THE DESIRE TO PLEASE GOD

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As we wait on God’s will for us in the New Year, one driving emotion should be our desire to please God!
God will speak to us all this year in varied ways; through His still small voice, His written word, or through others.
What determines who will succeed and who will fail is obedience to His commands. Some of us are used to doing things our own way, while others interpret God’s commands as a feeling, or their conscience!
If we however, make up our minds at this point to listen and try to please God through obedience, I know the year will be victorious. God will bless us far more than we deserve (Ephesians 3:20).
When we please God, several things are sure:

Our motives in pleasing God should be above reproach. This means we must be driven to please Him because He is God, we fear Him, and we obey Him; these qualities make Him happy with His children.
Let us ask God earnestly in prayer for the desire and the ability to please Him…with our thoughts, words, and actions! Ask and you shall receive.

 

Lesson of the Week

1. Ask God to create a new heart and a right spirit within you. (Psalms 51:10).
2. Ask for the spirit of ‘the fear of the Lord’ (Isaiah 11:2 & Psalms 111:10).
We all know we cannot make our hearts or spirits right before God! We have to ask Him to give us a righteous heart and spirit.
Have you prayed that prayer today? Will you? Remember that everything we are and have as Christians was given to us freely through Jesus’ death on the Cross. Why then do you think that as a practicing Christian, you suddenly have to earn your right standing before God?
The fear of the Lord precedes wisdom, blessings, anointing, and righteousness. It is one of the seven-fold spirit of the Lord and the foundation of our worship and submission to God!  
If we could ask God to bless us this year with the ability to genuinely fear and reverence Him, all other things would fall into place in due course. Do it quickly and wholeheartedly now!
As you do so, may the Lord Jesus flood your heart and soul with indescribable joy, and may the year 2015 be a prosperous and fulfilling year.
Desire to please God and His Christ, and be blessed always!

 

Weekly Nugget: "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matthew 6:33; KJV).
Dr. Kene D. Ewulu ministers from Columbia, South Carolina, The United States.
All scriptures were linked from www.biblegateway.com

THE PLACE TO BE; NOW

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 2015 has arrived, the New Year resolutions are in place, and the rat-race has begun!
But wait a moment; have we consulted with, and received direction from the Lord?
Seeking God’s face, wisdom, heart, and strength are critical to the success of any venture, even ventures as timeworn as starting a new year on the right footing! This is ‘the place to be’.
As children of God, it is important to set out a time to fast and wait on God! It is often the practice to do so at the beginning of the year; a time such as NOW!
Fasting involves denying yourself of something pleasurable or needful; it allows your body to be relegated to the background, and your spirit (the real you) to come to the fore, and to soar. Food, drink, and specific personal activities we enjoy are some examples of things we can deny ourselves of during periods of fasting. We hear more clearly from God when we sacrifice and put our bodies under.
Prayer to God is encouraged during fasting. It is two-way communications with our Maker and His Christ – Jesus. Even though it only takes a short time to make our requests known to God, it does take God some time to respond. This is why a period, usually lasting a couple of weeks, should be set aside at the beginning of the year for fasting and prayer.
Would you join God’s people at this time to be with Him, enquire at His feet, and hear from Him? Would you want to know what His purpose is for you this year? Would you ask for His wisdom, an obedient heart, and the strength to execute His mandate? Remember that God speaks to those who wait on Him, values complete obedience over everything else, and delights in us when we walk in sync with Him!
The ‘place to be’ right now is the place of waiting, praying, and listening! God awaits; lets us join Him!

Lesson of the Week

1. Deny yourself for God’s sake. (Luke 9:23).
2. Pray, listen, and wait for God’s response (Daniel 10:1-14).
Cut out your normal pleasures for a season.
Denying yourself of something you ordinarily enjoy reduces the power your body has over you, and allows your spirit to be more sensitive to God’s leading. You will be able to pray more sincerely, hear better, and rejoice in the presence of the Father.
Set a time (preferably daily) for personal prayer. Read the scriptures, and meditate quietly on your readings. Allow God to minister to your heart.
God often speaks through His written Word. Read the bible prayerfully, internalize what you have read, and spend a few minutes thinking on it. Stay close to other Christian brethren at this time; the Lord sometimes speaks through others for our benefit. Be patient as you wait for God’s response to your prayers; His times are not our times, and His ways are not our ways.
As the Israelites refused to move until God’s cloud lifted and moved, so must you be at this season. The Lord will strengthen and reward you as you dedicate this period to Him!  
Stay in place, and be blessed, Amen!

