Inclining Your Ear To Wisdom

A Few Things I Have Learned After I Lend My Ear To Wisdom

 1-Never act desperate when going through a trial; for if you do, you give the enemy a chance to destroy you.

2-Never utter anything that will make you regret later especially when angry; for when you have sobered up, you will be looking for a place to hide.

 3-Never answer your detractors or critics, for by so doing, you give their allegations credibility. Try not to seek validation, or sympathy, it's only God who can validate you.

 4-Rejoice when you have more haters than admires; for haters or detractors are there because you're doing something valuable which themselves can't do. Even Christ was hated by many. Simple rule; march on to your destiny and ignore the noise.

. And 

5-It's hard, but do it; love those who use you or are spiteful. Love your enemies and hate them not, they're there for your growth, without them, you will never scale certain levels. Seek not vengeance, for vengeance is God's.

 6-If you want to know that you're making progress, then it will be palpable at a time when you're under attack, and also when people talk evil of you, and you're not moved, but in spite of all that you're able to smile and calmly bless them - this is a great pointer you're overcoming. And that shows you for sure how grown you're.

 7-Charity, or Love will conquer anything the enemy has vowed to use to bring you down, and forgiveness is a strong weapon that eliminates bitterness; if you're not bitter with anyone, life, world or the past, then you have silenced the enemy and out of your spiritual well will come forth life!

