Joshua 17:14-16 (NLT)
“The descendants of Joseph came to Joshua and asked, “Why have you given us only one portion of land as our homeland when the Lord has blessed us with so many people?” Joshua replied, “If there are so many of you, and if the hill country of Ephraim is not large enough for you, clear out land for yourselves in the forest where the Perizzites and Rephaites live.” The descendants of Joseph responded, “It’s true that the hill country is not large enough for us. But all the Canaanites in the lowlands have iron chariots, both those in Beth-shan and its surrounding settlements and those in the valley of Jezreel. They are too strong for us.”
Joshua 17:17-18 (NLT)
“Then Joshua said to the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, the descendants of Joseph, Since you are so large and strong, you will be given more than one portion. The forests of the hill country will be yours as well. Clear as much of the land as you wish, and take possession of its farthest corners. And you will drive out the Canaanites from the valleys, too, even though they are strong and have iron chariots.”
Have You Looked Up Lately?
James 1:17 (KJV)
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
James 1:17 (MSG)
Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven. The gifts are rivers of light cascading down from the Father of Light. There is nothing deceitful in God, nothing two-faced, nothing fickle.
– Apostle Chika
Be Strong in the Lord
are being charged to enter into the realm where the Lord our God will show Himself strong. Beloved, the strength of God can enter into your soul and you will go from a
weakling to a giant. It is a command and you need it. You have so many enemies. You have so many things opposing you. You have mountains to climb. You have valleys to traverse. You have distractions to overcome. It’s a command. Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His
might. I echo the words of the psalmist in Psalm 46:
Psalm 46:1 (KJV):
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
is the time to dispense with self-confidence and get into God-confidence. Get into God’s power. Get into God’s favor. That is the season God is calling you and I into, in the name of Jesus. Forget what you can do. Forget what you have done. God has a miracle with your name on it today. In Jesus name, Amen.
The Triumph of Faith
Galatians 1:1 (KJV):
Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)
Galatians 1:2-4 (KJV):
2 And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia: 3 Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, “Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:
Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world. That’s our ticket. He has already done it! Now we take this to Him in prayer, “Lord, You died to deliver me from this present evil world. I must triumph over this thing. I must overcome them. And I pray it, in the name of Jesus. Let me experience Your victory over their lust. Let me experience triumph over their fears, over their covetousness, over their pride, over their sickness, over whatever the world has to offer. You died that I may be delivered from this present evil world.” I claim it today, in Jesus name, and I claim it for you. Glory to God.
Galatians 1:5 (KJV):
To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Galatians 1:6 (KJV):
I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
Galatians 1:7 (KJV):
Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
Galatians 1:8-12 (KJV):
8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 9 As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. 10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. 12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Understanding God’s Economy
Psalm 112:1 (KJV):Praise ye the Lord. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.
Psalm 34:9 (KJV):O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.
Psalm 34:10 (KJV):The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.
Psalm 34:11 (KJV):Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
Psalm 34:12-16 (KJV):12 What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good? 13 Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. 14 Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. 15 The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. 16 The face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
Psalm 112:2-3(KJV):2 His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed. 3 Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth for ever.
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The Paradox of Rest
Hebrews 4:3 (KJV)
For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
Hebrews 4:11&10 (KJV)
Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
I invite you to retire from fighting against God in your life. Instead, fight against yourself, until you are able to submit to the Word of God, which is His Will. You will know the peace that passeth understanding, and the rest of God will enter your life. I love you, and may the Lord our God bless you with His peace and rest today, in the name of Jesus, Amen.
I love you.
Apostle Chika
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The Mystery of Being the Salt of the Earth
Beloved, I’m so excited as we talk about the mystery of salt. We have been given a great challenge from the Lord our God to be the seasoning, the preservation of the culture, the preservation of our nation and our world because we are here. Think about it. Abraham started praying from 50, and on and on and on, and went down to 10. And God said, “If I find 10 in Sodom, I am not going to destroy it.” Beloved, can you look up today in all sincerity and say, “I know that because I’m here, because of the wealth in my relationship with God, because of the strength of our communion,” that God would not destroy your city because of you; that you are enough salt to prevent judgment. What a great thought! What a powerful concept! God can save the nation because of you. He said, “If I find 10.” Wow!
Leviticus 2:13 (KJV):
And every oblation of thy meat offering shalt thou season with salt; neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meat offering: with all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt.
Appreciating the Power & Greatness of Passover, Part 2
Exodus 12:7-8 (KJV):
7 And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it. 8 And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.
You notice? Unleavened bread. When we come to Passover we must be unleavened. The Bible says that leaven is malice and wickedness (1 Corinthians 5:8). And so many things happen to us where we end up having issues, and it says we have to let that leaven go.
It says eat with unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs. You notice? Bitter herbs. There is no covenant or destiny without some bitter herbs. It’s part of the journey. It’s part of the covenant. None of us like it, but it’s part of the process. God said to Abraham, “I’m going to have your children serve another nation. They will oppress them for 400 years.” Not 4 days, not 40 days…400 years! Wow! That is a long time. And He said, “They shall come out with great substance” (Genesis 15:13-14). They’re basically Egyptians, generations born never returned to the Promised Land. And then the oppression took place and they went through so much. And so, God said bring in your suffering in your worship to me.
Exodus 12:9-11 (KJV):
9 Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof. 10 And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire. 11
And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the Lord’s passover.
And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded. You notice? He said, “You’re going to eat this.” First of all, you have to burn it with fire. Secondly, you must bring bitter herbs. Thirdly, you must have unleavened bread showing that you have resolved yourself in every bitter thing that you have ever gone through and you’re not holding any malice and you’re not holding any grudges or judgment. And now, you need to be poised to come out of whatever you’re in. If you are bound, get ready to come out. If you are sick, get ready to come out. If you are tormented, get ready to come out. He says, “So, you have to eat it with your loins girded, as a man ready for action, ready for movement, ready for deliverance.”
