ÒI beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.Ó (Romans 12:1)< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>Satisfaction has taken place over your sacrificial living for God. Being conformed to the world around you has taken over your commitment unto God. What is your destination in the journey of life? Day after day, week after week, month after month, and year after year, have you really considered that serving God is why you are alive? Romans 12:1, ÒI beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.Ó The scriptural passage did not say, ÔPresent your bodies a living satisfied.Õ You know exactly what it says. Living satisfied is to have eliminated a sacrificial living for God. In the name of God, and by designed interpretation of the word of God, some believers have found a way out to justify a satisfied living that suits them. Many are being carried away by their way of life rather than by the ways of God. Psalm 145:17, ÒThe LORD is righteous in all His ways, Gracious in all His works.Ó God does have a required and specified standard in living for Him. The standard is to serve Him, and to serve God is to love God. Deuteronomy 6:5, ÒYou shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.Ó Agreed, you know about this word, but it is not enough if you know but do not do. Living satisfied with the world around you is to have eliminated a sacrificial life. Until you begin to live a sacrificial life for God, you cannot live a holy life. Living a sacrificial life will take you out of the world of sin because all that is considered as fun and free cannot add up for you. Living a sacrificial life is the only acceptable way before God and there is no lowering of standards. What God sees is reasonable service, not seasonal service.

Conformity to this world will take away your commitment. If being committed to the things and work of God becomes inconvenient, then convenience will take over your commitment to God. Romans 12:2, And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.Ó  

Questions: Have you been acting in accordance with current customs and modes of the world around you? Do any of your values correspond in form or character with the world around you? Are you complying or in constant agreement, or accord, with the world around you? The word of God encourages watching and praying. Are you watching for all the signs that can line you up in conformity with the world around you? God will not lower His standard and requirement for salvation. Can you imagine a computer? There will be no amount of effort for you to enter into a file or folder if you lack the right password. There is a password to heaven and that password is to live the ways of God, and you will end up in the will of God. Your battle ground is your mind. The mind is where the enemy targets. The enemy knows that when the mind is taken, you are a done deal. It is evident in the word of God that the mind is the prime target of the enemy. 2 Corinthians 4:3-4, ÒBut even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.Ó This clarifies why you should be allowing a constant renewing of your mind, being active by constantly spending time on the word out of your convenience time, also sacrificially being away from the world of sin and being in fellowship with others. Jeremiah 24:7, ÒThen I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the LORD; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God, for they shall return to Me with their whole heart.Ó God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Ask Him to give you a heart to know Him, not just to know about Him. He is not a partial God. A heart that knows God will trust Him; a heart that trusts God will obey Him; a heart that obeys God will serve Him; a heart that serves Him will follow Him fully. To follow Him fully is to live a sacrificial life and that is the one that God recognizes, the reasonable one.

The affairs of the world have taken over the fear of God in the heart of man

Tunde S.

ÒWatch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.Ó(Matthew26:41)< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

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God is a God of times and seasons. When it was time for Joseph to be promoted from Prime Slave to Prime Minister, no devil under heaven could stop him. The brothers that sold him to slavery in an attempt to deny him his divine schedule on earth were no where to be found. Are you afraid or concerned about the way things are going in your life? As a child of God, fear is not what you need but prayer. Exodus 14:14, ÒThe LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.Ó That is clear enough for your understanding. Let God fight your battle, and the enemy that you have been seeing will never rise again. Hold on to GodÕs timing, it is the best. Ecclesiastes 3:11, ÒHe has made everything beautiful in its time.Ó When His timing for you is around, the whole world will celebrate with you.

~ Time&Season ~

Do you know the time and the season you are living? Pharisees and Sadducees, in their debate with Jesus, were asking for a sign from heaven. Matthew 16:2-3, ÒHe answered and said to them, ÔWhen it is evening you say, ÒIt will be fair weather, for the sky is redÓ; and in the morning, ÒIt will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.Ó Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times.ÕÓ  All you have to do is open your ears, eyes, and heart to the word of God. Look around the whole world and see, or get informed with all that is taking place. With understanding, you will identify that the race is not only about you or what you want, but most importantly about where you are going to end up. Are you awake and alive enough to finish the race you have started? If you have started the race, keep your sight on the finish line; that is where the price for the race is waiting–for the finisher, not the beginners.Do you ever think you have the time? Time is not yours; time is in GodÕs hand.  You can control the clock, but not the timing of God.                

