WHEN THE TASTE GOES SOUR

WHEN THE TASTE GOES SOUR

It was a Saturday evening, entering the kitchen to prepare the egwusi soup for her family, was indeed a tedious task for kate after the day's hustle. Everything is ready: the stock-fish, fresh-fish, the vegetables and other ingredients. Few minutes later, the soup is done and with the fufu she bought from Mama Chikamso, she and her family were enjoying the nice soup and she was called the best cook ever by her husband.

With enough fish and meat they had a nice dinner, indeed the soup had a sweet taste.

The next morning, on entering her kitchen to boil the remaining soup and prepare for church service, Kate noticed an odious smell emanating from the side of her cupboard. Opening her pot of soup, she could not believe her eyes, ‘God what is this?’ The soup with all the stock fish, meats and other delicacies has gone sour!

Oh what a sorry pity! Possibly she failed to boil the soup very well considering the hot weather and there is no light to lodge the soup inside the freezer.

Chai, she was so sad and this incidence nearly stop her from attending church service, but considering her position as the Sunday school teacher, she needed to be in the church that morning.

Two things can be done to the soup: either you pour it away or you boil it with sliced onion.

However, the taste has gone sour and can no longer be the same again!

Life is indeed the same way, in spite of the stock-fish, fresh-fish and much other sweetness it offers, can go sour someday! It is never a bed of roses.

For better; for worst is not only in marriage but in life as a whole. Whatever life offers: ministry, job, investment, love, friendship, family, brotherhood, business, relationship, marriage and what have you, enjoy it while it last ooo as it may not be sweet at all, time. The taste can go sour tomorrow.

However, put on love, faith and hope and be consistent in prayers, giving glory to God, that no matter the situation you find yourself there is hope.

It shall be well!!

 

 THE RACE YOU MUST WIN

On your marks, get set, piom: the whistle has been blown everyone in the race. Some are weary, some falling, others out of track, meanwhile others on the track, however all are running, everyone in the race. The Maker is watching, life on the prowl and soon the final whistle shall be blown and anyone who wins takes the crown. Indeed life is a race, however it is a personal race, heavenly race, destiny race, the race of life call it whatever race, there is a race you must run and victory to be won. Three things you must consider to win this race 1. IT MUST BE INTENTIONAL The decision must be yours and yours only. Even if your Father is a pastor, it must be your decision, in the secret chamber of your heart; you must decide to run to win. The son of a professor is never a professor, unless he passes through the rigorous path of the sacrifice needed to merit the honor. A teacher may have a daughter who grown to become a fashion designer. It must be intentional. You must not decide because of others. You decide because of your conviction. 2. YOU MUST BE READY TO PAY THE PRICE. Brethren, there is always a Price to pay, faith without sacrifice makes no effect. Though Jesus has pay the supreme price with His Blood, however there is a cross you must exchange for a crown. ‘Laying out every weight and the sin that easily beset us’ every prize has a price; every gain comes with a pain. Be it sacred-value or secular-value, there must be a sacrifice to pay. It never comes easy; yea is never an easy road. 3. YOU MUST LOOK UP There is never a great humanity without Divinity. You cannot do it on your own. You must involve the ACIENT. This is a tough race and so many contradictions are against you: the flesh, the world and Satan. I tell you so many who you are stronger than you, more beautiful, intelligent never won by their strength, ask bro Samson. It has always been by grace. My beloved never be deceive by your strength because it will fail. You need THE ACIENT; who knew this race far before you were enlisted, only by HIS STRENGTH you will win. This is why you must strengthen your Secret-place. Finally be strong, soon you will reach your finishing line and from the lips of the Master, you will hear ‘well done, you made it!!! Yea you will win at last!!! ngbusinessdigest.blogspot.com dennispromise.blogspot.com

ONE THING IS NEEDFUL!(Luke 10:38-42)

ONE THING IS NEEDFUL!(Luke 10:38-42)

³⁸ Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.

³⁹ And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.

⁴⁰ But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.

⁴¹ And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:

⁴² But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

 

Commentary on Martha encounter with Jesus.

The visitation (v38): ³⁸ Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.

The Lord was on the move, going about His Father’s mission and this mission made him entered into a ‘certain village’. This is not a city neither a town but a village; a certain village which has no name, this indeed depict the Master’s passion for the lowly and what a missionary calling! How often do most ministers of the gospel fail to emulate from the lifestyle of the Lord whom they claim to serve. They are only passionate to be in the city or places where they will be seen by men and not where the duty calls to obey!

