Olabode Ososami's Blog, page 4

Who shall stand

Nehemiah 13:18 Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the sabbath.



Revelation 6:17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

1 Thessalonians 5:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

The profaning of the Sabbath was a type of the act of rejecting Christ. This act leads to even more wrath from God – the sort we cannot imagine. The whole of revelation speaks never of the wrath of men or of the devil but is full of references to the wrath of God. God did not appoint us to wrath but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus. There is no other means of evading this wrath … there is no other name given by which we can be saved. Christ is the way, the truth and the life …the only way to escape God’s wrath. I pray this vital truth will be enough to sustain you through the trials and challenges …always remember, there is no wrath worse than the wrath of God designed for the devil and his angels …not for you.

Our repentance is to come back to Christ, confess our sins to Him, learn of Him and be surrendered afresh to Him.

Nehemiah speaks of the greater wrath that the nobles brought in disdaining the sacredness of God’s divinely ordained rest. Overworking ourselves and breaking down in exhaustion is nothing compared to the folly of not leaning on the finished work of Christ. The one who said “It is finished “.

Verses for further meditation

Acts 4:12; Titus 2:11

Thoughts for Business and the work place

When negative events occur we must search not just search symptoms but root causes

Suggestions for Prayer

Lord, may I never lose the salvation that Christ earned for me. 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 brings Evil

Nehemiah 13:18 Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the sabbath.

God is God who brings evil and brings good. He kills and He makes to be alive. He offers us a choice … an opportunity to change …but our choices have consequences that God brings upon us. We cannot escape the choices we make but we can repent and make better choices. Nehemiah reminds the elders that their fathers made wrong choices and a generation after , their children pay dearly. Do you understand that what you are doing or enjoying may be the consequence of the faithfulness of your fathers or their disobedience …and more importantly your own children suffer for your own choices.

Christ came, for those who would believe in Him, to be the choice God has commanded us to make. We are told to hear Him, honor Him, obey Him …surrender our lives to Him. The consequence is forgiveness and the gift of His righteousness and Holy Spirit. Rejecting Christ also brings death. An eternal death brought by God … not the devil. Indeed our salvation is not from the devil but from the wrath of God. Those who are deceived into worshipping the devil are tricked into thinking the devil brings evil …yes he does to some extent, but the greater evil of eternal damnation is God’s work. Fear God.

1Kings 21:29 Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son’s days will I bring the evil upon his house.

Verses for further meditation

Matthew 7:18; Jer 32:42

Thoughts for Business and the work place

Leaders understand consequences and make careful choices

Suggestions for Prayer

Lord, guide me in my choices to choose 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.

Evil deeds of Nobles

Nehemiah 13:17 Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them, What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the sabbath day?

Oftentimes when things go wrong, you must look at the leadership, the nobles set the example. People look at them and admire their advantage and gains and conclude that they must be worth emulating. These are the ones who must be copied and who preach the most effective sermons, not with words but with example. That is why their deeds must be openly questioned, why they must be the ones we must first argue with.

It is not easy to contend with nobles. They have influence, and they control the opinions of many – we need the grace of God to question that which is done at the top or to say no to deeds of leaders … even when concealed …and even worse when known.

Profaning the Sabbath was not permitted, yet they did it with relish. Are there things we do with relish which God does not permit? Look around you again. Do you see the evil deeds of the nobles? Can you be bold to contend with elders who should know better …who taught you? Pray for more grace.

Verses for further meditation

Isa 57:16; Jude 1:3

Thoughts for Business and the work place

Corrections must begin at the top

Suggestions for Prayer

Lord, grant me grace to be bold in living your truth. 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.

Another Contention

Nehemiah 13:17 Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them, What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the sabbath day?

How many contentions can we be engaged in? When will contentions stop? How many battles will we fight …when will we find peace and rest from contention? As long as satan continues to be free till the time of ordained, he will continue his act of deception and we must continue our act of contention. Nehemiah had only just finished contending over the chambers allocated to Tobiah, and now he contends with those who profane the Sabbath.

