Olabode Ososami's Blog, page 2

Alliances

Nehemiah 13:28 And one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was son in law to Sanballat the Horonite: therefore I chased him from me.

Alliances are strong relationships. Our strongest alliance must be with the Holy Spirit, but God uses the relationships in our lives to foster his agenda for our lives. Alliances are also important for the devil. The stronger the alliance, the more important will be the influence of alliance on our future. We are to be extremely careful in how we get allied into situations so we do not fight worthless battles that only waste our resources. Whatever we are allied to will make demands on our resources, time and even our souls. It is Christmas day and we remember the Savior’s birth …we see shepherds coming to worship Him …and wise men bringing gifts to Him. He shunned the kings and the palace and is found in a manager …allied with the most humble circumstance.

One of the grandsons of the high priest was married to Sanballat’s daughter. This sounds like a minor detail, but it was important enough. Marriage is an extremely powerful joining of families, and invokes the strongest alliances. Perhaps this is why God warns about the wrong marriage. Check around you, what alliances are in place to influence your destiny. Will they augur well for the future … reconsider them carefully. Sometimes in the festive season we forget to be cautious in our interactions …many are yoked through careless social interaction with evil. God will help you.

Proverbs 11:21 Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished: but the seed of the righteous shall be delivered.

Be careful with other alliances. Instead, be strongly joined to Christ. Glory to the new born King.

Verses for further meditation

Ezra 9:14; Acts 5:13

Thoughts for Business and the work place

Leaders leverage relationships constructively.

Suggestions for Prayer

Lord, connect me to all that are required for my destiny to be fulfilled. Amen

As Nehemiah’s wall was built, so will we see a reconstruction in all that may appear in distress and in waste. Nehemiah trusted and feared God, putting his faith in the Almighty whose strength is limitless to exceed all our expectations. Look out daily for Nehemiah’s Wall in 2015 and do invite friends to subscribe to the free email or social media posts. I am praying someone with a burden to be used by God in building will receive a fresh vision and get the job done.

To subscribe to the devotional, please enter your email address (the left column) above the “subscribe” button (and enter on the green button). God bless you.

Recessionproofchristianlife.com is a privately owned blog/media site started in 2009 as the internet ministry of the author. It promotes the absolute authority and divine inspiration of the Holy Bible as the Word of God – Infallible and Sufficient.

Deliver us from evil

Nehemiah 13:27 Shall we then hearken unto you to do all this great evil, to transgress against our God in marrying strange wives?

The result of listening to men eventually manifest in doing great evil. It may take a while before the evil manifests, but it does. In this case, it was an act of taking strange wives … what could be more harmless or simple – but Nehemiah calls it an act of great evil. This looks like an exaggeration …after all, the women could be changed, the influence of godly men will overcome the strangeness … but Nehemiah calls it a great evil. Nehemiah sees the future destructions and harms that are not evident. Nehemiah sees how the children will be used by the devil as his agents to cause sorrows for the Israelites. Nehemiah sees acts of sabotage that will frustrate the efforts of the children of Israel, in the strange mixtures that will arise.

Nehemiah calls it a transgression against God … not against Nehemiah. Soon wicked fires of envy, lusts and manipulation will rage as these strange women begin to influence the society against God’s plans.

Verses for further meditation

Genesis 6:5; Matthew 6:23

Thoughts for Business and the work place

Leaders can see ahead – evils that must be avoided.

Suggestions for Prayer

Lord, deliver me from evil. Amen

As Nehemiah’s wall was built, so will we see a reconstruction in all that may appear in distress and in waste. Nehemiah trusted and feared God, putting his faith in the Almighty whose strength is limitless to exceed all our expectations. Look out daily for Nehemiah’s Wall in 2015 and do invite friends to subscribe to the free email or social media posts. I am praying someone with a burden to be used by God in building will receive a fresh vision and get the job done.

To subscribe to the devotional, please enter your email address (the left column) above the “subscribe” button (and enter on the green button). God bless you.

Recessionproofchristianlife.com is a privately owned blog/media site started in 2009 as the internet ministry of the author. It promotes the absolute authority and divine inspiration of the Holy Bible as the Word of God – Infallible and Sufficient.