Another interesting part of this great visitation is the Lord entering into the house of ‘a certain woman’ what humility on the side of the Master! Such a certain village must be one of these remote communities that are so daft in tradition and culture which keep women in lowly regard. Coming to that such ‘a certain woman’ which was not recorded whether she has a husband, so from observation, she must be a widow, a single lady or an old-maiden, am sure you know the sister Mary who later anointed the Master, whom the bible recorded that she was a prostitute whom the Master caste out seven demons. The brother Lazarus was so sick to death because no money to take him to hospital. Imagine it was such a family that the Lord visited! How many of our Overseers are guilty of wrong visitation. They only visit the very world leaders and politicians who bend on making laws and policies that are oppose to the gospel of Christ! Even we as Christians we have form class as there are people we can only relate with: church members, working class or societal status that we despise those we think does not fall in same level with us!  The earthly Ministry of Jesus started with the lowly in the society starting from his birth, the men he calls etc. it was later that some very rich indicated interest to be his followers. The ministry of Jesus was more of blessing to the lowly than the highly place in the society! We must learn from the Master lifestyle of humility!

 

 

 

Attention (v39): ³⁹ And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.

Martha had a sister called Mary, they must be living together and doing things in common, do we still have ladies who can stay together and do things in common without much quarrel? How often do we have sisters whose relationship has shattered on account of money, pride, boyfriend and so on? These are grown ladies yet they stay together and am sure it was the love and peace that ruminate in that house-hold attracted the Prince of Peace! This beautiful sister of Martha called: Mary was found sitting at the feet of the Master listening to His word! What an attention! This is unlike in our contemporary society where we give attention to things that does not matter. We turn to social media and stays there hours even late in the night chatting, watching unruly videos without giving attention to word and prayer, no wonder the power of the old is no longer effectual in our generation! We are so distracted that we get confused on life, because of things we give attention to! It is high time we return to the master’s feet like the great faithful did in their time, as that is where our answers and blessings of life reside! They give attention to the word and their faces were never ashamed. This is because faith cometh by hearing the word of God.

 

The Hindrances (v40) ⁴⁰ But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.

Martha was cumbered in other word she was hinder because of things that does not matter, how often are we hinder from hearing God? The noise in our contemporary society has hinder so many of us from been blessed by the word of God. We are so daft with the world tradition that we fail to understand the mind of God and the move of the Holy Spirit!

We may think we are doing it in the best interest of the church or society but God is saying ‘this is not where am calling you to serve’ Like Martha we are much cumbered with the busyness of living: our job, family and life that we fail to focus on things that matters. Oh we might as well thought like Martha that God is not seeing what I am passing through, “Lord careth thou not...” how often have we blame God on failures caused by our ignorance of God’s direction! Martha was troubled and hindered so much that it led her in frustration in such that she blames everyone including the Master, she felt rejected and alone in the journey of life. That often is your fate whenever you do things based on

self-dictate, for a time will come when you will be left alone, no God, no relation,  no friend, no pastor or counselor to assist or advise you, because for long you have ignore these Angels including the Holy spirit. You are so daft not to listen to anyone, not even your conscience into something you think you know alone. You come on social media, especially facebook to post like “when no one understands me I don’t care, I go de carry de go’’ Instead of you to attend to your ignorance and get wisdom to do, you are there celebrating ignorance and your self-stupidity! But never mind, soon you will be left alone! ‘..Bid her therefore that she helps me’ you will beg like Martha to be assisted but nobody will listen to you!

 

The Divine Mandate (v41-42) ⁴¹ And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:

⁴² But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

Jesus has an answer to every fear and doubt on life and he has one for Martha. ‘Martha, Martha’  the Lord called twice, so is the Lord calling us in several occasions, but because we are daft in our own Martha, we fail to hear the call once, but for His grace and mercy He keep calling ‘Martha, Martha’ to get our attention first and then point us to things that matter most. Today the Lord is still calling you, he want to hand over to you a treasure that will be a blessing to generations! What could be your distraction that you are so engrossed with, that you fail to answer once? The Master is so merciful that He can use several occasions both pleasant and misfortune to get our attention to one thing that is needful, which we have so lost focus to notice. Don’t wait till you found yourself in the hospital with your one leg hang-up before you pay attention to His calling! Don’t wait till you lose that job or have your loved one death before you can hear the Lord! Martha, Martha, the Lord keep calling, then having lost all in

Self-pursuit, she turns to face the Lord! Don’t wait till you lost all before you give Him attention.

