Faith life of Samuel, the prophet

“And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,  Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.”

Let us skip over David and see what we can learn from the life of Samuel the prophet. There is an incidence that readily comes to my mind that shows Samuel to be a man of faith. We find it in 1 Samuel 16 when David was anointed king, because it is a very long passage let me tell you the story.

Samuel was told by God to go to the house of a man called Jesse and anoint the next King of Israel, God did not tell him how many sons Jesse had. So Samuel got to Jesse’s house and declared what his mission was. Jesse proceeded to call his sons and presented them to Samuel;

“Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The Lord hath not chosen these. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither.”

Now what made Samuel ask if there were more sons when the man who should know had presented to the prophet seven sons? The word of the Lord that came to him, Samuel believed God’s word above his experience. If God said there was a king in that house and yet he had not seen that king among seven sons then there must be more. 

That my brother or sister is faith in action! The faith lesson here is that God’s word is superior to any experience of man. Let God be true and everyman a liar. If you will take God’s word, contrary circumstances will conform to it eventually.

Jephthae’s story of faith

“And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.”

You will find Jephthae’s story in Judges chapter eleven. I believe his faith is exemplified in not just the victory he obtained but also that he did not withhold his daughter from the Lord even though she was his only child.

When Jephthae was to go to war he vowed before God that if he was victorious, he would offer to God anything from his house that comes out to meet him first on his return.

“And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter. And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me: for I have opened my mouth unto the Lord, and I cannot go back. And she said unto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the Lord, do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth; forasmuch as the Lord hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, even of the children of Ammon.”

Why do I call this an act of faith? It takes faith to give to God that which is your best. The scriptures say Abraham’s faith was perfected with his offering.

“Was not our forefather Abraham [shown to be] justified (made acceptable to God) by [his] works when he brought to the altar as an offering his [own] son Isaac? You see that [his] faith was cooperating with his works, and [his] faith was completed and reached its supreme expression [when he implemented it] by [good] works.” James 2:21,22 (AMP)

Faith lesson in Samson’s life

“And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,  Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.”

What faith lesson is there in Samson’s life? Samson is well known to most people if not all because of his physical strength and his fling with Delilah that led to his destruction. The story is found in Judges 13 -16. Samson at the beginning of his life was mightily anointed by God but he was not someone who walked by faith at that time. 

There were physical evidences that gave him the assurance that God was with him and as long as those physical evidences were present, Samson would act out his strength. But after he was betrayed by Delilah and his hair was cut and his eyes put out, he came to the place where he had to believe that God was with him and he could do the same thing he was anointed to do.

“And Samson called unto the Lord, and said, O Lord God, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes. And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left. And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.” Judges 16:28-30

The scriptures say what things soever you desire when you pray, believe that you receive them and you shall have them. Samson prayed to God, believed that he had received, and acted it out. So from Samson we learn that we walk by faith and not by sight. When the physical evidences are no longer there, believe that God is still working out his plans and purpose in your life.

Learning from Barak

“And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,  Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.”

Let us see what we can learn from Barak. Ba---who? I imagine someone asking. Don’t worry, his story is just before Gideon’s in the book of judges. But he is also not usually spoken of because he was overshadowed by a woman named Deborah;

“And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedesh-naphtali, and said unto him, Hath not the Lord God of Israel commanded, saying, Go and draw toward mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun? And I will draw unto thee to the river Kishon Sisera, the captain of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into thine hand. And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go. 

And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour; for the Lord shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh. And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; and he went up with ten thousand men at his feet: and Deborah went up with him. Now Heber the Kenite, which was of the children of Hobab the father in law of Moses, had severed himself from the Kenites, and pitched his tent unto the plain of Zaanaim, which is by Kedesh.

 And they shewed Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam was gone up to mount Tabor. And Sisera gathered together all his chariots, even nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people that were with him, from Harosheth of the Gentiles unto the river of Kishon.  And Deborah said unto Barak, Up; for this is the day in which the Lord hath delivered Sisera into thine hand: is not the Lord gone out before thee? So Barak went down from mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him. And the Lord discomfited Sisera, and all his chariots, and all his host, with the edge of the sword before Barak; so that Sisera lighted down off his chariot, and fled away on his feet.”

