Bible-in OneYear- Day 9 (January 9)

Genesis 25-27           THE FLOW OF COVENANT

In our last two discussions, we talked about;

1. The Church of Ishmael
2. Covenant and Oath

The most important of our discussion so far is covenant. Covenant is the route of God’s plan to achieve His goal. Truly, we have talked about many characters in the chapters we have read. Adam is the most important because he was created to dominate the earth and keep it. He was not created to die or to live in heaven. Adam was not created to have fellowship with Satan or any other spirit of the like. He was created to have the earth as his kingdom. If this had been as it was, there wouldn’t have been the need for any covenant.

When man fell, he had his mind severed from purpose of creation. He got his mind divided, knowing good and evil (left to choose between two options). For God to relate with man, He needed his consent and be in agreement with man in order to use man in getting somethings done. As we discussed before now, no spirit could do anything on earth without an earthy body; even God needed a man to do His work. Satan negotiated for the serpent’s body to intrude the earth and, consequently, entered into agreeing with man to carry out his havoc. This is the reason evil spirits appear as abominable animals in dreams most times.

God’s plan of redemption started with agreeing with Abraham. He started by promising Abraham His blessing which was sealed up in covenant. He had covenants with some characters before Abraham, but that of Abraham was for the redemption of man from the grip of Satan and restore man in His goal; to dominate the earth. We shall all come back to reign on earth in the new Jerusalem, a new earth, with Christ since man was not created to live in heaven.

Though Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are important figures in the scripture, covenant is what made them important. God defended His covenant with them through which His redemption plan would be actualized. Abraham wouldn’t have died if it was him that had to live. But it was the plan that had to live and that was the reason the covenant had to be sustained.

Abraham had many children after Isaac, particularly, after the death of Sarah through Keturah and concubines. These children would have been problems to the flow of covenant through Isaac. He took a step to preserve and protect that flow before he died.

Genesis 25:5-6 “And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac. 6 But unto the sons of the concubines, which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east country.”

The servant of Abraham who searched for Rebekah even testified to this whilst negotiating for Rebekah’s hand in marriage before Laban and Bethuel.

Genesis 24:34-36 “And he said, I am Abraham’s servant. 35 And the LORD hath blessed my master greatly; and he is become great: and he hath given him flocks, and herds, and silver, and gold, and menservants, and maidservants, and camels, and asses. 36 And Sarah my master’s wife bare a son to my master when she was old: and unto him hath he given all that he hath.”

Isaac became the channel for the flow of the covenant, the vision bearer. He inherited the covenant from Abraham, his father.

1. The blessing, Genesis 25: 11
2. Abraham’s experience, Genesis 25:21, just like Sarai.
3. He inherited the same vow given to his father, Abraham, Genesis 26: 1-5, 24
4. His father experienced famine in his time. He experienced it, Genesis 26:1
5. He went through same trying moment as his father with temptation that made him deny Rebekah was his wife, Genesis 26:7.
6. He inherited all the wells of his father.
7. He suffered grief of mind over Esau just as his father suffered over his son, Ishmael.

The covenant was under serious test of attacks.

Peculiar to covenant is the fact that each bearer goes through his own trying time; a pruning that makes the bearer perfectly fit to bear it. The delay in Rebekah was to preserve her for the flow of the covenant. Though, in the time of Abraham, two women bore two children (nations) for him. The junior (Isaac) was preferred to the senior (Ishmael). In the time of Isaac, the same thing happened. Only that one woman bore the children (nations), but the junior (Jacob) was preferred to the senior (Esau).

As Abraham passed everything he had to Isaac, so Isaac passed the custody of the covenant to Jacob.

Genesis 27:37 “And Isaac answered and said unto Esau, Behold, I have made him thy lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants; and with corn and wine have I sustained him: and what shall I do now unto thee, my son?”

I wondered why Isaac did not rebuke Jacob even after he realized he was tricked. Rather, he blessed Jacob’s flee to Laban’s place. Isaac still lived for years after transferring the custody of the covenant to Jacob.

Covenants will face many trials but will always prevail. Covenant is stronger than gifts. It is the father of oaths. Gifts has a survival life span of the receiver. But covenant grows stronger as it ages and mostly lives for generations.