Then the Lord addresses her cares and troubles. He knows all; He is the LORD! He is the only one who has answers to our situations and troubles of life, even our inner fears which we may not know are very much open before Him. We should learn to turn to Him in our fragile-season. thou art careful and troubled about many things.  So is it to many Christians, we find it very difficult to let go on things that matter most to us, which the Lord is not seeing as very essential to our Christian race! Hence the Lord admonishes us as He did to Martha many centuries ago, “One thing is needful”  and that is what surpasses time and seasons, so many things can be twisted and pass on and so many which might be reining now will soon fade away in time! Oh how often are we caught in pursuing soon-to-fade that we relegate this one thing that matters most!

‘Mary has chosen the good part’ we must endeavor to choose the good part like Mary as that is all that matters! It surpasses time and season and cannot be taken away from those who have it! Amen!!!

 

 

 

 

 

                             

                   THE WARRIOR IS COMING HOME!

Commentary on the Parable of the lost Son luke15:11-32

• The controversy

Papa was wondering what has happen to his boy to demand for his portion of the family inheritance when he is still alive and better still there is older son in the family! Looking at this boy who must have been a torn to his flesh and terror to the entire house-hold, if his demand is not honored heads will roll and there might be no peace at home. Anyway he is a son and it makes no different, quick his demand was honored.

• The Decision

Not many days after, he sold all and left with the money to live in a very far country, there is no ill in leaving home, but a ‘very far country’ connote a meaning that this young man don’t want to have anything to do with the family anymore.  He spends all with prostitutes and wasted his life on lawless living.

• The aftermath

With time he was in lack, but he has to survive at least to eat, though a great famine has risen in the land but anyhow man must hustle, hence it landed him in slavery to feed swine. This is a young man who in all his life wanted to be his own boss, only to be slavery to swine. Oh! How often has we wanted to be on our own outside our MAKER only to be slavery in one ill habits or the other. NO ONE GAVE HIM! Indeed he was suffering for his decision.

 

• The home coming!

‘I will arise and go back…’ He can no longer continue to deceive himself, without the Father he can do nothing. He started running back home, afar off; the father saw him and had compassion on him, oh what a home coming, what reconciliation! Everyone was happy, though the older son shows his displeasure but the father convince him to accept his only brother back. He was dead and is alive again, was lost but is found. There was merriment! The story of the prodigal son, you remember? _Luke15v11-32

The message

You may have missed it somewhere, what has happened to your faith, your fellowship, prayer-life and dedication? What is this ungodliness in the burner of your heart? You now quote more of shes-spire than the scripture. You no longer find pleasure with the spirit than you found with the flesh! what happen to your vision and dreams when you were burning with zeal for the Lord? Yours might be a family and good relationship you abandon. Indeed it is time to come home! The arms of the father are wide open to receive and forgive you. Amen!!!

‘Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.’ Isaiah 55:7.

 

 WHEN LIFE DOES NOT MAKE SENSE 

 

Few nights ago in my night vision, I saw a man who came with his family to offer some gifts of Thanksgiving. Each member of the family was carrying a gift. Wrap on each gift were certain tags like: holiness, righteousness, love, long-suffering, purity, kindness, forgiveness etc, up every one were ready to present his/her gift to God. Then suddenly someone ask a question " what if after all these present and gift to God, God decides not to bless, heal or deliver us, what shall we do, then the man of God answer I don't know but all I know is that God is faithful and we shall continue to do his will whether he blesses or not, for we do his will because we love Him!

 

Most times not the best brain makes the best result.

At times a virgin-maiden might experience delay in child-bearing unlike her way-ward friend who just married few days ago.

A conserve maiden might had difficulty in getting married even in her late 30's while her loose friend got married in her 20's.

Do you know that the richest man is not a born-again Christian.

Your boss were you are working might not be as godly and prayerful as you are.

The most prayerful person might even suffer misfit in certain areas of life!