Our contention is our means of escape from many wrong paths. There are many environments in which we must not be found at ease. We must be released, thrown out …even stoned as Paul often was – or our hearers must embrace Christ. It was riot or revival whenever Paul arrived …oftentimes it was a riot. Riots can be embarrassing, contention will quickly give us a negative reputation – but compromise is worse … it is as a golden chain that looks decorative but binds us to the darkest portions of hell. My friend there can be no accord with Belial … not in business, not in anything.

There is a good fight of faith. There are many bad fights. Choose your battles.

Exodus 14:14 The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

Verses for further meditation

2 Chronicles 20:17; 2 Tim 4:7

Thoughts for Business and the work place

Learn to hold your ground

Suggestions for Prayer

Lord, show me the battles worth fighting. 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.

Sold on the Sabbath

Nehemiah 13:16 There dwelt men of Tyre also therein, which brought fish, and all manner of ware, and sold on the sabbath unto the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem.

This is not about closing your shops on Sunday … though it is good to find a day of rest. Rather, I chose to relate it to wasted labors that can be avoided. The Sabbath as we covered previously is about rest in the complete work of Christ. Selling on the Sabbath is like seeking gain outside that which has been gained already. Paul said my richest gain I count as dung. Whatever profit you made have made outside Christ be it in commerce or elsewhere …may be laudable … but whatever is outside Christ is eventually repulsive, it rots, decays and eventually stinks. Christ is complete and enough …always sufficient.

On the day of judgment when all acts are tested …only the garment – Christ’s righteousness will admit us into God’s heaven. Every other cover no matter how luxurious, excellent or well woven will fail. The saint must do all to gain Christ and remain in Him. If we do not disdain any other garment, we will be deceived into vain works and many through that have lost their salvation, Christ. I pray the old hymn will ring true in your life …

I need no other argument, I need no other plea, it is enough that Jesus died and that He died for me…

Verses for further meditation

John 9:16; Col 2:16

Thoughts for Business and the work place

Christ is more than sufficient

Suggestions for Prayer

Lord, be my all in all. 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.

Fish for Sale

Nehemiah 13:16 There dwelt men of Tyre also therein, which brought fish, and all manner of ware, and sold on the sabbath unto the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem.

Christ said He will make us fishers of men. Men and women as they come to Christ are often likened to fish. Fish could therefore be a type that represents souls. It is not unusual to expect that evangelism will be commercialized. Everything that has value must have a price tag …

Acts 8:18 And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money

Sadly it is not everyone that is offered money that rejects it. Many have ways of receiving remuneration for what God is doing …enjoying lavish gifts from saints for the work God has done. This is not to say that we cannot be blessed for ministering to others … but moreso that we cannot obtain financial gain for the salvation of someone else. Another doctrine to fear is when we think God approves of us because we are financially blessed. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Our confidence should come when we study the word of God and we find we find our life lines up with the will and teachings of God, if we do His commandments.

By all means, do have a generous spirt and give …but do not try to buy graces or manipulate the one who must share the word of God …many affluent church members who are major givers will often go to the preacher after the sermon – to manipulate the word through praise and donations but ultimately through a disapproving comment.

Verses for further meditation

Rev 13:17; Rev 18:13

Thoughts for Business and the work place

Salvation and the graces of God are not for sale

Suggestions for Prayer

Lord, help me to value the salvation that your beloved Son paid for with His dear life. 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.

Against Them

Nehemiah 13:15 In those days saw I in Judah some treading wine presses on the sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and lading asses; as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the sabbath day: and I testified against them in the day wherein they sold victuals.

There are people who deny Christ’s perfect rest. They want to present their own performance and goodness and encourage others to do likewise. They look at sinners and while they offer Christ, they also want to offer their good works in hating things that are evil – which is good … but their righteous works are still rags and cannot make them more glorious before God.

We should testify against those who deny the rest in Christ. We should not add chains and weights unto people’s lives when they are seeking for Christ to lift up their burdens. We cannot walk in Christ’s rest and in our own righteous works at the same time. Only one will stand … never both. If we do not testify against those who preach works we will embrace that doctrine and unable to enjoy the rest we have in Christ.

There are many who say that there are many ways apart from Christ … if we do not testify against this we will be unable to lead others into a saving salvation in Christ. Syncretism was common in the days of Nehemiah …i.e. worshipping the God of Israel and worshipping other gods as well…with equal zeal. Only a firm stance, a strong stand for God and a clear testimony against other religions claiming an alternative way to salvation …will make the way clear for people to see the rest that is in no other name but Christ.

