STANDING TALL

READ: LUKE 19:1-10

“And they ran and brought him from there; and when he stood among the people, he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward” (1 Samuel 10:23).
When Saul was to be crowned king in Israel, he stood in the crowd but was a shoulder higher. He had what made him outstanding. In today’s reading, we see a rich publican named Zacchaeus. He was of a very little stature. He was so short that to see Jesus he had to climb a tree. His stature physically limited him. In a crowd, he would be unnoticed. Are you swallowed up in a crowd? The Lord will assist you. You shall not die of average performance in academics, business, wealth, ministry. You shall stand tall among others from today. If you can conveniently hide in the crowd without be noticed, it is because you are still average. When popular musicians come to town, their fans would barely let them go. When Goliath came on the scene, all average Israeli soldiers who were boasting before suddenly kept quiet and found their level. As you stand tall in the power of His spirit, every situation that had beclouded your vision would find its level.
Another characteristic of an average person is that they attempt to slow down those who want to be outstanding. For example David’s brothers (1 Samuel 17:26-28). Average people always sit on the fence. They play smart. Some ushers will deliberately come late to have others tidy the church before their arrival. They lack commitment. Average Christians blame someone or something for every defeat, failure or challenge. Fear is the greatest undoing of the average person. They are afraid to fail, fall or miss the point hence they refuse to take crucial steps that can positively affect their destiny. An average person can never be taller than his or her surroundings. If you feel dwarfed by your challenges, it is an evidence that you lack what will make you stand tall. Paul was of a small stature. A brother who visited heaven said he is so short that when he sat on a chair, his legs did not touch the ground. Yet spiritually he stood like a colossus and was far higher than his challenges. Little wonder he was always victorious. Zacchaeus was assisted by climbing a tree. You too can be assisted by climbing Jesus the true Vine Tree by the power of the Spirit so that you can be above your challenges.

MEMORIZE: 1 SAMUEL 10:23 –And they ran and brought him from there; and when he stood among the people, he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward.

BENEFITS OF HOME CHURCHES

READ: MARK 2:1-4

We are certain the early church had several home churches. The question some will like to ask is: Did they copy it from Jesus? Was there a home church when Jesus was still on earth? Jesus preached in several homes where multitudes gathered to hear Him. According to today’s reading, He was preaching in somebody’s house when some people brought a man who was sick of the palsy. When they could not gain entrance, they removed the roof and dropped the sick man at Jesus’ feet. If they had done so in the temple they would have been killed. What this simply shows is that a house is good for a church. And that if Jesus could preach in a house, there is no reason a church should not exist in your home.
What types of blessings can be received in home churches? Every blessing that can take place in the regular church can also be received in a home church. In today’s reading, not only was the sick man healed, his sins were also forgiven and God’s name was glorified. In Acts 10:30, 33-34, 48, in the home church of Cornelius there was fasting and prayer and an angelic presence. They heard the Word of God, were saved and baptized in the Holy Spirit and later baptized in the water. A church is a place of rest, prayer, healing, worship, baptism of the Holy Spirit and preparation for water baptism. All these are functions of a living church and they happened in the houses of Cornelius, Aquila, Lydia and Philemon. They should happen also in yours.
The way some leaders run their home churches is nothing to write home about. They see it as a burden and treat it with kid gloves. The carelessness of some leaders has ‘killed’ their home churches. The home church can only be as alive as the leader. If you have a vibrant leader, the home church will also be vibrant and a place with testimonies. If members’ prayer requests are regularly followed up until the answers come, and there is adequate concern and practical care for members, in a short time the house fellowship will be full. As a member of a home church, what have you contributed towards making it a success story? Some home churches are doing so well that they attract members of other home churches. How are you running yours? Do you take time to visit one another? Do you add to the life or death of the home church?

MEMORIZE: ACTS 10:44 –While Peter yet spoke these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all of them which heard the word.

BOTTLE OF TRANSFORMATION

READ: ISAIAH 55:11-13

I was a lecturer at the University of Lagos before I knew the Lord. I had a car and a driver. I was paying him 10 pounds a month which was a lot of money in 1972. Half way into the month, I would borrow from my driver to fuel my car. I was poor and so financially challenged that at the middle of each month I was broke. To God’s glory, that circle of poverty has been broken and I do not have to borrow anymore from my driver. Have you been going through a similar situation? Are you living from hand to mouth? This season that circle of poverty will break in Jesus name.
“Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree; and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off” (Isaiah 55:13). Do you know God can suddenly put an end to poverty in your life? I mean you could experience a sudden and dramatic positive turn that will put you above lack for the rest of your life? That shall be your portion today in Jesus name. Someone shared with me this story he read in a book. It is about a man who was very poor in the morning but by the evening he had become very rich. A very wealthy woman who lived in London but had no child was about to die. On her death bed, she wrote her will, tucked it into a bottle, sealed it and threw it into River Thames in London.
The bottle floated into the ocean and from there it traversed the whole world for the next 10 years. In that will, she wrote that whoever found the bottle and read the will should automatically inherit all she had. One morning, the poor man decided to take a stroll by the beach. As he did so, the bottle floated to the seashore and caught his attention. He picked it up and opened it and became an instant millionaire! The Lord will cause your desired change to come to you suddenly. On the other hand, that bottle can be likened to God’s offer of salvation whereas the will to all the Abrahamic covenant blessings that can be yours. If you can accept the bottle –God’s offer of salvation by receiving Jesus Christ into your life, Kingdom privileges and benefits will become your inheritance. If you reject the bottle, you may forfeit every good plan and provision God has for you. By exercising your faith, you can receive your breakthrough today.

MEMORIZE: ISAIAH 55:1 –Ho, every one that thirsts, come you to the waters, and he that has no money; come you, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.