulness of God is demonstrated in the fulfilment of the law of the harvest.
Today’s study will be divided into two parts. Part 1 will look at the Faithfulness of God and Part 2 will look at the Law of the Harvest and its relationship with God’s faithfulness.

PART 1
One of the core characteristics of God is that He is faithful. This is one aspect of Him that He has never showed the opposite of to date, despite our response to it. Others are His righteousness and His holiness.
2 Timothy 2:13 says: “if we are faithless, he remains faithful—for he cannot deny himself.”

A Few Scriptures that testify of His Faithfulness
• Psalm 36:5: “Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds.”
• Lamentations 3:22-23: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
• Revelation 19:11: “Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war.”
• Matthew 5:45: “so that you may [show yourselves to] be the children of your Father who is in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on those who are evil and on those who are good, and makes the rain fall on the righteous [those who are morally upright] and the unrighteous [the unrepentant, those who oppose Him]. AMP
It is because God is consistently faithful that we can come to Him in prayers.
• Isaiah 45:19 says: “I have not spoken in secret, In a corner of a land of darkness; I did not say to the descendants of Jacob, ‘Seek Me in vain [with no benefit for yourselves].’ I, the Lord, speak righteousness [the truth—trustworthy, a straightforward correlation between deeds and words], Declaring things that are upright". AMP
• Hebrews 10:23 says, "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful."

God is faithful to:
1. His Promises: God's promises are certain and reliable. Numbers 23:19 says, "God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?" See also 1 John 1:9 (Forgiveness of sin), Psalm 91:4 (Protection)

2. His Covenant: The Bible records God's covenant with His people, showcasing His steadfastness. Deut. 7:9 says, "Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments".

PART 2
The law of the harvest was established in Genesis 8:22 after Noah’s flood.
“While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, Cold and heat, Winter and summer, And day and night Shall not cease.”

The Bible tells us in Genesis 12:1 that Isaac sowed in that land (where there was famine) and reaped in the same year a hundredfold.

Scriptures that validate the Law of Harvest
• Galatians 6:7-8: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting”
• 2 Corinthians 9:6: “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.”

However, a very important point to note is that the faithfulness of the Lord implies that both the positive and negative outcomes are an assurance when it comes to reaping the harvest of the type of seed sown.

1. Seedtime and Harvest – For He that Soweth to his flesh.
To sow to the flesh means cultivating and developing our sinful desires, it is to do evil or participate in any form of wickedness.
• Proverbs 22:8 “Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity, and the rod of his fury will fail.”
• Job 4:8 “As I have seen, those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same.”
• Hosea 8:7a “For they sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind.”

There are several examples of people who sowed to the flesh and reaped corruption. But we will look at only two.

a) David and Bathsheba. 2 Samuel 11-12.
David commits adultery with Bathsheba and arranges the death of her husband Uriah. The child born from the affair dies, and David's family faces turmoil and rebellion.
2 Samuel 12:10 “'Therefore the sword will never leave your household, because you have despised me by taking the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.'

b) Gehazi 2Kings 5
Gehazi goes after Naaman in response to the desires of his flesh (greed). The outcome was leprosy for him and his generation.
Verse 27 says: “27 Naaman’s leprosy will cling to you and to your descendants forever.” Then Gehazi went from Elisha’s presence and his skin was leprous—it had become as white as snow.”
• Discussion: Give other examples – Biblical and present day

2. Seedtime and Harvest – But he that soweth to the Spirit.
To sow to the Spirit is to obey God’s Words, setting our “minds on things above, not on earthly things”
Luke 6:38 “Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

a) Jonathan, Saul’s Son. 2 Samuel 9:1-13
The seed Jonathan sowed, was reaped by his unfortunate son.
In his covenant with Jonathan, David had promised to show loyalty to Jonathan’s family (1 Sam.18:3).
In this story, David shows kindness to Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth. Verse 13 says: “So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he ate always at the king’s table.”

b) Dorcas raised from the dead. Acts 9:36-42
The good seed Dorcas sowed was instrumental to her being brought back from the dead. Dorcas was known for her good works and acts of charity, particularly for making clothing for widows and the poor. She fell sick and died but was raised from the dead by Peter. In verse 39 we are told that all the widows stood near him, weeping and showing him tunics and garments— all-that Dorcas was making while being with them.

• Discussion: Give other examples – Biblical and present day

CONCLUSION
God's divine faithfulness is one of the cornerstones of a Believer’s faith, it offers us confidence in His unchanging nature and unwavering commitment to His word. Throughout the Bible, God's faithfulness is portrayed as a fundamental aspect of His relationship with humanity, providing assurance and hope in His eternal and dependable love. So we can bank on His faithfulness but be very aware that in relationship to the law of harvest, He is also unwavering to ensure that it is whatever we sow, that we will reap.
However, with the law of the harvest, there is a multiplier effect, what you reap is usually more than what you sow! Whether positive or negative. Isaac reaped one hundred times what he sowed, the Bible tells us that when we give, the return is good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over. Gehazi’s entire generation became cursed with leprosy. And the Bible also tells us that those who sow the wind, shall reap the whirlwind.
As we walk with the Almighty God, we must heed Galatians 6:9 that tells us not to be weary in well doing, because such faithfulness is one way to guarantee His faithfulness. Psalm 18:25a says: “To the faithful you show yourself faithful”.

Contributor: Isekhua Evborokhai

INTRODUCTION
Since the beginning of this month, we have been considering the Word of God and how the knowledge and understanding of the Word can enable us walk more closely with God. We have looked at: The Person, The Purpose, The Power and today, we are considering The Testimony. Ephesians 4:1 tells us that we should walk worthy and today’s study points us in the right direction. The Word of God holds the blueprint of our lives and is the ultimate foundational guide for believers seeking a closer walk with God. Psalm 119:105 says: “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”

Why the Word? Read Psalm 19:7-11

The revelation of God is whole and pulls our lives together. The signposts of God are clear and point out the right road. The life-maps of God are right, showing the way to joy. The directions of God are plain and easy on the eyes. God’s reputation is twenty-four-carat gold, with a lifetime guarantee. The decisions of God are accurate down to the nth degree. (MSG)

The testimony of the Scriptures is all about Jesus. Jesus Himself, declared that they testified of Him.

• Luke 24:44: “He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”
• John 1:45: “Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
• Hebrews 10:7: “Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.”

In John Chapter 5, from verse 31, Jesus speaking to the Pharisees revealed the four-fold testimony of who He was.

1. The Testimony of John (Verses 32-35)
"There is another who bears witness of Me, and I know that the testimony which he bears of Me is true. You have sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. But the witness which I receive is not from man, but I say these things that you might be saved. He was the lamp that was burning and was shining, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light."

The first testimony Jesus considers is that of John the Baptist. These people knew John well, and evidently respected him greatly, though perhaps grudgingly. John had been sent to precede the Messiah and to identify Him when He arrived.
Concerning Jesus, John "bore witness of Him", saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me" (John 1:15) and in John 1:36, "And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God!”. John was a no nonsense fellow. He was strong and determined, faithfully committed to his task. Every one of his day even slightly knowledgeable of John knew this about him, so John's testimony carried much weight, but not as much as the next witness Jesus calls.

2. The Testimony of the Works (Verse 36)
"But the witness which I have is greater than that of John; for the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish, the very works that I do, bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me."

Jesus invited the skeptics to consider the miracles He had done and which they had witnessed with their own eyes. Nicodemus, one of the leaders of the Pharisees, was of the minority opinion that Jesus was from God because, as he put it, "no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with Him." (John 3:2). How sad that most of the rest of Nicodemus' associates rejected Jesus in spite of all the evidence provided. Human stubbornness can sometimes cause very foolish behaviours.
Jesus often alluded to the miracles He performed as being undeniable testimonies that He was the Son of God. John 10:25. “Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me”

3. The Testimony of the Father (Verse 37)
"And the Father who sent Me has borne witness of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form."
The Father on several occasions audibly identified Jesus as His Son. At Jesus' baptism, the Father announced, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased." (Matthew 3:17). Later, at the transfiguration, the same statement is made with the added admonition: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!” (Mark 9:7).

4. The Testimony of the Scriptures (Verses 38-40)
"And you do not have His word abiding in you, for you do not believe Him who He has sent. You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that bear witness of Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me that you may have life."
As a final witness, Jesus refers to the ancient Scriptures. These are filled with prophecies which Jesus was fulfilling daily.
One scholar, J. Barton Payne, found as many as 574 verses in the Old Testament that somehow references Jesus. Alfred Edersheim found 456 Old Testament verses referring to Him or His times. In His earthly ministry, Jesus fulfilled at least 300 prophecies.
Though familiar with the Scriptures, the Pharisees rejected the One of whom they spoke so plainly. This tells us that it takes more than being able to memorize and recite various passages; we must apply these things to our hearts and lives else the searching and knowing is wasted. We can claim that we honor Christ, but when it comes to applying His teachings, we dishonour Him by disobeying the Word. Consequently, by not truly coming to Jesus in humble obedience, one cannot have eternal life. “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.”

Why is Revelation Important for Our Walk with God?
The first three chapters of the book of Ephesians is centred around our eyes being opened to understanding who we are in Christ.
In Chapter 1:17-18, Paul prayed for the Ephesians and consequently you and I that the eyes of our understanding may be enlightened. This means that our walk with God will no longer be as one who gropes in darkness. Ephesians 4:20-24 tells us that our way of life changed when we heard about Christ and taught the truth that is in Him and to put on the new self. People who know their position in Christ, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness, a new identity understood by revelation. The new self does not walk in darkness, but in the light!

CONCLUSION
The Word of God testifies to its own power, its truth, and authority. Through its pages, believers find guidance, wisdom, nourishment, correction, and the message of salvation. It stands as a timeless testament to God's love, grace, and faithfulness throughout history.
Jesus Himself, His life, teachings, and actions, bear witness to the truth of who He is—the Son of God, the Saviour of humanity, and the embodiment of God's love and redemption. When Jesus said “you shall know the truth and the truth will set you free” in John 8:32, He was not referring to any truth, but Himself. You must have found out some truth that made your heart heavy right? It didn’t set you free, did it? That is why it is only the Truth that sets us free not any other truth. In John 14: 6 “Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” He is the Truth and that is the Testimony.

Contributor: Ngozi Roberts

INTRODUCTION
In the previous week, our study centred around the concept of Purpose as revealed in the Word of God. Our discussion led us to the realization that individuals who are considered wise are those who adjust their focus to align with Christ and establish habits that aid them in following the path of righteousness, guiding others to do the same. This truth was illustrated to us through the analogy of the essential characteristics of life, such as the ability to metabolize, grow, respond to stimuli, and reproduce. As we continue our exploration into the Word of God, we are delving deeper today into the topic of the Power contained within the Word of God.

John 1:3 : “All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.”
Read Genesis 1:1-5 (KJV)

The Bible is inspired and God-breathed, making it a living and active force in the believer’s life. Hebrew 4:12 confirms this -12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
The transformative power of the Bible is renowned for its ability to change lives, provide guidance to believers, and unveil hidden wisdom. It possesses the remarkable capacity to heal, restore, and bring prosperity. In this session, we will explore deeper into the profound impact of the Word of God and discover how we can enhance our spiritual journey through its extraordinary power.

Believing in the Word of God / Value of the Word of God
In order for us to truly understand the significance of the word of God in our lives, it is essential for a believer to have faith in the power of the word itself. This belief stems from the understanding that the word of God has the transformative ability to shape individuals when embraced. In the Gospel of John (1:11-13), it is stated that Jesus came to His own people, but they did not accept Him. However, those who did receive Him were granted the right to become children of God through faith in His name. This transformation is not based on genetical lineage or human will, but on the divine will of God.

It is important to note that receiving the word of God is a choice that can also be rejected. Those who do choose to receive it are given the power to change and grow. Just like Saul became Paul through a process in the kingdom, individuals can be transformed by the word of God if they are willing to engage in this process. The word of God holds immense value, as seen in the opening verses of the Gospel of John (1:1-3), where it is emphasized that the Word was with God and was God. This indicates that everything was created through the Word, highlighting its vital role in the existence of all things.

In essence, the Word of God is a powerful tool that can bring forth destinies, lives, and the formation of individuals. Understanding and embracing the word of God provides individuals with the ability to create and shape their lives according to His will. Therefore, recognizing the creative power of the word is essential in experiencing the transformative impact it can have. So with this understanding, let us have a peep into the creative Power of the word.

The Creative Power of God’s Word
By utilizing the power of God's Word, believers have been granted the ability to create in both the spiritual and physical realms. This divine authority bestows upon us the dominion to speak things into existence, to command life itself, and to operate in a realm that surpasses the understanding of spiritual entities.
This process is not instantaneous, as God does not perform magical tricks. Rather, it requires our active participation and faith. Through a gradual process of learning and understanding His Word, we can begin to witness the manifestation of His promises in our lives.
For example, the blessings spoken of in Isaiah 60:5, where abundance and wealth are promised, are not merely material possessions. Instead, they symbolize the spiritual riches and joy that come from aligning ourselves with God's will.
Similarly, the wealth mentioned in Isaiah 61 is not physical wealth that can be seen with the naked eye. It is a spiritual blessing that must be believed and received in the heavenly realm before manifesting in the physical world.
Just as a tree must take root before bearing fruit, so too must we allow God's blessings to take root in our lives. This may require patience, but the outcome will be worth the wait.

Disruptions to the Creative Power of the Word
Understanding the duration it takes for the creative power of the word to manifest depends on how deeply rooted the word is within the believer. It is crucial for the believer to acknowledge that the devil's main aim is to prevent the Word from taking root in their heart. The devil will go to great lengths to manipulate circumstances in order to distract the believer and shake their faith in the Word, ultimately robbing them of their blessings.
Satan thrives in the realm of senses and he is skilled in distorting reality to cast doubt on what God is doing in the believer's life. When a person relies solely on their natural perception, Satan will attempt to deceive them and discredit the work of God. However, when one wholeheartedly believes in the truth and power of the Word, they can confidently declare their faith and trust in what is promised, even if it is not physically evident at the moment. This act of unwavering faith is a way of outsmarting the devil.
In the Parable of the Sower Explained – Matthew 13:1-23 we see the devil all over the believer trying a way to make sure he does not receive the word of God fully but in verse 23 - But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”

Power in the Spoken Word of God
The spoken Word of God also holds immense power, capable of bringing about incredible miracles beyond understanding. It is through this divine Word that the entire universe was created, as stated in 2nd Peter 3:5. In Matthew 8:8, a centurion humbly recognizes the authority of Jesus by stating his unworthiness for a personal visit, yet believing in the command of Jesus for his servant's healing. God also communicates through His chosen messengers, known as genuine servants who spread His Word. Those seeking to witness miracles in their lives are encouraged to discern and follow these authentic representatives of God. The Bible in 2nd Chronicles 20:20b says: “Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.”

