THE PLACE OF ENCOUNTER-2

THE PLACE OF ENCOUNTER-2
Genesis 28:10 “And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran.”

Genesis 28:11 “And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night because the sun was set and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep”

…From yesterday…

Moses initiated it after praying for forty days and forty nights. John the Baptist had his own after a season in the wilderness too.

Luke 1:80 “And the child grew and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.”

Even Jesus went into the wilderness for forty days and nights as well. The common thing with everyone that had encounters however is that they withdrew from the crowd in order to be with God.

Many people want a great life but are too busy mentally, physically and emotionally for God to have a personal conversation with them. God is interested in having personal discussions with us but many seems too engaged with other activities.

Isaiah 30:15 “For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not.”

God said here that what he needed from us is quietness so that he can effectively communicate his strength with us but he discovered many of us would not.

Friend, it’s the beginning of a New Year and what a beautiful time to desire a meeting with the Creator and Maker of men! Take a day(s) off, to pray, fast and seek the face of God. A single encounter can change the course of your year and life positively forever.

The tone of the trip of Jacob was set by this particular encounter. He went and came back successfully because he met with God. You and I need to set the tone for the journey of the New Year in the place of encounter as well.

The journey towards destiny is long and you don’t want to travel it without the guidance of God!

To be continued…

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THE PLACE OF ENCOUNTER-1

THE PLACE OF ENCOUNTER-1
Genesis 28:10 “And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran.”

Genesis 28:11 “And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night because the sun was set and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep”

As Jacob headed for Haran, the Bible says “he lighted upon a certain place”. I call it the place of encounter. It was a place where God practically met with him.

In-between where you are and where you want to be is a place of encounter. If you don’t meet with God first, your quest can become an effort in futility. Your dreams can become a snare.

An encounter can be an unexpected meeting or confrontation, but as someone said, “an event is something that happen in the course of your life while an encounter is something that changed the course of your life”.

All through scriptures and in our contemporary days, we discover that nothing happens by chance. Nobody ever became great without an encounter with the Divine. Every truly great man has met with God somewhere.

In the case of Abraham, it was a meeting in his father’s house. With Isaac it was when he was about leaving the Promised Land for Egypt. For Moses it was in the burning bush. Moses also met God when he fasted and prayed for forty days and night.

Peter had his own encounter the day he met with Jesus as a frustrated fisherman. Nathanael met with Divinity when he was connected by Philip. Paul had his own on his way to Damascus and so on.

The interesting thing however is that they all had a great life after their encounters. You can’t become truly great until you have an encounter. An encounter is a meeting with the King of kings, the truly Great One!

I also want you to know that you don’t need to wait for a “choice meeting” you can initiate it!

Moses initiated it after praying for forty days and forty nights. John the Baptist had his own after a season in the wilderness too.

To be continued…

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LEAVE YOUR WORRIES-2

LEAVE YOUR WORRIES-2
Genesis 28:10 “And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran.”

Genesis 28:11 “And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night because the sun was set and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep”

…From yesterday…

It is time to let go and head for a better place (year).

2021 is sure going to be a better year in Jesus name. Jacob only left with his staff and promises of God.

Genesis 28:1 “And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan.”

Genesis 28:3 “And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people;”

Genesis 28:4 “And give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land wherein thou art a stranger, which God gave unto Abraham.”

The staff in his hand represented the word of God and that was sufficient for the trip because when he returned, the word and the promises had produced everything he could ever wish for in life.

He was told “not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan” because that represents the past and dangers of Beersheba (2020)! He returned with wives, children, money, sheep, servants and businesses. There was nothing he wanted that the word and promises of God had not produced.

Jacob wouldn’t have become two great companies however if he didn’t leave his father’s house in Beersheba and headed for Haran.

Esau represents Jacob’s past, his failures, worries and ambitions. He left Esau and Beersheba so that he can embrace what God had in store for him. Whatever you left behind in 2020 is nothing compared to the great future God has planned out for you in 2021.

Let the past year go with all its worries and move ahead in power and glory. Esau and all his threats should be let go. It is high time you head in the direction of success. Your life is designed to get better and better but as long as you keep holding unto the past, it will continue to limit you. Leave Beersheba for Haran!

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LEAVE YOUR WORRIES-1

LEAVE YOUR WORRIES-1
Genesis 28:10 “And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran.”

Genesis 28:11 “And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night because the sun was set and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep”

Jacob had just taken his brother’s blessings and was advised to go to Haran to marry and also escape from the wrath of Esau. He was on a mission to go to a new place which he has only heard of.

He didn’t know what Haran holds for him but he believed it will be a good place. His father prayed for him, blessed him and he left hurriedly.

In our focal scripture, the word “went out” from Beersheba means to escaped or break out. Jacob escaped from danger and went on his way to Haran. In the same vein, you and I have escaped from 2020 with all its antecedents into the year 2021, a year of better things and great promises.

