Friday, October 7, 2011

October 7: One More Night with Frogs

And Moses said to Pharaoh, “Accept the honor of saying when I shall intercede for you, for your servants, and for your people, to destroy the frogs from you and your houses,  that  they may remain in the river only.”  So he said, “Tomorrow.” And he said, “ Let it be  according to your word, that you may know that  there is  no one like the Lord our God.  And the frogs shall depart from you, from your houses, from your servants, and from your people. They shall remain in the river only.” (Exodus 8:8-11 NKJV)

People exhibit differing reactions to frogs. Some are irritated by them. Some are afraid of the poison they could carry and some like them enough to keep them as pets. However, though many could tolerate a frog or two, few wants their whole house overrun with frogs to the extent that they have nowhere to step, sit or sleep without squashing a couple of frogs and being baptized in slimy fluids. But look at Pharaoh. As a result of his refusal to let the people of God go, the judgment of God came upon his nation. The whole nation was teeming with frogs. 

Now the puzzling thing is this: when Pharaoh in his frustration ran to Moses to ask him to pray for the frogs to go, and Moses asked him when he wanted the frogs to go, Pharaoh replied- tomorrow. Tomorrow? Why not today? Why not immediately? It is puzzling why Pharaoh chose to spend one more night with the frogs. One more night with frogs crawling over your feet. One more night of sharing your bed with frogs. One more night of being spattered with froggy fluids and enduring the irritating sound of thousands of hopping and croaking frogs all over your house and nation. I am convinced that if Pharaoh had said "now" instead of tomorrow Moses would have obliged. The frogs would have gone. However Pharaoh's obstinate heart postponed his deliverance.

There is a lesson here. Are you also proposing one more night with frogs in your life when you can get rid of them today in prayer? Are you postponing your deliverance or salvation? Do you want another night with the mess that surrounds you as a result of past misdeeds? Are you procrastinating repentance and the reordering of your life till another day? Do you really want to go to bed again angry, jealous and with the slimy poisonous fluids of unforgiveness in bed with you? Are you going to put off once again resolving your alienation from God or his people? Are you going to go to bed again with chaos in your soul? Will you put off reconciling with God and charting a new course for another day? 

Remember the admonition of scripture: 

"...Behold, now  is  the accepted time; behold, now  is  the day of salvation. (2 Corinthians 6:2 NKJV)

And again He designates a certain day, saying in David,  “Today,”  after such a long time, as it has been said: “Today, if you will hear His voice,  Do not harden your hearts.” (Hebrews 4:7 NKJV)

Remember, Pharaoh may have had another day but for you, another day is not guaranteed. Do not put off what you need to do today till another time. Get rid of the frogs right now. Don't spend another night with their poisonous fluids. God is waiting for you.

Decision of the Day

I will not postpone getting right with God. I will not wait for another day to get rid of the frogs in my life. I will spend no extra day in disobedience, pride, strife and sin. I will make decisions I need to make today and sleep frog free. 

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

October 5th: It's Lunch Time!

But Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers; so the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments.  For every man threw down his rod, and they became serpents. But Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods...(Exodus 7:11-13 NKJV)

In many parts of the world, such as in Africa, unsaved men often display supernatural powers that try to mirror the real power of God. They use occult inspired satanic abilities to perform certain feats, often deceiving people and striking fear in the minds of some. To anyone who has been in those places or have experiences along these lines, you will know without a doubt that negative supernatural powers are neither just stories in Harry Porter books nor fantasies to entertain children. There truly exist men and women  who have tapped into superhuman abilities through occult practices. 

Similarly, in some other parts of the world where the supernatural is not so prevalent, we also see manifestations of things that try to prove exalted themselves to the level of God. There are atheistic arguments trying to prove they are superior to the truth of the word of God. There are humanistic ideologies born with the aim of relegating the truth of God and Christ to the background and banishing it from the mainstream. The Bible has always faced opposition through the ages and we know of many who have predicted its demise.

You too  will sometimes  come in contact with certain counterfeit manifestations, the rod of men,  that will try to disprove the power of God in your life.  There are also situations in your life that try to contest the place of God: a habit that says I'm as powerful as your God. A situation that says even your God is incapable of delivering you from its jaws. It might even be a person who has inspired fear in you holding you down with cult-like grip, trying to take the place of your true God.  

However, the simple truth of our text today is this: whenever the true power of God gets on the scene all counterfeit powers have to bow. When the word of God, the name of Jesus and the holy Spirit are at work, every  other thing will have to bow. When the original and the counterfeit compete, the counterfeit becomes lunch. It will be swallowed up. 

God's power is superior to all. In Acts 8, we see a great example. Phillip arrived in Samaria and proclaimed Christ, healing many diseases and performing signs. However, before Philip came with the original, Simon the sorcerer was ruling the people with his counterfeit power. That reign ended when Christ's power was revealed.

How should you respond to this? Determine today that you will develop a healthy reverence for the power of God. Do not discount it. Do not accept that its expression in the practical issue of your life, such as overcoming diseases, sicknesses and limitations, are for the past. Refuse to allow any other counterfeit power to continue to reign in your life. Through prayer, let the power of God make delicious lunch out of the devil-inspired manifestations in your life and situations. It's lunch time!

Decision of the Day

I know God's power is supreme. Every attempt by human, situations and the devil to mimic it in other to contest His place will have to fail. I will learn to be aware of His presence and power in my life through the Holy Spirit. I will confront these counterfeits  with the truth of His word and they will end up as lunch, swallowed by God's power. 