How then do you identify a word as being genuinely spoken by God through His servants?

The Bible, as the written word, serves as a confirmation and should be in harmony with spoken word as mentioned in John 16:13 and Galatians 1:8. It is crucial to verify that the source of the spoken word is pure and directly from God before embracing it. By doing so, one can open themselves up to receiving the desired miracles from God, in accordance with Psalm 107:20 which states, “He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.”
Undoubtedly, the word of God spoken by his authentic messengers holds great power. This power can bring about either positive or negative outcomes, depending on how we respond to it. Therefore, it is important to exercise discernment and wisdom in order to ensure that the spoken word has a positive impact on our lives. It is therefore, essential to align the written and spoken word, believe in the purity of the message, and approach it with wisdom to experience the positive effects of the word of God.

1. Spoken Word, Working Positively
The spoken Word of God which came to the widow of Zarephath through Elijah in 1st Kings 17:14 is a case in point; it says: “For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth.”
We see the power in this spoken word, working positively in 1st King 17:16: “And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah.”

2. Spoken Word, Working Negatively
Elijah spoke concerning the shameful death of the wicked King Ahab in 1st King 21:19 and the wonder-working power of the spoken word produced the negative effect of Ahab’s death in 1st Kings 22:38.

1. Attributes of the Power in the Word of God
a) Transformation:
Acts 20:32 KJV: And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.

The Word of God is powerful enough to uplift and change us fundamentally. It holds the ability to transform our hearts and lead us to a meaningful life. Just like Isaiah 55:11 mentions, God's word will never return void but will fulfil His will and achieve the purpose for which it was sent. One effective way to experience this transformation is through the gathering of believers, as Hebrews 10:25 advises us not to neglect the fellowship of fellow believers but to encourage one another especially as the coming of the Lord draws near.

This gathering is ordained by God to provide an opportunity for us to encounter His Spirit and understand His ways. It is a chance to witness and experience the divine power among His people, revealing the endless possibilities of what God can do through us. Therefore, we must resist any distractions that divert our focus from the deep message in His word and embrace the teachings and blessings that come with being part of believers.

The Word of God is the foundation that constructs and assigns roles to individuals in their spheres of influence. Each of us will hold a position through the word of God as evidence of our resilience in our relationship with God. It all begins with our love for God and gradually leads us to pursue Him with unwavering faith. God then allows us to experience various stages of growth and transformation until we reach our ultimate purpose. It is our perseverance that propels us towards our ultimate destination. Therefore, we must cultivate a deep appreciation for the word of God. Through this transformation, we start to realize our true potential. As believers, we are unable to maximize our potential without the divine power of the word, which brought everything into existence. Disobeying God's word is akin to placing oneself in harmful ways. Those who defy His teachings will only cause chaos for themselves now and in the hereafter. Just as a machine malfunctions when used incorrectly, going against the word of God will lead to destruction.

2. Restorative and Curative Power of the Word
Given that all things were created by the powerful word of God, it is evident that this word has the ability to mend and renew the things it brought into existence. The book of Psalms, in chapter 107
verse 20, highlights the healing and delivering power of God's Word:

"He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions."

It is therefore not surprising that God places great importance on following His word. The book of Genesis, in chapter 1 verse 2, illustrates that before God's creative word went into action, the earth was formless, empty, and chaotic. However, with the mighty power of His word, the earth took shape. This teaches us that when we feel hopeless and life seems directionless, allowing God's word to work in our lives will bring about positive change. When God commanded light to exist, light appeared. Those who live by God's word do not dwell in darkness, as Jesus is the Word of God and the Light of the world (John 8:12). When Jesus enters your life, emptiness is replaced with fulfilment. For individuals struggling with depression and mental health issues, who may have never experienced joy, allowing Jesus, the living word of God, to reside within them will cure and restore them.

b) The Power of the Word of God Brings Wealth
Read Luke 5:4-7
So as a fisherman, Peter laboured all through the night, without catching any fish, but when he allowed Jesus into his boat, he had a net-breaking and boat-sinking catch of fish in the same place where he had earlier laboured and caught nothing. It is indeed God who gives power to get wealth, and this power is in His word (Deuteronomy 8:18, Joshua 1:8).
18 But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.

The light that God’s Word gives is available to anyone groping in darkness. Remember, darkness is harmful, and so we need the light of God’s word to illuminate our paths so that we do not stumble or fall in a ditch. Psalm 119:105 says: “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”

• Revelation: The Word of God reveals things we could not know otherwise, such as the nature of God, the origin of the world, the reason for human sinfulness, and what happens after death – In the book of revelation 1: 19 19 Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;

• Authority: Scripture is seen as the ultimate authority, useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16). 16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

• Conviction: The Word of God convicts people of sin and points them to God’s grace and redemption through Christ. In John 16:8 8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

• Guidance: It serves as a guide for living a life that is pleasing to God, offering wisdom and direction for every situation. In Prov. 20:24 24 Man's goings are of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way?

• Endurance: The teachings of the Bible have endured through centuries, influencing countless lives and shaping societies. In Isaiah 42:16 - 16 And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.

• Sanctification: “That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word” (Eph 5:26)

CONCLUSION
The power of the Word of God often emphasizes its ability to transform lives, guide believers, and reveal divine truths. Brethren, let us embrace the infallible word of God today, and it will do us good. God bless!

Contributor: Esther Alajiki

INTRODUCTION
Life is the quality that distinguishes a vital and functional being from a dead body. A principle or force that is considered to underlie the distinctive quality of animate beings. An organismic state Characterized by Capacity for Metabolism, Growth, Reaction to Stimuli, And Reproduction.

John 1:4-5
“4 In Him was LIFE [and the power to bestow life], and the life was the LIGHT of men. 5 The Light shines on in the darkness, and the darkness did not understand it or overpower it or appropriate it or absorb it [and is unreceptive to it]. AMP

In Jesus we have the embodiment of both life and light. The word John uses for life is Zoe this refers to life as God has it. The essence of life not limited by time or death. John uses this word light 21 times in His Gospel. Jesus said on two occasions, "I am the light of the world" (John 8:12, 9:5 NIV).

The Rabbis used light as a name for the Messiah that was promised to come. Reference to Jesus as the light is the proclamation of His divine identity and mission – as the long awaited Messiah also meaning that Jesus is God.

Jesus has brought us physical life but He wants to give us eternal life. John 3:16 and abundant life John 10:10 - life beyond our wildest dreams. “In Him we live and move and have our being”. Jesus is the True Life, he is the source of spiritual life. He is the true vine (Jn15:1). We need to be attached to him to be alive spiritually (Eph2:1.) We get attached to Him as we listen to His Words. We need to remain in Him to stay alive spiritually. We remain in Jesus not just by going to church, but as we personally remain in His Words and in His love (Jn15:7,9). Just as a branch draws on the vine’s life source, we need to depend on Jesus personally and draw on the source of spiritual life that only He can give and apart from Him we can do nothing (Jn15:5b).

Life and light is possible only for those who believe in the name of Jesus Christ, following the ways of the world is death. His life is light because it shows us where we came from and where we’re going back to. His life is light because it gives us hope in a world full of darkness. His light gives us life.
I John 5:11-13 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.

“The life was the light of men” As Light He gives us sight. (Jn 12:46, John 9:39). Once again, Jesus spoke to the people and said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life." John 8:12. Jesus brings us the light that restores us from spiritual death and darkness John 9:39. The real blind are those who think they see outside of Jesus’ light.

While on manoeuvres, a battleship lookout noted a light in the dark, foggy night. After noting the light's coordinates, the captain recognized his ship was on a collision course with the other vessel. The captain instructed, "Signal the ship: We are on a collision course; advise you change course 20 degrees." The return signal countered, "Advisable for you to change course 20 degrees." The captain signalled, "I'm a captain, change course 20 degrees." The response was, "I'm a seaman second class, you'd better change your course 20 degrees." By this time the captain was furious. His signal curtly ordered, "I'm a battleship. Change course 20 degrees." The reply: "I'm a lighthouse. You make your decision."

Discussion: Characteristics of having life

• Capacity for Metabolism - ingestion, digestion absorption and excretion
• Growth – developing into maturity is what guarantees bearing of fruits
• Reaction to Stimuli – living in the world and not conforming to the world
• Reproduction – Making disciples and increasing the kingdom

John 3:19 "And this is the verdict: The Light has come into the world, but men loved the darkness rather than the Light because their deeds were evil."

CONCLUSION
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Follow thou Me. I am the way, the truth, and the life. John 14:6
“MY CHILD, the more you depart from yourself, the more you will be able to enter into Me. As the giving up of exterior things brings interior peace, so the forsaking of self unites you to God. I will have you learn perfect surrender to My will, without contradiction or complaint. Follow Me. I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Without the Way, there is no going. Without the Truth, there is no knowing. Without the Life, there is no living. I am the Way which you must follow, the Truth which you must believe, the Life for which you must hope. I am the inviolable Way, the infallible Truth, the unending Life. I am the Way that is straight, the supreme Truth, the Life that is true, the blessed, the uncreated Life. If you abide in My Way you shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall make you free, and you shall attain life everlasting. (Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis)
Wise people realign their priorities to Christ and develop disciplines that will help them to pursue the light and bring others to the light.

Contributor: Wale Abiona

INTRODUCTION
Last week’s study demonstrated to us that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the Word, the Word is life and spirit. The Word knows everything about the Father and reveals deep mysteries of God to us. By the Word we understand the Love of the Father, demonstrated through the Son. We concluded with the question “do you love the Word?”
In today’s study we want to show how Jesus Christ, the Word, and God are the same through biblical instances and see if “the Word” is an appropriate description of God.
John 1:1
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God”

Jesus Christ, the Word, and God are the same.
The following scriptures quoted of God and spoken by Christ show that both are the same. They bear the same Name and have the same glory, the same wisdom and knowledge.

John 17:5 - And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.

1 Corinthians 1:24 - but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

Colossians 2:2-3 - that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Biblical Instances
In the following Bible passages, God appeared in Word-Form
1. In the burning bush Exodus 3:3-4
2. On mount Horeb 1 Kings 19:12-13
3. On the road to Damascus Acts 3:3-4

Is “the Word” an appropriate description of God?
There may be some, who consider “the Word” not to be an appropriate description of God. Indeed, the Word is an appropriate description of God.
• The Word is inexhaustible, and God is infinite. Romans 11:33
• The Word is visible, so is God. Hebrews 11:2-4
• The Word is a mystery and God is unsearchable. Job 11:7; Job 23:8-9.
• All great decisions are expressed or executed by the written or spoken Word, and God is the great Decider who created things by His spoken Word. Deut.32:39
• The word comes from the hidden parts of man and God knows even the hidden thoughts of man. 1 Chronicles 28:9
• The Word fills the world and still resides in man, so is God. Genesis 1:3-26; 2:7 Then God said, “Let there be light, a firmament, Let the waters under the heavens be gathered, Let the earth bring forth grass, Let the earth bring forth the living creature and Let Us make man in Our image. Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. John 15:4

CONCLUSION
Now that we have seen why God chose the title “the Word” there remains one pertinent question: how can we walk with an unseen friend?
Genesis 6:9 gives us the clue. Do you want to walk with God? Are you determined to live a perfect life? Let us talk to the “Word” about it.

Contributor: Tobi Morakinyo

INTRODUCTION
The phrase "the Word of God" or "the Word of the Lord" has a number of different meanings in Scripture: (1) The spoken Word of God – personally spoken by God when addressing humans (Genesis 2:16-17), making a decree (e.g., Genesis 1:1-3), or spoken through His prophets/priests or Jesus Christ. (2) The written Word of God - has divine inspiration but human authorship, e.g., the Bible and Spirit-inspired books (2 Timothy 3:16-17). (3) Incarnate or The living Word of God i.e. The Word - This is the Word of God made flesh and lived among us (human), that is Jesus Christ, and this is who we will be studying more closely. May the Word Himself speak to our hearts tonight in His Name. Amen.

The Word and the Spirit
• Who is the Word? John 1:1-2. Jesus is the word of God, and a man is known by His words.
• How can we explain that Jesus is the Son of God? John 1:14. Jesus has a divine, incorruptible, and eternal origin, he existed at the beginning with God, the glory He showed is not ordinary but divine as of the begotten of the Father.
• How do we account for the Holy Spirit in the Trinity? I John 5:7. The Holy Spirit is the Breath of God and both the Holy Spirit, and the Word quickens.
• How then is Jesus equal to the Holy Spirit? John 6:63, Psalms 119:50. The Word and the Holy Spirit are the same.
• How do we know that Holy Spirit loves Jesus? John 16:13-14. We know that the Holy Spirit loves Christ because He glorifies Him.

The Unchanging Word
• Can God’s Word change? Isaiah 40:8. God’s word cannot change because Christ, the Word, changes not and is eternal.
• Give some of His unchangeable Words? Isaiah 9:6, Hebrew 13:8, Isaiah 53:5,Acts 1:8,and John 9:31. Some of His unchangeable words are that we are already healed, the Holy Ghost is available for us to empower us, and sinner’s prayers will not be answered unless they repent.

Result of the Word of God being from the beginning?
• What are some of the results of the facts that “the Word was with God from the beginning? John 14:8-11, John 9:4 , John 14:24, Matthew 11:27, John 17:25, John 3:35, John 17:26. The outcome of the Word being with God from the beginning includes:

(a) Intimacy in outlook in works and words

(b) deep and total knowledge of each other and

(c) deep love and trust of each other.

• How can we know the mysteries of God? We can know the mysteries of God by

(a) Revelation (Amos 3:7)

(b) nearness to Christ, the Word (John 15:15), and

(c) through the baptism in the Holy Spirit (1 Cor.2:9-10)

• How can we demonstrate our love for the Word? John 14:21, Matt.5:16, John 15:8, John 4:24.

We too can demonstrate our love for Christ by keeping His commandments and glorying Him

CONCLUSION
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the Word, the Word is life and spirit. The Word knows everything about the Father and reveals deep mysteries of God to man. And you know that the Word loves you, but do you love the Word? Do you glorify Him in your words, thoughts, and deeds? Would you love to start doing so from now on?

Contributor: Wilson Imade

INTRODUCTION
In the previous study we studies about the power of God. This week, we want to study about His wisdom because power can be dangerous in the hand of a fool. There are all sorts of wisdom but true, pure beneficial and divinely approved wisdom comes from God only, Daniel 2:20.
“20 Daniel answered and said: “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, For wisdom and might are His. 21 And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise And knowledge to those who have understanding. 22 He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, And light dwells with Him.”

