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THE TABLE is known for meals, so when people invite you to their table, you hold a special place in their hearts. Jonathan held a special place in David's heart, and when he died, King David remembered him. He asked, “Is there no longer anyone left of the house (family) of Saul to whom I may show the goodness and graciousness of God?” And when they brought Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s son, to him, the king said, “Do not be afraid, for I will certainly show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and will restore to you all the land of your grandfather Saul; and you shall always eat at my table. (2 Samuel 9:1-17) THE TABLE is a place of restoration. Jesus was passing through Jericho when a chief tax collector approached him, but the tax collector couldn't see Jesus because the tax collector was short in stature. So, he climbed a sycamore-fig tree. And when Jesus saw him, he said, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” But Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:1-10) THE TABLE is a place of expression, so God can make an impression. When Jesus accepted the invitation to a prestigious dinner, he was prepared to address hot topics. As he sat at the table, an uninvited guest quietly slipped in and chose an unusual place to sit. She sat at his feet, wept, and wet his feet with her tears, then wiped them with her hair. She kissed them and poured perfume on them—she was in a low place. When you're in a low place, to whom do you go? Do you keep it to yourself or reach out to God? The Pharisee who invited him said to himself, “If this Man were a prophet, He would know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching Him, that she is a notorious sinner, an outcast, devoted to sin.” (Luke 7:36-39) However, Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” (Luke 7:49) When Jesus forgave her sins, he was gracious to her. Jesus left a godly impression on her. The table is a place of expression, so God can make an impression. THE TABLE is a place of surplus. The people learnt where Jesus was, so they came to him. Later, his disciples wanted him to send the people away so they could go to the surrounding villages and countryside to get food. But Jesus told them to give the multitude something to eat. We have no more than five loaves and two fish—unless we go and buy food for all these people. Jesus looked up to heaven, he gave thanks and blessed what they had. He broke them and kept giving the disciples to set before the crowd. (Luke 9:10-17) THE TABLE is a place of revelation. Jesus entered a village called Bethany, where a woman named Martha welcomed him to her home. (Luke 10:38-42) She had a sister named Mary who sat at Jesus’ feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was busy and distracted with the serving responsibilities. Martha approached Jesus and said, “Lord, is it of no concern to You that my sister has left me to do the serving alone? Tell her to help me and do her part.” But the Lord replied to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered and anxious about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part [that which is to her advantage], which will not be taken away from her.” Mary had chosen fellowship. When you sit with him at the table, you'll begin to see things that you would not naturally see. The natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (1 Corinthians 2:14) THE TABLE is the place of remembrance, fellowship and connection. On the night Jesus was betrayed, he took the bread, broke it and gave thanks. Then he said, “This is (represents) My body, which is [offered as a sacrifice] for you. Do this in [affectionate] remembrance of Me.” Every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are [symbolically] proclaiming [the fact of] the Lord’s death until He comes [again]. (1 Corinthians 11:23-26) The table is where God meets with you. I don't know where you are in your life walk. Wherever you are, God is calling you to the table. Final Thought IF I FIND in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable experience is that I was made for another world — C. S. Lewis.

Most of the time, when leaders ask questions and cry out to God, it isn't because they lack trust in Him; rather, they speak from a humble place of faith. JEHOSHAPHAT  was in a lowly place when he heard that the Moabites and Ammonites were on their way to attack Israel. He prayed, "O our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless against this great multitude which is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on You." (2 Chronicles 20:5-12) The only place to look when you are in your lowly place is up. PREVIOUSLY , John bore witness when the Spirit descended from heaven like a dove and remained on Jesus. (John 1:33) John later spoke from prison after his arrest. He sent his disciples to Jesus to confirm if he was the One to come or if they should wait for someone else. (Luke 7:18) And Jesus told John's disciples to say to him what they had seen and heard. Challenges will test your faith, but God provides reassurances to let you know that you are on the right track. GOD reassured Paul that he was on track when God sent an angel to him. For this very night, an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood before me, and said, 'Stop being afraid, Paul. You must stand before Caesar, and behold, God has given you [the lives of] all those who are sailing with you.' (Acts 27:23-25) Paul had been in many lowly places, so he said, We are pressured in every way [hedged in], but not crushed; perplexed [unsure of finding a way out], but not driven to despair; hunted down  and  persecuted, but not deserted [to stand alone]; struck down, but never destroyed; always carrying around in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the [resurrection] life of Jesus also may be shown in our body.  For we who live are constantly [experiencing the threat of] being handed over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the [resurrection] life of Jesus also may be evidenced in our mortal body [which is subject to death].  So physical death is [actively] at work in us, but [spiritual] life [is actively at work] in you. (2 Corinthians 4:8-12) Challenges will test your faith, but God provides reassurances to let you know that you are on the right track. JOB  understood that God knew what he was doing. He did not curse God, nor did he curse the process. He knew God never forsook his own, and he said, "Behold, I go forward (to the east), but He is not there; I go backward (to the west), but I cannot perceive Him. To the left (north), He turns, but I cannot behold Him; He turns to the right hand (south), but I cannot see Him. "But He knows the way that I take [and He pays attention to it]. When  He has tried me, I will come forth as [refined] gold [pure and luminous]. (Job 23:9-10) God knows the way you take. His eyes are on you. DAVID  knew God was watching over him when he found Israeli soldiers in a lowly place, the Valley of Elah. Anytime Saul and his men heard Goliath, they were so frightened that they couldn't do a thing. (1 Samuel 17:11) So David asked, "What will be done for the man who kills him? But Eliab scolded him for asking questions. And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause ? He told Saul that the Lord who rescued him from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will rescue him from the hand of this Philistine. (1 Samuel 17:29-37) David knew that no experience with God is wasted. So he stepped out to build on his testimonies and triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and he struck down the Philistine and killed him. David was loyal to the cause of God. JESUS  was loyal to the cause of the cross. So we look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2) Jesus Christ is the cause in God's Kingdom. Final Thought The truest path to treasures is found in the lowly places.

