Pastors Notes

In scriptures, Egypt typifies the world system, while Canaan typifies the Kingdom of God. The devil is the supreme ruler in Egypt while God Almighty is the one in charge in Canaan. Many people live in Egypt, but God's will is to relocate and reposition us in Canaan. 

Egypt is a place of darkness and ignorance of God, Canaan is a place of revelation and light; Egypt is a place of confinement and limitation while Canaan is a place of no limits and release; In Egypt, people only hear of God's promises, in Canaan divine promises are handled and entered into; Egypt is a place of tribute and servitude, Canaan is a place of dominion and mastery; In Egypt, there is humiliation and shame, whereas Canaan is the place of honor and respect;  The occupants of Egypt don't have a voice, their words don't matter but Canaanites have a voice that is respected on earth and in Heaven; Egypt is a place of conflict, while Canaan is a place of peace and harmony; Egypt is a place of doom while Canaan is the place of boom. The list goes on.

Between Egypt and Canaan is the wilderness, which is a place of preparation and pruning for those who have decided to take the journey from Egypt to Canaan. The wilderness is a must pass through. It is never intended by God to be the final destination but a transitory place. The wilderness is characterized by loneliness, visionlessness, desperation, confusion and temptation. The unfortunate thing about the Israelites who left Egypt for Canaan is that none of them except two, Joshua and Caleb made it to Canaan. To enter into your Canaan in a timely manner, the following factors are imperative to note:

The God Factor: When the Israelites left Egypt for Canaan, God purposely led them through a longer route via the Red Sea and not through the shorter route via the land of the Philistines (Exodus 13:17-18). God led them through a route it will be impossible for them to return to Egypt.   King David said his times are in God's hands (Psalm 31:15). God is the Architect behind the scenes designing our lives. A thorough understanding of this fact should engender more trust, patience and obedience from us to Him. 

The Attitude Factor: Your attitude is the behavior you exhibit in times of pressure. The Israelites on the way to Canaan experienced many anxious moments in the wilderness. Their constant behavior was to complain, murmur and lash out on their leader – Moses. They constantly doubted and disbelieved God despite so many awesome testimonies.  And because of a bad attitude, they were disqualified from Canaan.  Job exhibited a very good attitude when he praised God and refused to curse Him in a time of immense pressure (Job 1:20-22).

The Obedience Factor: A man of God once said: "Every act of obedience brings you closer to your Canaan and every act of disobedience takes you farther away"  The truth many fail to realize is that God tests us. That next temptation to lie, cheat, compromise and sin could just be your promotion exam. We are only able to overcome the enemies in our Canaan when our obedience is complete (2 Corinthians 10:6).

The Mindset Factor: A man of God said you cannot enter Canaan with the mentality of Egypt, neither can you become a king thinking like a peasant. The wrong mentality the Israelites had in the wilderness was their albatross. Joshua and Caleb were able to enter in because of a renewed mindset (Number 14:24). The journey from Egypt to Canaan is first and foremost an inward journey before it is outward. The word of God is the best mind detergent ever  produced (Romans 12:2).

The Favor Factor: "For they did not gain possession of the land by their own sword, nor did their own arm save them, but it was Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your countenance because You favored them" (Psalm 44:3). The Israelites in the quoted scripture enjoyed divine favor and entered their inheritance because they are God’s chosen people. Unmerited favor is exclusive preserve of God’s children while common grace is for His creation (Matthew 5:45). To enjoy divine, exclusive favor you must receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and actively cultivate a vibrant relationship with Him.

CONCLUSION: The Psalmist echoed the mind of God explicitly in Psalm 66:12, "Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads, we went through fire and water, but thou brought us out into a wealthy place." The will of God for His children is not to remain in Egypt, nor to die in the wilderness, but His will is that we inherit and enter Canaan. See you in Canaan in Jesus name.