Churches established based on gifts lives for the moment the strength of the bearer could sustain. Many expire before their death. But for those under covenant, their angels follow them and supervises their transfer. Gifts were given to the sons of Abraham, but the custody of covenant was handed over to Isaac. Gifts are not what generations inherit. It ends with the receiver. God choses the route of His covenant and not the custodian. Abraham tried to present Ishmael as the person to inherit the covenant, but God insisted that it is His own route and not Abraham’s. Founders who are struggling to enthrone their own seed on the flock as the next leader don’t really have the encounter. The church will not last.

Just as Abraham gave all to Isaac, God also gave all to His dear Son, Jesus Christ. As Abraham committed all into Isaac’s custody, so has God the Father committed all to Jesus’ custody.

Matthew 28:18 “And Jesus came, and spoke to them, saying, All power is given to me in heaven and in earth.”

John 5:22 “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment to the Son:”

Children of covenant are those who are born of the spirit. They have gifts just as much as they enjoy the splendor the covenant. They may face trying times of life, it does not mean that the covenant is not there. Despite the covenant, Abraham and Isaac experienced their various famines. Jesus Christ faced the troubles of this world and He said, if he could go through such times, we should expect it. The scripture says He came with grace and truth. The grace to be steadfast in trying times and the truth to remain in faith.

John 20:21 “Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be to you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.”

May the Lord grant us more of the grace and the Truth in the name of Jesus Christ AMEN.

Supo Abayode

MFM, Delaware, USA

Bible-in OneYear- Day 8 (January 8)

Genesis 22-24          

The greatest problem of humanity is rivalry. It is a horrible spirit. It is the greatest weapon in the hand of Satan to turn the back of family members against each other. It is the stronghold of destiny destroyers among siblings of different mothers. The best name for it is polygamous witchcraft. The ugly part of it is that, the children may be in good terms, but their destinies have been tampered with by the mothers in rivalry.

The children will usually grow to respect, love and support each other if the influence of their mothers were not there. Otherwise, everything between them will be misinterpreted. When you notice cordiality in a home of two different mothers, one of the women is not in contact with her children; either through death or abandonment. The moment there is a contact, the tune will change. Exception is rare.

Hagar was Sarai’s maid. Sarai respected and believed Abraham’s conviction. But she, within the logics of man, thought that wouldn’t be realistic as far as her agility is concerned. She was absolutely ignorant of what God had in stock for her. She was ignorant of the uprightness of God and His faithfulness to His promises. In order to actualize God’s promises to Abraham, she took a step not to be a hindrance to God’s move in Abraham’s life. She gave Abraham her maid because Abraham was not ready to come as low as to be promiscuous within his own household. After all, Hagar was beautiful enough to look at, otherwise he would have rejected Sarah’s offer.

The moment Hagar was upgraded to wifery and she conceived, Sarai felt despised. A pregnant woman will always have a change in body chemistry which will affect her domestic duties. Many times, they look more beautiful. This might probably be the condition of Hagar which Sarai misinterpreted. On the other hand, she might have lost a little bit of respect for Sarah. She definitely became not submissive.

Genesis 16:4 “And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.”

As woman, who felt despised, that home became inhabitable for Hagar. The angel of the Lord met her and told her to learn submission and the house will be okay. She did and we never heard of another fight or contention between them until she found Ishmael playing the ‘big brother’ pranks on Isaac. Then, the subdued fire flared up again.

Genesis 21:9-11 “And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had bornunto Abraham, mocking. 10 Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac. 11 And the thing was very grievous in Abraham’s sight because of his son.”

She did not even call Hagar and son by name anymore, but by what she represented in that home; slave. She was intimidated that Ishmael might take over the inheritance in future. This was grievous in Abraham.

Rivalry is the problem of the church today. Rivalry between founders of ministries. Rants of spiritual leaders against another leader. It so bad that cliques are being formed now as against brotherly love among the body of Christ. One clique calling another demonic and unscriptural ministry. To another clique, uneducated. Some even rate anointing. Satan is winning just because the children of Abraham are at war with each other through the doctrine of the various mothers; rivalry.

Just as rivalry is polygamous witchcraft, so it has become witchcraft in the body of Christ and this is a grieve in Jesus Christ. Some thing has been violated in the body of Christ and that is LOVE.