IF YOU’VE ever experienced a storm, you'll know it never leaves you without a list of things to clean up. The STORM of LIFE put David in a difficult position when his men picked up rocks to throw at him. Storm Previously, the Amalekites had plundered his camp and taken his family and the families of his men captive. So he asked God if he could pursue them. And God said, “Pursue, for you will certainly overtake them, and you will certainly rescue [the captives].” (1 Samuel 30:8) THE SECRET to having is asking, but it comes with a condition. You ask [God for something] and do not receive it, because you ask with wrong motives [out of selfishness or with an unrighteous agenda], so that [when you get what you want] you may spend it on your [hedonistic] desires. (James 4:3) Now that you know, ask with the right motive. IF THERE'S a place to ask God questions, it's at a crossroads. Moses was at a crossroads in his life when he heard God say that he would go back to Egypt to rescue His people. When God told him to tell His people that the God of their forefathers had sent him, He wanted them to know that they had a history and that He had been writing their story. The fact that you do not know God does not mean he does not know you. God knew before you were formed in the womb. So he asked, “ WHO AM I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” (Exodus 3:11) GOD does not call the qualified. He qualifies the called. Anyone he calls, he equips. (Hebrews 13:20-21) Anyone God calls, he equips. And in Him you have been made complete [achieving spiritual stature through Christ], and He is the head over all rule and authority [of every angelic and earthly power]. (Colossians 2:10) So GOD said to Moses, “I will be with you, and this will be the sign to you that it is I who has sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.” (Exodus 3:12) The essence of intervention in your life is that you might worship Him. The immensity of His worth is demonstrated in your worship. GOD made him a promise. He makes promises to reward those who follow him. (Hebrews 11:6) Has God made you a promise? He intends to keep it. His miracles are signs that God is with you. If I come to the ISRAELITES and tell them the God of their fathers sent me to them, and they ask what is your name, what will you have me say? (Exodus 4:1) He said to God, “ Who are you ?” To be an adequate representative of God, you must know Him. To know Him is to serve Him. To Know God is to serve Him Knowing GOD comes from spending time with Him as you become the one you seek. 2 Corinthians 3:18 says, “And we all, with unveiled face, continually seeing as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are progressively being transformed into His image from [one degree of] glory to [even more] glory, which comes from the Lord, [who is] the Spirit. God is not offended when we ask Him questions, but He becomes angry when we fail to move beyond that point. THE REASON we fail at times is that we do not prepare. Joseph was able to escape the trap of Potiphar’s wife because he had prepared for it. (Genesis 38:12-16) He did not consult with anyone. His convictions were adequate. They were there before the temptation. Moses said to God, WHAT IF they say, the Lord has not appeared to you. This question was a legitimate one. The Israelites had gone through so much. If PEOPLE questioned Jesus’ call, it isn't out of place if they question yours. If God sends you, His unction will be over your life. God was prepared for Moses, so he told him to throw his rod on the ground. As soon as he did, it transformed into a snake, and when he picked it by the tail, it reverted into a rod. SIGNS and WONDERS have their place. Some will not believe except they see the wonders of God in your life. Jesus said to one official, “Unless you [people] see [miraculous] signs and wonders, you [simply] will not believe.” (John 4:48) No wonder the apostles prayed that God would extend His hand to heal, and signs and wonders (attesting miracles) take place through the name [and the authority and power] of God’s holy Servant and Son Jesus.” (Acts of the Apostles 4:10) Bringing it Together GOD has spoken to you and exalted His Word above His name. (Psalm 138:2) He has promised to be with you. He will not leave or forsake you.

