Gleans from Sunday End of Month with Pastor (Dr.) W.F Kumuyi.
DLBC Gbagada, Lagos HQ
Seasons of Refreshing
24th June 2018
OUR DAILY REFRESHING IN HIS PRESENCE
Genesis 18:17-23; 19:27-29; 28:12-19
Think about this of one man in the world, in his family and in a dark age, “And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do” (Genesis 18:17). God was planning and thinking what to do, and He said he would not do it until He told Abraham about it; and see the reason why, “For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him” (Genesis 18:19). Abraham made it a habit to commune and pray unto God in a specific place. No wonder God said that He could not hide anything from him, that He was going to make revelations to him. What a great privilege for a man on earth coming so close to God, that He wanted to discuss with him what He was about to do, not just for one person or family but whole cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. God remembered Abraham’s prayer and plea for Lot and his family when He overthrew the cities (Genesis 19:29). He will remember you today. He remembers your life, challenges and all that you are going through, and today begins a season of unstoppable refreshing like you have never known it, in Jesus name.
A lot happens when you take hold of the privilege and opportunity you have, and are in constant fellowship with the Lord, always in His presence. This is what Abraham did and had daily devotion with his entire family. He taught them regularly the word of God to the point that they knew the mind of the Lord. Please understand there was no written Bible or ministering Pastor to encourage or lift him up; no Christian books to read at that time, but Abraham, with the little knowledge he had of the revelation of God, made it a point of duty to appear before the Lord on a daily basis. I pray that you will make it a habit to have a regular devotional time with the Lord with all the devotional aids, the Bible, song books, recorded messages and other materials to help you. What a great thing when you make out time to commune with God, and He communes with you as well to bless you, “And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; FOR I WILL NOT LEAVE THEE, UNTIL I HAVE DONE THAT WHICH I HAVE SPOKEN TO THEE OF” (Genesis 28:14-15). Until the rivers of God’s blessings and seasons of great refreshing begin in your life; until the power of God works in your life and His promises are fulfilled, He will not leave you. Make time, create the time. Fellowship with God is non-negotiable because a lot of problems in the day, week, month, year and future are solved at that time of morning devotion with the Lord and the season of refreshing continues to flow at that time you are in friendship, fellowship and interaction with God. At the time you meet with the Lord, you must make commitments of your life to Him, not just receiving and not giving. “And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, So that I come again to my father’s house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God: And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house: AND OF ALL THAT THOU SHALT GIVE ME I WILL SURELY GIVE THE TENTH UNTO THEE” (Genesis 28:20-22). Personal experience is very essential as we fellowship with the Lord. For Jacob, running away from a brother who became an enemy, from family pressure, leaving home for the unknown, going away to an uncertain and unfamiliar future, going through a lonely path, his experience at such a time became a session of refreshing. He was burdened and guilty, contemplative and convicted, reflective and remorseful, disturbed and saddened, separated and severed from the family and fellowship with Esau his brother. His experience therefore became a refreshing relief for him. The promise and the assurance from God began a season of refreshing for him. We need God, His daily fellowship, and His assurance; and we cannot survive without Him
3 points:
POINT 1: THE PRIVILEGE OF DAILY REFRESHING BEFORE THE LORD
Genesis 28:12-19; Mark 1:35; 6:30,31; Isaiah 40:28-31; Job 23:11,12; Acts 17:11
Jacob had nothing, but the threat of death on him. All that the enemies have said against you, shall not come to pass, on the contrary you will spread to the South, North, East and West. The Lord is in this place: salvation, blessings, goodness of the Lord are in this place for you. Your season of refreshing is in this place. Everything is here for you (Genesis 28:16). Your time of recovery is now here. Your situation, life, profession and progress will be totally new in Jesus Name.
Spending time in God’s presence through prayer and His word daily refreshes our lives. Life without His word is worrisome, life without His voice is vague and vain, life without His truth is troublesome, life without His fellowship is frightening, life outside His presence is perilous, life outside His Will is a wasted life, and life without His revelation is ruinous. It is refreshing, enlightening, encouraging, empowering, strengthening, rewarding and profitable to spend quality time in devotion and fellowship with God every day. See the example of Jesus Christ, “And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed” (Mark 1:35). This takes self-denial and you may need to set your alarm if needed to spend time with God in the morning in a place where there are no distractions and you can hear Him. It is the time to tell the Lord all about your life, the good and the bad, exploits, the mistakes, sinfulness, weakness and shortcomings. It is a time of resting, upliftment, refreshing. Come apart before you will come apart, before distress, and before you disintegrate (Mark 6:30,31). God understands your situation and life. Take time and come apart before the Lord, feed on His Word. “Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food” (Job 23:12). Value the word of God more than all the things your body needs. Also take time to examine and search the Scriptures daily (Acts 17:11). It is the privilege that the Lord has given us, and it is the thing that opens the floodgates of refreshing, revival, renewal and blessings upon your life. I pray that you begin to do this in Jesus Name. Forget the past, and let there be a new decision, direction and demonstration of God’s power in your life.
