THE RIGHT DOOR

JUST THINKING

It is a door,
It is a great door,
Knock,  knock, knock and knock
If the door opens,
You can walk in.
If it does not open,
And it stays locked,
Do not give up knocking.
At times, you need to knock harder
The persons inside may be sleeping, busy or using an ear piece.
But if it refuses to open,
Don't break the door,
It may not be your door.
Move on to the next door.
There is always a door for everyone
Some doors will not open now,
It is not the right time.
A few need some pushing for them to open
But be careful of the kind of doors you push.
There are some doors that lead to sin, death, decay, destruction, regrets, pains and so on.
Also, as a result of what you see, perceive and hear from near and a far,
Don't try to open some doors.
Moreover, for some doors to open,
You need wisdom, knowledge, counsel, insights and boldness.
You also need God to open the right doors.
When He opens a door,
No man can shut it
When he shuts it, 
No man can open it.
So, stop knocking every door.
Just allow Him to lead you to the right doors,
Doors that lead to peace, health, happiness, love, protection,  provisions, and "more than enough".
However, your heart is the first door that He needs to open.
The state of your heart matters,
It matters to him more that other doors.

DON'T ALLOW IT TO WEAR YOU OUT.

JUST THINKING:

Many people have taken good and bad decisions because of words spoken to them.  Parents have done things of which they later regretted. People have given out resources without thinking because of words. Words are very powerful and they could be more draining and annoying when you keep hearing the same thing every now and then.

I am talking about consistent talking, asking, crying, saying, bothering and request. Have you given your child a thing because he kept asking, crying and begging for it?  Have you given someone a ‘’YES’’ because you got tired of what a person was demanding of you? You gave in to it because of the consistent request, pleas, demand and disturbance.

When people keep asking or disturbing or bothering you for a particular thing, you get weary, tired and frustrated by it that you may eventually give in or give out that thing. It can drive you crazy.  If you do not want to take a decision due to someone sitting on your head on a matter, you should learn to say ‘’NO’’ and stand by your decision. If not, you will take hasty or wrong decisions. When you keep hearing the same thing from a person, it gets irritating and irritation makes you vulnerable in decision making.

Luke 18:4-5 NET says, ‘’ 4 For a while he refused, but later on he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor have regard for people, 5 yet because this widow keeps on bothering me, I will give her justice, or in the end she will wear me out by her unending pleas.’”

The widow in the above story needed justice and she kept going to the judge who did not fear God nor man. The judge did not give in at first but he eventually did because she kept going to him. When someone keeps coming to you about a thing, it wears you out. Constant request or unending pleas of a thing drains, irritates and wears out.
If someone keeps badgering you about a thing, you will get beaten black and blue by it mentally because it is like the person is pounding your soul with that request. 

Judges 16:16 – 17 says, ‘’16 She nagged him every day and pressured him until he was sick to death of it. 17 Finally he told her his secret. He said to her, “My hair has never been cut, for I have been dedicated to God from the time I was conceived. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me; I would become weak and be just like all other men.”

Samson gave in to Delilah because she kept asking him about the secret to his strength. Her request made him sick to death. He eventually gave in because she kept at it. He was emotionally blackmailed by it. 

Many of us have experienced in one way or the other. Some have sinned, done regrettable things, some have died or have been killed, some have agreed to some terrible things and some have signed documents that are causing them pain as a result of it. If you don't stand firm by your decisions, you may be swayed by a person's consistent request, pleas and demand on you.

For the person asking, it may be a good, bad, or legitimate request. So the person needs to ask because it may be important to him. But for you, you have to be careful granting every request that comes to you even if the person is consistent.

