THE FAITH AND FAITH

Worthy of note at this point is the difference between “THE FAITH” and “FAITH”. It’s simple!

The faith is a life style, your stand in Christ. Or even a constant believe in Christ. While faith is what you need to access you need as kingdom citizens living as pilgrimages on earth, Hebrews 11v1. In other words, faith is for now.

However, you can have one and not have the other. Many Christian today have the faith but lack faith and that’s why they wallow in poverty, sickness, tribulations etc. So while the former guarantees your entry to eternity the later grants you access to your inheritance in Christ Jesus while you live. That’s why the Bible says you will are entitled to live only on the ground of faith, Romans 1v17b.

Hence they both work hand in hand. You get the faith alongside your salvation package while faith comes as you study God’s word. That’s why Apostle Paul had to admonish Timothy to study to show himself approved. The nourishing of faith grows the faith.

Conclusively the two are one but application differentiates them.

KEEP THE FAITH

Hallelujah! The summary of the believer’s life is likened unto faith. Faith is what makes the believer. In other words you are not a believer without faith. As a matter of fact it is impossible to please God without faith, Hebrews 11v6. If you don’t please God your enemies wouldn’t be at peace with you and of course that’s the most awful circumstance you will want to find yourself.

Life on earth is summarized as faith because we live in the dispensation of grace where the Lord’s mercy abounds. So everything we do here revolves around in and around faith. You can’t get any better than your faith gets.

Interestingly everything created or men and women who ever amounted to anything in life accomplished these feats through the instrumentality of faith. In other words as believers we live for and by faith.

Your essence of living is faith. Apostle Paul in his concluding letter to Timothy said;

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” 2Timothy 4v7

Hence the whole essence of the believer is faith. It is a good fight as well as a core course in the school of believers. In other words, if there is anything that the believer should fight for, it must be faith. It is the life of the believer. Keep the faith.

DIVINE ORDER 2

DEFILING DIVINE ORDERS

There will always be two sides to a real coin. Such is the case when we talk about subjects as divine orders. Joseph followed through and was rewarded but let’s look at a man who thought he could follow his own plan or order to arrive at God’s destiny for him. We will learn a few lessons from him.

Jonah was a Prophet of God by calling. However, God sent him to Nineveh but because he didn’t like the people of Nineveh personally he changed course, Jonah 1-4. The first point to note here is that God will not send us to where He doesn’t have plans to visit, Luke 10v1 so your interest in them isn’t a criteria for your obedience. Your opinion isn’t needed, just obey!

So Jonah decided to go to Tarshish instead but the bible says; “...so he paid the fare thereof...” Jonah 1v3b. Another point worthy of note is that he had to pay for his decision because it was of course. I once heard of one President who was charged by his country for stopping over for two hours in country on his way back from his official visit to another country. Now, that’s here on earth, how much more in heaven? Our God is One of orders so you can’t choose your route and expect Him to pay our fares, it doesn’t work that way. Many are stuck here today so you had better retrace your steps. You can’t make plans outside divine order and expect Him to finance it, no!

Jonah decided to go down to the lower deck where God wouldn’t see him. What a foolish man and in case you think you can hide from God, you are only fooling yourself. Eventually as the ship began to sail a storm arose. The Sailor tried all the techniques he knew to balance ship but couldn’t. So they began to off load the ship into the sea hoping to lighten the ship but the storm grew worse until they resolved to cast lots and they found out it was Jonah that was running away from God. 

It is crystal clear that some persons are going through storms of various degrees because of the ship they are in. Be it court-ship, relation-ship, partner-ship etc. I think it time you take stocks and retrace your steps back to where you missed it.

Jonah knew he was the problem so he said they should through him into the sea. Reluctantly they did it and a big fish swallowed him, of course you know the story.  Eventually the storm ceased. But note the magnitude of lose recorded on that ship and if they hadn’t discovered Jonah their lives would have gone. Many have died untimely because they were aboard with someone running away from God. So prayerfully chose your partner.

Jonah spent three days in the belly of the fish and then repented. I am sure you know it wasn’t a fun ground in there. God heard him and ordered the fish to vomit at the bank from where he took off to Nineveh to do what he was sent to do there initially.

Conclusively when you compare this two case studies, you will discover that they both had divine orders but while the former followed he’s regardless of the tribulations on the way knowing that the one who sent him is watch-guarding him the later took off on his own course. God created us and know what capacity He built into everyone. Unfortunately the course we eventually choose is to our detriment.

Make following your divine a pursuit from now on and watch it, the things that you’ve struggled with for years will be delivered to you on a platter of gold. Just say this prayer of committal to this course;

Lord Jesus I choose to follow your divine order for my life henceforth, accept me and give me all it takes to scale through to the end in Jesus name, Amen!

Congratulations! 

  

DIVINE ORDER 1

God doesn’t jump lines. One of my Mentors said “there is nothing you can do that will make God to do what He wants to do tomorrow today”. Now this is not to say that God can’t intervene dramatically in some matters but God doesn’t jump lines. He says; there is a time for everything, Eccl 3v1. He is a God of order and principles and that’s why by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit I was motivated as I read a Mentor’s (of blessed memories) book to write a few lines on God’s order or call it Divine order.

