Our Monthly Newsletter is a rich repository of refreshing and inspirational publications on the blog from the immediate past month, praise reports and a preview of upcoming events for the coming months.

This new week, wait on the Lord. Trust Him. Trust Him, in your job, career, studies, business, relationships, etc. And may that trust breed faith in you, fully anchored on hope and expectancy, to take God-inspired actions, that are sustained by patience, endurance and active persistence. Victory is inevitable!

To seamlessly assert authority and receive submission in return, build trust by doing care, love and watching over. If you are lacking in these, you’re likely to be struggling with people submitting to you. A husband who keeps ranting, ‘I am the head of this home’, you must submit to my authority’ is very likely not performing his functions as the head. Just as submission in a marriage relationship is a lot easier when the husband plays his own part of loving the wife unconditionally, so it is much easier to submit to an authority when trust has been built. Lead according to the Word of God. Leading is more about relationship and influence than position.

True that the Holy Spirit can be received by every believer in Jesus Christ, but  experiencing the gains of the indwelling Spirit doesn’t just happen by His mere presence in us, there is a continuous stirring required to ensure a steady, uninterrupted flow of the Spirit.

First Timothy chapter 6 is an admonition from Apostle Paul to shun ungodliness which is often expressed as strife, disputes, contentions, evil desires and pride. To rather pursue and embrace righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.

Godliness with Contentment is great gain (1 Timothy 6:6).

Servants are to honor and respect their masters; whether believing or unbelieving. Teachers are to teach wholesome doctrines that are in accordance with godliness.

Verse 12 of 1 Timothy 12 is not just an admonition; it is a command. A command to fight the good fight of faith, laying hold on eternal life.

“Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”
I Timothy 6:12 NKJV

My interest is on ‘lay hold on eternal life’.

To ‘lay hold of’ means to clench, cling to, clutch, catch, grasp, seize, to take and hold something, to understand something.

Eternal life means everlasting life, never ending life, never perishing, life more abundantly, continuous life, endless life.

If you have received Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, you have eternal life (John 3:15-16). And the purpose of this life is to keep you in the covenant, in constant uninterrupted fellowship with God (1 John 1:1-3, John 6:54-58), to keep you safe from the Destroyer (John 10:28); safe to live and enjoy all that pertains to life and godliness available to you through Christ Jesus (2 Peter 1:3).

Ungodliness and evil desires are evil, and they emanate from the evil One whose sole agenda is to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10).

It is unlikely to be clinging, clenching, holding fast, grasping or holding firmly to eternal life (in fellowship and total surrender to God) and to still be drowned in strife, disputes, contentions, perdition, quarrels and all forms of ungodliness.

And because this life is endless and continuous, those who have it and remain fully plugged into it, can live perpetually in godliness and contentment, away from all expressions of evil.

It also is very unlikely that you’ll die before you are ready if you keep confessing and muttering “I have life and life more abundantly, God’s life, Zoe life, ….. the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the grave is in me and continually pumps life to every part of my body”.

“We have to fight to keep our faith. Try as hard as you can to win that fight. Take hold of eternal life. It is the life you were chosen to have when you confessed your faith in Jesus—that wonderful truth that you spoke so openly and that so many people heard.“
1 Timothy 6:12 ERV

Happy Monday…

Have a most blessed week

Love Always ❤

There is a strong connection between humility and submission. Submission requires subordination, subjection, obedience, yielding which are all expressions of humility. To successfully submit to an authority, humility is needed. I believe that unlike humility which we are expected to express towards God and all men, submission is contextual.

“Hear this, you priests. Pay attention, you leaders of Israel.

Listen, you members of the royal family.

Judgment has been handed down against you.

For you have led the people into a snare by worshiping the idols at Mizpah and Tabor. You have dug a deep pit to trap them at Acacia Grove. But I will settle with you for what you have done.

I know what you are like, O Ephraim. You cannot hide yourself from me, O Israel. You have left me as a prostitute leaves her husband; you are utterly defiled. Your deeds won’t let you return to your God. You are a prostitute through and through, and you do not know the Lord .

The arrogance of Israel testifies against her; Israel and Ephraim will stumble under their load of guilt. Judah, too, will fall with them. When they come with their flocks and herds to offer sacrifices to the Lord, they will not find him, because he has withdrawn from them.

