TRUE NEWS

Topic: GOD CAN RESTORE YOUR LOST YEARS

TEXT: Joel 2:25.  18-19

Money can be restored. Property can be restored—broken-down cars, stripped painting, old houses. Relationships can be restored. But one thing that can never be restored is time. Time flies and it does not return. Years pass and we never get them back.

Yet God promises the impossible: “I will restore the years that the locust has eaten” (Joel 2:25). The immediate meaning of this promise is clear. God’s people had suffered the complete destruction of their entire harvest through swarms of locusts that marched like an insect army through the fields, destroying the crops, multiplying their number as they went.

For four consecutive years, the harvest was completely wiped out. God’s people were brought to their knees in more ways than one. But “the Lord became jealous for his land and had pity on his people.” God said, “Behold I am sending to you grain, wine and oil, and you will be satisfied (Joel 2:18-19).

In the coming years, God said, their fields would yield an abundance that would make up for what had been lost: “The threshing floor shall be full of grain; the vats shall overflow with wine and oil. . . . You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied” (Joel 2:24, 26).

This wonderful promise for those people meant that years of abundant harvests would follow the years of desolation brought about by the locusts. 

But because the Bible says "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever!" Hebrews 8:13 so His promises remains to us forever. 

Lost Years of Our Lives

What do “lost years” look like for us? Lost years (or locust years) are years that you can’t get back, and they come in many varieties.

1. Lost years are fruitless years. A lot of hard work was done in the years the locusts had eaten. After everything was destroyed, the people must have thought, All this work and what do I have to show for it? Some of you know this pain in the world of business—a failed venture, a bad investment, a misguided policy, and all the effort that you put in day-by-day, month-by-month, year-by-year led only to massive disappointment. You think, What has come of all my time and all my effort? 

2. Lost years are painful years. I’m thinking of those who have lost a loved one. You had plans for the future, but now you fear the coming years may be empty. I’m thinking also of those who live with illness in the body or the mind. You assumed that you would always be able to do what you used to do. You have to find a way to live with the disappointment that you cannot.

3. Lost years are selfish years. Here’s a story that’s been repeated thousands of times. There’s a person (let’s call him Jim) who made a commitment to Christ, but it didn’t run deep. Faith in Jesus was a slice of the big pie of his busy life, filled with all the things that Jim wanted to pursue. Then one day, God gets hold of Jim. He is spiritually awakened. He says to himself, What in the world have I been doing? There’s no substance in my life. I really want it to count for Christ. I want to live in the power of the Spirit. I want to make a difference in the world, but the locusts have eaten half my life! I’ve wasted my years on myself.

4. Lost years are loveless years. A division comes to a family, alienating loved ones. Children grow up, and those years cannot be recovered. A marriage quietly endures in which love has been burning low for many years. You see a couple who are really in love, and you say, “I wish I could be loved like that.” Or you have not yet met the person you would like to meet. It feels like the years are moving on. You can never get them back. The locusts have eaten them.

5. Lost years are rebellious years. Perhaps you grew up with many blessings, but in your heart you wanted to rebel. You didn’t fully understand this urge, but you gave yourself to it. Instead of bringing you pleasure, rebellion brought you pain. Now you look back on those years with regret, the years that the locusts have eaten.

6. Lost years are misdirected years. The path you chose in your career or at college was a dead end. You just didn’t fit. Often in your mind, and sometimes in your conversation, you say, “How did I end up here? If only. . . . If only I had made that move. . . . If only I had taken that opportunity. . . . If only I had chosen a different path.” But the moment has passed. It’s gone. You can’t go back to it. You’re left with locust years.

7. Lost years are Christ-less years. All Christ-less years are locust years. This point is worth thinking about if you have not yet made a commitment to Christ. Ask anyone who came to faith in Christ later in life, and they will tell you that they wish they’d come to Christ sooner than they did: “How much foolishness I would have avoided. How much more good might have been done through my life.” 

