Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy (Matthew 5:7)< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

It is possible to have lived all your years in sin, iniquities and wickedness and just at the last minute, before departing the face of earth; there is an answer to the call of salvation. Can you remember one of the criminals that received salvation on the cross? God is merciful. It is possible but it is not encouraging to purposely wait and take time to live in sin and iniquity thinking you are in control of time. Besides the Lord God, no one has ever been in control and no one will ever be in control. He alone is the controller. The Apostle Paul knew exactly about the beginning, the course and the end of the race before giving the advice, ÒTherefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.Ó (1Corinthians 10:12). God is a God of mercy and He does not want anyone to perish. God does not and will not run out of mercy, except that man has always been running out of His mercy. God is merciful to all His children and He demands from His children to be merciful. Do you as a believer have mercy? It does not matter the level and the time of service and sacrifice that you are putting forth in the business of the kingdom; if you are not being merciful you are running a risk of sacrifice that is not acceptable. It is written in Hosea 6:6, ÒFor I desire mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offeringsÓ Also it was repeated by Jesus in Matthew 5:7, ÒBlessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.Ó What then can we say as regard to being merciful in order for us to be in position of receiving His mercy? In Luke 6:27Ð35, Jesus clearly spelled it out for believers all that it takes for man to be positioned in the place of receiving the mercy of God. It was referred to as the rules of the Kingdom: Loving our enemies and being good to those that hate us; blessing and praying for those that curse us and are spitefully using us; stepping out of a revengeful spirit; giving and not expecting to get back from those that are receiving from us even when they are supposed to; loving those that have taken a stand of enmity against us is also required of every believer.   Jesus concluded in Luke 6:36, ÒTherefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.Ó Without any doubt, love should take a place in the life of a believer as a guiding spirit for a ChristianÕs life. Being merciful should be a way of taking a stand against evil. However, with genuine love there should also be a resistance of evil by challenging the wrongs directed against other people. God alone is merciful and that is why He says to Moses, Ó I will have mercy, on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.Ó (Romans 9:15) All the power, glory, honor, praise, and worship belong unto God alone. In the mercy of God there is favor and grace that constantly locate any man that He chooses to give it to. In the story of JosephÕs life, it was demonstrated how he moved from dream into dread before becoming a deliverer of his people. In the same story of Joseph, it was clearly stated more than once how the mercy of God injected favor. It was recorded in Genesis 39:21, ÒBut the LORD was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.Ó Joseph was living in line of the kingdom rules. He knew to flee evil as a result; the mercy of God that inhabits favor located Joseph. As the merciful favor of God was discharged unto Joseph so it was discharged unto Lot. Lot struggled and attempted not to leave Sodom and Gomorrah behind in following the angelÕs prescription of salvation. Lot later testified in Genesis 19:19, ÒIndeed now, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have increased your mercy which you have shown me by saving my life; but I cannot escape to the mountains, lest some evil overtake me and I die.Ó Mercy of God inhabits His favor and grace. Noah, in the goodness and mercy of God, found grace when it was declared in Genesis 6:8, ÒBut Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.Ó Ask God that whatever drives man to leave out of His infinite mercy will not locate you all the days of your life. GodÕs mercy is the vehicle that transports grace and favor. The Lord will have mercy. God does not and will not punish us according to our iniquities (Psalm 103:10) We punish ourselves when we do not polish or furnish ourselves with the living word of God. He alone is exceedingly, abundantly merciful. Position yourself into receiving His mercy.

The will of God is to fear Him. The fear of God is to love all and loving all is obedience to God.    

ÒFor you have magnified your word above all your name.Ó (Psalm 138:2b)

‘Tunde

ÒThen He said to then, ÒFollow Me and I will make you fishers of menÓ (Matthew 4: 19)