1.DIVINE WISDOM IS A GOLD MINE
The spirit of the Lord that gives power is also the same that gives wisdom, understanding, knowledge and the fear of God. However, the scriptures confirm that Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. This proves that the holy spirit and Jesus Christ are one and there is only one God. The wisdom of God is like gold mine the deeper you dig, the richer you become. Which implies that the more you know of Christ, the wiser you become because Jesus Christ is that " Gold mine" Isa.11:2, 1Cor.1:24

2.BUT THE HIGHEST WORDLY WISDOM FALLS SHORT OF THE "FOLLY" OF GOD
The wisdom is of this world is foolishness with God because (i) they are based on vanity and pursue vanity (ii) it eventually leads to destruction, so that what men call the foolishness of God is still wiser than the wisdom of men. For one thing, God can destroy the wisdom of men, but men cannot destroy the wisdom of God. Worldly wisdom is sensual and devilish, but divine wisdom is pure, peaceful, gentle, patient, merciful, good, impartial and straightforward. 1 cor.3:19-20, 1 Cor.1:25, Isa.29:14, Jer.4:22, Jam.3:15-17, Rom.1:22

3.TRUE WISDOM IS A VERY PRECIOUS GIFT FROM GOD
True wisdom is worth more than gold, silver, pearls, and rubies. That is why Divine wise man is a happy man. True wisdom is in the same category as light, which is understandable since Jesus the wisdom of God, is also the light of the world. A wise man is stronger than them mighty men, hence when God gives a man wisdom; no one will be able to resist him. Consequently, if you cannot get anything else from God be
sure you get wisdom from Him. Job 28:12-19, Prov.8:11, Eccl.2:13, Eccl.7:12, Eccl.2:26, Luke 21:15, Dan.2:21, James 1:5, Prov.4:7

4.IT IS EASY TO RECOGNISE A MAN WHO LACKS WISDOM
Some of the signs of a man devoid of wisdom are (i) unwillingness to acknowledge God as Supreme, (ii) inability to accept correction, (vi) love of arguments, (vii) meddling in other people's affairs, (viii) trusting his own abilities, (ix) acquiring wealth by fraudulent means, (x) crookedness or hypocrisy, and (xi) living as if everything ends in this world. Ps.53:1, Prov.10:18, Prov.14:9, Prov.19:6, Prov.20:3, Jer.17:11, Luke 11:39-40

5.IT IS ALSO EASY TO RECOGNISE A WISE MAN
Some of the signs of a wise man are (i) he fears God, (ii) he puts into practice whatsoever he learns from the scriptures, (iii) he searches the scriptures constantly to discover how God wants him to live, (iv) he is a man of few words (v) he is considered a fool by those who have worldly wisdom. Job28:28, 32:7, Matt.7:24, I Cor.2:6, I Cor.12:8, I Cor.3:18, II Tim.3:15, Eccl.5:3,Pro.15:2, Prov.12:23.

6.GOD'S TRAP FOR THE WORLDY WISE IS THEIR WISDOM
God's way of catching the wise man of this world is by turning their wisdom to foolishness, spoiling their grand designs while God ultimately has the last laugh. Examples in the bible include Samson versus the Philistines, David versus Goliath, King Saul and the witch of Endor, David versus Nathan, Haman versus Mordecai, the case of Gehazi and Saul's journey to Damascus. Judges 16:23-24, Isaiah 17:43-51, Isa.28:7-19, Isa.12:14, Esther 7:9-10, II kings 5:20-27, Acts 1:7-22. Are you on His side or in His trap.

CONCLUSION
To become a wise man or woman we must become “a fool” in the hand of God.1st Corinthians 1:24-28 tells us that God chooses the foolish things of this world to confound the wise. Matthew 7:24- 27 tells us the difference between a wise and a foolish man. Therefore we must choose to obey and do whatever God says so that we can be counted as wise.

Contributor: Clem Roberts

INTRODUCTION
"The Power of God" is an immensely profound and multifaceted concept that holds deep significance across all spheres. Numerous individuals assert to possess power, yet their claims are deceptive. Some contend that governmental authority holds sway, but this notion is misguided. Others proclaim that Satan wields power, yet this assertion is unfounded. In truth, there exists only one being vested with true power, and that being is none other than God Almighty, as affirmed in Psalm 62:11

“God has spoken once, Twice I have heard this: That power belongs to God.”

TRUE POWER BELONGS TO GOD ONLY
All power, without exception, resides solely with God, for He is infinitely mighty. God acts according to His sovereign will; none can oppose or restrict Him. He possesses the authority to liberate from any captor, yet none can emancipate themselves from His dominion. His power can be employed to aid or obstruct, to bestow wealth and honour, as indicated in Matthew 6:13, Matthew 28:18, Psalm 115:3, Psalm 135:6, Daniel 3:17, Isaiah 43:13, 2 Chronicles 25:8, and 1 Chronicles 29:12.

SATAN HAS NO POWER
Satan possesses no inherent power, yet he is exceedingly crafty. His strategy primarily involves inducing his victims to rebel against the omnipotent God. This tactic led to the troubles of the children of Israel in the wilderness, the downfall of Samson, and the near ruin of David. However, in the Name of Jesus, we are shielded from his destructive influence, as we remain vigilant against his deceitful schemes, as stated in James 1:13-15, Numbers 22:15-18, Numbers 23:7-11, Numbers 20:23-26, Numbers 24:8-10, 15-19, Numbers 25:1-5, 9, Judges 16:6, 19:21, 2 Samuel 12:7-13, 2 Corinthians 2:10-11, and Ephesians 6:11.

GOD POSSESSES THE ABILITY TO ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING
God possesses boundless power, capable of accomplishing anything; there is absolutely nothing beyond His reach. What humanity deems impossible, God effortlessly achieves. As the sovereign ruler of all creation, He can enable even an elderly woman to conceive and give birth. Having fashioned the earth and the heavens out of nothing, He has the ability to bring forth offspring from stones. His capacity exceeds our boldest requests, as affirmed in Luke 1:37, Job 42:2, Matthew 19:26, Genesis 18:13-14, Jeremiah 32:17, 27, Luke 3:8, and Ephesians 3:20. 

Divine Attributes of God’s Power - The power of God is usually associated with traits such as all-powerfulness (omnipotence), all-knowingness (omniscience), and allpresence(omnipresence). These attributes emphasize the limitless nature of God's power, knowledge, and presence. These attributes can further characterised God as:
• The Creator and Sustainer
• God of Miracles and Divine Intervention
• God of Transformation and Healing
• God of Guidance and Protection
• Our Salvation and Redemption
• Our Faith and Devotion

GOD HAS THE POWER TO PREVENT ANY WILLING CHRISTIAN FROM STUMBLING
The Scriptures affirm that God's word assures us of His abundant power to establish us in the gospel and guide us safely to our eternal home. He is capable of preserving us from stumbling and can save us completely. Furthermore, since He possesses all power while the enemy possesses none, any obedient child of God is assured of ultimate victory at all times. This truth is emphasized in Romans 16:25-27, Jude verse 24, Hebrews 7:25, Luke 10:19, and Psalm 91:1, 7, 13-16.

THE POWER OF GOD HAS THE ABILITY TO TRANSFORM ANY INDIVIDUAL
The sole means by which an individual may partake in God's power is through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. By this divine empowerment, a believer can accomplish remarkable feats for God. The Bible offers numerous examples of individuals such as Samson, Elijah, Elisha, Peter, Stephen, and Paul, who operated in the power of the Holy Spirit. Since God shows no partiality and remains consistent in His nature, what He has done for others, He is equally capable of doing for us if we earnestly desire it. References to this truth can be found in Micah 3:8, Acts 1:8, Zechariah 4:6, Romans 15:18-19, Judges 14:5-6, 19, Judges 15:14-15, 1 Kings 18:46, 2 Kings 2:9-12, Acts 5:12-16, Acts 6:8, 15, Acts 9:17-22, Acts 19:11-12, Acts 10:34, and Hebrews 13:8.

CONCLUSION
Ultimately, the power of God is a deeply personal and transcendent reality that inspires awe, reverence, and humility in those who seek to understand and experience it. It is a source of comfort, strength, and hope for believers, guiding them on their spiritual journey and offering reassurance of divine love and providence.

Contributor: Okwudili Prince Isaac

INTRODUCTION
The glory of God can be akin to the display of His magnificence. It could also mean praise and honour being showered upon His great name. Indeed, it is impractical to fully define God’s glory in human words simply because of His infinite perfection, infinite greatness, and infinite worth. It is the going-public of His holiness.
The scripture makes us understand that the glory of man is - at best, like the flower of grass, I Pet. 1:24, in fact Solomon (in his prime) did not compare favourably with lilies of the field, Mat. 6:28-29. Contrasts this with the glory of the Lord - a devouring fire, Exod. 24:17. If a sinner, not covered in the blood of the Lamb, should behold Him, the glory of His face alone will kill the sinner instantly, Exodus 33:18-23. But a saved soul will obtain a portion of this eternal Divine glory, II Timothy 2:10

The Brightness of Divine Glory
Saul of Tarsus saw the glory of God at noonday, and it was brighter than the noon-day sun. Apostle John saw Jesus in full glory and described His hair as whiter than earthly white, His eyes as flame of fire, His feet like brass in a furnace, His voice loud, deep and yet soft, His countenance as the radiance of the sun on a cloudless day. When the Apostles saw Him in glory, the very garments He wore changed colours, Acts 22:6, Rev 19: 11-12, Mark 9: 2-6

The Human Body is too Weak to Withstand His Glory
Whenever the glory of God appears to ordinary men, there are serious reactions. For example:
• I Kings 8:15-18; His glory drove out the priests in Solomon’s temple,
• Exod. 40:34-35: His glory prevented Moses from entering the tabernacle,
• Isaiah 6:1-5; It revealed the sinful state of Isaiah,
• Ezek. 1:26-28, Acts 9:3-4, Daniel 8:15-18, Rev. 1:17; His glory knocked down Ezekiel and Saul of Tarsus, and knocked out Daniel and John the Revelator.
• Leviticus 16:2; His glory can kill a careless priest.
• II Corinthians 4:17, Philippians 3:21; Indeed, our bodies must be changed to be able to fully enter His glory at His second coming.

Divine Glory Has Weight: The More Souls We Win The Heavier Our Glory
There are different kinds of glories, and one glory excels another. For instance, the glory of grace excels the glory of the law. Also, glory has weight, and some are heavier than other. And since one condition for obtaining glory is winning souls, it follows therefore that the more souls we win, the heavier will be our weight of
glory. I Cor.15:40-41, II Cor.3:5-11, II Cor.4:17, I Thess.2:19-20, Daniel 12:3, John 15:8.

Believers Can Share in the Divine Glory
Since everything about God is glorious, His holiness, His works, the honour of His majesty, His gospel, His liberty, His power, and His appearing, it follows that His church must be glorious too. Which means that believers, who constitute His Church, must share in His glory. But there are conditions to be satisfied before we can share in His glory apart from being born again. Some of them are - we must.
a) Be holy (Eph.5:27)
b) Suffer with Him (I Pet.4:12-14, Rom.8: 17, 21)
c) Win souls (Matt.19:28)
d) Be wise (Titus 2:13, Prov.3:35)
e) Be full of good works (Matt.13:43)
f) Keep our body, souls, and spirit pure (I Corin 6:20).

We Can Bring His Glory Down Today
To bring down the glory of God at any time, all we need to do is praise Him. But all who presents themselves must do so in one accord i.e. with one heart and mind and with the same purpose in view. In Spirit and Truth. Also, if we purpose to offer praise Him in the first instance, we must proceed gloriously. Ps.50:23, II Chron.5:13-14, Rom.15:6, Ps.66:2.

CONCLUSION
In the Old Testament after Moses’ encounter with God on Mount Sinai, he returned to his people and his face glowed from being in God’s presence. His face was glowed so much a veil had to be placed over his visage.
Today, we have access to the very presence of God, but in a better way than Moses. Moses experienced the glory of God for a moment and eventually that radiance faded away. However, we have God’s spirit indwelling us so that radiance never ceases. God’s presence doesn’t just visit and depart; God’s presence is ever ‘s with us because He’s indwelling. As we surrender more and more to the Holy Spirit we become more of the trophy of God’s grace and the evidence of God’s glory within us will radiate to everything (and person) around us.
Welcome to a glorious life.

Contributor: Isekhua Evborokhai

INTRODUCTION
In the first quarter of this year we have been considering the benefits of walking with God. So far we have considered the following: “Being known by God”, “Having access to God”, Enjoying the: “(Peace, Joy, Love) of God” and today, as we begin a new quarter, we will be considering “The Mercy of God”.
Mercy is underserved favour, it is a compassionate or forgiving attitude shown towards someone who deserves punishment or judgment. The mercy of God is an act of grace and love that encompasses understanding and compassion even when justice might dictate otherwise. The mercies of God are great according to 2 Samuel 24:14.
"David said to Gad, 'I am in deep distress. Let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is great; but do not let me fall into human hands.'"

BACKGROUND
In 2 Samuel 24:1-2, King David ordered a census of Israel and Judah, and God was not pleased. 1 Chronicles 21:1 tells us that it was the instigation of the enemy. It says: “Now Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel.”
God was displeased because a man only had the right to count or number what belonged to him. Israel didn’t belong to David; Israel belonged to God. (Exodus 30:12). And so God gave David 3 options for his punishment. Two out of the three options meant that Israel would either be at the mercy of neighbouring countries (as in seven years of famine) or attacked by enemies (Flee three months before your enemies). So he chose the third option, (Three days’ plague in the land) - This would mean the death of some in Israel, but anyone could be struck by this plague – rich or poor, influential or anonymous, royal or common. He chose this option because he knew that God was far more merciful and gracious than man.

This brings us to the first summation, that there are two categories of mercy, God’s (Divine) Mercy and Human Mercy.

PART 1: GOD’S MERCY
1. God’s Mercy is in Abundance
Ephesians 2:4-5 says: "But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved."
As a matter of fact His mercy is so plenteous, it fills the whole earth and goes beyond the heavens in height. (Psalm 119:64) “The earth, O LORD, is full of Thy mercy: Teach me thy statutes.”

2. God’s Mercy Never Comes to an End
To keep us alive, God renews His mercy day by day, because none of us really deserves to live due to our numerous sins. Lamentation 3:22-23 says: "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."

Just imagine if God’s mercy one day comes to an end, what will be the fate of man? But thankfully, the mercy of God upon us lasts forever, (Psalms 106:1) “Praise ye the LORD . O give thanks unto the LORD ; for he is good: For his mercy endureth for ever.”

3. God Delights in Showing us Mercy
He enjoys being merciful and hence forgives easily. None of us deserved to be saved and live eternally but for the mercy of God. (Micah. 7:18) “Who is a God like You, Pardoning iniquity And passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in mercy”

God’s Mercy Manifests in:
1. Forgiveness of Sins: Walking with God allows individuals to experience His mercy through the forgiveness of sins. 1 John 1:9 states, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."

