Let’s lay them aside

Heb 12:1-3
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
KJV
Introduction:
When you are about to run in a race there are certain things that may had weight to you that may not allow you to run properly; some of this are:-
- The kind of food you eat
- The kind of shoes you wear
- The kind of pants you wear
- You hair style
- And the ornaments you put on
As Christians we are also running in a race that require that we should as light as possible. We therefore required to be mindful of the following:-
- What you eat and drink- It is not good for the Christians to just eat except it is necessary to do so. We should eat to live and not live to eat, we should drink to live and not live to drink. Philippians. 4:5 be moderate; Genesis. 2:16-17 eat only the good food the bad one will kill you
- What you wear on your body- normally we dress to cover our nakedness. The origin of dressing itself as we found it in the Bible and other stories of creation is to cover human nakedness. Leviticus 19:19 God even told the children of Israel to avoid mixing colours in their dressing; Deut. 22:11-12; 22:5
- Be careful for nothing; Philippians 4:6 those who run a race must free their minds from any other things trying to get their attention. Things that try to get our attention are the following: your admirers and critics; women, men and money, pleasure of this world-entertainment on TV and theatre
- Put your thinking right. Philippians 4:8 Take care of your thoughts. Your wrong thinking that is not controlled will destroy the relationship between you and your race to heaven. Proverb. 4:23 keep your heart with all diligence.
- Let your focus be at the finishing mark. Heb. 12:2 looking unto Jesus. When you are running begin to see what lies at the end of the race. The glory of receiving the medals and peoples applause.
- Our expectation is that at the end of our race we shall see our Lord Jesus Christ. JN. 14:1-3.

The Secrets of Increase

The secret of increase


John 12:24-25

24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
25 He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.
There are certain facts that seem antithetical to real sence and yet are true. There are situations that seem negative in nature yet the only way out. Kindly consider the following to be able to understand what Jesus was trying to say to us:
- Reversing is the best way to gain the necessary speed to fly or jump over a ditch.
- Stooping is the best position to begin a race
- You cannot jump up unless you first bend down
- Giving is the easiest way to get riches
- Humility gives birth to honour and pride gives birth to disparagement
Therefore knowing the above would help us to understand the truth of the statement of our Lord Jesus that Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
As Christians we must understand that this principle rule every other thing in the world. We must have to die in order to be able to live and anyone who refuses to die will live alone for the rest of his life on earth.
What does it mean to die?

TO STOP PERFORMING AND MAKING SOMEONE ELSE TO WORK FOR YOU
1. If you are dead as a Christian you will not be able to fight for yourself again you will allow God to do that for you
2. If you are dead you will not be able to provide for your own needs but depending on God to do it for you.
3. Dead people have no more memory hence those that have died can’t keep record of those who offend and wrong them.
4. Dead men are seen to have turned to spiritual being hence those who claimed to have died should be seen to be highly spiritual. They do not make provision for the flesh,



TO GIVE OUT SOMETHING VALUABLE TO YOU

1. God gave out his only begotten son you too can give out something valuable to you.
2. A farmer gives out the best of his harvest to be used for seedling.
3. To invest your money by keeping away food from your table.
4. To serve other people as a leader or a pastor to the detriment of your own life.
5. To be sold out to a good cause

TO BE NON-RESPONSIVE TO CERTAIN THINGS AS IF YOU ARE DEAD TO THEM

1. If you are dead there are certain things you cannot respond to ; those who praise or criticise you
2. A dead man cannot be tempted with sex, food and money because they are not valuable to him.

WHAT ARE WE TO GAIN FOR BEEN DEAD

Death is the only way to increase. Without been dead a corn of wheat cannot produce many more corns. Many people that have remained stagnant for many years have not learnt this great principle that has worked for those who have applied it and would still worked for many more who reach to the sun.
If you want to have more children beyond the confines of your immediate family why not try to be a leader that other people can look up to. Consider how many people that calls Pastor E. A. Adeboye Daddy from around the globe. This pastor in the year 1998 gathered well over four million people for a Christian religious programme in Lagos and the year 1999 more than seven million at the Redemption Camp.
If you are dead to the flesh you will be alive spiritually. There are certain things that the arms of the flesh cannot do you shall be able to do them. Though you may be weak physically but you will be alive to become a partner to God in performing miracles. Elijah did not have an army of his own yet arrested and destroyed soldiers sent to arrest him.
If you are dead to reckless spending and sow your seed you will be alive to reap bountifully good measure press down and running over. Your single seed shall become many

The kings And Subjects

The Kings and Their Subjects. Prov. 16:10-15

Prov 16:10-15
10 A divine sentence is in the lips of the king: his mouth transgresseth not in judgment.

11 A just weight and balance are the LORD's: all the weights of the bag are his work.

12 It is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness: for the throne is established by righteousness.

13 Righteous lips are the delight of kings; and they love him that speaketh right.

14 The wrath of a king is as messengers of death: but a wise man will pacify it.

15 In the light of the king's countenance is life; and his favour is as a cloud of the latter rain.
There are so many things we have to understand about the relationship between the kings and their subject. In every society before the modern era there were kings who saw to the day to day running of our society. Some of them have been high handed while some are moderate and their policies have been much criticised and much praised. In essence they more or less like the double agent for God and Satan.