Listening to Men

Nehemiah 13:27 Shall we then hearken unto you to do all this great evil, to transgress against our God in marrying strange wives?

Men love to make excuses and can justify every act of disobedience. If you put men under trial, they will declare themselves innocent of any act – both big and small. Men will never achieve perfection, but they will still paint themselves with flawless colors. Pleasure is their god …another god is success …and another is wisdom … these gods can be justified as harmless hobbies or entertainment. Men also have great advocates, they easily make sense of all their acts of rebellion.

Therefore we must make a choice. Who will we listen to? If we listen to God, we come under pressure and are even called names, perceived as having ulterior motives …until we buckle. Nehemiah felt this pressure and he asked … who will we listen to …God or men. Listening to God can be costly …like the three Hebrew boys it can lead to fires but in which we are supernaturally preserved. Listening to men will always lead to our damnation.

Like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, do not worry about what men are asking you to do …do not be careful in answering them …the only response they need to hear is a clear unrepentant “no”. In the end the Hebrew brothers were promoted.

Daniel 3:14 Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?

Verses for further meditation

Daniel 3:16; Daniel 3:30

Thoughts for Business and the work place

There are times when we must not listen to men — retreating to hear God.

Suggestions for Prayer

Lord, teach me to wait on your word. Amen

As Nehemiah’s wall was built, so will we see a reconstruction in all that may appear in distress and in waste. Nehemiah trusted and feared God, putting his faith in the Almighty whose strength is limitless to exceed all our expectations. Look out daily for Nehemiah’s Wall in 2015 and do invite friends to subscribe to the free email or social media posts. I am praying someone with a burden to be used by God in building will receive a fresh vision and get the job done.

To subscribe to the devotional, please enter your email address (the left column) above the “subscribe” button (and enter on the green button). God bless you.

Recessionproofchristianlife.com is a privately owned blog/media site started in 2009 as the internet ministry of the author. It promotes the absolute authority and divine inspiration of the Holy Bible as the Word of God – Infallible and Sufficient.

Set your heart on Heaven

Nehemiah 13:26 Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless even him did outlandish women cause to sin.

The goodness of God in Solomon’s life should have made him careful and sensitive to upsetting God. Instead he was careless. He admired outlandish women and lusted for them … the end was that they caused him to sin. God knows sin operates through evil baits scattered along our paths …God teaches us what to do, when to flee …where not to go …what not to do. But once we feel we have achieved a level of success, we forget it was God that made us, and we go for idols. These are things that replace God in our hearts. God knows that what He does not recommend for us will eventually make us sin.

God’s rules are good … we are not made by our goodness, we are made by God, but disobedience opens the door to many other sins and in the end we are separated from God, the one we should be closest to.

Consider, the things you are doing and whether you are courting trouble or getting closer to God. Is there an attraction to the things God asks us to separate from? Do not wait until it causes sin …separate now. Look up to God’s eternal city … set your heart on God’s heaven.

Hosea 8:14 For Israel hath forgotten his Maker, and buildeth temples; and Judah hath multiplied fenced cities: but I will send a fire upon his cities, and it shall devour the palaces thereof.

Verses for further meditation

Psalm 95:6; Hebrews 11:10

Thoughts for Business and the work place

Trouble often comes disguised in forbidden pleasures.

Suggestions for Prayer

Lord, help me to be separated unto you. Amen

As Nehemiah’s wall was built, so will we see a reconstruction in all that may appear in distress and in waste. Nehemiah trusted and feared God, putting his faith in the Almighty whose strength is limitless to exceed all our expectations. Look out daily for Nehemiah’s Wall in 2015 and do invite friends to subscribe to the free email or social media posts. I am praying someone with a burden to be used by God in building will receive a fresh vision and get the job done.

To subscribe to the devotional, please enter your email address (the left column) above the “subscribe” button (and enter on the green button). God bless you.

Recessionproofchristianlife.com is a privately owned blog/media site started in 2009 as the internet ministry of the author. It promotes the absolute authority and divine inspiration of the Holy Bible as the Word of God – Infallible and Sufficient.