Sunday, October 2, 2011

October 2: Proclaiming His Lordship 

Proclaiming His Lordship 

And the Egyptians shall know that I  am  the Lord, when I stretch out My hand on Egypt and bring out the children of Israel from among them.” (Exodus 7:5 NKJV)


Even though God created all, many of His creatures still don't recognize him as Lord. Some deny that He even exists. A percentage of His creatures even pledge their allegiances to other god's formed from things He created. It is therefore no surprise that one of the chief motivations of the loving God is to convince all that He is the Lord of all. One of the ways He does this is by stretching out His hand to perform miraculous acts of deliverance that will catch the attention of the unbelieving. 

This statement in our text today is repeated several times in the book of Exodus. It is also not just an Old Testament thing. In the book of Acts, the early disciples prayed for the same outstretching of God's hand to perform signs and wonders among the people.

"Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word,  by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.”  And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness." (Acts 4:29-31 NKJV)

The result of this  prayer was recorded in the next chapter. 

"And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon’s Porch.  Yet none of the rest dared join them, but the people esteemed them highly.  And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women,  so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid  them  on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them.  Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed." (Acts 5:12-16 NKJV)

As God stretched His hand in signs wonders and miraculous deliverances, multitudes began to recognize Him as Lord and they were added to Him. 

God wants to do the same in our time and through your life. Instead of trying to use worldly method to confront the issues you face in your health, marriage, finance, family or ministry, reach out to God in prayer like the early disciples and ask Him to stretch out His hand, performing divine acts of deliverance that will cause everyone who knows you and the situations to acknowledge Him as the Lord. Pray to Him to do things in your life, family, ministry, city or nation that only Him can take credit for. Things that it will be obvious no man could do. Things that will cause fingers to point at Him as the cause,  glory to go to Him and people to be added to Him. He is eager to show His strength on your behalf. Just ask in faith. 

"For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of  those  whose heart  is  loyal to Him..." (2 Chronicles 16:9 NKJV)

Decision of the Day

I understand that God wants to show His power in the world so they can acknowledge Him as Lord. Lord, I pray today that you will stretch out your hand in my situations, family, ministry, city and nation and perform your mighty acts that will draw people's attention and cause them to acknowledge you as Lord. It is my decision that from this day every situation of my life will be an opportunity to proclaim your Lordship. 

Saturday, October 1, 2011

October 1: Grace Spectacles: Wear Them and Check Yourself Out! 

But Moses said before the Lord, “Behold, I  am  of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh heed me?” So the Lord said to Moses: “See, I have made you  as  God to Pharaoh, and Aaron your brother shall be your prophet.  You shall speak all that I command you. And Aaron your brother shall tell Pharaoh to send the children of Israel out of his land. (Exodus 6:30, 7:1, 2 NKJV)

Have you ever been in a position where an impediment, weakness or imperfection you have  looms bigger in your sight and consciousness than every other thing? It might be something in your background, history, experience, family, body or mind. Something that makes you think you do not measure up with others . Something that has conditioned your mind to think of yourself in a particular way- less capable or viable than others. Something you have grown up knowing about yourself. 

Moses was in that position. He had some impediment in his speech. As a result of this, he had accepted the label of someone with uncircumcised lips. Uncircumcision in those days portrayed an image of imperfection or deformity. This was how Moses saw himself. He was imperfect in speech. He was inferior to others and didn't expect any result from speaking to Pharaoh. He concluded that Pharaoh could hardly hear him speak because of this speech impediment. Someone else would be better for the job. In fact, his first experience at attempting to speak to Pharaoh didn't turn out well. He had an experience of seeming failure that to him confirmed his incapability.

However, God doesn't look at us the way we look at ourselves. Our weaknesses and incapabilities  do not faze him or deter him from calling us to His ordained assignments for us. This is because He sees us differently. He looks at us with different spectacles than we use.  He told Moses, in essence: "You see yourself with uncircumcised lips, but I see you as I have made you, a god, with your brother as your prophet. Now see yourself correctly and go and do what I sent you to do- speak to Pharaoh!" 

A god! Moses saw himself incapable but God saw him capable. He saw himself limited, but God saw him without limitations.  Isn't this the way it is with us. 

God sees us righteous in Him, but we persist in seeing ourselves as sinners
He see us as accepted in Him, but we see ourselves as outcasts
He sees us endued with His strength, but we see ourselves clothed in weaknesses
He sees us blessed, but we see ourselves generationally cursed
He sees us as more than conquerors but we hold on to our images of defeat
He sees us abundantly supplied, but we see ourselves in lack
He sees us healed by His stripes, but we are sure we are sick- our symptoms confirming it.

God does not ask you to deny the physical realities of your life. That would be lying. However He wants you to look beyond them and see yourself as He sees you. He wants you to take on a new image within you of His sufficiency and grace which is more than enough for your weaknesses. He want you to put on His glasses and see yourself the way He sees you. 

"And He said to me,  “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me". (2 Corinthians 12:9 NKJV)

If God commanded the stammerer, Moses, to speak, then He is commanding you also to rise above you weaknesses, depending on His grace, to do what He's summoned you to. He's telling you to see yourself through His own spectacles. When you wear the spectacles of God, you see yourself and everything differently because His spectacles are grace spectacles.

Decision of the Day:

I choose to look at myself and other things not through my own eyes but through God's looking glasses. His word reveals to me His view of things. This will be my view. I will rise about very limitation by factoring in His grace which is more than enough for me.