Author: oracle4christ

Date: Monday, 4^th September, 2023

Texts: Luke 16: 19-31; Job 29:12-16

Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan

Exhortation:

Though not so common, it is possible for a man to be rich materially and also rich towards God. Today, we would be looking at what the Rich man in the Lazarus’s story failed to do and what he could have done to avoid the condemnation he experienced.

We will do this using the life of another extremely rich man called Job. By every standard Job was a very wealthy man. He was the greatest man among all the people of the East.  “He had seven sons and three daughters, and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants.” Job 1:2-3. In today’s language, he was a multi-billionaire.

But despite his material riches, Job was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. Job 1:3

What was his attitude towards the poor and less privileged?

Job’s testimony in Chapter 29 verses 12 to 16 summarizes it all, “Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him. The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy. I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem. I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame. I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out.”

Job was selfless, a holy philanthropist who sought to promote the welfare of the less privileged. This was where the rich man in the Lazarus story missed it. It is now crystal clear why he found himself in everlasting torment. The Lord personally testified concerning Job, that “he was blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.” Job 1:8 May this be your testimony in Jesus name.

Prayer Nugget: Father, make me eyes to the blind and feet to the lame in Jesus name

Date: Sunday, 3^rd September, 2023

Text: Luke 16: 19-31

Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan

Exhortation:

The rich and the poor have this in common: The Lord is the maker of them all. Proverbs 22:2.

Poverty is not necessarily a sign of God’s disapproval or displeasure. In order to confirm this, take careful note of Jesus’ letter to the leader of the poor church of Smyrna, “I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich).” Revelation 2:9. However, to the rich church at Laodecea, the Lord, sent this message, “Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked” Revelation 3:17

Apostle James asked an important question, worthy of note, “Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?” James 2:5.

Lazarus was poor materially but rich in love, faith and hope towards God. He had certain blessings money could not buy, namely the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit was given to him as a deposit guaranteeing what is to come. 2 Corinthians 5:5. He was well connected to the Almighty God and popular in Heaven. His name was written and registered as a glorious citizen of Heaven.

Though he was beggarly, he was not abandoned by God. His earthly sufferings were not worth comparing with the glory that was revealed in him. He did not allow his challenges, trouble or hardship or lack to separate him from the love of God.

It is better to be poor and upright than to be rich and perverse. Proverbs 28:6

The angels of God were Lazarus’ body guards- a spiritual security system which the rich man lacked. It was not his poverty that helped him but his holy relationship with God. When he died the angels carried him to Abraham’s bosom. May you end well in Jesus name.

Prayer Nugget: Father, no matter what I go through; please help me to remain holy and end well in Jesus name.

Date: Saturday, 2^nd September, 2023

Text: Luke 16: 19-31

Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan

Exhortation:

The rich man in today’s text did not go to Hell because he was rich but because he had no compassionate heart towards the needy and less privileged. For example he ignored the needs of Lazarus, a poor beggar that laid hungry and sick outside his house. His dogs even licked the sores of the poor man. But, you know, every problem has an expiry date, so one day Lazarus died and angels carried him to paradise where he was comforted.

The rich man also died and was buried. Immediately he closed his eyes in death, he opened it in Hell. He became thirsty from his torment in hell, and asked Lazarus to give him some water, but Lazarus was unable to cross the divide between heaven and hell.

When saints die, they are immediately in the conscious fellowship and joys of heaven. Luke 23:43. Conversely, when sinners die, they are just as immediately in the conscious pain, suffering, and torment of hell. Luke 16:22-23.

In agony from the fire of Hell, the rich man then requested that Abraham go warn his five siblings that were still living, but Abraham said they had already been told through Moses and the prophets. If they still didn’t heed the Word of God through the men of God on Earth, one more person from the dead warning them wouldn’t make them believe either.

The above story told by the Lord Jesus Christ serves as a warning that we are to use our wealth to help those in need. The Bible says, “For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land”. Deuteronomy 15:11

The word of God also says, “Giving help to the poor is like loaning money to the Lord. He will pay you back for your kindness.” Proverbs 19:17. Every time we help someone in need God takes it personal. Matthew 25:31-46. Whoever mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker. Proverbs 17:5.

Jesus said in Luke 12:48 that ‘to whom much is given, much is expected’ and that explains the expectation from those who are given “much” wealth. The more God blesses us materially, the more He expects us to help those in need.

Prayer Nugget: Father, I ask for the heart and passion to help the poor and vulnerable in Jesus name.

Date: Friday, 1^st September, 2023

Title: A Season of Fruitfulness

Text: Psalm 113:5-9

Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan

Exhortation:

We thank God for bringing us into the ninth month. The month of September (from the Latin septem,  meaning “seven”) was originally the seventh of ten months in the oldest known Roman calendar before the addition of January and February which makes it the ninth month of the year. September is also significant as it is the start of the New Year at many schools and educational establishments.

