THE LORD’S SONG

 Glory to God in the highest for another opportunity given unto us today, to learn at His feet. My Prayer today is that may the eyes of our understanding be opened in Jesus name (AMEN). We shall be considering a very important aspect in Christianity which is “SONGS” musical Sounds. How important is this in our Christian race? Does it end here on earth alone?  However, songs are musical sounds expressed in words, it speaks directly to the HEART, it has the power to direct and influence a man. A notable man of God Daddy E.A Adeboye once say and I quote “Songs are spiritual languages that can reach beyond intellect to touch the Heart of God”. 

TAKE AWAY THE DROSS

What maybe flowing through your mind is what does DROSS mean and how does it relate with Christianity? Why must it be taken away? In this book the Holy Spirit will be revealing the deep answers to these questions unto us. Let relax and read through as the Holy Spirit teaches us. As regard to Oxford Dictionary, DROSS refers to ‘waste or impure matter’, impurities in metal’. Bro Gbile in one of His teachings said “Dross means what reduces the Shining capacity of a Silver”. Coming to the Spiritual realm DROSS are ‘weights and impurities that keep us from attaining the level at which god wants us to manifest in him’, which was much emphasized in (Heb. 12:1) “…let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us”. Meaning if we fail or reluctant to laying aside these DROSSES (Weights and Sins that easily beset us) running the race will be a very hard thing.

LOOK UNTO JESUS

                            LOOK UNTO JESUS

                                                                                                                    This is a great and important issue which every Christian need to understand, how does it reflect in our Christian race? In our last series we have been made to know that the first thing we need to do is to “lay aside those weights and sin doth so easily beset us” in order for us to run the race, Heb 12:1 “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,”

If you will notice that verse very well is ended with a punctuation mark (,) which shows continuation i.e. putting aside every weight and sins alone do not guarantee us running the race well, there is something else which is very important also in order for us to run the race well, I pray that the eyes of our understanding will be opened as the Lord teach us in Jesus name (AMEN). Heb 12:2“Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith; who for the joy that set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God”. The important sentence we will be looking at in that verse is “looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith”.

What does it mean to look? According to Oxford Dictionary   Looking or to look means to face a particular direction, to pay attention to something or to examine something so closely. In the context of our textual source, to look means RELYING ON SOOMEONE WITH NO OTHER PLAN B. The next thing to do after laying aside every weights and sins is to look (i.e. pay attention to something or someone.), why laying aside every weights and sins comes first is because if you don’t lay them away you won’t be able to look up. The question to you now is Who do you look up to? What are those things that you pay attention to? Search through yourself and see if you have rightly set your priorities, it’s a pity that many of us pay attention to these worldly things so much that the weights we lay aside before comes upon us again but now with greater force, many of us look up to our pastor and G.O as our lord and balance “whatever and anything my pastor does is rights for me to emulate”. Who told you that? “the fact that he got you saved or his your pastor does not make him God he is just a messenger”.

If what you claim to believe is right then the bible will have said “looking unto the ministers” but NO the Bible says “Looking unto Jesus the Author (Beginning) and Finisher (End) of our faith” there is a reason why it is been stated that way. If you must run this race and end it well then the only LIFE-LINE available for you is to look up to JESUS and Him alone. You will see some people when they are in trouble they will look up to man, and surely man will disappoint them they will now because of that say they are not going to serve God again, KNOW THIS IF YOUO DON’T SERVE HIM OTHERS WILL BECAUSE THE PROBLEM IS NOT WITH GOD RATHER IT IS WITH YOU, YOU FAILED IN SETTING YOUR PRIORITIES RIGHT.

Brethren, in times of trouble who do you look up to? You will see many people in this generation, when they are faced with trouble and tribulation or maybe had a dream they will run to their Pastor looking up to him for help forgetting that even their so called Pastor (if he is Spirit filled and of God) will have to look up JESUS before he can get answers to their requests, no wonder some fake pastors have seen it as a means of duping people because they know they are ignorant. WHY DON’T WE NOW LOOK UP TO THE MAJOR (JESUS) AND STOP RUNNING AFTER THE MINOR (MEN).

Why then is it dangerous to look up to man?

1. Vain is the help of man (Ps 60:11)
2. They are not the standard  (2Tim 2:19)
3. They can’t take you far  
4. They will disappoint and fail you
5. They can’t provide for your needs nor guarantee your safety
6. They can fall and lead you astray
7. They can’t save you
8. Many of them might be False Pastors and Fake Prophets.

Why it is good to look up to God?

