“…Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus…” (2 Timothy 2:1)
 
“You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”(2 Timothy 2:1-2) Here, the apostle Paul was writing to Timothy. The book of second Timothy was regarded as Paul’s last words from a Roman prison. It was also documented that at the time of writing, Paul knew it could be his final contact with Timothy because his execution was imminent. Are you experiencing a painful or prison time while not in prison? Does your root of pain need a source of strength? It is always important to know what gives hope in the face of death like the one Paul encountered. Paul, in his letter to Timothy, gave two points that will keep a believer strong: gaining strength in the grace of Jesus Christ, and gaining strength in all the testimonies in the word of God. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is the sweet fellowship of the Holy Spirit. Also, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is the love of God. In this world of challenges, knowing that the Holy Spirit of God is our strength gives us the ability to draw strength from the sweet fellowship of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the comforter, and when comfort is in place of weakness and challenge, peace will reign and strength will become of the weak. The love of God is Jesus and God testified, “Then a voice came from heaven, ‘You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’” (Mark 1:11) God did not send His beloved son for the fun of it but to bring every of His children to Himself and deliver us from the bondage that causes weakness unto death. Jesus declared the grace that is in Him when He stated, “…I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10) There is no source of being strong such as having life and having it more abundantly. Being strong in the grace extends to the ability to be testifying and witnessing Jesus Christ. When a believer takes a step out in going around and witnessing and teaching others what the Lord has done, what the Lord can do and what the Lord will do, strength takes its place in the life of such a believer. Apostle Paul was there, he was through it, he saw it all, and he knew exactly what he was saying when he gave his admonishment to every gospel believers then and now. Through Timothy Paul said, “…My son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” (2 Timothy 2:1-2) A conscious and consistent step into the Word will deliver a competent and complete manifestation of His Word. How you receive the word of God will determine how you conceive it. It is impossible to conceive a word of victory and delivering a word of loss. That is to say, what a man hears is what he receives and what is received determines what the man becomes. To be strong is a self and conscious decision to be made in the face of painful challenges and storms of life. How are you going to respond to the word of God that is meant to deliver you from every form of destruction? Receive the word of God through Azariah the son of Oded, “But you, be strong and do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded!” (2 Chronicles 15:7)  It was this word of the living God that Asa the King of Judah heard, “And when Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage…” (2 Chronicles 15:8). How the word is received will determine the kind of deliverance that will bring forth. Asa moved outside of discouragement when the word sounded in his direction. It is not beyond you to make a conscious and deliberate move by acting the word of God. Making a move and allowing the word of God in our life can never be too late to terminate all that has been pronounced late by man. With God and His word there is nothing too late. Does this speak to your situation? “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7) Today, if you will receive it, be encouraged in the word of God.
 
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is the sweet fellowship of the Holy Spirit.
Also, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is the love of God
 
A conscious and consistent step into the Word will deliver a competent and complete manifestation of His Word.
‘Tunde

“…The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts.” (Philippians 4:7)  

In today’s world of troubles and exceeding challenges, complete and consistent obedience to the word of God is the only source of struggle-free life for any child of God. Disruption, frustration and every other forces of concern is inhabited in the inability to trust and hold on to the promises that are constantly mentioned in the pages of the Bible. The inability to trust in the word of God is an evidence of disobedience. The word of God says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”(Philippians 4:6) It’s easy to memorize and quote verses in the Bible but when a challenge shows up in an unexpected way or at a crucial hour, it becomes very difficult to remember not to be anxious. It is easy to read, tell or teach how Father Abraham engaged in a journey of faith, a journey where God requested for his son Isaac to be used for sacrifice. However, it is not easy to take such a journey into one’s life. The point here is, through the journey of Abraham to the ground of sacrifice, there was no record of complaint or pain neither was there any evidence of anxiousness demonstrated by Abraham. The record of the journey to MountMoriah sounded so smooth and unscathed. Abraham’s journey was rooted in his obedience to the word of God. As a result, the journey became struggle-free instead of it being a journey of all kinds of pain and struggle. Abraham obeyed God because he trusted that the One that gave him a child at a very old age of ninety-nine must have something in store for him. As a believer, what area in our journey of life has become painful, disruptive, or offsetting to our comfort? How are we dealing with it? Is there any sign of anxiousness in our response? Are we struggling with the confronting situations? As a believer, is there any obedience to the living word of God? “…For He Himself has said, ’I will never leave you nor forsake you.’” (Hebrews 13:5) The words of God have been, and are being deposited in our life. How long will it take for us as a believer to begin mixing the word of God with faith so that it can become profitable for us in every confronting situation of life? The word of God is written for us to wrap it around ourselves so it can produce an enviable result before the unbelieving world that surrounds us. Hebrews 4:2, “For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.” It is evident in the word of God that every believer has a role to play before the word of God could bring forth results. Mixing the word with faith is acting on the word of God. Without any doubt, by virtue of the documentation of Abraham’s reaction when he left for the journey of sacrifice, Abraham had peace and was without struggle. He responded to God when he: “…Rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.” (Genesis 22:3) The word of God talked about a peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7). Abraham’s response was clearly with peace that surpasses all understanding. Reading and memorizing the word of God is far from enough in generating peace that surpasses all understanding. Mixing the word of God with faith will not happen within a few minutes or couple of hours a week in Bible study. However, it is clearly demonstrated that meditating morning, day, and night is what will be the grinding force that will enable the word of God to become mixable in every believer. Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” Indeed, the word of God is noble, just, pure and lovely, of good report and it is praise worthy. Meditate and you will have a struggle-free journey in the midst of challenges.

