LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD – AUGUST 2021 NEWLETTER

TOPIC: LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD

Text: Mark 10:46-52 (CEV)
46. Jesus and his disciples went to Jericho. And as they were leaving, they were followed by a large crowd. A blind beggar by the name of Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus, was sitting beside the road.
47. When he heard that it was Jesus from Nazareth, he shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!”
48. Many people told the man to stop, but he shouted even louder, “Son of David, have pity on me!”
49. Jesus stopped and said, “Call him over!”
They called out to the blind man and said, “Don’t be afraid! Come on! He is calling for you.”
50. The man threw off his coat as he jumped up and ran to Jesus.
51. Jesus asked, “What do you want me to do for you?”
The blind man answered, “Master, I want to see!”
52. Jesus told him, “You may go. Your eyes are healed because of your faith.”
Right away the man could see, and he went down the road with Jesus.

INTRODUCTION
Voice is a very prominent tool to make one’s intentions known. The hopeless cry out for help with their voice.

David said, “The day I cry out, my enemy disappears…” Your crying out could be in the secret or public. In whatever form, you need to cry out for help.  One African adage says, “Inability to speak out is the beginning of misfortune.” There is a restoration mechanism that God puts in you to make sounds. That is the power in your voice.

He always hears when we ask anything from him (1 John 5: 14-15). ”Our God is just and fair. He will forgive you if you ask, He will listen when you pray. Whether you do those things is entirely up to you” (Rich Warren).

We shall examine different people of the Bible that cried out and their voices were heard for their restoration.

BARTIMAEUS’ VOICE WAS  HEARD BY JESUS (Mark 10: 47)

The situation this man was going through changed his name, and he was called the blind man. He was not the only blind beggar around the area where Jesus Christ and his disciples were passing through. Something prompted him to call on Jesus in the midst of a great crowd of people. He might have been fed up with his blind and begging life, then he cried out (Mark 10: 47). When he heard that it was Jesus from Nazareth, he shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!” He called Jesus Christ to hear him very quickly, “…son of David…” This caught the attention of Jesus. He was not moved by the obstruction and distractions of the people, he cried more vigorously and Jesus gave him attention.

Devil has placed some elements  around you to stand as a distraction to you; what you need to do is to be sensitive and look beyond situations around you, cry out in serious prayer and your voice shall be heard.

A WIDOW’S VOICE WAS HEARD BY ELISHA (2 kings 4:  1-7)
One of the most significant states of molestation in human’s life is to be publicly humiliated in the time of hopelessness. The woman’s husband died, leaving debts behind. The creditor came to request for payment of the debts. What could she do as a widow?

2 Kings 4
1. One of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant, my husband, has died. You know that your servant feared the Lord. Now the creditor is coming to take my two children as his slaves.”
2. Elisha asked her, “What can I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?”She said, “Your servant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil.”
3. Then he said, “Go and borrow empty containers from everyone—from all your neighbors. Do not get just a few.
4. Then go in and shut the door behind you and your sons, and pour oil into all these containers. Set the full ones to one side.”
5. So she left. After she had shut the door behind her and her sons, they kept bringing her containers, and she kept pouring.
6. When they were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another container.” But he replied, “There aren’t any more.” Then the oil stopped.
7. She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go sell the oil and pay your debt; you and your sons can live on the rest.”

The only thing she could do was to cry out for help. She went to Elijah and her need was met. You need not be comfortable with that situation; cry out and let your voice be heard. ‘ A close mouth is a close destiny.’ The solution to your problem might be within your reach, but because you’re overwhelmed by the circumstances around you, this weigh you down. Arise now, and cry out! Your help is near.

KING HEZEKIAH’S VOICE WAS HEARD BY GOD
It is a great tragedy for one to hear the day of his death. Before that hour comes, that person would have died inwardly. There are so many things that could make one give up and lose hope at the centre of trying to struggle for life. One of them is sickness or terminal disease. Many people are in this stage now and they don’t know what to do because the physician’s report is that there is no way they could make it. This is the situation King Hezekiah was.

