Happy New Year !

In It ,To Win It

In every race , there are three distinct group of participants :
* those who are in it for the sheer fun of being part of the race ; but they are in it with or without the ambition to reach the finishing line .
* those who are in the race to finish the race ; but they are running with no intentions or ambitions of wining any medals; and
 *  those who are in the race with the determination and ambition to win the race and to win it gloriously .
This third group are not only in the race to win it , but to do so in record time , with a medal , preferably a gold medal .
One could say that at the end of any race , winning medals is not the point but what matters is that after the race, each of the groups of runners would go home happy ; because each of them would have gotten what they desired (deserved?).

Just as there are different types of participants in any race , there are are different types of races to be ran and won in life .
Usually, the purpose and the rewards for running any race would determine the extent of the efforts put in by the participants before and during the race .
For your local bowling club’s charity fete , you could decide to be a clown and jog lightly throughout the fund-raising race because how and when you get to the finish line is irrelevant .
In that case, you doing a jog- walk would be adequate to complete the fete's one kilometre charity run , maybe after one hour of fun jogging.
What you promised your sponsors was your participation to raise funds and that you would try to reach the FINISH line in the fund-raising show .
But when or if your life depended on you winning a race , you would be in it to win it , at all cost!
Like, if you came face-to-face with a charging ferocious lion ; you would surprise yourself and everybody who knows you , because you would break many track and field world records as you would definitely run , jump and swim in record time , just to escape with your dear life ; far away from the man-eater !

You would run to escape serious threats to your life ; just as well be alert and focused with the intention to win the most important Race of your life - the Life-long Race to hold on to Eternal Life .
“I therefore so run , not as uncertainly, so fight I , not as one that beateth the air : But I keep under my body , and bring it under subjection; lest that by any means , when I have preached to others , I myself should be a cast away.”
1 Corinthians 9: 26,27.

People would give various excuses why they could not find the time to train and prepare for a race. So they enter a race unprepared with weak muscles and with the Joker's Mentality.
Just as some would give excuses why they "just want to make heaven only "; but they are not interested in winning any “ stars and crowns” , when they get to heaven !
Then they trudge along in the Race of Life with weak spiritual muscles ; falling and rising or falling and failing to rise and even quitting the Race , outright!
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things DONE IN THE BODY, according to what He has done, whether good or bad.” (2 Corinthians 5:10).

Enduring to remain in the Race till the Finish line is a Grace-fuelled decision.
By strength shall no man prevail for the Race is not to the swift , nor the battle to the strong .
1 Samuel 2:9.
A strong intention is not the qualification or the currency for medals in this Race ; GRACE and FAITH are .
“Now the just shall live by faith; but if any man draw back , my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
But we are not of them that draw back unto perdition ; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul ”. Hebrews 10: 38, 39.
Many have started the Race with lofty intentions and with high aims ; but they fell by the way side because they trusted in their own strength and their own understanding.
In the Life-long Race , turning back is NOT an option and it is not our portion .
Nobody says it will be easy-going throughout the Race.
Be in it to win it ; be alert , be focused and determined to win the Race .
At the end after breasting the finishing tape , there is a Glorious Crown awaiting all Finishers .
The Lord is on our side and He strengthens us always . Winning is our portion .
Amen.
24. " Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize?
Run in such a way as to get the prize !
25. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. 
They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 
26. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air.
 27. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize ".
1 Corinthians 9: 24-27.( NIV )

Sitting Pretty

" And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth.
Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever." Amen. Revelation 1: 5,6.

While watching a wild life programme which was shot on the banks of a lake somewhere in the Serengeti, I was amused by the antics of the monkeys on the branches of the trees along the shores of the lake.
The serene and beautiful scenery surrounding the lake was dotted with all kinds of animals and birds, large and small, either play-fighting , drinking  water or swimming in the watering hole.
Suddenly , the calm of the lake was shattered!
All the birds and animals , including the large ones like zebras and buffaloes;  began to either fly away or run away from the vicinity of the lake into the cover of the nearby bush .
As they took flight; they were letting out cries of fright to warn each other of danger.
The howler monkeys went higher up the trees and let out loud screams and howls ; while the birds and other animals joined the chorus of hateful alarm in their own peculiar "languages".