 
“Word of God is easy to quote but to put it on as coat is work”.

“The word of God is the only source of a struggle-free life this challenging world”

Tunde

“…While He prayed, the heaven was opened.” (Luke 3:21)
 
Among the different ways that prayer can be defined is talking and listening to God. Prayer is an intimate fellowship with God. What prayer requires is faith and to be in right relationship with God. Without faith or right relationship with God, prayer could be like attempting to wash a dirty cloth in dirty water. God will not answer when the relationship is not right; neither would He be pleased when there is no faith. The right relationship starts with asking for forgiveness. Among the different types of prayer are: Interceding, thanking God, praising God, and confessing before God. Above all, if there is anything that will certainly open the windows of heaven, it is prayer. Luke 3:21, “When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened.” Jesus, in His entire earthly ministry, was showing us how to walk the walk. When Jesus came to be baptized, He took His time to pray, and heaven opened. This is a clear demonstration that prayer is key for opening up the doors of heaven. It is also clear through the Bible that prayer opens heaven not only at the point of baptism but also at every juncture of life. When heaven opened in response to Jesus’ prayer, different things happened. Luke 3:22, “And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, ’You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.’” Prayer is a heaven-opener. The prayer by Jesus is a testimony to the fact that when a prayer finds the door to heaven, the Holy Spirit, which represents the presence of God, will come down and descend on the one praying. With the Holy Spirit descending, the voice of God will then sound in the direction of the one praying. With the heavens opened, the voice of God will speak direction if the one praying has the ear to hear the voice of God. We need the grace of God to hear His voice when it sounds in our direction. Again, with the heavens opened, Jesus heard the voice from heaven saying to Him, “You are my beloved Son: in You I am well pleased.” Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” The voice that sounded as a result of prayer also pointed out that prayer rooted in faith is what pleases God. For without faith God is not pleased. God is a prayer answering God if His children will take the time to call unto Him in prayer as Jesus demonstrated. How is your prayer life? At times prayer requires simplicity; other times, persistency, intensity and fervency. However, prayers always need to be effective and consistent. Prayer is like a battleground a place of violent confrontation against the spiritual wickedness. Jesus said in Matthew 11:12, “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.” Prayer can be the violent weapon in the hand of any believer that wants to take the kingdom of heaven by force. Prayer is the delivery room for every believer that wants to receive undeniable proof of God’s hand. In these days of spiritual wickedness, for every acclaimed believer, there is no substitute for prayer. God is very much in the business of answering prayer just as He was in the beginning. He promised in Isaiah 58:9,  “Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; You shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am …’”God is caring; He will not look away from His children when they cry unto Him. Exodus 3:7-8, “And the LORD said: ‘I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. 8 So I have come down to deliver them…” God heard their cry and He moved for their deliverance. Can you think of any situation where you have been in bondage as the Israelites under the Egyptians? It is time to cry unto the Lord for your own deliverance. David said in Psalm 109:4, “…But I give myself to prayer.” The disciples stated in Acts 6:2, “But we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” As a believer, how is your prayer life? A prayer-less believer is like a vehicle driving in the dark without the headlights turned on. It will only take a moment before disaster happens. A church that prays will prevail while a prayer less church will remain in vain.
 
“A church that prays will prevail while a prayer less church will remain in vain.”
“And the prayer of faith will save the sick and the Lord will raise him up.” (James 5:15)

“… But he who puts his trust in Me shall possess the land, And shall inherit My holy mountain.”(Isaiah 57:13)
 
