MIRACLE OF THE LAST MEAL

READ: 1 KINGS 17:8-16

Have you ever been at your wits end? Have you found yourself in a situation where you thought the end has come? The woman in our reading experienced this. Things went very bad for this widow of Zarephath. With a son to feed and nobody to depend upon, her food reserves kept diminishing until one day she went into her store and found to her chagrin that what was left was sufficient for just one meal; not even enough for that day. Seeing there was no one to assist her, no relative, parents,, in-laws or even neighbours, she decided to take that meal and thereafter await death to take her and her son.
God, who had seen her plight and heard her cries, sent help from above, but initially she was too engrossed in her hopelessness. Finally she took God's way of escape and received a miracle: what would have sufficed for one meal, not only fed her household, but sustained them for a whole year without diminishing.
You could have the benefit of the miracle of the last meal too. Whenever you get to a point where you have virtually exhausted all and have a little left, be it money or foodstuffs, do not eat alone. Resolve to use that little to generate the abundance you desire. Cry to God in faith to multiply it, and then sow it to God in the church or to his servant. Release your faith and expect an immediate intervention; the Lord will not disappoint you.
“Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply  the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness.” (2 Corinthians 9:10).
That point where you have little or nothing left is actually a turning point in your life. It could become a breakthrough when you decide to let God have his way.

MEMORIZE: 2 CORINTHIANS 9:10 -Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply  the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness.

CLEAN HANDS, PURE HEART

RAED: PSALM 24:3-6

If you go to visit a friend and thrust out your hand to shake his, and then you see his outstretched hand is covered with faeces, what do you do? I am sure you will not need a professional counsellor to advise you to withdraw your hand immediately! If we do so, why do we expect anything less from God? Scripture says that we are created in God's image and likeness. In other words, there are certain things God does which we find ourselves doing naturally, because he made us to be like him.
In our reading, God desires that, having come into his kingdom, we should seek after his righteousness. He wants us to draw nearer to him daily so that his blessings, power and glory can continue to radiate towards us. But when our hands are defiled, we cannot come any further. Defiled hands refer to a situation where our public actions – words, deeds, plans, transactions – are not aligned with God's revealed will, the Bible. For instance, you use your hands to work and fend for yourself and your family. How do you make money? Are there certain, hidden things about how you make money that you would not like people to know? By such things your hands are defiled.
In Acts 24:16, Paul says: “This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men.”
Can your conscience exonerate you of shady deals in all your activities with your fellow man? Besides this, God expects your heart to be pure. You should shut your heart to all defiled and defiling matters. You should think no evil. God looks at your heart. If he sees it stained, he cannot come and dwell with you. Those who must ascend the hill of power, anointing, and miracles must first ensure they are clean outside and inside. This means you must take time to cultivate all the fruit of the Holy Spirit first (Galatians 5:22-23) before the anointing comes. Fruit of the Spirit plus anointing equals power, miracles and heaven. Anointing without fruit of the Spirit equals power, miracles and hell fire. Which do you choose?

MEMORIZE: ACTS 24:16 -This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men.

TRANSFORMATION THROUGH UNUSUAL TITHING

READ: LEVITICUS 30:34

An issue that is going through some debate within Christian circles in tithing. Many have argued that it has gone away with the law and we should be free from its 'bondage.' Even some Christians who pay it find it difficult to do it in the prescribed manner, so they end up leaving it as a 'convenience issue' payable when they feel their finances can accommodate it.
Actually, tithing came before the law was given to Moses. In Genesis 14:17-20, Abraham met Melchizedek on his return from battle “And he gave him a tithe of all.” Leviticus 27 is a command of the law given to Moses which is further established in Malachi 3:8-12. In Matthew 23:23, Jesus says: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters to the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.”
Jesus approved tithing in this passage, but rebuked the scribes and Pharisees who regularly paid their tithes, and charged them to balance things up by ensuring justice, mercy and faith so that their tithes would be received. Malachi 3:10 says: “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse.” Part tithing is as good as no tithing, the same way half-obedience amounts to disobedience before God (1 Samuel 15:1-23). it is not your job to share your tithe into parts and distribute it to places as you feel it is needed. Just pay your tithe in full into God's storehouse – where you worship regularly and feed spiritually. Leave the minister do the rest.
Your tithe is one tenth of your income. It does not belong to you. It is God's money in your care. You should not spend out of it. If you rob God in tithing, the devourer will come and rob you too. If you have spent out of your tithe, then you must return it with 20% interest (Leviticus 27:31). You should not tithe because you are forced to, but because you love God and desire to always do his will. Henceforth, ensure your tithe is paid before you spend your money.

MEMORIZE: LEVITICUS 27:30 -And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD'S. It is holy to the LORD.