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Prayer is communication with God. Prayer is an invitation to God and Heaven to intervene and invade our world, situations and communities.  Prayer is not optional, it is necessary for the fulfillment of God's purposes in the world and also in our individual lives. Prayer is man teaming up with God to accomplish divine purposes. Prayer is the primary way we exercise dominion over the earth and God's creation. A man of God defines prayer as earthly license for heavenly interference. Oftimes, God will only respond to our prayers, in other words, much prayers mean  more divine activity and less or no prayers mean little or no divine activity.The truth is that for God's will to be carried out in our lives, prayer is essential. Prayer is the force that moves the Hand that moves the world.

Prayer is like the umbilical cord that transports food, oxygen and life to the embryo or unborn baby in the womb and in return removes waste from the baby back to the pregnant mother. In prayers, we exhale carnality and works of the flesh, and inhale the life and Spirit of God. The womb is cozy for the unborn baby through the instrumentality of the umbilical cord, for life to be bearable and cozy for us, it has to be through prayers to God. Many people pray and their prayer goes to waste because it isn't prayed according to the will of God. This discourse intends to reveal how prayers can be effective and also to refresh memories of those who are already aware. The following are the prayers that avail much:

The Prayer of the Righteous:  The Bible says the prayer of a righteous person avails much(James 5:16). The Righteous person before God is the one who has righteousness credited to him because of his faith in Jesus and His substitutionary work on the cross. By accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior, the seed of God's righteousness is implanted in him(1 John 3:9).Because of the seed implanted in him, he is able to bring forth fruits of righteousness with the help of the Spirit and a constant renewal of his mind. The prayer of a sinner is an abomination before God (Proverbs 15:8).

The Prayer of the Humble: Humility is not thinking less of oneself but thinking less of one's achievements. The proud overestimates himself because of his perceived importance. The humble comes before God stripping himself of any credit, glory and entitlement. He approaches God with reverence and respect. The humble are also described as poor in spirit, a poor person is needy and he looks to his helper and benefactor with respect. The humble don't have options other than the option of prayer. Approaching God with a sense of helplessness and dependence makes prayer avails much.

The Prayer of submission to the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit indwells every born again Christian. He is our Helper in prayers and in this world as we await the coming of Jesus. He is our most trusted Prayer Partner residing in us. He helps us to pray aright and also helps us against the weakness of the flesh in prayers(Romans 8:26). We have to be acutely conscious of Him in prayers. By allowing His leadership in prayers regularly, our prayers become extremely effective affecting not just ourselves but also the world in general.

The Prayer of Faith: This is the currency of Heaven. To bring stuff from the spiritual realm to the physical, confidence in God is a must. Driving a Rolls Royce or being a Harvard graduate don't impress God but He is impressed by the use of our faith in prayers to Him. Faith impresses God and attracts Him to our prayers(Hebrews 11:6). Faith is agreeing with the Word of God and receiving the Word as one's reality over and above contrary and overwhelming evidences. Faith is the ability to believe that something exists which you do not presently see.

The Prayer of the Persistent: The story is told of this small dog that was injured in a fight by a much bigger bulldog. On the day following the fight, the small dog  returned to continue the fight. The small dog though injured and terribly bruised kept going back to the bulldog day in and day out to fight. On this particular day as the bulldog saw the small dog coming to fight again, it relented and backed away from the small dog. It is said that it is not the size of the dog in the fight that matters; it is the size of the fight in the dog. Those who will keep praying and not give up in prayers will have their prayers avail much(Matthew 7:7-8).

CONCLUSION: Receive grace and aid from the Holy Spirit today and always to be effective in prayers.

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The dictionary defines guilt as a feeling of self reproach from believing that one has done a wrong. The thesaurus dictionary has such words as doom, damn, pass sentence on, seal the doom of, find guilty as synonyms of condemnation.

It is noteworthy that the gospel of Jesus Christ is not that of condemnation to believers: "He who believes in Him is not condemned, but He who does not believe is condemned already because he has not believedin the name of the olnly begotten Son of God" (John 3:18). Jesus was condemned on the cross so that sinners who put their trust and hope in Him will be justified and acquitted by God. It is true that many born again believers live in guilt and condemnation today.