 
Psalm 125:1-2, “Those who trust in the LORD Are like Mount Zion, Which cannot be moved, but abides forever. 2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
 so the LORD surrounds His people from this time forth and forever.” The word of God is true to perform and that is why it commands a great deal of paying attention to each and every Word. It is clear and true that trusting Him makes one to abide forever. Trusting in Him was not limited to only the people of the old but to all generations. The Word of God also likens those that trust Him to Mount Zion. What is it about Mount Zion that is special and rewarding for anyone that trusts Him? The same word of God pointed out in the book of Joel 2:32, “And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance…” Deliverance is surely the portion of any believer that trusts in the Lord. Those that trust in God, who are likened to Mount Zion, should not only be seen as having deliverance as their portion but also be seen as agent of deliverance because it is written in Obadiah 1:17, “But on Mount Zion there shall be deliverance and there shall be holiness…” The point is, any one that trusts in God is like Mount Zion and has what it takes to be an agent of deliverance. Do you really trust Him? It is all about trusting and resting in the name of God. Years, months, weeks or days can pass, but God will not forget His own: the ones that have taken a position of trust in His name. When waiting and trusting on God seems to be taking forever, and when it can be seen that time is clearly not in your favor, the Word of God encourages us, “But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” (2 Peter 3:8) God will never run out of time, and there is never a “late” in His timing, because the timing of God is different from the timing of man. All that Gods expects from those that believe and trust in Him is to call and cry to Him when the need calls for it. Isaiah 58:9, “Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am…’” King David, because of his trust in the Lord, declared in 1 Samuel 22:4, “I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies.” It takes the heart that trusts to remember to call in the midst of unbearable challenges. King David is an example of someone who did not hesitate to ask when the need called for it. David did not go to war without seeking God first. Twice in 1 Samuel 23, verses 2 and 4, he repeatedly went and inquired from God before going to war against the Philistines. David knew to ask God rather than assume before making a move against his enemies. When there is a cry, He will move His hand of deliverance. The children of Israel, in bondage of over four hundred years cried to God, “And the LORD said: ‘I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. 8 So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians…” (Exodus 3:7-8) God is consistent with His word. When you ask by calling on Him, He will answer; when you cry to Him, He will show up on your behalf.However, there are some questions you want to ask yourself when asking. Have you actually been begging, when you have been told to ask? In your asking have you been asking amiss? James 4:3, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.” God is not a partial God, but He is a faithful God. He is a God of order and demands complete obedience to His Word before the Word can work for anyone. When there is confidence to wait and receive, do not ask amiss, but trust in the name of the Lord God; call on His name and He will answer. “The name of the Lord is a strong tower…” (Proverbs 18:10) Personalize the Word of God and trust in Him, and the peace in His Word will be your portion. Remember, they that trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion. Consider yourself to be Mount Zion, which cannot be moved.
 
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5)
“Many sorrows shall be to the wicked; But he who trusts in the LORD, mercy shall surround him.” (Psalm 32:10)

“…I will not leave you nor forsake you.” (Joshua 1:5)

When Joshua took over the challenging and confrontational leadership position of leading the children of Israel, he was backed by a convincing and powerful promise of God, “No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you.” (Joshua 1:5) Believers often quote the promise of God to Joshua by personalizing it “The Lord will not leave me nor forsake me”. Indeed, God will never leave His own, except if His own disown Him by living outside of His command. It is a great blessing to have God on our side; however, God’s blessing is rooted in conditions that have to be met before the blessing manifests itself. It would not have happened for Joshua if he had failed to operate under the conditions that were laid down for the manifestation of God’s promise. The conditions for Joshua were for him to, “Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.” (Joshua 1:6) This same condition applies to any believer who wants to personalize God’s promise to Joshua. Without being strong in the Lord and having courage rooted in trusting God, Joshua would not have entered into the promises of God. Being strong and courageous is what will make any believer to be able to observe the word of God. Observing the word of God is in meditation just as it was laid down for Joshua, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it…” (Joshua 1:8) It is clear in the word of God that meditation will generate the ability to observe the word (Observe: to regard with attention, so as to see or to obey, comply with, or conform to). Without meditating on the word, nothing will be in place to observe. A believer can only be strong when the joy of the Lord is present inside of him.  Nehemiah 8:10, “…For the joy of the LORD is your strength.” Joy that is rooted in the heart, not laughter or a smile, is a direct access to the presence of God. The Psalmist stated, “You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy…” (Psalm 16:11) With the presence of God, a strength that cannot be shaken will make it impossible for any man to stand against a believer that is in the word of God. Having joy in the Lord is the evidence of fully trusting. Courage is to shut fear down and open up to faith. Faith is what provokes the move of God’s, hand not fear. With strength and courage, the grace to observe the word will lead to doing what the Lord had said. The word that He spoke to Joshua is also speaking to us, “Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:7) Evidently, being strong and courageous in the face of undeniable challenge or overwhelming pressure will make a believer prevail. When crossing the Red Sea, the children of Israel demonstrated great fear when Pharaoh and his force drew near to them. The Children of Israel cried unto God and Moses responded, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. 14 The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.” (Exodus 14:13-14) Being strong in the Lord (having strength in the joy of the Lord) enabled the children of Israel to stand still. The lesson is clear: having courage will terminate fear. Without fear, there will be that ability to see victory even when the victory is yet to be there. Most times quoting the word of God is easier said than done. It is easy to confess, “The Lord will not leave me nor forsake me”, but it can be challenging to hold on to His Word of grace that will keep us in His promise. The word of God has to be consciously activated before it can deliver unto us the promise. Challenges might persist, it might present itself unexpectedly, however, standing in the word of God will make us to become victorious. As a final point: it is important to know and accept that the word of God is living and it is deliverance for those that choose to live in the word of God and not in the word of this world.
 
The combination of strength and courage makes a winning believer.
Strength is the testimony of character; boldness is the evidence of courage.