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(The periscope of this sermon today.)
From Rev. Dr. Prof. P. C. Nnaocha.
In the first sunday of our Covenant Month this February 2018, we are gathered before our great God. God is a covenant keeping God. The covenant of God with man goes beyond providing for us in things, which are here on this earth. But all human beings crave for physical things which they see.
The best of covenants is that in which Christ said ” Eyes have not seen or ears heard neither has it come to the knowledge of man what God has prepared for those who love Him.
“But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him”. (1 Corinthians 2 : 9)
This is the eternal covenant. Amen
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If you enter the queue of covenant people, God will reach out to you with a covenant ( call it a promise),which will be specific to you as He made with Abraham. I am talking about PROMISES to be made for you by God.
We serve a supernatural God. He has never ceased to be what He is known to be, or failed in the things He is known for doing.
The scripture says :
“Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the LORD our God, until that he have mercy upon us”.
(Ps. 123 : 2)
This allegorical expression is the state of faithful people. Our eyes are lifted up to our God. In this respect we can say:
“Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens. (PS. 123 : 1).
He will never allow us to look and look and see or receive nothing. He is the Jireh, both of the physical things and spiritual, temporary or eternal.
AMAZJNG EXPERIEBCE OF A TODDLER
I took a look at a two year old child, sitting infront of a baby sitter. The plate of rice and stew was infront of the maid. Each time the maid lifted up her hand with a spoon of rice, the young child opened her mouth thinking it was her turn, but the maid put the rice into her own mouth each time.
This went on for several times and the plate of rice was getting empty. Finally as is the case with helpless children, this child cried and rolled herself on the ground.
Many earthly masters are so. The servants’ eyes are looking on them as the case is always to receive, but their expectation is denied them.
But our God is not like them, but He will at all time, come to His faithful children not grudgingly like earthly masters and misrresses, but as God of compassion.
We will call on our God to save us from these earthly masters and mistresses, who have eaten the children’s food and rubbed their bib with the oil of the stew.
“Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us: for we are exceedingly filled with contempt. Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease, and with the contempt of the proud”. (Psalm 123 : 3 – 4)
The words of God abideth, but the masters have robbed the servants. They are often taken as men at ease, but are these masters indeed at ease?
THERE IS NO PEACE FOR THE WJCKED, BUT AS WE TRUST IN GOD WE SHALL BE AT GOD’S PEACE.
Every child of God must look up to God as his all in all. We will not suffer in the hands of civil masters.
The peoples of many lands today, are suffering in the hands of the leadership of their lands, who have never kept the promises (what is their type of covenant which they made) , but have defrauded the people of their share of the national cake.
God will never deny to deliver His promise to His people. He is Jehovah Shamma.
But our God looks down from heaven and sees all the works men have done here under the heavens. He knows all things very perfectly.
The Psalmist in Ps. 121 : 1, said in a question ” I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help?”
And when he noted that help could come from no where he concluded:
“My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth”. (Psalm 121:2)
People who put their hope on human beings, can often be the most miserable.
DISAPPOINTMENT FROM A TRUSTED PERSON IS MORE PAINFPUL THAN THE PROBLEM ITSELF.
So the best place to put our trust is in the altar of God.
I, the preacher here, must let you know that my fears are greater, when I trust people, because the direction which they will go may never be predicted. I have better rest of mind, when I trust in God than those who sit or stand before me.
Only God can be predicted with certainty, when we do His good will, He abideth with us.
“But mine eyes are unto thee, O GOD the Lord: in thee is my trust; leave not my soul destitute. ( Psalm 141:8)
Our expectation from the Lord will not be cut off. If we have given out our life to Christ, we surely draw our hope from Him. May God never allow anyone to be an unfaithful servant in His sight , who always feels God is there for
him, whereas God is not for him.
“For the needy shall not always be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever”. (Psalm 9 :18)
NOTE : ” BUT THE POOR IN GOD IN THE BEATITUDES IN THE BOOK OF MATTHEW, JESUS SAID ” BLEESSED ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT FOR THEY SHALL INHERIT THE KINGDOM. “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”. (Matthew 5 :3). The poor are devoted people, who have indulged in holiness in broken spirit: “the kingdom is theirs”
Many people are struggling with various levels of difficulties but cannot trust God, because they have not seen Him and so such people even see their problems as bigger than God. Some spend the whole of sunday settling themselves on bottles of wine. Where then is the love of God, where then is their hope : on bottles of wine and other pleasures?
But sincerely, God is bigger than every problem. Our expectation from Him will never be cut off. Sometimes we go through some crushing situation, but God thrives better in doing mysterious things, not the ordinary things, which men most times handle. Please, let us give those hard areas of life to God, but mind you I am not saying God is not incharge of small things.
We will never know how much God is caring for us. We go through one year after another and celebrate happy new years and we often thank the good food we have eaten, good medication we have received and the tight security we have and not God. We least remember there is a Master Hand behind those things we consider as what keeps us alive. God is the best insurance or assurance any man can trust.
“Mine eyes are ever toward the LORD; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net. (Psalm 25:15).
Whether you are mocked by those who are at ease, keep your eyes lifted to God. If you keep your eyes looking up to view your most popular movie your neck might pain you. But:
“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31).
Those who mock you in the time of adversity will surely join you to celebrate your victory. NEHEHMIAH, was mocked as he was rebuilding the broken walls of Jerusalem as Israel returned from exile: “But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king?” (Nehemiah 2:19).
The people from exile fully knew that what they were doing rested on divine providence and they got it.
DEDICATION OF THE WALL OF JERUSALEM.
If you keep your eyes lifted to God, you will commission those things for which you were mocked, while you were labouring.
Do not forget to read what happened in Nehemiah Chapter 12 :27 – 32
12:27 And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites out of all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem, to keep the dedication with gladness, both with thanksgivings, and with singing, with cymbals, psalteries, and with harps.
12:28 And the sons of the singers gathered themselves together, both out of the plain country round about Jerusalem, and from the villages of Netophathi;
12:29 Also from the house of Gilgal, and out of the fields of Geba and Azmaveth: for the singers had builded them villages round about Jerusalem.
12:30 And the priests and the Levites purified themselves, and purified the people, and the gates, and the wall.
12:31 Then I brought up the princes of Judah upon the wall, and appointed two great companies of them that gave thanks, whereof one went on the right hand upon the wall toward the dung gate:
12:32 And after them went Hoshaiah, and half of the princes of Judah, (Nehemiah 12: 27-32)
Thanks to God for your enemies have not prevailed : Jehovah Elohim
FEBRUARY 2018 SERMONS FROM MIRACLE VALLEY.
prof.paul2018@gmail.com
website : www.mvgmng .org.