~ Ten Virgins ~

Do you remember the parable of the ten virgins? The ten virgins did not understand the time and the season they were in. They slept and missed their purpose in time. Matthew 25:1, ÒThen the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bride-groom.Ó All the ten virgins went with right intention, but lacked the attention it took to meet the bridegroom. Yes, you have the intention to run and finish the race, but to lack attention will deny you in getting to the expected end. All of the ten virgins fell asleep in their waiting. They did not just sleep but they slept and slumbered because of the delay of the bridegroom. Five of the virgins could afford to sleep because they had extra oil, and the five who did not carry extra oil were regarded as foolish. Are you staying awake in watching? If you can discern the time and season you are living, it is important to watch rather than sleep a sorrowful sleep. How are you watching? It is impossible to sleep-watch. Is your sleeping time overriding your watching time? Jesus took some of His disciples to the < ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>Mount of Olives. Luke 22: 40, ÒWhen He came to the place, He said to them, ÔPray that you may not enter into temptation.ÕÓ Just like the ten virgins, they could not watch; they went to sleep. Luke 22:45, ÒWhen He rose up from prayer, and had come to His disciples, He found them sleeping from sorrow.Ó

~Sorrowful Sleep~

As one of His disciples, are you watching in prayer, or you are sleeping in sorrow? When you are spiritually asleep in this age, you will be swept off your feet, and when the trumpet sounds you will miss it just like the ten virgins. Take the parable of the ten virgins to heart today. All went with the intention to attain, but they lacked the attention to prevail. The Bridegroom came without any warning because the sign of the season was all they needed to inform them of His coming. They all slept and slumbered, and nothing woke them up but the noise of the bridegroomÕs arrival. Without any doubt, it is clear that the church today is sleeping, and it is the noise of His arrival that will wake the church up from sleeping a sorrowful sleep. Be awake and alive in the spirit!

It is impossible to be rising early before God and not rise above any circumstances. A believer that cannot rise in serving God will remain rust.

Tunde S.

And Pharaoh said to Joseph, ÒSee, I have set you over all the < ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>land of Egypt.Ó (Genesis41:41)< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

A dream journey could be a dreadful journey or extremely unpleasant to go through. Have you had a dream in which you knew but seem you are in opposite direction? Joseph is a better person to ask because the Bible says all things are written for our learning.

JOSEPH

Joseph was the favorite among JacobÕs twelve sons, but was hated by his brothers. JosephÕs revelation of his dream placed him as the head among his family and it ignited the vehicle of his dreadful journey. JosephÕs journey started when he found himself wandering in the field. You may be looking back and blaming yourself for why you did not make a turn at a certain point in your life before the unwanted situation took place. Genesis 37:15, ÒNow a certain man found him, and there he was, wandering in the field. And the man asked him, saying, ÔWhat are you seeking? ÕÓ It is time for you to get over how and why you did not make a turn before it turned to be ugly. Remember, it is always better to move from ugliness to beauty, failure to success, and from wandering to wonderful. Joseph wandered before his story became wonderful. Joseph wandered into Dotham where he was able to locate his brothers. JosephÕs appearance to his brothers was met with evil plans. JosephÕs brothers negotiated for his downfall, but God was propagating a channel to lift him up. The identity of God is of good, not of evil. Be encouraged as you go through with Joseph in his unpleasant journey. Genesis 37:20, ÒCome therefore, let us now kill him and cast him into some pit: and we shall say, ÔSome wild beast has devoured him.Õ We shall see what will become of his dreams!Ó Ignore evil agents; focus on God for He is the master of good purposes.