The purpose of His calling is to make us a fisher of men. Jesus called us to follow Him. He did not call us to fold up on Him and be a container or assembly where clean fish are being renewed and transferred from one assembly to another. At the time Jesus began His ministry it was with a call for people to repent because the Kingdom of heaven was at hand (Matthew 4:17).  It is documented in Matthew 4:18-19, ÒAnd Jesus walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 19 Then He said to them, ÔFollow Me and I will make you fishers of men.ÕÓ The same calling that Jesus had placed upon the first, second, and third disciples is the same calling He is placing upon disciples today. Have you been following Him or have you been folding up on Him? If you can give numbers of how many fish you have been enabled by the grace of God, to catch, then yes, you must have been following Him. However, if you cannot account for a single fish by His grace, you must have been folding up on Him. The most important reason for His calling is to follow Him. God is a God of order. In Him there is orderliness and His order are to be carried out in the order of His expectation. Once, Hezekiah, the King of Judah, was in order with the command of God. Later, he placed himself out of order and became sick and near to death. As a result he consulted Isaiah. In the book of 2 Kings 20:1, it was recorded, ÒIn those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, went to him and said to Him, ÔThus says the LORD: set your house in order; for you shall die, and not liveÕÓ The point here is that, to be out of His calling is to be out of order. Also, to be out of order is to set up a date with death. GodÕs order is not limited to any particular area of life. Have you in anyway taken your steps out of His order, or you are just in the middle of it? It is never too late for you to turn back from your ways into His ways. Hezekiah saw the glimpse of death but he turned it around when he returned into the order of God. To follow the Lord in the order of His calling is to flow in His power. It is demonstrated in the Bible that every time there is a response to His calling, signs and wonders were evident. It is written in the book of Mark16: 15, ÒAnd He said to them, ÔGo into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.ÕÓ This is exactly why He called us to follow Him. It is demonstrated later in the same chapter of Mark that what He had called His disciples to go for brought forth undeniable results. Mark 16:20, ÒAnd they went out and preached every where, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs.Ó Amen. Signs followed those that followed Him in His command because He was accompanying them. Do you wonder what the signs are? The signs are mentioned in Mark 16:17-18, ÒAnd these signs will follow those who believe: In my name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.Ó The signs will not follow religious people but those that follow Him by going out of their comfort zone into the commitment route. The word of God is not for decoration but for declaration and it demands activation before manifestation could be in place. Matthew and Luke also confirmed that His calling to go out and preach the gospel is also backed with deliverance and healing signs. Signs are what unbelievers need to see more that is, Signs that are undeniable, undisputable, and signs that are glaring and provocative. These signs will not be available where following Him has been folded up. These signs will not have its way in the confinement of buildings where fresh fish is constantly missing, where fish is being transferred from one assembly to another assembly. Without any doubt, when the signs become constantly glaring, undeniable and explosive, the world will begin to know that He meant what He said and He will do what He says He will do. What are you waiting for? What is holding you down from going out and follow Him? Ask God for His spirit to move you because no might, power, or determination will be enough to move you. Avoid stepping out of His order. Follow Him and you will flow in His power and signs.   < ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

ÒMoreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.Ó (1 Corinthians 4:2)

ManÕs pursuit of pleasure has replaced manÕs passion for GodÕs calling.

‘Tunde

ÒAnd forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtorsÓ(Matthew < ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>6:12)          < ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

A heart that does not know how to give will not know how to receive. Jesus, in His lesson about how to pray, Matthew 6:12, ÒAnd forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.Ó Any heart that does no know how to give is not only on his own but also heading in the direction of temptation and the evil one. It could be that you have not been able to receive yours because you have refused to stop going around carrying and nursing how your brethren has offended you years ago. Jesus taught it and it is clear that you need to go and tear your diary of animosity, woes, anger and plan for revenge. Go and forgive, receive and move forward because there is power in giving and blessing in receiving.

John 1:1-3, ÒIn the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.Ó This same Word is the one that comes from God. This same Word is the one that comes to give life. John 10:10, ÒThe thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.Ó The Word is here and not that He will be here sometimes. The purpose of the Word being here as stated by Him is to give life. In His giving of life, there will be abundance in it. The life He came to give can only be received by every believer that knows how to receive it. Are you a believer that knows how to forgive and move from the past into life that is in the Word?

How you receive will not be determined by how long you have been in the church. It is possible for you to have been in the church for years and have the challenges of constantly holding on to who takes your seat or who steps on your toes every time you get into your place of worship. How you receive will not be determined by what or how people know you or perceive you to be. How you receive cannot be determined by how active you are in your congregation or your ground of fellowshipping. It is possible for you to be working in the church and not work His works.  The Word that comes from God is to give life and to give it more abundantly. As the Word comes, so does the enemy. The enemy that is around is here on earth to take life and tear it with more destruction. The one that destroys is a specialized destroyer, he will always build on every reason not to be able to forgive and deny entrance of entering a position to receive and be blessed.