Many today are stock at this junction without knowing that it’s a divine order their lives are following. That you are suffering doesn’t mean that God isn’t with you. Isaiah 43v2 already said that we will go through situations that wouldn’t us as it were. Jesus told His disciples in John 16v33 that they will have tribulations in the world. So that your boat is rocked by the storm of life doesn’t mean that Jesus isn’t in your boat, Mark 4v35-41. I think one question you should ask yourself is, will my boat sink with Jesus on board? The answer is obvious, No!

I will be using just two Bible characters to drive down my points and they are Joseph and Jonah. These two bible Heroes are epistles to be read when we seek to know the positive and negative dividends of following Divine order.

FOLLOWING DIVINE ORDERS

In Genesis 37 Joseph comes on board divine order and one thing you must take to heart is that divine order positions you in life. In other words it defines your place because everybody has a place in life. Joseph caught a glimpse of a glorious future and was expectant of it fulfilment which was evident in the boldness with which he told his dream to his brethren even though he was hated and envied, when he dreamt a second time he still told them again.

But thing took a dramatic turn. Which is to say, of a truth you have so many beautiful promises pending but you just have to pass through the tunnel of trial. Unfortunately the tunnel can’t too many people at the same time which accounts for why you hear people lament “why me” “why me alone after all things are working for so and so despite the fact that we graduated the same year. And I even had a first class” I am sure you are conversant with such lamentations. That was exactly where Joseph was when he landed in the pit, Genesis 37v24 and in a few hours time on his way to Egypt as a slave. This was virtually the opposite of his dream but it was all divine order on the way to fulfilment.

I am sure joy is already welling up in you as our discussion is beginning to take the shape of what you are going through now. I have good news for you, just a little patience and you will be at the end of the tunnel. Tunnels are not naturally bright unless they are lightened. And you can imagine your speed in a dark tunnel. It will soon be you turn to arise and shine for your light will definitely come.

Joseph got to Egypt and was sold to Potipha, Genesis 37v36. However the Bible says; the Lord was with him all the while even as He is with you now, Genesis 39v2. He became the head of slaves in his master’s house. He found favour with his master because God was with him so his master put him in charge all he had except his wife.

Interestingly as though this was a fulfilment of his dreams. After all he is a master and a few people are bowing to him. This look like the dream coming through but because he understood this subject of divine order he wouldn’t settle for anything less than his dream. Even when he was tempted by his master’s wife in Genesis 39v7-12, he could have mistaken it for the fulfilment of the dream because he would have a wider range of coverage as it were. But he understood that God wouldn’t use corny ways to fulfil His promise. After all He owns all things, of who will make God be afraid that He will have to lie or play pranks. 

Unfortunately Joseph landed in prison for following divine order. The prison experience was a part of the divine order or plan because God was still with him, Genesis 39v20-23. He became the leader of other prisoners in prison to such an extent that the Jailer put all things in his care, Genesis 39v23. Divine order!

Finally he saw rays of light having travelled through the tunnel all these years when Pharaoh had dream that disturbed him so much. It was all by divine order. Or hasn’t he been having dreams all this while? What made this one different? Now the solution of the Kings Dream riddle was with a prisoner in divine order.

Let me take a break to tell you that there is something in you (Talent) that will be needed at the ivory tower where you have dreamed of all this while. I am glad to let you know that it lies with you alone and no other is competing with you to solve it. On the other hand you will leave such a vacuum on earth if you don’t live up to it.

To cut the long story short, Joseph unravelled the king’s dream and the king thought through seeing that this young man has come the divine order way. Because it was on the basis of the order he engage in unravelling the dream that he was enthroned above others including his former boss who put him in jail, Genesis 41v37-45.

Conclusively his dream came through on the line of divine order. Though it was hard but he understood that he was following a divine order, Genesis 45v5 saying his brother sold him but God sent him. Taking a vivid look at the way he left home we can easily deduce that God had a hand in it because his father wouldn’t allowed him to go anywhere outside his reach or even do any hard job considering how much his father loved him. My good news for you is that you will eventually rule over all those who thinks’ they have successfully sold you out in Jesus name, Amen!

CHEER UP 2

WHAT IS BLINDNESS?

When a man is blind in this context of study, it means that man can’t see ahead, his future is blurred. So, he doesn’t know what to do since he can’t see is destination; he doesn’t have anywhere to plan reaching. He is motionless and stagnant which of course is the mother of frustration. Using a modern day word, blindness is the same as being without a vision. So, blindness is not limited to the closed eye, there are many with their eyes open but can’t see anything.

DO YOU NEED HELP?

You will realize that the blind man in our text realized his need for help and he called for it from the only one who could help him and he didn’t allow the snubbing of the mockers to stop him. He cried the more we were told. That’s why I know that for somebody digesting this message now, you are gaining your freedom now in JESUS name. Please keep calling him until HE takes notice of you but I will like for you to know that JESUS isn’t deaf, HE only wants to see you being eaten up by the zeal of what you are gunning for. The Bible says who shall separate us from the love of CHRIST? Shall trouble or hardship, persecution or famine, nakedness or danger etc Romans 8:35 so, don’t mind those saying you are wasting your time, just keep calling HIM, HE will send for you sooner than anticipated.

What am I passing across to you in this message? Just that you should cheer up and be persistence in your calling, be not weary in well doing for in due season you will get your reward/harvest, Galatians 6v9.

I see GOD taking notice of you from now on as you keep pressing consistently and all who have looked down on you will begin to look up to you. CHEER UP, you are getting there, AMEN.