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Receiving the Help of the Lord

davidluiz — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 14:20:01 +0000

Hebrews 4:16 - Click to Read

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need

It has always been my deep conviction that the prayer for help; the “Lord, help me” prayer is one of the greatest prayers that can be prayed. Sadly, it is also a prayer prayed only by a humble few. Pride and Self confidence are usually vices that stand in the way of the believer and prevent him from reaching out to the Lord for their much needed help.

Where I come from, there is a proverb which says “It is only when a child willingly lifts its hands up to its parents that it is carried.” For us to receive the help of God, we must show willingness to be helped by him, for “the Lord resists the proud but gives his grace to the humble.”

Crying those three simple words: Lord help me, in earnest and simple faith acknowledges our challenge and also expresses our confidence in Gods ability to save and deliver us; regardless of the circumstance. I am reminded of Peter and how as he began to sink in the turmoil and waves of the sea, he cried out these same words. Immediately, the Lord reached out to him and delivered him. It is also important to note here that it was only after the Lord delivered him that he scolded him for his lack of faith.

If we will cry to the Lord in our distress, we are assured that the Lord will immediately reach out to us with the help we need. It is my sincere prayer that we will not let sin, guilt or pride keep us from receiving Gods help. We however have to humbly ourselves and ask him for it.

In conclusion, we are encouraged by the Apostle Paul in his epistle to the Hebrews to boldly come before the Lord’s throne to seek his mercy from our sins and shortcomings and also to seek his grace (divine ability) in such times of need so we can overcome. I am confident that as we humbly ourselves and cry out for his help, he will come swiftly to our aid.

Pray this prayer, asking for his help:

Lord, I need you. I need your help, mercy and grace to live my life for you. Help me Lord. Just as Peter did, I reach out for your help. Please rescue me so I can live a life pleasing and joyful to you. Thank you for hearing and answering, In Jesus Name. Amen

I Know thy Works

davidluiz — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 14:05:02 +0000

Revelations 3:14-21 - Click to Read

“And unto the angel of the Church of the Laodiceans write: These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would that thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I councel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye salve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten; be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches”

We live in a busy world. A world ruled by the quest to attain success and superiority; almost at all costs. As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, it is sometimes easy to get carried away with the hustle and bustle of the affairs of life and forget the true purpose of our presence on this earth; to do and accomplish the will of the Lord for our lives.

It is also quite easy to “wax cold” in our love for the Lord and for his work. Almost unconsciously, we begin to place work, family and in general things that actually are important before He that is most important. I believe that the Lord is calling us back to him; to his feet. I believe he is calling us to spend time before him in worship and loving adoration, forgetting the cares and troubles of the world. It is time for us to heed that call.

If we get carried away with the affairs of this life; which are important but not to be placed before our God, there is the tendency for us to believe we have all we need. We begin to say in our hearts: “I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing”, without realizing that there is nothing we have received that was not given to us by the Lord in the first place (1 Corinthians 4:7). In Revelations chapter 3, the Lord called this mindset and spiritual attitude an attitude of being lukewarm (vs. 16). He also went on to point out to the Church of the Laodiceans that not only were they not rich and in lack of nothing but that they were infact wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked! What a most pitiable state to ignorantly live in.

Today, as the Lord did about two thousand years ago through John the Apostle, I perceive that the Lord would counsel us to buy from him Gold that has been tried in the fire, i.e. the Word of God revealed by his Spirit, white raiment for clothing and to cover our nakedness i.e. the righteousness that comes through faith in him and not by our works or self righteousness and for us to anoint our eyes with eye ointment so we can see i.e. surrender to him and to his corrections so we can see our wrongs, be washed by his blood and receive his direction (vs. 18).

We must repent from the pride of our hearts. We must repent of this pride and self righteousness and cry unto the Lord for forgiveness; then the Lord will have mercy on us (Joel 2:17-18). Regardless of who we are, our social or economic positions or even the level of our education, we must come before his presence in humility and reverence of his person. Only then will he accept us into his presence (Isaiah 57:15).