GOD’S ENCOUNTER with Adam gives us an idea of what positioning means to God. It shows us the kind of relationship he desires from us and where God wants us to be. GOD met with Adam daily. But one day, he came and couldn't find him, so he called out to him: Adam, where are you? God wasn't talking about his physical location but the spiritual one. God will never ask you a question except he wants to draw your attention to something. ADAM said: “I heard the sound of You [walking] in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid myself.” [Genesis 3 verse 8-11] God will only look for you where he has placed you and guarantee what he has provided. Your location will cover you or expose you. ADAM suddenly saw himself naked when he sinned, and his vulnerability increased. Your safety is guaranteed as you dwell in God's secret place. [Psalm 91 verse 1] When he told Isaac not to go to Egypt, he sowed in the land and reaped one hundredfold the same year. [Genesis 26 verse 12] Rahab tied the ribbon to her window and ensured that every family member of hers stayed in her place when Israel attacked Jericho. [Joshua 2] Your location marks you. GOD made Adam realize that his position had changed, and his life had become a cautionary tale. Adam had sinned, and sin was a spiritual marker . Your location tells where your heart is. When GOD asked Elijah what he was doing in a cave, he wanted him to know something was wrong. [1 Kings 19 verses 9-18] The prophet was depressed, and he ran from Jezebel. His physical location was indicative of his heart. LIKEWISE, when the prodigal son approached his father for his inheritance, he was still at home, but his heart was away from home. [Luke 15 verses 11-32] PETER’s return to fishing after Jesus’ crucifixion showed the state of his heart. It's no wonder that when Jesus came to him, he asked Peter if he loved him more than all he grappled with. [John 21 verses 15-17] What will separate you from the love of Christ? [Romans 8 verses 35-39] Your location will show where you are—on the Lord’s or Devil’s side. DANIEL , Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego obeyed God when they refused to eat meat sacrificed to idols. [Daniel 1 verses 8-16] They instituted God’s rulership and proved Him right by their worship (worth-ship). Your location will determine what you do. Compass Over the years, Joseph understood God’s process. He knew that God had woven his adversity into his will and made everything work together for his good. So when his brothers came to Egypt, he forgave them for what they did to him. Joseph told them not to be distressed or angry with themselves because they sold him there, for God sent him ahead of them to save life and preserve their family. [Genesis 45 verse 5] Your location will give you access. SOLOMON made his coronation about the Kingdom of God, and God favoured him. Enoch walked with God and was not because God took him. [2 Chronicles 1 verses 11-12 & Genesis 5 verse 24] Nehemiah found favour with God and men because he sought God. He determined his worship by acknowledging God and calling him into his situation. [Nehemiah 1] The DESIRE of GOD is to take you beyond the veil. When Jesus died, the veil tore in two. Now, we have access to the Holy of holies. [Hebrews 10:19-25] Bringing it Together WHEN your desire is to glorify Jesus, God will not hesitate to bless you. The proper location to be is where God's desire is birthed in you. It is the place where God is mostly glorified. Everything you do, do in the name of Jesus. You can only do this as you surrender to him. Have a great week!

HAVE YOU ever pulled into a gas station and realized your tank is on the other side of the car? Meanwhile, you only needed to look in the mirror or dashboard before driving to the pump. To be divinely positioned in life, you must know where to look. You must look to Jesus. (Hebrews 12:2) SAUL and his servant did not know where to look, so they searched for his dad's missing donkeys for days. But when Saul wanted them to return home, his servant pointed him to a seer—a man held in honour whose words came through. Now let us go there; perhaps he can advise us about our journey [and tell us where we should go].” (1 Samuel 9:6) When they visited Samuel, he told them the donkeys had been found, but not before he anointed Saul. (1 Samuel 10:1-6) THERE are times we focus too much on our situation and lose sight of what God is doing. When Saul went into the cave to relieve himself, David’s men told him that God had given his enemy into his hands. So David cut the edge of Saul’s robe, but his conscience bothered him. (1 Samuel 24:1-6) God can use your conscience to speak to you. Divine positioning is partly intervention. Positioning AT ZIKLAG , he was deeply concerned with his family and the families of his men taken captive, so he wept with his men till they had no strength in them. But when his men picked rocks to pelt him, he knew he had to do something. David asked Abiathar for the ephod and prayed. (1 Samuel 30:1-8) God told him to pursue the raiders; he will surely overtake them and recover the captives. Anytime you seek God's intervention, you allow him to position you for your next season. KING JEHOSHAPHAT and Israel sought God’s intervention when the enemies came after them. You need not fight in this battle ; take your positions, stand and witness the salvation of the Lord who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.’ (2 Chronicles 20:17) Divine positioning is God with you. PAUL knew God was with him when he was arrested. More than forty men had taken a solemn oath and plotted to kill him, but his nephew overheard them and told Paul. He also shared this information with the centurion. That very night, Paul was moved to Caesarea. (Acts of the Apostles 23:12-23) WHEN Paul was on a ship caught in a storm, an angel of God appeared to him. He said, ‘Stop being afraid, Paul. You must stand before Caesar; behold, God has given you [the lives of] all those sailing with you. (Acts of the Apostles 27:13-44) Divine positioning is God making you do more. THE CHALLENGE you're facing may be God positioning you for more. When Joseph saw his family bow to him, he saw God position him for the future. He knew he was destined for greatness, but his brothers would not allow him, so they sold him into slavery. (Genesis 37:18-36) Every territory you find yourself will come with its constraints. However, God began to weave his misfortune into his plan. God began to work everything together for his good. God’s presence was with Joseph in and out of prison. He showed him kindness, and Joseph found favour with the warden. (Genesis 39:1-5; 21-22) ONE WAY God divinely positions you is to grant you favour before men. Favour is the door to influence. When you learn to handle favour, you can manage your influence better. Nehemiah had favour with King Artaxerxes and handled it well. No wonder, he was able to use his influence to an advantage when he returned to Jerusalem to build. (Nehemiah 2:1-10) Favour is the door to influence IN PRISON , Joseph interpreted the dreams of the butler and baker. The baker lost his life, and the butler was restored, but he forgot Joseph. After two years, Pharaoh had dreams no one could interpret, and the butler told the king about Joseph. Joseph interpreted his dreams, and he was made the prime minister of Egypt. (Genesis 41:9-40) Divine positioning is one way God puts you ahead of your detractors and brings his plans to pass.

ONE WAY God gets our attention is by making us wait. We wait for an event, abide in his presence, and wait for an encounter. So when we abide in Him, we wait on Him. MARY and MARTHA waited for Jesus’ presence when Lazarus was sick. And Mary said to him, “If you had been here, my brother wouldn't have died.” However, Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life.” (John 11:17-44) BEFORE Jesus went to the cross, he took his disciples to Gethsemane and told them to wait. Then, he took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee a little further and told them to tarry with him. (Matthew 26:36-46) Jesus prayed to share his heart with God and waited to hear him speak. AFTER the resurrection, Jesus told his disciples to remain in Jerusalem until they are clothed (fully equipped) with power from on high.” (Luke 24:49) They knew they needed his ability to do his work, so they waited for his Spirit. To live in dominion, you must learn to wait. WAITING on God requires the willingness to bear uncertainty, carry the unanswered question within oneself, and lift one's heart to God whenever it intrudes into one’s thoughts—Elisabeth Elliot. Hannah waited on God, bearing the uncertainty of having a child and lifted her heart to God in prayer until she had a son. (1 Samuel 1:9-28) YOU cannot wait on God without persisting in prayer because prayer is the place of power. When the apostles were threatened, they prayed. Praying is waiting They told God to observe their threats [take them into account] and grant that His bond-servants may declare His message [of salvation] with great confidence and extend His hand to heal. Signs and wonders (attesting miracles) take place through the name [and the authority and power] of His holy Servant and Son, Jesus. When they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken [a sign of God’s presence], and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness and courage. (Acts 4:28-35) Any threat is an indication that you need to pray. Waiting is praying AT ONE POINT , Daniel asked his friends to pray that God would be kind to them and help them understand the king’s dream (this secret), so they would not be killed with the other wise men of Babylon. During the night, God explained the secret to Daniel in a vision. (Daniel 2:18-20) Daniel sought an encounter and had one, but you do not have to be threatened to pray. ACTS 13:2 says, “As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.” They were not threatened before they prayed. TO KNOW the mind of God, you'll need to wait on him. The natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (1 Corinthians 2:14) One way to discern is to pray. WITHOUT the mind of God, you're left with the mind of men—and the mind of men is costly. When David wept with his men, he was left with the mind of men. But when he sought God, he received the mind of God. (1 Samuel 30:1-8) How you wait will determine how far you go. HABAKKUK understood these and prayed, saying, “I will stand at my guard post and station myself on the tower, and I will keep watch to see what He will say to me and what answer I will give [as His spokesman] when I am reproved. Your prayer begins with a location, a vantage position, because you're communing with God and an expectation. You wait on God because you want him to speak and depend on him to do something. God is delighted when we need Him. THEN God said, Write the vision and engrave it plainly on [clay] tablets so that the one who reads it will run. The vision of God makes more sense when you write it as actionable goals. FOR the vision is yet for the appointed [future] time. It hurries toward the goal [of fulfillment]; it will not fail. Even though it delays, wait [patiently] for it because it will certainly come; it will not delay. (Habakkuk 2:1-3) God’s promise is His to keep. Final Thought GREAT EAGLES fly alone, great lions hunt alone, great souls walk alone—alone with God. Such loneliness is hard to endure and impossible to enjoy unless God accompanies them. Prophets are lone men; they walk alone, pray alone, and God makes them alone — Leonard Ravenhill.