They have betrayed the honor of the Lord , bearing children that are not his. Now their false religion will devour them along with their wealth.

Sound the alarm in Gibeah! Blow the trumpet in Ramah! Raise the battle cry in Beth-aven ! Lead on into battle, O warriors of Benjamin!

One thing is certain, Israel : On your day of punishment, you will become a heap of rubble. “The leaders of Judah have become like thieves. So I will pour my anger on them like a waterfall. The people of Israel will be crushed and broken by my judgment because they are determined to worship idols. I will destroy Israel as a moth consumes wool. I will make Judah as weak as rotten wood.

When Israel and Judah saw how sick they were, Israel turned to Assyria— to the great king there— but he could neither help nor cure them.

I will be like a lion to Israel, like a strong young lion to Judah. I will tear them to pieces! I will carry them off, and no one will be left to rescue them.

Then I will return to my place until they admit their guilt and turn to me. For as soon as trouble comes, they will earnestly search for me.”

Hosea 5:1‭-‬15 NLT

………….

He who has ears let him hear.

It’s easy to have wisdom interwoven with understanding and assumed to mean same thing. But do they really mean the same?

“And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.”
Isaiah 11:2 NLT

While Isaiah 11:2 might look like 3 bundles/pairs of the functionality of the Spirit of the Lord, however, one thing is clear, and that is the fine delineation between the Spirit of wisdom, understanding and knowledge.

Has God ever asked you to undertake a project, start a business or ministry, embark on a journey? Now, can you remember Him providing you with clear details of every stage of that endeavor from the onset?

Do you sometimes feel like you don’t know what to do? Take a look at Proverbs 24:3-4, I love this portion of scripture…

“Through wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.“
Proverbs 24:3‭-‬4 NKJV

Defining Knowledge, Wisdom and Understanding

There are different definitions of wisdom; the right application of knowledge, knowing what is right or true, sensible thinking, etc.

The Bible provides somewhat different definition of wisdom…

“And this is what he says to all humanity: ‘The fear of the Lord is true wisdom; to forsake evil is real understanding.”
Job 28:28 NLT

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
Proverbs 9:10 NKJV

Wisdom is to fear the Lord.

To fear the Lord is to reverence the Lord, to trust fully in the Lord, to hearken to the Lord.

Understanding is often explained as comprehension, insights, good judgement, awareness, discernment, etc.

From the Bible, we learn that understanding means to clearly delineate evil from good and to choose to embrace good. Understanding means discernment, clarity, gainful reflections.

Knowledge is acquired fact or information.

So, with knowledge, we gather information/facts, understanding helps us make sense of knowledge while wisdom helps us arrive at the right decision/action.

Usefulness of Wisdom and Understanding

“Through wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.“
Proverbs 24:3‭-‬4 NKJV

We create things through wisdom and establish them through understanding.

God created all the beauties of earth and heaven through wisdom. Through understanding, He founded and established all His creations.

“By wisdom the Lord founded the earth; by understanding he created the heavens.“
Proverbs 3:19 NLT

“But the Lord made the earth by his power, and he preserves it by his wisdom. With his own understanding he stretched out the heavens.
Jeremiah 10:12 NLT

Solomon amassed the most recorded wealth in the scriptures by operating in wisdom and understanding.

“God gave Solomon very great wisdom and understanding, and knowledge as vast as the sands of the seashore.“
1 Kings 4:29 NLT

“With your wisdom and understanding you have amassed great wealth— gold and silver for your treasuries.“
Ezekiel 28:4 NLT

A prosperous farmer is one that has understood the times and seasons and through wisdom takes the right actions.

“The farmer knows just what to do, for God has given him understanding.”
Isaiah 28:26 NLT

“Therefore do not be vague and thoughtless and foolish, but understanding and firmly grasping what the will of the Lord is.”
Ephesians 5:17 AMPC

Therefore while we can create things through the wisdom of God, understanding is what helps us bring them to tangibility.

We need knowledge, wisdom and understanding to create and amass wealth.

To be successful in life, knowledge, wisdom and understanding must work together.

Where to find Knowledge, Wisdom and Understanding

“For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding“
Proverbs 2:6 NKJV

“But true wisdom and power are found in God; counsel and understanding are his.“
Job 12:13 NLT

“Your commandments give me understanding; no wonder I hate every false way of life.“
Psalms 119:104 NLT

How to Get Knowledge, Wisdom and Understanding

1. Understanding comes to us as insights when we listen and are perceptive.

Understanding comes from listening, by being perceptive, through reflective thinking, through discernment.