1. He cannot forsake you    (Ps 9:10)
2. He is your greatest security, in him you are safe     (Ps 16:8)
3. He is the only one that supply you the Strength needed for the RACE ahead (Is 40:3; Ps 27:14; 2Cor 12:9)
4. He will give you all your heart desires (Ps 37:4; Prov 16:3)  
5. He will bless you without sorrow in it    (Ps 32:10)
6. He can never fail you
7. He is the Author and the Finisher of your faith  (Heb 12:2)
8. He is your creator and knows what is best for you  (Jer 29:11)
9. He delight in communing with you (Jer 9:24)
10. He is the only RIGHTEOUS ONE, in him there is no sin  (1Pet 2:21-24) and many more reasons to mention a few why you need to look up  to JESUS.

To make this more practical we are going to look at the life of a man in the Bible, his name is Simon Peter, we will take a look closely at a situation in his life where he had to make a decision in either to look up to Jesus or Men. “Vs 25 And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. Vs 26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled saying, It is a Spirit; and they cried out for fear. Vs 27 But straightaway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; It is I; be not afraid. Vs 28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou; bid me come unto thee on the water. Vs 29 And he said, come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. Vs 30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried , saying, Lord, Save me. Vs 31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? (Matt 14:25-31)”.

In the story we just read 3 things happened there which I will trust God to be able to point out;

(1)    He started well: OH! What a great man of faith, out of every other disciples he seemed to have great faith, he called unto the Master “if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water (Matt 14:28)” and of a truth Jesus told him to come which he (Peter) did and started walking on water. What a great excitement, though it was not written in the bible but I perceive he was able to walk because he was looking at someone before him who was doing what he was also doing and that gave him boldness that if he (Jesus) can the I can, other disciples must had being looking at Peter like “oh this is greater than us all o, he no be our mate again” and Jesus himself will be happy that “oh I have breed a great man”.

(2)    He missed it: Despite the outstanding faith peter had, I believe he had walked very far on water even that he must be close to Jesus, but there flesh came in and something happened “But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; (Matt 14:30a)”. Do you know where the problem came from? The falling started when he took his gaze away from JESUS, he stopped looking unto Jesus but started looking at the wind and instantly he began to sink. Just like you also, your Christian journey had being great even winning souls for God and you had being looking unto Jesus but because of that physical problem, financial challenges or denial and delay you took your face off the Master and then you started sinking. Will that now be the end of your life? NO!!!

(3)    He returned back to the Master: When Apostle Paul saw that he was in trouble and keeping quiet won’t have helped you or giving excuses rather he cried and changed his ways “and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, Save me. Vs 31a And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, (Matt 14: 30b-31a)”. one thing I want to note is that, Jesus was there but his hand was folded and watching what the decision of Peter will be, but glory to God Peter took the great decision, he returned back to the old path “he looked unto Jesus again and cried” it was after that Jesus stretched forth his hand and caught him Apostle Johnson Suleman said “It is Human action that Provokes Divine Reaction”, Until when Peter acted by Crying for help Jesus didn’t React by stretching forth His  hands.  Also it does mean you are forgotten or you will die in that situation or you can’t change your ways, sure you can run back to the cross and change your ways, LOOK  UNTO JESUS ONCE AGAIN AND CRY UNTO HIM, I know him and am very sure he will hear you and bring you out like he did for Daniel, Peter, Shedrach, Meshach, Abednego, he is the same yesterday, today and forever, all is needed of you is to look unto him not any man “IF PETER HAD LOOKED UNTO THE OTHER DISCIPLES (MEN) WHO WERE WATCHING HE WOULD HAVE DROWNED RATHER HE LOOKED UNTO GOS”, both in good times and bad times, In rejoicing or tribulation, LOOK UNTO HIM, LEAN ON HIM AND ON HIM ALONE. It is well with you in Jesus name.

If you are reading this article and you are yet to give your life Christ but right now you are ready to give your life to Christ, say this after me with a determined heart “Lord Jesus here I am, I am a sinner and I have cut short your glory, Lord am sorry for my sins and I will never return back to them, I accept you today into my life as my Lord and Saviour, use your blood to wash away my sins and write my name in the book of life”. I welcome you into the Kingdom, just make sure you join a believing Church where the Word of God is being taught and make your Bible your friend not forgetting to be having your quiet time every morning.

God bless you,

Your Brother,

AKINWANDE AYODEJI TIMOTHY

08168229818; 08181482249

knwndayodeji@gmail.com

LAYING ASIDE EVERY WEIGHT

It is impossible for an athlete who want to win a prize or medal to now put on a load on himself or maybe he wears a heavy coat or peradventure he now puts on a keg of water on himself expecting himself to win the medal after he might have ran, Apostle Joshua Selman said “that is the path to great failure”. It is so sure that he is going nowhere and won’t win any prize or medal, though he might know how to run and even be the best athlete but as long as there is that WEIGHT upon him, it is impossible for him to run the RACE WELL, he might still try to take a step or peradventure run but the truth is he cannot run it well. NOT THAT HE LACKS THE POTENTIAL OR STRENGTH TO RUN AND WIN A MEDAL BUT THEY ARE BEING PULLED DOWN AND MADE NOT EFFECTIVE BY SOME WEIGHTS.