MANAGING BOTH SIDES OF CONFLICTS

JUST THINKING:

From time to time, we have conflicts with people around us and many of us take our stance or position without having a whole view of the situation. We tend to conclude that the other person is wicked, insensitive and  inconsiderate without knowing what led to the conflicts or misunderstanding.
For you to have a whole view of the situation and take a good decision or position, you need to hear, listen and understand the other person's side of the story. Don't take a decision in the face of conflicts without getting the full story.
There are times we are called to judge a situation between two parties but we give wrong judgement after listening to one party. As an independent Judge,  you are not supposed to be swayed, influenced and deceived by the emotions of one party. Many times the first person's side of the story is always touching and could be deceiving until you hear the other person's side of it. Half truth is not the whole truth and it could be deceiving.
Proverbs 18:17 NKJV says, "The first one to plead his cause seems right, until his neighbor comes and examines him".
Proverbs 18:17 EASY says, "Two men may argue with each other. The first man will seem right until the second man speaks".
Furthermore, in the cause of interacting with people, there will be arguments, misunderstandings and conflicts. Conflicts is a fact in human interactions. If you know this, you will learn how to manage people and their actions. The way you handle and manage conflicts makes you grow personally.
You cannot live in isolation no matter what people have done and the decisions you have made. You need people to fellowship with, live with and interact with. There are things, character, understanding and wisdom you will never develop if you are not interacting with people. However, the Spirit of Grace helps you to handle conflicts through wisdom, insights, understanding and openness of heart.
Proverbs 15:1 NCV says, "A gentle answer will calm a person’s anger, but an unkind answer will cause more anger".

SEX IS SWEET BUT

JUST THINKING:

I feel like having sex
But sex is not what I need
I think I need companionship
But there is no one around me
So my body is reacting,
Sex, sex, sex, sex and sex.
But is that what I really need?
My body was designed in that way
It reacts to sex from time to time
Many have missed it as a result
They gave in to the reaction of their body
They gave their bodies to anyone available
They thought that sex was what they needed
But sex gave them pain, regrets, sickness, complications and so on
Sex is sweet but that is not what I need
I need order
I need discipline
I need to understand what sex is
I need to have knowledge of it
I don't want to react to it
I don't want to give my body to just anyone
I want to know it to enjoy it
I don't want to abuse it
I don't want to sin against God and my body
I don't want to regret it
But I want to enjoy it within its context
By the way, what is the purpose of sex?
I was told sex was for pleasure, reproduction, intimacy, and so on
For that reason,
I will wait to have it at the right time
I will have it within the right context
I will wait to have it with the right person
I will wait to have it as instructed
I don't want to share my destiny with just anyone
I don't want to share my soul with people I don't know
I don't want demons to infiltrate my life
Sex within the right context is great and pleasurable
Sex stolen attracts God's judgement
Stolen waters are sweet
But it destroys the soul, the life and destiny
My soul is precious to me
So I will wait and do it right

DEDICATED TO EVERY YOUNG PERSON OUT THERE.

THE KISS OF DEATH.

JUST THINKING:

The Kiss Of Death is something that causes something else to fail. It could be an action that hinders someone from moving forward. It could also be something, an act or association that ultimately causes ruin,  pain, regrets and so on. It causes one to fail or to be ruined and It could also corrupt good manners, morals, ones upbringing, home training and so. This is why the kiss of death is an action or event that seems good, but is certain to make something else fail.

The Kiss of death was expressed in the bible through a kiss on Jesus' cheek by one of his disciples. This term alludes to the betrayal of Jesus by Judas Iscariot, who kissed him as a way of identifying him to the soldiers who came to arrest him.  Matthew 26: 47-49 says, "And while He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people. Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him.” Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed Him.

Jesus was betrayed by Judas with a kiss. This can happen to anyone. The kiss was a Physical contact and a sign to the soldiers. It can be delivered to us through someone we are very close to or something we do daily. So, the kiss of death could be physical contact like sex and contact with a person with a deadly contagious disease. 

1 Corinthians 15:33 GW says, "Don’t let anyone deceive you. Associating with bad people will ruin decent people".

The kind of Friends one keeps could be his kiss of death because bad company ruins good manners. Did you know that the kind of friends you have defines who you really are? Relationship, contacts, and association could lead to one's fall. It could be businesss relationships, office relationships, amorous relationship,  partnership, and so on. Not everyone is meant for you and not everything was made for you.