God’s Omnipotence

Nehemiah 13:26 Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless even him did outlandish women cause to sin.

God is able to make you incomparable in many ways. He is able to make you shine, to stand out in a crowd. The secret of Solomon is mentioned – He was loved by God. Why did God love Solomon so much? Was it because of David his father? Was it because he was generous towards God …was it his wisdom that he used to rule his people … was it because he built God a temple. We may not know, but we understand that God loved him and made him a ruler beyond comparison. Solomon was made incomparable to any other king … but it was God who made him king. Remember the infighting and plots to stop Solomon from becoming king …but once God had made his decision, Solomon was not just king, but an incomparable one. God is awesome in what He can do or undo. Do not worry about your lack of qualifications … if it is God’s idea, it will work and you will see the evidence in its superiority over far better qualified efforts.

How then should we respond to such love and grace? Meditate on God’s omnipotence …Solomon did not respond well. Be cautious – remember God is at work and not you. God expected acceptable service from Solomon … but Solomon disappointed God. Solomon did not know the reason for God’s special grace on his life.

Isaiah 54:5 For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.

Verses for further meditation

Isaiah 51:13; Jeremiah 33:2

Thoughts for Business and the work place

Let God make you incomparably great.

Suggestions for Prayer

Lord, make me what I cannot make myself. Amen

 

As Nehemiah’s wall was built, so will we see a reconstruction in all that may appear in distress and in waste. Nehemiah trusted and feared God, putting his faith in the Almighty whose strength is limitless to exceed all our expectations. Look out daily for Nehemiah’s Wall in 2015 and do invite friends to subscribe to the free email or social media posts. I am praying someone with a burden to be used by God in building will receive a fresh vision and get the job done.

To subscribe to the devotional, please enter your email address (the left column) above the “subscribe” button (and enter on the green button). God bless you.

Recessionproofchristianlife.com is a privately owned blog/media site started in 2009 as the internet ministry of the author. It promotes the absolute authority and divine inspiration of the Holy Bible as the Word of God – Infallible and Sufficient.

Chastening of God

Nehemiah 13:25 And I contended with them, and cursed them, and smote certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, Ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons, nor take their daughters unto your sons, or for yourselves.

The chastening of God can seem so cruel. God can appear so wicked and merciless. The people of the world can appear so gentle compared to God … is this not confusing? Why will God endorse the tough correction?



Proverbs 12:10 A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.

But the above verse reminds us that God is so good even a beast is treated well by Him …He considers the life and wellbeing even of animals talk less of erring men. As for the wicked, they are at their most cruel when they show you tender mercies. It may take a while to see the cruelty of the wicked, and while we can appreciate their apparent goodness, it is wise to have at the back of our minds that the cruelty in the kindness of the unbeliever will manifest sooner or later. This does not mean we should be suspicious but it means we must learn to bear chastenings and hard treatments when we discern they come from Godly correction. And when we are celebrated in evils or pampered when we do wrong … we should be cautious to know those that pamper us are doing us evil. Meditate on these words.

A sign that we are sons is His correction … Nehemiah has no business with the strangers in their midst … he attacks his own – meditate on this. Have you sensed his violent corrections or are have you been left to your own devices?

Verses for further meditation

Deuteronomy 8:5; Heb 12:6

Thoughts for Business and the work place

Pay special attention to discipline those who you see as future leaders.

Suggestions for Prayer

Lord, may your chastening prove my sonship. Amen

As Nehemiah’s wall was built, so will we see a reconstruction in all that may appear in distress and in waste. Nehemiah trusted and feared God, putting his faith in the Almighty whose strength is limitless to exceed all our expectations. Look out daily for Nehemiah’s Wall in 2015 and do invite friends to subscribe to the free email or social media posts. I am praying someone with a burden to be used by God in building will receive a fresh vision and get the job done.

To subscribe to the devotional, please enter your email address (the left column) above the “subscribe” button (and enter on the green button). God bless you.