How God Restores Lost Years

Take heart! There is hope, because God can restore your lost, locust years. He does so in three ways. 

1. God can restore lost years by deepening your communion with Christ. “You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God” (Joel 2:27). These people, who have endured so much, enjoy a communion with the Lord that is far greater than anything they had ever known before in their religious lives. Christ can restore lost years by deepening your fellowship with him.

Why not ask him for this? Tell him, “Lord, I have spent too many years without you, too many years at a distance from you. Fill my heart with love and gratitude for Christ. Let the loss of these years make my love for Christ greater than it would ever have been. Restore to me the years the locusts have eaten. “

2. God can restore lost years by multiplying your fruitfulness. The harvests for these people had been wiped out for four years, but God restored the years that the locusts had eaten by giving bumper harvests. 

Mathew 13:23

This provision makes me think about the parable where Jesus spoke about a harvest that could be 30-, 60-, or 100-fold. There’s a huge difference between these three harvests. Three years at 100-fold is as much fruit as a decade at 30-fold.

Prayer:

Why not ask him for this? “Lord, the locusts have eaten too many years of our lives. You have called us as your disciples to bear fruit that will last. Too many fruitless years have passed. Now Lord, we ask of you, give us some years now in which more lasting fruit will be born than in all of our years of small harvests.”

God can restore lost years by bringing long-term gain from short-term loss. The effect of these great trials in your life will be that “the tested genuineness of your faith . . . may result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:7). The praise, glory, and honor go to Christ because his power guarded you and kept you through the hardest years of your life.

Thinking about “years that the locust has eaten,” years that have been taken, I think of something Isaiah said about our Lord Jesus: “He was cut off out of the land of the living” (Isaiah 53:8).

Here was the Lord Jesus in the prime of life. He was three years into his ministry at 33 years old. You would think that a man launching a new enterprise at the age of 33 has everything in front of him. But Isaiah says, “He was cut off.” He was cut off because he came under the judgment of God, not for his own sins—because he had none—but for ours.

Our sins, our grief, our sorrows, were laid on him. Our judgment fell on him. Our locusts swarmed all over him. The life of God’s tender shoot was “cut off.” Then, on the third day, the Son of God rose in the power of an eternal life. He offers himself to you, and he says what no one else can ever say: “I will restore the years that the locusts have eaten.”

Finally:  Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.  Mathew 11:28.  

If you need rest and restoration , you can only find it in Christ Jesus.  Come to Him today and He will restore you back.

Prayer of restoration

Psalm 51

By Boboye Reuben Olisawo

I AM WAITING ON GOD

I AM WAITING ON GOD
Many times we want to run through this life and not get weary. We want to walk through our problems and not become faint.

"Waiting" is a word that we don't like to hear.  None of us want to experience waiting, but do you know that if you wait on God your waiting will never be in vain?

To wait means to endure whatever life throws at us, in waiting you have to persevere, you have to exercise  patient, you have to  learn how to walk with God and man in humility.

In our waiting, it might appear as if the answers to your prayer seems too late but you have to wait so that he who laugh last can laugh best.

God knows what’s best for us, our waiting is not always in vain when we wait on Him.

Have a bless day.

Boboye Reuben Olisawo

Divinely Restored

Text : Joel 2:25
And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten…Joel 2:25 
When it comes to Divine Restoration there is no limit for our God.  

Restoration comes when a review of the past activities is carried out. 
Just like we are in the eleventh month of the year now and all hope seems dashed concerning those dreams at the beginning of the year.   The Lord is restoring  those lost months in Jesus name. 

When God says He will restore, He means He is going to your foundation for total amendment, that it's to say He will go into your past to see those waste that have decayed. Good news is that God knows about the pains of the past. He saw you while you struggled and at the end of the day could not break even. God knows about those wasted dreams, He knows about those investments that went down the drain…He knows about those relationships that failed after much investments…He saw the places where your hopes were dashed! Now He says, ‘I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten…” Believe it!

