The Behold File » Spiritual Development

The Wisdom of God

davidluiz — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 21:09:18 +0000

“Doth wisdom not cry? And understanding put forth her voice? I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions. Riches and honor are with me; yea, durable riches and righteousness. The Lord possessed me in the beginning…” Proverbs 8:1, 12, 18, 22.
We can never and will never be wiser than God! No matter how intellectually sound we are, we cannot surpass the wisdom of God. The wisdom of God may seem foolish to the world but at the end of the day its extraordinary results leave mouths agape. The bible declares in 1 Corinthians 1:25 that “the foolishness of God is wiser than men.”
God created the world by His infinite wisdom (Psalm 104:24). He created everything in its proper place, order and system of operation such that even scientist find it almost impossible to figure out. The bible says in Psalms 100:3, “know ye that the Lord he is God: it is He that hath made us and not we ourselves.” Thank God He made us, and not we ourselves, otherwise we would have created something that looks like a creature from horror movies!
Talking about the word of God, I want to state clearly that it is dangerous to think that we are smarter than God. Understand that as the bible says, the wisdom of God is from above, and what is from above is above ALL (John 3:31)! You cannot operate in the wisdom of God and remain on the ground in life. Every situation bows to the Wisdom of God. When you engage the wisdom of God in any area of your life, you begin to operate at a higher level of living. Isaiah 55:8 tells us that God’s ways are higher than our ways; hence, man’s wisdom is inferior to God’s wisdom. Man’s wisdom will fail, but God’s wisdom will never fail. It surprises me when I see believers try to live their lives by their own wisdom. They try to work things out through logical thinking, which isn’t bad, but does not produce all the needed results.

How can you think out what to do when you’re experiencing problems in your marriage, or on your job, or in your finances? No wonder many struggle and end up frustrated. The Wisdom of God is in knowing what God wants you to do and doing it. Jesus and His disciples were in the wilderness with the great multitude numbering above 5,000 people. The disciples needed to feed them but didn’t have enough to do so. In John 6:6, Jesus asked His disciples to come up with a solution and they launched into the realm of human wisdom. When they were through they discovered they couldn’t solve the problem. However the bible declares:

“He (Jesus) Himself knew what He would do…”
And thus, a miracle took place. But what exactly did Jesus do? He engaged the wisdom of God. The bible says in Mark 6:2b:
“And what WISDOM is this WHICH IS GIVEN UNTO HIM, that even such mighty works are wrought by His hands” (Also read Matthew 13: 54).
When you engage the wisdom of God, you command signs and wonders! The wisdom of God is the word of God (Luke 11:49). Jesus said in John 5:30:
“I can of my own self do nothing; as I hear so I judge, and my judgment is just”
This meant he was saying: “I don’t do anything except what He tells me to”.
No wonder He got those wonderful results. He did what God told Him. Remember the marriage feast where Mary, Jesus and His disciples were invited? When the wine ran out, Mary told the servants that served in the feast: “Whatsoever He (Jesus) SAITH UNTO YOU, DO IT” and then a miracle happened.
The wisdom of God is His word and the bible is the Word of God in print. As you read the bible, you’ll encounter what God says concerning different areas of your life. That is the wisdom of God in those pressing areas of yours. For instance, the wisdom of God for a blissful marital life is:
“Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands as unto the Lord” and “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it. Ephesians 4: 22.
Please note, it didn’t say wives submit to your husband’s only if they love you and vice versa like many are doing today. This is one major reason why so many marriages are broken today; even among believers. You cannot decide to go against the wisdom of God and expect great results. Like I said earlier, it may seem foolish when you look at it, but the results are undeniable.
I encourage you to take advantage of God’s wisdom today. I also believe that great things will begin to happen in your life, and miracles and signs and wonders will become your daily experience in Jesus name! Remain Blessed!

