Giving to God: Turning the Tide

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“13 Now when Jesus heard it, he withdrew from thence in a boat, to a desert place apart: and when the multitudes heard thereof, they followed him [a]on foot from the cities. They said to Him, We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish. He said, Bring them here to Me. Then He ordered the crowds to recline on the grass; and He took the five loaves and the two fish, and, looking up to heaven, He gave thanks and blessed and broke the loaves and handed the pieces to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people." Matthew 14:17-19

Observe: -
1. When your attention is on what you don’t have you will put yourself under unnecessary tension.

 Reverend G. S. Adeyemo

2. If we will just give God what we have, God will use it and give us back more than we had.
3. If God could do it then, He can do it now and He will do it.
Revelations: -

1. When your attention is on what you don’t have, you put yourself under unnecessary tension. Our biggest mistake in life is focusing on what we don't have. The past failure or lacks should not determine your mood. Let your focus be on what God has for you in the future and position yourself for it. When your location is right, your allocation will locate you. 

      In verse 13 of the passage above, the Bible says, “Now when Jesus heard it, he withdrew from thence in a boat, to a desert place apart: and when the multitudes heard thereof, they followed him on foot from the cities” Jesus withdrew to the desert and people followed him from cities to that desert. 

     What a paradox; moving from cities to desert. However, Jesus was in the desert at the time and the people were there with Him. Are you where Jesus can be located when you lack? If yes, definitely you don’t need to worry about what you do not have. 

2. If we will just give God what we have, God will use what you give to give back more than we had need. Beloved, when life’s demands are too demanding, what you need to do is giving what you have to God. You are the one feeling what you have is too small. However, God is able to amplify whatever you offer Him and give back to you. 

Life brings its twist and turns through financial marital pressure, people persecuting and intimidating you.  Job says, “Yet man is born to trouble,

As the sparks fly upward” Job 5: 7. God is always ready to turn the tide in your favour. Our Lord and the Disciples were facing challenge of paucity of food for the crowd. They said, “Said to Him, We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish.”   But “He said, Bring them here to Me.:” Do not withhold what you have no matter how small, bring it to Jesus. Luke 6: 38. There is danger in overestimating your poverty. It is very easy to overstate our poverty due to life and think that all hope is lost. During the recession in the land of Israel, the widow of Zarephath faced such embarrassing situation. “12 And she said, As Jehovah thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but a handful of meal in the jar, and a little oil in the cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.” 1 Kings 17: 12-13.

3. If God could do it then, He can do it now and He will do it. He is God yesterday today and forever. The Lord says, I am the Lord I changeth not. The Psalmist says, “I said, ‘O my God, do not take me away in the midst of my days; Thy years are throughout all generations. Of old Thou didst lay the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the work of Thy hands. Even they will perish, but Thou dost endure; and all of them will wear out like a garment; like clothing Thou wilts change them, and they will be changed. But Thou art the same, and Thy years will not come to an end.” Psalm 102:24-27. Situations change. People and principle, Government changes. There is nothing here on earth that cannot change. The unchanging God changes all. Your situation will change for better. 

The God who provided for the widow of Zarephath will meet you at your points of needs. He did it for the five thousand followers in the New Testament as recorded by Matthew; He will do it in your life. He will do it our nation and businesses. 

Insights to Live By

1. Be at the right place. You can only find divine intervention when you are on the Lord’s side

2. Give what you have. Be ready to part with the little you have and turn your attention to God for your sufficiency

3. God can be trusted. Cast your cares on the Lord Jesus Christ for cares for you and can be trusted at all time.

Prayer Points

I declare you free from the terror of poverty in Jesus name

All devourers over your business is consumed by fire in Jesus name

I stand on your behalf to renounce the covenant you made with the spirit of failure and retrogressions in Jesus name 

The demonic seed that has been afflicting your family is consumed by fire in Jesus name

You shall prosper and never diminish in Jesus name. go and enlarge in the presence of God. You are free from debt in Jesus name

The voice of the devil in your ears that wants you commits suicide is silent in Jesus n

CONFRONTING YOUR DEMONIC CONFRONTATIONS

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“And the God of all grace, who called you unto his eternal glory in Christ, after that ye have suffered a little while, shall himself perfect, establish, strengthen you.” 1 Peter 5: 10

                                             Observations 

 Confrontations abound in this world and are inevitable; they are sometimes referred to as challenges. At other times, they could be the giants threatening your very existence. The degrees of confrontations differ from person to person and place to place. However, God is aware of what you are facing right now. He has provided all it takes to confront and conquer such confrontations. As you overcome each challenge, the Lord is glorified. The Bible says, “God of all grace… shall himself perfect, establish, strengthen you” 

Whatever is the satanic weapon confronting and challenging your destiny, the Lord who called you out of the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of His Son Jesus Christ is in charge to see you through. Put your trust in Him and rely on His word. Surely, your testimonies are at hand.