The losses of many years can be converted into gain by the Lord in just a moment of time because He has done it before and He is still doing it today for He change situations but change not.
Hebrews 13:8 says"Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever."
Examples of people in the Bible that God has divinely restored;
 1. Petter experienced a divine restoration after he has toiled all through the night without a single catch in the book of Luke 5:5, but when he met with God the restorer, in just a moment he had the kind of catch he had never had in all his fishing life. 
2. A single word  in the book of John 11:43 "Lazarus, come forth"  brought forth  4 days dead man out of his grave.  
3. Jesus and the Widow's Son in Luke 7:11-17.  Jesus said "Weep not". Every form of  weeping has come to an end in your life today in Jesus name.
4. The Shunammite Woman was divinely restored in 2Kings 4:8-37
5. Abraham and Sarah who had already passed the age of bearing was divinely restored in Genesis18:1-3,9-14, Genesis. 21:2

God who restored the past glory of these people is restoring yours today in Jesus name.
It might look as if the year is coming to an end again and all hope is gone concerning those dreams of yours, those projects may seems impossible.  Hear this, God of possibility  is making every impossible in your life becoming possible wright from this hour in Jesus name.
Come to think of it,  do you know that those that The Lord restored never remain the same? There is always a  total restoration in what The Lord decides to restore, because He owns the foundation of the Earth.  Put your trust in Him and your life will never remain the same again.  In John 11:40, Jesus said unto Martha "only, if you will believe, you will see the glory of God"
My brother and my sister the God of 11th hour miracles is saying that only if you  can believe in Him your total restoration is certain starting from this hour. 
This is another second chance if para venture you are yet to give your life to the restore- Jesus, you can do so today and experience his glory before it is too late.    God bless you.


Boboye Reuben Olisawo

The Power In His Presence

                                                         Text Acts 10:38

Since the begging of the month of April through the month of May, we as a church have been going through a theme "Month of Empowerment" and as a cap up,  this message is all about the almighty power of God's presence - and how we can lay hold of that power! Scripture provides endless examples of how the presence of God empowers his children to live for him. And one of the most powerful of these is found in the life of Moses.

Moses was convinced that without God's presence in his life, it was useless for him to attempt anything. When he spoke face to face with the Lord, he said, "...If thy presence go not with me, carry us up not hence" (Exodus 33:15). He was saying, "Lord, if your presence is not with me, then I'm not going anywhere. I won't take a single step unless I'm assured you're with me!"

Moses knew it was God's presence in Israel that set the people apart from all other nations. And the same is true of the church of Jesus Christ today. The only thing that sets us apart from nonbelievers is God's being "with us" - leading us, guiding us, working his will in and through us.

Moses didn't care how other nations received their guidance, formed their strategies, ran their governments or directed their armies. He said, "We operate on one principle alone. The only way for us to be guided or governed, to make war and survive in this wasteland, is to have the presence of God with us!

"When the Lord's presence is in our midst, no one can harm us. But without him, we're helpless, reduced to nothing. Let all the nations of this world trust in their mighty armies, their iron chariots, their skilled soldiers, their new weapons. We will trust in the manifest presence of our God!"

Here is how God answered Moses' bold statement: "...My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest" (verse 14). What an incredible promise! The Hebrew word for "rest" here is "a comfortable, quiet rest." God was saying, "No matter what enemies or trials you face, you'll always be able to find a quiet rest in me!"

Think about this: If a church has the manifest presence of God in its midst, there won't be any hustle or bustle, sweating or striving. The worship meetings won't be hurried along, with three songs, an offering and a short sermon. Instead, there will be a calming peace, a quiet rest - and everyone who walks through the doors will sense it!

Of course, this doesn't mean a church can't experience loud praises or exuberant worship. On the contrary, I believe those things are often the result of a people at rest. A church body that has God's presence in its midst will live, move and worship with a quiet confidence in the Lord at all times.

The same is true for every individual Christian. If you have Jesus' presence in your life, you will experience God's divine order. You'll have a peace and a calm, with no fretting or anxiety, no running to and fro to seek guidance, no sense that the bottom is falling out. You'll live at rest, knowing God has everything under control! 