So many people have been robed into  criminal activities just by association. Being guilty by association means that you personally didn't really do something wrong but that people who you are associated with did. You are judged by the company you keep, so you can be viewed as guilty because of your association with wrongdoers. If you spend a large portion of your day at work with slackers who do not do what the boss asks them to do, your boss may dislike because you associate and you are friends with the slackers even though you do your work. By that, you are guilty by association.

Also, One's choice of career, attitude, mindset, the desire for power and to be popular, and the desire to be rich at all costs may be the kiss of death.

1 Timothy 6: 9 says, "But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition".

Finally, it could be an action or event that seems good, but is certain to make something else fail. A job offer could be the kiss of death. A business venture, a love relationship, drug and other addictions could make you fail and destroy you. The beginning could look attractive, interesting, friendly, nice, harmless and so on but it may cost you a lot later on. But, i would say to you that you should be careful so that you don't become the next victim of the kiss of death.

Proverbs 14:12 NKJV says, "There is a way that  seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death".

THERE IS COMFORT FOR YOU.

JUST THINKING :

One time or the other, we all have sought comfort. Whether it is the loss of a loved one, loss of job, loss of money, valuables, and investments, stressful moments, and  loss of a great opportunities, we all have had a fair share of pain, discomforter, insights, wrong accusations, death of a loved one and so on.
However, many people miss it when they are going through this phase of their lives. Some run to friends who may not be able to help them or comfort them. Some of the people we run to even need comfort as much as we do. Some indulge in self pity, habits, activities and even relationships that even worsen their pains. But you and i do not need to go that far because what we are looking for is around and with us.
Isaiah 9: 6 NKJV says "For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
For anyone seeking peace, Jesus is the Prince of peace and the peace giver. He is the life changer, way-maker, joy-giver and limit-breaker. If you are grieving, He will give you peace that passes all understanding in the face of all challenges you are going through. Men can comfort you, but some may do that and mock you about it in your absence. Some may give you a helping hand but man's help is limited but true and lasting help comes from God.
Isaiah 50: 7 NKJV says, “For the Lord God will help Me; Therefore I will not be disgraced; Therefore I have set My face like a flint, And I know that I will not be ashamed".
God's help is what you need. His help doesn't bring disgrace and shame and it will make you stand upright wherever you are and you go. But when some people help you, it may cause you more pain and shame because they may use it against you by telling others and even cursing you with it when anything happens. They may also broadcast it to everyone that they were the ones who helped you when you were down. Oops, that could be painful.
However, One of the ways God will help you is through his Spirit within you. The Holy Spirit will speak words to you that will comfort you. He will instruct you on what to do. He will also direct and reveal things to you. He will comfort you if only you will yield to him and do what He says. Before Jesus died He said He would give us another comforter or helper or advocate who will be with us forever since He will not be here with us physically. But the Holy Spirit will be with and in us whom He will send to us. (John 14: 6, 16:7).
Furthermore, 2 Corinthians 1:3‭-‬4 NKJV says, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God".
God can comfort you by sending people into your life who will help you. He can also comfort you in other ways. But one of the reasons why He comforts you in your trying moments is for you to comfort others when they too are pained. When He comforts you, you will be able to comfort others with the comfort, strength, wisdom, love that He comforted you with. Truly, the comfort of God is really what you need.

EXEGESIS

JUST THINKING:

We would like to invite you to join us at this event of EXEGESIS.

You can ask any questions concerning the Bible. A platform for questions and comments has been created for the event this Saturday 13th of July,  2019.
It will be streamed on the day and you will be interacted with as well.
How to use the system.
Go to www.slido.com and add the event code and start asking your questions and making comments.
The event code for Saturday 13th of July, 2019 is: #Exegesis5

Join us in this event and you will be glad you did. 

YOUR WORDS CAN HEAL OR KILL

JUST THINKING:

The sorrow of heart makes one sad.