Verse 10
10 A divine sentence is in the lips of the king: his mouth transgresseth not in judgment.
Many of the pronouncement, the decrees and statement made by the kings came directly from God. Some times we may not like or like those pronouncements yet they could not have come into fulfilment without God’s consent. Any pronouncement of a king that fails does not come from God: that king does not speak divinely.
Example of divine sentences
1. Pharaoh refusal to let Israel go
2. Herod’s decrees to kill children in the age bracket of Jesus
3. Nebuchadnezzar’s decrees to bring the Children of Israel to Babylon.



Lessons
1. We must be careful how we relate to the king over our lives. The kings in your life could be your pastor, your leader: spiritual and temporal and your father and husband
2. Don’t offend God because He cannot be physically seen around, He uses kings to punish you. The king may just pronounce a decree that will ruin your entire life.
3. Be careful how you criticised your leaders over certain decision. He may be acting divinely and you acting and reacting against God. Prov.21;1 says that

The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.

Verse 11
A just weight and balances are the Lord’s all the weight of the bag are his work.
Only God can judge correctly in any matter that arise and the reason he can do that is because he alone has the instrumentality of measurement, the necessary tools to do that which is right.
- he designed the rules of judgement
- he made the decrees and commandment
- he enforces judgement on offenders
- he alone has the prerogative of mercy
- he can read between the lines to see what ordinarily many of us do not know nor consider.
- He has the facility and the ability to read human minds
- He sometimes order the steps of men to achieve his special purpose

Verse 12
It is an abomination for kings to commit wickedness: for the throne is established by righteousness
When a thing is an abomination it means that it is horrible and horrendous. It is horrible for kings to do wickedly. An act of sin is an act of wickedness.
- Gen.6:5 sodomite and act of terrorism
- Gen. 39:9 Joseph saw the act of fornication as wickedness
- Acts. 8:22: Prov. 17:23 sorcery, bribery as wickedness
- Prov.8:7 saying things that are not proper as acts of wickedness

The king becomes a wicked person when does wrong and knowing fully well that the law proceeds from him. The opposite of wickedness is righteousness. A throne can only be established when the king does what is right and expected. That is why the next verse becomes more relevant to our discussion:

Righteous lips are the delight of the king. He loves those who speak righteously
As one would expect, since the throne is established in righteousness the king would love those who speak the truth
- Truth makes it easier for him to rule and dispense justice
- Truth guides him to take right decisions
- Truth brings him the joy that he has subject that could be trusted

The king has favourites
People have always asked why a king / God should have favourites when he should be a father to all.
- He will naturally prefer those who tell him the truth to those who tell him lies
- He will prefer those who believe in the efficacy of the truth even at the cost of their lives.

Verse 14: The wrath of a King is as a messenger of death but a wise man will pacify it.
So many times we have seen some of our king in great wrath that we cannot comprehend and we wondered why.
- The king has so much work load on him than to give chance to nuances and allow precious time to be wasted.
- The king always refused to be deceived
- The king is not just a personality but a symbol of the state and its apparatus and failure to give him that respect is tantamount to disrespecting the state
Biblical instances of the king’s wrath- dan.2:1-6

How can we pacify the king?
1. By being truthful and honest
2. By wisdom
3. By honour, praise and worship
4. By doing what is expected of us
5. By giving gift
6. By seeking for his favour
7. By doing the things hat makes him happy.

Verse 15: in the light of king’s countenance is life and his favour as the clouds of the latter rain.
The personality of the king should always be kept in good mood if the subjects are to remain alive and well. The benefits of giving the king/ God a good countenance is so that he may shower his blessing upon us.
What makes the king happy?
1. Appreciation:- when his subject appreciate him for his role in the affairs of their lives he ultimately wants to do more. Your complaints which disregard all his efforts make him hostile to you.
How can he be appreciated?
- By saying thank you
- By encouraging him
- By valuing what he has done

2. When supported: The king is happy when he has the support of his people. Most couples do not support each other and that create a lot of problem and reactions. Matt. 23:37-39
3. Trust: When the subject put their trust in him that he meant well for them and that he can deliver in time of troubles.
4. The prosperity of his people: a French monarch once said ‘ I do not want to be a king where the subject cannot afford a chicken once a week’ when you are doing well your king will be happy and sees you a the product of his labour. He feels the same thing a doctor feels when his patient is responding to treatment.

Other things about the king
• He must be feared Prov.20:2
• His heart is unsearchable

- He is deep in wisdom and knowledge because he is the head. All the wisdom of his citizen belongs to him as the head of the state.
- He is not permitted by the state to divulge certain information no matter what the pressure may be.
- He is limited in words but more in action.

Insights into Proverbs

Insights into proverbs chapter 16

Prov 16:1-5

The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD.

2 All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits.

3 Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.

4 The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

5 Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.