PURPOSEFUL 

From wandering on the field, he went straight into the pit–a pit of lack, an empty pit that does not have what it takes to sustain life. Are you in a situation where your front and your back are empty? Pray that if your journey takes that route, you will not get terminated in that part of your dream journey. Any attempt of the wicked to get rid of your dream without your permission will always be a negating route of escape for you. As if the empty pit was not enough, Joseph was sold to slavery. It was a design to wipe out his name from the book of the living among the sons of Jacob. The brotherÕs design built up to a mansion of hope for their future survival. Genesis 37:28, ÒThen the Midianite traders passed by; so the brothers pulled Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt.Ó At twenty shekels of silver, the price was right for Jacob and his great grand children to have a future place of survival built up. Brethren, you cannot see it now, you cannot reason it, and you are finding it too difficult to understand that your present situation will take you to the top where God has planned for you. Your journey is a training ground. Training always brings forth test and testimony that glorifies God. Joseph, a slave, became an overseer in the house of Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh. When it looks like you are getting close to your breakthrough, get down on your knees, get closer to God, and any setbacks in your journey will be a step forward for you. Joseph feared God and refused sexual offers from PotipharÕs wife. As a result, Joseph got a jail term.

DREAMER

Dreams got him to Egypt dreams brought him out of jail when he interpreted the dream for his inmates. He also went from prison to interpreting PharaohÕs dream. He did not just interpret PharaohÕs dream, he also gave a good advice. Genesis 41:38, ÒAnd Pharaoh said to his servants, ÔCan we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the spirit of God?ÕÓ From prisoner he became a prime minister. With the spirit of God in you, your dream will come to pass; they will bow for you and you will be the head, not the tail. Remember, Joseph was not the only slave in the hand of Ishmaelite traders. Among all slaves there is always a slave with a purpose. Never get disrupted by asking why me, why not you? Look up to God; He is able to carry you through. Joseph was a slave with a purpose for GodÕs glory, and maybe you are too. Do not sin, do not charge God with wrong.

From Prisoner Joseph, he became Prime Minister Joseph; was reduced by man but, increased by God. All can forget you, but God will not forget you– He did not forget Joseph Hope in God

 ÒTherefore, the prisoner of the Lord, I beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called (Ephesians4:1).< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

GodÕs calling is a sacrifice. His calling is costly and it is not always convenient. Worship is the cost of His calling, and obedience is what it takes to worship Him. Obedience has to be consistent for you to have a reasonable service –your obedience is your service unto God.

 ~ SACRIFICE ~

Sacrifice is not cheap. What kind of sacrifice have you been rendering unto God since you have accepted His calling? If your sacrifice is free and not costing you time, money, or disrupting your worldly comfort, it is important that you examine your stand in the Lord. King David once denied an offer to deliver a cheap and free sacrifice to God. 2 Samuel 24:24, ÒThen the king said to Araunah, ÔNo, but I will surely buy it from you for a price; nor will I offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God with that which costs me nothing.Õ So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.ÕÓ How are you serving Him since the time you have answered His call? God has called you to a service that will deliver to you an attainment for His glory. When He called Saul to become king, it was for SaulÕs attainment, but God regretted to have called on Saul. Are you walking a walk in GodÕs calling that will not cause God to regret His calling in your life? Among the factors that made Saul to fail was partial obedience. God called on Saul to go and destroy Amalek.  1 Samuel 15:3, ÒNow go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.Ó  Saul failed in his calling because of half-obedience. 1 Samuel 15:5, ÒAnd Saul came to a city of < ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>Amalek, and lay in wait in the valleyÓ When God calls you to go, it is not the time for waiting. When you lay in your waiting, temptation will reign, you will miss your target, and your mission will become impossible to accomplish. Answering God in His calling will demand that you follow Him fully. When you follow Him fully, you will stand where others are falling, you win where they are losing, you will pass where there is failure, and you will be above — not below. Answering His call will bring challenges that no one else wants to experience in life. Above all, you will be an over comer.