Missions In Kenya

We Need The Anointing

Lately we have seen such a great surge in folks who have purported to receiving a call in the things of God. And as confusion rage on, and as the world ponder and try to decipher what is happening, no meaningful discernment seems to be in sight; especially to those who can't grasp the goings on. It is to be understood for a fact that we have three ways in which a man can be called. One, by God, two, by men, and three by self- the latter means self-appointed. Examples are there galore in the bible to help us unravel this. It isn't a new phenomenon, neither is it just unique to us living in these very perilous times on the planet. "The likes of Absalom, his other brother Adonijah, who were all David's sons, appointed themselves as King's, only to be vanquished in their folly." 2Sa 15:10 But Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, As soon as ye hear the sound of the trumpet, then ye shall say, Absalom reigneth in Hebron. Here we can see how Absalom conspired to depose his father, by appointing himself as the King in the place of his living father, without any regards whatsoever to God's laid down ways. 1Ki 1:5 Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, I will be king: and he prepared him chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. 1Ki 1:6 And his father had not displeased him at any time in saying, Why hast thou done so? and he also was a very goodly man; and his motherbare him after Absalom. 1Ki 1:7 And he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest: and they following Adonijah helped him. 1Ki 1:8 But Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the mighty men which belonged to David, were not with Adonijah. Again, here we see the same thing taking place. Self-appointment has always instigated worst tendencies, and some people that have already deviated from what is sound will be caught in the middle of it. "And casualties will be many. It's always borne-out of the fact, that people can't wait to be instructed well in God's ways, and are very hasty, not because they love God so much than the rest, but, rather, by so doing they try very hard to satiate their bloated egos. And this helps the enemy to displace the faith of some." "Some are Appointed by God, and others by men, and we got several examples in the bible about situations like this- thus, because we need to narrow this down, we shall focus on a few individuals." And one of the examples is Saul's son who was put on the throne by Abner 'Saul's commander.' 2Sa 2:8 But Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul's host, took Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim; 2Sa 2:9 And made him king over Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel. 2Sa 2:10 Ishbosheth Saul's son was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David. When God calls somebody to the task he has assigned them, there is a remarkable shift in tendencies, and it's not conflicting in any manner. "The harbinger of it; is an open secret, which is a sheer fact -relative to ones calling. It doesn't escape any notice, as evidence is there to show to all and sundry that one indeed has a calling of God upon them." We have examples that are myriad that prove that in the word of God, "especially-how God plucked nobodies from divers backgrounds and elevated them beyond what their peers envisaged, making them a people with a purpose, and different from others; because of the anointing that rested upon them." I will zero in on one of the characters that was obscure until the presage of lost donkeys. Saul was an average man without any sign of God's calling upon his life. His case can be truly equated to any Joe out there, that is happy going to Church, without fanfare or expectation of the portend that lays a head. Israel was at the crossroads; and badly desiring a ruler like any another nation that bordered her. While doing this, the people of Israel were oblivious of the fact that they were denying Him, that had brought them out of slavery. But God was willing to give them a King. It is only God that grands us leaders-whether those leaders are good, or worse. The difference between all these, is what God does that humbles people, making them understand he is God, who is able to change man, status quo, adverse situations, and impossibilities surrounding man-kind. "This man Saul was plucked from obscurity and thrust to leadership pedestal, not by his making, or by virtue of his tribe or ethnicity. It's not because of an honorable family name, neither because of deep pockets that attracts levels of unction, rather, the calling of God that rests upon one chosen of him." The donkeys were found. God used the situation of the lost beasts of burden as a portend that heralded the prospects of his elevation. He never got himself involved in spiritual theatrics of the day. Neither was he practicing religious dogmas to warrant his elevation, "or connecting himself to the prophet with a 'seed' in order for his spiritual elevation to be sure. God had already told prophet Samuel that He will bring him a man that will be the captain of His people. Seed money wasn't needed to unlock Saul's potential, it's not by might neither by power; but by my spirit says the Lord." One of the things that totally upstages pundits is the sheer fact that God can't be fathomed using human intellect, or by usage of accumulated experience. He will forever remain God. As ordinary as Saul was, just like some of us were up until he released His unction on us, we remained so ordinary. When his Spirit came upon us then change was instigated by him. 1Sa 10:1 Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because the LORD hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance? 1Sa 10:2 When thou art departed from me to day, then thou shalt find two men by Rachel's sepulchre in the border of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say unto thee, The asses which thou wentest to seek are found: and, lo, thy father hath left the care of the asses, and sorroweth for you, saying, What shall I do for my son? 1Sa 10:3 Then shalt thou go on forward from thence, and thou shalt come to the plain of Tabor, and there shall meet thee three men going up to God to Bethel, one carrying three kids, and another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a bottle of wine: 1Sa 10:4 And they will salute thee, and give thee two loaves of bread; which thou shalt receive of their hands. 1Sa 10:5 After that thou shalt come to the hill of God, where is the garrison of the Philistines: and it shall come to pass, when thou art come thither to the city, that thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery, and a tabret, and a pipe, and a harp, before them; and they shall prophesy: 1Sa 10:6 And the Spirit of the LORD will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man. 1Sa 10:7 And let it be, when these signs are come unto thee, that thou do as occasion serve thee; for God is with thee. Chapter ten verse six, captures my attention. It vividly states that, "the Spirit will come upon you, and you shall prophecy, and you shall be turned into another man." It means, I will make you cease being ordinary, and things will change, and as you prophecy, there will be a transformation taking place inside of you. You will no longer be the same, for you will be turned in to another man that you were initially not. "The things you will do, are things you never thought at any given time you will be able to do them, because my Spirit will give you the impetus to do those things when action is demanded." We need the anointing, and we need to be turned in to different men and women as in Saul's case. We see this replicated in the lives of those folks that allowed God to use them. They feared God, they were not interested in-man's recognition, neither were they striving to become celeb preachers, wanting recognition by titles, or craving for the world attention, and robbing God his place. "They had faith in him, suffering perils, being denounced by regimes, not welcome in some places, enduring persecution and tribulations." On the day of Pentecost we see how fearful, and struggling men and women were baptized in the spirit, and got energized in the things of God, and they boldly declared Christ. When flogged for preaching Christ, they were happy to have participated in his suffering. How many of us will be happy when flogged because they openly preached Christ? We are too embarrassed to testify of him on platforms given to us. We don't want to raffle feathers, we want to be accommodative, and accept every filth in the church in the name of tolerance and understanding. That is why we need the anointing, and the calling of Christ upon our lives. To be able to speak about Christ without fear. "And by the way it's only Christ who has the ability to change situations, nations and peoples of the world. No man on earth has that ability, ours is to discourse principles outlined in his word to them that Christ is sending us to." Time has come to spearhead the right aspects, and do so with fervor, knowing for sure that days are coming when the Son of God shall return, and as His chosen people let's work hard being led by his Spirit when it's still day, before darkness engulf the earth."