Guilt and condemnation make victims of men resulting in a state of unworthiness before God. It makes a coward out of its victim. It produces a feeling of unforgiveness  in its victim which in turn makes the fellow unable to receive the forgiveness of God. Guilt and condemnation places a spiritual burden on its victim, weighs him / her down and keeps its victim in a condition of helplessness before God. Guilt and condemnation stops the genuine and sincere worship of God and nullifies faith and confidence in God. It also opens the door to further sins like unforgiveness, bitterness, immorality, etc. The victim feels since I'm already condemned then I may as well continue to indulge the flesh more. There is no motivation for right living. Guilt holds its victim hostage.

It is essential to emphasize here that guilt and condemnation comes from a guilty conscience and also from the devil that is called the accuser of the brethren (Revelation 12:10).  It is also as a result of persistent failures and repeated sins in the life of a believer. It is also necessary to emphasise that the Holy Spirit of God never condemns but convicts.  While condemnation focuses on the sin and wrong doing, conviction seeks to show the believer the way out of the problem via repentance, the destructive consequence of the sin, the blood of Jesus, the mercy and grace of God. And when the Holy Spirit succeeds in convicting the wrong doer to repent, the voice of accusation continues to loom loud and clear plunging the believer into guilt. Below are ways that guilt and condemnation can be dealt with:

1. Submit to Jesus: He is the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29, 35). Jesus was condemned on the cross by the wrath of God because the whole sin of mankind was placed on Him. Jesus was condemned so that whoever believes in Him will be acquitted and justified as seen by the example of the thief on His right hand on the day of His crucifixion (Luke 23:39-43). Receive Christ as Lord and Savior in order to be free from condemnation.

2. Confess your sins to God: "If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:8-9). It is noteworthy to state that this scripture was written to Christians and not non believers. Confession of sins is intended by God to ease the conscience of the believer, lighten his / her burdens and free him so as to continue to enjoy fellowship with God.

3. Confess your sins to another: In the case of repeated sinful practices or in the occasion where the sin is against another believer, the wrong-doer should confess the faults to another believer that is more mature and stable that could hold him accountable.  Sin thrives in darkness and in secrecy, but once it is brought to the open, it is nipped in the bud. "Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed" (James 5:16a). Healing comes from the counsel and agreement prayer of a fellow mature believer. Ensure the person you are confessing to is mature to handle the gravity of the sin.

4. Have faith in the blood of Jesus:  One of the many roles of the blood of Jesus is that it has the power to cleanse a guilty conscience. Under the Old Testament, the blood of bulls and goats were temporarily covering sins and justifying the wrong doer before God. ".. How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" (Hebrews 9:14). The blood of Jesus was shed for the remission of sins.

5. Go and sin no more: The best antidote against guilt and condemnation remains a sinless, right living and obedient lifestyle before God. Righteous living is our worship to God. We are to present our bodies, minds, faculties and hearts to God as living sacrifices. Jesus told the adulterous woman after acquitting her to go and sin no more. The power of God is released by the Holy Spirit within us, and as we yield to the Spirit we gain the upper hand over the flesh and all its lusts (Galatians 5:16).

CONCLUSION:  Refuse to remain in the dark valley of guilt and condemnation. Come out of the valley by focusing on the redemptive work of Christ on the cross.There is no sin grievous that is more than the blood of Jesus. Have a blessed new month.

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"And the Lord said to Joshua, this day (year) I will begin to magnify you in the sight of all Israel, so they may know that as I was with Moses, so I will be with you" (Joshua 3:7).

The background to the above scripture is that Moses – the revered man of God died. Joshua took over from him and his assignment was to lead over 2 million Israelites to the Promised Land. The assignment looked bigger than Joshua and the people weren't totally accepting his leadership. Moses, to the children of God was highly revered and next to God. When Moses died, God had to encourage Joshua to be strong, courageous and also to meditate on His Word day and night in order to have good success (Joshua 1:6-9). Following God's specific directions, Joshua led the Israelites across the Jordan and their perspective of him totally changed (Joshua 1:16-18). Joshua received honor from God and his leadership role was confirmed in the sight of all the Israelites.