John 13:35  “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

Members cannot worship with another ministry. If a ministry was faced with satanic attack, it is the church that would first condemn that ministry before the gentiles. They delight in the plight of one another. Members in the body of Christ are no more one but divided. The body is in pain.

The rivalry between Sarah and Hagar terminated the recognition of Hagar and Ishmael in Abraham’s life. Nothing was heard of both until Abraham’s death and Ishmael had to come and bury his father. The death of Hagar was not stated in the Bible. They were lost in the wilderness.

This is the dilemma of victims of polygamous witchcraft.

After ousting Hagar and son, Abraham was left with Sarah and Isaac. He had no option but to regard Isaac as the only son. The greatest test in Abraham’s life was when God requested for Isaac for a sacrifice. Sarah was too protective of Isaac. To the point that Abraham did not tell her God wanted her son for a sacrifice but sneaked out to carry out the Lord’s instruction. At this point, he had regarded God as first before Sarah without hurting Sarah.

Genesis 22:16-18 “And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: 17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; 18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.”

To pass God’s test, it is a personal thing; not joint efforts. Your heart must be totally given to him and it must be tried and tested. Abraham made a good bargain with God on behalf of his descendants. This bargain is extended to his children by faith through Jesus.

Since Isaac was a child of covenant, everything about him fell in pleasant places. In the choice of a wife, it was prophetic. And the servant carried his ministry under oath of a covenant. In all of his journey to find a wife for Isaac, he was always mentioning the God of his master, Abraham. He was under an oath and he recognized the covenant under which his master operated and he prospered.

Every genuine ministry is established under a particular covenant struck under a horrifying condition, Genesis 15:12.

Genesis 15:12 “And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.”

Once they remain under that covenant, the ministry prospers. If another covenant is mixed, problems starts. Many have deviated into the ministry of mammon. This is the reason many become intimidated when they see one in prospering in his ministry.

The covenants are different form each other. Each covenant has its own detailed instructions. Abraham’s was detailed. Ministries are different from one another based on the divine encounter and place.

The workers under the ministry are under oaths. Once they remain under oath to the covenant, they will prosper just like Abraham’s servant.

Unfortunately, many who are supposed to be under oath have assumed their gifts to be a covenant and, therefore, broke the oath to start their ministries. Such have caused a lot of problems in the body of Christ. They are usually not stable. They listen to other messages and take them to preach, claiming ownership. Some use the miracles of other ministries to pass their messages thereby taking credit for it; spiritual fraud.

Servants under oath find things easy in ministry, while servants who have broken the oath become problems to the body of Christ.

Is your ministry under oath or out of oath? To remain under oath is to remain under the blessing of your mentor.

Genesis 24:40 “And he said unto me, The LORD, before whom I walk, will send his angel with thee, and prosper thy way; and thou shalt take a wife for my son of my kindred, and of my father’s house:”

Abraham’s servant remained under oath and here is his testimony, prompt answer to his prayers.

Genesis 24:45 “And before I had done speaking in mine heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down unto the well, and drew water: and I said unto her, Let me drink, I pray thee.”

May the Lord plant your feet in the place of blessing this year in the name of Jesus Christ

Keep the fire burning

Supo Abayode

MFM, Delaware, USA

Genesis 19-21          

We looked at the congregation of Ishmaelites in the last discussion.  And talked about how they are usually constituted. The church of Ishmael is always constituted out or trial and error. She follows natural law and not spiritual law. Don’t be surprised if messages are of worldly things in the name of the Lord. God said such will be wild. Yes, they are, since they are not of the covenant but of the flesh. They are wild when it comes to honoring mammon. They can do anything for money. To them, how you got the money isn’t the issue for as long as you pay your tithe forgetting that in paying tithes and offerings, no lame and corrupt sacrifice is allowed.

Malachi 1:14 “But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, saith the LORD of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen.”

Deuteronomy 15:21 “And if there be any blemish therein, as if it be lame, or blind, or have any ill blemish, thou shalt not sacrifice it unto the LORD thy God.”

This was the reason God requested for Isaac (the good sacrifice) as a sacrifice and not Ishmael (the sacrifice with blemish).

Lot belongs to this church. He blended easily with the world around him. When he was with Abram, he appeared righteous because of his environment. But he didn’t sustain such behavior when he left Abram as he was already regarding the wicked inhabitants of Sodom as his brethren when the Angels of the Lord came to rescue him because of Abram’s plead.