2. Protection and Deliverance: Those who walk with God often experience His mercy through protection and deliverance from harm. Psalm 91:4-5 affirms this: "He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day."

3. Renewed Strength and Comfort: Walking with God enables individuals to experience His mercy through the renewal of strength and comfort in times of difficulty. Isaiah 40:31 states, "But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

4. Guidance and Wisdom: Those who walk with God receive His mercy through guidance and wisdom in making decisions. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."

PART 2: HUMAN MERCY
Matthew 18:23-34 tells us about the parable of the unforgiving servant. Verses 32-34, reveals God’s expectation “32 Then his lord summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt"
James 2:13 says “For judgment will be without mercy to anyone who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment”

We are expected as humans, not just being recipients of God’s mercy only, but to be merciful to others as well. Walking with God, requires that we become like Him. (Luke 6:36.)

Mercy obeys the law of harvest: if you sow mercy, you will reap mercy. If you show no mercy you will receive none. Each time you let offences committed against you go unrevenged you will inherit a blessing. Besides, being merciful is a sign that you are a true Son of God. (Matthew 5:7)

Showing mercy doesn’t always come naturally. So how can we be merciful as we walk with God? By:

1. Being patient with people: How do you become more patient with your kids, spouse, coworkers, or friends? Ask God for His wisdom. The Bible says in James 3:17, “The wisdom from above is . . . peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy” (NLT).

2. Helping anyone around you who is hurting: You cannot love your neighbor as yourself without being merciful. Proverbs 3:27 says, “Whenever you possibly can, do good to those who need it” (GNT)—and “do it cheerfully” (Romans 12:8 NIV).

3. Giving people a second chance: When somebody hurts us, we normally want to get even or write that person off. But the Bible says, “Stop being bitter and angry and mad at others . . . Instead, be kind and merciful, and forgive others, just as God forgave you because of Christ” (Ephesians 4:31-32 CEV).

4. Doing good and being kind to those who hurt you: Mercy is giving people what they need, not what they deserve, because that’s what God does with us: “Love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back . . . Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:35-36 NIV), Jude 1:22-23 says, “Show mercy to those who have doubts . . . even though you are afraid that you might be stained by their sinful lives” (GW).

You’ve got to be more interested in winning people to Christ than in winning the argument.

OBTAINING MERCY
1. Approach God’s throne with confidence in the Blood: Hebrews 4:16 "Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."
2. Show Mercy to Others: Matthew 5:7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy."
3. Cry Out for Mercy: Luke 18:35-38 “As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. 36And hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant. 37They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” 38And he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

CONCLUSION
When we walk with God, we become candidates of this plenteous mercy of God! (Psalm 103:8). “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.” We receive forgiveness of sins when we repent, we experience protection and deliverance from harm, we received renewed strength and are guided by His wisdom.

Contributor: Dolapo Olaoye

INTRODUCTION
In the last bible study, we looked at “The Joy of the Lord”. We learnt that only those who love the Lord and obey the Lord in all things can express the Joy of the Lord. We also learnt that the Joy of the Lord is our strength and saw how we could experience the fullness of the Joy of the Lord. We concluded that God did not promise that circumstances and situations will not arise that could try to rob us of his Joy but that he would overcome the world (John 16:33).

This week, we will look at The LOVE of God - we’ll be looking into God’s love, and the meaning of true love and its advantages. As we cannot define God, we cannot provide an inclusive account of who he is - Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us…” 1John 3:1. So, since God is incomprehensible, then so is his LOVE (a divine love). While we may and must speak truthfully about his love, we can never measure it. God’s love is unique, universal, unmerited, and personal. It’s saving, sacrificial and giving yet requiring only one thing - our faith.

John 3 Verse 14-17:
“14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”[b] 16For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

What is Love?
Love is complicated, it could be very difficult! Paul wrote a whole chapter about Love alone (It endures all things, it seeks not its own, …. greatest of things is love) – Faith, hope and love – the greatest of these is Love. And while you can get Faith good and hope good, sometimes we can get trouble with the Love.
Love will make you do things that you said you will never do. Love will make you ignore things that you thought you could never ignore because love has a way of surviving pain.
Even though the heart is strong, God knew to protect the heart. The heart is designed in such a way that the rib case helps to protect the organs in the chest such as the heart, the lungs from damage. God knew to protect the physical heart – even though the heart is strong, it is vulnerable.

God’s Love.
If I am to become the heart of God, that means I must be as strong as I am vulnerable! If I lose either one of them, I cease to represent the heart of God, if I go for the strong and don’t reflect the vulnerable, I do not reflect the heart of God! Am mistaken on the wrong identity of been a strong woman, a strong man – yes, but you are hard! And if we are hard, we are not like God because God gives us the hint that you must be strong enough to keep pumping but vulnerable enough that you have to be protected!

In the spirit realm, God wants us to guide our hearts for out of your hearts flows the issues of life and what he is talking about is “guide your spirit” because he doesn’t have a rib cage around your spirit! So, you have to stand guide over your heart! Who you let in and who you let out, what you let flow out of your heart. That’s where your creativity comes from, that’s where your endurance comes from that’s where the power to fulfil your vision come from. Out if your heart! Not your head, not your degree, not your intellect, not your vocabularies but out of your heart, flows the issues of life!

Who Exactly Does God Love?
When John wrote here about God, he says “God so loved the world” It would have been enough to say God love because God is Love! But he says that God so loved.
Peter said, I pray that you might know the love of God which passes all understanding. God said, I have loved you, with an everlasting love – I loved you when you were drunk, I loved you when you were high, I loved you when you were wicked, I loved you when you were evil, I loved you when you were stealing, I loved you when you were in the homeless shelter, I loved you when you were in jail, I loved you when you didn’t have food to eat, God so loved the world! It didn’t say that God so loved the church, it didn’t say God so loved the Christian, it didn’t say God so loved the believers, it says that God so loved the world!
God’s love will climb over on top of walls! It will grab a ladder up and reach them! It doesn’t matter what we think, we may not like the person, we may lock them out! But God loves even your enemies because they are God’s child too and GOD LOVES THEM! God feel in-love with the world whom he says its heart is continually wicked and every imagination in it is evil and still! God so loved the world!
We didn’t earn God’s love – God doesn’t love you because you are smart, or because you are talented. God told Jeremiah, before I formed you in the belle, I knew you and ordained you and sanctified you. Before you opened your mouth to cry or learn your first note or read the bible, God loved you! While you were living in sin, God loved you! While you were in the gutter, God loved you.

God so loved the world – It is the heartbeat of the gospel. If you don’t understand this, then you have arms, and legs and feet and toes and eyes and head but no heart – the heart of the gospel itself is in John 3:16: God so loved the world.

Having a Deeper Look at the Love of God.
The truth is Satan, knew the love of God so he wanted to get against God because he knew God loved man and hated sin and as long as what God loved (which is man), was separate from that which God hated (which is sin), God had no problem in his own emotions but if he could get man to sin, then man would be filled with what God hated and put God in a dilemma that if he reacted to what he hated, he would kill what he loved. That if reacted to what he loved, then he would have to love what he hated! The devil basically put what God hates (sin) in what God loves (us – the world) and literally asked God “how do you like them now?”

God warned Adam – he said the day you eat of the tree; you will surely die! And so now God is in a dilemma: “Do I come into the garden now and kill him? – but I love him!”. So, the doctrine of substitution was born in the dilemma that Satan placed God in. God spent time trying to figure out how to save what he loves and kill what he hates. God called and said, “Adam where art thou?” but Adam is hiding….

God still had to fix it, He knew man couldn’t fix the mess man made (by listening to Satan instead of listening to God)! He knew they couldn’t get themselves out of this, Adam couldn’t sew anything that would cover him well enough to make him righteous enough and so even in his sin, God helped him to cover up. God didn’t want to kill Adam because He loved him and of course there was consequences for his sin which he face.

What to do with the Love of God
GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD – According to Hebrews 10:3-10 (read): God’s blood is God’s Love. The price he paid to Love you! When we think of passion, we think of pleasure! when God thinks of passion, he thinks of pain! When I think of love, I think of wonderful feelings, when God thinks of love, he thinks of bruises – bruised for our iniquities… and by his stripes we are healed. Not just healed but made whole. To go from healed to whole, you must come back! Coming back to say thank you, thank you for how you changed my life, thank you for how you picked me, thank you for how you looked over my sins, thank you for how you made a way of escape, thank you for how you loved the unlovable, touched the untouchable, redeemed the unredeemable – I owe you the praise! God took BRUISES for you! – he took my bruises!! There is a love that endures all things! – It will never back away, it is The Love of God!

The Love of God is shared in our hearts by the Holy Ghost. The only way to love like God, is to be filled with God and when you get filled with God, you can love like God. When you are really filled with the Holy Ghosts, its not just you speaking in tongues. Some of the real sign of been filled with the Holy Ghost is:
• when you love your neighbour.
• when you love people who mistreated you.
• when you people after they have done you wrong.

You may have to love people at a distance, but you still love them! You don’t become God’s disciple by wearing long dresses, by not wearing makeup etc.
• You are God’s disciple when the LOVE of God affects how you treat the people around you.
• You are God’s disciple when you learn how to forgive!
• You are God’s disciple when you can’t hold a grudge.
• You are God’s disciple when you love people who you have nothing to gain from.
• You are God’s disciple when you don’t get anything back out of it but you still do it anyway!
• You are God’s disciple when you serve!
• You are God’s disciple when you carry the bruises of LOVE!

CONCLUSION
John 3:16 is a famous verse and it is important because it tells us about the unconditional love that God has for his creation, it teaches us about the sacrifice God made for us, and it helps us understand the eternal implications of being a follower of Jesus. The verse affirms who Jesus is, why he came to earth, and what belief in him results in. This verse depicts how great God’s love for the world is that he would be willing to offer up his son for us, which was a huge sacrifice on God’s part. It is because of God’s sacrificial love that believers gain eternal life.
True love always gives. Not only did God give His Son Jesus Christ, in Him also He gives a new life - eternal life. Everlasting life doesn’t just refer to our life without end, but a life with God in heaven for-ever. It is the life of God one possesses, new life that can relate to God. That is what we need -we were dead in sins and trespasses but made us alive together with Christ by His grace (Eph 2:1, 5).

Contributor: Ayomide Oladipo

INTRODUCTION
Last week we looked at the topic “The peace of God”. In the study we learned that ‘the peace of God is the calmness that the body, mind and spirit experience through the trusting in the power and grace of God.’ During the discussion we learned that one of the characters of God is peace - Roman 15:33, and the way live experientially a life of peace is to submit everything to God in prayer according to Philippians 4: 4-7.
Today we would be looking at the topic “The Joy of the Lord”.
The word JOY is versatile in its meaning. Its versatility means that it is not limited to a single definition, it encompasses a wide range of emotion, experience and interpretation and the form and intensity by which it manifest is dependent on individual perspective. However, literally, JOY is generally defined as a feeling of gladness, happiness, and great pleasure.
There are different types of Joy for example, true joy, false joy, lasting joy, ephemeral joy (joy that is transient/ temporary), but the best and most enduring type of JOY comes from the Lord.’

Today we would contrast all other types of JOY with ‘the JOY of the Lord’, also discuss the link between ‘the JOY of the Lord’ and ‘the peace of God’.

The JOY of the Lord
1 Peter 1:8-9: “Though you have not seen him, you love him, and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls”.

The JOY of the Lord can simply be defined as the kind of JOY that ‘The Lord’ gives. Unlike other types of JOY, the Joy of the Lord is not a feeling, it is an expression, this type of Joy is not transient, it is a product of an acceptance of the God’s love to mankind.

Who can express the Joy of the Lord?
1.Those who love the Lord: According to (John 14:28) “You have heard how I saidunto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice,because I said, I go unto the father, for my father is greater than I”, the joy of the lordis available to those who love the Lord. Who loves the lord? Those that have acceptedJesus as their Lord and saviour.

2.Those who obey the Lord in all things: According to (John 15:10-11) “10. If yekeep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my father’scommandments and abide in his love 11. These things have I spoken unto you, thatmy joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full, the fulness of the Lord’sjoy is in those who obey him in all things.
What role does the Joy of the lord plays in a believers live?

The Joy of the Lord is our strength.
Nehemiah 8: 10 “Then he said unto them, go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared, for this day is holy unto our LORD: neither be ye sorry, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”
The primary role of the JOY of the Lord in the life of a believer is to strengthen us. Other forms of JOY can excite, can cause someone to be cheerful but only the JOY of the Lord strengthen. The source of this JOY is Christ himself, As earlier established that the JOY of the lord is not a feeling but an expression, believers that have accepted the finished work of Jesus are able to express it because they no longer depend on their own righteousness or circumstances around them to have JOY, and because of the absolute finished work of Christ, this believers are always strengthened.

2 Corinthians 12:9 “And he said unto me, my grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
It is important to know that it is not by power or might or human works are believers strengthened by ‘the JOY of the Lord’ it is by accepting that it is in him we live and move and have our being, so even when we are weak or fall short, we still can rejoice as apostle Paul say that he glory in his weakness, so that he can experience the power of God.
Zechariah 4:6 “So he answered and said to me: “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the LORD of hosts.”
The Spirit of God is the source of our Joy and strength, nothing qualifies us to express the JOY of the Lord but by receiving of the Lord as our Saviour.

Discussion: Can a believer share ‘The Joy of the Lord’ with another person? Isaiah 61:1

Experiencing the fullness of the JOY of the Lord
Psalm 16:11 “11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life, in thy presence is fulness of joy, at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.”
The presence of the Lord is where fullness of Joy is. In Psalm 122:1 “I was glad when they said to me, let us go into the house of the Lord.”, the psalmist here understood that the presence of God is a place where he experiences the fulness of JOY of the Lord. God does not intend for us to only experience fullness of Joy when we converge within the walls of a church alone, it is his desire that our Joy is always full. How do we have this fullness of JOY every time, anywhere, it is by dwelling in the secret place of the most high - Psalm 91.

There is no place more delightful than the secret place of the Lord. Through consistent prayer, we are transformed to not only dwell in the presence of the Lord, but to carry the presence of the Lord within us that everywhere we go as believers, people can physically connect to the presence of God within us. Jer.15:16 “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts.” Jeremaiah here testifies of what meditating on the word of God did to him (Gave him JOY)

Can this JOY be lost?
Psalm 24:3-6: “3. Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart, who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.”
A believer can indeed lose the JOY of the Lord in them when they yield to sin. As earlier established our source of JOY is the Lord through His spirit that works in us, however the devil does not want a believer to enjoy this JOY permanently, he is always looking for ways to rob a believer of access into the presence of God where we enjoy fullness of JOY. According to Psalm 15, a sinful and impure heart cannot ascend into the presence of the Lord.