Nine is a number of fruitfulness. A woman carries pregnancy for an average of nine months. We have nine fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) and nine gifts of the Spirit.(1 Corinthians 12:1-11). I pray that, this month, you will be all-round fruitful in Jesus name.

Each morning has a womb (Psalm 110:3). A fruitful womb carries glorious expectations. And I pray that the womb of this month bring forth great things in your life and may God’s glorious expectations for your life not be cut short in Jesus name.

Let us pray.

PRAYER NUGGETS

1. Father, thank you for this new month.

2. O God of perfection, let everything that concerns me be made complete in Jesus name.

3. Father, I come against every spirit of barrenness hiding in any area of my life; cause me to enjoy all-round fruitfulness in Jesus name.

4. Father, please, let the womb of September bring forth supernatural breakthroughs and blessings in Jesus name.

5. I will not experience miscarriage of blessings this month in Jesus name.

6. Lift up your heads o you gates and be you lifted you everlasting doors, unto me this month in Jesus name.

7. King of Glory please, meet me at the points of my needs this month of September in Jesus name.

8. Father, let lines fall in pleasant places unto me this month in Jesus name.

9. Father, please, let me experience the fullness of joy of your presence this month in Jesus name.

10. Father, please, let me enjoy the pleasures of your right hand this September in Jesus name.

11. Father, help me to grow in the Spirit and manifest all the fruits of the Holy Spirit in Jesus name.

12. Father, let all the grace I need to excel before you manifest and abound in my life in Jesus name.

13. Add your own prayer points.

Date: Thursday, 31^st August, 2023

Title: The Deceitfulness of Riches

Text: Mark 12:41-44

Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan

Exhortation:

It is not a sin to be rich but it is a sin to allow your riches separate you from God. In such a situation the wealth or riches have become an idol called Mammon. It is idolatry to choose your riches above the One who provided them. You cannot serve both God and Mammon. Matthew 6:24. This is why Christ said it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. Matthew 19:21-24

Riches can be deceitful. The problem with majority of the rich and wealthy is that they find it extremely difficult to remove their trust from their riches and place it on God. They allow the deceitfulness of riches, the cares of this world and the lust of many other things to enter their hearts and choke the love of God. But the word of God warns, “Though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them.” Psalm 62:10.

The fact that you are rich does not mean you are special in the eyes of God or approved by Him. And the fact that you are not rich does not indicate that you are under a curse or disapproved by God.

The poor widow in today’s text who gave only two mites (together worth a quadran, the lowest Roman coin) was more approved in the eyes of God than the rich who gave large offerings out of their abundance, because she gave her all. Mark 12:41-44

Don’t be deceived; what God requires is a heart full of love, faith and hope in Him, irrespective of your financial or social status.

The Psalmist said, “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God. They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright.” Psalm 20:7-8.

Reflective Nugget: Don’t be deceived; what God requires is a heart full of love, faith and hope in Him, irrespective of your financial or social status.

Date: Wednesday, 30^th August, 2023

Text: Mark 9:43-48

Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan

Exhortation:

It is very important to have a balanced view of God. Jesus Christ came to the world as a humble Lamb meant for global sacrifice; but He is also the fierce Lion of the Tribe of Judah. He came as a suffering servant but He is also the King of kings and the Lord of lords. He brought the Water of Life but He is also the Consuming Fire- Hebrews 12:29.

Psalm 97:3 says, “A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about.” The Greek word translated as Hell is Gehenna, a place reserved for the disobedient and the enemies of God.

Hell is real because the Lord Himself said so. He preached more about Hell than Heaven for the sake of emphasis and to warn all of us about the danger of ending there. Christ was the only one in the Bible who described Hell in graphic details and vivid terms.

Jesus Christ warned, “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matthew 10:28

Hell is a place of torment. According to today’s text, the fire is unquenchable and the worms from the bodies of the damned do not die. The road to Hell is very wide, allowing all sorts of character and behaviour; anything goes except the love of God and obedience to His word.

Our Lord Jesus Christ also warned^{, “}And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.” Mark 9:47-48

Another name for Hell is “Outer Darkness” where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Matthew 25:30.

There is no repentance there; prayers cannot be answered there. God’s mercy and grace do not operate there. There is no opportunity to be released or return from there even to warn loved ones. Luke 16:19-31.

Escape for your life TODAY by repenting from your sins and accepting the salvation offered by Jesus Christ and live the rest of your life in holiness.

