2015 MFDL

Not much is known of this great apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ who is named among the first four (Matt. 10:2-4); except that he was the brother of Peter (andboth were fishermen from Bethsaida, on the northwest of theSea of Galilee). But there is something very revealing aboutthis personality in his answer to the call of the Lord.The scriptures recorded that Jesus simply said, \"Come followme, and I will make you fishers of men\". V 19, and at once theyleft their nets and followed him (V 20) the word translated \"Atonce by NIV is the Greek adverb \"authus\" which in modernEnglish actually means \"immediately.\" It is a military term,which implies no waste of time, immediate effect.In spite of the vague nature of his call and the seeming urgencyof his answer, Andrew never looked back or ever denied Jesusin times of trouble. Tradition has it that Andrew was martyredat Patrae inAchaia by crucifixion on an X shaped cross. Indeed,he was elevated from the life of a rustic village fisherman to bea fisher of men. How about your life? If you are able to take afirm decision today on the call of God in your life, God will notonly give you the strength to remain steadfast, but will changeyour entire life for the better. Our God is faithful.PRAYERAs you found Andrew many more are still in the wilderness ofsin. Lord Jesus through our witnessing and preaching may theybe found today. 193

Our God is faithful. Through His Son Jesus Christ we were told of what would happen in the end time and they are happening. We should praise God and ask for grace topersevere. One of the main problems that the Church is facing isthat of unbalanced gospel. Jesus did not promise a smooth sail butone thing is sure, when you are in Christ, you will arrive safely inspite of odds on the way.As Christians we are looking beyond this world. This world is notour home; we are strangers and pilgrims (Heb. 11:13, 1 Pet. 2:11).We are passing by. This is why we need not be disturbed when theworld makes us to suffer. Jesus categorically says that those whobelieve in Him will have trouble in this world because they are notof this world. This world cannot understand them. The standard ofthe Christian is higher than that of the world. There is no meetingpoint. With all these differences, the world is bound to react. Theprince of this world will not allow anyone who is not of this worldto be at rest.Our master is aware of this hence He said in me you have peace.The peace we need in this troubled world can only be found inJesus Christ. When you are in Christ, you will have this peace.You can always take heart in this troubled world. Like David youwill say; “though the earth give way and the mountains fall intothe sea, God is our refuge” (Psalm 46).PRAYERLord Jesus you the peace we need as we face the challenges oflife, our future is in your hand therefore our peace is sure. 194

The first missionary journey was quiet challenging with the life of Paul and Barnabas at stake, yet they were undaunted. They knew that whether dead or alive all tothe glory of God. As we serve the Lord, what Paul said to thePhilipian Church we must keep to heart: “For to me to live isChrist and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, thiswill mean fruitful labour for me. Yet what shall I choose? I donot know!” (1:21-22).Beloved whatever you are going through now do not give up theLord will surely grant you victory. Enemies may be closing onyou if possible relocate and resume at the stronghold of prayer.When you come out your victory is non-negotiable. Your battlemay be enemy from within. It was the Jews that planned theattack against Paul and Barnabas but they failed. No price is toomuch for the sake of the kingdom. More so if we turn elsewherethere is no hope.On their way back home Paul and Barnabas needed to encouragethe brethren so that they can be steadfast and not give up totemptation. This meditation is coming your way as anencouragement. No matter what is on ground keep trusting it willsoon be over. Tough time never last but tough people do. You arethe tough man or woman that will survive for a living testimony.PRAYERStand up! Stand up for Jesus! Stand in his strength alone thestrife will not be long; a crown of life shall be yours. 195

In recent time past the issue of mutual co-existence among nations and kingdoms has been questioned as a result of the different ethnic crisis we have experienced. Some of thecrises were hinged on religion; while some were politicallymotivated others were as a result of the gains derived fromnatural resources. One would ask why these entire crisis, takingarms against your neighbour? These are people who have livedtogether, going to the same market, sending their children to thesame schools. Having a very close cultural affinity, intermarriages, sometimes speaks the same language etc. Judging bytheir similarities; it is unthinkable that they would ever riseagainst each other.Thanks be to God for a new kingdom and a new nation that isbeing prepared for us, where God is the architect and builder(Heb. 11: 10). This is the Christian hope. We have no heritage inthis troubled world where people are fighting for a kingdom thatwill perish. We are looking forward to an imperishable kingdom.Beloved this is our hope in this world of crisis, if you are not sureyou are saved, call upon the Lord Jesus Christ. Ask Him to comeinto your life. If you accept Him today, your name will be writtenin the book of life.PRAYERThank you for the fulfillment of your word we plead for yourdivine intervention in the various areas where crisis has led towar. Give us your peace. 196

God's plan for His children is clearly expressed in His holy writ. His plan for us is beyond this physical world that is described as the old order. Christianswho by what they exhibit are trying to be a settler in this worldof sin, have to examine their faith properly lest they makeshipwreck of it. I have pointed it out before that there are a lotof 'ministers' who have preoccupied themselves with businessof making this world a comfortable place for their members.Our hope is not in this world. It is a world of Crisis. There is anew order that God is packaging for His people. In that neworder, none of these things that have made this world atroubled one is found there. God in His infinite mercy revealsthis new order to Apostle John in the island of Patmos. He sawa new Heaven, a new earth and the New Jerusalem, the holycity prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.Beloved, you cannot afford to miss this new order. Thispresent order will surely pass away. The crises you find in theworld today are helping to prepare it for its destruction. Ifyour hope is in this world, it is quite miserable, accept Christtoday; the Christian hope will be yours.PRAYERLord Jesus, the crave for earthly riches is increasing by theday. We plead Lord that you encounter us today for genuinecommitment. 197

The Church of God as we have it on earth is supposed to be a pointer to what the kingdom of God will actually look like. If the church is not patterned after thekingdom, if it is not different from what obtains in the world,then it has fallen short of expectation. We have said that ourethnic affiliations should be played down in the church. Inheaven there are no ethnic arrangements. This newarrangement is the living hope that Peter is talking about that ismeant for those who have received the new birth in theresurrected Christ. As a child of God you are quite aware thatyou are what you are by the grace of God and not by your ethnicaffiliation or by your merits. You have contributed nothing toyour salvation in Christ, absolutely nothing. You cannot securesalvation for anybody by what you are. It is a personal decision.Jesus Christ meets with people at different times in differentsituations and they have their experience to share.The new birth in Christ abhors an ethnic arrangement thatplaces it above Christ. Ethnic arrangement should not be usedas instrument of division in the church. We must make everyeffort to de-emphasize it. We must see ourselves as brothersand sisters not on the basis of ethnicity but on the basis of thenew birth we have in Christ where we have a common heritage.PRAYERLord Jesus help us to break the yoke of ethnicity that has eatendeep into the church, that all may be one. 198

