Our Choices Determine The Direction Of Our Lives
Imagine standing at a crossroads, with countless paths stretching out before you. Each one leads to a different destination – some promising, some uncertain, some filled with challenges and others with hope. Now, what if I told you that the direction your life takes, the very path you walk, is not determined by chance or circumstance, but by the choices you make at each intersection? Every day, we are faced with decisions – some small, some life-altering. And while we may not always realise it in the moment, each choice acts as a steering wheel, guiding us toward our future. Maybe you’re wrestling with a decision, or perhaps you’re looking back at choices that have shaped your journey so far. Wherever you find yourself, know this: God has given us the incredible gift and responsibility of choice. This article explores how the decisions you make today can transform your tomorrow. Be blessed as you read! What we choose to believe or disbelieve significantly influences the course of our lives. A fascinating example can be found in the Bible, specifically in Mark chapter 6. When Jesus returned to his hometown to minister to the people he had grown up with, they all knew him as the carpenter’s son. They were familiar with his history, family, and background. Mark 6:5 states that Jesus could perform no mighty works there, except for healing a few sick individuals. He was amazed by their unbelief. Jesus wanted to perform great works and help the community, but he was unable to do so because of their lack of faith. This made me reflect on the idea that if unbelief can hinder the power of God, it can certainly also prevent the lies of Satan from taking hold. We need to recognise that our beliefs, whether positive or negative, shape the direction of our lives. If we are constantly consuming news filled with negativity and fear, we risk believing the lies that surround us. This can lead us to live in a state of anxiety, fixating on “what if” scenarios. For instance, we might think, “What if I lose my job?” or “What if everything goes wrong? How will we survive?” By choosing to believe in these negative thoughts, we are essentially inviting them into our lives. However, we also have the power to disbelieve these negative narratives and instead choose to believe in the truth found in the word of God. This can serve as our guiding principle. The key to overcoming negativity in this challenging world is to be well-founded and well-grounded in God’s word and to maintain a genuine relationship with God the Father. I can’t express how important my fellowship with the Father is to me. If you’ve been believing negative reports about yourself, it’s not too late to change your direction. There are many negative narratives surrounding us. For example, some people claim that alcoholism is not your fault and that there’s a gene that predisposes you to be an alcoholic. They also suggest that there are genes making you more likely to be overweight or susceptible to depression and discouragement. These are simply excuses, and they are not true. We can observe people who grew up in the same family with the same genetic background, raised in an alcoholic or abusive environment, but they often choose different paths. This shows that we have a choice. Even identical individuals in identical circumstances can lead vastly different lives because we have the power to make decisions. You are not just a product of your environment; you have the ability to choose whether to be a victim or a victor, a winner or a loser. If that weren’t the case, it would be unjust for the Lord to hold you accountable for your actions, as you would be predetermined to follow a certain path. You may have experienced many challenges in your life, but ultimately, you chose how to respond to them. Remember, no one can oppress you or control you without your consent and cooperation. Never underestimate your worth, regardless of what others may say. You have the power to accept or reject negative beliefs about yourself. Many people grow up in similar circumstances and choose to reject the idea that they are limited by their environment. They decide to pursue a different path and often find success. Unfortunately, some people believe that their prospects are determined by factors like their skin colour, level of education, or background. They use these as excuses for not succeeding, even though many individuals in the same situations have managed to overcome those obstacles and achieve great things. You cannot use the colour of your skin, your lack of education, or your gender as barriers or obstacles to your success. It’s important to stop blaming others and recognise that if you’re facing challenges or not thriving in a certain area, it’s ultimately a choice you’ve made. While you may have faced pressures or difficulties that others haven’t, you have still chosen to remain in that situation. I was taught beliefs that differ from my current understanding, yet I decided to change, and it required significant effort. The devil cannot prevent you from prospering. You might think, “I believe there’s a recession happening, and I can’t succeed because of it. After all, I’m only human, and there’s nothing I can do about it.” However, you need to remember that the Bible says in Philippians 4:19, “God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” God has promised to supply our needs according to His riches and glory, not based on current economic conditions, the British pound, or the US dollar. Many people worry about how their needs will be met due to recessions, layoffs, or struggling local economies. However, it doesn’t matter what happens in the world – our needs will be met according to His riches in glory. God uses His abundant resources to provide for us. If you don’t
There’s a greater blessing to be obtained
