WHERE DO OUR SINS GO?

Isaiah 1:18 says, come let's reason together, even though your sins are as red as scarlet they will be as white as snow, even though your sins are as red as crimson, they will be as white as wool. When God cleanses  us from our sins, he casts them in to the sea  of forgetfulness. Micah 7:19 says  he will turn to us and have compassion  on us, he will subdue our iniquities and  cast our sins in to the sea of forgetfulness. If  we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us  from all our un righteousness. 1 John 1:9. We have to confess and forsake our sins. Proverbs  28:13

WHY GOD WAS ANGRY ABOUT DAVID'S NUMBERING OF PEOPLE

First and foremost,  David's  intention was judged by his words when he  says, "number  the people  that I may know it." He  was attributing  Israel's victory  to himself and the number  of the people in the army. Isaiah 42:8 says God will never share his glory to another. A similar incidence happened to Moses when God told him to speak to the rock to bring forth water for the people in the wilderness and he instead struck the rock twice and said, hear now you rebels, must we fetch you water out of this rock? He was attributing  the power  to himself and Aaron. Numbers 20:1

THE BOOK OF PSALMS

Psalms  simply means  songs. The  psalms  were songs and  prayers of David, Solomon, the sons  of Asaph, sons of Korah, Moses. Psalms 90 was  a prayer  of the man of God  Moses.   It  literally means  David was a  musician  with  an  a gift of  being able to write songs. He  too could play  instruments. This is shown when he would play his instrument before Saul for the evil spirit to leave Saul.  Most of  David's psalms are about  how God delivered him from the hands of his enemies. Psalms 3, was written when God delivered him from the conspiracy of his son Absalom. Psalms 18 is  similar to 2 Samuel 22 and it  is basically how David  was talking about God's  wonderful protection upon his life.

THE THREE GOLIATHS

As  I read  the book of  Samuel, I  have discovered  amazing  mysteries.  David picked  five  stones  that were all important  in his  battles. The first was used to  kill Goliath. The second was used to kill Absalom his  son who had made  a conspiracy against him. The third was used to Kill Sheba, a Benjamite who had made a conspiracy too against David. The fourth to kill another giant son of Goliath who almost killed  David in another battle with the Philistines but was killed by Abishai The fifth  stone was used to kill  the Giant brother  of Goliath with six  toes and six fingers who was killed by Jonathan, a son to David's brother.

YOU'RE MORE TREASURED THAN THE BIRDS

In Matthew  6:26, Jesus  tells us to look at the birds  in the  air, they neither sow nor reap nor gather in barns yet our father in heaven feeds them. I know  there  people  that  die  of  hunger but those that trust in God will not lack anything good.   Life is  more important  than food, clothes or money. I know money  answers  everything  apart  from purchasing life. God  can not keep you alive  if he doesn't  have good plans for  you. Stop worrying about what  the devil can do and rejoice about what God  will do for  you.

SATAN USES OUR WEAKNESSES TO TEMPT US

Satan  knows  a  little bit  of  you,  though  he doesn't know your  future. God tells us in Jeremiah 29:11, that  he alone knows the plans  he has for us. For Jesus, he  took advantage of  his hunger when he was fasting in the wilderness. For  people like Samson,that are weak sexually, he  uses "skirts"  or  beautiful  women. For  most people he uses  money. 1 Timothy 6:10 says, the love of money is the root of all evil. For  most preachers, he uses the love of money when he tempts them to ask  people for money inorder to be prayed for.  The devil is a thief and a liar. Micah 3:5  says  God  is not pleased with the false prophets who proclaim  peace to those that put bread in their mouth and declare  war to those that do not put food in their mouths. Watch  out ! Matthew 10:8 says, freely you have receieved, freely give.

ONLY SURRENDER TO JESUS.

It is very easy to praise God  when  everything is moving on well. But  does it mean God is only good when  we have everything we want ? The God of the day  is the God  of the night. Even  in  your  lowest and saddest  moments, he still cares.  Isaiah 30:18 says, and God will wait that he may be gracious on  you. There's always  a time  when God  is silent but watches  our reaction to certain  harsh  moments  in our lives  that  he may react  accordingly. It is only those who call upon the name of the lord that will be saved. Joel 2:32

ARE YOU OBEYING HIS LAST COMMAND ?

Jesus'  last command  to us  was to go and preach the gospel  to every creature. Even after  accepting him in our lives  many  fear to  proclaim the gospel to others.  God told  Ezekiel, if he  refused  to  warn people to turn away from their  sins, their blood would be upon his own head. It  is sin  and  selfishness to know the  truth and not share it with others that are  perishing. We don't  need a raised platform to preach  the gospel, rather  to determine ourselves  to talk to people  around us.