Jacob obeyed his parents and left, but the only thing he had with him were the promises and blessings pronounced upon him and his stave. Every other physical thing was left behind.

Genesis 32:10 “I am not worthy of the least of all the mercy and loving-kindness and all the faithfulness which You have shown to Your servant, for with [only] my staff I passed over this Jordan [long ago], and now I have become two companies.” (AMP)

Jacob affirmed here that it was only a staff he had at hand when he crossed Jordan and headed for Haran but not withstanding he became two companies.

He barely escaped from Beersheba with his life. Esau wanted to take him out. He was worried sick, confused, scared and fidgety when he crossed Jordan.

Beloved, it doesn’t matter how 2020 had been for you, you’ve got to leave it behind. Don’t just quit 2020 physically, quit it mentally and emotionally as well. Leave all your worries, confusion, weakness and threat (Esau) in 2020 behind.

It is time to let go and head for a better place (year).

To be continued…

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TELL OTHERS

TELL OTHERS
Luke 2:17 “And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.”

Luke 2:18 “And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.”

The shepherds followed the leading of the angels and went to Jerusalem to see for themselves. They got there and having met with the Saviour they were excited.

They however didn’t keep the information to themselves, they spread it. They went about telling others about how good God is. When you’ve seen God and what He has done, you cannot close your mouth but declare his goodness.

When you truly meet Jesus, you cannot but declare it. A meeting with Jesus is a meeting with transformation. When you meet him you come face to face with the Creator of heaven and earth. Jesus is the miracle worker, the best of heaven, the gift of God, the yoke breaker, destiny molder and of course God Himself!

The challenge most people have is that they have not left all they’re doing to go meet and embrace him.

His disciples journeyed with him for three and half years and the world is yet to recover from the impact of that meeting. They came back and turned the world upside down. They spread the news of their meeting with Jesus and that’s how some of us have been able to know about him too.

Mark 16:17 “And these signs shall follow them that believe In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;”

Mark 16:18 “They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”

Mark 16:20 “And they went forth and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following Amen.”

If truly you have met with Jesus, you will tell others about him as well. The plan of God is to introduce the person of Jesus to the whole world and he won’t be sending down angels again, he has you and I to do that. Can God rely on you?

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UNTO YOU

UNTO YOU
Luke 2:10 “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.”

Luke 2:11 “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”

When the angel appeared to the shepherds, he made a very outstanding statement. He said, “For unto you is born…” He told them explicitly that the Saviour was born just because of them.

He wasn’t born because of any other but because of this “lowly” shepherds. He didn’t even say Christ was born because of the rich, wealthy and powerful but just for this shepherds.

Like we said earlier, the shepherds were despised people in their days. People treat them next to leprous men. They stay mainly outside town, living in bushes with animals and smelling like them. They are not the typical guest people will want to have at their occasions and ceremonies.

They were even considered as animals in some quarters. They were the outcasts of the society and often forgotten.

Friend, I don’t know your state now. Perhaps you are one of the outcast, forgotten folks around. Maybe you’re despised, castigated and forsaken, I have news for you: You are on heaven’s radar!

Men may not reckon with you but heaven is interested in you. Unto you Christ was born. He came just for you! You matter to heaven. Your matter is uppermost on the agenda of heaven. God is still interested in your case.

The gift of Christ is heaven’s best and it has been released for you. Men may not invite you to their parties but God has summoned you to his banquet. The feast of heaven is better than whatever man can put together.

I want you to know that Jesus came for you. He saw you pains, rejection, frustration, sickness and anger, so he decided to leave his own comfort in heaven to be by your side and lift you to glory.

Remember, those shepherds didn’t remain in the field, they ran and embraced the call. They left and traveled to where Jesus was.

So, what will it be for you? Will you rather remain where you are or develop a close walk with the Saviour? The ball is in your court, Selah!

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GOOD NEWS

GOOD NEWS
Luke 2:10 “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.”

The birth of Jesus was described by the angel as a good news. He told them that the news he brought to them is one of good tidings of great joy. Not only for the shepherds but for mankind in general.

In the world, the only news that really sell is the bad one. If it is announced that someone gave birth, buys a car, builds a new house and so on, it doesn’t really move people. But, when you hear news of terror, deaths, epidemic and the like, everybody panics. Those are the news that makes headlines.

Evil news spreads fast because we are in a world of negativity. The devil as the god of this world thrives in evil and bad reports. He knows that when negatives are circulated people lose their joy. He then uses fear as control mechanism to keep people subject to him.

In the midst of such negatives however, Jesus came and his coming changed the narrative. Jesus changed the demonic order to the divine. His coming brought hope, deliverance, breaking of yokes and destruction of fear.