Why was he then mentioned as a hero of faith? It is because in God there is no little faith victory or big faith victory. It is also a faith victory because he acted on the word of God that came to him through the prophetess and got the victory for his people: “…And the Lord discomfited Sisera, and all his chariots, and all his host, with the edge of the sword before Barak…”

Faith is acting on the word of God.

Faith life of Gideon

“And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gideon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,  Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.”

Let us study the faith life of Gideon and get some faith lessons from him. I know some of you would never have considered him a subject in the study faith but if the Bible deemed it fit to mention him among the heroes of faith then he is one.

His walk of faith started with this;

“And there came an angel of the Lord, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abi-ezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites. And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.”

God spoke to him and called him a mighty man of valour. Here was a man that was hiding in a cave to thresh wheat so that he will not be seen by the enemy and God calls him a mighty man of valour. Now when God speaks to you, you can do either of two things, discountenance it or do something with it. 

Gideon did something with what he heard, even though it seemed God was speaking about someone else because he did not look like the image God spoke of. When God says something about you, whether you look like it in your present circumstance or not, it does not matter. He who sees the end from the beginning has spoken, you will do well to accept it and act like it, then you will see it to be so.

Secondly, we see Gideon display an understanding which God must know about him but which was not on the surface:

“And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? but now the Lord hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites. And the Lord looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?”

This understanding, this belief Gideon had was actually a strength in God’s sight. What is faith, if it is not a confidence in God being with a man. Gideon believed that if God was with a people, they should experience Him in their lives. Hebrews 11:6 also defined faith thus: “…for he that cometh to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” 

Gideon was a faith man because he believed this. You are not in faith if you disagree with Gideon. All Gideon did with the fleece was to affirm to himself that God was indeed with Him, for He was confident that if that be so, victory was assured.

Every victory is a faith victory.

Hebrews 11:32-34

“And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gideon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,  Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.”

Sometimes in life we give attention to people who appear larger than life and forget those people whose accomplishments we consider small only because we were comparing them with others. But if we were to examine them without any comparison we will see that on their merit they are worth celebrating. 

Most times when we study faith we study the faith of the likes of Abraham and David and other major characters and we stop there but the Bible did not do so, so here we see people being mentioned who ordinarily going by the way people do things in this world, may not get much attention. 

In the Bible these ones did not have elaborate mention only because of “time” or is it “space”? For the writer said,  “…for the time would fail me…” This means before God, every faith victory is an important victory and ought to be celebrated. Have you heard some one say, “my testimony is not as big as so and so? Or maybe you. 

That is what I am talking about.  There is no little faith victory or big faith victory, every victory is just that; a faith victory.

“…and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” 1John 5:4

So whatever victory you got by faith, maybe your faith got you healed of a headache celebrate it as the one whose faith got them healed of a cancer. God celebrates you! Today, rejoice about those things you call little victories in your life

Faith is a law

Rom 3:27

“Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith”

We are continuing to look at what faith is, and what we see here is that faith is a law, as gravity also. 

What is a law? According to Webster’s New Explorer, it is a rule or principle stating something that always works in the same way under the same conditions. Wow! Something that always works in the same way under the same conditions! 

This is why I appreciate the fact that the Scripture says God made inheriting the promises to be of faith, so that inheriting the promise can be sure to everyone. It can be sure because faith always works the same way under the same conditions. The other thing about law is that it is no respect of persons. 

If you fulfill the conditions of the law it will work for you but if you go against the law, you will surfer. Therefore, to make the law of faith work in your favour, find out the conditions that make the law of faith to work. We can find some of the conditions under which the law of work in Mark 11:22-25:

Your faith should be in God

Faith has to be expressed – “whosoever shall say”

You cannot allow doubt in your heart

You must learn to be specific with your faith

You must not harbor unforgiveness in your heart.

Faith and hope are not the same

Hebrews 11:1

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

To walk in faith accurately you must understand that faith and hope are not the same, don’t mean the same thing. To understand this difference, let us look at another translation of our text:

“What is faith? It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead.”

Faith is an evidence of hope. This means faith is something you can see while hope is something you cannot see yet.

Faith is now while hope is futuristic. Faith speaks in the now and in past tense while hope’s language is either futuristic or present continuous. When you say God is going to do something or I am going to have it tomorrow, your language is hope language and not faith.  Have heard this statement? “my best days are not behind me they are ahead of me”. 

This sounds very good but the question is, when will your best days come when they are always ahead of you. The Bible talks about laying hold, you cannot lay hold when you are always putting your best days ahead of you. Say it this way instead, “my best days are not behind me, they are here now.”

