TOUCH HIS HEART THROUGH GIVING

READ: GENESIS 27:1-3, 25-30

Apart from praise and worship, another way to touch God’s heart is through giving. The major key to unlocking prosperity is giving. In Luke 6:38, Jesus says when you give to God; men will be forced to give to you. Similarly, He says it is the same containers you use that will be filled in several folds back to you again. If you give a good measure, you will get the same from Him. If you give pressed down measure, you will receive the same. If you give a running over (overflowing) measure, that is what will come back to you. Those who will touch God’s heart through giving, are those who can give to God an overflowing measure (without restriction).
 In the reading, we see Isaac asking for something he loves most. He did not want to give Esau just any type of blessing. He wanted to give him the best. To do this, he decided to ask him to provoke the blessing by touching his heart. The giving that touches the body will receive blessing from the mouth (surface to surface). But the giving that penetrates the body to touch the heart will receive the blessing from the soul (Psalm 42:7). How do you give to God? You can touch God’s heart through your offerings and seeds. Solomon touched God’s heart through an offering of 1000 cows in one day. That night, God gave him an open cheque. He got far beyond his requests (1 Kings 3:2-14). Some Christians have pegged the amount they can give to God as offering during any church service. They have only succeeded in pegging their blessings.
You can also touch God’s heart in tithes. I attended a meeting of Christian leaders in America some years ago. There were about 17000 delegates from around the world. During the time of offering, a particular brother challenged us to give our best and that whatever we all gave would be what he would give. We accepted the challenge and raised about 1.5 million dollars. After which he issued a cheque for the same amount as his offering. I became interested in knowing who this brother was. On further enquiry, I got to know his turn-around from struggling to surplus came a few years before, when he touched God’s heart by reversing the order of tithes. He gave 90% of whatever income he makes, and lived on 10%. Paying 10% as tithes is actually a limitation of blessing. Leave that comfort zone and begin to increase it to 20, 30, 40, 50% and above and enter into limitless blessings.

MEMORIZE: 2 CORINTHIANS 9:7 –Every man according as he purposes in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.

ARMY WITHIN AN ARMY

READ: 1 CORINTHIAN 15:1-10

In the Christian race, you are the one to determine your placement with the Master. There is room for people to move closer to God. Take advantage of this and move up. When Jesus rose from the dead, He appeared to five hundred disciples. Out of this of the Lord, was a group of seventy which He had sent out in twos to preach the gospel (Luke 10:1, 17). Out of these, He had another army of twelve which followed Him every where He went. Yet within this group was another army of three which He took to very important locations, to which the general twelve were not allowed.
I used to wonder why this trio was specially chosen. He showed them His power, glory and even His weakness. At the Mount of Transfiguration they were there (Matthew 17:1-2). In Jairus’ house where He raised the dead, He put everybody out first, including other members of the twelve, but specially called the three to witness the miracle (Mark 5:37-42). These were the ones who saw Him in agony and were invited to help intercede at the Garden of Gethsemane where He prayed to a point of sweating blood (Mark 14:32-34). Within this group, He further had an army of one- John the beloved. In John 13:21-26, the night before He died, He informed the twelve that one of them would betray Him. As close as Peter was to Christ, being a member of the army of three, he did not know. He asked John who was closest to find out from the Lord. Jesus conveyed the reply to John through sign language.
From scripture, I found out that there would always exist an army within an army. There would always be groups of threes, like Shadrack, Meshack, and Abednego (Daniel 3), as well as Peter, James and John. Also there would always be a special group of one: one Abraham, one Daniel, one Moses, one Enoch, one John the beloved. The extent to which you will know God, the level of secrets that will be made available to you and your attitude with the Lord, will be dependent on  the kind of relationship you have with Jesus; how much you love, obey, serve and follow Him. You do not have to remain in the general army. That is meant for everyone. You can become a part of the special group. You too can be another John the beloved. It is your decision. Make your choice today.

MEMORIZE: MATTHEW 17:1 –And after six days Jesus takes Peter, James and John his brother, and brings them up into a high mountain apart.