Weekly Nugget: “Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.” (Psalms 27:14; KJV).
Dr. Kene D. Ewulu ministers from Columbia, South Carolina, The United States.
All scriptures were linked from www.biblegateway.com

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Here is wishing all our readers and followers a happy, successful, and righteous 2015. 
May the Lord guard and protect you and yours.
May the Lord bless the work of your hands.
May the Lord grant you favor with your fellow man.
May the peace and joy of the Lord be your reward this year, and may your actions and words bring glory to our Lord Jesus Christ.
May the Holy Spirit be your advisor, friend, and guide in all that you do.
And may you be blessed as you follow and forward our messages through this medium!
Happy New Year, and the God of Abraham be with you.
Blessings and Felicitations!

Weekly Nugget: “The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace” (Numbers 6:24-26; KJV).

Dr. Kene D. Ewulu ministers from Columbia, South Carolina, The United States.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Merry Christmas.

Enjoy a peaceful, reflective, and refreshing Christmas season with your family and friends!
Remember that Jesus’ birth and eventual sacrifice for mankind are the reasons for this season.
Remember to love like He did!
…To give like He did!
…To understand like He did!
…To obey like He did!
…And to persevere like He did!
Spend quality time with your family; refresh them, and be refreshed.
Be joyful and grateful, and cherish the free gift of salvation that was won for you so dearly.
May your hope for the coming year be strengthened and enlarged, and may the Holy Spirit be your constant companion during this season, and in the New Year.
Blessings from the Son of God!

Weekly Nugget: “And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:  And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.” (Luke 1:30-33; KJV).

Dr. Kene D. Ewulu ministers from Columbia, South Carolina, The United States.

GREAT EXPECTATIONS

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 The year 2014 is rolling to an end, and 2015 looms!
And if other years are anything to go by, everyone is busy fashioning out new goals. We are crafting our New Year resolutions and believing that this time, we shall be successful.
We are full of great expectations for the coming year!
We must however, confirm that these expectations are part of God’s will for us, and not just wishful thinking or selfish imaginations. Furthermore, we have to be ready to work towards achieving our expectations when the opportunities arise. As an example, the Israelites wandered in the desert for forty years under God’s leading, relocating only when God’s cloud lifted and moved, and staying encamped when the cloud remained stationary. Jesus prepared for His ministry’s onset by fasting for 40 days and nights in the desert while communing with our Heavenly Father; He needed the Father’s permission and guidance to begin His earthly work.
God expects us to do likewise and look to Him before we make any commitments in the coming year. Along this line of thought, we must resolve to wait for God to lead us, even when we know what His will is. This means that the plan must not only be confirmed, but the timing for executing those plans must fall in line with God’s timing.
Only through the strict adherence to His will and timing can we truly experience the manifestation of our great expectations.

Lesson of the Week

1. Wait on God before you commit yourself to any action. (Psalms 27:14).
2. Write down your revelations for the upcoming year (Habakkuk 2:2).
Let us carve out a period of fasting and prayer before the year 2014 ends, or in January 2015; a time to seek God’s face concerning what He would have us do in the New Year.
In doing this, deny yourself of something you normally enjoy doing, and pray and wait for God’s revelation. God has promised to renew the strength of those who wait on Him (Isaiah 40:31).
Whatever impressions you feel during your time of fasting and prayer, write them down! Messages have a way of waning in our minds if they are not written down; doubts come to us as the year progresses, especially when we begin to face challenges.
This is the reason vision and mission statements for corporate entities are made; they remind us of the direction we started upon, and serve to bring us back in line if we begin to deviate.
May the Lord strengthen you to wait upon Him this season; may He grant you deep revelations about your future, and may those revelations birth great expectations and resolve in your heart!
Blessings and felicitations to us all, in Jesus’ name, Amen!
Weekly Nugget: “Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long. For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off” (Proverbs 23:17-18; KJV).