Loving by faith

Ephesians 3:17-19

“That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.”

Let us work some more on this faith and love working relationship. Let me tell you this right off the bat, you can only love the way God wants you to love by faith. Yes, faith is the foundation upon which the love walk stands, for it is after Christ dwells in your heart by faith that love can take root and you are able to also be grounded in love. But beyond that, it says; it is by knowing this love that the fullness of God will fill you. The New Living Translation puts it this way:

“May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.”

The word know in the King James is the experiential knowledge of love, so it is saying it is by you walking in this type of love that you will be made complete with the fullness of life and power that comes from God. 

Another translation says the best of God is found in knowing the love of God that is built on a foundation of faith. This is why I said when you walk in faith and love you become unstoppable because with faith all things become possible and with love you are made complete with all the fullness of God. Beloved, if God so loved us let us love one another.

Faith and love

Galatians 5:6

“For [if we are] in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith activated and energized and expressed and working through love.” AMP

As we continue our thought from yesterday, I want you to see Paul’s expression of the working relationship between faith and love. Paul says four things in the working relationship between faith and love.

Firstly, he says our faith has to be activated by love, expressed and working through love. But then he also said something that I want you to look at more closely. He said faith energized by love. The word energized here implies an extra charge given to a faith when it is accompanied by love. 

Let me illustrate it this way. Let’s say you want to go across a body of water. When faith is not accompanied by love is like you crossing with a paddle boat but when you accompany your faith with love is like you crossing with a speed boat that has a turbo engine. Now which one will get to the other side faster? You know this just describes the faith experience of some people. When a healing could take maybe a day to manifest, it takes weeks because they are walking in and out of love. Decide to walk in love today. 

Choose the way of love

1 Corinthians 12:31-13:3

“But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way. Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.”

I will also want you to choose the way of love this year. I believe when you combine living by faith and walking in love you become unstoppable. You know Jesus combined the two in His great teaching of faith in Mark chapter Eleven, though indirectly. What does it mean to forgive, if it is not love in action.

“For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. 

Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses. Mark 11: 23-26

The scriptures say owe no man anything but love. Love is a debt you and I owe our fellow brother and sister and in fact everybody. We owe people love because Jesus loved us and gave us a commandment to go and love. This is why it is a debt we owe. Loving people is not about whether they are worth it, it is whether you were worth it when Jesus loved you. It is about Jesus. So, decide today to walk in love.

The word of faith

Romans 10:8

“But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach.”

Let us try and break down further what I said yesterday concerning the word of faith being the gospel. To do that, I want you to see the Message Bible rendering of our text:

“So what exactly was Moses saying? The word that saves is right here, as near as the tongue in your mouth, as close as the heart in your chest. It's the word of faith that welcomes God to go to work and set things right for us. This is the core of our preaching. Say the welcoming word to God — "Jesus is my Master" — embracing, body and soul, God's work of doing in us what he did in raising Jesus from the dead. That's it. 

You're not "doing" anything; you're simply calling out to God, trusting him to do it for you. That's salvation. With your whole being you embrace God setting things right, and then you say it, right out loud: "God has set everything right between him and me!" Romans 10:8-10.

From the above rendering, we can say the word of faith is built around the finished work of Christ. It is the word that enables the individual to embrace the God’s finished work in through Christ. It is the word that embraces that God has set everything right and that all I have to do is appropriate it by my saying it. Read the above passage again, then, read this also, Galatians 3:2-8 also in the Message Bible translation:

Let me put this question to you: How did your new life begin? Was it by working your heads off to please God? Or was it by responding to God's Message to you? Are you going to continue this craziness? For only crazy people would think they could complete by their own efforts what was begun by God. 

If you weren't smart enough or strong enough to begin it, how do you suppose you could perfect it? Did you go through this whole painful learning process for nothing? It is not yet a total loss, but it certainly will be if you keep this up! Answer this question: Does the God who lavishly provides you with his own presence, his Holy Spirit, working things in your lives you could never do for yourselves, does he do these things because of your strenuous moral striving or because you trust him to do them in you? 

Don't these things happen among you just as they happened with Abraham? He believed God, and that act of belief was turned into a life that was right with God. Is it not obvious to you that persons who put their trust in Christ (not persons who put their trust in the law!) are like Abraham: children of faith? It was all laid out beforehand in Scripture that God would set things right with non-Jews by faith.”

