How do you want to start the new year?

In Genesis 26, Isaac heard specifically from God not to go into the land of Egypt but to sow in the land where he was. In that land there was famine, water was scarce. But the word tells us that Isaac sowed in the land and sowed a hundredfold.

He prospered so much that the people of Philistine, the land in which he lived and sowed, became envious of him. The envy was filled with fear and the Ruler of that land, Abimelech, asked Isaac to leave the land because He had grown mightier than the owners of the land. So, Isaac moved.
The word tells us that as he sowed he dug a well, the people of the land strove with him; he dug another well and the same thing happen. He moved the first and second time, by the digging of the third well he had peace because the people did not fight him for that well.

Isaac moved on and kept moving without giving up after the first or second well was taken from him. He kept on until he got to the place where his work and profit was not in contention.
Until we get the truth that the bible uses failure to bring out the best in us we would always struggle

Why do we quit?

1. We quit because we rely on our power and effort. Jeremiah 17:5
2. We do not seek the consent of God. Proverb 3: 5
3. We take our cue from what happened to another person. Each and every one of us have our own cross to carry. 
4. We want things done in our own time, we do not want to wait for God’s time. 1 Peter 5: 10
5. We do not let God finish what he started. 

The success that we expect is right there at our finger tips. Proverbs 24: 10.
If need be go back to God, the potter, and let Him fix that which is not going well in your life.
Job said “For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease.” Job 14: 7 KJV.

What has not destroyed you will and can only make you stronger. Can God trust us to trust Him? Would He be able to trust you to let Him do His will in your life so that you can have the success that He has promised you?

As we enter into the new year, let us give God a chance to work in us and through us. We have tried it our own way till date. As today ends 2017, let us enter the new ship called 2018, doing it God’s way and see the changes that will take place in our lives.

Where is the evidence of Your Christianity?

As Christians we are to be a reflection of Christ, for he is our perfect example. He said in his word “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” Matthew 25:40 KJV. Our going to church, praying and fasting is not a reflection of God. Reflecting God is seen in a selfless life of giving and doing that which pleases God.  The evidence of your Christianity is seen in your daily life.


The wise men’s purpose for seeking out the baby was to worship and to give. This is the full purpose of been a child of God. Worship and giving. The wise men gave a great evidence of their reflection of God by their worship and giving spirit. They were so focused on their mission that till date there is no mention of their names or linage save that they came from the east. “But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Matthew 6: 3-4

If Christ happens to appear today dressed in dirty and tattered attire, looking hungry and homeless, how would you receive him? Would you even say hello? Would you give him a front row seat? A lot of us would be offended with such a person in our church, homes or place of work. We need to begin to live our life reflecting Christ.

The reason why we do not experience extra ordinary greatness is because most of us lack the capacity to sacrifice for the greatness. We need to be able to sacrifice for Christ. As we remember the story in Luke 16: 19-31. The rich man could

Starting the journey right

Saying, where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. Matthew 2: 2-6

Be sensitive to things around you. The bible says that Jesus was being born and the people in the midst where he was born didn’t know anything about him. A lot of us miss opportunities because we are not sensitive to the things around us. As a new year starts, we need to be sensitive and wise as we position ourselves for the future. Those things we want to achieve in the next year we need to have the focus in our sights now. This is the time to talk to God and ask him what His plans are for the next year, so that His plan and our plans will be in line.

The people have the knowledge, the had the information but they were not sensitive to the time. The leaders of Israel knew where Jesus was to be born because all the prophesies pointed to the town of Bethlehem. A lot of us know many things but we didn’t pay those things we know any attention. We are to be sensitive to our name, to the place we live in, to the times we live in, we are to be sensitive to the people around us. We need to understand the name we are given by our parents.

You have potential, you might be the least like Bethlehem was but one thing is sure; every one of us has potential for greatness. We need to recognize our potential and make use of it that we may become that which we were ordained and created to be. There is a great person coming out of each of us. It is not what we look like that is important, but what is inside us and what will come out of us is the important thing to achieving greatness. The problem with a lot of people and nations is the lack of understanding regarding the potentials of the people and the greatness that the people in a place could achieve.

Only those who fix their eyes on Jesus will to the end. If you follow the star contentiously you will get to Him. The bible says “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set.” Hebrew 12: 2
The wise men not only saw the star but they knew what to do and where prepared to do it. They were ready to go all the way till the end. Most of us come to church or place of worship for the wrong reasons; of all the reasons we have not many go to the place of worship just for the purpose of worshiping Jesus. The wise men went to the baby for 2 reasons only – to worship and give gifts to Jesus.

For us to start right and end well in 2018 we are to remember to do the following; be sensitive at all times, understand and realize that YOU have potential, fix your eyes on Jesus and finally have that spirit of worship and giving.

Where are you going?

What is happening in front of us and around us will not pass us by; what God has ordained us for will not pass us by. The wise men observed the star and followed it.