Wherever ethnicity had gained ground there will be some form of discrimination which could be deliberate. This discrimination will lead to murmuring or complain. Itwill be worse if the constituted authority has any interest. Many aChurch had been bedeviled by this canker worm. The ultimateresult is that the faction that could not cope will break away. Asthey are breaking away there is a Spirit that is following them. Thatspirit only recognizes their cause; anything that is against it mustbe fought vehemently. It was this problem that the early church hadto contend with at its infancy.At this stage of its development, the Church was entirely Jewish inits composition. However, there were the Grecian Jews and theHebraic Jews. The Grecian Jews were the Hellenists, those born inlands other than Palestine, they spoke Greek language and theywere more Grecian than Hebraic in their attitude and outlook. Butthe Hebraic Jews not only were they born in Palestine they spokeAramaic or Hebrew language. They preserved Jewish culture andcustoms.During the daily distribution of food, the Grecian Jews wereneglected (the widows). Why should this be in a Christiangathering? It is not unlikely that because they do not have their manthere that was why the negligence. A lot of people have lost theiropportunity because the men on top don't have their interest. Thenew life in Christ has room for everybody.PRAYERGod of righteousness and peace forgive the selfishness, greed andarrogance that cause enmity among your people. Help us to livetogether in love and goodwill. 199

Salvation is for all. As many that have confessed faith in the Lordship of Jesus Christ enjoy equal rights and privileges before him. God's programme of salvationgoes beyond the Jews to the entire world. This is why inCaesarea, God spotted Cornelius who was a centurion and Godfearing person. The angel of the Lord appeared to him and toldhim that his services to God and man had already gone as amemorial offering before God. Now there is the need to sendpeople to go and look for Peter in order to explain the way ofsalvation.The church as it is today is God's own design. It is made up ofpeople from every nation who have accepted the Lordship ofJesus. Now that we are in Christ, we now belong to a newfamily, God's own nation. What we used to be is the old manthat must give way to the new man, infact your life stylechanges, your language changes everything about you changesto a new one in Christ. This is what God was about to do in thelife of Cornelius. The radical change must take place. Who wasgoing to be the agent to be used? It was no other person butPeter one who is truly a Jew who has nothing to do with theGentiles. You are the Peter of today who must break every wallso that the Cornelius of this generation will be saved.PRAYERLord Jesus, there are many in church who are promoting ethnicarrangements we plead that this spirit should die in Jesus namethat they would turn Peter for salvation of your people. 200

Gentiles must be admitted into Christianity. The promise is also for them and their children. Peter in his Pentecostal sermon in Acts 2:39 alluded to this fact when he said, \"thepromise is for you and your children and for all who are far off -for all whom the Lord God will call\". He said it under theinspiration of the Holy Spirit. However, when it was time for thefulfillment the monument of sentiment in him reacted. This is theburden the preacher carries of doing exactly what he preached.Not only four-tooted animals, as well as reptiles were impure,human beings (Gentiles) were not left out. For the Jews they wereall impure. Little did they know that the precious blood of Jesus isable to make impure to be pure. Peter argued. While he waspondering over what the vision could mean, the man from Corneliusarrived. The Holy Spirit immediately spoke to him to go with them.Peter would not have honored the invitation as a result of thesentiments in him. Cornelius and his people as far as the Jews wereconcerned were impure people; salvation cannot be extended tothem.I do not know the sentiments that are in you which favours yourgroup alone and it undermines the right and privileges of others?The new life in Christ leaves no room for discrimination that wasthe lesson Peter needed to learn which we need more now.PRAYERMy God and my Father every sentiment that is working againstthe progress of the gospel let it die by fire today in Jesus name. 201

Pastor, you said I should relax in the midst of violent storms of life. From all indications, it appears the storms are about swallowing me. I have done a lot of fasting and prayer, yetnothing has changed, there is the need to look elsewhere. This is thetrue state of mind of some Christians. Inspite of this terribleexperiences, I say relax because your salvation is nearer to you thanbefore. What you are seeing is not a ghost, it is your saviour. Theother day, Jesus was with the disciples in the boat, they thought theboat was going to sink, thus they rushed to wake him up I thenasked, do you think if they had not woken him up they would haveperished?The Lord knowing their predicaments and how little their faith was,without calling on him, He came to rescue them. The Lord began towalk on the lake. When they saw him, they thought it was a ghostbecause they have been overtaken by fear, infact their fears becamedouble. Peter went further to even express their unbelief by tellingJesus to allow him walk on the lake and he was obliged.Sometimes we allow our problems to overshadow us and we takeour miracle for something else. This is how some people missedtheir miracles. They are busy pursuing shadow living the substance.I dare ask, if you see Jesus now, will you be able to identify him?Spirit led Christians, will certainly identify him no matter themanner he appears. What you are seeing is not a ghost; it is the LordJesus Christ.PRAYERMy Lord and my God, in the midst of the storms of life, help us tosee you clearly and hold-on unto you. 202

Apostle John had the rare privilege of seeing the throne of God. Looking at the description, one would say, how awesome the Almighty God is.Around the throne were twenty four other thrones occupiedby twenty four elders. These twenty four elders are regardedas angelic beings; they are also conceived to be heavenlyrepresentatives of the people of God in their two fold aspectas priests and kings. The number twenty four (24) isunderstood to reflect the 12 Israelite tribes of the OT and the12Apostles of the NT . . .There are four living creatures surrounding the throne givingglory honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and wholives forever and ever. As long as the living creatures aredoing their work the twenty four elders fall down before himwho sits on the throne to worship with their crowns nevertired of doing their work. They do not complain of time as wedo when we go to worship. Our worship here on earth ismeant to prepare us for this task that will last till eternity. Weshall join them to say: \"You are worthy, our Lord and God toreceive glory and honour and power for you created allthings and by your will they were created and have theirbeing\".PRAYERDear Father, as we learn to worship you may the Holy Spiritperfect us for eternity in your worship in Jesus name. 203

Our worship of God becomes meaningful and rewarding when we appreciate God as the Almighty. He alone deserves our best. King Solomon from onset knew thathe was building a temple unto the Almighty God who is greaterthan all other gods. By this he had got his priority right, thetemple he was about to build unto God should in no way not becompared to any other temple dedicated to any other god. Withthis spirit that Solomon had got, he had thrown mediocrity to theWind, and he was going for the best because God deserves thebest no matter the cost.Our attitudes as Christians should even be more than that ofSolomon in the OT. We are in the N.T whereby we are tosurrender all because God gave us the best gift (John 3:16). Loveat its peak. The attitudes of Christians towards the things of Godneed to change. When we handle the things of God, we mustalways have the best at the back of our minds. Those who havebeen blessed should not hesitate to give to God who is theirsource.Today if you are in charge of anything that has to do with theChurch, go for the best, God deserves the best from you.Remember, it is God who provides. If you desire the best for himHe will grant it to you.PRAYERMy Father and God, you are greater than all other gods let thisconsciousness guide us in everything we do in your name.Amen. 204