2 kings 20: 1-6

20. In those days Hezekiah became terminally ill. The prophet Isaiah, son of Amoz, came and said to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Put your affairs in order, for you are about to die; you will not recover.’”
2. Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord,
3. “Please Lord, remember how I have walked before You faithfully and wholeheartedly and have done what pleases You.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
4. Isaiah had not yet gone out of the inner courtyard when the word of the Lord came to him:
5. “Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of My people, ‘This is what the Lord God of your ancestor David says: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Look, I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the Lord’s temple.
6. I will add 15 years to your life. I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for My sake and for the sake of My servant David.’”

He heard about the day of death, but he didn’t keep quiet, he cried out and the Lord heard his voice.   Whatever situation of life you are facing right now, and it seems that is going to be the end of your life, never lose hope; it is not over until it’s over. God has not stopped working out your miracle; you need to cry out with all seriousness and let the God of Heaven hear your cry.

CONCLUSION
Your voice is your power; you must not keep mute, neither should you suffer in silence. Never hide your feelings from God, though He is omniscience. He wants to hear your voice. God is your very present help in times of trouble. He wants to help you but you need to cry out to him.

For your voice to heard, you need to give your life to Jesus Christ, so that whenever you call on God through Jesus Christ, your voice would  be recognized. It’s well with you.

Let’s Pray.

1. May the Lord (Yahweh) answer you in the day of trouble; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.
2. May He send you help from the sanctuary and sustain you from Zion.
3. May He remember all your offerings and accept your burnt offering. Selah!
4. May He give you what your heart desires and fulfill your whole purpose.
5. Let us shout for joy at your victory and lift the banner in the name of our God. May Yahweh fulfill all your requests.
6. Now I know that the Lord gives victory to His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven
with mighty victories from His right hand.
7 Some take pride in chariots, and others in horses, but we take pride in the name of Yahweh, our God.
8 They collapse and fall,
but we rise and stand firm.
9 Lord, give victory to the king!
May He answer us on the day that we call.

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WAIT AND MURMUR NOT (July 2021, Newsletter)

Text: Psalms 40:1-3
“I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him.”

INTRODUCTION
To wait is to stay where one is, or to delay action until a particular time or until something else happens (Google Dictionary).

In the Biblical context, to wait is to suspend your actions; to bring yourself down before the Lord and let Him have His way in your life.

As a matter of fact, it’s not easy to wait. This is the foundational problem of man since creation. God originally integrated waiting/patience into the program packaged to perfect His work on the man. The inability to wait is the cause of trouble many are into today.

Murmuring is a soft, indistinct sound made by a person or group of people speaking quietly or at a distance. It is a sound made out of the agony of long awaiting promises, unpleasant feelings, and disappointment.

Murmuring is a sign that someone is ingrate, impatient, uncertain, and has lost focus.

If you read Exodus 16: 2-15, the people of Israel murmured against God and He proved Himself to them. Many who murmured while passing through the wilderness, because of their unbelief, perished in the wilderness.

Rick Warren says,  ‘…there’s always a delay between planting and harvest. When you plant a seed in the ground, you don’t get an ear of corn the next day. You plant in one season, and you harvest in another.’ (Daily Devotional, June 17, 2021).

God will be speaking to you as we explore the said topic in subdivisions.

What happens when you are waiting?
• YOUR STRENGTH SHALL BE RENEWED;
• GOD IS WORKING OUT SOMETHING BETTER & GREATER FOR YOU;
• GOD FILLS YOUR MOUTH WITH TESTIMONIES.

May you be richly blessed as you navigate through this inspired Word of God.