When you preaching that puts emphasis on self efforts or striving in the flesh, it is not the word of faith.

How to know if it is a word of faith.

Romans 10:8

“But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach.”

Yesterday I said I will answer today how to know if a word been preached is a word of faith. Firstly, generally, the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is a gospel of faith, it is a word of faith. The gospel if truly preached is good news and it should provoke faith in the heart of the hearer.

“And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.” Galatians 3:8

Notice it said God looking ahead that we would be justified by faith, preached the gospel unto Abraham. Why was the gospel preached unto Abraham, so that he will be the father of all them who are of faith.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.” Romans 1:16,17.

What is the end result of the gospel been preached, that the just should live by faith. How is he to do that if faith is not communicated to him through the gospel? Again, I repeat, generally speaking, the gospel is word of faith if preached as it ought to be preached.

“And there they [ Paul and Barnabas] preached the gospel. And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked: The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed, Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked.” Acts 14:7-10

Whenever the gospel is preached, men would have faith to receive what is presented to them.

Choosing what you listen to

Mark 4:24

“And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given.”

There is one more thing I want to point at in choosing the way of faith, it is choosing what you listen to. What you listen to will determine what you choose finally. It will also determine what comes to you eventually. You cannot surround yourself with hearing words of doubt and unbelief and think you will be able to choose the way of faith. No, it does not work that way.

“This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith…He therefore that

Choosing the way of faith

Mark 9:21-24

“And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child. And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us. Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.”

We are continuing our thought on choosing to live by faith and what it means. We said firstly, it means to believe in the integrity of the word of God above experiences of man. Just as we saw in our closing Scripture of yesterday, Abraham believed because God said it even when his body said something different.

The second way to know you have chosen the way of faith is:

But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth,… that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth…and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Romans 10:8-10

You put the word of God in your mouth and speak it regularly, because when you have faith you speak.

“And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say…” Mark 11:22, 23.

Therefore choosing the way of faith is choosing to live also not only by what you believe in your heart but by the spoken word. You live by what you say. Choose to speak only what God’s word says about your situation, about your life.

The third indicator that you have chosen the way of faith is that you do the word of God, be a doer of God’s word. The book of James said it is the doer that is blessed not the believer or talker but the doer. So until you really do the word of God, you do not believe. So be a doer today.

“You see that [his] faith was cooperating with his works, and [his] faith was completed and reached its supreme expression [when he implemented it] by [good] works.” James 2:26 AMP

Living by faith

Mark 9:21-24

“And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child. And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us. Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.”

Living by faith is a choice we all have to make for ourselves because when the rubber meets the road, it is going to be about what you can believe. In our text, the father of the boy wanted to push the responsibility off unto Jesus when he said to Jesus, “…if thou canst do anything, have compassion on us, and help us…” But Jesus put it right back where it belongs when He told the man, “if thou canst believe…” That is, it is not about what I can do, it is about what you can believe for, therefore, make a choice for faith today. 

The Scriptures say the just shall live by his faith (Habakkuk 2:4). It is your faith that will make the difference in your life, learn to live not dependent on other people’s faith but your very own. Jesus said all things are possible to him that believeth, that means this new year the possibilities you can walk in are endless. Just imagine what you can accomplish this year if you will choose the way of faith. ALL THINGS!!! Decide today, because living by faith is a conscious decision that everyone has to make.

What does it mean to choose the way of faith? Firstly, it means to believe in the integrity of the word of God and to rule one’s life by it. You believe that God means what He said and said what He meant. That the word of God is above the experience of anyone, as it is written, “let God be true and everyman a liar”. If God says it in His word, that should be enough for you.

“(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations; according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. Romans 4:17,18

Your life has already been framed by God!

Hebrews 11:3

“Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.”

Talking about being framed by God, do you know your life has already been framed by God? I mean God has drawn the border line of your life before the foundation of the world. It is because some of do not know this that is why we do not get to turn out as He had planned us to do. For some it is because we do not know how to cooperate with God to make a reality of it.

Firstly, let me show you that your life has been framed by God.

“For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.” Romans 8:29,30.

