GIVING/TAKING ADVICE

I remember a story that our Vice Principal shared when I was in Secondary (high) school. He told us about a young man that was advised to withdraw from school. The next term, he was seen resuming with other students and carrying on as usual. The school authorities asked him what he thought he was doing. He told them that he decided not to take the advice, lol.

Seriously, we really need to talk a little more about this ‘advice’ business. You see some people forcing their opinions on you and if you (sheepishly) follow their advice and it backfires, you hear them telling you ‘It was only an advice’. Then, you have those that issue threats as ‘advice’.  I still don’t understand why the school could not just tell the boy to WITHDRAW, if that was what they really meant. What’s with all the saying one thing and meaning another business?

Just as I was writing this, someone came again with ‘friendly advice’ that was actually an instruction! What are we to do with all these advisors?

I remember a young lady that had 9un0friendly child nutrition advice for me in the hospital as we were waiting to see the paediatrician. I was too shocked to think of a witty comeback…Thank you ma’am!

While we’re still giving and taking advice, let me give you some of mine…watch who you go to for counsel/advice. Let the Holy Spirit guide you o. People are not always what they appear to be, I’ve learnt that by experience. Also, please learn to filter advice; some people are just bored and looking for a guinea pig to test their hypotheses on. Be very wary of people that try to force their opinions on you. Some of them claim to have heard from the Holy Spirit, be very guided. I have a scripture to support my own advice o, lol.

2 Timothy 3:1-7

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God ; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof : from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

These people believe they have the monopoly of wisdom and will do all they can to manipulate and control you, please KNOW GOD FOR YOURSELF first. Don’t let anyone impose their revelation of God on you.

There is DEFINITELY the place of exhortation. However, when you meet people that want to dictate how you spend your time and your data, who you can associate with, which groups you can belong to, etc, FLEE…They want to enslave you.

Can you please give us your own piece of advice on giving/taking advice in the ‘Comments’ section? Thanks.

Strengthen the Feeble Knees

Good day people. How are you doing?

Have you ever tried hard to 'get into someone's head' and when they finally opened up, you wished that you let sleeping dogs lie? Somehow, you're tempted to withdraw because the issues appear insurmountable? You kind of hope that if you disappear for a while, the person's problems would have sorted themselves out, right? Uhm...I found a few scriptures that address this...

"And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:  And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.  Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:  Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.  Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?  When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?  And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.  Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:  For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.  Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?  Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal." (Matthew 25:32-46).

"Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits." (Romans 12:15-16).

I believe that we all understand that Jesus is the Head of the church and we are the Body of Christ. The love of God is expressed to our brethren PRIMARILY through us. We are joined together as God's masterpiece. Take time to lift the weary hands that hang down; take time to strengthen feeble knees.

If you're getting weary and discouraged as you run the race, hear the word of the Lord today 'BE ENCOURAGED! IT'S ONLY A TEST, HOLD ON!'

Please join me in prayers for brethren suffering from incurable medical conditions that God, in His infinite mercies, will visit them and give them a song to sing.

Have a blessed and productive day.

DISOBEDIENCE TO INSTRUCTIONS OF GUIDANCE - LESSONS FROM SAUL

Good morning. How are you doing? I trust that the day is going well.
One of the prayer points raised by one of the coordinators in a Facebook group I belong to has just refused to leave my mind. (Please send a private message for details of the group, thanks). I have been chewing and chewing and chewing...Oh my...

ASK FOR FORGIVENESS OVER EVERY DISOBEDIENCE TO INSTRUCTIONS OF GUIDANCE
"Thus sa...ith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein. Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken. Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O congregation, what is among them. Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected it. To what purpose cometh there to me incense from Sheba, and the sweet cane from a far country? your burnt offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices sweet unto me. Therefore thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will lay stumblingblocks before this people, and the fathers and the sons together shall fall upon them; the neighbour and his friend shall perish."
(JEREMIAH 6 : 16-21)

As I continued to chew, the Holy Spirit reminded me of Saul, Israel's first king. He started well, prophesying, listening to God and to His prophet etc. However, when Saul felt he had 'arrived', he started listening to the 'voice of the people' instead of listening to God. He was interested in winning the 'popular vote'...Let's see how Saul ended..