The wisest king of his generation: king Solomon has this to say ' HERE IS AN INJUSTICE I HAVE SEEN IN THE WORLD- AN INJUSTICE CAUSED BY RULERS. FOOLISH PEOPLE ARE SET IN PLACE OF AUTHORITY WHILE THE WISE ARE SET IN LOW PLACES. I HAVE SEEN SLAVES ON HORSEBACK WHILE PRINCES GO ON FOOT LIKE SLAVES!! Ecclesiastes 10v5-7.

Do not be discourage by all these even I shall never be frustrated by this. Yes of a truth life itself is a mystery; most times it doesn't make sense.

Do you know most Christian homes are in a mess while families of certain unbelievers are in peace and harmony!

Life happens to all persons whether righteous or wicked! The maker chooses to bless whom he chooses and there is no question to His decision!! This is because your service to God and humanity is not prerequisite for blessings and open doors but a prove of your love for God and humanity.

Finally keep walking on the right path and doing the good works even when it doesn't make sense.

THOUGH THE RIGHTEOUS MIGHT LOOSE THE BATTLE OF LIFE BUT WILL CERTAINLY WIN THE WAR OVER HIS SOUL!

You will win at last!!!

THE STRANGER IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY 2

THE STRANGER IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY 2

As believer and follower of Christ, you are that stranger in a foreign country. The foreign country is the world where Satan rules as prince having blindfolded the heart of men not to see the light of the truth. We who has been delivered from darkness to light, Christ who is the king of the great kingdom has sent us forth to establish his kingdom in the heart of men on earth, so that at his return we will be glad we did.

Heb 11v9-10 ‘ by faith he made his home in the promised Land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose builder and maker is God’.

The above text will guide our discussion; I pray that the Holy Spirit will lead us Amen.

Now from the there are some points we will be discussing and I will like us to allow the Holy Spirit to guide our heart to understanding:

1.     We are stranger in this world: Abraham came to the Promised Land that flows with milk and honey, yet he sees himself as a pilgrim who will soon pass away. I peter 2v11 says ‘dear friends I urge you as strangers and exiles…’ As believers and followers of Christ we must understand that we are strangers in this world, though we are in the world we are not of the world. Oh yes even Abraham was living in tent. For we must know that our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a savior; the Lord Jesus Christ. And so we must admit that we are strangers in this world and so we are.

2.     Our material blessing is not our eternal reward: ‘By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger…’ Abraham was blessed by God in possession, the bible says God blessed him in every way but he was careful never to admit that was his lot forever. He was still looking forward to that city that last forever ‘whose builder and maker is God’.  That was the reason he live in tent. As pilgrims in this world we must appreciate the fact that our hope in Christ is beyond the earthly, our treasure is in heaven. ‘For we look not on the things seen but the unseen, for the things seen are temporal but the unseen are eternal.’2 cor 4v18.

3.     Never take hold of this world: ‘The world is passing away and the things in it’ 1 John 2v17. As strangers in this world, we must not take hold of this earthly life. Our father Abraham lived in tent even in the Promised Land. ‘ he lived in tent even as did Isaac and Jacob…’ which mean we must not be occupied with this passing life that we lose focus of the eternal kingdom, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God, but must seek first His kingdom which is our foremost priority. Our Lord Jesus whom we are following His step, while He was on earth, had no place to lay his head. The Lord says ‘be careful or your heart will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. Luke 21v34. Though we are in the world we are not of the world.

4.     Heirs of same promised: ‘Isaac and Jacob who were heirs with him of the same promised’.  The scripture says ‘God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, that in the coming ages he might show the in comparable riches in Christ Jesus.

Eph 2v6-7. As believers we must come to understand that we are saved through the blood of Jesus and God in his infinite grace has made us to be in union with his son. We must confirm in His Image and lived in His likeness. ‘We know that when he appears we shall be like Him, for we shall see him just as He is. All who have this hope in Him purify themselves just as He is pure. 1 john 3v2-3.

5.     Looking forward: As pilgrim and strangers we must look forward. ‘for he was looking forward. Heb 11v10. We must not set our heart on earthly but on things above for therein comes our eternal reward. We must look unto Jesus; the author and finisher of our faith. We must look upon Him who is the Joy that is set before us, amidst challenges sinful entanglement; hence there is no need to look back unto destruction; hence we must be focus on our calling so ‘ that at last we shall not be as those who shrink back and are destroyed, but those who have faith and are saved’. As it is written ‘ I take no pleasure in the one who shrink back. Heb 10v38.