You have been put in a frame, the frame of the Son of God. From day one God had drawn the border line of your life, it is to be within the image of His Son. Therefore the things allowed in your life are only the things that you see in the life of the Son of God, any other thing is an illegality. The image of the Son of God is the framework for every child of God, He is the pattern Son, the first begotten of the Father. Every other is be like the First born Son. This is the frame work for your dear child of God, does your life resemble that of the pattern Son? Don’t settle for less.

How do you cooperate with this to make it a reality in your life? You search the Scriptures for in –Christ Scriptures and confess them over your life continually, search scriptures that shows what are now yours because of Christ and claim them. Doing these things will ensure that your life falls within the image of Christ, the pattern Son.

In a frame!

Hebrews 11:3

“Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.”

The word ‘framed’ has this connotation, that is, to create a border line round about something. Putting that in our text for meditation, it means by the word of God you can create a border line round about your life.  When you put the word of God on your lips to declare it, you are actually sending a message to the devil what is allowed in your life and what is not allowed, you are framing your world by so doing.

In Acts 27, when Paul and some people were in a ship caught in the middle of a storm, Paul after much prayer stood up in their midst and declared, “there shall be no loss of any life on this boat”. At a certain time because people could not see a change, they wanted to jump ship but Paul warned them that except they abide in the ship they shall be destroyed. It is like by reason of Paul’s declaration, the ship has become the border line for them. 

They were framed for deliverance from the storm only when they stay in the ship. As you speak the word of God over all that concerns you, your world gets framed and the enemy is kept at bay. When a picture is framed, it remains intact for a long time. Right now in my house I can see pictures taken over twenty years ago still intact because they were put in a frame. 

Put your life, your world, your family in a frame through the word of God and so will you be intact also till Jesus comes. Let me repeat it, you do this when you declare God’s word over your life consistently, continually and constantly.

Furnishing your world by the word

Hebrews 11:3

“Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.”

As you are in a new year, it is very important that you take note of some things that enable you to have this year turn out the way you desire it to be for you in God. Our text for meditation says the worlds were framed by the word of God. The word for frame in the Greek there means to furnish completely, to adjust, to mend or to repair. 

This means you also can repair, mend, restore adjust and completely furnish your world by the word of God. I like the aspect of completely furnish because it is a new year so it is like an open book with nothing written in it. It is your responsibility to write in that book (I mean your world this year) what you want written. It is no wonder the Scripture said, “you snared with the words of your mouth, you are justified by the words of your mouth.

I also like it that it said the word means, to repair, to mend and to restore. This means if you make a mistake to put into your world what you do not like you can amend it. If something gets damaged in your world somehow you can repair it or restore it. This means you do not have to accept what you do not want, you do not have to accept negative carry overs into a new year. Get it repaired and amended with the words of your mouth. 

You have the equipment necessary, you do not have to look beyond you or look for a man of God to do it for you. Put the word of God in your mouth and make the necessary adjustment. MAKE YOUR WORLD WHAT YOU DESIRE IT TO BE. TAKE YOUR DESTINY IN YOUR OWN MOUTH ( I MEAN IN YOUR OWN HAND).

Having our desires granted

Mark 4:26-29

“And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.  But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.”

The last thing we see in our text in the process of the kingdom in having our desires granted is that

“…when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.”

What does this mean he puts in the sickle? The sickle is the natural implement for harvesting. What would that be spiritually?

“From the fruit of his words a man shall be satisfied with good, and the work of a man's hands shall come back to him [as a harvest].”Proverbs 12:14 (AMP)

So the mouth is your spiritual sickle for bringing in your harvest. Here the mouth comes into the picture again. What do we do with the mouth at this stage? We use it to call in the harvest. The harvest has to be called in. This stage is what is missing in some people’s lives, they do not call in their harvest and so their harvest remains in the field until they are called in. 

Yes, your harvest is still out there. This year call in all your harvest and you will see more results, more manifestations of your desires.

CONFESSION: I CALL IN ALL THE HARVESTS ON MY SEEDS SOWN, COME FORTH!

Process of manifestation

Mark 4:26-29

“And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.  But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.”

The third thing you see about the process in the kingdom, is the process of manifestation. We understand from our text that manifestation is progressive.

“…For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear…”

 This is confirmed also in Jesus’ parable of the sower:

“But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” Matthew 13:33

When you understand that manifestation is progressive then you will be patient with your self and celebrate yourself where you are on the way to where you are going. The word brings forth in stages, first the blade or thirty fold. This is when manifestation happens probably a little here, and little there maybe because you are new to this or it may even be because the deposits of the word in you. You know the Scripture says when you sow sparingly, you reap also sparingly.