He so much loved Sodom that he was reluctant in leaving the city at the instruction of the Angels. The Angels had to hasten him out of the city.

Genesis 19:15 “And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.”

Lot was blind to:

1.  Spirituality; his lifestyle changed. He started drinking alcohol.
2.  Spiritual choice of place whilst with Abram
3. The iniquity of his environment
4. Spiritual help in escaping the woe that was about to befall Sodom; the Angels suggested mountain top to him, he said the valley was better.
5. He was blind to the urgency of escape.

With all his choices, he lost one thing or the other. Towards Sodom, he lost his spirituality. On escape from Sodom towards his self-chosen route, he lost his wife. On getting to the cave of fear, he lost his descendants to the curse of a bastard.

The case of Lot was closed as far as God was concerned at the sins of his daughters. There God remembered Abraham concerning His promise to him.

Genesis 19:29 “And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt.”

The Lord visited Sarah to fulfill His promise.

Genesis 21:1-3 “And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken. 2 For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. 3 And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac.”

The arrival of Isaac was the ousting of Ishmael. When the true covenant comes in, the old one is done with

Hebrews 8:6-7 “But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. 8 For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:”

This is the essence of the Blood of Jesus; the New covenant to replace the blood of animals.

May the covenant in the shed Blood of Jesus Christ speak for you this year in the name of Jesus. Amen

Keep the fire burning

Supo Abayode

MFM, Delaware, USA

Genesis 16-18        

One beautiful thing about God is that He will never leave his own in a situation of confusion. Discouragement is a horrible thing. It wearies the soul. But God is always there for the righteous in the darkest night.

Proverbs 10:3 “The LORD will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish: but he casteth away the substance of the wicked.”

Abram got to a point in life that he got so wearied of God’s promises. Another promise at this point was that God said He was Abram’s shield and exceeding great reward. If God was going to be his reward, whom would he leave his gain with? All born in his house were his servants. He became so fearful that he thought his end might be messed up and he would lose all he had to the servant. It had been promises upon promises. He did see the Lord’s goodness in his life going by his possessions but no one of his seed that would inherit them. This led him into asking God for a token that His promise is was coming to pass considering his old age. Though he believed God, which was counted to him as righteousness, yet he wanted some thing to hold on to. The reason being that, the land he was standing seemed unconquerable and for his old age, seemed unrealistic in his time.

Genesis 15:8 “And he said, Lord GOD, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?”

This question led into God entering a covenant with Abram. Covenant is an upgrade of promise. For God, both His promise and covenant are just the same for as long as one remains in the condition binding it.

2 Corinthians 1:20 “For all the promises of God in him are yes, and in him Amen, ­to the glory of God by us.”

the manner of asking the question from God was a polite one; it (i.e. the question) was not doubting, but out of curiosity. The process of entering the covenant in response was strenuous. Blood was involved. This makes the difference between a promise and a covenant. Know one thing when it comes to covenant; the status before striking the deal is not the same as that after. The terms of the greater power overwhelm the agreement. This is always the case when submission is required. In Abram’s case, Abram’s submission was needed, and he had to be taken through a dreadful situation; an unnatural encounter.

Genesis 15:12 “And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.”

Genesis 15:17 “And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces.”

These two verses look same but not. The first has to do with Abram, while the second has to do with God; with God in all. The first was Abram’s experience to humble him. His flesh trembled. The darkness was an unnatural one because the sun was still visible; a land beyond the dreams. An unexplainable location. His attention was arrested, and God spoke with him that the promise was not for that moment as the occupants of the land would have to be evicted because of their iniquities. Meanwhile, Abram’s descendants would be preserved as strangers in a foreign land under affliction.

The real covenant is in the second verse, Genesis 15:17. This took place when it was night. Two symbols were used, a smoking furnace and a burning lamp.

The smoking furnace is a symbol of refining. And the burning lamp is to lighten his understanding

Psalms 18:28 “For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.”

Ephesians 1:18 “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,”

A genuine call goes through this dreadful experience; an indelible experience. To be boastful or confident of what you could do for God is an expression of lack of understanding of what a calling is. To have a gift is not the same as having a vision.