Verses for further meditation

Exodus 33:14; Hebrews 3:11

Thoughts for Business and the work place

The peace and rest we have in Christ is not like any other

Suggestions for Prayer

Lord, give me that peace that world does not have, and cannot give nor understand. 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.

Sabbath

Nehemiah 13:15 In those days saw I in Judah some treading wine presses on the sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and lading asses; as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the sabbath day: and I testified against them in the day wherein they sold victuals.

The Sabbath is a day of rest. A day to leave all work and observe an intermission from commercial and strenuous activity – even cooking was not done on the Sabbath by the Jews. God rested on the seventh day and so mankind made in His image are required to follow this pattern. It should not be difficult to see that taking a day off to bless and worship God and for family is a principle that is beneficial in many regards. It tells us that God gives increase … so we can leave our fields in His hands.

Withdrawing from our own efforts means we are leaning on the everlasting arms of the Almighty. Leaving our burdens at the feet of Christ, signifies that we believe He is the true burden bearer. Indeed there are many pictures of the new covenant in Christ, our Sabbath.

Jesus is “Lord of the Sabbath” and He also decides the true meaning of the Sabbath because He created it, and He is our Sabbath rest in the flesh. By saying, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” , Jesus was restating the principle that the Sabbath rest was instituted to relieve man of his labors, just as He came to relieve us of our attempting to achieve salvation by our works. We no longer rest for only one day, but forever cease our laboring to attain God’s favor. Jesus is our rest from works now, just as He is the door to heaven, where we will rest in Him forever.

Verses for further meditation

Matthew 12:8; Mark 2:27

Thoughts for Business and the work place

Leaders understand that there must be periods of rest

Suggestions for Prayer

Lord, teach me to enter into your rest. 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.

Good Deeds

Nehemiah 13:14 Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for the offices thereof.

Can you name good deeds you have done for the house of your God, even though it cost you dearly …it may have cost you everything. There are many things done for the house of God … many are not good. When the house is in reproach, like during the priesthood of Eli, we can sense that God is looking for a Samuel. Nehemiah threw out the property of the devil’s agents in contention with the elders … and called this good deeds because he was not settling an old score or trying to consolidate his power over the people ….he was doing it for the house of God.

Oftentimes, good deeds done for the house of God will not be accepted by the people … this can become a very lonely time of testing that can result in a fall into bitterness. Keep looking up to God, when those times arise. Nehemiah ushers in a complete revolution … a change of the guard of God’s officers. Spiritually, little will change when in the physical we cannot find those who will take up revolutionary assignments in the house of God and for the glory of the God of the house.

Nehemiah was unique in that he could do the less popular deeds that no one else could do for the house of God … like David he could say “is there not a cause?”

1 Samuel 17:29 And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?

Verses for further meditation

Psalm 28:4;  2 Cor 12:12

Thoughts for Business and the work place

Leaders are not just men of words but of good and mighty deeds

Suggestions for Prayer

Lord, do not wipe out my good deeds … let me end well. 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.

Remember me

Nehemiah 13:14 Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for the offices thereof.

This is a strange prayer. Why does Nehemiah ask God not to forget him? Can God forget His own? Can God truly forget what His own? But future deeds can cause to take His eyes away from us.

Psa 13:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me? 2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me? 3 Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death; 4 Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved. 5 But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. 6 I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.

Nehemiah pleads for future mercy, not because he plans to sin, but because he knows his humanity. He senses his weaknesses, and knows there are traps waiting for him – because he has done a bold act that attacks the leaders and upset the system. He fears that he is not blameless and may have made mistakes and acted with imperfect motives. He distrusts his heart and puts all in the hands of God’s mercy. He knows God scores not as men score …and A grade before the wisest of men can be an F before God who discerns the things that mankind cannot.

Verses for further meditation

Isaiah 49:15; 2 Kings 20:3

Thoughts for Business and the work place

Leaders know that men – even they cannot often be trusted. But they have a heart that fully trusts God

Suggestions for Prayer

Lord, remember me … be quick to be merciful towards me. 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.