It makes you look sick though you may be in good health.

It affects your mood, countenance, and attitude.

But a merry heart is like medicine, 

It heals and makes one cheerful,

And it makes one joyful.

But when you are sad, 

You hurt all over.

To be gloomy all the time is a slow death,

It dries up your bones

Sadness and Depression dry your strength 

But to be cheerful keeps you healthy

Choose to be happy despite the trials and offence 

Choose to love despite the hurts

A joyful heart leads to a cheerful countenance 

Happiness makes you smile, 

But sorrow crushes you.

Your joyful or sad mood affects others 

Don't contribute to the pains of others 

Instead, choose to speak life and good words to yourself and others.

Do this despite your situations 

Because pleasant words are like a honeycomb 

They heal the bones,

And they are sweet to the soul.

EMPHASIS: 

Nehemiah 2: 2 ,Proverbs 17:22, Proverbs 15:13, Proverbs 16:24 and Proverbs 18: 14.

THE OFFICE IS A GREAT PLACE FOR THE HARVEST

JUST THINKING:

We have been told to go into the world by our Lord and King to preach the gospel but many of us including me do not take it seriously. If someone had not preached the authentic gospel to me, I would not be a Christian today.
Mark 16: 15 -16 says, ‘’And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned’’.
There are various ways of preaching the gospel like the pew evangelism, rural evangelism, street evangelism, internet evangelism and office evangelism. Many prefer the internet evangelism because it covers a large reach of people worldwide. But one thing I have noticed is that everyone including me is a ‘’Christian’’ on the internet but not everyone lives the true life of the believer.
Also, many people prefer the pew evangelism (altar) because they want to be seen and heard that they are loaded and grounded in the scriptures and the revelations of them. While the street evangelism is something that most people do not do because they are ashamed to be seen preaching on the street. Why the deception? You prefer to preach on the ‘’altar’’ and on the internet but you are ashamed to preach on the street because of pride, ‘’what will people think and say of you’’ and maybe because you have some skeletons in your cupboards.
The Office evangelism can be the most effective form of evangelism. You spend at least seventy percent (70%) of your day at the office. You even spend more time with your colleagues than your family everyday but you have not realized that you are directly or indirectly evangelizing to them. Unconsciously, you are making them hate the Christian fate by your actions, attitude and way of life. Most of the people you work with may be sinners and unbelievers. So, if you ‘’think’’ you cannot do street evangelism, then you can as well do the office evangelism.
When you do things excellently and when you are always punctual, you are evangelizing. When you contribute to the goals of the company, you are evangelizing. The way you manage crisis can evangelize to people. If you refuse to be involved in crime or fraudulent activities in the office, Christ is being preached and vice versa. It is not until you preach to someone about Christ in the office before you should realize you are actually doing that. You should know that if you start preaching in the office, you may be sacked. But if an opportunity unfolds itself to preach one on one and not at working hours, that will be a great opportunity to preach Christ.
Romans 2: 24 says, ‘’for the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you, as it is written’’.
However, many of us cannot preach the gospel in our offices because our way of life is even worse than that of the unbelievers in the office. We lie, cheat, conspire against and do wicked things that when we eventually have the opportunity to preach to the people around us, they will prefer be unbelievers and go to hell than to be like us who claim to be Christians, but the most evil and terrible things are perpetuated by us in the office. No wonder the harvest is not being harvested in the office place which could be a great but technical place to evangelize.