It is my fervent prayer that the Lord will open the eyes of your heart and be enlightened by the message God is bringing to us. The message is that, ethnic consciousnessmust be up rooted from the Church of God. We must relate withone another on the basis of Christianity. Apostle Petereventually arrived the home of Cornelius. Now listen to whathe said, \"You are well aware that it is against our law for aJew to associate with a Gentile or visit him. But God hasshown me that I should not call any man impure orunclean\".In the Church today there is no written law to that effect, yet bythe actions of fellow worshippers you will discover that suchungodly law is written in the hearts of men. People are made tounderstand that they are strangers in the church where theyworship. They can even be prevented from holding certainpositions in the church. In view of this, some have decided totake a \"sit-down-Iook\" position whereas their talents arewasting away. When Peter saw what had happened, he wasconvinced that God does not show favouritism. Thecircumcised brethren who went with Peter could not believetheir eyes when the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured on themand they began to speak in tongues. Let every wall of divisionin the Church fall today.PRAYEROnly one tribe exists in the church, the tribe of Jesus Christ,Lord may we belong and may we promote itAmen. 205

It was unimaginable for the apostles and the brothers throughout Judea to hear that Peter extended the hands of fellowship to the Gentiles. What could be wrong with Peter?Has he forgotten what the law says? When Peter went up toJerusalem, the circumcised believers could not stomach whatPeter did. They criticized him and asked him why he went into thehouse of uncircumcised men and ate with them? My belovedbrethren, you could see the ignorance in these believers eventhough they were Christians claiming to be born again. They neverknew that to have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour theynow belong to the era of grace. The unmerited favour which Godhas extended to us sinners. They were still holding unto the lawand this has created in them a monument of sentiments. How canthe uncircumcised enjoy the same privilege with us? It was thesame crop of people that were responsible for the death ofStephen.However, when Peter had explained all that happened they raisedno further objections and praised God, saying, \"So then, God hasgranted even the Gentiles repentance unto life\". They realizedthat God has included them in His economy of salvation; thereforeracial prejudice cannot be tolerated any longer. This is God's planfor His church. There is room for all and all must be one. Let uswork and pray for the unity of the church and all believers.PRAYERFather we pray that your congregation will understand the purposefor which you have called us in order to declare your praise. 206

The power of the will of some people is very weak. They easily succumb to pressures. Well not only because the will is weak, but deliberately they allow themselves to beinfluenced even when they are men and women of great faith.The preaching tour of Peter took him to Antioch. Antioch is aGentile city and the church there is predominantly Gentile incomposition. While he was there he related with them as fellowChristians, children of the same father. The racial prejudice thatused to exist between the Jews and the Gentiles was put aside.They ate together, slept together and did everything together.While there, some men came from Jerusalem perhaps onEpiscopal visit using contemporary language. When the menarrived, Peter withdrew from the beautiful fellowship he wasenjoying with the Gentile Christians. The other Jews joinedeven Barnabas was not left out.I am sure Peter was afraid; he wouldn't want to be reported againin Jerusalem. Instead of incurring the wrath of the Jerusalemlords, it will be better to play it cool. This is one of the spirits thatis at work in the church. Nobody wants to stand for the truth; weare all looking for favour in one way or another. Hypocrisy isgrowing by the day among the ordained and the lay people in theChurch. We need people like Paul who will dare all theseungodly attitudes.PRAYERRemove from us every atom of hypocrisy that is polarizing theChurch today that we may move forward in Jesus name. 207

The Church of God in Corinth was thriving very well, in every aspect. However, with time, division came into their mist. There was party spirit, they lost focus,Christ the author and finisher of their faith was no longer theirfocus. They began to adopt human masters. They werepainting the picture of a divided Christ. Paul therefore askedthem, is Christ divided?The Church of today is suffering from division. Nobody caresto know why it is difficult for this people to live together?Those who claim to have the same Lord, same Holy Spirit,yet in operations, they are strange bed fellows. In someChurches, they are together, but the division and the partyspirit existing among them is so clear. Some have constitutedthemselves as lords, and they enjoy the praises of the people.They are very comfortable because they are feeding fat yeteverything they do, is aimed at dividing the body of Christ.Beloved, the new life you have in Christ cannot fit into this.You must watch it and make sure you are not part of thedivision in the church. Prayerfully consider that group youbelong. Is it for the growth of the church or some person(s)doing it for their selfish interest?PRAYERFather of all you alone knows the intents and purpose of yourpeople. May we not be part of any division in the Church. 208

If the Christians in Corinth to whom Paul addressed his letter were actually born again, I am sure they regretted their actions. That even one of the earthly masters' scoldedthem for their actions was enough to teach them that they weredestroying the body of Christ. When certain things happen inthe church, one is always surprised about the position of somepeople. The question one ask is \"do these people know that noone can fight for God?\" By their action it is like God is helplessand He needs some people to help him fight. Ministers havebeen sent to head a Church, there you will find people who willstand their ground that the man will never step in. Some of theirreasons may be that the man is of a questionable character.Sometimes, no confirmation to their claims. No matter theentreaty, they will never yield. One would be tempted to ask,can this be the spirit of Christ? Why is it so violent?The Church in Corinth suffered terribly from division, is yourChurch facing the same problem? Are they believers?Believers in Christ? Then Christ must be allowed to have Hisway. Because the believers in Corinth allowed those divisions,Paul could not describe them as spiritual but worldly - mereinfants in Christ, if such a description is given of you today,how would you feel? The new life in Christ has no room forjealousy and quarreling.PRAYERLord heal us of every bitterness, grant us the grace to get ridof jealousy and quarreling. 209

The foundation of the church to which you and I belong has been laid already. No other foundation can be laid other than that of Jesus Christ. As members of thechurch, what we are doing is to build on the foundation.Everything we do in the Church is building on the foundation.We must ask ourselves, what materials we are using to build onthe foundation? Take note, building on the foundation is purelyon individual basis. We are told that the quality of each man'swork will be tested by fire. Now the materials you are using canthey withstand fire? Some are using gold, silver, costly stones,wood, hay or straw. Mind you all these materials are at thedisposal of every believer, it depends on your level of faith.Are you very sure by what you are and what you do, that you arebuilding with gold? If gold passes through fire it is able towithstand it. Those who use gold are people with genuine faithwhose freedom is meant to glorify God. They do not allowthose using straw to influence them in the church with a view todoing what is evil.Beloved, this is the time to examine ourselves. Don't allowyourself to be led astray. Hold-on to the new life you have inChrist.PRAYERAs we build on the foundation, help us Lord to use materialsthat are able to with stand fire in Jesus name. 210