We must never become so proud as to think that we have all we need, wanting nothing. If we have everything else in the world and do not have him, we have nothing. Please say this prayer of repentance with me:

Dear Lord, I see my fault. I see how I have sought to live my life without you and the leading of your Spirit. I am sorry for thinking in my heart that I am in need of nothing when in fact I was wretched. I ask for your forgiveness and the cleansing of your blood. Help me buy the pure Gold of your Word, tried in the fire. Help me buy white clothing to cover my nakedness and anoint my eyes with eye ointment that my eyes may be open indeed to your Word and direction. I ask this humbly, in the name of your Son Jesus Christ. Amen

Thou Shall Break Forth!

davidluiz — Mon, 23 May 2011 04:41:16 +0000

“Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud…Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen they cords, and strengthen thy stakes; For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.” – Isaiah 54: 1-3

For most people, the last 18 months have been a season of gloom and despair. The financial crisis that shook the world has left many a family with aftershocks that still reverberate today. Just the other day, I looked across the road on my way to work and noticed that another popular store had closed down. This has been the case repeatedly in recent times. Foreclosures, bankruptcies, maxed out credit cards; everyone doing their best to stretch a dollar bill as far as possible and perhaps beyond its limit.

There is a new wind of change in the air however. The Lord has asked me to tell you that today marks the first day of a New Year for you. I hear the Lord say ever so clearly:

“…enlarge the place of thy tent…for thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left”

What does this mean? Firstly, it means that those things that have plagued you will come to an end. It means that a new thing is about to begin. Secondly, it implies that you must prepare for what is coming; for if we don’t prepare, we will stand in the face of opportunity and not know it.

To “enlarge the place of thy tent” implies that we should make bigger room for ourselves to accommodate the blessings God is bringing and what better way to express our faith in the Lord than to obey him even without physically or mentally knowing of any new blessing emerging in the horizon. Remember what the bible says:

“…even God, who quickeneth the dead and calleth those things which be not as though they were”- Romans 4:17

There are things that the Lord has put on your heart that you may have neglected perhaps unknowingly; a business idea, a desire to help a group of people, a yearning to go back to school. Whatever it may be, now is the time to act in faith.

Call forth those things you want to see in this new season because a new season has begun! Call forth a promotion in your Job, declare that you are healed, shout out that you are prosperous, tell your friends that something new is coming your way. Stand before the Lord with an assurance that he is elevating you in your walk with him. As you take that step of faith, you will see what you have proclaimed materialize before your very eyes. Therefore make room for what is coming your way. Step out and take action on that idea you have had for the last two year. You don’t need to have all the facts and details. Step out in faith, believing what God has told you and you will see the results. Also feel free to post the testimonies of God’s blessings as a comment on this page so others can be blessed.

Confession:

Lord, I believe this Word you have spoken to me today. I believe that a New Season begins for me today. Therefore, I step out in faith in that area I am looking to you for help. I know I will not lack, I know I will be promoted at my place of work, I know I shall walk in financial abundance in this new season, I know my walk with you will take on a new dimension, in Jesus Name. I believe and therefore I will act in obedience and I know the results shall come speedily in Jesus Name, Amen.

God’s Dealings With Man: A Study of Prophet Jonah – Part 3

davidluiz — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 16:08:30 +0000

Over the last few weeks, we have studied the life of the bible Prophet Jonah and God’s dealings with him as recorded in the biblical account of his life. We were able to determine in the first and second parts of this message series that God IS merciful, that man was given freedom of choice by God and is not forced to obey God no matter how great the assignment he is given by the Lord or the mode by which the message was given i.e. how spectacular the mode was. Also, we were able to see from scriptures that even though man has been given free will and freedom of choice, it does not deny God the right to act in response to man’s choices; whether good or bad. God gave man freedom of choice but has put in place consequences or blessings (depending on whether the act is one of disobedience or obedience) that become man’s lot when he makes a choice. However, God also gave man the bible in order for man to learn what actions bring his judgment and those that bring his blessings. Thus, man literally determines the course of his life by the actions and decisions he makes. The more often he makes choices in line with the dictates of the bible; the Word of God, the better his life becomes.

In this last part of the message, we will go on to consider and establish some more lessons in regards to how God deals with man.

“Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish’s belly. And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice…But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD. And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.” Jonah 2:1-2, 9-10

LESSON 4:

Praise is capable of moving God in ways that nothing else can. Time and time again across the pages of scripture, we see how God was moved to do literally mind boggling things simply because man worshipped or praised him. Psalm 22:3 further buttresses this point by explaining how God literally inhabits the praises of Israel; “But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel”.