PRAYING ACCURATELY

JUST THINKING:

It is not until you pray all through the night before God will hear you. You can choose to pray in the morning, or afternoon or evening. The most important thing is that you pray. The best time or way to pray is to pray. Also, it is not until you visit a prayer mountain, a praying ground and a special place of worship before God can hear and answer your prayers and worship.
John 4:21‭-‬23 says, "Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship him".
You can choose to pray in the toilet, sitting room, in your car, in your house, at break time, in church, and any convenient place and God will hear you. There is also no special time of the day for one to pray. Some will say the best time to pray is at 12 am or 3 am because that is when demons operate. This is not true because the devil operates twenty-four (24) hours a day but God operates much more.
Luke 18:1 NKJVSays, "Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart.
1 Thessalonians 5:17 NKJV says, "Pray without ceasing".
God hears you whether you pray in the morning, afternoon or night. So, do not think there is a special time and place that will make your prayers to be heard and answered. There is no pattern or styles to your prayers being heard by him. Whether you shout, jump, throw grenades and role on the floor will not make God hear you. But you should know that God hears your prayers when you pray according to his will and the prayer of a sinner is an abomination to him. However, being watchful or vigilant is a vital key to praying accurately if you are willing to pray.
I Peter 5:8 NKJVsays, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour".

DIGGING DEEP

JUST THINKING:

The way man digs into the earth for crude oil,  gold,  diamond,  coal,  and other valuable items is the way everyone should dig into himself to unearth those treasures in him because the treasures have been deposited in earthlings or earthy vessels or you.
Have you ever wondered what inspires people to write beautiful songs,  poems,  scripts and even come out with great ideas? The truth is they dug in and it is as a result of continuous digging into their mind. What you do with your mind affects what comes out of it.  If you exercise it daily positively, positive thoughts, ideas, fruits and so on will come out of it and vice versa.
Proverbs 20 : 5 says, "Counsel in the heart of man is  like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out".
There are wisdom, ideas, visions,  and so on, on the inside of you,  but you need to dig inside you and draw them out. Telephone,  airplanes, cars were all conceived and brooded over by people and those thoughts brought about those great necessities that we all use today.  If you have conceived and brought forth anything,  there is more on the inside of you.  Don't stop there,  keep bringing out those great ideas and inventions.  
If you think you have not brought anything out of you, now is the time for you to start bringing them out. The more you bring out, the deeper and better you will become because there is a gold mine hidden in every life. God never made a failure. Every man has success hidden away in his soul. No one else can find it but himself.

THE BLESSINGS ON YOUR LIFE ARE IRREVERSIBLE

JUST THINKING:

We are called the children of Abraham by faith because we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and personal Saviour. There are many blessings we benefit from as his children because of the covenant God had with him. 

God spoke to him in Genesis 12: 2 & 3 NKJV that, " I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed".

As the seed of Abraham through faith,  you are blessed. You have become a blessing or a source of blessings to the world. And no curse from anyone will have effects on you. Instead, anyone who curses you, pronounces curses, makes incantation against and swells at you is only doing those things against himself. So, you should not listen to anyone and even bother about the curses they pronounce on you. Instead, God will fight for you and He will curse that person on your behalf.The person's curses will not stand because you have God. You should also have it at the back of your mind that as a Christian, the blessings upon your life are irreversible and irrevocable. 

Joshua 24:9‭-‬10 CEV says, "King Balak decided that his nation Moab would go to war against you, so he asked Balaam to come and put a curse on you. But I wouldn't LISTEN to Balaam, and I rescued you by making him bless you instead of curse you".

The above scriptures explain it in a more deeper way. God does not listen and certify the curses made on you by anyone. They may curse you but it falls on deaf ears because God is the only Supreme Being who can listen to and approve a blessing and a curse. So, He being your father will not listen to any curse from anyone and any quarters against you. He will make those who curse you to bless you instead and He will turn their curses to blessings upon your life. 

Numbers 23:23 NKJV says, "He has not observed iniquity in Jacob, Nor has He seen wickedness in Israel. The Lord his God is with him, And the shout of a King is among them. “For there  is no sorcery against Jacob, Nor any divination against Israel. It now must be said of Jacob and of Israel, ‘Oh, what God has done!'".