A Sermon Delivered on Wednesday Evening, June 4th 2025, by Evangelist PAUL ACQUAH, Live on MZ Radio London, London UK. Have you ever wondered what kind of faith truly moves the heart of God? In a world that constantly demands proof, signs, and tangible evidence before believing, the story of the Roman centurion in Matthew 8 stands as a powerful reminder of the extraordinary blessings that come from simple, unwavering faith. This Gentile soldier, with no prior covenant relationship with God, astonished Jesus by believing that a single word from Him was enough to heal his servant – no visitation, no laying on of hands, no visible miracle. You see, when we move beyond the need for external validation and anchor our faith in the authority of Scripture alone, we position ourselves for divine breakthroughs that defy natural limitations. There’s a greater blessing reserved for those who dare to believe, not because of what they see, but simply because God has spoken. In today’s message titled “Obtaining the greater blessing,” Evangelist Paul Acquah shares that the deepest blessings aren’t found in signs or evidence, but in a quiet confidence that takes God at His Word. Be blessed as you listen! Jesus said there was a greater blessing to be obtained. That greater blessing comes from using a supernatural, God kind of faith based only on God’s Word. Jesus “marvelled” at the centurion’s great faith. What was the centurion faith? A faith that made Jesus, who is the Author and Finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2) marvel is worth examining. The Bible says in Mathew 8 verses 5 to 8 that : When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. 6 “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.” 7 Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?” 8 The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, ‘Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel’. The centurion didn’t need Jesus to come to his house to heal his servant; he trusted in Jesus’s word. We can see that the person who believes the Word of God is operating in great faith. This centurion believed that the spoken word of Jesus was sufficient to produce his miracle. He didn’t need Jesus to come to his house. He had faith in Jesus’ word. Therefore, we can see that anyone who simply believes the written Word of God is operating in a much higher form of faith than the person who requires additional proof. Compare this centurion’s faith with the “little” faith of Thomas in John 20:24-29. Thomas said that he would not believe in Jesus’ resurrection unless he saw the nail prints in his hands and put his finger in them, and his hand in the wound in his side. The bible says in John 20 that. 24 Now Thomas (also known as Didymus[a]), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” Jesus then appeared to the disciples, including Thomas, and invited him to touch his hands and side to overcome his doubt. After Jesus invited him to touch his nail marks, Thomas exclaimed, “My Lord and my God!” John 20:28. Jesus then responded by saying, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29). The type of faith that Thomas operated in was human, or natural faith based on what he could see. Human faith is based on physical evidence. It cannot believe what it cannot see.However, God’s kind of faith, which has been imparted to every believer (Romans 12:3), is evidence enough. I was just a Church goer and when I got born again and received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit started showing me all that was not true and that God is still doing Miracles and I started believing for miracles. I started seeking God. I wanted to see him, I wanted a vision, I wanted a dream, I was praying that I could hear voices. I was fasting and praying and trying to do everything I could so that God would manifest himself in some visible tangible way. I had been listening to people who talked about that, and how they heard God in an audible voice. They saw visions, and they dreamed dreams. When I found out that all these things were true and that I’ve been missing out on this my entire life, I so longed to see Jesus, this wasn’t wrong, it was a good desire but I longed to see him with my physical eyes and that’s when the Lord revealed to me the difference between the centurion’s faith and Thomas’s faith. You see, God is spirit and those who worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. God can speak to you in an audible voice, he can show himself to you in a visible form, he can do all kinds of things. God has done that; he still does it today. You can get those things but then rather there is a greater blessing on you if you would just take his word and believe it, then you can operate in a greater anointing. Believe in the word of God, act on it, and receive greater blessings. God, I see it in the word, that’s sufficient. I don’t have to have anything to confirm to me that this was your word. I don’t have to have somebody call out my name and prophesy over me. God, you show me in the word of God and I’m going to believe it and I made that decision. Even though, sometimes I’ve seen things visibly, I’ve heard an audible voice
How to receive greater blessings
A Sermon Delivered on Wednesday Evening, May 28th 2025, by Evangelist PAUL ACQUAH,Live on MZ Radio London, London UK. Receiving greater blessings is a longing shared by many, yet Jesus reveals a surprising pathway to these blessings in His words to Thomas after the resurrection: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” This statement shifts our focus from relying on visible proof to embracing a deeper trust in God’s promises. Rather than seeking tangible signs or demanding personal evidence, Jesus teaches that true blessing comes to those who exercise faith – believing in Him through the testimony of Scripture and the witness of others. So, how do we unlock this kind of faith? How do we position ourselves for the greater blessings Jesus spoke of? Get ready to be encouraged, challenged, and inspired to believe God in a new way in today’s message by Evangelist Paul Acquah titled “How to receive greater blessings.” Be blessed as you listen! Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29). Let me give you the context of this scripture. Jesus had resurrected from the dead; he appeared to his disciples. The doors were shut and Jesus just appeared inside the room and said look at my hands and side and his disciples believed. 19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side (John 20:29). The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. But from verse 24 it says 24 Now Thomas (also known as Didymus[a]), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” The Bible says 26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesuscame and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” 28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” He told Thomas: ‘Blessed are those that have not seen and yet have believed’. Jesus put a greater blessing on those that have not seen and yet have believed. Jesus said there’s a greater blessing upon the person who has not seen and yet has believed. Did you know when I first read this I said Lord, I want the greater blessings, I want to walk in the fullness, I want to have the total power. He told Thomas that there’s a greater blessing than the kind of blessing that he had because his faith was based on sense knowledge. A sense knowledge type of faith, a very carnal type of faith will not reap the blessings of God. His faith was based on what he could see, taste, hear, smell and feel. The word of God is more sure than anything and if you are basing your faith on what you see, taste, hear, and smell or feel, then you are many miles behind the person who is basing their faith on what God’s word says. The Lord said there is a greater blessing on the people who will believe the word without having to have a physical proof or evidence, but you believe the word. He says you believe because you saw but yea rather blessed are those who believe without seeing. “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Thomas declared that he must see and touch the Saviour before he could believe in the Resurrection. Yet Jesus said that those who do not need visual evidence of His work and power would be especially blessed. My friend, trusting God means looking beyond what we can see to what He sees. This is the very essence of faith—we don’t see Godat work, but we have confidence in Him anyway. We must actively obey Him and have confidence in His love for us before He will bless us. There are people who receive more blessings than others. The greatest faith is the faith that says speak the word only. Let’s look at Matthew chapter 8 and contrast this with the faith that Jesus said was the greatest faith he had ever seen. In Matthew chapter 8 and from verse 5 it says 5 When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. 6 “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.” 7 Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?” 8 The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. Here’s an instance where Jesus said that he had never seen such great faith. When he talked to Thomas in John chapter 20, he said ‘Thomas, there’re people that are more blessed than you are because they believed without seeing’. What was wrong with Thomas’s faith that Jesus said was not a good faith or a great faith and here in the eighth chapter of Mathew is the greatest faith that Jesus recorded in the word of God? The difference was that Thomas based his faith on what he could see, taste, hear, smell, and feel and this centurion said Lord I recognise the authority that’s in your word. I have people under me; I’ve got authority and all I have to do is say the word and it’ll happen. He says, just speak the word only and my servant
Our choices determine the direction of our lives
A SermonDelivered on Wednesday Evening, May 14th 2025, byEvangelist PAUL ACQUAH,Live on MZ Radio London, London UK. Imagine standing at a crossroads, with countless paths stretching out before you. Each one leads to a different destination – some promising, some uncertain, some filled with challenges and others with hope. Now, what if I told you that the direction your life takes, the very path you walk, is not determined by chance or circumstance, but by the choices you make at each intersection? Every day, we are faced with decisions – some small, some life-altering. And while we may not always realise it in the moment, each choice acts as a steering wheel, guiding us toward our future. Maybe you’re wrestling with a decision, or perhaps you’re looking back at choices that have shaped your journey so far. Wherever you find yourself, know this: God has given us the incredible gift and responsibility of choice. In today’s message titled “Choices Determine Direction,” Evangelist Paul Acquah explores how the decisions you make today can transform your tomorrow. Be blessed as you listen! What we choose to believe or disbelieve determines the way our lives are going. There’s an interesting study in the Bible. In mark chapter 6, Jesus went to his own hometown to minister to the people with whom he had grown up. They knew him to be the carpenter’s son, they knew his history, they knew his family, they knew all about Jesus. The Bible said in Mark 6 verse 5 that he could do no mighty works there except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them, and he marvelled because of their unbelief. He wanted to do mighty works, he wanted to help them, he wanted to do great works in this community, but he couldn’t because of their unbelief. I was thinking about this, and I thought if unbelief can stop the power of God, it certainly can stop the lies of Satan. We need to realise that what we’re choosing to believe or disbelieve is setting the course of our lives. If we are saturated in the news and soaking in the negative and saturating in the fear and watching things that are not good for us, then we will choose to believe the lies of the enemy and live in assumption and in ‘what if’ scenarios. We will be assuming that’s going to happen to me, I’ll probably lose my job, or everything is going wrong and how are we going to survive. If you’re choosing to believe the negative, then you’re cooperating with it and inviting it to take part in your life. But you can choose to disbelieve