Following the Leadership of The Holy Spirit – 2

davidluiz — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 11:45:00 +0000

In the previous series of this message, we stated various reasons why we need to follow the Holy Spirit’s leading. To view the previous post, click here. We will move on in this second series on following the Leadership of the Holy Spirit to talk about the first way by which the Holy Spirit leads his people: the Inner Witness.
“The Spirit beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.” Romans 8:16
This form of the leadership of the Holy Spirit is called the Inward Witness because the Holy Spirit confirms a certain truth, step we want to take or direction in which we want to move by giving us peace in our hearts or withdrawing peace from our hearts about the issue. This method of Gods leading is considered as the basic way by which God leads his children because that’s how he confirms in our hearts that we have become his children after we confess Jesus as Lord. Most times, God doesn’t send an angel with a heavenly hymn on his lips or give us a major spiritual experience to assure us that we have become his children, rather, we just have an unshakable knowing in the pit of our stomachs (or in our hearts) that our sins are washed away and that our names are written in the book of life. An illustration of this method of Gods leadership will drive home the point more clearly:
“Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the Word in Asia, After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.” Acts 16:6-7
This passage of scripture gives us a clear example of how the Holy Spirit led Paul and his team as they journeyed from place to place to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. Although the passage does not specifically mention how the Holy Spirit forbade them from preaching the Word in Asia, we come to get a clearer understanding of what most likely happened in the second verse. It says that they assayed to go to Bithynia; in other words, they were about to go there when the Holy Spirit “suffered them not”. It is worthy of note here that if God uses the Inward Witness to assure us that we have been accepted into his kingdom and that we have become his children, it is also highly certain that he will use this same method to lead his children from day to day in their various activities.
As I round up the second part of this message, I feel the need to refer to the fact that many of us from day to day actually have this inward witness to do certain things (like to take a particular document to the office) without knowing why or seeing the need to, only to realize later in the day that that was the most important thing we needed for the success of the day at work or in school. Such gentle promptings are so easy to ignore yet firm enough to get our attention even for the briefest of moments. The problem is most of us are in too much of a hurry most times to pay attention or to consider what we sense in our hearts; much less to act on it. It is therefore on this note that I urge that we slow down and pay attention to such promptings and see God lead us by the Inward Witness.

Following the Leadership of The Holy Spirit – 1

davidluiz — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 11:30:59 +0000

The issue of following the leadership of the Holy Spirit is one that many Christians desire to understand in greater detail. There are a number of reasons why this is of major importance to the believer; one of which is the fact that our followership with the blessed Third person of the Godhead is our ticket into the world of the supernatural, the miraculous and into a realm of abundance that can defy the harshest of conditions. The bible makes a very daring statement regarding the sons of God.
“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” Romans 8:14
Taking a critical look at this verse of scripture, we come to understand a great truth regarding the family of God. We understand that only those who are led by the Spirit of God or to put it in reverse order, those who follow the Spirit of God; can claim to be the Sons of God (notice it does not refer to the children of God. Different criteria exist for one to be a child of God). It can thus be implied that our ability to follow the Spirit of God, our sensitivity to his leadings and how well we understand how he leads his children is the main determining factor in our becoming his Son.
The scriptures clearly define the difference between one that is referred to as a child of God and one that is referred to as a “Son” of God (note that the term “Son” in this case is not gender specific). The difference between both is their level of maturity.
“He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, [even] to them that believe on his name:” John 1:11-12.
Taking our cue from the scriptures above, we see that those who received him are noted as different from the “Sons of God” referred to because he gave them the power to become the Sons of God. That power that he gave came through the Holy Spirit; who is the source of all power. So we understand that it is literally impossible to become a Son of God without the Holy Spirit. This among other reasons is because our Son ship is determinant on how well we can follow him.
Having established why we need to follow the Holy Spirit’s leadership, we will go on to look at the three major ways by which the he leads his people in a bid to understand how he leads us. Please check for the second series of this article or click here to continue reading.

The Power Of Information

davidluiz — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 13:53:12 +0000

Nothing empowers like knowledge! Information could be defined as any news that influences your thoughts, actions and motives. It is the one that is informed that rules the world. We are at a stage in our world were you gain the upper edge by reason of how exposed you are in your field of study. It is the informed that rules the world. We are living in the information age, where the power is in the arsenal of leaders with the demanded information. The depth of your understanding determines how outstanding you will be. All pace setter rides on the wings of information. The news you access influences the events in your life which in turn generate what you become because you can never outperform the level of your wisdom. Information is the currency of destiny. It gives you options in life; it makes you a person in demand; and promotes to become a star.
We now live in crucial times where the world is very perplexed regarding the way forward. However, that the way forward is through adequate information built on knowledge from the past. It was Albert Einstein who said “The significant problem we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were when we created them”. So if the world needs a change, we need to explore new information, we need to harness what have never been taught, we need to understand what is yet to be understood. Only committed researchers will be rewarded with tangible results in this time and period. So, it is important that you study wide, buy books, go for seminars, etc. Every book is a print of the authors mind. Hence, when you read great books, you are rubbing you mind with that of the author.
As you desire to create lasting impact; whether in your office, company or relationship, please settle down to discover what is missing and go for it. Bishop Oyedepo once said “If you buy clothes, you are decorating your body but if you buy a book, you are decorating your destiny”.
Be informed to reign as Kings and Priest God made you and you be a man and a woman of dominion.
Study to show thyself approved unto God as a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
God bless you.