TAKE ALL BUT NOT THE HOLYSPIRIT

It  is amazing  David  knew  about  the  holyspirit.  It literaly  means  the holyspirit  was  present even  before  Jesus  promised  him to  us. The book of Genesis says the spirit  of God  was  hovering over  the waters. Saul became purposeless  when the spirit  of God departed from him. God  could nolonger talk  to him concerning direction in battles. He  resorted to mediums  by talking to Samuel's spirit. It's only the spirit  of God that  comforts    and strengthens us. Zechariah 4:6 says , It's not my might  nor by power but by the spirit  of God.

WHAT IT MEANS TO BE BLESSED

The  devil has  hoodwinked people to believe  being  blessed  means  having money and whatever  has got to do with materialism or stuff.  Jesus said  blessed are the peace makers, the pure  in heart, those that hunger for  righteousness, the  merciful  in regard to the sermon of the beatitudes in Matthew 5.  Others  have also been made  to believe blessings are  only got when someone lays  hands on us in the name of praying for us. Those are just  some of the ways.  Many have also mis interpreted  the  language  of sowing seed  to be  only giving  money to others  especially  in religious  gathering.  The seed means  alot, money being one of them.  Our character; what we  speak  and do is  a seed. Hosea 10:12 says  sow yourselves in righteousness that you may reap mercy.  Preaching the word  of  God  is equally sowing a seed. Helping the needy say  beggars is  a seed. Hosea 4:6  says,  " My people perish for lack of knowledge". Some  people  are being taken advantage of  simply because they never  read their bibles. You  will know the truth and the truth will set you  free. John 8:32. Sometimes  preachers  quote scriptures  wrongly  on TV  or other  places and I  will easily notice it because I read my bible. You too should  be able to distinguish  the true and false prophets  using the word of God.

THE MORE RIGHTEOUS ACT

God  will never grant  you a miracle  on a silver plate. If it were so, then  it would turn him  into a  magician. He  speaks  his word  along with instructions. Psalms 62:11 says  God has  spoken once and twice have I  heard.  It means  his word  comes  with two phrases;  a  word to happen and an instruction. The  best  way  to  quicken your  miracle  is by  rewarding  good for evil.  God  annointed David to be  king but  it never  came to pass  till  Saul was given as prey in the hands of David  whom he had sought to kill all his life. David cut  a piece of cloth from the skirt of Saul's robe and never killed him.  Saul  weeps  sore and  calls David  a more righteous  person than he. Joseph never became a prime minister in Egypt until he had forgiven his brothers who had sold him there, when he told them,"What you intended for evil, the lord turned out for good".  Jesus said  our righteousness has to exceed  that  of Pharisees who only  love those  who love them.  Loving our enemies and forgiving them is the  greatest act of all.

PREJUDICE

Judging  something wrongly by what I  would  call "reading the book  by its cover"  is prejudice.  Human beings  will  judge us  according to our physical appearance,race,tribe,religion, financial status, education and the like. But  God looks at our hearts. He  goes  beyond the what man can see. Samuel  used his  physical eyes  to judge, when God wanted to choose a king for  Israel. God tells him in 1 Samuel 16:7 that he  doesn't  judge like men. People  would often look at someone's  stature  or physical appearance  to make  conclusions   about  their character  which is not authentic.

ACT OF HEREM

In this  act, God  instructed the Israelites to  utterly destroy their enemies.

Saul  lost his position as king over Israel  due to failure to utterly destroy the Amalekites  and spared Agag their king and  the fat sheep and oxen. Samuel tells  him in chapter 15:22  and 23 that obedience  is better than sacrifice for rebellion is  as withcraft. We have been  made to believe withcraft only means  astrology, or visiting the shrine. Hosea 6:6  says  God desires  mercy and not sacrifice, the knowledge  of God  rather than burnt offering. God requires us to fulfil all righteousness. James 2:10 says  if you keep the law  and transgress at one point you are guilty of all. Our  hearts  and  response towards God's word  matter alot.

SATAN IS AN EVIL SPIRIT WITHOUT PORTFOLIO

Having lost his  position  in heaven as  a son  of the morning,(Isaiah 14:12), satan  roams  around the earth  in many forms basically  to  derail God's children from their  predestined purpose of worshiping God. 1 Peter 5:8  says  he's like  a roaring  lion. His intension is just to  intimidate  us. Isaiah 59:19 says he comes in like a flood to drown us. The  book of Reveletions calls him the serpent of old. Jesus said when an evil spirit gets out of  a person, it goes to the wilderness  and   then decides to come back where it was preciously to see whether  the house is empty and if it is so, then it brings seven more demons with  it and the person's state becomes  worse than the previous. It literally means  satan  has no home rather than to possess  the people  he convinces  to rebel against God's will for their lives. God will plead  my cause and take vegeance for me and dry the sea of the devil and his springs. Jeremiah 51:36

