Bible In One Year-Day 161 (Tuesday, June 10, 2014)

Commentary: 1Chronicles20-22. Satan, in his usual manner, will not work out instant fall for any man, but a gradual one. He worked on David gradually starting from wrong positioning; 1 Chronicles 20:1 “And it came to pass, that after the year was expired, at the time that kings go out to battle, Joab led forth the power of the army, and wasted the country of the children of Ammon, and came and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried at Jerusalem. And Joab smote Rabbah, and destroyed it.”

In this verse, firstly, we realized it was a time when kings go out to battle. Secondly, the war only wasted the country of the children of Ammon. Thirdly, David, who was supposed to go to war like other kings, decided to stay back at home. Looking into satanic agenda for David, the first thing we could notice was that he made him stay away from his responsibility. He was supposed to be at war but tarried (or stayed back) at home. A right positioning is being in the right place at the right time. He was in the right place but at the wrong time and because of this, he gave David another assignment which he carried out against Uriah the Hittite, 2 Samuel 11. This is a lesson for us. When you move according to the Lord’s direction and timing, His angels will take charge;

Psalms 91:11 “For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.”

There is also comfort instead of fear. To go to war is to pass through the shadow of death but for as long as it is within God’s timing and purpose there is a promise attached to it;

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

To pray and ask for beautiful house, good cars, career and other admirable things of life is our birthright as Christians, but seeking for all these out of God’s timing is seeking for satanic assignment; God’s time is the best.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 “He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.”

Whatever you have, no matter how expensive it is, if not within God’s time, it cannot be beautiful. And this is what makes us to be seeking for recognition after acquiring whatever, out of God’s time.

The second point in satanic agenda for David was in the following passage;

1 Chronicles 21:1 “And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked (moved, caused) David to number Israel.”

Despite Joab’s counsel, David still did it which really displeased God. This angered the Lord so much that He put before David three options as punishment; Famine (natural disaster), sword of the enemy and the sword of the Lord. Here is David’s response;

1 Chronicles 21:13 “And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait (distress or situation): let me fall now into the hand of the LORD; for very great are his mercies: but let me not fall into the hand of man.”

Though this was a good option but some innocent blood was shed. On these two occasions of satanic influence on David, though he fell in the first place, yet he defeated the devil at last by repenting from his sins. It was not the case with King Saul who decided to seek help through a satanic medium. David was a sinner but was never caught with a sin twice; he never repeated a sin after he had repented. This simply implies that he never premeditated the sins. This is the character of a genuinely repented person. Repentance is the greatest weapon in the hand of a Christian which breaks the backbone of satanic hold or grip on his or her life. Shying away from repentance strengthens satanic grip; Satan could easily drag such person back into sin. The root of inability to repent lies in pride. It grows into hard heartedness, mindset, error, regret, frustration and consequently death (i.e. sicknesses such as depression, high blood pressure and other diseases). King Saul had this problem, his ending was not good. David repented and cried fervently to God for forgiveness. For the first time, David saw an angel of the Lord while praying in humility of heart, 1Chron21:16. Repentance is an old path which never outdates. It was the message of John The Baptist. Jesus preached it; it is the message of the gospel. Repentance is the only thing that restores a fallen man with signs and wonders; it rekindles the fire on the altar of prayer.

1 Chronicles 21:26 “And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called upon the LORD; and he answered him from heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt offering.”

God did not allow David to build a house for Him because he shed innocent blood in many ways; first, he wasted a whole nation (1Chron20:1), secondly by organizing the death of Uriah the Hittite and the plague which killed seventy thousand Israelites (1Chron21:14). All these shedding of blood were due to satanic assignment he got himself involved in; they left stains on David’s life until death. Thank God for Jesus who came to shed the blood strong enough to remove every engraved stain of sin from our lives, Halleluiah!

Colossians 2:14 “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;”

Thank you JESUS.

Repentance is regarding you past sinful acts as shameful and never willing to get involved any longer; this should be with an accompanying fruit as spoken by John The Baptist;

Matthew 3:8 “Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:”

What is this fruit expected as a result of genuine repentance? The following passage reveals it;

Luke 3:9-11 “And now also the axe is laid to the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then?He answereth and saith to them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.”

This is living the kingdom life; the desire to have the world is no more there but to live for people, just as Jesus lived and acted in Acts10:38. Jesus emphatically said His coming into the world was to salvage the sinners for them to repent of their wrongdoings;

Matthew 9:13 “But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

Let us seek for the old path where we could find rest. Let us listen to the trumpet’s sound, wherewith we could escape the calamity to come. Our reading for today is 1Chronicles23-25. Keep the fire burning and alive

Bible In One Year-Day 160 (Monday, June 09, 2014)

Commentary: 1Chronicles17-19. David’s heart towards God was unfathomable; the depth was quite unsearchable and full of unrivaled love. When he thought of the majesty of God, he concluded that it was too demeaning for him to be living in a beautifully built house while the Ark of God remained in a tent;

1 Chronicles 17:1 “Now it came to pass, as David sat in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, Lo, I dwell in an house of cedars, but the ark of the covenant of the LORD remaineth under curtains.”