It is important for us to note this because although the entire Chapter 2 of Jonah is devoted to the Prophet’s prayer in the belly of the fish, God only commanded the fish to throw Jonah upon the land when he promised to pay his vows of thanksgiving and praise. God is not moved by our tears, complaints or even our well thought out arguments. However, when we engage the power of praise in our petitions to God, he attends to our requests personally because he inhabits i.e. literally lives in our praise.

Another lesson we learn from Jonah is that there is no situation too devastating or problematic that can deny God of the praise and worship he deserves. We do not thank God for bad things that happen to us; rather, we thank God despite the bad things that happen. We must make the choice to follow the admonition given in scriptures: “In everything, give thanks.”Notice however, that it doesn’t say for everything. So we thank God in the good and not so good times. And when there seems to be nothing to thank God for, we can thank him for who he is. This is the very definition of worship.

God’s Dealings With Man: A Study of Prophet Jonah – Part 2

davidluiz — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 11:42:11 +0000

In the first series of this message, we established certain lessons that can be learnt from the book of Jonah in the bible. Firstly, we established that regardless of the message or assignment a man is given by God, his right to free will is not denied him and he is free to act in whatsoever way he desires; in obedience or disobedience. This is also regardless of the mode by which the message was delivered or how spectacularly it was given. Secondly, we were able to establish that even though man is given free will, God is also free to act in such a way as to help him see the error of his ways and turn man’s eyes back to him. That being said, we must also understand that the recordings of the bible are Holy Spirit inspired and accurately detailed without bias to persons, their status or their wondrous accomplishments. The bible records the highs and lows, victories and failures of its patriarchs without bias to their eternal standings in the corridors of heaven. This is particularly important to us in this present day and age because we can relate to such stories because we are human. An account of only the victories of men and women would be very loop-sided and would give us an illusion of perfection about these biblical mentors.
“And they said everyone to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So they cast lots and the lot fell upon Jonah. Then said they to him, Tell us, we pray you, for whose cause this evil is upon us; what is your occupation? And from where come you? What is your country and of what people are you? And he said to them, I am a Hebrew; and I fear the Lord, the God of Heaven, which has made the sea and the dry land.” Jonah 1:7-9
I am of the opinion that Jonah most likely did not know that God would come after him in the sea in the manner that he did. I also doubt whether he knew the import of his actions or the sensitivity of the assignment he had been given by God to the city of Nineveh. However, I can particularly relate to the fact that Jonah ran away from God’s assignment for his life because there have been times when I have intentionally acted in opposition to a very clear directive from the Lord. However, the fact that God came after Jonah in rebuke and delivered him in his mercy is a great comfort to me. This clearly spells out the fact that God is merciful and the fact that our failures do not make it impossible for him to reach out to us in deliverance.
LESSON 3: God IS merciful! The 136th Psalm of the bible chronicles the merciful acts of God to the children of Israel from the story of creation to the entry of the children of Israel into the promise land. The bible is gloriously littered with account after account of the merciful act of God towards men and his tendency to reach out to men when they are not deserving or even desiring such acts. The crowning act of mercy recorded in the bible is the coming of Jesus Christ; God in mortal flesh, to die and redeem man back to God. This is an awesome revelation because it implies that there is no depth to which man can fall that his mercy is not able to reach and deliver him from! It is however important to note that the mercy of God is no excuse for Sin, disobedience or foolishness. Although God is merciful, he is also a God of judgment. This duality of Gods acts is seen across the bible “for God killeth and maketh alive, he woundeth and bindeth up” (paraphrase).
“Then said they to him, What shall we do to you, that the sea may be calm to us? For the sea wrought and was tempestuous. And he said to them, take me up, and case me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm to you: for I know that for my sake this tempest is upon you.” Jonah 1:11-12
Even though this message series is a study of God’s dealings with man using the book of Jonah as a case study, I believe that there are a few things that can be learnt from Prophet Jonah and his actions after his attempt to run away from God’s assignment. Firstly, it’s interesting to note his answers to the questions he was asked by the distraught sailors. On being asked his occupation and where he was from, he declared that he was a Hebrew and that he “feared the Lord”. This is rather interesting because even though he was a prophet, he considered his occupation as the fear of the Lord. This suggests that we as believers are to hold our relationship with God as our occupation and the definition of who we are. Secondly, we see that Jonah was ready to die to ensure that the innocent passengers and sailors were not made to pay for his faults. It must have taken great courage and a real depth of integrity for him not to lie about who he was and the fact that he was running away from the Lord as well as the suggestion for the sailors to throw him off the ship. In my opinion, his attitude during the raging storm had a great deal to do with God’s intervention and his deliverance. We must always keep a good attitude even in the face of storms and must do all that is in our power to ensure that others don’t suffer for our mistakes or disobedience.
In the next and last series of this message, we will conclude on what I consider the most important lesson and message of the book of Jonah; the Sovereignty of God. To continue to the last part of the message, click here>>.