Moses the law giver, the great prophet, foremost prophet in the nation called Israel. To talk about Moses is to talk about the law. It is an offence tospeak against Moses. He was a great man. He was the one whodared the Egyptian hawk. It was under his leadership that theIsraelites gained their freedom. Moses was a man of manymiracles. By his prayer, God changed his mind from wipingout the entire nation. He had face to face encounter with theLord. Infact he saw the back of God.Moses was described as a very humble man, more humble thananyone else on the face of the earth. He was an instrument ofliberation, taking the people of God to the Promised Land. Hewas a man full of expectation but he could not make it.What was the crime of this great man? God told him to touchthe rock with the staff in his hand; instead of touching he usedthe staff to hit the rock. This was a serious crime, commotion inthe Godhead - Trinity? Their unity is beyond all humanunderstanding. The staff represents the Holy Spirit; the rock isthe Lord Jesus Christ. Believers especially ministers of thegospel must be very careful. We must learn from the mistake ofMoses. While pointing people to heaven, we must be there too.PRAYERLord Jesus, as we point the kingdom to others may we notbe a cast away. 211

Philemon was a prominent believer in Colosse who was very close to Apostle Paul. He was a slave owner. In the early church slavery was not condemned perhaps it would have setthe Church against the empire, that was why the Church allowed it.One of the slaves of Philemon called Onesimus ran away from thehome. Apparently he had stolen the master's property. Under theRoman law, it was an offence punishable by death. However,Onesimus was fortunate to have heard the gospel that transformslives through the preaching of St. Paul and he was converted. Hediscovered himself and he was willing to recover. He was willing togo back to his master and carry out restitution.Restitution is one of the effects of a new life in Christ. There arecertain things you may have done as a sinner, now that you haveknown Christ there is need to resolve them. It is all about resolvingcertain things that one may have done to hurt some people while asinner.Sometime when you carry out restitution, it helps to convincepeople that indeed this person has repented. Many are still in theChurch bearing the sinful stigma and they have become barrierspreventing others from coming into the Church. The only way is togo the people and admit your fault and tell them about your new lifein Christ. That was the story of Paul about Onesimus to Philemon.Formerly Onesimus was useless; Now Christ has made him useful.Now that you have a new life in Christ, you must be able to say whatyou were and what you are now.PRAYERHeavenly Father grant us grace to restitute where necessary thatpeace will our portion in Jesus name. 212

Assaults of the enemies are bound to come. Those willing to up root others with a view to taking their position are always around. Evil doers are always there, wolves insheep clothing are part of the mixed multitudes. Those you thinkare your friends may be the rats eating you and at the same timeblowing you. The sugar coated mouths who by their schemes aredevouring innocent souls are part of the assaults of the enemies.The Psalmist found himself in a turbulent time, he wassurrounded by detractors those who will sing his praise, behindthey take counsel against him. In the midst of this scenario, thepsalmist affirmed, my soul finds rest, in God alone. There wasno other source of rest, God is my salvation, he is my rock, myfortress, my hope, my refuge, my honor, therefore, he enjoinedall people to trust in him at all times.Is your situation similar to that of the psalmist? Are youdepressed, frustrated, rejected, disappointed or dethroned?Hope in God; allow your soul to find rest in Him, all will soon beover. One who is alive in Christ, no doubt will suffer manytribulations, but the author of our salvation is able to save, thosewho are being tempted. \"Because he himself suffered when hewas tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted\"(Heb. 2:18).PRAYERMy Lord Jesus Christ you are the solid rock on whom I stand in acrooked world, surely my base is strong.Amen. 213

For those who appear before God to worship Him, and go back to their sinful life, they need to answer the question in our text. The church by definition is agathering of holy people, called out, chosen. It is a gatheringof Saints. Peter described it, as a chosen people, a royalpriesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, meantto declare the praise of him who called them out of darknessinto his wonderful light. Seeing them alone is equal to seeingthe Almighty because they are his workmanship in ChristJesus.To go to Church on Sunday, confess your sins, then onMonday you return to them is to be dead spiritually. Gracecannot increase; instead his wrath will increase. When youstart going to Church, it means you have identified yourselfwith the saints, holy people of God. Sin must not onlydecrease but you must do away with it.Going to Church means that you have willingly walked outof darkness into the marvelous light of the Lord Jesus Christ.How can you continue in sin? It amounts to going fromsalvation to calamity - God forbid. Take a decision today tobe alive in Christ, the reward is endless both in this life andthe one to come.PRAYERForgive your people Holy Father and help us to overcomeevery defilement on daily basis in Jesus name. 214

No matter how large a congregation may be the job on ground is more than the number of worshipers. As the congregation is increasing so is the ministryexpanding. There is no room for bench warmer. If you havenot engaged yourself with anything in your church, there is amisunderstanding on your part. Please do not blame it onyour minister. It is most likely that you have not allowed yourgift to manifest in you.To each and every one of us a gift has been given to build thebody of Christ. Sometimes we underrate our gifts. Belovedno ministry is too small in the body of Christ. Hear whatDavid the king said, \"I would rather be a door keeper in thehouse of God\" ... (Ps. 84: 1 0).When we are faithful in little matters, then we can be trustedif greater ones are committed to our charge (Luke 16: 1 0).No service is too small to be ignored, if you have ignoredyour God given ministry, you need to ask for forgiveness andlet God restore it back to you. Are you still a bench warmer?Jesus says, occupy till I come - engage yourself in thekingdom business before I come.PRAYERGive me oil in my lamp keep me burning to your glory, forthe progress of the Gospel and the expansion of yourkingdom. 215

It was Sunday morning; we were preparing to worship elsewhere. While washing the car, we saw a young man running after a woman begging her to forgive her daughterbut the woman would not listen to him. I was prompted by theHoly Spirit to call the woman. Modestly I asked her what theproblem was; she replied that it was her daughter whooffended her. I asked her to forgive her but she said she wouldnever forgive her. I retorted, the daughter must have donesomething quite bad. I asked the woman where she was going,she said she was on her way to the church. I tried to explain toher the need to forgive and forget so that her worship could bemeaningful and acceptable to God. Without further hesitation,she obliged and went back to reconcile with her daughter.When she returned, I told her that she has preached the bestgospel and her worship today will be acceptable to God.According to Apostle Paul, now that we have been raised withChrist, we must rid ourselves of things like anger, rage,malice, slander and filthy language (Col. 3:8). The womanwas going to Church to worship while she was angry with herdaughter. But thanks be to God that she was able to overcomeit and I believe that she must have experienced God's blessingsthat day.PRAYERO Lord Jesus grant us your forgiving spirit at all times that asyou forgave us we will forgive one.Amen. 216