This touched God dearly. It was like when Abraham offered the angels food on their way to destroy Sodom which provoked the prophecy that broke the backbone of barrenness in Sarah’s life (Gen18). Surely what won God’s heart for David was his heart towards God, how he appreciated God’s word and little things. The faith he had in God was sound because he believed the words that ever came to him through the mouth of the prophets were of God. That gesture of building a place for the Ark of God provoked the prophecy that shook David to his bones;

1 Chronicles 17:16 “And David the king came and sat before the LORD, and said, Who am I, O LORD God, and what is mine house, that thou hast brought me hitherto?”

The heart may be silent to man; its contents might be unknown to man according to Jer17:9, but it is loudest to God. Bishop’s cassocks, pastor’s collars and the priest’s robes could succeed in speaking deceit to man, the heart is what God listens to. For instance, out of many places in the gospel, Jesus revealed the heart of men on many occasions.

Matthew 12:25 “And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them …”

Mark 8:17 “And when Jesus knew it, he saith to them, Why reason ye …”

Inability to read the heart of man makes us to judge wrongly. You will be able to understand this better if you take time to read Luke7:36-50. The Pharisee thought he had done the utmost by asking Jesus to come into his house to eat. His heart was saying something different from what he portrayed on inviting Jesus to dine with him. He was disappointed to see Jesus receiving a sinner that came in at the dinner. Let’s start by looking at the state of the heart of the woman, the sinner;

Luke 7:38 “And stood at his feet behind him weeping, ..”

This was the state of the heart (a contrite heart) of the woman which resulted in the following actions “and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.”

The definition of contrite is “feeling remorse for a sin” To weep is not a sign of weakness but that such has a good and compassionate heart. Without such heart, the gift of God cannot be used in love. The Pharisee thought he had given all, but failed in showing love because he had not the required heart which God could not despise. You could give the whole of your house, if love is not the basis, it amounts to nothing. The measure of your love for God is seen in your relationship with people around you. What you give is not what matters, but the spirit behind the gift. God stands by whoever has a broken and contrite heart;

Psalms 34:18 “The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.”

Both the Pharisee and the woman were sinners according to Jesus’ parable, Luke7:40-43.The Pharisee was an unconscious sinner, who was well dressed, but the woman was a conscious sinner who could not cover her sin before the Lord with any “good work” The woman was conscious of her sins and therefore broke down at the feet of Jesus. She received forgiveness of sin but there was no justification for the Pharisee even though Jesus ate in his house. The tears of the woman was an expression of a humble, broken and contrite heart and spirit, her hair was a sign of total submission, the kissing was an outward show of her deep love for Jesus and the fragrance oil is just to keep the fire burning (i.e. refreshing). All these couldn’t be achieved without a crushed heart.

David had a contrite heart towards God; i.e. a crushed spirit and heart, broken and ground. God wants this type of heart from you and if you have it, He cannot despise you;

Psalms 51:17 “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.”

When you realize that you aren’t complete again due to an act of sin and that you need God’s help in this wise, which is a broken spirit. This pain in the spirit, leading to repentance and confession of your weaknesses and failures is as a result of a broken and contrite spirit which God desires from us.

The blood is available for this type of heart. Repentance is feeling sorry for the act (not for being caught) and forsaking (i.e. not to get involved any longer) it. David was not caught in the same sin twice, but repented and forsook each sin he realized.

John 4:23 “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.”

In order to have this type of heart, you will be tried and tested by God. David went through hard times before he eventually became the king. He lived in caves and as a fugitive in Jerusalem. His life was exposed to series of death threats but because he trusted in God, he overcame all.

Many are using good works to cover their sins. Beloved, God cannot be bribed; whatever a man sows, so shall he reap. A broken relationship with God must be restored on God’s terms and not of man’s wisdom. The Pharisee tried to use good works to cover up sinful heart, but Jesus listened to the unrighteousness of his heart. His thinking, perhaps, was that if he offered Jesus good food, he has become righteous automatically. Whatever we do, God will do the final marking and give praise to the one who deserved it; note that actions are weight by God Himself.