It is written in 2 Timothy 1:7, ÒFor God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.Ó It has been given by God and not that it will be given. It is there to operate a spirit of power and of love and of a sound mind. Receive what God has given; all that is not of God has to be released. It is true that you are conversant with the scriptural passages, but are you consciously operating what the passages are saying to you as a believer? To be consciously operating the given Word of God is the evidence of its reception in the life of a believer.  The Word that God has given has so much to offer if every believer will take a position to receive. The word of God is for healing and deliverance. Psalm 107:20, ÒHe sent His word and healed them, And delivered them from their destructions.Ó Anytime a believer is able to let go what the world is offering and take what the Word of God has already given, there will be a release of deliverance to be received. The Word of God requires giving a commitment and that will enable th grace to receive the blessings of the word. Commitment is a labor and it is not convenient especially for a heart that is fully booked with an unforgiveness in the past. It is only the hearts that are able to release itself from the occupying agents of the world that will  receive–through constant engagement of the Word–the inheritance among the sanctified. The Word of God is true and true to His promises only if the word is received. The same Word of God is the one announced in Psalm 119:32, ÒThe entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.Ó Darkness is what is covering the whole worldof sinners, and its inhabitants refused to free themselves by not receiving the living Word of God. Without the Word that is light, the world that is darkness will always be a trap and a stumbling block. How long will you continue to live your life without receiving the word of God? He has given all  it takes for man to receive all that is embedded in His Word. A failure to receive will bring forth the reason to be reduced.

The pride of your heart will deceive and deny His love for you.

Seperate unto Him and you will operate in Him.

‘Tunde Soniregun

ÒFor everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks find, and to him who knocks it will be opened.Ó(Luke 11:10)< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

A prayer that will never miss its target is asking for the will of God to be done. If there is any plan or place where a believer will want to be, it should be in the will of God. Jesus, in His prayer lesson, taught His disciples to always pray for the will of God (Matthew < ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>6:10). The will of God is His plans or thoughts concerning the life which He has given to His creation. God confirmed in Jeremiah 29:11, ÒFor I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.Ó God meant what He said and He will do what He says He will do. GodÕs thoughts are good thoughts; GodÕs thoughts toward His children are not in the assembly line, it is already in place because He said He knows it. That testifies that His thoughts are in place and are waiting for His children to capture it. The plan of God is for His children to enter into what He has already put in place if the children will ask. Jesus encouraged in Luke 11:9, ÒÕSo I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.ÕÓ He did not say beg because you do not beg for what has been in place for you. But you ask and seek it and it will become of you. Asking is praying or calling on God through the name of Jesus Christ. Asking sometimes requires consistency or persistency, but the bottom line is that children will have to ask before receiving. Prayer does not have to be in multitudes of words nor in colorful words. A prayer is not limited to time or to location. Prayer does not have to be in repetition; it does not matter if prayer is loud or if it is quiet. Prayer can either be simple or intense, but prayer has to be backed with power. A prayer that is backed with power is the kind of prayer that moves mountains; a prayer backed with power is the prayer that is rooted in the word of faith. Faith has its source in the Word of God. Throughout the Bible, many mountains were moved by the prayer of faith. Do you carry the Word in you? Where, in your mouth or in your hand? The Word that you carry in you will pave way for your prayer. If you know how to ask and not know how to receive, you will be missing what your prayer brings forth. The way of receiving is in your positioning. The prophet Habakkuk did not hide the secret of receiving when he mentioned in Habakkuk 2:1, ÒI will stand my watch And set myself on the rampart, And watch to see what He will say to me, And what I will answer when I am corrected.Ó When you ask and fail to take the position to receive, God will not come down. Asking and being able to wait patiently to receive is a demonstration of understanding the word of God. The hand of God is what will deliver all that is asked for. The children of Israel cried to God when they could no longer accommodate the pain of over 400 hundred years of bondage (Exodus 2:23). God heard their crying and He extended His hand of deliverance (Exodus 3:20). The wall of Jerusalem was not in place to protect the survivors of captivity.   As a result, reproach and distress was having its way in the lives of the survivors (Nehemiah 1:3). Nehemiah moved to rebuild the wall but needed GodÕs intervention. In asking, he prayed, and the Lord extended His good hand, the hand of deliverance, and NehemiahÕs mission was set in place (Nehemiah 2:8). A leper in need of healing came to a position to receive healing. Matthew 8:2, ÒAnd behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, ÕLord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.ÕÓ He could not miss his healing because he asked for the will of God while on the right position to receive. In the leperÕs case, there was answer in the hand of Jesus as it is written in Matthew 8:3, ÒThen Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, ÕI am willing; be cleansed.Õ Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. Ó As a believer who is conversant with the word of God, this message is not a reminder, neither a repetition; it is to serve as a point of renewing the mind. Do not be conformed to what is going on around you, remember who you are and get yourself into asking Him while positioning yourself to receive from Him. The will of God will transform if you will ask just like the leper who asked for the will of God and got healed.

