I SURRENDER ALL

In 2 Kings 7:1-9, something remarkable happened.

The Man of God had spoken. A prolonged famine was going to come to an end in 24 hours. Elisha prophesied more or less under duress, his life depends on it. Samaritan women were already boiling and eating their children for hunger. And the King had called for Elisha's head - as though he caused the famine.

Even though Elisha didn't decree the famine - as his master Elisha did in 1 Kings 17:1 - the seige against Samaria was a reprisal attack from Benhadad, king of Syria after Elisha ridiculed his army with blindness like dummies out of Samaria (2 Kings 6:14-23). So apparently, the Israeli King thought - "*Elisha caused this, he must pay*".

And Yes, Elisha Paid. He decreed that abundance will come out of famine, hunger, fear, desperation and death. SOMETHING MUST COME OUT OF NOTHING....

To me, that's not simply faith. It's an '*I surrender all*' trust in God's creative power. "Lord if it doesn't happen, My head is gone".

When we still have alternatives to trusting God 100%, our faith's capacity to produce is reduced and  will only be ordinary, not extraordinary or out of this world.

Now, there began the "*Something Out of Nothing*" ripple effect. Since Elisha spoke abundance out of famine, God created a noise out of silence, the Syrian army fled their camp on foot, but that's not all. He then raised a new army out of lepers - "*_Great Things out of No Things_*"

The Lepers had this same "*I surrender all*" trust in God's creative power. "*Whatever happens, let's just keep moving into where abundance could be*". Shedrach, Meshach and Abednego, had the same "*I surrender all*" trust - Dying or living, it doesn't matter, we bow to God alone".

*HAVE YOU SURRENDERED ALL TO JESUS LIKE YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT? UNTIL YOU SURRENDER ALL TO HIM, YOU WILL NOT ENJOY ALL OF HIM*

David Adeniji

SEEDS OF LOVE

In 2 Kings 4 from verse 8
Something remarkable happened. This prominent Shunamite woman, noticed the man of God passes often by her place, so one day, she constrained him to come in and eat. Subsequently, Elisha got a meal from her always on his Journey.

This woman will not stop there, she prepared him a room with a bed, a chair and a candlestick. These should serve him more comfort and aid his night study.

But she never made any request. What could she be sowing these seeds for?

"Or does she want a connection with the King or the Army Chief", Elisha probed. Gehazi quickly revealed, "No! Actually, she has no son, and her husband is an old man.

"By this time Next year, you will have a son". And so it happened.

I quickly remembered that the same scenario played out in Gen 18

Abraham constrained angels into his home. He washed their feet, made them rest and offered them a sumptuous delicacy. They didn't ask for it, Just as Elisha didn't. He practically urged them in. The result - Isaac.

The shunamite woman doubted Elisha - "Don't lie to me" - she said. Sarah also doubted the angels - "how can this aged frail frame of mine bear fruit?

But none of these doubts could stop the miracle. Their initial audacious faith and desperate seeds of hospitality took precedence over their unbelief.

We all have doubts and fears hidden silently beneath the fabric of our beings, but we can subsume those with terrific steps of faith and daunting expressions of love which stand as irrepressible seeds that must speak.

Good Morning!

Happy Birthday to Pastor Jenifa - An Apostle of Hospitality

David Adeniji

THE WISE AND THE FOOLISH

In Matthew 25, Our Lord Jesus told a parable of 10 virgins who went to meet the bridegroom. 5 foolish, 5 wise. They all took lamps, but the 5 had oil in their oil vessel - that made them wise. The other 5 took no oil, that made them foolish.

The parable made no mention of them lighting their lamps at any time before the arrival of the groom. So when the 5 foolish virgins begged for oil in verse 8 saying their lamps are going out, it mustn't be that they once had oil. It must rather be a residual on the burning wick. They never had any oil. They took no oil with them. Verse 3 was clear on that.

So what burnt out soon as they lit their lamps was the torch itself. By the way, the Greek word for that lamp in this parable is LAMPAS, a word better translated torch. That word is found in only 4 other portions in the whole Bible (lamp, Rev 8:10; lamps, Rev 4:5; lights, Act 20:8; torches, 1Joh 18:3)

It's not the usual Lantern with a reserviour of oil. The wise virgins who had oil carried oil in a separate vessel. Not extra oil. As the story didn't say that. The oil in the separate vessel from the lamp is the only oil they had with them. That oil is to be applied when the lamp is to be lit.


So the lamp would be properly interpreted as the Christian faith (based on the word of God) which many profess. The wise ones (with oil) are the saved while the foolish ones (without oil) are the unsaved who enjoy the false feeling of salvation as they roam together with the saved. Such are the ones the Lord said will be separated as tares from wheat Matt 13:30. So the oil is salvation. You either have it, or you don't.

Please check well. Are you saved? Are you still saved? If you're not, salvation is just a prayer away. Ask Jesus to come into tour heart and he will.