and choose to believe the word of God which is the touch stone of truth. But the only way you can disbelieve in terms of this negative world in which we live is being well founded and well-grounded in the word of God and in a relationship with God the father. I can’t put into words how important to me, my fellowship with the father is, and if you’ve been believing in the negative report, it’s not too late to change your direction. There are lots of negative reports around us. They’re now saying that alcoholism isn’t your fault, and that you have a gene that makes you genetically disposed to be an alcoholic. I’ve heard that there are genes that make you genetically disposed to be overweight. There are genes that make you depressed and discouraged. So, we have an excuse for everything but that is not true. That’s a negative report. You can take people who came out of the same family, have the same gene pool, are raised in an alcoholic family, raised in an abusive family, both sexually abused or whatever, and they’ll go different directions because we’ve got a choice. You can take identical people in an identical environment, and they’ll have different lifestyles because we’ve got a choice. You are not an animal that is just a product of your environment. You can choose to be a victim or a victor. You can choose to be a winner or a loser. If that wasn’t true, then the Lord would be unjust to hold you accountable for your actions if you were made to be like so. You may have had things happen to you, but you chose to accept it, or you chose to do nothing about it. Satan cannot oppress you or do anything to you without your consent and cooperation. Never think that somehow or another you’re just occupying space and that you aren’t worth anything. I don’t care what anybody tells you. You have a choice to accept thator you can reject it. There are people brought up under identical situations and they just choose to say that’s not true, I reject it and they go the other direction and they are people that prosper. We have people today that say that because of the colour of your skin, or your level of education, or because of where you come from, you just think that you can’t succeed. So, you go around and use that as an excuse for everything and yet there are people in the same situation that you are, that have totally succeeded and have overcome all barriers, or hinderances and all problems. You can’t use the colour of your skin, your lack of education,whether you’re a male or a female as barriers, or obstacles to your success. You need to stop blaming other people and to recognise that if you’re in unbelief, if you aren’t prospering in some area, it’s because you chose it. You might have been pressured to choose it, you may have had problems that other people didn’t have but ultimately you chose to remain in that situation. I was taught to believe differently from what I believe and yet I chose to change and it took a lot of effort. The devil can’t stop you from prospering. Maybe you are saying, I believe that there’s a recession going on, I can’t operate in prosperity because there’s a recession going on. After all I’m only human, there’s nothing that I can do about it. You need to understand that the Bible says in Philippians4:19 that God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in Glory by Christ Jesus. God said he’d Supply our need according to his riches and Glory, not according to the current economic status, not according to the British pound, not according to the US dollar.Sometimes people fear how their needs will be supplied, because of recession, layoffs, or small-town economies. It doesn’t matter what goes on in the world, our needs will be supplied “according to his riches in glory.” God
You have a choice to make
A SermonDelivered on Wednesday Evening, May 7th 2025, byEvangelist PAUL ACQUAH,Live on MZ Radio London, London UK. Life is filled with choices – some simple, others profound. But among all the choices we face, none is more critical than the one that determines our faith, future, and freedom. Will you believe what God has declared in His Word, or will you surrender to the temporary reality of your circumstances? In a world full of conflicting voices, God’s Word stands as the unshakable truth, offering healing, hope, and redemption. The Bible declares that you are forgiven. You are healed. You are deeply loved. But it’s not enough to hear it. You have tochoose to believe it. You have to make it personal. So, will you trust in God’s promises, even when your situation says otherwise? Will you let His Word be the final authority in your life? In today’s message titled “You Have a Choice to Make,” Evangelist Paul Acquah shares on the incredible power that comes when you choose to believe what God has said. Be blessed as you listen! I choose to believe what God has said. Psalm 103 says: Bless the Lord, O my soul;And all that is within me, bless His holy name! 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: 3 Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Psalm 107 says, He sent His word and healed them, Anddelivered them from their destructions. 1 Peter 2:24 talking is about Jesus: who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose [a]stripes you were healed. Isaiah 53:5 Again talking about Jesus: But He was wounded[k]for our transgressions,He was [l]bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,And by His stripes[m] we are healed. Even if you have been diagnosed with so called incurabledisease and the doctor has given you a death sentence. You can choose to not believe what the doctor said about his diagnosis and his result of imminent death, and to choose the promises of God, the peace of God, by his stripes I was healed. You can choose to disbelieve the doctor’s report, something that is very real, yes you are dying, all the symptoms are real but you can choose to not believe the conclusion of the doctor. You are not disbelieving that you have problems but you can choose not to believe in terms of the conclusion. You can choose a different conclusion. You will live and not die Choose to believe the promises of God. 23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. 