Category: OLD TESTAMENT

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PERSISTENT EXILE JEWS REBUID THEIR HOMELAND DESPITE PRESSURE – Ezra

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Persistence: God Will Honor A Persistent Christian

(Passage: Ezra 5 & 6)

Some exile Jews returned home to rebuild their homeland, but the enemies were furious about their decision, and they were willing to do whatever it takes to stop them. However, Israelites summoned the courage to resist their opponents and kept their project on schedule. (They were persistent). Besides, the determined Jews pushed back against the enemies with an applicable legal backing. The authority honored their petition, and God’s name was glorified.

Bible reported,

“…Therefore, if it pleases the king, we request that a search be made in the royal archives of Babylon to discover whether King Cyrus ever issued a decree to rebuild God’s Temple in Jerusalem. And then let the king send us his decision in this matter… So King Darius issued orders that a search be made in the Babylonian archives, which were stored in the treasury. But it was at the fortress at Ecbatanain the province of Media that a scroll was found. This is what it said: “Memorandum: “In the first year of King Cyrus’s reign, a decree was sent out concerning the Temple of God at Jerusalem. “Let the Temple be rebuilt on the site where Jews used to offer their sacrifices, using the original foundations. Its height will be ninety feet, and its width will be ninety feet. (Ezra 5:17; Ezra 6:1-3).

Since the exile Jews remained persistent in rebuilding God’s temple, God helped them. In spite the odds they faced, Israelites were able to successfully rebuild God’s temple. They decorated it and offered acceptable sacrifices to God.

Lesson On Christian Persistence

People who serve God with persistence will not regret their decisions. God will honor them for their pious efforts. Children of God may have tough time and go through some hash circumstances, but they will ultimately prevail. They will scale through their challenges to praise the name of God. Since much benefits will is available for people who are persistent in their relationship with God, all people should endeavor to associate with him and serve him well.

Ask God for strength to be a persistent Christian who does a great thing to benefit his kingdom!

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Prayer To Be Persistent In God

Dear God, please help me to be a persistent Christian. Let me be someone that loves you wholehearted. I understand that you will defend those who honor you, and you will not give room for their enemies to mock them so that your name can be praised on their behaves. Please strengthen me to work well with you to enjoy all your benefits everyday of my life. For in the name of Jesus Christ I make my requests. Amen.

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ELISHA DEAD BODY RESURRECTED ANOTHER DEAD BODY – 2 Kings

Resurrection: Christians To Have Faith In God of Wonders

(Passage: 2 Kings 13)resurrection

God used Prophet Elisha greatly during his lifetime to perform many miracles. Elisha raise a dead person to life; he made a metal object float in water; he also averted a long-standing famine overnight. Perhaps none of those miracles should be considered as the greatest when compared to what happened after Elisha died. His dead bone resurrected another dead man to life!

The scripture reported,

“Then Elisha died, and they buried him. And the raiding bands from Moab invaded the land in the spring of the year. So it was, as they were burying a man, that suddenly they spied a band of raiders; and they put the man in the tomb of Elisha; and when the man was let down and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his feet” (2 Kings 13:21).

Faith In God Has Resurrection Power

Faith proves God’s resurrection power! The God that Christians serve is full of wonders. He does many unimaginable things for people who trust in him. People who serve God will enjoy his benefits on earth and in heaven.

Any Christian who faithfully serve God will have a basket full of testimony to share with other people! However, the challenge is left to anyone who intends to enjoy God’s benefit to not doubt his power.

People who doubt God may see their benefits eroded! It is important that a believer trust God and patiently wait to receive his help difficult a moment. God will show up in due time to benefit whosoever cast his complete trust in him.

Be hopeful in God. Trust him, and you will experience his resurrection power!

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Pray To Have Resilient Faith In God

Dear God, I know you have the power to do all things. I believe in the power of resurrection! You will honor people that reserve their confidence in you. Therefore, I ask that you please increase my faith in you!

Make me a Christian who has confidence in your word that you will perfect whatever concerns me! Please let my faith turn my trial to testimony so that I praise your name among the saints. For in the name of Jesus Christ I make my requests. Amen.

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ISRAELITES MUST PAY THEIR VOWS – Deuteronomy

 

Children of God Must Redeem Their Pledges

(Passage: Deuteronomy 23)

God required Israelites to honor and redeem their pledges before him. They must not overlook any pledge or consider it irrelevant but redeem every pledge in a timely manner. God stated he would consider any Israelites’ failed promises as an offense, and he would enforce them to redeeming them.

God said to his children, “When you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay to pay it; for the Lord your God will surely require it of you, and it would be sin to you. But if you abstain from vowing, it shall not be sin to you. That which has gone from your lips you shall keep and perform, for you voluntarily vowed to the Lord your God what you have promised with your mouth” Deuteronomy 23:21-23

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Lesson on Keeping Promises

Our heavenly Father is a God of promise and he does not fail on a promise. He will fulfill whatever he has promised his children to the last letter – As a proof of his faithfulness. The same God of promise also expects his children to share the same principle and practice it.

God wants his children to honor their words and keep whatever promises they make in his presence. Jehovah wants us to make it a practice to redeem our vows before him; he will hold whoever fails accountable. Unfortunately, many believers are rash with their words; they are quick to make promises, but only to soon forget them. Some people will promise to offer God their time, money, or materials whenever they need his help, but only to dishonor their words afterward. Some might even say “O God if you can help me through this difficult time I will dedicate the rest of my life to you and serve you,” however they forget their words and walk away with their answered prayers.

Meanwhile, God will not forget any promise a man/woman choose to forget! He will require redemption of every promise, and he may delay anyone’s future blessing as a consequence of a failed promise.