POINT 2: THE POWER OF DIVINE REVELATION BEFORE THE LAW
Genesis 28:13,16
The people in Genesis, before the Law of Moses was given, had revelations from the Lord. All these divine revelations given before the law of Moses cannot be and were not cancelled with the law of Moses. They include: (1) Revelation concerning God – Genesis 28:13,16; (2) Revelation of Grace and mercy – Genesis 19:16-19; (3) Revelation concerning Righteousness – Genesis 15:6. This was the righteousness that came by faith not of self or works; (4) Revelation of idolatry forbidden – Genesis 35:1-2; (5) Revelation of adultery forbidden – Genesis 39:7-9; (6) Revelation of murder forbidden – Genesis 9:6; (7) Revelation of Conditional Security, Genesis 19:17,26; (8) Revelation concerning Judgement – Genesis 18:23-25; (9) Revelation on healing and miracles through prayer – Genesis 18:14; 20:7,17; (10) Revelation concerning Guidance on Marriage, no unequal yoke – Genesis 24:3,6-7,40,27,48; (11) Revelation on Obedience to God – Genesis 22:16-18; (12) Revelation concerning Tithes and Offerings, Genesis 14:18-20; 28:20-22; (13) Revelation on Love and Forgiveness – Genesis 50:17-21; (14) Revelation on Angelic ministry – Genesis 19:1,15; (15) Revelation on Prophecy – Genesis 49:1,10; (16) Revelation on the Rapture – Genesis 5:22,24; (17) Revelation on a place in Heaven – Genesis 28:17. Where you hear about salvation, holiness, forgiveness of sin is the gate of heaven; and (18) Revelation on God’s eternal faithfulness – Genesis 21:33.
All these revelations were given before the Law, and the taking away of the Law cannot cancel any of them. As we fellowship with God and in His word, He still reveals His requirements to us today.
POINT 3: THE PROOF OF DECISIVE RESPONSE TO HIS LOVE
Genesis 14:18-20; 28:20-22; 2 Samuel 24:24; 1 Chronicles 29:10-16; Malachi 3:10-12; Luke 6:38; 1 Corinthians 16:2; 2 Corinthians 8:1-5; 2 Corinthians 5:14-16; Ezekiel 34:26; 36:11
As God revealed Himself to these people, they responded to His love. Here was an expression of their love for God. “And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all” (Genesis 14:20). That was the first recorded war in history. Abraham overcame and conquered all the enemies and the confederacy, and in appreciation of the love of God towards him and in thankfulness for the victory, he gave Melchizedek a tenth of the spoils taken. Jacob was not ungrateful either, but he responded to that love of God by giving his tithes, a tenth of all he had (Genesis 28:20-22). So it is the love of God that makes us offer something to Him, nothing less than a tenth. You will not offer something cheap, worthless and valueless to the Lord, but something priceless and valuable, you will offer unto the Lord, like David in 2 Samuel 24:24. The strength and prosperity you have came from the Lord, and in response to His love and gratitude for the provision, you give back to Him in form of tithes and offerings. Everything in heaven and the earth belong to the Lord and of His own we give Him (1 Chronicles 29:10-14). A tenth is almost negligible, it is the smallest and least that you can give to the Lord because you still have 9/10. Even the tenth we give to the Lord belongs to Him; you can give Him more than a tenth. After all, Zacchaeus gave half of his goods to the poor, how much more would he give to the Lord. I pray God will give you a grateful heart to give more than your tithes unto the Lord.
“Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it” (Malachi 3:10). We are to bring all the tithes into His storehouse, and God will pour out a rain of blessings, and all your neighbours shall call you blessed (Malachi 3:11-12); but bring your tithes into the Church of God where His word is. “Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come” (1 Corinthians 16:2). That is a proportion or percent as God has prospered you, a tenth or more than a tenth bring unto the Lord. You will do the will of God.
In gratitude to God, Abraham, Jacob and many others responded to God’s love by giving much more unto God, starting with a tenth of their possession and income. God has given us eternal life through the sacrifice and atonement of Jesus Christ, His Only Beloved Son, and He has given us inheritance in Heaven; He has given us all things. As they were responsive to the love of God, so we are to respond to His love and goodness upon our lives by giving of our tithes and offerings unto the Lord, for nothing is too great to give back to God in response to His love for us, and this will begin your season of refreshing. No more selfishness, you will be give willing and cheerfully to the Lord. The Love of God constrains us. (2 Corinthians 5:14-16). You will be a giver and I will be a giver! Now your season of refreshing has come, abundant, untold blessings and more than you are asking for, the Lord will give in Jesus name, “And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing” “…. And I will settle you after your old estates, and will do better unto you than at your beginning: and ye shall know that I am the Lord.” (Ezekiel 34:26: 36:11). Today there shall be showers of blessings. It is the time and season of refreshing.
Ponder on this! A lot happens when you take hold of the privilege and opportunity you have, and are in constant fellowship with the Lord, always in His presence. Pastor (Dr) W.F Kumuyi.
Ponder on this! Spending time in God’s presence through prayer and His word daily refreshes our lives. Life without His word is worrisome, life without His voice is vague and vain, life without His truth is troublesome, life without His fellowship is frightening, life outside His presence is perilous, life outside His Will is a waste, and life without His revelation is ruinous. Pastor (Dr) W.F Kumuyi.
Reflections – Make time and create the time, as fellowship with God is non-negotiable. A lot of problems in the day, week, month, year and future are solved at that time of morning devotion with the Lord. The season of refreshing continues to flow at the time you are in fellowship with God. Pastor (Dr) W.F Kumuyi.
Words on the Marble – We need God, His daily fellowship, and His assurance; and we cannot survive without Him. Pastor (Dr) W.F Kumuyi.
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