24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. (Mark 11:23-24). In the name of Jesus I can have what I say. I am healed and I am not sick and there’re a lot of people that just won’t go to that much effort. There’re people that come to my meetings and they want me to pray for them for healing and if they get healed Hallelujah they believe it. But if it doesn’t happen they walk out and say that’s the kind of thing I expected. I didn’t really think anything was going to happen. That’s about all the effort that a lot of people put into it . “Let the sick say I am healed” This is a call to faith and a belief in God’s healing power, even when facing sickness. It’s a spiritual declaration of healing and a way to express hope and trust in God’s provision. I choose to believe what God has said in his word. By his stripes we were healed. Let the sick say I’m healed. Let the weak say I’m strong. Can you say that? the reason I can say that is because I have had a foundation of God’s word in my life. I’m strong in the word, I have spent years in the word of God and so that foundation of the promises of God gives me the peace to be able to disbelieve negative reports and negative conclusions and to believe the truth of God’s word. I want to give you an example of this. When the children of Israel were led the first time to the promised land, the Lord instructed them and said I want you to go out and look at the land that I have given you. He said that very specifically, Ihave given you this land, send 12 spies into the land to check it out. Many of us know this story. 12 spies went into the land and they came back and 10 of the spies had a very negative report and the great majority of the people chose to believe the negative report but two of the spies chose to not believe the negative report. We have these verses in numbers 13 32 -33. 32 And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and they went on to say and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature or giants as we come to know at a different point in verse 33 There we saw the [h]giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like[i] grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.” So, this was the bad report and the people began to wail and gnash their teeth. The people chose to believe the bad report. But the two of the spies chose to disbelieve the bad report. They had been there; they had seen and they had heard the promise of God. This is the land I have given you and so in numbers 13: 30 we get their response . 30 Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.” 31 But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.” “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.” That was the good report. that was the man of faith. There were two men
There’s no reason for us to be stressed out
A SermonDelivered on Wednesday Evening, April 16th 2025, byEvangelist PAUL ACQUAH,Live on MZ Radio London, London UK. There’s zero reason for us to be stressed out. It’s a bold statement, isn’t it? In a world seemingly built on deadlines, demands, and daily anxieties, the idea that we could live completely free from stress feels almost radical.In fact, stress has become so normalised that many wear their perpetual busyness and anxiety as badges of honour in our achievement-oriented culture. But what if it’s not just wishful thinking to think that there’s no reason for us to be stressed out? What if there’s a deeper truth to this idea, a perspective that could fundamentally change how we experience life? Join me as we discover how faith in God can replace our anxiety with peace and how we can live free from the burden of stress in today’s message by Evangelist Paul Acquah titled “No reason to stress.” Let’s dive in and be blessed as you listen! I’m sure there’re many Christians who will say, you’re condemning other people by saying ‘There is zero reason for us to be stressed out’. I’m not condemning you. I’m telling youthat Jesus has provided more for us than what most of us have appropriated. Open your Bible with me to John, chapter 14, and in verse 1. This was Jesus speaking to his disciples the night before his crucifixion. He had just had the last supperand washed the disciples’ feet. Satan had entered Judas and he had left to go and betray Jesus to the chief priest. In John, chapter 14, and in verse 1, Jesus said, “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me”. So, the night before Jesus was crucified, he gave a command. This isn’t a request or a suggestion and saying, ‘you lot, now try this, and I know that you’re only human and it may not work, but do the best you can’. No, he just said, “Let not your heart be troubled”. My friend, there is no reason for us to be stressed out. The disciples were entering into probably one of the worst times of their lives. They did not understand the full plan of salvation and they were going to see their master, who all of their hopes and dreams were hinged upon, arrested, crucified, dead and buried. I tell you, most people today would say, well, it would be totally unjust to tell a person to let not your heart be troubled when you go through something like that. If you aren’t bothered, if this doesn’t just distress you, if your heart isn’t broken, then something is wrong with you, and you’re in denial. That’s the way that our world has approached things today. If you tell people that we are victorious, and that God always wants us to triumph in our Lord Jesus Christ: when you come out and say things like that, which is what the scripture says, people will not agree with you. They will even be annoyed. There are large sectors of the body of Christ who will say, well, you’re putting down people that have problems. You aren’t sympathising. You’re supposed to get down and say, ‘we know that you’re suffering and we feel your pain’. Yes, there is a place for showing love and compassion, but sympathy actually empowers failure. To show true compassion: sometimes you have to use