It is obvious that have in every local Church there are people who are not converted. Whenever there is confusion or any problem in the church, the root cause isalways traced to this category of persons. Some of the peoplemay be pioneer members of the Church. You incur theirwrath when your policies are against their motives. They goon campaigning against the minister or whoever may be theobject calmuny saying things that are untrue. Those withfeeble minds are easily deceived. The above description wasthe role Diotrephes was playing in the Church. First of all, heseparated himself from the brethren. Secondly, he was goingabout gossiping and spreading malicious talks about theministers. He was looking for something in the Church, sinceJohn and the rest would not grant it, he offered himself to thedevil to use him.Apostle John therefore wrote to the elder, commending himfor walking in the truth, for not allowing people likeDiotrephes to influence him. There are so many Diotrephestoday in the church with their selfish interest. Those who areheavenly conscious must be very careful of them. Do notallow them to pollute you. What they are spreading ispoisonous, it is more dangerous thanAIDS, beware.PRAYERAlmighty Father give us understanding and the grace, neverto be influenced by the evil one in the church in Jesus name. 217

The portion for our meditation is a catalogue of experiences Paul had as a result of preaching the gospel. One would certainly ask, \"Am I preaching the gospeltoo?\" Then what is my experience? Perhaps I am boasting ofwhat I have been able to make as a result of preaching thegospel. The number of houses I have got, the number of cars,how much I have in my accounts, the number of modern suitsthat I have, the luxurious life I am living in the name ofpreaching the gospel.In the days of the apostles, if they had wanted to be like us in thisgeneration, was the opportunity not there for them? They hadaccess to the top people of their time, besides, in the earlychurch, they had a common pool where the needs of everybodywere met. If the Apostles had behaved like the present dayministers, they would have had more than what we arestruggling for. Reading through the experiences of Paul, I thinkwe have not started.There is a misunderstanding somewhere. We have left the realthing and we are pursuing shadow. Some Christians are alwayslooking for the Best even at the crusade ground. I believe if wewant to preach the gospel as it was passed on to us, we willdefinitely have our own share of these sufferings.PRAYERLord Jesus, we are compromising the gospel, this is not yourwill. Inspire your ministers to be bold in proclaiming the gospel. 218

The Spirit of the LORD took Ezekiel into the middle of the valley made up of dry bones. The LORD asked him, \"Son of man can these bones live?\" This was quite a difficultquestion to Ezekiel. How can ordinary bones skeleton of humanbeings that are dead live again? Ezekiel said, \"0 SovereignLORD, you alone know\".God spoke to Ezekiel to prophesy to the dry bones, withoutargument he spoke the word to the dry bones. The word of theLord is active and it began to operate upon the bones. The bonehad no choice than to respond to the word of the Lord. The bonesbegan to join together, tendons and flesh appeared on them andskin covered them. The Lord told Ezekiel to prophesy breath onthem; they received breath and became a vast army ready foroperation.There is no situation that is beyond the Almighty. His sovereigntycan always redeem every hopeless situation. Ezekiel believedGod and the result was unprecedentedBeloved, as the year is running out are you facing any hopelesssituation that you think cannot be redeemed? The word of Godcan bring life to your situation. Exercise a little faith and let drybones begin to obey you now.PRAYERLord Jesus, every elements of dry bones in our lives, we surrenderto you, we speak your mighty word, that life will come as it werein the days of Ezekiel. 219

Simon Peter was the foremost among the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ. He was a Jew from Bethsaida, his brother Andrew brought him to Jesus saying, \"We have found theMessiah\" (that is, the Christ) John 1:41. He was a fisherman,married probably with children. Peter was one of the firstdisciples to follow Jesus Christ, one of the three that formed theinner circle. He acts as the spokesman of the Twelve. At CaesareaPhilippi Jesus sought to know who the people say he was, Peteranswered the question with the great confession you are theChrist Son of the living God.Peter in the ministry of Jesus Christ no doubt was that of a righthand man. He alone followed Jesus during his passion but hecould not withstand the temptation. His loyalty was the loudest sohis rejection of the Lord is the most explicit (Mk. 14:66). After theascension of Jesus, Peter proposed the replacement of JudasIscariot; He was the preacher on the day of Pentecost. Peter wasthe first to take the gospel to the Gentiles when he preached toCornelius and his house-hold (Acts 10).Tradition had it that he lived in Rome. Mark was his disciple andthrough Peter Mark was able to write his gospel. Peter died as amartyr. He was crucified upside down refusing to be crucified likehis master. He was the author of 1st and 2nd letters of Peter. Peteris being remembered. What will you be remembered for?PRAYERGrant we beseech thee 0 Lord, that all our efforts here on earthmay be to glorify your name. 220

There are occasions, where we give recognition to some highly placed people in the society especially during a function. We accord them respect as leaders in thesociety or in the church. In the church, prominence is also givento some of these people by setting aside some area for them tosit during divine services. Some of these people could beelderly people and we need to take care of them. In a similarvein, we should also make provisions, for everybody in aChristian community. Where it is difficult, this should befollowed with apology with a view to correcting it next time.We have seen in some cases where some people are favouredagainst some other persons. This is what James has spokenagainst. This favour is always shown to the well-to-do andclose persons.Apostle James questioned some of this people that enjoyfavour, yet they are the ones that have stolen our money in thiscountry, oppressing us, deny the less-privileged what rightfullyis their portion. They make things difficult for the poor masses.They are behind the major crimes in the country, when theycome to Church, we accord them special place. In somechurches, the respect anybody enjoys depends on how much hedrops in the church. We must rise up to correct this ugly trend inthe Church and the church will correct the nation.PRAYERCleanse your church O Lord of these infirmities make us toknow that you are not a respecter of persons. 221

We continue our daily meditation as we study the books Ezra and Nehemiah. These two books are one in the Hebrew arrangements. Ezra was a priest, a man highlyreputed for his knowledge of the law and he was saddled with theresponsibility of rebuilding of the temple.Our Lord Jesus Christ said, \"Heaven and earth will pass away, butmy word will never pass away\" (Matt 24:35).That was the case of the word of the Lord that proceeded out of themouth of Jeremiah. Seventy years had been completed while theIsraelites were still in exile. Many of the older ones had died in exile,Jeremiah was no longer alive. Jeremiah died but the word of God wasalive. The Lord moved the heart of Cyrus as an agent of fulfillment ofthe undying word of God. No doubt it was a big surprise to thesurvivors. If Daniel were to be alive to see this fulfillment, no doubtwith his effort in searching the scriptures concerning the mind of Godfor his people, he would have been the happiest man.The holy writ is both the spoken and the written word to allChristians. From it prophetic utterances are being declared on peopledaily with their fulfillment at the appointed time. As we read it daily,discover these hidden messages concerning your life and pray fortheir fulfillment. God is ready to move the heart of your Cyrus if youdiscover them today prayerfully.PRAYERThank you Lord for the spoken Word and the promises that awaitsfulfillment in my life. The ones for this year may they be fulfilled inmy life. 222