The word honor means something highly valued and esteemed. It means something praiseworthy, respectable and admirable. It is possible for someone to prop up himself / herself by using the media and other PR techniques to enhance his / her value.  Men, institutions, corporations, communities, churches, etc can also honor someone they feel has achieved so much, in other words men can  honor  another person. The reality is that God also honors people, and when God honors a person, it can never be compared to the honor of men, individuals and corporations.

The following is evident when God honors a man:  He gives the man a great name like in the case of Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3); He makes Him a joy to many generations, in other words, generations following the honored are blessed because of him; He helps the man supernaturally and begins to do impossible things through him like in the case of Joshua. He begins to make men obey this honored person by making sure his words do not fall to the ground, i.e his words come to pass, like Moses; The man God honors is promoted and lifted supernaturally like Joseph. The honored person enjoys open heavens provision, in other words, supplies flow to him ceaselessly from unsolicited and unexpected places; The honored person will have his superiors deferring to him like in the case of Joseph in the house of Potiphar; The person honored by God is not only blessed but anyone associated with him also becomes a partaker of his blessings. Divine honor is God enhancing the value of a mortal man and decorating and beautifying him / her.

The following is imperative for us to do to be honored by God:

1. Be truly born again: Every true child of God is honored by God. He / she already carry a measure of the honor of God. The Holy Spirit dwells within every child of God and the temple of God is honorable. Scripture reference: John 3:3, 6.

2. Walk with God:  We walk with God by having confidence in Him and in His Word. We walk by faith and not by our physical senses. When we start esteeming His Word beyond our circumstances and earthly realities, we gain His pleasure and He is pleased with us (Hebrews 11: 5-6).

3. Celebrate Him: The popular axiom says you should go to where you are celebrated and not tolerated. This is also true of God, He resides where He is totally celebrated. He dwells in the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3). If you can celebrate God in 2011 like David did who praised Him in high and low moments, in the palace and in the wilderness, in the mountain and in the valley, you will start experiencing divine honor in all its ramifications.

4. Fear Him:  Prophet Eli lost his honor and produced a grandchild called Ichabod (the glory has departed) because he started to take God for granted. God's instructions and injunctions didn't mean much to him and his rebellious children.  The honor bestowed on him as a priest of God became dishonor. Scripture reference: 1 Samuel 2: 27-36.

5. Give to His cause generously:  If we say we honor God and fail to honor the men of God around us, we lie. The more value we place on God, the more valuable our gifts to the church and Christian ministers.  Our view of God should be greatly enhanced in 2011 and this should be a motivation for giving generously, carefully and commensurately to His cause.  Scripture reference: Malachi 1:6-14

6. Desire His Honor: Many seek the honor and applause of men and not the true honor that comes from God. Because divine honor is not always quickly evident and apparent, many do not seek it as they seek for the honor from men. Moses craved for God and cried and told Him to show him His glory and God granted his request (Exodus 33: 18-19).

7. Preach the Gospel:  The Bible says the feet of them that preach the gospel are beautiful (Romans 10:15). In other words, God shines His light on their paths and on their ways. The surest way to be honored by God is to carry out the Great Commission which is His heartbeat. Signs and wonders always follow those who proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ because Heaven backs them and also considers them honorable.  Scripture reference: Daniel 12:3

CONCLUSION: The word of the Lord to us in 2011 is that it is a year of double honor. As we carry out the aforementioned by the grace and enablement of God, we will experience divine liftings this year, more than we can ever imagine. God will honor you and everyone will see it. He shall anoint you with oil in the presence of your enemies and your cup shall run over with joy in Jesus name.  Happy 2011.

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"But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His son born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive adoption as sons." (Galatians 4:4)

The Bible tells us in Ecclesiastes that to everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under the heaven. God is an orderly, methodical God and He is a great planner. The fullness of time in scriptures refers to the appropriate time for something to occur. It is God's ordained time for a miracle or breakthrough. In the above text, Paul was referring to the set time of Jesus' birth. 