tough love and tell a person to get up and go at it again, you can do it. But somehow or another the church has got into where they really feel like empathising, and sympathising with people, but they don’t empower people. Jesus was telling his disciples the night before his crucifixion, “Don’t let your heart be troubled”. Today, most Christians would say, that’s not compassion, that’s not feeling empathy for people. They were going to see Jesus crucified. They were going to see all of their dreams dashed and here he is telling them not to let their heart be troubled? You may think that’s unreasonable. In today’s culture, there are a lot of Christians, and Christian ministers who are telling people to act differently from what Jesus did the night before the worst time in their lives, and in human history. Jesus is saying, don’t let your heart be troubled. In a way,Jesus is saying there’s zero reason for you to be stressed out. We are now in a situation that when you listen to the news, they are talking about tariffs and global economic uncertainty and there’re a lot of Christians that just think, oh, well, you should be bothered, and be worried, people are being laid off, people are dying in earthquakes and wars and they just, in a sense, empower these things. They say, yes, God told us to let not our hearts be troubled, but that only goes so far. If you are facing death, if you’re being laid off, if something is happening, you are justified in being stressed out. That’s the way a lot of people, including most Christians are presenting things. How did Jesus respond? The night before his crucifixion, he told his disciples, don’t let your heart be troubled. and why shouldn’t they do it? Because they believe in God, believe also in him. Faith is the answer to all of these things. If you have faith in God, you don’t have to be afraid. In the book of psalms, David said, “Though the mountains be removed and be cast into the sea, yet will I trust in the Lord; I will joy in the God of my salvation”. This is a powerful expression of unwavering faith, found in Psalm 46:2,emphasising God’s power and constant presence, even in the face of overwhelming change or destruction. It underscores the idea that no matter how difficult the situation may be, including natural disasters or personal crises, one can find comfort and joy in trusting in God. Therefore, there’s zero reason for us to be stressed out. No matter the situation, with David, we ought to be praising God. We ought to be saying, praise God, I know I’m going to win. I’m going to win in this life and if for some reason my faith wasn’t able to appropriate the healing, the prosperity, or whatever it is that is your problem, if the worst thing
Honour The Lord With Your Possessions
Far beyond a mere financial prescription, scripture beckons believers to intertwine their material prosperity with a deeper sense of purpose and reverence for the divine. Your finances often serve as a reflection of your values. Understanding the connection between values and finances will allow you to make intentional choices that align with your beliefs and contribute to a more meaningful and purposeful journey in life. By learning to handle your finances God’s way, you will have the key to unlocking His blessing in your finances. All wealth and prosperity ultimately come from God, and discerning how to wield it in ways that echo a commitment to honouring Him is of utmost importance. Be encouraged to acknowledge and prioritize God in your financial matters. In this message, I delve into the intersections of faith, finance, and the ethical considerations of stewarding one’s resources. Be blessed as you read. “Honour the Lord with your possessions, and with the first fruits of all your increase; So your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine” (Proverbs 3:9-10). The Wise Men from the Bible impart a timeless lesson on honouring God with our wealth or possessions through their actions in the story of Jesus’ birth. Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” 11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother and fell down and worshipped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Mathew 2:1-2, 11). When the wise men from the East visited Jesus, they gave him gifts. They had not come simply to pay respects out of dutiful reverence. The lesson on honouring God with your possessions is vividly portrayed in the gifts they brought to honour the infant Jesus: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. These were not just ordinary offerings. They were precious gifts. These were heartfelt gifts of care and love. They had come to worship. In fact, by bringing gifts for the King, they partly fulfilled a prophecy because the Old Testament declared that Gentiles from around the world would come to the Messiah, bearing gifts that actually included gold and frankincense (Psalm 72:10-15; Isaiah 60:1-6). These men were indeed paying their respects to the great Jewish king, even bringing gold, frankincense and myrrh to honour Him. These gifts represented their desire to use their wealth to worship the Messiah, the King of kings and the Lord of lords. The wise men had come to meet the greatest King of all, the great King who would rule over the whole earth. “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven, there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and language should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.” (Daniel 7:13-14) “The Son of Man” – a title Jesus often used for Himself, identifying Himself as both human and divine. The wise men expected to meet an extraordinary person. In fact, He could not be considered a mere mortal at all. It is no wonder these men would have been eager to meet the King of kings and honour Him with gold. According to (Daniel 7:13-14), this “Son of Man” would come with the clouds of Heaven. He would be served by all the people of the earth – from every nation and language. This “Son of Man”, the Lord Jesus Christ would receive an eternal Kingdom with unlimited dominion and glory. That great monarch