Balaam was contacted by Balak to curse the Israelites but he couldn't. Instead he ended up blessing them. He said, "I have received a command to bless and God has blessed and I cannot reverse." But you have stay away from sin, iniquities and wickedness. So, anyone who is blessed by God is blessed and no one can curse him.  Hallelujah 

DO NOT BEG TO BE LOVED

JUST THINKING:

There are people who just hate you the moment or the first time they meet you. Also, there are people who just hate you for no reason and they cannot explain why they hate you. They hate your guts, charisma, personality, fashion sense, comments and so on. Any thing you do irritates them and when they see you, anger wells up within them for no reason. You have asked yourself and other people why that particular person(s) hates you but you cannot place a finger on it.  

It could have been what you said, did, what someone else told that person about you or what you did and it could be a wrong impression the person has of you. Many times, people judge you from afar due to one incident or the other. No one should judge you or anyone based on the mistake(s) you have made because everyone makes mistakes. They may not know what you are going through and your frame of mind at the time of the mistake. 

Of no fault of yours, the person may hate you because of something that happened. Other times, it could be your attitude and it could also be that the person has an attitude or complex problem. My advice to you is that you should not try to please them or do anything that will make them like you. The truth is that the more you do things to please them, the more you make more mistakes and do more annoying things that will make them hate you the more. 

In the cause of doing things to get their attention to like you, you will end up bringing yourself down and those people will use it as an opportunity to trample you down. Everyone cannot be your friend and you should also realize that everyone may not like you but there are people who will certainly love you for who you are.

Luke 6:26 MSG says, “There’s trouble ahead when you live only for the approval of others, saying what flatters them, doing what indulges them. Popularity contests are not truth contests—look how many scoundrel preachers were approved by your ancestors! Your task is to be true, not popular".

You should also realize that those people may like and admire you but they are so full of themselves with complex issues that they would prefer to use reverse psychology on you. Just don't worry about it because someday or sometime in the future, something will happen that will change their minds and their impression about you. At this point, they will see you the way you are and in a different light.  

For this reason, please, do not beg anyone to love or like you because you are a complete and perfect being made in the image of God. Your worth is not the impression people have of you but it is that you were fearfully and wonderfully made by God. The designer's original and a complete being is what you are. The approval or disapproval of men of you does change who you are.

THE POWER OF ''DISCIPLINE''.

JUST THINKING:

To achieve anything in life, one needs discipline. Being a father, a mother, a child, a student, a professional and so on requires discipline to achieve your goal, desire and even play your role in life. It makes you achieve a lot but it also sharpens your life.
By the way, a discipline is a form of training that helps one to obey rules and code of behaviour. It is the training that makes you build muscles, capacity, gain knowledge, understand process flow, ask questions, obey rules and do the right things at all times. When one becomes trained by discipline, his thinking pattern, mentality and the way he sees things changes.
Without discipline, things will not be done orderly, there will be half-baked professionals, goals set may not be achieved and there will be chaos in the society. Discipline is a process which helps you learn new things and makes you unlearn the wrong things. When you have a vision and a goal, discipline will help you achieve it.
Joshua 6: 10 NKJV says, ‘’Now Joshua had commanded the people, saying, “You shall not shout or make any noise with your voice, nor shall a word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I say to you, ‘Shout!’ Then you shall shout.”
In the above scripture from the book of Joshua chapter 6, we can see the power of discipline and what it can do. Joshua through the command of God told the Israelites that they should go round Jericho once every day for six days and on the seventh day, they should go round it without shouting, making a noise with their voice and without a word coming out of their mouth. In other words, they should not speak to each other and say anything in the cause of carrying out the command. I will say that that was the height of discipline.
Imagine having a jester, a comedian and a loquacious person amongst them for the whole time they carried out the command. Imagine if any one was tired or hungry, he could not say it out. Also, if one had his brother or maybe wife or child with him, the child or person must not say a word to his father or brother. I can’t imagine a people going to war without saying a word to each other or walking around a city for a long time and doing it every day without saying a word to the person(s) around them the whole time. But guess what, the Israelites did it and the rest is history.
The truth is that apart from the power of God, what actually made the wall of Jericho come down was the discipline on the parts of the Israelites who refused to speak to each other because of the command of the lord and because of their goal. This shows that if you set or have a goal, discipline is one of the major factors that can help you achieve it. You can only become discipline through daily training and with time, that thing you do daily will become a part of your lifestyle.