Verse one

Many of our so called insights, wisdom and understanding actually come from God. When your little mind has found a solution to a big and nagging problem it is because the Lord Himself has decided to create that solution and has found your heart as the incubator for such.

What has your mouth pronounced to the amazement of people? It is the Lord that has spoken through you.

Have you said something that so mush impressed those around you and you wonder where it came from? It is from the Lord.

There are other kinds of words of mouth that may not actually be pleasing unto you when others say it to you. You must accept it also that it is from the Lord. Landlords have been used in the past to say things that makes you want to build your own house. Your tormentors may be used to provoke you to move ahead in life. Hannah was provoked to seek God’s face and found solution to her problem. I Sam. 1:6-10.

Verse two

2 All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits.

The ways of a man are always pleasing in his own eyes: he justifies himself and gives himself a pass mark. God however does not see the ways man sees and as a matter of fact His judgements are based on certain things that many human being do not consider in making judgement.

What are the things that inform God’s judgement and decision?

· Our motive for doing what we have done

· His laid down rules

· Forces beyond human ability that prompt man’s action. Even our laws allowed for such. When a man unavoidably kills another man he may be allowed to go free.

· God’s mercy. His prerogative of mercy which no man can question.

What are the ways of man?

· A man wants to do what he knows to be wrong but that has legal justification

· He wants to do things that are for his own selfish interest.

· He wants to do a thing that has fatal consequences for others. i.e. the production of arms and ammunition.

How God does weigh the spirit?

Like in the Machiavellian Theory of the state the result is more important than the action itself. Machiavelli wrote about the action of the king and says

When the action accuses him the result will absolve him

The implication of this statement is that God is interested in the end result of a thing than just the beginning of it.

Case study in the Bible that may not go our own way

- How God justified Abraham who denied his wife twice for fear and for economic security

- How Uzah was killed while trying to prevent (that is what we think he was about to do) the ark from falling and God blessed Obededum (not a priest either) for keeping (he must have touched it while keeping it) the same ark in his house.

- How God told Prophet Samuel to tell King Saul that he was going to perform sacrifices when his purpose was to anoint David as king.

- How Peter the Apostle denied Jesus three times and was still allowed to lead others and was a favourite that Jesus sought after all the times.

- How a harlot anointed Jesus to prepare Him for his burial and today we still mention her name as having done well.

Verse three

3 Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.

How can a man have a breakthrough in his thought and research?

There are solutions to all problems if we commit it to the Lord to help us find solutions. The reason while many of us do not have a breakthrough is because we do not ask God for solution and we do not always seek for His assistance before we begin a project.

What does it mean to have our thought established?

- To come out with an indisputable fact

- To be recognised as a de facto in your own field

- To have a breakthrough in your research

- To find solution to a nagging problem

Verse four

4 The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

Solomon said that God made everything for a specific purpose and the same issue is being reiterated here that God made the good and the evil to serve some specific purposes.

In the last four years or so Nigeria woke up to the evil of pipeline vandal and hostage taking in the Niger Delta, yet the same evil and related factors has increased oil prices to more than $100 a barrel. Nigeria has been able to pay all her external debt. Would you say that is a case of some are weeping some are dancing?

Lesson

- God made all things, all situations and every person

- What a man terms evil and pain may turn out to be good

Verse five

5 Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand joins in hand, he shall not be unpunished.

proud can be used to describe somebody who is rightly self-satisfied.

It can also be used disapprovingly to describe somebody who shows a lack of humility or who has an inordinately high opinion of himself or herself;

arrogant used disapprovingly to describe somebody who seems inordinately self-confident or pleased with his or her achievements and who lacks humility;

conceited used to describe somebody who displays excessive satisfaction and smugness with regard to his or her appearance or achievements, often combined with a rather superior attitude towards others;

egotistical used to describe somebody who has an inflated sense of his or her own importance, especially when this is shown through constantly talking or thinking about himself or herself;

vain used to describe somebody who shows an excessive concern with and admiration for his or her personal appearance

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My understanding of being proud in heart is of a person that is self opinionated, self willed.

- He does not allow consideration for God in his heart

- He holds on to his opinion despite correction from God

- He always plan contrary to God’s plan

Verse six

By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the Lord man depart from evil

To be free from punishment you have to do the following:

Ask for mercy- if you have a problem that is likely to have been caused by sin you will need to ask for mercy from God and the person you have offended.

What is mercy?

Mercy is an unmerited favour. The person you have offended has the prerogative of mercy over the matter and what you do or do not do may determine whether or not you deserve forgiveness. To receive mercies therefore do the following:-

- Tell the truth. When you are asking for mercy you must defile all odds to tell the truth and that truth consist of only three words that many find difficult to pronounce- `` I am sorry``. When an English man tells you I am sorry he has admitted guilty. Don’t expect pardon when you have refused to tell the truth. Uthman Dan Fodio said ``conscience is an open wound only the truth can heal it``

- Be purge of your sin. You may have told the truth the final pronouncement of pardon lies with the person you have offended. In a case the person insists you have to be punished for your offences, be ready to bear it so that your sins may be purged and your conscience can be cleared