The arrival of a pride of lions on the scene caused the panic amongst the animals .
The lions ignored them and without even a glance at the gang of protesting animals, they drank water to their hearts content and then laid down on the lake shore for a rest.
As they laid there , the noise and commotion from the other animals continued unabated .
Meanwhile, the lions were unperturbed and indifferent to the commotion around them.
They relaxed and showed no fears that they were out-numbered by dozens of howling and shrieking birds and animals who were , obviously, very upset at the unwanted intrusion by the lions.
Apparently , the lions were not hungry and did not come to hunt for prey but to quench their thirst.
The family of lions sat down , confidently ,took their rest by the lake, for as long as they wanted to do so; and then they walked away, majestically .
All the other animals watched the lions from a safe distance but none of them dared to return to the lake while the lions were there.
After the lions had left the scene, then the other animals felt safe and were emboldened to return to the lake.
Indeed , when the Cat is away, mice come out to play!
Such is the confidence , awe , respect and privilege which is the sole preserve of people with power, strength and dominion.

I sympathised with all the other harassed animals who had to endure this atmosphere of fear and intimidation caused by the arrival of the lions, every day, at their watering holes.
I could imagine the insults and threats those animals hurled at the intruding lions and their anger and bitterness at being inferior in status and strength to the lions.
But in this life, every one cannot be king.
In the jungle of life, someone has to be King to rule and reign over the others.
The lion was divinely endowed with power and strength as king of the Jungle ,  to lord it over the other beasts of the jungle.
All lions know this and all the other animals know this and accept that the Lion is king ; even if they do accept this fact grudgingly.
When the Lion speaks ( roars), no animal dares to rebuke him into silence.
At the sound of his roar ,the earth trembles ; the other animals retreat into hiding and they quake with fear!
"...he uttereth his voice , the earth melted" . Psalm 46:6b
The King of the beasts eats and drinks whatever he desires, when and where he pleases.
The king of the jungle goes wherever he wants ; even where other animals would not dare to tread.

The king walks tall , striding majestically before his enemies and is not shaken or deterred by their protests or disapproval!

Jesus Christ has been given all
power to rule and reign in heaven and on earth. Matthew 28: 18.
The Lion of the Tribe of Judah is Lord , in Heaven and on Earth.
All usurpers, noise makers and pretenders to the Throne know who the King is and so they become silent and they must bow in the presence of the King of Heaven and Earth!
"Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father ". 
Philippians 2:9 - 11

Kingship is bestowed either by birth and or by anointing.
The Lion of the Tribe of Judah has bestowed His power and dominion to rule and reign on those that are called by His name.
He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked." 1 John 2:6.
Jesus Christ is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords .
He has made his people who are called by His name to rule and reign in the midst of their enemies and the enemies of their God.
Psalm 110:2.
Receive the authority by Kingship to sit pretty, to walk tall and to reign in the midst of all challenges and over every adversary! 
The power and dominion which Jesus bestows on people for kingship flow from His throne of Righteousness.
In righteousness, we are sitting pretty and reigning in the midst of our enemies.
"The name of the LORD [is] a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.” 
Proverb 18: 10.
Have you received Christ's righteousness?
It is freely bestowed not on just anybody ; but on every one who believes in his or her heart and confesses that Jesus is the son of God ; that He died to take away the sins of the world , He was buried and He rose from the dead on the third day.
Romans 10: 8- 11 .