While God moved the heart of Cyrus the agent of fulfillment, God was equally moving the heart of his people whose freedom had been announced.No doubt the decision to leave Babylon for Jerusalem was adifficult one. Babylon had been the birth place for many ofthem, some had become family heads, and citizenship rightshad been conferred on them. It was also true that a goodnumber of them had become very wealthy in the land ofBabylon.The idea of going back to Jerusalem where they will turnstrangers with the attendant hardship was not an easy one tocontemplate. However, because God had moved their heartsthey did not hesitate, they put aside the likely problems theywill encounter.How many today are ready to respond to the call of Godinspite of likely problems they would face? It was C. Wesleyin his hymn who said, \"A charge to keep I have, A God toglorify\". When the Israelites responded to the call of God,God moved the hearts of their neighbors and they assistedthem to realize their call. God may be calling you todayrespond to the call. Forget about your comfortable zone.PRAYERWhen duty calls Lord, may we not be found wanting andgrant us grace to respond Lord Jesus. 223

Taking records and keeping of records are very important in all of human endeavors. This is why we are able to locate ourselves and whatever we may bedoing. While some of us are very meticulous in keepingrecords in the office and at home, we seem to disregard this inour religious lives. You may not believe but it is true thatmany who died were turned back from heaven to earth to goand straighten their records before going back. This was acommon thing before the advent of embalmment of the dead.The records we talk about is not only limited to financialresponsibilities, your relationship with people and how youhandle God's work is inclusive. A believer once died and hewas returned to go and forgive someone before he couldenter heaven. While some had the privilege, many did not.It is important for us at this time of the year to faithfullyexamine our records in Church activities and find out theposition. It is true that some do not put their names down yetthey are performing their roles accordingly and God has theirrecords. Having arrived Jerusalem, some families could notlocate their names in the records, thus they were excluded.Where is your name and activities?PRAYERDear Lord may I faithfully serve you and let my name beestablished gloriously in your records. 224

It is important for all Christians to know that our God is keeping records hence the scroll of remembrance that Malachi spoke about. The scroll had the names of thosewho feared the Lord and honour his name. If human beingshardly forget what his fellow man did, then we should not betempted to think that God will forget our labour of love (1Thess, 1:3). For every little thing we do in the name of the Lordthe final destination is the scroll of remembrance. This scroll ofremembrance should be taken seriously by all believers. Themiracles we look forward to, the favor we seek will certainly bedetermined by what is contained in the scroll of remembrance.If there is nothing to remember you for, then what is thejustification for the favor you seek? Our Lord would say, “Forwith the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Luke6:38c).The content of the scroll of remembrance will surely determineyour going to heaven. We are saved by grace, yet James wouldsay, “Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show youmy faith by what I do” (James 2:18). Your works are theexpression of the faith you exercise in the Lord Jesus Christ. Ifyour deeds are nothing to go by, then your faith is alreadybetrayed.PRAYERMy dear heavenly Father thank you for your scroll ofremembrance. Please keep me faithful to my calling for anexcellent reward from you. 225

The importance of the scroll of remembrance came to the fore once more in the revelation to John. It is Crystal clear that this scroll is waiting for everyhuman being at the judgment seat of Christ. Not too manypeople believe that this world shall come to an end. We havecome across some set of the Jehovah's Witness who said thatGod will not be too wicked to destroy this earth. They areeven preparing to inherit some of this questionableproperties that have their secrets in the books that will beopened for the judgment of the dead and the living, \"It isappointed for man to die but once and judgment willfollow\" (Heb, 9:27).When we talk of judgment, we talk of the judiciary. Nodoubt the integrity of the judiciary in this country isgradually picking up. While human judiciary may beimperfect, God as our judge is perfect. Moreover our deedsare recorded in these books and the content thereof willdetermine our personal judgment. These books are not at thereach of men, therefore the document cannot be tamperedwith. Now that you are still alive you have every privilege toamend your ways and let your deeds be right with God.PRAYERWhen the books are opened Lord Jesus, may our deedsglorify your name as you usher us into your kingdom. 226

It is important for all Christians to know that our God is keeping records hence the scroll of remembrance that Malachi spoke about. The scroll had the names of thosewho feared the Lord and honour his name. If human beingshardly forget what his fellow man did, then we should not betempted to think that God will forget our labour of love (1Thess, 1:3). For every little thing we do in the name of the Lordthe final destination is the scroll of remembrance. This scroll ofremembrance should be taken seriously by all believers. Themiracles we look forward to, the favor we seek will certainly bedetermined by what is contained in the scroll of remembrance.If there is nothing to remember you for, then what is thejustification for the favor you seek? Our Lord would say, “Forwith the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Luke6:38c).The content of the scroll of remembrance will surely determineyour going to heaven. We are saved by grace, yet James wouldsay, “Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show youmy faith by what I do” (James 2:18). Your works are theexpression of the faith you exercise in the Lord Jesus Christ. Ifyour deeds are nothing to go by, then your faith is alreadybetrayed.PRAYERMy dear heavenly Father thank you for your scroll ofremembrance. Please keep me faithful to my calling for anexcellent reward from you. 227

When the people had been taken to exile, the Babylonians brought other nationals to occupy the land. Others must have come on their own but theterritory was under the king of Babylon. There were also somesurvivors among the people but they were quite insignificant.It was these survivors that Intermingled with other nationals,got married and the Samaritans became the offspring of themixed marriages. This accounted for the hatred the Jews hadfor the Samaritans.The presence of the people of other race for the past sevendecades must have earned them the status of land lordship.Their influence on the land had become very great and theybecame object of fear to the returnees. However, the exiles didnot allow their fears to scare them from the divine task that wasbefore them. Cyrus became a beacon of hope and strength.Above all, their faith in God that was already awakenedspurred them into action. Thus the rebuilding of the templestarted with the altar. This beginning was the enthronement ofYahweh both in the land and the heart of the people. Theproject in your hand, ask God to show you the right place tobegin for a successful end.PRAYERLord we surrender totally to you to lead me as we take the nextstep in moving your church forward. 228