Dr. Kene D. Ewulu ministers from Columbia, South Carolina, The United States.
All scriptures were linked from www.biblegateway.com

VIGILANCE AFTER VICTORY

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 Have you had any recent breakthroughs or victories? Has your diligence paid off, and have you been rewarded lately? When you look back and count God’s blessings, do you have a sense of pride and accomplishment? Are you in a celebratory mood?
It is good to cherish our triumphs, but we must not get careless after our victory! When we let our guard down momentarily, our enemy the devil often pounces. We must be vigilant after our victory.
As we approach the end of 2014, it is customary to take stock of the year’s activities, and to count our blessings. Our boast however, must be of the Lord for making things happen, and not be of ourselves (Jeremiah 9:23-24). As we give glory to God for everything (whether for our trials or triumphs), it is advisable to keep doing those things that brought us victory in the first instance: uniting with God, trusting His Word, expecting patiently, performing diligently, and praying our way through every challenge!
When we refrain from the good practices that brought us victory, we are liable to pride, and inevitably, to a reversal of fortunes (Proverbs 16:18).
Regardless of the way 2014 ends, we have to count it a successful year because we are alive and hopeful. With this mindset, let us rest in God during the upcoming Christmas period, knowing that every good thing we have experienced came from Him.
As we celebrate Jesus, let us do so prayerfully and vigilantly, understanding that our victory, protection, and sustenance depend on Him. God’s blessings have made us rich, and there is indeed no sorrow added on! (Proverbs 10:22).

Lesson of the Week

1. Keep praying, keep working, and keep believing. (Psalms 144:1-2).
2. Be grateful to God; confess this to others (1 Thessalonians 5:18).  
I will always remember God’s victories in my life, seeking Him, working hard, and trusting Him completely for my breakthroughs. Those that trust God are never let down; He is faithful to fight our battles for us, and to grant us peace. Yes, I will rejoice in the victories God has given me, but I will do so in gratitude to Him, and in continuing prayer and faith. Only through this attitude is He glorified!
I will openly declare my gratitude to God to those I encounter. I will never deny Jesus His glory!
And yes, I have other dreams and aspirations that have not yet been achieved. But I will be patient, trusting that in His good time, God will answer my prayers and bless me richly (Ecclesiastes 3:11).
The reason for my victory is to accord God all the glory, and bring others to the saving knowledge of Jesus! I pray for vigilance in victory and the wisdom to win souls by declaring Jesus as my deliverer, provider, and protector.
Be watchful, brothers and sisters, and keep your faith in God and His Son Jesus Christ. Your life depends on it, even as you celebrate your victories.
May the Lord keep you as the head and not the tail, and may your victory inspire others to serve Him also.
Blessings and Protection from ‘The King of Kings’!

Weekly Nugget: "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8; KJV).

Dr. Kene D. Ewulu ministers from Columbia, South Carolina, The United States.
All scriptures were linked from www.biblegateway.com

REWARDS OF DILIGENCE

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 Diligence can be defined as persistent hard work and dedication to assigned tasks. Knowing the undeniable fact that diligence increases the chances of success, why do we therefore shy away from being diligent in our work? Could laziness, incompetence, or disbelief that hard work pays be some of the reasons?
God has promised the diligent person great success and visibility (Proverbs 22:29). He promises that if we wait on Him, we shall work tirelessly and with hope (Isaiah 40:31).
So are you a consistently hard worker, or do you habitually put off imminent work for another day?
Are you discouraged that your hard work has not YET yielded fruit? Are you looking for a new direction or a short cut? Or are you envious of those who seem to get along, while you, with all your honesty, seem to face challenges from every direction?
Isaac dug and lost several water wells before his neighbors refrained from striving with him; Isaac stayed diligent, and eventually reaped at Rehoboth (Genesis 26:19-22). Joshua led the Israelites round Jericho’s walls seven times, until the wall collapsed, Solomon diligently built the temple in Jerusalem, and the first Apostles fearlessly took the gospel to the rest of the world!
God promises a blessed, fitting end for those who work diligently (Psalms 128:2). He reminds us to help the weak with the proceeds from our hard work (Acts 20:35).
There are divine rewards in being diligent and persevering! Will you do so from today onward?

Lesson of the Week

1. Work hard; do not return to a life of indolence or you will lose your blessings (Luke 9:62).
2. Persevere, look to God, and obtain your just reward (Galatians 6:9).
I will work diligently and as if God is my employer! I will not look to either side, but will focus on the tasks at hand, believing that God will reward my steadfast character with abundance.  
God is my strength and my help in times of trouble. Working consistently with all my power, knowledge, and wisdom will surely yield dividends. God is my provider, and I shall not waver in faith or strength.
I will focus on the promises of God: He makes a way, straightens crooked paths, and levels every mountain of adversity! God never fails, and He will not fail me.
He has promised that if I remain diligent, He will feed me with the good of the land (Isaiah 1:19).
I resolve this day to carefully plan my work under God’s guidance, and to diligently work my plan!
Jesus will call me a faithful steward if I persevere in multiplying the talents I have been given; I will be fruitful, and I will glorify my heavenly Father with His rewards of diligence.
Will you join me today in planning well, working hard, and staying on task consistently?
Rewards and Honor from Him who desires to give you all things - The King of Kings!