“To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.
Matthew 13:12 NLT

“Perceptive words spread knowledge; fools are hollow—there’s nothing to them.”
Proverbs 15:7 MSG

“Though good advice lies deep within the heart, a person with understanding will draw it out.”
Proverbs 20:5 NLT

“Fools have no interest in understanding; they only want to air their own opinions.”
Proverbs 18:2 NLT

“A truly wise person uses few words; a person with understanding is even-tempered.”
Proverbs 17:27 NLT

2. Knowledge is in The Word of God.

“And here’s why: God gives out Wisdom free, is plainspoken in Knowledge and Understanding. He’s a rich mine of Common Sense for those who live well, a personal bodyguard to the candid and sincere. He keeps his eye on all who live honestly, and pays special attention to his loyally committed ones.”
Proverbs 2:6‭-‬8 MSG

3. Wisdom begins where the fear of the Lord rules however wisdom becomes fully expressed when we go back to God for understanding and knowledge.

Making Knowledge, Wisdom and Understanding work for you.

If you ever feel like you do not know what next to do in what God has asked you to do, you need wisdom….. indeed, you’ll need more than wisdom to be successful.

“Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.“
Proverbs 4:7 KJV

Without understanding, wisdom is fruitless.

“Through wisdom a house is built, And by understanding it is established; By knowledge the rooms are filled With all precious and pleasant riches.”
Proverbs 24:3‭-‬4 NKJV

We need understanding to gain knowledge, and we have to apply knowledge gained in order to act wisely.

Here is what I see in all of this; Listen to the Word of the Lord and draw understanding, then you will build knowledge (become knowledgeable) and when you apply gained knowledge, then you are operating in wisdom. That’s how to know what to do at every time ‘t’.

“A mocker seeks wisdom and never finds it, but knowledge comes easily to those with understanding.”
Proverbs 14:6 NLT

Listen. Understand. Know. Act.

This is the expected pathway to acting in wisdom. However, many times, this is not the common pathway God walks us through.

Now, back to that God-inspired project you embarked on….did God walk you through; listen to my word, gain understanding, know what I want you to do, then do it? …

Commonly, we find ourselves starting from Acting on a Godly counsel (instruction or directive), we hear God say ‘start this’ or ‘do that’ and we generally obey and follow.

We follow because we trust and reverence God. By doing so, we actually begin the walk towards wisdom…. the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom….

But then, in the middle of it all, we may seem lost unless we go back to; Listen, Understand, Know. I believe that it is when we go through this process that we are able to establish and bring to tangibility the things God spoke to our hearts.

“Through wisdom a house is built, And by understanding it is established; By knowledge the rooms are filled With all precious and pleasant riches.“
Proverbs 24:3‭-‬4 NKJV

Whatever point you are at in that Godly mission, here’s a prayer to pray….

I thank You Father because I have wisdom, understanding and knowledge. I listen and draw from understanding and knowledge from You (Your Word and Spirit), so I say that I know what to do (in line with your plan and purpose). Success is inevitable and success will be my experience in Jesus Christ name. Amen!

Everything God asks us to do will 1. work for the furtherance of the gospel; improve people’s knowledge of God, 2. Be of benefit to other people.

We must understand how the world we live in works, we must find out how our Godly mission fits into the larger whole, and we must identify areas of impact God would have us make.

Wisdom to create. Understanding to found and establish. Knowledge to make it functional and fit for purpose.

Thank You Father ❤

The 2 drivers for expressing humility in our relationships; the fear of the Lord (relating to God) and walking in agape (relating with others).

Hello everyone

I trust that you are all doing well and kept safe in Christ.

This is to inform you that I’ll be taking a one-week break from the blog starting Monday 13th to Sunday 19th July 2020. Meaning that there will be no publications on the blog this week.

However, there will be no break in the Friday Bible Study series that is currently ongoing “Bible Perspectives on Humility“.

So see you all again on Friday 17th July and then on Monday 20th July.

Remember you can still reach us via the contact page on the Homepage menu.

Below is a scripture that has been on my mind from yesterday; think on it…

“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.“
1 Corinthians 13:4‭-‬5 NLT

Stay safe in the Word and in the Covenant

Love Always❤