Psalm 45:6-8: “8 But unto the Son he saith, thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.”

When a believer love iniquity and hates righteousness, such believer will anoint themselves with the oil of sadness.

How can it be restored?
Jeremiah 33:7-9 “7 And I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel to return, and will build them, as at the first. 8 And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me. 9 And it shall be to me a name of joy, a praise, and an honour before all the nations of the earth, which shall hear all the good that I do unto them: and they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and for all the prosperity that I procure unto it.”

Our God is a Restorer, He is committed to forgive and restore His Joy unto anyone that lost it as He did to Judah, if they humble themselves, repent and turn back to God – 2 Chronicles 7:14. "14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."
Discussion: Can someone have “the peace of God’ without having ‘the Joy of the Lord’?

CONCLUSION
John 17:13 “And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.” These was Jesus’s prayer before he left the world, which clearly shows that it is will and his prayer that we his children have his JOY in us.
He did not promise that circumstances and situations will not arise that would want to rob us his JOY, he however told us that he has overcome the world- John 16:33. Jesus paid the price for our JOY in him, this is the reason why it is not circumstance dependent, we can express it anytime any day by having faith in his finished work. While the peace of God is the calmness the body, mind and spirit experience through trusting in the power and grace of God, the JOY of the lord is an expression of gladness we experience as a result of our faith in his strength and grace.
Finally, we are also commissioned to show unbelievers the source of this JOY -Mark 16:15-16 “15 And he said unto them, go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”

Prayer: Father let your JOY continue to grow stronger in me in Jesus name.

Contributor: Ngozi Roberts

INTRODUCTION
The previous study we focused on Psalms 15:1-5 which emphasizes on the character of those who abide in the Lord. We were reminded of the character of the person whom God receives which starts from having intimacy with God and in the process we are enabled by His Spirit to conform to His Will in all that concerns us either physically or spiritually. Today we are going a little bit deeper to discuss the topic Peace of God. When we talk about the Peace of God, we must first acknowledge that there is another kind of Peace which is not of God.
Peace in general encompasses both external circumstances and internal well-being. In a broader sense, peace can refer to absence of war or violence, when nations or communities coexist without hostility. It can also refer to inner calmness, which is a sense of quietness and contentment within oneself. It could be referred to as relational harmony which is when individuals or groups interact without strife or discord. It also refers to when one experiences Spiritual serenity. This is having a deep sense of connection with a higher power. This is where our topic for today falls under. God’s kind of Peace.

What is the peace of God?
The Bible made us to understand that the peace of God is the calmness that the body, mind and spirit experience through the trusting in the power and grace of God. It is the experience that we get when we choose to rest on Him in prayer. When we choose prayer and trust in Him during our anxious moments then it is said that we have the Peace of God. It is a supernatural and unexplainable experience that guards our hearts. How do we know these?

Philippians 4: 4-7
4 Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. 5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. 6Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Now this scripture sums it all up. It guides us into how to experience the Peace of God:
• Rejoice always
• Be careful for nothing – don’t be anxious
• Prayers
• Thanksgiving
Then be sure to experience the peace of God and note this kind of peace, no one will understand it except you!

God of Peace
We serve a God of Peace. Heb. 13:20 "20Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,"

In Isaiah 9:6 "6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."
When Jesus was born the angels came to sing in Luk 2:14 - "14Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."
And when Jesus was leaving the earth he promised Peace. He said in John 14:27 - 27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

He explains that there is a difference between other people or the world kind of peace and His kind of peace. His kind of peace is experienced when we do not let our heart be troubled or when we are not afraid. This tells you that you can have everything but if you do not have the prince of peace you do not know anything about peace.

Types of Peace
Peace of God can be in different categories or degrees
1. Great peace
2. Multiplied Peace
3. All round peace
4. Peace like a river
5. Peace of God that passes all understanding
6. Absence of Peace, No peace
All these kinds of peace can be found in our God.

Great Peace - If you have children according to Isaiah 54:13. If you teach your children the way of God then great shall be your peace. Example in Gen 18:17-19 God was confident that Abraham will bring up his children in Gods ways. Can God vouch for you like that? This was evidence in Gen. 22:1-18 when Isaac was going to be sacrificed, he did not fret. He was not afraid because he had been trained to believe in His father and God. He believed that God will provide even unto death, by not resisting when he was tied up for the kill. He had great Peace that can only be experienced by children brought up in the way of the Lord.

Multiplied Peace - In Daniel 4: 1 Nebuchadnezzar the king, unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you. It is used as a royal greeting. 1 Peter: 1-2 , …. Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. Also in 2 Peter 1:2 2Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
So as long as we have peace it can be multiplied. Wherever you go you can contaminate them with the peace of God. That is when you multiply the peace of God in you. This can be gotten through the knowledge of God.
All round Peace

• Could be physically. When God brought out the children of Israel from Egypt, He promised them all round health 26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.

• Could be materially, He said in Psalm 92:12-15 that 12 The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. 13 Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. 14 They shall still bring forth

• Could be Spiritual. In Mark 5: 2- 15 a story was told of a mad man in the country called Gadarene. This man was possessed by many demons such that he was always hurting himself and living in the grave yard amongst the dead. Yet when he met with Jesus, He was delivered and when the people heard and came to see what happened, they met this formerly mad man sitting quietly at the feet of Jesus at Peace. Amazing!
An example of one that experiences this all round peace was King Solomon. 1 king 4:24 24 For he had dominion over all the region on this side the river, from Tiphsah even to Azzah, over all the kings on this side the river: and he had peace on all sides round about him
Spiritually, God loved him. Physically, he did not experience any sickness until he was dying and Materially, he was the wealthiest in the world.

• Peace like a River – this can be experience when we harken unto His voice. 18 O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea:
o When you have peace like a river, you will be singing praises in the day of trouble like Paul and Silas –Acts16:16-34 when they were put in prison.
o 22 And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them. 23 And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: 24Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks 25And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.

• Peace that surpasses all understanding – Phil 4: 7. This is the one you do not have understanding of. No one understands this. It is usually based on experience. Acts12:5-11 – a story was told of Peter in prison, and there he was snoring away! So much so that when the angel woke him up, asked him to tie the lace of his shoes and put on his garment and took him past the first gate, second gate, until in he came into the city, he thought he was dreaming! He could not understand what has just happened to him until he was physically knocking on the door of his brethren. It was like a dream. The God that has the key of David that opens doors where no one can and shut doors where no one can, this same God opened the gates of the prisons and led him out in Peace. So when you experience this kind of deliverance and peace from this God, it gives you the confidence and re-assurance that since he has done it before, he can still do it again and from there your Peace that surpasses all understanding comes in.

• Lost Peace – This is the experience you get especially when making decisions, a child of God wants to embark on a journey or take a business project or carry out an assignment. God speaks to such people mostly by removing their Peace.

• No Peace - Isaiah 48:22 the bible says there is no peace for the wicked - "22 There is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked." So If you are not one of his children and you are praying for peace, His peace will not come. But if you are still not sure that you are His Child, and want to experience His kind of peace, then cry to him right
now. 28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

How to Experience God’s Peace
When you genuinely give your life to Jesus Christ is when the Peace of God steps in. It is one of the fruits of the spirit that steps into your life when you genuinely give your life to Christ. Nothing offends you – Psalm 119:165
1. Submission and Trust: To experience God’s peace, we must humbly submit to and trust His commandments.
2. Moving Closer to God: As we draw near to God, we encounter more of His peace. Psalm 24:3-4 emphasizes the importance of a pure heart and clean hands.
3. Growing in Knowledge: Our relationship with God deepens as we grow in our knowledge of Him. 2 Peter 1:2 encourages us to seek more grace and peace through this knowledge.
4. Restful Faith: As we understand God’s love and wisdom, our minds and spirits develop a restful faith in His power and grace.
5. Assurance: God’s peace assures us that He works all things together for our good and accomplishes His purposes.

CONCLUSION
The Scripture describes God’s peace, as a profound and transformative experience that transcends earthly circumstances. It is characterized by harmony and calmness of body, mind, and spirit. It surpasses all understanding, meaning it goes beyond what our human minds can comprehend. It is rooted in trust—specifically, trusting in the power and grace of God. Peace is considered a blessing from God and is consistent with His character. God’s peace is not merely the absence of conflict; it is a profound inner tranquillity that comes from trusting in Him and aligning our hearts with His will.
As we submit and trust in God, move closer to him, grow in knowledge of him and restfully have faith in him, we will be rest assured that Gods kind of peace will be our portion in every area of our lives.

Contributor: Alex Kokobili

INTRODUCTION

The previous study of Psalms Chapter 1 showed us the blessings the God and the consequences of ungodliness. The Godly are blessed with God’s presence and are sustained by the law of the Lord both day and night while the ungodly are condemned to be judged because of their unrighteousness. Today’s discussion focuses on Psalms 15 which emphasizes the character of those who abide in the Lord. Character is virtue or essential good conduct that should portray goodliness which we can also relate with 2 Peter 1: 2-8 “Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, 3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; 6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; 7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. 8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ”.

VERSE 1: Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?

The Holy Hill represents God’s presence. This is not a physical hill, mountain, or elevated piece of land but God’s dwelling place which is our lives. This can also be manifested in a place where people are gathered in God’s name for His purpose, but the emphasis as a new creation in Christ is that our bodies should be available to carry His presence (1 Corin 16: 9 Don’t you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit).

The gathering of the saints is also portrayed in this limelight of God’s tabernacle (Mathew 18: 20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them).

The significance of the holy hill reminds us of the hill of Zion which was the point in Jerusalem where the temple was located. However, as believers, this now has a spiritual connotation of God’s manifest presence in Jesus Christ in us through the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 12: 22-24 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, 23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, 24 to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel).

To abide in His holy hill. Such a person must:

• Receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior (John 3: 16)

• Have clean hands and a pure heart; who hath not lifted his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully (Psalm 24:4)

• Live righteous, and those who have faith in God (Isaiah 26: 2)

• Live a sanctified life in holiness with a pure conscience (Hebrews 10:22, Hebrews 4: 8, Isaiah 6:1-5).

• Have the revelation and manifest knowledge of Jesus as the door of salvation (John 10:9). Having peace in God through Christ and dwelling in His grace (Romans 5: 1-2). Understanding God’s eternal purpose in Christ (Ephesians 3: 11-12)

• Depend on the Holy Spirit for divine ability and presence to comply with His will (John 16: 13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth). The gifts of the Holy Spirit must be at work (1 Corin 12). Our lives must portray the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5: 22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law).

VERSE 2: The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart. “Walking uprightly and blameless before God”.
God expects us to live in accordance with His commandments whether we think it is philosophical or not but to trust Him to direct the affairs of our lives.
As a Christian apart from pleasing God with your life, business, family, etc. We are advised to:

• Avoid being cruel to others (Proverbs 11:17-18). Have a pure conscience!

• Be aware that whatsoever you sow even as a child of God, you will also reap (Galathians.6:7-8).

• That God watches us and sees our actions both in secret or in the open (Psalm 34: 5 The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry).

• Watch your association or manner of communication. (Psalm 119: 63 I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts, 1 Corin 15: 33 Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners).

• That God will always come through to help the righteous even in times of afflictions (Psalm 34: 19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivered him out of them all).

• The one who works blameless will be an ambassador to proclaim God’s goodness to others (Psalm 26: 7 That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving, And tell of all Your wondrous works).

• Depend on God’s wisdom at all times (Psalm 51: 6 Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom).

• Be truthful (Ephesians 4: 25 Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another).

VERSE 3 He who does not backbite with his tongue, Nor does evil to his neighbor, Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend. “Watch Your Tongue”.

• We have to understand the power vested on the tongue and be guided (Psalm 18: 21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit).

• A Christian must be guided while speaking both to Christians and non-Christians (James 1: 26 Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless)

• A filthy heart will speak filthiness (Psalm 5:9, Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with malice), Matt. 12: 24 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth).

• The unfaithful man’s mouth is a snare for bitterness (Romans 3: 10-14).

• Don’t slander people even if they wrong you (Leviticus 19: 16 Do not go about spreading slander among your people).

• Our mouth is used for all manner of prayer (1 Thessalonians 5: 17 be unceasing and persistent in prayer)

• Our mouth is for praising God and not complaining (Psalm 145:21 My mouth will declare the praise of the LORD; let every creature bless His holy name forever).

• Use your mouth to bless others and not curse them (1 Kings 8:14-15 Then the king turned around and blessed the whole assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel was standing. 15 And he said: “Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who spoke with His mouth to my father David, and with His hand has fulfilled it, saying).

VERSE 4: In whose eyes a vile person is despised, But he honors those who fear the LORD; He who swears to his own hurt and does not change. “Honor God and those who honor Him”.

A vile person has no regard for Godly virtue or a righteous lifestyle and hence things to consider:

• We must hate what God hates which is sin and do not be aligned with those who mock God’s righteousness (2 Peter 2: 5-8 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; 7 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: 8 For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)

• Vain thoughts dishonor the Lord. Let’s be careful (Psalm 119: 13 I hate vain thoughts: but thy law do I love)

• Caution your speech and never compromise your thoughts by being politically correct (Proverbs 8: 7 For my mouth shall speak truth; and wickedness is an abomination to my lips), 2 Peter 2: 7 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked).

• Let the Word of God comfort and guide our disposition of life (Colossians 3: 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord).

• Don’t be in a rush to make a promise or vow and if you have made a vow examine it because God keeps account of all things (Numbers 30: 9 But any vow of a widow or of a divorced woman, anything by which she has bound herself, shall stand against her. let it be fulfilled).

• Fulfill your vows to God (Ecclesiastics 5: 4-5 When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. 5 It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it).

• All vows, oats, or alliances that are not connected to God’s alignment must be prayerfully discounted (Romans 8: 1-2 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit).

VERSE 5: He who does not put out his money at usury, Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved. “Integrity before God”.

Usury means a place where people lend money at an unreasonable rate. Bribery means collecting money as a form of inducement that compromises your righteousness. Integrity is required if we would stand before God and have access to His presence and blessings.

• Imbibe integrity and desist from shady business deals, bribery, making profits out of greed, or partaking in any dealings that involve compromising our faith (Jeremiah. 17:11 Like a partridge that hatches eggs it did not lay are those who gain riches by unjust means. When their lives are half gone, their riches will desert them and in the end they will prove to be fools).

• Avoid greed when dealing financially with the poor or vulnerable people (Proverbs 22: 22-23 Do not rob the poor because he is poor, Nor oppress the afflicted at the gate; 23 For the Lord will plead their cause, And plunder the soul of those who plunder them). • Riches made honest give peace (Proverbs 21: 6 A fortune made by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare).