 No matter how big your challenge seems that may be threatening your life, I can assure you that you can confront and sink it completely when you trust God’s word.  

Kathy Caprino says“Engaging in productive confrontation paves the way for diversity of thought, developing healthy boundaries, arriving at new, innovative approaches, better decision-making, and challenging the status quo, all of which are essential if we want to thrive in our lives and work.”

Major Confrontations include: 

Tribulations:  intense encounters or struggles, bursts of anger, grief, infirmities, physical limitations and illnesses. 

Temptations: opportunities to yield to our sinful nature, 

Persecutions: harassment and oppression due to religious convictions

Afflictions: Necessities wear and care of daily responsibilities, distresses: disappointments and deep hurts

Confronting Your Confrontations

The ways to confront your confrontations are:

1. Use the word of God. The author of the Book of Hebrews says God’s word is quick, which means that it is alive. The word of God is not some fabricated fairy tale, that’s why it has stood the test of time. Jesus says in Matt. 24:35, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” 

2. Rely on the Holy Spirit. Before Jesus ascended to heaven he gave words of consolation to the disciples saying, “These things have I spoken unto you, that in me ye may have peace. In the world ye have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” John 16: 33

3. The Blood of the Lamb. In the blood of the Lamb –Jesus Christ, there is protection, deliverance and victory. Exodus 11: 13; Heb. 2: 14, 15; Rev 12: 7-11.

Conclusion

It is a fact that the world is a battle field but the truth is every child of God is a winner. All you need to do is to appropriate the authority of sonship through the word of God, the power of the Holy Spirit and the blood of Jesus Christ. And I declare to you this day that all forces confronting your destiny lose their grip and power over you in Jesus name.  

Freedom From Poverty and Lacks

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Poverty and lacks are demonic most powerful and deadly strongholds to perpetually keep the world in bondage. It is a limitation of destiny and constraints to visions. The Church of God and every believer must fight and overcome these deadly enemies in order to fulfill divine purposes for which they are called.  

In Africa and in Nigeria in particular, majority are said to be living below poverty level. As a result of the scourge of poverty and lacks, there is prevailing corruption, oppression, terrorism, restiveness and many more crimes than the developed world.

It is God's will that we have more than sufficient to fulfill his will. "And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil. And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you. And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed. And ye shall know  that I am in the midst of Israel, and  that I  am the Lord your God, and none else: and  my people shall never be ashamed. And it shall come to pass afterward, that I  will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and  your sons and your daughters shall  prophesy, your old men shall dream  dreams, your young men shall see visions:  And also upon the servants and upon  the handmaids in those days will I pour out  my spirit." Joel 2: 24-29. This is certainly the will of God for His people to be abundantly satisfied. His desire is for us to overcome poverty and lacks both in the physical and in the spiritual. 

How can we overcome poverty and lacks?

These following principles will help us overcome poverty and lacks as individual, family and the Church.

Have the right perception of the situation: - "Many of man's achievement are tied to perception; if you do not perceive, you cannot receive." (Femi Emmanuel). In the Book of 2 Kings 2: 1, 2, Elisha did not see vision or prophesy to the woman till he made the woman had the right perception of herself. “The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha,  “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the LORD. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.” Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?” “Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.” She never saw anything in the family that could fetch them enough money to offset the debt her late husband left behind. Poverty is capable of blindfolding one's eyes except by the help of spiritual counsel.  Apostle Paul prayed for spiritual enlightenment for the church of God. “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people,” Ephesians 1: 18; 2 Kings 6: 17 -20; Matt. 15: 34; Mark 8: 5

Be ready to invest whatever you have.  It is true the Lord says, “But there will be no poor among you; for the LORD will bless you in the land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance to possess—“Deut. 15: 4. However, prosperity is not automatic but comes with the blessings of God on diligent efforts. God is not against business. He wants us to be entrepreneur when the Bible says, “The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” Gen. 2: 15. Work or business is not a curse but God's way of making man responsible and accountable for the world he lives in. you can determine your future through your action or inaction. “Speculation is an effort, probably unsuccessful, to turn a little money into a lot. Investment is an effort, which should be successful, to prevent a lot of money from becoming a little.” 

― Fred Schwed Jr. 

The man of God told the widow to borrow additional pot in order to share what she has into them. Subsequently, he told her to “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.” 2 Kings 4: 7. Do not eat up all your income, sell, pay debt and take care of your family from the balance. 

Beloved, you can overcome poverty and lacks if you can see things with the eyes of God and not the way situation and people around define it. It is not all about what they said but about what you see and the way you see that will change your poverty level to prosperity. Do not be driven by what you can consume but what you can provide. As you meet needs of others, they will provide for what you will live on. Remain blessed in Jesus name.

Rev’d G. S. Adeyemo
+2348036797596
G-mail: abundantgracemi@gmail.com