Your shoes on your feet. See? Let your feet be shod with the preparation of the Gospel (Ephesians 6:15). And your staff in your hand. Your authority. And ye shall eat it in haste. This is not for pleasure! This is warfare! This is readying myself for God’s next move. So every time I’m ready for God’s next move, I must take some time, get some bread and wine and commune with the Lord. And say, “Lord I’m ready! I’m ready for your next move. I’m ready for the power of the blood to work in my life. I’m ready for the death angel to come and slay everything contrary to me and free me from the oppression of the Egyptians in my life.”
Exodus 12:12 (KJV):
For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord.
Exodus 12:13 (KJV):
And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.
What is the greatness of Passover? That I’m hidden under the mighty wings of God and the judgment passes over me. It’s not just a name. It’s actually an action thing. I will pass over you. So it’s called Passover. So what makes judgment pass over? The blood! What makes death pass over? The blood! What distinguishes me from the world? The blood! What is the thing that separates me from the world? The blood! The cross! That’s where He died. These guys killed lamb and put it on the altar and burned it. But as you’ll find out in the next few days, Jesus gave Himself as a Passover Lamb just as God has commanded. You see?
Exodus 12:14 (KJV):
And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.
See? This is commanded by the Lord and we have to keep it as a feast. We have to! We have to! Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 11, (and we’re going to get there very quickly) he says, “As often as you do this, eat this bread and drink this cup, you do show the Lord’s death until He comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26). So we have to do this. It’s an ordinance the Lord has commanded. It’s a seal of our covenant with Him. It’s a guarantee that death, judgment, destruction, mayhem will pass over us.
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Appreciating the Power & Greatness of Passover, Part 1
Exodus 12:1-2 (KJV):
1 And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt saying, 2 This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.
If you look at the terrain, Beloved, you know that the time to consider Passover in your life will be in your seasons of testings and difficulties. Passover was given in Egypt, not in the Promise Land. Passover was given at a time when God had started His process of deliverance. Passover, Beloved, was given. And God said, “If you practice this, the moment you do this,” He says, “Your year will begin.” It will be the beginning of months.
And we are in the New Testament where Jesus has died. And every Sunday at our church we receive the Lord’s Supper. We observe this. And the moment we can enter into the reality, the understanding, the power of it, that is when our lives begin. That is when our year begins. So I encourage all of you spiritual leaders and people of God alike that you consider the Lord’s Supper every New Year’s Eve to start a new year.
Exodus 12:3-4 (KJV):
3 Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house: 4 And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.
Exodus 12:5 (KJV):
Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:
Exodus 12:6-7 (KJV):
6 And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. 7 And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.
You see? God says kill the lamb of the Passover after you have settled the family sizes that will accommodate the consumption of the lamb. You kill the lamb in that evening. And then you take the blood and strike it on the posts and the lintels of the house. You are sealing the house, the people in the house, the family with the blood. You see? That’s the greatness of Passover because the blood coursing in our veins came from the breathe of God. And so, life is in the blood. And when blood is shed, even though the blood of animals could not remove sins, but it was giving testimony to the real blood that is to come, which is the blood of the Jesus. And they were asked to put it on the door posts. And today we have to put it on the gates of our lives to keep us from whatever is capable of entering in and spoiling us. Remember that.
Exodus 12:8-10 (KJV):
8 And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. 9 Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof. 10 And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire.
Back Peddlers
“But many that are first shall be last; and the last first.”Mark 10:31 (KJV)
Those of us that have walked with the Lord over a period of time, run the greatest risk of ending up in the back of the line. The tendency is to get fatigued and lazy about spiritual things. Some have found themselves dealing with things they never thought they would be involved with in two lifetimes. Others have been wounded and greatly disappointed with the whole issue of church as we know it today. As a result, our zeal is gone. We are too familiar with ministry, fatigued with pastors and all the weaknesses of spiritual leadership. The buzz of disgruntlement is deafening in contrast to the genuine voices of those who still appreciate spiritual leadership and love Jesus, despite all the issues.
Our text warns us that the first shall be last and that those who just started will outpace the veterans. How can this happen when the expectation is that time and experience should induce a deeper walk and love for Jesus, which should translate to love for His children and for His work?
Let’s consider the environment of our text. The previous verses give us clarity to this mystery. How can people that have been on this journey end up at the back? The text below answers the question.
“And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s, But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.”Mark 10:29-30 (KJV)
The Scripture says the answer to this mystery is doing things only for the single purpose of Him and His gospel. Motive is everything.
Do you remember when you were zealous for Him? There was nothing you would not do for Him and for His kingdom. You were there whenever and wherever you were needed to help, pray, counsel or whatever was needed. You gave to Him without reservation. All you had belonged to God. There was no sacrifice too big.
Now, you are mature, wiser and more comfortable. Armed with the jaundice of church fatigue, immature leaders and self-appointed prophets, you are hurt, disappointed and disenchanted. Some are even disillusioned with the whole idea of church. Some gave so much, but were abused by people and even leadership.
The bottom line is that you are lukewarm, and you seldom make sacrifices for Him. Some of us don’t even go to church anymore. Beloved, this will cost you in the end.
Yes! You may have found fault with church, people and everything. You may even be correct. However, what fault have you found in Jesus? Absolutely none. Forget all of us and re-focus on Him. Don’t let your yesterday be more powerful than your today. If your level of zeal and sacrifice is lower this year than it has been in the past, you are back peddling. Back peddlers will end up in the back of the line. Don’t let it happen to you.
May the Lord bless you. I love you.
Apostle Chika