BEFORE YOU STEP OUT TODAY TUESDAY 07/03/2023

 

TEXT 2 SAMUEL 16 :5-9 

TOPIC : THE MAKING OF REBELS 

[5]When King David came to Bahurim, a man of the family of the house of Saul, Shimei son of Gera, came out and cursed continually as he came.

[6]And he cast stones at David and at all the servants of King David; and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left.

[9]Then said [David's nephew] Abishai son of Zeruiah to the king, Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and take off his head.

Many years ago, I was a little boy living with my parents and other five siblings in a small university town of Nsukka in south east Nigeria.

We were close to a family whose father worked in the campus.

The man was a man of very weak morals, this led to constant confrontations from his children.

They often watched their older ones confront him even in physical combats, thus they weakened an already weak man.

Nobody stood up to the other to stop the madness that was geared towards destroying all of them.

I was a very little boy, but I knew that something was terribly wrong with what they were doing.

The last time I asked one of my elder sisters about them, I was not surprised to hear how they all ended. One who was my sister's age mate is in America, married to another woman.

Rebels are often developed, they do not emerge over night.

There are internal factors that encourage the development and emergence of rebels.

1. Sub-leaders who pretend not to notice that the leader is being insulted.

2. Sub-leaders who decide not to be "dragged into any controversy".

3. Sub- leaders who would rather keep quite even if the she goat has to deliver in the fetters.

4. There are others who simply fear men.

When you keep quiet in the face of rebellion, you are either a collaborator or a coward 

Every environment that is free of rebellion is an environment where the people refuse to encourage the festering of that contagious evil spirit.

Don't give it your tacid support, It's a tsunami of destruction.

Abishai got up in public, he was not trying to be diplomatic about it.

He told the king, give me permission to take of the head of this dead dog.

His position was clear.

Are your positions usually Clear or are you smart and politically correct?

Do you call a spade a spade or do you call it a working tool to avoid being quoted?

Abishai was not like you, he hated evil and was a son of encouragement whose role made it possible for David to survive that rebellion.

I pray for you that God will find you an honest vessel to count on in times of need.

God bless you.

With the God I serve, nothing shall be impossible.

Your case is not

 bigger than God.

May you have a God filled day in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. 

Your Victory is already guaranteed

It is well, do not give up, with God all things  are possible

(Please be a blessing to seven persons by sending to them   devotionals)

For further reading,   

Leviticus 9,10. Acts 13,14.

Pastor  Obi Ejikeme

Senior Pastor

House of faith, Nigeria

BEFORE YOU STEP OUT TODAY MONDAY 06/03/2023

 

TEXT PSALM 34:14 

13 Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.

  TOPIC : RETIRE FROM USING YOUR MOUTH FOR TERROR ATTACKS 

Beloved, we are to follow the example of Joseph. 

Joseph knew  his brothers sold him into Egypt. He was old enough so he knew who sold him, but he never mentioned their names.

He knew that his master's wife told lies about him. He knew that his master Portiphar imprisoned him unjustly but he never mentioned their names.

This is called truth, he trusted that God will vindicate him.

He didn't go about crying, "where is my God, God my enemies are asking me where are you".

Beloved, these tirades are demonstrations of heavy doubt in the ability of your God to deliver you.

But this is how he reported it to the butler. For indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews: and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon - Genesis 40:15.

He never mentioned the names of all his offenders. He still loved them and never kept the record of their wrongs. Love is .... not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs - 1 Corinthians 13:5, NIV.

Trust God to work out good from the evil  others do against you.

 Look at how Joseph saw the hostility and the betrayal ochestrated by hiis brothers even though he was not fortunate to read the new testament.

 But as for you, you thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive - Genesis 50:20.

The scripture  confirms the positive stance of Joseph in these words. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose - Romans 8:28.

God bless you.

With the God I serve, nothing shall be impossible.

Your case is not

 bigger than God.

May you have a God filled day in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. 

Your Victory is already guaranteed

It is well, do not give up, with God all things  are possible

(Please be a blessing to seven persons by sending to them   devotionals)

For further reading,   

Leviticus 7,8. Acts 11,12.

Pastor  Obi Ejikeme

Senior Pastor

House of faith, Nigeria

BEFORE YOU STEP OUT TODAY SUNDAY 05/03/2023

TEXT: ROMANS 13:1-5

    RETIRE FROM REBELLION

Dearly beloved, rebellion is the act of using the investment made into you by a superior to live an independent life. Rebellion is not just disobedience to rules. It is taking investment made into you by another for granted thinking that you have arrived.

Some will declare that overtaking is permitted, they forget that no one is ever in a contest with his father.

The first rebel was Adam. God gave him eyes, ears, hands, heart and breath of life. He used all that God gave him to follow the devil who invested nothing into him. By so doing he lived independent of God who invested into him his very image and likeness.

Rebellion is deadly because apart from hurting the one who invested into you, God has already judged you. An evil man seeks only rebellion: therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him - Proverbs 17:11.

Because of the severity of a rebel's punishment, God instructs his children to honour authority. Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God - Romans 13:1.

Rebellion against authority is rebellion against God. Therefore he who resists and sets himself up against the authorities resists what God has appointed and arranged [in divine order]. And those who resist will bring down judgment upon themselves [receiving the penalty due them] - Romans 13:2, AMP.

 God wants to bless you, to do this on earth, God needs an established authority.

Rebels deny God  the opportunity to bless them through the authority He has set up.

 Since he is not on earth, he has to use an authority that is over to bring your blessings to you. 

Know this, rebellion denies you the right to reap all that you have sown through service.

God bless you.

With the God I serve, nothing shall be impossible.

Your case is not bigger than God.