1 Corinthians 4:5 “Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.”

1 Samuel 2:3 “Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.”

The blood of Jesus is for cleansing and not for hiding to perpetrate sin. We cannot hide in it and continue sinning. After cleansing, a Christian heart must react to any form of sin in a remorseful manner (not as a formula, though); it is like finding a stain of ink on a white three piece suit. When we are talking about a broken and a contrite heart, we are talking about openness to God, sorrowfulness to the stain and humbleness for help; it is not the religious way of asking for forgiveness but the steps taken to be re-united with God in our spirit, i.e. restoring a broken relationship.

Let us seek for the old path where we could find rest. Let us listen to the trumpet’s sound, wherewith we could escape the calamity to come. Our reading for today is 1Chronicles20-22. Keep the fire burning and alive

Isaiah 57:15 “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.”

Bible In One Year-Day 159 (Sunday, June 08, 2014)

Commentary: 1Chronicles14-16. Without any doubt, David loved the Lord and this could be seen in two ways. Firstly, he moved God’s ark to a place where he had prepared and appointed the right people to take care of it. That is, priestly authority was restored according to the agreement at the point of the covenant. The Levites took over the care of the ark. Not only that, he organized them in ranks and order. In essence, he restored the ark of the Lord and priestly order. Saul never bordered himself about the ark of the Lord in his days. This made a significant difference compared to David’s reign.

Secondly, David, just like Moses, loves doing things according to God’s will. He always inquired of the Lord before engaging in any battle even if the battle was legitimate (1Chron14:10&14). The person who knows how to seek the face of the Lord cannot be defeated. The strength of David lies in seeking the face of God before taking decisions and actions, and this is why David never regretted any battle. Saul was not like that. Saul mostly decided within the figment of his imagination and instead of seeking the Lord in a difficult time, he resorted to seeking evil medium.

Saul was in trouble with God just as David was when he killed Uriah (2Sam12;9-10). However, the difference lies in the steps each took after realizing their mistakes. Saul faced Samuel to plead to God for him while David did not face the prophet but cried to God for mercy himself. God is not interested in the death of a sinner but for him to repent from the bottom of the heart. Saul did not repent but David repented.

How good it is if we could diligently seek His face at all times. The benefits include divine impartation, divine direction, uplifting, unending victory and enduring mercy. Many today lean on their own expertise and understanding only to be frustrated with time. David never fought, despite his skills in warfare, without consulting God. This was what Saul lacked and he found himself in serious errors. You cannot accomplish God’s will with any of your natural senses; rather, you need the Holy Spirit. The scripture encourages us not to lean on our own understanding but to acknowledge God’s help;

Proverbs 3:5-8 “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.”

David experienced the goodness of seeking the face of the Lord and that was why he advised the people in his first Psalms;

1 Chronicles 16:11-12 “Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually.Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;”

Where Saul failed (ignoring the ark and not seeking the Lord) was the point of David’s elevation. Saul’s point of ridicule was David’s point of praise. Saul’s point of frustration was David’s point of strength and encouragement.

1 Corinthians 10:12 “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.”

Let us seek for the old path where we could find rest. Let us listen to the trumpet’s sound, wherewith we could escape the calamity to come. May His Spirit breathe on us for divine revelation and guidance in the name of Jesus. Our reading for today is 1Chron17-19. Keep the fire burning and alive.

Bible In One Year-Day 158 (Saturday, June 07, 2014)

Commentary: 1Chronicles10-13. Real greatness is of the Lord;

Psalms 71:21 “Thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side.”

It is true that man could attain greatness by any means; it is equally true that there is comfort in only one means of attaining greatness. When unspeakable comfort is evident in the greatness even in the face of challenges, then it means God approves it. This simply means that the addition of COMFORT is God’s presence in it in the Holy Spirit, our COMFORTER. Saul lost this comfort when the Spirit of God departed from him. The result of this was discomfort caused by an evil spirit which led him into greater sin. David was not holier either. The only difference was that Saul went to consult an evil medium in his discomfort but when David sinned he cried for mercy and God granted him mercy. Death was pronounced on both of them at the points of their sins; unfortunately, they went different ways for help and redemption. Wherever you go in the time of distress for help, matters a lot. If you seek for solution at the time of your predicament in a manner that is unscriptural, just as Saul, heaven tags you as unfaithful;

1 Chronicles 10:13-14 “So Saul died for his transgression (unfaithfulness) which he committed against the LORD, even against the word of the LORD, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to enquire of it;And enquired not of the LORD: therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse.”

Saul wanted to retain God’s goodness with the flesh but David opted for the spirit. Saul didn’t want to be put to shame before men but David never minded shame before men for as long as his spirit is in contact with God;

Psalms 51:11 “Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.”