Therefore, believers must consider it an important matter to be sensitive in the presence of their God. Everyone ought to honor his/her words, and not be loose in the speech by making irrational promises to him. Also, we must duly redeem our pledges in a timely fashion so that they can be acceptable. However, believers must understand that our call to honor the principle of redeeming vows to God does not indicate his sense of lack. Jehovah is not poor, and he doesn’t need our gifts to survive; he only needs our proof of faithfulness so that he can be motivated to shower more blessings into our lives. Once we can prove we are persons of our words, the Creator will release his remarkable blessings for our benefits, and to the glorification of his name.

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Application Prayers

Pray for Grace to be Faithful to Your Vows

Dear God, please help me to honor my words and keep my promises before you. Do not let me make empty promises to your dissatisfaction. Forgive my past-unredeemed pledges, and please let whatever opportunity I have lost due to an unredeemed pledge be returned to me. Please give me another chance for a new start so that I can be blessed. From now on, let my offerings gladden your heart to motivate invite your blessing into my life. Let me enjoy your benefits every day of my life. For in the name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen.

 

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KING JEHU KILLED IDOL WORSHIPERS – 2 Kings

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God Hates Idol Worship: Christians Steer Clear

(Passage: 2 Kings 10)

King Jehu chose to take a drastic decision amidst his disinterested citizens. The king stomped his feet against idol worship by killing the idol worshipers of his land.

The scripture reported,

“Now it happened, as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, that Jehu said to the guard and to the captains, “Go in and kill them; let no one come out!” And they killed them with the edge of the sword; then the guards and the officers threw them out, and went into the inner room of the temple of Baal. And they brought the sacred pillars out of the temple of Baal and burned them. Then they broke down the sacred pillar of Baal, and tore down the temple of Baal and made it a refuse dump to this day. Thus Jehu destroyed Baal from Israel” (2 Kings 10:26-27)

People Who Serve Idol Will Suffer

God hates idol worship; he is not in friendship with idol worshipers. The Creator requires all people to serve him only. We must not serve any other deity whether it’s a god of air, land, or sea. Jehovah made the heaven and the earth, and request all people to honor him. People who serve idols and those who arrogate God’s glory to themselves have signed up for a crisis, since God does not share his glory with anyone! A person who desires to enjoy God’s benefits must give him due honor at all times.

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Prayer Against Idol Worship

Dear God, please give me the ability to faithfully serve you every day of my life. Do not let me share your glory with any idol, but let my life be devoted to faithfully serving you so that I can prosper in the land of the living. I promise to obey your instructions and remain your true child forever! For in the name of Jesus Christ I make my requests. Amen.

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ISRAEL DEFEATED THEIR REBEL TRIBE – Judges

rebelJudges – Perseverance in Christianity

(Passage: Judges 20)

The tribe of Benjamin rebelled against the remaining eleven tribes of Israel and insinuated a civil war. The eleven tribes who remained united asked God for a strategy to use against their rebel brothers, and he gave them some specific instructions to follow. However, United Israel lost the battle because they failed to closely follow their God-given strategy. Meanwhile, they were not discouraged. They improved on how to follow God’s instruction until they succeeded in their third attempt. The United Israelites conquered Benjamin’s tribe and brought them to their knees. The scripture reported how Israelites conquered their revolting Tribe of Benjamin.

It is reported,

“But when the cloud began to rise from the city in a column of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them, and there was the whole city going up in smoke to heaven. And when the men of Israel turned back, the men of Benjamin panicked, for they saw that disaster had come upon them. Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel in the direction of the wilderness; but the battle overtook them, and whoever came out of the cities they destroyed in their midst. They surrounded the Benjamites, chased them, and easily trampled them down as far as the front of Gibeah toward the east. And eighteen thousand men of Benjamin fell; all these were men of valor. Then they turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon; and they cut down five thousand of them on the highways. Then they pursued them relentlessly up to Gidom, and killed two thousand of them. So all who fell of Benjamin that day were twenty-five thousand men who drew the sword; all these were men of valor” (Judges 20:40-46).

Lesson on Perseverance

God still leads people today; he leads his children to take appropriate steps that will benefit their lives. However, things may sometimes work in contrary when we do not follow God’s instructions to the letter. Notwithstanding, believers should not be discouraged when they don’t have an expected result. Christians should summon the courage to understand God’s instructions well and carefully follow them. We must not hesitate to consult God over and over again until we have an expected solution. Our heavenly Father will definitely respond to our cries. He will answer our prayers and guide us unto all victories.

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Prayer of Victory

Dear God, please teach me how to duly follow your instructions so that I can have my expected victories. Help me to follow when you lead. Please help me to live in victory everyday of my life. For in the name of Jesus Christ I pray.

Amen.

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ADAM LOST SALVATION – Genesis

Genesis – Adam Lost Salvation Opportunity But Jesus Regained It

(Passage: Genesis 1,2,3)

God is the father of all creations. All things in existence listen to him, and they obey his instructions. However, God shared the same authority with Adam and Eve (first man and first woman) immediately after creation. Unfortunately, Adam and Eve lost their golden opportunity due to sin.

However, Jesus Christ regains the same opportunity and he gives the privilege to his followers. Therefore, anyone who believes in Jesus Christ has dominion over all situations. All believers are empowered to rule their world. All children of God retain the right to command and possess their goodness in the land of the living. Hallelujah!

God created all things by himself. He called all things into existence – through his divine authority. The scripture said,

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light” (Genesis 1:1-3).

prayerApplication Prayer

In the name of Jesus Christ, I regain my victory over Satan. Since I am a child of God, I command all situations to work to my advantage. I take dominion over both visible and invisible situations, and I command all knees to bow in the name of Jesus Christ. I confidently possess the gates of my enemies, and I reclaim all my lost opportunities in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

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