The Canon

The canon of Scripture refers to the list of books recognized as divinely inspired and authoritative for faith and practice. Our word canon is derived from the Hebrew qaneh and the Greek kanon, meaning a “reed” or a “measuring stick.” The term came to mean the standard by which a written work was measured for inclusion in a certain body of literature. The books of the Bible are not inspired because humans gave them canonical status. Rather, the books were recognized as canonical by humans because they were inspired by God. As Wegner explains, the books of the Old Testament “did not receive their authority because they were placed in the canon; rather they were recognized by the nation of Israel as having divine authority and were therefore included in the canon.”1 The community of faith did not create the Scriptures; rather, the Scriptures helped to create the community of faith by giving form and substance to its identity and system of beliefs. The order and arrangement of the Hebrew canon is different from that of our English Bibles. The Hebrew canon consists of three major sections, the Law (Torah), the Prophets (Nevi’im), and the Writings (Kethuvim). Collectively they are referred to as the Tanak (an acrostic built on the first letters of these three divisions—TNK).

  The Septuagint (LXX), the Greek translation of the Old Testament, first employed the fourfold division of the Old Testament into Pentateuch, Historical Books, Poetical Books, and Prophetic Books that is used in the English Bible. The inclusion of historical books within the prophetic section of the Hebrew canon reflects their authorship by the prophets. Daniel appears in the Writings rather than the Prophets because Daniel was not called to the office of prophet even though he functioned as a prophet from time to time. Chronicles at the end of the canon provides a summary of the entire Old Testament story from Adam to Israel’s return from exile though it was written from a priestly perspective. The Roman Catholic canon of the Old Testament includes seven apocryphal books (Tobit, Judith, Wisdom of Solomon, Ecclesiasticus or Sirach, Baruch, Letter of Jeremiah, and 1 and 2 Maccabees) written during the Intertestamental period, as well as additional materials for the books of Esther and Daniel.2 The Eastern Orthodox Church also recognized these works as canonical, as well as four additional compositions (1 Esdras, Psalm 151, 3 and 4 Maccabees, and the Prayer of Manasseh). When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the commandments God gave him, the people of Israel immediately recognized their divine authority and promised to raise up a succession of prophets “like Moses” to speak His word for subsequent generations, and the pronouncements of these messengers of God would also be recognized as possessing divine authority. The prophet Samuel wrote down laws of kingship that were deposited before the Lord when the monarchy was established in Israel (1 Sam 10:25). David’s extensive writings came to be recognized as inspired Scripture because the Spirit of God spoke through him (2 Sam 23:1–2), and the words of the prophets came to be placed alongside the Torah in the Hebrew Scriptures because of the self-authenticating message. Histories, psalms, and wisdom writings recognized as coming from others speaking with a prophetic voice were also similarly respected and preserved. WHEN WAS THE PROCESS COMPLETED? Jewish tradition affirmed that prophecy ceased in Israel c. 400 BC after the ministry of Malachi. First Maccabees 9:27 states, “So there was great distress in Israel, such as had not been since the time that the prophets ceased to appear among them.” Baruch 85:3 makes a similar claim, and the Jewish Talmud states that the Holy Spirit departed from Israel after the prophets Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi in the early postexilic period. While some questions remained regarding some of the “writings” that were already included in Scripture (e.g., Esther) even until the Council of Jamnia in AD 90, the evidence suggests that the Hebrew canon was essentially completed and fixed by 300 BC. All of the canonical books of the Old Testament, except for Esther, appear among the copies of the Dead Sea Scrolls (250 BC–AD 70) We are therefore duty-bound to understand through His Spirit the importance of that selection. Every bible student has to go to the bottom of what is handed us, and learn those things, so that we are not swayed in anyway by those who distorted the word, or cast aspersions at the inspired work of God.

Being Thankful

Giving thanks in the midst of trials, or persecution has always been a tough thing to do. Whereas most of us will love a quick solution out of what we are facing, sometimes it doesn't work out as we thought at the beginning. We have to understand that God will not allow us to go through trials we can't be able to bear. 1Co 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

 There are many people today who are going through some tough moments in their lives, some are chided for the positions they have taken in God simply because it would've been expected of them to succumb at the weight of such trying moments. Understanding what is happening around you, will help you to withstand the pressure. Jesus Christ, knew what was set before him; that he defied Satan, when he tried to entice him with power and glory alleging all of it was given to his power, which prompted CHRIST to tell him " get thee behind me Satan for it is written; you shall only worship God and him shall you serve."