How many people in Israel knew that Jesus was born? Why didn’t the whole of Israel not know when he was born? They were nor discerning; not looking and watching. They were foretold of an opportunity; that the Messiah was coming around that time.
They were not focused enough; on the things of God, on things happening around us, on things happening with and to the people around us.

We need to ask God questions, to study the word, meditate on the word, live on and by it. There is a need for spiritual sensitivity.

What kind of a day was it when Jesus Christ was born? It was a normal day, a simple day, and ordinary day. Great things happen in simple ways, ways we never expected, imagined or thought of. This is how and when God shows up. An ordinary day can end up in an extra ordinary way. A lot of the time opportunities pass us by when we least expect it.
When you enter somewhere let your anthennas be up. When you are a in a place we need to be spiritually sensitive to what God is saying and what He wants us to get from it.

“Wise men came from the east saying”. What was it that made it possible for the wise mean to arrive safely at their destination? The beginning of a journey is not as important as arriving safely at the destination.

1. They followed the star
2. They were focused on where they were not going
3. They were united
4. The took collective responsibility (they traveled as wise men and arrived as wise men. When they were going to speak they all spoke together as the wise men.)

For us to get to where we are going we must be focused on the destination, be spiritually discerning, be conscious of opportunities around us.




Picture coutesy: http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Three-wise-men_2769.jpg

God gives us a sign

"Where is he who is born King of the Jews? For we saw his star in the east, and have come to worship him."  Matt 2:2 (WEB)

When God wants to do something important He shows a sign. When Jesus was born, a star led the Three wise men to the manger where he was born. This is why we have to be spiritually alert and mindful, so that we do not miss the sign that a thing is about to happen or has happened or is happening.

The three wise men saw the sign and followed it. Even though Israel was given the sign and the birth was foretold, they missed it because they did not use the knowledge. We do not pay enough attention to the knowledge and observation of the times; hence we find it hard to move on and to excel.

Something great was happening in Israel and the children of Israel did not even know about it. We said in one of our previous posts that life is a journey and that end of a journey is more important than how we started that journey.

It is important to lay the right foundation for a journey by being focused and speaking into the journey to ensure that the focus and outcome for the journey will manifest and be successful.

Habakkuk said “I will stand at my watch, and set myself on the ramparts, and will look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint. Hab 2:1 (WEB)”

A lot of us take too many things for granted and those things we take for granted end up as that important thing which matters. We must talk to God without stopping or hesitating. We must lay a solid foundation for our journey through life.

We must avoid trouble. The bible says Herod was troubled and as soon as the wise men saw this they avoided him. We are to not wine and dine with those things and persons that would give us trouble. We must not tolerate trouble and all those things that appears as trouble. There are some people who do not add value to your life, do not benefit you, people who frustrate you, people who don’t add value to your life; avoid these types of people.

Why do we need to avoid trouble? Trouble would take your focus away from the sign that God is about to do something great in your life. In some cases, when we dine with trouble we become distant from the opportunities that we would otherwise have seen and made good of.

God has given us the greatest sign to men...........Christ was born as messiah!

The journey through Bethlehem

It is the beginning of the journey that we know and not the end. The word says when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, the 3 wise men took a journey. Life is a journey and every one on this earth is on a pilgrimage. Everything physical are things that are temporal. For a while you are here, the next you are somewhere else. While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:18 KJV

This means also that our relationships are temporal. Friends we make sometimes we do not see them for the next couple of decades. The same way all problems are temporal. It does not matter how great or how insurmountable they may seem, those problems have an expiration date. They shall pass away.

Life is a journey because where you are going is more important than where you are or where you are coming from. The Bible said that the wise men came from the east, it didn’t tell us where in the east they came from but it told us where they are going to. The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. Matthew 6:22 KJV

A lot of people go through life looking backward, sideways but we do not go through life looking forward. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Heb 12:2 KJV. We go through life thinking of pains, disappointment, mistakes, financial losses and challenges of the past and hang on to them. We find it difficult to move forward because we are holding on with both hands on the past and this makes it difficult for us to move forward.

Therefore we have lost focus not knowing that where we are going is better than where we are coming from. We need to set our goals, visions and what we want of life before us and move forward. We need to move forward with the the goals and vision that we have set for ourselves. Keep your focus on where you are going and ignore all distractions.

In the journey of life you must seek direction of that journey. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.Matthew 6:33 KJV. Arm yourself with wisdom. The reason why many of us have not moved forward it is because we have not sought direction. The wise men kept following the star and when the star was hidden they began to ask around to seek where the child would be born.

What kind of places to go for direction

1. Go to Jesus and say Jesus how did you do it that you made the right decisions in life
2. Go to the word of God. Those who succeeded in the word how did they do it
3. Go to an elderly person who is finishing well, sit at the feat of that person and learn how they were able to succeed in life. 

As we end 2017, set your eyes on the set goals and vision with a focus of single mindedness. Let Jesus be your guiding focus and you will see that everything will begin to work for your good!