He sent His word and healed them, And delivered them from their destructions (Psalm 107:20). The word of God is power.

A prayer that is backed with power is the kind of prayer that moves mountains

 ÔTunde Soniregun

ÒBut He said, ÔMore than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!Ó (Luke 11:28)< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

A testimony that seems so long ago is right before us again. Noah prepared for an end time scenario. His preparation began when God called him due to the continuous ungodliness of the people. Noah was located in a geographical area where within a year, it hardly rained. God commanded Noah to call His peopleÕs attention into living godly lives. God wanted to bring judgment unto the people just as He has promised to bring judgment again today. It sounded impossible that rain would flood the face of the earth to the point for a need of a giant ship (ark) as a vehicle of salvation. Building a huge ark to escape the flood in an area where it hardly rains could have been identified as a foolish move. Deaf ears were turned to Noah; the people were into their own lifestyles. The people then were going about their daily activities. Just as it was then, so it is today. To the rest, Noah, with the biggest ark, was the biggest of all the big fools. All that Noah was doing was obeying the Word of God. In NoahÕs watching, he was building what it would take for him to escape when the heavenÕs water pump is released. Genesis 6:22, ÒThus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did.Ó All His commands are to be strictly observed. Just as it was with Noah, so it is with us today. The warnings have been there for more than two thousand years. The warnings have not changed except that they become clearer in the physical and spiritual manifestation. Today, there are many types of Noah that are warning the people to begin building their vehicle of escape, but all is falling to deaf ears. Nothing has changed from the time of Noah. Jesus came to make the difference, but instead it was received with different opinions and suggestions. Some called Him names that did not belong to Him; some mocked Him; some denied Him; and most did not receive Him. The truth is that Jesus came to die for our sins and iniquities so that we will be able to inherit eternity.  Jesus emphasized that the coming time of judgment is a time that no one knows but only God. Mark 13:32-33, ÒBut of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.Ó Jesus is the truth and the truth is threatening only a very few who want to turn around and give their lives to God. Most, however, who claim to have given their lives to the Word of God are mistaken by observing only the comfortable commands. More than twice, the Bible emphasizes in Genesis 6 that Noah did according to all that God commanded him, not just a few things. Noah did not do according to the dictates of his heart. Do you think you are standing well enough? 1 Corinthians 10:12, ÒTherefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fallÓ- Paul warned. The time of life is very crucial and the calls for consistent warning to watch and pray are all throughout the Bible. Jesus warned against the activities of this world that takes the place of God in man because the judgment time will come unexpectedly. He mentioned in Luke 21:36, ÒWatch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of < ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>Man.Ó Prepare and not pretend. Preparation, not calculation of the time of judgment, is all that we need to be doing. This can be done in no other way than to watch and pray. To watch with effectiveness is spending time in the Word and meditating on His Word. With meditation, you will trust and obey. Meditating on the Word will enable a believer to observe according to the Word. In obeying the Word of God, you will be alive in the spirit. In December 2004, a massive earthquake created a TSUNAMI causing devastation around the rim of the Indian Ocean. The death toll was in hundred of thousands. Does that sound like tale telling? The fact is the rain that flooded in the time of Noah rained forty days and forty nights, but the TSUNAMI executed for perhaps a couple of minutes in duration. In that period of time, it touched down in many regions on the face of earth. JesusÕ coming will be in a twinkling of an eye. What will an hour of consistent and continuous TSUNAMI bring to the whole world? Judgment is coming and it will be at GodÕs time. Take your time to build your ark.

When you focus on God, He will close-up on you and no weapon form against you shall prosper.

Jesus said in Revelation 16:15, ÒBehold I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.Ó

ÔTunde Soniregun