Jesus told us explicitly why he came and I want you to know that the reason for his coming has not changed. Hear him:

Luke 4:18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,”

Luke 4:19 “To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.”

1John 3:8 “…For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.”

Those are the good news of glad tidings that the birth of Jesus brought. Whatever represents the work of devil has been shattered and abolished by the appearance of the Son of God!

Friend, it is no longer business as usual for the devil, Christ has taken over!

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GLORY OF GOD

GLORY OF GOD
Luke 2:8 “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field keeping watch over their flock by night.”

Luke 2:9 “And, lo the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.”

The shepherds were at work in the field at night when the angel came to them. It was not a very beautiful or comfortable place but the angel met them there all the same.

It was a field that was probably filled with the dung of sheep and goats but notwithstanding the angel showed up.

We understand, when we see the glory of God in the church; in the serenity of our homes or in the congregation of believers but on this occasion, the glory of God showed up in a so called dirty place.

The glory of God is the essence of God. It is the weight of God; what made Him God. The very aura of divine presence. The unquantifiable presence of the Father. What makes God the Ultimate is his glory, he protects and guides it with all jealousy but on this occasion, he took it to the field that has some very dirty men and animals.

Our focal scripture recalls that the whole place was lightened and the shepherds were sore afraid. The whole field became transformed from what it was to what it could be!

Friend, it doesn’t matter where you are, God is bringing his glory to bare. A transformation is about to take place. Your smelly place and life is about to experience the transformational power of God.

A change and shift is about to happen for you. Your life, business, career and destiny is about to encounter the much awaited change. The glory of God does not leave things the same way. It always brings about a positive change.

Watch out for the input of divinity in your affairs. The coming of Jesus is heaven bringing God’s glory to bare in the affairs of men. You have struggled for so long, the needed change is here!

God’s glory is God himself taking over human dimensions and I want you to expect his visitation today. That much needed intervention of heaven is taking place in your affairs today! The glory of God is showing up for you in Jesus name!

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DIVINE INTERRUPTIONS

DIVINE INTERRUPTIONS
Luke 2:8 “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field keeping watch over their flock by night.”

Luke 2:9 “And, lo the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.”

The shepherds were busy watching their flocks by night when the angel of the Lord came to them. These were very busy individuals who operates for twenty four hours.

In spite of their busy schedule, the angel interrupted them, gave them the message and immediately they traveled to where baby Jesus was born.

Luke 2:15 “And it came to pass as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass which the Lord hath made known unto us.”

Luke 2:16 “And they came with haste and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.”

The shepherds left all they were doing and went after the Saviour! Heaven interrupted their schedule and they responded accordingly. They could have postponed the visit because of their sheep but they chose the divine call over their earthly occupation.

Friend, can God interrupt you? Does the instructions of God take precedence in your life? God doesn’t stave us of instructions but most times we starve Him of our obedience. Many times the instructions of God are very inconveniencing but they are designed to keep us from arms way.

Don’t be too busy with your own agenda that the instructions of God becomes secondary in your life. Instructions saves us from destruction. Sometimes when the Lord says, “Son, fast today”, it might be because there is a food poisoning incidence you need to be delivered from.

Sensitivity is key to walking with the Holy Ghost, and the more yielded you are to him, the more divine secrets he will reveal to you. God is more concerned about our safety, success and victories than our convenience.

Each time there is a prompting in your spirit, obey sharply. The shepherds were privilege to meet baby Jesus before all others because they moved at the prompting of heaven.

Your next miracle is just an instruction away, be sensitive!

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NO ROOM-2

NO ROOM-2
Luke 2:7 “And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.”

…From yesterday…

He craves for a permanent relationship with us but he will never force himself on us. Hear this:

Revelation 3:20 “Behold I stand at the door, and knock if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”

Can you imagine that? He stands at the door and knock! How can the owner of the house stand and be knocking? Remember:

John 1:3 “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made”

He made everything, living and non-living including you and I, yet he knocks the door. He knocks in humility when he could have badged in. He needn’t knock but he respects the willpower he has given to man.

Friend, if you keep him out, you will suffer for it. The more you keep Christ out, the more room the devil will seek to occupy. Not only that, the devil will bring challenges which he knows you cannot combat without reinforcement from Jesus.

Imagine what would have happened in these scenarios:

John 2:2 “And both Jesus was called and his disciples, to the marriage.”

Mark 4:36 “And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships.”

If Jesus had not been invited in John 2:2; when the wine finished they would have been stranded and that wedding would have been a great flop. Likewise if the disciples didn’t compel Christ to follow them on the trip in Mark 4, they might have drowned at sea.

One thing we must all check daily is our positioning and posture around Christ. Daily fellowship with Jesus is non-negotiable, it is the believer’s life line.

Don’t live dangerously, the devil is always looking around for opportunities to pounce, don’t be caught off-guard.

Always make room for Jesus, no matter what!

Love you BiG

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