 David too, had some low moments. He could not be allowed to fight alongside the philistines against his own nation which was headed by Saul. The lords of the philistines advised the king against involving David and his militia group In the battle against Israel. David left Achish, and came to Ziklag where his family and the families of the men following him as his rag tag army had been left behind, a place appointed for him by Achish, only to find out that the place had been overrun by the Amalakites, and the camp burned, and the families taken captive. Every man was talking about stoning David, for every man wept for his sons and daughters until power was not left in them to weep. David encouraged himself in the Lord, and he was assured recovery of what seemed impossible to recover at that hour. We need to put our trust in the Lord in such agonizing moments in order to secure victory against our enemy.

 I have learned that, the moment God tells you to do something for him, the enemy will try to stir what can be stirred up in order to derail your focus, and blur your vision as it pertains to fulfillment that you need to fulfill. But in situations like these, what is needed is to keep trusting in God, and praising him for victory, and having faith that you will accomplish the mission. It's very rare to praise God in hard times, but if you can honor God, praise him, trust in him, clearly understand what he is capable of doing, then nothing can come in between you and God, and you're assured of great victory against the adversary. When Paul and Silas, were rounded, beaten, and thrown in jail, they didn't harbor hard fillings against the magistrates. Though they had been flogged, they summoned courage in the midst of that situation, and at midnight they prayed and sang hymns to God, and the precious Lord set them free by shaking the foundation of the very jail they were put in. The jail man almost took his life because he assumed that the prisoners had escaped, but Paul cried out aloud asking him not to do himself harm for they hadn't escaped. And he (jail man) asked them what he should do in order to be saved, and Paul told him to be believe in Jesus Christ and his household will be saved as well. He brought them to his house, set a meal before them, and washed the wounds inflicted on them as a result of the beating they initially received. This is what God does to us, when we don't complain, or murmur especially when faced with situations that are dire. He is our hope in every situation. Are you going through tough moments? If yes, then let your spiritual eyes be firmly fixated on the Lord, and he shall deliver you from any situation that you find yourself in today. The bible clearly tells us, that he is the same yesterday, today and forever. He does not sleep neither slumber and his word is yes and amen!

Calling The Fire Down

It's not easy for us of this generation to grasp the weight of certain things; particularly thus, by virtue of God's unhindered ways of doing things. The precious Lord  has always been with his people inspite of  many obstacles that have been laid in the path of His people.

I look at the Bible characters and I am awed by the simplicity with which they carried themselves: yet these men and Women of God wielded such great power and authority, especially at a time when full manifestation of the Holy Spirit was not evident. What would happen in those days was for the spirit of God to come upon them, and the Lord would use them. But this never stopped them from showing off the works of God in their generations time.

Jas 5:17  Elijah was a man of like feeling to us, and he prayed in prayer for it not to rain; and it did not rain on the earth three years and six months.

Jas 5:18  And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth caused its fruit to sprout. 

This interests me, when I come to understand conditions in which Elijah operated in. Harsh realities dawned on him and other prophets, that they could not freely operate without attracting the wrath of the King and his wicked wife. Idolatry was the norm, and the house of Ephraim had been carried along with the craze of worshipping foreign deities. Does this somehow mirror what is going on albeit in a different way?

His ( Elijah) Spirit was vexed, and he wasn't going to conform himself to aspects that contradicted what God had handed to their fathers; and which were well articulated by the Lord.

 He ( God) made it clear to them the consequences of defying his  Law.  Elijah spoke about the nation of Israel going without rain and dew, till his word came to pass. This was a sign to this nation that comprised ten tribes of Israel that God wasn't happy with the manner in which they were straying from what he had given them, and that was very evident. The bible doesn't tell us whether Judah was affected by this, since it's clear the words were precisely directed at Ahab who was the instigator of Ephraim's house backsliding tendencies. The house of David had its share of battles but this word seems to be so particular as to which house was going to be affected. And God honored Elijah's word.

The bible makes it very clear how Elijah was zealous and jealous for Jehovah because the children of Israel had forsaken the covenant.

1Ki 19:10  And he said, Being zealous, I have been zealous for Jehovah the God of Hosts, for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant; they have thrown down Your altars, and they have killed Your prophets with the sword, and I am left, I alone, and they seek to take my life.