At the laying of the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the Priest and the Levites could not help but to burst into praise and thanksgiving as prescribed byDavid King of Israel.This singular exercise ought to evoke an unlimited joy in thehearts of everyone who saw it or heard about it. However forthe older Priests and Levites and family heads, it was a time toweep uncontrollably. The new foundation reminded them ofthe old foundation that was destroyed by the Babylonians.What was supposed to be a thing of pride became an object ofridicule and shame. It was a reminder of failure on their part inthe Abrahamic and Mosaic covenant. It reminded them of theglorious kingdom established by David, all-powerful butbegan to crumble with his son Solomon and eventually endedin exile.The new foundation reminded them of the ones that were onceloved, but became slaves. As believers do we care to lookinwards and see the godly foundations that have crumbledwhy we are busy laying ungodly foundations that furtherpolarize the Church? We may think the Church is making realprogress but in letters and spirit it is far from the early church.PRAYERHoly Spirit too many strange foundations polarizing thechurch O Lord help your Church it is your bride. 229

We cannot but agree that many of the old foundations that helped to unite the Church over the centuries and helped to build godly people are graduallygiving way virtually for the ungodly ones.The foundation of love which promotes communal life hasgiven way to an individualistic way of life. Therefore we thinkmore of ourselves than others even our Lord Jesus Christ. TheChurch that has abundant rooms for people of every race,color and tongue has now been localized such that people arenow suspicious of one another. We are forced to think of wherewe came from. Strange terms such as 'indigene', 'our own'have been smuggled into the vocabulary of the Church.We are compelled to ask, whose image is the church of today?The image of Christ is fast giving way to the Adamic imagethat never experienced transformation hence the dilemma ofthe Church. What would the righteous do in the midst of allthese? That was the trouble of the Psalmist and has become thetrouble of the saints \"Thus, by their fruit you will recognizethem\" (Matt. 7:20).But thank God because the holy andsanctified Church is intact and Jesus Christ remain the bishopof his ChurchPRAYERLord Jesus every ungodly foundation that has been laid let itbe uprooted today. 230

The state of the Corinthian Church became so bad that their spiritual father could not address them as spiritual, but as worldly-mere infants in Christ. Thedifference between the Church and a worldly club could notbe located. That was the consequences of a godly foundationthat has been destroyed where a godly foundation had beendestroyed; Christ is no longer the focus. Earthly masters arealways adopted.When the earthly masters have assumed the Adamic nature,then division will surely follow. The Church in Corinth hadalready adopted earthly masters, but thanks be to God, theearthly masters have been transformed, thus Christ is thereason for their existence. The church of today in differentareas has adopted earthly masters who are un-regeneratedand they are fanning the embers of disunity and discord. Itstrange to know that some of the leaders do not even knowthat the foundations are being destroyed.These earthly masters and their followers are using strangematerials to build on the foundation which has been laid.Such materials are division, disunity, ethnicity and the likesit is important for you to be mindful of the materials.PRAYERHelp me Lord to discover any strange material that looks likeoriginal and help me to avoid it. 231

It is important for us to know that no matter the materials we may use, the foundation that is already laid which is Jesus Christ cannot be uprooted or destroyed. The foundationsthat are being tampered with are the foundations of Christianvirtues that some are replacing with vices. There arecongregations where the minister will declare that what youwear does not matter; God is looking at your heart. Thus you seesome going to the church almost naked. Those who come outboldly to challenge are given a public disgrace. Western worldnow determines what many wear in church forgetting that ourculture abhors nudity in any form.It is strange to see people claiming to be Christians and they arecomfortable with their former style of dressing, body paint andthe group of people they move with.What foundation do they think they are building upon? Theonly one foundation which is Jesus Christ cannot accept it;certainly the foundation will not hold it to eternity.Congregations where fashion is the order of the day always leadto self condemnation and a false opinion about one's destiny.There are Congregations where some people are barred fromholding positions, no matter their level of spirituality. All theseare strange foundations on the major foundation.PRAYERHelp me O Lord to avoid wrong materials as I build on thefoundation 232

For some days now we have been talking about the foundations that are being destroyed as lamented by the Psalmist. No doubt the Lord must have directedyour mind to some of these foundations. It could be you wereone of those who built them. Are you watching helplesslywhile they are being destroyed? Could it be that in the nameof civilization you regard those foundations as old school?Your children are now teaching new methods of serving thisGod. It is important for you to know the biblical base forthose new methods. It is important that you do notmisunderstand the point as to think that I am conservativeand adamant to changes. Whatever we do if it is notsupported scripturally (not half truth), then we must avoid itno matter the patronage.According to Paul, God's foundation is firm. He went on toadvice Timothy to avoid godless chatter which promotesungodliness. The same advice is coming to us fresh to avoidevery form of ungodliness that is rocking the foundations ofChristian virtues in this end time. Christians beware and besure of making heaven.PRAYERCommand every Satanic or worldly foundation to crumble.Ask God by His sanctifying word to maintain his foundation. 233

The Assyrians had a policy called re-settlement that is operated on any nation they conquered. Once a nation is conquered, they move the people and bring people fromother places to occupy the land. Thus when they conquered Israel,they brought in people from Mesopotamia andAram into the land ofIsrael. As the people were coming, they brought their gods to theland. Not only that they also took up the worship of the Lord as thegod of the land.The idea of adopting the worship of the Lord who was regarded asthe god of the land was as a result of their experience in Samaria.“When they first lived there, they did not worship the Lord, so hesent lions among them and they killed some of the people” (2Kings 17:25). However, all they were doing can best be described asSyncretism. As it were, to worship the Lord, you must be a memberof the covenant community. For the Gentiles, proselytization is anecessity. In other words they needed to be converted.The returnees were careful to see the difference; their long stay inexile did not make them to lose the holiness of God. Thus when thepeople offered to help them they knew that they were unclean andthey rejected the offer. The Church of today as individuals and abody, are we able to discern and separate the holy from the profane?All we are doing is to use all, hence the reproach the Church isfacing.PRAYERDear Lord give the leaders of the Church, courage to reject anythingunclean. 234

Corruption is a bane in our society Nigeria. Until Christians are wise about it the church may continue to suffer embarrassment. Much as we may not be involved thechurch must distant herself from this odium. Last year the issue ofarms deal came up involving Nigeria and South Africa. At thecenter was the president of CAN whose plane was used. Even if itcan be explained the church had suffered some embarrassment.We need to watch it in this end time.The Church ought to fight corruption to its knee but indirectly weget ourselves involved. Many of those who are deep necked incorruption have flocked into the church where they display thestolen wealth by donating huge amount either openly oranonymously. It bothers one's mind when we call on people whohave not been washed in the blood of the lamb which means theyare not of the covenant, to donate for the building of the church. Ifthe people of Ezra's day could do without them, then the churchmust come out to confess and repent from the shame of benefitingfrom this corrupt people financially. The wealth 'recent men ofGod' are displaying are nothing short of what we are saying.A new dimension to this problem is not only that the Church isreceiving from them; the Church is also giving to them sacredthings to manage.PRAYERThy kingdom come, O God, Break with thine iron rod, thetyrannies of sin. 235