The Old Testament Is Filled
With Accounts of the Wonderful Blessings
That Came to Those
Who Had the Presence of God With Them.

Consider these Old Testament examples of the blessing that God's presence brought to the lives of his followers:

God's presence was so evident in Abraham's life, even the heathen around him recognized the difference between their lives and his: "...Abimelech...spake unto Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest" (Genesis 21:22). This heathen king was saying, "Abraham, there's something different about you. God guides you, preserves you and blesses you wherever you go!"

God promised Joshua that no enemy could stand against him when God's presence was with him: "There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong and of good courage..." (Joshua 1:5-6). When God's Spirit is present with us, we can be strong and courageous - because no enemy can harm us!

God told Gideon. "...The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valour...Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel..." (Judges 6:12,14). The phrase "thy might" in this verse refers to the previous verse - that "the Lord is with thee." Do you see what God is saying? "Gideon, there is a might in you that's so powerful, it can save Israel. And that might is my presence!" Scripture reveals Gideon to be a coward - so, why did God call him a "mighty man of valor"? It was because he wanted to prove to Gideon what any person can do when the Lord's presence is with him!

God warned Jeremiah that the whole nation would turn against him and reject his prophecies. Yet God promised, "...they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee: for I am with thee to save thee and to deliver thee..." (Jeremiah 15:20). God was saying, "It doesn't matter if the whole country turns against you, Jeremiah. All that matters is that my presence is with you. Be confident I'm with you!"

God told Isaiah of a special promise he makes to those he loves: "Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the Lord thy God...and I have loved thee...Fear not: for I am with thee..." (Isaiah 43:15). God was saying, "With my presence abiding with you, you can go through any flood or fire and survive. Yet you won't merely survive. You'll be blessed and favored through it all, because my presence is with you!"

These Old Testament passages aren't just dead-letter stories. They're meant to encourage and exhort us to seek God's presence in our lives. We can thank God for what his presence did for Abraham, Joshua, Gideon, Jeremiah and all of Israel. Yet each of us has a powerful testimony of what God's presence has done for us - guiding our lives, opening doors, moving obstacles, melting hearts, making us fearless.

I have seen this proven true in my life. You may say, "You're just boasting!" No - the fact is, God's presence has been with me in spite of myself!  I am a bundle of testimonies.

There Is a Condition Attached
to Getting and Maintaining
the Presence of God in Our Lives.

God attaches a condition to his presence in our lives. This condition is found in 2 Chronicles 15. In the previous chapter, King Asa had led the armies of Judah to a great victory over Ethiopia's million-man army. Yet Asa testified it was God's presence that had scattered the enemy:

"Asa cried unto the Lord his God, and said, Lord, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, 0 Lord, our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude...So the Lord smote the Ethiopians before Asa..." (2 Chronicles 14:11-12).

As Asa and his armies led the triumphant procession back to Jerusalem, a prophet named Azariah met them at the city gate with this message from God: "Hear ye me, Asa...The Lord is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you. Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God...But when they in their trouble did turn unto the Lord God of Israel, and sought him, he was found of them" (15:1-4).

Here is the secret of getting and maintaining the presence of God in your life. The Lord reminded Asa, point blank, with no holds barred: "Asa, don't ever forget how you got this victory. You sought me with all your heart, turning wholly to me, when you were in trouble - and I sent my presence to you. It was my presence that put your enemies to chase!"

Now Azariah was telling Asa, "Do you remember what the kingdom was like before you came to power? Everything was out of kilter, with no law, no guidance, no righteous teaching. Everyone was a law unto himself, doing his own thing!"

This is an accurate picture of many Christian homes today. Everything is out of order, with no authority, peace or rest. Everyone does what he or she pleases. Many such families have become tragic, dysfunctional messes.