It shows here why he was able to call for the shutting of the heavens, and not a single drop of rain was to be seen in the land until his word came to pass. Such actions can only be associated with people that really love the Lord and not the world. Folks that are truly sold to the causes of God. And such God will never forsake nor fail to answer the prayers directed at him by those who love him this much.

When God finally told him that he was going to bring rain, "since most likely others who loved him were praying that he causes it to rain."  We see what unfolds. Elijah wants everyone to know why it never rained, and who was supposed to be worshipped. He wanted them to see the difference and not follow Baal blindly, for Baal was subjecting them to the wrath of God. He tells Ahab to bring four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and four hundred prophets of the grove for a contest on Mt Carmel.

Elijah takes an opportunity to deride and upbraid Ahab and Israel for the nation's backsliding tendency, and he gives those ministering to false deities a chance to prove to the nation as to whether those deities can match the sovereign power of God. He says to them this - "God that answers by fire is the one to be worshipped."

 It takes great courage to engage a nation this way, more so when you're aware that your life is on the line if God fails to answer by fire.

Of truth God doesn't disappoint. When you truly seek him, and have a desire for people to see the difference between him and other aspects that are distracting his people from  acknowledging his greatness, let it be known candidly that he will not let down his people at such moments. He honored Elijah by sending fire to consume the sacrifice placed on the repaired alter. And when Israel saw this, they fell on their knees and cried out aloud and said " the Lord is the God, the Lord is the God"

Time has come when the Holy Ghost fire need to be evidenced in our midst. When people see the glory of God, they shall whole-heartedly embrace him. We need to change tact, pray without ceasing like Elijah did, demonstrate his love and presence, and we shall see the flames of revival all over again. Let us come and worship him with a clean and pure heart, that hungers and craves for him, and we shall see a great spiritual awakening in our times. Blessed be the Lord God of Abraham, God of Isaac and God of Jacob. He is a powerful God and nothing is impossible with him!

Understanding God's Redemptive Purpose In Genesis

The Genesis account of creation also contradicts secular evolution, which theorizes that all life, including humans, evolved over billions of years from lower life forms by natural processes. Theories of origins that accommodate evolution (gap theory, day theory, age theory, revelatory day theory, theistic evolution, etc.) have all generally proven inadequate explanations of the obvious contrast between the biblical account of creation and general evolutionary theory. The results of the naturalistic evolutionary hypothesis have left a spiritual void that “erases all moral and ethical accountability and ultimately abandons all hope for humanity.

The major crisis for the newly created world comes in chapter 3 with the fall of Adam and Eve into sin. This resulted in their expulsion from the garden of Eden because of their sinful acts of rebellion against God. Their descendants followed in the rebellious ways of their parents, resulting in what would become the beginning of the continuing story of human depravity and its terrible consequences. Spiritual death and human suffering came immediately as the result of their sin and eventually led to their physical death (3:3,19). As a result, apostle Paul observes, “death reigned” because of Adam’s sin (Rom 5:14). Thus, the one biblical doctrine for which there is no lack of empirical evidence is the depravity of the human race.

While the immediate consequences of human sin brought guilt, shame, fear, and broken communication with the Creator (Gen 3:7–13), God graciously confronted Adam and Eve asking, “Where are you?” (3:9) and “What is this you have done?” (3:13). After pronouncing the penalty for their sin, God provided for their redemption by clothing their inadequacy (3:21) and predicting their ultimate salvation by the “seed” of the woman who would “crush” (NIV) the head of the serpent (3:15). This promise of the annihilator of the wicked instigator by the promise of a human conqueror was the first prophecy of the Bible. It has often been called the protoevangelium or what Aalders called “the gospel announced by God Himself to our first parents.”7 No time frame is indicated, but the bible reader would see the first ray of hope to enlighten the human predicament.

Most importantly, the protoevangelium (Gen 3:15) made clear that one day God would send one who would defeat God’s enemy. This would eventually allow for the restoration of everything to God’s original design and restore man’s position as theocratic administrator. Thus, the information presented in Genesis 1–3 would help Israel understand why redemption was necessary. Putting this together with Gen 12:1–3 would help any keen reader understand why the nation was singled out for the special purpose of mediating God’s redemptive blessings. Such blessings would ultimately restore God’s original intent in creation that was lost in the fall.

The material matter collected in the reading of Genesis will therefore bring to light the redemptive purpose. And why it was prudent for the child to be born, grow and defeat the enemy.