It’s commonplace to see people argue about God, but he is never to be argued about but experienced. PAUL had to experience God to know Him. He was coming to Damascus when a bright light shone around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say, “Saul, why do you persecute me?” Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” (Acts 9:3-6) When you experience God, you do not tell him what to do. He tells you what to do. MANY PEOPLE want to be called Christians but do not want God to tell them what to do. If God cannot tell you what to do, he cannot be involved in you. You must experience God to take instructions from Him. MOSES did not know what to do until he saw a strange sight—and as he looked, God spoke from the burning bush. He told him not to come near and take off his sandals [out of respect], because where he stood was holy ground.” (Exodus 3:5) Until Moses realized that he was made for God, nothing made sense. Some people still wonder if God speaks. However, if you are patient and linger in his presence, you will hear Him speak to you. You need to experience God to know His mind. WHEN God steps into your situation, he shares his heart. He did this with Isaiah when he visited the temple to pray. Prayer humbles us as needy and exalts God as wealthy — John Piper. You need to experience God to know who you are. IN THE YEAR King Uzziah died, Isaiah saw the Lord, and his train filled the temple. “Woe to me!” he cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” (Isaiah 6:5) Despite our best efforts, we need his ability to be who we should be. Without Him, we can do nothing. (John 15:5) You must experience God for things in you to shift. YOU cannot have a revelation of God and remain the same. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Saviour], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away.” Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life]. When Paul encountered God, he confessed that he was crucified with Christ. He no longer lived, but Christ lived in him. (Galatians 2:10) Paul’s mouth said what he believed. You need to experience God to be a witness. HOW will people call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how will they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher (messenger)? (Romans 10:14) Moses could not go until he was sent. Isaiah heard God ask for someone to send, and he told Him to send him. (Isaiah 6:8) Encounters with God will make you know that you're made for more. You need to experience God to demonstrate his attributes. WHEN the Queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, and the house (palace) which he had built, the food on his table, the seating of his servants (court officials), the attendance of his waiters and their attire, his cupbearers, his stairway by which he went up to the house (temple) of the Lord, she was breathless and awed [by the wonder of it all]. (1 Kings 10:4-5) Some people will never know God until they see him through you. PAUL puts it this way: You are our letter [of recommendation], written in our hearts, recognized and read by everyone. You show that you are a letter from Christ, delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but tablets of human hearts. (2 Corinthians 3:2-3) You're God’s letter to the world. FOR PEOPLE to experience Christ through you, you need to bear fruit. But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23) Final Thoughts Out of 100 men, one will read the Bible, the the other 99 will read the Christian — D. Moddy.

IN THE past weeks, we have examined encounters with God and the posture of the heart. Today, we are discussing the culture of Christ: his teachings and how he lived his life. WHEN the Jewish leaders persecuted him for healing a man on the Sabbath and calling God his Father, he told them that “The Son can do nothing of Himself [of His own accord], unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever things the Father does, the Son [in His turn] also does in the same way. (John 5:19) He also told his disciples he was on earth to do his Father’s will (John 6:38-46). So, he had a sense of purpose—God was his priority. WHATEVER Jesus did was knowledge-based; no wonder the apostles began to preach in his name when he returned to the Father. And as they did, the high priest and his friends saw their boldness and perceived they were unlearned and uneducated men, but they had been with Jesus. (Acts 4:1-13) THE TEACHINGS of the world will separate you from Christ, and Christ's teachings will separate you from the world. Paul puts it this way, “Be not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you]. (Romans 12:2) So, when you conform to God’s image, you prove him right. When you obey his word, you experience his will. And when you know what you're called to do, and do it, you walk with clarity of purpose. THE APOSTLES walked in clarity of purpose when there were complaints about the Hellenistic widows not being served. They said, "It was inappropriate for them to neglect [teaching] the word of God to serve tables." They told the brethren to choose seven men with good reputations [men of godly character and moral integrity], full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom they may put in charge of this task. (Acts 6:2-3) IF I allow God's will for my life, there's a plane I cannot fly; that's the plane of my life. John understood this when he said Jesus must increase, and he must decrease. (John 3:30-35) Paul knew this and said, “For in him we live, and move, and have our being.” (Acts 17:28) If I allow God’s will for my life, there's a plane I cannot fly; that's the plane of my life THE culture of Christ is one led by Him. Romans 8:14 says, “All who allow themselves to be led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” And as I follow him, I can be the head and not the tail, and be above, not beneath. (Deuteronomy 28:13) When Israel followed him, they won their battles; when they disagreed with him, they lost them. (1 Samuel 4) THE culture of Christ is one of unity. Can two walk together except they agree? (Amos 3:3) People agreed at Babel and God confirmed that nothing could be held back from them. (Genesis 11:1-6) The trinity agreed, so they said, “Let Us (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) make man in Our image, according to Our likeness [not physical, but a spiritual personality and moral likeness]; and let them have complete authority over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the cattle, and over the entire earth, and over everything that creeps and crawls on the earth.” (Genesis 1:26) Whenever you agree with God, you echo his voice and nothing will be held back from you. ONE REASON we do not see answers to our prayers is because we do not agree with him. When the ten Hebrew spies returned and confessed that they saw giants and themselves as grasshoppers, they did not agree with God. So they couldn't possess the land. (Numbers 13) YOU must see with the eyes of faith, so the kingdom's culture is faith. Faith is the balance between the supernatural and the natural. Mark 11:23 says, “Whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted and thrown into the sea!’ and does not doubt in his heart [in God’s unlimited power], but believes that what he says is going to take place, it will be done for him [in accordance with God’s will]. Faith is the balance between the supernatural and the natural. Final Thought WE READ reviews and watch movie trailers, believing they'll be great. However, despite reading God’s reviews in the scriptures and watching the testimonies of his goodness in people’s lives, we still struggle to trust Him. If we want to experience the Glory of God and experience the beauty of God and be used by the hand of God, then we must live in the word of God - David Platt.