Jesus Makes the Difference

davidluiz — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 04:03:29 +0000

A fire can be described as situations or temptations around us that seem too much to bear. Looking at the whole scenario of Moses and the burning bush, the fire ordinarily was purposed to destroy whatever or anything it came across; whether big or small.

This bush didn’t burn in Exodus 3:1-8. Why? Because God was in that fire.

Taking a look at the three Hebrew men in the book of Daniel and Chapter 3, we see that they were thrown in the fire, but they were not burnt and neither was their hair singed, because someone; ‘a fourth person’, God, was right there in the fire. The fire didn’t do what it would have done ordinarily.

We all pass through situations and circumstances that seem beyond our control, but we have this assurance, that as long as God is right there; in the fire, we will not be burnt. All we just need to do is ASK. Invite Him into the situation. Some say they ask and they do not see anything. This is because we don’t believe and if we don’t believe, we can’t receive. The Bible says ALL things are possible to him that believes (Mark 9:23) and without faith we cannot please Him (Hebrews 11:6) and if we do not have faith, we won’t be able to convince Him to appear in such situations.

The bottom line is that we as Christians must face fiery circumstances, but as true believers, we have an assurance – Christ. If we call Him into the situation, He’ll show Himself; just like He did in Babylon with the three Hebrew men (their situation didn’t overcome them or destroy them).

Dear friends, don’t be discouraged when such situations arise because they WILL come (Is. 43:2, 1Cor 10:13) but our assurance is in the fact that we have Christ, because He always makes the difference (Romans 8:28). We just need to call Him in and He will gladly take over. We will never be consumed in such situations but rather, we will be made stronger in Him because Jesus always makes the difference!

A Rose of Light

davidluiz — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 18:54:18 +0000

I found myself in a place that was stale,

It had nothing to do with my environment.

I found myself in a place that was pale,

And it had everything to do my spirit.

A place of emptiness,

A place of nothingness,

A place of vast, dark echoes.

I looked and searched for a break,

A streak of light, a crack in the woods.

I walked around to find respite,

But where I sought peace, there the war began.

Where I sought forgiveness, hearts were hardened.

Where I sought companionship, I found loneliness.

I sat down to think…

Frustrated, all hope gone, I turned within…

To who I was…

What I could do…

My strengths…my passion…my life…

And there it was, like water in a parched land…

It didn’t seem to fit in,

But there it was…

…A rose of light.

The more I go to it each day,

The more it seems to glow brighter…

Through it my stale nature vanished slowly away,

Through it my paleness faded away,

Through it my emptiness flew unnoticed,

Through it the echoes stopped.

Through it I found release…

Through it, I realized that…

Love is infinite; you can always make more when you need it…for you, for your family, for your friends…

The opposite of darkness is not essentially light; its love…….

Celebration Of Life

davidluiz — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 02:24:37 +0000

As we come to the end of this Easter break, many thoughts cross my mind regarding its meaning and purpose for the believer. Just to set the records straight, the Easter season is not meant to herald the commencement of spring; even though they fall within the same time frame. Neither is it a celebration created to relieve our hard working citizens from the stress of office work; even though it is also a welcome gift. Without a clear definition of issues, there is the risk of neglecting the true meaning of Easter. The Easter season is the season for the celebration of life, for it was in this season many years ago that our Lord died a most gruesome death on the cross for our sake. Nevertheless, we celebrate not because he died but because he arose from the dead. We have the assurance of scriptures, backed by the eternal integrity of God that because he arose, we also rise with him. This is why the baptism of water is so important. It is a symbol of our death with Jesus Christ and also our resurrection with him.

