Sunday May 6, 2012
King Nadab! – The king of the present!
Nadab Rules in Israel
25Nadab son of Jeroboam began to rule over Israel in the second year of King Asa’s reign in Judah. He reigned in Israel two years.
26But he did what was evil in the LORD’s sight and followed the example of his father, continuing the sins that Jeroboam had led Israel to commit.
27Then Baasha son of Ahijah, from the tribe of Issachar, plotted against Nadab and assassinated him while he and the Israelite army were laying siege to the Philistine town of Gibbethon.
28Baasha killed Nadab in the third year of King Asa’s reign in Judah, and he became the next king of Israel.
29He immediately slaughtered all the descendants of King Jeroboam, so that not one of the royal family was left, just as the LORD had promised concerning Jeroboam by the prophet Ahijah from Shiloh.
30This was done because Jeroboam had provoked the anger of the LORD, the God of Israel, by the sins he had committed and the sins he had led Israel to commit.
31The rest of the events in Nadab’s reign and everything he did are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel. 1 Kings 15
Who is Nadab?
• Name means ‘liberal, generous, spontaneous’
• 2nd king in Israel, son of Jeroboam
• Ruled for 2 years
• Followed Jeroboam’s example
• From the tribe of Ephraim
Positives
• From the tribe of Ephraim – Genesis 41:52, 49:22-26, Deuteronomy 33:13-17.; Hosea 4:17 Ephraim was favoured, positioned to be on high, purposed to shine more than those that were before him, but lost out through idolatory and pride.
• He ruled as a king: Ephesians 2:6; Revelation 5:10; Luke 19:13
The present…
“Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.”
― Mother Teresa
“The future starts today, not tomorrow.”
― Pope John Paul II
Actions are performed in the present. Excellence depends on the preparation done in the past, taking cognizance of the future you desire to create.
- Kunle Fafiolu
Negatives
Followed Sin’: Don't you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. - Romans 6:16. Matthew 21:28-32;
Age not stated:His reign was not timed into his life. He lost an opportunity to have an eternal positive impact.
Prayer
• Give thanks
• Pray over the positives in Nadab’s life
• Pray over the negatives
• Lord, preserve me till the end
• Lord help me to walk in your perfect will.
Sunday May 13, 2012
Happy Mothers Day!
Thank you for your incomparable love
Who is the virtuous mother?
She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future
Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.
Proverbs 31:25
28 Her children stand and bless her.
Her husband praises her:
29 “There are many virtuous and capable women in the world,
but you surpass them all!”
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last;
but a woman who fears the LORD will be greatly praised.
31 Reward her for all she has done.
Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.
Proverbs 31:28-31
Thank her for her incomparable love
• Eve – Stayed with her husband when things changed from good to bad and from bad to worse, even though they initially pointed accusing fingers at one another. They moved into the future in unity.
• Jochebed
And Amram took him Jochebed his father's sister to wife; and she bare him Aaron and Moses: and the years of the life of Amram were an hundred and thirty and seven years. Exodus 6:20. She risked her life for her son by keeping Moses alive.
• Naomi (pleasant). She faced unpleasant circumstances – Her husband and two sons died, leaving her with two daughters in law. She finally gave up. Where she had left because of famine and difficulties became prosperous. She came back to see the prosperity with total loss. She changed her name to Mara (bitter). God visited her, gave her a son-in-law, wiped her tears away, granted her a notable grandchildren whose names made eternal records (Boaz – Obed – Jesee – David – Jesus – you and me).
• Elizabeth – Her bareness was well publicized. She was the Pastor’s wife, yet God seemed not to be hearing their prayers. Her bareness in inability to bear children, is similar to inability to use brains properly, inability to use hands, limbs, mouth, ears, eyes properly. She seemed to have what it takes, but it was not working until God visited her. She gave birth to a notable child – John the Baptist. A force to be reckoned with in the kingdom. God will visit you; in Jesus mighty name! Amen.
• Susannah Wesley
Prayer
• Give thanks
• Give thanks for mothers
• Pray that God will strengthen and uphold them
• That God will answer their prayers
• Preserve them and cause them to walk in His perfect will.
Sunday May 20, 2012
King Baasha – Watch the fulfilment! - 1
Who is Baasha?