Yet it doesn't have to be this way. No Christian home has to remain dysfunctional. God's promises are unchangeable, and his word pledges, "For the rest of your life - as long as you continue to seek me - I will be with you. Whenever you cry out to me, I will always be found of you!"

This is not a complicated theology. Simply put, if both husband and wife - or merely either - are seeking the Lord, there is no need for their home to be troubled or "without law." Anyone can have the abiding presence of the Lord, if he or she will simply seek him for it.

"...The Lord...will be found of you..." (15:2). The Hebrew word for "found" here is "matsa," meaning, "his presence coming forth to enable, to bless." In short, this verse tells us, "Seek the Lord with your whole heart, and he will come to you with his presence. Indeed, his presence will be an almighty power that emanates from your life!" 


According to the Scriptures,
Our Chief Concern Is to Keep Seeking God,
to Ensure His Presence With Us. 

God makes his covenant of grace with every believer. This covenant is embodied in promises such as, "God has laid on Christ the iniquity of us all." "Jesus became a curse for us." "He will never leave us nor forsake us."

Yet God also makes certain, special promises to those who determine to seek him with all their hearts. One such promise is a covenant of God's presence. However, this covenant is strictly conditional. Scripture makes it clear that if we abide by the rule of this covenant, we will enjoy the incredible blessing of God's presence in our lives. And this doesn't refer only to issues of salvation. It speaks of being such seekers after God that his awesome presence is poured out on us - and it is seen and known by all!

God revealed this covenant of his presence through an unnamed prophet who delivered a message to Eli, the high priest of Israel. At the time, Eli was backslidden. The Lord had been speaking to him, warning him against allowing sin and compromise. But Eli had ignored all of God's words. And now, this unnamed prophet said to Eli, "...the Lord God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the Lord saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed" (I Samuel 2:30).

The phrase "lightly esteemed" has to do with God lifting his presence. This doesn't mean a person is damned, but rather that he'll have to walk in the power of his own flesh. God was telling Eli, "I intended to bless your house, to favor you. But you've scorned me, becoming soft on sin and allowing your lusts to push me aside, Now I will take my presence from you!"

Many people come to Christ with a great, initial burst of faith. Yet over time their zeal wears thin, and they begin to neglect the Lord. They lightly esteem his commands and turn back to their old, sinful ways. Yet they still believe God's presence remains with them. No - that is a hoax, a lie, a delusion! The Bible makes it clear: If you forsake him, he will forsake you!

God's promises never fail. But some - like the covenant of his presence - are absolutely conditional. They require more than merely our cooperation. Of course, God will never abandon us or stop loving us. But if we remain in sin, his presence will not be with us - and our lives will no longer be an instrument of his powerful presence. We will live according to the flesh - striving, floundering, with no power or guidance! 


Only When God's Presence Is Upon Us
Can We Behold, See and Understand His Glory 

When Israel was in the wilderness, God manifested his presence to them through a cloud. This cloud was a physical manifestation of God's pledge to be with his people. It came down and covered the tabernacle night and day. And it acted as their guide for every undertaking. When the cloud moved, they moved, and when it stayed, they stayed. The people didn't have to hold committee meetings to try to figure out their direction or future. They put their confidence in that visible cloud of God's presence.

Today, that same cloud of his presence hovers over your secret closet of prayer. It waits every day to envelope you in its peace. It will lead you, empower you and give you peace. And it will give you detailed guidance for your home, work and relationships.

Your secret closet can be anywhere - in the shower, on the bus to your job, during your commute to work. You can shut out everything else and say, "Lord, I've got half an hour right now. I love you, Jesus, and worship you. This is my closet time with you!"

It's a wonderful thing to be shut in with God, developing a consistent prayer life. God promises that as you become a seeking, praying servant, his presence will break forth in your life - closing and opening doors and working his divine order all around you. Yet something even greater than this will happen: God's presence will lead you into a revelation of his glory!

There is a difference between God's presence and his glory. Most Christians know his presence - his great works in their lives - but few know his glory. In Exodus, we're given a glimpse of this difference: "Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle" (Exodus 40:34).