“But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: and if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain and your faith is also vain”1 Corinthians 15:13-14

If indeed Jesus did not rise from the dead, then our faith is of no meaning for we have faith in a dead man who has no power whatsoever to keep his word. Then all our hopes would come crashing down and above all, we would yet be sinners; ignorant sinners I might add.

“Yea and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: and if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sin.” 1 Corinthians 15:15-17

The Apostle Paul clearly outlined what it would mean for us as believers IF Jesus had not risen from the dead. We would be “of all men most miserable“. But thank God Jesus is risen!

“But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man also the resurrection of the dead.” 1 Corinthians 15:20-21

Hence, we celebrate in this Easter season because the resurrection of Jesus from the dead is the basis for Christianity, for the forgiveness of our sins and for our hope of eternal life. Everything we are rests on that one truth; that Jesus rose from the dead and is alive as King of kings before the throne of God. We are also assured of resurrection from the dead because Jesus rose and will also raise us up on the last day by the same power with which he was raised. Therefore, death has lost its sting and has been swallowed up in the Victory of Jesus.

Grasping a detailed understanding of these truths is the duty of every believer and is the reason why we celebrate Easter; because he arose, we are assured that our sins are indeed forgiven and that when we die, we will only be asleep, pending when he wakes us up again on the last day. This is therefore the celebration of life, liberty and victory!

Please click on the link here to read our poem on the death and ressurection of Jesus. It is titled “Have you Considered?” and poses the question of whether we understand the purpose of his death. Be blessed as we celebrate the life that Jesus has given us.

God Is In Control

davidluiz — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 23:27:39 +0000

“I am finally learning this; it is not something I verbalize from a pulpit or write in a book. I am finally learning that his sovereign plan is the best plan. That whatever I entrust to him, he can take care of better than I. That nothing under his control can ever be out of control. That everything I need, he knows about in every detail. That he is able to supply, to guide, to start, to stop, to sustain, to change and to correct in his time and for his purposes. When I keep my hands out of things, his will is accomplished, his name is exalted and his glory is magnified.” - Intimacy With The Almighty by Charles Swindoll.

As human beings, we tend to naturally desire to be in control of every area and aspect of our lives. We receive monthly reports from our banks on our financial status, reports from our doctors on the state of our health, etc. We also tend to worry when we do not have all the facts we need to know the direction in which our lives are going. As a result, we tend to enter into worry, anxiety and even fear of the future. However, this is contrary to how the Lord works because he works with men on the basis of faith and not sight.

The bible records what Jesus said about this in the book of Matthew:

“Behold the fowls of the air, for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than them? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?…Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, o ye of little faith?” Matthew 6:26-30

Jesus made us understand that when we walk in anxiety, worry or fear, we are walking in unbelief. Moreover, our worry does little to nothing about the situation. However, if we choose to give our expectations and circumstances to him, we can be rest assured that he will take charge and cause it to bring about his perfect will.

It is important for us to begin to believe in the things we profess. If we indeed believe that God is all powerful, then we should not fear what the devil or our enemies may be planning against us; because they most certainly will not come to fruition. If we really believe that our God is all knowing, there is no reason why we should doubt his leading, direction or instructions; because he loves us and will always lead us in the path of safety, protection and progress.

Let us therefore keep our hands out of the things he is working on; let us chose to trust him. Trust is a choice; a choice to believe in something or someone even if it places you in a position of vulnerability. Nothing in Gods control ever goes out of control. If you let him take charge of your life, there is no way your life will ever go out of control. Make the choice today.

Fear Not!

davidluiz — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 23:25:08 +0000

Have you ever thought about how being in the very presence of God is like? Standing in the very courts of heaven, with the hosts and angels of glory, beholding the beauty of his majesty and splendor, and carrying that presence with you every day of your life as you go about your daily business. Most times, people think of a bright and misty cloud with flashes of lightening and rumbles of thunder coming out of the cloud when they think of the presence of God. However, this is not a very clear picture of what the presence of God is like because His presence speaks of his nature and the glory of his person. Think about it for a few seconds!

The presence of a king or political figure refers to the availability of that person. For example, being in the presence of the president of your country implies having access to him, his personality, nature and also his resources. You get to ask him questions that others can’t ask, see him personally and partake of the food, pleasures and resources that he partakes of. In much the same way, being in the presence of the Lord means you have access to his resources, his voice, his direction, his healing power, etc. Also, whatever cannot stand the presence of God has to leave when you come into his presence.