"And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart greatly trembled. And when Saul enquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams nor by Urim, nor by prophets. Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor. And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee...Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel. And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do. Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the LORD is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy? And the LORD hath done to him, as he spake by me: for the LORD hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and given it to thy neighbour, even to David: Because thou obeyedst not the voice of the LORD, nor executedst his fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore hath the LORD done this thing unto thee this day. " (1 Samuel 28:5-8, 11, 15-18).
It got to a point in Saul's life when he really needed to hear God and God refused to answer him...Ah! Dear Lord! It was so bad that the same Saul that chased away people with familiar spirits (a fancy name for witches, lol) was looking for a familiar spirit to bring up Samuel, who still refused to talk to him. My pastor shared this portion of the scripture with us recently and I sincerely hadn't thought much of it before then...
As I was thinking about this matter, the Holy Spirit asked me if I'll keep talking to someone who doesn't listen...Of course, my answer was NO! So, why should God continue to speak to someone who is not listening?
I believe that prayer point is on point (pun intended)...We really need to ask God for mercy ooo...
I'll round up with what Mary said to the folks at the wedding of Cana;
"...Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it." (John 2:5b)
Have a blessed and productive day. See More

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LESSONS FROM ELI, ELKANAH, HANNAH AND PENINNAH

Good morning people. How is the day going?
I've been thinking a lot about Eli, Elkanah, Hannah and Peninnah. The reference is 1Samuel 1, 2:1-21.
I wonder if Hannah was the first or second wife. Let's assume she was the first since she was mentioned first. Imagine the ridicule and shame in a society where a childless woman has no say or value. Imagine all what she had to deal with. Her husband, Elkanah, was a devout man but he had given up on Hannah ever having children...Verse 5 says he loved her (and tried somehow to make it up to her) BUT THE LORD HAD SHUT UP HER WOMB (repeated in Verse 6). I'll like to ask, though, how they knew that it was the Lord that shut up her womb...
Hannah's case was OVER, FINISHED. CASE CLOSED.
I find Peninnah's case quite intriguing. Peninnah had children but she still felt it was part of her job description to provoke Hannah. Peradventure you're like Peninnah today, you need to repent. You know it's the green-eyed monster that is inspiring you...Also note that Peninnah went to Shiloh with Hannah and Elkanah and still remained unchanged...Selah!
Every year, the same scene would repeat itself...They'll get to Shiloh, everything seems okay till it's offering time. Elkanah would give Peninnah and her sons portions to offer (note that Peninnah was giving offerings yet her heart remained unchanged...). He'll also give Hannah a portion that was not like that of Peninnah and her sons. Peninnah, moved by jealousy, would provoke Hannah sore, Hannah would weep and refuse to eat. Elkanah would profess 'undying love' to Hannah and the matter would 'end' there TILL NEXT YEAR.
The 'worthy portion' was part of Hannah's 'consolation prize' so she wouldn't feel bad. It was the consolation prize that triggered Peninnah to provoke Hannah...I dare say Elkanah's human attempts to make it up to Hannah was the real problem in that household, not Peninnah!
Anyway, Hannah decided one year (only God knows how long that was) to take the matter up with the Lord who shut up her womb. Her soul was bitter and it was said that it was the Lord that was responsible for her predicament. She went before Him and presented her case. Since He is Almighty and she was a mere mortal, she vowed a vow.
There are some 'afflictions' that are beyond us as mere mortals. We need to present our case and make vows. Please note that Hannah was not the first (or only) person in the Bible to make a vow. Jacob also made a vow (Genesis 28:20-22, 31:13).
Hannah's prayer was not marked by shouting, shaking or plenty drama. She was quiet and only her lips were moving. If you are led to shout, shake or act drama, please do so but note that it is the heartfelt, continued prayer of the righteous man that makes tremendous power available (James 5:16)
Eli was watching her and he thought she was drunk. Eli was no longer an 'on fire' prophet, he couldn't even tell when someone was sorrowful or drunk...He spoke harshly to a sorrowful woman...
Hannah's response here is what I've been thinking about for about three weeks now. She had every right to feel offended. Why should Eli talk to her like that? She could have easily despised him or said something nasty to him. She could have kept an offense in her heart. I believe someone who has been trusting God for something for so long needs to hear this. This meeting with Eli was key. Hannah's response to a 'harsh' word from the prophet was key in getting him to bless her and finish the matter...What if Hannah hissed and walked out? What if she decided to come on Facebook and rant about old prophets that mistake sorrowful women for drunk women? Lol!
Eli said to her "Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of Him."
That was all Hannah needed to finish off. It's great to pray and make petitions. However, you need to hear from God that He has heard your petition. How He sends His response is His perogative but you need to be attentive after you've prayed. A lot of us are used to praying and praying; few of us are used to listening to what God has to say after we've prayed.
Hannah left the temple that day with a happy countenance and with a word of assurance from the Lord that her petition was granted. I would have thought that we would have been told that Hannah woke up the next day and discovered that she was 3 months pregnant, lol. Or maybe she found a new born baby beside her the next morning. Well, Elkanah still had to 'know' her and she still had to conceive and go through gestation, delivery (was it 'normal' delivery or C/S? Lol), nursing, weaning etc. There was nothing 'supernatural' from then on.
I am glad Elkanah was wise enough to realise that this miracle child, Samuel, came as a result of Hannah's petitions and didn't do anything to mess with Hannah's vow...Afterall, he wasn't expecting any child from Hannah anyway... (I had to look for something to praise Elkanah for, lol).
Hannah was wise enough to honour her vow and she was blessed with 5 more kids.
Another interesting thought is that even God was waiting for Samuel! He was already tired of Eli and all his drama. A lot was hanging on Hannah's petition...
Have a blessed and enjoyable weekend.