Those who offered to help in building the temple said, \"I like you, we seek your God and have been sacrificing to him ...” Inspite of this loftyqualification they claim, they were not qualified to build.The people knew that it was a trick that will eventuallyfrustrate the plan of God for them.The story before us was that of a prophet whom the Lord senton an errand with a definite command of what he shouldavoid. The prophet said, \"I have been told by the word of theLord: \"you must not eat bread or drink water there orreturn by the way you came\". The Lord has spoken and hisword is settled. However, the old prophet came and deceivedthe prophet because he didn't know the nature of his God.God is unlike man who has double tongue. Many Christianshave fallen victims of deception from those who claim to beChristians. Today they are licking their wounds. AllChristians have been admonished to test everything andhold on to the good (1 Thess. 5:22). We must be careful toavoid lying spirit that will claim to be a Christian like usthereby making us think that God has a double tongue.PRAYERLord may I not be tempted to doubt your spoken word inJesus name. 236

The old prophet was able to convince the prophet and he yielded by returning with him to defy the word of the Lord. While eating the judgment of the Lordcame upon the prophet. According to Paul, \"Food for thestomach and the stomach for food-but God will destroythem both\" (1 Cor. 613).If the prophet had given some thought to the deception ofthe old prophet and critically examined his purportedprophecy, certainly he would have been a hero. However,he turned out to be a failure. While he was going back, alion attacked him killed him without eating the body. Thelion had been instructed and he obeyed, but man disobeyedand, he paid dearly.Many of us have already plunged ourselves into a statewhereby it is difficult to return as a result of disobedienceto the word of the Lord. While it may be easy for some toreturn others cannot. This is a lesson to those who may behandling the word of God with levity. The cost of bearingthe consequence of disobedience to the word of Godoutweighs the length of time of waiting for the miracle. It isa risk that every child of God should avoid at all times.PRAYEREvery act of disobedience good Lord, deliver your people. 237

Our generation is characterized with counterfeits, deception, imitations and above all what is popularly known as 419. This is not limited tomoney alone, it involves many other things. On dailybasis, many have been swindled. On one occasion,someone called me on phone and claimed to be a memberof my church. The name he called was not familiar Ichecked the register of the Church, the name was not there.He called me to tell me that his job had taken him out oftown that I needed to go and help him to transact somebusiness.According to him, he had already spoken to his client aboutme, telling them that I am his pastor. He also spoke to theman that will supply the items. When I later spoke to theman who will supply the items he confirmed the story. Imentioned the matter to my wife and my staff, withouthesitation they said it was a ruse. It turned out to be so thisis the trick the Gibeonites played on Joshua and theIsraelites. Till date, the Israelites are still managing theruse. It is important for us to be mindful of those we aredealing with, if not we will be a victim of a ruse.PRAYERDear Lord, protect us from every deception that may comeour way. 238

It may appear that God's work is at a standstill but God is always at work. It may be that this is your experience at present. Perhaps you are blaming yourself or yourpeople hence the several oppositions that have made thework to be at a standstill.It is important for us to know that God's concern is ourfaithfulness and not success. Anybody can be successfulwithout being faithful but if you are faithful even whensuccess is delayed, it will surely come. Ezra and his peoplerefused the people from joining them to build. The peoplethen rose up to oppose them. You can imagine if they hadallowed them, certainly it would have been Cyrus' projectand not God's project. The people would also join them toserve God in the temple thus promoting Syncretism.This is the State of some churches. They have built with thewrong persons, now they are contending with thembecause they are not willing to repent and they will notleave because they regard themselves as stake holders. Nomatter the strength of the opposition never yield to them.The work will continue.PRAYERFather we ask that you will encourage your peoplewherever they seem to have stopped. 239

As a result of the negative report of Rehum the commanding officer to Artaxerxes the King and a corresponding reply from the king, the work on thetemple stopped. No doubt those who were not kin about thebuilding of the temple must have made mockery of them.However, prophets like Haggai and Zechariah began todeliver series of messages to stir up the people. Theseprophets became a source of hope and encouragement.Without hesitation the people resumed the building of thetemple. This was an act of faith believing that God is ontheir side.As Usual, the governor came to inquire on whose authoritythey were building. And the writer of the Bible noted thattheir God was with them, His eyes kept on watching overthem, such that they could not stop them. Importantly, Godsaw the challenge and calmed every opposition. Many arefaced with so many oppositions and strife in their areas ofcalling. It is time to rise up in faith and let the work of Godresume surely His eyes will watch over you and afavourable report will be your portion.PRAYERLord Jesus give courage and hope to those you have calledto your service in Jesus name. 240

Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates where Jerusalem belong, was much better than Rehum the commanding officer in whose time the project started. Perhaps theelders discovered that the current governor was better hencethey resumed the work.The content of Tattenai's letter speaks eloquently about thecharacter of his person. While Rehum described the Jews andtheir land as a place of rebellion and sedition and theconsequence of rebuilding the temple, Tattenai was onlyconcerned about whose authority they had for building andeven encouraged the king to go into archives to ascertain theclaim of the Jews.The change in the scenario no doubt must be the result of theministry of the prophets who must have engaged in ceaselessprayers for the fulfillment of the word of God through Jeremiahwhich Cyrus fulfilled.By faith, you must rise up today to the task before you sincethings are already working to your favor. You may have beenthreatened; those in authority may have risen against you,however a higher authority is already being used to accomplishyour miracle. Believe it and testify of it.PRAYERFather we believe you are already working within and withoutfor your people, thank you Jesus. 241

There are many Christians today who are aware of God's miracle for them but they cannot lay claim as a result of a hidden miracle. It is only by faith and adeliberate bold step that will let loose this hidden miracle.If the Jews had succumbed to the threat they received,perhaps the temple may not have been built again. As aresult of the order issued by king Darius a search wascarried out in the archives. It was discovered that the Jewswere in order. Thus the King wrote back to Tattenai and hisfellow officials to stay away from the work. The kingdirected that the expenses of the men building should bepaid out of the royal treasury and that the work should notstop. The conclusion of the king's letter was like a curse onwhoever will be an obstacle to the building of the temple.Daniel has pointed out that those who know their God shalldo exploit (11:32). This is the character the Jews exhibited.Nothing less is demanded of a Christian whose miracle ishidden. If you will rise up according to the spoken word ofGod you will receive more than you expected.PRAYERFather, grant us courage in the face of opposition andattack that our faith will root out and silence the enemiestoday. 242