Fullness of time refers to divine / destiny moments. It was a destiny moment for David when he encountered Goliath in the valley of Elah. The stage was set for David to manifest all he had been learning and trained for at the back side of the wilderness.

 
The Bible says God makes everything beautiful in His own time (Ecclesiastes 3:11). The word beautiful there  means harmonious and organized, for example when the fullness of time comes for a woman to deliver a baby, everything begins to work harmoniously for the woman to deliver:  her body goes into contraction, her water breaks  and the baby begins to try to work itself out of her body. At the fullness of time, everything works harmoniously and automatically to produce the desired outcome.

 Fullness of time also refers to when a thing matures or peak or when something is brought to focus. At that material point in time of maturity, thanking God for answered prayer is the expedient thing to do. For example, when winter comes, it is no longer necessary for clothiers to wish that their jackets and sweaters and long coats will be sold because they will certainly be sold.

It's important for us to know there are set times for some things in our lives to occur (Ecclesiastes 3:1). Before the set time arrives, our best efforts at achieving may seemingly not result into favorable or desirable outcomes.  Having this knowledge will free us from unnecessary worry and agitation. At this time of the year when 2010 is reaching its fullness, peaking and maturing, people usually look back to assess the year. Many may conclude due to unfulfilled desires, that the year was a failure. It is noteworthy to affirm that if you have trusted God for a blessing, done your own part in obedience to His will and the blessing still is not fulfilled, it may just be that the fullness of time hasn't yet come.

 The following are some notable truths about the fullness of time:

1. It can be accelerated or brought close: The first miracle Jesus performed in His ministry was in a wedding in Cana of Galilee when He turned water into wine. When Mary, His mother approached Him to bail out the wedding people who ran out of wine. He responded to Mary thus; ".......My hour has not come."(John 2:4). In other words, Jesus said the fullness of time for ministry isn't now. Mary subtly insisted and persisted on Him by asking the wedding people to obey whatever He asks them to do. Jesus ended up performing a notable miracle of turning water into wine. This is a clear Biblical evidence that the fullness of time can be adjusted by God; it can be brought close or it can be delayed or postponed. A man of God once said that everyday is God's day and the day you dare to believe is your own day.

2. It can be delayed or postponed:  God once spoke to Abraham - the patriarch of the Israel nation that the nation will be in tribute and servitude for 400 years in Egypt (Genesis 15:13-14). The set time for their deliverance was after 400 years, but the Israelites eventually used  430 years in Egypt, adding an extra 30 years. Bible scholars tell us this was so because Moses - the deliverer - stepped out ahead of the set time to kill an Egyptian, and he had to be sent to the wilderness and ministry of Jethro to be well discipled, prepared and trained for the task ahead. When we run ahead of God and try to birth miracles carnally, we may suffer consequences that would result in delays.

3. It can be aborted: It's impossible for God's sovereign plan to be aborted, but it is possible for God to set apart His purposes for individuals who will not respect His laws and principles. Elisha served Elijah and eventually entered his shoes by becoming the prophet to Israel. Gehazi  ministered to Elisha and would likely have taken over from him. However, Gehazi blew it big time because he was greedy and interested in immediate gains. Elisha couldn't ransfer the anointing he had to anyone and had to carry it to the grave. Gehazi failed because he cut corners. He refused to wait on God's timing to be enriched, he short-circuited the maturing process that would have made him a great man of God and he was set apart.

CONCLUSION:  Brethren, as we enter the last month in 2010, be rest assured that God is mindful of you. As we gratefully thank Him for our fullness of time, believing Him against all odds, wait on Him and refuse to birth things carnally, and also refuse to cut corners and run ahead of Him, the God that reserves the best till the last will suddenly surprise us. The God that brought Joseph from prison to the palace in 24 hours can do much more in approximate 720 hours that we have left in 2010.

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