God’s Dealings With Man: A Study of Prophet Jonah – Part 1

davidluiz — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 01:04:18 +0000

The book of Jonah is one of its most fascinating books in the Bible. As a little child, I and my other colleagues were particularly fascinated by this story because of the singular fact that he was swallowed by a fish, yet lived to tell the tale. Needless to say, this is one of the reasons why many have also been fascinated by the story of this prophet. However, the book of Jonah unlike other prophetic books of the bible is one that focuses and documents not just the prophecies of the prophet but rather the relationship between the prophet and his God. It is therefore obvious that there is a lot to learn regarding the dealings of God with man through the recordings of this book; since God desires for us all to be Kings and Priests unto him. The biblically recorded accounts of the life of Jonah (which probably is an account of just a few days or weeks of his life) tell tale of the independence of man in his relationship with God, of God’s sovereignty regardless of this and of other themes such as mercy, faithfulness and love which run like a continuous line of thread through the pages of the bible. Our aim therefore through this series of teachings will be to understand as much as we can from the entire book of Jonah.

Jonah 1:2-4

“Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me. But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. But the Lord sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken.”

We are introduced to the story of this prophet by the divinely prophetic phrase “Now the Word of the Lord came unto Jonah…” From this, we understand that he was a prophet ordained of God and separated to serve his generation as is seen in other prominent books such as Isaiah and Jeremiah where this phrase is used. We also understand that he was given a prophetic assignment to speak to a certain people on the behalf of God. However, for reasons we can’t specifically pinpoint, he chose to go in another direction and do his own thing.

LESSON 1: God’s purpose or specific assignment to a man will never deny him of his free will to choose to or not to obey. God gave man the right to free will and will never violate or take away that right. It is important to mention here that this is regardless of how spectacularly that assignment was relayed. The apostle Paul made mention of this severally in his letters to the Corinthian church where he emphasized the need for balance between orderliness and the manifestation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit in the public meetings of the church (I Corinthians 14:26,40). We therefore understand that when the gifts of the Spirit are in manifestation, it is possible for the message to be held till the appropriate time when it can be delivered for the edification of the church. This is an occurrence we sometimes see in churches where a member of the congregation, perhaps genuinely inspired by the Holy Spirit to give a message in tongues blurts out these words in other tongues during the pastors sermon. This is definitely ill timing because it divides the attention of the church from the message of the pastor and is definitely not in order. Alternatively, a good time to share whatever the Lord has laid on your heart would be during the worship session when the eyes and hearts of the members of the congregation are on the Lord.

LESSON 2: From the above quoted scriptures, we also come to understand that just as man has the right to make a choice regarding the revelation of the will of God to him, God also has the right to act or make decisions based on man’s actions (Jonah 1:4). In the beginning, God took certain actions as a result of man’s failure to obey his injunction not to eat of the tree of good and evil. Man was thrown out of the Garden of Eden and forbidden from approaching the tree of life (Genesis 3:22-24). However, it is important to mention that God is a God of love and his actions are always an expression of his love. Hence, every time we take a wrong step, God always acts in such a way as to turn our eyes back to him and to obey him. The bible likens these chastising moments as an act of mercy and love from God in Hebrews 12: 6-11 and admonishes us to endure them even though they may be painful because in the end they will yield “the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby” (Hebrews 12:11).
Therefore, we understand that man has the right to free will and is 100% responsible for his obedience or disobedience to God’s Word to him. We also understand that God regardless of man’s disobedience is free to act in such a way as to turn man’s eyes back to him…even if it requires the help of a giant fish and its belly for three days.
In the second part of this series, we will explore more lessons from God’s dealings with man in the book of Jonah. To continue to the second part of this article, please click here>>.