May you have a God filled day in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. 

Your Victory is already guaranteed

It is well, do not give up, with God all things  are possible

(Please be a blessing to seven persons by sending to them   devotionals)

For further reading,   

Leviticus 5,6. Acts 9,10.

Pastor  Obi Ejikeme

Senior Pastor

House of faith, Nigeria

BEFORE YOU STEP OUT TODAY SATURDAY 04/03/2023

 

THE AUDACITY OF HOPE ( The gift of stubborness). 

TEXT RUTH 1 :15-19

[15]And Naomi said, See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.

[16]And Ruth said, Urge me not to leave you or to turn back from following you; for where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people and your God my God.

[17]Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts me from you.

[18]When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she said no more.

[19]So they both went on until they came to Bethlehem. And when they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred about them, and said, Is this Naomi?

This story is not typically about Naomi, but the story of one of the greatest exploits of faith and stubborness of hope.

It is the fact that hope has an eye that can see beyond the darkness of the moment.

It is the story of a resilient spirit that refused to rest until she received the manifestation of that which she could see only with the eyes of hope.

Ruth was determined not to leave the periphery of her destiny even though no prophet, big or small prophesied her role in the birth of the Messiah.

She captured it by dedication and a unique kind of compassion.

She could have dumped Naomi like a used piece of toilet tissue like most people we meet in life.

When they are done using you, they dump you.

You might have nutured them like your own babies but as soon as they have wings, they fly away.

Ministry is some times like nursing baby vipers that can never repent from striking their rescuer.

Ruth was rewarded by the great rewarder.

She became one of the greatest women in history.

You too can be heroic in devotion and service until you are remembered for your stubborn faith.

Refuse to be a predator of the godly.

God bless you.

With the God I serve, nothing shall be impossible.

Your case is not bigger than God.

May you have a God filled day in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Your Victory is already guaranteed

It is well, do not give up, with God all things  are possible

(Please be a blessing to seven persons by sending to them   devotionals)

For further reading,   

Leviticus 5,6. Acts 9,10.

Pastor  Obi Ejikeme

Senior Pastor

House of faith, Nigeria

BEFORE YOU STEP OUT TODAY FRIDAY 03/03/2023

THE AUDACITY OF HOPE. 

TEXT ROMANS 5:1-5

1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope:

5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

Hope is the back-bone  of faith.

Hope that is fully matured is equal to faith.

Anybody who is not in hope can never be in faith because faith is only balanced where there is hope.

Never forget that hope is the building block of faith, where there is scarcity of hope, there is barrenness of faith.

Hope is the mysterious energy that draws help from God.

Hope in God attracts the help of God because as long as your hope is alive, your help is on the way.

Beloved, always remember that the help of God travels in the direction of hope in God.

Do you know why everybody is not helped equally ?

It is because everybody does not hope equally.

God bless you.

With the God I serve, nothing shall be impossible.

Your case is not bigger than God.

May you have a God filled day in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. 

Your Victory is already guaranteed

It is well, do not give up, with God all things  are possible

(Please be a blessing to seven persons by sending to them   devotionals)

For further reading,   

Leviticus 3,4. Acts 6,7,8.

Pastor  Obi Ejikeme

Senior Pastor

House of faith, Nigeria

BEFORE YOU STEP OUT TODAY THURSDAY 02/03/2023

THE AUDACITY OF HOPE. 

TEXT JOB 7-9 

7 For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease.

8 Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground;

9 Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant.

The word of God is our assurance that our  present condition is not our final destination.

It is our light in the dark tunnels of despair.

The word of God is our confidence that we will never remain on the ground.

We are sure that we will rise again.

Our partriach Job captured it accurately, he said that there is hope for a tree that has been cut down.

He said that even if the roots had become dead by reason of age, if it will get the scent of water, it will come alive.

Water here represents the word of God.

Ephesians 5 verse

26 "That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,"

Beloved, declare it very loud that you cannot be hopeless.

You must keep your hope alive.

When your hope is gone, your joy is also gone because it your hope that secures your joy.

It is with your joy that you can draw from the well of life ( the many possibilities of life).

Never forget that you are the apple of God's eyes.

God bless you.

With the God I serve, nothing shall be impossible.

Your case is not

 bigger than God.

May you have a God filled day in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. 

Your Victory is already guaranteed

It is well, do not give up, with God all things  are possible

(Please be a blessing to seven persons by sending to them   devotionals)

For further reading,   

Leviticus 1,2. Acts 4,5.

Pastor  Obi Ejikeme

Senior Pastor

House of faith, Nigeria

BEFORE YOU STEP OUT TODAY WEDNESDAY 01/03/2023

THE AUDACITY OF HOPE. 

TEXT ISAIAH 43: 18-20 

18 Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.

19 Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.

20 The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen.

There are times that a people become disappointed.

Whenever this happens, the door to despair and disillusioness is opened.

Beloved, realise that you are not dealing with a feeling but you are being encircled by  an evil spirit.

Isaiah 61 v 3 ,

 "To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;...." 

The spirit of heaviness is a spirit that destroys hope.

The bible admonishes you to forget the former things, God said that He will do a new thing.

We must trust God as we corporately hope in the new thing He has purposed to do in Nigeria.

Beloved, let us all keep hope alive in Jesus mighty name.

God bless you.

With the God I serve, nothing shall be impossible.

Your case is not bigger than God.

May you have a God filled day in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Your Victory is already guaranteed

It is well, do not give up, with God all things  are possible

(Please be a blessing to seven persons by sending to them   devotionals)

For further reading,   

Exodus  43,44. Acts 1,2,3.

Pastor  Obi Ejikeme

Senior Pastor

House of faith, Nigeria