The apostle Paul writes that all believers' bodies are the tabernacle of God: "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" (1 Corinthians 3:16). Like the Israelites who lived under the cloud of God's presence, we're constantly under the covering of God's grace. Yet, what is the difference between beholding God's presence and beholding his glory?  

The Lord Gave Moses
a Revelation of His Glory.

Moses sought God for a continual manifestation of his presence: "...that I may know thee..." (Exodus 33:13-14). And God answered him, "...My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest" (verse 14).

Moses' request would be quite enough for most believers. We all want the presence of God - leading us, guiding us, empowering us, blessing us. Really, what more could any believer desire? Yet having the assurance of God's presence wasn't enough for Moses. He knew there was more. And he cried out, "...I beseech thee, shew me thy glory" (verse 18).

God did show Moses his glory. But it didn't appear in some luminous cloud or in an earthshaking demonstration of power. No, God expressed his glory in a simple revelation of his nature: "The Lord passed before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin..." (34:6-7). God's glory was a revelation of his goodness, mercy, love and compassion!

I've heard many Christians say, "Oh, how the glory of God came down in our church last night! There was such incredible praise, and people were slain by the Spirit." But that isn't proof of a manifestation of God's glory. It has nothing to do with God beyond human emotions. It doesn't include a revelation of who he is!

Some may argue, "But what about the disciples' experience on the Mount of Transfiguration? Wasn't that a manifestation of God's glory? There was an overpowering light and the miraculous appearance of Moses and Elijah."

But God's glory wasn't in Moses or Elijah or in the spectacular light. Rather, his glory was in Jesus: "...his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light...behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him" (Matthew 17:2-6).

God was saying, "Here is my glory personified - in Christ!" Indeed, Jesus is the fulfillment of all God said he was to Moses - gracious, merciful, longsuffering, abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression of sins. And now the Lord was saying, "Here's a living picture of my glory. It is all embodied in my son!"

I've heard some Christians say, "If only the Lord would give me a vision of the horrors of hell, I would never forsake him. I'd live for Jesus every day!" No - that kind of vision never keeps anyone. Only a vision of who Jesus is - of his glory, grace and mercy - will keep us holy.

God wants to open our eyes to "...the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints" (Ephesians 1:18). He's saying, "All the glory I revealed to Moses is embodied in my son. And now I have given him to you as your inheritance. You have a right to know him in all his glory!" "In him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily" (Colossians 2:9).

Why did Moses so desperately seek a vision of God's glory? I believe the reason is found in this verse: "There I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory" (Exodus 29:43). The word "sanctified" here means "made clean." God was saying, in other words: "Moses, as you and the people worship me, I will meet with you and give you my presence. And when I reveal my glory to you, it will cleanse you!"

This is one of the most powerful verses in all of scripture. It offers hope to everyone who struggles with a besetting sin and yearns to be free and clean. God pledges, "Your temple will be made clean by a revelation of my glory. And that revelation is available to you right now - in my son, Jesus Christ!"

Where can we find this revelation of Christ? We find it only as we come to the scriptures! Paul says that as we allow God's word to reflect to us an ever-increasing revelation of Jesus, we will be changed from glory to glory: "We all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord" (2 Corinthians 3:18).

This revelation of God's glory will provide keeping power for our lives: "...upon all the glory shall be a defence" (Isaiah 4:5). In other words, God's glory will keep us clean in our worst hour. Satan may lie to us, "You're defeated! You're a cheat, a liar, an adulterer." But we can answer, "No, devil. I have a high priest - and I'm cleansed by a vision of his glory!"

When God revealed to Moses all these things about his nature, he also gave him the full revelation that he "...will by no means clear the guilty..." (Exodus 34:7). Azariah prophesied to King Asa in his most prosperous hour, "If you despise God's glory - if you excuse your sin and neglect the Lord - he will not cleanse you!" "...The Lord is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you" (2 Chronicles 15:2).