• Little profit with contentment is righteousness than a bounty gained by injustice (Proverbs 16: 8 Better a little with righteousness than much gain with injustice, 1 Timothy 6: 6-11 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs)

• Christians must ever forget that financial wealth and economic elevation come from God and it must never be derailed from this reality (1 Chronicles 29: 12 Both riches and honor come from You, and You are the ruler over all. In Your hands are power and might to exalt and give strength to all).

CONCLUSION

The discussion reminds us about the character of the person whom God receives which starts from having intimacy with God and in this process we are enabled by His Spirit to be conformed to His will in all that concerns us either physically or spiritually. Character is also referred to as virtue and portraying any character without goodliness means we would always be ensnared to the dictates of the flesh and its struggles making us unfruitful before the Lord.

2 Peter 1:3-8 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Also, Galatians 5: 22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Contributor: Folashade Morakinyo

INTRODUCTION
In a world consisting of millions upon millions of people, how is it possible for God to differentiate good people from bad? How can He know those in Africa and the same time those in America, Europe, India, China, the near and far East? What type of brain does God have? Isaiah 40:28 answers these questions.
“Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.”

There are further questions and answers to guide our understanding of today’s study.

1. How intimately does God know His own?

• John 10:3 - He knows them by their individual names
• John 1:48 - Even in the offices or farms
• Nahum1:7 - Also in the time of trouble

What conclusions can we draw from 1 Corinthians 8:3, 2 Timothy 2:19-20?

Does He know the sinners too? Amos 9:3, Zephaniah 1:12, Jeremiah 17:10.

2. How can you know that He knows you and recognizes you as His own?

1 John 2:3-5, 1 John 3:14, I John 3:19, 1 John 4:13, 1 John 5:9, John 15:14.
If we find it easy to obey His commandments and find pleasure in doing it, then we can have the witness in us that He knows us as His own. Also, a deep love towards all His children is another determining factor.

3. Who else knows the saints as special people of God?
Acts 19:15, Acts 16:16-18. All evil spirits recognize saints for what they are.

4. How do saints know themselves?
How can you recognize a true child of God if you meet one?
Ps. 119:63, Malachi 3:16, Acts 2:42, I John 1:17, Proverbs 17:17.
All true children of God enjoy fellowshipping together and live a holy and blameless life.

5. If I want to become a saint what must I do?
What benefits are mine if I become someone who is recognized by God as His own? Psalms 34:18, Acts 17:27, Ps. 145:18, Ps.16:8, Genesis 25:24, Revelation 3:4.
If you want to become a saint, the first thing is to be truly sorry for your sins and humbly come to God for forgiveness. When you become accepted of Him there is hope of eternal life and eternal glory for you.

CONCLUSION
How glorious is it to walk with Jesus! How wonderful to be recognized as a friend by God Almighty even when the State Governor does not know you. Imagine the glory of one day dinning with the King of kings and of Lord of Lords!
And all it takes is to live a holy life! Is that too great a price to pay! Are you willing to pay the price? Talk to Him about it now.

Contributor: Isekhua Evborokhai

INTRODUCTION
Throughout this year, we will be studying various topics under the theme: “A Closer Walk with God”. To walk with God is to continuously have an awareness of His presence. There are numerous benefits that await those who walk with God and in today’s study we shall be considering one of them. The Blessings of God. Today’s study is in three parts. The first part will look at The Blessed Man, the second will consider The Benefits of the Godly, and the third, The Woes of the Ungodly.

PART 1: THE BLESSED MAN (VERSES 1-2)

The word Blessing is from the Hebrew root word Barak which means “to bless”, “to invoke divine favour”, “to empower”, “to prosper”, or “to make successful”. To be blessed means to be “empowered for success.” In Genesis 1:28, we see this empowerment accompanying the blessing God declared.Although man lost this blessing, but by Christ, every believer now has access to the power and wisdom that will override the curse through faith in The Blessing of the Lord. Finally, to be blessed is to be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Ephesians 3:17-19 “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

Characteristics of the Blessed Man

Verses 1-2 of this Psalm lists the characteristics of the blessed man. And these characteristics are divided into 2 main sections. Separation and Occupation. Separation

• He Does not Walk in the Counsel of the Ungodly. He does not take advice or live his life based on the opinion and recommendation of the world systems. The ungodly “warn” against being too strict and extreme, to be broad-minded and to "make the best of both worlds". But they have no "fear of God" before their eye and are driven by self-will and self-pleasing, and dominated by what they call "common sense". 1 Kings 12:8 tells us that Rehoboam took on bad/ungodly counsel that ended up splitting the nation of Israel.
• He Does not Stand in the Way of Sinners. He does not fellowship/hangout orassociate with sinners. His best friends are not unbelievers. Evil communicationcorrupts good manners. (1 Corinthians 15:33)
• He Does not Sit in the Seat of the Scornful. To not sit in the seat of the scornful,means that the blessed man does not take his ease, nor seek his joy in the recreationsof the world. He does not laugh at jokes that undermines the Almighty God! Exodus23:2 tells us that we must not follow the crowd in doing wrong or subscribe topopular opinion.

Occupation

• But He Delights in and Meditates on the Word of God. God's Word is the dailybread of the "blessed" man. It is not simply that he is interested in "the Law of the Lord," but he delights in it! Joshua 1:8 tells us that reading, meditating on the Word of God and obeying it is the key to making our ways prosperous and having good success!

Categories of Blessings
There are three categories of blessings:- Physical, Soulish and Spiritual.

A. Physical Blessings: Physical blessings are for God’s children. They include among others, money (Amos 9:13), property (Isaiah 30:32), health (Exodus 23:25), wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18), protection (Isaiah 25:4), sleep (Psalms 127:2), Genesis 24:35. He intends for us to have the very best – Ps. 34:110, Ps. 103:5.

Obtaining Physical Blessings

Physical blessings don’t simply happen to us. God is a God of grace and mercy, but He mostly deals with us by certain biblical principles. There are many conditional promises of the Lord's blessings you and I can capitalize on. We will simply consider only 5 ways we can obtain physical blessings. By:

• Letting the Lord dwell in your home. 2 Samuel 6:11 tells us that when the ark ofthe Lord remained in Obed-Edom’s house for 3 months, the LORD blessed himand his entire household.
• Giving God tithes and offerings – Malachi 3:10 – Here God promised that Hewill open the windows of heaven to us and bless us until there shall not be roomenough to receive it.
• Giving to others – Luke 6:38. Give and it shall be given unto you. Good measure,pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be poured into your lap.
• Serving the Lord - Exodus 23:25 says: And you shall serve the Lord and He will bless your bread and your water and drive sickness away from you.
• Obedience to God - Deuteronomy 28:1-2. If we fully obey (not partial obedience), then the Lord will set us high above all the nations of the earth and His blessings will come upon us and accompany us!

B. Soulish Blessings: In 3 John 2, the Bible says: “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” A prospering soul is a blessed soul. There are three parts of the soul, the mind, will, and emotion. These soulish blessings include among others, honour, fame popularity, (l Kings 3:13), promotion (I Samuel 2:7), rest of mind (Matthew 11:28), wisdom (Daniel 2:21), etc.

Obtaining Soulish Blessings
As it is with Physical blessings, Soulish blessings don’t also simply happen to us. However, it is important to note that the prospering of our souls is solely dependent on the prospering of our spirits. A prosperous soul is a soul where a person's mind, will, and emotions are under the rule of their spirit and the Word of God
Here are 4 ways among many others by which we can obtain soulish blessings.

• By studying the Word of God: Proverbs 2:10 tells us that knowledge is pleasantfor our souls. The Word of God is our instruction manual, or our road map, for life.It contains wisdom, encouragement, comfort, and life-changing power thatprospers our souls.
• By Following Righteousness and Mercy – Prov. 21:21 tells us that if we earnestlyseek righteousness and loyalty, we will find life, righteousness, and honour.
• By Humility – Prov. 22:4 (AMP) says: “The reward of humility [that is, having arealistic view of one’s importance] and the [reverent, worshipful] fear of the LordIs riches, honour, and life.”
• By Serving God – John 12:26 “Whoever serves me must follow me; and where Iam, my servant also will be. My Father will honour the one who serves me.”

C. Spiritual Blessings: Spiritual blessings are any blessings administered in the realm of the spirit; specifically, the blessing of the Spirit in introducing the believer into “the heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3) Spiritual blessings can be, A glorious name (Isaiah 56:4-5), Ability to know God (Jeremiah 24:7), A soft heart (Ezekiel 11:19), The Holy Spirit and His gifts (Luke 11:13, I Cor. 12:4-20), Eternal Life (John 10:28), etc.

Obtaining Spiritual Blessings
Spiritual blessings can be obtained:

• By Giving our lives to Christ: Ephesians 1:3 tells us that God has blessed us inthe heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
• By Living a Holy Life – Isaiah 58:8-11 tells us that if we live a holy life, our lightwill break forth like the dawn
• By Faith – Mark 9:23 tells us that “Everything is possible for one who believes.”

PART 2: THE BENEFITS OF THE GODLY (VERSE 3)
Living godly has benefits that money cannot buy. It causes you to live in satisfaction, joy, and tranquillity, because you know that God is on your side. Here, the Bible likens the godly to a tree planted by the rivers of water. Isaiah 61:3 says they will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD. Psalm 1 verse 3 (TPT) lists out the benefits of the godly:

• They Stand Firm Like a Flourishing Tree Planted by God’s Design, (Isaiah61:3) A tree planted by the Lord will not fear when heat comes, it will notexperience damage from the blazing heats of summer, its leaf remains green, andit will yield fruit in season.
• They are Deeply Rooted by the Brooks of Bliss, (Hosea 14:5) Like a cedar ofLebanon. The cedar wood is rot-proof. Because of its characteristics (size,diameter, lifespan), it is a symbol of greatness, of nobility, of strength and ofincorruptibility.
• They Bear Fruit in Every Season of Life. (Exodus 23:26). There is no time or room for barrenness
• They are Never Dry (spiritually or materially), Isaiah 58:11 tells us that Godwill guide, satisfy, and keep us strong and we will be like a garden that has plentyof water, like a spring of water that never runs dry.
• They will Never Faint. Isaiah 40:31 promises the godly that they shall run and notbe weary, and they shall walk and not faint.
• Ever Blessed, Deut.28:2 tells us that God’s blessings shall come on us and overtakeus
• Ever Prosperous. (2 Corinthians 9:8, Philippians 4:19), Deut.26:12 tells us that God will open the heavens, the storehouse of His bounty, and to bless all the work of our hands. To the extent that we will lend to many nations!

PART 3: THE WOES OF THE UNGODLY (VERSES 4-5)
Psalms 32:10a tells us that the woes of the wicked are many. Here in verses 4-5, the Bible contrasts the godly and the ungodly. The passage starts off by saying: “The wicked [those who live in disobedience to God’s law] are not so . . .”[AMP]
Then continues further to list out the woes of the ungodly/wicked
•They are worthless and without substance (like the chaff which the wind blowsaway.) Psalm 37:10 tells us that the wicked will soon disappear. Isaiah 14:20
•The wicked will not endure the day of judgment (but will be punished). Proverbs11:21 tells us that the wicked shall not go unpunished.
•Nothing they do will succeed or endure for long. Isaiah 14:20 says the seed ofevildoers shall never be renowned.

CONCLUSION (VERSE 6)
Verse 6 tells us the advantage the godly have over the ungodly, God!
It says: “For the Lord watches over all the plans and paths of godly men, but the paths of the godless lead to doom.”

There are thousands of blessings in the scripture laid up for you and I to claim, that the ungodly are not qualified to claim. A typical example is Psalms 91 where we learn that a thousand shall fall at our side, and ten thousand at our right hand; But it shall not come near us! Only with thine eyes shall we see the reward of the wicked.

We must however, be conscious of the fact that there can be no true walking with God, until we separate from the world, and forsake the paths of sin. We must observe that it is a downward spiral to yield to the ways of the ungodly. We must acknowledge the privileged positions we possess as God’s children and not relinquish it by envying the wicked or adopting their way of life.
In Psalm 73, the end of the wicked was contrasted with that of the righteous. Where David considered the lives of the wicked ones - They never have to lift a finger, living a life of ease while their riches multiply. (Vs.12) He thought he was being foolish playing by the rules and keeping his life pure (Vs.13). When he tried to understand the situation, it gave him a splitting headache (Vs.16) MSG. Until one day God showed him their lives and in the light of glory, his distorted perspective vanished. (Verse 17) when he saw that they were on a slippery slope and heading for destruction that will bring to end all their life of ease; in a blink of the eye and they will be swept away by sudden calamity! (Vs.18-19)
We must continue to remain faithful. Proverbs 28:20 tells us that “A faithful man will abound with blessings!”

Contributor: Isekhua Evborokhai

INTRODUCTION
The theme of the entire book of Proverbs is centered around wisdom for living in the world, guided by righteousness and biblical principles, as opposed to the folly the world offers. In last week’s study, we explored Chapters 18 -24 as we sought for additional wisdom while contrasting the ways of the wise and unwise and how this impacted on our daily living and relationships with God and men. Today’s study continues in the same light as we bring the Proverbs challenge of this year to an end. Chapter 25 began a series of wise sayings attributed to Solomon and collected from other sources by Hezekiah's men. (Proverbs 25:1) This list continues through to the end of chapter 29. Chapter 30 are the words of Agur the son of Jakeh, (Proverbs 30:1) and Chapter 31 are the words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him. (Proverbs 31:1)

PROVERBS 25
Proverbs Chapter 25 offers practical insights for virtuous living and cultivating positive qualities. It talks about . . .

• Refining Character: Verses 4-5
These verses make use of metaphors like removing impurities from silver to illustrate refining a person’s character
“Remove impurities from the silver and the silversmith can craft a fine chalice; Remove the wicked from leadership and authority will be credible and God-honoring.”

It advises on the following:

• Wisdom & Humility: Verses 6-7
“Don’t work yourself into the spotlight; don’t push your way into the place of prominence.
It’s better to be promoted to a place of honor than face humiliation by being demoted.” (MSG). Humility opens doors to honour. See the story told by Jesus in Luke 14:7.

• Reliability & Trust: Verses 13 & 19
“Reliable friends who do what they say are like cool drinks in sweltering heat—refreshing!”
“Like a broken tooth or a lame foot is reliance on the unfaithful in a time of trouble.”

The ear mark of reliable friendship is meaning and doing what one says.
Prayer: “Lord Jesus, please surround me with reliable friends and grant me the grace to be a reliable friend myself”

Proverbs 25 also highlights the importance of:

• Self-Control: Verses 16-17
“When you’re given a box of candy, don’t gulp it all down; eat too much chocolate and you’ll make yourself sick; And when you find a friend, don’t outwear your welcome; show up at all hours and he’ll soon get fed up.”