You may start a church with a gift. It is not the same with starting a church with a vision. One is for a while and the other endures. One is materialistic, while the other is absolutely spiritual. One seeks for affiliation, while the other is a movement, not comparable and not competitive, but according to the revealed pattern. A church of vision is unique, not after the pattern of others. It does not imitate and never bordered about criticism. Such has no time for condemning others. Its pattern will always be different and could be regarded as strange. Apostolic signs follow a church of vision. Such church does not hustle for membership, it is always gathered divinely for them to maintain. Such church does not run after Christians to be members but win souls for Christ and train them as armies in the kingdom. Many churches are winning membership from other churches and think they are winning Satan. Hear what Paul says.

Romans 15:20 “Yes, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man’s foundation:”

The life of Abram was not the same after the covenant. His body was renewed to prepare him for the plan. At his age, he became sexually active because he had been refined in the vision. He started with Hagar in chapter 16 of which Ishmael was born. Sarai’s body was out of date. She needed to be updated and refined also.

The relationship between Abram and Hagar was without any token from Abram’s side. Ishmael was born without Abram giving his token of the covenant to God. The covenant was only completed and sealed with the circumcision of the foreskin and his name and that of his wife were changed to reflect the promise.

Genesis 17:10-11 “This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised. 11 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.”

The circumcision also extended the covenant to the generations unborn.

Hagar was still having her menstrual period and, therefore, could make babies. Unlike Sarah whose body had cease to be after the manner of women.

A church without this visional experience is Ishmael’s church. Though propagate the gospel, mostly perversely. But not covenanted to endure until Christ’s second coming. Just as Ishmael is predicted to be wild, so such churches are wild. They accept any manner of wildness just to maintain the congregation; dressing, conducts, messages, flamboyance, etc. No pattern. Very materialistic. Pretend to be soul winning conscious, but more of what to accumulate.

For the body of Sarah, the visitation of the three men in chapter 18 quickened her body. When she heard of what God wanted to do, she laughed. The virtue of the spoken word quickened her and made her to laugh.

Genesis 18:12-14 “Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also? 13 And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old? 14 Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.”

For every vision, God prepares the vision carrier, body, soul and spirit. Unusual grace entered both of them and the body that was termed dead came alive. Isaac was a product of completed covenant. Natural rules for conception were violated. Therefore, he was a covenant child.

Jesus’ birth never followed natural rules of conception also. His blood became the new covenant for us.

The God who worked in Abraham and Sarah for His name to be glorified shall touch your need in Jesus name.

Keep the fire burning

Supo Abayode

MFM, Delaware, USA.

Genesis 13-15          

In the closing of Chapter 12, something happened which is a reflection fear; a horrible spirit. After God had told Abram that where he stood was His promise to him, he then moved away from that place after building an altar there because of famine. The description of the compass of his journey was spiritually negative, “… Abram went DOWN to Egypt …”

Genesis 12:10 “And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land.”

The great lesson we could learn from his trip is that, once a man leaves his apportioned place on earth, he will be faced with satanic threats and result includes lies, cheats, dishonesty, and the rest. Satan’s greatest weapon is fear. He instills fear in his victim. Peter was a victim and he denied Christ thrice. Fear made Jonah change his itinerary for Tarshish instead of Nineveh. Elijah ran into the cage of fear at the threat of Jezebel.

Fear has made many to change divine course of destiny. Abram, the prophet of the Most High God, lied for fear of the Egyptians. He pushed his wife to danger for fear. Danger in the sense that it was easier for the Egyptians to rape her as his sister, than as wife; though death lingered if he claimed her as wife. Note that he was not a liar because the Bible the not even accused him of one. The Bible only reported what he did. A liar is one that habitually does that. One act in the case of Abram never constituted him a liar. Because of the integrity of his heart, God intervened. Do you know that Pharaoh lavished Abram with wealth and kindness because of his wife, Sarai, assuming she was his Sister?

Genesis 12:16 “And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels.”

All he had in Haran were goods and servants, not livestock. He went into Egypt without wealth, but by the time he was coming out of Egypt, he had become rich; wealth transfer. May the Lord make this year the year you have been waiting for, in prosperity and greatness, in the name of Jesus.

Proverbs 13:22 “A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.”