Then after the blade, then the ear or the sixty fold return. At this level you begin to enjoy some overlap in the results you see, which means, manifestation will meet manifestation because it will become more frequent. Lastly, is the full corn in the ear or the hundred fold return, which implies full manifestation.

I SEE YOU GETTING THERE IN JESUS NAME.

Planting the seed in our hearts

Mark 4:26-29

“And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.  But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.”

We are still understanding the process of the kingdom of God. We have seen that everything begins with the planting of the seed of God’s word in our heart. There is a part to the planting of the seed in our hearts that also serves a dual purpose that is silent in our text. To plant the seed of God’s word we can do it by reading, studying and meditating. We can also do it by speaking it (this is the aspect that is hidden in our text). 

So I want to bring out today because this one serves a dual purpose and it is necessary in obtaining in the kingdom. What do I mean that it serves a dual purpose?

Firstly, when we meditate on scriptures, one of the ways we do that is by speaking it or muttering it to ourselves which serves the purpose of making the word get rooted in our hearts.

“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” Joshua 1:8

The second aspect that speaking the word fulfills is that it leads to possession or manifestation.

“A man's belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled.” Proverbs 18:20

“…and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Romans 10:10b

So speak the word to plant it in your heart and to build faith that brings possession.

Then the Scripture says the person who sowed the word does this; “… And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how…” This means you should just go about your normal life not worrying how manifestation will take place.  What you need to do at this stage is to water your seed continually with thanksgiving and praise. So fill your mouth with praise even as you await manifestation.

Plant the word of God in your heart

Mark 4:26-29

“And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.  But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.”

There is a process to obtaining in the kingdom of God which every believer must familiarize himself/herself with. As you seek to have many things happen for you this year understand this process very well and you shall not be denied.

Firstly, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground…”. Everything begins with the seed, the seed of God’s word which must be sown into your heart. The Scripture says, “In the beginning was the word…all things were made by Him (the Word) and without Him (the Word) there was not anything that was made.” (john 1:1,4) Everything begins with the word and ends with the word. 

Therefore to have anything from God you must get it from the word, then you must plant this word as a seed in your heart. You can only make withdrawals from a place where you have made deposits, it is from the deposits of the word of God that you can reap a harvest from. That harvest is the manifestation of the word in your life. 

Determine today to diligently plant the word of God in your heart. But apart from doing it generally, when it comes to the desires of your heart, you must look for specific Scriptures relating to such desires and plant them in the soil of your heart through reading and meditating on them. This is how things are done in the kingdom of God. Again I want to say to you that you cannot make withdrawals where you have not made any deposits.

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…” (Colossians 3:16)

When God visits

Gen 50:24-25

 “…God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence.”

It is clear from our text that when God visits he does things.

Genesis 21:1,2; 1Samuel 2:21 – when God visits promises are fulfilled, long standing issues are resolved.

Job 10:12 – when God visits, His visitation gives life and brings favour and preservation.

Hosea 9:7 – when God visits He brings recompence and restoration.

1Peter 2:12 – when God visits those who have been speaking against you will glorify God on your behalf because of what they will see on you in your day of visitation.

Isaiah 64:1-5 – when God visits He does great, unexpected things too numerous to number. He springs surprises.

God will surely visit you and leave you amazed, astonished and thoroughly blessed in Jesus name. Expect His visitation. 

Launching out into the deep

Gen 50:24-25

 “…God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence.”

Still talking about God’s visitation, I want you to understand again that this is more than talking about God being present in a general sort of way. Let me illustrate it this way:

“And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret, And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship. 

Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. 

And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken.”

Jesus in the vicinity where Peter was is different than Jesus in Peter’s boat. Jesus in the vicinity is like the omnipresence of God, but Jesus in Peter’s boat is like God visiting a man. He comes in on you and in your affairs and what you could not accomplish with all your know how and professionalism, He does it for you in an instant. 

When a man lame from his mother’s womb got up and walked in an instant, what did the people around say? The gods have come down in human form. This is what it means for God to visit. I declare to you the words that Joseph gave the children of Israel, God will surely visit you.

God's visitation

Gen 50:24-25

 “…God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence.”