What God is telling us here is so simple: "Take time to get to know my son! Search my word and seek me in your secret closet of prayer. Then, as you abide in my presence, your eyes will begin to open to my glory. It is all revealed in Christ. He is the full revelation of my love, grace, mercy, kindness.

"As you continually reflect on this revelation, it will cleanse and purify you - because you'll become more and more like Jesus. As you see how loving and merciful he is to you, you'll become more loving and merciful to others. And that will be my glory revealed in you!"

Beloved, stop looking for a sign. Stop expecting some force to shake your church building, or for some preacher to lay hands on you and solve all your problems. Seek the Lord alone! His word makes it clear - you'll either enjoy his continual presence or be lightly esteemed: "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him..." (16:9).

Seek him with all your heart, and desire his presence in your daily life. Then you will know and experience the incredible glory of God!

God bless!

Boboye Reuben Olisawo

HELP FROM ABOVE

Text: Psalm121: 1-8

Life sure seems to be full of trouble, does it not? If it isn’t one thing, it’s something else or someone else causing us trouble. And it applies to everybody. No one is immune.
The book of Job 14:1 says, “Man born of woman is of few days and full of trouble.”
Everybody limps in life because of something and everybody has a crutch, as Christians we believe that the Lord is the best crutch. No wonder, David knew about how tough life could get when he said gives us some help from above for life’s troubles. Psalm 86:1-4

Life could be very challenging but the only place we could get help is from above, the helper himself-God. Psalm 46:1 says” ….He is our present help in the time of trouble’
“when we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6).
The problem with “helping yourself” and asking God for a little assistance is that you’re the one still calling the shots — keeping all your options open. Few things are more insulting to God than for a man to come before Him while holding onto other options….just in case the “God thing” doesn’t work out.  Remember Lazarus, the dead man? He had no options whatsoever. Jesus stood before the cold stone, which sealed his tomb and ordered it removed, and then called out, “Lazarus, come forth!” And the dead man did so, now fully alive. A significant part of this event is contained in the name Lazarus — it means “without help.” You see? God helps the helpless.
 Like Lazarus of old lying cold in his tomb, you and I will never be called into a new and deeper, more vibrant and wondrous walk with Jesus until we realize we truly have no other options but God.


Peter was speaking for all of us that day when he said, “Lord, there is no one else that we can go to! Your words give eternal life” (John 6:68)
In this month of “Divine Help” let God be your source, surrender all to Jesus who is the author and finisher of our faith because help can only come from above.

In this year of overflows, when you allow His will to be done in your life, not only will He take you higher but you will experience the unstoppable overflows.
Yield yourself unto Him and you will never remain the same.

Your brother,
Boboye Reuben Olisawo.

CALL TO GREATNESS

Text: Genesis 30: 43.,  26:12-14

Def: The quality of being great; eminence or distinction.  

Unusually or comparatively large in size or dimension.

It is God’s desire to make us great.  God told Abraham in the book of Gen. 12:3 ” And I will make you great; and though shalt be a blessing”. 

* From this month The Lord will make you great in the mighty name of Jesus.

Someone who is great is blessed and a call to salvation is a call into greatness.  The level of greatness you attain will depend on God and you.  God is willing to take you to the utmost height of greatness but are you prepared to pay the price to attain that height?

In Genesis 24: 34-35 While on a mission to find Isaac’s a wife; Abraham’s chief servant testified that God had greatly blessed his master and he had become great, that it is the level of greatness. 

Genesis 26:13.

Do you know that Isaac; Abraham’s son followed this same step of his father’s greatness.  He attained the same level of greatness has his father but did not stop there.  His father’s best became his starting point.   

* As from this day your best shall become your starting point in the mighty name of Jesus.

His son even continue this greatness that nation was envying him Gen: 26:12-14.

Do you know Isaac’s  son (Jacob) continue in this greatness. In the book of  Genesis: 30:43  that Jacob was exceedingly great.

*This season The Lord will make you great.  If you have great before He will make you greater  and if you greater before He will make you the greatest in the mighty name of Jesus.