Jesus is alive and He reigns for ever more.
Jesus Christ, the Lion of the tribe of Judah has made us righteous to sit and reign in high places with Him, far above principalities and powers and every power of the enemy and nothing shall by any means hurt us.
"For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ". 
Romans 5 :17

Just like the other animals dread and tremble before the lion , so God has put trembling and the fear of His people
in the midst of our enemies to paralyse them and render them
and their evil devices impotent against us.
"But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil." 
Psalm 1:33.
If only we believe and stand in the liberty and authority which the salvation of God has given us ; deliverance, boldness, peace and victory shall be our portion in life, always.
Amen.
God bless you .
- Tina E. David
My other blog is www.pneumalithos.blogspot.com

Dogged Faith In the face of Adversity .

There has been and there will be , always, among the people of God, a Godly remnant  whom God can boast of as His very own army.
" Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him ". 
1 King 19: 18.
Just as all the other Prophets bowed to Baal; with the exception of the mentioned 7000; also in this era , when they are facing oppositions  and life-threatening challenges , we hear of capitulations by sections of the people of God; as evidenced by their unfaithfulness to God's word  .
But thanks be to God, that even today , just as well , God can boast of more than 7000 of His children who have not " sold out " by kissing Baal ; or eating and drinking the king's fine meats and wines .

For this week's bible study,  I have chosen to focus on the life stories of Joseph and Daniel.
They are good examples of  persons who remained faithful to God's word even as they faced life-threatening adversities.
These men kept on believing God and trusting God's word even when  it seemed they had lost everything and when it looked as if their lives on earth were over and finished with.

Brethren , what are those challenges that could make one to deny God and to forget God's promises ?
1. Could it be situations of hopelessness and experiences of great loss?
Joseph and Daniel lost everything when they became captives and their situations became hopeless but God delivered them gloriously. They were promoted and gained back everything they had lost and even gained more. Indeed , glorious restorations and testimonies were their testimonies .
2. Or is it unrelenting temptations?
God is able to make a way of escape from every temptation.
"There hath no temptation taken hold of you but such as is common to man. But God is faithful; He will not suffer you to be tempted beyond that which ye are able to bear, but with the temptation will also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it ".
1 Corinthians 10: 13 -14.
If only we are willing to take the divine way out , we shall overcome all temptations .
Joseph faced it and he overcame the temptation of the persistent offers to commit the sin of  adultery by having a sexual affair with his boss Potiphar's wife. Genesis 39: 6-7.
Daniel faced the temptation of eating and drinking the choicest royal food and wine which the Jewish people did not eat . Leviticus 11: 46 ; Daniel 1: 5.
He also faced the temptation put to him by his enemies which was for him to choose between worshipping his God Jehovah or bowing down before the  Babylonian idol.
Daniel determined to put his life on the line by refusing to bow to the demands of his enemies.

These two young men Joseph and Daniel , could have decided to succumb to these temptations and they could indeed have chosen the easiest ways out of their predicament .
Joseph could have chosen the lifestyle of being a top society woman's pampered Toy-Boy and then be enjoying free sex and the best life in Potiphar's household .
Daniel could have chosen to enjoy free food and free wine ; and he could have followed the multitude to do the evil of bowing down to worship a graven image.
 Exodus 20:1 -6; 23: 2.
But because both of them trusted God and they knew the God they were serving ,and they believed God 's word, they said a big and emphatic " NO!" to the favours and lure of sinful lifestyles.
3. Your own challenge could be the mockery and evil counsel of friends and family.
When you are facing tribulations , you would be called all sorts of names by people and you would  hear diverse advice from all types of people who think the reason why you are in trouble is because you are a numbskull and you do not know what you should do to free yourself  .
 People would tell you what you should do and all the wonderful ways through which  to "help" yourself .
 Most of these advice could be ungodly counsel . Just the type of counsels Job was given by his close families and friends .
  Job 2: 9.
People , can God boast of you like He did about Job?
The LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man fearing God and turning away from evil. 
And he still holds fast his integrity, although you incited Me against him to ruin him without cause." Job 2:3.
 Is this your testimony whereby God in heaven is boasting of your dogged faithfulness after you have shunned and reject the mockery and bad advice of many people given to you  ?