A New Thing

davidluiz — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 08:22:15 +0000

We are told also of Isaac in Genesis 26 and how during the time of famine, he was so prosperous that the Philistines envied him.

“And the man waxed great and went forward, and grew until he became very great: for he had procession of flocks, and procession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him.” Genesis 27:13-14

It is worth noting here that at this time, Isaac’s family was not yet referred to as a nation. Hence, this means the people of Philistine envied a single family simply because he was a child of God and was being taken care of by him. We must not lose hope in these times. When hope is lost, all is lost! I believe the economic downturn staring the nations of the world in the face is a great opportunity for God to reveal himself in a new way and to do a new thing in our lives.

You may be wondering what to expect in these times if indeed God plans to do a new thing. Isaiah the prophet gave us a clue to the dimension of blessings we are to expect when God decides to do a new thing:

“When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them. I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and dry the land springs of water…That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the Lord hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.” Isaiah 41:18-20

From the above scriptures, it is clear that we are to expect blessings that turn our deserts into springs of water, blessings that cause good things to erupt from seemingly impossible places. In words that relate to our daily lives, we should expect promotions when others are being let go from their jobs. We should expect our minds to be flooded with fresh and innovative ideas that will make us independent of the pay we get from our place of work, we should expect favor and opportunities in dimensions that cause people to wonder why we do not feel the economic crunch.

As I conclude this message, it is important to mention how to access these blessings. We live in a day and age when almost everything has a double meaning to it. Things are not always what they seem; there is always a clause to a great advert or offer. These terminologies are slowly creeping into the Church and we hear people say they believe certain aspects of the bible but not others. This is unacceptable in the eyes of God! You either take the entire Word as it is or you take none of it. The great apostle Paul helped us understand how to access the blessings of God in 1Corinthians 2:

“But it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” 1Corinthians 2:9

This looks very similar to what Isaiah the Prophet said, except that it defines who those blessings will come to; “them that love him”. When you let your love for God find expression and grow, he will naturally take care of the day to day issues of your life. Doors will naturally open of their own accord, and you will be separated from the plague that afflicts many. I urge you therefore to let the love of God grow in your heart. Give it expression in your daily activities, refrain from things you know the Lord won’t be pleased with and you will be surprised at how He will distinguish you from the world around you. I believe God will do a new thing in these times and if only we will set our love on him, we will see those things happen in our very lives.

God Is Mindful Of You

davidluiz — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 22:42:48 +0000

I want you to read out loud these words: God is mindful of me! You can say it out loud again. You may ask: "Brother Bassey, how do you know?" Well, if you go to the Book of Psalm, the eighth chapter and fourth verse, here is what it says: "What is man that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man that thou visitest him?"

Now do you see how I know that God is mindful of you? He has no one else He is thinking of but you! He has no other job but to look out for you. You are everything to Him. Here is what He says: "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace and not evil, to give an expected end."

Did you feel that? He has you in mind. He has a plan for you. I do not want to know too much of where you have been, what you are dealing with or who you think you are. The truth is: God still thinks of you daily! Remember the story of the lost coin? Luke 15:8-10. Jesus taught on the love of the Father. The woman in the parable had ten coins but lost one. I expected her to be glad that she did not lose everything and move on with her life. But instead, she went all out to look for that lost coin until she found it. And I ask: "What was it about that coin that the woman was so mindful of it?" I mean she had nine more left. What was so important about the one coin that she turned on her search lights to search for it? A similar incident happened in the same chapter; Luke 15 but from verse 11 through to 32. There, we understand that when the prodigal son returned, he was thoroughly welcomed by his father. I still ask: "Why was his father still mindful of his son?" After all, he still had another son to cope with. I am certain that some of you ask the same question I ask. Well, the answer is that God created you for a purpose. You are the only one that can give Him glory better than the angels. He has had glory from other sources like the angels and other men but He wants you to give him the special glory that only you can give. What was in the lost coin, or the prodigal son? Or even the lost sheep? Well, they had their various purposes. I announce to you that whatever you are dealing with, where ever you are, God is mindful of you! If God could look all out for a wasteful sinner like me, a man who had a painful childhood, and turned him into a lead worshipper; whose songs are sung by many, then He can do exceedingly, abundantly above all you can ever ask, think or imagine. People, do not be cast down. Do not feel forsaken. God cares. He loves you better than you love yourself. I want you to know that no matter what, God is mindful of you!