Oluwafemi .The Word of God is a light to my Path.

  “Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” Daniel 3:25 The Fourth Man When the three Hebrew teenagers were thrown into the fiery furnace because they wouldn’t bow to King Nebuchadnezzar’s golden idol, they were bound with cords. They should have been killed instantly, but when the king gazed into the furnace, he saw four unbound men, and one who looked like the Son of God. Here’s my point: Your hands may be tied today—you’ve worked, prayed, believed, and done the right thing, but it seems like your dream is never going to work out. The good news is that God’s hands are not tied. He’s not limited by what’s limiting you. I believe that what’s restricted you in the past has lost its grip—that addiction, that sickness, that lack, the bad breaks. It’s a new day. The fourth man has shown up. Like the Hebrew teenagers, you’re coming out, not bound but loosed, free, whole, vindicated

  We are Pilgrims and Strangers in This World Scripture: Psalm 84:5–7 “ Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baka, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools. They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion. ” Because we live in a temporary, perishing world, we need to constantly remind ourselves we are on a pilgrimage here. We are blessed to realize our sufficiency is in God alone, and that all we need is sourced in him. Most of us find ourselves in the Valley of Baca from time to time. That is a place of drought or need. It is then we find our provision in the Lord himself as we allow him to teach us. Many times these “valleys” can be places of blessing where we can experience revelation from God and sense his presence. Of the heroes of faith it is said, “ All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promi

  Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. (Ephesians 6:13) A Stubborn Faith When you’ve done your best to get well but it’s not changing, when you’ve treated people with kindness who aren’t being kind to you, when you’ve worked hard but the promotion fell through, what do you do? Get discouraged, think it’s not going to happen, and give up? No, just stand firm. To be standing is to be trusting God, knowing that He’s in control. When you’re standing, you’re not frustrated by what’s not happening. You’re not complaining about how long it’s taking. You’re not moved by what the medical report says or by how your child is acting. You’re at rest and in peace. You know that what God started, He’s going to finish. God is looking for stubborn faith. You keep believing, keep thanking God, and keep being your best. Giving up is not an option; quitting is not in your mindset. You know that what God promised yo

  The Christian Life is a Giving Life “ Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. ” (2 Corinthians 9:7-8) The Christian life is a giving life. This is the direct opposite of what the world dictates to us in order to be happy. Most of the messages of the world are directed at self-consuming activities saying you need to have certain possessions and experiences in order to be fulfilled. These messages tend to make us “getters” instead of “givers.” When we speak of giving, we are not talking about just money. We have the 3 Ts:  Time, Talent,  and  Treasure . Time and talent are just as important as any treasure we might have. God loving the cheerful giver is a statement of God’s action. By giving, believers place themselves in the position where God, subject

  …for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries. 1 Corinthians 16:9 Adversity When you have a big future, the enemy is not going to roll out the red carpet and let you fulfill it. The apostle Paul recognized that a wide door of opportunity had opened for him, but he had many adversaries because of the favor that was on his life. The enemy recognized that Paul was a historymaker, which is why he came against Paul so strongly. Many of the challenges you’ve faced—the things that didn’t seem fair, the obstacles that came out of nowhere, the people who turned on you—are because there are seeds of greatness in you. You may not see it yet, but the enemy sees it. Have a new perspective. Those difficulties are a sign that something amazing is in your future. There’s something in you that the enemy doesn’t want out. There’s an assignment God has for you that the enemy is trying to stop—an anointing, an empowerment, a favor that he doesn’t want you to see. T

  Giving: Your Investment for Eternity “ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. ” (Matthew 6:20) “ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ” (Matthew 6:33) The world gets it backwards.  It says to earn as much as you can, save as much as you can, and then sit on your can. Spend it on yourself and have a good time while you can. Jesus Christ came to reveal the opposite: “…But it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.”  (2 Timothy 1:10) He has revealed to us true life in addition to the reality of eternity or immortality. He tells us to prepare for eternity. Eternity is the real world and the one lasting forever! We can actually store up treasures for ourselves in heaven if we follow what he says. We first need to