THE STORMS OF LIFE come in various forms – some are small and transient, others last long and leave you exhausted, but your reaction can make a difference.  The Narrative THE LIFE OF DAVID was full of highs and lows – haunted by a jealous king but celebrated for killing Goliath. After several attempts on his life, he hid in caves moving from place to place. When his family heard that he was in the cave of Adullam, they came to him. The indebted and discontented men gathered around him – four hundred altogether, and he became their leader. (1 Samuel 22:2) David ran to the land of the Philistines and made a pact with them. He and his men wanted to join their army, but they were rejected. David was disappointed, and he questioned, why?  The Philistines remembered how he killed their champion – Goliath – they couldn’t have him in their midst, so, David and his men returned to Ziklag. When they reached Ziklag three days later, they found that the Amalekites had attacked their abode and burnt it with fire, and their wives and children were taken captive. David and his men were in so much anguish that they wept until they had no strength in them, but they needed a solution. (1 Samuel 27:1-12)  Change your perception DAVID FELT LIKE A LOSER – his men had put their trust in him, and he let them down. David saw no way out. He forgot that God is loser-friendly. Some of them spoke of stoning him because they wanted leadership, but there was none. To find a solution, he had to look away from his circumstance to God – he had to change his attitude. “We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string, we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so, it is with you,” says Charles Swindoll.  Recognise your resource WHEN YOU FACE ADVERSITY , it’s easy to forget what you have, but for the believer in Christ, God should be your solace. When your heart is overwhelmed, ask God to lead you to the rock that is higher than you . (Psalm 61:2) I do not know what you’re going through or how difficult your situation is, but one thing I know is that God never turns deaf ears to the cry of the righteous. David knew this resource and what to do with it. He understood that he had a covenant with God, and his safety was in Him. In his old age, he said, “ I have been young, and now am old, Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread ." (Psalm 37:25)  Amid your storm, recognise God as your resource. Get the true perspective TO HAVE THE PROPER VIEWPOINT , David encouraged himself in the Lord. He meditated on the word of God – it shaped his thinking and aligned his thoughts with God’s. The truth is that if you know how to worry, you know how to meditate. What will it look like waking up and thinking of God, going to bed at night and doing the same? It will be wonderful. Let the words from the book of the law be always on your lips. Meditate on them day and night so that you may be careful to live by all that is written in it. If you do, as you make your way through this world, you will prosper and always find success . (Joshua 1:8) To get the right perspective of things, you need to meditate on God’s word. A beautiful thing only comes from a changed heart Turn your test into a catalyst for change DAVID REQUESTED FOR THE EPHOD – cloth used by a priest. He worshipped. He knew the answer to his challenge could only be found in God’s presence. David called God into  his situation. When he got the ephod, he prayed, “ Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them ?” (1 Samuel 30:8) And God answered, “ Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all .” When you take every situation, you face in life as a test; you’ll turn it into a catalyst for change.  BRINGING IT TOGETHER DAVID COULD NOT succeed until he changed his perception. He had to win first in his mind to win on the outside. To move forward, you must change your attitude – a beautiful thing only comes from a changed heart.