SELF-AFFLICTION

READ: PROVERBS 18:20-21

Elijah decreed that the heavens should withhold rain. God sent him to Cherith. But after a while, the brook dried up, and he began to dry up for lack of water. This means that Elijah was the cause of his problem. Thank God for His mercies or else his situation would have degenerated to a dangerous dimension. This simply teaches believers to be very careful with what they say, especially concerning themselves and their loved ones.
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue; and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” (Proverbs 18:21)
One time Satan is very near you is the time of trouble. After causing the havoc, he will want to see your reaction and like earthly policemen do, whatever you say in that instant would be used against you. If you make a negative statement, he will record it and use it as evidence against you in the Court of Heaven. Beloved, cultivate the habit of being very slow to speak, when something negative occurs, except you are calling Jesus into the situation. Our reading says it is the fruit of your lips that that feeds your belly. This means your whole body will be held responsible and be made to suffer for the negative statements made by your lips. It also means your whole body will enjoy the good pronouncement made by your lips. How do you use your lips today? What do you say in moments of affliction?
Some believers have gone for deliverance over and over again. When the problem leaves, before long it resurfaces. This is simply because they keep using their tongues to call it back. Are you the cause of your woes? If you keep calling your children goat, dog, fool etc… at slightest provocation, why are you now crying seeing them going nuts and wearing crazy hairdos, as well as prostitution? You are only filling your belly with the fruit of your lips. Some people find the word ‘kids’ more convenient to use than ‘children’. They may ask you, ‘How are your kids?’ Tell them, my children are fine. If you accept that you have kids, do not be surprised when they begin to behave like goats. Stop using your mouth against yourself. Repent. Break and cancel every negative use of your tongue today.

MEMORIZE: PROVERBS 13:23 –He that keeps his mouth keeps his life; but he that opens wide his lips shall have destruction.

ENDING WITH A CURSE?

READ: 2 SAMUEL 6:12-23

Invest in praying for your children. If you do not take time to pray for your children’s future success, you have automatically set in motion the wheel of their failure. Also, as you pray and decree good concerning them, sustain your confession. Do not use the same tongue to negate the good you have prophesied on them, or else you will truncate their tomorrow. Parents have to be very cautious here, because Satan will sometimes use your children to provoke you to anger so that you will begin to call them names and pronounce curses on them. Bless your children. Never curse them. They are your future. Cursing them amounts to destroying your own future.  A man without a future is a great disaster.
Moreover, in our reading today, David received the news that the recovered Ark of God brought blessing to the household of Obededom. He was overwhelmed with joy because this meant the Lord was once again on the side of Israel. He began to celebrate and praise God, dancing before Him with all his strength. After making some offerings, he returned with heavy anointing to bless his household. But Michal rebuked him by saying that he was dancing almost naked and bringing shame to His entire family. David was angry. As a result, the anointing that accompanied him home, which should have terminated the barrenness in Michal’ life turned and made her case incurable.
From this we learn that wives should be very careful with their husbands. The time after your husband or parent separates himself unto God, is not time to speak unadvisedly to him. This is because the anointing that accompanies him can either bless or curse. Ensure you watch your words very carefully and deliberately provoke his blessings. Similarly, any time parents go to spend quality time with God; on their return, should bless their families. Give priority to your wife and children like David.
David provoked God’s anointing through dancing. Do you know you can dance with all your might that you will provoke God’s blessing? You can clap for God to an extent that He will be moved to bless you. Provoke His blessings today!

MEMORIZE: PROVERBS 18:21 –Death and life are in the power of the tongue; and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

RECEIPT OF LOVE

READ: 2 SAMUEL 23:14-17

It is so easy to claim we love the Lord but so difficult to produce proof of that love. A good team member will have a clear proof of his love for his captain. “Then Paul answered, What mean you to weep and to break my heart? For I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 21:13).
Paul loved his Master to the point of sacrificing his life for Him. He wanted to show Jesus the proof of his love. True love is reciprocal. Where is the proof of your love for the Lord? Many Christians love Jesus only with their tongues and in their songs. But when the time comes to demonstrate that love, they are found liars.
1 Thessalonians 1:3 says there is a type of labour that true love for your captain generates. If you love Jesus, you will be prepared to serve Him with everything He has given you. You will keep back nothing. Your love for Him will produce quality service. The way some believers handle the things of God does not show any love for God. They wait to be pushed or compelled to serve God. This is an evidence of lack of love for the Master.
From the reading, David was hiding in a hole surrounded by the Philistines. He became thirsty and wanted only water from the well at Bethlehem. When three of his mighty men got to know, they risked their lives by breaking through the rank of the surrounding enemies and fetched the water for him. David was so touched by the extent of their love for him, that he ended up pouring it on the ground, as an offering to the Lord. That water which could have cost them their lives was proof of their love. Where is yours?
If you truly love the Lord, it will show. You will keep every command He gives you. You will honour Him with your substance. You will perform your work as unto Him and not as unto your pastor. It will show in your giving. It will show in the way you praise and worship Him. It will show in the way you talk to others about Him. Do you love the Captain of your salvation? Show Him the certificate of your love today. Produce the proof.

MEMORIZE: 1 JOHN 4:19 –We love Him because He first loved us.