FOCUS ON WHAT IS WORKING

FOCUS ON WHAT IS WORKING!
(David Adeniji)

In Mark 10:47 - 52, We see something remarkable. Bartimaeus was blind, he could not see Jesus going, but he HEARD Him!

Some things may not be working in our lives, but other things are. Why should we shut down our lives and refuse to achieve anything just because some vital things are not working. Bartimaeus couldn't see, but he could hear. He made the best use of his hearing and so secured his sight with determination from Jesus.

When Jesus passed by, he wasn't just moving into Jericho, He was moving out of Jericho. It's not impossible that he was there and heard when Jesus moved into Jericho, but thought Oh! I can't see, how will I see Him. But when he heard He was moving out, he determined to get his attention.

Yes, Bartimaeus couldn't see, He was not partially blind, he was completely blind. And Jesus was not standing or sitting somewhere where people met him for counselling or something. No! Jesus was in transit. He was moving. Moving out of Bartimaeus reach. Bartimaeus couldn't see, but he could talk, he could shout, he could cry out. Again, we need to get this clear. That some situations paralyse an aspect or facets of our lives does not mean our entire lives should remain at the mercy of such situations.

Only Bartimaeus' eyes were missing, his voice was intact, what a tool! I can't see, but I can talk and I can shout, I can cry Abba Father, I can pray, I can preach the gospel. Bartimaeus would not allow himself be defined or held down by what he doesn't have. Rather he answered to the ability in what he had. Believe me, sight is a big deal, but it's not bigger than life.

Just because a person is blind does not make him less of a human being. Just because something very important is absent in your life does not reduce your worth to yourself, to people and ultimately to God. Don't even care when people pity you. Matter of fact, avoid those who pity you. Move away from then. Associate rather with those who deal with your ignoring your weaknesses, as though you never had them, as though you have all they have. Those are the people you need to eventually overcome that weakness. They make you see the complete you and not the incomplete one.

So was the case of Bartimaeus. When they told him to keep quiet, he cried even more. Inside him, he was saying,      _'what do you mean? why should I keep quiet? Just because I'm blind? I don't need you in my life, because you make me feel I'm not worthy to be healed, just because I'm sick. No! I'm not obeying you, in fact I'm relocating away from where you are. I'm looking on to Jesus, the author and finisher of my faith. I can't see him now, maybe physically, but I can hear him. He's the one passing by. And already, I'm seeing him in my mind. I know he can heal me. This blindness does not define me...I'M CRYING OUT EVEN MORE.'_ Believe me, that should be your own cry too. EVEN MORE

So then, that you can't secure a job yet, should not make you lazy or idle. Just do something, payment or no payment, be active with something. Jesus had a different view about unemployment. To the world, graduates are plenty, but there are few jobs. To Jesus, the harvest is plenty, but labourers are few. Who's report do you believe? Please don't shut down your faith, simply because of one challenge or the other. All things are possible to them that believe.

That you don't yet have your own children does not make you barren, that's your own definition, take care of children. Yours or others'. Care and be happy! Period!, Yours will soon join them.

You may be sick, but you aren't dead. Choose to live, Only living  souls receive healing. Dead People don't. Your healing is in your living. Receive it now in Jesus Name.

That you've failed at something is still not the definition of failure. Observe the things you're doing successfully and do more of them. However trivial you find them to be. Everybody succeeds at something, even if it is talking, or greeting, or washing..or something! Nobody gets to a destination without starting, or without the journey itself.

Some things may not be working perfectly in our lives, but other things are. Don't shut down your life and refuse to achieve anything just because some vital things are not working now. Bartimaeus couldn't see, but he could hear, he could talk and he could walk.

Oh! yes he could walk too. Did I forget to tell you that? His cry reached the Master's ears. And the Master stood still. That's what happens when you just focus and make the best use of what is working in your life. Heaven stands still on your behalf. The master called him to come and he didn't say, 'Oh master, don't you see I'm blind, how can I make it to you? How will I see the way, I may fall tour know? Check well, Jesus didn't command that he be carried to him, or brought to him. Jesus commanded that he be called! Wao!. He had earlier made use of his ears - hearing Jesus pass, he used his voice -  crying out hard, now he's using his legs. Bible says clearly that he threw off his garment, ROSE AND CAME TO JESUS. I'm sure he did that in excitement and hurry, not as careful as he would do when coming to work or going back home.

So finally when Jesus asked him what he wanted, the miracle had already happened as Jesus didn't command any miracle or make any decree of healing or touch him at all. He simply said, Go your way, your faith has made you whole. Simply ignoring his deficiency, focusing on Jesus and   strongly on the things he could do had forced out the illness and made his desire a reality.

He made the best use of his hearing. HE HEARD JESUS. Do you hear Jesus in this message? Please surrender to him. Bartimaeus made the best use of his voice, he cried to Jesus. Please cry to Him too. He will save you. And Finally he made the best use of his legs. He walked to Jesus. Come to Him too. .Today. Shalom.

- By David Adeniji