Application
We must humbly accept wisdom, because it is what enables us apply tact and discretion when dealing with others and to have a consistent lifestyle guided by biblical principles and self-control.

PROVERBS 26
Proverbs Chapter 26 contrasts the foolish and the wise. It underscores the importance of discernment and prudence in various life situations. Such as:

• How to Answer a Fool: Verses 4-5
“Don’t respond to the stupidity of a fool; you’ll only look foolish yourself. 5 Answer a fool in simple terms so he doesn’t get a swelled head.”
Never stoop low to the level of fools in order to make a point or retaliate.
 

“Never Wrestle with a Pig. You will Both Get Dirty and the Pig enjoys It”
To wrestle with a pig is to engage in a struggle with an opponent that benefits from the struggle even without winning it.

Prayer: “Lord Jesus, please help me to always be the bigger person and not respond to the words of a fool with more foolish words. Instead, I will answer with words of wisdom seasoned with salt and grace.”

The Chapter also cautions us against:

• Undeserved Honor for fools: Verses 6-10.
“You’re only asking for trouble when you send a message by a fool. 7 A proverb quoted by fools is limp as a wet noodle. 8 Putting a fool in a place of honor is like setting a mud brick on a marble column. 9 To ask a moron to quote a proverb is like putting a scalpel in the hands of a drunk. 10 Hire a fool or a drunk and you shoot yourself in the foot.”

In this chapter, Solomon uses vivid imagery, like a dog returning to its vomit, to stress the folly of repeating mistakes (verse 11). He also discusses the lazy person (verses 13-15) and warns against meddling in others’ disputes. (verse 17) gossip, flattery, slander, etc. (verses 20-26)

Application
We must not join with those who make outrageous excuses for their lack of effort. Giving reasons and justifying why they fail to meet their obligations. This is not only lazy, but it's also a form of arrogance.

PROVERBS 27
Proverbs Chapter 27 advises against . . .

• Self-praise: Verses 1- 2
“Don’t brag about tomorrow, since you don’t know what the day will bring. 2 Let someone else praise you, not your own mouth—a stranger, not your own lips.”
Arrogance of any kind is risky. (James 4:13–15), king Nebuchadnezzar, the rich fool. etc.

The chapter delves into themes of . . .

• Friendship: Verses 6, 9, 10
A friend who loves and who fears God is well-equipped to give godly counsel, and his friend will receive it gladly. The wounds “inflicted” by such a friend are for our good because they will only rebuke us if we need it. However, those who hate us will gladly enable and empower our own foolishness because they know it will harm us in the end. It stresses the value of genuine friendships, comparing them to iron sharpening iron (verse 17).
The more we have “spiritual interaction” with one another the more we are sharpened, strengthened and encouraged. People influence one another whether they are trying to or not, and this is why evil communication corrupts good manners (1 Corinthians 15:33). It is also why being around wise people can be beneficial to one’s heart, mind, and soul if any humility is present.

It spells out
• The Benefits of Service: Verse 18
“Tend an orchard and you’ll have fruit to eat. Serve the Master’s interests and you’ll receive honor that’s sweet.” TPT

It highlights . . .

• Humility, Purity and Sincerity: Verses 19, 21
The heart of man is the real man, and what is in the heart will be reflected by what is said and done. The fruit from a persons’ life will reveal whether a person’s heart is good or evil (Matthew 7:20, Mark 7:20).

• The fleeting nature of life, Commitment and Good Stewardship: Verses 23-27
“Know your sheep by name; carefully attend to your flocks; (Don’t take them for granted; possessions don’t last forever, you know.) And then, when the crops are in and the harvest is stored in the barns, You can knit sweaters from lambs’ wool, and sell your goats for a profit; There will be plenty of milk and meat to last your family through the winter.” (MSG)

A diligent farmer cares for his flock, doing his best to ensure a prosperous future. Current wealth does not guarantee future wealth, so it's wise to plan ahead. A lazy or irresponsible person risks falling behind and failing to provide for their family.

Application
Those who have faithfully tended to the little things day after day will find that they have what they need in the day of trouble. It is never good or wise to neglect the little things while presuming on one big thing to work out. Similarly, spiritual fruit is often a result of daily investments made and service done rather than one big accomplishment or event. Luke 16:10 says, “one who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much”

PROVERBS 28
Proverbs Chapter 28 offers guidance on ethical living and the consequences of moral choices. Teaching us that:

• The consequence of wickedness and evil is fear. Verse 1
“The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.”

• Moral integrity is worth far more than material wealth. Verse 6
“Better the poor whose walk is blameless than the rich whose ways are perverse.”

• Flattery and dishonesty have no long term benefits: Verse 23
“If you correct someone with constructive criticism, in the end he will appreciate it more than flattery.” TPT
The NLT says: “In the end, people appreciate honest criticism far more than flattery.”

• It is foolishness to make the same mistake others have made: Verse 26
“If you think you know it all, you’re a fool for sure; real survivors learn wisdom from others”

Application
We must always be future-thinking and concerned about what truly matters and not become someone who massages another’s ego or expects someone to massage ours. So we must tell, expect and accept the truth even if it hurts now for the sake of the future.

PROVERBS 29
Proverbs Chapter 29 highlights

• The importance of discipline and heeding correction: Verses 15, 17 & 19
Verse 19: “Discipline your children, and they will give you peace of mind and will make your heart glad.” NLT
Discipline a child early enough in life to avoid heartache in the future

Application
Severally in the book of Proverbs we are admonished to discipline our children. Many restrain from discipline and indulge them indiscriminately because they think they love their children too much but Proverbs 13:24 (TPT) says: “If you withhold correction and punishment from your children, you demonstrate a lack of true love. So prove your love and be prompt to punish them.”

Proverbs 19:18 (TPT) says: “Don’t be afraid to discipline your children while they’re still young enough to learn. Don’t indulge your children or be swayed by their protests.”

”Indulgence is not a mark of love but a bait for destruction”

PROVERBS 30
Proverbs Chapter 30 contains the sayings of Agur, offers reflections on humility, gratitude, and the awe-inspiring nature of God. The writer expresses a sense of inadequacy and marvels at the wisdom of God (Verses 2-4).

• Every word of God is tried, tested and proven true: Verse 5
“Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to all who come to him for protection.” NLT

Application
Psalm 12:6 tells us that “The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times”
We must never doubt God’s Words; especially what it says about us.

Prayer: Lord Jesus please grant us the grace and strength to continually trust in Your unfailing Word

Chapter 30 also includes observations about nature and the mysterious aspects of creation, showcasing the limits of human understanding. Verses 18-31
The chapter ends with a warning about natural consequences. Whether one intends to, or not, churning milk will turn it into butter. Punching someone in the nose will make them bleed. And provoking others to anger results in anguish and controversy. For that reason, a person who realizes they've been acting like a fool should take steps towards self-control: even if it means clamping a hand over their own mouth.

PROVERBS 31
Proverbs Chapter 31 is split into two interesting sections
• Part 1 (verses 1-9)
Consists of godly advice for kings or those who have the ambition to be successful in life around women and drink. Verse 4: “It is not for kings, O Lemuel, It is not for kings to drink wine, Nor for princes intoxicating drink;. . .”
“Grow a wise heart—you’ll do yourself a favor; keep a clear head—you’ll find a good life.”
MSG 8:19 Proverbs

The Bible does not say “Thou shall not drink” But it points us in the directions of the consequences of drinking. Read Proverbs 20:1 and 23:20-21, 29-35

• Part 2 (verses 10-31)
Presents the “virtuous woman,” extolling her qualities and contributions. It describes her industriousness, kindness, and wisdom, emphasizing her value in both household and community. The chapter provides a vivid portrait of an ideal wife and mother, highlighting virtues such as diligence, generosity, and fear of the Lord. Ultimately, Proverbs 31 serves as a tribute to the capable and virtuous woman, offering a model of character and strength.
Verses 10 – 31 describes the "excellent wife." She is remarkable, in part, because of how rare it is to find such qualities (See Proverbs 20:6). Over the course of the passage, she is noted with traits directly opposed to the "fools" mentioned in earlier passages. Many men read these verses and pass them off as being for women only, but I do not believe qualities such as trustworthiness, hard work, diligence, preparedness, care, kindness, wisdom, and honor are reserved for women, only. Rather, they speak of attributes any person would benefit from, and aspire to possess.

Contributor: Esther Alajiki

Introduction
As we continue to glean wisdom in our study of the book of Proverbs, we will be exploring Chapters 18 -24 for additional wisdom and contrasting the ways of the wise and unwise and how this impacts on our daily living and relationships with God and men.

Chapter 18 - Contrast the Upright and the Wicked
Verses 1-7: "1He who [willfully] separates himself [from God and man] seeks his own desire, He quarrels against all sound wisdom. 2A [closed-minded] fool does not delight in understanding, But only in revealing his personal opinions [unwittingly displaying his self-indulgence and his stupidity].6A fool’s lips bring contention and strife, And his mouth invites a beating. 7A fool’s mouth is his ruin, And his lips are the snare of his soul. 10The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous runs to it and is safe and set on high [far above evil]."

Verse 15: "The mind of the prudent [always] acquires knowledge, And the ear of the wise [always] seeks knowledge."

Verses 20-21: "A man’s stomach will be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; He will be satisfied with the consequence of his words. 21Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it and indulge it will eat its fruit and bear the consequences of their words."

• Revelation
The verses talk about the fools and way of life, A fool has no delight in understanding, is haughty, trusts in his wealth, spreads gossip lies. Slothfulness .etc. the wise man or woman has great satisfaction in knowledge, understanding, wisdom, diligence, is humble and trusts in the Lord.

• Application
We must intentionally reflect on the choices we make as these directs the course of our lives and relationships. We need to desire and pursue wisdom.

Chapter 19: On Life and Conduct
Verse 8: "He who gains wisdom and good sense loves (preserves) his own soul; He who keeps understanding will find good and prosper."

Verses 15-16: "Laziness casts one into a deep sleep [unmindful of lost opportunity], And the idle person will suffer hunger. 16He who keeps and obeys the commandment [of the LORD] keeps (guards) his own life, But he who is careless of his ways and conduct will die."

Verse 18: "Discipline and teach your son while there is hope, And do not [indulge your anger or resentment by imposing inappropriate punishment nor] desire his destruction. Verse 23: The fear of the LORD leads to life, So that one may sleep satisfied, untouched by evil."

Verse 29: "Judgments are prepared for scoffers, And beatings for the backs of [thickheaded] fools."

• Revelation
Our lives and conduct must align with the word of God is we want to prosper and live long, the fear of the Lord will protect us from evil. It is a must to train the children at the appropriate age and time in the appropriate way, There is not an endless window of opportunity to chasten and wisely discipline our children. Age and circumstances limit the opportunity for effective training, so it must be done while there is hope.

• Application
We must allow God to guide us and we will enjoy the peace that passes all understanding and will not be visited with evil but the wicked will not escape penalty. God wants us to choose wisely.

Chapter 20: On Life and Conduct
Verses 3-4: “It is an honor for a man to keep away from strife [by handling situations with thoughtful foresight], But any fool will [start a] quarrel [without regard for the consequences]. 4The lazy man does not plow when the winter [planting] season arrives; So he begs at the [next] harvest and has nothing [to reap].”

Verses 17-18: “Food gained by deceit is sweet to a man, But afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel. 18 Plans are established by counsel; So make war [only] with wise guidance.”

Verse 24: “Man’s steps are ordered and ordained by the LORD. How then can a man [fully] understand his way?”

Verse 27: “The spirit (conscience) of man is the lamp of the LORD, Searching and examining all the innermost parts of his being.”

• Revelation
Lack of consequential thinking has consequences. Sin. Laziness, evil… may be sweet at first, but later its consequences bring despair]. Don’t only plan ensure you have wise counsel, ensure God is the one that leads you, he is omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent.

• Application
If God seats upon the throne of our heart, our lives will reflect his blessing. Press in to God.

Chapter 21 – God is Sovereign
Verse 2: "Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the hearts"
God’s discernment goes beyond unmasking those who fool others; he even finds out those who have fooled themselves.

Verse 16: “A man who wanders from the way of understanding, Will rest in the assembly of the dead.”
Solomon began on the way of understanding, the departure from the way of understanding doesn’t have to be calculated and deliberate; it may feel like wandering.

Verse 21: “He who follows righteousness and mercy Finds life, righteousness, and honor”            This is the path of wisdom, God’s path for those who will listen and surrender to God, it isn’t easy and is often opposed and mocked yet it is rewarded by God.

Verse 27: “The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination; How much more when he brings it with wicked intent!”
When a sacrifice is offered, the priest or observers may not be able to see wicked intent, but God can.

Verses 30-31: “There is no wisdom or understanding or counsel against the LORD. The horse is prepared for the day of battle, But deliverance is of the LORD.”
God is sovereign

• Application
Take heed, God sees in secret and open and we must fear him above all.

Chapter 22 How to Live a Life of Wisdom
Verse 3: “A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself . . .”
Prevision is the best means of prevention

Verse 6: “Train up a child in the way he should go . . .”
With the gift of a child is the responsibility to train

Verses 17-21: “The value of the words of the wise . . .”
The heart and mind must be open to receive wisdom, true wisdom makes us more dependent on God

Verses 22-23: “Treat the poor fairly . . .”
God Himself will plead their cause and will plunder the soul of those who plunder the poor.

Verses 24-25: “Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person, . . .”
Warning against the angry man - Wisdom chooses friends carefully and should make no friendship with an angry man.

Verses 26-27: “Do not be one who shakes hands in pledge or puts up security for debts;”
Stay away from the debts of others - personal debt is to be avoided don’t become surety for debts of another person.

Verse 29: “Do you see someone skilled in their work?”
The reward of excellent work: Wisdom pushes us toward excellence- excellence of a man or woman’s work can give them great standing in the world. More importantly, it gives them standing before the King of kings, who promises to reward the one who works diligently unto Him (Colossians 3:23-24).

• Application
We must daily and intentionally allow the wisdom of God to order our lives

Chapter 23 Warnings
Verses 1-3: “When you sit to dine with a ruler, note well what is before you, . . .”
Curb your appetite or control yourself - Consider carefully what is before you; - Don’t grab everything set before you, it could fill your stomach but empty your spirit. (most initiation into witchcraft is through food, there are so many examples of people destroyed by food)

Verses 4-5: “Do not wear yourself out to get rich . . .”
Do not make an idol of wealth- Though working hard is a mark of wisdom, God must be first in our heart.