  But the ship struck a sandbar and ran aground. The bow stuck fast and would not move, and the stern was broken to pieces by the pounding of the surf. Acts 27:41 Broken Pieces In Acts 27, in the midst of the storm at sea, God promised the apostle Paul that he and the ship’s crew would survive, but the ship would be lost. It would have been much less traumatic if God had saved the ship, but sometimes our boat goes down. The good news is that the wooden boat’s broken pieces helped float them to safety. We think we have to have the boat, but God had a plan so that their brokenness became their breakthrough. You may have lost someone or something precious to you, but what you have left is what you need. God didn’t let you lose so much that you can’t make it to where He’s taking you. When you’re in the waves, grab on to the broken pieces. That means to keep believing that what God promised is still on the way. Keep thanking God for His goodness. He doesn’t change His mind. The boat may hav

  The Sowing and Reaping Principle “ Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. ” (Galatians 6:8) The sowing and reaping principle is a key spiritual concept we need to incorporate in our lives. In the secular world we understand the more we invest in a good investment, the greater returns we can expect. The same is true in a spiritual sense. “ Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. ” (2 Corinthians 9:6) The returns for investing properly in the kingdom of God are going to be HUGE! It makes sense for us to be wise and invest as much as we can when we have the opportunity to do so. Once our time, talent, and treasure are invested or given, they cannot be taken away by anything or anyone. They are kept in heaven for us along with our salvation. “ And into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fad

  Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4:8 Stay Healthy Healthy people are not jealous of others and don’t talk about others behind their backs. Secure people don’t bad-mouth others. They forgive others and move on. They’re not bitter, they don’t live with regrets, and they’re not mad at themselves or others. They celebrate other people’s success and are happy for those who are ahead of them. Grateful people don’t find fault and focus on what’s wrong with others. The Scripture says love covers others’ faults. Love covers others’ weaknesses. If someone just goes around exposing others and talking about their faults, don’t sit there and listen to their gossip, criticism, or judgment. Don’t spend time on the phone with a friend who talks negatively about all your other friends. If you’re spending time with people who are critical, bitter, disgruntled, and faultfinders, those same qualities are going to rub off on yo

  Household Salvation “ Let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins." James 5:20 The hope of the promise of “your house” is recorded in other passages, as well, with “Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band” (Acts 10:1); “Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira” (Acts 16:14); with “Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue” (Acts 18:8); and “Stephanas of Achaia” (1 Corinthians 16:15). The faith of the family can be transferred through generational lines, like Timothy, “when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also” (2 Timothy 1:5). Your faith for your family’s salvation is a promise of God. True salvation can only come when the image of God is manifested in your life. True freedom is finding Jesus as your Lord. I hope He is your Lord of all. Give your life af

  How to Score Points for Eternity “ I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. ” (Luke 16:9) We had better listen carefully to any words Jesus Christ uttered. They are just as applicable today as they were when he walked the earth. We have seen how he brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. He also brought to light the perishable and the imperishable. Everything we can see and touch is perishing: “ For this world in its present form is passing away. ” (1 Corinthians 7:31) Paul said, “ And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. ” (1 Corinthians 9:25) The Kingdom of God practitioner is incentivized by the imperishable values held dearly by almighty God. Jesus tells us to use worldly wealth to gain friends for eternity, so that when worldly wealth is gone we will be welcomed into

  Lord God, you keep your promises, and your promised Messiah has come to bring us your salvation. He is the light who reveals your will for us. Help me to grow in the knowledge of you and do what is pleasing in your sight. Glory to you, O Lord! Amen.

  The Spirit Factor “ However, as it is written: ‘What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived’—the things God has prepared for those who love him—these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. ” (1 Corinthians 2:9-11) If we hope to be effective in practicing the principles of Kingdom of God, we must experience a continuing and growing relationship with the person of Jesus Christ. This can only happen when the Spirit of God performs his functions within the heart of the believer. In the above passage, concentrate on the words “prepared,” “revealed,” “searches,” and “knows.” These are all functions performed by the Spirit of God for the people who love God. God has prepared things for those who love him. “ For we are God’s handiwork, c

  The Holy Spirit Seals, Reveals, and Deals “ And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory. ” (Ephesians 1:13-14) The Spirit of God  seals  us at the moment we believe and trust in the gospel of Jesus Christ for our salvation. This is the guarantee of our inheritance in heaven that is being kept for us imperishable, incorruptible, and unfading. This assurance of salvation sets us free to be of service to the King in the time we have remaining in this temporary world. This gives us time to invest our  time, talent, and treasure  in the imperishable values of the world to come instead of spending our  three Ts  on what is perishing in this world. After the Spirit seals us, he begins the process of  revealing  the things of G