But there are condition attached to this.

This aspect of greatness need to be observe.

Continuity and proper maintenance.

If one need to be great he needs to make sure that their is not brake in the cord of that greatness.  Then, imagine if we all create the space for one and others to be great, we can create possibilities for greatness in teams, companies, countries, events. What is possible from this place of greatness for everyone? What can we create together when we are no longer coming from a place of ego and instead

coming from a place of possibility for others?

By doing this Jesus clearly started this in the book of John 14:12-15

Obedience to His work.

He is great and he wants you and me not only to be great but be greater. 

He wants you and myself to do more in His kingdom.  He has served you and myself and He wants us to do more exploit by “WINNING MORE SOULS”  to His kingdom.

*Mark 16:15-20.  Romans10:15

Multiplication is a sign of greatness.  If we need to be great we need to multiply and God wants our multiplication to remain.  Proverbs 11:30

If we are saying we are all heir to the throne we need to prove this because Jesus came and wants us to start from where He has stopped.  

So if we want to be great we need to follow the steps of those who are ahead of us.  

Abraham was great and his descendants were greater.  

Jesus was great and we his own needs to be greater  just by following His steps.

Preaching the gospel and in soul winning,  when we do these God not only blesses us but He will make us great. Give your time, your money and your intellect unto God and win souls. By doing this you will be rest assured that you not only be great but you will be exceedingly great.

Beloved of God this is the calling of God unto me and you this morning. That greatness is ours and we need to obtain it.

Let us pray:

Father starting from this month, please make me great, if am great already make me greater and if am greater please make me be the greatest this we pray in Jesus name.

Your Brother,

Reuben Boboye Olisawo

YOUR WORSHIP WILL ACTIVATES GOD’S FAVOUR

Text:Acts 16:25”And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.” 

To be successful in life, it is good to study the lives of others, who had succeeded in that particular area, to find out what they did which other people ignored. For all those who found favour with God, there are certain characteristics common to them.

 The first one is that they knew how to worship God.  If you want divine favour, you must learn the heart of worshipping God.  Instead of complaining Paul and Silas turned to praise, they put 

their problem aside and praised God. The problem is that many of us have remained ardent complainers. We complain about everything, some will even question God by saying “ What kind of  god are you?” I have asked you about this and that you are yet to 

do it. Do you think I have your time? They will become enemy of  God but the wise one will wake up in the morning and say “ God I  thank you for giving me another opportunity to be alive” 

The book of John 4:23-24 says “ But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in 

spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people.” God is 

looking for those that will worship Him in spirit and in truth and 

may He find you qualified for favour in Jesus name. Do not wait 

until you are been pushed around by anybody, arise and worship 

this God. 

Also you need to win souls for God. Acts 1629-31”the jailer called 

for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He 

then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be 

saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be 

saved—you and your household.” Soul winning not only 

activates God’s favour but it brings God’s blessings. 

Mark17:16-18  made it clear that there will be rewards for thoese

for those that preach the gospel and I think 

nothing better than that when as a Christian 

you become a terror to the kingdom of darkness.

When you worship God by testifying to His goodness,

I think telling others what He has done done and bring them

 to benefit from His blessings is more important than anything.

If we are to look at the lives of people favoured in the Bible, 

people like Abraham who builds several alter unto God, Noah 

who builds alter unto God in Genesis 8:20-2. What about David? 

A man after God’s own heart, He excelled in worshipping God. 

Paul said he would both sing to God in the spirit and in 

understanding. 1Corinthians 14:15,18. You can be sure he 

excelled in spiritual songs and worship to God. 

The question is, do you want favour? Then begin to worship God 

from this hour, create a room of worship in your heart, and win 

souls. You will sooner realise that people will celebrate with you 

because it is your worship unto God that can activate that favour. 

Your Brother,

Reuben Boboye Olisawo

You Are Invited

1Timothy2:1-3 

"I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. ² Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. ³ This is good and pleases God our Savior,"