would be immortal and indestructible. Truly this was to be the King of all kings and the Lord of all lords. That is why they came with gifts of great value. Amongst them was gold which in Jesus’ day would have been a wonderful financial blessing. They had no more precious resource to worship the highest-ranking King of all time and eternity. “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” Somehow, the wise men understood that Jesus was more than a man – even more than a king. They had not come merely to esteem a great king, but to worship the divine King. In Scripture, neither mortals nor angels are permitted to receive worship. But Jesus was greater than a man, He was greater than the angels. He was and is the unique and eternal Son of God. Yes, they had come to worship but they didn’t come empty-handed. They came with precious gifts to honour the King of kings and the Lords of lords. The Bible says a generous person will be made rich. The Wise Men’s generosity extended beyond the material gifts, however. They exemplified a generous heart willing to give the best they had in honouring the Messiah. Their offerings were not only expressions of homage but also acts of honouring the Lord that reflected the depth of their reverence for the divine. This story teaches a profound lesson on a way to honour God, emphasizing that to truly honour God involves giving from the heart, offering one’s best, and acknowledging the worthiness of the recipient. The Wise Men’s gifts were not mere tokens; they were sacrificial offerings, demonstrating a generosity that goes beyond the ordinary. In the Christian tradition, the story of the Wise Men inspires believers to approach generosity with a similar spirit. It encourages giving not only material resources but also the best of one’s time, talents, and love in worship and service to God and others. The lesson from the Wise
Understand And Respond When God Speaks
If it’s God who is speaking, we trust that by His very nature, God is worthy of our undivided attention. So, when we listen, we’re to respond accordingly because God may be saying something to you through His word or through someone else that will change your life. It’s so important to obey God’s voice when He speaks. Don’t allow anything to distract you from seeking God first and hearing His voice in everything you do. He wants you to respond when he speaks. Therefore, making Him the priority of your life, bring every thought to the obedience of Christ. The word of God is so incredibly powerful and transformative. The word of God doesn’t exist so we can argue with it. It’s not up for negotiation or broad interpretation. It’s exactly what it says. It’s a touchstone of truth. It’s our strength and it is crucial for our well-being. If it’s optional for you, it can never be transformational. It’s time to replace opinions about the word with obedience to the word. The word of God resides in a place of authority, not subjectivity. It’s unchanging. Likewise, God is our stable, strong foundation that does not waver and isn’t malleable to the opinions and whims of popular culture. If we are to eliminate uncertainty and fear in our families, relationships, careers, finances, health, etc. – we must trust the Lord and hold on to His word and respond to His word accordingly. Your life will never be the same if you make the word of God a priority. God is going to touch your life today, not because of who you are, but because of who He is and His promises. There’re so many things happening around us in the world today. It’s so easy to get caught up in the world and see all the different things that are going on. There’s a constant barrage of how unsteady and unsafe, and constantly moving our world is, and yet God promises that we will not fall if we build our lives on His word (Mat. 7:24-27). He is our rock, the thing that never moves; the structure that we can count on and find ourselves attached to. He is your protection, and that’s why you don’t have to worry. Don’t fear no matter what comes against you. We have every reason to trust Him no matter what our daily circumstances may look like to our human eyes, and no matter what we may face in our personal lives. I pray that we would be awakened to the knowledge and truth of the goodness of God in all situations, and respond in accordance to His word. How will you respond to the Lord today? You can trust Him with your uncertain circumstances. You can trust Him with your present problems and future plans. Trust and obey, He is enough for you. I would like to encourage you to keep your eyes fixed and focused on your relationship with God. That’s the main reason why Jesus came and died for us so that we can be brought back into fellowship and relationship with the Lord. He’s given us His word, so we have a firm foundation to stand on, and as we truly base our lives upon the word of God, we’re going to be successful. No matter what we do, no matter what the world or our circumstances dictate, it doesn’t make a difference, the truth of God’s word surpasses everything. So, it’s important for us to stay focused on His word. Make God’s kingdom and His word your top priority. God thinks differently from us. He sees things we don’t see. He knows things we can’t even begin to imagine. That doesn’t mean we can’t change the way we think to match how He thinks, because the Bible says that we can do so. We have the mind of Christ. For, “Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16) Having the mind of Christ means that we agree with God and His ways. We can know His thoughts. In Psalms 103 verse 7, the Bible actually says that the children of Israel knew the acts of God, but Moses knew His ways. What we see is that God revealed His ways and character to Moses. You and I are called to know the ways of God and to understand the way He thinks. So, it’s not just a matter of outlooking and saying how does God think. It’s participating in that action. And so, the question that I’m going to pose to you is what is your response? How are you going to respond to what God is about to tell you? God has declared so many wonderful things in our lives, but have we responded well? In Genesis chapter fifteen the word of the Lord came to Abram before he became Abraham. After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.” What an amazing statement to hear from the Lord. But let’s look at Abram’s response. This is what Abram said, 2 But Abram said, “Lord God, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” What’s incredible to me about that is that God just appeared to Abram in a vision. He said I am your exceeding great reward; you’re going to inherit me. And he responded, but I have no child. Oftentimes, that’s what happens to us as we start looking at our circumstances. We look at who we are, what we have, and what we don’t have rather than what God has declared to us. I want to challenge each and every single one of us that our lives are bigger than our current situation. 