LOVE LIFTED ME

In moments  where    everything around  us seems to be against us  and  there's   no visibilty to  our destiny, are  moments  when  God  is dealing with  our  hearts and purifying us.  In most cases  God uses  situations to take us where he wants  us to be. For Saul, his father's donkeys had  to get lost  so he could  look for them,  and  along the way  he thinks about  approaching the  prophet Samuel  for  divine  help. Little did he know God had destined him to be King. Difficult  circumstances  will draw us  closer to God.  When I said my foot is slipping, your love o lord  supported  me. (Psalms  94:18)

WHEN THE ROLL IS CALLED UP YONDER

A  roll  is a  list of things written  down. In heaven there's record keeping  as well.  Whenever   someone  accepts Christ  as their  saviour, their  names  are recorded  in the book of life  but  if they turn away from God, their names  are blotted or erased  from that book.(Reveletions 3:5) For this book, it is only the son of God that is worthy to open it. The Cherubims  are record  keepers in heaven. Our sins  are also written down in a book and only  erased when we repent.( Isaiah 43:25). God  also has our names written on the palm of his  hands. Our  tears  are also written in God's book.( Psalms 56:8).  Our good deeds are also recorded when  he says whatsoever  we do to the least of the brethren we do it  to him.( Matthew 25:35). When  the roll is called  up yonder on the judgement day, will your name be there?

FORGETTING

Forgetting  is  inability  to  remember  something that you previously knew about. It does happen  to every human being whether a rocket scientist or not.  It can be  temporary or permanent. It is irritating and has a price attached to it. There are incidences  where forgetting can never be an excuse to the hurt parties. In case  you  happened to change your bag,  for  the ladies,  and boarded  a  public vehicle only  to realise your money purse is missing, that would automatically mean you are a bully or you intend not to pay the fare. The court always rules  that in case  of  insanity of any party  involved in an agreement, it automatically  breaches the contract. It is always good to write down our daily assignements to  avoid forgetting.

EBENEZER- "THIS FAR THE LORD HAS HELPED US"

During the time of Eli the priest at Shiloh, there happened to be a barren woman called Hannah along with her co wife Peninna who had children with Elkanah their husband.

Hannah cried to the lord and vowed to offer his son to God if  her womb was opened. When God answered her prayer, she offered Samuel to the temple of God. But the two sons of Eli; Hophni and Phinehas  were un faithful and greedy. God  speaks to Samuel in his childhood  and tells  him he would destroy the house of Eli. The Philistines  fought against Israel and took the ark of the covenant  by which the lord smote them with boils. It was then moved  along four other cities by which the lord smote them with boils also.

Samuel  intreats Israel to repent and leave other gods for the lord almighty.

The Philistines attack Israel again and God grants Israel victory over them.Samuel  then  took a stone and set it between Mizpeh and  Shen and called the place "Ebenezer" this far the lord  has helped us. 1 Samuel 7:12

PSALMS 91

This is my favourite psalm in the bible because it talks about God's  amazing protection  for those that fear him. It  is so powerful  that satan had to steal a  verse from it.(Psalms 91:11) to tempt Jesus. He told him to throw himself  from a cliff since it is written God will put his angels in charge over you,they will bear you with their hands lest you dash your foot on a stone.The devil will wrongly  interprete the bible to mislead many. Jesus replies, "It is written you shall not  tempt the lord your God." The only way to overcome satan is by the  speaking the written word. Jesus had the power to call upon fire from heaven to destroy satan  just like Elijah  did to the army of the fifties that attacked him thrice but he shows us the power of the word of God in overcoming temptation. They overcame him by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony.(Reveletion 12:11). Psalms 19:7 says the testimony of the lord is sure making the simple wise. It is the word of God that  will be your shield and buckler against the evil arrows of the devil.

HOMOSEXUALITY

When we talk about homosexuality, everyone's  mind will be channelled  to  Sodom and Gomorah as the only cities that committed this evil. There are two  incidences in the bible where God destroyed  this evil act  and by fire. The second  incidence is found in the book of Judges chapter 19 and 20 where  at the time when there were nolonger judges in Israel and everyone was doing what seemed right in their sight, the Benjamites, living in Gibeah commited the exact sin as in the days of Abraham and lot by intreating a certain old man  to sleep with the levite that he had lodged. Nevertherless, the old man begs them to sleep with the levite's concubine whom they abused sexually the entire night till she died. God  avenges the Benjamites when the rest of  Israel smites them and destroys them by fire.

GUARD YOUR GOD GIVEN GIFT.