Recessionproofchristianlife.com is a privately owned blog/media site started in 2009 as the internet ministry of the author. It promotes the absolute authority and divine inspiration of the Holy Bible as the Word of God – Infallible and Sufficient.

The Role of Parents

Nehemiah 13:25 And I contended with them, and cursed them, and smote certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, Ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons, nor take their daughters unto your sons, or for yourselves.

Parents have key roles especially in the marriage of their children. The influence of a father will affect the decision of sons and daughters. Nehemiah reminds them that they must not give their children to mixed marriage or welcome strangers in their homes as partners to their children.

This is so key … these days, we do not care who our children marry …. we say it is the decision of the children, but it is not. Not at all … it is our role to provide guidance early to stop wrong unions. Nehemiah seriously contended, cursed and plucked off their hair to show a violent disapproval. Is this not an overreaction … should we not leave them to do what they want? No we cannot … Marriage is a deep mystery … I sense its full implications for destiny are not fully appreciated. Anger lies in the bosom of fools.

Be careful when you are provoked into anger …come quickly out of these modes. Do not make this your normal mode. It is better to address the underlying issues – poor teaching, worldly churches … indeed it is often late when our sons and daughters have elected to be joined to unbelievers or when they insist on marriage for all the wrong reasons.

Verses for further meditation

Luke 17:27; Heb 13:4

Thoughts for Business and the work place

Discipline must be firm.

Suggestions for Prayer

Lord, chasten me again and again till I am right. Amen

As Nehemiah’s wall was built, so will we see a reconstruction in all that may appear in distress and in waste. Nehemiah trusted and feared God, putting his faith in the Almighty whose strength is limitless to exceed all our expectations. Look out daily for Nehemiah’s Wall in 2015 and do invite friends to subscribe to the free email or social media posts. I am praying someone with a burden to be used by God in building will receive a fresh vision and get the job done.

To subscribe to the devotional, please enter your email address (the left column) above the “subscribe” button (and enter on the green button). God bless you.

Recessionproofchristianlife.com is a privately owned blog/media site started in 2009 as the internet ministry of the author. It promotes the absolute authority and divine inspiration of the Holy Bible as the Word of God – Infallible and Sufficient.

Teaching the Children

Nehemiah 13:24 And their children spake half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews’ language, but according to the language of each people.

Children soak in the environment and become what they have been immersed in or taught. It is so important to teach children and not just leave them in front of the television or to be tutored by nannies. They will learn by general observation, by formal teaching and most importantly by the example of parents. If they are in an environment of godliness and a kingdom culture is exemplified before them, they will imbibe those ways. If they see that we say and what we do are different – they will also become dishonest. They observe our gentle answers or our temper tantrums. They take notice of swear words even when they are spoken on television programs. They do not understand that the violence on TV is only play acting and cannot wait to handle a gun or break a window – if that is what they have been seeing.

Why is it that the children naturally embraced other languages but their Jewish? Why do children more quickly worldliness as opposed to godliness which seems to require more effort and consecration. The Bible calls satan the god of this world… there is a conspiracy between the flesh, the world and satan’s kingdom to deceive humanity into damnation … and we were born into this conspiracy. Only a deliberate effort to say “no” and the grace and help of God upon the lives of saints as we work out God’s salvation brings a victory over the devil’s many wiles. We must teach children the fear of the Lord.

Gen 18:19 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.

Verses for further meditation

Lev. 10:11; Psalm 34:11

Thoughts for Business and the work place

Training and development are important functions. People do not just turn right.

Suggestions for Prayer

Lord, teach me your everlasting ways and truths. Amen

As Nehemiah’s wall was built, so will we see a reconstruction in all that may appear in distress and in waste. Nehemiah trusted and feared God, putting his faith in the Almighty whose strength is limitless to exceed all our expectations. Look out daily for Nehemiah’s Wall in 2015 and do invite friends to subscribe to the free email or social media posts. I am praying someone with a burden to be used by God in building will receive a fresh vision and get the job done.

To subscribe to the devotional, please enter your email address (the left column) above the “subscribe” button (and enter on the green button). God bless you.