4. The problem could be your fear of the future and your search for what you will eat and drink. 
There is always the pull to envy the unrighteous rich and to copy what the unrighteous rich have done to make their fortune .
But what does the word of God say about emulating the wicked? Psalm 37: 1-13.
Both Joseph and Daniel were very handsome young men.
Are you a handsome man or a beautiful woman using your fine looks to collect money and other gifts in exchange for sex with all sorts of men and women ?
You the trader, maybe you see nothing wrong in grabbing all "business " opportunities, both the good and bad; in order to make money and to become famous ?
5. The adversity could be the lure of joining the bandwagon of people who are kissing Baal.
Have you "sold out" by manipulating the word of God and "helping " yourselves because of what you will eat and drink ?
 Many people have entered into all sorts of covenants and unholy alliances just to "survive".
Man, woman, you know you had a sham marriage ceremony with a foreigner ; just to enable you obtain their foreign passport and work permit.
People who love money have built themselves up as idols and set up doctrines of money to be worshipped as idols inside the Church.
While claiming to be "Ministers and people  of God ", for the love of filthy lucre , you know you have joined the chorus of deceivers of the Flock of Christ .
Just because of your lust for money , what are you preaching?
Have you stood on God's altar to lie to people by manipulating God's word and using God's name to deceive people ?
All said and done in order to collect Church money and use it to build your personal businesses and to buy whatever you desire for yourselves and your families.
The Church offerings you have raised was NOT, as you promised, " to help the poor and needy and to do the work of God, world wide !".
You know that when you say " Please give generously to God's work , the " god " you have in mind is YOURSELF ; not the God of the Bible !
6. Many have abandoned God and His word because they think God's word is not practicable nowadays ; and that His ways are too Slow ?
Are you that person who sees nothing wrong in forsaking God and His word but you grab any chance which you are offered just because you think that choosing that option would give you the quickest solution and fastest breakthrough  which you have been dreaming of ?
You believe it and say it that: 
" the End justifies the Means ?"
The Spirit of God says "BEWARE !"
" There is a way that seems right to a man , but its end is the way of death"
Proverbs 14:12.

Repent and receive your deliverance !

8. But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.
 9.The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

10.But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.

2 Peter 3: 8-10 .

     THE REWARDS OF FAITHFULNESS
Let us see the rewards of faithfulness to God; as in the examples of the lives of Joseph and Daniel.
1. God is faithful.
God was faithful to these two men. He did not fail to deliver them and to  promote them immensely.
Genesis 41: 37 - 48 ; Daniel 6 : 1 -28.
He is able and mighty to deliver all those who trust in Him. Job 5: 19 -27 .
Our God will deliver us from every pit of captivity ! Amen.

2. We can do nothing to deliver ourselves.
" Without me you can do nothing ". John 15 : 3 - 8.
It is God who gives the power to get wealth. Deuteronomy 8: 18.
Promotions comes from God only.
Psalm 75: 1 - 7.
We have and we shall overcome every challenge we encounter because we are lifting our faces and our voices up unto God who alone is our Helper ! Job 22: 21 -30. Psalm 121 : 1- 8.

3. All we need is God's power and His favour. 
Joseph and Daniel were both in situations where they could not help themselves .
All they could do was to  rely on God's favour and power  to deliver them.
Genesis 39:1- 6 ,  20 -23 ; Daniel 1: 9.
Maybe you have believed the word which says " Heaven helps those who help themselves !"
That statement is not in the Bible and we should never embrace that sentence as our guide in life.
You cannot help yourself or help Heaven by swimming in sin !