Judges chapter 13 to 16 talks about the life of Samson, who judged Israel for twenty years  by  the  strength that God  had  granted him to destroy the Philistines. There's  always  a mystery about  our gifts from God that the devil doesn't know and the only way to weaken us is by  killing  it. Once you  expose  and link your gift to the heathen say, singing gospel music along with the heathen, the spirit of God departs from you. James 1:27 says  true religion and un defiled is to keep yourself un spotted from the world. Samson lost his gift when he revealed the secret of it to Delilah. God's calling for our lives is always attached with a gift to help us  accomplish his will. What is your gift and how have you used it  to serve God?

VOWS

A  vow  is a covenant made between two  parties. God  made a vow to mankind never to destroy  the earth with floods and this is symbolised by the rainbow. Ecclessiastes 5:5 says  it is better not to vow than to make  a vow and not pay it. Judges 11:30 talks about  Jephthah  how he made a vow to God that in case God would grant  Israel victory over the Ammonites, he would offer  the first thing that would come out of his house on his return home. He returns  and the first person to come out of the house was his only daughter. Rather sad, but he fulfilled his vow to God. A vow attracts opposition  which God uses to prove our faithfulness to him. Similary to the wedding vows couples make,there will be difficult times in your marriage just for  proof of your loyalty to God and your partner.

LET YOUR WORDS BE FEW

I  am  naturally a reserved  person  and most people think I'm a quiet person. I've learnt to  be slow to speak and quick to listen.(James 1:19).  Ecclesiastes 5:2  tells us our words should be few. Jesus said in Matthew  12:36 that for  every idle word  men speak, they shall give an account of it on judgement day.For by  words shall men be judged and by words shall men be justified.

Proverbs 10:19 says  in a  multitude of words  there's sin but he who refrains his lips is  wise. Your prayer should always be for God to set a watch before your mouth and guard the door of your lips. (Psalms 141:3).

JEHOVAH SHALOM

Perhaps  some of you may be wondering where the word Jehovah Shalom came from. I  like reading the bible and just like in Ezra 7:10, I have  prepared  my heart to search the law of God,do it and  teach  it to friends. The  book of Judges comes to its  significance at a time when  Joshua was dead at an old age of 110 years and   Israel needed a leader to guide her. God raises different judges among whom included: Ehud, Shamgar, Prophetess Deborah. Samson to mention but a few. These helped Israel to fight and defeat her enemies.Gideon was one of the judges  that God used to save  Israel. God appears to him through his angel who calls him a mighty man of valour  inspite of him  being from a poor  family and from Mannaseh the least of tribes in  Israel. It  is amazing how God  does not consider our physical appearance or financial status to use us but rather searches our hearts. Gideon  gets afraid immediately he realises it  was an angel of God. God tells him, " Peace is with you". He builds an altar in this place and calls the place "Jehovah Shalom" (Judges 6:24)

NO NEWER TRICK FOR SATAN.

The  book of Reveletions  calls satan  the ancient serpent or serpent of old. Just like in the garden of Eden where he  tempted Adam and Eve  is the same way he tempts us.  There are moments  when God speaks  and even proves his word true  but situations  will cause us to doubt. If you've ever reached a moment where you begin to question yourself if God really spoke to you inspite  of God's  powerful manifestation in the beginning, then it is automatically the wisper of the devil. Remember what he told Eve." Did God really say  you should not eat of that tree?" God  speaks once. Any other views will be from satan. Psalms 62:11 says, once God has spoken twice have I heard that all power belongs to him.When God  speaks, it doesn't  mean everything will be smooth.Temptations and afflictions will come but our faith and patience will help us obtain his promises. (Hebrews 6:12). Remember the Israelites when they asked Moses whether there were no graves in Egypt that he should take them to the wilderness to suffer. Inspite of all the signs and wonders that God had done through Moses?

THE BOOK OF EZRA

Did you know the book of Ezra and Nehemiah are the same?  Ezra and Nehemiah were some of those that were taken captive by the Babylonians  at a time when Israel had sinned against God.Ezra was not a prophet but a scribe and priest that had prepared his heart to seek the law of Moses to do it and to teach it to the Israelites. Prophet Jeremiah had prophesied the release of the children of Israel from Captivity after seventy years as written in Jeremiah 29:10. God  stirred up the spirit of king Cyrus  of Persia or Babylon to allow them go back and rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem and Judah. They went  as the hand of God was upon them and rebuilt it. But their work was halted  as they were sarbotaged by their enemies. Later, Prophet Haggai and Prophet Zechariah prophesy the rebuilding of the house of God. It was reminded  to king Darius about the decree to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem and Judah made by King Cyrus and later  king Artaxerxes  allows them to go and rebuild the house of God. Ezra and Nehemiah  interceeded  for the sins of the people through prayer, offering of sacrifices, fasting and  brought to and end to those that had intermarried  with the heathen.