Reflective Nugget: Hell is big enough to contain all the Earth’s inhabitants, if they decide to shun the salvation Christ purchased with His blood for them- Isaiah 5:14. Heaven also has the capacity to contain all the inhabitants of the Earth, if they all choose to embrace the salvation of Christ. John 14:2-3

Date: Tuesday, 29^th August, 2023

Text: Ecclesiastes 11:9; 12:14

Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan

Exhortation:

In every culture and country of the world there are rewards for good conduct and punishments for bad behaviour. For justice to be served, there are dungeons, cells and prisons where criminals are kept as punishments for their negative deeds. It should, therefore, not be a surprise that God made both Hell/Lake of Fire and Heaven.

God does not force Himself on any man; He has given us our freewill to choose between light and darkness; good and evil being free moral agents. However, there are consequences for all our actions both here and in eternity.

This is why the Preacher said, “Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.” Ecclesiastes 11:9. “For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” Ecclesiastes 12:14.

When Satan and one-third of the angels in Heaven rebelled against God, they were overcome by the Blood of the Lamb and by the Word of God. Revelation 12:7-12. They lost their place in Heaven and for them is reserved the blackest darkness and everlasting burning.

Jude 1:6 also said, “And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.”

Concerning the Judgment Day, Jesus said, the sons and daughters of disobedience will hear the verdict, “Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.” Matthew 25:41

Even though Hell fire was made for the devil and his demons; all those who live in sin will also end up there because, “He that committeth sin is of the devil.” 1 John 3:8a.

Prophetic Nugget: As you choose the righteous path, may you be found worthy to escape eternal punishment in Jesus name.

Date: Monday, 28^th August, 2023

Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan

Text: John 10:10

Exhortation:

Abundance could imply something existing in an extremely plentiful or over sufficient quantity or supply.  The purpose of Christ’s coming to the Earth is to offer the world abundant life. In John 10:10, Jesus said, ^“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” John 10:10

Was the Lord referring to abundance of money and other material possessions? Luke 12:15 helps to clarify that, ^“And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.” Therefore, the abundance Christ referred to in today’s text is not physical but spiritual.

Physical riches are great but God is more concerned about our spiritual blessings which are the true riches because they are eternal, lasting beyond our brief stay on Earth. Romans 14:17, says, “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.”

True abundant life consists of an abundance of love, joy, peace, and the rest of the fruit of the Spirit spelt out in Galatians 5:22-23. We are admonished to set our affection on things above, not on things on the earth (Colossians 3:2). This implies cutting off every earthly distraction and focusing our time, energy and resources on developing a closer relationship with God, seeking His kingdom and all its righteousness.

Rest assured that all your physical needs (not wants) will be met, while you dedicate your life to heavenly pursuits. Abundant life shall be yours in Jesus name.

Prayer Nugget: In Jesus name, I cut off from everything robbing me of abundant life.

Date: Sunday, 27^th August, 2023

Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan

Text: Ephesians 6:25-27

Exhortation:

The Word of God and Holy Spirit cannot be separated. Anywhere you see the word of God, the Spirit of God is always there and vice versa. In Genesis 1:2-3, the Bible says, “And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.”

You can see the Water of Life (the Spirit of God) working together with the words from the mouth of God to produce amazing results- “and there was light.”

Christ said^{, “}It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63). Again, here we see that the word of God manifested the Water of Life.

So we are not surprised that the word of God cleanses the heart of a man, just as the Holy Spirit does. This is why the Bible says, ^“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” Ephesians 6: 25-27.

Therefore, the more we expose ourselves to the Word of God, the more we are sanctified and made holy, empowered to live in obedience to Christ, transformed by the renewing of our minds, and are changed into the image of Christ from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Action Nugget: Ensure you wash in the Word of God daily.

GOD’S ORACLE

Date: Saturday, 26^th August, 2023

Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan

Text: 1 Peter 1:1-2

Exhortation:

Pollution is said to be the introduction of harmful materials into the physical environment. We live in a world full of pollution be it in the air, on land, in the water or noise pollution. Bodily, it is required that we wash ourselves regularly to keep it clean.

As important as it is to keep physically pure, God is more concerned about the purity of the spirit. Jesus said, “But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.” Matthew 15:18-20

The Water of the Holy Spirit sanctifies the heart. The word, “Sanctification” comes from two Latin words: sanctus which means ‘holy’, and facere which means, ‘to make’; so to sanctify means ‘to make holy’. The purpose of the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit is to make us obedient to Christ (1 Peter 1:2). The more obedient you are to Christ, the more sanctified you have become. Anyone living in disobedience is not sanctified yet.

Paul declares, “If by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” (Romans 8:13). It is the Christian’s responsibility to deliberately work out his salvation with fear and trembling by engaging the regular washing of the Water of Life.

Again Paul says to the Thessalonians, “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thess 5:23). May this be your portion in Jesus name.

Prayer Nugget: By the Holy Spirit, I put to death every misdeed of my body in Jesus name.