4. Faithfulness at work is Godliness.
The bible warns against idleness and refusal to work.
 Joseph and Daniel were faithful workers in each place where they were taken to, as slaves and prisoners.
 They did not refuse to humble themselves to do the menial and dirty work of prisoners and slaves
The word of God says we should work with our hands and use our God-given talents to get our daily bread in honest ways. This is work which is acceptable to God and conformable to God's word.
Proverbs 12:11, 14: 23; 2 Thessalonians 3 :10- 12.
As healthy and able- bodied persons , instead of living in idleness and depending on government welfare handouts as "Gofment Pikin" ;  choose the paths of  honour and be proud to embrace honest labour.
May God's grace enable us to be humble enough to do any honest work we are given , however small and degrading that job is.

 5. Faithfulness invokes Divine Visitation.
While faithfully doing the lowly and dirty work as a prisoner and a slave , God visited them and promoted Joseph and Daniel to the highest level as the topmost leaders in the countries of Egypt and Babylon where they were strangers , slaves and hopeless prisoners.

"The exile will soon be set free, and will not die in the dungeon, nor will his bread be lacking. 
“For I am the LORD your God, who stirs up the sea and its waves roar (the LORD of hosts is His name). 
“I have put My words in your mouth and have covered you with the shadow of My hand, to establish the heavens, to found the earth, and to say to Zion, ‘You are My people.’”

Isaiah 51 : 14 - 16.

Are you a captive alien in "prison" in a strange land and you are facing diverse limitations and restrictions  which have seemed too prolonged and insurmountable?
As you trust in God , TODAY He will visit you , deliver  and promote you gloriously from that situation of your captivity and shame  .   Amen.

" The mighty God, even the Lord , hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof.  Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined.  
Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him.  
He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people.  Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice. 
 And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Selah ". Psalms 50:1‭-‬6 KJV

In summary , we have learnt the ways of Jehovah The Faithful God who always rewards those who remain dogged and faithful ; trusting in Him only and obeying His word.
 In the lives of these two Biblical icons which are worthy of emulation, we see the similarities of their Dogged Faithfulness and Trust in God as follows : -
1. They were both captives and lived as  slaves in strange lands .
Joseph was in captivity in the dungeons of Egypt while Daniel was one of the Hebrew children who were living  as slaves in the king's palace in Babylon.
Genesis 39 : 16- 20 ; Daniel 1: 1-6
2. The two of them were  very handsome young men whose  good looks made them targets for temptations.
3. The two of then overcame temptations because they knew their God whom they were serving .
Joseph refused to enter into sexual sin with a wealthy woman.
Daniel refused to eat unholy food and refused to stop praying and bowing to Jehovah God only.
4. Even in their captivity when their lives looked hopeless , the life stories  of both men became glorious testimonies  because they trusted God and they believed God's word.
5. Both Joseph and Daniel received great rewards and awesome promotions in the land of their captivity because they were OVER COMERS who trusted God.
6. All their enemies who lied against them , were put to shame.
7. Thousands of people have heard the glorious testimonies of the lives of Joseph and Daniel and they have been converted from unbelief to faith in the power and deliverance of Jehovah God.

May our lives be testimonies to the world that God's faithfulness and power are steadfast and mighty to deliver  those who trust in Him.
Amen.

Merry Christmas !

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The Happiness of Those Whose Help Is the Lord

Praise the Lord, O my soul!
2 While I live I will praise the Lord;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.

3 Do not put your trust in princes,
Nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help.
4 His spirit departs, he returns to his earth;
In that very day his plans perish.

5 Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help,
Whose hope is in the Lord his God,
6 Who made heaven and earth,
The sea, and all that is in them;
Who keeps truth forever,
7 Who executes justice for the oppressed,
Who gives food to the hungry.
The Lord gives freedom to the prisoners.

8 The Lord opens the eyes of the blind;
The Lord raises those who are bowed down;
The Lord loves the righteous.
9 The Lord watches over the strangers;
He relieves the fatherless and widow;
But the way of the wicked He turns upside down.

10 The Lord shall reign forever—
Your God, O Zion, to all generations.

Praise the Lord!

Psalm 146:1-10 (NKJV)