The posture of your heart. THERE’S a common saying—Follow your heart, but the only heart you can follow is the one God informs. God informed Abraham to leave his father’s house and kindred for a land God would show him. (Genesis 12:1) He told David to pursue the Amalekites, and he would surely overtake them and recover everything. (1 Samuel 30:8) He told Jeremiah he knew him and appointed him a prophet to the nations before he formed him in the womb. (Jeremiah 1:5) GOD will expound his word to you when the posture of your heart pleases Him. He saw the Ethiopian eunuch struggling to understand the scriptures, so he sent Philip to teach him (Acts 8:26-40) God expounded his word to Peter in a vision, in which he saw all kinds of animals. When he was told to kill the animals and eat, Peter said he had never eaten any unclean thing. So, God told him not to call unclean what he had made clean. When Peter followed the three people who came to see him, he acted on what the Holy Spirit told him. (Acts 10) If you're going to walk with God, you must act on his word. ACTING on God’s Word will change your heart and move you from where you are to where you should be. The Widow of Zarephath moved from the season of lack to the season of more than enough when she fed Elijah. (1 Kings 17:7-16). Peter moved from prison to freedom when the apostles interceded for him. (Acts 12:5) Anytime you act on GOD’s WORD , you prove him right; when you do His will, you give him something to work with. Anytime you act on God’s word, you prove him right. So when you receive Christ, God gives you the right [the authority, the privilege] to become a child of God because you believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) His name. (John 1:12) Any interaction with God, whether in prayers, worship, or reading of the scriptures, is to help you align with His Will. Everything you do is a matter of the heart. AS WATER reflects the face, your life reflects your heart (Proverbs 27:19). Water reflects the face When Mary anointed Jesus with an expensive perfume, Judas queried why it wasn't sold and the proceeds given to the poor. He didn’t say this because he cared about the poor. He said it because he was a thief. Judas was in charge of the money bag. He used to help himself to what was in it. (John 12:5-6) The most brazen lie people tell themselves is when they say they love God, but their lives contradict this. So, your LIFE  expressions are postures of your heart. Jesus buttressed this when he said, “These people honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. And in vain they worship me and teach as doctrines the precepts of men.” (Matthew 15:8-9) THE APOSTLES knew God looked at the heart [thoughts, motives, desires]. So when they wanted someone to replace Judas, they prayed that God would show them which one he had chosen to occupy the ministry and apostleship Judas left. (Acts 1:24-25) The apostles sought God’s mind. In your dealings, whose mind do you seek? When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he saw an Israelite indeed [a true descendant of Jacob], in whom there is no guile, deceit, or duplicity!” (John 1:47) When God looks at you, what does he see? Does he see a heart of stone or one of flesh? A heart of stone is an unrepentant heart. A heart of flesh is one with love for God. God wants to give you a new spirit and provide you with a heart of flesh for your heart of stone. TO GET a heart of flesh, you need to ask him to forgive your sins and invite him into your heart. Thank him for doing so. Prayer for the week: Lord, help me seek your mind in all I do. Take away my heart of stone and give me one of flesh.

TO ACHIEVE God's will for your life, you must pay close attention to these three things. Your encounter with God, the posture of your heart and the culture of Christ. YOUR ENCOUNTER with God begins when he makes Himself known to you. Without it, you cannot know Him. Paul was on his way to Damascus when he saw a bright light from heaven and a voice said to him, Saul, why do you persecute me? (Acts of the Apostles 22:6) AN ENCOUNTER does not come as an expectation but as an intervention. God met Moses to intervene in his life. So he appeared to him in a strange sight and spoke from the midst of the fire. Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet [out of respect], because the place you are standing is holy ground (Exodus 3:5). We don't choose what we will do for God; He invites us to join Him where He wants to involve us — Henry T. Blackaby. YOUR ENCOUNTER may be as simple as reading the scriptures and something jumping out at you, or you may hear God tell you what to do, like he instructed Abraham. God told him to leave his country, relatives, and father’s house and go to the land he would show him (Genesis 12:1). God called Abraham because he wanted a man he could trust. He saved him because he wanted to bless him. So, Abraham needed an encounter with God to be a witness. Abraham could not go except he was sent. Every experience you have with God is a divine appointment. It draws you closer to your place in Him. YOUR ENCOUNTER may be jaw-dropping, like Jacob, who woke from sleep and said: Without any doubt, the Lord is in this place, and I did not realize it.”(Genesis 28: 10-16) What happened next spoke volumes about what he saw. Jacob built an altar and made a vow. You may not be able to schedule an encounter with God, but you can attract one because God is always searching for people to trust. The eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth so that He may support those whose heart is completely His (2 Chronicles 16:9). You may be unable to schedule an encounter but, you can attract one. WHENEVER you create a sacred place to meet God, you open yourself to encountering Him. Solomon opened himself to encountering God when he dedicated the temple. He prayed, and fire came from heaven and consumed the burnt offering. And God came to him at night, saying, I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land (2 Chronicles 7:1-15). God will forgive you because he wants to trust you. An Encounter with God EVERY ENCOUNTER with Him is an opportunity to trust Him. It is not a one-time thing but a lifelong thing. So, you live day by day wanting to encounter Him. You live second by second, trusting His process. When Jesus’ disciples gathered in Jerusalem, they trusted His process and waited for an encounter with His Spirit (Acts of the Apostles 1:12-14). They knew they needed his ability to do His work. You need him, too. For it is [not your strength], but it is God who is effectively at work in you, both to will and to work [that is, strengthening, energizing, and creating in you the longing and the ability to fulfill your purpose] for His good pleasure. David understood this and said: O God, you are my God. At dawn, I search for you. My soul thirsts for you. My body longs for you in a dry, parched land without water (Psalm 63:1). As much as God longs for you, you must long for Him. So your desire for Him is continuous. As you hunger for God, your desire to know Him increases, and the more you know Him, the more you want to know Him. Paul summarized it this way: That I may know Him [experientially, becoming more thoroughly acquainted with Him, understanding the remarkable wonders of His Person more completely] and [in that same way experience] the power of His resurrection [which overflows and is active in believers], and [that I may share] the fellowship of His sufferings, by being continually conformed [inwardly into His likeness even] to His death [dying as He did]; so that I may attain to the resurrection [that will raise me] from the dead (Philippians 3:10-11). Paul wanted a continuous encounter with Jesus. A Final Thought MANY [people] stop short of a divine encounter because they are satisfied with good theology. The word of God is to lead us to the God of the Word — Bill Johnson. Have a great week!