     ~ CALEB ~

Among thousands of people, Caleb was the only one of the two that escaped death sentence because he remained adamant in his belief. He could not compromise his faith; there was not enough intimidation that could sway him from standing his ground of belief. The children of Israel came back from spying the land that God had already given them before He told them He was going to give them a land. It was a wrong move for them to go and spy. It was neither GodÕs planning nor MosesÕ suggestion. In return they all confessed fear, discouragement, and failure. As a result, they rebelled. But Caleb did not. God sentenced them to death, but God spoke of Caleb, in Numbers 14:24, ÒBut My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed me fully, I will bring into the land where he went, and his descendants shall inherit it.Ó Ask God today to impact your life with the spirit that makes man to follow Him fully. You sure know the stories of the Bible; you are very conversant in quoting the words of God. The song of halleluiah sounds great when you sing it.

   ~ FOLLOW ~

 Do you have the word rooted in your heart? Are you following Him? Yes, you have come to Christ, you are born again. However, it is not enough to come when you fail to follow. To follow is the real deal. When you follow, you will not fall because the darkness that is always there will give way in your life when you follow Him. John 8:12, ÒThen Jesus spoke to them again, saying, ÔI am the light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.ÕÓ Remember, Judas was called and numbered among the disciples, but he missed out when it was time to count. It is up to you to ask for His help to follow Him fully.  

By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice (Heb.12:4). How do you gauge your sacrifice to God?

Seek the Lord your God while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near (Isaiah 55:60)< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

There is only one thing that God cannot do: God cannot fail!  Numerous occasions, the word of God has proved Him to be true to His word. He said it repeatedly in the pages of the scripture — when you seek Him, you will find Him, and when you call Him, and He will answer. However, it is how you call or seek Him that determines how you find Him

CALLING TIME: Psalm 32:6 says, ÒFor this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to you in a time when You may be found; surely in a flood of great waters They shall not come near him.Ó God can be found at the time of repentance. At the time your sin is acknowledged before God, He will acknowledge you for forgiveness. God dwells in Holiness. No man with sin will be able to approach His Holy presence. Psalm 32:5, I acknowledged my sin to you, and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, ÔI will confess my transgressions to the LORD,Õ and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.Ó By acknowledging oneÕs sin and iniquity, finding God will never be an issue. All you need is mercy. Mercy is only obtainable at the throne of grace. Uncover your sins. By confessing and forsaking it, GodÕs mercy will become yours. Proverbs 28:13, ÒHe who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confess and forsakes them will have mercy.Ó

NEED FOR CHANGE:  Do you have a pending need for a change in your life? The depth of your need is not a challenge to God. It is a challenge for you to break out of your lack of understanding and know that a right approach to God will always be honored by the living God. If you understand that God is not a partial God, and operate on it, then He will tolerate you. You will have an edge over your need. He granted the request of Jabez and he will not deny yours. Jabez has a need for change. He understood that calling God will grant his request. JabezÕs name means pain; he wanted it to be transformed to gain. He delivered a conscious call, a purposeful call. He called because of his pressing need and not because of a need to impress anybody. He did not call because of emotion, nor to please any man, nor because of an invitation to prayer session, nor because he was religious. In view of JabezÕs motivation to pray, ask yourself the following questions: What has always been the basis of your calling on Him? Does any of the above fit with your calling motive? Looking at JabezÕs calling, the reason for his result will be appreciated for your learning.

JABEZÕS CALL: 1 Chronicles 4:10, ÒAnd Jabez called on the LORD God of Israel saying, Ôoh, that you would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that you would keep me from evil, that I may not cause painÕ So God granted him what he requested.Ó Jabez must have called when God may be found.

Calling on God by His name is an indication that you know Him. He is the LORD God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Call on Him in Jesus name. To be named PAIN is a curse, not a blessing. He wanted a name change. Do you? Jabez asked for GodÕs blessing, GodÕs good pronouncement to renounce PAIN. Blessing is all you want, not a curse. When God blesses, He extends His help, bestows favors, and causes joy because His blessing is multiplication. In addition, he also asked for enlargement of territory. To be enlarged is to be multiplied.  

Knowing: he knew that his request would be granted; he asked for protection for the expected blessings; he asked for the Hand of God to be with him — the hand of God that will deliver and preserve His blessings in life. Jabez knew what he was asking for. Be purposeful in your asking, forsake the wicked way, return to the LORD, and you will find Him, and He will have mercy.

The end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayer (1Peter 4:7)