• Name means ‘Bravery, he who seeks and lays waste”
• 3rd king of Israel
• Son of Ahijah (friend of Jehovah)
• Ruled for 24 years
• Followed Jeroboam’s example
• From the tribe of Issachar
Nadab Rules in Israel
• 25Nadab son of Jeroboam began to rule over Israel in the second year of King Asa’s reign in Judah. He reigned in Israel two years.
• 26But he did what was evil in the LORD’s sight and followed the example of his father, continuing the sins that Jeroboam had led Israel to commit.
• 27Then Baasha son of Ahijah, from the tribe of Issachar, plotted against Nadab and assassinated him while he and the Israelite army were laying siege to the Philistine town of Gibbethon.
• 28Baasha killed Nadab in the third year of King Asa’s reign in Judah, and he became the next king of Israel.
• 29He immediately slaughtered all the descendants of King Jeroboam, so that not one of the royal family was left, just as the LORD had promised concerning Jeroboam by the prophet Ahijah from Shiloh.
• 30This was done because Jeroboam had provoked the anger of the LORD, the God of Israel, by the sins he had committed and the sins he had led Israel to commit.
• 31The rest of the events in Nadab’s reign and everything he did are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel.
Baasha Rules in Israel
• 32There was constant war between King Asa of Judah and King Baasha of Israel.
• 33Baasha son of Ahijah began to rule over all Israel in the third year of King Asa’s reign in Judah. Baasha reigned in Tirzah twenty-four years.
• 34But he did what was evil in the LORD’s sight and followed the example of Jeroboam, continuing the sins that Jeroboam had led Israel to commit. – 1 Kings 15:25-34
Who is Baasha?
1 This message from the LORD was delivered to King Baasha by the prophet Jehu son of Hanani:
2 “I lifted you out of the dust to make you ruler of my people Israel, but you have followed the evil example of Jeroboam. You have provoked my anger by causing my people Israel to sin.
3 So now I will destroy you and your family, just as I destroyed the descendants of Jeroboam son of Nebat.
4 The members of Baasha’s family who die in the city will be eaten by dogs, and those who die in the field will be eaten by vultures.”
5 The rest of the events in Baasha’s reign and the extent of his power are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel.
6 When Baasha died, he was buried in Tirzah. Then his son Elah became the next king.
7 And also by the hand of the prophet Jehu the son of Hanani came the word of the LORD against Baasha, and against his house, even for all the evil that he did in the sight of the LORD, in provoking him to anger with the work of his hands, in being like the house of Jeroboam; and because he killed him.- 1 Kings 16:1-7
watching…
We owe a lot to Thomas Edison - if it wasn't for him, we'd be watching television by candlelight.
- MiltonBerle
Watch the fulfillment...
Positives
• Used by God
• From the tribe of Issachar – Genesis 49:14-15, Revelation 7:7
• He ruled as a king for 24 years. Luke 19:13
Baasha – watch!
Negatives
- Followed the way of sin, not the righteousness of his father:
- Don't you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. - Romans 6:16. Matthew 21:28-32;
Hope is knowing that God changes things and that God will use you as an agent of change.
- Kunle Fafiolu
watching…
A developmental term used in business is the ‘demonstration effect’ which means, if you want to establish and be successful in a product line or business, look for a person or entity who has done what you are planning to do and follow their example, and you will achieve the same results.
That is if I study for an examination, just like others who passed the examination before me studied, other factors remaining the same, I should pass, just as they passed. There is power and achievement in following a successful example.
• Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages are come.
1 Corinthians 10:11
• In faith: You wait for employers, you can wait for God. Hebrews 11:6
• You bear His marks:
From now on let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus. Galatians 6:17
– Brother that had physical marks on his body from being caned in the dream. The marks cleared after we prayed together. 1 John 3:8b, Jeremiah 51:20
Jesus replied, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat." - Matthew 14:16
Prayer
• Give thanks
• Give thanks for His faithfulness to you
• Pray that God will cause you to walk in His perfect will.
• That God will uphold you to the end and answer your prayers
• Personal prayer points.
Everyone you see is ‘drunk’ on something or with something. Something or someone propels them to act the way they do. Some are drunk with alcohol, some are influenced by drugs, anger, greed, lust, fornication, adultery, lies, pride, malice, hatred, dejection, depression, anxiety etc.
You can be influenced by peace, light, joy, good works, righteousness, wisdom and love to a point of overflowing to others – the spill over effect.