1. YOUR STRENGTH SHALL BE RENEWED
Eagle can be used as a metaphor to demonstrate waiting and renewal of strength. Among birds, Eagle has extraordinary power to soar higher above mountains. When it is getting weak, it will fly to a very high mountain and hide there. The process is called ‘moulting.’ Eagle will stay there for 150 days. During this period, the old feathers will be removed to be replaced with new ones. An African adage in Yoruba says, “AWODI LOSIBA LO RE YE…”

The Bible makes it clear in Isaiah 40:31, “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.” When you cultivate the habit of waiting on the Lord, you shall find your strength renewed. During that period God is working something great in your life. David testified to this in the anchor scripture up there; “I waited patiently…” Not murmuring, but with great expectations and a song of praise cum assurance.

I am encouraging you to be a bit patient; it won’t be long for your expectation to come to fruition.

2. GOD IS WORKING OUT SOMETHING BETTER AND GREATER FOR YOU.
Your anxiousness cannot fast-track the plan of God for your life; it will only weigh you down. God is in the process of bringing out the best in your life. He uses your period of waiting to get His plan ready for you.

All the great people mentioned in the Bible experienced their waiting moments, even Jesus Christ endured His waiting period to perfect the work of redemption.

Some challenges would tend to arise in the course of waiting that might want you to be murmuring, just summon the courage and know that tough times don’t last.

David spent years on the field taking care of his father’s flocks, he didn’t give up. He later made it to the palace.

Joseph faced hell in his own waiting period, yet he didn’t give up. He too got to the palace.

Elisha exercised patience to get a double portion of his master’s (Elijah’s) anointing.

Jesus Christ, while eating with His disciples, gave them this command in Acts 1: 4, “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.” It took them 50 days to wait for the fulfilment of this promise after the ascension of Jesus Christ. It is always being said, ‘It is not how far, but how well.’

Rick Warren once said in one of his daily devotionals, ‘While you’re planting and waiting, you can trust God will provide grace so that having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” (June 17, 2021). Individual time of waiting is different, so you must endure your period of waiting because God is working out greater things for you.

3. GOD FILLS YOUR MOUTH WITH TESTIMONIES
No one is identified in the time of waiting because it’s a time for lone cross-bearing. The pains and weakness you are feeling are what no one can help you with, but God.

David could boldly say this, “He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.” He was the only one who could explain how severe the experience was with him. During the waiting period, he saw God with him, and that gave him the courage to say; “He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him.” That’s the testimony.

Your mouth shall be filled with testimony too, and the pain will soon be over. Whatever waiting period you are going through right now will surely expire very soon. Don’t give up; never compromise. Activate your faith, you are next in line for a miracle.  The whole world is waiting for your manifestation and testimony, it will be widely heard.

Conclusion
Murmuring will do you no good than to poison your mind with negative thoughts. Murmuring is also an act of rebellion against your God. Instead of murmuring, render songs of praise and worship your God. He is bigger than all the situations of your life.

Finally, let the Lord have His way in your life. Give your life to Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, and He will see you through.

Let’s pray:
1. Father, I thank You because You are always there for me.
2. I’m very sorry for my acts of rebellion through murmuring.
3. Have mercy on me, O’ Lord.
4. Lord, give me strength to be more patient with you.
5. Father, perfect everything that concerns me.
6. My God and Father, let my life bring glory to You.
7. Lord, fill my mouth with testimonies. Amen

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THE MIGHTY HANDS OF GOD.(JUNE 2021 NEWS LETTER)

Texts: Exodus 15:5-6, Deuteronomy 7:19.

Exodus 15:5-6.
5. The floods covered them; they went down into the depths like a stone.
6. Your right hand, O Lord, glorious in power, your right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy.

Deuteronomy 7:19
19. The great trials that your eyes saw, the signs, the wonders, the mighty hand, and the outstretched arm, by which the Lord your God brought you out. So will the Lord your God do to all the peoples of whom you are afraid.

INTRODUCTION
The hand of God is His authority over your life. His hand gives clear direction to you and leads right.
‘The hand represents divine approval, and specifically acceptance of His sacrifice, and possibly also the storm mentioned in the gospels.’ (Online Bible Dictionary).