Weekly Nugget: “He that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with bread: but he that followeth vain persons is void of understanding” (Proverbs 12:11; KJV).

Dr. Kene D. Ewulu ministers from Columbia, South Carolina, The United States.
All scriptures were linked from www.biblegateway.com

THANKFULNESS

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 The beautiful season of ‘Thanksgiving’ reminds us all of God’s blessings, and silences us to give thanks!
Has the Lord God been good to you this year? This question is often overlooked because as human beings, we always have something ELSE that we desire which still eludes us. On the other hand, for those who have endured trying and challenging times, we feel we have very little to be thankful for!
Let me give us a few reasons to be thankful to God as 2014 draws to an end:
We are alive, and can see, hear, smell, and feel……
We have hope of a better tomorrow through Jesus……..
We have family, no matter how fractured our relationships with some of them may be…….
We are enjoined to be thankful for the little things and the big things; being grateful to our divine provider for those little blessings opens the doors for bigger blessings.
Has 2014 been tough? Of course it has been so in some respects.
Did we have setbacks this year? Yes, but we have picked ourselves up and continued our journey somehow.
Have we survived and are somehow primed to continue the struggle? Of course!!
In all these situations God’s hand is evident, and for that WE ALL have to be thankful.
Thankfulness equates to gratitude, and God challenges us to be thankful to Him because it glorifies Him and assures us of His salvation (Psalms 50:23)!

Lesson of the Week

1. Give thanks to God; He alone deserves your gratitude (Psalms 95:1-6).
2. Encourage someone else; tell them what the Lord can do for them (Philippians 4:6).
I am thankful to God for the breath of life, a roof over my head, clothes to wear, food to eat, and for good health. I am thankful for the hope of tomorrow, for salvation, and for His favor. I am thankful for a few good friends, and for being able to celebrate thanksgiving with what He has blessed me with!  
Will you look inward and over the last eleven months to find something to be thankful for?
Will you share your thoughts with someone else who might be struggling with belief right now? Will you share your experience of the love and faithfulness of Jesus?
Let us do the best we can to rekindle faith in the hearts of others this week. Let us, in thanksgiving, praise, and delight in our Lord Jesus, encourage others concerning God’s resolve to bless them (Psalms 34:1-8).
Let your thankfulness be a blessing to others; say it, celebrate it, and live it!
And may your thankful heart touch the heavens today, and encourage others to trust Jesus with their burdens!
Sing a new song to Him, and may your joy and blessings be full.
Love and Provision from the King of Kings!

Weekly Nugget: “O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever” (Psalms 107:1; KJV).
Dr. Kene D. Ewulu ministers from Columbia, South Carolina, The United States.
All scriptures were linked from www.biblegateway.com

BEING GRACIOUS IN VICTORY

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 Having stepped out in faith to act, and persevering until our breakthrough occurs, how then do we embrace victory? Do we give onlookers the impression that we succeeded due to our knowledge, expertise, and social networks? Do we get puffed up at our moments of triumph? Do we let our ego get the better of us?
Or, do we remind ourselves of how hard the road to victory was, and remain humble and grateful?
God promised us that even when tough times seem to endure for a while; joy always follows (Psalms 30:5).
Does it not therefore seem right that we have to acknowledge God’s intervention in our struggles? Remember:
OUR GOD IS JEALOUS, AND MUST BE ACKNOWLEDGED FOR EVERYTHING!
ALL THE GLORY MUST GO TO HIM!
To stay on top of that hill, meekness of spirit, and the understanding of our frailty are required. It is so hard to navigate to the mountain top, and yet so easy to fall! Resist pride; it usually precedes a fall (Proverbs 16:18).
We are commanded to pray for friend and foe alike, to be magnanimous in victory, and to genuinely wish those less fortunate than we are, well! We are to freely give, with the understanding that we are faithful stewards of God’s blessings, and that the multiplication of good things come when we give of our blessings to others.
Finally, being gracious in victory entails our NOT rejoicing when our perceived enemies fall on hard times (Proverbs 24:17-18). Allow the judgment, mercy, and grace of God to work in their lives as well.
Remember, it is God and His Christ that promotes. Receive gratefully and humbly. Enjoy your blessings with a thankful heart, and seek opportunities to bless others with what you have been blessed with. Therein lays graciousness in victory, and a heart that is pleasing to Jesus!