Who is Elah?
• Name means ‘Fear, reverence or oak tree
• 4th king of Israel
• Son of Baasha (Bravery, one who lays waste)
• Ruled for 2 years
• Supported idol worship, a rule of vanity
• From the tribe of Issachar
8 Elah son of Baasha began to rule over Israel in the twenty-sixth year of King Asa’s reign in Judah. He reigned in the city of Tirzah for two years.
9 Then Zimri, who commanded half of the royal chariots, made plans to kill him. One day in Tirzah, Elah was getting drunk at the home of Arza, the supervisor of the palace.
10 Zimri walked in and struck him down and killed him. This happened in the twenty-seventh year of King Asa’s reign in Judah. Then Zimri became the next king.
11 Zimri immediately killed the entire royal family of Baasha, leaving him not even a single male child. He even destroyed distant relatives and friends.
12 So Zimri destroyed the dynasty of Baasha as the LORD had promised through the prophet Jehu.
13 This happened because of all the sins Baasha and his son Elah had committed, and because of the sins they led Israel to commit. They provoked the anger of the LORD, the God of Israel, with their worthless idols.
14 The rest of the events in Elah’s reign and everything he did are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel.
1 Kings 16:8-14
Drunkenness?
• Greek: Methuskomai, refers to the orgies of Bacchus when men and women get drunk entering into all kinds of immoral acts.
• This is not for Kings – Proverbs 31:4-7
• Don’t be unwise - Ephesians 5:17 Greek: Aphron: senseless, Do not become madmen, or an allusion to wild orgies of Bacchus in which men acted like they were mad, running and tossing their heads and appearing in every sense completely frantic.
• God encourages you to be sober and be vigilant.
Are you Soaked?
“I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
- Matthew 3:11
How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.
- Acts 10:38
For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure.
- John 3:34
God can give you His Spirit without measure.
Drunk?
Being drunk is a state of being ‘high’, ‘stoned’, intoxicated, ‘smashed’ or under the influence of something.
Events
In December 2011, the CBC reports that “In the last four months, three National Hockey League enforcers have died tragically.
In May, Derek Boogaard died from a combination of too many painkillers and alcohol. Rick Rypien, was found dead in his home in Alberta on Aug.15, an apparent suicide, and, most recently, Wade Belak was found dead in a Toronto hotel on Aug. 31.
On Friday Lorraine Belak, Wade's mother, confirmed to CBC that her son suffered from depression. Rypien also dealt with depression.”
Early 2009, a billionaire committed suicide. He was the fifth richest man in Germany and was worth over $9bn, he had lost about $500m in a share purchase investment and his debt level was increasing.
Effects
Everyone you see is ‘drunk’ on something or with something. Something or someone propels them to act the way they do. Some are drunk with alcohol, some are influenced by drugs, anger, greed, lust, fornication, adultery, lies, pride, malice, hatred, dejection, depression, anxiety etc.
You can be influenced by peace, light, joy, good works, righteousness, wisdom and love to a point of overflowing to others – the spill over effect.
The effect of drunkenness always shows; according to Ephesians 5:18, we should not be drunk with alcohol but to be filled with the Spirit of God.
The Spirit will fill you as you invite Jesus to be your Lord and savior, ask Him for the baptism of the Holy Spirit, so that from your belly/heart will flow rivers of living water that will be a blessing to all around you.
May you encounter the fullness of the Holy Spirit in a greater dimension; as Jesus was baptized by the Father without limits, may God open heavens for you and baptize you without limits.
It’s great to be ‘drunk’ in the Spirit of the Lord, having His fullness on your life to overflowing; the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.
May this be your lot, in Jesus mighty name! Amen! And Amen and Amen!!!
How?
Overflow of the Spirit can be received by:
• Being saved: accepting Jesus as Lord and savior of your life
• Laying on of hands: Acts 19:1-7
• Receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit, John 1: 32 , John 7:37-39, Matthew 3:16-17, Acts 2:1-4, John 20:21-22, John 14:12.
• Without measure from God: Acts 10:38, 5:15
Prayer
• Give thanks
• Give thanks for His faithfulness to you
• Pray that God will fill you to overflowing with the Holy Spirit and fire.
• Personal prayer points.
But you shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come on you: and you shall be witnesses to me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and to the uttermost part of the earth. Acts 1:8