3 Then Abram said, “Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house
Think what God says you should think
“8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things” (Phil 4:8 NIV). Thoughts of God The thoughts you think help determine the direction of your life. You can’t dwell on defeat and expect to see victory. When thoughts of worry, fear or anxiety try to take root, choose instead, the promises of God. Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts. What we think is extremely important and especially what we think consistently. That doesn’t mean every little thought that goes through your mind becomes reality in your life, but certainly things that we think consistently. What should we be thinking consistently? According to this text of scripture, they are things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy. God has given us power to control our thoughts, bringing every thought into line with what the word of God says. There are a lot of negative things going on around the world at the moment. You may be feeling grief and sorrowful. You may be confused and be asking; God why are these things happening? You can take control of your own thought life completely by speaking to and immediately casting down wrong thoughts and replacing them with the right thoughts listed in “Philippians 4:8”. “Casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5). Know that God is a good God. If we think about the goodness of God, we will be able to cast off the fret and the depression and the grief and the sorrows that will come. Instead of seeing yourself poor, you can say my God shall supply all my needs. “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:19). Our supply is coming from a different source, not according to the government’s riches, not according to your employer’s or your origination’s riches, not according to your parent’s or children’s riches, but according to God’s riches in glory by Christ Jesus. “And God is able to give you more than you need, so that you will always have all you need for yourselves and more than enough for every good cause. 9 As the scripture says, “He gives generously to the needy; his kindness lasts forever.” (2 Cor. 9:8 -9). Why don’t you let these words paint a picture in your mind? People read these scriptures and yet they see themselves poor. That’s the image that they have, that’s the expectation that they have. They never expect to get out of the situation that they are in. And that’s not thinking the way God wants us to think, and that’s not meditating on the word, and that’s not focusing on God. But that’s allowing your mind to follow what other people are following. Or what other people are saying. They keep saying: There’s economic downturn, life will never return to normal, everybody is going to go through a recession. Things will come to pass exactly the way you see them. Make sure you resist negative thoughts with the word of God. Meditate on the word day and night (Ps. 1: 1-3 and Joshua 1:8). Meditation is so important. What’s meditation? You have to take the word of God and let it paint pictures on the inside of you and this takes time, but if you do this on a regular basis, it’s going to revolutionize your life. Don’t see yourself sick and don’t see yourself dying even if you’ve been diagnosed with an incurable disease. There’s power in your thinking and what you say. “As he thinks in his heart so does he become” (Pro 27:3). “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit” (Pro 18:21). You can see yourself well in your thinking instead of expecting the worse. Some of you know that God has bigger plans for you than what you are experiencing. You may even know some of the details. You may know the business that He wants you to start or how He wants you to go out and minister. You have direction from the Lord, but you are not seeing it come to pass because you haven’t sat down and meditated. You haven’t pictured it to see it coming to pass. Meditate on what God has told you. Ask Him that God, here is where you want me to go, how do I get there? God will direct you exactly where He wants you to go. Focus on God and you can see things in your Spiritual womb. Keep your imagination on God and you will arrive at the right destination even in the midst of crisis. If we want to be changed then our minds should be changed before anything in our lives is going to change. And God will help us with that. He will teach us how to think. The Holy Spirit is so wonderful, and He is inside of us and He will even remind us when we are not thinking right. And He will even remind us what we should be thinking if we have enough of the word in us to rise up and confront the wrong thing. We give control of our minds to the enemy if we don’t resist wrong thoughts that come up against us. And the very best way to resist wrong thoughts is to open your mouth and speak out loud a portion of scripture that you have learned that you know confronts that wrong thoughts. And the thoughts stop immediately because if you are speaking, then it goes through your mind so the thing that the enemy is trying to put in your mind has to go away. Speak to it and immediately cast down wrong thoughts