ENEMIES ON THE ROAD

JUST THINKING 

People get robbed at home, on the road, in offices and so on from time to time. Some get killed, maimed and even kidnapped. There are people who live on other people's sweat by robbing others of what they have and stealing their ideas, money and personality.
Ezra 8:22 NKJV says, "For I was ashamed to request of the king an escort of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the ENEMY ON THE ROAD, because we had spoken to the king, saying, “The hand of our God is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are  against all those who forsake Him".
One of the statements made in the above scripture is "ENEMY ON THE ROAD". It shows that there is an enemy or enemies on the road. They could be armed robbers, kidnappers, pickpockets, and so on. These people set traps for others, some prey on the ignorance of others, and others capitalize on the greed of others.
Also, you can be and  your friends can be the "Enemy on the road". When you start doing things that  rob you of your purpose, visions and so on,  you become your own enemy on the road. The enemies on the road steal, kill and even destroy people and properties. 
We all are on our way to one place or the other. Some are traveling, some are moving from one organization to other, some are relocating, and others moving up the ladder in their careers. Consequently, people in your office, family members, neighbours can also be the enemies on the road.
Wherever you are going, I would like you to know that they are enemies on the road. These people take lives,  steal money, your properties, your health, talents, visions, ideas and so on. Remember, thieves only rob and steal from people with valuables.
In Ezra 8 (read Ezra 8:15 -36), the Israelites were going from Babylon to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple that had been destroyed. They left with gold, silver, bronze and others items in large quantities needed to build the temple. Their leader Ezra, called for a fast and prayers. They prayed for directions, protection, leading and guidance so that they would get to their destination intact and in peace because of the Enemy on the road. It shows that we all need to pray as long as we are on our way going somewhere.
Did you know that drunk drivers, bad driving and bad roads  who cause accidents could be the Enemy on the road? Death, sin, our words, wrong association and other things could be the enemies on the road as well. So, you need to pray to God to direct your steps, lead, guide and protect you, your family and properties. In other words, they depended on God and not their numbers, their connections with the king of Babylon, their weapons and so on. Your journey to your destination and safe arrival is first of all depended on the mercies of God.
Furthermore, the Israelites planned and prepared for their trip by allocating the items they took to rebuild the temple to specific people that is, twelve Priests. You should not embark on any journey without planning and preparing for it.
Lastly, they looked for men of understanding. In life, you need understanding of where you are going to. It can come from God and you can get it by seeking information about the place you are going to.

STOP LIMITING THE LORD.

JUST THINKING

God blesses people in different ways. The way He blessed, healed, delivered and rescued you last time may be different from the way He will do the same for you today. Many times, some people miss it because they think that He will use the same pattern, platform, method and people to do His will. God is progressive but the results are still the same. It is the same holiness, same righteousness, same healing, same heaven and the same Jesus. He deals with us differently but having the same goal in mind. 

Joshua 4:23 NIV says, "For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The Lord your God did to the Jordan what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over".

Exodus 14:15-16 NIV says, “Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground".

Joshua 3: 15 -16 NIV says, “Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge,  the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (that is, the Dead Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho”.

The Lord parted the Red Sea and the River Jordan for the Israelites to walk through but He used different ways or method to path both of them. He told Moses to lift his staff and stretch his hands over the river (Red Sea) and the Red Sea parted ways. But with the River Jordan, He told Joshua to order the priests to carry the ark of the covenant of the Lord into the river.  And when they did, the River Jordan also parted ways. In both occasions, the Israelites walked through the Red Sea and the River Jordan on dry lands. This shows that our God is mighty. So, do not limit Him in your mind concerning His promises towards you. 

To avoid limiting God, you need to realize that He is not like us who think that the blessings will always come in the same way. If He used someone to favour you yesterday, he may not use the same person to favour you today. God does not work that way.