By the Church Of God
Ota Congregation
“Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left;” Joshua 23:6.
Nobody has the capacity or wherewithal to be on course without recourse to the power and the direction given by the Lord. It is His spirit that can pilot us through the appropriate way. His guide alone is what we need to get it right.
He warned Joshua from digressions in Joshua 1:7. To be able to achieve this, the immediate verse told him what to do. “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” Joshua 1:8.
He held on to it and became successful. Therefore, when he was rounding up his ministerial life, he addressed those he was leaving behind from experience. This is germane for our success too.
“Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left;” Joshua 23:6.
The secret is the word of God. Hold it in high esteem. Read it, study it and meditate in it both day and night. The treasure in it is un-quantifiable. It is our compass to navigate life and ministry. Success in every sphere is tied to the Scriptures. It is our rudder.The Lord told the people to “Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” John 5:39.
His leading will never negate the word. They confirm each other. They speak in unison. “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.” 1 John 5:7.
With the word in your life, you can be successful and end well too.
Prayer: Father, let your word make me successful in all areas and guide me to heaven in Jesus name.
CHANGING BATON
“But they said, We will drink no wine: for Jonadab the son of Rechab our father commanded us, saying, Ye shall drink no wine, neither ye, nor your sons for ever: “Jeremiah 35:6.
Walking in God’s way is very beneficial for us, but the benefit must not stop with us. It must transcend to generations to come. A successful person is not successful until he or she produces successful successors.
God trusted Abraham that he would not only walk in the Lord’s way, but his children would embrace the way also.
“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.
The Rechabites maintained the spiritual legacy of their parents. They were unlike the children of Eli and Samuel. Their parents walked with God and in God’s way but couldn’t hand over the baton to their successors.
The raging battle is the battle of seed. Genesis 3:15 says “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”
The battle against the seed of the saints is more than the one facing the parents. An African adage says “If you cannot overpower the log go for the branches.”
The will of God for us is that we should be saved and our house. Paul declared this to the keeper of prison thus, “And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” Acts 16:31.
As parents, if we are to pray personal prayers for an hour, not less than fifty minutes should go to our successors. Pray for them and reveal the Lord’s way to them perfectly.
“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6. Continuity in the Lord’s way is non negotiable. “The children of thy servants shall continue, and their seed shall be established before thee.” Psalms 102:28.
It is after we might have played our role that the blessings the Lord put on us will be able to flow down to our seeds like oil on Aaron.
Phillip, the deacon turned evangelist’s daughters continued in the way their father followed. “On the next day we who were Paul’s companions departed and came to Caesarea, and entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him. Now this man had four virgin daughters who prophesied.” Acts 21:8. FOUR VIRGIN DAUGHTERS!
Now as many of us are always quick to criticize ministers without looking into our homes, to check whether all our children are following us. But we talk of ministers children. We must be careful that we will not offend God with our tongue.
How many children did God give you and how many did you take to the river and forced them to drink.? Rethink and beg for forgiveness.
If not that I have been with the late papa Ben Adesoro of Auchi congregation, and saw how he was labouring every night praying for his son, I would have made mistake by following people to criticize his ministry. Every one hour with God, he spent 50 seconds to pray for his children.
The right way for us is to stop, think and pray for the ministers instead of criticizing them because as they fight the devil, the devil in the other hand fight his family.
Prayer: Lord remake my way of thinking and bless me. Lord Jesus, let my descendants and household continue in your way and be established in it in Jesus name.
You are free to ask questions………
OTA congregation of the church of God in Nigeria.±2348035026403