The hand of God demonstrates His  wrath on the enemies of His loved ones. The hand stands as a seige or an umbrella over His people; it is our safety in the time of storm.

Gertrud Schiller said, ‘It is an artistic metaphor that is  genenerally not intended to indicate that a hand was physically present or seen at any subject depicted.” (Wikipedia. Gertrud Schiller (7 January 1905 – 4 December 1994).

The hand of God doesn’t come physically, but mighty in action to represent God. So, we shall be digging deep into what the hands of God can do.

HIS HAND DOES WONDERS
One of the wonders done by God that cannot be forgotten in history is the parting of the Red Sea. No one can do that, only by the mighty hands of God.

The juction you are now is like the bank of a big ocean; you don’t know what to do again. The word of the Lord to you is that, you shall walk freely on dry ground without being hurt.

Summon courage, move on and  feel the mighty hand of God around you. He shall see you through.

HIS MIGHTY HAND RESTORES LIFE
He is your creator. The original plan of your life is in the hands of the Lord. As the Potter, He engraved you in the palm of His hands; and that is how important you are.

Your destiny is not in the hands of anybody, though enemies may try to delay it, but that does not mean denial. It happened in the life of some people in the Bible, but the moment they felt the mighty hands of the Lord, their destiny changed for better.

David said in Psalms 31:15, “My life, my every moment, my destiny—it’s all in your hands. So I know you can deliver me from those who persecute me relentlessly” (NIV). David acknowledged this, and it worked for him.

Mary, the mother of Our Lord Jesus Christ, had this encounter too. Biblical meaning of Mary is “bitterness” and “rebellion.” What a miserable name! But the hands of the Lord singled her our of the miserable and vulnerable life she was living. She became a celebrated woman for all generations. The same God who restored Mary can restore you too.

HIS MIGHTY HAND HEALS
Sickness and diseases are strangers in our body; they are ‘parasites’ in our body because they are not in the original plan of God for your life.

One great assignment of Jesus Christ is to deliver you from any kind of sickness or diseases.
In Luke 4:40 (HCSB), “When the sun was setting, all those who had anyone sick with various diseases brought them to Him. As He laid His hands on each one of them, He would heal them.”

His mighty hand is still very active to set you free from whatever sickness that is battling with your health. He is Jehovah Rapha, meaning “The God Who Heals.” What you need to do is to acknowledge His presence around you and feel His mighty hands on you, He will surely heal you.

HIS MIGHTY HAND HELPS
The fact about life is that every one needs help in one way or the other. Whatever you cannot do by your own ability or strength, you need an helping hand to do it. God is a very present help in time of trouble, that is, He is always ready to help but needs you to cooperate with Him by putting your hand in his hand. How can this happen? When you put away your ego, pride, knowledge, experience and connection, and surrender to Him like David did.

Psalms 121: 1-2
1. I lift up my eyes to the mountain where does my help come from?
2. My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

In conclusion, the hand of God does wonderful works and miracles. Believe it, activate your faith, and expect your miracle. May you be lifted by His mighty hands.

Let’s pray.

1. Thank God for your journey since the beginning of the year.
2. Appreciate God for His sustaining hands on you.
3. Ask for God’s mercy on you, and pray that His mercy should prevail.
4. By the spoken Word of the Lord, every alliance formed by the wicked people to put you in chain  shall be thwarted.
5. The Lord will quiet every voice of doubt that might want to discourage you to move forward.
6. By the grace of God, you shall not miss your chance of connection and breakthrough, and you shall be lifted in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
7. The mighty hands of God shall be your refuge and strength, and shall save you from troubles in Jesus Christ name.
8. The mighty hands of God shall be on you anywhere you go.

9. You and everything attached to  you shall not get lost in the mighty name of Jesus.

10. God shall turn things around for you, and your life shall begin to experience goodness.

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