One of the things I believe God wants to do is visit you this year in a definite tangible way. Did I hear you say Amen? When God visits, it implies Him coming down as it were to manifest Himself in power and demonstration. It is God walking in on us and into our affairs.

“And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites. Exodus 3:7-8

God is saying I want to be more than what you read about, I want you to see me for yourself. When that happens that is when you get the best in me and I also have the best of you. Then the saying of the word will be fulfilled for you which says, “and they shall not teach every man his neighbor , and every man his brother, saying, know the Lord: for all shall know me…”

When God visits a man, His glory which comprises His presence, power and goodness will be seen upon that man. In such situations, the impossibility becomes possible, lack and insufficiency is replaced with abundance and prosperity. Expect God’s visitation!

You will begin this year with harvest

Psalm 65:11

“You start the new year with a good harvest. You end the year with many crops.” Easy to Read Version

I bring you this word today. You will begin this year with harvest! Yes, this year will begin for you on a note of harvest. Harvest of favours, blessings, miracles and harvest on your financial seeds. Can I hear your loud Amen? Can God do this? Yes He can.

Let me tell you the story of two women, Naomi and Ruth. 

Naomi and her husband had left their country to go to another country, an idol worshipping one because of famine in their land, they went with their two sons. After a while these the sons married two ladies Orpah and Ruth. Not too long Naomi’s husband and two sons died in that land which made Naomi decide to return to her own land. 

Moreover, she heard that God had visited her own land and the people had bread. On her return, Ruth went with her. This is Naomi’s testimony upon her return:

“And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, and the Lord hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the Lord hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?” Ruth 1:20,21 KJV

So you have someone who is bitter and empty. She seems to have come to the end of her world. But guess what, when she arrived, it was at the time of harvest. This time of harvest was to begin the turning point of her life.

“So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter in law, with her, which returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest.”

This means they began the new life on a note of harvest, this set off a chain of events in their lives that brought them total restoration.

I PROPHESY TO YOU THAT YOU ARE BEGINNING THIS YEAR WITH A GOOD HARVEST.

Decide to move forward

Job 5:8-9

“I would seek unto God, and unto God would I commit my cause: Which doeth great things and unsearchable; marvellous things without number.”

Let us learn some things from our story in 2Kings chapters 6 &7 from those four lepers that will enable you to experience the great things that God is set to do in your life this year.(read these two chapters again today)

  1.     The lepers had to decide to move from a

Becoming great

Job 5:8-9

“I would seek unto God, and unto God would I commit my cause: Which doeth great things and unsearchable; marvellous things without number.”

Friends, God wants to do great things in your life this year irrespective of where you at right now. I want to remind you of a story in 2Kings chapter 6. It is the story of how God used some lepers to turn around a situation of famine in Samaria. Things were so bad in that land that they were eating dove’s dung and asses’ head which were very expensive to get. Where they don’t get those things to eat, they were eating their children. 

That is how bad things were. (I am sure

God is set to do great things for you

Job 5:8-9

“I would seek unto God, and unto God would I commit my cause: Which doeth great things and unsearchable; marvellous things without number.”

"If I were you, I would go to God and present my case to him. He does great things too marvelous to understand. He performs countless miracles. NLT

"If I were in your shoes, I'd go straight to God, I'd throw myself on the mercy of God. After all, he's famous for great and unexpected acts; there's no end to his surprises. MSG

I have purposely given three versions of this passage, so that the passage itself will speak to you by itself without much comment from me. God is set to do great things for you, He is set to perform miracles and surprise you this new year. Are you ready to receive these things to be done for you? Then the Scripture tells you what to do also:

  1.     commit your cause to Him – the book of proverbs says commit thy way unto the Lord and trust also in Him and He will bring it to pass. Another place says He will establish your thoughts.

  2.     Throw yourself at the mercy of God. The Scripture says we should come boldly to the throne of grace to obtain mercy and find help in time of need.

  3.     What qualifies as great thing in your sight is what you should go to God for, don’t be ask for less.

Put Praise First!

Judges 20:18

“And the children of Israel arose, and went up to the house of God, and asked counsel of God, and said, Which of us shall go up first to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And the Lord said, Judah shall go up first.”

You are in a new year, and this time of people are still in the season of asking God for things, making requests from heaven and there is nothing wrong with that at all. But I feel led to ask you to go another route. What route is that? The route of praise! In our text, the children of Israel had an issue with their brethren, the Benjaminites