Recessionproofchristianlife.com is a privately owned blog/media site started in 2009 as the internet ministry of the author. It promotes the absolute authority and divine inspiration of the Holy Bible as the Word of God – Infallible and Sufficient.

The Language of Love

Nehemiah 13:24 And their children spake half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews’ language, but according to the language of each people.

God has a language given to His children. It is a language of love, grace and seeds of life, given to mark us apart. It has long periods of silence … but is a language that bears fruit in godly living as it spreads the seed of Kingdom culture.



Col_4:6 Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

God expects our words to be different …schooled in God’s laboratory of chastenings and steeped in kingdom lessons. We do not curse as others do … our yea is yea. We are unique, peculiar and full of divine wisdom. But this is only if we have set ourselves apart for God … only when we have learnt to obey Him in our consecration. Where we have not, we speak half for God and half for the enemy and of no use to either….only good to be spit out, neither hot nor cold. The masterpiece of hell is the half-baked saint …sometimes gentle, sometimes wild …sometimes truthful, often a liar … sometimes full of faith at other times dispensing doubts. Many churches are built on the compromise that attracts these half-baked mixtures … it is the other way, the broad way that does not lead to salvation, but that many are deceived to take. Search out your words. Receive grace for salvation in Christ… a salvation that is to the uttermost – saving even our speech.

Verses for further meditation

Genesis 11:1; 1 Kings 3:10

Thoughts for Business and the work place

Leaders are men of few words. Words of love



Suggestions for Prayer

Lord, help me – may my words be ever pleasing to you. Amen

As Nehemiah’s wall was built, so will we see a reconstruction in all that may appear in distress and in waste. Nehemiah trusted and feared God, putting his faith in the Almighty whose strength is limitless to exceed all our expectations. Look out daily for Nehemiah’s Wall in 2015 and do invite friends to subscribe to the free email or social media posts. I am praying someone with a burden to be used by God in building will receive a fresh vision and get the job done.

To subscribe to the devotional, please enter your email address (the left column) above the “subscribe” button (and enter on the green button). God bless you.

Recessionproofchristianlife.com is a privately owned blog/media site started in 2009 as the internet ministry of the author. It promotes the absolute authority and divine inspiration of the Holy Bible as the Word of God – Infallible and Sufficient.

He loves us

Neh 13:23 In those days also saw I Jews that had married wives of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab:

In the Bible, the Moabitess is forbidden from being in the gathering of the faithful … yet it records the marriage of Ruth to Boaz, a union through which Christ the Saviour descended. We see in Christ, a mercy that is unfathomable. In the covenant we are saved through our faith in Christ Jesus, and because we love Him, we obey Him who first loved us with an everlasting love and is able to forgive all our confessed transgressions …even work through them for greater good. We flee sin because of God’s love for us … our realization that He loves us will bring us always back to Him.

This does not mean the law for us is cancelled … but our new nature is programmed by God not to disobey it … our instincts embrace obedience to God, unlike our previous nature which ran to sin with zeal. Where we have confessed and repented the pride that caused us to drift from His will, we can through Christ assume a cleansing, a new slate …our justification before God. This is the blessing of the saints of God through Christ Jesus alone … as for others, the wages of sin remains an everlasting death.

Verses for further meditation

1 Peter 5:10; Romans 6:23

Thoughts for Business and the work place

Leaders are great instruments through which the grace of God shines.

Suggestions for Prayer

Lord, keep me in your grace and love. Amen

As Nehemiah’s wall was built, so will we see a reconstruction in all that may appear in distress and in waste. Nehemiah trusted and feared God, putting his faith in the Almighty whose strength is limitless to exceed all our expectations. Look out daily for Nehemiah’s Wall in 2015 and do invite friends to subscribe to the free email or social media posts. I am praying someone with a burden to be used by God in building will receive a fresh vision and get the job done.

To subscribe to the devotional, please enter your email address (the left column) above the “subscribe” button (and enter on the green button). God bless you.

Recessionproofchristianlife.com is a privately owned blog/media site started in 2009 as the internet ministry of the author. It promotes the absolute authority and divine inspiration of the Holy Bible as the Word of God – Infallible and Sufficient.