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4

Every time the Word of God admonishes us not to fear, it ties the confidence we are to have with the availability of the presence of God to us. Think about the presence of God for some time. Think about the majestic splendor of a glorious God who created the entire universe by speaking it into reality. The bible says that he holds the seven seas in the hollow of his hands, he weighs the mountains in a scale and they amount to little than a speck of dust to him. In fact, the whole universe is less than a drop of water in a bucket before him (Isaiah 40:12-23). Jesus promised us before he left the earth that he would never leave nor forsake us. That means that his abiding presence is with us.

Imagine yourself carrying the presence of a God of ultimate power and glory around with you everywhere you go. Nothing is able to resist him or stand in his way. He is omniscient in wisdom and unsearchable in the abundance of his riches. Understanding the riches of his presence and carrying it with you wherever you go is enough to keep you standing tall as you go through the various circumstances of life.

“When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. Fear not: for I am with thee…” Isaiah 43:2, 5.

From the two scripture passages quoted above, we come to see that our confidence in the face of the storms of life is dependent on the presence of God in our lives and our understanding of its worth. David declared that he would fear no evil because God’s presence was with him. Also, in the book of Isaiah, the Lord admonished us not to be afraid because he is with us.

As I conclude, it is important to understand the value of the presence of God and what it makes available to us else, we will labor and toil like those who do not carry it. His presence secures victory on our behalf; it delivers healing to our bodies and grants direction to our spirits. Hence, the presence of God is the key to a life void of fear!

Debtors To The Spirit

davidluiz — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 23:22:21 +0000

Many times in life, we come face to face with situations and challenges that seem impossible. We face situations and circumstances in which it seems like the only way out is to take the back door; to lie, cheat, steal or simply do nothing. I have come to realize that in some cases, inaction could be as disastrous as negative decisions. We have often heard people lament about how powerless they are regarding certain weaknesses that they have. They shrug their shoulders; throw their hands in the air and say “I had no chance against it”.

“Therefore, bretheren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” Romans 8:12-14.

Many years ago while in primary school, I misplaced a treasured toy of one of my classmates. After expressing his disappointment in me in very clear terms, he demanded that I pay him the value of this toy of his so he could buy another one. Not wanting to get into a fight with my much muscular classmate, I agreed to pay him a certain amount every day of school till the debt was fully paid off. In much the same way, before we became Christians, we were debtors to the flesh; having to do everything it dictated to us. Simply put, the flesh is any thought pattern or action that does not line up with the thought pattern or desired action God expects of you. So also, when we were not born again, we owed it to the flesh to act, speak and think in the manner it dictated through the various circumstances of life. However, after we became followers of Jesus and got filled with his Spirit, we no longer owed the flesh such allegiance. As Christians, we owe it to the Spirit of God to act, speak and think in the way he dictates; all of which is contained and expressed in his Word.

Returning to my story, I remember school days when I did all I could to avoid this classmate of mine so I could spend my lunch money on food. However, there were also days when I was not so lucky and still ran into him by accident. Once I had completely paid him for his toy; money that he instead used to buy sweets, I no longer owed him. Even though he did try to continue extorting money from me, I made it clear to him that my debt had been paid and I now owed it to myself alone to do whatsoever I pleased with my lunch money. As Christians, we are not debtors to the flesh, to bad habits or actions we know are wrong. Jesus paid the debt on our behalf and so we are free to serve the Lord as the Spirit of God leads. The quoted scripture passage above mentions that to avoid living after the flesh, we must follow the leadings and directions of God’s Spirit.

As I conclude, I feel the need to mention again that we are not debtors to the flesh, to negative thoughts, bad habits and sinful ways. As born again Christians, we have a choice! You can say no to the negative impulses, thoughts and feelings you face from day to day. Being in Christ frees you from your debt and gives you the right to choose to do what God wants. The problem is that many don’t realize this. As you read these last few words, whisper this short prayer to God:

“Father, thank you for paying my debt of sin through Jesus Christ. I believe that I am no longer in bondage to the flesh; to act or speak in ways that don’t please you. I ask you to lead me by your Spirit so I can be your child indeed, in Jesus Name. Amen.“