STUDY TO BE QUIET

“…And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you…” 1 Thessalonians 4:11

Wow! So, being quiet requires studying? No wonder we have so many noisy people. Contrary to popular belief, I don’t really talk much in person. I’m just like my role model, Paul – Quiet in person, bold when I’m absent, lol.

I remember visiting a woman of God and basically only answering questions when asked. She eventually noted that I was quiet and just observing.

I realise that the quiet people are usually the ones that pick up the most clues.

I remember visiting a friend during our service year. When I got there, I kept silent throughout the first night I spent there. I only responded to questions when asked and I didn’t really talk much as my friend and her room mate gisted.

The next day, I asked my friend’s room mate how ‘General’ was doing. She almost jumped out of her skin and asked me how I knew who ‘General’ was. I smiled…Throughout the gisting session the day before, they couldn’t complete 2 sentences without making reference to ‘General’. Of course I figured out that ‘General’ was an important person in my friend’s roommate’s life (I came to this conclusion by just listening to them gist).

The next time someone begins to tell you your family history, I recommend that you trace back and trace who you’ve spoken to and where you’ve spoken carelessly. Some of the challenges some people are currently dealing with is just because they couldn’t keep their mouths shut…

I remember being in the lift of a very public building a few months ago. A woman and some of her colleagues joined us in the lift and started reeling out very personal details concerning herself and her boss IN THE LIFT. Within the few minutes we spent in the lift, I already learnt that her sister was getting married the next day in a Nigerian State I can’t remember now. I also learnt that her boss was travelling on the last flight of that day…I also learnt that she was taking the first flight the next day in order to meet up. I learnt she was going home to cook for the wedding….W-H-A-T? If that isn’t a loose lip, I’m not sure I can find a better example…Imagine ‘confiding’ in such a loose lip…God will help us.

I’ll conclude with this prayer David made to God. God will help us all…

Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips (Ps. 141:3)

Have a blessed and productive day.

QUIT YOURSELVES AS MEN!

Imagine that a student fails a course and has to pick one of the options below:

A. Remain in one spot and continue to lament about the failure

B. Register for the course again and continue to do what he/she did that earned him/her the failure

C. Register for the course again, analyze to find out what he/she could have done better and do all within his/her power to avoid the mistakes

D. Register for the course again, take time out to review with the Holy Spirit what went wrong, learn from Him how to fix the issue and then take the steps required.

 

Which option will you advise him/her to pick? I guess your answer is 'D', right?

Sooooo.....why are you sitting there all downcast? You claim it's a spiritual attack; that the enemies are stronger than you are. Uhmmmm...

 

Let's read the story of some people in the Bible. They were not Israelites, yet their story inspires me so much.

 

"And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched beside Eben-ezer: and the Philistines pitched in Aphek. And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines: and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men. And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the LORD smitten us to day before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of Shiloh unto us, that, when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies. So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth between the cherubims: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. And when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again. And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that the ark of the LORD was come into the camp. And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, God is come into the camp. And they said, Woe unto us! for there hath not been such a thing heretofore. Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods? these are the Gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness. Be strong, and quit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye be not servants unto the Hebrews, as they have been to you: quit yourselves like men, and fight. And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen."

(1 Samuel 4:1-10).

 

There are many lessons to learn. I'll like to focus on one - the courage of the Philistines. They realised that the ark (which symbolized the presence of the Lord) was in the camp. These men were afraid. Inspite of their fear, they pressed on. It is said that courage is not the absence of fear. Courage means that you forge on inspite of your fears.

My friend says rest if you need to; but don't make that your final destination. Don't be like Terah that set out for Canaan and stopped at Haran. (Genesis 11:31-32)

 

"If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small." (Proverbs 24:10).

 

If you fall to pieces in a crisis, there wasn't much to you in the first place. (Proverbs 24:10, MSG)

 

I heard a preacher on TV say 'Even if it is a spiritual attack, get back to God's presence and launch a counter-attack'.

 

Have a blessed and productive day.