Lesson of the Week1. All good things come from God; remember this! (James 1:17).
2. Acknowledge God’s provision; empathize with man, especially the less fortunate (John 15:5-13).
I know that my blessings come from God. I did not receive man’s favor because I am the best at what I do, but because it pleased God to make me acceptable in the sight of my benefactors. Indeed, the Lord Jesus gives health, riches, favor, and life abundantly. I will declare God’s provision and faithfulness daily to everyone I encounter.  
I confirm today that everything I am was made possible by God, and His Christ, Jesus! I acknowledge that God has shown me mercy despite my lack of strength, speed, or wisdom (Ecclesiastes 9:11). This acceptance of my unworthiness makes me humble and grateful, and propels me to share my good fortune with others less blessed than I am.
Grant me a pure heart, O Lord! Grant me a heart that is genuinely humble, and a spirit that yearns to share your bountiful blessings with others. Teach me to forgive completely, to give selflessly, and NOT to esteem myself more highly than others.
Teach me to be gracious in victory this week, and to represent Jesus well.
And, …thank you Lord Jesus for giving me all things!

Weekly Nugget: “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust”  (Matthew 5:44-45; KJV).

Dr. Kene D. Ewulu ministers from Columbia, South Carolina, The United States.
All scriptures were linked from www.biblegateway.com

NEVER QUIT TRYING

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 Some wise men say that “winners do not quit”; yet others say that “quitters never win”.
One thing is to summon up the courage to act (as we discussed last week); an often neglected detail is that success does not always come at the first try. Challenges, obstacles, and failures will happen in our journeys through life, but the stubbornly persistent will eventually succeed.
TENACIOUS TRYERS ULTIMATELY TRIUMPH!
HEROES LIVE BY DOING!
Did you overcome your fear of starting a new venture, only to see your efforts flounder and yield nothing? Have you become discouraged and given up after a few setbacks? Are you contemplating quitting? Has the journey become too painful, difficult, or daunting?
God wants you to know that He sees ALL you are going through, and that He is there with you! He wants you to know that your trials are but for a short time only, and will only build a much stronger character within you: a patient, faithful, and hardworking person. Jesus wants you to trust Him and hang on; to keep pushing regardless of the resistance you encounter, and to never look back.
If you want to eventually have success in your endeavors, then you must trust God’s promises of wisdom, strength, knowledge, counsel, help, and favor. He has promised that if we trust in Him, we will never be ashamed (Romans 10:11).
Difficulties will surely arise, but we must arise and overcome them with God’s help. We must not quit; we dare not quit!

Lesson of the Week1. Pick yourself up and fight, again and again and again (Proverbs 24:16).
2. Believe that you will eventually overcome all challenges (Psalms 118:17).
I do not care how many times I fall in my bid to succeed; what matters is that I will someday reach my goal. Jesus, through His sufferings on the Cross, has made me a winner; He will carry my burdens as I rest in Him, and will surely grant me victory at the end of it all (Matthew 11:28-30).
My mountains have been levelled, and all the crooked paths in my life have been made straight. God is fighting on my side; who then can oppose me, and win?
I will embrace my challenges with confidence, knowing that the Creator of the Universe stands by me. I will not be discouraged anymore by the physical obstructions I see, but I will walk by faith. I choose this day to trust my God and King, to strive with all my strength and faith, knowing that He who delivered the shepherd boy David from the mighty hand of Goliath will do the same for me.
I will not be weary in well doing because my God has promised me a mighty breakthrough if I do not waver (Galatians 6:9 & 2 Chronicles 15:7).
I WILL NEVER QUIT TRYING! God is with me; no man can be against be!
I claim my victory and blessings this week from my Lord Jesus: He alone gives me all things!

Weekly Nugget: “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” (Isaiah 41:10; KJV).

Dr. Kene D. Ewulu ministers from Columbia, South Carolina, The United States.
All scriptures were linked from www.biblegateway.com