God’s comfort and greatness in the life of Saul was transferred to David because of the action Saul took. The greatest sin before the Lord is to share His glory with any medium, person or deity. The sin of the Israelites was that they joined themselves with idols and therefore God gave them up into the hands of their enemies. Saul violated a policy in the covenant which God had with them;

Deuteronomy 18:10-12 “There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.”

The fall of Saul was the greatness of David. God stood by David and lifted his head up because of His faithfulness;

1 Chronicles 11:9 “So David waxed greater and greater: for the LORD of hosts was with him.”

You could only bargain for God’s greatness by being faithful to Him and His word. He rewards those who do that beyond their imagination;

Ephesians 3:20 “Now to him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,”

Chapter11 is a report of those who identified with the greatness of God in David and they became great also; this is what is called spiritual infection. The friend you walk with could affect your life positively or negatively depending on the measure of God in you. If you are weaker, you become influenced and if you are stronger, you influence.

The Jebusites were residing in Jerusalem before David got there (he ran from Saul). They disallowed him staying in their midst and this made him to go and stay in a cave called the cave of Adullam (1Chron11:15) which was referred to as the stronghold of Zion in a mountain called Zion, which eventually became the City of David as he waxed greater. The greatness in David’s life gave that place recognition in the scripture. Chapter12 is about the coronation of David. The first spirit that manifested in the life of David after his coronation was the spirit of unity (chapter13). He gathered all scattered Israelites and brought back the Ark of God with praises and adorations.

The cogent things we need to learn from these chapters are the rewards for faithfulness and unfaithfulness. Faithfulness pays more than unfaithfulness. Every violation of any of the policies of God’s covenant simply amounts to unfaithfulness to Him and whoever does so is separated from God. Unfaithfulness results in God’s judgment. The only way to lift this judgment off is to repent from unfaithfulness and faithfully go back to God for mercy. Let us seek for the old path where we could find rest. Let us listen to the trumpet’s sound, wherewith we could escape the calamity to come. Our reading for today is 1Chron14-16. Keep the fire burning and alive.

Psalms 101:6 “Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me: he that walketh in a perfect way, he shall serve me.”

Bible In One Year-Day 157 (Friday, June 06, 2014)

Commentary: 1Chronicles7-9. The family tree of the Israelites continued in chapters 7 through 9. Their various militia responsibilities and assignments were also chronicled. The descendants of Benjamin were so much talked about; their military rolls, family tree and in particular the family tree of King Saul. It is unfortunate to read that unfaithfulness led the Judeans into captivity in Babylon;

1 Chronicles 9:1 “… But Judah was carried away captive to Babylon because of their unfaithfulness.” (NKJV).

When Jesus healed a man and afterwards found the man in the Synagogue, He told the man not to sin anymore else worst thing would happen to him. The legal ground for the enemy to overcome is when there is sin in our lives. When you look back into your life, what you will see, at one time or the other, is unfaithfulness, unrighteousness and transgressions. Whoever sins is a slave to sin. Sin is an attribute of satanic nature in a person. This nature opens the gate for satanic invasion into our lives. Without it the enemy’s rod cannot land on us;

Psalms 125:3 “For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous; lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity.”

No matter the beauty of the promise of God in a person’s life, iniquity will create a space for satanic attack. Iniquity is an evil magnet that attracts defeat; it weakens a person before the enemy and allows the rod of unnecessary suffering and jeopardy in a man’s life. Many lives are full of regrets just because they dipped their hands in iniquity.

Thank God for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who came to destroy Satan’s work and made provision for our liberty and restoration;

1 John 3:8 “He that committeth sin is of the demon; for the demon sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the demon.”

The Judeans were restored on their properties after a while, 1Chronicle9:2. God also through Jesus Christ has made provision for our reconciliation and return to Him;

2 Corinthians 5:18-19 “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, not imputing their trespasses to them; and hath committed to us the word of reconciliation.”

Hebrews 2:17 “Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like to his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.”

Romans 8:15 “For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.”

Without the Holy Spirit we can’t appreciate the goodness of God through Christ Jesus; for we can’t please or satisfy God through the fleshy obedience to the law.

Romans 8:8 “So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.”

Whereas the grace to obey and fulfill the law is in the Holy Spirit; He talks to our hearts. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ through whom we become the righteousness of God and joint heir with Him.

Galatians 4:5-7 “To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then a heir of God through Christ.”

Our salvation is not in the obedience of the law but by faith in His grace;

Ephesians 2:8 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:”

Galatians 5:4 “Christ is become of no effect to you, whoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.”

However, grace is not a platform for sinning, neither is it a ticket to uphold iniquity.

Romans 6:1-2 “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?”

Let us seek for the old path where we could find rest. Let us listen to the trumpet’s sound, wherewith we could escape the calamity to come. Our reading for today is 1Chron10-13. Keep the fire burning and alive.