His step into Egypt could be regarded as what God ordered. Whatever happened there was under God’s watch. Abram wasn’t a wealth monger; he loved the Lord. if he loved wealth more than God, he had the opportunity to be richer in chapter 14 in the rescue of Lot from captivity with others and their goods, but he didn’t tamper with another person’s money.

Genesis 14:21-23 “And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself. 22 And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth, 23 That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich:”

He trusted in God for his wealth. The fight he involves himself in was political, but he never enriched himself. The politicians of today are no like that.

Abram became famous because of the Battle he fought for the weak and the poor. Kings gave him immeasurable accolade and respect. The Priest of the land, Melchizedek received tithes from him of all the loot he had recovered, and the Priest blessed.

Genesis 14:17-20 “And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king’s dale. And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. 19 And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: 20 And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.”

Because he loved the Lord, he blessed the Lord’s servant. To tithe then was not a tradition or an obligation. But he did it out of a good heart to God. He was a giver; not selfish. No one should be persuaded to tithe if such has the love of God. It’s like a farmer taking everything from the ground with giving back to the ground. He will soon run dry and poor. Tithing is respect for God.

But the truth is that, not until Lot was separated from him, there was not any peace in his house, and he was not famous. And not until he changed the compass of his trip to positive, “Abram went UP out of Egypt …” Lot was not separated. God had told Abram to be separated from his father’s house, kindred and village. Lot was the last of his father’s house to be separated.

Abram was a man of vision, while Lot, though regarded as a righteous man, was a man of the flesh who walked by sight only. A man can be righteous, but blind. Such is conservative; very traditional and unchanged. Such don’t walk in the spirit.

Genesis 13:10 “And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.”

He initially moved close to the border, not in the city. But, one way or the other, he was in the city with the wicked people of Sodom, he even became an elder sitting at the Gate of the city (decision makers joint).

Genesis 13:12-13 “Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom (not in the city but at the border). But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.”

Whilst with Abram, he behaved as Abram behaved but not as Abram worshipped. There is no record he even built an altar. He only acted according to the order of the house. When he got closer to the city of Sodom, he flowed with their behavior also to drink and social. Lot was an unstable man who could change at any time.

Many are just like that. They have no spiritual culture. Such are betrayals. They speak good of you in your presence, but on stepping out of your presence, they go by what entails outside. Lot never even took time to check on his uncle who raised him up. Many are as ungrateful to God and to their mentors. They separate themselves from their mentor on bad ground because they think the land is green and well nourished. Beloved, vision is not the same as eyesight or gift. Avoid strife by all means if you must go independent; God is not an author of confusion.

The moment Lot was separated, the Vision of Abram became clearer and well detailed.

Genesis 13:14-18 “And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: 15 For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. 16 And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. 17 Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee. 18 Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the LORD.”

The person you associate with could be a detrimental to the health of your vision. Vision is of the Lord, you can’t play games with him. He wants total commitment to His course. He wants it to run in your veins as blood. He wants your total attention. The people of vision must be your friend, not the people of division. Vision is not about “man know man” but a divine assignment that needs your heart. Jesus did not regard his own family as family (brother and mother), but those given to vision, listening to the word and ready to go for the vision. Choose your friends rightly.

When Abram was left alone in his journey, God then entered the real covenant with him. All along, He had been making promises, but in chapter 15, He made a covenant with him after gaining his attention. Lessons there are;

1. God calls singly and not in multitude
2. You may love a person, but before God, such could be a problem to the genuine relationship between you and the plan.
3. Things of God should be on God’s terms and not on “man know man” relationship.
4. The instruction of God cannot be handled partially.
5. Your privilege to a man of vision should highly cherished; don’t lose that opportunity on the platform of self-achievement. The gift might be there for you, but vision speaks louder. Remember, grace has levels and it is only God that grade it.
6. A promise is not the same as covenant
   1. Promise: parties are still separate and could be altered or changed.
   1. Covenant: parties become inseparable and will require another covenant stronger to escape the repercussion of breaking it.

Inconclusion, beloved, an intimate friend might decide to leave your life. After viewing the scenario or circumstances surrounding the separation and you realize it is not your fault and you have tried all you could to keep it, don’t remain there. You have only found a good ground for better and clearer vision. A place has just been vacant for God to occupy.

May God meet you this year in the name of Jesus.

Keep the fire burning

Supo Abayode

MFM, Delaware, USA