Verses 6-8: “Do not eat the food of a begrudging host, do not crave his delicacies . . .”
Do not eat at the table of a stingy man. - He doesn’t want you to really enjoy yourself at his table, be discerning.

Verse 9: “Do not speak to fools, for they will scorn your prudent words.”
Do not waste your words on the fool. The fool will not receive or appreciate your wisdom. It will be as Jesus later described – like throwing pearls before pigs (Matthew 7:6). Pray instead.

Verses 10-11: “Do not move an ancient boundary stone”
Do not steal from others – God is watching and there is a special curse for the thief. Zechariah 5:3

Verse 12: “Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge.”
Do not neglect wisdom. - wisdom can be given out, but it must be received to be of any lasting good. The reception of wisdom isn’t passive; it is active, it must be received and applied.

Verses 13-14: “Do not withhold discipline from a child . . .”
Do not fail to correct your children. – connect and correct not brutalize.

Verses 17-18: “Do not let your heart envy sinners . . .”
Do not envy sinners - Be zealous for the fear of the LORD don’t be jealous of the wicked. Ps 73.

Verses 19-21: “Listen, my son, and be wise, and set your heart on the right path . . .”
Warnings about wine and women. The self-indulgent are reduced to destitution, Their full stomachs empty their minds

Verse 23: “Buy the truth and do not sell it—wisdom, instruction and insight as well.”
The attitude to have towards wisdom - Buy the truth, and do not sell it, and wisdom and instruction and understanding.

Verse 26-28: “My son, give me your heart and let your eyes delight in my ways . . .”
The danger of the immoral woman - Solomon could point to his own life as an example of wisdom when it came to the dangers of an immoral woman - Samson broke the bonds of his enemies, but he could not break the bonds of his own lusts

Verses 29-35: “Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? . . .”
The misery of abusing alcohol - eventually, the abuse of alcohol or drugs will bite and sting.

• Application
As a Christian Therefore see that you walk carefully [living life with honor, purpose, and courage; shunning those who tolerate and enable evil], not as the unwise, but as wise [sensible, intelligent, discerning people] Ephesians 5:15.

Chapter 24
Verses 3-9: Wisdom for the home
“Through wisdom a house is built, And by understanding it is established; By knowledge the rooms are filled With all precious and pleasant riches. . .”
Moral and spiritual values must be built through wisdom and established through understanding. The blessing of building a home with God’s wisdom, God’s understanding, and God’s knowledge will bring precious and pleasant riches in the spiritual sense and often in the material sense. God’s blessing is on the home that seeks and honors His wisdom. Wisdom strengthens, lack of wisdom results in folly.

Verses 11-12: Help those on their way to destruction
“Deliver those who are drawn toward death, And hold back those stumbling to the slaughter.”

Verses 15-20: The resilience of the righteous
“For a righteous man may fall seven times, and rise again. . .”

Verses 21-22: Respect for God and king.
“My son, fear the LORD and the king . . .”

Verses 23-25: The importance of true justice.
“It is not good to show partiality in judgment. . .”

Verse 27: Order your work wisely.
“Prepare your outside work, Make it fit for yourself in the field; And afterward build your house.”
Work should be done with proper planning and in the proper order.

Verses 30-34 The tragedy of the lazy man.
“I went past the field of a sluggard, past the vineyard of someone who has no sense. . .”
The lazy man did not plant the thorns or nettles, and he did not deliberately break down the stone wall. Yet his laziness made these things happen just as much as if he had deliberately done them. the spiritual sluggard has a neglected spirit - barren, instead of being sown with the seeds of grace becomes overgrown with thorns and nettles.

• Application
Build your life with God’s wisdom, and you will be fruitful and prosperous physically and spiritually.

Contributor: Wale Abiona

Introduction
In continuation of our study in the book of Proverbs, we will be looking at Chapters 11-17 for additional wisdom on how to live righteously with the understanding of consequences of failure to take counsel from God.
These chapters touch on the issue of making wise choices and the blessings and curses of pride. May the Holy spirit gives us understanding in Jesus' name.

Chapter 11 – The upright and the wicked.
Verse(s): 1–3, 7-8
"1 The Lord hates false scales, but he loves accurate weights. 2 Proud and boastful people will be shamed, but wisdom stays with those who are modest and humble. 3 Good people are guided by their honesty, but crooks who lie and cheat will ruin themselves." 

"7 When the wicked die, all their hopes are lost; everything they thought they could do comes to nothing. 8 Good people escape from trouble, but the wicked come along and are trapped by it."

Revelation: An upright, godly life leads a person in the right path. Those who reject wisdom are consumed and destroyed by their own evil.

Application: this chapter urges us to cultivate virtues and shun vices, illustrating the profound consequences that our actions can bring (Proverbs 11:30–31).

Chapter 12 – Wisdom and Foolishness.
Verse(s): 1-4; 15
"1 Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge, But he who hates correction is stupid. 2 A good man obtains favour from the Lord, But a man of wicked intentions He will condemn. 3 A man is not established by wickedness, But the root of the righteous cannot be moved. 4 An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, But she who causes shame is like rottenness in his bones."

"15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But he who heeds counsel is wise."

Revelation: Those who embrace discipline will be wise and behave themselves wisely. They will keep themselves from destruction that follow those who are wicked.

Application: The knowledge of what is good and acceptable comes from following God’s instruction. When we are divinely guided, by instruction we will be established in righteousness (Proverbs 12:7).

Chapter 13 – Wise Choice
Verse(s): 3, 16, 17 & 20
"3 He who guards his mouth preserves his life, But he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction."

"16 Every prudent man acts with knowledge, But a fool lays open his folly."

"17 A wicked messenger falls into trouble, But a faithful ambassador brings health."

"20 He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will be destroyed."

Revelation: It is better to be wise than to be foolish. Keeping right company is a sign of wisdom and spiritual maturity.

Application: We are to demonstrate wisdom in our utterance and avoid keeping company with the wicked because they lack understanding of spiritual things (Psalm 1:1).

Chapter 14 – Life and Death by choice
Verse(s): 1-3, 7 & 11-12

"1 The wise woman builds her house, But the foolish pulls it down with her hands. 2 He who walks in his uprightness fears the LORD, But he who is perverse in his ways despises Him. 3 In the mouth of a fool is a rod of pride, But the lips of the wise will preserve them."

"7 Go from the presence of a foolish man, When you do not perceive in him the lips of knowledge."

"11 The house of the wicked will be overthrown, But the tent of the upright will flourish. 12 There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death."

Revelation: It is foolish to reject God's truth and instruction. This will only lead to disaster.

Application: (Psalm 14:1; Proverbs 1:7). Sin is deceptive in nature and can make rejecting God instruction seem like a good idea, but the result is tragedy. To avoid negative earthly consequences, we should follow godly counsel and stay away from the ungodly. In either case, that which a person chooses—selfishness or godliness—is repaid to them. Proverbs 14:11–14).

Chapter 15 – A Soft Answer Turns Away Wrath – (Common sense)
Verse(s): 1- 5

"1 A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger. 2 The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly, But the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness. 3 The eyes of the LORD are in every place, Keeping watch on the evil and the good. 4 A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, But perverseness in it breaks the spirit. 5 A fool despises his father’s instruction, But he who receives correction is prudent."

Revelation: A wise person carefully chooses their response, rather than babbling out whatever comes to mind. Closely connected to this is the need to humbly accept correction (Proverbs 15:1–5). Also, God observes everything, despising the wicked's sacrifices but loving the prayers of the upright.

Application: If we are to follow peace with all men…, then we must learn to control our emotions. Cautious and gentle answers do not only prevent additional strife, but they also reduce whatever tension already exists. We must be careful and sensible to listen to godly wisdom. It is a sign of humility that comes through a reverent honor of God (Proverbs 15:33).

Chapter 16 – Calls for aligning our plans with God's purposes.
Verse(s): 1-3,  16 & 19

"1 The preparations of the heart belong to man, But the answer of the tongue is from the LORD. 2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, But the LORD weighs the spirits. 3 Commit your works to the LORD, And your thoughts will be established."

"16 How much better to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver."

"19 Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, Than to divide the spoil with the proud."

Revelation: Human nature can lead us to arrogance and ignorance. Failure to seek God's will or examine our own motives can lead to disaster. Lord sees the heart, weighs the spirit, and determines what will happen. The Lord is sovereign; He has a purpose for everything He created. (vs 9). God detests arrogance—spiritual pride that causes a person to reject God—but is pleased when one turns away from evil. Godly wisdom is better than any material wealth.

Application: There is a clear distinction between evil people and those who are righteous. A righteous life is deemed better than silver or gold. A righteous life is the one that follow God’ original plan. Trusting in own strength or wisdom will only take us away from God’s presence. We should rather seek to align self with God’s plan for our life by taking counsel from his word.

Chapter 17 – Wisdom for righteous and godly daily living.
It outlines various life situations and offers timeless wisdom on how to navigate them.
The first section of this chapter deals with virtues such as family harmony and honesty. God cannot be deceived, and He knows precisely what's on each person's heart (Proverbs 17:1–6).
(Proverbs 17:7–21) These verses cover a wide range of ideas, which include sins that cause anger or division between people, friendship, and careful use of one's resources.
(Proverbs 17:22–28) These verses end with wisdom centered on godly spirituality and a controlled tongue.

Contributor: Tobi Morakinyo

Introduction
Proverbs are truths expressed in a somewhat obscured or coded way—short sayings filled with wisdom. The Book of Proverbs is one of the “Wisdom” Books in the Bible, alongside Psalms, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon. King Solomon authored Proverbs during the early years of his reign after receiving the gift of wisdom he asked of God, and before he turned away from God. The book is like a father’s letter to his sons, and given the spirit of wisdom (God) in Solomon, he was writing the mind of God to his children as an earthly father speaking to his son. The primary purpose of the book is to teach wisdom, reaching not
only the young and inexperienced but also the learned. May the Lord open our understanding as we study this book afresh this month in Jesus' name.

Chapter 1 – The benefit of Proverbs , the enticement of sinners and the warning of wisdom
Proverbs 1 has three broad themes starting with the usefulness of Proverbs. For instance, vs 4 says, “To give subtlety to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.” This implies that though wisdom is attained by experience, young people, through listening to the wise and keeping to their instructions, can obtain wisdom that would normally take time to garner, thereby saving time and achieving desired results.
The point here is some life lessons should not necessarily be learned through personal experience; we leverage the lessons from the experience of others included in the Bible to lead an effective, productive, and kingdom-focused life. The Bible says in Romans 15:4, “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”

The enticement of sinners (Proverbs 1:8-19) – Righteous (not moral) living is uncommon; this makes it common for believers to be enticed (vs 10), and as sons of God, we must be determined not to consent. Temptation will come, and it is not sinful to be tempted; yielding to temptation is sin.

Wisdom warns (1:20-33) - The tone changes here to the first person as Wisdom speaks of her loud invitation to people on a platter, but despite her effort, there was no response. She warns of a payback time when she will be sought after and needed but says, “I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh…” (vs 26-28) but “whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely and shall be quiet from the fear of evil” (vs 33). The key point here is that we should hearken diligently to the instructions of God so that we have Him as our ally as we proceed into the new year.

Chapter 2 – The pursuit of Wisdom.
Given our understanding of the benefits of wisdom and the danger of rejecting wisdom, this chapter reveals the extent we should be ready to go in the pursuit of wisdom. For instance, it says we should seek wisdom as silver; and search for her as hidden treasure (2:4). It further reveals that the Lord is the giver of wisdom (vs 6). This means to have wisdom; we should seek the custodian. “…If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever” (1 Chronicles 28:9c). However, God hides himself to be found by intentional and diligent seekers. He says “he is a rewarder of those that diligently seek him.”
So wisdom is one of the rewards of diligent seekers. This received wisdom, among others, will deliver the receiver from the ways of evil men (2:12), crooked ways (2:15), and strange women (2:16).

Chapter 3 – The blessing (rewards) of wisdom.
The chapter, like the previous one, highlights some nuggets for living, e.g., “bind mercy and truth around your neck (vs 3) to obtain favor of God and men; trust in the Lord and lean not on your understanding (vs 5-6); despise not correction from the Lord (vs 11-12); if you are to choose, buy wisdom not gold or silver (vs 14); and each coming with individual benefits. However, vs 35 sums up the benefit of living by godly wisdom - “to inherit glory and good testimonial of God and men.”

Chapter 4 –the Father’s instruction.
This chapter starts with a father's admonishment to his children to obey his commandment as their blessings are attached to their obedience. We can relate this to many other conditional blessings in the scripture, e.g., Deuteronomy 28:1-13 and Isaiah 1:19 – “If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land.” It also highlights the importance of guarding one's heart with all diligence, for from it flows the issues of life (vs 20-23) – actions are first decided from the heart, and the consequences of our summed actions are what we have as our lives outcome. So we must be careful at what goes on in our hearts.

Chapters 5 & 7.: Warning against immoral women
Both chapters focus on the danger of adultery and the importance of marital fidelity. The father to his son describes the cunningness of a “strange woman” who through sweet mouth (5:3; 7:1-8) and warns that transactions with her will ultimately lead to destruction. “Let not thine heart decline to her ways; go not astray in her paths. For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her. Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.” (vs 25-27). For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life (6:26). The Father subsequently encourages young men to be satisfied and faithful to the wife of their youth, avoiding by all means the walking on the path with a strange woman.

Chapter 6 – Parental counsel.
It provides more nuggets for various aspects of life, including financial responsibility, work ethics, and relationships. For instance, it encourages diligence and hard work following the example of ants, emphasizing the importance of preparing for the future and avoiding laziness (6:6-11). Another important aspect can be found in vs 16-20, which highlights the seven abominations that the Lord hates - A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren. (vs 16-19).

Chapters 8 & 9 –Wisdom calls for hearing and Wisdom invitation.
Both structures as a contrast between wisdom and folly, both personified as a woman. Proverbs 8 – 9:12 portrays a feast prepared by wisdom and her effort in inviting people to her banquet, especially the simple (young and inexperienced). Accepting her invitation yields longevity. On the other hand, folly similarly prepares her banquet and sends out an invitation targeting the simple with a catchphrase “stolen water is sweet, and bread eaten in secret is sweet” (vs 17). But he knoweth not that the dead are there; and that her guests are in the depths of hell (vs 18).

Chapter 10 –Contrast of righteous and wicked.
The chapter contrasts the lifestyle and outcomes of the wise and foolish. Overall, wisdom is portrayed as a source of blessing; prosperity and protection while foolishness lead to destruction and adversity (vs 8, 21). It also emphasizes the importance of speaking wisely and truthfully as opposed to gossip and spreading lies (vs 13, 18-21). It also encourages hard work and diligence as conditions for success and abundance (vs 4, 22).

May the Lord help us to be doers of His word in Jesus' name.