HARDSHIPS often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny - C. S. Lewis. So the storms you face in life point to your future, and the scars you wear indicate an extraordinary destiny. When Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, he chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward (Hebrews 11:24-26). PAUL , like Moses, knew he was made for more. He understood that he was an ordinary man with an extraordinary destiny, so the prophecy of his arrest, rather than deterring him, prepared him for what was to come. He wasn't only ready to go to Jerusalem, he was prepared to die. Paul’s conviction in Christ was reflected in his response to the prophecy. Likewise, how you see God will show how you face adversity. The scars you wear indicate an extraordinary destiny AFTER his arrest, they were about to leave Crete when Paul advised them not to proceed. Men, I sense [after careful thought and observation] that this voyage will certainly be a disaster and with great loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.” However, the centurion was persuaded by the captain and owner of the ship rather than by what Paul said (Acts of the Apostles 27:10-11). When they ran into the storm, what did Paul do? PAUL created stability by giving them courage, which provided him with leverage. Men, you should have followed my advice and not set sail from Crete, which caused this damage and loss. But even now, I urge you to keep up your courage and be in good spirits because there will be no loss of life among you, only loss of the ship. PAUL counted it all joy (James 1:2-4). When he shared this message, he stood on the word of God—anyone who stands on his word stands with God. Paul knew God was trustworthy, so when you are caught in the storms of life, hold on to His Word. PAUL gave them hope. You hold on to hope as a duty, but when hope holds you, it becomes a privilege. He said: For this very night, an angel of the God I belong to and serve stood before me. He said, ‘Stop being afraid, Paul. You must stand before Caesar; behold, God has given you [the lives of] all those sailing with you’ (Acts of the Apostles 27:24). God told him that he wasn’t at the end of life. Paul would stand before Caesar. Nothing can take you before your time when you have an extraordinary destiny. God will always watch over His own (Psalm 121:5-8). Hold on to hope as a duty BENJAMIN FRANKLIN said: We must indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang alone. The sailors feared for their lives, and some of them wanted to escape from the ship. But Paul told the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men remain on the ship, you cannot be saved.” (Acts of the Apostles 27:32) Unless you stay with Christ, you will not make it. PAUL told them that they would not make it alone. When things are difficult, you need people because you cannot make it alone. While waiting for dawn, Paul told them to have some food. PAUL took bread, gave thanks and ate (Acts of the Apostles 27:35). Everywhere communion is taken, gratitude or blessing comes before it (Luke 22:19 & Genesis 14:18). In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you (1 Thessalonians 5:18). If there’s a time to thank God and take communion, it’s in the storm of life. Whenever you take communion, you remember the work of redemption and acknowledge his power in your situation. AFTER THIS , they ate and worked together. They threw a cargo of wheat into the sea to make the ship lighter, and everyone became a participant. You need to get rid of things in your life to be lighter (Hebrews 12:1). STORMS do not take you out, but teach you life principles. You learn that the peace of God abounds in chaos, and his strength is made perfect in weakness (Philippians 4:7 & 2 Corinthians 12:9). Each of them saw themselves in the storm because it was impossible, and God gave them the chance to see Him. If you can see yourself in this story, God wants you to see him in your situation. He who knew no sin became sin that you might become the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:21). If you’ve not accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, it’s time to do so. Confess your sins and invite him into your heart. If you’ve done this, God bless you. Have a great week.